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Tesla has little to fear in China from competition, “nobody can compete” says analyst

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Alexander Potter, analyst for Piper Jaffrays, said in a note to clients Tuesday that Tesla has little to fear when it comes to being competitive in China. In fact, Potter went as far as saying that “nobody can compete” with the California-based electric car maker in the word’s largest auto market, largely due to the company’s product and brand reputation.

“After meeting with an electric vehicle (EV) trade group this week in Beijing, we still think Tesla has little to fear from Chinese brands, at least based on the current competitive landscape,” said Potter. Piper Jaffray reaffirmed its position on the company, giving Tesla shares an overweight rating and a price target of $386 per share, or roughly a 10 percent upside to Monday’s close. The firm has a buy rating for shares of TSLA.

“Branding and performance are just as important, and in this regard, we think nobody (least of all Chinese OEMs) can compete with TSLA.” reports CNBC. Goldman Sachs which has generally maintained a bearish outlook on Tesla raised their price target from $180 to $190 on Friday.

Despite a strong effort by local car manufacturers to bring electric cars to the market: the country is reportedly working on plans to ban gasoline and diesel vehicles, the product stands far apart from Tesla’s Model S and Model X currently being sold in China.

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“Anyone who has taken a ride in a Chinese EV will tell you that, like most other Chinese sedans, these vehicles just aren’t compelling consumer products,” read the note from Piper Jaffrays.

In addition to Tesla’s positive brand reputation, the electric carmaker continues to make strides in the market by adapting to local standards. Just yesterday, Tesla announced that new Model S and Model X vehicles being produced specifically for China will have a charging port to support national charging standards. The company has also pledged to rapidly expand its high-powered, fast-charging Supercharger network in China, announcing that it will install 1,000 Superchargers in China by the end of the year. A recent sighting of what is likely to become the world’s largest Supercharger points to a 40 to 60-stall installation in Shanghai’s Commercial Centre.

Potter also notes in his report that China will have a mandate in 2019 for the number of electric vehicles being produced by auto makers. “Companies that fail to achieve the quotas will be able to buy credits from companies that exceed the quotas,” said Potter, giving Tesla yet another advantage over local competition. China sold 507,000 new energy vehicles in 2016, a 50 percent increase over the year prior.

Tesla stock is up roughly 64 percent this year.

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Elon Musk

Texas township wants The Boring Company to build it a Loop system

The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge.”

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Credit: The Boring Company

The Woodlands Township, Texas, has formally entered The Boring Company’s tunneling sweepstakes. 

The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge,” which offers up to one mile of tunnel construction at no cost to a selected community.

The Woodlands’ proposal, dubbed “The Current,” features two parallel 12-foot-diameter tunnels beneath the Town Center corridor near The Waterway. Teslas would shuttle passengers between Waterway Square, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Town Green Park and nearby hotels during concerts and large-scale events, as noted in a Chron report.

Township officials framed the tunnel as a solution for the township’s traffic congestion issues. The Pavilion alone hosts more than 60 shows each year and can accommodate crowds of up to 16,500, often straining Lake Robbins Drive and surrounding intersections.

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“We know we have traffic impacts and pedestrian movement challenges, especially in the Town Center area,” Chris Nunes, chief operating officer of The Woodlands Township, stated during the meeting.

“The Current” mirrors the Loop system operating beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, where Tesla vehicles transport passengers through underground tunnels between venues and resorts.

The Boring Company issued its request for proposals (RFP) in mid-January, inviting cities and districts to pitch local uses for its tunneling technology. The Woodlands must submit its application by Feb. 23, though no timeline has been provided for when a winning community will be announced.

Nunes confirmed that the board has authorized a submission for “The Current’s” proposal, though he emphasized that the project is still in its preliminary stages.

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“The Woodlands Township Board of Directors has authorized staff to submit an application to The Boring Company, which has issued an RFP for communities interested in leveraging their technology to address community challenges,” he said in a statement. 

“The Board believes that an underground tunnel would provide a safe and efficient means to transport people to and from various high-use community amenities in our Town Center.”

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Tesla Model Y wins 2026 Drive Car of the Year award in Australia

The Model Y is already Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and the tenth best-selling vehicle overall.

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Credit: Tesla

The Tesla Model Y has been named 2026 Drive Car of the Year overall winner, taking the top honor after being judged as the vehicle that “moves the game forward the most for Australian new car buyers.” 

The Model Y is already Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and the tenth best-selling vehicle overall, but the vehicle’s Juniper update strengthened its case with new ownership benefits and expanded software capability.

Drive’s overall award compares category winners and looks at which model most significantly advances the local new car market. In 2026, judges pointed to the Model Y’s five-year warranty and the availability of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) as a monthly subscription as key differentiators.

Priced from AU$58,900 before on-road costs, the all-electric crossover SUV offers a lot of value compared to similarly sized petrol and hybrid rivals. The ability to access Tesla’s Supercharger network across Australia also reduces friction for buyers moving to EV ownership.

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Owners can add FSD (Supervised) for AU$149 per month. While it still requires driver oversight, the system expands the vehicle’s advanced driver-assistance capabilities and reflects Tesla’s software-first approach.

“The default choice for a reason. The Tesla Model Y makes the transition to electric both effortless and rewarding,” Drive wrote.

The 2025 Model Y facelift also sharpened the vehicle’s exterior, highlighted by a distinctive rear light bar that gives the crossover SUV a more modern road presence.

Drive described the Model Y as a benchmark for combining practicality, efficiency and technology at an accessible price point. With eligibility for federal Fringe Benefit Tax exemptions through novated leasing, its value proposition has improved for numerous buyers.

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For 2026, the Model Y’s combination of range efficiency, charging access and software capability proved decisive. Ultimately, the award all but cements the Model Y’s position as one of the most influential vehicles in Australia’s evolving new-car market today.

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Elon Musk reiterates rapid Starship V3 timeline with next launch in sight

Musk shared the update in a brief post on X, writing, “Starship flies again next month.”

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Credit: SpaceX/X

Elon Musk has confirmed that Starship will fly again next month, reiterating SpaceX’s aggressive timeline for the first launch of its Starship V3 rocket.

Musk shared the update in a brief post on X, writing, “Starship flies again next month.” The CEO’s post was accompanied by a video of Starship’s Super Heavy booster being successfully caught by a launch tower in Starbase, Texas. 

The timeline is notable. In late January, Musk stated that Starship’s next flight, Flight 12, was expected in about six weeks. This placed the expected mission date sometime in March. That estimate aligned with SpaceX’s earlier statement that Starship’s 12th flight test “remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026.”

If the vehicle does indeed fly next month, it would mark the debut of Starship V3, the upgraded platform expected to feature the rocket’s new Raptor V3 engines.

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Raptor V3 is designed to deliver significantly higher thrust than earlier versions while reducing cost and weight. Starship V3 itself is expected to be optimized for manufacturability, a critical step if SpaceX intends to scale production toward frequent launches for Starlink, lunar missions, and eventually Mars.

Starship V3 is widely viewed as the version that transitions the program from experimental testing to true operational scaling. Previous iterations have completed multiple integrated flight tests, with mixed outcomes but steady progress. Expectations are high that SpaceX is now working on Starship’s refinement.

An aggressive launch schedule supports several priorities at once. It advances Starlink’s next-generation satellite deployment, supports NASA’s lunar ambitions under Artemis, and keeps SpaceX on track for its longer-term Moon and Mars objectives.

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