News
Ford launches the E-Transit in Europe, electrifying business productivity globally
Ford announced it has officially started shipping production units of its all-electric E-Transit van to customers across Europe, aligning with its goals to electrify its business globally.
The Detroit-based Ford, who recently separated its electric and combustion engine businesses into separate divisions, said the E-Transit vans built at its Otosan Factory in Kocaeli, Turkey, are making their way to European customers. Ford started delivering the E-Transit in the United States in February.
Ford says it received over 5,000 customer orders for the E-Transit in Europe alone before production began. The strong demand for the vehicles motivated Ford to reach “full mass production” of the E-Transit on the continent. Under its Ford Pro division, which handles commercial fleet management, the automaker continues to move forward with its transition to electric cars across the world.
- First E-Transit models ready to ship from Ford Otosan’s Gölcük plant in Kocaeli, Turkey to help Ford Pro satisfy strong customer demand to electrify European fleets. LICENSE EXPIRES: In perpetuity. LICENSE BY: Ford Otosan. LICENSE SCOPE: A – Earned editorial, press releases, press kits, C – All non-broadcast digital and online media, plus Retail and POS (showrooms, events etc). REGION: EU. COPYRIGHT AND IMAGE RIGHTS: This content is solely for editorial use and for providing individual users with information. Any storage in databases, or any distribution to third parties within the scope of commercial use, or for commercial use is permitted with written consent from Ford of Europe GmbH only.
- First E-Transit models ready to ship from Ford Otosan’s Gölcük plant in Kocaeli, Turkey to help Ford Pro satisfy strong customer demand to electrify European fleets. LICENSE EXPIRES: In perpetuity. LICENSE BY: Ford Otosan. LICENSE SCOPE: A – Earned editorial, press releases, press kits, C – All non-broadcast digital and online media, plus Retail and POS (showrooms, events etc). REGION: EU. COPYRIGHT AND IMAGE RIGHTS: This content is solely for editorial use and for providing individual users with information. Any storage in databases, or any distribution to third parties within the scope of commercial use, or for commercial use is permitted with written consent from Ford of Europe GmbH only.
“Ford Otosan’s Kocaeli plant is the heart of Transit production in Europe, and this celebration of E-Transit manufacturing starts the electrified next chapter in our already strong partnership,” Ford Pro’s General Manager of Europe, Hans Schep, said. “This is the first step in a transformation of the Kocaeli site, which will see it become a major center for electric commercial vehicle manufacturing in Europe.”
Ford already had a notable base established for the E-Transit, as the gas version of the car is the world’s best-selling cargo van. The electrified version of the van “spearheads the launch of Ford Pro in the region; this new business offers customers a comprehensive suite of software, charging, servicing, and financing solutions fully integrated into a portfolio of world-class gas and electric vehicles to help improve productivity and uptime, lower costs, and facilitate access to everything operators need on one platform built for the electric and digital age,” Ford said.
- First E-Transit models ready to ship from Ford Otosan’s Gölcük plant in Kocaeli, Turkey to help Ford Pro satisfy strong customer demand to electrify European fleets. LICENSE EXPIRES: In perpetuity. LICENSE BY: Ford Otosan. LICENSE SCOPE: A – Earned editorial, press releases, press kits, C – All non-broadcast digital and online media, plus Retail and POS (showrooms, events etc). REGION: EU. COPYRIGHT AND IMAGE RIGHTS: This content is solely for editorial use and for providing individual users with information. Any storage in databases, or any distribution to third parties within the scope of commercial use, or for commercial use is permitted with written consent from Ford of Europe GmbH only.
- First E-Transit models ready to ship from Ford Otosan’s Gölcük plant in Kocaeli, Turkey to help Ford Pro satisfy strong customer demand to electrify European fleets. LICENSE EXPIRES: In perpetuity. LICENSE BY: Ford Otosan. LICENSE SCOPE: A – Earned editorial, press releases, press kits, C – All non-broadcast digital and online media, plus Retail and POS (showrooms, events etc). REGION: EU. COPYRIGHT AND IMAGE RIGHTS: This content is solely for editorial use and for providing individual users with information. Any storage in databases, or any distribution to third parties within the scope of commercial use, or for commercial use is permitted with written consent from Ford of Europe GmbH only.
“Production of E-Transit in our Kocaeli plant, where the electricity is supplied with 100 percent renewable energy, is a source of pride for us and another turning point in our increasing role in Ford’s electrification strategy,” GM of Ford’s Otosan Plant, Güven Özyurt, said. “We believe that electrification of the legendary Transit model is a major development and an important step for making Ford Otosan the production base of Ford electrified commercial vehicles.”
Ford’s Commercial Transition to EVs
Ford’s Otosan Plant is receiving an additional €2 billion investment from the automaker to complement the rise in electrification. Ford plans to use the funds to help the plant supplement a massive hiring operation of 3,000 additional employees, who will help increase vehicle production capacity, including a next-gen Transit Custom model.
Recently announced partnerships with SK On Co., Ltd. and Koç Holding have Ford in a prime position to move all in on its electrified future in Europe. The three companies signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding that would bring one of the largest EV battery facilities in the European region. Production is intended to begin by mid-decade, and annual capacity is expected to be between 30 and 45 Gigawatt hours.
Additionally, Ford will launch four additional EV models to the Transit family by 2024.
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News
Tesla Semi gets new product launch as mass manufacturing hits Plaid Mode
While the 1.2 MW Megacharger handles quick 30-minute en-route boosts, the Basecharger serves as a reliable overnight solution for longer dwell times at warehouses, distribution centers, fleet yards, and even, potentially, homes.
The Tesla Semi is getting a new production launch as mass manufacturing on the all-electric truck is gearing up to hit Plaid Mode.
Tesla has introduced a game-changing addition to its commercial charging lineup with the new 125 kW Basecharger for Semi. Launched this week as part of the new “Semi Charging for Business” program, this compact unit is purpose-built for depot and overnight charging of Tesla Semi trucks.
While the 1.2 MW Megacharger handles quick 30-minute en-route boosts, the Basecharger serves as a reliable overnight solution for longer dwell times at warehouses, distribution centers, fleet yards, and even, potentially, homes.
Our new 125 kW Basecharger is designed for longer dwell times and overnight charging of Semis. It’s the “home charging” for heavy-duty fleets.
It features a fully integrated design that eliminates the need for a separate AC-to-DC cabinet, simplifying installation. The 6 meter… https://t.co/ovy1C4PsRW pic.twitter.com/vBUCNMzs57
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) May 1, 2026
Delivering up to 60 percent of the Semi’s range in roughly four hours, perfect for overnight top-ups during mandated driver rest periods or while trucks are loaded or unloaded. Its fully integrated design eliminates the need for bulky separate AC-to-DC cabinets.
Tesla engineers tucked one of the power modules from a V4 Supercharger Cabinet directly inside the sleek post, resulting in a compact footprint. It also features a six-meter cable for layout flexibility. This is one thing that must have been learned through the V4 Supercharger rollout.
Installation and operating costs drop dramatically thanks to daisy-chaining. Up to three Basechargers can share a single 125 kVA breaker, slashing electrical infrastructure requirements. The unit outputs 150 amps continuous across an 180–1,000 VDC range, matching the Semi’s high-voltage architecture while supporting the MCS 3.2 standard.
Tesla Semi sends clear message to Diesel rivals with latest move
Priced from $40,000 for a minimum order of two units, the Basecharger is far more affordable than the $188,000 Megacharger setup for two posts. Deliveries begin in early 2027. Buyers also receive Tesla’s full network-level software, remote monitoring, maintenance, and a guaranteed 97 percent or higher uptime—critical for fleet reliability.
This launch arrives as Tesla accelerates high-volume Semi production at its Nevada factory, targeting 50,000 units annually. By pairing affordable depot charging with ultra-fast highway options, Tesla removes one of the biggest obstacles to electrifying Class 8 trucking: infrastructure cost and complexity.
Fleet operators stand to gain lower electricity rates during off-peak hours, dramatically reduced maintenance compared to diesel, and quieter yards at night. The Basecharger isn’t just another charger—it’s the practical bridge that makes large-scale electric semi adoption economically viable.
With the Basecharger handling “home” duties and Megachargers powering the road, Tesla is delivering a complete ecosystem that could finally tip the scales toward zero-emission freight. For trucking companies ready to go electric, the future just got a whole lot more charger-friendly.
News
Tesla revises new Intervention Reporting system with Full Self-Driving
It is the second revision to the program as Tesla is trying to make it easier to decipher driver and owner complaints, but also to make it easier to report issues within the suite for them.
Tesla has revised its new Intervention Reporting system within the Full Self-Driving suite that now categorizes reasons that drivers take over when the semi-autonomous driving functionality is active.
It is the second revision to the program as Tesla is trying to make it easier to decipher driver and owner complaints, but also to make it easier to report issues within the suite for them.
With the initial rollout of Full Self-Driving v14.3.2, Tesla included a new reporting menu that gave four options for an intervention: Preference, Comfort, Critical, and Other. A slightly revised version of Full Self-Driving with the same ID number then came out a few days later, changing the “Other” option to “Navigation” after numerous complaints from owners.
It appears Tesla has listened to those owners once again and has not only made it smaller and more compact, but also easier to report the issues than previously.
The new menu is now embedded within the request for a Voice Memo from Tesla, and does not block the entire screen, as the second rollout of the menu was:
Thank you Tesla! The new intervention screen is much better! @Tesla_AI pic.twitter.com/1lea9G27N1
— Dirty Tesla (@DirtyTesLa) May 1, 2026
There will likely be one additional revision to the Interventions Menu, as we have coined it here at Teslarati.
Unfortunately, at times, there are no reasons for an intervention at all, but the menu does not give an option to simply disregard the reporting and forces the driver to choose one of the options. We, as well as other notable Tesla influencers, indicated that there is not always a reason for an intervention.
For example, I choose to back into my parking spot in my neighborhood at least some of the time for the reason of charging. I usually hit “Preference” for this, but it sends a false positive to Tesla that there was a reason I took over that I was unhappy with.
Tesla begins probing owners on FSD’s navigation errors with small but mighty change
Instead, I’m simply performing a maneuver that is not yet available to us. When Tesla allows drivers to choose the orientation at which their car enters a parking spot, I and many others won’t have to deal with this menu.
Others are still skeptical that it will help resolve any issues whatsoever and prefer to disregard the menu altogether. It does seem as if Tesla will issue another revision in the coming days to allow this to happen.
Lifestyle
California hits Tesla Cybercab and Robotaxi driverless cars with new law
California just gave police power to ticket driverless cars, including Tesla’s Cybercab fleet.
California DMV formally adopted new rules on April 29, 2026 that allow law enforcement to issue “notices of noncompliance”, or in other words ticket autonomous vehicle companies when their cars commit moving violations. The rules take effect July 1, 2026 and officially closes a regulatory gap that previously let driverless cars operate on public roads with nearly no traffic enforcement consequences.
Until now, state traffic laws only applied to human “drivers,” which meant that when no person was behind the wheel, police had no mechanism to issue a ticket. Officers were limited to citing driverless vehicles for parking violations only. A well-known example came in September 2025, when a San Bruno officer watched a Waymo robotaxi execute an illegal U-turn and could do nothing but notify the company.
Under the new framework, when an officer observes a violation, the autonomous vehicle company is effectively treated as the driver. Companies must report each incident to the DMV within 72 hours, or 24 hours if a collision is involved. Repeated violations can result in fleet size restrictions, operational suspensions, or full permit revocation. Local officials also gained new authority to geofence driverless vehicles out of active emergency zones within two minutes and require a live emergency response line answered within 30 seconds.
Tesla Cybercab ramps Robotaxi public street testing as vehicle enters mass production queue
California’s new enforcement rules arrive at a pivotal moment for Tesla. The company is ramping Cybercab production at Giga Texas toward hundreds of units per week, targeting at least 2 million units annually at full capacity, while simultaneously pushing to expand its Robotaxi service to dozens of U.S. cities by end of 2026. Unsupervised FSD for consumer vehicles is currently targeted for Q4 2026, and when it arrives, Tesla’s fleet may not have a human to absorb legal accountability, under the July 1 rules.
Tesla has confirmed plans to expand its Robotaxi service to seven new cities in the first half of 2026, including Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas, with the service already running without safety drivers in Austin. Musk has said he expects robotaxis to cover between a quarter and half of the United States by end of year.



