Episode 564: Special Guests Franz and Lars Discuss Model S and X's Legacy
Ride the Lightning: Tesla and EV Podcast
Ryan McCaffrey
4.7 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 24 May 2026
⏱️ 114 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen and Engineering VP Lars Moravy both join me to discuss the legacy and history of the Model S and Model X as both cars are officially retired this week. Plus: my recap of the Model S and X Celebration event. Stay tuned!
00:12:18 Interview Start
00:13:30 How the Decision to Discontinue S and X Happened
00:18:02 S and X Would Need a Complete Redesign to Continue
00:21:55 Next-Gen Roadster News
00:25:03 Signature Numbers
00:29:03 Final S and X Production Numbers
00:29:43 The Beginning of Model S
00:36:20 More Lightning
00:36:48 Old S and X Stories
00:39:26 First Drive of the Model S...Ever
00:45:14 The EV Market and EV Adoption Rate
00:49:36 Adding Dual Motors to Model S
00:51:36 A 3rd Motor in a Model 3?
00:54:37 About the Never-Made Model S Plaid+
00:56:58 Are 18650s done at Tesla?
00:58:10 Favorite Wheels
01:02:10 Pencils Down on S and X
01:03:22 Parting Message
01:05:07 Drive or Preserve their Signature S's
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | On this week's episode of Ride the Lightning, the Tesla and EV podcast, Tesla chief designer Franz von Holshousen |
| 0:07.1 | and engineering vice president Lars Moravy both join me to discuss the legacy and the history |
| 0:13.6 | of the Model S and Model X as both cars are officially retired this week. Plus, my recap of the Model S and Model X celebration event, |
| 0:23.8 | which I was lucky enough to get to attend. |
| 0:25.9 | Stay tuned. |
| 0:56.1 | I'm going to. What's happening, Ryan McCaffrey joining you, as always, alongside my canine companions, Daisy the Boxer, and Lily the Silly Labrador puppy, the latter just back from the beach, so she is wiped out and also wet and covered in sand. |
| 1:01.7 | So hopefully she'll just stay nice and chill on the couch next to me during the course of |
| 1:05.8 | this recording. |
| 1:07.1 | It is a pleasure to be with you here for a very special episode. |
| 1:11.6 | This one's airing on May 24th, 2026. |
| 1:14.6 | I'm recording it on Friday evening, May 22nd, 2026. |
| 1:19.7 | And yes, there were no more delays, the Model S&X celebration event, |
| 1:25.4 | where the final signature series edition S's and X's were delivered and the S&X were |
| 1:31.2 | officially retired. That event happened at the Tesla Fremont factory and my interview that I'd |
| 1:38.9 | already teased a couple episodes ago with Tesla's chief designer Franz von Holshousen and their engineering vice president |
| 1:47.3 | Lars Moravy. That happened as well. The way my day went was the interview was actually first |
| 1:53.7 | and then the event and then at the end was the actual keynote that you could watch on Tesla's YouTube |
| 2:00.6 | channel. |
| 2:01.1 | So it was a pretty action-packed day for me. |
| 2:04.2 | And I'm going to tell you all about that later. |
| 2:07.4 | I don't want to waste too much time. |
| 2:08.9 | I want to get to what you're really probably here for, |
... |
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