News
Tesla, India talks stagnate as neither party is willing to budge on terms
Tesla and Indian government officials have essentially reached a standstill as neither party is willing to budge from terms they feel are necessary to bring the electric automaker’s vehicles to the South Asian country.
Tesla has said for years that it would enter India as a market for its electric vehicles. Progress started to be made in 2021 when Tesla acquired several business licenses in India, but things have hit a roadblock in recent months, especially as Tesla is unwilling to commit to a Gigafactory facility unless it can test demand first. Indian officials are reluctant to roll back duties on imported vehicles so Tesla can determine whether the market would be an ideal place to build a factory that could potentially cost $1 billion or more.
Tesla cannot effectively test demand because the import duties would increase the cost of cars $40,000 and under by 40%. Anything over $40,000 is subject to a 100% tax, putting the cars out of the price range for many people.
However, Indian officials told Reuters that “they have been unconvinced by Tesla’s lobbying as the company has not yet shared any firm plan to invest in the country.” Tesla has not yet committed to any solidified investment, likely because the current government administration, run by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is unwilling to lower import taxes that would allow a foreign company to test demand. The focus is only on domestic manufacturing, as a part of Modi’s “Make In India” plan from 2015 that aimed to boost local manufacturing.
Tesla’s ‘challenges’ with India gov’t halt potential rescue of $27B manufacturing initiative
Tesla’s unwillingness to commit because of no real demand data, along with India’s requests for a formal commitment, has resulted in “a weird stalemate situation,” one insider also said in the report. “Things are not moving ahead (for Tesla),” they said.
Another source has stated that Tesla is open to sourcing its automotive components from local manufacturers and would eventually move toward manufacturing them internally. This would provide domestic companies supplier deals initially, and then contribute to workforce and labor growth as Tesla transitioned to a vertically integrated system in India after a few years of operation. One example of workforce growth that Tesla has contributed to is China, as Gigafactory Shanghai is expanding its Model Y line to 9,000 workers from 6,000. When the expansion is completed, 18,000 people will be employed at the Shanghai facility.
Even though Tesla is willing to utilize local suppliers early on, government officials are looking for a firm commitment. “If they do not want to invest anything here, how is that model going to work,” the source said. Additionally, this source stated that import duties being rolled back soon was “highly unlikely.”
Rumors of a potential meeting between Modi and CEO Elon Musk, who stated last week that Tesla was still working through “challenges” with India’s government, have circulated. A source did state that Tesla officials have met with India’s Tax and Customs department and Modi’s office in the past. Tesla officials have pushed for a meeting between Musk and Modi directly.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk reveals new details about Robotaxi rollout
The first Tesla Robotaxi unit was spotted in Austin earlier today, and CEO Elon Musk is revealing some cool new details.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed new details about the company’s relatively imminent rollout of the Robotaxi platform as the suspected launch date of June 12 continues to near.
Earlier today, the first video showing the first driverless Tesla Robotaxi in Austin was shared on X, just a day after the City officially listed the company as an autonomous vehicle operator on its website. Tesla is listed as a company in the “Testing” phase.
🚨 BREAKING: The first Tesla Robotaxi has been spotted in Austin!
It’s has the word “Robotaxi” inscribed on the side, and it’s very clear that there is nobody in the driver’s seat.
It does appear that someone is in the passenger’s seat. https://t.co/6BdTfd4B8p pic.twitter.com/dygWCeQ5kZ
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 10, 2025
The initial details of the Robotaxi are being revealed by Musk, who is carefully releasing small tidbits that seem to show the capabilities of the entire Tesla fleet, and not necessarily just the vehicles that will be involved in the initial rollout in Austin.
First Tesla driverless robotaxi spotted in the wild in Austin, TX
His first tidbit is one that many Tesla owners and fans will already know: many Teslas are capable of this driveless performance, but Full Self-Driving is not yet refined to the point where the software is quite ready to handle it. Current versions are robust, but not prepared for driverless navigation. The hardware, however, will enable Teslas to be Robotaxis, even if they’re already purchased by owners:
These are unmodified Tesla cars coming straight from the factory, meaning that every Tesla coming out of our factories is capable of unsupervised self-driving! https://t.co/n94ln0Uas6
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2025
This is one of the biggest advantages Tesla has over other vehicle makers. Simply put, the Over-the-Air software updates that will roll out to FSD users will eventually make their cars into Robotaxis as well.
However, Musk shed some details on the version of FSD that is being run in these new Robotaxis that were spotted. Musk said that the version these Robotaxis are running is a new version, but will soon “merge to main branch.”
There is also an even newer version that has four times the parameters as this newer version that the test-stage Robotaxis are using, but Musk admits that this needs significant refinement before it is released to the public.
It’s a new version of software, but will merge to main branch soon.
We have a more advanced model in alpha stage that has ~4X the params, but still requires a lot of polishing.
That’s probably ready for deploy in a few months.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 10, 2025
As of now, Tesla is simply teasing the actual launch date of the Robotaxi program, but Bloomberg reported earlier this month that it will occur on June 12.
News
First Tesla driverless robotaxi spotted in the wild in Austin, TX
The short clip suggests that Tesla may be ramping up its preparations for its robotaxi rollout in Austin.
A recent video posted on X has provided a first look at Tesla’s driverless robotaxi, which is expected to be deployed in Austin, Texas, this month. The vehicle was a new Tesla Model Y, which was followed by what appeared to be a manned chase car.
The short clip suggests that Tesla may be ramping up its preparations for its robotaxi rollout in Austin.
The First Robotaxi Sighting
It was evident from the short clip that the Tesla robotaxi was operating completely driverless. In the video, which was posted on X by @TerrapinTerpene, the driverless Tesla could be seen confidently making a turn. The vehicle looked and behaved like any other car on the road, save for the fact that there was no one in the driver’s seat.
Interestingly enough, the short video also provided a teaser on where Tesla will place its “robotaxi” logo on its self-driving cars. Based on the video, the robotaxis’ logo will be tastefully placed on the front doors, making the vehicles look sleek and clean.
Initial Rollout Imminent
Recent reports have suggested that Tesla is already starting the testing phase of its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas. Expectations are also high that Tesla’s initial fleet of self-driving vehicles will be utilizing a lot of teleoperation to ensure that they operate as safely as possible.
Updates to Austin’s official website recently have hinted at Tesla’s robotaxi launch. Just this Monday, Tesla was listed as an autonomous vehicle (AV) operator on Austin’s official Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Other AV operators listed on the site are Waymo and Zoox, among others.
Elon Musk, for his part, has noted that by the end of June, the public in Austin should be ready to take rides in Tesla robotaxis without an invitation. He also noted in late May that Tesla has been busy testing driverless cars on Austin’s city streets without any incidents.
News
Tesla Model Y proudly takes its place as China’s best-selling SUV in May
The Model Y edged out competitors like the BYD Song Plus.
The Tesla Model Y claimed its position as China’s best-selling SUV in May, with 24,770 units registered, according to insurance data from China EV DataTracker.
The Model Y edged out competitors like the BYD Song Plus, which recorded 24,240 registrations, as well as Geely’s gasoline-powered Xingyue L, which took third place with 21,014 units registered, as noted in Car News China report.
Return To The Top
The Model Y’s return to the top of China’s SUV market follows a second-place finish in April, when it trailed the BYD Song Plus by just 684 units. Tesla China had 19,984 new Model Y registrations in April, while BYD had 20,668 registrations for the Song Plus.
For the first five months of 2025, Tesla sold 126,643 Model Ys in China, outpacing the Song Plus at 110,551 units and BYD’s Song Pro at 80,245 units. This is quite impressive as the new Tesla Model Y is still a premium vehicle that is significantly more expensive than a good number of its competitors.
Year-Over-Year Challenges
Despite its SUV crown, Tesla’s year-over-year performance in China is still seeing headwinds. May sales totaled 38,588 units, a 30% year-over-year decline. From January to May, Tesla delivered 201,926 vehicles in China, a 7.8% drop year-over-year. These drops, however, are notably affected by the company’s changeover to the new Model Y in the first quarter.
Exports from Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory also fell, with 90,949 vehicles being shipped from January to May 2025. This represents a decline of 33.4% year-over-year, though May exports rose 33% to 23,074 units.
China’s electric vehicle market, meanwhile, showed robust growth. Total NEV sales, which includes battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), reached 1,021,000 units in May, up 28% year-over-year. BEV sales alone hit 607,000 units, a 22.4% increase.
Considering the fact that China’s BEV market is extremely competitive, the Tesla Model Y’s rise to the top of the country’s SUV rankings is extremely impressive.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk reveals new details about Robotaxi rollout
First Tesla driverless robotaxi spotted in the wild in Austin, TX
Tesla Model Y proudly takes its place as China’s best-selling SUV in May
-
News1 week agoTesla to lose 64 Superchargers on New Jersey Turnpike in controversial decision
-
News2 weeks agoTesla gets major upgrade that Apple users will absolutely love
-
News2 weeks agoTesla teases new color while testing refreshed Model S, X
-
Elon Musk2 weeks agoTesla investors demand 40-hour workweek from Elon Musk
-
News1 day agoI took a Tesla Cybertruck weekend Demo Drive – Here’s what I learned
-
Elon Musk1 week agoElon Musk explains Tesla’s domestic battery strategy
-
News2 weeks agoTesla Cybertrucks join Jalisco’s police fleet ahead of FIFA World Cup
-
News2 weeks agoTesla rolls out new crucial safety feature aimed at saving children