Should Tesla Phase Out Its Model X for the Model Y and Incoming Cybertruck?

The Tesla Model X easily captures the attention of onlookers with its distinctive falcon-wing doors

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Relax, don’t get your satin Tesla booty shorts in a knot. This article explores the role of Tesla's Model X, especially in the wake of the new Standard Range Model X and Model S. With the company's diversification, it's worth asking if the Model X still fits into Tesla's line-up.

Tesla's Model X had its Time

We all know that Model X picked up the momentum that Tesla had already created with the Model S, introducing an SUV with falcon wing doors. However, times have changed, and Tesla is now a major player, having flipped the automotive industry on its frunk. With the Model S and X combined equalling just 5% of overall deliveries in the second quarter and new models on the horizon, the Model X's position may be redundant.

A Stirring Discussion: Model X vs Model Y

Tesla enthusiast Sawyer Merritt wrote a post on X.com that made me wonder what the point of the Model X is when the Model Y is so close, even better in some ways, and less expensive. His tweet stirred up a robust discussion on the pros and cons of each model. In a series of tweets, Merritt extolled the virtues of the Model Y Long Range, praising its price point of $50,490, which he noted was a $38k saving over the Model X SR. The extended 330-mile range, the 4.8-second acceleration from 0-60mph, and eligibility for a $7.5k EV tax credit were other high points that he touted.

The comparison didn't just stop at highlighting the advantages of Model Y; it also drew attention to the Standard Range Model X's shortcomings. At $88,490 with a shorter 269-mile range and ineligibility for the EV tax credit.

The reaction was swift and varied, with some users agreeing with Sawyer and others exploring ways to enhance the Model Y even further. But the conversation also turned to the unmatched features of the Model X, like those amazing falcon-wing doors, the valet doors, the rear screen and the instrument cluster.

Model X and Its Trans-Siberian Orchestra Easter Egg

Model X, Cybertruck, Model Y

The discourse broadened into what Tesla could do to make both cars more appealing. Some speculated about selling the Model X at a lower price to capture a tax credit or offering software unlocks for added capacity. In contrast, others focused on the benefits of the SR Model X's charging capabilities.

The Cybertruck may also compete with Model X. It has the space and the wow factor that Model X owners love. Meanwhile, Model Y continues to improve, and besides no falcon wing doors, it's a suitable and affordable alternative.

Please engage in the conversation. The debate underscores the importance of knowledgeable readers and fans of Tesla. A well-placed comparison can spark meaningful reflection on what makes a car truly appealing and what is best for Tesla in the future.

You Can Now Track Tesla’s Robotaxi Deployment

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Thanks to Tesla Yoda on X, we have found out that Tesla’s Robotaxi fleet is registered on the Texas Department of Transportation’s public-facing Automated Vehicle Deployment website. This makes the fleet’s movements publicly viewable and trackable, and marks a first for Tesla.

This isn’t just any old FSD test - this is the first officially acknowledged, government-tracked, and sanctioned deployment of a Tesla Model Y operating as a ride-share vehicle. But that’s not all - Texas DOT’s tracker notes that the Tesla does not have a safety driver.

View on the Map

Visitors to the Texas DOT website can filter for “Tesla”, and see, currently, a single active vehicle operating in the Austin Metro area. According to the state’s official data, here’s what we know:

Company: Tesla

Description: Ride-share service

Status in Texas: Testing

Safety Driver: No

The final point is definitely the most significant here. While Tesla has been testing FSD with safety drivers for some time in Austin and LA for employee-only testing, this is the first time that a vehicle has been officially registered and deployed on public roads without a human behind the wheel for safety. 

The fact that there is no safety driver officially shifts the liability from the occupant of the driver’s seat to Tesla, for the first time in a public setting. That’s already pretty significant - we previously dove into how Tesla plans to insure its own vehicles, and potentially owner vehicles in the Robotaxi fleets. 

The status currently lists Tesla as “Testing,” confirming that the service isn’t available to the public, but this is expected to change in the coming weeks.

This testing phase is likely part of a short but crucial period that lets Tesla capture data on the safety levels of its current iteration of Unsupervised FSD without a driver supervising. Tesla already stated that they’d be avoiding difficult areas, so this testing can also expose additional areas Tesla may want to avoid, such as school zones or blind driveways.

Tesla will need to prove, both internally and externally, that FSD Unsupervised has the necessary performance to safely navigate the streets without any incidents.

Regulatory Milestone

For years, the concept of a Tesla Robotaxi has been a future promise. Now, it's a present-day reality, albeit in a testing capacity.

Having an official government body list a Tesla as an active, driverless vehicle shows that they’ve been able to clear regulatory hurdles, which Tesla has often pointed to as the issue. It demonstrates a level of confidence from both Tesla and Texas regulators in the system's capabilities.

While it's just a single vehicle for today, we’ll likely see this list slowly expand over time. Alongside being able to track Robotaxi incidents at the City of Austin’s website, we’ll be able to closely watch Tesla’s progress with its first Robotaxi deployments.

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Tesla FSD in Europe: June Update

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The road to bringing FSD to Europe has been a long and complex one and filled with regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles. Elon Musk, as well as other members of Tesla’s AI team, have previously voiced their grievances with the regulatory approval process on X.

However, it appears that there is finally some progress in getting things moving with recent changes to upcoming autonomy regulations, but the process still seems slow.

Waiting on the Dutch

Elon commented on X recently, stating that Tesla is waiting for approval from Dutch authorities and then the EU to start rolling out FSD in Europe. Tesla is focusing on acquiring approvals from the Dutch transportation authority, which will provide them with the platform they need to gain broader acceptance in Europe. Outside of the Netherlands, Tesla is also conducting testing in Norway, which provides a couple of avenues for them to obtain national-level approval.

The frustration has been ongoing, with multiple committee meetings bringing up autonomy regulation but always pulling back at the last second before approving anything. The last meeting on Regulation 157, which governs Automated Lane Keeping Systems, concluded with authorities from the UK and Spain requesting additional time to analyze the data before reaching a conclusion.

Tesla, as well as Elon, have motioned several times for owners to reach out to their elected representatives to move the process forward, as it seems that Tesla’s own efforts are being stymied. 

This can seem odd, especially since Tesla has previously demoed FSD working exceptionally smoothly on European roads - and just did it again in Rome when they shared the video below on X.

FSD Supervised testing in Rome, Italy

Pending regulatory approval pic.twitter.com/TXh3uQIfrx

— Tesla Europe & Middle East (@teslaeurope) June 12, 2025

DCAS Phase 3

While the approval process has been slow, Kees Roelandschap pointed out that there may be a different regulatory step that could allow FSD to gain a foothold in Europe.

According to Kees, the European Commission is now taking a new approach to approving ADAS systems under the new DCAS Phase 3 regulations. The Commission is now seeking data from systems currently operational in the United States that can perform System-Initiated Maneuvers and don’t require hands-on intervention for every request.

This is key because those are two of the core functionalities that make FSD so usable, and it also means that there may not be a need to wait years for proper regulations to be written from scratch. Now, the Commission will be looking at real-world data based on existing, deployed technology, which could speed up the process immensely.

What This Means

This new, data-driven regulatory approach could be the path for Tesla to reach its previous target of September for European FSD. While the cogs of bureaucracy are ever slow, sometimes all it takes is a little data to have them turn a bit faster in this case.

Alongside specific countries granting approval for limited field testing with employees, there is some light at the end of the tunnel for FSD in Europe, and hopes are that a release will occur by the end of 2025. With Europe now looking to North America for how FSD is performing, Tesla’s Robotaxi results could also play a role.

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