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Elon Musk says SpaceX might refly Starship after historic landing
Update: CEO Elon Musk says that SpaceX “might try to refly SN15 soon” after it became the first Starship to ace a high-altitude launch and survive the landing. In other words, SpaceX might be about to kick off what’s bound to be a long and fruitful future of Starship reusability.
Less than six months after high-altitude flight testing began, SpaceX has successfully landed a full-size Starship prototype in one piece, giving the company its first real opportunity to inspect a flown vehicle with flaps, a nose, and three Raptor engines.
That spectacular success will simultaneously give SpaceX a wealth of data from any onboard cameras and data recorders, as well as the physical condition of Starship itself – including three Raptor engines with several minutes of flight time. While SpaceX likely already managed to determine a great deal from over-the-air telemetry and wreckage taken from Starships SN8 through SN11, it now has a virtually unharmed, full-scale, full-fidelity prototype to truly compare and contrast with more theoretical engineering and flight performance models.
Perhaps most importantly, though, SN15’s success also raises the question: what’s next for SpaceX and its Starship program?
The reality is that things could go any number of directions depending on Starship SN15’s condition and just how successful SpaceX determines the flight really was. If Starship SN15 and its tanks, flaps, and Raptors are all in impeccable condition, it’s not impossible to imagine that SpaceX could do what it did after Starship SN8’s near-total success and scrap Starship prototypes SN17, SN18, and SN19 before work really begins. While unlikely, SN15 could even fly a second time in that scenario.
Starship SN16 is already more or less complete could easily be ready to roll to the launch pad within the next week. Odds are good that SpaceX will use SN16 to (hopefully) replicate Starship SN15’s spectacular success and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the vehicle’s current design has fixed the issues that doomed SN8 through SN11. With SpaceX’s Starship program, though, just about anything is possible – especially at a point that CEO Elon Musk appears to be seriously considering a giant tower with arms as a replacement for landing legs.
Meanwhile, Musk himself confirmed that SpaceX is working towards a goal of launching Starship into orbit for the first time by July 2021. Beginning with Starship SN20, those initial orbital flight tests will use Starship prototypes with still more upgrades beyond the “hundreds of improvements” present on SN15. It’s unclear how significant the upgrades needed to move from SN15’s design to an orbit-capable Starship are but at minimum, SpaceX will need to outfit orbital ships with a full heat shield and three new vacuum-optimized Raptors on top of the three sea-level engines already flown on SN8 through SN15.
Musk has implied that recovering a Starship prototype from orbit could take several failed attempts before the first success. Along those lines, SpaceX has its work cut out for it given that Starship will be the heaviest orbital spacecraft ever launched by a large margin. Unlike the ~100 metric ton (220,000 lb) Space Shuttle orbiter, though, SpaceX won’t be gambling the lives of astronauts on Starship’s initial orbital flight tests, leaving far more room for uncertainty and risk-taking.
Beyond Starship itself, SpaceX has yet to complete or test a flightworthy Super Heavy booster prototype and the company’s orbital-class Starship launch facilities are far from complete. Many parts of Super Heavy boosters BN2 and BN3 have been completed and are waiting for integration to begin and SpaceX has made a huge amount of progress on said orbital launch site over the last six months, but months of work almost certainly remain before either crucial component will be ready for orbital launch attempts.
For now, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens to Starship SN15 and SN16.
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Tesla ramps up Sweden price war with cheaper Model Y offer
The incentive effectively acts as a manufacturer-funded EV bonus and makes the entry-level Model Y more affordable.
Tesla has introduced a new 40,000 SEK incentive in Sweden, lowering the price of its most affordable Model Y to a record low. The incentive effectively acts as a manufacturer-funded EV bonus and makes the entry-level Model Y more affordable.
As per a report from Swedish auto outlet Allt om Elbil, Tesla Sweden is offering a 40,000 SEK electric car bonus on the entry-level Tesla Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive variant. The incentive lowers the purchase price of the base all-electric crossover to 459,900–459,990 SEK, depending on listing.
The bonus applies to orders and deliveries completed by March 31, 2026. Tesla Sweden is also offering zero-interest financing as part of the campaign.
Last fall, Tesla launched a new base version of the Model Y starting at 499,990 SEK. The variant features a refreshed design and simplified equipment compared to the Premium and Performance variants. The new 40,000 SEK incentive now pushes the entry model well below the 460,000 SEK mark.
So far this year, the Model Y remains the most registered electric vehicle in Sweden and the third most registered new car overall. However, most registrations have been for higher Premium-spec versions. The new incentive could then be Tesla’s way to push sales of its most affordable Model Y variant in the country.
Tesla is also promoting private leasing options for the entry-level Model Y at 4,995 SEK per month. Swedish automotive observers have noted that leasing may remain the more cost-effective option compared to purchasing outright, even after the new discount.
The base Model Y Rear-Wheel Drive offers a WLTP range of 534 kilometers, a top speed of 201 km/h, and a 0–100 km/h time of 7.2 seconds. Tesla lists energy consumption at 13.1 kWh per 100 kilometers, making it the most efficient version of the vehicle in the lineup and potentially lowering overall ownership costs.
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Tesla China hires Autopilot Test Engineer amid continued FSD rollout preparations
The role is based in Lingang, the district that houses Gigafactory Shanghai.
Tesla is hiring an Autopilot Test Engineer in Shanghai, a move that signals continued groundwork for the validation of Full Self-Driving (FSD) in China. The role is based in Lingang, the district that houses Gigafactory Shanghai and has become a key testing zone for advanced autonomous features.
As observed by Tesla watchers, local authorities in Shanghai’s Nanhui New City within Lingang have previously authorized a fleet of Teslas to run advanced driving tests on public roads. This marked one of the first instances where foreign automakers were permitted to test autonomous driving systems under real traffic conditions in China.
Tesla’s hiring efforts come amid ongoing groundwork for a full FSD rollout in China. Earlier reporting noted that Tesla China has been actively preparing the regulatory and infrastructure foundation needed for full FSD deployment, even though the company has not yet announced a firm launch date for the feature in the market.
As per recent comments from Tesla China Vice President Grace Tao, the electric vehicle maker has been busy setting up the necessary facilities to support FSD’s full rollout in the country. In a comment to local media, Tao stated that FSD should demonstrate a level of performance that could surpass human drivers once it is fully rolled out.
“We have set up a local training center in China specifically to handle this adaptation,” Tao said. “Once officially released, it will demonstrate a level of performance that is no less than, and may even surpass, that of local drivers.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been quite bullish about a potential FSD rollout in China. During the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk emphasized that FSD had only received “partial approval” in China, though full authorization could potentially arrive around February or March 2026. This timeline was reiterated by the CEO during his appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Elon Musk
Tesla Model Y outsells all EV rivals in Europe in 2025 despite headwinds
The result highlights the Model Y’s continued strength in the region.
The Tesla Model Y was Europe’s most popular electric car in 2025, leading all EV models by a wide margin despite a year marked by production transition, intensifying competition, and anti-Elon Musk sentiments.
The result highlights the Model Y’s continued strength in the region even as Volkswagen overtook Tesla as the top-selling EV brand overall.
As per data compiled by JATO Dynamics and reported by Swedish outlet Allt om Elbil, the Tesla Model Y recorded 149,805 registrations across Europe in 2025. That figure placed it comfortably at No. 1 among all electric car models in the region.
The Model Y’s performance in Europe is particularly notable given that registrations declined 28% year-over-year. The dip coincided with Tesla’s Q1 2025 transition to the updated Model Y, a changeover that temporarily affected output and deliveries in several markets. Anti-Elon Musk sentiments also spread across several European countries amidst the CEO’s work with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Even with these disruptions, the Model Y outsold its nearest rival by more than 50,000 units. Second place went to the newly launched Skoda Elroq with 93,870 registrations, followed by the Tesla Model 3 at 85,393 units. The Model 3 also recorded a 24% year-over-year decline. Renault’s new electric Renault 5 placed fourth with 85,101 registrations.
Other top performers included the Volkswagen ID.4, ID.3, and ID.7, along with the BMW iX1 and Kia EV3, many of which posted triple-digit growth from partial-year launches in 2024.
While the Model Y dominated individual model rankings, Volkswagen overtook Tesla as Europe’s top EV brand in 2025. Volkswagen delivered 274,278 electric cars in the region, a 56% increase compared to 2024. Much of that growth was driven by the Volkswagen ID.7. Tesla, by contrast, sold 236,357 electric vehicles in Europe, representing a 27% year-over-year decline.
JATO Dynamics noted that “Tesla’s small and aging model range faces fierce competition in Europe, both from traditional European automakers and a growing number of Chinese competitors.”
Despite intensifying competition and brand-level shifts, however. the Model Y’s commanding lead demonstrates that Tesla’s bestselling crossover remains a dominant force in Europe’s fast-evolving EV landscape.
Tesla ramps up Sweden price war with cheaper Model Y offer
Tesla China hires Autopilot Test Engineer amid continued FSD rollout preparations
