The future of transportation is electric. Tesla proved with the Model S that customers would want to buy luxury vehicles powered by lithium-ion batteries. Other EV startups like Faraday Future, Byton, Lucid Motors, and SF Motors are chasing after Elon Musk. And major automakers like Jaguar, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz have each released their own Tesla challengers. There are obstacles, such as the need for a more robust charging network. But battery-powered cars are here to stay.
Tesla once commanded a dominant position in the EV market. But rising competition and an aging vehicle lineup — not to mention Elon Musk’s unique ability to alienate his liberal customer base — has taken a significant toll. The company’s share of the EV market in the US dropped to 38 percent in August, falling below 40 percent for the first time since 2017, Reuters reports.
The sports car company is finally offering adapters so Taycan and Macan EV owners can charge at Tesla’s Supercharger stations. New Porsche EVs will come with a complimentary adapter, while the company will send adapters free-of-charge to current Porsche owners. Charging sessions are initiated through the Tesla app for now, but soon can be started through the My Porsche app. Still no word on when Volkswagen and Audi EV owners can get their adapters.
BMW’s fist EV to be built on its new platform will feature lightning-fast charging and four superpowered ‘brains.’
Oh sorry, I misread, it’s just the app that’s available to all. You still need to join a waitlist — for a supervised “driverless” vehicle that may never actually come. Tesla’s robotaxis are currently only operating in Austin and San Francisco to select users.
The mid-sized electric crossover will be formally revealed on January 21, 2026. But we already know a few key details, including that it will be built on an 800-volt architecture, which will improve its charging speeds. The new platform will also enable “a longer electric range than any Volvo car before it,” the automaker promises. The EX60 will be built in Volvo’s Gothenburg factory, with production set to begin in the first half of 2026.
A couple of Cybertruck-looking models make a brief appearance in the background of this video that Tesla produced for its Master Plan 4. Is it a van? A crossover? Whatever it is, it has the Cybertruck’s distinctive design, which suggests the automaker is preparing to double down on the polarizing (and commercially unsuccessful) vehicle.
The fourth installment in the automaker’s Master Plan series seizes on flashy new buzzwords: sustainable abundance.
Two things stood out in this New York Times piece exploring the price wars in China resulting from EV overcapacity and excessive competition:
Chinese manufacturers now export a fifth of their production, creating problems for manufacturers in the US and Europe.
[New York Times]
Tesla has revealed the fourth part of its “Master Plan.” Part three dropped in 2023, promising to create “a sustainable energy civilization.” The new plan is instead about “sustainable abundance,” promoting clean energy and automation that will “give people back more time to do what they love.” Or, as Electrek puts it:
“This is a bunch of utopic nonsense, complete with AI ‘abundance’ buzzwords that Grok could have easily written.”
[X (formerly Twitter)]
7,301 2025 models in Australia will receive a software update to correct the issue affecting the driver’s side automatic window, according to the regulator:
If a body part is in the window space when the driver’s side window is closing, it can increase the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
European registrations for new Tesla cars were down 40 percent in July compared to the same month last year, while EVs from BYD were up 225 percent. It’s the seventh consecutive month of declines for Musk, in a month that saw sales of EVs grow, according to ACEA data.
Either the end of 2026, or not at all, according to Elon Musk. The new six-seater Model Y L variant is creating some buzz after just launching in China, but Musk said that the rise of autonomous vehicles may preclude its arrival in the US. Whatever that means.
A few weeks after losing its first wrongful death jury trial, Tesla is facing a new set of legal problems. A judge in California approved a request to bundle a number of lawsuits alleging the company misled customers about autonomous driving into one class action suit. That could mean a much bigger payout if Tesla loses. The company is also facing a lawsuit from the California DMV over similar claims.
The six-seater EV starts at ¥339,000, or about $47,000. That’s about $3,600 more expensive than the Model Y Long Range AWD in China. The range is 751 km (466 miles) on the CLTC driving cycle, which is typically more generous than the WLTP and EPA estimates. Here in the US, we’re still waiting for the cheaper version of the Model Y.
What’s that? An Elon Musk project is falling short of expectations? The Tesla Diner has scraped half its menu, including the “all-day breakfast” option? You don’t say!
