It appears that Tesla may see itself with a notable advantage in the United States.

This is, at least, as per recent comments from United States Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Lutnick’s Comments

In recent comments to reporters, Lutnick stated that vehicles finished in the United States with 85% domestic content will have no tariff applied, as noted in a report from The Guardian. Automakers that meet this threshold stand to gain an advantage in the U.S. auto sector, especially considering the Trump administration’s aggressive tariffs.

As per Lutnick, the administration’s auto tariffs will apply to foreign carmakers that are building their vehicles in the United States. “This is ‘finish your cars in America and you win’,” Lutnick stated.

Big Tesla Advantage

Lutnick’s comments were received positively by Tesla watchers on social media, many of whom noted that the threshold would probably be met only by the electric vehicle maker’s cars. Teslas that are sold in the United States are built in the United States, and they have consistently ranked among the most American cars in the country for several years running.

Back in December, for example, American University’s Kogod School of Business released its Made in America Auto Index, which explores the total domestic content of vehicles that are available for purchase today. In its rankings, only three vehicles received a total domestic content score of 85% or higher—the Tesla Model Y, Model Y Long Range, and the Model 3 Performance.

The two Model Y variants received a total domestic content score of 85%, while the Model 3 Performance had a total domestic content of 87.5%. If Secretary Lutnick’s comments are any indication, these three vehicles would be subjected to zero tariffs. This bodes well for Tesla, as the Model Y is the company’s best-selling vehicle by a notable margin.

Tesla revealed some new Semi fleet data, as well as a new feature the truck will have, and expanded on plans for infrastructure at the ACT Expo today in Los Angeles.

The Tesla Semi is one of the company’s most anticipated releases, and although it has already made its way into several company fleets, other companies are waiting for the automaker to fulfill their orders.

Tesla recently reaffirmed its mass production date of late 2025, hoping to build 50,000 Semi units annually at a new factory in Reno, Nevada.

At the ACT Expo, Tesla revealed some new details about the truck, including current fleet data, a new feature that will be a big selling point for many companies interested in the vehicle, and future infrastructure plans.

Fleet Data

Tesla has already accumulated over 7.9 million miles across its test fleet, the company said at the event. This includes 26 vehicles with over 100,000 miles on them, an impressive feat considering they are only taking regional runs, as of now.

The most notable companies with the vehicle are PepsiCo. and Frito Lay, both of which have spoken highly of the Semi’s ability to handle longer days. Drivers have reported that the Semi has helped them complete 1,000-mile travel days.

Tesla has more than 26 @tesla_semi with over 100,000miles on them

Cumulatively 7.9 million miles across the Semi test fleet

Full presentation going up soon ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/3TEpseb29i

— Kyle Conner (@itskyleconner) April 29, 2025

The first phase of production units will be integrated into Tesla’s logistics operations for real-world testing, which is something that has already been done.

Customer deliveries are expected to begin next year, something that was reiterated during the company’s most recent earnings call.

Tesla Semi’s New Feature

The semi will equip a 25-kilowatt electric Power Take-Off system that will help companies power auxiliary features like refrigeration, hydraulic systems, compressors, and more.

This is a massive feature, especially for companies that will be transporting perishable goods using the Semi. This will become especially important as it starts making cross-country runs and more companies begin taking delivery of the vehicle as production ramps up.

Cool! @tesla_semi will feature a 25kW e-PTO system to power any loads needed such as a refrigerated trailer pic.twitter.com/Hncwzi6AA8

— Kyle Conner (@itskyleconner) April 29, 2025

Expansion to Public and Private Charging Infrastructure

The Semi utilizes the Megacharger for its charging needs, and many sites have been installed already. Frito-Lay is expanding its Megacharger infrastructure by building eight new piles at its Bakersfield, California, factory.

We reported on that earlier this month:

Tesla Semi fleet from Frito-Lay gets more charging at Bakersfield factory

However, Tesla has many more megawatt-level sites that are under construction for public Semi charging: 46, to be exact.

It also said it has more fleet sites that are underway, one of them being the Bakersfield factory’s infrastructure.

Tesla has officially released its Vehicle Safety Report, which shows data on the number of miles traveled between crashes for vehicles using and not using its Autopilot.

Tesla releases this data every quarter, and this quarter, it continued a somewhat consistent trend, revealing vehicles using Autopilot are 10 times less likely to be involved in crashes compared to the national average.

Credit: Tesla

Even Teslas that are not using Autopilot are more than twice as safe as the U.S. average, which is tracked by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The company started releasing this data on a quarterly basis back in late 2018. Since its first release, in Q3 2018, the number of miles traveled between crashes has more than doubled.

Q1 2025 Safety Results

Tesla reported one crash for every 7.44 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology. This is a far cry from the 3.35 million miles it first reported back in late 2018.

It is also a big improvement from the 5.94 million miles it recorded between accidents in Q4, but it is important to note that the last quarter of each year has shown to have lower numbers than others. This can mostly be attributed to weather conditions.

Tesla backtracked slightly compared to Q1 2024, when it recorded a crash once for every 7.63 million miles.

This past quarter, the company also saw one crash every 1.51 million miles for cars not using Autopilot technology. Even drivers that do not utilize Autopilot are seeing tremendous safety improvements compared to the national average, which was one crash every 702,000 miles.

This data was accumulated by both the NHTSA and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

🚨 Tesla says it recorded one accident every 7.44 million miles driven when Autopilot was active. For drivers who were not using Autopilot technology, we recorded one crash for every 1.51 million miles driven.

The national average is one accident every 702,000 miles driven. pic.twitter.com/KSs7Zk291a

— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) April 29, 2025

Tesla has emphasized safety since it started producing vehicles. Its Model S, Model 3, Model X, and Model Y have all achieved the lowest overall probability of injury of any cars tested by the New Car Assessment Program.

Tesla Cybertruck earns five-star safety rating from NHTSA

The company has used engineering improvements to push the probability of injury down.

Even the new Tesla Model Y, which started deliveries in the U.S. in March, has several new engineering features aimed at making the car safer for occupants and easier to repair in the event of a crash.