Connect with us

News

No more “Tesla Killers:” It’s becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish the “EV market” from the mainstream auto segment

(Credit: Ford Motor Company and Tesla Inc.)

Published

5 years ago

on

Those who have followed the Tesla story for years would remember a time when practically every single concept car and production EV was dubbed as a “Tesla Killer.” The idea then was that while Tesla held the lead in electric cars due to its first-mover advantage, the company’s share in the EV segment would shrink once other companies like the Detroit Big Three decided to step into the electric car market. 

Yet with Tesla completing over 930,000 vehicle deliveries in a year rife with chip shortages and supply chain issues, it is becoming more and more difficult to justify the idea of several companies competing in a limited “EV market.” Considering the ongoing rise in electric vehicle sales worldwide and the general decline in sales of vehicles equipped with the internal combustion engine, it is starting to become evident that today, there is no longer an “EV market.” Today, there is just a “car market,” and EVs are winning. 

One does not even have to look at Tesla’s 87% growth in 2021 vehicle sales to prove this point. A look at how veteran automakers Ford and General Motors fared in 2021 would show how a notable degree of focus and seriousness in electric vehicles may positively or negatively affect an automaker’s numbers in the current auto environment. Both Ford and GM were hit, just like Tesla, with the supply chain crisis, but one could argue that General Motors ended up with the shorter end of the stick. 

In Q4 2021, GM’s US sales tanked by 42.9%, Buick fell by 34.8%, Cadillac fell by 47.8%, Chevrolet dropped by 44.7%, and GMC fell by 37.7%. For the entire year, GM’s overall sales dropped by 12.9%. This ultimately allowed Japanese carmaker Toyota to overtake the Detroit veteran for the first time in nearly a century. It should be noted that GM’s electric vehicle push was practically nonexistent in Q4 2021, with the company selling all but 25 Chevy Bolts and one GMC Hummer EV before the end of the year. 

Advertisement

Ford did not have an easy 2021 either. The company sold 1.9 million vehicles in 2021, down 6.8% from 2020. Yet despite this, there were notable points of strength in Ford’s results. The most evident of these could be found in the sales of the Mustang Mach-E, the company’s premium all-electric crossover that, at times, has been favorably compared to the Tesla Model Y, one of the market’s best-selling EVs today. Mach-E sales totaled 27,140 vehicles in 2021, making it the second best-selling electric SUV in the US. Interest in the F-150 Lightning also remained strong over the year, to the point where the company had to double its production goals twice to meet the vehicle’s existing demand. 

Perhaps it was just chance, or simply bad luck on GM’s part, but one could notice that between the two Detroit veterans, Ford seems to be far more willing to walk the walk with the EV transition in 2021. General Motors might have announced various lofty targets, and US President Joe Biden might have dubbed GM CEO Mary Barra as the person who electrified the auto sector, but numbers don’t lie. In 2022, GM lost in the EV race by a wide margin, and its sales seem to have taken a hit by extension. 

https://twitter.com/mrlevine/status/1478738397376094211?s=20

The coming year would be one for the record books. Various electric cars from both veterans and newcomers are expected to be released. Tesla has the Cybertruck and the Semi coming, and rumors are high that work on the company’s $25,000 electric car is underway. Rivian has the R1S ramp to look forward to, and Lucid has its work cut out with the ramp of the Air sedan. Ford has the F-150 Lightning coming this year, and GM has recently just announced the Silverado EV. Volkswagen is also expanding its ID lineup, with the highly anticipated Buzz, the successor to the iconic Microbus, launching this year. 

Needless to say, 2022, and likely the years following it, would be one that’s characterized by the rise of electric cars. With veteran carmakers now playing catch up to companies like Tesla, the next years would likely see EVs take a more prominent section of the auto sector’s pie. With several countries and regions across the world poised to ban the internal combustion engine within the coming years, buying all-electric cars is starting to become common sense for the mainstream buyer. And that, ultimately, suggests that the “EV segment” has now transitioned into simply the “auto market.”

Advertisement

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to tips@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Related Topics:

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.3.5 Early Impressions: new features and early performance

Published

30 minutes ago

on

July 14, 2026

By

Credit: TESLARATI

Tesla rolled out Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14.3.5 yesterday, and about fifty miles of driving on the new version has given me enough time to highlight what seems to be strong about the release and what is not.

Additionally, Tesla has added a few new features with this specific update, which we’ll highlight as well.

Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.3.5 Performance

The new update is business as usual. Things seem to be running completely normal and necessary, but there are a few things that we’ve seemed to pick up on based on our own experience with v14.3.5, as well as what other users are seeing.

Initially, it seems to be more aware of its surroundings, making moves that are incredibly courteous to other drives and operating just a tad more reserved than what the suite might have done previously.

We had two instances where it showed this, the first being FSD needing to pass a Flagger Force vehicle that was placing down signage for the day. Their work truck was right at the front corner of a right-hand turn; typically where most cars travel when they take that turn.

FSD v14.3.5 recognized this, slowed down, and took the turn wide with no issues:

Additionally, v14.3.5 backed up for a semi truck that was making a wide turn onto a road my car was on. This is not new, but it seemed to be backing up for courtesy; it didn’t seem completely necessary, but it might have put some peace of mind in the truck driver’s head:

X user Mike P, also a Pennsylvania native like myself, shared three clips of his Tesla running v14.3.5 performing similar maneuvers. He said:

“FSD turns right into a small alley that only fits one car at a time, sees oncoming car, reverses out of alley to make space, realizes oncoming car is actually parking, re-enters alley.”
Check it out here:

It seems like Speed Profiles are still in need of some tweaking; I am adjusting what Speed Profile I’m in frequently, constantly changing it to get it to travel at the correct speed. This was an issue for me on v14.3.4. It seems like they’re just a little inconsistent.

Terrible Parking

Parking attempts on v14.3.5 were not good. There are quite a few people who have said this:

David Moss, the Tesla owner who has taken multiple coast-to-coast drives without any interventions, also has had some issues with parking early on with v14.3.5:

New Features

Tesla has added the ability to open Camera Preview at any time. Previously, it was only available in Park. Here’s what that feature looks like in action:

Check back later this week for a longer review of what we’ve noticed on Full Self-Driving v14.3.5.

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Tesla makes the cut on California’s newest EV Rebate program

California just signed a $270 million EV rebate into law and it starts this summer.

Published

6 hours ago

on

July 13, 2026

By

tesla fremont

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 168 into law on Monday, July 13, 2026, creating a $270 million EV rebate program that delivers money directly at the dealership rather than as a tax credit applied months later. The program, called MyFirstEV, is funded equally by California’s state budget and participating automakers, with each contributing $135.5 million to make the math work.

The timing is directly tied to the loss of federal support when the $7,500 federal EV tax credit ended, removing the most significant consumer incentive that had driven EV adoption in the U.S. California, which accounts for roughly one-third of all EVs sold nationally, moved to fill that gap with a state-level replacement.

The rebate structure is straightforward. First-time EV buyers can receive $3,500 off any new battery-electric vehicle with an MSRP up to $50,000. Used EVs priced at $25,000 or below qualify for a $1,750 rebate. The credit is applied at the point of sale, which removes the friction of the old federal system where buyers had to wait for tax season to see the benefit. The program goes live later this summer, with the California Air Resources Board expected to release full participation details next month.

California hits Tesla Cybercab and Robotaxi driverless cars with new law

For Tesla buyers, the implications are mixed. The Tesla Model 3 RWD at $42,490 and the Model 3 Long Range at $47,490 both fall under the $50,000 cap and would qualify for the full $3,500 rebate for first-time buyers. The Model Y, which starts at $44,990 after Tesla’s recent price adjustment, also qualifies. The Model X, Model S, and Cybertruck all exceed the cap and receive no benefit. As Teslarati has reported, the program also includes a carve-out exempting California-based automakers like Rivian and Lucid from the price cap entirely, a provision that puts Tesla at a disadvantage since it relocated its headquarters to Texas in 2021.

Other qualifying vehicles include the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Volkswagen ID.4.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla Semi enters new Pilot Program with interesting challenge

Published

18 hours ago

on

July 13, 2026

By

Credit: PTI

The Tesla Semi is entering a new Pilot Program with Paper Transport, LLC (PTI), a Wisconsin-based transportation provider. The company will test the Semi’s Long Range configuration through “dedicated operations within the Chicago market.”

Chicago presents an interesting challenge for the Semi, as it will be a colder-weather climate that will test the Semi’s ability to operate in lower temperatures and in potentially large accumulations of snow. This is something Tesla has been testing with the Semi in Alaska and even in Northern California during the colder months, but Chicago will present a truly tough midwestern winter.

Tesla Semi spotted on journey home after winter performance testing

PTI says it is using the Semi to evaluate its strategy of reducing transportation emissions while maintaining performance, reliability, and cost efficiency. These are major arguments for the Semi being introduced into new fleets.

CEO of PTI Tyler Ellison said:

“PTI has been a leader in sustainable transportation solutions for over 15 years. We take a consultative approach to helping customers identify and implement the right transportation solution for their network. Our partnership with Tesla expands our portfolio alongside renewable natural gas and intermodal, giving customers more ways to reduce Scope 3 emissions without compromising service or economics.”

PTI is far from the first company to adopt the Semi within a fleet, as Tesla entered strategic agreements with PepsiCo. and its subsidiary Frito-Lay for a Pilot Program that extended throughout the California region.

Tesla has let companies like those utilize the Semi to determine whether it would be suitable for their operations. Additionally, Tesla gets valuable information regarding the Semi’s performance, knowing what to improve and what is ideal for companies that will utilize the all-electric truck for regional and nationwide logistics.

PTI plans to utilize the Long Range configuration, which is priced at $290,000 and features a range of approximately 500 miles, a three-motor powertrain, up to 800 kW of drive power, and consumption of just 1.7 kWh per mile.

Tesla Semi pricing revealed after company uncovers trim levels

VP of Maintenance at PTI, Bryan Ellen, added:

“We are excited to partner with Tesla, leveraging their ever-evolving technology. We are bullish in our estimation of the parallels available between our dedicated model and the efficiency of their fully electric Class 8 tractor. We anticipate a growing synergy between our businesses as we work to facilitate this sustainable solution for our customers.”

PTI has logged more than 87 million miles using sources like compressed and renewable gas, but now is looking to take it a step further with fully electric operations.

Continue Reading