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UAW strikes shut down auto plants as negotiations continue

(Credit: UAW)

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Ford, General Motors (GM) and Stellantis face continued negotiations with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union after around 13,000 workers shut down three manufacturing plants when previous contracts expired on Thursday.

The shutdowns could be costly for the so-called “Big 3” automakers if union demands are not met. Some say electric vehicle (EV) market leader Tesla could be set to win big from the damage amidst the Big 3’s attempts to transition to EVs.

UAW workers shut down the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant’s Final Assembly and Paint facilities, as detailed in a Detroit Free Press report on Sunday morning. The strikes also shut down the Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio and GM’s Assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri.

Following the walkouts, Ford CEO Jim Farley warned that the UAW’s demands could force bankruptcy, and the automaker also laid off 600 employees at its Michigan plant. GM says it plans to lay off around 2,000 workers at its Fairfax Assembly facility in Kansas City, Kansas this week due to an inability to get parts from the Wentzville plant, inevitably causing a production halt.

Tesla would be the big winner in potential UAW strike

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While the UAW initially proposed a 40-percent wage increase over four years, based on compensation increases the automakers’ CEOs have received, the union lowered its demands to a 36-percent increase last week.

Still, negotiations remain far off. Ford and GM most recently offered 20-percent wage increases over the period, while Stellantis offered 21 percent.

In addition to wage increases over the four-year period, the UAW is demanding the automakers restore cost-of-living allowances (COLA) lost in a 2007 union contract, which are expected to help stave off the effects of inflation.

Demands also include moving to a 32-hour work week while retaining the pay for a 40-hour work week, the restoration of defined benefit pensions, increased paid time off, limited use of temporary workers, and reducing the time it takes for employees to make top wages.

UAW President Shawn Fain has used the wage demands as a comparison between worker and CEO pay increases. The UAW initially created the 40-percent wage increase figure based on compensation increases for the automakers’ CEOs since 2019. According to Fain, workers have only gained 6-percent wage increases during that time.

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According to a breakdown from AP News in a Sunday morning report, median worker pay in 2022 was highest at GM at $80,034. In the same year, median worker pay at Ford and Stellantis landed at $74,691 and 64,328 euros (~$68,660), respectively.

AP News also reports that GM CEO Mary Barra is the highest-paid of the three executives, with her 2022 compensation package paying out $28.98 million. Her pay has increased by roughly 34 percent since 2019, according to an analysis by Equilar from public data filings.

Following her was Farley, who was paid almost $21 million by Ford through his compensation package in 2022, marking a 25 percent jump from former CEO William Clay Ford’s pay in 2019.

Stellantis is a European company, so the way its executive pay is made public differs slightly from GM or Ford’s. CEO Carlos Tavares was paid roughly 23.46 million euros ($25.04 million) in 2022, according to the automaker’s annual remuneration report. However, this figure includes “realized pay,” detailing previously granted equity values that vested the same year as reports are made.

Instead of using this figure, Equilar utilized a similar “grant date” method to make the comparisons more accurate. By this method, Equilar found Tavares’ compensation to be roughly 21.95 million euros ($23.43 million) last year, marking a 24-percent drop from former CEO Mike Manley’s 2019 compensation package of 29.04 million euros ($31 million).

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Many CEOs get most of their compensation from stock options or other non-salary payment methods.

In 2022, the biggest payout in Barra’s compensation package was $14.62 million in stock grants, vested over three years. During the same year, Farley received $15.14 million in stock awards, which have a similar three-year vesting period with the final value being tied to performance.

Negotiations between the automakers and the UAW are expected to continue this week.

Amidst the strikes, EV manufacturer Tesla is set to launch deliveries of its Cybertruck and Model 3 Highland, and the automaker is also initiating a $1.8 billion lease securitization to gain additional funding.

Tesla prepares for $1.8 billion lease securitization: report

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What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.

Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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Tesla surges following better-than-expected delivery report

Tesla saw some positive momentum during trading hours as it reported its deliveries for Q2.

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) surged over four percent on Wednesday morning after the company reported better-than-expected deliveries. It was nearly right on consensus estimations, as Wall Street predicted the company would deliver 385,000 cars in Q2.

Tesla reported that it delivered 384,122 vehicles in Q2. Many, including those inside the Tesla community, were anticipating deliveries in the 340,000 to 360,000 range, while Wall Street seemed to get it just right.

Tesla delivers 384,000 vehicles in Q2 2025, deploys 9.6 GWh in energy storage

Despite Tesla meeting consensus estimations, there were real concerns about what the company would report for Q2.

There were reportedly brief pauses in production at Gigafactory Texas during the quarter and the ramp of the new Model Y configuration across the globe were expected to provide headwinds for the EV maker during the quarter.

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At noon on the East Coast, Tesla shares were up about 4.5 percent.

It is expected that Tesla will likely equal the number of deliveries it completed in both of the past two years.

It has hovered at the 1.8 million mark since 2023, and it seems it is right on pace to match that once again. Early last year, Tesla said that annual growth would be “notably lower” than expected due to its development of a new vehicle platform, which will enable more affordable models to be offered to the public.

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These cars are expected to be unveiled at some point this year, as Tesla said they were “on track” to be produced in the first half of the year. Tesla has yet to unveil these vehicle designs to the public.

Dan Ives of Wedbush said in a note to investors this morning that the company’s rebound in China in June reflects good things to come, especially given the Model Y and its ramp across the world.

He also said that Musk’s commitment to the company and return from politics played a major role in the company’s performance in Q2:

“If Musk continues to lead and remain in the driver’s seat, we believe Tesla is on a path to an accelerated growth path over the coming years with deliveries expected to ramp in the back-half of 2025 following the Model Y refresh cycle.”

Ives maintained his $500 price target and the ‘Outperform’ rating he held on the stock:

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“Tesla’s future is in many ways the brightest it’s ever been in our view given autonomous, FSD, robotics, and many other technology innovations now on the horizon with 90% of the valuation being driven by autonomous and robotics over the coming years but Musk needs to focus on driving Tesla and not putting his political views first. We maintain our OUTPERFORM and $500 PT.”

Moving forward, investors will look to see some gradual growth over the next few quarters. At worst, Tesla should look to match 2023 and 2024 full-year delivery figures, which could be beaten if the automaker can offer those affordable models by the end of the year.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla delivers 384,000 vehicles in Q2 2025, deploys 9.6 GWh in energy storage

The quarter’s 9.6 GWh energy storage deployment marks one of Tesla’s highest to date.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) has released its Q2 2025 vehicle delivery and production report. As per the report, the company delivered over 384,000 vehicles in the second quarter of 2025, while deploying 9.6 GWh in energy storage. Vehicle production also reached 410,244 units for the quarter.

Model 3/Y dominates output, ahead of earnings call

Of the 410,244 vehicles produced during the quarter, 396,835 were Model 3 and Model Y units, while 13,409 were attributed to Tesla’s other models, which includes the Cybertruck and Model S/X variants. Deliveries followed a similar pattern, with 373,728 Model 3/Ys delivered and 10,394 from other models, totaling 384,122.

The quarter’s 9.6 GWh energy storage deployment marks one of Tesla’s highest to date, signaling continued strength in the Megapack and Powerwall segments.

Credit: Tesla Investor Relations

Year-on-year deliveries edge down, but energy shows resilience

Tesla will share its full Q2 2025 earnings results after the market closes on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, with a live earnings call scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT / 5:30 p.m. ET. The company will publish its quarterly update at ir.tesla.com, followed by a Q&A webcast featuring company leadership. Executives such as CEO Elon Musk are expected to be in attendance.

Tesla investors are expected to inquire about several of the company’s ongoing projects in the upcoming Q2 2025 earnings call. Expected topics include the new Model Y ramp across the United States, China, and Germany, as well as the ramp of FSD in territories outside the US and China. Questions about the company’s Robotaxi business, as well as the long-referenced but yet to be announced affordable models are also expected.

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Tesla China breaks 8-month slump by selling 71,599 vehicles wholesale in June

Tesla China’s June numbers were released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on Tuesday.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla China was able to sell 71,599 vehicles wholesale in June 2025, reversing eight consecutive months of year-over-year declines. The figure marks a 0.83% increase from the 71,599 vehicles sold wholesale in June 2024 and a 16.1% jump compared to the 61,662 vehicles sold wholesale in May. 

Tesla China’s June numbers were released by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) on Tuesday.

Tesla China’s June results in focus

Tesla produces both the Model 3 and Model Y at its Shanghai Gigafactory, which serves as the company’s primary vehicle export hub. Earlier this year, Tesla initiated a changeover for its best-selling vehicle, the Model Y, resulting in a drop in vehicle sales during the first and second quarters.

Tesla’s second-quarter China sales totaled 191,720 units including exports. While these numbers represent a 6.8% year-over-year decline for Tesla China, Q2 did show sequential improvement, rising about 11% from Q1 2025, as noted in a CNEV Post report.

For the first half of the year, Tesla sold 364,474 vehicles wholesale. This represents a 14.6% drop compared to the 426,623 units sold wholesale in the first half of 2024.

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China’s competitive local EV market

Tesla’s position in China is notable, especially as the new Model Y is gaining ground in the country’s BEV segment. That being said, Tesla is also facing competition from impressive local brands such as Xiaomi, whose new YU7 electric SUV is larger and more affordable than the Model Y. 

The momentum of the YU7 is impressive, as the vehicle was able to secure 200,000 firm orders within three minutes and over 240,000 locked-in orders within 18 hours. Xiaomi’s previous model, the SU7 electric sedan, which is aimed at the Tesla Model 3, also remains popular, with June deliveries surpassing 25,000 units for the ninth straight month.

While China’s EV market is getting more competitive, Tesla’s new Model Y is also ramping its production and deliveries. Needless to say, Tesla China’s results for the remaining two quarters of 2025 will be very interesting.

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