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 present the 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 customized orders of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV are over. “All that’s near are immoderate successful inventory,” he wrote.

Musk archetypal announced Tesla’s program to extremity Model S and Model X accumulation back successful January. And the information helps explicate why.

Sales of the Tesla Model X and Model S person fallen steadily implicit the years arsenic the company’s precocious measurement and cheaper entries — the Model 3 and Model Y — took over. Tesla doesn’t abstracted S and X sales, alternatively combining them nether “other models,” a class that present includes the Cybertruck. And those combined figures amusement S and X income peaking successful 2017 astatine 101,312 vehicles earlier declining to 50,850 vehicles (including Cybertruck) successful 2025 — a fraction of the 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 the void near by the Model X and Model S with a accepted EV; helium ditched plans to nutrient a lower-cost EV that was expected to beryllium priced astir $25,000. Instead, Musk is placing his bets connected the Optimus robot, which has yet to spell into production, and the Cybercab, an all-electric two-seater autonomous conveyance that was archetypal shown arsenic a concept successful 2024.

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

A look back

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

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

“I deliberation we got much carried distant with the X,” Musk said successful a September 2015 property interrogation attended by this newsman conscionable an hr earlier Tesla’s Model X transportation lawsuit began. “I’m not definite anyone should marque this car.”

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

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

Tesla continues to merchantability thousands of Model 3 and Model Y, but its growth has stalled, and adjacent reversed. The institution reported successful January that it sold 1.69 cardinal vehicles successful 2025, a alteration for the 2nd twelvemonth successful a row. Its efforts to boost income with cheaper, stripped-down versions of the 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 the archetypal 3 months of the year, astir 6% much than the 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 caput that. In Musk’s presumption — 1 which helium is good compensated for — Tesla isn’t an automaker oregon a sustainable vigor company, arsenic helium 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 the Tesla AI effort. But its possibly the Cybercab that champion embodies, and exposes the risks of, the company’s AI-first campaign.

The Cybercab was designed to beryllium utilized arsenic an autonomous conveyance without accepted controls similar a steering instrumentality oregon pedals — meaning erstwhile it launches it volition beryllium without the archetypal backup of quality information operator.

The archetypal Cybercab rolled disconnected the Tesla mill assembly enactment 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, the challenges aren’t successful its accumulation (who tin hide the production hell of the Model 3). Instead, it faces a large regulatory hurdle earlier it tin ever deed the 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 with the Federal Register and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The vehicles volition besides trust connected Tesla’s Full Self-Driving bundle 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 bundle tin run reliably astatine scale.

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

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

Musk tried to merchantability shareholders connected wherefore the hazard was worthy it during the company’s net telephone successful January.

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