Once the standout stars of Tesla’s lineup, the Model S and Model X helped shape the idea of what a premium electric car could be. With strong performance and early innovations, they embodied the leading edge of Tesla’s vision. But times change, and so do customer priorities.

After the arrival of the more affordable Model 3 and Model Y, interest in Tesla’s larger, pricier vehicles began to taper off. Today, the Model S and X together make up less than 3% of the company’s quarterly sales. Given that shift, it’s not surprising that both models have now been discontinued in Europe.

Read: Model S / X Get Small Tweaks And Big Price Hikes

In typical Tesla fashion, the brand hasn’t made a big deal of the demise of the two models, simply removing them from its new car configurator in Europe. It is still actively trying to sell Model Ss and Model Xs from its inventory, but once they are gone, they’ll be gone forever, unless, of course, Tesla decides to replace them with something new.

Interestingly, it’s been less than two months since Tesla updated the Model S and Model X, making several exterior and interior changes. Clearly, the brand doesn’t feel the need to sell the updated models in Europe, meaning they will only be available in the United States and Canada.

The changes made for the 2026 model are relatively minor, but do include revised front and rear fascias for the flagship Plaid models. Tesla also introduced a new color known as Frost Blue, changed the suspension bushings, improved the Active Noise Cancellation system, and added configurable ambient lighting to the cabin.

It’s hard to know how long Tesla plans to keep on building the Model S and Model X. As long as they remain profitable, they’re likely to stick around in North America. But the long-term outlook appears uncertain.

Looking further forward, Tesla might be wise to replace the two models with a new flagship sedan and three-row SUV. While the Model S and Model X remain good options for some they can’t hide their age and struggle to compete with newer rivals have hit the market in recent years, particularly in the three-row electric SUV segment.

High-horsepower showdowns are always a spectacle, especially when they pit cutting-edge electric speed against old-school combustion muscle. That’s exactly the case with the new Chevy Corvette ZR1, which has caused a stir in the performance car world with its 1,064-hp V8 and the largest turbochargers ever fitted to a production car.

But can all that power outmatch one of the fastest production EVs on the planet, the Tesla Model S Plaid, on a drag strip? A new test sets out to answer that question.

Watch: This American Monster Just Faced A Supercar And What Happened Was Unexpected

To most casual observers, the Corvette ZR1 may seem like the favorite. However, for those who are familiar with Tesla’s capabilities, the two are actually quite well-matched.

Thanks to a pair of mighty electric motors, the Model S Plaid delivers 1,020 hp and benefits from all-wheel drive. It is heavier than the Corvette, tipping the scales at 4,812 lbs (2,183 kg), compared to the ZR1 Coupe’s 1,665 kg (3,670 lbs). Despite this, the spec sheet would suggest that Tesla has the advantage. Tesla says it can sprint down the quarter-mile in 9.23 seconds, whereas Chevy says the new ZR1 needs 9.6 seconds.

Muscle vs. Electrons

In the first of a few drag races between the new Corvette ZR1 and the Model S Plaid, Drag Times gave the jump to the C8. Initially, the two pick up speed at similar rates, but as the race progresses, the Tesla pulls ahead to take a commanding win. In this race, the Tesla set a time of 9.243 seconds, whereas the ZR1 needed 9.8 seconds.

It was a similar story in the second race. However, the Tesla won even more convincingly as the YouTuber didn’t give it such a big head start. The Corvette driver also failed to match the time of his first run, running the quarter-mile in a somewhat disappointing 10.3 seconds. In the third and final race, the Tesla again set a 9.2-second quarter-mile, whereas the ZR1 was left trailing with a 10.2-second time.

As we’ve seen many times in the past, it’s much easier to set consistent acceleration times in a high-performance EV than it is in a gas-powered car. So for now, the Model S Plaid comes out on top. Now we just have to wait and see what the all-wheel drive hybrid ZR1X can do, with Chevy suggesting it’ll dip below the 9.0-second mark in the quarter-mile.

Tesla still commands a 40+ percent share of the US EV market, but demand is down 11 percent Jan-June, and it’s not only declining new car sales that are causing alarm. The brand also dominates a list of the used cars whose value is dropping hardest.

Related: Tesla Suddenly Wants You To Buy Now After Years Of Opposing EV Credits

The Elon Musk-headed automaker bagged four spaces in the top 10 list of biggest losers collated by the data crunchers at iSeeCars, and a fourth Tesla also found its way onto the chart.

Including one other brand’s value-shedding model, EVs accounted for five of the 10 cars judged to have shed the biggest percentage of their value in 10 months. And that’s despite electric vehicles only accounting for 3.3 percent of the 1- to 5-year-old used market.

Tesla Tops the List of Falling Used Car Values

The study found the Model S suffered the biggest percentage price drop – though not the biggest dollar drop. The sedan’s average price in June 2025 was $46,700, which is 15.8 percent or $8,800 lower than it was 12 months earlier.

The Model X SUV actually lost more money – $9,500 – but due to its higher initial price, that drop only represented a 15.5 percent fall, putting it in second place. Third spot went to the Model Y, which fell $4,600 or 13.6 percent, probably in part due to the arrival of a facelifted version of the SUV this spring.

TOP 10 USED CAR PRICE DROPS

The Model 3’s value slid 9.4 percent, putting it in sixth spot, behind the fourth-place Ford Explorer hybrid (down 10 percent) and Jeep Gladiator (fifth place, down 9.6 percent). And Porsche’s Taycan lost 7 percent of its value, earning it eighth place, meaning all five of the EVs on the list lost far more than the average EV, whose value fell by 4.8 percent.

Sandwiched between the Model 3 and the Taycan is the Maserati Levante (seventh place, down 7.9 percent), and the top 10 is rounded out by the Chrysler Voyager (ninth, down 6.6 percent) and Lincoln Aviator (tenth, down 5.9 percent).

Used EV Values Lag Behind the Market

All five EVs on the list fell significantly more than the average for used electric vehicles, which dropped just 4.8 percent. By contrast, used internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles actually gained in value slightly, up 5.2 percent on average over the same 12-month period.

The study appears to show that American consumers are less interested in EVs as used cars, and that sentiment is likely to carry over into future years as this September’s scrapping of EV tax credits begins to take effect and the ripples are felt in the used market.

Any investors praying Tesla’s awful sales performance in the first quarter of 2025 was merely a blip have just had their hopes dashed. The troubled automaker announced its Q2 numbers and they show an even bigger year-over-year decline than the ones covering January to March.

Also: A Model Y Drove 30 Minutes To Deliver Itself To Its New Owner

Global deliveries declined 14 percent in Q2, falling from 410,244 to 384,122, making the most recent quarter’s performance marginally worse than Q1’s. For that period Tesla recorded a 13 percent drop after sales sunk by 50,000 to 336,681 units.

Sales Still Centered on Model 3 and Model Y

Tesla didn’t offer a complete breakdown of its Q2 numbers by model or region, but it did reveal that the Model 3 and Model Y accounted for practically all of its sales. The automaker delivered 373,728 Model 3 and Y EVs, and only 10,394 of its other cars, which include the Model S, Model X and Cybertruck, combined. The electric automaker also said it produced over 410,000 vehicles of all types.

Although delivery figures aren’t exactly the same as sales numbers, they’re close enough to give us a solid idea of the problems faced by Tesla, and the buying public’s apathy for its cars. Those problems include widespread dislike of Tesla CEO Elon Musk due to his vocal right-wing opinions and association with DOGE and the Trump administration, which is one of the reasons sales have cratered in Europe in recent months.

TESLA Q2 SALES

Intensifying Competition in China and Beyond

And in China, a key market for Tesla, the American brand is battling against a slew of hi-tech rivals that seem intent on pushing prices downwards to the detriment of profitability. Some of those same Chinese rivals are also now causing Tesla problems in other markets. In April BYD sold more EVs than Tesla in Europe, where the Model Y and 3 are struggling to regain their sales form despite recent facelifts.

Although Tesla’s Q2 performance looks dire, the figures aren’t as bad as some analysts had feared. And Deepwater Asset Management’s Gene Munster predicted the quarter represented a bottoming out for Tesla, which could bounce back in future periods, CNBC reports. Tesla will announced its complete Q2 financial results on July 23.

The Model S and Model X currently account for less than 5% of Tesla’s annual sales, but despite this, they have been updated one more time. The changes made to the two EVs are relatively minor, particularly compared to the overhauled Model 3 and Model Y launched over the past 18 months, but for those seeking the most premium Teslas on sale (Cybertruck excluded), they will be welcome.

Subtle Exterior Tweaks

From a visual standpoint, there’s not much to distinguish the refreshed Model S and Model X from the outgoing versions, which were originally introduced in 2012 and 2015, respectively, meaning they’ve now entered their 13th and 10th years in production

However, the Plaid versions of both models feature newly designed front bumpers, giving them a slightly more aggressive look. Whether or not that’s an improvement is up to personal taste, but there’s no denying that, despite the Model S’s basic shape being 13 years old, it still looks good. The Model X, on the other hand, remains as porky as ever.

Read: Why Tesla Pulled The Model S And X From China

Sticking with the visual updates, both models get new wheels. The Model X sports 20- and 22-inch rims, the latter being a $5,500 option, while the Model S can be configured with new 19- and 21-inch wheels, with the larger ones priced at $4,500.

Tesla has also incorporated a new and improved camera into the front bumper, while the headlights have been updated with new adaptive functions. According to Tesla, the changes made to the exterior of the Model S Plaid also enhance its high-speed stability.

Tesla Model S

Elsewhere, the new Model S and Model X can be optioned in a new shade known as Frost Blue, which is a $2,500 option. Furthermore, a regular steering wheel is standard, with the Yoke being offered only on the Model X as a $1,000 upgrade (or is that a downgrade?).

Mechanical Changes and Refinements

Much like the most recent updates made to the Model 3 and Model Y, Tesla has also made some upgrades under the skin of both models, although they don’t go as far as the 3 or Y. They include new bushings and an updated suspension ride, which the carmaker says should improve the ride. Other alterations also promise to make the cabin even quieter, thanks in part to a better Active Noise Cancellation system.

Interior Touches and Price Adjustments

The interior of both models has been largely retained from the outgoing model. With that being said, configurable ambient lighting has been added to the dashboard, door panels, and around the center console. Tesla has also proudly boasted of a unique animation for the ambient lighting when the EV is started up, not something you get on the cheaper 3 or Y.

We all know that Tesla loves to chop and change prices on a whim, so it comes as no surprise that both these new models command a premium over the outgoing ones. The Model X will still be offered in Long Range and Plaid guises, priced from $89,990 and $104,990, both increases of $5,000. Similarly, the Model S is available as a Long Range or Plaid, with prices starting at $84,990 and $99,990, respectively.

Tesla Model X