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GM lists Chevy Bolt EV and EUV as ‘#1 mainstream EV series’ in Q4 and FY 2022 US sales report

(Credit: General Motors)

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General Motors (GM) has released its 2022 US fourth quarter and full-year sales report for the US, and in it, the veteran automaker highlighted some of its key milestones during the past year. GM deserves quite a lot of credit in 2022, considering that the American automaker was able to reclaim the US’ top spot in overall auto sales from Toyota Motor Corp, one of its strongest rivals. 

As per GM’s Q4 and FY 2022 US sales report, it was able to post a total of 2,274,088 sales in the United States in 2022. This corresponds to a 3% year-over-year rise. The company also posted a strong comeback in the fourth quarter, with US sales rising up 41% year-over-year to 623,261 units. Toyota, on the other hand, posted overall sales of 2,108,458 units over the year. 

Credit: General Motors

Considering its accomplishments, it was no surprise that General Motors listed several of its “#1” milestones in 2022. The company specifically listed some of the vehicles behind its “#1” accomplishments in 2022, such as the Cadillac Escalade, which was the number one large luxury SUV for the 9th straight year; and the Chevrolet Corvette, which was the number one luxury sports car. Interestingly enough, GM also listed the Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV as the “number one mainstream EV series in Q3 and Q4.”

GM did not specify what it meant by “mainstream EV series” in its report, though it should be noted that the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV’s Q4 sales of 16,108 units in the United States are quite conservative, at least compared to some of the country’s most popular battery electric cars. In the third quarter, for example, Counterpoint Research listed the Chevy Bolt EUV with a 4.8% sales share in the US, while the Tesla Model 3 commanded 20.4%.

GM did highlight that the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV had their best sales year to date with a 53.5% increase to 38,120 units, but a notable part of this gain was likely due to the fact that the vehicle’s numbers were throttled last year due to a global recall. In a way, however, the Chevy Bolt EV and EUV did have a pretty impressive comeback story in 2022, considering the challenges GM faced with its battery issues that ultimately resulted in a production halt for the vehicle. 

Also, GM appears to have a lot of plans with its EV segment in 2023. These are listed below.

  • Chevrolet Bolt EV and Bolt EUV production expected to increase to more than 70,000 units this year to meet strong global demand
  • Three Chevrolet EVs launching in the industry’s most popular segments
  • Cadillac LYRIQ production continues to increase to meet strong customer demand
  • GM’s first Ultium-dedicated assembly plant – Factory ZERO in Detroit and Hamtramck – slated to resume production this month. GMC HUMMER EV SUV planned to launch mid-2023
  • BrightDrop Zevo 600 production is underway at CAMI, Canada’s first full-scale EV plant, with Zevo 400 manufacturing slated to begin later this year

GM’s Q4 and FY 2022 report can be viewed below. 

Q4 YE22 Sales Release 2 by Simon Alvarez on Scribd

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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SpaceX and a new Trump order that could rewrite the next decade of launches

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Elon Musk put a number on where he thinks SpaceX’s Starship program is headed by 2030, replying on X a day after President Trump signed a memo pushing the country toward 1,000 space launches and reentries a year.

The exchange started when Aaron Burnett, co-founder of propulsion startup Mach 33, posted that “1,000 launches/reentries is the goal,” quoting White House science adviser Michael Kratsios on the newly signed National Space Transportation Policy. Burnett noted that the FAA’s own bull-case forecast reached only 385 annual launches by 2030, while his firm’s conservative model already put SpaceX alone near 940. Musk responded, “We’re aiming to reach 30+ Starship launches/day in 2030, which is ~10k annualized. Still tiny numbers compared to airplane flights!”

That figure is specific to Starship, the rocket SpaceX is still developing for orbital and lunar missions, not the Falcon 9 fleet that carries most of the company’s current launch volume. Starship has flown twice this year, a slower pace than the four and five flights SpaceX managed in 2024 and 2025. Getting from two flights a year to 30 a day is the scale of jump the new federal policy is meant to clear regulatory room for.

Trump’s memo, signed Thursday, directs agencies to identify new launch and reentry sites on federal land, including a new reentry site within 90 days, and to speed up the permitting and environmental reviews that have long slowed cadence growth. It also sets a goal of returning American astronauts to the moon by 2028 and placing initial lunar base elements by 2030, tying the launch buildout directly to NASA’s Artemis program.

SpaceX has already been pushing the FAA toward higher numbers on its own. The agency approved up to 44 annual Starship launches from Kennedy Space Center in February, on top of a 2024 review that raised the cap at Starbase in Texas to 25 a year. Those approvals cover a fraction of the 10,000 annual flights Musk is now describing, which shows how far current permitting still sits from the administration’s stated target.

The near-term test of all this is more modest. SpaceX cleared a full-duration, six-engine static fire on its next Starship vehicle this week, the last major hardware checkpoint before Flight 14, which is targeting no earlier than August 28 and is expected to attempt the vehicle’s first full orbital mission. Musk said last week that a tower catch of the upper stage is still probably months away, a reminder that the immediate roadmap remains far more incremental than the daily launch numbers he just posted.

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Tesla will resolve massive China recall with stickers and a software update

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tesla frozen door handle
Credit: YouTube | HMKARKI

Tesla will resolve its massive recall of nearly three million vehicles in China with stickers and a software update.

On Friday, Chinese regulators filed recall plans against Tesla, Xiaomi, Leapmotor, Xpeng, Chery, Geely, Dongfeng, Arcfox, and FAW to resolve what is essentially a carbon-copy issue throughout each of the companies’ vehicle models: emergency door release latches are simply not visible enough.

Tesla door handle saga gets its latest chapter and a big change is coming

The companies will be required to add things that will make these latches, which will open the door in the event of an emergency, more visible. Of the 7 million vehicles impacted, Tesla accounts for 2,975,910 units. More than 1.9 million of those are Model Y vehicles, with the rest, just over 970,000, being Model 3s.

To resolve the issue, Tesla is going to add warning labels to the emergency latches free of charge, and then utilize an Over-the-Air update to add a post-crash window-lowering strategy, according to CNEVpost.

This massive effort to fix the all-electric Model Y and Model 3’s emergency latch system comes just months after several probes across various markets identified the trouble some had identifying this latch. Those who had gotten involved in car accidents that stripped the vehicle of its power were not aware that every Tesla has emergency door latches.

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) said that severe crashes that disable a vehicle’s low-voltage system could not only hinder occupants from getting out, but also make it more difficult for emergency response workers to gain entry.

SAMR is starting to tighten the regulations it has on door handles on vehicles. A new mandatory national standard will take effect for all models starting January 1, 2027, and will require all doors to be equipped with mechanical release mechanisms. This will effectively end purely electronic door handles. Models already on sale with type approval have been granted a two-year transition period, which will enable things to change until January 2029.

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Tesla Semi is officially headed to Europe

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially confirmed plans to bring its all-electric Semi truck to Europe, with full specifications and market-launch details set for unveiling at the IAA Transportation trade fair in Hannover, Germany.

The event runs September 15–20, with a possible press preview on September 14. The announcement, shared via Tesla’s Semi account, marks a significant expansion beyond North America nearly nine years after the truck’s original 2017 reveal.

In the United States, the Semi’s path has been gradual. Limited pilot production and customer deliveries began in late 2022, primarily to fleets such as PepsiCo. After years of refinement, high-volume manufacturing started on April 29, 2026, at a dedicated facility adjacent to Gigafactory Nevada.

The plant targets an annual capacity of 50,000 units, though the ramp is expected to be gradual, with “many thousands” of trucks projected by the end of 2026.

Demand is building, with recent orders including 500 units for Einride (deliveries starting September 2026, serving Amazon and others) and hundreds more from operators such as WattEV. Pricing stands at approximately $260,000 for the Standard Range and $290,000 for the Long Range before incentives.

Tesla Semi pricing revealed after company uncovers trim levels

Earlier in 2026, Tesla finalized production specifications that incorporated substantial updates. In February, the company detailed two variants designed for a full 82,000-pound gross combination weight.

The Standard Range offers about 325 miles of range with a 548 kWh battery and curb weight under 20,000 pounds. The Long Range delivers roughly 500 miles with an 822 kWh pack and a 23,000-pound curb weight. Both use three independent rear-axle motors producing up to 800 kW (about 1,073 horsepower), achieve energy consumption of around 1.7 kWh per mile, and support megawatt-class charging at up to 1.2 MW—recovering about 60 percent of range in 30 minutes through the MCS standard.

Additional refinements include a roughly 1,000-pound weight reduction versus earlier prototypes, improved aerodynamics, a 48-volt electrical architecture, electric power take-off up to 25 kW for refrigerated trailers, and fleet management software with over-the-air updates.

These advances position the Semi as a competitive option against diesel trucks on operating costs and performance. For Europe, adaptations such as lighting, cab configurations (including potential sleeper options), and regulatory compliance are anticipated.

With series production underway in Nevada and major fleet commitments secured, the upcoming IAA reveal will clarify timelines, European-specific specs, and pricing, potentially accelerating electrification of heavy-duty freight on both continents.

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