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EVgo and GM partner to offer an incredibly streamlined EV charging experience

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On Monday, EVgo and General Motors (GM) announced that all GM EVs with DC fast-charging capability can now use Plug and Charge on the EVgo network.

Utilizing Plug and Charge, EVgo GM users may begin a fast-charging session without having to launch a smartphone app or swipe a credit card or RFID. To access the new service, customers must have an EVgo account, active OnStar connected services, and the GM brand app (myChevrolet, myGMC, and myCadillac) linked to their vehicle.

GM’s Plug and Charge service uses the latest version of EVgo’s Autocharge technology, which enables registered customers to start a fast-charging session in a snap. By streamlining the user experience, the Autocharge technology expands on EVgo’s reputation as a leader in EV charging innovation.

Ivo Steklac, Chief Technology Officer at EVgo, believes the most recent version of the Autocharge technology is fundamentally a customer convenience. “At its core, this latest iteration of the Autocharge technology is a customer convenience feature that can save drivers time by simplifying the fast-charging experience while maintaining a high level of security and protection,” he said. “In collaboration with GM, EVgo continues implementing new technology across multiple hardware and software platforms to enhance the charging experience.”

All GM EVs customers will have access to the DC fast-charging capability at EVgo stations. The customers can also access simple, fast charging on the EVgo network after completing a single enrollment process. The charger and the car will communicate to properly match the vehicle to the driver’s EVgo and GM brand app account.

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To sign up, GM consumers must register their car in the myChevrolet, myGMC, and myCadillac brand app, link their EVgo account, and turn on Plug and Charge inside the app.

Hoss Hassani, GM vice president of EV Ecosystem, wants to provide everyone with an easy and convenient EV experience. “We want to be the company that makes the EV experience seamless and convenient for everyone, he said. “Our collaboration with EVgo on Plug and Charge complements the work already in place with Ultium Charge 360 and is a part of our greater effort this year to expand charging infrastructure, access, and education.”

GM’s Electric Vehicle Development

Despite a tough Q4 where GM only delivered 26 EVs, the company owned 7.6 percent of the global electric vehicle market share in 2021. CEO Mary Barra has pushed for GM to continue surging forward in its pursuit of industry leader Tesla, who she believes will eventually fall behind GM. Barra said in May she planned to get GM to a point where it could offer affordable electric vehicles at prices thousands less than competitors. The Chevy Bolt’s EV and EUV options for 2022 came in at prices under $30,000, an encouraging development in GM’s press forward.

Nearly 50% of 2017-19 Chevy Bolt EVs have been remedied after battery fire recall

The company has set aside $35 billion in capital for its EV transition and has plans to bring several new exciting models to the market over the next few years, including the Chevrolet Silverado EV. “We’ve really worked to listen and understand what the customer is looking for,” Barra said in an interview with Yahoo! Finance earlier this year.

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I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at christine@teslarati.comYou can also reach me on Twitter @Christi86567288, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announces major update with texting and driving on FSD

“Depending on context of surrounding traffic, yes,” Musk said in regards to FSD v14.2.1 allowing texting and driving.

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Credit: carwow/YouTube

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced a major update with texting and driving capabilities on Full Self-Driving v14.2.1, the company’s latest version of the FSD suite.

Tesla Full Self-Driving, even in its most mature and capable versions, is still a Level 2 autonomous driving suite, meaning it requires attention from the vehicle operator.

You cannot sleep, and you should not take attention away from driving; ultimately, you are still solely responsible for what happens with the car.

The vehicles utilize a cabin-facing camera to enable attention monitoring, and if you take your eyes off the road for too long, you will be admonished and advised to pay attention. After five strikes, FSD and Autopilot will be disabled.

However, Musk announced at the Annual Shareholder Meeting in early November that the company would look at the statistics, but it aimed to allow people to text and drive “within the next month or two.”

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He said:

“I am confident that, within the next month or two, we’re gonna look at the safety statistics, but we will allow you to text and drive.”

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Today, Musk confirmed that the current version of Full Self-Driving, which is FSD v14.2.1, does allow for texting and driving “depending on context of surrounding traffic.”

There are some legitimate questions with this capability, especially as laws in all 50 U.S. states specifically prohibit texting and driving. It will be interesting to see the legality of it, because if a police officer sees you texting, they won’t know that you’re on Full Self-Driving, and you’ll likely be pulled over.

Some states prohibit drivers from even holding a phone when the car is in motion.

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It is certainly a move toward unsupervised Full Self-Driving operation, but it is worth noting that Musk’s words state it will only allow the vehicle operator to do it depending on the context of surrounding traffic.

He did not outline any specific conditions that FSD would allow a driver to text and drive.

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Tesla Semi just got a huge vote of confidence from 300-truck fleet

The confidential meeting marks a major step for the mid-sized carrier in evaluating the electric truck for its regional routes.

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Credit: Tesla

The Tesla Semi is moving closer to broader fleet adoption, with Keller Logistics Group wrapping up a key pre-production planning session with the electric vehicle maker’s team this week. 

The confidential meeting marks a major step for the mid-sized carrier in evaluating the electric truck for its regional routes.

Keller’s pre-production Tesla Semi sessions

Keller Logistics Group, a family-owned carrier with over 300 tractors and 1,000 trailers operating in the Midwest and Southeast, completed the session to assess the Tesla Semi’s fit for its operations. The company’s routes typically span 500-600 miles per day, positioning it as an ideal tester for the Semi’s day cab configuration in standard logistics scenarios. 

Details remain under mutual NDA, but the meeting reportedly focused on matching the truck to yard, shuttle and regional applications while scrutinizing economics like infrastructure, maintenance and incentives.

What Keller’s executives are saying

CEO Bryan Keller described the approach as methodical. “For us, staying ahead isn’t a headline, it’s a habit. From electrification and yard automation to digital visibility and warehouse technology, our teams are continually pressure-testing what’s next. The Tesla Semi discussion is one more way we evaluate new tools against our standards for safety, uptime, and customer ROI. We don’t chase trends, we pressure-test what works,” Keller said. 

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Benjamin Pierce, Chief Strategy Officer, echoed these sentiments. “Electrification and next-generation powertrains are part of a much broader transformation. Whether it’s proprietary yard systems like YardLink™, solar and renewable logistics solutions, or real-time vehicle intelligence, Keller’s approach stays the same, test it, prove it, and deploy it only when it strengthens service and total cost for our customers,” Pierce said. 

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Tesla extends FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe by three months

Needless to say, it does appear that FSD fever is starting to catch in Europe. 

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla appears to be doubling down on its European Full Self-Driving (Supervised) push, with the company extending its demo ride-along program by three months until the end of March 2026. The update seems to have been implemented due to overwhelming demand. 

Needless to say, it does appear that FSD fever is starting to catch in Europe. 

Extended FSD demonstrations

Tesla EU Policy and Business Development Manager Ivan Komušanac shared on LinkedIn that the company is offering ride-along experiences in Germany, France and Italy while working toward FSD (Supervised) approval in Europe.

He noted that this provides a great feedback opportunity from the general public, encouraging participants to record and share their experiences. For those unable to book in December, Komušanac teased more slots as “Christmas presents.”

Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt highlighted the extension on X, stating that dates now run from December 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, in multiple cities including Stuttgart-Weinstadt, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf in Germany. This suggests that the FSD ride-along program in Europe has officially been extended until the end of the first quarter of 2026. 

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Building momentum for European approval

Replies to Merritt’s posts buzzed with excitement, with users like @AuzyMale noting that Cologne and Düsseldorf are already fully booked. This sentiment was echoed by numerous other Tesla enthusiasts on social media. Calls for the program’s expansion to other European territories have also started gaining steam, with some X users suggesting Switzerland and Finland as the next locations for FSD ride-alongs.

Ultimately, the Tesla EU Policy and Business Development Manager’s post aligns with the company’s broader FSD efforts in Europe. As per recent reports, Tesla recently demonstrated FSD’s capabilities for Rome officials. Reporters from media outlets in France and Germany have also published positive reviews of FSD’s capabilities on real-world roads. 

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