End of an Era: Tesla Discontinues Model S and Model X After a Decade of Dominance | Taha Abbasi

Tesla has officially announced the discontinuation of the Model S sedan and Model X SUV, closing a chapter that defined the luxury electric vehicle market. Taha Abbasi reflects on the legacy of these vehicles and what their retirement signals about Tesla’s strategic direction.

The Vehicles That Proved EVs Could Be Desirable

When the Model S launched in 2012, it didn’t just prove that electric cars could work — it proved they could be the best cars in their class. Period. The Model S outsold every other large luxury sedan in America, earned the highest safety ratings ever recorded, and redefined what consumers expected from a vehicle. Before the Model S, “electric car” conjured images of golf carts. After it, the phrase meant 0-60 in under 2 seconds.

Taha Abbasi considers the Model S one of the most important vehicles in automotive history. “It’s the iPhone of cars. It didn’t invent the category, but it made everyone else look like they were standing still. Every luxury EV that exists today — the Lucid Air, the Porsche Taycan, the Mercedes EQS — owes its existence to the standard the Model S set.”

Model X: The Falcon Wing Icon

The Model X, with its theatrical falcon wing doors and unprecedented SUV performance, pushed boundaries in a different way. It demonstrated that electric powertrains could deliver both utility and spectacle. The Model X became a cultural icon, appearing in films, TV shows, and as the vehicle of choice for tech executives who wanted something dramatic.

Why Now?

The discontinuation aligns with Tesla’s pivot toward higher-volume, higher-margin products. The Model 3 and Model Y now represent the overwhelming majority of Tesla’s revenue, and the Robotaxi program represents the company’s next major platform. Manufacturing resources dedicated to low-volume S and X production can be redirected toward Cybertruck scaling, Semi production, and Optimus robot development.

From a business perspective, the decision makes sense. The luxury sedan market has been shrinking globally as consumers shift toward SUVs and crossovers. And Tesla’s next-generation vehicle platform — designed from the ground up for autonomous operation — represents a fundamentally different approach to personal transportation.

Legacy and Impact

The combined impact of Model S and Model X on the automotive industry is difficult to overstate. They forced every major automaker to take electrification seriously. They proved that over-the-air updates could continuously improve a vehicle after purchase. They demonstrated that a startup could beat established automakers at their own game. As Taha Abbasi notes, “Tesla didn’t just build great EVs. They made the entire industry accept that EVs are the future.”

For current Model S and Model X owners, Tesla has confirmed continued service, parts support, and software updates. These vehicles will remain on the road for years to come, gradually becoming collector’s items as their historical significance is fully appreciated.

What Fills the Gap

Tesla has not announced a direct replacement for the Model S or Model X. Instead, the company’s product roadmap focuses on the next-generation Roadster for performance enthusiasts and the Robotaxi for the autonomous mobility market. Taha Abbasi sees this as a bold bet: rather than iterating on proven formulas, Tesla is building entirely new product categories.

Read more: Best Tesla Software Features | Tesla $100 Trillion Analysis

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About the Author: Taha Abbasi is a technology executive, CTO, and applied frontier tech builder. Read more on Grokpedia | YouTube: The Brown Cowboy | tahaabbasi.com