Tesla has officially ended production of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV at its Fremont, California factory, bringing to a close a 14-year run for two vehicles that helped transform electric cars from a curiosity into a mainstream force. The company announced over the weekend on social media that the final units had rolled off the line.
The Signature Series Farewell
The last vehicles produced were part of an ultra-limited “Signature Series” — 250 Model S and 100 Model X Plaid models finished in an exclusive Garnet Red paint with gold badging, gold calipers, and white Alcantara interiors. Priced at $159,420 each, the invite-only vehicles were offered to select long-time Tesla owners and included Full Self-Driving, free lifetime Supercharging, and four years of premium maintenance.
But the send-off hit an immediate snag. Tesla abruptly postponed the Signature Edition Delivery Event that had been scheduled for Tuesday, May 12, at the Fremont factory, notifying buyers by email just days before. The message, shared on social media by DragTimes’ Brooks Weisblat, offered no explanation and no new date: “The Signature Edition Delivery Event scheduled for May 12, 2026, has been postponed. We apologize for any inconvenience”. Buyers who had spent thousands on travel arrangements were left without answers on reimbursement or a rescheduled date.
From Flagship Sedans to Humanoid Robots
CEO Elon Musk first announced the end of the Model S and Model X during Tesla’s Q4 2025 earnings call in January, describing it as an “honorable discharge” and framing the decision as “part of our overall shift to an autonomous future”. In a post on X in late March, Musk wrote: “Custom orders of the Tesla Model S & X have come to an end. All that’s left are some in inventory. I love those cars”.
The Fremont production lines will now be rebuilt to manufacture Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots. During the Q1 2026 earnings call in April, Musk said Optimus production at the site could begin in late July or August, though he warned initial output would be “quite slow” and declined to give a production target for the year. Tesla’s long-term ambition is to reach capacity of one million Optimus units per year at the facility.
A Legacy in the Rearview Mirror
The Model S launched in June 2012, and the Model X followed in 2015. Together they accounted for roughly 750,000 sales and helped establish Tesla as the dominant force in the electric vehicle market before the higher-volume Model 3 and Model Y took over. The 2026 Model S Plaid delivered over 1,000 horsepower and a 410-mile range — a far cry from the 265-mile original.
With no successors announced, the premium EV space is now open ground for rivals including Lucid, Rivian, and Cadillac.
