Tesla hosted a bittersweet celebration at its Fremont factory to mark the end of an era. Handing over the final units of the Model S and Model X, Elon Musk, Franz, and other employees reflected on the legacy of the two vehicles that ultimately transformed the global automotive industry.
The event served as a passionate look back at how the Model S changed the perception of electric vehicles. Before the Model S, EVs were widely dismissed as slow, boring golf carts. Tesla proved that an electric vehicle could not only be a zero-compromise car but also become the best car on the road, period.
Firsts for the Industry
Tesla also highlighted several firsts for the automotive industry. The Model S was the first EV to reach a 400-mile range. It was the first production car to achieve a 0 to 60 mph in less than 2 seconds and the first production sedan to run a quarter mile in 9.23 seconds.
It was the first vehicle with a roof so strong that it broke NHTSA’s testing machine.
The Model X also set its own records, becoming the quickest production SUV and the first to not roll over in regulatory tests.
Today, Tesla says the Model S and X use 40% fewer parts than their initial versions. Despite looking very similar to the original versions from 2012 and 2015, the Model S and Model X share only 3% of the original parts.
Model S & X changed automotive history forever by proving that an EV could be the best car possible – of any kind.
— Tesla (@Tesla) May 21, 2026
By inspiring other automakers to believe in EVs, they pushed the industry from 50k cars total in 2011 to 21 million sold per year.
Many automotive firsts:
Model S… pic.twitter.com/F5iPkPMhmN
Designed with Love in a Tent
The presentation highlighted the humble beginnings of the vehicle that made Tesla what it is today. The original Model S was designed by a very small team working out of a tent in the back of a SpaceX factory. The team would physically push the clay model through the facility to evaluate its design under different lighting conditions.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 21, 2026
While the original Roadster was largely fabricated by Lotus, the Model S was the first vehicle truly built from the ground up by Tesla. The engineering team operated on a simple philosophy to build exactly what they wanted in a car.
Range. Speed. Handling. Luxury. Air Suspension.
They made incredibly bold choices for the time. The original 2012 Model S included a 17-inch touchscreen. The Model S also pioneered over-the-air software updates, making the vehicles actually improve over time. Today, many of the original 2012 Founder Series cars are still on the road, with Elon and Lars mentioning that they drove their own Founder Series cars to the event.
Conquering the Impossible
When it first debuted, critics called a long-range EV impossible. The entire global output of lithium-ion batteries was dedicated mostly to cellphones. To make the Model S a reality, Tesla needed 80 times that global supply.
The gamble paid off. The Model S went on to be named Motor Trend's best car ever made. It was soon followed by the Model X, which Elon and the engineering team lovingly described as an exercise in hubris and the "Faberge Egg" of the Tesla lineup.
According to the executive team, these flagship vehicles succeeded because they were designed with genuine love. Every minute detail was carefully examined, even the hidden components that most owners did not know existed. This extreme dedication helped grow global EV adoption by 270 times, moving the total EV market share from a mere 0.1 percent to 17 percent annually.
Even as they sunset, the vehicles remained cutting-edge. Today's Model S and Model X feature 40 percent fewer parts than their predecessors, and only 3 percent of the components are shared with the 2012 design.
No other vehicle can do what the Model S and Model X can do today.
Transitioning to Autonomy and Optimus
Elon Musk and the executive team made it very clear why the flagship vehicles are retiring. They strongly believe the future is fully autonomous and that it will soon be odd for anyone to drive themselves around. All good things must come to an end to make way for the next revolution.
That movement is already underway. Tesla confirmed that Cybercab production has officially started, with full volume production kicking off next week. The Cybercab stands as the most efficient EV ever built, achieving an astonishing 165 watt-hours per mile.
The legacy of Model S & X will live on in our vision for autonomy pic.twitter.com/u5jAKT6aiM
— Tesla (@Tesla) May 21, 2026
The physical manufacturing space is also evolving. Tesla plans to hand over the first Optimus robots right at the former Model S and Model X end-of-line zone. Fremont is being positioned as a pioneering automation factory, with a goal of building one million humanoid robots a year to kick things off.
Tesla is now shifting its focus to design the world's best robots with the same passion it gave to its flagship cars.
As the presentation wrapped up, Lars Moravy probably put it best. With Tesla, there’s always a new, better car tomorrow, but for the Model S and Model X, there is no tomorrow. This is it, the best Model S and Model X ever.
Watch Replay
You can watch Tesla’s delivery event of the Signature Edition vehicles below. The event started late as usual. The event begins at the 1 hour 8 minute mark in the video below and lasts roughly 20 minutes.
Model S & X Signature Delivery Event https://t.co/mKTu2ytY33
— Tesla (@Tesla) May 21, 2026
