Elon Musk Wants Tesla To Double Its Production Capacity by 2030

Welcome to autoevolution weekly, thank you for being a subscriber! If this newsletter was forwarded to you, here’s a handy link if you’d like to subscribe yourself.

Clearly this week’s big event was the new Tesla Roadster and we have two different takes on that demo from Sergiu Tudose (editor-in-chief) and Cristian Agatie (EV/tech editor).

If you like our content and want to see autoevolution more often in your Google results/newsfeed, please follow us or add us to your preferred sources.

You don't have to read everything — just the right thing. 1440's daily newsletter distills the day's biggest stories from 100+ sources into one quick, 5-minute read. It's the fastest way to stay sharp, sound informed, and actually understand what's happening in the world. Join 4.5 million readers who start their day the smart way.

Join for free today!

Don’t forget to pay a visit to “Great on Any Friday”, a section where you can find a list of excellent products for you and your car. Things that we ourselves would buy again and recommend, not because there's a “deal”, but because they're always a great choice.

Now let’s get into this issue of the newsletter!

By: Cristian Agatie

For years, Elon Musk insisted that Tesla is no longer a carmaker, but an AI and robotics company. This coincided with EV sales plummeting in 2024 and 2025, which prompted Musk to pivot Tesla's strategy. However, Tesla sales miraculously rebounded in 2026, and not only is Tesla a carmaker again, but Musk wants to double production capacity. What gives?

Tesla held its third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday, after releasing some mixed financial results that split investors and analysts. Unlike the shareholder deck, the conference allowed Tesla to present a clearer picture of its operations. As is often the case, Tesla tried to dazzle investors with rosy prospects, and in many ways, it succeeded.

However, another part of the call raised serious questions: Elon Musk announced that Tesla aims to double production capacity to 5 million vehicles per year. And he wants to do it fast, by the end of 2030. This marks an abrupt change of direction after years of turning his back on vehicle manufacturing. We've read and heard the "Tesla is not a carmaker" mantra many times, but now things appear to move in the opposite direction.

From sustainable transport and energy to "amazing abundance"

Over the past three years, Tesla went from plans to save the Earth with sustainable transportation, solar panels, and energy storage, to a fuzzy concept of "amazing abundance" that not even Musk can explain what it means exactly. Since then, the affordable Gen-3 compact EV was canceled, and the Model S and Model X were retired without successors. Instead, Tesla insisted that autonomous vehicles and robots are the company's future.

Many mocked Tesla's new ethos as a taxi company, but we have to give it credit for its Robotaxi service. What started as a pilot has since been expanded into a dependable transportation service in Austin using unsupervised vehicles. The Cybercab, which recently started volume production, has increased its presence, while safety records have proved that its autonomous driving system is at least as safe as Waymo's.

Meanwhile, nobody believed that Tesla would put much effort into expanding its EV portfolio. It never was the kind of traditional carmaker committed to regularly overhauling its model lineup. The Model 3 and Model Y were the only ones to receive meaningful updates, and that's not counting the stripped-down Standard variants. With the Cybertruck program in shambles and no new vehicle plans in the pipeline, Tesla looked set to abandon its automotive plans.

For the full article, please continue reading on our site.

By: Sergiu Tudose

New York City is arguably the worst place in America to own a car. Although it really depends on which borough you call home. If you’re in “the city”, meaning Manhattan, then you’re way better off using public transportation, as the vast majority of Manhattanites do. Besides, the cost of parking is on par with the GDP of a small African nation. Wakanda. 

Yet, New Yorkers still buy cars, and expensive ones too. According to a report published by CarEdge, the most popular new vehicle in NYC for the past 45 days is the 2026 Lexus RX. And by most popular, I mean the best-selling car – 137 units sold over that time period.

To me, this comes as a surprise. Usually, it’ll be something like the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V or the Corolla. Not a Lexus. But as we’ve come to learn, the Japanese premium carmaker has magical powers when it comes to the U.S. market.

You just utter the word Lexus and people think reliability, quality and resale value, the likes of which you’re not going to get with any of its German rivals. I don’t necessarily agree, but perception is reality. This is as true in life as it is in the automotive industry.

Over the same 45-day period, the Lexus NX came fourth with 62 units sold, while the larger Lexus TX rounded out the top 5 with 54 units. That’s three Lexus models in the top 5, plus a Mercedes-Benz (GLE) at no.3.

To be fair, before we crown the RX the king of New York City, there’s an important distinction to be made here. CarEdge only looked at sales activity at dealerships associated with a particular location, and not all purchases made by NYC residents period. This is not a census of every vehicle sold to residents across all five boroughs.

Does this make the results any less intriguing? No in the slightest. Anyway, so why the RX?

Well, it’s large enough without being particularly cumbersome. It’s a proper mid-size SUV at 192.5 inches (4.9 m) in length, but you can maneuver it around way more easily than you would an Escalade or Navigator. And yet it still provides enough luggage space for a weekend getaway to the Hamptons (just watch out for ugly babies), to go with versatile powertrain choices. 

The best choice being the RX 350h, which combines a naturally aspirated gasoline engine with an electric motor. This variant doesn’t require you to plug the car in, which is a major advantage in a city where having access to a dedicated parking space is already considered a major privilege – let alone one equipped with an EV charger.

For the full article, please continue reading on our site.

By: Cristian Agatie

For many, especially those who have not been following Tesla closely, the Roadster will forever be associated with the flying demonstration that broke the internet on October 15. Even my daughter, who doesn't care about almost anything, sent me an Instagram reel of the demo. That's a significant change, because, most of the time, Tesla videos live a short and miserable life inside Tesla bubbles on X, and rarely make the news, especially positive news.

However, the Roadster is much more than a flying (albeit briefly) car. If Tesla finally starts production (which in itself is a big IF), it will begin with the street-legal Performance variant, which almost-normal people will be able to buy. For them, almost-normal concerns like range and charging time will be more important than the answer to the question, "but does it fly?" And the crucial answers depend on the Roadster's most important part: the battery. 

Years ago, when Tesla was still a religion, and Musk was the patriarch, Tesla promised that a new battery type would change everything. The larger cell, with a 4680 format (46 mm in diameter and 80 mm tall), was the highlight of the 2020 Battery Day. On stage, Musk promised that the new battery would hold five times the capacity of a 2170 cell and deliver six times the power. 

At the time, Tesla had just bought Maxwell, which developed the dry electrode process for its supercapacitors. Musk was confident Tesla could use the technology for its battery cells. The dry battery electrode (DBE) process could significantly cut cell production time and costs. However, it was difficult to master in volume production, which crippled Tesla battery program. 

Besides DBE, Tesla also considered improved chemistry, with a high-nickel cathode and a silicon anode. In the end, none of these promising technologies have proved easy to deploy. This failure has made Tesla's 4680 cells just larger variants of their 2170 counterpart, with the added disadvantage of being heat traps, very difficult to cool in a pack. 

This has become obvious once Tesla installed the 4680 cells in a car, the 2023 Model Y AWD built in Austin. People who bought that car, believing in Elon Musk's promises at the Battery Day, were utterly disappointed by the poor charging performance. Tesla admitted defeat less than a year later, in September 2023, when it canceled the 4680 Model Y. However, it still started deliveries of the Cybertruck in November 2023 using 4680 cells.

During the Roadster demo event on October 15, we learned that the new show car and future sports car (if it launches) also uses 4680 cells. Now, for everyone who followed Tesla closely for the past five years, that's a bad omen. However, Tesla pinky-swears that this time it will be different, and the Roadster would change everything we know about Tesla's 4680 cells.

For the full article, please continue reading on our site.

By: Aurel Niculescu

Stellantis has recently noted a change in leadership across the US automotive market during the third quarter of the year, with Ram Trucks taking over from Jeep as the best-selling brand in America. But it’s not over for any of these proud specialty brands.

Since I was a kid, my dream SUV ride was a Jeep with no doors and the top down, going to the local beach with party ideas. Most likely, that idea appeals to many Jeep fans, even when they grow older and choose the specialty brand for its tamer models, as the marque has been a growth driver for Stellantis for years.

Alas, the company hiccupped a bit not long ago when it mistakenly thought its EV-focused strategy would work just as well in places like the Old Continent and America. They did catch the trend in Europe with the EVs, though even here they were blindsided by the Chinese attack and had to quickly make a deal with the Devil and bring the Lepas brand to the region.

But over in America, the previous management setup was gravely mistaken in thinking that the North American continent, especially the United States, was just as eager as the Europeans to transition to an EV lifestyle. As such, combined with ever-higher prices across the board and some pretty old models, Stellantis North America took a pretty big hit in the proverbial groin in terms of sales.

No worries, as the new CEO Antonio Filosa, along with the guru Tim Kuniskis, who was brought out of retirement in a hurry, have a masterplan that’s already in the implementation phase for the Ram Trucks and Jeep brands. Not so much for Chrysler and Dodge, but they’re working on them, with the former set to become a much-needed affordable brand while the latter is gunning for a return to its ICE performance form. Anyway, Ram Trucks has taken over the American sales leadership among Stellantis brands from Jeep during the third quarter of the year, mostly thanks to the reintroduction of the Hemi V8 engine across the board.

Jeep, meanwhile, has the upper hand after the first nine months, although sales continued to slide by around eight percent. No worries, because we think that Jeep is going to recover. They have started working out their strengths, above all else, and that’s a very good thing. Recently, Jeep was named the official 4x4 of Moab by the city, the brand introduced the 2027 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk with actually great off-road specifications and hybrid efficiency, and the company even returned to the Rebelle Rally with the Jeep Gladiator Mojave.

They also make good promises: the next-generation Jeep Cherokee is already greenlit with the new STLA One platform set to launch in the United States for the first time, and the Grand Cherokee received updates for the 2027 model year, like the Laredo Upland model. Of course, we’re still waiting on the Hemi V8 to make a comeback, which is a contentious point, for sure.

But at least Jeep has done a good job keeping the Wrangler front and center among its many focuses – and they have treated it spectacularly for an entire year! More precisely, back in November 2025, Jeep kicked off an entire year of celebration for the Wrangler nameplate with the Twelve 4 Twelve series. Yep, they created 12 special editions and packages, one for each month of an entire year! 

For the full article, please continue reading on our site.

By: Mircea Panait

Hyundai's next Porter has a longer, stepped nose. The South Korean automaker moved the front axle forward, marking a visible break from the outgoing cab-over layout. Why, though? Most likely, due to increasingly tougher pedestrian and passenger safety requirements. Beyond this reasoning, the all-new Porter may also be eyeing the European market.

Spied in Europe under heavy camouflage, this electric-only prototype of the South Korean commercial vehicle rocks a much squarer cabin and rectangular headlamp clusters. The disguise isn't as thick around the bed, which is exceptionally long for a super-cabbed Porter that may also have dual motors if the 4WD frame rail marking is to be taken at face value.

Inside, don't look forward to anything other than more digital estate and a cleaner dashboard aesthetic. Similar to Hyundai's latest models, Pleos Connect infotainment is pretty much a given. This sighting and the sheer age of the current-generation Porter indicate that Hyundai is targeting a 2027 rollout for the newcomer. Of course, a couple of internal combustion engine options are certain to join the full-electric powertrain choices.

—

As opposed to Hyundai's trucklet, the Bentley Supersports Convertible isn't hiding its final design. The Nurburgring prototype spotted this week is donning a prominent rear spoiler, aero goodies up front, and a rear valance that integrates a sweet-looking diffuser and four exhaust pipes. Finished in matte black, the British test vehicle definitely generates more downforce (both up front and at the rear) compared to the Continental GT Convertible.

Extended sills further differentiate it from the Conti, and its rear track is 16 millimeters (0.6 inches) wider to boot. Although its coupe-bodied sibling weighs under two metric tons, both the canvas top and its mechanism should push the weight of the convertible beyond 2,000 kilograms (4,409 pounds). Whatever the final number may be, a torquey V8 engine in combination with rear-wheel drive in a super grand tourer sounds absolutely delicious.

Just like the coupe, the convertible should make 657 mechanical horsepower and 590 pound-feet (800 Newton-meters) from a displacement of 4.0 liters and no electric assistance whatsoever. Unfortunately, those in the market for such a feisty luxobarge will have to act really fast. With the coupe totaling 500 examples, the convertible will be an easy sell as well.

—

BMW's redesigned X7 will make the difference between internal combustion and electric propulsion visible from behind. Our spy photographers captured two such prototypes at the Green Hell this week, and the internal combustion model is definitely packing an eight-cylinder heart. Its electric sibling makes do without quad exhausts, and naturally, BMW further modified its nose in the name of aerodynamic efficiency.

Both share a similar upright profile and stacked front lights, but not all X7s are created equal. The V8-powered M60 xDrive test vehicle, for example, appears to be hiding M Yellow Lights under camouflage wrap. The motorsport-inspired yellow treatment has recently spread from special models to M Performance variants, M350 xDrive included. Being an M Performance model, the M60 xDrive dons a sportier front bumper.

The iX7 is more restrained in every respect, cleaning up both the front and rear ends. Both are equipped with slim taillights that combine two vertically stacked narrow LED bars. A relatively flat roof, substantial rear quarters, and winglet-like door handles are on the menu as well. Coming for the 2028 model year from the Spartanburg plant in the US, the new X7 and iX7 will use pull-up door handles in China due to local safety regulations.

—

Remember the 2CV? It's finally back, in the form of a concept. Based on that incredibly cute design study from Citroen, pixel artist Kleber Silva imagined the series-production spec in a realistic fashion. While unofficial, his rendering cleans up concept-specific details that wouldn't make sense in the real world. And boy, does the unofficial design look real fine!

Gifted with the retro proportions and cutesy headlights one would expect from such a storied nameplate, Kleber Silva's Deux Chevaux preserves the concept vehicle's footprint and toy-like stance. Its body is unashamedly short, the roof rises above a tall greenhouse, and its rounded corners give off utilitarian vibes rather than automotive styling for styling's sake.

Expected to join the French automaker's European lineup by 2028, the revived 2CV should be able to sustain highway speeds. A true passenger vehicle rather than an electric quadricycle like the Citroen Ami, the 2CV may retail from as little as 15,000 euros in its most spartan configuration. The original was intentionally spartan to keep production costs low, and believe it or not, the original was produced for more than 40 years.

By: Bogdan Popa

It was obviously just a matter of time, but it finally happened. Flock cameras are now live in a navigation app, and because Google and Apple obviously wouldn’t afford such a bold move, MapQuest decided to step in. That’s right, the same company that brought us paper maps a long time ago has now updated its software with a surveillance layer to show Flock cameras.

While MapQuest has won the hearts of so many users with this decision, Spotify is doing exactly the opposite. The company has started threatening users who share a Family plan with 12-month bans unless they access the service from the same household as the admin. If it sounds familiar, it’s because YouTube did the same thing with Premium, trying to force users to get an individual subscription (and therefore make more money).

Dash cams are no longer optional, given what happens on roads out there, and a company called Vueroid is trying to make the adoption of this tech more straightforward. It launched a dash cam that looks like a smartwatch, and if you don’t mind entry-level specs, paying $150 might be worth it.

Meanwhile, Gemini is coming to CarPlay via Google Maps, and Google has announced Personal Intelligence for Android Auto to make the assistant feel more… personal.

Congratulations for reaching the finish line!

🏁 🏁 🏁 🏁 🏁

From all of us at autoevolution, a sincere thank you for reading! Feel free to reply with suggestions. Replies to these emails are monitored!

Oh, and one more thing: if you like our articles, please click the button below to add autoevolution to your preferred sources!