Tesla quietly revealed in its Q1 report that nearly half the vehicles it produced in the first quarter of 2022 were equipped with cobalt-free lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. The news, however, was overshadowed in the news cycle, particularly by Tesla’s $19 billion revenue and CEO Elon Musk’s acquisition of social media platform Twitter.
LFP batteries are not a new innovation, but it has not been used as much in areas outside China. According to data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (BMI), only 3% of electric vehicle batteries in the United States and Canada and 6% in the European Union are iron-based. In China, however, LFP batteries command 44% of the EV market.
Tesla currently uses LFP batteries in its base vehicles, though Elon Musk has hinted that the EV company will be using more cobalt-free cells in more products. Considering the prolific nature of Tesla and its influence on the market, it would not be surprising if other EV makers also began exploring the option of using LFP batteries for their own cars.
Amusingly enough, by playing a notable part in LFP battery adoption, it appears that Elon Musk has effectively become an “iron man” of sorts.
According to a Reuters review of the EV market, Tesla is not alone in its support for LFP batteries. Over a dozen companies are reportedly considering building LFP battery cell plants in the United States and Europe in the next three years. And things will likely only pick up from there. Mujeeb Ijaz, the founder of US battery startup Our Next Energy, noted that LFP has a future in the EV industry.
“I think lithium iron phosphate has a new life. It has a clear and long-term advantage for the electric vehicle industry,” he said.
There was a reason why LFP batteries took this long to gain ground. While LFP cells use cheaper materials, and while they could be consistently charged fully without much degradation, they tend to be larger, heavier, and generally hold less energy than nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cells. Thus, electric cars that use LFP batteries tend to have shorter range.
Tesla’s decision to use LFP batteries for its base vehicles could be considered a strategic move. Since the company is electively the undisputed leader in the electric vehicle sector, the roughly 150,000 cars it produced last quarter that were equipped with LFP batteries took a number of analysts and specialists by surprise. And similar to other innovations from the company, such as its use of megacasts, it appears that other carmakers will soon be following suit.
EV startup Fisker, for one, noted that it is planning on using LFP batteries for its lower-range SUVs. CEO Henrik Fisker noted that the company is in discussions with battery suppliers from the United States, Canada, or Mexico. Fisker noted that LFP batteries are perfect for vehicles that are used by city-dwellers.
“If I never leave Los Angeles, I never leave San Francisco, I never leave London … I think that’s where LFP comes in really well,” he said.
Audi CEO Markus Duesmann, in comments that were shared last March, also spoke highly of LFP cells’ potential. “It may well be that we will see LFP in a larger portion of the fleet in the medium term. After the war, a new situation will emerge; we will adapt to that and choose battery technologies and specifications accordingly,” he said.
Even BMW, which is arguably lagging in the electric vehicle race considering the pace of rivals such as Volkswagen and Daimler, is looking towards LFP batteries. Recent comments from BMW chief procurement officer Joachim Post indicated that the German automaker was analyzing the merits of iron-based cells. “We’re looking at different technologies to minimize the use of resources and also we’re looking at optimizing chemistry,” the executive said.
*Quotes courtesy of Reuters.
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Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program
“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”
Tesla has added a new and somewhat surprising fee to the Robotaxi program. It’s only surprising because it was never there before.
Tesla shocked everyone when it launched its Robotaxi platform and offered riders the opportunity to tip, only to tell them they do not accept tips. It was one of the company’s attempts at being humorous as it rolled out its driverless platform to people in Austin.
As it has expanded to new cities and been opened to more people, as it was yesterday to iOS users, Tesla has had to tweak some of the minor details of the Robotaxi and ride-hailing platforms it operates.
First Look at Tesla’s Robotaxi App: features, design, and more
With more riders, more vehicles, and more operational jurisdictions, the company has to adjust as things become busier.
Now, it is adjusting the platform by adding “Cleaning Fees” to the Robotaxi platform, but it seems it is only charged if the vehicle requires some additional attention after your ride.
The app will communicate with the rider with the following message (via Not a Tesla App):
“Additional cleaning was required for the vehicle after your trip. A fee has been added to your final cost to cover this service. Please contact us if you have any questions.”
The cost of the cleaning will likely depend on how severe the mess is. If you spill a soda, it will likely cost less than if you lose your lunch in the back of the car because you had a few too many drinks.
This is an expected change, and it seems to be one that is needed, especially considering Tesla is operating a small-scale ride-hailing service at the current time. As it expands to more states and cities and eventually is available everywhere, there will be more situations that will arise.
The messes in vehicles are not a new situation, especially in a rideshare setting. It will be interesting to see if Tesla will enable other fees, like ones for riders who request a ride and do not show up for it.
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Tesla Model Y sold out in China for 2025
Customers who wish to get their cars by the end of the year would likely need to get an inventory unit.
It appears that the Model Y has been sold out for 2025 in China. This seems to be true for the four variants of the vehicle that are currently offered in the country.
Tesla China’s order page update
A look at Tesla China’s order page for the Model Y shows a message informing customers that those who wish to guarantee delivery by the end of the year should purchase an inventory unit. This was despite the Model Y RWD and Model Y L showing an estimated delivery timeline of 4-8 weeks, and the Model Y Long Range RWD and Model Y Long Range AWD showing 4-13 weeks.
As per industry watchers, these updates on the Model Y’s order page suggest that Tesla China’s sales capacity for the remainder of 2025 has been sold out. The fact that estimated delivery timeframes for the Model Y Long Range RWD and AWD extend up to 13 weeks also bodes well for demand for the vehicle, especially given strong rivals like the Xiaomi YU7, which undercuts the Model Y in price.
Tesla China’s upcoming big updates
What is quite interesting is that Tesla China is still competing in the country with one hand partly tied behind its back. So far, Tesla has only been able to secure partial approval for its flagship self-driving software, FSD, in China. This has resulted in V14 not being rolled out to the country yet. Despite this, Tesla China’s “Autopilot automatic assisted driving on urban roads,” as the system is called locally, has earned positive reviews from users.
As per Elon Musk during the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, however, Tesla is expecting to secure full approval for FSD in China in early 2026. “We have partial approval in China, and we hopefully will have full approval in China around February or March or so. That’s what they’ve told us,” Musk said.
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Tesla Full Self-Driving appears to be heading to Europe soon
For years, Musk has said the process for gaining approval in Europe would take significantly more time than it does in the United States. Back in 2019, he predicted it would take six to twelve months to gain approval for Europe, but it has taken much longer.
Tesla Full Self-Driving appears to be heading to Europe soon, especially as the company has continued to expand its testing phases across the continent.
It appears that the effort is getting even bigger, as the company recently posted a job for a Vehicle Operator in Prague, Czech Republic.
This would be the third country the company is seeking a Vehicle Operator in for the European market, joining Germany and Hungary, which already have job postings in Berlin, Prüm, and Budapest, respectively.
🚨Breaking: Tesla is hiring vehicle operators in Prague. pic.twitter.com/CbiJdQLCLj
— Tesla Yoda (@teslayoda) November 19, 2025
This position specifically targets the Engineering and Information Technology departments at Tesla, and not the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence job category that relates to Robotaxi job postings.
Although there has been a posting for Robotaxi Operators in the Eastern Hemisphere, more specifically, Israel, this specific posting has to do with data collection, likely to bolster the company’s position in Europe with FSD.
The job description says:
“We are seeking a highly motivated employee to strengthen our team responsible for vehicle data collection. The Driver/Vehicle Operator position is tasked with capturing high-quality data that contributes to improving our vehicles’ performance. This role requires self-initiative, flexibility, attention to detail, and the ability to work in a dynamic environment.”
It also notes the job is for a fixed term of one year.
The position requires operation of a vehicle for data collection within a defined area, and requires the Vehicle Operator to provide feedback to improve data collection processes, analyze and report collected data, and create daily driving reports.
The posting also solidifies the company’s intention to bring its Full Self-Driving platform to Europe in the coming months, something it has worked tirelessly to achieve as it spars with local regulators.
For years, Musk has said the process for gaining approval in Europe would take significantly more time than it does in the United States. Back in 2019, he predicted it would take six to twelve months to gain approval for Europe, but it has taken much longer.
This year, Musk went on to say that the process of getting FSD to move forward has been “very frustrating,” and said it “hurts the safety of the people of Europe.”
Elon Musk clarifies the holdup with Tesla Full Self-Driving launch in Europe
The latest update Musk gave us was in July, when he said that Tesla was awaiting regulatory approval.
Tesla adds new surprising fee to Robotaxi program
Tesla Model Y sold out in China for 2025
