

News
Tesla accused of terminating Giga New York workers over unionization efforts
Dozens of employees from Giga New York were laid off by Tesla on Wednesday, as per a complaint filed by union organizers. The terminations were implemented one day after a union campaign was announced by Autopilot workers at the plant.
The Workers United union noted in its filing with the US National Labor Relations Board that Tesla illegally terminated employees “in retaliation for union activity and to discourage union activity.” The union further requested the labor board to seek a federal court injunction “to prevent irreparable destruction of employee rights resulting from Tesla’s unlawful conduct.”
Workers United claimed that several of the employees that Tesla terminated from Giga New York had been involved in union discussions. At least one of the employees who was laid off was reportedly a member of the organizing committee, as per a Bloomberg News report.
Jaz Brisack, an organizer helping the Tesla union drive, noted that the terminations were “designed to terrify everyone about potential consequences of them organizing, as well as to attempt to cull the herd.” “This is a form of collective retaliation against the group of workers that started this organizing effort,” Brisack said.
Tesla, for its part, has not issued a comment about the matter as of writing.
On Tuesday, a group of 25 Giga New York employees sent a message to CEO Elon Musk expressing their intentions to unionize. The employees’ work involves labeling data for the company’s Autopilot system. The workers asked for job security and increased pay, and they also aimed to have a say in decision-making at the plant.
Apart from this, the employees also aimed to curb factors that are reportedly harmful to their health, such as monitoring, metrics, and production pressure. The workers noted that Tesla monitors its employees’ keystrokes, and the company tracks how much time is spent per task. Tesla reportedly also tracks how much of the day is spent actively working.
The union noted that so far, the Giga New York facility employs over 800 Autopilot analysts. The union also noted that it is aiming to organize Giga New York’s roughly 1,000 manufacturing workers in the plant.
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News
Tesla China working overtime to deliver Model Y L as quickly as possible
This was, at least, hinted at by Tesla China VP Grace Tao in a post on Weibo.

The Tesla Model Y L appears to be a big hit in China, and this has resulted in Giga Shanghai doing all it can to meet all the orders for the extended wheelbase all-electric crossover.
This was, at least, hinted at by Tesla China VP Grace Tao in a post on Weibo.
Model Y L demand
The demand for the Model Y L in China seems to be substantial. Just days following the vehicle’s release, industry watchers estimated that Tesla received about 35,000 orders for the vehicle on the day of its launch. More recent estimates from industry watchers have suggested that Tesla China might have doubled its usual vehicle orders for August thanks to the new variant.
Considering the seemingly strong demand for the new Model Y L, it was no surprise that Tesla China would be extremely busy trying to address all the orders for the vehicle. Fortunately, VP Grace Tao highlighted in her Weibo post that Tesla is pushing hard to ensure that deliveries of the extended wheelbase all-electric crossover could start as soon as possible.
“Our colleagues at the Shanghai Gigafactory are working overtime to get the new car to you as soon as possible,” the Tesla China executive wrote in her Weibo post.
Model Y L deliveries
When the Model Y L was initially released, Tesla China listed the vehicle’s first deliveries to be sometime in September 2025. As of writing, however, new orders of the new Model Y L are listed with an estimated delivery date of October 2025. This suggests that the Model Y L has been sold out for September.
The new Model Y L has the potential to be a best-seller for the electric vehicle maker, thanks in part to its comfortable six-seat configuration and its reasonable starting price of RMB 339,000 ($47,180).
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s xAI and X file antitrust suit against Apple and OpenAI over AI exclusivity
The suit accuses the companies of violating antitrust rules by limiting competition in the AI sector.

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup xAI and social media platform X have filed a federal lawsuit against Apple and OpenAI. The suit accuses the companies of violating antitrust rules by limiting competition in the fast-growing AI sector.
The lawsuit
The lawsuit, filed on Monday, challenged Apple’s plan to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its devices. xAI argued that the partnership gives ChatGPT exclusive first-party access to hundreds of millions of iPhone users worldwide, providing an unfair landscape for competitors in the AI sector.
“As a result of the Apple-OpenAI deal, ChatGPT is not just the default — it is the only generative AI chatbot with a first-party integration into Apple’s smartphones,,” the lawsuit noted. The suit also stated that the deal would give OpenAI “exclusive access to billions of potential prompts.”
Musk’s filing describes the Apple-OpenAI agreement as an “unlawful” arrangement that unfairly disadvantages rivals and denies consumers choice. The complaint also accuses Apple of manipulating App Store rankings and delaying updates to disadvantage ChatGPT’s rivals, such as xAI’s very own Grok, as noted in a report from the Financial Times.
A broader feud
Musk’s move escalates an already contentious relationship with Apple and OpenAI. In 2022, he accused the iPhone maker of threatening to remove Twitter, now X, from its App Store, though he later resolved the “misunderstanding” with Apple CEO Tim Cook.
In 2023, Apple briefly paused advertising on X before resuming campaigns. Musk has also been outspoken against Apple’s 30% App Store commission.
OpenAI, for its part, has dismissed the claims in xAI and X’s lawsuit. In a comment, a spokesperson from the artificial intelligence startup stated that the suit was just part of Elon Musk’s tendency to harass the company.
“This latest filing is consistent with Mr Musk’s ongoing pattern of harassment,” the OpenAI spokesperson stated.
Musk has had a turbulent relationship with OpenAI. Musk is a co-founder of the startup when it was launched as a nonprofit, though he left its board in 2018. Since then, Musk has been very critical of OpenAI’s shift to a for-profit entity. He has also escalated his rhetoric against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, whom he has called a “liar” several times.
News
Tesla Semi earns strong reviews from veteran truckers
The real-world tests offered a closer look at how the Tesla Semi performs outside of the electric vehicle maker’s own demos.

The Tesla Semi has earned favorable reviews from experienced truck drivers after being put through real-world testing. This was highlighted in a Run on Less by NACFE video, which documented Saia freight drivers operating the Class 8 all-electric big rig across standard routes.
The real-world tests offered a closer look at how the Tesla Semi performs outside of the electric vehicle maker’s own demos.
Veteran drivers highlight Semi’s usability
Tom Sterba, a senior driver with Saia, praised the Semi’s technology as a major step forward for the industry. “The navigation systems in these trucks are just unbelievable. That’s what I love about it,” he said.
In a moment that has since been widely shared, Sterba added, “I do not want to go back to a gas truck. I hope I retire in this vehicle.”
Another senior driver, Michael Davis, stated that he volunteered immediately when the Tesla Semi became available. He noted that the truck has not disappointed him, especially since it is a very powerful vehicle.
“I wanted to drive something new, so I wanted to drive that Tesla truck, and it did not disappoint at all. I experienced no problems with the powertrain. It’s total power,” Davis said.
Tesla Semi momentum is building
Tesla’s push with the Semi comes as the company pushes to complete its dedicated factory for the vehicle near Giga Nevada. Tesla expects to start producing the first Semi units from its dedicated Nevada factory this year, with a production ramp up being expected sometime next year.
Tesla expects to produce 50,000 units of the Semi per year from its Nevada facility, which should make it one of the country’s high-volume semi truck factories, The Cool Down reported. The potential benefits for the Tesla Semi are significant. Beyond lowering emissions, the Semi can also reduce the maintenance costs for operators, while also delivering operational savings over time.
Check out Run on Less’ video on the Tesla Semi in the video below.
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