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Tesla China to pause new Model Y lines for upgrades: report

Credit: Tesla

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Tesla China is reportedly halting parts of its Model Y production lines in Giga Shanghai in the coming weeks. 

The halt would reportedly allow Tesla to optimize Gigafactory Shanghai for the mass production of the new Model Y “Juniper.”

Driving the news: 

  • Citing sources reportedly familiar with the matter, Bloomberg News claimed that Giga Shanghai’s Model Y line will be closed from January 22 to February 14. This covers the Chinese New Year holiday.
  • The alleged updates to Giga Shanghai will reportedly allow Tesla China to increase the production of the revamped all-electric crossover.
  • Giga Shanghai’s Model 3 line will reportedly halt its production as well, though its pause is expected to cover January 26 to February 3.
  • Tesla China has not confirmed Bloomberg News‘ claims as of writing.

Why it matters:

  • As per the publication, it is not unusual for carmakers in China to pause production during the Chinese New Year holiday. 
  • This year, China’s Spring Festival period starts on January 29. Beijing expects 9 billion domestic cross-regional trips during this year’s holiday period.
  • Upgrading Giga Shanghai’s Model Y line would be beneficial for Tesla China considering the reported interest for the updated vehicle following its launch. 
  • Industry insiders have claimed that Tesla China appears to have seen about 50,000 orders for the new Model Y “Juniper” during its launch day.

Between the lines: 

  • The Model Y’s update is the first significant change in five years, and it is expected to further improve consumers’ interest in the vehicle.
  • Despite being largely unchanged for five years, the Tesla Model Y proved to be a best-seller, becoming the world’s best-selling vehicle by volume in 2023 and China’s best-selling car in 2024.
  • With a new design, the Model Y could attract even more consumers than before.

What’s next: 

  • Deliveries of the new Model Y are expected to start in March, with the price set at 263,500 yuan ($35,900).
  • Markets that are supplied by Giga Shanghai, such as the Philippines, are expected to receive the updated Model Y around April.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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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Wells Fargo reiterates Tesla (TSLA) price target of $130

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(Credit: Tesla China)

Wells Fargo reiterated its Tesla price target of $130, delivering a grim forecast for the electric vehicle company in the near term. However, not all Wall Street analysts agree with Wells Fargo’s prediction.

In a Tuesday note, Wells Fargo analyst Colin Langan outlined a few factors driving the bank’s bearish stance, which might lead to a 53% downside from current levels. The firm reiterated its “Underweight” rating and added Tesla to its tactical ideas list for Q2.

According to Business Insider, Tesla shares have dropped 32% year-to-date, with a 44% slide since mid-December. Wells Fargo points to a slowdown in vehicle sales across Europe, China, and the U.S. as a key drag on first-quarter deliveries. The bank’s data shows deliveries trending 40% lower in Europe, 14% lower in China, and 3% lower in North America through 2025.

The sales dip aligns with broader challenges for Tesla, i.e., nationwide protests tied to CEO Elon Musk’s “close ties to the Trump administration. Musk’s DOGE initiative to cut government spending, in particular, has stirred a backlash.

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Not all analysts agree with Wells Fargo’s assessment, as Tesla was not pushing sales for its best-selling Model Y vehicle in Q1. In the first quarter, Tesla was retooling its gigafactories in Europe, China, and North America in preparation to produce the upgraded Model Y.

Wells Fargo cautioned that this sales drop will hit Tesla’s earnings hard and believes the company has limited options to spark a rebound. The firm reasons that Tesla has slashed prices over the past two years, leaving few tools to boost demand.

Wells Fargo predicts that further pressure could come from the Trump administration’s potential axing of the $7,500 federal tax credit. The bank projects a 25% drop in TSLA earnings per share for 2025, driven by lower deliveries and pricing pressures.

For investors, the road ahead looks rocky as Tesla navigates these headwinds, based on Wells Fargo’s forecast. However, Tesla’s long-term future has resulted in a few bright predictions from Wall Street analysts.

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas predicts Tesla stocks will rebound over 90% within the next year. The firm set a $430 price target for TSLA, citing Tesla’s Full Self-Driving and robotaxi business as potential catalysts for the company. Meanwhile, Canaccord reaffirmed Tesla’s price target of $404 after a visit to Gigafactory Texas, stating that deliveries have mostly been impacted by supply constraints in the first quarter.

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NYC Comptroller moves to sue Tesla for securities violations

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MINISTÉRIO DAS COMUNICAÇÕES, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is urging the NYC Law Department to sue Tesla for securities violations related to CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Lander said the basis for the potential litigation lies on “material misstatements from Tesla claiming that CEO Elon Musk spends significant time on the company and is highly active in its management, despite his helming the Trump Administration’s DOGE initiative.”

It is a common complaint amongst some Tesla shareholders who are less than enthusiastic about Musk’s involvement in DOGE. Some feel as if Musk is not concerned about Tesla, especially as the stock has dropped over 28 percent this year. However, Musk has continued to double down on his position within the U.S. government.

Nevertheless, Musk’s position in Tesla is still very apparent. He headed an All-Hands meeting just two weeks ago that showed his commitment to the company as he outlined future plans and even joked to employees that they should hold onto their stock.

However, Lander believes Musk’s involvement has hurt New York City pension systems, which have lost over $300 million so far this year. He said:

“In less than three months, Tesla stock has lost nearly 40% of its value, with losses over $300 million for the New York City pension systems. We have long expressed concerns that the Tesla board has failed to provide independent oversight, or to require that Musk – or someone else – serve as a full-time CEO.”

Lander went on to say that “material misstatements from Tesla misled investors about his role at the company,” stating this was his reasoning for calling on the Law Department to file securities litigation against the company.

He believes taking it to court will force changes and will return Tesla shares back to a level that will benefit pension systems in New York City:

“Shareholder litigation could force the changes in governance and leadership that Tesla needs, and help recover some of our pension systems’ losses. Otherwise, we may need to consider divestment.”

The pension systems would be able to pursue financial damages to cover losses and seek governance changes, it says.

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Tesla is testing a Model 3 with some mysterious cameras in the U.S.

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Credit: u/Ready_Medium_6693

Tesla is testing a Model 3 with some mysterious cameras, potentially hinting toward the imminent release of the Cybercab and robotaxi platform in the United States.

After Tesla unveiled the Cybercab in Los Angeles in early October, the company suggested that it would be on its way to launching driverless rides in the U.S. in the near future.

Now, Tesla is inching toward a driverless ride-hailing service in Austin, Texas, among some other potential locations, but it is still working toward a platform that is robust enough to handle it.

Although the company’s Full Self-Driving suite is one of the more advanced on the market, Tesla is still working to accomplish what it feels is a mode of transportation that is safer than a human driver. The robotaxi and Cybercab rollouts will likely accomplish that, but there is still work to be done beforehand.

Now, Tesla is testing a Model 3 in the U.S. that was spotted in several different locations in the Northeastern part of the country, as cameras are seen on this vehicle in locations that are not necessarily typical for what it offers currently:

Another one is seen here:

Interestingly, we saw similar camera locations on the Cybercab at the event in October. Tesla is not testing the Cybercab but instead implementing these cameras on a comparable position on its other vehicles.

These are the cameras we spotted on the Cybercab at the event in October:

In the past, Tesla has used a variety of strategies to measure self-driving accuracy, including LiDAR, which has been seen on some testing mules that we have spotted out in public.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that the company does not need LiDAR on testing mules for ground truth, but we still spot them from time to time on public roads.

It’s an appropriate way just to cross Ts and dot Is:

Tesla Model X testing mule spotted with LiDAR rig ahead of Robotaxi event

The company is still moving toward that initial rollout of driverless ride-hailing in Austin in June, and some company executives have stated that the Cybercab will be the vehicle it uses for these initial rides.

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