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Amazon to help boost oil production amid Climate Pledge, Rivian van orders

(Credit: Amazon News/YouTube)

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Just a few weeks ago, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced that his company would be purchasing 100,000 Rivian electric vans to deliver its packages, as well as provide more eco-friendly packaging. The decisions were made after employees demanded he take the necessary steps to reduce the carbon footprint the e-commerce giant was causing. Bezos complied, alleviating the possible strike that Amazon employees were poised to take part in.

It finally seemed like one of the world’s biggest companies was taking an environmental approach to its business model, but that may not entirely be the case. As revealed by a press release from Weatherford, one of the world’s leading oilfield service companies, Amazon was one of the main contributors to the U.S. Oil and Gas Industry’s “Production 4.0” forum at the Enterprise Software Conference in Houston, Texas. The forum’s theme was simple — it centers on the development of technology that can accelerate and improve oil production.

“Weatherford Production 4.0 products, including ForeSite Edge, ForeSite Platform, CygNet Platform and ForeSite Sense, activate field-wide intelligence to maximize production. Weatherford delivers the future of production performance through next-generation automation, IoT infrastructure and advanced optimization software to boost production, uptime and efficiency,” Manoj Nimbalkar, Weatherford’s Global VP of Production Automation and Software, said.

The irony of Amazon’s decision to join this conference is notable. The company, after all, previously committed to delivering its new, environmentally-conscious packages via electric vehicle just a few short weeks ago, and now is helping the oil industry thrive. The future of gas and oil will not only contribute to the global climate crisis, but it also contributes to the decision to not have large corporations take a more environmentally-aggressive approach to the operations of their businesses. The influence Amazon might have carried with its decision to rely less on fossil fuels to power its vehicles could have convinced other companies to follow in its footsteps.

Bezos gained the respect of many eco-friendly groups when he announced his partnership with Rivian. The CEO invested $700M into the electric automaker in February 2019, making the impression that he and his company would begin gearing up for a future that would not include operating on fossil fuels. But when the company began its “Climate Pledge” in mid-September at the National Press Club, details were vague. Bezos was nevertheless adamant about doing his part to help reach the specifics of the Paris Agreement, and even took an aggressive line by stating that he wanted to accomplish the goals 10 years early. Despite the fact that the US will pull out of the agreement on behalf of President Donald Trump later this year, Amazon, at least at the time, have the impression that it was doing its part to contribute to environmental sustainability.

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But unfortunately, the old saying “actions speak louder than words” is all too true here. All while Bezos and Amazon were taking the necessary steps to reduce its carbon footprint and become a company that will help the planet, it appears that they were putting an effort to help advance oil and gas companies just the same. It appears they have taken two steps forward and three steps back with this news. After all, when Bezos was asked at the National Press Club meeting in Washington, D.C. if he would sever ties with oil companies that Amazon supports, he gave a firm “No.”

Ten-thousand Rivian vans boasting the Amazon logo are due to hit the road and begin delivering packages in 2021, and the remaining 90,000 will be ready before 2030. It also intends to utilize Earth-friendly packaging materials, apart of the “Shipment Zero” plan, by the end of 2019. But the announcement of Amazon’s participation seems to somewhat derail, or at least delay, any ideas that the company was interested in becoming a sustainable company. After promising employees that it would begin an effort to become “green”, is Amazon really sincere in its efforts to help the climate after all?

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla Supercharger access has proven to be a challenge for one company

Interestingly, it seems to be the Volkswagen brand specifically that is having issues with compatibility with Tesla Superchargers. Other brands under the VW umbrella, like Audi and Porsche, have already gained access to the charging network.

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Credit: MarcoRP | X

Tesla Supercharger access has proven to be quite the challenge for one company, as it continues to delay the date that it will enable its owners to charge at the most expansive network in the world.

Tesla Superchargers have been opening up to other brands for well over a year, and many car companies that are manufacturing electric vehicles now have access to the vast network that has over 70,000 locations worldwide.

Tesla to launch Supercharger access for VW owners later this year

However, one brand has experienced some issues with what it is calling “technical challenges,” specifically failing to enable cross-compatibility between its vehicles and Tesla Superchargers.

Volkswagen has had to delay its ability to enable customers to charge at Superchargers because there have been some difficulties getting things to run smoothly. A report from PCMag cites a quote from a Volkswagen spokesperson who said there are still plans to deliver this year, but there have been some delays:

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“Volkswagen looks forward to making it possible for ID. Buzz and ID.4 vehicle owners to gain access to the Tesla NACS Partner Superchargers. The timeline has been delayed by technical challenges, and we ask for customers’ patience. We still expect to deliver access this year.”

Interestingly, it seems to be the Volkswagen brand specifically that is having issues with compatibility with Tesla Superchargers. Other brands under the VW umbrella, like Audi and Porsche, have already gained access to the charging network.

Volkswagen EV owners will need to use an official VW adapter to access the Tesla Supercharger Network once the issues are resolved. It still plans to launch access to its owners later this year, but its spokesperson did not announce any planned timeline.

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Tesla Giga Berlin makes big move amid strong sales and demand

“We currently have very good sales figures and have therefore revised our production plans for the third and fourth quarters upwards.”

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Credit: Tesla Manufacturing

Tesla is making a big move at its factory in Germany, known as Giga Berlin, as managers at the plant have indicated the company plans to increase its production rate for the remainder of the year.

Giga Berlin is responsible for manufacturing Model Y vehicles for several markets worldwide, including those outside of Europe. It was opened in March 2022, and it recently built its 500,000th Model Y in March and its 100,000th new Model Y just three weeks ago.

Due to some encouraging sales figures in the markets it provides vehicles for, Tesla said it is planning to increase production at the factory for the remainder of the year.

Andrè Thierig, plant manager at Giga Berlin, said to German news outlet DPA on Sunday that market data has encouraged a move to be made regarding the production at the factory:

“We currently have very good sales figures and have therefore revised our production plans for the third and fourth quarters upwards.”

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It is interesting to see this kind of narrative from Thierig, especially as data has shown Tesla has struggled in various markets, including Germany, this year.

Sales drops have been reported, but other markets are holding strong, especially those in Northern Europe, such as Norway, where the Model Y saw a nearly 39 percent increase in sales in August compared to the same month the previous year.

Tesla Model Y leads sales rush in Norway in August 2025

Gigafactory Berlin supplies vehicles for other markets, such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, which are strategically important to avoid tariffs. It also builds cars for the Middle East.

Thierig reiterated this point during the interview with DPA:

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“We supply well over 30 markets and definitely see a positive trend there.”

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Tesla analyst says Musk stock buy should send this signal to investors

“With Musk’s (Tesla stock) purchase, combined with the upward momentum for delivery expectations and robotaxi rollout, we are becoming more bullish.”

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk purchased roughly $1 billion in Tesla shares on Friday, and analysts are now breaking down the move as the stock is headed upward.

One of them is William Blair analyst Jed Dorsheimer, who said in a new note to investors on Monday that Musk’s move should send a signal of confidence to stock buyers, especially considering the company’s numerous catalysts that currently exist.

Elon Musk just bought $1 billion in Tesla stock, his biggest purchase ever

Dorsheimer said in the note:

“With Musk’s (Tesla stock) purchase, combined with the upward momentum for delivery expectations and robotaxi rollout, we are becoming more bullish. This purchase is Musk’s first buy since 2020. To us, this sends a strong signal of confidence in the most important part of Tesla’s future business, robotaxi.”

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Musk putting an additional $1 billion back into the company in the form of more stock ownership is obviously a huge vote of confidence.

He knows more than anyone about the progress Tesla has made and is making on the Robotaxi platform, as well as the company’s ongoing efforts to solve vehicle autonomy. If he’s buying stock, it is more than likely a good sign.

Tesla has continued to expand its Robotaxi platform in a number of ways. The project has gotten bigger in terms of service area, vehicle fleet, and testing population. Tesla has also recently received a permit to test in Nevada, unlocking the potential to expand into a brand-new state for the company.

In the note, Dorsheimer also touched on Musk’s recent pay package, revealing that William Blair recently met with Tesla’s Board of Directors, who gave the firm some more color on the situation:

“We recently participated in a meeting with Tesla’s board of directors to discuss the details of Musk’s performance package. The board is confident of its position in the Delaware case and anticipates a verdict by end of year. It does not expect a similar situation to occur under new Texas jurisdiction. Musk has the board’s full support, and we expect he’ll get more than enough shareholder support for this to pass with flying colors.”

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Tesla stock is up over 6 percent so far today, trading at $421.50 at the time of publication.

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