A feature of Tesla’s self-driving system, Autopilot is facing scrutiny in Germany. Right now, global regulatory scrutiny of Tesla’s driver-assistance technology is intensifying. Germany’s Bild newspaper quoted a spokesman for Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) as saying that the KBA was investigating Tesla’s automatic lane change feature and whether it was approved for use in Europe. At the same time, the KBA is also in contact with the Dutch automotive agency responsible for approving Tesla vehicles for sale in Europe.
Growing regulatory scrutiny is creating risks for the commercialization of Tesla’s self-driving car technology. Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a second investigation into possible flaws in Autopilot. The latest investigation in Germany adds to the regulatory hurdles Tesla faces in the country. Tesla’s first factory in Europe, near Berlin, has been slower than expected due to backlash from environmental groups concerned about water use and wildlife.
It is not a surprise that Tesla is facing these scrutinies in different regions. Regulators have to ensure that Tesla’s autopilot is safe and not injurious to people.
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Tesla won a 10.5% share in the California auto market in Q4 2021
Recently, Tesla’s sales data in the United States hit the public domain. Now let’s take a look at the fourth quarter of 2021 and the whole year of 2021. Compared with other car companies, Tesla is doing pretty well in the industry. The company accounts for 10.5% of all car sales in California in Q4 2021, up from 4.8% in Q4 2020. It had 21,290 registrations in the fourth quarter of 2020. However, the number of registrations in the fourth quarter of 2021 hit 39,040.
In Q4 2021, the top car brand in California was Toyota (with a 16.3% market share), followed by Tesla at 10.5% and Honda at 9.6%, but only Tesla was positive. For the full year, its market share will be 6.5% in 2021, up from 4.4% in 2020, with a total of 121,080 registrations.
Throughout 2021, its market share is only behind Toyota (18.1%), Honda (10.8%), Ford (7.9%), and Chevrolet (6.6%). Analysts believe that this trend means that the company may become the second best-selling car brand in California in 2022.
This is the overall picture of the situation in 2021 and the fourth quarter of 2021. How has brand awareness across the market changed? As it turns out, the comapny hasn’t grown much on a percentage basis, but it still ranks second. Below is a graph covering the topic (on the left) and a graph (on the right) showing market share by brand in 2021
