Model S and Model X have come a long way since their initial debut and made Tesla what it is today. Particularly the Model S, which brought in a lot of early adopters. Both these vehicles have grown long in the tooth and Tesla will discontinue both of them to make way for self-driving cars and AI advances. Let’s take a closer look.
Tesla Model S and Model X To be Discontinued
If there is one brand that made the biggest splash in global electric car industry, it has to be Tesla Inc. Starting its journey with Tesla Roadster, Elon Musk led American EV giant soon set foot in the mainstream segment with Model S and then Model X. These are the two vehicles that showed the world that EVs can look like regular cars and be ludicrously performant too.
The company currently offers Models S, 3, X, Y along with Cybertruck. Now, Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla Models S, X will be discontinued, while the Models 3, Y will continue to be on sale. This is not a surprising move for Tesla as Model S and Model X sales had slowed down considerably, and Model 3 and Model Y sales have thrived in comparison.
Because Model S and Model X are now low volume vehicles, Tesla has decided to discontinue them in a phase-wise manner. The company has already discontinued some variants and has stopped taking orders of certain variants and powertrain combinations. This way, Tesla will avoid a sudden exit of these models and fulfil existing commitments.
Model S was known for its blistering performance and its long range capabilities. Especially the Plaid variant, which was very popular among American automotive enthusiasts as it offered supercar acceleration with 0-60 mph (98 km/h) sprint under 3 seconds. Long Range variants of Model S promised up to 650 km/h range and a robust Tesla Supercharger infrastructure.
On the other hand, Model X was all about practicality and versatility along with a dash of eccentricity. It has third-row seats, making it more practical for families. It also had powered gull-wing doors or falcon-wing doors that added to its overall theatrics.
What next?
Tesla’s prominent California manufacturing facility where Model S and Model X are currently produced, will be used in the future for manufacturing of Optimus humanoid robots and for future xAI infrastructure. Tesla Inc is facing a two-pronged pressure train and is combating both of them swiftly.
The record USD 1 Trillion pay package for Elon Musk will ensure that the company has to work harder to raise the firm’s market value over the next decade to keep investors happy. The company is also facing decline in sales globally for a combination of factors, which has enabled Chinese BYD to swoop past it and snatch the best-selling global EV maker tag in CY25. The focus will increase on higher-volume vehicles like Model 3 and Model Y, where profit margins are higher.
Source: Electric - rushlane.com
