News
Tesla, VW and several other EVs that qualify for the new 2023 US EV tax credit
Tesla, Volkswagen, and several other EV manufacturers qualify for the new 2023 U.S. EV tax credit. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced the vehicles that qualify for the 2023 EV tax credit. The full list of EV models eligible for the new and updated $7,500 U.S. federal tax credit includes EVs made by fourteen manufacturers.
The IRS noted that the vehicles on the list below don’t automatically qualify but must also have undergone final assembly in North America and not exceed a manufacturer-suggested retail price (MSRP) of $80,000 for vans, SUVs, and pickups or $55,000 for other vehicles. The full list is as follows:
- 2023 Audi Q5 TFSI e Quattro (PHEV)
 - 2022-2023 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid
 - 2022-2023 Ford E-Transit
 - 2022-2023 Ford F-150 Lightning
 - 2022-2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E
 - 2022-2023 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring
 - 2022-2023 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring
 - 2021, 2022, 2023 Nissan Leaf
 - 2021, 2022 Nissan Leaf S Plus
 - 2021, 2022 Nissan Leaf SL Plus
 - 2021, 2022 Nissan Leaf SV
 - 2021, 2022, 2023 Nissan Leaf SV Plus
 - 2022, 2023 Rivian R1S
 - 2022, 2023 Rivian R1T
 - 2022, 2023 Chrysler Pacifica PHEV
 - 2022, 2023 Jeep Wrangler 4xe
 - 2022, 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe
 - 2023 Tesla Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive
 - 2023 Tesla Model 3 Long Range
 - 2023 Tesla Model 3 Long Range
 - 2023 Tesla Model Y All-Wheel Drive – 7-seat variant (3-rows)
 - 2023 Tesla Model Y Long Range – 7-seat variant (3-rows)
 - 2023 Tesla Model Y Performance – 7-seat variant (3-rows)
 - 2023 Tesla Model Y All-Wheel Drive – 5-seat variant (2-rows)
 - 2023 Tesla Model Y Long Range – 5-seat variant (2-rows)
 - 2023 Tesla Model Y Performance – 5-seat variant (2-rows)
 - 2023 Volkswagen ID.4
 - 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro
 - 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 Pro S
 - 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 S
 - 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 AWD Pro
 - 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 AWD Pro S
 - 2022 Volvo S60 (PHEV)
 - 2022 Volvo S60 Extended Range
 - 2022 Volvo S60 T8 Recharge (Extended Range)
 
General Motors, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Proterra, and Subaru were also on the list. The IRS noted that these manufacturers entered into a written agreement with the agency and have plans to become a “qualified manufacturer” but haven’t submitted a list of specific makes and models that are eligible at this time.
Although there were several Tesla Model Ys on the list, not all of them qualified as SUVs, which would have enabled them to have a higher MSRP limit of $80,000. The IRS seems to only consider the seven-seat Model Y and the VW ID.4 AWD as SUVs.
If you’d like to see if your vehicle meets the requirements, you can use the vehicle identification number (VIN) decoder tool under “Specific Assembly Location Based on VIN” on the Department of Energy’s website.
Disclosure: Johnna is a $TSLA shareholder and believes in Tesla’s mission.
Your feedback is welcome. If you have any comments or concerns or see a typo, you can email me at johnna@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter at @JohnnaCrider1.
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Elon Musk
Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund votes against Elon Musk’s 2025 performance award
The fund is managed by Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), and it holds a 1.14% stake in Tesla valued at about $11.6 billion.
														Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund has voted against Elon Musk’s 2025 performance award, which will be ultimately decided at Tesla’s upcoming annual shareholder meeting.
The fund is managed by Norges Bank Investment Management (NBIM), and it holds a 1.14% stake in Tesla valued at about $11.6 billion.
NBIM’s opposition
NBIM confirmed it had already cast its vote against Musk’s pay package, citing concerns over its total size, dilution, and lack of mitigation of key person risk, as noted in a CNBC report. The fund acknowledged Musk’s leadership of the EV maker, and it stated that it will continue to seek dialogue with Tesla about its concerns.
“While we appreciate the significant value created under Mr. Musk’s visionary role, we are concerned about the total size of the award, dilution, and lack of mitigation of key person risk- consistent with our views on executive compensation. We will continue to seek constructive dialogue with Tesla on this and other topics,” NBIM noted.
The upcoming Tesla annual shareholder meeting will decide whether Musk should receive his proposed 2025 performance award, which would grant him large stock options over the next decade if Tesla hits several ambitious milestones, such as a market cap of $8.5 trillion. The 2025 performance award will also increase Musk’s stake in Tesla to 25%.
Elon Musk and NBIM
Elon Musk’s proposed 2025 CEO performance award has proven polarizing, with large investors split on whether the executive should be given a pay package that, if fully completed, would make him a trillionaire.
Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis have recommended that shareholders vote against the deal, and initiatives such as the “Take Back Tesla” campaign have rallied investors to oppose the proposed performance award. On the other hand, other large investors such as ARK Invest and the State Board of Administration of Florida (SBA) have urged shareholders to approve the compensation plan.
Interestingly enough, this is not the first time that Musk and NBIM have found themselves on opposing sides. Last year, NBIM voted against reinstating Musk’s 2018 performance award, which had already been fully accomplished but was rescinded by a Delaware judge.
Later reports shared text messages between Musk and NBIM Chief Executive Nicolai Tangen, who was inviting the CEO to a dinner in Oslo. Musk declined the invitation, writing, “When I ask you for a favor, which I very rarely do, and you decline, then you should not ask me for one until you’ve done something to make amends. Friends are as friends do.”
Elon Musk
Tesla begins production of new Model Y trim at Giga Berlin
Tesla announced on Monday that its Model Y Standard configuration was officially being built at Giga Berlin, less than one month after the company officially announced the configuration early last month.
														Tesla has begun production of the new Model Y trim at Gigafactory Berlin, the company’s production plant in Germany.
Tesla announced on Monday that its Model Y Standard configuration was officially being built at Giga Berlin, less than one month after the company officially announced the configuration early last month.
On October 7, Tesla announced the launch of the Model 3 and Model Y Standard trim levels, its answer to the call for affordable EVs within its lineup and its response to the loss of the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit.
On October 3, Tesla started production of the vehicles in Germany:
Model Y Standard says „Hello World“ – Production at Giga Berlin has started today! pic.twitter.com/p37JIfJDIB
— Tesla Manufacturing (@gigafactories) November 3, 2025
The Standard iteration of the Model Y is void of many of the more premium features that are available in the Rear-Wheel-Drive, All-Wheel-Drive, and Performance trims of the vehicle are equipped with.
A few of the features of the Model Y Standard are:
- Single Motor configuration
 - No rear touchscreen
 - Textile seats with vegan leather, instead of all vegan leather
 - 320-mile range
 - No glass roof
 
The launch of the Model Y Standard was truly a move to help Tesla get vehicles into the sub-$40,000 price point, and although many consumers were hoping to see the company get closer to $30,000 with these cars, this is a great starting point.
Deliveries in the United States have already started, and it seems it will be a vehicle that will do one of two things: either push some consumers to finally make the jump to Tesla, or it will give car buyers another reason to buy the Premium trims, as they may feel the lack of features is not a good enough deal.
This is something we saw with the Cybertruck’s Rear-Wheel-Drive configuration, which launched last year and ended up being more of the latter option listed above.
The Tesla Model Y Standard is actually a great deal in Europe
It was only a $10,000 discount from the All-Wheel-Drive Cybertruck, but it also did not have adaptive air suspension, premium interiors, or the powered tonneau cover, which many people felt was too much of a sacrifice.
The Rear-Wheel-Drive Cybertruck was discontinued only a few months later.
It does not seem as if this is the case with the Model Y Standard, which already seems to be an attractive option to some buyers.
Cybertruck
Tesla begins wide rollout of Full Self-Driving v14 to Cybertruck
														Tesla has officially begun the wide rollout of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14 to the Cybertruck about a month after the company started rolling it out to other vehicles in the fleet.
On Monday, Tesla officially started rolling out v14.1.5 to Cybertruck owners, the first FSD v14 rollout for owners of the all-electric pickup.
Owners have been anxiously waiting for Tesla to begin the wide release of v14 to Cybertruck, as the company said it would refine the suite for the vehicle.
Tesla has finally started rolling out to many owners, who are reporting that their Cybertrucks are downloading Software Update 2025.38.8.5, which contains FSD v14.1.5:
Tesla Self-Driving 14.1.5 for Cybertruck rolling out now! Too bad I just left for Austin. pic.twitter.com/WdxvEaK6ma
— Whole Mars Catalog (@WholeMarsBlog) November 3, 2025
So look what I just got on my @cybertruck ! FSD v14.1.5
Believe it or not @teslascope reported it about 5 minutes before it was visible on my app. That new API must be cooking! pic.twitter.com/GIiQrss4q5
— Chuck Cook (@chazman) November 3, 2025
Can confirm – arrived last night 🤝 https://t.co/0knxMK1Gfx pic.twitter.com/rqtU41pRaF
— Wes (@wmorrill3) November 3, 2025
Tesla has to be more cautious with rolling out FSD on the Cybertruck than on other vehicles for a few reasons. Initially, the Cybertruck utilizes an all-wheel steering system that turns differently than the S3XY lineup. This creates a challenge for the Tesla AI team as they have to cater to this specific maneuvering change.
Additionally, the Cybertruck is much larger, and the exterior cameras responsible for seeing the vehicle’s surroundings are placed differently than those of the other vehicles.
This requires additional calibration to ensure safety.
The full release notes for Full Self-Driving v14.1.5 are as follows:
- Added Arrival Options for you to select where FSD should park: in a Parking Lot, on the Street, in a Driveway, in a Parking Garage, or at the Curbside.
 - Added handling to pull over or yield for emergency vehicles (e.g. police cars, fire trucks, ambulances).
 - Added navigation and routing into the vision-based neural network for real-time handling of blocked roads and detours.
 - Added additional Speed Profile to further customize driving style preference.
 - Improved handling for static and dynamic gates.
 - Improved offsetting for road debris (e.g. tires, tree branches, boxes).
 - Improve handling of several scenarios including: unprotected turns, lane changes, vehicle cut-ins, and school buses.
 - Improved FSD’s ability to manage system faults and recover smoothly from degraded operation for enhanced reliability.
 - Added alerting for residue build-up on interior windshield that may impact front camera visibility. If affected, visit Service for cleaning!
 
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14 release notes for Cybertruck pic.twitter.com/fiMnjjTCY9
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 3, 2025
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