Tesla Strengthens Position for Long-Term Development

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Tesla Cybertruck continues to gain market share with a new $7,500 tax credit in the US, Model Y gains ground in Europe, new FSD update works for customers, and more in today's roundup with Jowua.

Tesla Cybertruck eligible for $7,500 tax credit in US

The electric pickup truck is now even more attractive to buy in the US. Now, the all-wheel drive (AWD) variant of Cybertruck is officially eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit, according to an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) update on January 1. That brings the starting price for eligible buyers down from $79,990 to $72,490. The discount applies to vehicles built in 2025, so it was not initially available for the 2024 Cybertruck. In February, Tesla announced that the AWD Cybertruck was officially available with a $7,500 tax credit for eligible customers.

Tesla Model Y Was Europe’s Best-Selling BEV in 2024

Model Y retained its title as Europe’s best-selling electric vehicle (BEV) in 2024. However, the electric SUV lost its position as the region’s best-selling car, falling to fourth place. With 209,000 registrations, Model Y lost its title as Europe’s best-selling car to the Dacia Sandero. While demand for the car fell in France and Germany, it remained strong in the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway.

Tesla Megapacks to Power One of Japan’s Largest Energy Storage Projects

Tesla has entered into an agreement to supply its Megapack units to Japan’s ORIX. As part of the partnership, the Japanese company will build one of the country’s largest energy storage facilities, which will begin operation in 2027. It will be located in Maibara, Shiga Prefecture. The energy storage facility will be equipped with Tesla Megapack batteries with a total capacity of 548 megawatt-hours (MWh).

Tesla Releases FSD Update

Last week, Tesla released a software update for FSD. v12.6.3 for HW3 includes end-to-end on highways, improved behavior in urban areas, customizable speed profile, update of the maximum speed, redesigned controller, and more.

v13.2.6 for HW4 includes 36 Hz, full resolution of AI4 video data, native AI4 inputs and neural network architectures, speed ​​profiles for city streets and highways, integrated functions for parking, reversing and parking, improved predictions for collision avoidance, improved camera cleaning, and much more.