07 November 2025
How can Elon Musk ensure a record-breaking pay package? What are the results of a new consumer survey? Plus, get up to speed with the latest residual used-car value trends across Europe. Autovista24 editor Tom Geggus goes behind the week’s headlines in The Automotive Update podcast.
In this latest episode, an overview of the big numbers that shaped Elon Musk’s unprecedented trillion-dollar deal. Plus, analysis of Boston Consulting Group’s wide-ranging automotive consumer survey. There is also an exploration of some key technology developments, and a comprehensive overview of the latest trends in Europe’s major used-car markets.
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Musk’s trillion-dollar deal
Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, has gained shareholder approval for a pay package worth $1 trillion, around €863 billion. Over 75% of voters agreed that 400 million additional shares will go to Musk if he can meet certain targets, according to the BBC.
This includes delivering 20 million vehicles, as well as bringing one million self-driving Robotaxis into commercial operation. He must get 10 million subscriptions to Tesla’s ‘Full-Self Driving’ feature and have one million robots in operation.
Financially, the company will need to earn $400 billion in profit while its overall market value must reach $8.5 trillion. Achieving each of these goals will gain the CEO 1% of stock, according to Reuters. This means he will still profit, even if he misses the larger targets. However, Musk will not receive a salary under the deal.
Major global automotive survey
Boston Consulting Group has published the results of a survey conducted across 10 countries, reaching 9,000 consumers. What Car Buyers Want: A Global Guide for Automotive OEMs highlighted several major buyer trends.
Key findings included a growing openness towards Chinese cars. In Europe, Spain, Norway and Germany saw 19%, 18% and 16% of respondents open to Chinese models, respectively. Elsewhere, 36% of Brazilians were willing to consider buying one. It also found that younger buyers are embracing digital, with 44% of 18-to-30-year-olds open to buying a car entirely online.
Automotive technology developments
Carizon, a joint venture between Volkswagen (VW) Group’s Cariad and Horizon Robotics, will develop in-house chips. They will process camera and sensor data for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) in VW’s next-generation cars destined for the Chinese market. The chips are expected to land within three to five years.
Polestar confirmed it will integrate Google Maps’ live lane guidance into its driver display. A rollout across Polestar 4 models in the US and Sweden is planned in the coming months.
Xpeng is teaming up with Amap, an arm of Alibaba, to launch a robotaxi service, Reuters reports. Additionally, the carmaker is expected to launch three models, with a trial operation in 2026. Also next year, Waymo is planning to launch in Detroit, Las Vegas and San Diego.
Europe’s newest car category?
The European Commission is expected to announce a new vehicle category between quadricycles and other cars this December, according to Reuters.
The new category would mean smaller electric vehicles no longer need as much safety equipment and technology as larger models. It is something European carmakers have been pushing for since Chinese brands started gaining ground in the region.
European used-car market unpicked
The Monthly Market Update revealed persistent trends across Europe’s used-car markets in October. Residual (RVs) values fell both month on month and year on year across many markets. These values were measured as a percentage of retained new-car list price (%RVs) after 36 months and 60,000km.
Values have deflated in recent years following the inflation recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, when supply stalled and demand accelerated. Regional experts expect %RVs to continue declining over the next three years. However, this descent is predicted to slow in 2026 and 2027.
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