Robotaxis, Robots, and Hope form Tesla’s plan to justify Elon Musk’s colossal compensation and achieve a market valuation of $8.5 trillion. An ambitious goal that relies on technologies still under development, while the American automaker’s market share in the United States is at its lowest since 2017.
Automotive News in Brief
As competition in the electric vehicle sector intensifies, the giant Tesla is betting on futuristic projects rather than its current car sales. Meanwhile, the automotive industry is marked by several other announcements.
Recalls and New Model Launches
Ford announces a recall of nearly 1.5 million vehicles in the American market due to a faulty backup camera issue. On the new releases front, Toyota introduces the 2026 Highlander lineup, now equipped with standard all-wheel drive across the entire range. Lexus also unveils an updated version of the 2026 IS, which benefits from a slight redesign.
Future Electric Vehicles
Polestar has presented the 2026 Polestar 5 fastback, but its arrival in the American market is not yet confirmed. Lucid Motors plans to launch a mid-size electric vehicle, potentially named “Earth,” by the end of 2025, subject to securing the necessary funding. An all-terrain version is also planned. Mercedes-Benz has offered a first glimpse of the future electric C-Class, whose front end is inspired by that of the GLC EV.
Innovations and Investments
Mercedes-Benz also made a series of major announcements: an EQS prototype equipped with solid-state batteries that traveled 1,200 km on a single charge, the integration of 600 kW ultra-fast chargers into its network starting in 2026, and achieving a record charging speed of 1 megawatt. Additionally, Volkswagen is reportedly in talks to invest in the United States, with potential local production of Audi and possibly even Porsche, while planning to invest billions of euros in AI by 2030.