Elon Musk confirmed on X that discussions are underway with TSMC about a potential collaboration tied to his Terafab chipmaking initiative, saying 'something may come of it.' According to Tim Culpan's Culpium newsletter, the most likely arrangement would have TSMC own and operate a new fab serving only Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, with SpaceX/Terafab possibly investing or committing to chip purchase volumes; a less likely alternative would give SpaceX majority ownership with TSMC providing operational and process expertise.
Tesla has increased the number of its driverless Cybercab vehicles authorized for commercial service in Texas to nearly four times the count at launch a month ago. Riders have reported issues including long wait times, incorrect pickup and drop-off locations, and malfunctioning butterfly doors and trunks since the September 3 debut in Austin.
Tesla delivered 486,532 electric vehicles in Q3 2026, down 2.1% from 497,099 a year earlier, though the figure beat analyst expectations of 456,600. Model 3 and Y deliveries slipped only 0.6% to 478,237, while sales of other models—mainly Cybertruck along with Semi and Cybercab—plunged 48% to 8,295 units, even as total vehicle production rose 3.7%. Tesla's energy storage deployments grew 9.6% year-over-year to 13.7 GWh, and full financial results are due October 21.
Tesla delivered more than 486,000 vehicles in the third quarter, up about 6,000 from the prior quarter and ahead of Wall Street forecasts. The figure still trails the 497,000 delivered a year earlier, when buyers rushed to beat an expiring U.S. tax credit, and U.S. deliveries were down nearly 20% year-over-year according to Cox Automotive.
Shivon Zilis revealed her separation from Elon Musk by retweeting a post indicating Musk was no longer following her on X. She described the breakup as sudden and emotionally difficult, sharing her feelings publicly. Zilis also has a history of working closely with Musk on his AI ventures and was involved in legal disputes related to Musk's donations to OpenAI.
Tesla reported 486,532 vehicle deliveries and 464,391 units produced in the third quarter, exceeding analyst forecasts of roughly 461,000-462,000. Deliveries were down about 2% from a year earlier but rose from the second quarter's 480,126, with Model 3 and Model Y making up 98% of the total. Tesla shares rose about 2% after the announcement.
Rivian reported building 19,751 vehicles and delivering 19,248 in the third quarter, a roughly 45% jump from a year earlier, driven by its first full quarter selling the new R2 SUV launched in June. Full financial results are due October 29. The company expects 20,000-25,000 R2 deliveries by year-end and total 2025 sales of 65,000-70,000 vehicles across its lineup.
Rivian reported producing nearly 20,000 vehicles and delivering over 19,200 in the third quarter, marking significant increases from the previous year. The company reaffirmed its goal to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles by 2026, emphasizing the success of its more affordable R2 model amid a declining EV market. This growth comes despite broader industry setbacks following the removal of federal EV tax credits, which led to a nearly 24% drop in overall EV sales in September 2026.
Tesla has released a new software feature called Emergency Drive Away that lets drivers shift into Drive and pull away while still connected to a Supercharger. Activating it requires holding the brake and tapping an on-screen confirmation, which warns of potential damage to the vehicle and charging station. The feature currently works only at US Superchargers and requires the latest software update, excluding pre-2021 Model S and X vehicles.
Tesla rolled out an 'emergency drive away' feature that lets drivers shift into drive and pull away from a charger while the cable is still attached, overriding the normal charging lock. The cable breaks away and falls to the ground, causing some damage to both the car and the charging handle, and the feature triggers a confirmation alert before activating. It is currently available only in the US.
Tesla delivered 486,532 vehicles in Q3 2025, down about 2.1% from the same period last year, while production rose 3.8% to 464,391 units. The decline follows the September 30 expiration of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which had driven a surge in sales a year earlier.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1246, requiring autonomous vehicle companies such as Tesla, Waymo and Zoox to provide local support when their robotaxis malfunction or interfere with emergency crews. Operators can face penalties if a vehicle blocks police or firefighters for more than 30 minutes, and the law sets new accountability rules for crashes, breakdowns or roadway obstructions.
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