If you have ever pointed to the Model S or Model X as the cars that turned Tesla from a scrappy startup into a household name, you are not alone. But Tesla is now signaling that the two longtime flagships are nearing the end of the road. During its latest earnings call, CEO Elon Musk said the company plans to wind down Model S and Model X production at its Fremont, California plant, framing it as an “honorable discharge” as Tesla leans harder into autonomy and robotics.

From a pure product standpoint, the writing has been on the wall for a while. Model 3 and Model Y have carried Tesla’s volume, while the higher-priced “other models” bucket has become a much smaller slice of the pie. Tesla’s own delivery report shows 1,585,279 deliveries for Model 3 and Model Y in 2025, compared to 50,850 deliveries for its “Other Models” category, which includes Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck. That sales gap helps explain why Tesla can even consider freeing up prime factory space that once built its halo vehicles.

The bigger headline is what comes next. Musk says Fremont capacity currently used for S and X is being repurposed for large-scale production of Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot, with an eye toward massive output once the transition is complete. Whether you see that as bold vision or a risky pivot, it is a very clear message about where Tesla wants investors, fans, and future customers to focus: software, autonomy, and machines that are not cars.

For enthusiasts and shoppers, the practical takeaway is simple. If you have been on the fence about a new Model S or Model X, the clock may be ticking on ordering one new, at least as a regular production item. And if you already own one, this feels like the closing chapter for two of the most important vehicles of the modern EV era, the sedan that rewrote the luxury playbook and the SUV that proved Tesla could be weird, ambitious, and still mainstream.