Tesla China cleared the air regarding rumors of 4680 battery cells being used in vehicles built at the company’s Gigafactory Shanghai facility. According to the post, rumors have indicated that China-built Tesla vehicles are equipping the company’s 4680 cell chemistry, which was unveiled two years ago at Battery Day.
“In order to protect the interests of consumers, and in response to the special action of relevant departments to rectify rumors on the Internet, the following explanations are made in response to several recent rumors about Tesla China on the Internet,” Tesla’s Customer Support account wrote on Weibo yesterday.
It makes two points, the first being that no Tesla vehicles built in China use 4680 cells. “No matter what kind of battery is used, the products we provide to customers can meet Tesla’s strict product requirements and well meet vehicle performance indicators such as safety, battery life, and acceleration,” the account then wrote.
Additionally, the company clarified that “recent hype by some individuals…about Tesla ‘is about to change its model’” is a rumor that “deliberately misleads consumers.” Tesla then said that it would encourage people to point them in the direction of those who are starting these rumors so they can be held responsible.
“At the same time, prospective car owners are requested to pay attention to the changes in the delivery cycle and arrange the pick-up time reasonably,” the company also said. “Vehicles produced at Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory are usually exported to overseas markets in the first half of each quarter and supplied to the domestic market in the second half.”
The second part of that quote was revealed by CEO Elon Musk over a year ago as Gigafactory Shanghai was supplying Europe with cars as Gigafactory Berlin completed construction.
Elon Musk explains Tesla’s local and export strategy for factories like Giga Shanghai
Tesla has dealt with major misinformation campaigns against it in China for several years. After dealing with numerous fabricated stories, including several that put into question the effectiveness of Tesla’s braking systems, the company started suing those who made up stories about their vehicles failing.
For now, 4680 battery cells are being utilized for Model Y builds at Gigafactory Texas. Suppliers such as Panasonic have already started sending test samples of the cell to Tesla as they will eventually begin producing the battery for the electric automaker. Tesla produces the batteries in-house in California, but plans to begin manufacturing the cells at Gigafactory Texas by the end of this quarter.
Tesla China’s Weibo post was written as follows:
“In order to protect the interests of consumers, and in response to the special action of relevant departments to rectify rumors on the Internet, the following explanations are made in response to several recent rumors about Tesla China on the Internet:
1. Tesla models made in China currently do not use 4680 batteries in Plans for any new model batteries within. No matter what kind of battery is used, the products we provide to customers can meet Tesla’s strict product requirements and well meet vehicle performance indicators such as safety, battery life, and acceleration.
2. The recent hype by some individuals and self-media about “Tesla is about to change its model” is completely a rumor that deliberately misleads consumers. I hope everyone can provide us with clues, and we will hold the rumour-mongers accountable.
At the same time, prospective car owners are requested to pay attention to the changes in the delivery cycle and arrange the pick-up time reasonably. Vehicles produced at Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory are usually exported to overseas markets in the first half of each quarter and supplied to the domestic market in the second half.
We are very grateful that so many users choose Tesla because of their trust and love. We will continue to strive to provide customers with excellent products and user experience! Thanks again for your attention!”
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.
Elon Musk
Tesla analysts believe Musk and Trump feud will pass
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump’s feud shall pass, several bulls say.
Tesla analysts are breaking down the current feud between CEO Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump, as the two continue to disagree on the “Big Beautiful Bill” and its impact on the country’s national debt.
Musk, who headed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump Administration, left his post in May. Soon thereafter, he and President Trump entered a very public and verbal disagreement, where things turned sour. They reconciled to an extent, and things seemed to be in the past.
However, the second disagreement between the two started on Monday, as Musk continued to push back on the “Big Beautiful Bill” that the Trump administration is attempting to sign into law. It would, by Musk’s estimation, increase spending and reverse the work DOGE did to trim the deficit.
Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame!
And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2025
President Trump has hinted that DOGE could be “the monster” that “eats Elon,” threatening to end the subsidies that SpaceX and Tesla receive. Musk has not been opposed to ending government subsidies for companies, including his own, as long as they are all abolished.
How Tesla could benefit from the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ that axes EV subsidies
Despite this contentious back-and-forth between the two, analysts are sharing their opinions now, and a few of the more bullish Tesla observers are convinced that this feud will pass, Trump and Musk will resolve their differences as they have before, and things will return to normal.
ARK Invest’s Cathie Wood said this morning that the feud between Musk and Trump is another example of “this too shall pass:”
BREAKING: CATHIE WOOD SAYS — ELON AND TRUMP FEUD “WILL PASS” 👀 $TSLA
She remains bullish ! pic.twitter.com/w5rW2gfCkx
— TheSonOfWalkley (@TheSonOfWalkley) July 1, 2025
Additionally, Wedbush’s Dan Ives, in a note to investors this morning, said that the situation “will settle:”
“We believe this situation will settle and at the end of the day Musk needs Trump and Trump needs Musk given the AI Arms Race going on between the US and China. The jabs between Musk and Trump will continue as the Budget rolls through Congress but Tesla investors want Musk to focus on driving Tesla and stop this political angle…which has turned into a life of its own in a roller coaster ride since the November elections.”
Tesla shares are down about 5 percent at 3:10 p.m. on the East Coast.
Elon Musk
Tesla scrambles after Musk sidekick exit, CEO takes over sales
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is reportedly overseeing sales in North America and Europe, Bloomberg reports.
Tesla scrambled its executives around following the exit of CEO Elon Musk’s sidekick last week, Omead Afshar. Afshar was relieved of his duties as Head of Sales for both North America and Europe.
Bloomberg is reporting that Musk is now overseeing both regions for sales, according to sources familiar with the matter. Afshar left the company last week, likely due to slow sales in both markets, ending a seven-year term with the electric automaker.
Tesla’s Omead Afshar, known as Elon Musk’s right-hand man, leaves company: reports
Afshar was promoted to the role late last year as Musk was becoming more involved in the road to the White House with President Donald Trump.
Afshar, whose LinkedIn account stated he was working within the “Office of the CEO,” was known as Musk’s right-hand man for years.
Additionally, Tom Zhu, currently the Senior Vice President of Automotive at Tesla, will oversee sales in Asia, according to the report.
It is a scramble by Tesla to get the company’s proven executives over the pain points the automaker has found halfway through the year. Sales are looking to be close to the 1.8 million vehicles the company delivered in both of the past two years.
Tesla is pivoting to pay more attention to the struggling automotive sales that it has felt over the past six months. Although it is still performing well and is the best-selling EV maker by a long way, it is struggling to find growth despite redesigning its vehicles and launching new tech and improvements within them.
The company is also looking to focus more on its deployment of autonomous tech, especially as it recently launched its Robotaxi platform in Austin just over a week ago.
However, while this is the long-term catalyst for Tesla, sales still need some work, and it appears the company’s strategy is to put its biggest guns on its biggest problems.
News
Tesla upgrades Model 3 and Model Y in China, hikes price for long-range sedan
Tesla’s long-range Model 3 now comes with a higher CLTC-rated range of 753 km (468 miles).
Tesla has rolled out a series of quiet upgrades to its Model 3 and Model Y in China, enhancing range and performance for long-range variants. The updates come with a price hike for the Model 3 Long Range All-Wheel Drive, which now costs RMB 285,500 (about $39,300), up RMB 10,000 ($1,400) from the previous price.
Model 3 gets acceleration boost, extended range
Tesla’s long-range Model 3 now comes with a higher CLTC-rated range of 753 km (468 miles), up from 713 km (443 miles), and a faster 0–100 km/h acceleration time of 3.8 seconds, down from 4.4 seconds. These changes suggest that Tesla has bundled the previously optional Acceleration Boost for the Model 3, once priced at RMB 14,100 ($1,968), as a standard feature.
Delivery wait times for the long-range Model 3 have also been shortened, from 3–5 weeks to just 1–3 weeks, as per CNEV Post. No changes were made to the entry-level RWD or Performance versions, which retain their RMB 235,500 and RMB 339,500 price points, respectively. Wait times for those trims also remain at 1–3 weeks and 8–10 weeks.
Model Y range increases, pricing holds steady
The Model Y Long Range has also seen its CLTC-rated range increase from 719 km (447 miles) to 750 km (466 miles), though its price remains unchanged at RMB 313,500 ($43,759). The model maintains a 0–100 km/h time of 4.3 seconds.
Tesla also updated delivery times for the Model Y lineup. The Long Range variant now shows a wait time of 1–3 weeks, an improvement from the previous 3–5 weeks. The entry-level RWD version maintained its starting price of RMB 263,500, though its delivery window is now shorter at 2–4 weeks.
Tesla continues to offer several purchase incentives in China, including an RMB 8,000 discount for select paint options, an RMB 8,000 insurance subsidy, and five years of interest-free financing for eligible variants.
Tesla analysts believe Musk and Trump feud will pass
Tesla scrambles after Musk sidekick exit, CEO takes over sales
Tesla upgrades Model 3 and Model Y in China, hikes price for long-range sedan
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