InsideEVs Plugged-In Podcast · InsideEVs - Electric Vehicle News

Tesla Kills Model S & X, EV Charging’s Biggest Year Yet, & Scout EREV Update

·35 min·2 clips

Tesla says it will stop Model S and Model X production next quarter to make room for Optimus robots.

1. InsideEVs Plugged-In Podcast covers Tesla ending Model S and Model X production, U.S. charging growth, and new details from Slate and Scout. 2. Patrick George and Tim Levin host the weekly InsideEVs news show, and Tim brings reporting from the Bloomberg NEF conference and interviews with Chris Barman and Scott Keogh. 3. The episode asks whether Tesla is moving from cars to robots, whether charging is keeping pace with EV adoption, and whether EREVs and low-cost trucks can fill the next market gap. 4. Tesla's fourth-quarter earnings call produced the line that Model S and Model X programs will end next quarter, with Fremont capacity shifting to Optimus robots. 5. The hosts describe the Model S as Tesla's first real from-the-ground-up EV and say it changed how buyers thought about electric cars in 2012. 6. They compare the pre-Model S market to low-range, expensive, weakly executed EV efforts like the GM EV1 era and the Roadster's limited run of about 2,500 cars. 7. Patrick and Tim say the Model S brought over-the-air software updates, giant touchscreens, Autopilot, and later Full Self-Driving into the mainstream EV conversation. 8. They note that Tesla sold about 1.6 million Model 3s and Model Ys last year versus a little over 50,000 other models globally, including Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck. 9. The discussion frames Tesla's pivot as part of Musk's larger plan for autonomous vehicles, transportation as a service, energy storage, and robotics. 10. Tim adds that Tesla's revenue fell 3% year over year and profits dropped 46% last year, even as the company spent a record $20 billion in capex this year. 11. The charging segment uses Peren data to show 18,000 new ports and more than 3,300 new stations, with 30% plug growth year over year. 12. They say half of chargers installed in the fourth quarter can deliver at least 250 kilowatts, which is a shift away from slow 50-kilowatt units. 13. Tesla still holds more than 50% of America's fast-charging plugs and about a third of new installations last year. 14. The hosts also point to ChargePoint's nearly 1,000 new plugs, IONNA's 740 plugs, and Mercedes-Benz's nearly 500 new plugs as signs that non-Tesla networks are expanding. 15. Tim raises the mismatch question between slower EV sales and fast charger growth, and the segment answers it by pointing to stable charger utilization and millions of registered EVs already on the road. 16. At Bloomberg NEF, Scott Keogh says Scout will likely launch its range-extended truck and SUV before the pure EV versions because demand appears stronger. 17. Tim reports that 85% of Scout reservations are for the range-extended models, with more than 150,000 refundable reservations overall. 18. Chris Barman tells Tim that Slate is still discussing price with suppliers, that the company wants to pass costs down to buyers, and that it hopes to expand beyond one vehicle over time. 19. The tone is conversational, news-heavy, and driven by back-and-forth analysis rather than a formal interview structure. 20. Listeners interested in EV business strategy, charging infrastructure, and startup plans will get the most from it, while people wanting a single-car review may skip it.

As heard by us

A Tesla cancellation story opens into a grounded look at factory bets, charging growth, and everyday EV limits.

Tesla canceling the Model S and Model X gives this technology episode a useful center of gravity: a company clearing space in its California factory while betting harder on what comes next.

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Why you'd press play

You get a Model S and X farewell, a charging boom, and one skeptical Kia EV3 postscript.

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