Three things that we’ll miss about the Tesla Model S now that it’s gone
Published on Apr 03, 2026 at 7:18 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Apr 02, 2026 at 3:44 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Tesla Model S has now been discontinued as Tesla pivots towards autonomy and robotics, but this is an EV some of us are going to miss.
We’ve seen it on our roads, almost unchanged, for over a decade, and that means we’re now taking it for granted.
But the Model S pioneered a few things that are now considered normal, but they weren’t when it first came out.
Eco-friendly doesn’t have to be boring or impractical
The Tesla Model S was perhaps the first mass-produced vehicle that was eco-friendly, but also practical and fun.
The first Tesla ever made – the Roadster – was fun, but it wasn’t exactly the most comfortable car in the world.
It was basically the equivalent of a hard chair in a living room full of sofas.
I drove the Roadster on a couple of occasions, and you definitely 100 percent could tell it was based on the Lotus Elise.
It was just as fun, but also just as raw and just as uncomfortable.
When the Model S arrived, it offered a smooth, comfortable ride without sacrificing speed.
Even before the Plaid came along, Tesla had the Model S P100D with ‘Ludicrous Mode’.
Put pedal to the metal and it felt like your neck might snap under acceleration.
It did 0-60 in just over two seconds, which is expected now but almost unheard of in the 2010s.
There were other things that told you Tesla made this car for fun.
From the Easter Eggs included in the infotainment system, including a ‘fake’ fireplace and arcade games, to the shape of the key.
It was all completely pointless, but fun – just for the vibes, as some would put it.
You didn’t even have to do maths to know where and when to charge
Another feature that feels ordinary now – but certainly wasn’t at the time – was the Model S’s ability to tell you exactly when and where to charge
For years, Tesla was the only EV maker with a proprietary network of superchargers.
Shortly after launch, Tesla introduced a GPS system that allowed you to find Tesla Superchargers along the route.
And the system would also tell you how much range you’d need to get there, how many stalls were available, and so on.
Again, something that’s more or less common and accepted now, but in the early 2010s, it was the same as using a smartphone while everyone else was still using flip phones.
Tesla Model S was perhaps the first software-defined vehicle
Whether we like it or not, all modern vehicles, not just EVs, are software-defined these days.
This applies to speed as well.
You don’t get more horsepower by giving it a bigger turbo or a bigger fuel injector; instead, you mostly get more oomph by telling the car’s ‘brain’ it now has more power.
Simplified, and we apologize to engineers reading this, but that’s pretty much how it works.
Model S was maybe the first modern software-defined vehicle.
Partly because of the above, but mostly because it pioneered Over-The-Air (OTA) updates.
And that means you could park your car at night, and it’s a Tesla Model S, and when you wake up in the morning, it’s a Tesla Model S 2.0.
Pretty neat.
What’s next for Tesla after Model S?
To be fair, Tesla execs have been quoted about a thousand times telling everyone different versions of the same thing.
“We’re not a car company, we’re a robotics company making cars,” they always said.
So now they’re putting the money where their mouth has always been.
It seems pretty clear that Tesla is pivoting away from cars.
When the company lost the crown to BYD, and sales went down, several people pointed out that it’s hard to compete with brands with huge line-ups when you only have four global products – Model S, Y, 3, X.
There’s also the Cybertruck, but that’s only available in North America.
And it’s even worse now.
Tesla is down to two vehicles sold globally – Model 3 and Y – and one only sold in the US, the aforementioned Cybertruck.
Then there’s Semi, which is not a passenger vehicle, and Roadster, which isn’t here yet.
And yet, every time we hear an update from Tesla, it’s always about Optimus or AI or chips.
Some people like that, some people don’t.
But, clearly, this is what we’re getting.
The Model X won’t be replaced, and neither will the Model S.
Pity.
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After beginning his automotive writing career at DriveTribe, Alessandro has been with Supercar Blondie since the launch of the website in 2022. In fact, he penned the very first article published on supercarblondie.com. He’s covered subjects from cars to aircraft, watches, and luxury yachts - and even crypto. He can largely be found heading up the site’s new-supercar and SBX coverage and being the first to bring our readers the news that they’re hungry for.
