Tesla Robotaxi Reaches 1M Miles, FSD Expands in Europe

Slovenia has become the sixth country to recognize Dutch approval for Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, bringing the total coverage to just under 10% of the EU's population across these six nations. This recognition streamlines the regulatory process, avoiding redundant testing in each individual country. A crucial vote scheduled for October 6 will determine FSD approval for Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, which are vital for meeting the EU's requirement of 15 countries and 65% of the population for widespread adoption.

Tesla Europe released safety data on August 21st, analyzing over 70,000 customers and a million kilometers driven daily. The data indicates that drivers are 4.1 times less likely to crash in manual driving when FSD is engaged across 100 million kilometers on EU roads. This finding underscores the enhanced safety performance of Tesla's FSD system compared to human-controlled driving.

The system can also engage if it detects severe driver distraction or accidental disengagement of FSD. This new capability includes the ability to steer around obstacles, targeting situations where drivers might be inattentive or have inadvertently turned off FSD.

Focus 2 Move's data for January through July shows the Model Y's sales are up 19.6% year-to-date, putting it approximately 200,000 units ahead of the Toyota RAV4. Notably, the Model Y is the only vehicle among the top four global sellers to demonstrate growth this year.

The plant aims to reach a target of 7,500 vehicles weekly by mid-October. To meet this goal, mandatory extra shifts have been scheduled for September, indicating an aggressive push to increase production output.

Tesla China responded to market conditions by offering 10,000 yuan off every Model Y in inventory through September 30th, equivalent to approximately $1,500. Additionally, a $5,000 discount is available for the Model 3. These new incentives stack with existing offers such as paint credits and five-year 0% financing, aiming to stimulate sales. Despite a 12.4% year-over-year decline in August retail sales, figures showed an 84% increase from July, with Shanghai exports now surpassing domestic sales.

Supplier guidance reportedly targets a production rate of 1,000 units per week in September, escalating to 2,500 units per week by the end of the year. Tesla has not officially confirmed these production figures. Elon Musk has previously stated that Optimus production would be 'extremely slow at first,' aligning with a cautious ramp-up despite these rumors.