It is the end of the quarter once more, and in true Tesla tradition, the electric car maker is conducting an end-of-quarter push to deliver as many vehicles to customers as possible. This time around, though, Tesla’s delivery blitz also happens to cover the 2018 holiday season. Thus, for some reservation holders, their new Teslas proved to be a very welcome and incredibly memorable Christmas gift.
Over the past week all the way to Christmas, Tesla owners, both new and old, came to social media to share their delivery experiences. In Twitter alone, several families posted images from the delivery of their Model 3, Model X, and Model S. Tesla’s official Twitter account even shared a number of these pictures, captioning the photographs with a simple description that read “Holiday deliveries!”
Overall, it appears that Tesla did not miss a beat in its delivery efforts despite the holiday season. Considering the stakes of the fourth quarter, though, such determination is understandable, particularly since the end of Q4 also marks the end of the $7,500 federal tax credit given to Tesla owners. The fourth quarter is also an opportunity for Tesla to prove Elon Musk’s words right. Musk, after all, has noted since Q3’s blockbuster earnings that Tesla would be cash-flow positive moving forward.
Holiday deliveries! 🎄🚘🎁 pic.twitter.com/92LB5Aithh
— Tesla (@Tesla) December 25, 2018
Special 🎅 Christmas 🎄 Delivery 📦 ⚡️😊 #TM3 #Tesla #Model3 @Tesla pic.twitter.com/n7rihVDjxZ
— Christophe HUBERT (@chris75sf) December 23, 2018
A key factor in Tesla’s success for the fourth quarter, of course, remains to be the Model 3. Being Tesla’s highest-volume vehicle to date, sales and deliveries of the Model 3 would likely determine Tesla’s performance in Q4. Fortunately for the electric car maker, its Model 3 strategy for the fourth quarter might very well work. The carmaker, for one, has reached a point where it could comfortably produce the electric sedan at scale, with Musk noting that a production rate of 5,000 Model 3 per week is no big deal for Tesla today. Apart from this, the addition of a new Model 3 variant could be a difference-maker in the number of vehicles the company can deliver this quarter.
While Tesla has relied on the Long Range RWD, Long Range AWD, and Performance Model 3 variants in the past, the company rolled out a new version of the electric sedan this fourth quarter. Dubbed as the Mid Range Model 3, the vehicle, which starts at $46,000 before incentives, brought the electric car within reach of more potential customers. Tesla has not revealed the number of Mid Range Model 3 that have been delivered so far, but factors such as VIN registrations point to the idea that the vehicle is likely being produced and sold in large quantities.
To prevent what Elon Musk described as “delivery logistics hell” during the third quarter, Tesla has reportedly gone the extra mile to ensure that cars ordered today would be delivered before the year closes. Musk, for one, noted in an announcement on Twitter that Tesla has acquired trucking capacity to facilitate deliveries. More recently, Musk also noted that Tesla would cover the tax credit difference if the company is not able to complete a committed delivery before the end of the month.
Apart from these programs, Tesla has also extended its long-running referral program until March 11. As could be seen in Tesla’s order pages today, electric car buyers could acquire an additional three months of free supercharging “if they order without ever having taken a test drive.”
Investor's Corner
Tesla gets bold Robotaxi prediction from Wall Street firm
Last week, Andrew Percoco took over Tesla analysis for Morgan Stanley from Adam Jonas, who covered the stock for years. Percoco seems to be less optimistic and bullish on Tesla shares, while still being fair and balanced in his analysis.
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) received a bold Robotaxi prediction from Morgan Stanley, which anticipates a dramatic increase in the size of the company’s autonomous ride-hailing suite in the coming years.
Last week, Andrew Percoco took over Tesla analysis for Morgan Stanley from Adam Jonas, who covered the stock for years. Percoco seems to be less optimistic and bullish on Tesla shares, while still being fair and balanced in his analysis.
Percoco dug into the Robotaxi fleet and its expansion in the coming years in his latest note, released on Tuesday. The firm expects Tesla to increase the Robotaxi fleet size to 1,000 vehicles in 2026. However, that’s small-scale compared to what they expect from Tesla in a decade.
Tesla expands Robotaxi app access once again, this time on a global scale
By 2035, Morgan Stanley believes there will be one million Robotaxis on the road across multiple cities, a major jump and a considerable fleet size. We assume this means the fleet of vehicles Tesla will operate internally, and not including passenger-owned vehicles that could be added through software updates.
He also listed three specific catalysts that investors should pay attention to, as these will represent the company being on track to achieve its Robotaxi dreams:
- Opening Robotaxi to the public without a Safety Monitor. Timing is unclear, but it appears that Tesla is getting closer by the day.
- Improvement in safety metrics without the Safety Monitor. Tesla’s ability to improve its safety metrics as it scales miles driven without the Safety Monitor is imperative as it looks to scale in new states and cities in 2026.
- Cybercab start of production, targeted for April 2026. Tesla’s Cybercab is a purpose-built vehicle (no steering wheel or pedals, only two seats) that is expected to be produced through its state-of-the-art unboxed manufacturing process, offering further cost reductions and thus accelerating adoption over time.
Robotaxi stands to be one of Tesla’s most significant revenue contributors, especially as the company plans to continue expanding its ride-hailing service across the world in the coming years.
Its current deployment strategy is controlled and conservative to avoid any drastic and potentially program-ruining incidents.
So far, the program, which is active in Austin and the California Bay Area, has been widely successful.
News
Tesla Model Y L is gaining momentum in China’s premium segment
This suggests that the addition of the Model Y L to Tesla China’s lineup will not result in a case of cannibalization, but a possible case of “premiumization” instead.
Tesla’s domestic sales in China held steady in November with around 73,000 units delivered, but a closer look at the Model Y L’s numbers hints at an emerging shift towards pricier variants that could very well be boosting average selling prices and margins.
This suggests that the addition of the Model Y L to Tesla China’s lineup will not result in a case of cannibalization, but a possible case of “premiumization” instead.
Tesla China’s November domestic numbers
Data from the a Passenger Car Association (CPCA) indicated that Tesla China saw domestic deliveries of about 73,000 vehicles in November 2025. This number included 34,000 standard Model Y units, 26,000 Model 3 units, and 13,000 Model Y L units, as per industry watchers.
This means that the Model Y L accounted for roughly 27% of Tesla China’s total Model Y sales, despite the variant carrying a ~28% premium over the base RWD Model Y that is estimated to have dominated last year’s mix.
As per industry watcher @TSLAFanMtl, this suggests that Tesla China’s sales have moved towards more premium variants this year. Thus, direct year-over-year sales comparisons might miss the bigger picture. This is true even for the regular Model Y, as another premium trim, the Long Range RWD variant, was also added to the lineup this 2025.
November 2025 momentum
While Tesla China’s overall sales this year have seen challenges, the Model Y and Model 3 have remained strong sellers in the country. This is especially impressive as the Model Y and Model 3 are premium-priced vehicles, and they compete in the world’s most competitive electric vehicle market. Tesla China is also yet to roll out the latest capabilities of FSD in China, which means that its vehicles in the country could not tap into their latest capabilities yet.
Aggregated results from November suggest that the Tesla Model Y took the crown as China’s #1 best-selling SUV during the month, with roughly 34,000 deliveries. With the Model Y L, this number is even higher. The Tesla Model 3 also had a stellar month, seeing 25,700 deliveries during November 2025.
Cybertruck
Tesla Cybertruck earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award
To commemorate the accolade, the official Cybertruck account celebrated the milestone on X.
The Tesla Cybertruck has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest honor, earning a Top Safety Pick+ rating for 2025 models built after April 2025.
The full-size electric pickup truck’s safety rating is partly due to the vehicle’s strong performance in updated crash tests, superior front crash prevention, and effective headlights, among other factors. To commemorate the accolade, the official Cybertruck account celebrated the milestone on X.
Cybertruck’s IIHS rating
As per the IIHS, beginning with 2025 Cybertruck models built after April 2025, changes were made to the front underbody structure and footwell to improve occupant safety in driver-side and passenger-side small overlap front crashes. The moderate overlap front test earned a good rating, and the updated side impact test also received stellar marks.
The Cybertruck’s front crash prevention earned a good rating in pedestrian scenarios, with the standard Collision Avoidance Assist avoiding collisions in day and night tests across child, adult crossing, and parallel paths. Headlights with high-beam assist compensated for limitations, contributing to the top award.
Safest and most autonomous pickup
The Cybertruck is one of only two full-size pickups to receive the IIHS’ Top Safety Pick + rating. It is also the only one equipped with advanced self-driving features via Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system. Thanks to FSD, the Cybertruck can navigate inner city streets and highways on its own with minimal supervision, adding a layer of safety beyond passive crash protection.
Community reactions poured in, with users praising the vehicle’s safety rating amidst skepticism from critics. Tesla itself highlighted this by starting its X post with a short clip of a Cybertruck critic who predicted that the vehicle will likely not pass safety tests. The only question now is, of course, if the vehicle’s Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS will help the Cybertruck improve its sales.
Tesla gets bold Robotaxi prediction from Wall Street firm
Tesla Model Y L is gaining momentum in China’s premium segment
