The Final Days Of The Tesla Model X And S Are Here. All Bets Are On The Cybercab.

It’s been looming for weeks, but now nan extremity is near: Just a fewer 100 Tesla Model S and Model X vehicles stay unsold. Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed this week successful a station connected X that civilization orders of nan Model S sedan and Model X SUV are over. “All that’s near are immoderate successful inventory,” he wrote.

Musk first announced Tesla’s scheme to extremity Model S and Model X accumulation back successful January. And nan information helps explicate why.

Sales of nan Tesla Model X and Model S person fallen steadily complete nan years arsenic nan company’s precocious measurement and cheaper entries — nan Model 3 and Model Y — took over. Tesla doesn’t abstracted S and X sales, alternatively combining them nether “other models,” a class that now includes nan Cybertruck. And those mixed figures show S and X income peaking successful 2017 astatine 101,312 vehicles earlier declining to 50,850 vehicles (including Cybertruck) successful 2025 — a fraction of nan 1.63 cardinal vehicles it delivered globally past year.

In different words, their deaths were inevitable. What comes adjacent is simply a spot much complicated.

Musk isn’t filling nan void near by nan Model X and Model S pinch a accepted EV; he ditched plans to nutrient a lower-cost EV that was expected to beryllium priced astir $25,000. Instead, Musk is placing his bets connected nan Optimus robot, which has yet to spell into production, and nan Cybercab, an all-electric two-seater autonomous conveyance that was first shown arsenic a concept successful 2024.

Tesla plans to build Optimus robots astatine its Fremont, California, mill erstwhile accumulation of nan Model S and Model X end, which could beryllium immoderate time now that last orders person been taken. Musk has said Tesla will statesman producing nan Cybercab this period astatine its mill successful Austin, Texas. 

A look back

The Model S and X EVs person taken a backseat to nan much affordable Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. But their debuts, and first sales, marked 2 captious moments successful Tesla’s colorful and often volatile history. The Model S launched successful 2012 arsenic its first measurement EV. Its fame not only changed really consumers viewed EVs, it prompted bequest automakers — agelong dismissive of nan worth of electrical vehicles — to return notice.

The Model X followed successful autumn 2015 and was famously described by Musk arsenic nan faberge ovum of EVs.

“I deliberation we sewage much carried distant pinch nan X,” Musk said successful a September 2015 property question and reply attended by this newsman conscionable an hr earlier Tesla’s Model X transportation arena began. “I’m not judge anyone should make this car.”

The Model X was often delayed, and initially criticized for its complexity. But it yet introduced nan institution to a caller market: women.

The Model X raised Tesla’s profile, and it group nan institution up for its adjacent large move: an affordable wide produced EV. The Model 3 had a difficult start, but it ended up catapulting Tesla into nan mainstream. The Model Y clinched its status, helping Tesla widen nan spread arsenic nan top-selling EV shaper globally until China’s BYD took complete that apical world EV income spot successful 2025 erstwhile it delivered 2.26 cardinal EVs.

Tesla continues to waste thousands of Model 3 and Model Y, but its growth has stalled, and moreover reversed. The institution reported successful January that it sold 1.69 cardinal vehicles successful 2025, a alteration for nan 2nd twelvemonth successful a row. Its efforts to boost income pinch cheaper, stripped-down versions of nan Model 3 and Model Y that were introduced successful October person had a modicum of success, according to first-quarter 2026 figures that were reported April 2.

Tesla delivered 358,023 EVs globally successful nan first 3 months of nan year, astir 6% much than nan aforesaid play successful 2025, which besides happened to beryllium the company’s worst 4th successful years. The fig was beneath analysts’ expectations of astir 368,000.

But ne'er mind that. In Musk’s position — 1 which he is good compensated for — Tesla isn’t an automaker aliases a sustainable power company, arsenic he has described it before. Tesla is an AI institution and his caller gambit goes each successful connected that mission.

Cybercab risks

The Optimus robot is 1 portion of nan Tesla AI effort. But its possibly nan Cybercab that champion embodies, and exposes nan risks of, nan company’s AI-first campaign.

The Cybercab was designed to beryllium utilized arsenic an autonomous conveyance without accepted controls for illustration a steering instrumentality aliases pedals — meaning erstwhile it launches it will beryllium without nan first backup of quality information operator.

The first Cybercab rolled disconnected nan Tesla mill assembly statement successful February and is expected to spell into wide accumulation this month. Although that day could slip, arsenic truthful galore person successful Tesla’s history.

Unlike Tesla’s erstwhile vehicles, nan challenges aren’t successful its accumulation (who tin hide nan production hell of nan Model 3). Instead, it faces a awesome regulatory hurdle earlier it tin ever deed nan road. Federal centrifugal conveyance information standards spot requirements connected vehicles specified arsenic having a steering instrumentality and pedals. There is nary grounds that Tesla has applied for an exemption, according to publically disposable files pinch nan Federal Register and nan National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The vehicles will besides trust connected Tesla’s Full Self-Driving package to navigate nationalist streets and safely shuttle passengers to their destination. Despite improvements to FSD and constricted driverless robotaxi tests successful Austin, Tesla has not yet demonstrated that its package tin run reliably astatine scale.

And that portion requires much than method mastery. Robotaxi operations are besides tricky. And successful states for illustration California, they besides require licence to deploy and complaint for rides successful driverless vehicles.

Zoox, nan autonomous conveyance institution owned by Jeff Bezos’ Amazon, whitethorn extremity up clearing a way for Tesla and its Cybercab. Zoox received an exemption from nan National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that allows nan institution to show its custom-built robotaxis, which deficiency pedals aliases a steering wheel, connected nationalist roads. Zoox is now going done a nationalist process to person that exemption extended to commercialized operations.

Musk tried to waste shareholders connected why nan consequence was worthy it during nan company’s net telephone successful January.

“The immense mostly of miles traveled will beryllium autonomous successful nan future,” Musk said astatine nan time, later noting that nan CyberCab is ace optimized for minimum costs per mile and besides for a overmuch higher work cycle. “I would opportunity astir apt little than I’m conscionable guessing, but astir apt little than 5% of miles driven will beryllium wherever somebody’s really driving nan car themselves successful nan future, possibly arsenic debased arsenic 1%.”