News
Tesla China manufacturing shines as MIC Model 3 claims top spot in quality survey
A recent survey showed that Tesla’s Made in China Model 3 was ranked as the highest quality sedan in the second quarter of 2020 in the country, citing only .7 complaints per 10,000 vehicles. While the data shows the Model 3 is striking a chord with its Chinese consumers, it also shows the quality of the company’s products that are manufactured at Giga Shanghai.
Chinese quality complaint company CheZhiWang surveyed 38 total sedans that are available in the world’s largest automotive market. The survey included both foreign and domestic models.
The findings concluded that the Tesla Model 3 sedan that is manufactured at the company’s Chinese production facility located in Shanghai is the highest-quality sedan available to consumers in China. Owners of the all-electric vehicle indicated that complaints were nearly obsolete for the Model 3, stating that less than one complaint was registered per 10,000 cars sold.
JUST IN: CheZhiWang, 🚗 quality complaint data collecting site in 🇨🇳 , finds in Q2, Model 3 is the least complained car w/ 0.7 complaint/10k 🚗, topping all 37 other models foreign or domestic. This is the 1st time Model 3 ranks top spot in the findings. @elonmusk @teslacn pic.twitter.com/MTltHrNe2V
— Ray (@ray4tesla) August 2, 2020
The data also suggests that the average domestic car complaint sales ratio in the second quarter was 37.2 complaints per 10,000 vehicles, 12365 Auto reported. All 38 cars that appeared on the list showed lower complaint rates than the national average. However, only the Model 3 was able to keep its complaint rate under 4.2 per 10,000 vehicles.
Perhaps the most striking piece of information gathered from this data is the fact that the Made in China Model 3 is experiencing less criticism on a grand scale than other vehicles, despite the company only producing the car at its Shanghai factory since January 2020. Although Tesla’s workers in China have only been building electric cars for consumers for a short period, the quality of manufacturing is the highest based on the data.
The survey is a testament to the quality of Tesla’s vehicles in Shanghai and the improvements the company has made in manufacturing. When new cars are introduced to an automaker’s fleet, there are bound to be small errors in production that can be recognized as “build quality” issues. These include panel gaps, paint chips, misaligned headlights, faulty buttons and levers, and small cosmetic errors, among many other things.
Tesla, like many other car companies, has had issues in the past with the build quality of its new cars. When owners take delivery of their new electric vehicles, they are required to inspect the car to take notice of any issues there may be cosmetically or functionally. If a problem is spotted, Tesla will take care of the issue to ensure the customer is happy with their purchase. Unfortunately, there have been instances where owners have declined the delivery of their new car because of an excess of quality issues.
This issue isn’t exclusive to Tesla, however. Many automakers experience build quality complaints with their cars. It is a product of accelerated manufacturing to keep up with demand, and companies are bound to make mistakes sometimes.
However, less than one complaint per 10,000 vehicles is an impressive accomplishment for the Giga Shanghai team. To have such low numbers on a massive scale shows Tesla’s manufacturing efficiencies are improving, and the company’s quality is going up amidst demand that continues to increase in China.
The Made in China Model 3 was the most popular electric car in the world in June, registering over 35,000 units sold during the month, according to the EV Sales Blog.
That’s something to dance about.
H/t: @Ray4Tesla on Twitter
News
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.”
News
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 is planning for a new 300+ stall Supercharger station that will be an expansion of an existing facility, and the company is planning to add a surprise for the Semi.
The Firebaugh, California Supercharger is currently 72 Superchargers, but Tesla filed for an expansion that will add 232 additional plugs for passenger vehicles, and it also plans to add 16 Semichargers.
This will be the biggest Supercharger station Tesla will have to date, just months after it finished the Supercharger Oasis in Lost Hills, California, which has 168 stalls. This will have 304 total Supercharger stalls, and then the additional 16 Megachargers.
🚨 This Supercharger station will have 304 total stalls and 16 Semichargers following this expansion
Absolutely INSANE size 🔥
This is located on I-5, so many semis will be traveling along this route https://t.co/hM9hdLcWwg
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 13, 2026
The Firebaugh Supercharger is located on I-5, which is a major reason for why Tesla has chosen the location for additional Megacharger plug-ins, as Tesla Semi Program Manager Dan Priestley said on X earlier today.
Lots of trucks to electrify on I-5
— Dan Priestley (@danWpriestley) January 13, 2026
The project was revealed by MarcoRP, a Supercharger tracker.
The expansion is a massive signal for charging demand, especially as Tesla’s Superchargers are opened to numerous automakers and are no longer exclusive to the company’s EVs. Additionally, the installation of Megachargers is a good sign to come for the Tesla Semi program, which aims to truly ramp up this year.
Tesla plans to launch production of the Semi later this year.
It could also mean Tesla is going to expand its footprint of large-scale Supercharger projects in the coming years, which would be a big boost as EV adoption continues to soar in the United States.
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y earn Euro NCAP Best in Class safety awards
Tesla is shifting FSD to a subscription-only model, confirms Elon Musk
