BYD provides full liability cover for smart driving
BYD has announced a one-year full liability guarantee for its God's Eye urban pilot and parking systems, covering at-fault accident costs without extra insurance or caps, and has priced the package at 12,000 yuan.
Tesla Robotaxi fleet in Texas smaller than Waymo's
Texas DMV filings have revealed that Tesla has registered 42 driverless vehicles for its Robotaxi service, compared with Waymo's 577; the state has enacted a law requiring operators to self-certify SAE Level 4 status.
Tesla confirms dry cathode process may reduce cathode costs
Tesla has confirmed it has begun mass production of 4680 cells using a dry cathode process and has said the technique could significantly reduce battery cathode production costs, with a wider rollout expected across 2026–27.
Tesla launches Full Self-Driving in China
Tesla has made its Full Self-Driving system available in China after regulatory delays, while domestic vehicle manufacturers and robotaxi firms have advanced their autonomous technologies, and Tesla has remained fourth in April electric-vehicle wholesales.
Tesla confirms FSD (Supervised) compatibility in China
Tesla has confirmed FSD (Supervised) compatibility with China but has not announced a rollout date. It has been recruiting Autopilot test technicians and has said it has been coordinating with regulators for approval by Q3 2026.
Tesla reports >95% uptime for Semi electric trucks
Tesla has reported that its Semi fleet has achieved over 95% uptime in 2025, with under 5% downtime and 75% of service visits completed within 24 hours, and has begun high‑volume production at its Nevada gigafactory.
Tesla expands intelligent driving recruitment in China
Tesla has initiated a large-scale recruitment of intelligent driving test technicians across nine Chinese cities, has updated its in-car AI voice assistant with local providers, and has reported stronger Q1 2026 revenue while April China deliveries have declined.
Investors Challenge Daimler Truck's EV Strategy
Activist investors have challenged Daimler Truck's lobbying and product strategy after 2025 profit and North America sales declines, noting lost EV market share to Tesla and Chinese entrants and arguing regulatory interventions have heightened concerns about the company's long-term competitiveness.
Tesla pilots virtual Supercharger waitlists
Tesla has begun testing a virtual waitlist at five US Superchargers, enabling drivers to join a queue via the app and track position and estimated wait; the pilot has not implemented enforcement to secure stalls for next-in-line drivers.
WattEV orders 370 Tesla Semi trucks for California ports
WattEV has ordered 370 Tesla Semi trucks, has scheduled 50 to enter service in 2026 and the full fleet by end‑2027; 300 units have been allocated to Port of Oakland and additional California depots have been planned.
Tesla Semi features 822 kWh pack and 800 km range
Tesla has disclosed production Semi specifications with 822 kWh and 548 kWh packs, has reported up to 800 kilometres range with a 37-tonne load and has cited 1.2 MW peak charging capacity from its Nevada Gigafactory.
Electric-vehicle registrations rise across Western Europe
Electric-vehicle registrations have risen across much of Western Europe in April, with Norway having reached a 98.6% BEV share and several markets having recorded substantial year-on-year increases.
Legacy truckmakers respond to Tesla and Windrose entry
Legacy truckmakers have intensified lobbying, invested in hydrogen and introduced electric models, as Tesla and Windrose have entered the US Class 8 market and begun volume deliveries.
xAI's Grok Chatbot Integrated into Tesla Vehicles
xAI's Grok chatbot has been integrated into Tesla vehicles and has been used by drivers for navigation and conversational tasks, prompting safety and content concerns; regulators and experts have raised questions about distraction and incorrect responses.
Tesla shares rise after UBS upgrade and software update
Tesla shares have risen over 6% after UBS has upgraded the rating to hold and raised the price target to $352. The rise has coincided with a Spring software update and reports the company has been developing a smaller SUV.
Tesla opens 150th Supercharger site in Australia
Tesla has opened its 150th Supercharger site in Pokolbin, Australia, and has expanded its local network to 150 sites and almost 1,000 bays; the eight-stall V4 station has been made available to non-Tesla vehicles.
Xiaomi appoints former Tesla China GM to lead auto sales
Xiaomi has reportedly appointed Kong Yanshuang, formerly Tesla China regional general manager, to head automotive sales, and has begun integrating Tesla executive practices into its retail network following the SU7 launch and strong initial order volumes.
NHTSA identifies camera detection issues in Tesla FSD
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has identified that Tesla's camera-based Full Self-Driving system has failed to detect degraded visibility and has not provided timely driver warnings, and has raised concerns about crash risks in adverse weather.
NHTSA expands probe into Tesla Full Self-Driving systems
The NHTSA has escalated its investigation into Tesla's Full Self-Driving after reports that the system has failed to detect hazards in reduced visibility; the probe has covered 3.2 million vehicles and has been moved to engineering analysis.
Tesla increases Robotaxi fares in US markets
Tesla has increased Robotaxi fares in Austin, raising the per‑mile charge to $1.40 and reducing the flagfall to $3.00, and has signalled broader US expansion with hiring and fleet growth ahead of Cybercab production.
Tesla opens first customer-facing Megacharger in California
Tesla has opened a customer-facing Megacharger in Ontario, California, has begun deploying a planned 66-site US network with 37 sites targeted by end-2026, and has offered 750 kW at the site while competitors have advanced MCS charging deployments.
Tesla Semi factory nears completion in Nevada
Tesla has neared completion of a Nevada factory intended to support mass production of Semi trucks at a 50,000-unit-a-year capacity, with upgraded range, charging and autonomous capabilities.
Tesla builds integrated EV battery supply chain
Tesla has developed an integrated United States battery supply chain, has commissioned a Texas lithium refinery, cathode and electrode facilities, and has expanded 4680 and LFP cell production while its stationary storage business has reported faster margin growth.
Structural advantages give Chinese EV makers a cost edge
Rhodium Group's report has found that structural efficiencies — notably vertical integration, greater scale and lower overheads — have given Chinese electric-vehicle manufacturers a cost advantage that has outweighed direct state subsidies, affecting competitiveness of Western manufacturers.
Tesla rolls out Grok AI to Australian EVs
Tesla has begun rolling out Grok, an xAI-developed in-car assistant, to Hardware 3 vehicles in Australia and New Zealand, enabling real-time question answering and voice navigation via software version 2025.44.25 or later.
Tesla sues California DMV over FSD advertising ruling
Tesla has filed suit against the California Department of Motor Vehicles to overturn a ruling that has found its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving marketing to be false advertising after the DMV has required revisions to its promotional language.
Judge upholds $243m verdict against Tesla
A federal judge in Miami has denied Tesla's bid to overturn a $243 million jury verdict in a lawsuit arising from a 2019 Autopilot crash that has killed a passenger and has seriously injured a survivor.
Tesla FSD Supervised fleet logs 13 billion kilometres
Tesla has reported its FSD Supervised fleet has driven over 13 billion kilometres and has exceeded one million users; it has introduced subscription pricing, expanded to right-hand-drive markets and has produced a steer-and-pedal-less Robotaxi prototype.
Tesla to Add xAI Grok Chatbot to Cars in Europe
Tesla has announced plans to deploy xAI Grok across the UK and eight European markets; xAI has faced regulatory probes under the Digital Services Act, and Tesla has seen a 27% decline in European EV sales, per ACEA.
Ford adopts 48-volt system for next EV pickup
Ford has announced its next-generation electric pickup has adopted a 48-volt electrical architecture and has said the Universal Electric Vehicle platform has been designed to reduce parts and costs and to support a $30,000 small pickup scheduled for 2027.
Chinese manufacturers lead global EV market
Chinese automakers have established leadership in electric vehicles, with BYD having overtaken Tesla in 2025 and China having exported 7.1 million vehicles; domestic sales and exports have increased and Chinese-made models have risen in markets including Australia.
Tesla to Offer FSD by Subscription Only in Australia
Tesla has confirmed that from April 2026 it has ceased selling Full Self‑Driving as a lifetime purchase in Australia and New Zealand and has made the software available exclusively by subscription for new orders placed after 31 March 2026.
EPA reverses greenhouse-gas endangerment finding
The EPA has reversed its greenhouse‑gas endangerment finding, undermining regulatory bases for fuel‑efficiency targets, EV incentives and state emissions programmes, and has prompted US automakers and analysts to reassess product, compliance and market strategies.
Apptronik raises $520m at $5bn valuation to scale humanoids
Apptronik has raised $520 million at a $5 billion valuation and has secured Google as co-investor; it has begun pilot deployments with Mercedes‑Benz, GXO and Jabil, and has committed to scale Apollo production and expand in Austin and California.
Tesla VP Raj Jegannathan departs after 13 years
Tesla has announced Vice‑President Raj Jegannathan's departure; a 13‑year executive, he has overseen IT and AI infrastructure and has previously led North American sales amid declining automotive revenue and pressure to revitalise EV performance.
US EV Pullback Boosts China's Auto Market Influence
US automakers have scaled back EV investment while Chinese manufacturers have expanded exports and market share, prompting concerns about competitive displacement, tariffs and strategic recalibration as legacy producers have recorded substantial EV-related write-downs.
Pilot to install Tesla Semi heavy-duty chargers
Pilot has agreed with Tesla to deploy V4 chargers for Tesla Semi heavy-duty trucks at select sites across five states, and initial sites have been scheduled to open in summer 2026 with stalls capable of delivering up to 1.2MW.
Tesla shifts investment to AI and robots with $20bn plan
Tesla has announced a $20 billion capex plan and has ended production of the Model S and Model X, signalling a strategic pivot towards AI, driverless services, humanoid robots and expanded chip and battery manufacturing capacity.
Tesla sold $430m in Megapacks to xAI in 2025
Tesla has sold $430m of Megapack backup batteries to xAI, which has represented about 3.4% of its energy revenue, while Tesla's energy division has climbed 27% to $12.8bn.
Tesla to invest $2bn in xAI
Tesla has agreed to invest about $2 billion in xAI as part of a $20 billion financing round and has entered a framework agreement to evaluate AI collaborations, with the investment being subject to customary regulatory conditions.
Tesla brand value declines 36% to US$27.6bn
Brand Finance has reported that Tesla's brand value has declined 36% in 2025 to US$27.61bn, citing weaker product pipeline, relatively higher vehicle prices and the CEO's political activity as contributors to reduced brand strength.
Tesla projects nationwide US robotaxi network by 2026
Tesla has said it will deploy a widespread US robotaxi network by the end of 2026 and has initiated limited services in Austin and San Francisco amid regulatory scrutiny and consumer scepticism.
Tesla AI5 chip design nearing completion
Tesla announced AI5 chip design is nearly complete, with AI5 expected to deliver 50x performance over AI4 and AI6 in early development; deployment to vehicles expected within 24 months.
US automakers expand into energy-storage market
US automakers are converting battery capacity to grid and residential energy storage, leveraging factory investments amid uncertain EV sales and rising electricity demand from data centres.
Tesla to cease sale of Full Self-Driving package
Tesla will stop selling its Full Self-Driving package from 14 February and offer it by subscription only; implications for prior purchasers and hardware-limited vehicles remain unresolved.
Tesla readies Standard Range Model Y for China
Tesla briefly listed a Standard Range Model Y on its China site, indicating a launch with reduced features and range; pricing and sales impact amid BYD competition remain uncertain.
