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Relativity Space’s first 3D-printed rocket arrives at launch pad
Relativity Space has shipped both stages of its first 3D-printed Terran-1 rocket to a launch pad it recently finished constructing at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), leaving the startup just a few steps away from its first orbital launch attempt.
As Relativity CEO Tim Ellis himself noted, the company is about two years behind its initial goal of a 2020 launch debut, but it’s far from alone in that regard. Virtually all of its most direct competitors are in similar boats. Out of sheer coincidence, startups ABL Space and Firefly Space are working towards orbital launch attempts of their similarly sized RS1 and Alpha rockets – ABL for the first time and Firefly for the second time – as early as summer 2022. Now, so is Relativity.
Almost simultaneously, all three companies have announced that both stages of their Terran-1, RS1, and Alpha rockets have arrived at their respective launch sites in Florida, Alaska, and California. Firefly, who has already successfully static fired Alpha’s first and second stages, is undoubtedly in the lead, but ABL Space and Relativity are neck and neck for second.
Both of the latter startups have successfully qualified the smaller, less powerful upper stages of their RS1 and Terran-1 rockets. Both intend to conduct final booster qualification testing – including the first all-engine, full-power static fires – at their launch sites. ABL has a bit of a leg up over Relativity, as it delivered its RS1 booster to its Kodiak, Alaska launch pad months ago. Still, Relativity appears to be on a roll and delivered both stages of its unique 3D-printed Terran-1 rocket to its Cape Canaveral launch site just a few weeks apart in May and June 2022. ABL Space also suffered a major failure during its first attempted upper stage qualification, though the company rapidly recovered. At least publicly, Relativity has experienced no major stage failures while developing Terran-1.
Alpha, RS1, and Terran-1 are all designed to launch roughly 1.2-1.35 tons (2600-3000 lb) to low Earth orbit. All three are roughly the same size and designed to be expended after every launch. Terran-1 and RS1 are designed to launch up to 1.25 and 1.35 tons for $12 million, while Alpha is a bit more expensive at $15 million for 1.17 tons. RS1 is a largely traditional welded-aluminum rocket not unlike SpaceX’s Falcon 1, but with nine smaller booster engines instead of Falcon 1’s one. Alpha is almost entirely built out of carbon fiber composites and is powered by four slightly larger main engines.
Terran-1 has nine 3D-printed booster engines and is also made mostly of aluminum. However, Relativity’s claim to fame is 3D printing, and it says that even its very first Terran-1 rocket is 85% 3D-printed by mass and is the largest single 3D-printed object ever built. Terran-1 reportedly weighs around 9.3 tons (20,500 lb) empty.
If Terran-1’s booster qualification testing goes as smoothly as it did for the rocket’s upper stage, Relativity could be ready for its first orbital launch attempt as early as summer (Q3) 2022, just in time to join Firefly (July) and ABL (August). Relativity Space’s ultimate goal? 3D-print similar rockets on Mars.
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Tesla Model 3 and Model Y dominates U.S. EV market in 2025
The figures were detailed in Kelley Blue Book’s Q4 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales Report.
Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y continued to overwhelmingly dominate the United States’ electric vehicle market in 2025. New sales data showed that Tesla’s two mass market cars maintained a commanding segment share, with the Model 3 posting year-to-date growth and the Model Y remaining resilient despite factory shutdowns tied to its refresh.
The figures were detailed in Kelley Blue Book’s Q4 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales Report.
Model 3 and Model Y are still dominant
According to the report, Tesla delivered an estimated 192,440 Model 3 sedans in the United States in 2025, representing a 1.3% year-to-date increase compared to 2024. The Model 3 alone accounted for 15.9% of all U.S. EV sales, making it one of the highest-volume electric vehicles in the country.
The Model Y was even more dominant. U.S. deliveries of the all-electric crossover reached 357,528 units in 2025, a 4.0% year-to-date decline from the prior year. It should be noted, however, that the drop came during a year that included production shutdowns at Tesla’s Fremont Factory and Gigafactory Texas as the company transitioned to the new Model Y. Even with those disruptions, the Model Y captured an overwhelming 39.5% share of the market, far surpassing any single competitor.
Combined, the Model 3 and Model Y represented more than half of all EVs sold in the United States during 2025, highlighting Tesla’s iron grip on the country’s mass-market EV segment.
Tesla’s challenges in 2025
Tesla’s sustained performance came amid a year of elevated public and political controversy surrounding Elon Musk, whose political activities in the first half of the year ended up fueling a narrative that the CEO’s actions are damaging the automaker’s consumer appeal. However, U.S. sales data suggest that demand for Tesla’s core vehicles has remained remarkably resilient.
Based on Kelley Blue Book’s Q4 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales Report, Tesla’s most expensive offerings such as the Tesla Cybertruck, Model S, and Model X, all saw steep declines in 2025. This suggests that mainstream EV buyers might have had a price issue with Tesla’s more expensive offerings, not an Elon Musk issue.
Ultimately, despite broader EV market softness, with total U.S. EV sales slipping about 2% year-to-date, Tesla still accounted for 58.9% of all EV deliveries in 2025, according to the report. This means that out of every ten EVs sold in the United States in 2025, more than half of them were Teslas.
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Tesla Model 3 and Model Y earn Euro NCAP Best in Class safety awards
“The company’s best-selling Model Y proved the gold standard for small SUVs,” Euro NCAP noted.
Tesla won dual categories in the Euro NCAP Best in Class awards, with the Model 3 being named the safest Large Family Car and the Model Y being recognized as the safest Small SUV.
The feat was highlighted by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official account on social media platform X.
Model 3 and Model Y lead their respective segments
As per a press release from the Euro NCAP, the organization’s Best in Class designation is based on a weighted assessment of four key areas: Adult Occupant, Child Occupant, Vulnerable Road User, and Safety Assist. Only vehicles that achieved a 5-star Euro NCAP rating and were evaluated with standard safety equipment are eligible for the award.
Euro NCAP noted that the updated Tesla Model 3 performed particularly well in Child Occupant protection, while its Safety Assist score reflected Tesla’s ongoing improvements to driver-assistance systems. The Model Y similarly stood out in Child Occupant protection and Safety Assist, reinforcing Tesla’s dual-category win.
“The company’s best-selling Model Y proved the gold standard for small SUVs,” Euro NCAP noted.
Euro NCAP leadership shares insights
Euro NCAP Secretary General Dr. Michiel van Ratingen said the organization’s Best in Class awards are designed to help consumers identify the safest vehicles over the past year.
Van Ratingen noted that 2025 was Euro NCAP’s busiest year to date, with more vehicles tested than ever before, amid a growing variety of electric cars and increasingly sophisticated safety systems. While the Mercedes-Benz CLA ultimately earned the title of Best Performer of 2025, he emphasized that Tesla finished only fractionally behind in the overall rankings.
“It was a close-run competition,” van Ratingen said. “Tesla was only fractionally behind, and new entrants like firefly and Leapmotor show how global competition continues to grow, which can only be a good thing for consumers who value safety as much as style, practicality, driving performance, and running costs from their next car.”
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Tesla is shifting FSD to a subscription-only model, confirms Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed the upcoming update in a post on social media platform X.
Tesla will be ending one-time purchases of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system after Valentine’s Day, transitioning the feature to a monthly subscription-only model.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed the upcoming update in a post on social media platform X.
No more FSD one-time purchases
As per Elon Musk in his post on X, “Tesla will stop selling FSD after Feb 14. FSD will only be available as a monthly subscription thereafter.” This marks a shift in how Tesla monetizes its FSD system, which can now be purchased for a one-time fee or accessed through a monthly subscription.
FSD’s subscription model has been $99 per month in the United States, while its one-time purchase option is currently priced at $8,000. FSD’s one-time purchase price has swung wildly in recent years, reaching $15,000 in September 2022. At the time, FSD was proficient, but its performance was not on par with v14. This made its $15,000 upfront price a hard sell for consumers.
Tesla’s move to a subscription-only model could then streamline how the company sells FSD. It also lowers the entry price for the system, as even price-conscious drivers would likely be able to justify FSD’s $99 monthly subscription cost during periods when long-distance travel is prevalent, like the holidays.
Musk’s compensation plan and FSD subscription targets
Tesla’s shift to a subscription-only FSD model comes amidst Musk’s 2025 CEO Performance Award, which was approved by Tesla shareholders at the 2025 Annual Shareholders Meeting with roughly 75% support. Under the long-term compensation plan, Musk must achieve a series of ambitious operational milestones, including 10 million active FSD subscriptions, over the next decade for his stock awards to vest.
The 2025 CEO Performance Award’s structure ties Musk’s potential compensation to Tesla’s aggressive targets that span market capitalization, vehicle deliveries, robotics, and software adoption. Apart from his 10-million active FSD subscription target, Musk’s compensation is also tied to Tesla producing 20 million vehicles cumulatively, delivering 1 million Tesla bots, and having 1 million Robotaxis in operation. He must also lead Tesla to a market cap of $8.5 trillion.
If successful, Elon Musk’s 2025 CEO Performance Award could make him the world’s first trillionaire. It could also help Tesla become the world’s most valuable company by market cap by a notable margin.
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y dominates U.S. EV market in 2025
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y earn Euro NCAP Best in Class safety awards
