Out of every 10 electric cars registered in the United States in 2020, nearly eight of them were built by Tesla.
New data from Automotive News shows that Tesla owned 79% of the total EVs registered in the U.S. in 2020, leaving only 21% for the other manufacturers to divide up between themselves. This overwhelming domination is also followed by somewhat obvious premonition: Tesla’s four currently-offered electric cars made up four of the top five spots. With the Chevy Bolt EV taking third, the Model 3, Model Y, Model X, and Model S took first, second, fourth, and fifth place, respectively.
Tesla’s Domination of the U.S. EV Sector
It is no secret Tesla has dominated the EV sector across the world. With its industry-leading software, battery tech, and performance specifications, if someone is going to buy an electric car, it should be a Tesla most of the time. U.S. consumers agree with this statement, especially after nearly 80% of all EVs in the United States in 2020 were built by the Elon Musk-headed company. Tesla’s dominant charge was led by the Model 3, as it was registered 95,135 times in 2020, according to the data. The Model Y came in second with 71,344, the Model X in fourth with 19,652, and the Model S in fifth with 14,430.
It is no surprise the Model 3 and Model Y, Tesla’s two most affordable cars, dominated the table. The third-place Chevy Bolt EV trailed the second-place Model Y by 51,680 units, making it a head-and-shoulders lead by the two Tesla vehicles.
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The Model Y and Model 3 are comparable with the same overall look and interior design, one is just slightly more prominent as the Y is a crossover. The Model 3 sedan is no joke either, mainly because it is the most popular EV globally. Its affordability, versatility, and three offered variants make it the ideal choice for basically anyone who has any desire. Whether it’s a daily driver or something to take on speedy weekend drives, the Model 3 fits the bill for nearly anyone.
Growth filed in by manufacturing
Tesla saw a 16% increase in vehicle registrations in 2020 compared to 2019. With more cars being offered, it is no surprise that there is some growth in terms of the U.S. market. The Model Y finally gave Tesla the chance to compete in a highly-competitive crossover SUV market. With more people under the impression that electric powertrains are the way to go, Tesla shouldn’t see any declines for the foreseeable future. However, the company will have to deal with increased demand through a series of production plant projects. One of which is already underway in Austin, as Giga Texas nears its first production runs scheduled for this Summer.
Elon Musk has plans to open a third production facility sometime within the next few years. In an interview with Automotive News in 2020, the Tesla CEO indicated that the next U.S.-based facility would be operating in the Northeast region of the United States. This would effectively allow all three plants to control the United States in thirds: Fremont would take care of S and X production as a whole, but 3 and Y builds would stay in the Western-third of the country. Giga Texas will control the center of the U.S., and the unannounced third U.S. Gigafactory would take care of owners and orderers in the Eastern third of the country.
Musk said:
“I think at some point, there will be a third Gigafactory [in the U.S.]. I’d imagine, you know, closer up North, Northeast, most likely.”
Production efficiencies have also been a major point of focus for Tesla as manufacturing has been an issue that Musk intends to improve upon constantly. The company has made several moves toward automation and has used things like the Giga Press to improve manufacturing efficiency. It eliminated 69 total parts from the Model Y’s rear casting, increasing quality while decreasing the time spent to build a single cast. Eventually, Musk says the Model 3 will also use a single-piece casting.
Tesla will have its work cut out for it within the next several years. With new manufacturers like Rivian and Lucid joining the EV sector this year, Tesla will have its first batch of all-electric competition in the U.S.
Elon Musk
The Tesla and SpaceX merger everyone is talking about is quietly building
Tesla and SpaceX may be closer to merging than Wall Street or either company is admitting.
Elon Musk has reportedly discussed merging Tesla and SpaceX with people close to him, according to CNBC, which cited sources familiar with the conversation. Tesla employees have long expected such a transaction and the topic is openly discussed internally, according to internal sources. With SpaceX is days away from kicking off its Wall Street roadshow for what could be the largest IPO in market history, this would be the first time the company will have public market currency to execute a stock-for-stock deal with Tesla.
The financial logic for a merger would make sense. A combined SpaceX and Tesla would create a conglomerate spanning rockets, satellites, electric vehicles, AI infrastructure, and energy storage valued at roughly $3.35 trillion to $3.6 trillion based on SpaceX’s IPO target range and Tesla’s current market capitalization. The two companies are already more intertwined than most people realize. SpaceX bought $697 million worth of Tesla Megapack systems for xAI data centers and $131 million worth of Cybertrucks. Tesla invested $2 billion in xAI, which subsequently merged with SpaceX. Past transactions also include Tesla selling solar equipment and parts to SpaceX, and SpaceX helping with Cybertruck materials.
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Musk himself signaled where this was heading in November 2025 when he posted on X, “My companies are, surprisingly in some ways, trending towards convergence.” Tesla and SpaceX announced a joint semiconductor fabrication facility in Austin called Terafab on the Gigafactory Texas campus, covering two advanced chip factories, with one serving Tesla’s AI needs for vehicles and Optimus robots, the other targeting space-based data centers under SpaceX’s infrastructure vision.
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives places the probability of a merger at 80% to 90% with a target completion in the first half of 2027. The mechanics of a deal became possible the moment SpaceX filed its S-1. Legal experts said a merger likely would not spark antitrust issues but would raise concerns among shareholders in each company, with questions around which company would be the parent, how a stock swap would take place, and who determines the appropriate price. Musk holds about 20% of Tesla’s equity but controls 85.1% of SpaceX’s voting power through a super-voting share class, meaning he would largely be negotiating the terms with himself.
Not everyone is convinced the timing is imminent. Traders on Kalshi place only 33% odds that a merger will happen before May 2027. The more immediate concern for Tesla shareholders is whether the SpaceX IPO pulls capital and Musk’s attention away from Tesla before any merger consolidates the upside for both.
What is clear is that the structural groundwork is already being laid. The Terafab announcement, the xAI merger, the shared supply chain, the cross-company balance sheet transactions, and now the IPO all point in the same direction. Whether the merger follows in 2027 or later, the two companies are already operating more like divisions of a single entity than independent competitors.
Elon Musk
SpaceX to become America’s Military data backbone for missiles, drones, and warfighters
The Space Force just handed SpaceX $2.29 billion to build the military’s space internet backbone.
The U.S. Space Force awarded SpaceX a $2.29 billion contract on May 26, 2026 to build the backbone of its Space Data Network, a satellite-based communications system designed to keep American military forces connected anywhere on Earth in real time. The contract is firm-fixed-price and requires SpaceX to deliver a fully operational prototype by the end of 2027.
In plain terms, the SDN Backbone is the plumbing behind the military’s space-based internet. It functions as a low Earth orbit satellite constellation providing robust, high-capacity, and low-latency data transport for the Joint Force, connecting sensors and weapons systems continuously, globally, and securely. Think of it as a private, hardened version of Starlink built specifically for battlefield communications, one that soldiers, ships, and aircraft can rely on even in contested environments where ground-based networks have been disrupted.
SpaceX is quietly becoming the U.S. Military’s only reliable rocket
The Space Force was direct about why SpaceX was selected. “The SDN Backbone leverages the best of commercial innovation and delivers a strong foundation for the SDN mission set — a huge benefit and enabler for our warfighters,” said USSF Col. Ryan Frazier.
“We aren’t trading speed for scale; we are demanding both. By using rapid prototyping and Other Transaction Authorities, we are ensuring our advanced solutions are integrated and delivered to the warfighter as fast as possible,” added USSF Lt. Col. Fry, SDN Backbone system program manager.
The SDN Backbone will work alongside the Space Development Agency’s Transport Layer, with the two systems forming a unified open architecture to provide critical data transport for current and future Department of War missions.
As Teslarati has reported, this is not SpaceX’s first Space Force contract of 2026. In April, the Space Force awarded SpaceX $178.5 million to launch missile tracking satellites, and SpaceX is already embedded in the Golden Dome missile defense software group. The $2.29 billion SDN Backbone award puts SpaceX at the center of how the American military communicates in space, a position with direct implications for its reported $1.75 trillion IPO valuation as the company heads toward a public offering as early as June 2026.
Tesla’s dedicated factory for building up to ten million Optimus units is officially under construction at Gigafactory Texas.
Drone footage released on May 27 by Giga Texas observer Joe Tegtmeyer captures the significant milestone of the first steel structure officially standing at Tesla’s new Optimus factory on the North Campus of the facility.
Phase two of land reclamation is advancing steadily, and the progress will let the new building extend nearly the full length of the main Giga Texas factory, potentially exceeding 4,000 feet, while measuring somewhere between 50 and 70 meters narrower. Extensive foundation work is proceeding as well.
Big news at the new Optimus 10m/y factory construction site today! The 1st steel structure has been erected & as expected the second phase of land reclamation is underway.
This will allow this new factory to grow to nearly the same length as the main Giga Texas factory,… pic.twitter.com/FidRLV6XpU
— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) May 27, 2026
This facility forms a central element of Tesla’s broader North Campus expansion at Giga Texas. The project will add more than 5.2 million square feet of new industrial space. It sits alongside other advanced developments, including a Terafab for next-gen AI chips. The scale reflects Tesla’s commitment to transforming humanoid robotics into a core pillar of the company’s future.
Musk has said that Optimus will be the biggest product in the world on several occasions. He believes it will be Tesla’s biggest valuation contributor.
Tesla prepares to expand Giga Texas with new Optimus production plant
Tesla plans to build about 10 million robots at the site annually once it is completed, which would be about 27,000 units each day.
The Optimus plant at Giga Texas is part of Tesla’s phased strategy for Optimus manufacturing. In an effort to start production of the robot well before the Giga Texas plant is complete, Tesla ended production of the Model S and Model X vehicles, which were built in Fremont, California, to make way for initial Optimus manufacturing efforts.
Production there will start in either July or August of this year, and early units will support internal factory tasks while the team gathers real-world data to refine processes. The Gigafactory Texas facility will house a second-gen production line. It targets high-volume output starting in Summer 2027.
Musk has repeatedly described Optimus as potentially more valuable than Tesla’s entire vehicle business. Current versions are already completing minor tasks around various facilities, while Tesla continues to refine its abilities and add new features.
Tesla’s total investment could reach several billion dollars. Significant challenges lie ahead, including the creation of an entirely new manufacturing ecosystem, the refinement of AI systems for dependable autonomy, and the development of reliable supply chains for actuators, sensors, and other components.
Nevertheless, the visible progress at Giga Texas highlights Tesla’s capacity to translate ambitious concepts into physical reality.
Tesla’s Optimus factory stands as much more than a simple expansion project, as it is quite literally the second phase of what could potentially be the biggest product ever. With construction beginning, 2027 is poised to become a transformative year for Tesla, as it evolves even further from an electric vehicle leader into a pioneer of intelligent, general-purpose machines.
The Tesla and SpaceX merger everyone is talking about is quietly building
SpaceX to become America’s Military data backbone for missiles, drones, and warfighters
