In a flash of dramatic irony, Andrew Wheeler, the Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency, praised the Trump administration’s Safer Affordable Fuel Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles rule, a rollback of fuel economy standards that would allow automakers to sell more polluting vehicles in the United States.
“Too many reporters fail to mention one very important point: the Obama era CAFÉ standards were not attainable by the auto industry. The truth is, the SAFE rule sets realistic standards, will reduce pollution, and save lives!” Wheeler posted.
Such statements, of course, attracted strong responses. In a call with reporters on Tuesday, California attorney general Xavier Becerra remarked that the EPA Administrator’s Twitter announcement was downright wrong. “(EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler) issued a tweet saying that this new rule would save lives, and reduce pollution, and that it would provide significant benefits to the American economy. In each case, he’s wrong,” Becerra said.
On Tuesday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency announced the SAFE standards that will take the place of the Obama-era Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules, which required about 5% annual improvements in fuel efficiency every year from carmakers.
Under the CAFE rules, the EPA noted that automakers would have been required to sell cars and light trucks with an average fuel efficiency of about 54 miles per gallon in 2026 model cars. With the current administration’s SAFE rules, vehicles could simply average about 40 miles per gallon by 2026 to meet the new standards.
In a way, Wheeler’s tweet boiled down to one point. The old CAFE standards were simply unrealistic, and America needs the new SAFE rules to make sure automakers and car buyers win out. Interestingly enough, the EPA official’s post came amidst an ongoing climate crisis and a literal pandemic that involves a virus attacking people’s capability to breathe.
Bad timing and taste aside, the EPA Administrator appears to have conveniently forgotten one particular American carmaker that has had absolutely no problem meeting the “unrealistic” standards of the Obama-era CAFE rules. This carmaker currently stands as the most valuable US-based automaker by market cap, and in recent quarters, it has even turned a profit, highlighting the argument that there is a substantial demand and a solid business model for zero-emissions vehicles.
This carmaker, of course, is Tesla. The company had been producing electric cars since 2008, and it has been mass-producing vehicles since 2012. With the Model 3, Tesla started breaking into the mainstream market, with some car buyers trading in otherwise more affordable vehicles to acquire the electric sedan. A crossover, the Model Y, has begun deliveries ahead of schedule, and if initial impressions from professional reviewers are any indication, there’s a good chance that the all-electric crossover will be a disruptor as well.
With the United States’ SAFE rules, automakers like Ford and GM will likely have less incentive to push electric cars. This may be detrimental to both companies, considering that leaked production plans from both GM and Ford have shown that the veteran automakers are still committed to the internal combustion engine despite their pro-EV rhetoric. This could be a costly move for GM and Ford, since territories outside the United States, such as Europe and China, have committed to electrification.
But amidst all these, there is a silver lining. If veteran automakers like Ford and GM will not step up to the plate and provide good electric cars to meet the demand from buyers, a new breed of EV companies will. Tesla has proven that a well-designed, feature-rich, all-electric car like the Model 3 can dominate their established internal combustion counterparts. There’s a good chance that vehicles like the Cybertruck, or perhaps Rivian’s R1T, could do the same for high-end F-150s and RAM trucks.
In a way, the adjustment of the United States’ emissions standards could prove to be an opportunity for electric car makers. Beyond the United States, after all, authorities are going all-in on electric cars. And for some territories such as Europe and China, there is no more turning back.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk shares ridiculous fact about Optimus’ hand demos
It appears that Optimus’ V3 iteration is still very much under wraps.
Elon Musk recently revealed something quite shocking about the Optimus demonstration hand that was showcased at the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting. As per the CEO, the complex robotic hand that impressed the event’s attendees was not a component of Optimus V3 at all.
Needless to say, it appears that Optimus’ V3 iteration is still very much under wraps.
Optimus’s hand
Even in Tesla’s We, Robot event last year, the company showcased a robotic hand that seemed capable of performing complex tasks. A similar hand was showcased at the recent investor event. It was then no surprise that some attendees and EV community members assumed that the robotic component, which was very dexterous, was a preview of Optimus V3’s hand.
As per Elon Musk in a recent post on X, however, this was not the case. While the robotic hand that Tesla showcased at the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting was already very impressive, it was still a V2 component. In response to a quote post from his mom Maye Musk, who noted that “Elon told me a few times that the hand is the most difficult part of the robot,” Elon Musk clarified that the impressive component was still from Optimus V2.
“This is just the V2 Optimus hand. The V3 hand is another level beyond this. Exquisite engineering,” Musk wrote in his post on X.
Not like Tesla
Tesla is designing Optimus to be a potential replacement for humans in some of the world’s most delicate tasks, such as surgery. It is then extremely important for Optimus’ hand to be very dexterous and refined in its movements. This is something that even companies that are also producing humanoid robots have yet to accomplish fully. Musk highlighted this during the Annual Shareholder Meeting, when he discussed how Tesla is really the only company that can scale humanoid robots properly.
“You will see certainly many companies showing demonstration robots. There’s really three things that are super difficult about robots. One is the engineering of the forearm and hand because the human hand is an incredible thing, actually. It’s super dexterous.
“So, engineering the hand really well, the real-world AI, and then volume manufacturing. Those are generally the things that are missing. One or more of those things are missing from other companies. So Tesla is the only one that has all three of those,” Musk said.
Energy
Tesla starts hiring efforts for Texas Megafactory
Tesla’s Brookshire site is expected to produce 10,000 Megapacks annually, equal to 40 gigawatt hours of energy storage.
Tesla has officially begun hiring for its new $200 million Megafactory in Brookshire, Texas, a manufacturing hub expected to employ 1,500 people by 2028. The facility, which will build Tesla’s grid-scale Megapack batteries, is part of the company’s growing energy storage footprint.
Tesla’s hiring efforts for the Texas Megafactory are hinted at by the job openings currently active on the company’s Careers website.
Tesla’s Texas Megafactory
Tesla’s Brookshire site is expected to produce 10,000 Megapacks annually, equal to 40 gigawatt hours of energy storage, similar to the Lathrop Megafactory in California. Tesla’s Careers website currently lists over 30 job openings for the site, from engineers, welders, and project managers. Each of the openings is listed for Brookshire, Texas.
The company has leased two buildings in Empire West Business Park, with over $194 million in combined property and equipment investment. Tesla’s agreement with Waller County includes a 60% property tax abatement, contingent on meeting employment benchmarks: 375 jobs by 2026, 750 by 2027, and 1,500 by 2028, as noted in a report from the Houston Business Journal. Tesla is required to employ at least 1,500 workers in the facility through the rest of the 10-year abatement period.
Tesla’s clean energy boom
City officials have stated that Tesla’s arrival marks a turning point for the Texas city, as it highlights a shift from logistics to advanced clean energy manufacturing. Ramiro Bautista from Brookshire’s economic development office, highlighted this in a comment to the Journal.
“(Tesla) has great-paying jobs. Not just that, but the advanced manufacturing (and) clean energy is coming to the area,” he said. “So it’s not just your normal logistics manufacturing. This is advanced manufacturing coming to this area, and this brings a different type of job and investment into the local economy.”
News
Tesla Giga Shanghai just built its 5 millionth battery pack
The achievement highlights Giga Shanghai’s role as the automaker’s highest volume manufacturing complex.
Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory has reached a major production milestone, with its five millionth battery pack rolling off the line this week.
The achievement highlights Giga Shanghai’s role as the automaker’s highest volume manufacturing complex and primary vehicle export hub.
Giga Shanghai’s new milestone
Tesla announced the milestone on X and Weibo, sharing images from the facility where the five millionth pack was completed. Images showed the Giga Shanghai team posing for a commemorative photo with the facility’s five millionth battery pack. Several of the company’s executives congratulated the Tesla China team for its recent milestone, including SVP Tom Zhu, who wrote “Power up, team!” in a post on X.
While Tesla designs and assembles its battery packs in China, the cells themselves are supplied by local partner CATL and South Korea’s LG Energy Solution, as noted in a CNEV Post report. Tesla China has stated that its pack safety standards exceed industry norms several times over, with longevity engineered to outlast vehicle lifespans.
Giga Shanghai’s growing role
Construction of Giga Shanghai began in early 2019, becoming China’s first wholly foreign-owned auto manufacturing facility. Giga Shanghai’s first phase was completed within the year, producing Model 3 sedans by the end of 2019. It now produces both Model 3 sedans and Model Y SUVs for domestic and export markets, with an annual capacity approaching one million vehicles.
Despite the record-setting battery milestone, Tesla China’s recent domestic results left a lot to be desired. As per the China Passenger Car Association, Tesla’s retail sales in October dropped 36% year over year to 26,006 units, the lowest since late 2022. Analysts attributed the decline to Giga Shanghai’s focus on exports last month, as well as the ramp of compelling rivals like the Xiaomi YU7.
Elon Musk shares ridiculous fact about Optimus’ hand demos
Tesla starts hiring efforts for Texas Megafactory
Tesla Giga Shanghai just built its 5 millionth battery pack
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