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Tesla Model 3 charging at V3 Supercharger in Jinqiao, Shanghai Tesla Model 3 charging at V3 Supercharger in Jinqiao, Shanghai

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Tesla stock spikes on China delivery figures, then cools down for no reason

Tesla Model 3 charging at V3 Supercharger in Jinqiao, Shanghai (Credit: Tesla China via Ray4Tesla/Twitter)

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Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) stock spiked nearly 3% this morning after positive news from China that effectively debunked rumors of declining sales figures in May. However, the increase in price was short-lived, as the stock dropped back down to the $600 level after opening at $623.01, despite no negative news being reported regarding Tesla this morning.

Earlier today, the Chinese Passenger Car Association (CPCA) reported Tesla delivered a total of 33,463 vehicles in May. Tesla delivered 21,936 domestically after being produced at Tesla’s Giga Shanghai production facility. The remaining 11,527 were exported to other areas, including Europe, where Tesla started shipping vehicles from China in January.

Tesla China sales rise 30% in May, definitively debunks reports of weak demand

The figures released by the CPCA earlier today directly contradict reports from earlier this month, when The Information stated that an internal source familiar with Tesla’s EV sales in China indicated the electric automaker’s orders had slumped significantly in May compared to April. The figures indicated Tesla had only 9,800 orders in May, suggesting a decrease by as much as 50%. The news sent Tesla stock on a steep decline after the report hit mainstream media, who started to aggregate the story as fact.

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The report was met with criticism just a few days later by the CPCA’s Secretary General Cui Dongshu, who said (via Global Times):

“Placed orders cannot equal the sales number in one month. Usually, monthly sales are accumulated units of orders over previous months, so the immediate results in May might not truly reflect whether the recently reported accidents have had any real impact on Tesla’s sales.”

Cui suggested that if Tesla were experiencing decreasing order and sales figures, they wouldn’t be identifiable until July or August.

After Tesla shares spiked this morning on the news of the positive delivery figures in China, the surge cooled down. Analyst Gary Black attributed the drop off to two things: Traders buying on the rumor of low delivery figures, and now selling after shares rose when the CPCA released positive news this morning, or the possibility of Bitcoin’s plummet affecting Tesla’s shares.

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There is a chance that Jerome Guillen, Tesla’s now-former Head of Heavy Trucking, leaving the company could be affecting the price.

Tesla’s rocky road in China

Tesla has had somewhat of a tumultuous relationship in China over the past few months. After growing concerns of security issues due to Tesla’s external cameras, several State-owned businesses and entities banned the company’s cars on their premises in fear of a security breach that could take pictures of potentially sensitive information. Tesla stated that its cabin cameras are not active, and Elon Musk stated that Tesla’s vehicles were not being used to spy on Chinese entities. “If Tesla used cars to spy in China or anywhere, we would get shut down,” Musk said.

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In the following months, Tesla would battle numerous reports of brake failures by numerous owners in China. The most public occurrence of this happening was at the Shanghai Auto Show, where a Model 3 owner claimed her brakes failed and led to an accident. Tesla offered to have a third-party company complete testing on the car to determine the cause of the accident. The owner declined this.

Other owners in China have also come out with similar claims, all of them eventually being debunked or disproven in the following days or weeks. In response to the claims, Tesla created a “Special Handling Team” in China to deter and navigate through false narratives related to the company’s products. Tesla said the team would “meet the demands of car owners and strive to satisfy car owners while complying with laws and regulations.”

Tesla Model 3 tops quality survey once more in China

Tesla Stock

Tesla shares have dropped 14.49% so far in 2021. Interestingly, Tesla has continued its trend of strong financials and delivery and production performances, citing Quarter-over-Quarter growth in both of the company’s Earnings Calls that have taken place this year. In addition, Q1 2021 proved to be Tesla’s biggest quarter yet in terms of production and delivery figures, despite only manufacturing two of its four currently-offered automobiles. The Model S and Model X lines at Tesla’s Fremont production facility were being retooled during the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 as the flagship models were being “refreshed.”

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At the time of writing, Tesla shares were trading at $601.16.

Disclosure: Joey Klender is a TSLA Shareholder.

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 FSD mocks BMW human driver: Saves pedestrian from near miss

Tesla FSD anticipated a BMW driver’s lane drift before the human behind the wheel could react.

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A video posted to r/TeslaFSD this week put a sharp spotlight on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software being able to react to pedestrian intent than an actual human driver behind the wheel. In the Reddit clip, a BMW driver can be seen rolling through a neighborhood street completely unaware of a pedestrian stepping in to cross. At the same time, a Tesla  driving on FSD had already begun slowing down before the pedestrian even began their attempt to cross the street The BMW kept moving, prompting the pedestrian to hop back, while the Tesla came to a stop and provide right-of-way for the human to safely cross.

That gap between what the BMW driver saw and what FSD had already processed is the story. Tesla FSD wasn’t reacting to a person in the street, rather it was reading the signals that a person was about to enter it based on the pedestrian’s movement, trajectory, and their trajectory to telegraph intent.

Tesla’s FSD is now built on an end-to-end neural network trained on billions of real-world miles, learning to interpret subtle human behavioral cues the same way an experienced human driver does instinctively. The difference is consistency. A human driver distracted for two seconds misses what FSD does not.

Tesla sues California DMV over Autopilot and FSD advertising ruling

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Reddit commenters in the thread were blunt about the BMW driver’s failure, with several pointing out that the pedestrian was visible well before the crossing. One response put it plainly that the car on FSD saw the situation developing before the human in the other car had registered there was a situation at all.

Tesla has published data showing FSD (Supervised) is 54% safer than a human driver, accumulated across billions of miles driven on the system. Elon Musk has said FSD v14 will outperform human drivers by a factor of two to three, and that v15 has “a shot” at a 10x improvement. Pedestrian safety is where the stakes are highest, and where intent prediction closes the gap fastest. At 30 mph, a car covers roughly 44 feet per second. An extra second of awareness from reading a person’s body language rather than waiting for them to step out is often the difference between a near miss and a fatality.

Video and community discussion: r/TeslaFSD on Reddit

FSD saves man from becoming a pancake. BMW driver nearly flattens him.
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Tesla Robotaxi gets a small but significant change

In the world of Tesla, where billion-dollar battery breakthroughs and autonomy milestones dominate headlines, a quiet design update can still pack a punch.

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Credit: David Moss | X

In the world of Tesla, where billion-dollar battery breakthroughs and autonomy milestones dominate headlines, a quiet design update can still pack a punch.

Last week in downtown Austin, sharp-eyed observers spotted a subtle but telling evolution on the Cybercab: a new “ROBOTAXI” logo graphic now graces the vehicle’s doors at Tesla’s Autonomy Popup.

What looks at first glance like a minor stylistic choice is, in fact, a deliberate rebranding move that hints at how the company envisions its robotaxi fleet fitting into everyday life.

The updated lettering is bold, graffiti-inspired, and unapologetically street-smart. Rendered in black with dripping white accents and a glowing yellow outline, the font evokes urban energy and playful irreverence.

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Gone is the sleek, minimalist typography that defined earlier Cybercab prototypes. In its place is something more human, almost rebellious.

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The new logo pops against the Cybercab’s smooth, metallic body, turning the autonomous pod into a rolling piece of public art rather than just another futuristic taxi.

Designers know that fonts are silent brand ambassadors. They shape perception before a single ride is taken. Tesla’s classic sans-serif aesthetic screams precision engineering and Silicon Valley cool.

The new Robotaxi script leans into accessibility and fun, suggesting the vehicle is approachable, not intimidating. For a product meant to ferry strangers through city streets 24/7, that matters. It signals that the robotaxi isn’t reserved for tech elites; it’s for everyone.

Tesla Cybercab spotted next to Model Y shows size comparison

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The timing is no accident. With regulatory approvals for unsupervised autonomy advancing and Tesla preparing to scale Cybercab production, the company is shifting from prototype showcase to fleet deployment.

A fresh logo helps differentiate the vehicles visually in dense urban environments—crucial for rider recognition and brand recall. It also aligns with Elon Musk’s long-standing ethos: make the future feel exciting, not sterile.

Small changes like this often foreshadow a larger strategy. Tesla has always obsessed over details—door handles, screen interfaces, even the curvature of a steering wheel.

Updating the Robotaxi font reflects the same meticulous care now applied to consumer-facing autonomy. It’s not just paint on metal; it’s a statement that the ride of the future should feel personal, memorable, and undeniably cool.

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In an industry racing toward self-driving fleets, Tesla’s willingness to evolve even the smallest visual cues shows confidence. A font won’t launch the robotaxi network, but it might just help millions climb aboard with a smile.

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Tesla makes latest announcement on Model S and Model X

The announcement follows Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s statement on the Q4 2025 earnings call in late January. Musk described the decision as an “honorable discharge” for the two vehicles, noting that production would wind down in Q2 2026.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially begun winding down production of its flagship Model S and Model X in the United States, notifying owners via email that the long-running models will soon reach the end of the line.

The email, sent to U.S. customers on March 27, opens with gratitude. “Model S and Model X marked the beginning of the world’s transition to electric transportation,” it reads. “These vehicles also made it possible for Tesla to develop the technology that would move our world toward autonomy.”

Tesla officially begins sunset of Model S and Model X

It then delivers the news directly: “As we make way for this autonomous future, Model S and Model X production will be ending. If you’d like to bring home a new Model S or Model X, order yours soon from our limited inventory.”

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The message closes with a simple thank-you: “Thank you for being part of our journey.”

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The announcement follows Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s statement on the Q4 2025 earnings call in late January. Musk described the decision as an “honorable discharge” for the two vehicles, noting that production would wind down in Q2 2026.

The move frees factory floor space at Fremont, California, for next-generation manufacturing, including Optimus humanoid robots and the upcoming Robotaxi platform.

Introduced in 2012 and 2015, respectively, the Model S and Model X were Tesla’s original halo cars. They proved EVs could outperform gasoline luxury vehicles in acceleration, range, and tech features while pioneering over-the-air updates and early autonomy hardware.

Although they never matched the volume of the Model 3 and Model Y, their engineering breakthroughs laid the foundation for the company’s current lineup and full self-driving development.

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Early adopters highlighted how the cars convinced them to invest in Tesla stock and the EV movement. Some U.S. owners who had not yet received the note voiced mild frustration, and international customers confirmed the outreach remains U.S.-only for now.

Tesla has not detailed an exact final production date beyond the Q2 2026 target or confirmed immediate replacements. Speculation continues about a possible Cybertruck-derived SUV, but the company’s public focus has shifted squarely to autonomy and robotics.

For buyers still interested in the S or X, the window is closing. Inventory is described as limited, and Tesla’s Korean division has already set a March 31 cutoff for new orders in that market. The email serves as both a farewell and final sales push, an elegant close to a chapter that helped define modern electric driving.

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