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Tesla has hired an experienced semiconductor manufacturing executive to help ramp up its battery cell production.

Over the last few years, Tesla has been ramping up its own battery cell production – a new business for the automaker.

Tesla had unveiled a new tabless cell technology enabling a bigger cell format called 4680.

The automaker was able to ramp up production to support its Model Y production at Gigafactory Texas, and more recently, it switched its 4680 production line to produce a new version of the battery cell for the Cybertruck.

Tesla’s SVP of energy engineering, Drew Baglino, says that battery production is not a bottleneck in Cybertruck’s production ramp and that Tesla even has weeks of battery inventory.

While the battery production ramp seems to be going well, there have been several recent reports about the 4680 cells still being far from achieving the specs and cost that Tesla announced at its ‘Battery Day‘ event in 2020.

The automaker talked about a 5x in energy capacity, 6x in power, and a massive reduction in cost.

The reports claimed that Tesla is having issues with its cathode mix and dry electrode production.

Now, Electrek has learned that Tesla has hired a new manufacturing expert, John Paul Daly, from the semiconductor industry to help improve battery production at Gigafactory Texas.

Daly has updated his LinkedIn profile to confirm he is now in charge of “Tabless and Assembly Operations” at Tesla.

He was hired away from Infineon Technologies where he was ‘Director of Equipment Engineering’. Daly spent the last 30 years in various positions in semiconductor manufacturing – most recently in executive roles at Infineon, NXP Semiconductors, and Freescale Semiconductor.

Daly described his own career:

With over 30 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, I am a seasoned director of equipment engineering at Infineon Technologies, a leading global provider of microelectronics solutions. My mission is to ensure the optimal performance, reliability, and efficiency of the equipment and processes that support the production of high-quality and innovative products for various markets, such as automotive, industrial, and power.

Tesla has been looking at the semiconductor industry as an influence on its own manufacturing effort. CEO Elon Musk said that Tesla looks to replicate the accuracy and scale of the semiconductor business in the battery and EV manufacturing world.

The company is also looking at its factory layouts as a computer chip – looking to optimize every aspect and utilize as much space as possible.

Therefore, it makes sense for Tesla to recruit people from the semiconductor industry to improve its manufacturing efforts.

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Chevy, Cadillac, and GMC EVs are finally winning buyers, but GM has other plans

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Chevy, Cadillac, and GMC EVs are finally winning buyers, but GM has other plans

The electric Chevy Equinox is America’s best-selling EV outside of Tesla. Cadillac is now leading the luxury segment, but GM said its aggressive EV expansion is over as it shifts back to ICE vehicles.

Chevy, Cadillac drive GM EV sales growth in Q3

GM’s electric vehicle sales are growing faster than those of any major OEM in the US. In the third quarter, Chevy, Cadillac, and GMC sold nearly 67,000 EVs, more than doubling from Q3 2024.

Combined, GM accounted for 16.5% of all EV sales in the US in Q3. Although it’s outpacing the industry, GM is pulling back EV plans and will continue to offer several internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles for a bit longer than expected.

After achieving its highest third-quarter market share since 2017, GM’s CEO Mary Barra said, “With the evolving regulatory framework and the end of federal consumer incentives, it is now clear that near-term EV adoption will be lower than planned.

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Due to the changes, GM is “reassessing” EV capacity and manufacturing in the US. Barra said the company “aggressively expanded our electric vehicle capacity” over the past few years to meet the regulatory requirements.

GM-Q3-2025-earnings
(Source: GM)

With the recent policy changes, including the $7,500 federal tax credit expiring at the end of September, GM is shifting back to ICE vehicles.

“It’s clear that ICE volumes will remain higher for longer,” Barra explained, adding that GM will continue to produce gas-powered vehicles for the foreseeable future.

Cadillac-Escalade-EV-tax-credit
Cadillac ESCALADE IQL electric SUV (Source: Cadillac)

GM is onshoring production of the Chevy Blazer. It’s also developing a next-gen Cadillac CT5 and plans to extend the Cadillac XT5. In early 2027, GM will begin building the Cadillac Escalade and a new full-size, light-duty pickup at its Orion Assembly plant.

Although Barra still claims that “electric vehicles remain our North Star,” GM announced last week that its shifting EV plans would cost about $1.6 billion.

Chevy-Equinox-EV-Q3
Chevy Equinox EV LT (Source: GM)

GM beat top and bottom lines in the third quarter, posting $45.59 billion in revenue with an adjusted EPS of $2.80. Share prices are trading up over 13% after GM raised its full-year guidance. The company now expects an adjusted EBIT of $12 to $13 billion, up from the previous $10 to $12.5 billion it previously forecasted.

It is also expected to take less of a tariff hit than expected. GM updated its full-year gross tariff impact to $3.5 to $4.5 billion, down from $4 to $5 billion.

Cadillac-EVs-Q3-2025
2026 Cadillac Vistiq electric SUV (Source: GM)

Meanwhile, GM’s net income plunged 57% to $1.3 billion in Q3, down from about $3.1 billion in the same period last year.

GM’s CFO Paul Jacobson said during an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box Tuesday morning that about 40% of the company’s EVs were profitable on a production basis. He explained that GM expects EVs to take longer than anticipated to reach profitability.

“We continue to believe that there is a strong future for electric vehicles, and we’ve got a great portfolio to be competitive, but we do have some structural changes that we need to do to make sure that we lower the cost of producing those vehicles,” Jacobson said.

GM-Q3-2025-earnings-EVs
2026 GMC Sierra EV AT4 (left) and Elevation (right) trims (Source: GMC)

Looking ahead, GM is focused on restoring profit margins in North America (8 to 10% adjusted EBIT margins), while also “driving EV profitability, maintaining production and pricing discipline, managing fixed costs, and further reducing tariff exposure.”

GM said it will continue to invest in new battery chemistries, form factors, and architectural improvements to boost EV profits in the future.

The shift comes despite Chevy, Cadillac, and GMC’s strong growth, largely thanks to EVs. Chevy is the fastest-growing electric vehicle brand, with the low-cost Equinox EV proving to be a hit. Cadillac is the best-selling luxury EV brand in the US this year (excluding Tesla) with three of the top ten models, including the Lyriq, Optiq, and Vistiq.

Looking to try GM’s electric vehicles for yourself? From the Chevy Equinox EV to the Cadillac Escalade IQ, you can use our links below to find available models near you.

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Tesla slashes lease prices across US EV lineup, but only for a week

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Tesla slashes lease prices across US EV lineup, but only for a week

Tesla has slashed lease prices across most of its electric vehicle lineup in the US to create more demand after the tax credit went away.

With demand in the US pulling forward into Q3 due to the end of the federal tax credit, Tesla had a surge in deliveries, but demand is expected to fall in Q4.

The automaker is now adjusting its prices, starting with leases, to try to drum up demand.

With an overnight update to its online configurator, Tesla slashed lease prices:

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  • Model 3 (RWD): Dropped by $100 to $329/month (from $429).
  • Model Y (Long Range): Dropped by $80 to $449/month (from $529).
  • Cybertruck (AWD): Dropped by $50 to $699/month (from $749).

However, the automaker also warns that prices are going to go back up on November 1st:

While Tesla often offers temporary discounts, they often tend to happen toward the end of quarters.

In this case, it appears that Tesla is seeking an earlier boost in demand.

Without the tax credit, most of Tesla’s vehicles have virtually become $7,500 more expensive overnight in the US, which has remained its only healthy large market since a decline in demand in 2024.

Electrek’s Take

$330 per month for a Model 3 RWD is not a bad deal, but there are many good deals in the EV leasing world right now, and I would expect to see even more attractive deals toward the end of the year.

I’m on the market to upgrade my Model 3, but I’m on the lookout for some fire deals, from Tesla or others, toward the end of the year.

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Enter the ‘Spooky Swamp,’ Rivian’s costume theme for Halloween 2025 [Video]

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Enter the 'Spooky Swamp,' Rivian's costume theme for Halloween 2025 [Video]

BOO! It’s Halloween 2025 and Rivian is helping its owners get in the spirit.

Did I scare you?

We are now ten days away from Halloween 2025 and Rivian is rolling out a fun little software update that converts your R1S or R1T into a unique theme it calls “vehicle costumes.”

While most of the year is dedicated to more robust updates that fix bugs and introduce new features (which we also cover), Halloween offers the Rivian team an opportunity to be creative, enabling its EV owners to get a little spooky and festive with a unique theme.

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Last year’s “costume” was themed after both Knight Rider and Back to the Future options, transforming the dash displays while delivering unique light and sound displays on the exterior.

As I reported last week, Rivian began teasing its 2025 Halloween theme on social media with a brief video, saying something was “bubbling.” I surmised by the moss on the vehicles front end and its proximity to water, that this year’s vehicle costume would have something to do with the swamp.

That was correct.

In fact, I was fortunate enough to get access to Rivian’s 2025 Halloween theme a little early and I filmed all the sights and sounds for you in a video below. Behold, Spooky Swamp!

Rivian Halloween 2025
The driver dash display during this year’s Halloween Theme/ Credit: Scooter Doll

Rivian’s Halloween 2025 theme emerges from the swamp

Per Rivian, this year’s vehicle costume for Halloween 2025 was inspired by “Bayou Country” — the newest chapter in the American automaker’s “Real Adventures” campaign.

As you’ll see in the video, Rivian’s 2025 Halloween update delivers a number of selectable options, altering the colors and sounds both inside and out of the vehicle. Everything is activated from the Rivian app while your R1S or R1T is in park.

Here are the four exterior displays to choose from:

  • Swamp Gas
  • Player Piano
  • Bayou Blast
  • Scary Spirit

Furthermore, you can choose to activate these exterior displays manually, or via motion sensor in front of the vehicle.

Another creepy option this year is “spooky overhead lights” which, occasionally flashes your EV’s interior lights like you’re in a horror film. Very creepy.

Inside the Rivian cabin, you’ll find even more immersive Halloween ambiance for 2025, including four unique background tracks, providing a soundtrack to pumpkin-filled bayou animations across both display screens. Here are the four tracks, which I play for you in my video below.

  • Bayou Blues
  • Swampy Ambiance
  • Cajun Crawl
  • Ghostly Gloom

Last but not least, you can activate a slew of creepy sound effects while creepin’ out in the cabin. All with a simple tap. Here are those effects (these are not official names, just what I call them):

  • Alligator growl
  • Snake
  • Skeleton Laugh
  • Creaky Haunted House
  • Frog
  • Thunderstorm

Last but not least, as promised, is my video, shot for you to experience Rivian’s 2025 Halloween theme, regardless of whether you own or lease one. Note that I did deploy my own fog machine (yes I have a fog machine lying around the house, why don’t you?) So not all of the visual effects you see come with the Rivian update.

Happy Halloween!

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