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Tesla Model S hailed as the new ‘Dream Car’ of America

A Tesla Model S prototype on the Nurburgring. (Photo: Stefan Baldauf/Auto Motor Uund Sport)

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The Tesla Model S might be the veteran among the electric car maker’s current lineup of vehicles, but it appears that the sleek, large sedan is still able to capture the imagination of auto enthusiasts. This is especially true in the United States, where the Tesla Model S was recently dubbed as the country’s top overall “Dream Car.”

Motoring website Autowise conducted a study to determine which cars are considered by American social media users as their respective dream vehicles. To acquire its data, the motoring website aggregated over 100,000 Twitter posts with relevant keywords and hashtags (such as #dreamcar, for example). The social media posts used in the study were gathered between July and September 2019. 

Autowise‘s findings according to the United States’ different states could be seen in the map below. 

(Credit: Autowise)

A look at the results of the study shows that the Tesla Model S was considered by the vast majority of Americans as their respective dream vehicle. The all-electric sedan dominated the list, gaining top rankings in 20 states. Following the Model S is a classic American icon, the Ford Mustang, which won in 13 states across the country. 

Autowise noted that while the results of its brief study only provide a glimpse at the preferences of car enthusiasts today, they do hint at the changing tide in how Americans view cars. When the Model S was introduced in 2012, after all, the idea of an all-electric sedan being the United States’ overall dream car would have been nothing short of farfetched. 

Ultimately, the results of the recent study show a notable rise in interest among all-electric cars, which is most likely due to the ongoing efforts of Tesla to transition as a mass market carmaker. That being said, the results of Autowise‘s study are very interesting, especially considering the age of the Model S compared to its stablemates like the Model X crossover and the Model 3 sedan, or the excitement attached to future vehicles like the next-generation Tesla Roadster. 

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Perhaps this is due to the Model S’ flagship status, as well as its trademark straight-line performance that has made it a fearsome force on the drag strip. Or perhaps it is due to a rekindling of interest in the vehicle due to its recent exploits at the Nurburgring and the impending arrival of the track-capable ‘Plaid Powertrain’ Model S variant next year. Either way, with the Model S being dubbed as America’s dream car, it appears that Tesla’s image in the auto industry is only getting stronger with time.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Rivian and Amazon announce huge milestone with EDV

The companies announced today that they had officially launched the EDV in Canada for Amazon, as the first 50 units are out and about in Vancouver, and the company said it was “marking an exciting milestone in our five-year history of operations in Canada.”

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Credit: Rivian

Rivian and Amazon have announced a huge milestone with their Electric Delivery Vehicle (EDV), the van that the two companies developed for the e-commerce giant to sustainably deliver packages to customers.

The EDV was first unveiled back in September 2019, when Amazon announced a massive investment in Rivian and placed an order for 100,000 electric vans, aiming to deploy them by 2030 as part of the company’s sustainability goals.

Production started in 2021 in Normal, Illinois, and entered Amazon’s fleet of active delivery vehicles over the Summer of 2022. Amazon kept the initial vehicles in major metropolitan areas and eventually started rolling them out to more delivery hubs across the United States.

In December 2024, the companies announced they had successfully deployed 20,000 EDVs across the U.S. In the first half of this year, 10,000 additional vans were delivered, and Amazon’s fleet had grown to 30,000 EDVs by mid-2025.

Amazon’s fleet of EDVs continues to grow rapidly and has expanded to over 100 cities in the United States. However, it has just reached a new milestone, and it has nothing to do with the size of its fleet.

The companies announced today that they had officially launched the EDV in Canada for Amazon, as the first 50 units are out and about in Vancouver, and the company said it was “marking an exciting milestone in our five-year history of operations in Canada.”

The EDV is a model that is exclusive to Amazon, but Rivian sells the RCV, or Rivian Commercial Van, openly. It detailed some of the pricing and trim options back in January when it confirmed it had secured orders from various companies, including AT&T.

The RCV starts at $83,000, and is one of the few electric vans on the market that is suitable for package delivery in a commercial setting because of its build and interior features.

Rivian prepares to launch the EDV outside of Amazon as the RCV – Here’s when

However, it also seems to be a great option as a service vehicle for companies, which is likely why AT&T is going to utilize it.

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Tesla’s biggest rival in China reported a big profit decline once again

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(Credit: BYD)

Tesla’s biggest rival in China reported a big decline in its profitability for the second straight quarter, and a loss of one-third compared to the same quarter last year.

BYD overtook Tesla as the best-selling EV maker in China in the fourth quarter of 2023, finally surpassing the company in terms of sales in the region.

Is Tesla really losing to BYD, or just playing a different game?

The Chinese market is one of the most competitive in the world, especially for EVs, as the industry is healthy with young and scrappy companies looking to sell the best possible tech in their vehicles.

BYD reported its earnings on Thursday and said that its profit had slumped by 33 percent compared to the same quarter last year. For this year’s third quarter, BYD reported a net profit of 7.8 billion yuan ($1.1 billion), a 32.6 percent decrease compared to the same period in 2024.

Its revenue was 195 billion yuan ($27.4 billion), which was only a 3 percent decrease compared to Q3 2024.

The drop in profits and revenue can mostly be attributed to the ongoing growth of competition in the Chinese market. The increased competition in China has pushed companies to turn to overseas markets in response, according to CnEVPost.

BYD is one of those companies, and it is attempting to push sales upward by entering new markets, especially in Europe, where the company sold more than 13,000 units in EU countries in September alone.

This was a 272 percent increase year over year, a major piece of evidence that it has a lot of potential in foreign markets.

The drop in financial figures is likely a short-term issue for BYD, as it has already established itself as a formidable competitor to many companies in many markets. In Q1, it reported an increase in profit by 100 percent compared to the same time span the year prior.

As it works to expand to even more markets in the world, it will continue to build upon its already-solid reputation.

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GM takes latest step to avoid disaster as EV efforts get derailed

There was an even larger step taken this morning, as the Detroit Free Press reported that GM was idling its Factory Zero plant in Michigan until late November, placing about 1,200 workers on indefinite layoff status.

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Credit: GM

General Motors has taken its latest step to avoid financial disaster as its electric vehicle efforts have been widely derailed.

GM’s electric vehicle manufacturing efforts started off hot, and CEO Mary Barra seemed to have a real hold on how the industry and consumers were starting to evolve toward sustainable powertrains. Even former President Joe Biden commended her as being a major force in the global transition to EVs.

However, the company’s plans have not gone as they’ve drawn them up. GM has reported some underwhelming delivery figures in recent quarters, and with the loss of the $7,500 tax credit, the company is planning for what is likely a substantial setback in its entire EV division.

Earlier this month, the company reported it would include a $1.6 billion charge in its quarterly earnings results from EV investments. It was the first true sign that things with GM’s EV projects were going to slow down.

There was an even larger step taken this morning, as the Detroit Free Press reported that GM was idling its Factory Zero plant in Michigan until late November, placing about 1,200 workers on indefinite layoff status.

This is in addition to the 280 employees it has already laid off after production cuts that happened earlier this year at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant.

After November 24, GM will bring back 3,200 people to work until January 5 to operate both shifts. On January 5, GM is expected to keep 1,200 workers on indefinite layoff.

GM is not the only legacy automaker to make a move like this, as Ford has also started to make a move that reflects a cautious tone regarding how far and how committed it can be to its EV efforts.

After the tax credit was lost, it seemed to be a game of who would be able to float their efforts longest without the government’s help. Tesla CEO Elon Musk long said that the loss of these subsidies would help the company and hurt its competitors, and so far, that is what we are seeing.

Elon Musk was right all along about Tesla’s rivals and EV subsidies

However, Tesla still has some things to figure out, including how its delivery numbers will be without the tax credit. Its best quarter came in Q3 as the credit was expiring, but Tesla did roll out some more affordable models after the turn of the quarter.

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