News
Tesla’s ‘Catfish Effect’ is propelling China’s local EV makers forward
When Tesla was preparing to enter the electric vehicle segment with a wholly-owned factory in China, former Industry Minister Miao Wei stated that the American EV maker’s presence would result in a “Catfish Effect” on the country’s electric car industry. Just over a year since Gigafactory Shanghai started operations, it seems like Miao’s statements are shaping up to be accurate.
The Catfish Effect suggests that the arrival of a strong competitor will encourage “weaker” players to innovate and better themselves. Tesla, being the world leader in EVs, seems to have played the catfish in China’s EV segment last year. The Silicon Valley-based electric car maker sold 114,000 made-in-China Model 3 vehicles during the first 11 months of 2020, as per data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA).
This month, Tesla dropped another strong player in the Chinese EV market in the form of the Model Y, an all-electric crossover that is more affordable than rivals from companies like Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW. Tesla formally launched the Model Y in China with a starting price of RMB 339,900 ($52,550), 30% lower than its pre-launch price. This resulted in Tesla showrooms being swamped by prospective Model Y buyers. Competitors were appropriately unnerved, as per a report from The Nikkei Asian Review.
China has stood as the world’s largest market for electric cars. This means that China’s premier EV makers such as BYD, SAIC, NIO, and Xpeng Motors are no joke. Local electric car makers can design and create compelling EVs, but last year, most–if not all–were eclipsed by the Model 3, whose technology was a cut above its domestic rivals. Its robust set of standard features like Autopilot also gave it an edge against competitors.
Following the launch of the Model Y in China, Yu Liguo, the president of Arcfox, an EV unit of BAIC Motor, remarked that Tesla’s advantage in the country’s EV sector would likely not be matched by local manufacturers, at least not in the near future. This is especially true in the case of features like Autopilot, which place Tesla far ahead of competitors in the Chinese EV market and globally. Despite this, Yu was optimistic, noting that Chinese EV makers would catch up eventually.
Pure EV companies from China are initiating programs that are aimed at expanding their business. NIO is ramping its battery-swapping network, and it recently launched a new used-car platform to make its vehicles more attainable to buyers. Xpeng Motors’ first European orders were also shipped from China to Norway. Legacy automakers such as SAIC, propelled by vehicles like the MG ZS EV, sold nearly 12,000 electric cars in Europe during the first nine months of 2020.
Granted, Chinese-branded electric vehicles only account for about 10% of the global EV market, as per a report from UBS Securities. But thanks to the presence of Tesla, China’s electric vehicle makers may soon adopt more assertive strategies. With Gigafactory Shanghai ramping Model 3 and Model Y production, Tesla’s Catfish Effect may very well be underway in China.
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Check out a MIC Model Y delivery event video below.
News
Tesla Model 3 named New Zealand’s best passenger car of 2025
Tesla flipped the switch on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in September, turning every Model 3 and Model Y into New Zealand’s most advanced production car overnight.
The refreshed Tesla Model 3 has won the DRIVEN Car Guide AA Insurance NZ Car of the Year 2025 award in the Passenger Car category, beating all traditional and electric rivals.
Judges praised the all-electric sedan’s driving dynamics, value-packed EV tech, and the game-changing addition of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) that went live in New Zealand this September.
Why the Model 3 clinched the crown
DRIVEN admitted they were late to the “Highland” party because the updated sedan arrived in New Zealand as a 2024 model, just before the new Model Y stole the headlines. Yet two things forced a re-evaluation this year.
First, experiencing the new Model Y reminded testers how many big upgrades originated in the Model 3, such as the smoother ride, quieter cabin, ventilated seats, rear touchscreen, and stalk-less minimalist interior. Second, and far more importantly, Tesla flipped the switch on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in September, turning every Model 3 and Model Y into New Zealand’s most advanced production car overnight.
FSD changes everything for Kiwi buyers
The publication called the entry-level rear-wheel-drive version “good to drive and represents a lot of EV technology for the money,” but highlighted that FSD elevates it into another league. “Make no mistake, despite the ‘Supervised’ bit in the name that requires you to remain ready to take control, it’s autonomous and very capable in some surprisingly tricky scenarios,” the review stated.
-->At NZ$11,400, FSD is far from cheap, but Tesla also offers FSD (Supervised) on a $159 monthly subscription, making the tech accessible without the full upfront investment. That’s a game-changer, as it allows users to access the company’s most advanced system without forking over a huge amount of money.
News
Tesla starts rolling out FSD V14.2.1 to AI4 vehicles including Cybertruck
FSD V14.2.1 was released just about a week after the initial FSD V14.2 update was rolled out.
It appears that the Tesla AI team burned the midnight oil, allowing them to release FSD V14.2.1 on Thanksgiving. The update has been reported by Tesla owners with AI4 vehicles, as well as Cybertruck owners.
For the Tesla AI team, at least, it appears that work really does not stop.
FSD V14.2.1
Initial posts about FSD V14.2.1 were shared by Tesla owners on social media platform X. As per the Tesla owners, V14.2.1 appears to be a point update that’s designed to polish the features and capacities that have been available in FSD V14. A look at the release notes for FSD V14.2.1, however, shows that an extra line has been added.
“Camera visibility can lead to increased attention monitoring sensitivity.”
Whether this could lead to more drivers being alerted to pay attention to the roads more remains to be seen. This would likely become evident as soon as the first batch of videos from Tesla owners who received V14.21 start sharing their first drive impressions of the update. Despite the update being released on Thanksgiving, it would not be surprising if first impressions videos of FSD V14.2.1 are shared today, just the same.
-->Rapid FSD releases
What is rather interesting and impressive is the fact that FSD V14.2.1 was released just about a week after the initial FSD V14.2 update was rolled out. This bodes well for Tesla’s FSD users, especially since CEO Elon Musk has stated in the past that the V14.2 series will be for “widespread use.”
FSD V14 has so far received numerous positive reviews from Tesla owners, with numerous drivers noting that the system now drives better than most human drivers because it is cautious, confident, and considerate at the same time. The only question now, really, is if the V14.2 series does make it to the company’s wide FSD fleet, which is still populated by numerous HW3 vehicles.
News
Waymo rider data hints that Tesla’s Cybercab strategy might be the smartest, after all
These observations all but validate Tesla’s controversial two-seat Cybercab strategy, which has caught a lot of criticism since it was unveiled last year.
Toyota Connected Europe designer Karim Dia Toubajie has highlighted a particular trend that became evident in Waymo’s Q3 2025 occupancy stats. As it turned out, 90% of the trips taken by the driverless taxis carried two or fewer passengers.
These observations all but validate Tesla’s controversial two-seat Cybercab strategy, which has caught a lot of criticism since it was unveiled last year.
Toyota designer observes a trend
Karim Dia Toubajie, Lead Product Designer (Sustainable Mobility) at Toyota Connected Europe, analyzed Waymo’s latest California Public Utilities Commission filings and posted the results on LinkedIn this week.
“90% of robotaxi trips have 2 or less passengers, so why are we using 5-seater vehicles?” Toubajie asked. He continued: “90% of trips have 2 or less people, 75% of trips have 1 or less people.” He accompanied his comments with a graphic showing Waymo’s occupancy rates, which showed 71% of trips having one passenger, 15% of trips having two passengers, 6% of trips having three passengers, 5% of trips having zero passengers, and only 3% of trips having four passengers.
The data excludes operational trips like depot runs or charging, though Toubajie pointed out that most of the time, Waymo’s massive self-driving taxis are really just transporting 1 or 2 people, at times even no passengers at all. “This means that most of the time, the vehicle being used significantly outweighs the needs of the trip,” the Toyota designer wrote in his post.
-->Cybercab suddenly looks perfectly sized
Toubajie gave a nod to Tesla’s approach. “The Tesla Cybercab announced in 2024, is a 2-seater robotaxi with a 50kWh battery but I still believe this is on the larger side of what’s required for most trips,” he wrote.
With Waymo’s own numbers now proving 90% of demand fits two seats or fewer, the wheel-less, lidar-free Cybercab now looks like the smartest play in the room. The Cybercab is designed to be easy to produce, with CEO Elon Musk commenting that its product line would resemble a consumer electronics factory more than an automotive plant. This means that the Cybercab could saturate the roads quickly once it is deployed.
While the Cybercab will likely take the lion’s share of Tesla’s ride-hailing passengers, the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover would be perfect for the remaining 9% of riders who require larger vehicles. This should be easy to implement for Tesla, as the Model Y and Model 3 are both mass-market vehicles.
Tesla Model 3 named New Zealand’s best passenger car of 2025
Tesla starts rolling out FSD V14.2.1 to AI4 vehicles including Cybertruck
