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Tesla Model 3 makes way for Jaguar as I-PACE secures World Car of the Year Award
The Jaguar I-PACE swept a new round of awards recently at the 2019 New York Auto Show. After a long deliberation, over 80 judges from 24 different countries dubbed the all-electric premium crossover SUV as the 2019 World Car of the Year, beating the Audi e-tron and the Volvo S60/V60 in the process. The I-PACE was also the winner of the World Car Design of the Year and World Green Car of the Year awards, adding to the vehicle’s ever-growing list of accolades.
The judges of the World Car of the Year award were notably impressed by the Jaguar I-PACE’s looks and its capability to mix a range of 292 miles WLTP (234 miles EPA) and a brisk 0-62 mph time of 4.5-seconds. Prof. Dr. Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar Land Rover, received the award for the I-PACE, noting that the all-electric crossover is but the first step in the automaker’s journey towards a zero-emissions future.
“It is an honor that the Jaguar I-PACE has received such an accolade from the prestigious World Car jurors. We started with an ideal, to move towards our Destination Zero vision; zero emissions, zero accidents, and zero congestion. I-PACE is our first step to achieving this, and it was conceived when EVs were little more than a niche choice,” he said.
Notably absent in the World Car of the Year nominees for 2019 was an electric sedan that is disrupting the US and international market today: the Tesla Model 3. The World Car of the Year title requires nominated vehicles to be sold in at least five countries to be considered, and this is a requirement that the Model 3 did not meet.
It is then quite interesting to see the Audi e-tron qualifying for the award despite the vehicle’s status when nominees were being listed. The e-tron was listed as a nominee by AutoExpress.uk on September 14, 2018, a few days before the SUV was unveiled on September 18, 2018. Ars Technica, whose auto journalist Jonathan Gitlin was among this year’s judges, explained the Model 3’s absence in the 2019 World Car of the Year nominees, stating that the vehicle “went on sale too long ago to be considered for this year’s awards.”
The absence of the Model 3 in the nominees for the 2019 World Car of the Year does not mean that the awards program is biased against Tesla. Back in 2013, the Tesla Model S walked away with the World Green Car title, and in 2017, the Tesla Model X was a finalist in the same category, before losing to the Toyota Prius Prime.
With Tesla now focusing its Model 3 deliveries to the international markets, it will not be surprising if the electric sedan will make it as a nominee for 2020’s World Car of the Year awards. Perhaps, just like the Jaguar I-PACE, the Model 3 could even go further than its more expensive siblings, earning not only the World Green Car title, but the World Car of the Year trophy as well. With the Tesla Model 3’s shadow hovering over the international market’s electric car industry, next year’s awards will likely be very compelling.
Elon Musk
Tesla AI5 chip nears completion, Elon Musk teases 9-month development cadence
The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.
Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chip is nearly complete, and work on its successor is already underway, as per a recent update from Elon Musk.
The Tesla CEO shared his recent insights in a post on social media platform X.
Musk details AI chip roadmap
In his post, Elon Musk stated that Tesla’s AI5 chip design is “almost done,” while AI6 has already entered early development. Musk added that Tesla plans to continue iterating rapidly, with AI7, AI8, AI9, and future generations targeting a nine-month design cycle.
He also noted that Tesla’s in-house chips could become the highest-volume AI processors in the world. Musk framed his update as a recruiting message, encouraging engineers to join Tesla’s AI and chip development teams.
Tesla community member Herbert Ong highlighted the strategic importance of the timeline, noting that faster chip cycles enable quicker learning, faster iteration, and a compounding advantage in AI and autonomy that becomes increasingly difficult for competitors to close.
AI5 manufacturing takes shape
Musk’s comments align with earlier reporting on AI5’s production plans. In December, it was reported that Samsung is preparing to manufacture Tesla’s AI5 chip, accelerating hiring for experienced engineers to support U.S. production and address complex foundry challenges.
Samsung is one of two suppliers selected for AI5, alongside TSMC. The companies are expected to produce different versions of the AI5 chip, with TSMC reportedly using a 3nm process and Samsung using a 2nm process.
Musk has previously stated that while different foundries translate chip designs into physical silicon in different ways, the goal is for both versions of the Tesla AI5 chip to operate identically. AI5 will succeed Tesla’s current AI4 hardware, formerly known as Hardware 4, and is expected to support the company’s Full Self-Driving system as well as other AI-driven efforts, including Optimus.
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Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.
The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring.

This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.
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Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.
Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.
Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.
Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error.
More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report.
Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.
Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.
Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.
“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted.