News
Are hydrogen cars competition for Tesla?
Reading the news and making sense of PR pitches is an art and a science. The art is reading through the pitches, determining where the motivation is and what lies behind. The science is re-articulating the message behind pitches. The latest news campaign is that hydrogen fuel cells cars are competition to Tesla and electric vehicles (EV).
Sifting through the news
Are hydrogen fuel cell cars competition to EVs? And if so, how are they competing? Those are basic, relevant questions we need to keep in mind when reading the news. Matthew Levy on Seeking Alpha believes Toyota and Hyundai’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicles compete with the Model S. The truth is, Toyota and Hyundai are not in the same league as Tesla Motors in terms of their respective segments and innovations.
The article tries to make a point that by opening the doors to its charging protocols, Tesla won’t sue those who use these protocols in good faith. The article argues that Tesla’s new competitors are growing, but include the Detroit VIA Motors that converts pickup trucks to plug-in hybrids (PHEV) and Harley-Davidson’s new and loud Project LiveWire, a noisy electric motorcycle I covered on CarNewsCafe. According to Matthew Levy: “While these are not direct competitors to Tesla’s sedans, they do show the shift in attention to electric vehicles. Combined with Chevrolet’s Volt (GM) and the Nissan Leaf, the electric vehicle market is becoming crowded behind Tesla. With the availability of Tesla’s patents to other electric vehicle manufacturers (who have more resources than Tesla), the gap should continue to shrink.”, indeed, it will and it should. No one would argue that, least of all Elon Musk.
The article points to a theoretical advantage Tesla has over the competitors. “With the same driving range on the upgraded models,” we suppose the article refers to the P85, “as well as much longer charging times,” larger tanks take longer to fill as well, “the Model S only holds a slight advantage over its hydrogen competitors, if any.” Really? How so? Try an encyclopedia of advantages. It is a full electric vehicle that comes with the freedom of choice of accepting your very own home 110V outlets, your dedicated 240V plug, your home high-powered Tesla charger, the option for the free Supercharger, depending on your time to recharge and where you are. Now, add to this the fact that you and I can make electricity from solar energy, wind, hydro, and any other alternative and renewable energy, or simply just plug it in anywhere.
These are huge advantages hydrogen does not offer yet. Using hydrogen, we go back to the pump and are not in control of the energy price. To be fair, utilities are slowing down personal alternative energy systems and are trying to inflate energy prices, but almost anyone can choose which energy origin to use for their EVs. If you don’t like the grid, install an alternative energy system at home. The same can’t be said about hydrogen fuel cell. I can build an electric motor or buy one on the cheap, I can’t do the same with a fuel cell. EVs offer energy choice, hydrogen does not yet.
The hidden message and the driving motivation
It is obvious by now that the hydrogen phenomenon hasn’t taken the world by storm. Contrary to the article, Hyundai already has a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle offered to the public and Honda has had its Clarity for lease since 2008. Hydrogen fuel cell has its place in the world of energy, but so far it’s been limited to places where solar panels have limited application without better energy storage. Who is driving the push for hydrogen fuel cells when we already have proven EVs, such as the Model S that uses commodity batteries and achieves close to 300 miles? The question to ask is who has benefited the most from the automobile this past century.
News
Tesla China’s domestic sales fell 4.8% in 2025, but it’s not doom and gloom
Despite the full-year dip, Tesla finished the year with record domestic sales in December.
Tesla posted 625,698 retail vehicle sales in China in 2025, marking a 4.8% year-on-year decline as the EV maker navigated an increasingly competitive EV market and a major production transition for its best-selling vehicle.
Despite the full-year dip, Tesla finished the year with record domestic sales in December.
Retail sales slip amid Model Y transition
Tesla’s 2025 retail sales in China were down from 657,102 units in 2024, when the company ranked third in the country’s new energy vehicle (NEV) market with a 6.0% share. In 2025, Tesla’s share slipped to 4.9%, placing it fifth overall, as noted in a CNEV Post report.
Part of the decline seemed tied to operational disruptions early in the year. Tesla implemented a changeover to the new Tesla Model Y in the first quarter of 2025, which required temporary production pauses at Giga Shanghai. That downtime reduced vehicle availability early during the year, weighing on the company’s retail volumes in China and in areas supplied by Giga Shanghai’s exports.
China remained one of Tesla’s largest markets, accounting for 38.24% of its global deliveries of 1.64 million vehicles in 2025. However, the company also saw exports from Giga Shanghai fall to 226,034 units, down nearly 13% year-on-year. It remains to be seen how much of this could be attributed to the Model Y changeover and how much could be attributed to other factors.
Strong December 2025 finish
While the full-year picture showed some contraction, Tesla closed 2025 on a high note. According to data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA), Tesla China delivered a record 93,843 vehicles domestically in China in December, its highest monthly total ever. That figure was up 13.2% from a year earlier and 28.3% higher than November.
The surge was driven in part by Tesla prioritizing domestic deliveries late in the year, allowing buyers to lock in favorable purchase tax policies. In December alone, Tesla captured 7.0% of China’s NEV market and a notable 12.0% share of the country’s battery-electric segment.
On a wholesale basis, Tesla China sold 851,732 vehicles in 2025, down 7.1% year-on-year. From this number, 97,171 were from December 2025 alone. Tesla Model 3 wholesale figures reached 312,738 units, a year-over-year decrease of 13.12%. The Tesla Model Y’s wholesale figures for 2025 were 538,994 units, down 3.18% year-over-year.
News
Tesla Robovan’s likely first real-world use teased by Boring Company President
As per the executive, the vehicle will be used to move large crowds through Las Vegas during major events.
The Boring Company President Steve Davis has shared the most likely first real-world use for Tesla’s Robovan.
As per the executive, the vehicle will be used to move large crowds through Las Vegas during major events.
Tesla Robovan for high-demand events
During a feature with the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Boring Company President Steve Davis stated that the Tesla Robovan will be used in Sin City once the Vegas Loop expands across the Strip and downtown and the fleet grows to about 1,200 Teslas.
At that scale, Robovans would primarily be deployed during predictable surges, such as game days and large shows, when many riders are traveling to the same destination at the same time.
“The second you have four (passengers) and you have to start stopping, the best thing you can do is put your smallest vehicle in, which is a car. But if you know people are going to the stadium because of a game, you’ll know an hour before, two hours before, that a lot of people are going to a game or a Sphere show, if you are smart about it, that’s when you put a high occupancy vehicle in, that’s when you put the Robovan in,” Davis said.
Vegas Loop expansion
Steve Davis’s Robovan comment comes amid The Boring Company’s efforts to expand the Vegas Loop’s airport service. Phase 1 of rides to Harry Reid International Airport began last month, allowing passengers to travel from existing Loop stations such as Resorts World, Encore, Westgate, and the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Phase 2 will add a 2.2-mile dual-direction tunnel from Westgate to Paradise Road. That section is expected to open within months and will allow speeds of up to 60 mph on parts of the route, while expanding the fleet to around 160 vehicles.
Future phases are expected to extend tunnels closer to airport terminals and add multiple stations along University Center Drive. At this point, the system’s fleet is expected to grow close to 300 Teslas. The final phase, an underground airport station, was described by Davis as the system’s “holy grail.” This, however, has no definite timeframe as of yet.
News
Tesla seeks engineer to make its iOS Robotaxi app feel “magical”
It appears that Tesla is hard at work in ensuring that users of its Robotaxi service are provided with the best user experience possible.
Tesla is hiring an iOS Engineer for its Robotaxi app team, with the job posting emphasizing the creation of polished experiences that make the service not just functional, but “magical.”
Needless to say, it appears that Tesla is hard at work in ensuring that users of its Robotaxi service are provided with the best user experience possible.
Robotaxi App features
As observed by Tesla community members, Tesla has gone live with a job listing for an iOS Engineer for its Robotaxi App. The job listing mentions the development of a “core mobile experience that enables customers to summon, track, and interact with a driverless vehicle. From requesting a ride to enabling frictionless entry, from trip planning to real-time vehicle status and media control.”
Interestingly enough, the job listing also mentioned the creation of polished experiences that make the Robotaxi more than just functional. “You will take full ownership of features—from architecture design to robust implementation—delivering delightful and polished experiences that make Robotaxi not just functional, but magical,” Tesla noted in its job listing.
Apple’s “magical” marketing
Tesla’s use of the word “magical” when referring to the Robotaxi app mirrors the marketing used by Apple for some of its key products. Apple typically uses the word when referring to products or solutions that transform complex technology into something that feels effortless, simple, and natural to daily life. Products such as the AirPods’ seamless pairing with the iPhone and FaceID’s complex yet simple-to-use security system have received Apple’s “magical” branding.
With this in mind, Tesla seems intent on developing a Robotaxi app that is sophisticated, but still very easy to use. Tesla already has extensive experience in this area, with the Tesla App consistently being hailed by users as one of the best in its segment. If Tesla succeeds in making the Robotaxi app worthy of its “magical” branding, then it wouldn’t be a surprise if the service sees rapid adoption even among mainstream consumers.
Tesla China’s domestic sales fell 4.8% in 2025, but it’s not doom and gloom
Tesla Robovan’s likely first real-world use teased by Boring Company President
