[DigitalToday reporter Jinju Hong (홍진주)] Tesla delivered 480,126 vehicles in the second quarter of 2026, far exceeding market expectations.

The figure was up 25 percent from a year earlier and more than 74,000 above the market forecast of 406,024 vehicles. It also beat the most optimistic forecasts, including those from Goldman Sachs and Barclays, of 418,000 to 420,000 vehicles. Compared with first-quarter 2026 deliveries of 358,023 vehicles, it was up 34 percent. Tesla has ended a two-year decline in quarterly deliveries.

· How Tesla held up in the second quarter: the three factors of Model Y, oil prices and incentives · Tesla ends two-year slide, delivers 480,000 in the second quarter, a record high, beating Wall Street estimates by more than 74,000

Tesla is also speeding up robotaxi commercialisation. It has begun test drives of the Cybercab, a dedicated vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals. It is also expanding robotaxi service areas to other U.S. cities, widening the scope of real-world trials.

It is also expanding its product lineup by launching a three-row version of its flagship sport utility vehicle, the Model Y, in the U.S. market. The Model YL has a three-row, six-seat layout and is expected to appeal to U.S. consumers who prefer larger vehicles by offering more interior space. The 2026 Model Y is strengthening product features and convenience specifications by trim, widening consumer choice.

· Tesla tests Cybercab in Austin, with no steering wheel or pedals · Tesla robotaxi expands to Miami, speeding up service-area expansion · Tesla makes Model Y bigger, launches six-seat Y L in U.S. market · What is different about the 2026 Tesla Model Y: a head-to-head comparison of the base model vs premium

A vehicle fitted with LiDAR in Rivian's next-generation electric SUV, the R2, has been spotted in the United States for the first time. The car was seen without camouflage, prompting analysis that it may be close to the final form of autonomous-driving hardware to be applied to the future mass-production model.

Rivian delivered 12,194 vehicles in the second quarter, up 14.4 percent from a year earlier. Rivian had initially projected second-quarter deliveries of 9,000 to 11,000 vehicles, but exceeded that result and also raised its full-year sales forecast.

· Rivian R2 model with LiDAR spotted, prominent sensor largely concealed · Rivian beats expectations, second-quarter sales up 14.4 percent and raises full-year target with R2

BYD's flagship electric sport utility vehicle, the Great Tang, is stepping up its push into the large electric SUV market after receiving official certification in China for ride comfort and motion-sickness prevention performance. The certification is seen as an example of BYD's strategy to differentiate passenger convenience as well as driving performance in large SUVs.

BYD also recorded 557,090 pure electric vehicle deliveries in the second quarter of 2026, reclaiming the top spot in the global battery electric vehicle market. Tesla deliveries over the same period were estimated at about 396,500 vehicles, putting BYD ahead by more than 160,000, according to the tally.

· 950 km on a 5-minute charge: BYD Great Tang wins motion-sickness prevention certification · BYD beats Tesla again, delivers 557,000 EVs in the second quarter to retake global No. 1 spot

Xpeng, another Chinese electric vehicle maker, unveiled X-Mind, a new in-vehicle artificial intelligence framework that predicts and reasons about future traffic conditions before an autonomous vehicle acts. The structure goes beyond existing autonomous-driving approaches that react to what is immediately ahead, by simulating what may happen next like a person and then making driving decisions.

· AI reads traffic flow first: Xpeng unveils X-Mind, a future-predicting autonomous-driving brain

Toyota and U.S. electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) developer Joby Aviation have begun work in earnest on a strategic manufacturing partnership for commercial production of electric air taxis. The two companies are setting up a joint venture and building a mass-production system, strengthening their push into the advanced air mobility market.

The two companies have established a joint venture for commercial eVTOL production called Joby Toyota Aero Manufacturing Preparation Company.

· Toyota to build a flying taxi, forms eVTOL joint venture with U.S. Joby

BMW will start production early next year of the all-electric SUV iX5 at its plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It will be the first time BMW produces an electric vehicle outside Germany, as its strategy to develop the United States as a key base for electrified production gains traction. BMW plans to include the all-electric iX5 in its recently unveiled fifth-generation X5 lineup and begin full-scale mass production at its Spartanburg plant from the first quarter of 2027.

· BMW presses on despite headwinds for EVs, first mass production of iX5 in U.S. in early 2027

A record heat wave nearing 40 degrees Celsius has hit the Tour de France, the world's most prestigious cycling event, as riders and organisers battle extreme heat. Concerns are growing over not only reduced performance but also dehydration and heatstroke, making heat 대응 a new variable in this year's race.

· "It is just too hot" Tour de France battles heat wave nearing 40 degrees Celsius