News
Tesla Superchargers struck as US sees surge in EV charging cable thefts
It appears that a surge in electric vehicle (EV) charging cable thefts is happening across the United States. Over the past few months, an increasing number of charging stations have become targets for thieves. The motivations behind these incidents are speculated to be either the resale of materials used in the cables or simple vandalism against EVs. And the situation seems to be escalating.
As per a recent Associated Press (AP) report, Tesla Superchargers in Seattle, Oakland, and Houston have been hit particularly hard. Seattle authorities have reported seven cable thefts from Tesla Supercharger stations so far this year, which already matches the total number of thefts for full year 2023.
Houston Police Sgt. Robert Carson informed the AP that until about a month ago, Houston police hadn’t received any reports of EV charging cable thefts. Then, there was only one reported incident. Today, nine similar thefts have been reported, with one particularly brazen theft involving 18 out of 19 charging cables at a Tesla Supercharger.
Carson noted that he visited the attacked Tesla Supercharger, and he saw around ten electric vehicles that had to leave due to the theft. “They’re not just taking one or two. When they hit, they hit hard, Carson stated.
Cable theft across the electric vehicle (EV) charging industry is on the rise, affecting drivers' daily commutes. We are committed to cooperating with law enforcement to swiftly address this issue and ensure uninterrupted access to charging for our EV customers. https://t.co/wHoObIQEpC— Electrify America (@ElectrifyAm) June 12, 2024
It’s not just Tesla’s Superchargers that are being targeted. Electrify America, a member of Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) coalition, has also seen a significant increase in EV charging cable thefts. Electrify America noted that two years ago, they would experience roughly one theft every six months. Through May 2024, the number has skyrocketed to 129, four more than FY 2023.
As per Anthony Lambkin, VP of Operations at Electrify America, attacks on even a single charging location can cause significant inconvenience for electric vehicle owners. Lambkin mentioned that one Electrify America station in Seattle has had its charging cables stolen six times in the past year.
“We’re enabling people to get to work, take their kids to school, and reach medical appointments. So, having an entire station rendered unusable is quite impactful on our customers,” Lambkin noted.
EVgo, another prominent electric vehicle rapid charging provider, confirmed that incidents of vandalism against EV charging infrastructure are indeed on the rise. EVgo, along with Flo, another player in the EV charging space, has documented charging cable thefts in Nevada, California, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
Charging companies suspect that thieves might be stealing the EV charging cables to sell the copper they contain. However, despite copper prices reaching a high of nearly $5.20 per pound in May, Sgt. Carson estimated that EV charging cable thieves likely only receive around $15 to $20 per cable at scrap yards. “They’re not making a substantial amount of money. They’re not going to be living a life of luxury off these thefts,” Carson stated.
Charging companies are actively taking steps to deter thefts at their locations. Electrify America has opted to install additional security cameras at its stations. The Recycled Materials Association has also issued alerts from law enforcement agencies to its 1,700 members, aiming to raise awareness about potentially stolen materials.
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Elon Musk
Tesla’s Elon Musk: 10 billion miles needed for safe Unsupervised FSD
As per the CEO, roughly 10 billion miles of training data are required due to reality’s “super long tail of complexity.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has provided an updated estimate for the training data needed to achieve truly safe unsupervised Full Self-Driving (FSD).
As per the CEO, roughly 10 billion miles of training data are required due to reality’s “super long tail of complexity.”
10 billion miles of training data
Musk comment came as a reply to Apple and Rivian alum Paul Beisel, who posted an analysis on X about the gap between tech demonstrations and real-world products. In his post, Beisel highlighted Tesla’s data-driven lead in autonomy, and he also argued that it would not be easy for rivals to become a legitimate competitor to FSD quickly.
“The notion that someone can ‘catch up’ to this problem primarily through simulation and limited on-road exposure strikes me as deeply naive. This is not a demo problem. It is a scale, data, and iteration problem— and Tesla is already far, far down that road while others are just getting started,” Beisel wrote.
Musk responded to Beisel’s post, stating that “Roughly 10 billion miles of training data is needed to achieve safe unsupervised self-driving. Reality has a super long tail of complexity.” This is quite interesting considering that in his Master Plan Part Deux, Elon Musk estimated that worldwide regulatory approval for autonomous driving would require around 6 billion miles.
FSD’s total training miles
As 2025 came to a close, Tesla community members observed that FSD was already nearing 7 billion miles driven, with over 2.5 billion miles being from inner city roads. The 7-billion-mile mark was passed just a few days later. This suggests that Tesla is likely the company today with the most training data for its autonomous driving program.
The difficulties of achieving autonomy were referenced by Elon Musk recently, when he commented on Nvidia’s Alpamayo program. As per Musk, “they will find that it’s easy to get to 99% and then super hard to solve the long tail of the distribution.” These sentiments were echoed by Tesla VP for AI software Ashok Elluswamy, who also noted on X that “the long tail is sooo long, that most people can’t grasp it.”
News
Tesla earns top honors at MotorTrend’s SDV Innovator Awards
MotorTrend’s SDV Awards were presented during CES 2026 in Las Vegas.
Tesla emerged as one of the most recognized automakers at MotorTrend’s 2026 Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) Innovator Awards.
As could be seen in a press release from the publication, two key Tesla employees were honored for their work on AI, autonomy, and vehicle software. MotorTrend’s SDV Awards were presented during CES 2026 in Las Vegas.
Tesla leaders and engineers recognized
The fourth annual SDV Innovator Awards celebrate pioneers and experts who are pushing the automotive industry deeper into software-driven development. Among the most notable honorees for this year was Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s Vice President of AI Software, who received a Pioneer Award for his role in advancing artificial intelligence and autonomy across the company’s vehicle lineup.
Tesla also secured recognition in the Expert category, with Lawson Fulton, a staff Autopilot machine learning engineer, honored for his contributions to Tesla’s driver-assistance and autonomous systems.
Tesla’s software-first strategy
While automakers like General Motors, Ford, and Rivian also received recognition, Tesla’s multiple awards stood out given the company’s outsized role in popularizing software-defined vehicles over the past decade. From frequent OTA updates to its data-driven approach to autonomy, Tesla has consistently treated vehicles as evolving software platforms rather than static products.
This has made Tesla’s vehicles very unique in their respective sectors, as they are arguably the only cars that objectively get better over time. This is especially true for vehicles that are loaded with the company’s Full Self-Driving system, which are getting progressively more intelligent and autonomous over time. The majority of Tesla’s updates to its vehicles are free as well, which is very much appreciated by customers worldwide.
Elon Musk
Judge clears path for Elon Musk’s OpenAI lawsuit to go before a jury
The decision maintains Musk’s claims that OpenAI’s shift toward a for-profit structure violated early assurances made to him as a co-founder.
A U.S. judge has ruled that Elon Musk’s lawsuit accusing OpenAI of abandoning its founding nonprofit mission can proceed to a jury trial.
The decision maintains Musk’s claims that OpenAI’s shift toward a for-profit structure violated early assurances made to him as a co-founder. These claims are directly opposed by OpenAI.
Judge says disputed facts warrant a trial
At a hearing in Oakland, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers stated that there was “plenty of evidence” suggesting that OpenAI leaders had promised that the organization’s original nonprofit structure would be maintained. She ruled that those disputed facts should be evaluated by a jury at a trial in March rather than decided by the court at this stage, as noted in a Reuters report.
Musk helped co-found OpenAI in 2015 but left the organization in 2018. In his lawsuit, he argued that he contributed roughly $38 million, or about 60% of OpenAI’s early funding, based on assurances that the company would remain a nonprofit dedicated to the public benefit. He is seeking unspecified monetary damages tied to what he describes as “ill-gotten gains.”
OpenAI, however, has repeatedly rejected Musk’s allegations. The company has stated that Musk’s claims were baseless and part of a pattern of harassment.
Rivalries and Microsoft ties
The case unfolds against the backdrop of intensifying competition in generative artificial intelligence. Musk now runs xAI, whose Grok chatbot competes directly with OpenAI’s flagship ChatGPT. OpenAI has argued that Musk is a frustrated commercial rival who is simply attempting to slow down a market leader.
The lawsuit also names Microsoft as a defendant, citing its multibillion-dollar partnerships with OpenAI. Microsoft has urged the court to dismiss the claims against it, arguing there is no evidence it aided or abetted any alleged misconduct. Lawyers for OpenAI have also pushed for the case to be thrown out, claiming that Musk failed to show sufficient factual basis for claims such as fraud and breach of contract.
Judge Gonzalez Rogers, however, declined to end the case at this stage, noting that a jury would also need to consider whether Musk filed the lawsuit within the applicable statute of limitations. Still, the dispute between Elon Musk and OpenAI is now headed for a high-profile jury trial in the coming months.
Tesla’s Elon Musk: 10 billion miles needed for safe Unsupervised FSD
Tesla earns top honors at MotorTrend’s SDV Innovator Awards
