Tesla has officially closed the chapter on the Model S and Model X, holding a final Signature Edition delivery event at its Fremont factory where the last 250 cars were handed over to customers.
Produciton has ended for the Model S and Model X after 14 and 11 years respectively, with more than 750,000 built at its Fremont factory.
The company is shifting those production lines toward its Optimus humanoid robot.
Tesla marked the end with a tribute to both vehicles, calling them cars that “changed automotive history forever” by proving an EV could be the best car of any kind. The company credits the Model S and X with pushing the broader auto industry from 50,000 EVs sold globally in 2011 to 21 million per year today.
The list of firsts is long. The Model S was the first EV to hit a 400-mile range, the first production car to do 0-60 in under two seconds, and the first production sedan to run a 9.23-second quarter mile. It was also the first vehicle with a roof strong enough to break NHTSA’s testing machine. The Model X was the quickest production SUV ever made and the first SUV to not roll over in regulatory tests.
Tesla also noted that both vehicles were continuously updated over their lifetimes, with 40% fewer parts today than when they launched, and only 3% of parts shared with their original versions.
Elon Musk, speaking alongside engineering VP Lars Moravy and designer Franz von Holzhausen, said the cars succeeded because they were built with genuine passion.
“Those cars were designed with love,” Musk said. “That would be my advice for people out there who are making products or providing services: do something that you truly love. Your customers will feel that love.”
The words clearly hit home. Moravy was visibly emotional, later posting on X: “Each one built with love. When Elon said that, really choked me up. Everyday we make our products with our customers in mind.” Von Holzhausen also reflected on the moment, writing: “After nearly 18 years I can stop working on Model S and X. We put so much love into these products, but will continue to pour that into the future products. Saying goodbye to something great and making room for something even greater.”
Check out a replay of the event below:
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