After several refreshes and powertrain upgrades, Tesla’s flagship Model 3 sedan and Model X crossover are both being retired in the second quarter of 2026. Credited with breaking through to consumers and helping electric vehicles go mainstream, the sleek Model S was designed by Franz von Holzhausen and was the first all-Tesla creation. The brand’s only previous model, the Roadster, was based on the Lotus Elise.
Tesla Model XBrandan Gillogly
The sleek Model S sedan has been in production since the summer of 2012. The 2015 P90D version was the first Tesla to feature “Ludicrous Mode,” which enabled impressive launches off the line and 10-second quarter-mile elapsed times. The “falcon-winged” Model X was added to the lineup in 2015 and offered similar performance, including the 1020hp Plaid version, which offered zero-to-60mph acceleration in just 2.5 seconds. Both models have been eclipsed by Tesla’s smaller, more affordable alternatives in the Model 3 and Model Y, introduced in 2015 and 2020, respectively. The sales success of the 3 and Y has kept Tesla at the top of worldwide EV production as consumers, especially in Europe, are turning to electric propulsion.
Tesla doesn’t break down sales by model, but produced 94,105 “other models” in 2024. Those “other models” refer to everything that’s not a Model 3 or Model Y, which includes the S, X, and Cybertruck. In 2025, that number dropped to 53,900. Elon Musk has promised that Tesla will continue to offer Model 3 and Model X owners parts, service, and support for their vehicles indefinitely.
The end of Model 3 and Model X production will mean that Tesla’s Fremont, California, manufacturing plant will switch to building Tesla’s Optimus robot. The plant was formerly owned by New United Motor Manufacturing Incorporated (NUMMI), a joint venture between Toyota and GM from 1984 to 2010, which was Toyota’s first North American factory. It produced several models, including the Toyota Tacoma, Corolla, and Matrix, and rebadged versions of the Corolla and Matrix for Chevrolet (Nova and Prism) and Pontiac (Vibe). Before that, it was exclusively a GM plant that built C/K pickups and A-body coupes, sedans, wagons, and utilities starting in 1963.
