Tesla dominated various European markets in 2023 as the company is evidently the main driver behind a continuous increase in electric vehicle market share on the continent.
This morning, Tesla reported its delivery and production figures for 2023, which showed it had successfully achieved its 1.8 million unit goal for the year. It was the automaker’s most successful campaign yet, and driven by heavy market share leads in the United States and Europe, Tesla is in a prime position to once again dominate the landscape in those two areas.
Although it was outpaced in China by BYD, Tesla has nothing to hang its head about. Europe was a classic case of domination by the automaker in 2023, and data from EU-EVs, which tracks registration figures for various countries in the EU, shows it was not very close.
United Kingdom
Tesla owned 15.3 percent of the market share in the United Kingdom, outpacing MG and BMW by more than 6 percent.
The Model Y was the country’s biggest seller, as 34,334 total registrations were tracked by EU-EVs. The MG4 from MG was second, with 20,129. The Model 3 landed in fourth place with 12,774 registrations.
Norway
Norway was a major hotspot for Tesla, as it landed 23.6 percent of the total market share and, once again, the Model Y was the biggest seller. It was not very close.
The Model Y’s 23,058 tracked registrations outpaced the ID.4 from Volkswagen by nearly four times, as the all-electric crossover from the German company had 6,336 registrations.
Tesla dominates in EV-heavy Norway where gas cars are nearly defunct
The Model 3 fell outside the top 10 with only 2,081 registrations for the year, further hammering home the point that CEO Elon Musk made years ago that the Model Y would overtake the Model 3 in sales.
Netherlands
The Model Y led Tesla to more domination in the Netherlands, as 13,714 registrations helped the company land 17 percent of the total EV market share.
Tesla led BMW (8.3%) and Volkswagen (8%), and the Volvo XC40 was the second best-seller with 6,309 units registered.
Spain
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 led sales figures for EVs in Spain and contributed to a 22 percent market share held by the automaker in 2023. The Model Y’s 6,843 units and the Model 3’s 6,123 units largely contributed to Tesla’s 13,260 units delivered in Spain last year.
If you were to combine the sales of the third-place MG4 and fourth-place Dacia Spring, you still would not have enough sales to eclipse either the Model Y or Model 3.
Sweden
With all of the headlines surrounding Tesla and Sweden toward the end of 2023, one might think that the automaker would not have held the market share lead in the country.
However, Tesla managed to outpace Volkswagen by over 2 percent. Tesla held 17.4 percent of the EV market share in 2023, with Volkswagen holding 15.1 percent, giving the German company a strong showing in highly competitive Sweden.
The Model Y held the lead with 16,576 units registered, and the ID.4 followed up with 11,009. Volvo trailed Tesla and VW with 10.7 percent, as the XC40 managed to take third in overall sales.
Denmark
Denmark was Tesla’s strongest performance across the countries tracked by EU-EVs, with a massive 34.5 percent market share holding, outpacing Volkswagen in second place by a substantial margin. VW held 10.5 percent of the market in Denmark, good enough for second place.
The Model Y dominated the market with 17,975 units registered, beating out the second place Model 3, which had 4,216 units sold and registered last year.
Tesla sold 22,366 EVs in Denmark last year. The entire country registered 64,781.
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News
Tesla says its Texas lithium refinery is now operational and unlike anything in North America
Elon Musk separately described the site as both the most advanced and the largest lithium refinery in the United States.
Tesla has confirmed that its Texas lithium refinery is now operational, marking a major milestone for the company’s U.S. battery supply chain. In a newly released video, Tesla staff detailed how the facility converts raw spodumene ore directly into battery-grade lithium hydroxide, making it the first refinery of its kind in North America.
Elon Musk separately described the site as both the most advanced and the largest lithium refinery in the United States.
A first-of-its-kind lithium refining process
In the video, Tesla staff at the Texas lithium refinery near Corpus Christi explained that the facility processes spodumene, a lithium-rich hard-rock ore, directly into battery-grade lithium hydroxide on site. The approach bypasses intermediate refining steps commonly used elsewhere in the industry.
According to the staff, spodumene is processed through kilns and cooling systems before undergoing alkaline leaching, purification, and crystallization. The resulting lithium hydroxide is suitable for use in batteries for energy storage and electric vehicles. Tesla employees noted that the process is simpler and less expensive than traditional refining methods.
Staff at the facility added that the process eliminates hazardous byproducts typically associated with lithium refining. “Our process is more sustainable than traditional methods and eliminates hazardous byproducts, and instead produces a co-product named anhydrite, used in concrete mixes,” an employee noted.
Musk calls the facility the largest lithium refinery in America
The refinery’s development timeline has been very impressive. The project moved from breaking ground in 2023 to integrated plant startup in 2025 by running feasibility studies, design, and construction in parallel. This compressed schedule enabled the fastest time-to-market for a refinery using this type of technology. This 2026, the facility has become operational.
Elon Musk echoed the significance of the project in posts on X, stating that “the largest Lithium refinery in America is now operational.” In a separate comment, Musk described the site as “the most advanced lithium refinery in the world” and emphasized that the facility is “very clean.”
By bringing large-scale lithium hydroxide production online in Texas, Tesla is positioning itself to reduce reliance on foreign refining capacity while supporting its growth in battery and vehicle production. The refinery also complements Tesla’s nascent domestic battery manufacturing efforts, which could very well be a difference maker in the market.
News
Tesla Optimus V3 gets early third-party feedback, and it’s eye-opening
Jason Calacanis’ remarks, which were shared during a discussion at CES 2026, offered one of the first third-party impressions of the yet-to-be-unveiled robot
Angel investor and entrepreneur Jason Calacanis shared some insights after he got an early look at Tesla’s upcoming Optimus V3. His remarks, which were shared during a discussion at CES 2026, offered one of the first third-party impressions of the yet-to-be-unveiled robot.
Calacanis’ comments were shared publicly on X, and they were quite noteworthy.
The angel investor stated that he visited Tesla’s Optimus lab on a Sunday morning and observed that the place was buzzing with energy. The investor then shared a rare, shocking insight. As per Calacanis, Optimus V3 will be so revolutionary that people will probably not even remember that Tesla used to make cars in the future.
“I don’t want to name drop, but two Sundays ago, I went to Tesla with Elon and I went and visited the Optimus lab. There were a large number of people working on a Sunday at 10 a.m. and I saw Optimus 3. I can tell you now, nobody will remember that Tesla ever made a car,” he noted.
The angel investor also reiterated the primary advantage of Optimus, and how it could effectively change the world.
“They will only remember the Optimus and that he is going to make a billion of those, and it is going to be the most transformative technology product ever made in the history of humanity, because what LLMs are gonna enable those products to do is understand the world and then do things in the world that we don’t want to do. I believe there will be a 1:1 ratio of humans to Optimus, and I think he’s already won,” he said.
While Calacanis’ comments were clearly opinion-driven, they stood out as among the first from a non-Tesla employee about Optimus V3. Considering his reaction to the humanoid robot, perhaps Elon Musk’s predictions for Optimus V3 might not be too far-fetched at all.
Tesla has been careful with its public messaging around Optimus V3’s development stage. Musk has previously stated on X that Optimus V3 has not yet been revealed publicly, clarifying that images and videos of the robot online still show Optimus V2 and V2.5, not the next-generation unit. As for Calacanis’ recent comments, however, Musk responded with a simple “Probably true” in a post on X.
News
Tesla taps Samsung for 5G modems amid plans of Robotaxi ramp: report
The move signals Tesla’s growing focus on supply-chain diversification and next-generation communications as it prepares to scale its autonomous driving and robotaxi operations.
A report from South Korea has suggested that Samsung Electronics is set to begin supplying 5G automotive modems to Tesla. If accurate, this would mark a major expansion of the two companies’ partnership beyond AI chips and into vehicle connectivity.
The move signals Tesla’s growing focus on supply-chain diversification and next-generation communications as it prepares to scale its autonomous driving and Robotaxi operations.
Samsung’s 5G modem
As per industry sources cited by TheElec, Samsung’s System LSI division has completed development of a dedicated automotive-grade 5G modem for Tesla. The 5G modem is reportedly in its testing phase. Initial supply is expected to begin in the first half of this year, with the first deployments planned for Tesla’s Robotaxi fleet in Texas. A wider rollout to consumer vehicles is expected to follow.
Development of the modem began in early 2024 and it required a separate engineering process from Samsung’s smartphone modems. Automotive modems must meet stricter durability standards, including resistance to extreme temperatures and vibration, along with reliability over a service life exceeding 10 years. Samsung will handle chip design internally, while a partner company would reportedly manage module integration.
The deal represents the first time Samsung has supplied Tesla with a 5G vehicle modem. Tesla has historically relied on Qualcomm for automotive connectivity, but the new agreement suggests that the electric vehicle maker may be putting in some serious effort into diversifying its suppliers as connectivity becomes more critical to autonomous driving.
Deepening Tesla–Samsung ties
The modem supply builds on a rapidly expanding relationship between the two companies. Tesla previously selected Samsung’s foundry business to manufacture its next-generation AI6 chips, a deal valued at more than 22.7 trillion won and announced in mid-2025. Together, the AI chip and 5G modem agreements position Samsung as a key semiconductor partner for Tesla’s future vehicle platforms.
Industry observers have stated that the collaboration aligns with Tesla’s broader effort to reduce reliance on Chinese and Taiwanese suppliers. Geopolitical risk and long-term supply stability are believed to be driving the shift in no small part, particularly as Tesla prepares for large-scale Robotaxi deployment.
Stable, high-speed connectivity is essential for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system, supporting real-time mapping, fleet management, and continuous software updates. By pairing in-vehicle AI computing with a new 5G modem supplier, Tesla appears to be tightening control over both its hardware stack and its global supply chain.
Tesla says its Texas lithium refinery is now operational and unlike anything in North America
Tesla Optimus V3 gets early third-party feedback, and it’s eye-opening
