Tesla’s European sales slump amid Musk backlash, Temu profits plunge over US trade policies
Sales of new Tesla electric cars are sliding across Europe, data suggests, amid a political backlash against its billionaire chief executive, Elon Musk. The figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) showed registrations for new Teslas halved in April compared to the same month a year earlier, despite a broader rise in battery electric vehicles overall. The electric carmaker faces widespread backlash against Musk’s political ties to Donald Trump, and vocal support for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party. The Guardian
BYD has slashed the price of its electric vehicles (EVs) in China as it steps up its war with Tesla. The Chinese EV maker is now selling its entry-level car for 75pc less than the cheapest Tesla after cutting the price of the Seagull hatchback by 20pc to 55,800 yuan (£5,712). That is around a quarter of the cost of Tesla’s cheapest car, the Model 3, which sells for 231,900 yuan. The Shenzhen-based EV manufacturer, whose investors include Warren Buffett, over the weekend announced discounts on 22 of its models in China until the end of June. Telegraph
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starship tumbled out of control after a test launch in Texas on Tuesday evening, and both the first-stage Super Heavy booster and rocket exploded before the craft’s planned splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Fuel leaks on the unmanned rocket caused it to spin uncontrollably before its planned re-entry through Earth’s atmosphere. SpaceX confirmed that the rocket broke apart during re-entry, which it again euphemistically termed as a “rapid unscheduled disassembly.” Independent
PDD Holdings, the Chinese owner of online shopping platform Temu, has reported a near 50% drop in profit as US President Donald Trump’s trade policies added to its struggles in its home country. US-listed shares of the e-commerce giant fell by more than 13% on Tuesday, after the firm said its profits for the first three months of the year fell to 14.74bn yuan ($2.05bn , £1.5bn). Earlier this month, the Trump administration ended the so-called “de minimis” exemption that allowed parcels worth less than $800 (£593) enter the US without being hit with import duties. BBC
The latest web browser coming to Opera’s roster embraces AI agents that aim to use the internet for you. The Norwegian tech company describes Opera Neon as an “agentic browser” that has contextual awareness and performs tasks on the users’ behalf, including researching, building, and designing whatever you need. Oddly, Opera announced a Neon browser in 2017 that never took off. We’ll see if it’s more successful this time. “We’re at a point where AI can fundamentally change the way we use the internet and perform all sorts of tasks in the browser,” Opera senior AI product director Henrik Lexow said. The Verge
In the latest in a series of cyberattacks targeting prominent UK retailers, sportswear giant Adidas has confirmed that customer information has been stolen. The breach, which Adidas became aware of on Friday, primarily involves contact details of individuals who have interacted with its customer service desk. An Adidas spokesperson stated that the incident “has no operational impact,” reassuring customers that passwords, credit card information, and payments-related data remain unaffected. TechDigest
Apple’s tvOS could be about to receive its first major redesign in ten years, according to a leading commentator. The new look and feel is said to be in the works across all of Apple’s platforms; iOS, iPadOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says it will draw on inspiration from visionOS, which also will gain some attention. News of the upgrade will likely be confirmed at the upcoming Apple Worldwide Developer Conference (June 9-13, 2025). BroadbandTVNews
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