Laurence Iliff Reporter covering Tesla and Silicon Valley for Automotive News [email protected] 619-860-6779 See All Staff Page Recent Stories Tesla's new base Model Y trim cuts price by $3,750 from previous base The single-motor variant starts at $45,630 with shipping — $3,750 lower than the previous base trim. It arrives on the heels of Tesla's mixed third-quarter sales report. TESLA: After Q3 sales miss, Cybertruck and Model 3 will fuel growth, analysts say Fast-growing Tesla posted a rare quarter-on-quarter sales decline due to factory downtime. But better days are coming, analysts say, with the launch of Cybertruck and freshened Model 3 sedan Fisker gears up for 300 Ocean EV deliveries a day After making 5,000 crossovers, Fisker is adding staff and locations in the U.S. and Europe. Bank of America sees the Ocean as a strong product but worries about Tesla's aggressive EV pricing. Tesla Cybertruck could boost brand's already sky-high loyalty Only 10 percent of Tesla owners leave the brand for another EV. Top choices include Rivian, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. The coming Cybertruck offers another reason to stay with Tesla, analysts say. Tesla will gain from higher Detroit 3 labor costs, analysts say Detroit automakers will face a significant disadvantage vs. Tesla on EV costs. Tesla CEO Elon Musk teases UAW time-off demands: "Is anyone gonna be around to make the actual cars?" Lucid pipeline holds crossover, lower-priced EVs The startup has struggled to sell its pricey Air sedan, but help is on the way with the Gravity crossover in 2024 and a lower-cost platform later in the decade. Tesla could benefit from UAW strike on supply now, costs later "We speculate that a prolonged strike would benefit Tesla most due to its production capabilities and opportunity to build on its leading market share position," Baird says in a research note. Rivian's EV registrations rise as startups Lucid, VinFast stall Rivian added 2,783 new registrations in July for its R1 vehicles. Lucid had 356 for its Air sedan and VinFast 19 for its VF 8 crossover. Fisker had 30 for the new Ocean, as Tesla undercut the newcomers. U.S. EV share being driven by Tesla price cuts, registration data shows Tesla's U.S. registrations rose 50 percent in the January-July period, giving it 59.5 percent of the EV market. Among all brands, EV registrations rose 67 percent vs. last year to 655,986. Tesla Model 3 freshen offers more luxury, more quirks The popular EV adds ventilated seats and ambient lighting but removes stalks for turn signals and gear changes. Sales are likely to get a boost from the long-awaited freshen, analysts say. From Tesla to Volkswagen, EVs are bringing new products and new looks The industry evolution toward EVs is bringing exciting new models from startups such as Fisker and VinFast, while legacy stalwart VW adds some buzz with an EV minivan. Tesla shifts approach to freshens The EV maker generally drags out physical updates to its models, relying instead on software updates to keep them fresh. But as the brand matures, new models and model freshens are coming. Rivian's R2 platform will yield small crossover, pickup The new platform is focused on more affordable vehicles for the mass market. Prices for an expected R2 crossover and pickup are expected between $40,000 and $50,000. Alaska EV pickup to lead Fisker lineup After launching the Ocean midsize crossover in June, the startup plans to quickly introduce new models using modified versions of its skateboard platform. The Alaska pickup is targeted at the U.S. market. VinFast planning 3 new crossovers for the U.S. The Vietnamese automaker's four-crossover lineup will range from the subcompact VF 6 to the large VF 9. In 2025, VinFast expects to assemble the VF 7, VF 8 and VF 9 at a future plant in North Carolina. Load More
Laurence Iliff Reporter covering Tesla and Silicon Valley for Automotive News [email protected] 619-860-6779 See All Staff Page