Automotive industry Tesla discontinues production of Models S and X
Tesla is discontinuing its larger electric car models S and X to free up capacity for robot production. Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that production of the two models will be phased out in the coming quarter.
29.01.2026, 00:53
SDA
Owners of the cars will continue to receive technical support over the lifetime of the vehicles, Tesla CEO Elon Musk assured in a conference call with analysts.
Launched in 2012, the Model S was Tesla's first vehicle developed entirely in-house. It established the company's reputation as a manufacturer of electric cars with a good range, speed and attractive design that could hold their own against the cars with combustion engines that dominated the market at the time.
The Model X with its distinctive gullwing doors followed in 2015, after which both model series were refreshed from time to time. The newer Model 3 and Model Y vehicles now account for the majority of Tesla's business: Last year, they accounted for almost 97 percent of deliveries.
Tesla wants to make room for Optimus robots
In future, Tesla's humanoid robots called Optimus are to be built on the existing production lines for Model S and X. Musk recently held out the prospect of putting them on sale by the end of next year.
Tesla also plans to start producing self-driving robotaxi vehicles without a steering wheel or pedals this year under the name Cybercab. Musk said that the company will build many more of these cars than any other model in the future. Musk also announced that the Cybertruck electric pickup truck would be turned into an autonomous vehicle.
