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Chevy’s big US win bodes well for the Tesla Model Y’s potential domination
The United States’ auto market may be reeling hard due to the ongoing pandemic, but there are still vehicles that are proving successful even in these trying times. One of these is the 2021 Chevy Trailblazer, which currently stands as the country’s fastest-selling new car. These results, especially considering the ongoing outbreak, bodes well for the Tesla Model Y and its potential domination of the premium crossover market.
According to a recent study from car search engine iSeeCars.com, the 2021 Chevy Trailblazer is the United States’ fastest-selling new car, spending only an average of 19 days on dealer lots before being sold. This is extremely impressive, especially considering that the study revealed that the average new car spends a whopping 97 days for sale before being bought.
In a way, the 2021 Chevy Trailblazer’s impressive rankings among the United States’ new car sales suggest that the crossover SUV market is alive and well, even in the midst of a pandemic. The 2021 Trailblazer, after all, is a subcompact SUV that represents pretty much what is expected of the crossover segment. It’s reasonably priced, practical, and it has a pretty hefty amount of features. These are things that the Model Y also excels in, albeit at a more premium price point.
The Tesla Model Y is arguably the electric car maker’s most bang-for-your-buck vehicle so far, being priced close to the Model 3 yet featuring utility that’s closer to the far more expensive Model X. Considering that crossovers remain popular, it appears that the Model Y could still find a good foothold in the US this year. This could benefit Tesla, especially since the Model Y already proved profitable in its first quarter of production despite the vehicle not being fully ramped. Tesla CFO Zachary Kirkhorn discussed this in the company’s Q2 2020 earnings call.
“Model Y, as we mentioned last quarter, was profitable in its first quarter of production. And despite the inefficiencies that we had due to the shutdown, we did see a pretty substantial improvement in the Model Y margin. And as we said before, the Model Y cost structure and Model 3 cost structure will converge. They’re not quite there. Model Y is still slightly more expensive than Model 3, and it’s not yet at full production. And with Model Y carrying a slightly higher price point, you can kind of back into the math there on the relative gross margins,” he said.
One thing that truly bodes well for the Model Y’s chances in the US’ new auto market is the fact that it is arguably one of the best premium crossovers in the market today, electric or otherwise. The vehicle has seen stellar reviews from noted veterans such as teardowns specialist Sandy Munro, and though the Model Y still has several areas of improvement, it appears that the crossover is well on its way to joining its sibling, the Model 3, as one of Tesla’s best-selling electric cars.
The Model 3, after all, has met its own set of doubters during its initial release, with Tesla critics insisting that the vehicle will not find a foothold in the midsize sedan market. Despite this, Model 3 demand proved stable enough that the vehicle practically dominated Tesla’s sales numbers in previous years, all the while beating cars like the BMW M3 in the US. Part of this is likely due to the Model 3’s uniqueness in the market. After all, very few vehicles could offer as much tech and performance at its price point. The same will likely be true for the Model Y.
Tesla recently received its largest order for the all-electric Semi from Einride, a Swedish transport service, for 500 units, a groundbreaking invoice to receive before the first deliveries begin.
Even more remarkable, Einride CEO Roozbeh Charli said in a recent interview that he expects his company to take delivery of all 500 — the entire order — before the end of 2027. He even expects to have 75 Tesla Semi units in the Einride fleet before the end of this year.
🚨 Einride CEO Roozbeh Charli on the Tesla Semi partnership:
“If we start with the Amazon announcement that we did earlier this year, that was on the back of having gone through a proving period together with them and proving out our technology. Then we took that next step in… pic.twitter.com/oazkXjwoig
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 28, 2026
Charli said the Tesla partnership was part of a broader push, along with its earlier partnership with Amazon. Einride is assisting Amazon with the use of its Saga AI platform, which helps eliminate questions about budgeting and forecasting for logistics companies.
The Semi, as well as Tesla’s production and subsequent delivery of the units to Einride, will help the company “to have a good supply of vehicles that we can deploy on the [Saga AI] platform,” Charli said. “Tesla is also a relationship we’ve had for a while, and as the Tesla Semi deliveries are firming up, we decided to do a larger commitment to that and deploy that on our platform.”
In its initial announcement, Einride said it anticipated taking delivery of the trucks over the next two years, but now it appears the company is expecting all 500 units within the next 16 months.
Built at a dedicated factory in Sparks, Nevada, the Tesla Semi has been perhaps the biggest and most intensive testing process the company has ever had for a single vehicle model. For the past several years, Tesla has been working with many companies, most notably Frito-Lay and PepsiCo, to gain knowledge on the performance on regional routes.
Tesla plans to launch the Semi officially on September 24, five months after production started ramping.
Additionally, drivers have said they are happy about the Semi’s performance and that its numerous safety and productivity features have made their jobs and routes much easier.
Tesla Cybercab is using a unique strategy for picking up the correct rider, which is a crucial part of ride-hailing to ensure people end up in the right place and are charged the correct price.
Cybercab will utilize an RGB strip in its front light bar that will illuminate in a variety of different colors to mark itself.
This identifying mark will also appear in the Robotaxi app, giving riders in the same location a notable distinction in an effort to avoid any confusion regarding who should get in each vehicle.
🚨 Tesla is using different light bar colors to help riders understand which vehicle is theirs
Pretty cool strategy pic.twitter.com/eGMpEMeRpc
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 27, 2026
Other ride-hailing services use similar strategies: Lyft and Uber rides are recognizable through driver identity, vehicle type and color, as well as license plate. Waymo will display the rider’s initials on top of the vehicle, letting them know that the specific vehicle for them has arrived.
Tesla’s strategy is unique and interesting, but there are some flaws. Cybercab’s main purpose is aimed toward being an autonomous ride for all, including those who have disabilities like being blind or even color blind.
Tesla will likely have something in the pipeline for those who cannot see colors or have limited vision. There will definitely be multiple ways to identify which vehicle is the one that “you” specifically ordered.
Cybercab is set to start giving public rides next Thursday, September 3, in Austin, as it announced a dedicated event last week and invited many members of the Tesla community.
Additionally, members of the public will be invited as well. Tesla has been offering employee rides in Cybercab for nearly two months.
Tesla has said goodbye to one customization option for its vehicles: the wrap service it launched several years ago.
After launching an in-house wrap service in August 2020 for the first time in China. In the U.S., it launched in October 2023. Tesla continued to expand the program and adjust it with better pricing and fewer options for the Cybertruck.
By December 2023, it was giving owners of the Model 3, Model Y, and the Cybertruck the opportunity to give their vehicle a fresh look with a vinyl wrap.
Tesla revamps in-house vinyl wrap service with better pricing
It was only available in five locations: Costa Mesa, Oceanside, Santa Clara, West Covina, all in California, and Seattle, Washington.
However, Tesla made some big adjustments to its shop, and the wrap service is officially gone:
Tesla has made a LOT of changes to its online shop recently — price increases, price cuts, new options, and several products being removed entirely.
Some of the biggest increases are wheel covers. 👀
📈 PRICE INCREASES
• 2017-2023 | Model 3 Aero Wheel Cover — Style: Refresh…— Phoenix Self-Driving 🐦🔥 (@PhoenixFSD) August 25, 2026
Wraps are very popular across the Tesla lineup, especially since the company offers relatively few colors. Many choose to wrap their Teslas with interesting colors, patterns, or even finishes, turning their cars from glossy to satin or matte.
However, Tesla’s wrap service was so limited geographically that it never really had a chance to get off the ground or compete with local shops. Every area in the United States is now overflowing with detailing shops, mobile detailers, and other automotive specialists, many of whom perform wrap services.
Tesla’s service was confined to the Pacific time zone and only spanned across two states. It was never going to be something Tesla was a major competitor in, nor was it going to disrupt the wrapping industry. Now that the program has ended, it seems pretty ideal to believe it was always going to be a short-term thing.
Along with the wrap service, Tesla removed several other products, but nothing too crazy. The Model 3 Door Pocket and Cupholder Liners, the Model S 19″ Magnetite Wheel and Winter Tire Package, Model X/Y Ski/Snowboard Carrier for Hitch Rack, Tesla’s Electric Summer Party Tee, and the Electric Summer Tee were the other items the company totally eliminated from its online shop.
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