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Rivian raises $350 million investment from Cox Automotive

Rivian R1T truck at the NY Auto Show 2019. | Image: Dacia J. Ferris/Teslarati

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Rivian recently announced an equity investment of $350 million from Cox Automotive, a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, which hosts brands such as Autotrader, Kelley Blue Book, and RideKleen. The investment will allow Rivian and Cox to explore partnership opportunities in service operations, digital retail, and logistics. 

In a press release, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe stated the partnership with Cox will allow the company to provide a consistent customer experience for buyers of its vehicles, including the R1T luxury pickup truck and the R1S SUV. 

“We are building a Rivian ownership experience that matches the care and consideration that go into our vehicles. As part of this, we are excited to work with Cox Automotive in delivering consistent customer experience across our various touchpoints. Cox Automotive’s global footprint, service and logistics capabilities, and retail technology platform make them a great partner for us,” he said. 

Sandy Schwartz, president of Cox Automotive, also expressed his enthusiasm for Rivian and its potential in the auto industry. Schwartz added that Rivian’s stance as an environmentally-conscious EV maker complements Cox’s own conservation efforts. 

“We are excited by Rivian’s unique approach to building an electrified future and to be part of the positive impact its products will bring to our roads and the world around us. This investment complements Cox Automotive’s own commitment to environmental change through our Cox Conserves efforts,” he said. 

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Cox Automotive Mobility Group president Joe George added that the partnership opens up opportunities for Cox to learn about the electric car revolution, as well as developments in battery technology

“With the electrification of vehicles set to play a significant role in the new mobility future, this partnership opens another channel of discovery and learning for Cox Automotive. Advancements in battery technology and the electrification of fleets are two of our primary focus areas, and we believe this relationship will prove to be mutually beneficial,” he said. 

Cox Automotive’s $350 million partnership deal marks Rivian’s third major investment for 2019. Prior to Cox, Rivian had received a $700 million investment from Amazon in February, as well as $500 million from the Ford Motor Company. Despite Cox’s investment in the electric truck maker, Rivian notes that it will remain an independent company with a representative from Cox sitting on its board. 

The announcement of Rivian’s most recent investment comes not long after prototypes of the electric truck maker’s R1T pickup were spotted in Ushuaia, Argentina. The vehicles, which were photographed by EV enthusiast Juan Guillermo Bauer, were reportedly brought to the country as vehicles for an adventure show starring Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. Unlike the silver R1T show model that is being showcased by the company in the United States, the R1T units spotted in Argentina appear to be prototypes, as evidenced by their rather spartan interior and a center console that features numerous buttons and knobs.

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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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Tesla FSD earns high praise in South Korea’s real-world autonomous driving test

As per the Korea Expressway Corporation’s report, the FSD test was conducted on December 15, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) has received a bullish assessment from the Korea Expressway Corporation following a real-world autonomous highway driving test. 

A report of the test, shared on Naver Cafe, showed high praise for the system’s safety, capabilities, smooth maneuvers, and confidence.

South Korean highway test

As per the Korea Expressway Corporation’s report, the FSD test was conducted on December 15, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Four people were in the Tesla that was tested, including the head of the mobility department. All four FSD driving modes were tested, from “Sloth” to “Mad Max.”

To test FSD’s performance, the system was tasked to operate on highways such as Gyeongbu, Cheonan, and Cheonan-Nonsan, as well as city areas in Dongtan New Town, Sejong Special City, and Daejeon Metropolitan City, among others.

Since FSD is only available for the Tesla Model S and Model X that are imported to South Korea from the United States, the system was not tested in a Model 3 or Model Y, which comprise the majority of Teslas on the country’s roads today. 

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Highway test results

Results showed FSD performing well, both in inner-city roads and on highways. In inner city roads, the testers noted that FSD was capable of autonomous driving at a level that already exceeds that of general human drivers, except in very few areas, such as unprotected left turns and work zone intersections. 

In highways, the testers described FSD’s performance as “excellent,” though the system still showed frequent cases of violations in local bus lanes and max speed limit rules. These, however, could hopefully be addressed by Tesla in a future FSD update without many issues. The testers also noted that in some parts of the test, FSD seemed to be driving autonomously in accordance with traffic flow rather than strict traffic rules.

테슬라 Fsd 고속도로 자율주행 테스트 결과 보고 by Simon Alvarez

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Tesla claims nearly 20% market share as Norway sets new car sales record

Tesla captured roughly one in five new cars in Norway, highlighting its dominance in the world’s most EV-friendly market.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Norway shattered its all-time new car sales record in 2025, and Tesla emerged as the clear winner. A year-end rush ahead of higher EV taxes pushed registrations to nearly 180,000 vehicles, with electric cars accounting for 96% of sales. 

Tesla captured roughly one in five new cars in Norway, highlighting its dominance in the world’s most EV-friendly market.

Norway’s EV rush

As noted in a CarUp report, Norway’s electric vehicle sales in 2025 surged, thanks in part to buyers rushing ahead of a post–new year VAT increase of roughly 50,000 kronor on many new electric cars. This ended up pulling demand forward and setting a national record with almost 180,000 registrations in 2025.

The result was unprecedented. From the vehicles that were sold in 2025, 96% of new cars sold were fully electric. And from this number, Tesla and its Model Y made their dominance felt. This was highlighted by Geir Inge Stokke, director of OFV, who noted that Tesla was able to achieve its stellar results despite its small vehicle lineup.

“Taking almost 20% market share during a year with record-high new car sales is remarkable in itself. When a brand also achieves such volumes with so few models, it says a lot about both demand and Tesla’s impact on the Norwegian market,” Stokke stated.

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Tesla domination

Tesla led all brands in Norway with 34,285 registrations, which is equal to a 19.1% market share. These results place Tesla well ahead of Volkswagen and Volvo, which held a 13.3% and 7.8% market share in 2025, respectively. 

On the model chart, Tesla’s strength was even clearer. The Tesla Model Y topped all vehicles with 27,621 registrations, accounting for 15.4% of the entire market. The Tesla Model 3 also ranked among the top five, accounting for 3.7% of Norway’s entire auto sales in 2025.

Other strong performers included Volkswagen’s ID.4 and ID.7, Toyota’s bZ4X, which commanded 4.9%, 3.9%, and 4.1% of Norway’s total sales in 2025, respectively. 

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Tesla China sees 2nd-best month ever by selling 97,171 vehicles wholesale in December

The results mark Tesla China’s second-highest monthly result on record, trailing only November 2022’s 100,291 units.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla posted a sharp year-end rebound in China last month, with December’s wholesale figures climbing to their second-highest level to date.

The surge capped a late-year recovery for the electric vehicle maker, even as full-year wholesale figures still finished lower year over year. Still, the data highlights how Tesla China’s offerings still resonate with customers in the world’s most competitive electric vehicle market. 

Tesla China’s December surge

Tesla China sold 97,171 vehicles wholesale in December, as per data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). The results mark Tesla China’s second-highest monthly result on record, trailing only November 2022’s 100,291 units, based on data compiled by CNEVPost. The details of Tesla China’s December results, such as its domestic sales and exports, are yet to be released. 

December’s wholesale results represent a 3.63% increase from the same month last year and a 12.08% jump from November’s 86,700 units. It also marked the second consecutive month of year-over-year growth, signaling renewed momentum in China. 

Tesla’s late-year momentum is believed to be partly driven by Tesla pulling deliveries forward to allow buyers to take advantage of more favorable purchase tax policies before the calendar year ended. That strategy helped boost monthly performance even as competition in China’s EV market remained intense.

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Tesla China’s FY 2025 volumes

Despite the strong December finish, Tesla China’s wholesale sales declined on an annual basis. The electric vehicle maker’s total wholesale figures for 2025 reached 851,732 units, down 7.08% year over year. This could have been due to a variety of factors, from intense competition in the domestic Chinese market to Giga Shanghai’s changeover to the new Model Y in the early part of the year. 

Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai continues to play a central role in its global operations, producing the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover for both Chinese customers and export markets. The efficiency of Gigafactory Shanghai has allowed it to become Tesla’s largest factory by volume, as well as the company’s primary vehicle export hub. 

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