The company referred to as Tesla without the drama can now be called Tesla with more sales and less drama. The final quarter of 2023 marked a significant milestone as BYD, a Chinese automaker, surged ahead of Tesla in EV sales. BYD sold an impressive 526,409 fully electric cars, eclipsing Tesla's delivery of 484,507 vehicles. We saw this coming after the third quarter, and if projections hold, Tesla will not be regaining the EV crown anytime soon.
Tesla’s fourth quarter was impressive; deliveries were up 38% year over year, and production was up 35% year over year. Plus, the company sold more Model S and Model X than it has during any quarter in the past five years. However, for a company that has projected 50% year-over-year growth and has been the unquestioned king of the EV sector, this performance falls a little flat, and it’s allowed one of the bigger threats to catch up.
BYD's performance in the fourth quarter was nothing short of extraordinary, with a record sale of 942,651 vehicles. This figure included a 55% share of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and 45% of Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV). Notably, BYD transitioned away from Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles in April 2022, focusing entirely on electric and hybrid models.
The Competition is Here
The origins of BYD trace back to its foundation as a battery company, later expanding into automobile manufacturing in the mid-2000s. With the backing of notable investor Warren Buffet, BYD has often been paralleled with Tesla; however, the two companies differ significantly in their product offerings and business strategies. Tesla adopts an online direct sales model, whereas BYD leverages a vast dealer network for both its international expansion and dominance in its domestic market. BYD has demonstrated a commitment to nurturing its dealership network, a model often perceived as outdated.
The competition between BYD and Tesla is set to intensify in 2024. BYD is venturing into areas previously dominated by Tesla, such as self-developed autonomous driving systems and a direct sales model. This shift is evident in establishing two new EV brands, YangWang, and Fang Cheng Bao, which adopt direct sales strategies and expand their own sales networks. Fang Cheng Bao launched 154 showrooms and direct-operated stores in 84 cities in 2023, while YangWang aimed to open 90 stores in 40 cities by the year's end.
Conventional Cars in Demand
In contrast to Tesla's focus on advanced autonomous driving capabilities and high-tech interiors, BYD's vehicles feature more traditional interiors, emphasizing physical buttons and conventional design. The company's research and development primarily centers on battery technology, striving to offer high-quality vehicles at reasonable prices.
BYD's approach to business is characterized by vertical integration. The company, led by founder and CEO Wang Chuanfu, controls the entire production chain, from lithium mining to battery manufacturing, vehicle assembly, shipping logistics, and even car insurance. This strategy mirrors Tesla's approach to some extent, with both companies prioritizing cost efficiency and affordability.
For the year 2023, BYD's total electric vehicle sales soared to 3,023,679, a 62% increase from the previous year. Of these, 1,574,804 were BEVs. Conversely, Tesla delivered 1,808,581 vehicles in 2023, marking a 38% increase from 1,313,851 in 2022.
Despite BYD's impressive annual performance, Tesla maintained its lead in cumulative sales for the year. However, projections suggest BYD is poised to continue as the leading EV manufacturer in 2024.
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Tesla news, upcoming features and software updates.
The Cybertruck is having an eventful November. Just last week, we shared the news that Tesla isn’t offering their in-house wrap service for the Cybertruck anymore; the Foundation Series is now available in inventory in select US locations, Crossbars have arrived, and faster charging is around the corner. Now there’s even more to discuss about the stainless steel beast.
Projection Puddle Lights
Like the recently launched puddle lights for the Model 3 and Model Y, Tesla has introduced a set of add-on Projector Puddle Lights for the Cybertruck. These Cybertruck-specific ones go for $75 USD, or $105 CAD and are available in both the Canadian and US Tesla stores.
However, these don’t have the Tesla wordmark - instead, they feature the iconic Cybertruck symbol and, in our opinion, look even nicer. Here’s to hoping Tesla also introduces a set with the graffiti-style Cybertruck wordmark.
Powershare in Canada
While the Foundation Series Cybertruck has been getting delivered in Canada since November 7th, there was no news on Powershare being supported due to regulatory constraints. On the 20th, Foundation Series owners in Canada began to receive emails to get their Powershare installs started through Tesla’s official installer - Qmerit.
More to follow on pricing and the process as we receive our Canadian quote from Qmerit soon.
FSD in Canada
The Cybertruck Program Manager, Siddhant Awasthi, confirmed that with Powershare now becoming available, FSD for the Cybertruck in Canada will also become available soon. Canadian trucks shipped with a factory software build that didn’t include FSD, but did include TACC and stoplight/traffic control.
Early this morning Tesla began rolling out a new version of FSD 12.5.5.3 for the Cybertruck, which is update 2024.39.5. Will this be the version that rolls out in Canada?
Following Integrated Flight Test 6 for SpaceX’s Starship, Elon Musk confirmed that uncrewed Starships are likely to begin making their way to Mars in about 2 years. You’re probably going to ask what’s going to be in those Starships - that’s what Brett Winston on X asked as well. Elon confirmed that Cybertrucks and Optimus robots will be among some of the first items landing on Mars.
That’s a ton of awesome news for Cybertruck, and there’s absolutely going to be more around the corner, especially as we await the big Tesla Holiday Update. While you wait, why not take a look at our Holiday Update Wishlists?
Tesla software update 2024.44.3 has started rolling out to customers in larger waves recently and it brings several new features - including Actually Smart Summon to Europe and the Middle East, as well as improvements to Autopark. But that’s not all, it also adds a new Blind Spot Monitoring feature to the new Model 3, and potentially the Cybertruck, but that’s still to be determined.
We previously covered the Blind Spot Warning While Parked as part of our preview notes for update 2024.44, but now that it's going out to customers, it's time to see it in action.
If the vehicle’s door open button is pressed, and a vehicle or object is near or incoming, the vehicle’s Blind Spot Warning Light (2024 Model 3 and Cybertruck) will illuminate, an audible tone will ring and the door won’t open. A message will also be displayed on the center displaying, letting driver’s know why the door didn’t open.
Pressing the button a second time will allow you to override the warning and open the door normally, providing a way to get out in case you just parked close to a nearby vehicle or obstacle.
The object detection for this new feature includes cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and other objects - like things including traffic cones, bollards, strollers, and other large obstacles that FSD and vision-based Autopark detect during normal operation. Of note - this only works for the front two doors. Thanks to X user Max, who did some testing for us, It does not work for the rear passenger doors.
Optional Feature
The feature is optional - it’ll be enabled by default for safety, but if you need to enable or disable it, you can do so under Controls > Safety. For now, the feature is only available on the 2024 Model 3, but we expect it to roll out to the Cybertruck at least. However, there’s no reason why it can’t be added to other vehicles as well, minus the small red dot. We expect Tesla to eventually add this feature to all Tesla vehicles, but it’s currently not a part of update 2024.44.
Enhauto’s S3XY Buttons & Commander
If that’s not enough safety and vision for you, Enhauto, the makers of the popular S3XY Buttons and Commander recently put out a new software update for the 2024 Model 3, which makes some fantastic use of the ambient lighting.
With Enhauto’s solution, users are able to tie their ambient lights to Autopilot use, turn signals or even if a vehicle is their blind spot. Check out the video below for this awesome implementation, where the ambient lights turn red when another vehicle approaches.
Maybe Tesla will integrate something like this into a future update? We’ve been hoping for more customizability with their ambient lighting - it's an easy safety win and a demonstration of Tesla’s do-more-with-less attitude.
I look forward to @enhauto updates more than Tesla...
Ambient light effects....
I set default color to white. Blinks green on turn signals Turns blue on FSD activation Yellow if someone in blind spot Blinks red if turn signal on and blind spot activity detected.
![First Look at Tesla’s New 'Blind Spot While Parked' Feature [VIDEO]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/img/containers/article_images/model-3-2024/blind-spot-indicator-monitor.jpg/4cdcb11af7b1c7cf021ba96588fd4f1a/blind-spot-indicator-monitor.jpg)
![Video Reveals the Cybertruck's Unique User Interface [Video]](https://www.notateslaapp.com/images/news/2023/cybertruck-ui-1_300w.jpg)
