The Latest in Tesla News: Cybertruck Production Updates, Model Y Price Increase and Advertising Considerations
Introduction
Today, we’ll delve into the latest news surrounding Tesla, including production updates on the highly anticipated Cybertruck, the recent increase in pricing for the Model Y, and the company’s stance on advertising. We’ll also examine how the Model 3 and Model Y faired in global sales and explore the reasons behind Tesla’s decision not to advertise.
Model 3 and Model Y Global Sales
New data has shown that the Tesla Model 3 was among the top 10 selling cars for 2021. According to car industry analysis, the Model 3 was the 9th top-selling vehicle globally for 2021, with 508,000 models sold. The Model Y managed to take the 19th spot, and all signs are pointing to it moving up significantly in the ranks for 2022. The official report states: “Tesla Model Y in top 20, expected to outsell Model 3 by the end of this year. Tesla sold 392,000 Model Y’s globally, representing an increase of 412% from the previous year.” The report also notes that the “Tesla Model 3 hit the top 10 and keeps climbing. It should hit the top five by the end of this year, a huge percentage increase like the 412% on the Model Y typically comes when a car is just introduced.” The data collected for these rankings represents 99.32% of total vehicle sales and comes from 106 total markets, affirming that electric cars are popular and Tesla is selling more than anyone else.
Tesla’s Advertising Policy
Despite Tesla’s popularity and incessant surge in sales and production, the company has yet to engage in any paid advertising. Car companies typically spend billions of dollars on advertising on television, print, the internet, and other platforms, but Tesla has not spent a dime on official advertising. Instead, Tesla puts that money into research and development. A recent graphic illustrates what the average company pays per vehicle in advertising and R&D compared to Tesla. Tesla’s policy is straightforward: they want to make the product great and are not interested in advertising. However, in a recent interview with Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley, Elon Musk revealed that he’s considering changing their stance on advertising, stating, “Maybe we should advertise, because the traditional media will not run negative pieces about automotive. It’s safe to say that if they run a negative piece about General Motors next to a General Motors ad, General Motors’ marketing executives are going to call them up and ask, ‘Why did you do that? We will be spending nothing with your publication next year.”
Cybertruck Production Updates
In that same interview with Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley, Elon Musk gave updates on the highly anticipated Cybertruck. The Cybertruck has been heavily delayed, and multiple companies have launched initial deliveries of their own all-electric trucks, causing concern among Tesla fans. However, Musk held firm that the delays are a result of battery supply issues since they only have limited supply to work with and want to keep shipping the cars they are selling. Recently, Tesla has made several revisions to the Cybertruck’s design, and there are now at least three prototypes seen out in the wild being tested or shown off at Tesla events.
The Cybertruck’s back and front have undergone a bit of a makeover, with side mirrors now legally required. They also got rid of the door handles in favor of an automatic door or a button on the B-pillar. Tesla is also experimenting with different windshield wipers. Furthermore, Elon mentioned in tweets that they are making it quad-motor and allowing it to do four-wheel steering, which would enable a fascinating feature like what Hummer has shown off with its EV. Tesla is also working on an instrument cluster display for the Cybertruck prototype, which is a significant departure from the originally announced dashboard. With these updates, Elon stated: “We need to get on that, at least the design is finally locked. We got too carried away there,” talking about getting carried away with design updates and tweaks. The new timeline they are looking at is 12 months from today or around mid-2023.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Tesla’s sales continue to skyrocket globally, with the company’s Model 3 and Model Y continuing to climb the sales charts. Tesla’s advertising policy remains unchanged, with more emphasis on research and development instead. Elon Musk is considering a change to the company’s advertising policy due to the traditional media’s treatment of Tesla. The Cybertruck’s production has been delayed due to supply chain issues with the company’s new 4680 battery cells. However, production is expected to begin mid-2023, giving Tesla’s fans hope that they could see the highly anticipated vehicle on the road by the end of 2023.