Those who have been following the Tesla story for years would notice that the news surrounding the company this fourth quarter has been relatively muted, despite the fourth quarter being halfway done. This is despite the electric car maker’s ambitious goal of delivering over 180,000 cars this quarter, allowing it to hit Elon Musk’s half-a-million vehicle delivery target for 2020.
The relative quiet surrounding Tesla’s fourth-quarter bodes well for the electric car maker, and it highlights the experience it has gained as an automaker over the years. In years past, it is not uncommon to see report after report of alleged issues in Tesla’s factories or production difficulties in the middle of a quarter. A couple of Elon Musk’s feuds on Twitter would round out the usual drama surrounding the company.
This drama seems strangely absent this quarter so far. While Tesla has caught some of it earlier this year with Elon Musk opening the Fremont Factory while butting heads with officials from Alameda County, the company has, for the most part, been silently executing on its plans. The Model Y ramp appears to be going well, with the all-electric crossover’s production seemingly improving quickly.
While early-production Model Ys were observed with build quality issues, vehicles produced just months later showed vast improvements in quality. Needless to say, the Model Y’s ramp definitely seems to be much smoother than the Model 3’s, a vehicle which took a heavy toll on both Tesla and Elon Musk.
The Model Y ramp is just the tip of the iceberg too. The Model 3, Tesla’s best-selling vehicle for a few years now, has undergone a “refresh” of sorts. With this update, the Model 3 now comes with a revamped interior and exterior, as well as increases in range. These changes would likely make the vehicles more attractive to electric car buyers, many of whom would likely aim to take delivery of their Teslas before the end of the year.
-->Interestingly enough, Tesla is also putting the pedal to the metal in the construction of Gigafactory Berlin and Giga Texas, as well as the expansion of Gigafactory Shanghai. The Roadrunner pilot line in Fremont, the first of the company’s battery cell production facilities, is also being prepared to support the initial ramp of the Germany-based Model Y factory, which is poised to start operations next year. The Full Self-Driving beta is also being improved and developed in preparation for a wider rollout by the end of the year.
The silence surrounding Tesla these days suggests that the company is actively executing its plans without rippling the waters that much. It also shows that the company has reached a point where it is no longer making as many mistakes as it learns its lessons. Instead, it is now putting all those learnings to work as it aims to reach even higher and more ambitious targets.
Tesla’s quiet execution this fourth quarter ultimately bodes well for the company’s supporters. It also serves as a warning of sorts to its longtime critics, most of whom have been proven wrong over the years. Tesla was able to stay afloat in more turbulent times, after all, and it was able to thrive despite coming close to ruin on several occasions. The company is now on more stable footing, and its vehicles are only getting better and more attainable. With these in mind, doubling down on anti-Tesla points this quarter definitely does not seem like a smart idea.
Disclosure: I am long TSLA.
-->
News
Tesla Europe rolls out FSD ride-alongs in the Netherlands’ holiday campaign
The festive event series comes amid Tesla’s ongoing push for regulatory approval of FSD across Europe.
Tesla Europe has announced that its “Future Holidays” campaign will feature Full Self-Driving (Supervised) ride-along experiences in the Netherlands.
The festive event series comes amid Tesla’s ongoing push for regulatory approval of FSD across Europe.
The Holiday program was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on X. “Come get in the spirit with us. Featuring Caraoke, FSD Supervised ride-along experiences, holiday light shows with our S3XY lineup & more,” the company wrote in its post on X.
Per the program’s official website, fun activities will include Caraoke sessions and light shows with the S3XY vehicle lineup. It appears that Optimus will also be making an appearance at the events. Tesla even noted that the humanoid robot will be in “full party spirit,” so things might indeed be quite fun.
“This season, we’re introducing you to the fun of the future. Register for our holiday events to meet our robots, see if you can spot the Bot to win prizes, and check out our selection of exclusive merchandise and limited-edition gifts. Discover Tesla activities near you and discover what makes the future so festive,” Tesla wrote on its official website.
-->This announcement aligns with Tesla’s accelerating FSD efforts in Europe, where supervised ride-alongs could help demonstrate the tech to regulators and customers. The Netherlands, with its urban traffic and progressive EV policies, could serve as an ideal and valuable testing ground for FSD.
Tesla is currently hard at work pushing for the rollout of FSD to several European countries. Tesla has received approval to operate 19 FSD test vehicles on Spain’s roads, though this number could increase as the program develops. As per the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), Tesla would be able to operate its FSD fleet on any national route across Spain. Recent job openings also hint at Tesla starting FSD tests in Austria. Apart from this, the company is also holding FSD demonstrations in Germany, France, and Italy.
News
Tesla sees sharp November rebound in China as Model Y demand surges
New data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows a 9.95% year-on-year increase and a 40.98% jump month-over-month.
Tesla’s sales momentum in China strengthened in November, with wholesale volumes rising to 86,700 units, reversing a slowdown seen in October.
New data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) shows a 9.95% year-on-year increase and a 40.98% jump month-over-month. This was partly driven by tightened delivery windows, targeted marketing, and buyers moving to secure vehicles before changes to national purchase tax incentives take effect.
Tesla’s November rebound coincided with a noticeable spike in Model Y interest across China. Delivery wait times extended multiple times over the month, jumping from an initial 2–5 weeks to estimated handovers in January and February 2026 for most five-seat variants. Only the six-seat Model Y L kept its 4–8 week estimated delivery timeframe.
The company amplified these delivery updates across its Chinese social media channels, urging buyers to lock in orders early to secure 2025 delivery slots and preserve eligibility for current purchase tax incentives, as noted in a CNEV Post report. Tesla also highlighted that new inventory-built Model Y units were available for customers seeking guaranteed handovers before December 31.
This combination of urgency marketing and genuine supply-demand pressure seemed to have helped boost November’s volumes, stabilizing what had been a year marked by several months of year-over-year declines.
-->For the January–November period, Tesla China recorded 754,561 wholesale units, an 8.30% decline compared to the same period last year. The company’s Shanghai Gigafactory continues to operate as both a domestic production base and a major global export hub, building the Model 3 and Model Y for markets across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, among other territories.
Tesla bear Michael Burry got blunt with his beliefs over the company’s valuation, which he called “ridiculously overvalued” in a newsletter to subscribers this past weekend.
“Tesla’s market capitalization is ridiculously overvalued today and has been for a good long time,” Burry, who was the inspiration for the movie The Big Short, and was portrayed by Christian Bale.
Burry went on to say, “As an aside, the Elon cult was all-in on electric cars until competition showed up, then all-in on autonomous driving until competition showed up, and now is all-in on robots — until competition shows up.”
Tesla bear Michael Burry ditches bet against $TSLA, says ‘media inflated’ the situation
For a long time, Burry has been skeptical of Tesla, its stock, and its CEO, Elon Musk, even placing a $530 million bet against shares several years ago. Eventually, Burry’s short position extended to other supporters of the company, including ARK Invest.
Tesla has long drawn skepticism from investors and more traditional analysts, who believe its valuation is overblown. However, the company is not traded as a traditional stock, something that other Wall Street firms have recognized.
While many believe the company has some serious pull as an automaker, an identity that helped it reach the valuation it has, Tesla has more than transformed into a robotics, AI, and self-driving play, pulling itself into the realm of some of the most recognizable stocks in tech.
Burry’s Scion Asset Management has put its money where its mouth is against Tesla stock on several occasions, but the firm has not yielded positive results, as shares have increased in value since 2020 by over 115 percent. The firm closed in May.
In 2020, it launched its short position, but by October 2021, it had ditched that position.
Tesla has had a tumultuous year on Wall Street, dipping significantly to around the $220 mark at one point. However, it rebounded significantly in September, climbing back up to the $400 region, as it currently trades at around $430.
It closed at $430.14 on Monday.
Tesla Europe rolls out FSD ride-alongs in the Netherlands’ holiday campaign
Tesla sees sharp November rebound in China as Model Y demand surges
