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Xpeng executive names unlikely challenge for Tesla FSD in China

Credit: Arash Malek/X

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An Xpeng executive has a good idea of what might be Tesla’s biggest challenge for the rollout of its Full Self-Driving suite in China, and it might not be what you’d expect.

Tesla is working toward rolling out its Full Self-Driving suite in China after it landed regulatory approval in a preliminary sense several months ago. Described as tentative approval, Tesla is inching closer to being able to test its semi-autonomous driving functionality in the world’s largest automotive market.

While there are some likely competitors in the form of domestic companies that have been developing their own programs to attempt to alleviate a driver’s responsibilities behind the wheel, Xpeng’s head of Autonomous Driving, Li Liyun, said Wednesday on Weibo that Tesla will face an unlikely challenge: 300 million e-scooters.

The e-scooter market in China is astonishingly large, and many cities do not have dedicated lanes for non-motorized vehicles. The U.S. has bike lanes in many cities and towns, giving them their own space on the road that helps them share the road with vehicles.

This simply is not as present in China, and Liyun believes that the shortage of dedicated lanes in the country will present an interesting challenge for FSD.

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Liyun said that road conditions in China are much more complicated than in the U.S., and it may take some time for the company’s FSD suite to gain the experience needed to safely operate on the roads.

According to China’s CNEV Post, Liyung sees the notable presence of these types of vehicles in China giving Tesla headaches early on. The e-scooters are used in many cities as they are a reliable and efficient means of transportation for citizens who can complete all of their daily tasks without a car.

There are over 350 million electric scooters in China, according to Ministry of Industry and Information Technology data.

Liyun’s comments come just days after Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng said he was “truly impressed by the significant progress [of] FSD” as he rode the Tesla suite in California. He also experienced Waymo, which he said operated better in downtown San Francisco.

Xpeng CEO bullish on autonomy in Tesla FSD (Supervised) review

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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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U.S. AG Pam Bondi: Tesla Molotov attack suspect facing up to 20 years in prison

The U.S. Attorney General confirmed that a Tesla attacker, who threw Molotov cocktails at a store, is now facing up to 20 years in prison.

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
President Donald J. Trump purchases a Tesla on the South Lawn, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

It appears that an anti-Tesla activist who is suspected of throwing Molotov cocktails at one of the electric vehicle maker’s stores is now looking at a potentially long prison sentence. 

This is, at least, as per United States Attorney General Pam Bondi, who recently shared her insights in a FOX News segment.

Tesla Attacks and Trump Warning

Tesla locations and vehicles have been subjected to numerous attacks as of late, from stores being shot up to vehicles being vandalized and set on fire in suspected arson incidents. In one case, a Tesla store in Salem, Oregon, was attacked with Molotov cocktails.

President Donald Trump has issued a stern warning to people attacking Teslas, stating that he considers such actions as domestic terrorism. While addressing the issue, Trump warned that anyone caught deliberately harming Tesla will be going through “hell.”

Attorney General’s Update

During a recent FOX News segment, US Attorney General Pam Bondi reiterated that anyone targeting others over political beliefs would be caught and punished accordingly. She highlighted that investigations are underway to find out who is behind the violent actions, and she also confirmed that a Tesla attacker, who threw Molotov cocktails at a store, is now facing up to 20 years in prison.

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“If you targeted someone, if you went after someone because of their political affiliation, we will be investigating you. We will be looking at you, because that’s the weaponization, and it has to stop. For instance, look what they’re continuing to do to Elon Musk. They are targeting Tesla dealerships, the stations where you charge a Tesla. They’re vandalizing cars. I have already directed an investigation be opened to see how this is being funded. Who is behind this? 

“We have people we’re locking up on that. We have someone in jail right now from one of the dealerships. They threw a Molotov cocktail through a dealership. They’re looking at up to 20 years in prison. So, if you’re going to touch a Tesla, go to a dealership, or do anything, you better watch out, because we’re coming after you. And if you’re funding this, we’re coming after you. We’re going to find out who you are,” Bondi stated.

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SpaceX readies to rescue astronauts from International Space Station

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Credit: SpaceX

SpaceX is readying to launch the Crew-10 mission this evening, which will bring home U.S. astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stuck on the International Space Station for nine months.

SpaceX is working alongside NASA to bring the two astronauts home, and all systems and weather conditions are looking ideal to launch the mission this evening from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Boeing was originally tasked with the rescue mission.

The company sent a Starliner aircraft to the ISS in late September in an effort to bring Williams and Wilmore home. However, malfunctioning thrusters and other issues on the Starliner aircraft prevented NASA from giving the green light to the astronauts to board and come home.

SpaceX was then tasked with bringing the two home, and it appears they will be on their way shortly.

The launch was intended to occur on Wednesday, but a last-minute problem with the rocket’s ground systems forced SpaceX and NASA to delay until at least Friday. Things are looking more ideal for a launch this evening.

The launch is targeted for 7:03 p.m. ET, but another backup opportunity is available tomorrow, March 15, at 6:41 p.m.

SpaceX writes about the Dragon spacecraft that will be used for the mission:

“The Dragon spacecraft supporting this mission previously flew NASA’s Crew-3Crew-5, and Crew-7 missions to and from the space station. This will be the second flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched the SES 03b mPOWER-e mission. Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will land on Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.”

The mission will not only aim to bring the two astronauts who have been stranded for nine months home, but it will also conduct new research to prepare for human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.

If Crew-10 launches at the planned time this evening, it will dock to the ISS at 11:30 p.m. ET on Saturday night.

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Tesla discontinues legacy Model Y in the U.S. for custom order

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla has officially wrapped up the ability to order the legacy Model Y in the United States, now only showing the new “Juniper” version and its Launch Series trim in the Online Design Studio.

Tesla launched the new Model Y in the United States in early February, and deliveries of the vehicle have officially started. While other trims of the new-look Model Y are available in other countries, Tesla has not started offering those in the United States quite yet.

However, the legacy Model Y and its several configurations are now no longer available for purchase in the U.S., at least for a custom order. Those who are looking for a deal on the best-selling car in the world for the past two years can still snag whatever is left in inventory.

The sunsetting of the legacy Model Y is the closing of a chapter that truly launched Tesla into the stratosphere.

Although the Model 3 found plenty of mainstream success for Tesla in its first few years, the Model Y was the vehicle that really made the company successful. It disrupted the operations of other companies, and, in conjunction with the Model Y, made OEMs take EVs seriously.

The Model Y was the best-selling vehicle in the world in 2023 and 2024. With the improvements to ride comfort, suspension, and cabin noise, along with the various changes to the exterior, Tesla has a chance to continue its run with the Model Y in 2025 — as long as it can ramp production in a timely manner and keep demand up.

The latter does not seem like it will be a huge problem as it is still a high-demand vehicle.

Tesla unveiled the Model Y on March 15, 2019, so its first design was eliminated nearly five years before its initial appearance.

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