The Tesla Model Y is likely to outsell the Model 3 by the end of this year.

According to a recent report, the Tesla Model 3 has entered the global top-10 best-selling car ranking for 2021.

The Model 3 sedan from the American EV brand slotted itself in 9th position, with 5.08 lakh units of global sales. This translates to a 40% growth in sales, allowing it to rise from its 21st position in the previous years. Reports also suggest that the Tesla Model 3 sales are expected to grow further and should hit the top 5 by the end of this year.

Tesla's SUV offering, the Model Y slotted in the 19th position on the same list. However, reports suggest that the Model Y is likely to outsell the Model 3 by the end of this year.

Further on top, the Toyota RAV4 was the best-selling car in 2021. The RAV4 outsold the Corolla to become the first-ever SUV to achieve the top spot. Another popular model, the Ford F-150, seems to have lost out a position, dropping to 7th place with 5.62 lakh units - an 8% fall in sales. On the other hand, the Toyota Hilux pickup has managed to register a 22% growth and slot itself in 8th place.

The Honda CR-V, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Camry, Honda HR-V and Honda Accord complete the top-10 list.

Source: Fiat Group World

The production prototype of the 203.7 kWh Gemini battery will be introduced in 2023.

American EV battery manufacturer, Our Next Energy (ONE), has developed an experimental electric vehicle battery called Gemini. The company claims that it offers 1,210 km of range in real-world conditions.

The experimental prototype battery from the Michigan-based company was fitted in a Tesla Model S which then travelled from Detroit to Mackinac Bridge and back during the testing phase in December 2021. The Model S with the prototype battery averaged 88.5 km/h during the entire test run.

ONE also conducted tests inside its factory premises, where the car achieved a higher 1,419 km of range under ideal conditions. The Gemini prototype comes with a 203.7 kWh capacity with a high energy density of 416 Wh/L and is said to make use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help maximise the range.

In comparison, a standard Tesla Model S Plaid Long Range Plus model comes with a 103.9 kWh battery with 652 km of range.

Founded in 2020, ONE is expected to offer its first product, Aries - a 79 kWh battery, sometime later this year. The production prototype of the 203.7 kWh Gemini battery will be introduced in 2023.

He wants advice whether buying this car makes sense and considerations that would influence the decision.

BHPian earthian recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am posting this on behalf of my son who stays and works in New Jersey. He has a Wrangler and is looking for buying another car for his daily commute of about 50 miles and has been looking at the Tesla Model Y.

He wants advice whether buying this car makes sense and considerations that would influence the decision. The car would cost US$ 60,000/- on road. The second point he would like advice is whether he should buy it on lease or pay for the full amount upfront.

Thank you in advance for your advice and help.

Here's what BHPian Mclaren Rulz had to say on the matter:

Without more context on what he wants, it's a bit hard to say.

Any vehicle will do a 50 mile commute, even the most basic electric cars have enough range for that.

Here's what BHPian carthick1000 had to say on the matter:

For his use case of 50 mile commute (and occasional long trips if needed), he is well served by a Tesla model 3 which starts from 45,000USD on road for standard range. If he needs better range he can choose a long range model 3 at 51,000USD. A premium of 7,000USD for model Y according to me is absolutely not necessary, unless your son wants a tall boy design with hatch opening for loading big things. Model Y (LR) will be inherently less efficient than model 3 (LR) due to a bit increased air drag.

New Jersey has adequate amount of superchargers and if he has a home with driveway, it would be even more comfortable as he can daily charge at home. If he lives in an apartment which does not promote EV charging or any place where he could not have a home charger, I would sincerely recommend him to stick to his current ride or buy an ICE car.

Btw, why does he want to change and what are his requirements? A bit more input means a lot of BHPians living in USA can provide suggestions on the thread.

Regarding purchasing/leasing, it might be worth checking out Ford mach E or polestar 2 as options as they qualify for Federal tax credits (Unfortunately Tesla is discriminated by US politics due to lobbying I guess). But still when it comes to charging infrastructure, technology on offer and the battery longevity, Tesla is much ahead of Ford or polestar. In this day and age in USA, an EV is the way to go unless he is living in a certain states where the charging infrastructure still did not catch up.

Here's what BHPian landcruiser123 had to say on the matter:

If it is only commute (with a predictable route) with some luggage, why not the Nissan Leaf or Chevy Bolt? Californians use these two or an e-Golf.

Folding the backseat can open up a lot of room (unless he carries humongous gear).

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

This is also the first time an electric vehicle has topped the list.

The Tesla Model 3 is the 'most American-made car'. According to a new study, the Model 3 topped the American-Made Index (AMI) for the first time, beating the likes of the Ford Mustang. This is also the first time an electric vehicle has topped the list, in the AMI's 16-year history.

According to reports, as many as 344 different car models are on sale in 2021. However, among them only 90 vehicles made it to the list and among those, the Tesla Model 3 came out on top, while the Ford Mustang came in second. The Tesla Model Y occupied the third position, while the Jeep Cherokee and Chevrolet Corvette completed the top five, respectively.

The American-Made Index (AMI) takes into account a number of factors. This includes where the parts are sourced from, country of origin of all the engine & transmission options, the location of the vehicle's final assembly and the US workforce in the vehicle manufacturing process. Based on the above factors, each car is scored out of a 100 points.

Here are the top-10 most American made cars of 2021:

1. Tesla Model 3
2. Ford Mustang
3. Tesla Model Y
4. Jeep Cherokee
5. Chevrolet Corvette
6. Honda Ridgeline
7. Honda Odyssey
8. Honda Pilot
9. Honda Passport
10. Toyota Tundra

Source: Cars.com

Tesla and Toyota could be entering into a partnership very soon, resulting in the joint development of a new low-cost electric SUV.

Tesla and Toyota could be entering into a new partnership very soon. Reports suggest that the partnership between the two brands will result in the joint development of an all-new small electric SUV.

According to reports, both companies have been reviewing the partnership since last year, which is now said to be in the final stages. Once official, Toyota will provide the vehicle platform to Tesla, which in turn, will on-board some of the electronic control platforms and software technologies.

The new compact electric SUV will be launched by Tesla. It will be a low cost offering, based on Toyota’s EV platform. The introduction of the low-cost electric SUV is also expected to help Tesla improve its sales in the Japanese market significantly.

In return, Toyota will be able to use Tesla’s technology, such as the vehicle’s integrated electronic control platform and operating system. This will allow Toyota to significantly reduce the time and resources spent on developing the technologies themselves.

This isn’t the first time that Tesla and Toyota have partnered. The companies first came together in 2010, to work on an electric version of the Toyota RAV4 SUV. However, due to various reasons, this partnership was called off. Toyota even sold off all the Tesla shares it had bought back in 2017.

Source: Chosun

Tesla is expected to make its debut in the Indian market with the Model 3.

The chief minister of Karnataka BS Yediyurappa has stated that Tesla will set up an electric car manufacturing plant in the state.

Last month, the US-based EV maker set up its Indian subsidiary called Tesla India Motors and Energy Pvt. Ltd. The registered office is located at Lavelle Road, Bangalore. Vaibhav Taneja, Venkatrangam Sreeram, and David Feinstein have been appointed as the directors of the company. Tesla also plans to set up an R&D centre in Bangalore.

Tesla is expected to make its debut in the Indian market with the Model 3. The electric car could be launched by the end of the first quarter of FY2021-22. 

The Model 3 has a range of 354-523 km depending on the variant and a 0-97 km/h time between 3.1-5.6 seconds. The car is offered in single and dual motor configurations.

Tesla could launch the Model 3 in the first quarter on the next fiscal.

Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, has confirmed that Tesla will start operations in India in early 2021.

During an interview, Gadkari stated that Tesla will start sales operations initially and then could look at assembly and manufacturing depending on the market's response.

Reports suggest that Tesla could launch the Model 3 in India in the first quarter of the next fiscal. The carmaker could start accepting bookings from January.

Earlier, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had indicated that the brand would foray into the Indian market in 2021.

Source

In India, the Model 3 is likely to be introduced as a completely built unit (CBU). It could be imported from China's Gigafactory.

According to a media report, electric carmaker Tesla could launch the Model 3 in India by the end of the first quarter of FY2021-22. Bookings for the same could resume in January 2021.

The Model 3 is Tesla's most successful offering till date. Some Indians had booked the car back in 2016, but at the time, the timeline for its launch was not confirmed. Globally, the car was launched in 2017.

In India, the Model 3 is likely to be introduced as a completely built unit (CBU). It could be imported from China's Gigafactory. Tesla Model 3 range now comes with an electric range of 354-523 km and 0-97 km/h time between 3.1-5.6 seconds. The car is offered in single and dual motor configurations.

Tesla's actual profitability has been around 1% for the past year.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that he is open to the idea of merging Tesla with a rival brand. Musk told Reuters that if somebody said it would be a good idea to merge with Tesla, they would be willing to discuss. However, he did clarify that Tesla wouldn’t launch a hostile takeover of a rival brand.

Tesla is worth over US$ 500 billion and the company’s stock price has tripled in the past 6 months. It has been reported that Musk believes that the company is overvalued and wants to focus on cost-cutting and profits to prevent Tesla’s stock price from crashing.

Tesla has achieved profits in the last five consecutive quarters. However, actual profitability has been around 1% for the past year. For the moment, investors are betting on future profits and the day they think the company will be unable to meet their expectations, Tesla’s stocks will tumble.

Source

Tesla records highest sales; 5th consecutive profitable quarter

Tesla delivered 1,39,593 cars in the 3 months ending September. That's a growth of 54% compared to the last quarter and 44% on YoY basis.

Total sales for the current year stand at 3,20,000. While these are far from the company's goal of 5,00,000 deliveries a year, they are significantly better than the expected numbers especially during the current Covid-19 pandemic. This has also helped the company's quarterly profit which now stands at US$ 311 million. This is more than twice the profit declared in the same quarter last year. Tesla reported revenue of US$ 8.7 billion for the quarter ending September.

Tesla shares have also increased 4 times since the beginning of 2020. The electric carmaker now has the largest market value amongst any car manufacturing firms including rival Toyota. The carmaker currently has 2 manufacturing facilities - one each in the USA and China, while a third factory in Europe is scheduled to commence production in 2021.