Tesla has withdrawn its plans to begin mass production of the Cybercab, Tesla Semi and Megapack 3 in 2026. In its second-quarter shareholder letter, Tesla no longer presented 2026 mass-production plans for the three products and also deleted wording about mass production of Optimus.

Instead, Tesla said it is pushing to expand battery production, especially output of 4680 cells, to mass-produce the Cybercab and Semi. It did not explain why the Megapack 3 schedule was pushed back or whether Optimus has been delayed.

The Cybercab began producing its first mass-production vehicles earlier this year at a plant in Austin, Texas. The Semi and Optimus are still in the stage of building production lines. As recently as January, Tesla maintained that the Cybercab, Semi and Megapack 3 would enter mass production within this year.

Against this backdrop, Tesla's second-quarter revenue rose but profitability worsened. Second-quarter revenue came to $28.2 billion, up 26 percent from $22.5 billion a year earlier, and above $22.38 billion in the previous quarter. Over the same period, growth in the robotaxi service also appeared to have stalled.

Tesla's second-quarter revenue rose but profitability worsened, with delays to the Cybercab and Semi schedule. Tesla shares slid 12 percent on weak results, as the market remained unconvinced by promises on robotaxis and Optimus. Tesla called for robotaxi expansion, but its own chart showed the reality.

Elon Musk (일론 머스크) mentioned the possibility of a merger between Tesla and SpaceX, saying their business areas are increasingly overlapping. Observers say Musk's plan to bind his companies into one could become reality as their technological intersections expand in AI and robots, energy and communications.

Tesla shareholders are closely questioning voting rights, corporate valuation and conflicts of interest in a merger process. If Musk combines the two companies he controls, how to ensure the fairness of the deal has emerged as a key issue.

Elon Musk said overlapping areas between Tesla and SpaceX have grown, and mentioned the possibility of a merger. Tesla shareholders are pressing with questions on merger rumours with SpaceX, with voting rights and fairness emerging as issues.

Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) subscriptions are nearing 1.5 million, with its user base expanding rapidly. But performance limits of older Hardware 3 (HW3) vehicles and upgrade plans remain unresolved, leaving support for existing customers as a task for Tesla.

Regulatory barriers in Europe are also rising. French transport authorities have withheld approval, saying FSD cannot be viewed as autonomous driving technology, making technological trust and regulatory clearance key variables for global expansion apart from subscriber growth.

Tesla FSD subscribers near 1.5 million. Elon Musk says HW3 upgrades must be done, but FSD measures remain a headache. France's transport minister says Tesla FSD is not autonomous driving, and approval is on hold.

As China and Thailand expand their lead based on price competitiveness and local production, responses by Japanese and U.S. companies are relatively slow. Some analysts say the centre of electric-vehicle competition is shifting from traditional auto powerhouses to China and Southeast Asia.

In particular, Chinese EV makers are rapidly expanding their influence overseas beyond their domestic market. BYD has begun hiring about 9,000 people at two plants in line with expanding overseas sales, and Thailand is also emerging as a key hub for Asia's EV industry, backed by production bases and supply chains.

Japan and the United States are already late, and China and Thailand are leading the EV war. BYD launches large-scale hiring of 9,000 people at two plants, as it sells better overseas than in China.

In the meantime, the U.S. state of Colorado is imposing responsibility for collecting and processing end-of-life EV batteries on automakers. The move aims to institutionalise a recycling system by having manufacturers manage used batteries directly, rather than consumers or local governments, as EV adoption expands.

Colorado state assigns responsibility for processing used EV batteries to manufacturers, and will also ban landfill disposal in 2029.

Automakers are accelerating the development of new models that break from the existing EV mould. Mercedes-Benz is preparing a large electric van, the Grand Limousine, that can drive 700 km on a single charge, and Hyundai Motor has registered a design patent in India for an off-road electric SUV with a boxy body.

Electrified models are rapidly diversifying, from electric vans emphasising driving range and premium ride comfort to SUVs aimed at rough-road driving. Some analysts say EV competition, once focused on sedans and urban SUVs, is expanding into leisure, commercial and multipurpose vehicle segments.

A Mercedes electric van that can drive 700 km is coming, with the Grand Limousine as a bet to shake up the EV market. A boxy EV may be on the way, as Hyundai Motor reveals a design patent for the Boulder off-road SUV in India.

There was also new news in the electric bicycle market. Segway will expand its electric bicycle lineup next year. It plans to unveil two new products, including a road-going electric bicycle using the next-generation Xyber platform, in a strategy to move beyond its existing high-performance image and broaden the market with models that more consumers can ride.

Segway signals it will unveil a road-going next-generation Xyber and two new electric bicycle models.