The Auto Weekly: Tesla's Semi Play, Rivian's Cheaper Model Promise And Detroit's Market Share Threat

Tesla said high-volume Semi production is underway in Nevada, Rivian patched a camera-software defect across most of its fleet, and Ford cut F-150 shifts while Cox projected Hyundai Group to outsell Ford in Q3.

• Tesla inaugurated a dedicated 1.8-million-square-foot Semi plant next to Gigafactory Nevada on Thursday and said high-volume production is underway.
• CEO RJ Scaringe told The New York Times the forthcoming R3 vehicle will be priced “materially lower” than the R2, with an R4 cheaper still.
• Detroit’s traditional auto giants are expected to lose further ground to Asian rivals in the third quarter as consumers turn to hybrids, Cox Automotive said.

U.S. automakers had a slew of updates this week, including a factory opening, a massive vehicle recall, a truck-plant shutdown and a share warning.

Tesla said high-volume Semi production is underway in Nevada, Rivian patched a camera-software defect across most of its fleet, and Ford cut F-150 shifts while Cox projected Hyundai Group to outsell Ford in the third quarter.

Tesla: Semi Factory Opens, EU Approval Of FSD Delayed

On Thursday night in Sparks, Nevada, Tesla inaugurated a dedicated 1.8-million-square-foot Semi plant next to Gigafactory Nevada and said high-volume production is underway. The factory is designed for 50,000 trucks a year—about 1,000 a week—and every variant will run on the same line.

The production truck is a ground-up redesign of the 2017 concept. Unofficial quotes put the 500-mile range version of the truck near $290,000. Deliveries “start now,” the company said.

CEO Elon Musk skipped the event for President Trump’s state dinner with China’s Xi Jinping. The evening closed with a Roadster teaser ahead of an Oct. 1 reveal in Waco, Texas.

Separately, the European Union also pushed back a vote on bloc-wide approval for the company’s FSD driver assistance software to December at the earliest on Friday, later than the October timeline the company expected. Musk responded to the delay in a post on X with a brief, “Sigh.”

Rivian: Big Camera Recall, Cheaper Roadmap

Earlier this week, Rivian recalled about 98,800–100,700 vehicles—most of its R1S, R1T and early R2 fleet—after a software bug that could overlay notifications on the rearview camera in reverse. No crashes were reported. The fix is an over-the-air update and has already been rolled out to most of the affected fleet.  

CEO RJ Scaringe also told The New York Times the forthcoming R3 vehicle will be priced “materially lower” than the R2, with an R4 cheaper still. The R2 launch trim is priced near $60,000; a $45,000 base is slated for late 2027. Rivian started delivering R2 in June; the R3 is not expected before 2028.

Ford: F-150 Lines Go Dark

Ford canceled all F-150 production crews at Dearborn Truck Plant from Sept. 24 through Sept. 29 and cut some Kansas City shifts over an unspecified supplier problem and plant repairs, Reuters reported on Friday, while adding that the production of F-series at other plants was also affected. Kentucky Truck Plant raised truck output to offset losses, the report said.

F-Series sales, including the F-150 Lightning truck, were already down about 11% through August.

GM, Stellantis, Ford: Expected To Lose Ground To Asian Carmakers In Q3, Says Cox

Detroit’s traditional auto giants are expected to lose further ground to Asian rivals in the third quarter, with Cox Automotive forecasting Ford (F) to fall behind Hyundai Motor Group (HYMTF) in U.S. vehicle sales.

Cox expects Ford to sell 504,172 vehicles in the third quarter (Q3), down 7.1% from last year, while Hyundai is forecast to sell 511,421 vehicles, up 6.5% year over year. General Motors (GM) is expected to remain the top-selling U.S. automaker in Q3, despite sales expected to fall more than 5.2%. The shift will largely be driven by U.S. consumers moving toward hybrid vehicles, a segment where Asian brands have traditionally held a stronger position, Cox added.

Together, the ‘Detroit 3,’ which also includes Stellantis (STLA), are expected to hold just over 36% of the market in Q3, their lowest share on record.

How Did TSLA, RIVN, F, GM Retail Traders React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around TSLA was 'neutral' at the time of writing, while sentiment around RIVN was 'bullish.' Sentiment around F and GM was 'bearish' at the time of writing.

While TSLA has lost 17% year-to-date, RIVN has dropped 22%, and F has dropped 3%. GM was the sole exception, gaining 2%. 

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