Mercedes-Benz has reached a $149. 6 million settlement in the US over the use of illegal software that concealed the true level of pollution from diesel engines. Almost 40,000 cars in the US were equipped with devices that understated emissions during inspections.
Bloomberg found at least 15 deaths in 12 incidents over the past decade where passengers or rescuers were unable to open the doors of a crashed and burning Tesla. NHTSA has launched an investigation into the defects, and Tesla is considering changes to the door design.
Elon Musk's fortune grew to $749 billion after the court's decision on Tesla options was overturned. This allowed him to become the first person whose fortune exceeded $700 billion.
The Delaware Supreme Court overturned a lower court's decision, allowing Elon Musk to reclaim his 2018 Tesla compensation package. This stock-based compensation plan is valued at nearly $140 billion.
Tesla demonstrated its humanoid robot Optimus at a Christmas market in Berlin, where it handed out popcorn. Although Tesla did not comment on whether the robot was operating autonomously, Elon Musk predicts that the company's future lies in self-driving "robotaxis" and humanoid robots.
Morgan Stanley is the leading contender to be the lead underwriter for the SpaceX IPO due to long-standing ties with Elon Musk. The SpaceX offering in 2026 is expected to be the largest in history, exceeding $1.5 trillion in capitalization.
Tesla shares reached an all-time high of $489. 88 on December 16, up 3.1% for the day. The company's market value rose to $1.63 trillion, and Elon Musk's fortune reached $684 billion.
Chinese automaker BYD has significantly extended the battery warranty coverage for its electric vehicles in Europe to 8 years or 250,000 km. This new policy exceeds industry standards and puts pressure on competitors.
Musk became the first person in history whose fortune exceeded $600 billion, thanks to the increase in SpaceX's valuation to $800 billion. His stake in SpaceX is $336 billion, and in Tesla – $197 billion.
Tesla's board of directors earned over $3 billion in stock awards, significantly exceeding the value of competitors' awards. Elon Musk's brother, Kimbal, earned nearly $1 billion, while Ira Ehrenpreis and Robyn Denholm received $869 million and $650 million, respectively.
Elon Musk's xAI company and the government of El Salvador are launching a large-scale educational program for over a million schoolchildren in 5,000 public schools. The project will use the Grok chatbot for personalized learning, adapted to the individual pace and interests of students.
The 2026 Mazda CX-5 achieved a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, outperforming the Honda CR-V in all major categories. The car showed outstanding results, especially in protecting vulnerable road users.
Morgan Stanley downgraded Tesla's stock rating to "hold" due to the company's "full valuation," despite its pursuit of development in robotics and artificial intelligence. Analysts expect volatile trading and potential downgrades, forecasting a decline in electric vehicle sales in North America.
Tesla registrations in Europe fell by 12. 3% in November, reaching about 17,000 cars. Excluding Norway, the decline was 36.3%, while in Norway sales increased by 175%.
In Kyiv, a 23-year-old Tesla driver, while intoxicated, fatally injured a 13-year-old girl at a pedestrian crossing. The man was detained, charged, and remanded in custody.
The European Union car market grew by 5. 8% in October, with 916,609 new cars registered. In the first 10 months of 2025, 8.97 million new cars were registered, which is 1.4% more than last year.
A lawsuit has been filed against Tesla in the US after a fatal accident where the design of the Model 3's door handles blocked rescuers' access. As a result, a woman died and her husband was seriously injured.
Elon Musk stated that people will be able to upload their minds to Tesla's Optimus robot within 20 years. This will be possible through a combination of Optimus robots and the Neuralink brain-computer interface, which will allow the transfer of a "mind copy" into a robotic body.
Ford Motor Co. has reached an agreement with Amazon.com Inc. to sell certified used cars through its e-commerce site. This makes Ford the second major automaker to reach out to buyers through the major online retailer.
For the first time in 30 years, the United States did not send a delegation to the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, allowing China to take a central role in the global fight against warming. The Chinese pavilion dominates the summit, and its companies are presenting "green future" strategies, strengthening the country's influence.
Billie Eilish criticized Elon Musk for accumulating wealth, claiming that he could have spent his money on philanthropic goals. The singer shared an infographic stating that Musk could end world hunger and rebuild Gaza.
Tesla Inc. is developing Apple CarPlay support in its electric vehicles, one of the most requested features. This could boost sales after a decline in demand, partly due to the lack of CarPlay.
The clothing brand Skims has raised $5 billion in a new funding round, preparing to expand its store network and launch new product lines. The company expects net sales to exceed $1 billion in 2025.
Car and battery manufacturer BYD is completing a 130 square kilometer plant in Zhengzhou, China, which will become the world's largest complex for the production of electric vehicles and batteries. It will produce up to one million electric cars annually.
Siddhant Awasthi, Tesla's Cybertruck program manager, has announced his resignation after more than 8 years with the company. His departure comes amid low Cybertruck sales and numerous recalls.
Elon Musk stated that traditional money may disappear, and the value of goods and services will be measured in units of energy. At the same time, the billionaire advised shareholders to "hold on to Tesla shares."
Tesla shares fell more than 3% on Friday, reducing Elon Musk's fortune by $10 billion. This happened after shareholders approved a compensation plan that could bring him $1 trillion over a decade.
The new Tesla Roadster has faced further delays. Elon Musk has postponed the presentation of the all-electric flying car until April 2026.
Tesla shareholders have backed a compensation package for Elon Musk that could be worth nearly $1 trillion. This would make him the world's first trillionaire if the company reaches a market capitalization of $8.5 trillion.
Tesla shareholders are to decide Elon Musk's fate by approving a compensation package worth up to $878 billion. The board of directors considers him indispensable for transforming the company into an artificial intelligence technology giant.
