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Tesla at a tipping point: How a focus on safety and features is building a formidable car brand
Last week, JD Power revealed the results of a study about the public’s perception of electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies. The results of the survey were not that encouraging, with 68% of the respondents stating that they had zero experience with electric cars. The majority of the study’s demographic also stated that they would not consider an EV as their next car purchase.
Yet, despite these results, one particular vehicle seems to be bucking the trend. In June, Tesla sold just shy of 40,000 Model 3 across the globe, making it the best-selling electric car worldwide. Following the Model 3 was the BAIC EU-Series from China, which was far behind at almost 18,000 units sold. Third place in June’s global EV sales rankings was the BYD Yuan, which sold 6,566 units. The Model 3’s feat is impressive, considering that the market is just beginning to seriously embrace electric cars as a viable alternative to gas-powered automobiles.
Baillie Gifford’s recently-released Annual Financial Report noted that Tesla had reached a milestone with the Model 3, as exhibited by the vehicle becoming the US’ best-selling passenger car by revenue over the past four quarters. This milestone could have been achieved by Tesla because the company has and continues to develop a reputation for building great cars that just happen to be electric, not electric cars that just happen to be good. By emphasizing the innate strengths of electric vehicles, Tesla has created a brand that is becoming synonymous with safety and bleeding-edge features.
The Tesla Model 3, Model S, and Model X are three of the safest vehicles on the road today. This is partly due to the vehicles being designed from the ground up as electric cars. With their generous crush zones and rigid frames, Teslas are capable of protecting their occupants, even in potentially serious crashes. Some of these incidents are shared online through the Tesla community and beyond, and they help spread the word that the company’s vehicles are among the safest vehicles on the road today.
The aftermath of these incidents usually follows a similar pattern too, with a Tesla getting damaged and the other vehicle coming out worse for wear. An example of this could be found in this recent incident involving an otherwise intact Model 3 toppling a fire hydrant after getting rear-ended by a Subaru. As could be seen in pictures of the crash’s aftermath, the gas-powered car looked like it hit a wall when it smashed into the Model 3.
Teslas are essentially computers on wheels, and this is one of the reasons why the Model S, Model X, and Model 3 are among the very few vehicles on the road that can receive new features through free over-the-air updates. This has become a crucial part of the Tesla ownership experience, as cars that are handed over to customers only get better with time. Some of these features, such as Sentry Mode and TeslaCam, have even helped owners catch individuals that vandalize their vehicles.
In a recent report, the Highway Loss Data Institute stated that Teslas are among the least likely vehicles to get stolen in the United States, with the Model S and X nearly 90% less likely to attract thieves than the average automobile. The reasons for this could vary, but the fact that Teslas are equipped with a suite of security features, and the fact that the National Crime Information Center tracked 112 recovered Teslas out of 115 stolen vehicles between 2011 and May 2018, establishes the company’s electric cars as vehicles that are pretty tricky to steal.
Tesla only commands a tiny fraction of the overall automotive market today. Even with the aggressive ramp of the Model 3, Tesla is still far from breaching the mass markets that are dominated by low-cost vehicles that have been around for decades. This does not mean to say that Tesla is not making progress, as the company is steadily increasing its reach in the auto industry’s premium segment. And thanks to the company’s innovations and unique approach to its vehicles, Tesla is making itself into a brand that simply attracts a ton of interest.
An example of this could be seen in Japan recently, where Tesla showcased the Model 3 (which is yet to be distributed to the country) at the Haneda Airport. Not too far from the Model 3 was an exhibit of the gas-powered B-Class from Mercedes-Benz, a premium vehicle from a veteran carmaker that is synonymous with luxury. The interest attracted by the two vehicles among the people at the Japanese airport was very telling.
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
