SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk made an interesting announcement in a Tesla earnings call on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
The company will discontinue two of its electric vehicle models this year to allocate more resources to building its Optimus robots.
Here’s what to know about which Tesla models are being discontinued and what Optimus robots are.
Tesla discontinuing 2 models: Tesla is killing the Model S and X in favor of building robots
Yes. Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced to investors on a Jan. 28 earnings call that the electric vehicle company will discontinue production of its Model S luxury electric sedan and Model X luxury electric SUV in the spring.
“I think it’s time to bring the Model S and X to an end, with an honorable discharge, because we’re really moving into a future that is based on autonomy,” Musk said in the call.
“If you’re interested in buying a Model S and X, now would be the time to order it. Because we expect to wind down S and X production next quarter and basically stop production of Model S and X next quarter.”
Musk told investors that the change is a part of the company’s “overall shift to an autonomous future,” and that the only vehicles Tesla will make going forward will be autonomous, except for the next generation Roadster.
Tesla’s Model S and Model X were the second and third cars that the company released.
Tesla’s first car was the Roadster sports car, which made its debut in 2008. The Model S sedan was Tesla’s second car, which was unveiled in 2012, according to the Tesla website. The Model X SUV followed in 2015.
Tesla’s Model 3 sport sedan and electric commercial transport semi truck were then unveiled in 2017. In 2019, Tesla unveiled its Cybertruck (which began customer deliveries in 2023) and its Model Y compact sedan (which began customer deliveries in 2020).
According to findmyelectric.com, a new Tesla Model S in 2026 ranges in cost from $94,990 to $109,990, and a new Model X ranges from $99,990 to $114,990. A new Tesla Model 3 ranges from $36,990 to $54,990, and a new Model Y ranges from $39,990 to $57,490.
Tesla’s Optimus robots are general-purpose, bi-pedal humanoid robots powered by Tesla’s AI and designed to be “capable of performing unsafe, repetitive or boring tasks,” according to the Tesla website.
On the Jan. 28 earnings call, Musk said Tesla is planning to convert space in its Fremont, California, factory that is currently used to build Model S and X vehicles into an Optimus robot factory. 
The Optimus robot price is still speculative.
According to Standard Bots, “Elon Musk has suggested it could be less than the cost of a new car ( about $20,000 to $30,000). Standing 5’8” with human-like dexterity and powered by Tesla’s AI, Optimus promises more than basic automation.”
Contributing: Keith Laing, USA TODAY

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