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🇨🇳😟 China doesn't want Teslas anymore

Author

Wouter Teunissen
May 01, 2023

Good morning! Welcome back to the Tesla Folder.

$TSLA didn’t start the week off too well, with a significant drop at market open - but, signs of recovery in the day following.

Here’s what we have for you today:

  • California reaches EV sales goal two years early: Tesla dominates

  • Tesla lawyers claim past Elon statements about SD safety might be deepfakes

  • Quick bites

  • Competitor watch

California reaches EV sales goal two years early: Tesla dominates

📰 Big news coming from sunny California: the Golden State has officially surpassed a massive milestone, with over 1.5 million electric vehicles sold since 2011!

And who do we have to thank for this amazing achievement? Well, mostly Tesla, of course.

💰 According to the California New Car Dealers Association, the Model Y and Model 3 were the top two best-selling new passenger vehicles in the state last year. The Model Y alone had 87,257 sales in California in 2022, with the Model 3 right behind at 78,934. That's more than double the number of Ford F-Series trucks sold and more than the Honda Civics and Toyota Corollas combined!

It's not just Tesla that's making waves. With a total of 115 EV models on sale in California - up from just 46 in 2019 - the competition is heating up. And that's a good thing, according to Tesla.

🤷 So why are Californians making the switch to EVs? Experts say it's a combination of improving battery range, a decade of California auto regulations, falling prices and improved technology. California was also the first state to mandate a sales ban on new gas cars by 2035, with other states like New York, Virginia and Washington following suit.

Tesla lawyers claim past Elon statements about SD safety might be deepfakes

🏦 Lawyers for Tesla have come up with an interesting reason as to why Elon Musk shouldn't be interviewed under oath for a lawsuit that blames the company for a fatal crash in 2018. They claim that Musk's statements about the capabilities of Tesla's Autopilot software can't be trusted because they might be deepfakes.

Tesla's lawyers argued that Elon Musk can't be held accountable for anything he says in public because he's famous and could be the subject of deepfake videos and audio recordings.

❌ The judge in the case found this argument to be "deeply troubling.” She said that Musk and other public figures can't just say whatever they want in the public domain and then hide behind the potential for their recorded statements being deepfakes.

The public does not agree either. People think it’s like saying: "Sorry, officer, I can't be held responsible for speeding because my car might have been stolen and driven by someone else."

⏰ The judge tentatively ordered that Musk give a limited, three-hour deposition about his statements regarding the safety of Tesla's driver assist software. And if you're wondering what a "tentative ruling" is - it's a fancy way of saying that the judge's decision is almost always finalized with few major changes after a hearing.

The case is set to go into trial on July 31, and we'll just have to wait and see whether Elon Musk's deepfake defense holds up in court.

Quick bites

Competitor watch

🎁 Reply ‘CYBERTRUCK’ to this email for a surprise Elon meme.