A fatal crash involving a Xiaomi SU7 electric sedan in the southwestern city of Chengdu has raised new questions about the safety of electronic car doors, after reports that the vehicle's doors failed to open following impact.
When global automakers fled Russia in the wake of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Chinese car companies moved in with astonishing speed, flooding the market with affordable vehicles and quickly dominating the country's roads.
Long known for its disruptive innovations in electric vehicles, Tesla is now undergoing a deeper transformation, one that extends far beyond cars. As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes industries and geopolitical tensions disrupt global supply chains, Tesla's recent move toward lower-priced EVs signals a broader organizational pivot: a long-term strategy that places AI, robotics, and semiconductor self-reliance at the core of its future.
Tesla has rolled out new, lower-cost versions of its two best-selling vehicles—the Model 3 and Model Y—under the "Standard" badge, both starting under US$40,000. While the move helps fill a gap left by delays to Tesla's next-generation vehicle platform, it also underscores a deeper strategic pivot: away from hardware-centric upgrades and toward an intensified focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.
In the rapidly evolving race to dominate automotive electrification and vehicle electronics, speed and timing have become the ultimate competitive advantage. Among the rising crop of electric vehicle startups, Chinese automakers have been storming the global market at a breakneck pace, embodying what many now call "China speed."
In response to reduced U.S. electric vehicle incentives, Tesla has released more budget-friendly versions of its two most popular models. The updated standard trims of the Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV are now priced at US$36,990 and US$39,990, respectively. These new starting prices represent a 13% decrease for the Model 3 and an 11% reduction for the Model Y compared to their longer-range versions.
