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GM’s Cadillac set to eliminate 40% of dealerships in $274M restructuring project
General Motors’ Cadillac brand is set to eliminate around 40% of its U.S. dealerships and roll out a new electric SUV, hoping to ease into a more-committed adoption of electric vehicles.
GM is one of the largest automotive brands globally and has been involved in the development of electric vehicles for several years, thanks to the Bolt, an EV under the automaker’s Chevrolet brand. However, GM is not one of the leading players or contributors currently in the EV sector, as it plans to scrap gas engines by 2035. This date, set well into the future, has not sat well with many EV enthusiasts, who have petitioned for a more committed and serious goal for GM, who plans to roll out a $35 billion investment in electric cars by 2025.
Cadillac, one of GM’s luxury brands, is planning to make a more committed effort toward electrification starting at the dealership level. While Cadillac does have the LYRIQ, which is set to roll out sometime in 2023, it knows the switch to EVs is inevitable and is modifying its infrastructure in a manner that would ease the difficult transition from gas-powered vehicles to electric ones. A new report from Reuters states that the Head of Cadillac’s Global Brand, Rory Harvey, says 560 dealers will be active in the U.S. network by the end of the year, a sharp decrease from the 920 locations the brand operated in the United States in 2018.
Cadillac spent a total of $274 million since the beginning of 2020 to buy out dealership locations that were not prepared to invest between $200,000 and $500,000 per store to lineup the training and equipment needed to embrace a complete transition to EVs. Cadillac plans to be 100% electric by 2030.
Credit: Cadillac
While the number of locations will dwindle to just 560, Cadillac will open new showrooms in well-established areas and cities like New York City, Beverly Hills, Atlanta, and San Francisco. Interestingly, many electric automakers have slotted out these cities for their initial showrooms. As introductory products are usually more expensive due to their position as a capital raising outlet, it is a common strategy for automakers to set up sales floors in high-income areas. The early vehicles from many of these automakers will be more expensive as they will funnel capital to future projects, just like the Tesla Roadster did for later models.
However, Cadillac’s real focus does not lie in the United States but in China. Garvey has said that it has not had to restructure retail operations there. Instead, the brand is experiencing a 20% increase in sales through the first nine months of 2021, resulting in nearly 181,000 sales in China through September.
-->It is clear that Cadillac will not scrap its showroom plans altogether. Instead, sales and service will still happen at dedicated dealership locations. It will not sell its vehicles directly to consumers like Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid.
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Tesla starts laying the groundwork for FSD tests in Austria
The job opening comes as the company pushes regulatory approvals and data collection in new European markets.
Tesla seems to be ramping its efforts to hire key personnel for FSD’s eventual expansion in Europe. This was hinted at in a new job listing for a vehicle operator role in Vienna, Austria.
The job opening comes as the company pushes regulatory approvals and data collection in new European markets.
Vienna’s vehicle operator role
Tesla posted the job for “Fahrer (Vehicle Operator) (m/w/d)” in its Vienna office on its Careers website, seeking candidates to drive and monitor test vehicles as part of the Autopilot and AI team. The role involves collecting real-world driving data to refine Full Self-Driving systems for the country’s local roads. Responsibilities include operating vehicles in urban and highway environments, documenting system performance, among other tasks.
Applicants need a valid Austrian driver’s license and at least two years of driving experience. Fluency in English is essential, along with a familiarity with driver assist systems. Tesla noted that the position offers a minimum annual gross salary of EUR 32,000, though relevant professional experience and qualifications will be taken into account. Similar to other Tesla roles, the position also offers TSLA stock as an incentive.
Tesla’s FSD Push in Europe
Tesla’s FSD efforts in Europe have accelerated in recent months, with significant progress in Spain serving as a key milestone. In July 2025, Spain’s Directorate-General for Traffic launched the ES-AV framework to standardize automated vehicle testing, authorizing Tesla for nationwide FSD trials with 19 vehicles under Phase 3, which allows optional onboard safety operators and remote monitoring.
-->The program, running through November 2027, aims to position Spain as a leader in the field, as DGT stated: “The program is designed to complement and enhance oversight, regulation, research, and transparency efforts, as well as to support innovation and advancements in automotive technology and industry.”
Beyond Spain, Tesla has conducted FSD demonstrations in Germany, France and Italy for consumers, while pursuing national approval in the Netherlands for early 2026.
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Tesla Semi factory looks almost complete during Thanksgiving weekend
Based on recent drone videos, the Tesla Semi factory looks practically ready to start operations.
It appears that the Tesla Semi factory near Giga Nevada is already hard at work preparing for the initial production of the Class 8 all-electric truck. This was, at least, hinted at in a recent drone flyover of the facility from a longtime watcher.
The Tesla Semi factory after Thanksgiving
Drone operator and Tesla Semi advocate @HinrichsZane recently shared some footage he captured of the upcoming facility during the Thanksgiving weekend. Based on his video, it appears that Tesla gave its employees in the area the weekend off. One thing is evident from the video, however, and that is the fact that the Tesla Semi factory looks practically ready to start operations.
The Tesla Semi watcher did point out that the electric vehicle maker is still busy bringing in production equipment into the facility itself. Once these are installed, it would not be surprising if initial production of the Tesla Semi begins.
A new Tesla Semi
The upcoming completion of the Tesla Semi factory near Gigafactory Nevada seems all but inevitable in the coming months. What would be especially interesting, however, would be the vehicles that would be produced on the site. During Elon Musk’s presentation at the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, a glimpse of the production Tesla Semi was shown, and it looks quite a bit different than the Class 8 all-electric truck’s classic appearance.
As could be seen in the graphic from the CEO’s presentation, the updated Tesla Semi will feature slim lightbar headlights similar to the new Tesla Model Y, Cybertruck, and the Cybercab. Tesla also teased a number of aerodynamic improvements that increased the truck’s efficiency to 1.7 kWh per mile. Extended camera units, seemingly for FSD, could also be seen in the graphic.
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Tesla scores major hire as Apple scientist moves to Optimus team
Chen, who advanced from individual contributor to technical lead during his time at Apple, noted that he was blown away by Tesla’s efforts and synergy.
Former Apple research scientist Yilun Chen has left the tech giant to join Tesla’s Optimus AI team. Chen, who advanced from individual contributor to technical lead during his time at Apple, noted that he was blown away by Tesla’s efforts and synergy.
Apple veteran closes a major chapter
In a farewell note, Yilun Chen reflected on his tenure at Apple as a period defined by rapid growth and exposure to notable internal projects, some of which remain unreleased. His roles spanned engineering, research, early product incubation, and hands-on prototyping, allowing him to build expertise across both mature and emerging teams.
Chen credited mentors, colleagues, and cross-functional collaborators for shaping his trajectory, calling the experience unforgettable and emphasizing how each team taught him different lessons about scaling technology, guiding product vision, and navigating fast-moving research environments. “Each role has offered me invaluable unique lessons… My deepest gratitude goes to my colleagues, mentors and friends,” he wrote.
Tesla’s Optimus lab secured the hire
Chen said the move to Tesla was driven by the momentum surrounding Optimus, a humanoid robot powered by LLM-driven reasoning and Physical AI. After visiting Tesla’s Optimus lab, he admitted that he was “totally blown away by the scale and sophistication of the Optimus lab and deep dedication of people when I got to visit the office.”
His first week at Tesla, he noted, involved spontaneous deep-tech discussions, a flat team structure, rapid prototyping cycles, and what he called a “crazy ideas with super-fast iterations” culture. Chen emphasized that the team’s ambition, as well as its belief that humanoid robots are now within reach, creates an energy level that feels aimed at changing the world.
-->“You can feel the energy to change the world here,” he wrote in a post on social media.
Tesla starts laying the groundwork for FSD tests in Austria
Tesla Semi factory looks almost complete during Thanksgiving weekend
