Tesla completes first fully autonomous Model Y delivery ahead of schedule
FILE PHOTO: A guest takes photos of Tesla Model Y, displayed during the inauguration ceremony of the first Tesla showroom in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. April 10, 2025. REUTERS/Mohammed Benmansour/File Photo
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The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Carmakers GM, Tesla and Ford lead list of US companies in China exposure: report
General Motors, one of America's top carmakers, leads US companies in its exposure to China, perched in a delicate position as bilateral trade tensions persist amid US President Donald Trump's steep 55 per cent tariffs on imports from the country, according to a research report published this week. Other high-profile firms, including Elon Musk's electric vehicle company Tesla, rival carmaker Ford, engine manufacturer Cummins, aerospace and tech firm Honeywell, beverage giant Coca-Cola, and chipmaker Qualcomm also rank in the top 10, illustrating corporate America's dependence on the country. Influential companies Amazon, Apple, Meta and Nvidia did not make it to the top 10, but remain among the largest tech firms at risk due to disruptions in the Chinese market and their global supply chains. That is according to the latest annual index from market research firm Strategy Risks, which assessed the top 250 publicly listed US companies to identify those most vulnerable to US-China trade tensions in 2025. The report analyses a range of public information – including company filings, media reports, and government data – to assign each firm an exposure score from 0 to 100. The evaluation considered factors such as supply-chain dynamics, ties to the Chinese government and Communist Party officials, industry-specific regulations in China and even biases in the data sets related to a firm's transparency on China-related information. With a score of 69.8, GM topped the list, followed closely by Cummins and Honeywell at 65.6 and 62.9 respectively. Tesla scored 60.7 while Coca-Cola tallied 58, closely trailed by Ford at 56.5 and Qualcomm at 56.2. The report attributes GM's top ranking to its 'relatively high number of joint ventures with Chinese state-owned companies'. According to the carmaker's website, it has 10 joint ventures in China, including a 50-50 joint venture called SAIC-GM with SAIC Motor, a state-owned Chinese company. In December, GM said it expected to lose more than US$5 billion as it reorganised its struggling business in China, where car sales have dropped sharply. According to Juozapas Bagdonas of Strategy Risks, General Motors has not only been significantly affected by tariffs, but recent restructuring of some of its joint ventures in China has also made the company more 'politically exposed'. 'They hold less power over those joint ventures,' he said, 'and potentially the government could impose their will on intellectual property, or any other things that might be important for some American company like GM.' Chinese officials have recently sought to allay concerns that foreign companies operating on the mainland might harbour amid ever-escalating trade tensions. Speaking at the US-China Business Council in Washington last week, Xie Feng, Beijing's ambassador to Washington, said many American firms were increasingly worried about 'losing the Chinese market' and that their R&D efforts would 'slow down'. 'Your concerns should be heeded,' Xie added. Tesla and Ford scored high this year in the category assessing exposure to politically sensitive areas and human-rights concerns 'due to their extensive presence in Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as their public overtures to the Chinese government on sensitive issues', the report stated. Colgate-Palmolive, a consumer products company, was also listed as among the most vulnerable to disruptions due to its heavy reliance on Chinese exports of plastic and electric toothbrushes, 'with hundreds of containers shipped from Chinese ports to the US in 2024'. Apple, which topped last year's list at No 2, slipped to No 27 this year, but it still rated among the largest tech companies most exposed to China, along with Amazon, Microsoft, Meta and Nvidia. The California-based tech giant still earns about 17 per cent of its revenue from China, and a substantial risk lies in its hundreds of manufacturing facilities across the country that build iPhones and MacBooks. The report warned that any serious supply-chain disruption in China 'could prove catastrophic' for Apple, even as it shifts more of its production to India. Electronics like smartphones and laptops are currently exempt from Trump's 10 per cent reciprocal tariffs on China. Bagdonas believed tariffs played a major role in companies looking to reduce their exposure to China. More than Trump's on-and-off reciprocal duties, the Section 301 tariffs imposed in response to alleged unfair Chinese trade practices, including forced tech transfers and intellectual property violations, were longer lasting and of greater concern, he said. These tariffs, introduced at the outset of the US-China trade war in 2018, were repeatedly renewed under former US president Joe Biden. 'For example, Tesla is subject to pretty high tariffs that have stayed in place since Biden took office and continue to be extended,' Bagdonas said. 'But then again, companies like Apple have largely been exempt from tariffs on smartphones, MacBooks and other electronics.' In the report's overall rankings, Amazon came in at 20th, driven by its heavy reliance on Chinese-made products, which dominate its shipments to Western markets. In 2023, US shoppers spent about US$200 billion on Chinese goods via Amazon, bringing the company an estimated US$70 billion in net profit. Microsoft placed 29th, with the report citing thousands of electronics shipped from China in 2024. Key AI components like doped silicon wafers face a 50 per cent tariff, potentially slowing its AI expansion. Nvidia came in at 85th, hindered by American export bans on its top chips to China. The company is now focusing on autonomous driving, supplying Orin chips to Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD, the world's largest in the sector. Meta ranked 94th, with its China revenue rising 34 per cent in 2024 to account for 11 per cent of total earnings. It also earns about US$7 billion a year from Chinese retailers like Temu and Shein through ad sales and relies on Chinese electronics for its VR and AI hardware, the report found.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Tesla Model Y achieves first fully autonomous delivery to customer
MOSCOW: Tesla has achieved a groundbreaking milestone with its first fully autonomous delivery of a Model Y electric car to a customer. The vehicle successfully navigated from the factory to the buyer's home without any human assistance, including highway driving. Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the achievement on X, stating, 'The first fully autonomous delivery of a Tesla Model Y from factory to a customer home across town, including highways, was just completed a day ahead of schedule!!' The Model Y, equipped with Tesla's 'full self-driving' capability, completed the journey without remote operators or any human presence inside the car. The test run took place in Austin, Texas, showcasing the vehicle's ability to handle real-world driving conditions. Priced starting at approximately US$44,990, the Model Y represents Tesla's push toward fully autonomous transportation. Musk had previously indicated in late May that the first autonomous delivery would occur in June.
The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
Tesla invited influencers to test its robotaxi. Here's what they had to say
For now, the test vehicles are operating in a limited area. — Reuters AUSTIN: A handpicked group of passengers invited for early rides from Tesla Inc's autonomous, nearly driverless ride-hailing service seemed to like it. But video some posted to social media suggests the automaker's system struggles to comply with traffic laws. Some passengers were wowed by the car's ability to slow for speed bumps, an ambulance or to avoid hitting a pedestrian. One said it did just as well after sundown as during the day. Another was wild about what it may mean for the Austin-based automaker's future. "I was completely mind blown that the same car I can buy today starting at around $38k – which also happens to be the best selling car in the world – just did paid driverless rides around Austin, TX without someone behind the steering wheel and pedal," X user @farzyness posted after three rides in one of the Model Y vehicles being used as robotaxis – which actually start at more than US$50,000 (RM 212,199) , according to "The implications from this are far-reaching and very disruptive. This breaks transportation." He was among a handful of online Tesla influencers – fans who post regularly about the company on social media– who received invitations to download the Robotaxi app and try the company's service Sunday in Austin. It's not available yet to the general public. Rival Waymo already has deployed driverless taxis in Austin, Los Angeles, San Diego and other cities using a different technology that allowed it to get to market faster. It recently completed its 10 millionth paid ride and has begun testing in San Antonio and other cities. Other companies also are testing in Austin. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made the robotaxi program a priority, and any trouble with it could be highly damaging to the company's stock price, which had tumbled 20% this year. Last Sunday's limited rollout appeared to give it a boost, though, with the share price rocketing at Monday's opening bell. It closed up more than 8% and was up slightly in after-hours trading. Also among the passengers was Rob Maurer, an investor whose live ride video shows the Model Y he's in entering an intersection in a left-turn-only lane. The Tesla hesitates to make the turn, swerves right and continues into an unoccupied lane meant for traffic moving in the opposite direction. A honking horn can be heard as the robotaxi returns to the correct lane over a double-yellow line, a violation. Other riders shared videos of Tesla robotaxis exceeding the posted speed limit by 4 or 5 mph (6.43kph or 8kph). For now, the test vehicles are operating in a limited area. The current geofence area goes as far south as Ben White Boulevard and US 290, west to Texas State Loop 1, north to Cesar Chavez Street and east to US 183. According to CEO Elon Musk, Sunday's trial had a flat fee of US$4.20 (RM18) for the select group. It was unclear if Tesla paid for the influencers' trips to Austin, their robotaxi fares or for social media posts about the service. The company hasn't responded to requests for comment. "As an Early Access Rider, you can be among the first to use our new Robotaxi App and experience a ride within our geofenced area in Austin," the invitations said. "Through this exclusive preview, you'll have the opportunity to provide valuable feedback." Though there was no one behind the wheel, information sent with the invitations indicated front-seat human safety monitors – Tesla employees riding with Sunday's invitees – would be subject to the same restrictions as drivers of Tesla models with the so-called Full Self-Driving system. That means the cabin camera was watching the monitor's eyes to make sure they're on the road and, presumably, warn them if they're not. A few of the videos posted Sunday showed monitors turned around to look at a passenger in the back seats. – San Antonio Express-News/Tribune News Service
