

News
Tesla outpaces Volkswagen, Subaru, BMW in 2023 U.S. market share
Tesla held 4.2 percent of the total market share in the United States in 2023, outpacing companies like Volkswagen, Subaru, and BMW.
Tesla gained a small portion of market share in the United States’ overall vehicle sector and sold over 25 percent more vehicles in the country in 2023 compared to the year prior.
This morning, Kelley Blue Book published its figures for vehicle sales per manufacturer for 2023. General Motors was still the best-selling car company in the United States, selling 2,577,648 vehicles for the year, a 14.1 percent increase from the year before.
You can’t make this up
Tesla ended 2023 at exactly 4.20% market share.
(Source: Kelly Blue Book) pic.twitter.com/p2NuWXyr3K
— Car Dealership Guy (@GuyDealership) January 8, 2024
Tesla improved its sales figures by 25.4 percent, with 654,888 sales in the U.S. last year, improving from 2022’s numbers of 522,444.
In 2022, those 522,444 sales were good enough for 3.8 percent of the overall U.S. automotive market, which eclipsed the share automakers like BMW, Mazda, and Daimler had for the year, as those companies reported 2.5, 2.1, and 2.5 percent, respectively.
In 2023, Tesla sales reached a 4.2 percent market share, a 0.4 percent increase. Due to the improvement, Tesla is now above Volkswagen and Subaru, along with the three previously mentioned companies. Volkswagen and Subaru had only 0.1 percent less market share than Tesla.
Other notable changes on the list are a 33 percent increase in sales by Honda, which sold over 1.3 million cars in the U.S. this past year. Tesla was only outpaced in year-over-year change by Honda, Geely-Volvo, Rivian, and Lucid.
It is worth mentioning that Rivian grew from 20,332 sales in 2022 to 50,122 in 2023. Lucid went from 2,656 to 5,779. Geely-Volvo grew from 111,509 to 140,590.
It was a strong performance from Tesla in 2023, and the number should continue to grow into 2024, given that the company is set to offer new products in the U.S. this year.
While the Cybertruck technically started deliveries last year in November, a ramp-up of the pickup would supplement Tesla’s growth in the U.S. in 2024.
Additionally, we are expecting the Model 3 “Highland,” an updated version of the all-electric sedan, to hit the U.S. market in the coming months. It has already been delivered in China, Europe, and the Middle East, and we could see an increase in demand as current owners may want the newest version of the Model 3.
Tesla is also expected to update the Model Y this year, in a project that was rumoredly codenamed “Juniper.” The Model Y is Tesla’s most popular vehicle, and a revamp could increase demand for the car as it will have a new look and new tech.
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News
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.

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.
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).
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.

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.
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.
News
Tesla Semi earns strong reviews from veteran truckers
The real-world tests offered a closer look at how the Tesla Semi performs outside of the electric vehicle maker’s own demos.

The Tesla Semi has earned favorable reviews from experienced truck drivers after being put through real-world testing. This was highlighted in a Run on Less by NACFE video, which documented Saia freight drivers operating the Class 8 all-electric big rig across standard routes.
The real-world tests offered a closer look at how the Tesla Semi performs outside of the electric vehicle maker’s own demos.
Veteran drivers highlight Semi’s usability
Tom Sterba, a senior driver with Saia, praised the Semi’s technology as a major step forward for the industry. “The navigation systems in these trucks are just unbelievable. That’s what I love about it,” he said.
In a moment that has since been widely shared, Sterba added, “I do not want to go back to a gas truck. I hope I retire in this vehicle.”
Another senior driver, Michael Davis, stated that he volunteered immediately when the Tesla Semi became available. He noted that the truck has not disappointed him, especially since it is a very powerful vehicle.
“I wanted to drive something new, so I wanted to drive that Tesla truck, and it did not disappoint at all. I experienced no problems with the powertrain. It’s total power,” Davis said.
Tesla Semi momentum is building
Tesla’s push with the Semi comes as the company pushes to complete its dedicated factory for the vehicle near Giga Nevada. Tesla expects to start producing the first Semi units from its dedicated Nevada factory this year, with a production ramp up being expected sometime next year.
Tesla expects to produce 50,000 units of the Semi per year from its Nevada facility, which should make it one of the country’s high-volume semi truck factories, The Cool Down reported. The potential benefits for the Tesla Semi are significant. Beyond lowering emissions, the Semi can also reduce the maintenance costs for operators, while also delivering operational savings over time.
Check out Run on Less’ video on the Tesla Semi in the video below.
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