In its latest report on automatic emergency braking (AEB) standards for automakers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have announced that Tesla is one of only four manufacturers so far that has reached the goal of supplying AEB on more than half of its produced vehicles in model year 2017. This first manufacturer’s report on the voluntary crash avoidance standard lists four manufacturers offering AEB on more than half and another seven with the tech on more than thirty percent of their 2017 model year vehicles.
The initiative was first announced in 2015 with a total of ten automakers on board, including Tesla. Other automakers at that time included Audi, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. A year later, an additional ten manufacturers joined. The initiative’s goal is to get manufacturer’s voluntarily on board to make forward collision warning (FCW) systems and automatic emergency braking standard equipment on all vehicles manufactured by September 1, 2022, about the time that model year 2023 vehicles would be entering production. The initiative further pushes for all trucks in the medium-duty sector (8,501 to 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight) to meet the same standard by 2025.
Recently, manufacturers submitted their first yearly progress reports to the IIHS-NHTSA consortium for vehicles manufactured between September 1, 2016 and August 31, 2017 for the U.S. market. Tesla had the largest proportion of its vehicles including the technology for 2017, with all but only a handful of manufactured vehicles having AEB and FCW. This despite many having AEB deactivated for a portion of the year due to glitches with its sensitivity levels. The feature was reactivated in late April and early May as a software update.
For reference, the IIHS-NHTSA report states that Consumer Reports, which assists in monitoring progress towards compliance with the initiative, found that only 19 percent of 2017 model year vehicles include AEB and FCW as standard equipment. Most of those vehicles, like the Model S and Model X being reported by Tesla, are classified as luxury vehicles by price point.
The IIHS and NHTSA estimate that if the commitment by manufacturers to meet the initiative’s standards are met by 2025, a total of 28,000 crashes and 12,000 injuries will be prevented. Total commitment so far from manufacturers in the U.S. market account for over 99 percent of the vehicles sold in the country.
Tesla Model X response test for Autopilot vehicle detection [Credit: Bjørn Nyland]
Systems conforming with the vehicle standard must come with FCW that meets 2 of the 3 NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings’ requirements and AEB that earns at least an “Advanced” rating from the IIHS. The four complying automakers who’ve met the standard in more than fifty percent of manufactured 2017 models include Audi (73%), Mercedes-Benz (96%), and Volvo (68%) alongside Tesla (99.8%).
Other manufacturers have lower numbers, but a fast-growing commitment to the standard. Toyota at 56 percent accounts for the largest total volume of vehicles equipped to meet the initiative’s requirements with General Motors, at 20 percent, following closely behind. Lowest on the list of compliance were Fiat Chrysler, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, and Mitsubishi. Of luxury makes, only Jaguar Land Rover and Porsche don’t offer the technologies at all in 2017 model year vehicles counted.
Tesla unveiled the Model Y RWD 110 for Singapore’s Category A certificate of entitlement (COE) rules. This custom SUV tweaks the updated Model Y, which was launched in Singapore in January.
Tesla tuned the Model 3 RWD 110 for Singapore before, and that customized version’s success spurred this Model Y adaptation. The Model Y RWD 110 runs at 110kW, down from 255kW in the standard RWD. It qualifies for Singapore’s Category A COE, unlike the Model Y 255kW version, which sits in Category B.
Category A COEs are for mass-market cars. They score lower premiums than Category B COEs. BMW and Mercedes-Benz register vehicles as Category A COEs in Singapore as well.
In Singapore, buyers need to pay the COE to register a car. The latest tender showed an SGD 22,388 gap between Category A and B premiums.
The Model Y RWD 110’s road tax is significantly reduced from SGD 3,478 to SGD 1,562 yearly. The Strait Times calculated that the cheaper Model Y in Singapore would save SGD 19,160 over a 10-year COE.
The Model Y RWD 110 matches the 255kW version otherwise. The more affordable Model Y’s battery size holds steady. Its energy use, equipment, and design stay the same.
Tesla prices the Model Y RWD 110 at SGD 103,476 before COE. The Model Y RWD 110 costs SGD 3,026 less than the 255kW version, excluding COE costs. It uses a 62.5kWh lithium iron phosphate battery.
Tesla has released cheaper versions of its cars before. For instance, it rolled out a more affordable Model 3 in Mexico last year. The cheaper Tesla Model 3 in Mexico did not use the same materials and had different features to reduce costs.
Tesla might consider releasing custom, cheaper versions of its vehicles in other countries. Industry sources in China hint at a “lower-priced Model Y” for the Chinese auto market, which keeps the Juniper’s battery and chassis
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Tesla US Gigafactories shields from Trump’s 25% Tariffs
Tesla US Gigafactories Shielded from Trump’s 25% Tariffs
Tesla stocks climbed after U.S. President Donald Trump announced tariffs on imported cars and auto parts, standing out in the United States auto industry.
Automaker stocks tanked after President Trump slapped 25% tariffs on foreign autos and parts. Tesla slightly dodged the tariff blow thanks to local production. Its gigafactories in China and Germany don’t supply Tesla vehicles to the United States market. The company builds all U.S.-sold EVs in Fremont, California, or at Giga Austin in Texas.
TD Cowen analyst Itay Michaeli sees the American EV automaker as a winner in Trump’s tariffs games.
“Tesla [is] a relative beneficiary given [its] 100% U.S. production footprint, substantial U.S. sourcing, and with Model Y competing in a midsize crossover segment where close to ~50% of vehicles could be subject to tariffs,” Michaeli wrote on Thursday.
Rivian and Lucid also make all vehicles sold in the United States domestically. Ford hits 77% U.S. production, while Stellantis sits at 57%. Nissan and GM each clock in at 52%.
Trump’s 25% tariff on non-U.S.-made vehicles kicks in next week, on April 2, 2025. Elon Musk confirmed that Trump’s tariff will still affect Tesla, despite its plants in America.
Musk posted on X about tariff impacts. He said foreign-sourced parts will drive up costs. It’s not a small hit. Tesla warned of this in a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative. “Certain parts and components are difficult or impossible to source within the United States,” the letter stated, even with “aggressive localization.”
Nikola Motor founder Trevor Milton has been given a full pardon by U.S. President Donald Trump in an unprecedented turn of events.
Trevor Milton Media announced late Thursday that the formerly jailed founder of the all-electric automaker that President Trump had “pledged to end the political weaponization of the Justice Department. This pardon marks a step toward fulfilling that commitment.”
Milton was sentenced to four years in prison in December 2023 after being found guilty of multiple counts of fraud.
Nikola founder Trevor Milton sentenced to four years in prison
“I was not a very seasoned CEO,” Milton said after his sentencing. Questions about the legitimacy of some Nikola product demonstrations and several statements that were found to be misleading regarding the company’s progress on its vehicles brought Milton to U.S. Federal Court to face two counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud.
Now, he is free.
Milton said in a statement:
“This pardon is not just about me—it’s about every American who has been railroaded by the government, and unfortunately, that’s a lot of people. It is no wonder why trust and confidence in the Justice Department has eroded to nothing. I wish judges would stop believing whatever the prosecutors feed them so Americans could trust the justice system again. Until that happens, our justice system will continue to erode until there is nothing left. The 90+% conviction rate in New York is appalling and is a result of prosecutors getting whatever they want and putting innocent people in prison. I saw firsthand the tactics they use to achieve those guaranteed convictions. I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for his courage in standing up for what is right and for granting me this sacred pardon of innocence.”
Milton will now launch a documentary that is available for preview here.
Tesla Unveils Model Y RWD 110 customized for Singapore
Tesla US Gigafactories shields from Trump’s 25% Tariffs
Nikola Motor founder Trevor Milton given full pardon by President Trump
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