In September, we reported on a potential probe from the EU that would investigate several brands that export vehicles from China to Europe to judge the fairness of subsidies granted by European countries.

EU officials started to question whether Tesla and other automakers that export from China are receiving unfair advantages in terms of subsidies provided to those vehicles.

Tesla among brands likely subject to EU subsidy probe to judge fairness of China imports

EU Executive VP Valdis Dombrovskis said regarding the probe:

“Strictly speaking, it’s not limited only to Chinese brand electrical vehicles, it can be also other producers’ vehicles if they are receiving production-side subsidies.”

Dombrovskis went on to say that the EU is open to competition, but it needed to be fair. Large markets have already introduced tariffs on batteries and EVs from China, and the EU was considering the same strategy.

While the EU will still investigate several brands, Tesla is not one of them, the South China Morning Post reported.

Instead, the report states BYD, SAIC Motor, and Geely will be investigated for potential foul play in EU subsidies.

The complaint about the subsidies comes from EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen, who said a “flood” of Chinese EVs was “distorting” the European market.

If the initial probe into BYD, SAIC, and Geely ends up showing evidence of subsidy distortion that would enable unfair competition, Tesla, along with other companies that have vehicles made in China and sent to Europe, could end up being added to the investigation.

Roughly one-fifth of EVs sold in Europe are built in China.

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Tesla has been expanding its footprint on a global scale for several years, with the most recent pieces of evidence being its Gigafactories in China, Germany, and Mexico. The automaker has also launched its vehicles in several new markets over the past few years, bringing EVs to new countries.

However, only a few regions are in the running for potential investment from Tesla, whether it be for vehicle production or other operations, and Indonesia is one country that has been widely regarded as one of the biggest potential players for a facility from the electric automaker.

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has been adamant for some time now on Tesla investing in his country. While Tesla just recently announced a new Gigafactory in 2023, which landed in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, CEO Elon Musk also said earlier this year that the company could potentially reveal another new location for investment this year.

Tesla’s potential investment in Indonesia gets vote of confidence from President Jokowi

However, the possibility of that seems relatively slim after Musk’s comments on Tesla’s most recent Earnings Call, where he spoke extensively regarding unfavorable macroeconomic conditions (via The Motley Fool):

“I’m not saying things will be bad. I’m just saying they might be. And I think like Tesla is an incredibly capable ship, but we need to make sure like as — if the macroeconomic conditions are stormy, even if the best ship is still going to have tough times.”

Musk also stated that Tesla would slow down its development of the Mexico factory:

“…in Mexico, we’re laying the groundwork to begin construction and doing all the long lead items, but I think we want to just get a sense for the global economy is like before we go full tilt on the Mexico factory. I am worried about the high interest rate environment that we’re in.”

Nevertheless, Widodo believes Tesla will still be investing in Indonesia based on recent talks he has held with the company’s brass. In an interview with Bloomberg, Widodo held out hopes that Tesla could still invest as he states Musk is still in talks with his government:

“Indonesia is still communicating with Tesla. We continue to communicate with Elon Musk. Yes, we’re still talking to Elon Musk.”

Widodo went on to talk about other companies that have already committed to Indonesian investments:

“But not only with Tesla. Now, the investors that have come include Hyundai. Next year, they will start producing electric vehicles that are made with entirely locally-sourced components. There is also BYD that wants to enter.”

Of course, Tesla has also held talks with India for the better part of a decade, but terms of an agreement have yet to be established as the automaker has been hoping to test demand through imports from China. The Indian government is not keen on the idea unless Tesla commits to building a factory first.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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On Tuesday, October 24, Tesla and IF Metall held a meeting in the presence of mediators from the Mediation Institution. According to IF Metall’s contract secretary Veli-Pekka Säikkälä, Tesla stood by its decision not to sign a collective agreement.

“Therefore, we are not extending our notice to appeal to additional workers associated with Tesla’s vehicles around the country,” stated Säikkälä.

“The main reason for IF Metall to take industrial action at Tesla is to ensure that our members have decent and safe working conditions. Over a long period of time, we have attempted to discuss with Tesla the signing of a collective agreement, yet without success. Now we see no solution other than to take industrial action,” IF Metall said in a public statement.

Collective agreements are the foundation of the labor market in Sweden. In the European country, state governments and politicians do not interfere with the labor market, leaving trade unions and employers to determine the rules. Collective agreements include parameters for wages, form of employment, occupational pension, working hours, vacations, and periods of notice.

On Friday, October 27, Tesla mechanics who are part of the IF Metall union will walk off the job if the company does not sign a collective agreement. 120 Tesla mechanics at seven workshops across Sweden will join the strike on Friday.

“This conflict is about our members’ wages, pensions, and insurances. And in the end it is about the playing rules on the Swedish labor market,” said the head of IF Metall’s collective agreements, Veli-Pekka Saikkala.

The Detroit 3–Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis–are all facing similar challenges with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union in the United States. Recently, Ford and the UAW announced reaching a tentative agreement, which is currently being assessed by the union.

The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via X @Writer_01001101.

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The update to the Model Y’s price was observed by members of the online electric vehicle community on Thursday night. The Model Y Long Range’s new price also came around the same time as the launch of Stealth Gray as a free paint option for the Model S and Model X. Similar to other Model S and Model X colors, Stealth Gray paint is free with every order of the flagship electric vehicles. 

Following the update to the price of the Model Y Long Range, the all-electric crossover now costs $43,990 for the Rear Wheel Drive version, $48,990 for the Long Range Dual Motor All Wheel Drive, and $52,490 for the Model Y Performance in the US. Estimated delivery dates for Model Y Long Range orders in the United States are currently listed at October to November 2023. 

Over in China, Tesla also rolled out an adjustment for the Model Y. The price change, however, was implemented for the Model Y Performance instead. As could be seen in the Tesla Model Y order page in China, the Model Y Performance now costs RMB 363,900 (about $49,700), which is RMB 14,000 (around $1,900) more than its previous cost of RMB 349,900 (about $47,800). The Giga Shanghai-made Model Y Peformance is currently listed with an estimated delivery date of 2-6 weeks. 

The minor price increase to the Model Y that’s recently been implemented has been received warmly by Tesla advocates on social media platforms such as Twitter. Price increases, after all, could be a hint that the demand for the Model Y is increasing. The Model Y’s high demand should not be surprising, of course, considering that the vehicle is currently Tesla’s strongest seller, even becoming the world’s best-selling car in Q1 2023. 

The Model Y’s strength in the market could be hinted at by the fact that the vehicle became Europe’s best-selling car in September. With this feat under its belt, the Model Y has effectively secured the title six times this 2023 so far. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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This is the second new color Tesla has launched for the Model S and Model X in 2023, with the other being “Ultra Red,” which was added while Red Multicoat was removed.

Tesla has subsequently removed Midnight Grey for the Model S and Model X. Both Deep Red Multicoat and Midnight Grey are still available for the Model 3 and Model Y.

It is available for no additional charge.

The Stealth Grey is available in various markets, including the North American and Asian markets. Tesla European Design Studio is still currently showing Midnight Silver Metallic and not Stealth Grey.

Stealth Grey is already offered in Gigafactory Shanghai on the Model 3, and has been spotted on several vehicles en route to their destination.

Tesla 신규 외장 컬러 Stealth Grey 출시

Model S 및 Model X의 신규 컬러가 출시 됐습니다.
고급스러우면서도 세련된 Stealth Grey를 만나보세요.https://t.co/HPvUe1BaTU pic.twitter.com/BtvX3qmYNO

— Tesla Korea (@OfficialTeslakr) October 27, 2023

Tesla has offered different colors in different markets depending on the paint shop that operates at the factory the vehicle is coming from. For example, Midnight Cherry Red and Quicksilver are two colors that are only available at Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin production facility in Germany and are only available on the Model Y.

CEO Elon Musk has said that these colors are only possible in Germany due to the Berlin plant’s world-class paint shop.

Stealth Grey joins Pearl White Multi-Coat, Solid Black, Deep Blue Metallic, and Ultra Red as colors available for the Model S and Model X.

What do you think about the new color? I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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After Tesla launched the Model 3+ several months ago, deliveries officially began earlier this month. This ended months of speculation on when the automaker would finally hand over the newly-improved Model 3 to customers.

Deliveries had already started in other countries as early as mid-October. Countries in Europe and the Middle East have already seen several Highland Model 3 units make their way to customers. The Netherlands is now the next country to mark deliveries for the new Model 3.

Just picked up my Tesla Model 3 Highland!!!

One of the first in the Netherlands #Tesla #Model3 #Highland pic.twitter.com/67qnkB2R9p

— Fabian Ebert (@Fabian10O) October 26, 2023

Tesla updated several exterior and interior designs and features for the new Model 3, ramping up production late last month at Gigafactory Shanghai, where the car is currently produced.

The first delivery in Europe occurred in Germany, but Tesla has been spreading the new Model 3 around to various countries on the continent, including France and Poland.

However, a tsunami of Model 3 Highland deliveries is overtaking the European market as Tesla has been exporting the vehicles from China to Europe.

A Tesla Model 3 Highland tsunami is starting in European markets

The new Model 3 arrived just in time for Q4, as Tesla is working toward its lofty goal of reaching 1.8 million vehicle deliveries for 2023. With deliveries beginning in the Eastern Hemisphere already, the Model 3 Highland is sure to help bring Tesla closer to its goal for the year.

The Netherlands was one of the last countries where we saw Model 3 Highland testing going on before the vehicle was launched. A Teslarati reader sent us photographs of a Model 3 Highland driving on highways near local Tesla Service Centers and Showrooms in the Netherlands.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Hertz said it would slow down EV adoption while it learns to manage costs, CEO Stephen Scherr said on Thursday, according to Bloomberg.

Tesla and Hertz signed a massive deal for 100,000 vehicles in 2021, marking the start of a major partnership and an overall shift in the landscape of the rental sector in the U.S.

Hertz has roughly 35,000 Teslas in its EVs, which has climbed to 50,000 total vehicles, or 11 percent of its total fleet.

Tesla, on the other hand, has been cutting prices to enable more affordability for buyers, attempting to get some vehicles as close to or even below the $30,000 price point after government and state incentives.

All Tesla rentals from Hertz now allow mobile app access

While car buyers are loving the discounts, investors in the company’s stock, and companies like Hertz that are dependent on maintaining healthy margins and profitability are not. The resale value of their Tesla fleet has decreased by about 30 percent, and EV maintenance costs have been higher than Hertz initially expected.

Hertz will still buy 100,000 Teslas and 175,000 GM EVs, but it will not meet the goal to have one-quarter of its rental fleet be EVs by the end of next year. It needs to lower repair costs by working with suppliers and wait for costs to settle to lower its purchase costs.

“We have an opportunity to buy these cars now at roughly a third less than where we bought the initial component of our Teslas. We’re ultimately better buyers on a falling price where the margin composition on those cars will be better,” Scherr said.

Of course, EV price cuts were not the only reason Hertz felt financial pressure during Q3. Used car costs were much higher a year ago and Hertz could sell its vehicles used for more than it would buy them for new.

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Tesla Superchargers will be installed at various locations in the bp pulse network, which are located at bp Amoco, and Thortons-branded sites, TravelCenters of America locations, and at bp pulse’s large-scale Gigahub charging sites, near airports and major metropolitan areas across the United States.

The deal marks the first time ever that the hardware was ever purchased for an independent EV charging network.

Big news! We’re boosting our EV charger network with a $100M order of @Tesla ultra-fast chargers https://t.co/DwBGFGXzsh

installing ultra-fast chargers across the US bp pulse network
significant milestone for the EV charging industry pic.twitter.com/58lulA3rbJ

— bp America (@bp_America) October 26, 2023

bp will begin rolling out the chargers in 2024, with the first sites being in Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. The idea was to combine Tesla’s “fast and reliable chargers” with bp pulse’s industry-leading, intelligent charge management software, called “Omega,” for a comprehensive solution for fleet customers.

The fast-chargers from Tesla will have an output of 250 kW, and based on appearance from bp’s press release, will be the new V4 Superchargers that have started being installed across the United States.

They will be fitted with bp pulse branding, and the company will install and operate the Supercharger piles. They will also feature the “Magic Dock,” which enables the use of both NACS and CCS connectors, enabling multiple electric vehicle manufacturers to utilize the bp pulse charging network.

Richard Bartlett, global CEO of bp pulse, commented on the deal:

“Strengthening the bp pulse network with Tesla’s industry-leading hardware is a major step forward in our ambitions for high speed, open access charging infrastructure in the US and advances our ambition to delivering an exceptional customer experience. Combined with our vast network of convenience and mobility sites on and off the highway, this collaboration with Tesla will bring fast and reliable charging to EV drivers when and where they need it.”

bp’s agreement with Tesla also bolsters an up to $1 billion investment in building an EV charging network across the United States, the company said.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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As per a report from Bloomberg News, electric vehicle ownership in the United States has become deeply tied to voting behavior in the country. This partisan rift reportedly goes beyond preferences that are linked to income and urban density, among others. 

The partisan rift in the electric car segment has only become more notable in recent months, with some members of the Republican Party calling for a repeal of electric vehicle incentives passed under the Biden administration. The rhetoric of presidential candidates such as Donald Trump has also added to anti-EV sentiments in the country. Trump, for his part, has claimed that an EV revolution will pave the way for China to crush the US auto segment.

“The autoworkers will not have any jobs… because all of these cars are going to be made in China. The electric cars, automatically, are going to be made in China,” Trump noted during a Meet the Press interview. 

Such sentiments, of course, ignore the fact that some of the United States’ most American vehicles are from Tesla’s list of most American-made cars for 2023 alone featured Tesla’s entire lineup in its top four positions. The Model Y topped the list at No.1, followed by the Model 3 at No.2, the Model X at No.3, and the Model S at No.4. 

Ford Motor Co. Executive Chair Bill Ford has likened the polarization over EVs to the divide about vaccines during the pandemic. “I never thought I would see the day when our products were so heavily politicized,” the executive noted. 

At the center of this partisan divide is Elon Musk, who practically built an EV empire selling electric cars to early adopters before engaging with conservative politics in the United States. As noted in an Automotive News report, Musk’s apparent attempt to help flip the script on EV ownership with the Cybertruck seemed to be highlighted by the company’s move from California to Texas, as well as the CEO’s actions themselves.

Tesla currently commands about 60% of electric vehicles ever sold in the United States, but the company is not resting on its laurels. The EV maker has noted that it is looking to reach a production rate of 250,000 Cybertrucks a year at some point in 2025. That’s significantly more than the combined sales of all-electric pickup trucks in the market today. 

For now, at least, only time will tell if Elon Musk’s apparent attempts to make Tesla attractive to both sides of the political spectrum will be successful. 

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The Model Y’s momentum is still going strong in Europe. As per reports, the all-electric crossover is positioned to finish September as Europe’s top-selling vehicle, electric or otherwise. With this, the Model Y has earned the title for the sixth time in nine months, as noted in an Automotive News Europe report. 

What is quite interesting is that the Model Y was able to achieve this feat despite the vehicle seeing a decline in sales. As per preliminary figures from market research firm Dataforce, the demand for the Model Y crossover slipped 8.4% to 26,370. In a way, the fact that the Model Y still became Europe’s best-selling vehicle in September despite a sales slowdown speaks of the vehicle’s strength in the market. 

The Tesla Model Y may be the company’s most popular vehicle, but the company is not sitting on its laurels. This became quite evident in Gigafactory Shanghai, which recently rolled out a minor update to the Tesla Model Y that introduced new wheels, a new dash, and ambient lights to the all-electric crossover. 

Speculations are high, however, that Tesla is also developing “Project Juniper,” which is reportedly the Model Y equivalent of the Model 3’s Highland update. Previous reports have suggested that Project Juniper would be rolled out sometime next year. 

Considering the popularity of the Model Y, it is no surprise that it is the vehicle that is currently being produced in multiple countries. To date, the Model Y is being produced at the Fremont Factory, Gigafactory Texas, Gigafactory Shanghai, and Gigafactory Berlin. Giga Beriln’s deployment and Model Y production ramp has been helping the company meet the vehicle’s demand in Europe.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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