Tesla has reiterated its plan to begin production of a more affordable electric vehicle in the first half of 2025, maintaining the timeline despite conflicting reports and ongoing industry skepticism. During the company’s latest earnings call, executives confirmed that production preparations are complete and the launch remains scheduled for June.
This comes days after Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources, that Tesla’s lower-cost EV—internally codenamed “E41”—had been delayed, potentially pushing the timeline to late 2025 or early 2026. According to that report, Tesla’s goal to assemble up to a quarter million units of the new model was being reassessed, with shifting internal targets and no clear revised launch date.
In the earnings call, Tesla’s VP of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, pushed back on that narrative, emphasizing that the company is ready to start building the vehicle on existing assembly lines. “The models that come out in the next months will resemble in form and shape the cars that we currently make,” said Moravy. “The key is that they’ll be affordable and you’ll be able to buy one.” CFO Vaibhav Taneja also confirmed the June production target, stating that necessary upgrades to accommodate the new models were completed alongside recent changes to the Model Y lines.
As Digital Trends outlined in its recent coverage, the affordable model—likely a pared-down version of the Model Y—is expected to come with a smaller footprint and lower price tag, potentially under $40,000 before incentives. Tesla is reportedly leveraging increased local sourcing of parts to help shield the model from potential tariffs and trade volatility.
Still, Tesla faces mounting pressure. The automaker’s Q1 2025 earnings revealed a sharp 71% drop in income, and global sales have been on a downward trend. In California, Tesla’s market share fell below 50% for the first time this year. Analysts and market watchers continue to point to CEO Elon Musk’s polarizing political activity as a factor dampening consumer sentiment.
For Tesla, the affordable EV is more than a product launch—it’s a test of whether the company can reestablish momentum in a market that’s rapidly evolving without it.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.