Tesla has become the hottest car maker in America and they are doing it by focusing on data, which is something that legacy automakers are not really doing very well today. While Detroit continues to push traditional ad campaigns that focus on speed, performance, and safety, Tesla has taken a drastically different approach — and it is evidently paying off.
In the past decade, a new trend has arisen in the American automotive market. According to Inc.com, millennials perceive traditional cars as expensive and pollution-pumping modes of transportation. Amidst the rise of ride-hailing services, the next-generation of car buyers do not seem very eager to get behind the wheel of a personal vehicle, or at least one that is conventional, and acquired through a conventional dealership.
The main issue is that cars are simply not compelling or “fun” to consumers anymore. They are expensive and boring, and unfortunately, none of the traditional car manufacturers have been able to solve the riddle. Then there is Tesla. In a 60 Minutes segment, Scott Pelley said that Tesla CEO Elon Musk was revolutionizing vehicles, in the same way Steve Jobs changed the mobile industry with the iPhone.
Part of the reason behind Tesla’s success so far is the company’s focus on developing vehicles that are built from the ground up with tech. Inasmuch as traditional cars are built on horsepower, Teslas are built on data. Data that’s gathered from every vehicle in Tesla’s fleet, and data that has the potential to improve the company’s cars in terms of performance, safety, and features. Teslas have had over a decade to master this, and the company has gotten very good at its tech-centered approach.
Tesla currently utilizes data from its nearly 900,000 vehicles currently on the road to give engineers and analysts in Silicon Valley an idea of what they need to improve upon. For example, when Tesla rolled out the highly anticipated release of Smart Summon, the company utilized information from over one million uses of the software. Tesla uses the same strategy with its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving suite as well, which are stepping stones towards CEO Elon Musk’s attempts at reaching autonomy.
Meanwhile, legacy automakers are continuing to push SUVs and trucks using tried and tested strategies that are not as effective today as they were years ago. Veteran automakers such as Ford and GM have started adopting a tech-centered approach in their respective electric cars and autonomous programs, but their core remains traditional. To try and keep up with Elon Musk and the company he heads, some are even releasing “competitors” to Tesla’s Self-Driving capabilities, but they simply fall short because of a lack of data.
Take GM’s Super Cruise, for example, which is robust in its own right. While it is a capable driver-assist system that can possibly rival Navigate on Autopilot, the system can only be used in a fraction of areas that Tesla’s system can be engaged in. A lot of this gap can be attributed to the mountains upon mountains of real-world driving data that Tesla’s has, and legacy automakers don’t.
And the gap is only widening, as suggested by Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson in a recent statement. Ultimately, it appears that Tesla is pulling away from its competitors in the car industry. While other companies are struggling to keep up with the transition to electric transportation, Tesla is compiling millions of pieces of data in its efforts to improve.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk: Tesla Model Y is world’s best-selling car for 3rd year in a row
The Model Y has now established an impressive streak that would otherwise have been impossible before Tesla.
Elon Musk has announced that the Tesla Model Y has become the world’s best-selling car by volume for the third consecutive year, capping 2025 with another dominant performance.
The Model Y has now established an impressive streak that would otherwise have been impossible before Tesla.
Three years in a row
Musk posted on X: “Tesla Model Y is now officially the world’s best-selling car for the third year in a row!” The CEO’s comment echoed an update that Tesla included in its 2025 recap, which highlighted, among other things, the Model Y’s incredible streak.
The Model Y has held the title since 2023, outperforming traditional leaders like the Toyota RAV4 and Corolla thanks to its bang-for-the-buck nature and its stellar combination of practicality, performance, and tech. The Model Y is also lauded as one of the safest vehicles on the road, making it an ideal choice for families in key markets such as China.
An impressive 2025
The Model Y’s sales feat in 2025 is especially impressive considering the introduction of the vehicle’s new variant. Tesla’s changeover to the new Model Y across its global factories resulted in sales being paused for some time in the first quarter. As per Tesla’s Q1 2025 vehicle delivery and production report, “the changeover of Model Y lines across all four of our factories led to the loss of several weeks of production in Q1.”
This suggests that the Model Y’s sales remained strong in 2025 to the point where it could still claim the title of the world’s best-selling vehicle by volume, even with its sales being throttled during the first quarter of the year. It would then be interesting to see just how far the Model Y can go in 2026, especially considering the rollout of new variants like the six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y L, the affordable Model Y Standard, and the top-tier Model Y Performance.
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Tesla shares epic 2025 recap video, confirms start of Cybercab production
The cinematic montage, posted by the official Tesla account on X, celebrated the company’s progress in EVs, energy, and Robotaxi development.
Tesla has released an epic year-in-review video for 2025, recapping some of its major achievements from refreshed models to autonomy breakthroughs and production ramps.
The cinematic montage, posted by the official Tesla account on X, celebrated the company’s progress in EVs, energy, and Robotaxi development while looking ahead to an even bigger 2026.
Tesla’s 2025 highlights recap
Tesla has had a busy 2025, as highlighted in the recap video. The video opened with Elon Musk explaining the company’s pursuit of sustainable abundance. A number of milestones were then highlighted, such as the rollout of FSD v14, Optimus’ numerous demos, the opening of the Tesla Diner in Hollywood, LA, the completion of the world’s first autonomous car delivery, and the launch of the Robotaxi network in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Tesla also highlighted several of its accomplishments over the year. As per the company, the Model Y was the year’s best-selling vehicle globally again, and Teslas became more affordable than ever thanks to the Model 3 and Model Y Standard. Other key models were also rolled out, such as the refreshed Model S and X, as well as the new Model Y, the new Model Y Performance, and the six-seat, extended wheelbase Model Y L.
The Megablock was also unveiled during the year, and the Supercharger Network grew by 18%. Over 1 million Powerwalls were also installed during the year, and the Cybertruck became the first EV truck to get both an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award and an NHTSA 5-Star safety rating.
Cybercab production confirmed
Interestingly enough, Tesla also confirmed in its 2025 recap video that the production of the Cybercab has started. This bodes well for the vehicle, as it could result in the vehicle really being mass-produced in the first half of 2026. Elon Musk confirmed during the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting that Cybercab production should earnestly start around April 2026.
Musk has also noted that the Cybercab will be Tesla’s highest-volume vehicle yet, with the company aiming for an annual production rate of about 2 million units. “If you’ve seen the design of the Cybercab line, it doesn’t look like a normal car manufacturing line,” Musk said earlier this year. “It looks like a really high-speed consumer electronics line. In fact, the line will move so fast that actually people can’t even get close to it.”
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Tesla Cybercab is changing the look of Austin’s roads, and it’s not even in production yet
Videos and photos showed the sleek, two-seat autonomous vehicles navigating traffic.
Even before entering production, Tesla’s Cybercab is already transforming the appearance of Austin’s streets, with multiple prototypes spotted testing in downtown areas recently.
Videos and photos showed the sleek, two-seat autonomous vehicles navigating traffic. Interestingly enough, the vehicles were equipped with temporary steering wheels and human safety drivers.
Recent Cybercab sightings
Over the weekend, enthusiasts captured footage of two Cybercabs driving together in central Austin, their futuristic silhouettes standing out amid regular traffic. While the vehicles featured temporary steering wheels and side mirrors for now, they retained their futuristic, production-intent exterior design.
Industry watcher Sawyer Merritt shared one of the vehicles’ videos, noting the increasing frequency of the autonomous two-seater’s sightings.
Previewing the autonomous future
Sightings of the Cybercab have been ramping in several key areas across the United States in recent weeks. Sightings include units at Apple’s Visitor Center in California, the Fremont factory test track, and in Austin’s streets.
The increased activity suggests that Tesla is in overdrive, validating the autonomous two-seater ahead of its planned volume production. Elon Musk confirmed at the 2025 Shareholder Meeting that manufacturing begins around April 2026 with ambitious targets, and during an All-Hands meeting earlier this year, Musk hinted that ultimately, Tesla’s factories should be able to produce one Cybercab every 10 seconds.
Elon Musk: Tesla Model Y is world’s best-selling car for 3rd year in a row
Tesla shares epic 2025 recap video, confirms start of Cybercab production
