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Nissan Leaf owner looks to buy Tesla Model 3 after battery invoice nightmare
A longtime Nissan Leaf owner and electric car enthusiast from Australia is looking to purchase a Tesla Model 3 for his next vehicle, following an unpleasant experience surrounding his present EV and a painfully large invoice for a battery replacement.
Canberra engineer Phillip Carlson has been a supporter of electric cars for a long time. This is why in August 2012, he took delivery of a first-generation 24 kWh Nissan Leaf, which he purchased for AU$53,500 (around $35,800). He enjoyed the vehicle and its electric propulsion, though he noticed that he was not getting the range advertised by the Japanese carmaker. Such was expected during winters, but even with regular use, it proved difficult to hit the vehicle’s rated 135 km (84 miles) of range.
Carlson submitted a series of complaints about his vehicle to his dealership over the Leaf’s warranty period, though he was periodically informed that there was nothing wrong with his car. Still, the range issues remained. By 2017, five years after the vehicle was bought, the Leaf was struggling to reach 60 km (37 miles) per charge. The EV enthusiast persisted in his complaints, and earlier this year, it appeared that the dealership finally looked into the issue seriously. “That was the first time they bothered looking at it after I complained so much,” he said in a statement to The Daily Mail Australia.
As it turned out, Carlson’s Leaf actually needed a battery replacement. The Nissan dealership then opted to address the issue, but for a very hefty price. The electric car advocate received an invoice for AU$33,385 (around $22,300) for a full battery replacement for his 7-year-old Leaf. The charge was quite cruel, especially since a 24 kWh first-generation Leaf could be acquired for just about AU$12,000 (around $8,000) in the second-hand Australian auto market.
In a statement to the Australian publication, a Nissan spokesperson stated that it is currently working with the Leaf owner to resolve his vehicle’s issues. As for Carlson, he believes that he should not be charged since his Leaf’s problems were not his fault. The EV enthusiast argued that much of his vehicle’s battery issues were due to Nissan’s design, which lacks ample cooling systems.
Yet, despite his unpleasant experience with his Leaf, Carlson stated that he has no intention of buying a non-electric vehicle. The engineer noted that his next car will definitely be all-electric — it just won’t be a Leaf. Instead, he is looking to purchase a Tesla Model 3, which has more range and has ample cooling for its hefty battery pack. Carlson is also more optimistic about Tesla as the company has extensive experience with electric cars and how they are evaluated and handled.
“Given my time again I’d prefer to hold off buying the Nissan and buy the new Tesla Model 3. Much better range, better support and built by a company that seems to actually care about customers and design their batteries to be (liquid)-cooled. That was the biggest problem with Nissan, even the new model Nissan Leaf still doesn’t water cool the battery,” Carlson said.
Nissan’s treatment of his vehicle’s issues might have been a nightmare, but ultimately, Carlson still considers the small, humble Leaf as a “fantastic” car. “Even as terrible as Nissan has treated me, the Nissan Leaf is still a fantastic car; it’s just that I can’t drive it very far anymore. Just to be clear, I am still a fan of electric vehicles but Nissan has done a terrible thing here,” he said.
H/T Glen Keating.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk: Tesla Model Y is world’s best-selling car for 3rd year in a row
The Model Y has now established an impressive streak that would otherwise have been impossible before Tesla.
Elon Musk has announced that the Tesla Model Y has become the world’s best-selling car by volume for the third consecutive year, capping 2025 with another dominant performance.
The Model Y has now established an impressive streak that would otherwise have been impossible before Tesla.
Three years in a row
Musk posted on X: “Tesla Model Y is now officially the world’s best-selling car for the third year in a row!” The CEO’s comment echoed an update that Tesla included in its 2025 recap, which highlighted, among other things, the Model Y’s incredible streak.
The Model Y has held the title since 2023, outperforming traditional leaders like the Toyota RAV4 and Corolla thanks to its bang-for-the-buck nature and its stellar combination of practicality, performance, and tech. The Model Y is also lauded as one of the safest vehicles on the road, making it an ideal choice for families in key markets such as China.
An impressive 2025
The Model Y’s sales feat in 2025 is especially impressive considering the introduction of the vehicle’s new variant. Tesla’s changeover to the new Model Y across its global factories resulted in sales being paused for some time in the first quarter. As per Tesla’s Q1 2025 vehicle delivery and production report, “the changeover of Model Y lines across all four of our factories led to the loss of several weeks of production in Q1.”
This suggests that the Model Y’s sales remained strong in 2025 to the point where it could still claim the title of the world’s best-selling vehicle by volume, even with its sales being throttled during the first quarter of the year. It would then be interesting to see just how far the Model Y can go in 2026, especially considering the rollout of new variants like the six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y L, the affordable Model Y Standard, and the top-tier Model Y Performance.
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Tesla shares epic 2025 recap video, confirms start of Cybercab production
The cinematic montage, posted by the official Tesla account on X, celebrated the company’s progress in EVs, energy, and Robotaxi development.
Tesla has released an epic year-in-review video for 2025, recapping some of its major achievements from refreshed models to autonomy breakthroughs and production ramps.
The cinematic montage, posted by the official Tesla account on X, celebrated the company’s progress in EVs, energy, and Robotaxi development while looking ahead to an even bigger 2026.
Tesla’s 2025 highlights recap
Tesla has had a busy 2025, as highlighted in the recap video. The video opened with Elon Musk explaining the company’s pursuit of sustainable abundance. A number of milestones were then highlighted, such as the rollout of FSD v14, Optimus’ numerous demos, the opening of the Tesla Diner in Hollywood, LA, the completion of the world’s first autonomous car delivery, and the launch of the Robotaxi network in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Tesla also highlighted several of its accomplishments over the year. As per the company, the Model Y was the year’s best-selling vehicle globally again, and Teslas became more affordable than ever thanks to the Model 3 and Model Y Standard. Other key models were also rolled out, such as the refreshed Model S and X, as well as the new Model Y, the new Model Y Performance, and the six-seat, extended wheelbase Model Y L.
The Megablock was also unveiled during the year, and the Supercharger Network grew by 18%. Over 1 million Powerwalls were also installed during the year, and the Cybertruck became the first EV truck to get both an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award and an NHTSA 5-Star safety rating.
Cybercab production confirmed
Interestingly enough, Tesla also confirmed in its 2025 recap video that the production of the Cybercab has started. This bodes well for the vehicle, as it could result in the vehicle really being mass-produced in the first half of 2026. Elon Musk confirmed during the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting that Cybercab production should earnestly start around April 2026.
Musk has also noted that the Cybercab will be Tesla’s highest-volume vehicle yet, with the company aiming for an annual production rate of about 2 million units. “If you’ve seen the design of the Cybercab line, it doesn’t look like a normal car manufacturing line,” Musk said earlier this year. “It looks like a really high-speed consumer electronics line. In fact, the line will move so fast that actually people can’t even get close to it.”
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Tesla Cybercab is changing the look of Austin’s roads, and it’s not even in production yet
Videos and photos showed the sleek, two-seat autonomous vehicles navigating traffic.
Even before entering production, Tesla’s Cybercab is already transforming the appearance of Austin’s streets, with multiple prototypes spotted testing in downtown areas recently.
Videos and photos showed the sleek, two-seat autonomous vehicles navigating traffic. Interestingly enough, the vehicles were equipped with temporary steering wheels and human safety drivers.
Recent Cybercab sightings
Over the weekend, enthusiasts captured footage of two Cybercabs driving together in central Austin, their futuristic silhouettes standing out amid regular traffic. While the vehicles featured temporary steering wheels and side mirrors for now, they retained their futuristic, production-intent exterior design.
Industry watcher Sawyer Merritt shared one of the vehicles’ videos, noting the increasing frequency of the autonomous two-seater’s sightings.
Previewing the autonomous future
Sightings of the Cybercab have been ramping in several key areas across the United States in recent weeks. Sightings include units at Apple’s Visitor Center in California, the Fremont factory test track, and in Austin’s streets.
The increased activity suggests that Tesla is in overdrive, validating the autonomous two-seater ahead of its planned volume production. Elon Musk confirmed at the 2025 Shareholder Meeting that manufacturing begins around April 2026 with ambitious targets, and during an All-Hands meeting earlier this year, Musk hinted that ultimately, Tesla’s factories should be able to produce one Cybercab every 10 seconds.
Elon Musk: Tesla Model Y is world’s best-selling car for 3rd year in a row
Tesla shares epic 2025 recap video, confirms start of Cybercab production
