From Fremont, California to Shanghai, China, Tesla is establishing a production chain that is poised to grow together with the electric vehicle movement. But with CEO Elon Musk’s announcement that Tesla was scoping out locations for a new Cybertruck Gigafactory central United States, Tesla is now seemingly getting ready to enter the Heartland of the country. That’s a place where the internal combustion engine still reigns supreme, and where Teslas are still stereotyped as vehicles that are not for the mainstream.
A Gigafactory in the center of the United States serves several purposes. Logistically, an electric vehicle facility in the area would cut down on vehicle delivery times, especially for the East Coast. It would also allow for a complete focus on the Cybertruck until Model Y production also begins at the plant. But apart from these efficiencies, Tesla’s upcoming facility also has the potential to break the final stereotypes around Tesla’s vehicles once and for all.
In a way, Tesla’s presence in the middle of America establishes the company’s footing in a section of the country that has been an evident battleground for the electric carmaker. Central United States is widely perceived as an area where Silicon Valley-style solutions such as Teslas are not effective, as places where farming, agriculture, and other hard-nosed industries do not seem compatible with the sleek, streamlined electric vehicles from the company. A big part of this is the impression that Tesla’s vehicles are only for those with money, and not for the working man.
Scouting locations for Cybertruck Gigafactory. Will be central USA.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 11, 2020
-->Interestingly enough, the same people who would benefit the most from a vehicle like the Cybertruck are also stereotyped as a demographic that is far from being able to “afford a Tesla.” While Tesla prices have dropped over the past few years thanks to increased battery production and manufacturing efficiencies, there is still a pervading idea that the company’s electric cars are still out of reach for most car buyers. This is, of course, untrue, with the Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck priced aggressively.
It has been speculated that Tesla’s new Cybertruck will need a separate production facility to keep up with demand for the vehicle. The polarizing design of the all-electric pickup with its unmistakeable stainless steel exoskeleton has already amassed an unconfirmed half-a-million reservations. Elon Musk has mentioned in the Q4 2019 earnings call that the Cybertruck is seeing a lot of demand as well.
With Tesla producing the Cybertruck in the heart of the United States, legacy automakers may find themselves surprised once more that a disruptive company has taken hold of their longtime demographic. It could, for one, end up accelerating the efforts of legacy automakers such as Ford and GM with regards to their respective electric vehicle programs. Ford will likely not give up its most loyal customers freely to the Cybertruck, after all, and the best way the veteran carmaker could rival Tesla’s pickup would be to release the Ford F-150 Electric.
There are relatively no tell-tale signs of where the Cyber Gigafactory will be built, though rumors of Nashville being a potential site are abounding. Still, one thing remains certain: the impact of a Tesla production plant in the heart of America would break through the long-lived stereotypes that innovation is confined only in places like California. It would prove that with vehicles like the Cybertruck, the electric transition is reaching all corners of the country.
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Waymo driverless taxi drives directly into active LAPD standoff
No injuries occurred, and the passengers inside the vehicle were safely transported to their destination, as per a Waymo representative.
A video posted on social media has shown an occupied Waymo driverless taxi driving directly into the middle of an active LAPD standoff in downtown Los Angeles.
As could be seen in the short video, which was initially posted on Instagram by user Alex Choi, a Waymo driverless taxi drove directly into the middle of an active LAPD standoff in downtown Los Angeles.
The driverless taxi made an unprotected left turn despite what appeared to be a red light, briefly entering a police perimeter. At the time, officers seemed to be giving commands to a prone suspect on the ground, who looked quite surprised at the sudden presence of the driverless vehicle.
People on the sidewalk, including the person who was filming the video, could be heard chuckling at the Waymo’s strange behavior.
The Waymo reportedly cleared the area within seconds. No injuries occurred, and the passengers inside the vehicle were safely transported to their destination, as per a Waymo representative. Still, the video spread across social media, with numerous netizens poking fun at the gaffe.
-->Others also pointed out that such a gaffe would have resulted in widespread controversy had the vehicle involved been a Tesla on FSD. Tesla is constantly under scrutiny, with TSLA shorts and similar groups actively trying to put down the company’s FSD program.
A Tesla on FSD or Robotaxi accidentally driving into an active police standoff would likely cause lawsuits, nonstop media coverage, and calls for a worldwide ban, at the least.
This was one of the reasons why even minor traffic infractions committed by the company’s Robotaxis during their initial rollout in Austin received nationwide media attention. This particular Waymo incident, however, will likely not receive as much coverage.
Tesla Model Y demand in China is through the roof, and new delivery dates show the company has already sold out its allocation of the all-electric crossover for 2025.
The Model Y has been the most popular vehicle in the world in both of the last two years, outpacing incredibly popular vehicles like the Toyota RAV 4. In China, the EV market is substantially more saturated, with more competitors than in any other market.
However, Tesla has been kind to the Chinese market, as it has launched trim levels for the Model Y in the country that are not available anywhere else. Demand has been strong for the Model Y in China; it ranks in the top 5 of all EVs in the country, trailing the BYD Seagull, Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, and the Geely Galaxy Xingyuan.
The other three models ahead of the Model Y are priced substantially lower.
Tesla is still dealing with strong demand for the Model Y, and the company is now pushing delivery dates to early 2026, meaning the vehicle is sold out for the year:
NEWS: New orders for all four Tesla Model Y trims in China are now officially sold out for 2025, as the factory’s remaining production capacity for the year has been fully allocated.
Estimated delivery dates for new orders now show January-February 2026. pic.twitter.com/Dfnu7yY58N
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) December 1, 2025
Tesla experienced a 9.9 percent year-over-year rise in its China-made EV sales for November, meaning there is some serious potential for the automaker moving into next year despite increased competition.
There have been a lot of questions surrounding how Tesla would perform globally with more competition, but it seems to have a good grasp of various markets because of its vehicles, its charging infrastructure, and its Full Self-Driving (FSD) suite, which has been expanding to more countries as of late.
Tesla Model Y is still China’s best-selling premium EV through October
Tesla holds a dominating lead in the United States with EV registrations, and performs incredibly well in several European countries.
With demand in China looking strong, it will be interesting to see how the company ends the year in terms of global deliveries.
News
Tesla Europe rolls out FSD ride-alongs in the Netherlands’ holiday campaign
The festive event series comes amid Tesla’s ongoing push for regulatory approval of FSD across Europe.
Tesla Europe has announced that its “Future Holidays” campaign will feature Full Self-Driving (Supervised) ride-along experiences in the Netherlands.
The festive event series comes amid Tesla’s ongoing push for regulatory approval of FSD across Europe.
The Holiday program was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on X. “Come get in the spirit with us. Featuring Caraoke, FSD Supervised ride-along experiences, holiday light shows with our S3XY lineup & more,” the company wrote in its post on X.
Per the program’s official website, fun activities will include Caraoke sessions and light shows with the S3XY vehicle lineup. It appears that Optimus will also be making an appearance at the events. Tesla even noted that the humanoid robot will be in “full party spirit,” so things might indeed be quite fun.
“This season, we’re introducing you to the fun of the future. Register for our holiday events to meet our robots, see if you can spot the Bot to win prizes, and check out our selection of exclusive merchandise and limited-edition gifts. Discover Tesla activities near you and discover what makes the future so festive,” Tesla wrote on its official website.
-->This announcement aligns with Tesla’s accelerating FSD efforts in Europe, where supervised ride-alongs could help demonstrate the tech to regulators and customers. The Netherlands, with its urban traffic and progressive EV policies, could serve as an ideal and valuable testing ground for FSD.
Tesla is currently hard at work pushing for the rollout of FSD to several European countries. Tesla has received approval to operate 19 FSD test vehicles on Spain’s roads, though this number could increase as the program develops. As per the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), Tesla would be able to operate its FSD fleet on any national route across Spain. Recent job openings also hint at Tesla starting FSD tests in Austria. Apart from this, the company is also holding FSD demonstrations in Germany, France, and Italy.
Waymo driverless taxi drives directly into active LAPD standoff
Tesla Model Y demand in China is through the roof, new delivery dates show
