News
Indian carmakers set to propose import duty rollback, but Tesla will miss out
Indian automakers are finally set on proposing the idea of budging on import duties that would allow foreign automakers to sell cars in the market for a reduced tax. However, the deal is being used as a part of a potential trade deal with Britain, which would not help Tesla finally enter the market.
A report from Reuters stated that this is the first time Indian carmakers have backed import duty rollbacks as the government is encouraging the companies to relinquish their need for ultimate control of the country’s automotive market. The report included a quote from an anonymous source that stated India’s Commerce Minister, Piyush Goyal, told the country’s automakers, represented by the lobby group Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), that they needed to budge or the government would make them budge.
“The message from Goyal was clear – if companies don’t come up with a proposal on lowering taxes, the government will do it for them,” the source said.
The rollbacks will only affect car factories run in Britain, which includes Nissan, BMW, and Jaguar Land Rover. However, SIAM is potentially worried about the idea that this move could set the precedent of reduced import duty negotiations with other regions, including the EU, Japan, or South Korea. However, Goyal’s intensity regarding his desire for some movement on the duties remains.
Tesla will miss out on the duties…unless it builds a production facility in Britain
Tesla will unfortunately not be able to take advantage of the reduced import duties, which is something the company has petitioned hard for. Tesla has tried for several years to enter India, but it first wanted to test the demand levels for its vehicles through imports. If Tesla could justify building a factory in India through strong sales figures with reduced import duties, it would commit to building a Gigafactory in the country, Elon Musk said. However, India was unwilling to do this unless Tesla explicitly committed to building a factory first.
-->Tesla will get benefits if it produces cars in India, says transport minister
This would have been a monumental risk because there is a chance that Tesla’s cars would not sell well in India. Then, without having adequate demand, they would spend hundreds of millions of dollars to build a factory in a country where an inadequate number of customers buy the cars.
It was a strike to Tesla’s plans: the company was definitely interested. It had hired a team specific to the Indian market, outfitted with experts in the country.
While Tesla is certainly exploring the potential for a new Gigafactory, Canada is the favorite. However, the UK, which is constituted by Britain and Northern Ireland, was considered at one point for a Gigafactory location, as reported in 2020 and 2021.
In 2020, Tesla was rumored to be a potential suitor for a 650-acre site in Somerset, a county in South West England. A spokesperson for the Department of International Trade indicated that it was “working closely with partners to scope out sites for new investment into electric vehicle research, development, and manufacturing across the UK.” Speculation only continued when Minister of State for Business Kwasi Kwarteng supported the potential Tesla factory, stating that Somerset has the “manufacturing skill and competence to be able to sustain an excellent Gigafactory.”
-->Ultimately, nothing came of those rumors, and Tesla’s next Gigafactory will most likely end up in Canada.
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News
Elon Musk makes a key Tesla Optimus detail official
“Since we are naming the singular, we will also name the plural, so Optimi it is,” Musk wrote on X.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk just made a key detail about Optimus official. In a post on X, the CEO clarified some key wording about Optimus, which should help the media and the public become more familiar with the humanoid robot.
Elon Musk makes Optimus’ plural term official
Elon Musk posted a number of Optimus-related posts on X this weekend. On Saturday, he stated that Optimus would be the Von Neumann probe, a machine that could eventually be capable of replicating itself. This capability, it seems, would be the key to Tesla achieving Elon Musk’s ambitious Optimus production targets.
Amidst the conversations about Optimus on X, a user of the social media platform asked the CEO what the plural term for the humanoid robot will be. As per Musk, Tesla will be setting the plural term for Optimus since the company also decided on the robot’s singular term. “Since we are naming the singular, we will also name the plural, so Optimi it is,” Musk wrote in his reply on X.
This makes it official. For media outlets such as Teslarati, numerous Optimus bots are now called Optimi. It rolls off the tongue pretty well, too.
Optimi will be a common sight worldwide
While Musk’s comment may seem pretty mundane to some, it is actually very important. Optimus is intended to be Tesla’s highest volume product, with the CEO estimating that the humanoid robot could eventually see annual production rates in the hundreds of millions, perhaps even more. Since Optimi will be a very common sight worldwide, it is good that people can now get used to terms describing the humanoid robot.
-->During the Tesla 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk stated that the humanoid robot will see “the fastest production ramp of any product of any large complex manufactured product ever,” starting with a one-million-Optimi-per-year production line at the Fremont Factory. Giga Texas would get an even bigger Optimus production line, which should be capable of producing tens of millions of Optimi per year.
News
Tesla is improving Giga Berlin’s free “Giga Train” service for employees
With this initiative, Tesla aims to boost the number of Gigafactory Berlin employees commuting by rail while keeping the shuttle free for all riders.
Tesla will expand its factory shuttle service in Germany beginning January 4, adding direct rail trips from Berlin Ostbahnhof to Giga Berlin-Brandenburg in Grünheide.
With this initiative, Tesla aims to boost the number of Gigafactory Berlin employees commuting by rail while keeping the shuttle free for all riders.
New shuttle route
As noted in a report from rbb24, the updated service, which will start January 4, will run between the Berlin Ostbahnhof East Station and the Erkner Station at the Gigafactory Berlin complex. Tesla stated that the timetable mirrors shift changes for the facility’s employees, and similar to before, the service will be completely free. The train will offer six direct trips per day as well.
“The service includes six daily trips, which also cover our shift times. The trains will run between Berlin Ostbahnhof (with a stop at Ostkreuz) and Erkner station to the Gigafactory,” Tesla Germany stated.
Even with construction continuing at Fangschleuse and Köpenick stations, the company said the route has been optimized to maintain a predictable 35-minute travel time. The update follows earlier phases of Tesla’s “Giga Train” program, which initially connected Erkner to the factory grounds before expanding to Berlin-Lichtenberg.
-->Tesla pushes for majority rail commuting
Tesla began production at Grünheide in March 2022, and the factory’s workforce has since grown to around 11,500 employees, with an estimated 60% commuting from Berlin. The facility produces the Model Y, Tesla’s best-selling vehicle, for both Germany and other territories.
The company has repeatedly emphasized its goal of having more than half its staff use public transportation rather than cars, positioning the shuttle as a key part of that initiative. In keeping with the factory’s sustainability focus, Tesla continues to allow even non-employees to ride the shuttle free of charge, making it a broader mobility option for the area.
News
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y dominate China’s real-world efficiency tests
The Tesla Model 3 posted 20.8 kWh/100 km while the Model Y followed closely at 21.8 kWh/100 km.
Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y once again led the field in a new real-world energy-consumption test conducted by China’s Autohome, outperforming numerous rival electric vehicles in controlled conditions.
The results, which placed both Teslas in the top two spots, prompted Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun to acknowledge Tesla’s efficiency advantage while noting that his company’s vehicles will continue refining its own models to close the gap.
Tesla secures top efficiency results
Autohome’s evaluation placed all vehicles under identical conditions, such as a full 375-kg load, cabin temperature fixed at 24°C on automatic climate control, and a steady cruising speed of 120 km/h. In this environment, the Tesla Model 3 posted 20.8 kWh/100 km while the Model Y followed closely at 21.8 kWh/100 km, as noted in a Sina News report.
These figures positioned Tesla’s vehicles firmly at the top of the ranking and highlighted their continued leadership in long-range efficiency. The test also highlighted how drivetrain optimization, software management, and aerodynamic profiles remain key differentiators in high-speed, cold-weather scenarios where many electric cars struggle to maintain low consumption.
Xiaomi’s Lei Jun pledges to continue learning from Tesla
Following the results, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun noted that the Xiaomi SU7 actually performed well overall but naturally consumed more energy due to its larger C-segment footprint and higher specification. He reiterated that factors such as size and weight contributed to the difference in real-world consumption compared to Tesla. Still, the executive noted that Xiaomi will continue to learn from the veteran EV maker.
“The Xiaomi SU7’s energy consumption performance is also very good; you can take a closer look. The fact that its test results are weaker than Tesla’s is partly due to objective reasons: the Xiaomi SU7 is a C-segment car, larger and with higher specifications, making it heavier and naturally increasing energy consumption. Of course, we will continue to learn from Tesla and further optimize its energy consumption performance!” Lei Jun wrote in a post on Weibo.
-->Lei Jun has repeatedly described Tesla as the global benchmark for EV efficiency, previously stating that Xiaomi may require three to five years to match its leadership. He has also been very supportive of FSD, even testing the system in the United States.
Elon Musk makes a key Tesla Optimus detail official
Tesla is improving Giga Berlin’s free “Giga Train” service for employees
