New York, February 11, 2026, 13:18 EST — Regular session
Tesla Inc fell 0.5% to around $423 Wednesday, shortly after Tencent Cloud announced a partnership with the EV giant to roll out WeChat-integrated features in Teslas sold in China. The new in-car options—arriving by over-the-air update—will land on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, enabling things like instant WeChat location transfers and destination-based service suggestions. Tesla shares started the session at $428.04 and have traded between $420.22 and $435.92. 1
Why now? China’s auto market, the world’s biggest, is feeling the squeeze. January numbers posted a sharp 19.5% year-over-year slide in vehicle sales, the data shows, while new energy vehicles—including electrics and plug-in hybrids—tumbled 22.9%. BYD saw its January sales sink by 30%. Regulators are tightening up, too, with a new rule that would ban “hidden” door handles, like those seen on Teslas, starting in 2027. 2
The stock’s trading against a backdrop of jittery rate sentiment. U.S. equities wobbled—mixed action after jobs numbers topped forecasts, dialing back hopes for near-term Fed easing. Eyes now turn to Friday’s inflation figures. “We’re trying to thread a needle between robust growth and easing rates,” said Mel Casey, senior portfolio manager at FBB Capital Partners. 3
Tesla’s sales team has seen more turnover, with Joe Ward, currently heading up European operations, stepping in to lead global sales, Bloomberg News reported. The move comes after Raj Jegannathan, who was overseeing sales in North America, left the company. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ward started out as a logistics intern at Tesla back in 2010 and took on the EMEA vice president role in 2022, his LinkedIn shows. 4
Trade policy remains a flashpoint for the sector, Europe still tangled in debate over the right stance on China-made vehicles. EU rules allow automakers to seek tariff breaks for specific electric models brought in from China, and the bloc recently trimmed its planned final tariffs on China-built Teslas following company responses during the anti-subsidy probe. 5
Tesla’s labor issues in Europe just got messier. The company has filed a criminal complaint against an IG Metall union member in Germany, accusing them of secretly recording a works council meeting, according to a staff memo reviewed by Reuters. IG Metall slammed the move, calling it a “calculated lie” as works council elections approach in March. 6
For traders, the immediate issue cuts through the noise: Will Tesla’s China software deal actually lock in local customers, or will it just get lost amid the usual price and product battles?
Control is the other sticking point. Sure, a sales reshuffle might just be business as usual. But in a soft market, it can flag a move to sharpen execution — think incentives, delivery schedules, even decisions on which trims get the spotlight — all without touching the hardware.
Still, here’s the risk: if demand in China stays shaky, fresh features might not move the needle on volumes, and tougher rules or tariff flare-ups could pinch costs or push back launches. Hotter-than-expected inflation data? That’s trouble for growth names sensitive to rates—they can stumble fast.
Focus now turns to Friday’s U.S. Consumer Price Index for January, set for release at 8:30 a.m. ET. After that, attention shifts to a short week ahead, with U.S. markets shuttered Monday for Washington’s Birthday. 7
