News
Tesla’s Elon Musk gives BYD EVs due credit: “Highly competitive these days”
Back in 2011, Tesla CEO Elon Musk was asked by Bloomberg about a potential rival in the electric vehicle space — China’s BYD. Musk laughed off the suggestion, noting that he did not really see BYD as a rival to Tesla. “Have you seen their car?” Musk said then, poking fun at the Chinese carmaker.
Needless to say, a lot has happened since then. Tesla has grown into the world’s most valuable automaker by market capitalization, and it currently stands as the undisputed leader in all-electric cars. But even amidst these accomplishents, one cannot discount the fact that BYD has also emerged as one of the current powerhouses in the automotive sector, particularly in China.
Today, BYD far outsells Tesla China in raw volume of New Energy Vehicles (NEV), though it should be noted that the Chinese automaker’s numbers include hybrid cars and plug-in hybrids. Tesla’s vehicles also tend to be priced at a premium, so BYD’s more affordable NEV offerings have an edge in the Chinese automotive market.
But despite this, Musk nonetheless gave BYD some much-deserved credit on Twitter as of late. In a response to a video of his 2011 interview about BYD, Musk clarified that such sentiments were from a long time ago. Today, Musk noted, BYD’s cars are very impressive. “That was many years ago. Their cars are highly competitive these days,” Musk wrote.
Musk definitely knows what he is talking about, considering that BYD is arguably Tesla China’s largest competitor. In fact, one may not be faulted for inferring that the rise of BYD as the dominating force in China’s NEV sector might be one of the reasons why Tesla is now working hard to launch its next-generation platform, which would pave the way for electric cars that are more affordable than the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover.
While Musk tends to poke fun at rivals from time to time, he has also shown a tendency to give credit where it is due. Over the years, Musk has expressed his support for several non-Tesla all-electric cars, such as the Porsche Taycan, a Tesla Model S rival. Musk noted in 2019 that the Taycan seems like a good car, and its track time at the Nurburgring was great. He also supported the Mustang Mach-E, despite the vehicle being a direct competitor to the Model Y.
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Investor's Corner
Tesla (TSLA) Q4 and FY 2025 earnings results
Tesla’s Q4 and FY 2025 earnings come on the heels of a quarter where the company produced over 434,000 vehicles, delivered over 418,000 vehicles, and deployed 14.2 GWh of energy storage products.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has released its Q4 and FY 2025 earnings results in an update letter. The document was posted on the electric vehicle maker’s official Investor Relations website after markets closed today, January 28, 2025.
Tesla’s Q4 and FY 2025 earnings come on the heels of a quarter where the company produced over 434,000 vehicles, delivered over 418,000 vehicles, and deployed 14.2 GWh of energy storage products.
For the Full Year 2025, Tesla produced 1,654,667 and delivered 1,636,129 vehicles. The company also deployed a total of 46.7 GWh worth of energy storage products.
Tesla’s Q4 and FY 2025 results
As could be seen in Tesla’s Q4 and FY 2025 Update Letter, the company posted GAAP EPS of $0.24 and non-GAAP EPS of $0.50 per share in the fourth quarter. Tesla also posted total revenues of $24.901 billion. GAAP net income is also listed at $840 million in Q4.
Analyst consensus has Tesla earnings per share falling 38% to $0.45 with revenue declining 4% to $24.74 billion, as per estimates from FactSet. In comparison, the consensus compiled by Tesla last week forecasted $0.44 per share on sales totaling $24.49 billion.
Below is Tesla’s Q4 and FY 2025 update letter.
TSLA-Q4-2025-Update by Simon Alvarez
Tesla has rolled out a new Supercharging safety feature in the United States, one that will answer concerns that some owners may have if they need to leave in a pinch.
It is also a suitable alternative for non-Tesla chargers, like third-party options that feature J1772 or CCS to NACS adapters.
The feature has been available in Europe for some time, but it is now rolling out to Model 3 and Model Y owners in the U.S.
With Software Update 2026.2.3, Tesla is launching the Unlatching Charge Cable function, which will now utilize the left rear door handle to release the charging cable from the port. The release notes state:
“Charging can now be stopped and the charge cable released by pulling and holding the rear left door handle for three seconds, provided the vehicle is unlocked, and a recognized key is nearby. This is especially useful when the charge cable doesn’t have an unlatch button. You can still release the cable using the vehicle touchscreen or the Tesla app.”
The feature was first spotted by Not a Tesla App.
This is an especially nice feature for those who commonly charge at third-party locations that utilize plugs that are not NACS, which is the Tesla standard.
For example, after plugging into a J1772 charger, you will still be required to unlock the port through the touchscreen, which is a minor inconvenience, but an inconvenience nonetheless.
Additionally, it could be viewed as a safety feature, especially if you’re in need of unlocking the charger from your car in a pinch. Simply holding open the handle on the rear driver’s door will now unhatch the port from the car, allowing you to pull it out and place it back in its housing.
This feature is currently only available on the Model 3 and Model Y, so Model S, Model X, and Cybertruck owners will have to wait for a different solution to this particular feature.
News
LG Energy Solution pursuing battery deal for Tesla Optimus, other humanoid robots: report
Optimus is expected to be one of Tesla’s most ambitious projects, with Elon Musk estimating that the humanoid robot could be the company’s most important product.
A recent report has suggested that LG Energy Solution is in discussions to supply batteries for Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot.
Optimus is expected to be one of Tesla’s most ambitious projects, with Elon Musk estimating that the humanoid robot could be the company’s most important product.
Humanoid robot battery deals
LG Energy Solution shares jumped more than 11% on the 28th after a report from the Korea Economic Daily claimed that the company is pursuing battery supply and joint development agreements with several humanoid robot makers. These reportedly include Tesla, which is developing Optimus, as well as multiple Chinese robotics companies.
China is already home to several leading battery manufacturers, such as CATL and BYD, making the robot makers’ reported interest in LG Energy Solution quite interesting. Market participants interpreted the reported outreach as a signal that performance requirements for humanoid robots may favor battery chemistries developed by companies like LG.
LF Energy Solution vs rivals
According to the report, energy density is believed to be the primary reason humanoid robot developers are evaluating LG Energy Solution’s batteries. Unlike electric vehicles, humanoid robots have significantly less space available for battery packs while requiring substantial power to operate dozens of joint motors and onboard artificial intelligence processors.
LG Energy Solution’s ternary lithium batteries offer higher energy density compared with rivals’ lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, which are widely used by Chinese EV manufacturers. That advantage could prove critical for humanoid robots, where runtime, weight, and compact packaging are key design constraints.
Tesla (TSLA) Q4 and FY 2025 earnings results
Tesla rolls out new Supercharging safety feature in the U.S.
