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France’s FEDA issues warning about giga press technology and its supposed risks
The French Automobile Distribution Federation (FEDA) recently issued an alert about the risks of giga press technology. As per the federation, the growing practice of using giga castings in the vehicle production process carries risks for the auto industry.
Giga casting is a manufacturing process that involves the use of mammoth machines to produce entire parts of a vehicle in a single block. This can reduce the number of parts needed to assemble a vehicle and lead to cost savings for manufacturers. Tesla used this system for the Model Y, its best-selling vehicle, and it worked very well. The Model Y is a profitable and safe mass-market EV that became the world’s best-selling car earlier this year.
In a press release, FEDA noted that it is concerned that the use of giga castings could have significant environmental and financial consequences for consumers. The FEDA highlighted that this could be the case if vehicles that are built with giga castings are in need of repair.
“The risks are real. They deserve to be anticipated and, as far as possible, avoided. The first weighs on household budgets, with repairs that are far more costly in the long run, when a ‘mega-part’ has to be replaced,” the FEDA wrote.
FEDA also argued that the use of giga castings could lead to increased environmental waste. This would reportedly be the case since the production of large vehicle components requires more material and energy than the production of smaller components. FEDA also suggested that giga-casted parts may be more difficult to recycle.
FEDA is calling on the government to assess the risks of giga castings and to take appropriate measures to mitigate their use if needed.
“FEDA therefore believes that this development could ruin long-standing efforts to restore purchasing power to households, but also to accelerate the automotive industry’s ecological transition and encourage vehicle repair. It therefore calls on the government to assess the risks of a rapidly expanding practice and to take appropriate measures to ensure that ‘giga casting’ does not become synonymous, in the near future, with “giga-wasting” and far more expensive repairs costly repairs for motorists,” FEDA wrote.
There is a reason why Tesla’s giga-casting system has become a trendsetter among other automakers in the industry. The solution works, and it helps with production costs. One could also argue that the FEDA’s concerns are not that founded since crashes that would be capable of compromising a giga-casted part are likely severe enough to total a vehicle. Companies like Tesla are also actively pushing for recycling giga-casted components, so the FEDA’s concerns about possible “giga waste” in the future seem a bit unfounded.
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Lemonade launches Tesla FSD insurance program in Oregon
The program was announced by Lemonade co-founder Shai Wininger on social media platform X.
Tesla drivers in Oregon can now receive significant insurance discounts when using FSD, following the launch of Lemonade’s new Autonomous Car insurance program.
The program was announced by Lemonade co-founder Shai Wininger on social media platform X.
Lemonade launches FSD-based insurance in Oregon
In a post on X, Wininger confirmed that Lemondade’s Autonomous Car insurance product for Tesla is now live in Oregon. The program allows eligible Tesla owners to receive roughly 50% off insurance costs for every mile driven using Tesla’s FSD system.
“And… we’re ON. @Lemonade_Inc’s Autonomous Car for @Tesla FSD is now live in Oregon. Tesla drivers in Oregon can now get ~50% off their Tesla FSD-driven miles + the best car insurance experience in the US, bar none,” Wininger wrote in his post.
As per Lemonade on its official website, the program is built on Tesla’s safety data, which indicates that miles driven using FSD are approximately twice as safe as those driven manually. As a result, Lemonade prices those miles at a lower rate. The insurer noted that as FSD continues to improve, associated discounts could increase over time.
How Lemonade tracks FSD miles
Lemonade’s FSD discount works through a direct integration with Tesla vehicles, enabled only with a driver’s explicit permission. Once connected, the system distinguishes between miles driven manually and those driven using FSD, applying the discount automatically to qualifying miles.
There is no minimum FSD usage requirement. Drivers who use FSD occasionally still receive discounted rates for those miles, while non-FSD miles are billed at competitive standard rates. Lemonade also emphasized that coverage and claims handling remain unchanged regardless of whether a vehicle is operating under manual control or FSD at the time of an incident.
The program is currently available only to Teslas equipped with Hardware 4 or newer, running firmware version 2025.44.25.5 or later. Lemonade also allows policyholders to bundle Tesla insurance with renters, homeowners, pet, or life insurance policies for additional savings.
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Tesla exec: Preparations underway but no firm timeline yet for FSD rollout in China
The information was related by Tesla China Vice President Grace Tao in a comment to local media.
Tesla has not set a specific launch date for Full Self-Driving in China, despite the company’s ongoing preparations for a local FSD rollout.
The information was related by Tesla China Vice President Grace Tao in a comment to local media.
Tesla China prepares FSD infrastructure
Speaking in a recent media interview, the executive confirmed that Tesla has established a local training center in China to support the full adaptation of FSD to domestic driving conditions, as noted in a report from Sina News. However, she also noted that the company does not have a specific date when FSD will officially roll out in China.
“We have set up a local training center in China specifically to handle this adaptation,” Tao said. “Once officially released, it will demonstrate a level of performance that is no less than, and may even surpass, that of local drivers.”
Tao also emphasized the rapid accumulation of data by Tesla’s FSD system, with the executive highlighting that Full Self-Driving has now accumulated more than 7.5 billion miles of real-world driving data worldwide.
Possible 2026 rollout
The Tesla executive’s comments come amidst Elon Musk’s previous comments suggesting that regulatory approval in China could arrive sometime this 2026. During Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting in November 2025, Musk clarified that FSD had only received “partial approval” in China, though full authorization could potentially arrive around February or March 2026.
Musk reiterated that timeline at the World Economic Forum in Davos, when he stated that FSD approval in China could come as early as February.
Tesla’s latest FSD software, version 14, is already being tested in more advanced deployments in the United States. The company has also started the rollout of its fully unsupervised Robotaxis in Austin, Texas, which no longer feature safety monitors.
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Tesla Semi lines up for $165M in California incentives ahead of mass production
The update was initially reported by The Los Angeles Times.
Tesla is reportedly positioned to receive roughly $165 million in California clean-truck incentives for its Semi.
The update was initially reported by The Los Angeles Times.
As per the Times, the Tesla Semi’s funding will come from California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Incentive Project (HVIP), which was designed to accelerate the adoption of cleaner medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. Since its launch in 2009, the HVIP has distributed more than $1.6 billion to support zero-emission trucks and buses across the state.
In recent funding rounds, nearly 1,000 HVIP vouchers were provisionally reserved for the Tesla Semi, giving Tesla a far larger share of available funding than any other automaker. An analysis by the Times found that even after revisions to public data, Tesla still accounts for about $165 million in incentives. The next-largest recipient, Canadian bus manufacturer New Flyer, received roughly $68 million.
This is quite unsurprising, however, considering that the Tesla Semi does not have a lot of competition in the zero-emissions trucking segment.
To qualify for HVIP funding, vehicles must be approved by the California Air Resources Board and listed in the program catalog, as noted in an electrive report. When the Tesla Semi voucher applications were submitted, public certification records only showed eligibility for the 2024 model year, with later model years not yet listed.
State officials have stated that certification details often involve confidential business information and that funding will only be paid once vehicles are fully approved and delivered. Still, the first-come, first-served nature of HVIP means large voucher reservations can effectively crowd out competing electric trucks. Incentive amounts for the Semi reportedly ranged from about $84,000 to as much as $351,000 per vehicle after data adjustments.
Unveiled in 2017, the Tesla Semi has seen limited deliveries so far, though CEO Elon Musk has recently reiterated that the Class 8 all-electric truck will enter mass production this year.
Lemonade launches Tesla FSD insurance program in Oregon
Tesla exec: Preparations underway but no firm timeline yet for FSD rollout in China
