News
Are dealerships helping Tesla Motors?
The war the Association of Dealerships is waging against Tesla Motors is odd at best, sad, at worse. Is this the swan song of dealerships in the U.S.A.?
If you build it, they will come to you… not always.
What was once a necessity may not be for tomorrow’s needs. There is no better example of this than today’s continued strange opposition from the Association of Dealership to Tesla Motors selling directly, thus bypassing the middle man. This bizarre little war goes against what every consumer wants, the freedom of choice of how, when and where to purchase products and services.
Dealerships are not notoriously known for their universal consumer mass appeal. How many people rave about their overall experiences buying a car or coming back for the planned maintenance horror stories? Not too many. Bleeding thousands of dollars every few months, is not terribly exciting, and certainly does nothing to enforce a positive image for dealerships. So why are dealerships pushing hard against the inevitable, that of freedom? Better yet, why haven’t they jumped on the opportunity to add value to their services, instead of forcing an antiquated protectionist system?
Is it time for dealerships to reboot?
The real question is what are dealerships offering now that is needed? Sure, they offer a choice of vehicles, but that is often limited to a brand or two, and often time there’s an ethical conflict of interest. Dealerships offer sound advice. That one can be debated long and wide, but in the end, a salesperson has quotas to meet and wants you to walk away with his car. That person won’t repair the car. That will be left to another department, which makes the accountability part a tricky point.
Dealerships should take this opportunity to stand out. In a survey we once read years ago, car sales people were only above Realtors, both at the bottom of the worse reputation in the U.S.. Why not take this opportunity to reboot the sagging image and show a more innovative face? Why not learn about electric vehicles (EV) and really become the consultants anyone would want? How about becoming the advisors people who don’t have the time to learn about cars need? This would require courage, something any car sales person already had. This would require foresight, something any business person should have. But mostly, this would require being of service to people who don’t have time to shop around and are looking for someone to trust. Why then, take advantage of that trust and pass the bucket down?
A little Tesla direct sales history.
A few years ago, the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association, via its executive vice president Bob O’Koniewski said on AutoNews: “If a manufacturer sees that Tesla is successful with this kind of business model, who’s to say they don’t break out their own EV product lines and create a separate system that bypasses dealers? It’s extremely problematic.”. ‘Bypass dealer’, ‘extremely problematic’, those words explain what a thorn the Tesla model has become for lethargic car dealerships.
Ever since, Tesla Motors has made inroads in an otherwise old and unchanged dealership strategy. Are dealerships opposing something that has to happen? What do they expect to gain, when their image is as low as a flat tire? Take courage boys, stand like men and reinvent one of the most exciting industries in the world. Are dealerships helping Tesla in the long run? You bet.
Elon Musk
Microsoft partners with Starlink to expand rural internet access worldwide
The update was shared ahead of Mobile World Congress.
Microsoft has announced a new collaboration with Starlink as part of its expanding digital access strategy, following the company’s claim that it has extended internet connectivity coverage to more than 299 million people worldwide.
The update was shared ahead of Mobile World Congress, where Microsoft detailed how it surpassed its original goal of bringing internet access to 250 million people by the end of 2025.
In a blog post, Microsoft confirmed that it is now working with Starlink to expand connectivity in rural and hard-to-reach regions.
“Through our collaboration with Starlink, Microsoft is combining low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity with community-based deployment models and local ecosystem partnerships,” the company wrote.
The partnership is designed to complement Microsoft’s existing work with local internet providers and infrastructure companies across Africa, Latin America, and India, among other areas. Microsoft noted that traditional infrastructure alone cannot meet demand in some regions, making low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity an important addition.
Kenya was cited as an early example. Working with Starlink and local provider Mawingu Networks, Microsoft is supporting connectivity for 450 community hubs in rural and underserved areas. These hubs include farmer cooperatives, aggregation centers, and digital access facilities intended to support agricultural productivity and AI-enabled services.
Microsoft stated that 2.2 billion people globally remain offline, and that connectivity gaps risk widening as AI adoption accelerates.
Starlink’s expanding constellation, now numbering more than 9,700 satellites in orbit, provides near-global coverage, making it one of the few systems capable of delivering broadband to remote regions without relying on terrestrial infrastructure.
Starlink is expected to grow even more in the coming years as well, especially as SpaceX transitions its fleet to Starship, which is capable of carrying significantly larger payloads compared to its current workhorse, the Falcon 9.
Elon Musk
Tesla expands US LFP battery supply with LG Energy Solution deal: report
The report was initially published by TheElec, citing industry sources.
LG Energy Solution (LGES) will manufacture lithium iron phosphate (LFP) energy storage system (ESS) batteries for Tesla at its Lansing, Michigan facility.
The report was initially published by TheElec, citing industry sources.
LG Energy Solution’s Lansing plant, formerly known as Ultium Cells 3, was previously operated as a joint venture with General Motors. LGES acquired GM’s stake in May 2025 and now fully owns the site. With a production capacity of 50 GWh per year, it is one of the company’s largest facilities in North America.
LG Energy Solution is converting part of the Lansing factory to produce LFP batteries for energy storage systems. Equipment orders for the new lines have already been placed, and mass production is reportedly expected to begin in the second half of next year.
Last July, LG Energy Solution disclosed a 5.94 trillion won battery supply agreement running from August 2027 to July 2030. While the company did not name the customer, industry sources pointed to Tesla as the buyer.
Tesla has primarily used CATL’s prismatic batteries for its Megapack systems. The move to source prismatic LFP cells from LG Energy Solution’s U.S. plant could then be seen as part of Tesla’s efforts to bolster its North American supply base for its energy storage business.
For the Lansing conversion, LG Energy Solution reportedly plans to use electrode equipment originally ordered under its Ultium Cells venture with General Motors. Suppliers reportedly include CIS and Hirano Tecseed for electrode systems, TSI for mixing equipment, CK Solution for heat exhaust systems, A-Pro for formation equipment, and Shinjin Mtech for assembly kits.
Tesla currently manufactures energy storage products at facilities in California and Shanghai, though another Megafactory that produces the Megapack is also expected to be built in Texas. As per recent reports, the Texas Megafactory recently advanced with a major property sale.
News
Tesla begins Grok AI chatbot rollout to Australia and New Zealand fleet
The update follows earlier deployments in the United States and Europe.
Tesla has rolled out its Grok AI assistant to Australia and New Zealand, embedding the conversational chatbot directly into compatible vehicles via an over-the-air update.
The system, developed by Elon Musk’s xAI, is now live on select models, giving drivers access to a voice-based assistant that goes well beyond traditional command-driven controls.
The update follows earlier deployments in the United States and Europe.
Tesla Australia confirmed Grok is available on Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y vehicles equipped with an AMD processor and running software version 2025.26 or later.
“Grok is coming to Teslas in Australia and New Zealand. It can answer almost any question using real-time information & also add/edit navigation destinations to become your personal guide. Phased rollout has now begun to eligible vehicles,” Tesla Australia and New Zealand wrote in a post on its official X account.
Drivers can activate Grok using the steering wheel controls once the update is installed. Access requires either a Premium Connectivity subscription or a stable Wi-Fi connection.
Unlike conventional in-car voice assistants that rely on fixed prompts, Grok is designed to respond conversationally. It can adjust navigation mid-trip, locate nearby points of interest, explain dashboard warnings, provide driving guidance and reference the owner’s manual.
Tesla noted that interactions with Grok are processed by xAI and remain anonymous to Tesla, adding that conversations are not linked to a specific driver or vehicle.
Grok has attracted attention overseas for offering multiple interaction modes. In the U.S., users can select personalities such as Assistant, Language Tutor, Therapist, Storyteller and Meditation. Additional optional modes for adult users include settings labeled Unhinged, Motivation, Argumentative, Romantic and even Sexy.
Viral clips shared online have shown Grok adopting sarcastic or playful tones that differ from more neutral digital assistants, with the AI assistant typically catching drivers off-guard with its sharp personality and wit.
Microsoft partners with Starlink to expand rural internet access worldwide
Tesla expands US LFP battery supply with LG Energy Solution deal: report
