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Polestar 3 prices get reduced before it’s even available with demand in question

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Polestar reduced the prices of the Polestar 3 electric SUV in the United States before it was even available, as demand questions loomed for the automaker’s newest addition.

The Swedish automaker announced that the entry-level configuration of the Polestar 3 Long-Range Dual Motor Performance SUV will be available for $73,400 and includes the company’s Pilot Pack as a standard feature.

Pilot Pack includes Pilot Assist driver assistance aids, Park Assist Pilot, Lane Change Assist, and Head-Up display.

However, the vehicle will have more features for a higher price, with each add-on bringing the price upward slightly.

The Long Range Dual Motor with Pilot Pack and Plus Pack is now starting at an MSRP of $78,900.

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The Plus Pack includes a 1,610-watt Bowers & Wilkins premium audio system with 25 speakers and a subwoofer specifically designed for the Polestar 3. It also features bio-attributed MicroTech or animal welfare wool seats, 21-inch Plus wheels, and heated rear seats.

The Long Range Dual Motor with Pilot Pack, the Plus Pack, and the Performance Pack, which includes upgraded wheels and a software performance upgrade that increases horsepower to 517 and the 0-60 MPH acceleration rate to 4.6 seconds, now starts at $84,900.

Polestar 3 production is set to start in South Carolina in the middle of this year, and should be delivered to customers during Q2 as the vehicle is already being built in Chengdu, China.

Polestar 3 starts production in China; early tests in US plant successful so far

Polestar Demand Comes Into Question

Polestar has struggled early in its presence in the EV sector, so much so that Volvo, its majority stakeholder that has 48 percent ownership, is ready to call it quits.

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The company missed its reduced delivery targets for 2023, but did report growth from the year prior. It is also reporting that some of its vehicles, including the Polestar 4, has been “well received” in the Chinese market.

Volvo is simply questioning whether Polestar is a smart investment at this point, and despite the company being in the early stages of its EV product roadmap, it may be time for a divestment from its majority stakeholder.

Volvo prepares to call it quits on Polestar

The Polestar 3 should help the automaker gain some much-needed traction in the U.S. While its pricing is placing it in the market as a premium option, the vehicle will tap the competitive SUV market, which is a very popular vehicle style.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Elon Musk

Tesla reveals it has expanded its Robotaxi fleet in Austin

there has never been an exact count of the Robotaxi fleet size, and Tesla continues to speak in cryptic fashion, only hinting at what the number of active vehicles could be.

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla revealed that it has expanded its Robotaxi fleet in Austin, Texas, but has not yet disclosed the exact number of vehicles currently operating as driverless ride-hailing cars in the city.

Before Tesla launched the Robotaxi fleet in Austin on June 22, CEO Elon Musk stated that the fleet would be initially small, comprised of between ten and twenty vehicles in total.

The small fleet size was a way to limit rides and not overwhelm the company as it launched into a new territory: offering driverless rides to those looking to get around Austin. With safety being prioritized, it was understood.

However, there has never been an exact count of the Robotaxi fleet size, and Tesla continues to speak in cryptic fashion, only hinting at what the number of active vehicles could be.

On Tuesday, it expanded its geofence for the third time, increasing the service area in Austin beyond the downtown area and into the suburbs, including the airport and even the Gigafactory Texas.

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Tesla one-ups Waymo once again with latest Robotaxi expansion in Austin

The size of the geofence is now 173 square miles, up from 91 square miles, which is what it grew to in early August with its second expansion.

The company also said it “increased the number of cars available by 50 percent,” but would not give an exact count:

Skeptics of the Robotaxi platform usually point to two things: the presence of a Safety Monitor in the vehicle and the lack of transparency regarding fleet size.

Tesla has done an excellent job of expanding the service area over the past two months, but it is also expanding the number of people it allows to hail a Robotaxi.

This makes the need for an increased fleet size more imperative.

However, no good reason comes to mind for the company not to tell an exact number, but Tesla has its justifications for it. Grok suggests the Robotaxi fleet could be anywhere from 30 to 75 vehicles in total, but this includes the Bay Area.

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Musk did say Tesla is working to get the Bay Area fleet to over 100 vehicles. Hopefully, some clarification regarding fleet size will be provided in the coming weeks or months as the service area in Austin continues to expand.

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Tesla China working overtime to deliver Model Y L as quickly as possible

This was, at least, hinted at by Tesla China VP Grace Tao in a post on Weibo.

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Credit: Tesla China

The Tesla Model Y L appears to be a big hit in China, and this has resulted in Giga Shanghai doing all it can to meet all the orders for the extended wheelbase all-electric crossover.

This was, at least, hinted at by Tesla China VP Grace Tao in a post on Weibo.

Model Y L demand

The demand for the Model Y L in China seems to be substantial. Just days following the vehicle’s release, industry watchers estimated that Tesla received about 35,000 orders for the vehicle on the day of its launch. More recent estimates from industry watchers have suggested that Tesla China might have doubled its usual vehicle orders for August thanks to the new variant.

Considering the seemingly strong demand for the new Model Y L, it was no surprise that Tesla China would be extremely busy trying to address all the orders for the vehicle. Fortunately, VP Grace Tao highlighted in her Weibo post that Tesla is pushing hard to ensure that deliveries of the extended wheelbase all-electric crossover could start as soon as possible.

“Our colleagues at the Shanghai Gigafactory are working overtime to get the new car to you as soon as possible,” the Tesla China executive wrote in her Weibo post. 

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Model Y L deliveries

When the Model Y L was initially released, Tesla China listed the vehicle’s first deliveries to be sometime in September 2025. As of writing, however, new orders of the new Model Y L are listed with an estimated delivery date of October 2025. This suggests that the Model Y L has been sold out for September

The new Model Y L has the potential to be a best-seller for the electric vehicle maker, thanks in part to its comfortable six-seat configuration and its reasonable starting price of RMB 339,000 ($47,180). 

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s xAI and X file antitrust suit against Apple and OpenAI over AI exclusivity

The suit accuses the companies of violating antitrust rules by limiting competition in the AI sector.

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Credit: xAI/X

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and social media platform X have filed a federal lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI. The suit accuses the companies of violating antitrust rules by limiting competition in the fast-growing AI sector.

The lawsuit

The lawsuit, filed on Monday, challenged Apple’s plan to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its devices. xAI argued that the partnership gives ChatGPT exclusive first-party access to hundreds of millions of iPhone users worldwide, providing an unfair landscape for competitors in the AI sector.

“As a result of the Apple-OpenAI deal, ChatGPT is not just the default — it is the only generative AI chatbot with a first-party integration into Apple’s smartphones,,” the lawsuit noted. The suit also stated that the deal would give OpenAI “exclusive access to billions of potential prompts.”

Musk’s filing describes the Apple-OpenAI agreement as an “unlawful” arrangement that unfairly disadvantages rivals and denies consumers choice. The complaint also accuses Apple of manipulating App Store rankings and delaying updates to disadvantage ChatGPT’s rivals, such as xAI’s very own Grok, as noted in a report from the Financial Times.

A broader feud

Musk’s move escalates an already contentious relationship with Apple and OpenAI. In 2022, he accused the iPhone maker of threatening to remove Twitter, now X, from its App Store, though he later resolved the “misunderstanding” with Apple CEO Tim Cook. 

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In 2023, Apple briefly paused advertising on X before resuming campaigns. Musk has also been outspoken against Apple’s 30% App Store commission.

OpenAI, for its part, has dismissed the claims in xAI and X’s lawsuit. In a comment, a spokesperson from the artificial intelligence startup stated that the suit was just part of Elon Musk’s tendency to harass the company. 

“This latest filing is consistent with Mr Musk’s ongoing pattern of harassment,” the OpenAI spokesperson stated.

Musk has had a turbulent relationship with OpenAI. Musk is a co-founder of the startup when it was launched as a nonprofit, though he left its board in 2018. Since then, Musk has been very critical of OpenAI’s shift to a for-profit entity. He has also escalated his rhetoric against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, whom he has called a “liar” several times.

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