News
SpaceX launches first Bandwagon rideshare mission
SpaceX launched its first Bandwagon rideshare mission on Sunday, sending eleven payloads to orbit.
The mission took off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center to send the satellites to a mid-inclination orbit.
Liftoff of Bandwagon-1! pic.twitter.com/wdf6ZaCA91
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 7, 2024
This is the second type of rideshare offered by SpaceX, which has been launching the Transporter rideshare missions that launch into a Sun-synchronous orbit. The Bandwagon missions will give customers a chance to launch into a more favorable orbit that gives their satellites more time over their desired coverage areas.
The satellites that were launched include Capella Space’s Acadia-4, HawkEye 360’s Clusters 8 & 9 (6 satellites), iQPS’s QPS-SAR No. 7, also known as TSUKYOMI-II, Korea’s 425SAT, Tyvak International’s Centauri-6 and Tata Advanced Systems Limited’s TSAT-1A.
Capella Space, HawkEye 360, and iQPS have also previously launched their satellites on Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket, which is dedicated primarily to their payloads. However, with SpaceX now offering rideshare to their desired orbits, these companies can now deploy their constellations at a faster rate.
The Falcon 9 that launched this mission was Booster 1073, which completed its 14th mission. Following stage separation, B1073 performed a flip maneuver and re-ignited its engines to begin the boost back burn towards Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and after a smooth re-entry, the Falcon 9 lit once more for a soft touchdown and announcing its return by sending sonic booms across the Space Coast.
Falcon 9’s first stage has landed on Landing Zone 1 – completing the 14th launch and landing for this first stage booster pic.twitter.com/g3gYlf5fmt
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) April 7, 2024
SpaceX is also hoping to once again recover the fairings from this mission with recovery vessel Doug which was already out to sea for the Starlink 6-47 mission a few days earlier.
This mission marked SpaceX’s 35th mission of the year, continuing with its high flight cadence and goal of 140 launches.
SpaceX’s next mission will be a Starlink mission from Florida no earlier than midnight local time on Wednesday.
Questions or comments? Shoot me an email at rangle@teslarati.com, or Tweet me @RDAnglePhoto.
News
Tesla Cybercab is changing the look of Austin’s roads, and it’s not even in production yet
Videos and photos showed the sleek, two-seat autonomous vehicles navigating traffic.
Even before entering production, Tesla’s Cybercab is already transforming the appearance of Austin’s streets, with multiple prototypes spotted testing in downtown areas recently.
Videos and photos showed the sleek, two-seat autonomous vehicles navigating traffic. Interestingly enough, the vehicles were equipped with temporary steering wheels and human safety drivers.
Recent Cybercab sightings
Over the weekend, enthusiasts captured footage of two Cybercabs driving together in central Austin, their futuristic silhouettes standing out amid regular traffic. While the vehicles featured temporary steering wheels and side mirrors for now, they retained their futuristic, production-intent exterior design.
Industry watcher Sawyer Merritt shared one of the vehicles’ videos, noting the increasing frequency of the autonomous two-seater’s sightings.
Previewing the autonomous future
Sightings of the Cybercab have been ramping in several key areas across the United States in recent weeks. Sightings include units at Apple’s Visitor Center in California, the Fremont factory test track, and in Austin’s streets.
The increased activity suggests that Tesla is in overdrive, validating the autonomous two-seater ahead of its planned volume production. Elon Musk confirmed at the 2025 Shareholder Meeting that manufacturing begins around April 2026 with ambitious targets, and during an All-Hands meeting earlier this year, Musk hinted that ultimately, Tesla’s factories should be able to produce one Cybercab every 10 seconds.
News
Tesla celebrates 9 million vehicles produced globally
The achievement, announced by Tesla Asia on X, celebrated not just the Shanghai team’s output but the company’s cumulative production across all its factories worldwide.
Tesla has achieved a new milestone, rolling out its nine millionth vehicle worldwide from Giga Shanghai.
The achievement, announced by Tesla Asia on X, celebrated not just the Shanghai team’s output but the company’s cumulative production across all its factories worldwide. The milestone came as 2025 drew to a close, and it inspired praise from some of the company’s key executives.
Tesla’s 9 million vehicle milestone
The commemorative photo from Tesla Asia featured the Giga Shanghai team assembled on the factory floor, surrounding the milestone Model Y unit, which looked pristine in white. The image was captioned: “Our 9 millionth vehicle globally has just rolled off the production line at Giga Shanghai. Thanks to our owners and supporters around the world.”
Senior Vice President of Automotive Tom Zhu praised Tesla’s factory teams for the remarkable milestone. He also shared his gratitude to Tesla owners for their support. “Congrats to all Tesla factories for this amazing milestone! Thanks to our owners for your continued support!” Zhu wrote in a post on X.
Giga Shanghai’s legacy
Tesla’s nine million vehicle milestone is especially impressive considering that just 207 days ago, the company announced that it had built its eight millionth car globally. The eight millionth Tesla, a red Model Y, was built in Giga Berlin. The fact that Tesla was able to build a million cars in less than seven months is quite an accomplishment.
Giga Shanghai, Tesla’s largest factory by volume, has been instrumental to the company’s overall operations, having reached four million cumulative vehicles earlier in 2025. The plant produces Model 3 and Model Y for both domestic Chinese and export markets, making it the company’s primary vehicle export hub.
News
Tesla officially publishes Q4 2025 vehicle delivery consensus
By releasing these numbers directly, Tesla establishes a clear, transparent benchmark ahead of its actual results.
Tesla has taken the rather unusual step of officially publishing its company-compiled Q4 2025 delivery consensus on the Investor Relations site. As per analyst estimates, Tesla is expected to deliver 422,850 vehicles and deploy 13.4 GWh of battery storage systems this Q4 2025.
By releasing these numbers directly, Tesla establishes a clear, transparent benchmark ahead of its actual results, making it harder for narratives to claim a “miss” based on outlier estimates.
Official consensus sets the record straight
Tesla’s IR press release detailed the consensus from 20 analysts for vehicle deliveries and 16 analysts for energy deployments. As per the release, full-year 2025 consensus delivery estimates come in at 1,640,752 vehicles, an 8.3% decline from 2025’s FY deliveries of 1,789,226 cars.
Tesla noted that while it “does not endorse any information, recommendations or conclusions made by the analysts,” its press release does provide a notable reference point. Analysts contributing to the company compiled consensus include Daiwa, DB, Wedbush, Oppenheimer, Canaccord, Baird, Wolfe, Exane, Goldman Sachs, RBC, Evercore ISI, Barclays, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, UBS, Jefferies, Needham, HSBC, Cantor Fitzgerald, and William Blair.
Tesla’s busy Q4 2025
Tesla seems to be pushing hard to deliver as many vehicles as possible before the end of 2025, despite the company’s future seemingly being determined not by vehicle deliveries, but FSD and Optimus’ rollout and ramp. Still, reports from countries such as China are optimistic, with posts on social media hinting that Tesla’s delivery centers in the country are appearing packed as the final weeks of 2025 unfold.
The Tesla Model Y and Model 3 are also still performing well in China’s premium EV segment. Based on data from January to November, the Model Y took China’s number one spot in the RMB 200,000-RMB 300,000 segment for electric vehicles, selling 359,463 units. The Model 3 sedan took third place, selling 172,392. This is quite impressive considering that both the Model Y and Model 3 command a premium compared to their domestic rivals.
Tesla Cybercab is changing the look of Austin’s roads, and it’s not even in production yet
Tesla celebrates 9 million vehicles produced globally
