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Luxury Automakers Target Tesla’s Electric Car Success

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Audi Quattro

Ready to go 310 all-electric miles with Audi in 2018? [Source: Audi]

There’s a reason why Tesla is an electric car success, Musk and company dismissed conventional wisdom and released a luxury electric car first. Now, the rest of the automakers are playing catch-up in the luxury segment and Audi just announced they will be demonstrating the Audi e-tron Quattro concept at the Frankfurt International Motor Show this September.

Audi says the four-passenger SUV Quattro — to me, a CUV — will achieve up to 310 miles on a battery charge when it’s released for full production in 2018. As seen above, the concept sketch shows a body design eerily similar to the conceptual drawings of the original Chevy Volt (see original design). A design, which I really liked.

With success comes imitation and the e-Tron Quattro will store the battery pack under the passenger compartment and run the length of the vehicle, much like the Model S and Model X. This vehicle will have all-wheel drive and borrow from the Audi R8 e-tron sports car by having three electric motors – one on the front axle and two on the rear axle.

Competition is heating up in the SUV space. This fall, Volvo will roll out a plug-in hybrid vehicle called the XC90 T8 and will offer a mere seventeen miles with its battery pack – good enough for those wanting to ease their way into the electric vehicle market.

It’s a nice looking vehicle and Volvo hopes to capitalize on the success of its internal combustion engine XC90 version. According to Volvo, the company has more than 30,000 pre-orders on the books (from July). However, this SUV starts at $69,095, which positions it very close to a presumed base price of a Tesla Model X.

And this begs the question, what will be the differentiator at this luxury level? BMW and Mercedes are also playing in the PHEV sandbox, too. Both will have their luxury PHEV vehicles debut this fall with a battery range similar to Volvo’s SUV.

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Related Story >> Model X Will Stimulate Luxury SUV Plug-In Segment

Electric Panache
The Andy Palmer-lead Aston Martin is throwing its hat into the ring with their recent announcement of the , able to produce 200 miles per charge when it arrives in 2017, according to Aston Martin representatives.

aston-martin-rapide-01

Aston Martin Rapide S [Source: Aston Martin]

According to the Detroit Bureau and Auto News, the 800-horsepower — yeah that’s right — Rapide will cost between $200,000 to 250,000 when it finally hits showrooms. The Rapide won’t have 2.8 seconds 0 to 60 acceleration gusto like the Ludicrous Model S P90D. Andy Palmer, CEO of Aston Martin added recently “that the Model S acceleration is “stupid” (fast) and the Rapide’s strength will be on a road course, not the drag strip.”

Ok, sir Andy Palmer let’s not get so high-and-mighty. Anyway, Palmer said that the Rapide will be just the first in its all-electric lineup, with a DBX crossover coming in the next five years.

The competition is ramping up announcements and commitments to all-electric vehicles, which is great news, and watching the competition should be fun. However, company partnerships is also possible with this new drivetrain technology.

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"Grant Gerke wears his Model S on his sleeve and has been writing about Tesla for the last five years on numerous media sites. He has a bias towards plug-in vehicles and also writes about manufacturing software for Automation World magazine in Chicago. Find him at Teslarati

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Tesla Europe registrations are seeing even more momentum as Q3 nears end

Over the week, industry trackers reported 5,500 Tesla sales across 10 European markets, a 25.3% increase week-over-week.

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Credit: Tesla Europe & Middle East/X

Tesla registrations across Europe rose sharply in the week of September 15-21, with new data showing the company’s best week of the quarter. Over the week, industry trackers reported 5,500 Tesla sales across 10 European markets, a 25.3% increase week-over-week. 

The improvement suggests that Tesla may be regaining some momentum after months of uneven performance tied to its Model Y refresh earlier this year.

Quarterly trends and stabilization

The 5,500 registrations marked Tesla’s strongest showing in Q3 2025 so far, as per data shared by industry watcher Piloly on social media platform X. With about a week left in Q3 2025, Tesla’s European sales are up 6.3% quarter-over-quarter. Year-to-date, however, Tesla’s European deliveries are still 20% lower compared to 2024’s figures.

The data covers roughly 60% of Europe’s EV market, including major countries such as the UK, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, and Italy. While Tesla remains under last year’s levels, its recent rebound suggests that the availability of the updated Model Y may very well be helping stabilize demand.

Market dynamics across Europe

Tesla’s overall performance this year in Europe remains uneven depending on the country. Norway has emerged as a bright spot, with Q3 2025 already matching last year’s totals and on pace for a record-setting quarter, as noted in a previous report. In Sweden, however, Tesla’s sales remain heavily impacted with notable year-over-year declines.

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Despite the lingering year-to-date shortfall, September’s registration momentum suggests that earlier concerns about Tesla’s European slump may have been overstated. With several days still left in the quarter, all eyes are on whether Tesla can maintain its recent pace and close the gap with its 2024 figures.

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California reverses course on EV tax credit revival, will focus on charging instead

Instead of reviving rebates, Newsom stated that the state would redirect funds toward expanding charging infrastructure.

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Credit: Shell

California Governor Gavin Newsom has reversed a pledge to bring back the state’s EV tax credit, a move that could impact thousands of buyers as the federal incentive winds down. 

Instead of reviving rebates, Newsom stated that the state would redirect funds toward expanding charging infrastructure.

California’s focus shift

During a San Francisco event on September 19, where he signed six climate-related bills, Newsom outlined the state’s pivot, as noted in an Autoblog report. While reiterating California’s leadership in clean transportation, Newsom emphasized that cap-and-trade revenues would bolster charging investments rather than consumer incentives.

“We can’t make up for federal vandalism of those tax credits. There are billions and billions of dollars through 2045 in the cap-and-trade program that continue to make those infrastructure investments, but not the direct subsidies, that we cannot make up for, that were eliminated under the federal program,” Newsom stated.

California’s EV sector

California accounted for about 27% of all U.S. EV sales in 2024, highlighting the state’s central role in adoption, as per data from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation. Industry watchers have warned that without incentives, momentum could slow, though the success of Tesla’s vehicles like the Model Y suggests that good EVs could see success even without the federal tax credit.

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Newsom also criticized Detroit automakers, singling out General Motors and CEO Mary Barra for what he described as “selling out” the state by opposing its 2035 ban on new gasoline vehicle sales. That regulation, known as Advanced Clean Cars II, is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions by more than 35%, according to the California Air Resources Board.

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Tesla Robotaxi heads to a new major Texas city for the first time

The expansion of Tesla’s Robotaxi platform has been a major focus for the company as it attempts to gain regulatory permission to operate in new states. Recently, it gained approval for testing in both Arizona and Nevada.

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Credit: InnovatingCoin | X

Tesla is testing its Robotaxi in one major Texas city for the first time, as it appears the company will attempt to expand outside of Austin in a move that shows expansion remains a key focus.

Tesla ground-truth validation vehicles equipped with LiDAR rigs were spotted in Plano, Texas, a smaller city located northeast of downtown Dallas, the state’s third-most populous city.

Typically, this is a telltale sign that Tesla is preparing for Robotaxi operations in a new area. The company has utilized LiDAR-equipped ground-truth vehicles to essentially cross its Ts in regions that are unfamiliar to the company’s Robotaxi operations.

It also used them in the past with newer versions of Full Self-Driving before they were released to the public.

The expansion of Tesla’s Robotaxi platform has been a major focus for the company as it attempts to gain regulatory permission to operate in new states. Recently, it gained approval for testing in both Arizona and Nevada.

Many believe the ride-hailing service will soon be available in Florida as well.

However, this expansion would be the first where Tesla expands to a new city in a state where it is already operating. Texas was its first Robotaxi-active state, as it launched the service in Austin back on June 22.

It also expanded to California shortly after launching in Texas, as it introduced a large service area in the Bay Area. However, Tesla is doing things a little differently in California, as it is keeping its “Safety Monitors” in the driver’s seat for the duration of operation there.

Elon Musk says Tesla will take Safety Drivers out of Robotaxi: here’s when

In Texas, the driver’s seat is only occupied by a Safety Monitor when the route requires highway travel. This has been a point of criticism by Tesla Robotaxi skeptics, but it is a smart move in the name of safety, and will only be temporary.

It is simply a way to keep occupants safe and ensure the self-driving initiatives of not only Tesla, but also those of many other companies, continue to operate.

The appearance of a potential Robotaxi rig near Dallas could open the floodgates for more cities to gain access to the ride-hailing suite. There is still San Antonio and Houston, as well as some other smaller cities in Texas, for Tesla to access for its Robotaxi suite moving forward.

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