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Tesla Model 3 impressively ‘swims’ in deep waters in China amid ongoing floods
China has been inundated with heavy torrential rains since June, causing numerous cities across the county to be flooded. The rains have been so heavy that even the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydropower plant, is being put to a grueling test. With the country facing its worst flooding since 1998, some cities could end up flooded with just a few hours of rain.
Such an incident happened at the end of July, with the city of Xian getting its streets submerged after just about an hour of rain. A clip from the recent flooding was recently posted online, and it included a good view of the city’s roads being completely flooded. Quite surprisingly, it also included a Tesla Model 3 bravely taking on the deep floodwaters in stride.
The video was brief, but it does suggest that the all-electric sedan was not having issues with the flood. The vehicle simply waded through until it reached a section of the road with shallower waters. Other vehicles such as motorbikes traveling in similar areas also looked almost like jet skis due to the depth of the flood.
Other posts have emerged from China depicting similar feats from Tesla’s most affordable sedan. One such video showed a white Model 3 that was practically swimming as it was halfway submerged, and sure enough, the vehicle did not seem to have issues navigating through the water. People in the background, some of whom seemed to be surprised at the vehicle, could be heard remarking that the car was a Tesla.
While the videos from China may be a bit stressful for avid EV enthusiasts, it should be noted that Tesla made some notable preparations for the locally-produced Model 3 that may have contributed to the vehicle’s performance in submerged streets. Back in November, sightings of Model 3 around the Gigafactory Shanghai complex were abounding, and it became evident that the vehicles were first production units made in the facility itself.
One of these sightings involved a blue Made-in-China Model 3 seemingly undergoing flood testing. The short video showed a Model 3 driving across a deliberately flooded section of the Gigafactory Shanghai complex. Tesla China did not provide further information about the video, but speculations from the local EV community suggested that the electric car maker was ensuring that its locally-made Model 3 would be resistant to floods.
Based on the recently shared videos from China, it appears that the Model 3 is indeed quite resilient when faced with floodwaters. This bodes well for Tesla’s ramp in China, as floods are quite common in the country and in nearby Southeast Asian regions, thanks to the multiple typhoons that hit the area every year. Amidst China’s push for electric cars, a flood-resistant, reasonably-priced vehicle from Tesla could very well attract a significant consumer base.
The current rainy season and flooding in China have so far affected 55 million people in 27 of the country’s 31 provinces. As of July 28, at least 158 people have been listed as dead or missing by the country’s Ministry of Emergency Management. Direct economic losses have been estimated at about 144 billion yuan (about $20.6 billion), which is 14% higher than the country’s five-year average, as per the Nikkei Asian Review. That being said, Pictet Wealth Management in Hong Kong still expects China’s growth forecast for 2020 to be around 1.8%, thanks to a potentially “strong rebound” in industrial activities.
Tesla’s new Full Self-Driving pricing strategy will eliminate one recurring complaint that many owners have had in the past: FSD transfers.
In the past, if a Tesla owner purchased the Full Self-Driving suite outright, the company did not allow them to transfer the purchase to a new vehicle, essentially requiring them to buy it all over again, which could obviously get pretty pricey.
This was until Q3 2023, when Tesla allowed a one-time amnesty to transfer Full Self-Driving to a new vehicle, and then again last year.
Tesla is now allowing it to happen again ahead of the February 14th deadline.
The program has given people the opportunity to upgrade to new vehicles with newer Hardware and AI versions, especially those with Hardware 3 who wish to transfer to AI4, without feeling the drastic cost impact of having to buy the $8,000 suite outright on several occasions.
Now, that issue will never be presented again.
Last night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced on X that the Full Self-Driving suite would only be available in a subscription platform, which is the other purchase option it currently offers for FSD use, priced at just $99 per month.
Tesla is shifting FSD to a subscription-only model, confirms Elon Musk
Having it available in a subscription-only platform boasts several advantages, including the potential for a tiered system that would potentially offer less expensive options, a pay-per-mile platform, and even coupling the program with other benefits, like Supercharging and vehicle protection programs.
While none of that is confirmed and is purely speculative, the one thing that does appear to be a major advantage is that this will completely eliminate any questions about transferring the Full Self-Driving suite to a new vehicle. This has been a particular point of contention for owners, and it is now completely eliminated, as everyone, apart from those who have purchased the suite on their current vehicle.
Now, everyone will pay month-to-month, and it could make things much easier for those who want to try the suite, justifying it from a financial perspective.
The important thing to note is that Tesla would benefit from a higher take rate, as more drivers using it would result in more data, which would help the company reach its recently-revealed 10 billion-mile threshold to reach an Unsupervised level. It does not cost Tesla anything to run FSD, only to develop it. If it could slice the price significantly, more people would buy it, and more data would be made available.
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Tesla Model 3 and Model Y dominates U.S. EV market in 2025
The figures were detailed in Kelley Blue Book’s Q4 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales Report.
Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y continued to overwhelmingly dominate the United States’ electric vehicle market in 2025. New sales data showed that Tesla’s two mass market cars maintained a commanding segment share, with the Model 3 posting year-to-date growth and the Model Y remaining resilient despite factory shutdowns tied to its refresh.
The figures were detailed in Kelley Blue Book’s Q4 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales Report.
Model 3 and Model Y are still dominant
According to the report, Tesla delivered an estimated 192,440 Model 3 sedans in the United States in 2025, representing a 1.3% year-to-date increase compared to 2024. The Model 3 alone accounted for 15.9% of all U.S. EV sales, making it one of the highest-volume electric vehicles in the country.
The Model Y was even more dominant. U.S. deliveries of the all-electric crossover reached 357,528 units in 2025, a 4.0% year-to-date decline from the prior year. It should be noted, however, that the drop came during a year that included production shutdowns at Tesla’s Fremont Factory and Gigafactory Texas as the company transitioned to the new Model Y. Even with those disruptions, the Model Y captured an overwhelming 39.5% share of the market, far surpassing any single competitor.
Combined, the Model 3 and Model Y represented more than half of all EVs sold in the United States during 2025, highlighting Tesla’s iron grip on the country’s mass-market EV segment.
Tesla’s challenges in 2025
Tesla’s sustained performance came amid a year of elevated public and political controversy surrounding Elon Musk, whose political activities in the first half of the year ended up fueling a narrative that the CEO’s actions are damaging the automaker’s consumer appeal. However, U.S. sales data suggest that demand for Tesla’s core vehicles has remained remarkably resilient.
Based on Kelley Blue Book’s Q4 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Sales Report, Tesla’s most expensive offerings such as the Tesla Cybertruck, Model S, and Model X, all saw steep declines in 2025. This suggests that mainstream EV buyers might have had a price issue with Tesla’s more expensive offerings, not an Elon Musk issue.
Ultimately, despite broader EV market softness, with total U.S. EV sales slipping about 2% year-to-date, Tesla still accounted for 58.9% of all EV deliveries in 2025, according to the report. This means that out of every ten EVs sold in the United States in 2025, more than half of them were Teslas.
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Tesla Model 3 and Model Y earn Euro NCAP Best in Class safety awards
“The company’s best-selling Model Y proved the gold standard for small SUVs,” Euro NCAP noted.
Tesla won dual categories in the Euro NCAP Best in Class awards, with the Model 3 being named the safest Large Family Car and the Model Y being recognized as the safest Small SUV.
The feat was highlighted by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official account on social media platform X.
Model 3 and Model Y lead their respective segments
As per a press release from the Euro NCAP, the organization’s Best in Class designation is based on a weighted assessment of four key areas: Adult Occupant, Child Occupant, Vulnerable Road User, and Safety Assist. Only vehicles that achieved a 5-star Euro NCAP rating and were evaluated with standard safety equipment are eligible for the award.
Euro NCAP noted that the updated Tesla Model 3 performed particularly well in Child Occupant protection, while its Safety Assist score reflected Tesla’s ongoing improvements to driver-assistance systems. The Model Y similarly stood out in Child Occupant protection and Safety Assist, reinforcing Tesla’s dual-category win.
“The company’s best-selling Model Y proved the gold standard for small SUVs,” Euro NCAP noted.
Euro NCAP leadership shares insights
Euro NCAP Secretary General Dr. Michiel van Ratingen said the organization’s Best in Class awards are designed to help consumers identify the safest vehicles over the past year.
Van Ratingen noted that 2025 was Euro NCAP’s busiest year to date, with more vehicles tested than ever before, amid a growing variety of electric cars and increasingly sophisticated safety systems. While the Mercedes-Benz CLA ultimately earned the title of Best Performer of 2025, he emphasized that Tesla finished only fractionally behind in the overall rankings.
“It was a close-run competition,” van Ratingen said. “Tesla was only fractionally behind, and new entrants like firefly and Leapmotor show how global competition continues to grow, which can only be a good thing for consumers who value safety as much as style, practicality, driving performance, and running costs from their next car.”
Tesla Full Self-Driving pricing strategy eliminates one recurring complaint
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y dominates U.S. EV market in 2025
