In a new report that cites people with “direct knowledge,” Tesla has apparently suspended a parts order for both the Cybercab and Semi that was set to come from China as a result of the tariff war between the country and the U.S.

Reuters reported this morning that the move was made as the 34 percent tariff on Chinese goods was raised to 145 percent. The report states that Tesla was “ready to absorb the additional costs when Trump imposed the 34 percent tariff on Chinese goods, but could not do so when the tariff went beyond that.”

This left Tesla in a situation where it had to make a decision, and ultimately chose to suspend shipping plans as a result.

Tesla, nor its CEO, Elon Musk, has responded to the report, so it is not known whether it has been confirmed. Tesla does not have a dedicated press relations division.

However, if it is true, Tesla would likely feel some repercussions from the parts delay for Cybercab, which it planned to launch in June with the start of a robotaxi ride-hailing platform in the City of Austin.

It is worth mentioning that this will not derail the plans completely, as the Model 3 and Model Y were also targeted to be a part of this initial rollout.

As far as the Semi, volume production is set to begin in early 2026. The first builds of the Semi’s high-volume design are slated to roll off production lines in Nevada late this year.

First Tesla Semi high-volume production builds expected this 2025

Tesla has responded to the tariffs in several ways, including halting the delivery of its Model S and Model X vehicles in China as the country imposed a 125 percent tariff as a retaliation against the United States.

It is no secret that Tesla is being impacted by the tariff situation, and Musk has been transparent about that. However, it is unknown whether it will begin to impact the company’s future projects, like the Semi and Cybercab.

Tesla has continued its domination in the California auto market as the state’s New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA) has released data from the first quarter of 2025.

2025 is going to be one of the more difficult years to determine the outlook of the automotive sector due to the uncertain impact of tariffs and how much they will hinder overall growth.

However, we can break Tesla’s situation down a little further and explain why there were some Year-over-Year declines in registrations in California.

As a whole, Tesla registered 42,322 vehicles year-to-date through March, data from the CNCDA’s report shows. This is a 15.1 percent decrease from the 49,857 cars that had been registered by owners in the same time frame last year.

Tesla still owns 43.9 percent of the overall Zero Emissions Vehicles (ZEV) segment in California, down from 55.5 percent at this point last year. It is a decrease, but there is more to it.

The Top 25 BEV and PHEV models are led by the Model Y and Model 3, which counted 23,314 and 13,992 registrations, respectively. The third-place vehicle is the Honda Prologue with 4,493 registrations. The Tesla Cybertruck landed in 8th place with 2,282 registrations, and the Model X was 13th with 1,800.

The same quarter last year saw roughly 10,000 more registrations for the Model Y than this year, as Q1’24 saw the all-electric crossover accumulate 33,467 registrations. The decrease is due to Tesla’s switchover of production lines to the new Model Y build. Tesla said in its quarterly delivery report that it lost “several weeks” of production due to this changeover.

Tesla dominates in California but EV growth is the true winner

Interestingly, the Model 3 performed better than last year, as it only had 11,162 registrations through the same period in 2024. It had 13,992 registrations in California this year.

The question regarding Elon Musk’s political involvement and its impact on Tesla’s sales figures remains. Without surveying them individually, there is no way of knowing exactly how many people chose to go with another EV maker’s vehicle due to the politics. However, the Model 3’s slight bump is an encouraging look: it’s not all gloom and doom.

The CNCDA writes:

“Tesla’s troubles continue to worsen as Californians are giving the cold shoulder to the direct-to-consumer automaker (and controversial owner, Elon Musk). Registrations show a massive decline of 15.1 percent through March vs. this time last year. A year and a half of continuous quarterly declines proves this downward trajectory for Tesla is a lasting trend. The company’s market share also dropped by 11.6 percent at the end of Q1, now holding less than half of the California Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) market for the year.”

Most importantly, Tesla outpaced every other EV maker’s registration figures by a considerable margin, despite many analysts stating that there is irreparable brand damage.

Tesla had 42,322 registrations in California in Q1, significantly more than second-place Ford, which had 5,819 ZEV registrations in the Golden State through the first three months.

Despite what many are stating regarding Tesla’s “brand damage,” the company is still in control of the market substantially. It was always expected that Tesla’s market share, which sits at 43.9 percent, would fall slightly each quarter after more automakers had EVs to offer.

However, the company’s control still remains, at least for now.

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has been named Executive Disruptor of the Year in Newsweek’s World’s Greatest Auto Disruptors awards.

The electric vehicle maker celebrated its chief executive’s accolade on social media and on its official website.

Why RJ Scaringe Won

Newsweek highlighted that Rivian is one of the few electric car makers in the market today that actually turned a profit. This was an extremely challenging endeavor for Rivian, especially as the company had to outfit its Normal, Il plant during the height of the pandemic. 

Rivian has proven to be as tough as its off-road-capable electric vehicles. It dug deep to launch the R1T and R1S, it secured a deal with Amazon for its electric delivery vans, it unveiled its next-generation vehicles like the R2, R3, and R3X, and it even signed a $5.8 billion joint venture with Volkswagen Group. This year, a subsidiary of the company also received a $6.57 billion loan from the federal government to finance the development and construction of its Georgia plant, which is expected to be capable of mass manufacturing the R2.

“Strategic decisions that resulted in a gross profit of $170 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 and the maturing business model of the Rivian brand in a BEV-adverse environment are why RJ Scaringe is Newsweek’s 2025 Executive Disruptor of the Year,” Newsweek wrote.

What the CEO Says

CEO RJ Scaringe noted that the honor really belongs to the company’s employees, who have endured numerous hardships over the years just to help Rivian mature and survive. As per the electric truck maker, its CEO’s award is a reflection of the vision, grit, and teamwork that powers everything the company does. 

“This honor truly belongs to the entire incredible team of disruptors at Rivian. Every step forward we’ve taken—whether in the design studio, on the assembly line or in our software—has been driven by people who believe deeply in our mission. I’m grateful to Newsweek for the recognition, and even more thankful to our community for continuing to inspire us every day!” Scaringe stated.