A Data-Driven Partnership

The team was there to explore ways of integrating navigation map information, which Baidu holds, with the Full Self-Driving (FSD) version 13 software owned by Tesla. The information that Baidu will be integrating into Tesla’s system included traffic lights and lane marking signals.

It’s not clear how many engineers Baidu dispatched to Tesla and whether the experts were there. Sources say the purpose of their visit was to enhance FSD version 13’s awareness of Chinese roads. The engineers were expected to do this using more accurate and up-to-date mapping data. It’s not clear how much is involved in the Tesla-Baidu partnership.

However, the deepening relationship between the two tech companies comes at a time when both companies are navigating regulatory and data restrictions imposed by Washington and Beijing. These restrictions have made it difficult for Tesla to introduce its advanced driving system in China, which is its second biggest market.

Tesla’s AI driving system does not need navigation maps in the US for accuracy or to stay updated. This is because unlike in China, local AI training enables the technology to work better.

The Legal Challenge

The Elon Musk owned EV manufacturer has not succeeded in training its Tesla autopilot systems in China using data derived from its two million cars due to provisions in Chinese laws.
Tesla has not been able to shift the data it collects from Chinese roads to the US to train its driving system.

The Chinese law requires that companies store their data locally and must get approval to transfer it outside China. Additionally, the US does not allow the EV manufacturer to train its AI in China. Tesla is also under immense pressure from Chinese rivals like XPeng and BYD, which offer cheaper alternatives and don’t levy additional charges for their driver-assistance technology. Earlier this month, XPeng reported that it shipped over 30,000 cars for the fourth month in February.

By strengthening its ties with the EV car maker and having Baidu AI in Tesla cars, the Chinese tech giant could reap big benefits because its AI innovations are currently trailing rivals such as ByteDance and DeepSeek. Tesla is planning a full rollout of its FSD technology in China this year.

FSD Version 13 Improvements

Tesla’s FSD is a stack of driving-assistance technologies that utilize generative AI to maneuver complex traffic conditions. The latest version of the software had not been trained adequately to fully adapt to Chinese roads. This caused drivers to frequently violate traffic rules like driving through red lights and shift to wrong lanes where they failed to respond.

The partnership with Baidu comes about two months after Tesla’s controversial software update that the company sent to Chinese car owners in February. This update included urban navigation features. However, customers complained that it fell short of Musk’s commitment on full FSD rollout in the Chinese market.

Baidu has been supplying Tesla with navigation maps since 2020. Tesla is working hard to maintain its Chinese market share even as local EV makers aggressively push sales. Tesla sales have dipped significantly in Europe and in the US. The EV maker charges car owners $8,834.04 to use its FSD system. This is in addition to the $32,500 that Chinese buyers pay for a Tesla car.
In February, Tesla’s biggest rival BYD said its advanced driver-assistance will be included in new EV models without extra charges. Baidu shares rose by 2% in the US while Tesla stocks dropped 1% on March 13 in premarket trading.

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Notable Progress

Chinese innovators now consider Xi Jinping’s economic policies as critical to their success both locally and abroad. When he met private sector entrepreneurs, Jinping emphasized the need to eliminate barriers in the country in order to ensure ‘equal use of production factors and fair participation in the market’.

The President also committed to enhance fair ‘opening of the competitive field of infrastructure to all kinds of business entities, and continue to make great efforts to solve the problem of difficult and expensive financing for private enterprises’ during the summit.

Some Chinese executives, including Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun and BYD executive Wang Chuanfu, have said that the private sector was encouraged by the President’s comments about China’s private sector growth.

“Chinese enterprises actually form an ecosystem, and we become more united when we face external pressure. We have the global market in mind, and we want to increase the influence of Chinese products abroad,” Lei said.

Wang said that the Chinese electric vehicle industry is about three to five years ahead of rival companies. The BYD executive said the quality of Chinese EVs will stand on its own merit regardless of protectionist measures.

“Today, our country is moving from being a big market for cars to becoming a strong auto producer. We will continue to do real business and the industry will serve the country,” Wang said.

The Tariff Headache

BYD and Xiaomi global strategies have been hit hard by new tariffs. BYD has been hit by EU tariffs that the region imposed on Chinese manufactured EVs. The company is also staring at a US ban that could block it from selling its products in the American market.

Xiaomi’s innovation initiatives include EVs and smartphones. The company launched low-cost EVs in the Chinese market early last year. The EU and US launched investigations into the EVs to see whether they should allow the EVs to benefit unfairly from their markets. Both regions were concerned that the Xiaomi EVs could collect sensitive information about drivers.

Last year, the US government took steps to limit the entry of Chinese manufactured EVs into the American market. The government also mulled on the possibility of banning autonomous vehicle software in the country citing security reasons.

On his part, Unitree founder Wang Xingxing attributed the achievements that his company has realized to the resilience in the Chinese supply chain.

Xingxing also said that his company expects the AI humanoid industry in the country to achieve more this year. The robot maker has previously been compared to American robotics company, Boston Dynamics.

Soaring Share Prices

On Wednesday February 19, Chinese investment banks said President Jinping’s summit had built a case for the purchase of tech stocks, causing share prices to soar. Analysts say tech companies that participated in the summit are critical to China’s tech and supply-chain security.

These include companies that addressed President Xi and those that took the front row seats at the summit like the electronic vehicle manufacturer and smartphone maker Huawei technologies. President Jinping met tech executives and founders of some of the largest tech companies in China on February 17.

The Chinese leader encouraged private companies to make more investments amidst the economic slowdown and geopolitical friction that the company is experiencing. Public conversations about Jinping’s meeting with tech companies have been highly controlled. The state media only highlighted the President’s remarks and left out what tech leaders said.

The latest symposium with tech executives was the second since he ascended power. The first time that the Chinese President chaired a private sector symposium was in 2018, about six years after he assumed office.

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BYD’s stock performance in the Hong Kong stock exchange raised expectations of progress in its autopilot system. The company is also expected to unveil new intelligence features to its cars during an event that will happen on Monday February 10.

Intensifying Competition

Analysts expect the updated version of BYD smart-driving technologies to intensify competition in the Chinese EV market. The Shenzhen-based manufacturer is currently the biggest EV manufacturer in the world.

The newly updated driving technology could also enhance BYD’s efforts to penetrate new markets particularly at this time when the US and EU have imposed hefty tariffs on Chinese EVs.

“BYD’s acceleration of autopilot progress will have a meaningful impact on the market given its position as industry leader, and other players, especially mass market brands, will follow,” Analysts from Goldman Sachs Group wrote in a note.

The analysts added that Goldman Sachs expects BYD to disseminate its experience from the recent road-test with new model pipelines, including the autopilot system.

Battle for Self-Driving Technologies

EVs are becoming a major battleground as the race to create and roll-out driving technologies intensifies in China. EV manufacturers like XPeng and Tesla have made huge investments in driving technologies. The two Chinese EV firms are putting extra effort to convince consumers to pick their products as the convenient and safe options.

Although full self-driving vehicles are not widespread in China, companies based in the Asian country are already developing technologies that they need to make this happen. The number of companies that have deployed assisted driving functions on Chinese highways and complex urban roads has increased significantly in recent months.

Driving technology features have become important selling points for car manufacturers and a major differentiator in the market. Startups like XPeng and Nio are focusing on developing their own software stacks and chips. This allows them to optimize their systems and gives them more control. The expectation is that integration of smart driving technologies like interactive displays and advanced AI assistants will improve the overall driving experience for Chinese EV owners.

High Bets on EV Companies

This week, investors bets on Chinese EV manufacturers have been high. Option bets climaxed on February 6 when more than 22.000 contracts were traded. On Friday February 7, option volumes tripped the 20-day average. Li Auto traded in excess of 35,000 options on February 7. This was the highest volume the company has traded since May last year.

Geely Automobile Holdings traded close to 9000 contract options, the highest for the company in over four months. This week was also characterized by strong Chinese EV supply chain stocks. BYD stocks surged 27% while IMotion Automotive gained 49%. BYD Electronic contract options reached a new high on Thursday February 6 and maintained the same performance on Friday February 7.

Last year, BYD’s November sales data showed that the EV maker was going to surpass Ford and Honda’s global sales after its sales revenue increased by 16.6% compared to the same period in 2023. The company achieved this milestone after entering a $1 billion deal to establish a plant in Turkey and engaging in a massive hiring spree.

BYD is looking to sell between up to six million electric vehicles and hybrid cars this year. This target represents an increase of 4.27 million units that the company delivered in 2024. The China-based EV manufacturer was the eighth largest vehicle maker by sales last year.

The post BYD Records a 21% Shares Rise as Industry Awaits Update on Its Self-Driving Technology appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Waabi and Volvo self-driving trucks partnership is the second for Volvo, TechCrunch reported. Last year, Volvo partnered with Aurora Innovation to launch the Volvo VNL self-driving truck.

Waabi Technology

Waabi is working towards launching commercial pilots with Volvo trucks in the coming few months. The company will launch the pilots in Texas first. The autonomous trucks startup plans to have a product-ready self-driving demo on public roads by the end of 2025.

In the new partnership, Waabi says it will be using the same truck. However, the truck will run on Waabi AI trucking technology which includes the Waabi driver software, the sensor suite, and compute.

“We now have everything we need to scale our product. We have the next-generation AV 2.0 technology, we have an approach that is much more capital efficient, and a much faster path to market,” Waabi CEO and Founder Raquel Urtasun said.

The Waabi founder says his startup will conduct a full autonomous commercial launch soon after running the product-ready self-driving demo. Urtasun indicated that the launch will be done between customer deports and not through terminals.

AI Models

Waabi says that it has developed AI models that are capable of reasoning like humans. This, according to Urtasun, is what speeds up Waabi’s commercial deployment plans and makes its self-driving technology more efficient. Urtasun holds that high quality AI requires less computation and data to understand and respond to occurrences around it.

Waabi has been using simulation technology to train and test its autonomous driving technology. The startup has also been using simulation technology to design its trucks for OEM integration. Waabi launched its initial purpose-built truck in 2022. The startup’s first truck came with in-built compute, sensors, and software. Urtasun launched Waabi in 2021. Before that, she worked at Uber ATG as the chief scientist.

Waabi’s rival Kodiak Robotics has developed an autonomous driving system that features redundant software and hardware systems. However, Kodiak’s systment is not tied to a single manufacturer. Waabi on the other hand, is focused on integrating its self-driving technology into autonomous trucks during manufacturing but without interrupting the OEM assembly line. Urtasun sees this option as the best for developing a safe and reliable product.

Strategic Investment

The Volvo self-driving truck collaboration with Waabi builds on previous strategic investment that the automaker made in the startup two years ago. Through a venture unit dubbed Volvo Group Venture Capital, the giant auto maker participated in a Series B funding round through which Waabi raised $200 million. To date, the self-driving trucks startup has raised $282 million, which its founder says is sufficient to launch autonomous truck operations on public roads.
The new partnership will see Volvo manufacture trucks for Waabi at its Virginia plant. The first delivery will be released from the plant’s assembly line this year. Urtasun expects production volumes to reach scale level within two or three years. Urtasun said that her startup is not considering acquisition or merger.

“Trucking is only the beginning. 2025 is the year of trucking; it’s a make it or break it situation. I think there will be potentially more consolidation We’re going to do so much more than trucking – robotaxis, warehouse robotics. I have tremendously big plans for the company, and we are going to remain a fully independent company,” she said

Waabi faces competition from Kodiak and Aurora, which have raised $243 million and $3,46 billion respectively. Aurora is already working towards unveiling driverless commercial trucks by April this year. Last month, Kodiak made its debut autonomous truck delivery to a commercial partner for use in off-road operations.

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In 2024, TravelPerk raised $104 million at a valuation of $1.4 billion from SoftBank and others to develop AI technology and products. Along with that the Travel startup also raised a debt financing worth $135 million to acquire AmTrav.

TravelPerk’s Market Growth and Expansion

TravelPerk’s recent funding round has made it one of the fastest-growing players within the travel expense management sector and has achieved great growth despite general economic uncertainty. TravelPerk has been especially popular for being a seamless online travel booking and management solution company.

The surge in the valuations showcases the success of TravelPerk in scaling operations and expansion into new markets. Investors see the company as a strong contender in the corporate travel industry, as its AI-driven tools provide businesses with real-time insights into travel expenses, policy compliance, and cost-saving opportunities.

Hillary Ball, Atomico’s growth-focused partner, said, “the firm was drawn to investing in TravelPerk as it’s addressing “a complex and hard problem to solve” around corporate travel. This is a market that resurged following the pandemic,” Ball told CNBC. “In the past year, the global value of corporate travel was $1.5 trillion — that’s up by 6% relative to pre-pandemic and 2019. It’s really clear that this is a market that’s here to stay and one that’s growing.”

TravelPerk Acquires Yokoy to Strengthen Fintech Capabilities

As part of its fintech strategy, TravelPerk acquired Yokoy to improve its automated expense management capabilities. TravelPerk has made this strategic acquisition because it targets the achievement of integrated travel booking and financial management tools that create whole solutions for business needs.

The expense tracking expertise delivered by Yokoy combined with their AI automation capabilities will enable TravelPerk to deliver better corporate travel solutions. The TravelPerk platform aims for platform improvement through the combination of Yokoy technology that streamlines expense reporting as well as reimbursement and budget optimization capabilities. TravelPerk transforms beyond its basic corporate travel capabilities to become an ensemble financial control solution for the modern enterprise.

Taunay-Bucalo, president and chief operating officer at TravelPerk told CNBC, “TravelPerk will continue investing in AI to enhance its product offering and that the Yokoy acquisition will bring an “extremely strong AI team.”

TravelPerk Investor Confidence Remains Strong

Investor confidence increased after the latest TravelPerk funding round because SoftBank along with other backers decided to make additional investments. The increasing consumer need for single-platform travel and financial solutions positions. TravelPerk is an appealing investment opportunity for businesses working to optimize their travel budget management.

TravelPerk’s investors predict that expansion into fintech areas will simultaneously establish new revenue opportunities and bolster its marketplace lead. TravelPerk establishes itself as a top provider of business travel solutions but new fintech initiatives have the potential to address and seize more market opportunities.

Taunay-Bucalo said, “Venture capitalists were drawn to the firm’s growth story after it rebounded from times of struggle faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. TravelPerk saw revenues decline rapidly in 2020 and 2021 as most business travel came to a standstill. Revenue has since grown to around five times the size it was before Covid hit. Why we are doing so well now is because we had that period where you had to be strong. You had to have a good foundation, you had to be scrappy.”

The post TravelPerk Doubles Valuation to $2.7 Billion with $200M Funding Round appeared first on Tech Research Online.

Tesla’s Model Y remains the highest-selling vehicle, and its new design update aims to sustain its leadership position despite mounting competition from electric SUVs from major car manufacturers and start-up electric vehicle makers. Tesla started taking orders for the new model Y from the customers in Europe and Canada on Thursday, 23rd January 2025 while the customers in China were able to place orders from the past two weeks. Though Tesla has seen a drop in the deliveries amid slowing EV demand.

Tesla Revamped Model Y Price and Features

The Tesla revamped Model Y price will be around $60,000, depending on trim level and customization options. While Tesla hasn’t revealed all the specifics yet, the new model is expected to have better range, efficiency, and design aesthetics.

The improvements of the vehicle expected to be integrated include an enhanced interior with advanced materials, enhanced aerodynamics, and energy efficiency, and updated software in the car’s driving performance. The FSD technology by Tesla is also believed to be offered, which would help make the car more appealing to tech-conscious consumers.

The new Model Y is positioned competitively in the premium EV market, yet it could be a sweet spot that balances luxury with technology and sustainability for a buyer. Tesla’s CEO Musk also said in a post the company will start using humanoid robots internally in 2025

Tesla New Model to Boost U.S. Sales in 2025

The launch of the new model Y comes at a time when Tesla is looking to boost 2025 US sales. The growing demand for electric vehicles enables Tesla to update its top-selling models in order to protect its market dominance.

Rising competition from established automakers Ford, General Motors and Hyundai entered the EV market by supplementing their existing product lines. The Model Y will play an essential part in strengthening Tesla’s market leadership position within the U.S. electric SUV segment.

The revamped Model Y holds promising potential for Tesla to continue leading the U.S. EV sales rankings according to industry analysis. By continuously releasing innovative refreshed models the company maintains its success path and this new launch represents its continuing progression.

Tesla Sales Strategy and Market Outlook

The strategy behind the revamped Model Y is to strengthen Tesla’s ongoing focus on innovation alongside cost management for continuous improvement. The business makes strategic price and production adjustments to balance market changes amidst rising industry competition.

Tesla is also strengthening its sales strategy through investments in increased Supercharger facilities, software improvements and optimized manufacturing systems. The company strategies aim to boost sales performance while satisfying customer needs.

The pricing structure at Tesla evolves to match continuously changing market dynamics. Price fluctuations across Tesla’s models in recent months demonstrate that the revamped Model Y’s $60,000 starting price represents a strategic plan to merge cost-effective pricing with profitable business goals.

The post Tesla Revamped Model Y Hits U.S. Market, Aims to Boost 2025 Sales appeared first on Tech Research Online.

The electric vehicle market has become a Tesla vs. Rivian face-off as they’re both prominent players, each with a unique background and vision for the future of electric vehicles.

Tesla was founded in 2003, but its journey kicked off much later in 2008 when it launched Roadster, the first highway-legal electric vehicle to use lithium-ion battery cells. Rivian, on the other hand, was founded in 2009 by RJ Scaringe with a vision to create electric vehicles that cater to outdoor enthusiasts. In 2021, Rivian went public with one of the largest IPOs in U.S. history, reflecting investor confidence in its potential to disrupt the traditional automotive market.

In this competition between Tesla and Rivian for dominance in the EV market, analyzing their market growth will help us understand which brand will lead the charge in 2025.

Tesla vs. Rivian: Production Approach

Tesla has taken an aggressive volume-driven production model with the expansion of its Gigafactories across the globe. The company ensures a standardized manufacturing process to scale up operations and reduce costs. They control everything from battery production to vehicle assembly.

Tesla’s extensive model lineup, including the S, 3, Y, and the newly launched Cybertruck, appeals to various market segments, allowing it to capture a wider audience and drive sales volumes.

Rivian’s production approach is more niche-focused. The company operates mainly in a single manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois, causing a slower and more deliberate production ramp-up. Rivian produces electric vehicles designed for adventure and utility purposes, such as their all-electric R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV.

In contrast to Tesla, Rivian prioritizes quality and specialized features over volume, positioning itself as a premium alternative in the EV market. The company’s partnership with Amazon in 2020 to deliver 100,000 custom electric delivery vehicles underscores its commitment to specialized solutions.

Financial Performance and Market Valuation: Tesla vs. Rivian

Tesla continues to dominate the EV market, with over 386,800 units sold in the first quarter of 2024, and its stock price currently capped at approximately $410.44 As of Q1 2024, Tesla’s sales figures remain impressive, although they experienced a decline of 8.5% compared to the same quarter last year.

Tesla not only leads in sales but also enjoys remarkable brand loyalty, with nearly 30% of Tesla owners stating they would not consider purchasing an EV from another manufacturer. Current data shows Tesla’s brand loyalty rate at 67.8%, significantly higher than the industry average of 52.5%.

Even though Tesla is more popular than Rivian, China’s EV maker BYD beats Tesla in electric vehicle production. Additionally, geopolitical tensions, including the chip shortage and Red Sea conflicts, have disrupted Tesla’s supply chain, slowing production and reducing vehicle deliveries.

Regardless, Rivian has shown significant growth, with a stock price of around $11.96. The company reported a remarkable 71% increase in sales during Q1 2024 compared to the previous year, delivering approximately 13,588 units.

However, they experienced a loss of $1.46 billion in Q2 2024, primarily due to high cash burn rates as it scales production. To mitigate this loss, Rivian has begun shipping simplified, lower-cost versions of the R1, aiming to reach positive gross profit by the end of 2024, as stated by CEO RJ Scaringe.

Consumer reception remains great for both brands. Recent surveys indicate that Rivian has topped owner satisfaction ratings, achieving scores of 5 out of 5 in Consumer Reports. However, Tesla has faced criticism about build quality and customer service experiences.

Technology Strategies: Tesla vs. Rivian

Tesla is known for its interest in autonomous driving; hence, it is fully invested in software innovation. Its Autopilot system includes features such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and Full Self-Driving (FSD) capabilities. However, there have been incidents of Tesla’s FSD software malfunctioning in Uber and Lyft robotaxis.

Despite these concerns, Tesla’s over-the-air updates and integration of AI, such as the upcoming Grok AI chatbot, position the company as a technology leader.

Similarly, Rivian has its own Advanced Driver Assistance System called Driver+, which supports hands-free driving assistance under specific conditions. While it may not be as advanced as Tesla’s Autopilot, it still provides valuable features such as highway and lane change assists.

While Rivian is expanding its charging network, it is not as extensive as Tesla’s Supercharger network. Rivian recently provided adapters to its existing customers so they can charge with Tesla’s Superchargers. However, only V3 and V4 generations of Tesla Supercharger stations are compatible with a Rivian.

Tesla has also funded battery research projects at Dalhousie University since 2016, and the team there has contributed to at least six Tesla lithium-ion battery patents.

Tesla vs Rivian: Commitment to Sustainability

A key component of Tesla’s approach to sustainability is recycling materials used in battery production. Tesla ensures that 100% of its scraped lithium-ion batteries are recycled, and none end up in landfills.

In its 2023 Impact Report, Tesla outlined a five-step transition plan that includes increasing electric vehicle production, developing renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, promoting recycling initiatives, and collaborating with industry leaders to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy. They further reduced their manufacturing carbon footprint by switching to using renewable energy at their Gigafactories.

Rivian, on the other hand, partners with organizations like The Nature Conservancy to support conservation efforts. Rivian’s manufacturing facilities use water recycling systems and energy-efficient lighting to promote sustainable practices.

The company has committed to using renewable energy sources for its operations, including solar power installations, to offset energy consumption. Furthermore, Rivian’s Adventure Network of charging stations is powered entirely by renewable energy.

Future Outlook: Tesla vs. Rivian

Despite recent challenges like growing competition from other automakers like Ford and General Motors, who have increased their EV production, Tesla’s long-term growth remains positive because of its established market position alongside its battery and autonomous driving tech innovation.

Rivian’s future highly depends on its ability to scale production and achieve profitability. The recent investment from Volkswagen, which has a considerable sum of up to $5.8 billion, may provide the necessary capital for growth.

The post Tesla vs. Rivian – Who Dominates the EV Market in 2025? appeared first on Tech Research Online.

According to Automotive Logistics, the car manufacturer also said that it will use the Nvidia Isaac robot platform for the development and deployment of their robots. This collaboration aims to boost Hyundai’s factory automation, combining innovative technology to enhance efficiency and streamline operations.

Hyundai and Nvidia will also be partnering to create virtual simulation environments for the development of safe and reliable autonomous driving technology and robotics systems. Rishi Dhall, the Vice President of automotive at Nvidia said, “Accelerated computing, generative AI, and Omniverse are unlocking a new era of mobility,” said Rishi Dhall, vice-president of automotive at Nvidia. “This partnership will drive the creation of safer, more intelligent vehicles, supercharge manufacturing with greater efficiency and quality, and deploy cutting-edge robotics to help build a smarter, more connected digital workplace.”

Hyundai’s Leap Toward Smart Manufacturing

Though the car manufacturer has been making a constant progression towards an advanced manufacturing system, this partnership is a huge step forward. Hyundai aims to boost factory automation by using Nvidia’s advanced and innovative AI and machine learning platforms. This decision has been made with the Hyundai Motor Company’s long-term vision of adopting Industry 4.0 solutions as a way to adapt to market trends in mind.

The foundation of the partnership is Nvidia’s Omniverse – a real-time simulation and collaboration platform. Hyundai Motor is going to employ this technology to build virtual replicas of its manufacturing plants design the layout of production lines, optimize the processes, and monitor such aspects as probable disruptions, without affecting the production cycle.

The Competitive Edge

While Hyundai is dominant in the auto sector, Nvidia brings unmatched strength in AI and data-driven technologies. The Hyundai-Nvidia partnership will be a harmonious relationship with each firm focusing on its relative strengths to gain a common outcome.

Hyundai and Nvidia may sound like competitors in some technological space, but it’s a beautiful example of how industries can collaborate to drive innovation. For Nvidia, this will be an opportunity to demonstrate their technology capability in one of the high-stakes real-world applications. For Hyundai, it will become an opportunity to consolidate its lead in automated manufacturing.

The Hyundai-Nvidia partnership signifies a growing trend where automakers come together with tech providers to stay ahead of the competition. This partnership is expected to start the trend of similar collaborations across industries for better adaptability of AI in automation.

A Vision for the Future

This is already a possible future as Hyundai is advancing the level of factory automation with the help of cooperation with Nvidia, a tech provider. This partnership not only improves Hyundai’s production capacities but also becomes the pioneer in the creation of new approaches toward improving the industry’s cooperation and using AI and simulation tools.

Their cooperation is evidence that companies of different industries can adopt the role of technology as a way to create operational efficiencies and palpable, sustainable development. Thus, the innovative strategy of Hyundai guarantees that the company continues to be relevant in the context of the constant development of smart manufacturing.

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Tesla also produced fewer cars in 2024 compared to 2023. 2024’s production was less than 1.8 million units, which is a 4% drop from 2023’s production.

Big Impact

The results from the Elon Musk-led company serve as a reminder of the challenges that EV manufacturers continue to face. Analysts suggest that the fall in Tesla deliveries could have a long-term impact on the company’s growth.

“Lower deliveries reduces Tesla’s growth and lowers the total addressable market for the company’s ancillary services, including autonomous driving software, charging, and insurance. The slight decline highlights that the current vehicle lineup is nearing market saturation,” Seth Goldstein of Morningstar said.

Tesla sales declined after its Cybertruck launch and year-end incentives on the company’s aging vehicles failed to attract customers who had concerns about the high cost of credit. Musk had predicted that Tesla would experience a slight increase in 2024 deliveries. To boost sales, the company launched multiple promotions that included free fast charging and interest-free financing.
However, reduced subsidies in the European market, tough competition particularly from BYD, and the shift in US policy in favor of lower-priced hybrid cars had an impact on Tesla’s business model.

Outperforming BYD

Despite the 1% dip, Tesla’s EV deliveries for 2024 were still higher compared to BYD sales. The Chinese EV maker reported that it sold 1.76 million units of battery-electric vehicles in 2024. This represents a 12.1% increase from the previous year. BYD sales were largely driven by competitive pricing and its aggressive push in the European and Asian markets.

China is Tesla’s second largest market. In this country, the US EV manufacturer reported sales of over 657,000 vehicles in 2024. This is 8.8% more sales than the previous year. Tesla extended discounts to attract Chinese buyers in this market.

Overall, Tesla shipped 495,570 cars in the October – December quarter against a target of 503,269 units. The company manufactured 459,445 units during this period, which is 7% lower compared to the same period in 2023.

2025 EV Outlook

In the latest earnings call, Musk said the company forecasts a 20% to 30% growth in 2025. This growth will be driven in part by affordable EVs that the company will be unveiling in the first half of the year.

Analysts have expressed doubt about Tesla’s ability to achieve its 2025 sales targets, particularly if the Trump administration reverses the $7,500 EV tax credits on consumer purchases. This shift will slow down the shift to EVs across the US.

“What was interesting is that their sell-through also declined in the year, even though people know that there’s a tax credit elimination coming potentially in 2025. That didn’t seem to accelerate anything, that may be telling,” Globalt Investments Portfolio Manager Thomas Martin said.

Leveraging Self-Driving Technology

Tesla will be depending on Tesla’s self-driving technology to grow sales in 2025. Tesla’s robotaxi business is expected to boost the company’s value in future. Musk plans to leverage his government-efficiency role in the Trump administration to push for an approval process for self-driving vehicles.

But profitability for this venture could take time because self-driving technology is still under development. It will take years to commercialize this technology. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving and Autopilot technologies have previously come under government scrutiny over safety concerns.
Musk also plans to leverage the Cybertruck to achieve its 2025 sales revenue targets. But even the demand for Cybertruck hasn’t been good. Although the truck stands out for its futuristic design, there have been signs of low demand. The company hasn’t released delivery numbers for the Tesla EV Cybertruck yet.

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According to CNBC, the stock price drop appeared to have been triggered by investors who took profits from the EV maker’s strong post-election performance.

Tesla vs Election

Tesla CEO Elon Musk was a key supporter of Donald Trump throughout the 2022 elections. Federal Election Commission filings show that Musk contributed $277 million to the Trump campaign.

Trump’s 2022 election win triggered a sharp rise in Tesla stock prices. This rise was due to increased investor bets that the EV maker would benefit as a result of Musk’s closeness to the newly elected president. Despite the recent Tesla share decline, the stock prices have remained 65% up since November 5, the presidential vote night.

Trump has appointed Musk to co-lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency. Trump’s transition team is reportedly planning to introduce a federal law to regulate self-driving vehicles. If this is the case, the regulatory framework will be a major boost for Tesla.

The EV manufacturer is betting its future on the possibility of launching fleets of robotaxis. Musk unveiled its Cybercab self-driving car concept in October 2024 during the WeRobot event.

Challenges with the FSD

Tesla is yet to fulfil the promise of delivering full autonomous vehicles. Its Autopilot, paid Full Self-Driving (FSD) service does not offer autonomous driving. It needs to be complemented by a human to oversee its actions and take over when need arises. Earlier this year, Mark Hawtin of GAM Investment Management said investor expectations of the FSD were likely misled.

“We should say what they’re doing, everyone’s talking about this full self-driving capability. What they’re going to be able to do in China is what they already do in the U.S. or U.K., which is sort of this assisted-driver capability,” Hawtin said.

In October 2024, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched investigations on Tesla’s supervised version of Full Self-Driving (FSD) software.Tesla faced NHTSA investigation after a driver, who was using the FSD software, hit and killed a pedestrian. The probe was also triggered by other FSD-related collisions that occurred in low-visibility situations.

Last week, Tesla introduced the Actually Smart Summon (ASS) feature in China. The company took the ASS feature to China after it had introduced it in the US, the Middle East, and European markets. The full self-driving feature allows vehicles to drive autonomously from parking lots to locations within the driver’s vicinity. Tesla’s ASS feature comes with full self-driving and improved autopilot functions.

Tesla Vehicle Recall

Tesla issued a recall notice for close to 700,000 cars in the US on December 20. According to the company, the recall was due to problems with the pressure monitoring system. The EV maker says that tire pressure lights may not be warning drivers of low pressure properly. This could increase the risk of crashes as Tesla owners could drive with tires that are not inflated properly.

This is the 15th recall that Tesla has issued this year. Its largest recall was in July 2024 which affected 1.8 million cars. Over more than 2.7 million Tesla vehicles have been affected by recalls this year.

The US Tesla share price fall and vehicle recall happened at a time when Tesla sales had been declining in Europe. Data from the European Automobile Manufacturers Association showed that the car sales for the EV manufacturer dropped by 40.9% in November alone. This was more than the overall 9.5% drop in battery electric cars sales in the European bloc.

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The full self-driving feature allows vehicles to drive autonomously from parking lots to locations within the driver’s vicinity. Tesla’s ASS feature comes with full self-driving and improved autopilot in the automobile maker.

Software Updates

In a message posted on Weibo, the US electric vehicle manufacturer said the new Tesla Summon feature will be pushed to car owners through software updates. Tesla’s Actually Smart Summon feature in China is part of its Enhanced Autopilot (EAP) and Full Self-Driving software.

This means the feature is not available to people who own the Basic Autopilot (BAP) software, which is free. In China, vehicle owners pay $8,790 to access Tesla’s Full-Self Driving software and about $4,395 for the Enhanced Autopilot software.

Expanding Access

Tesla launched the Actually Smart Summon feature in the US in September 2024. The company expanded its use in Europe and Middle East in November 2024. The company CEO Elon Musk first proposed the feature about two years ago.

Currently, the self-driving software is only available in the Tesla Vision model and does not rely on sensors. In China, most EV models from local car manufacturers are fitted with the Actually Smart Summon feature.

Enticing Buyers

Tesla vehicles are seen to lag behind in their smart cockpit and smart driving technology compared to local Chinese automobile manufacturers. However, this has not affected the popularity of Tesla vehicles in the company.

Tesla has been deliberate in enticing Chinese buyers into getting its self-driving software. The company has offered consumers who buy Tesla cars through trade-in a 90 day free access to the Enhanced Autopilot software.

On November 5, 2023, the electric vehicle manufacturer offered customers who purchase a Tesla vehicle before December 3, 2024 a chance to win visits to its Shanghai factory. To qualify, customers must have made the purchase through trade-ins. Tesla produces Model 3 sedans and Model Y crossover in its Shanghai factory. The factory serves as the company’s export hub, allowing it to deliver orders for both local and international customers.

In November alone, the company sold about 73,490 vehicles in the Chinese market. The China Passenger Car Association reported this as the highest monthly sale for the company in 2024. Tesla’s retail sales for the January – November 2024 period stood at 574,175 vehicles. This was an 8.77% increase from the previous year.

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GM Self-Driving Car Losses

GM said that Cruise will be folded into the company’s unit that has been working on driver assistance technology. The company said it quit the self-driving industry due to rising competition in the robotaxi market and the growing capital allocation requirements. GM also cited the amount of resources and time needed to grow the unit as a reason for the Cruise business exit in 2024.

“Cruise was well on its way to a robotaxi business, but when you look at the fact you’re deploying a fleet, there’s a whole operations piece of doing that,” GM CEO Mary Barra said

GM has been scaling down its electric vehicle plans for sometime now. The company also sold its stake in a battery plant joint venture and restructured its business in China. This move allows it to focus on production of gasoline pickup trucks and other big vehicles. GM also plans to merge Cruise LLC with its technical teams. The two entities are yet to decide how many of the 2300 Cruise employees will be moving to GM.

Majority Stake in Cruise

GM holds a 90% stake in Cruise having acquired it back in 2016. The company also signed agreements with other shareholders to raise its ownership to over 97%. As part of the GM Cruise exit strategy, the company plans to finalize purchase of shares owned by external shareholders of the ride-hailing startup next month.

Through full acquisition, GM expects to achieve a 50% reduction of its annual spending on Cruise. Currently, this expenditure stands at about $2 billion according to GM CFO Paul Jacobson.

One of the external investors in Cruise is Honda. The Japanese motor vehicle manufacturer invested a total of $852 million in Cruise. Honda had plans to introduce driverless ride-hailing services in Japan at the beginning of 2026. However, it will be reassessing this decision and adjust them where necessary.

“Honda remains committed to various research and development initiatives aimed at providing new mobility solutions to our customers in Japan,” a Honda spokesperson said.

Internal Dynamics

Cruise was among the first entrants into the US driverless ride-hailing market having established its operations in October 2023. However, the startup has been struggling with a range of internal problems. Its founder, Kyle Vogt left the startup a month after its establishment. In a post shared on X, Vogt said, “in case it was unclear before, it is clear now: GM are a bunch of dummies.” His post points to a strained relationship with GM.

Cruise faced a myriad of challenges that affected its financial performance and contributed to GM self-driving car losses. The ride-hailing startup was slapped with a $1.5 million fine by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for failing to disclose details of a crash that involved a pedestrian in November 2023. Investigations into the crash revealed that poor leadership, ineptitude, and culture issues in the startup contributed to the accident.

Earlier this year, GM said that it was delaying manufacturing of Origin autonomous vehicles indefinitely. GM’s announcement came at a time when Cruise was trying to relaunch operations. This forced the ride-hailing startup to use next-generation Chevrolet Bolt for its autonomous vehicle business.

Stiff Competition

While Cruise operations stalled, its rivals gained a lot of ground in the robotaxi industry. Waymo, for instance, launched commercial driverless ride-hailing services in major US cities. Last month, Waymo dropped its waitlist feature and is currently planning to introduce its services to Miami.

Chinese driverless robotaxi WeRide launched ride hailing services in the UAE while Ponyai raised $260 million through an initial public offering in the US, pushing its valuation to about $4.55 billion. Wayve is already testing driverless vehicles in San Francisco while Tesla launched its self-driving Cybercab in October 2024.

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