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Chevrolet is holding EV training workshops for dealers

Credit: General Motors

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General Motors’ (GM) Chevrolet is holding a tour of electric vehicle (EV) training workshops in the U.S., set to help educate dealers and salespeople about the technology as more consumers look to go electric.

Chevy has been hosting an EV training tour across five U.S. states over the summer and fall, in efforts to increase dealer confidence and product knowledge, as detailed in a report over the weekend from Automotive News. The program is expected to feature a total attendance of around 7,000 dealership workers, and it comes as the brand prepares to launch additional EVs and variants of existing products.

“We’ve had live drive events in the past,” notes Michael MacPhee, Director of Sales Operations at Chevy. “We’ve done five-city tours before. But this is the first time that we’ve been so EV-focused.”

The training program aims to achieve two main goals: to educate dealers about common EV misconceptions, and to let employees drive various EVs from both GM brands and those from other automakers. The trainings have so far been held in Monticello, New York, Fort Worth, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia, with upcoming workshops set to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada and Indianapolis, Indiana.

GM announces NACS access for its EVs, but charges $225 per adapter

Currently, Chevy sells the Equinox crossover EV, the Blazer mid-size crossover EV, and the Silverado electric pickup in the U.S. The company is also set to launch additional variants for the vehicles, including a base-level trim for the Equinox EV starting at $34,995 and sporting a 319-mile range. The automaker is also planning to launch a next-generation version of its early Chevy Bolt in the coming years.

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According to Chevy, 52 percent of Blazer EV buyers in August had been new to the brand, coming from automakers like Ford, Honda, Stellantis, and Toyota.

“It’s 100 percent the goal behind the training tours: How do we grow our business to meet customers’ needs who have the interest and propensity to buy an electric vehicle?” MacPhee added. “We’re confident that the Chevy showroom is the right place to buy those.”

MacPhee says that the training includes topics such as charging infrastructure questions and EV range, along with demonstrations of GM’s cold-weather technology, EV ownership cost comparisons with gas cars, and more. He also notes that GM may include additional sessions in 2025, if dealerships ask for more.

“What can move the needle on getting into an EV? Cost of ownership is one of our biggest levers that we can pull,” he adds. “Even with the electricity costs, savings on fuel can easily save you $100 a month. And as you get into the larger vehicles, like Silverado, that’s even more true. So that’s one that’s really been resonating well with our sales professionals.”

Despite facing some production struggles with its Blazer and other EVs, GM has plans to invest around $390 million into a Kansas manufacturing facility for the next-generation Chevy Bolt EV, after it ended production of the Malibu earlier this year.

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General Motors pauses self-driving vehicle development for Chevy Bolt 2.0

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips 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 CEO Elon Musk to provide more details for Master Plan Part IV

Musk stated that he would be adding specifics to the plan in a later update.

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Credit: xAI/X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk will be adding more specifics to the recently-released Master Plan Part IV. Musk shared the update on social media platform X amidst conversations about the general nature of the Master Plan Part IV. 

In a conversation on X, Musk responded to a post from Tesla retail shareholder and bull Dave Lee, who observed that the currently released Master Plan Part IV could really just be the introduction to the real plan due to its absence of specifics.

Elon Musk responded, stating that he would be adding specifics to the plan in a later update. “Fair enough. Will add more specifics,” Musk wrote in his post.

Tesla has been following Elon Musk’s Master Plans for decades. The first Master Plan, released in 2006, outlined the company’s path from the original Tesla Roadster to the Model 3, as well as the first steps for Tesla Energy. Master Plan Part Deux, released in 2016, covered the ramp of Tesla Energy, the expansion of Tesla’s vehicle lineup, and the rollout of a Robotaxi service.

Master Plan Part 3 was more ambitious as it was generally an in-depth proposal for achieving a global sustainable entry economy by transitioning to electricity-powered vehicles, homes, and industry, which will, in turn, be powered by renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Master Plan Part 3 also included a five-step plan to accomplish this, allowing the world to transition to a fully electrified future. 

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Master Plan Part IV, which was released a few days ago, focused on automation and artificial intelligence to achieve sustainable abundance. But while the first two Master Plans were very clear and specific and Master Plan Part 3 was very in-depth, Master Plan Part IV was quite general and vague in comparison. It was easy to tell that Optimus would play a big role in the pursuit of sustainable abundance, but apart from that, there were no specifics as to how Tesla intended to achieve its goals.

Fortunately, these specifics would be discussed by Musk in a later update to the plan.

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Tesla just had its best wholesale month this year in China

Tesla China’s wholesale figures include both vehicles that are sold domestically and exported abroad.

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla China just had its best wholesale month this 2025 so far. In August, the electric vehicle maker sold 83,192 vehicles wholesale, a 22.55% increase compared to July 2025’s 67,886 units.

Tesla China’s wholesale figures are still down year-over-year, but the company’s momentum seems notable, especially with the arrival of the Model Y L.

August 2025 figures

As noted in a CNEV Post report, August 2025’s 83,192 wholesale figures are 4.04% less than the 86,697 units that were sold in the same period last year. It is, however, a 22.55% improvement from the previous month. From January to August, Tesla China sold 515,552 units wholesale, a 12.24% year-over-year decrease. 

It should be noted that Tesla China’s wholesale figures include both vehicles that are sold domestically and exported abroad. With this in mind, August’s results bode well for Tesla China, as it suggests that Gigafactory Shanghai is now hitting its pace with both its domestic deliveries and its exports. Giga Shanghai serves as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub.

Model Y L factor

Tesla had a challenging first quarter this year, thanks in part to the changeover to the Model Y across the Fremont factory, Giga Texas, Giga Shanghai, and Giga Berlin-Brandenburg. This changeover resulted in low sales in the first quarter. Political controversies surrounding Elon Musk and violence against Tesla stores and vehicles in the first and second quarters in the United States and Europe did not help much either.

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This Q3, however, Tesla seems to be hitting its stride, especially in China. The launch of the new Model Y L has allowed Tesla to compete in the six-seat, large SUV segment, a market that was previously closed to the standard Model Y. Reports have suggested that Tesla China has been seeing a lot of demand for the Model Y L, which should help the company achieve higher sales this quarter and the remaining months of the year.

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Tesla Model Y L sales have been incredible since launch: report

Tesla China’s sales this third quarter could see a notable improvement.

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Credit: Tesla China

A recent report from China has suggested that the Tesla Model Y L has been seeing an impressive volume of orders since it was launched last month.

Amidst the Model Y L’s rollout, Tesla China’s sales this third quarter could see a notable improvement.

Model Y L orders

Citing information from a salesperson from a Tesla store in Beijing, media outlet Cailianshe stated that the Model Y L has been resonating well with consumers, particularly bigger families that need more space for their children. The salesperson stated that since the vehicle’s unveiling in China, the Model Y L has garnered 120,000 orders, and almost 10,000 new orders daily.

“(The Model Y L) is selling very well. Since its launch, 120,000 orders have been received, with nearly 10,000 orders placed every day. The first batch of customers began receiving deliveries in the past two days,” the Tesla representative noted.

More momentum

China is the world’s largest electric vehicle market, and it is also the most unforgiving and competitive. While the standard Model Y consistently performed well in the premium crossover SUV segment, it was high time for Tesla China to offer a larger vehicle for domestic consumers. There are quite a lot of customers, after all, who need more space than what the standard Model Y could offer.

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The Model Y L’s spacious interior seems to be well appreciated by consumers, with the Tesla Beijing salesperson noting that the vehicle’s excellent rear seats have been a notable selling point. “Although the Model YL is a bit more expensive, it has more space and a more flexible rear seat, making it perfect for families with children,” the representative added.

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