This Week in EVs: Tesla's Roadster Slips Again, Q3 Delivery Numbers Land, and Battery Swapping Makes a Comeback

The electric vehicle world rarely slows down, and this week offered a fresh reminder of just how much is moving at once — from Tesla’s long-awaited Roadster slipping further down the road, to quarterly delivery figures rolling in, to an old idea about battery swapping suddenly looking relevant again.

Tesla’s Q3 2026 deliveries came in at 486,532 units, a roughly 2% dip from the same period a year earlier, though the result still landed above what analysts had been expecting. The company also pushed out updates on the Model 3 in the US, bundling more range and performance with a larger 16-inch display. In parallel, Tesla revealed a patent for an “Electric Fan Car” built around four ducted fans — a filing that arrives just ahead of the Roadster reveal and hints at the engineering direction the company wants to showcase.

Beyond Tesla, the week’s agenda touched nearly every corner of the market. Rivian is still scaling production of the R2 even as overall EV market growth cools. Ford’s planned $30,000 Fathom electric pickup is facing uncertainty around its production launch. BMW's new 2027 i3 arrives with up to 468 miles of range, though it carries a price tag to match. BYD keeps expanding its cheapest EV, making it larger and better equipped, while Hyundai has begun selling the electric Ioniq V for under$15,000 in select markets.

Battery swapping — an approach largely sidelined in Western markets — is drawing attention again. NIO has sold a 30% stake in its battery swap unit to Geely for more than $2 billion, a deal that signals confidence in the model from two major Chinese players. Meanwhile, smaller names are navigating harder conditions: Aptera says it needs$25 million to begin production, and its stock dropped 15% on the news.

Regulatory and corporate storylines rounded out the week, including Tesla securing SEC approval to let retail shareholders auto-vote their shares alongside the board ahead of a proposed SpaceX merger. Together, the developments paint a picture of an industry balancing ambitious long-term bets against the near-term realities of pricing, production and demand.