Swedish union IF Metall is escalating its efforts against Tesla in an apparent attempt to push the electric vehicle maker to sign a collective agreement. As per recent reports, IF Metall, as part of its latest efforts against the EV maker, has set its sights on Tesla’s largest manufacturing facility in Europe, Gigafactory Berlin.
The anti-Tesla strike in Sweden has been ongoing for several weeks now, and things have been escalating. But despite sympathy strikes from several groups and IF Metall’s increasingly aggressive efforts, Tesla has remained steadfast in the notion that it will not sign a collective agreement. Tesla Sweden, for its part, has argued that it already offers “equivalent or better agreements than those covered by collective bargaining.”
As part of its latest efforts to push the EV maker to sign a collective agreement, IF Metall has stated that it would aim to stop Gigafactory Berlin. This is because a Swedish company that makes aluminum profiles for the Model Ys produced at Giga Berlin has become involved in a sympathy strike and blockade.
IF Metall strike general Veli-Pekka Säikkälä noted that the goal is to seriously disrupt Tesla’s vehicle production. “There will be serious disruptions in production, and that is of course the aim… Without that detail, you cannot deliver the car. So it is very noticeable,” the union official stated.
As noted in a CarUp report, Hydro Extrusions Vetlanda produces aluminum profiles that are used in Tesla’s vehicles that are produced in Giga Berlin. The profiles are key components for the crash safety of the Model Y, so without them, the production of the all-electric crossover would most likely be halted. Incidentally, the Tesla Model Y also became Sweden’s best-selling car model this year.
“There is a very high risk that there will be serious disruptions in production, and that is, of course, the purpose for us to get Tesla to sign a collective agreement,” Veli-Pekka Säikkälä said.
It remains to be seen how Tesla would respond to the union’s most recent escalation. As per veteran journalist Anders Nyman, however, the union’s efforts against Giga Berlin may end up resulting in Tesla building Model Ys at the facility with aluminum profiles from Giga Shanghai’s supplier/s.
IF Metall varslar om blockad mot tillverkning av aluminiumdetaljer åt Tesla på Hydro Extrusion i Vetlanda, och avtalssekreterare Veli-Pekka Säikkälä gnuggar händerna och säger att utan den detaljen kan Tesla inte leverera sina bilar. Enligt IF Metall är företaget det enda i… pic.twitter.com/tiezL648xY— Anders Nyman (@Knytanders) November 16, 2023
“The same car (Model Y) is manufactured in Tesla’s factory in Shanghai, and there is no indication that the Swedish company is a subcontractor there as well. The result will therefore be that Tesla will instead build the cars in Berlin with Chinese aluminum profiles, and that the aversion to the Swedish unions is cemented. Blackmail is not the right method of doing business with Elon Musk,” Nyman wrote in a post on X.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
News
Tesla Cybercab undergoes winter testing as Elon Musk reiterates production start date
CEO Elon Musk confirmed the timeline in a recent post on X, while Tesla’s official social media accounts separately revealed that Cybercab prototypes are now undergoing winter testing in Alaska.
Tesla has reiterated that production of its fully autonomous Cybercab is set to begin in April, even as the company continues expanding real-world testing of the vehicle.
CEO Elon Musk confirmed the timeline in a recent post on X, while Tesla’s official social media accounts separately revealed that Cybercab prototypes are now undergoing winter testing in Alaska.
Musk confirms April Cybercab initial production
In a post on X, Musk reiterated that Cybercab production is scheduled to begin in April, reiterating his guidance about the vehicle’s manufacturing timeline. Around the same time, Tesla shared images showing the Cybercab undergoing cold-weather testing in Alaska. Interestingly enough, the Cybercab prototypes being tested in Alaska seemed to be equipped with snow tires.
Winter testing in Alaska suggests Tesla is preparing the Cybercab for deployment across a wide range of climates in the United States. Cold temperatures, snow, ice, and reduced traction present some of the most demanding scenarios for autonomous systems, making Alaska a logical proving ground for a vehicle designed to operate without a human driver.
Taken together, Musk’s production update and Tesla’s testing post indicate that while the Cybercab is nearing the start of manufacturing, validation efforts are still actively ramping to ensure reliability in real-world environments.
What early Cybercab production might look like
Musk has previously cautioned that the start of Cybercab manufacturing will be slow, reflecting the challenges of launching an all-new vehicle platform. In a recent comment, Musk said initial production typically follows an S-curve, with early output constrained by how many new parts and processes are involved.
According to Musk, both Cybercab and Optimus fall into this category, as “almost everything is new.” As a result, early production rates are expected to be very deliberate before eventually accelerating rapidly as manufacturing processes mature.
“Initial production is always very slow and follows an S-curve. The speed of production ramp is inversely proportionate to how many new parts and steps there are. For Cybercab and Optimus, almost everything is new, so the early production rate will be agonizingly slow, but eventually end up being insanely fast,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
Tesla will increase its Full Self-Driving subscription price, meaning it will eventually be more than the current $99 per month price tag it has right now.
Already stating that the ability to purchase the suite outright will be removed, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this week that the Full Self-Driving subscription price would increase when its capabilities improve:
“I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD’s capabilities improve. The massive value jump is when you can be on your phone or sleeping for the entire ride (unsupervised FSD).”
This was an expected change, especially as Tesla has been hinting for some time that it is approaching a feature-complete version of Full Self-Driving that will no longer require driver supervision. However, with the increase, some are concerned that they may be priced out.
$99 per month is already a tough ask for some. While Full Self-Driving is definitely worth it just due to the capabilities, not every driver is ready to add potentially 50 percent to their car payment each month to have it.
While Tesla has not revealed any target price for FSD, it does seem that it will go up to at least $150.
I should also mention that the $99/month for supervised FSD will rise as FSD’s capabilities improve.
The massive value jump is when you can be on your phone or sleeping for the entire ride (unsupervised FSD). https://t.co/YDKhXN3aaG
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 23, 2026
Additionally, the ability to purchase the suite outright is also being eliminated on February 14, which gives owners another reason to be slightly concerned about whether they will be able to afford to continue paying for Full Self-Driving in any capacity.
Some owners have requested a tiered program, which would allow people to pay for the capabilities they want at a discounted price.
Unsupervised FSD would be the most expensive, and although the company started removing Autopilot from some vehicles, it seems a Supervised FSD suite would still attract people to pay between $49 and $99 per month, as it is very useful.
Tesla will likely release pricing for the Unsupervised suite when it is available, but price increases could still come to the Supervised version as things improve.
This is not the first time Musk has hinted that the price would change with capability improvements, either. He’s been saying it for some time. In 2020, he even said the value of FSD would “probably be somewhere in excess of $100,000.”
The FSD price will continue to rise as the software gets closer to full self-driving capability with regulatory approval. It that point, the value of FSD is probably somewhere in excess of $100,000.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 18, 2020
Tesla has chosen to axe the ability to purchase Full Self-Driving outright from a select group of cars just days after CEO Elon Musk announced the company had plans to eliminate that option in February.
The company is making a clear-cut stand that it will fully transition away from the ability to purchase the Full Self-Driving suite outright, a move that has brought differing opinions throughout the Tesla community.
Earlier this week, the company also announced that it will no longer allow buyers to purchase Full Self-Driving outright when ordering a pre-owned vehicle from inventory. Instead, that will be available for $99 per month, the same price that it costs for everyone else.
The ability to buy the suite for $8,000 for a one-time fee at the time of order has been removed:
NEWS: Tesla no longer allows buyers to purchase FSD outright in the U.S. when ordering a pre-owned vehicle directly from inventory. Tesla now gives you the option to either subscribe for $99/month, or purchase FSD outright after taking delivery (available until February 14th). pic.twitter.com/1xZ0BVG4JB
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 23, 2026
This is a major move because it is the first time Tesla is eliminating the ability to purchase FSD outright for one flat fee to any of its vehicles, at least at the time of purchase.
It is trying to phase out the outright purchase option as much as it can, preparing people for the subscription-based service it will exclusively offer starting on February 14.
In less than a month, it won’t be available on any vehicle, which has truly driven some serious conversation from Tesla owners throughout the community.
There’s a conflict, because many believe that they will now lose the ability to buy FSD and not pay for it monthly, which is an attractive offer. However, others believe, despite paying $8,000 for FSD, that they will have to pay more money on top of that cost to get the unsupervised suite.
Additionally, CEO Elon Musk said that the FSD suite’s subscription price would increase over time as capabilities increase, which is understandable, but is also quite a conflict for those who spent thousands to have what was once promised to them, and now they may have to pay even more money.
Tesla Cybercab undergoes winter testing as Elon Musk reiterates production start date
Tesla to increase Full Self-Driving subscription price: here’s when
