According to Sawyer Merritt, Tesla is delaying Model Y Performance deliveries for many Canadian customers, pushing timelines from March to late spring or even July (source: Drive Tesla Canada, Jan 19, 2026). This development underscores ongoing supply chain challenges, many of which are tied to the advanced AI-driven production and logistics systems that Tesla relies on. For AI solution providers, this situation presents business opportunities to optimize predictive analytics for inventory management and delivery forecasting in automotive manufacturing. The delays also signal a growing market need for robust, AI-powered logistics platforms tailored to electric vehicle supply chains.

According to Sawyer Merritt, approximately 95% of Ford's electric vehicles sold in the U.S. are manufactured in Mexico, excluding the discontinued F-150 Lightning, while their North American parts content remains low—only 45% for the gas F-150 and Escape, and just 20% for the Bronco. In contrast, Tesla leads the industry with up to 75% American-made content in its vehicles. This disparity highlights a significant trend in the AI-driven automotive supply chain: companies like Tesla are leveraging AI-powered manufacturing and logistics within the U.S. to optimize production and meet increasing demand for domestically sourced electric vehicles. For AI industry stakeholders, this trend presents opportunities for AI integration in EV supply chains, localization strategies, and regulatory compliance solutions in North America (Source: Sawyer Merritt on Twitter).

According to Sawyer Merritt, Tesla expects its Texas lithium refinery to begin production this quarter, with a new LFP battery production facility in Nevada starting operations in Q1 2026 (source: Sawyer Merritt on Twitter). These developments are set to strengthen the AI-driven battery supply chain and support large-scale electric vehicle and energy storage growth. The increased domestic lithium processing and LFP cell manufacturing will enable Tesla and AI-powered manufacturing systems to optimize battery quality, cost, and availability, creating new opportunities for AI analytics, process automation, and supply chain management within the EV and energy sectors.