Tesla kills Models S and X to build humanoid robots instead

But even robotaxis have lost some of their shine. For Musk, the real action is with his humanoid robot. These will sell in the billions, Musk has claimed, adding up to $20 trillion to Tesla’s market capitalization at some point in the future. And he needs factory space to build these Optimus robots, which Tesla claims will go on sale in 2027. And that means an end to the Model S sedan and Model X SUV.

Once a world-beater

The Model S wasn’t Tesla’s first car, but it was the first one it built from scratch. At the time, it was simply revolutionary. EVs from traditional automakers were still firmly in the realm of the compliance car—hasty conversions of internal combustion engine-powered models with the batteries and control electronics crammed wherever possible, plus maybe some aerodynamic smoothing to try to eke out a little more range.

By contrast, the Model S was designed as an EV from the ground up, with a big enough battery to go 265 miles (426 km) on a full charge—something unthinkable in any other EV on sale. It didn’t hurt that the car was seriously quick in a straight line and came with infotainment that made anything else on the road seem dated. When Ars tested one in 2013, we were impressed.

Over the years the Model S got more power and more advanced driver assists—and eventually, a cosmetic facelift. But as rivals responded with vehicles like the Porsche Taycan and Lucid Air, the Model S stagnated rather than being replaced.

Similar neglect was shown to the Model X, the brand’s SUV-cum-minivan. The lengthy and troubled gestation for the Model X was a forerunner of the problems Tesla has faced developing each successive product; in this particular case, the “falcon wing” doors, created as an alternative to the minivan’s traditional sliding door, proved particularly problematic to get right. Indeed, I still remember being smacked in the head by one at my first introduction to the ungainly people-mover. And yet, compared to the other SUVs on sale in 2016, the Model X still stood out.