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Tesla stands alone in year-over-year growth among major automakers

Credit: Tesla

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Among the major automotive manufacturers, Tesla is the only one to realize a year-over-year growth in vehicle deliveries from March 2021 to February 2022, seeing a near doubling in sales. Other companies struggled to maintain level sales this year compared to last, with the only company seeing a less than 10 percent decline being Kia.

Tesla delivered 23,050 vehicles in March 2021, according to data from TrueCar. The electric automaker saw a 93.2 percent growth in February 2022 compared to last March, delivering 42,742 vehicles last month. Tesla was an anomaly in this category when compared to other major automakers. From BMW to Ford, to GM and Stellantis, every major automotive company suffered substantial losses in deliveries year-over-year.

The automaker to suffer the most substantial loss was Volkswagen, which saw a 44.3 percent decline in automotive sales from March 2021 to February 2022. Other considerable losses came from Nissan (-41.3%), Honda, (-30.6%), Subaru and Ford (-27.6%), and BMW (-23.9%).

Credit: TrueCar

The realized gains in Tesla’s sales figures could be attributed to a more favorable consumer sentiment regarding electric vehicles over the past year, which has been led due to the company’s nearly-unanimous recognition as the leader in EVs. Additionally, Tesla was one of the only major automakers to combat the semiconductor and chip shortage with relative ease. While the company did experience delays in production last year due to parts shortages and other supply chain issues, it was widely successful in maneuvering the issues, getting cars to customers frequently.

In terms of quarterly year-over-year comparisons, Tesla was one of two automakers to see positive gains from Q1 2022 compared to Q1 2021. Tesla sold 127,432 vehicles in Q1 2022, with only 69,300 in Q1 2021, which represents an 83.9 percent growth. Hyundai saw a 0.9 percent increase, delivering 176,920 vehicles in Q1 2022, with 175,352 cars in Q1 2021.

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As an industry, TrueCar expects total new vehicle industry sales to reach 1,246,993 units in March 2022, down 25 percent from a year ago and up 5 percent from February 2022.

TrueCar also offered additional industry insights:

  • Total sales for March 2022 are expected to be down 25% from a year ago and up 5% from February 2022 when adjusted for the same number of selling days.
  • Fleet sales for March 2022 are expected to be down 30% from a year ago and up 31% from February 2022 when adjusted for the same number of selling days.
  • Incentive spend is down 54% from last year.
  • Average transaction price is projected to be up 15% from a year ago and down 1% from February 2022.
  • Total SAAR is expected to be down 23% from a year ago at 13.6 million units.
  • Used vehicle sales for March 2022 are expected to reach 3.6 million, down 13% from a year ago and up 11% from February 2022.
  • The average interest rate on new vehicles is 4.6% and the average interest rate on used vehicles is 8%.
  • The average loan term on a new vehicle for March 2022 is 70 months and the average loan term on a used vehicle is about 71 months.
  • Quarterly average transaction price is projected to be up 16% from a year ago and up 3.5% from Q4 2021.
  • Quarterly incentive spend is down 51% from Q1 2021

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla seeks approval to test FSD Supervised in new Swedish city

Tesla has applied to conduct local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing in the city of Jönköping, Sweden.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla has applied to conduct local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing in the city of Jönköping, Sweden.

As per local outlet Jönköpings-Posten, Tesla has contacted the municipality with a request to begin FSD (Supervised) tests in the city. The company has already received approval to test its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software in several Swedish municipalities, as well as on the national road network.

Sofia Bennerstål, Tesla’s Head of Public Policy for Northern Europe, confirmed that an application has been submitted for FSD’s potential tests in Jönköping.

“I can confirm that we have submitted an application, but I cannot say much more about it,” Bennerstål told the news outlet. She also stated that Tesla is “satisfied with the tests” in the region so far.

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The planned tests in Jönköping would involve a limited number of Tesla-owned vehicles. Trained Tesla safety drivers would remain behind the wheel and be prepared to intervene if necessary.

Tesla previously began testing in Nacka municipality after receiving local approval. At the time, the company stated that cooperation between authorities, municipalities, and industry enables technological progress and helps integrate future transport systems into real-world traffic conditions, as noted in an Allt Om Elbil report.

If approved, Jönköping would become the latest Swedish municipality to allow local Full Self-Driving (Supervised) testing.

Tesla’s Swedish testing program is part of the company’s efforts to validate its supervised autonomous driving software in everyday traffic environments. Municipal approvals allow Tesla to gather data in urban settings that include roundabouts, complex intersections, and mixed traffic conditions.

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Sweden has become an increasingly active testing ground for Tesla’s driver-assistance software in Europe, with regulatory coordination between local authorities and national agencies enabling structured pilot programs.

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Microsoft partners with Starlink to expand rural internet access worldwide

The update was shared ahead of Mobile World Congress.

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Credit: Starlink/X

Microsoft has announced a new collaboration with Starlink as part of its expanding digital access strategy, following the company’s claim that it has extended internet connectivity coverage to more than 299 million people worldwide.

The update was shared ahead of Mobile World Congress, where Microsoft detailed how it surpassed its original goal of bringing internet access to 250 million people by the end of 2025.

In a blog post, Microsoft confirmed that it is now working with Starlink to expand connectivity in rural and hard-to-reach regions.

“Through our collaboration with Starlink, Microsoft is combining low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity with community-based deployment models and local ecosystem partnerships,” the company wrote.

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The partnership is designed to complement Microsoft’s existing work with local internet providers and infrastructure companies across Africa, Latin America, and India, among other areas. Microsoft noted that traditional infrastructure alone cannot meet demand in some regions, making low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity an important addition.

Kenya was cited as an early example. Working with Starlink and local provider Mawingu Networks, Microsoft is supporting connectivity for 450 community hubs in rural and underserved areas. These hubs include farmer cooperatives, aggregation centers, and digital access facilities intended to support agricultural productivity and AI-enabled services.

Microsoft stated that 2.2 billion people globally remain offline, and that connectivity gaps risk widening as AI adoption accelerates.

Starlink’s expanding constellation, now numbering more than 9,700 satellites in orbit, provides near-global coverage, making it one of the few systems capable of delivering broadband to remote regions without relying on terrestrial infrastructure. 

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Starlink is expected to grow even more in the coming years as well, especially as SpaceX transitions its fleet to Starship, which is capable of carrying significantly larger payloads compared to its current workhorse, the Falcon 9.

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Tesla expands US LFP battery supply with LG Energy Solution deal: report

The report was initially published by TheElec, citing industry sources.

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Credit: Tesla

LG Energy Solution (LGES) will manufacture lithium iron phosphate (LFP) energy storage system (ESS) batteries for Tesla at its Lansing, Michigan facility. 

The report was initially published by TheElec, citing industry sources.

LG Energy Solution’s Lansing plant, formerly known as Ultium Cells 3, was previously operated as a joint venture with General Motors. LGES acquired GM’s stake in May 2025 and now fully owns the site. With a production capacity of 50 GWh per year, it is one of the company’s largest facilities in North America.

LG Energy Solution is converting part of the Lansing factory to produce LFP batteries for energy storage systems. Equipment orders for the new lines have already been placed, and mass production is reportedly expected to begin in the second half of next year.

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Last July, LG Energy Solution disclosed a 5.94 trillion won battery supply agreement running from August 2027 to July 2030. While the company did not name the customer, industry sources pointed to Tesla as the buyer.

Tesla has primarily used CATL’s prismatic batteries for its Megapack systems. The move to source prismatic LFP cells from LG Energy Solution’s U.S. plant could then be seen as part of Tesla’s efforts to bolster its North American supply base for its energy storage business.

For the Lansing conversion, LG Energy Solution reportedly plans to use electrode equipment originally ordered under its Ultium Cells venture with General Motors. Suppliers reportedly include CIS and Hirano Tecseed for electrode systems, TSI for mixing equipment, CK Solution for heat exhaust systems, A-Pro for formation equipment, and Shinjin Mtech for assembly kits.

Tesla currently manufactures energy storage products at facilities in California and Shanghai, though another Megafactory that produces the Megapack is also expected to be built in Texas. As per recent reports, the Texas Megafactory recently advanced with a major property sale.

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