News
Mercedes-Benz launches first North American charging hub for all EV drivers
Mercedes-Benz announced today that it has officially launched the first North American charging hub at its Headquarters in Sandy Springs, Georgia.
The Mercedes-Benz Charging Hub is open to EV drivers of any manufacturer, offering a charging option for drivers outside of the German automaker’s models and expanding options for drivers of electric cars.
The charging hub is the first step in Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to invest over $1 billion in a joint venture with MN8 Energy. The two companies will collaborate to bring 2,500 chargers across at least 400 charging hubs in North America by the end of the 2020s.
“The Mercedes-Benz Charging Network expands global charging options for customers of all EV brands to promote clean, electric mobility,” Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG, Franz Reiner, said.
RELATED: Mercedes-Benz leans on ICE sales to bolster earnings as ‘brutal’ EV sector squeezes margins
“In North America, our strategy is clear: focusing on where EV drivers are and where they are going to enhance the North American EV charging map while setting new standards for quality and customer experience. These efforts will pave the way for greater EV adoption here in North America and around the world.”
The charging hub has several special features that will serve as a benchmark for future charging sites:
- 400kW Chargers: The first chargers installed are provided by ChargePoint and are all capable of charging rates of up to 400kW, offering customers some of the fastest charging speeds in the industry.
- Open to all from day one: Drivers of EVs from any brand can charge their vehicle and enjoy a Mercedes-Benz brand commensurate experience.
- Charging lounge: Charging hub customers can enjoy a premium, clean and comfortable environment while their vehicle charges, complete with couches and lounge chairs, vending machines, refreshments, and restroom facilities.
- Solar Canopy: Provides weather cover for customers, overhead LED lighting for safety and solar panels on top to generate passive clean electricity.
- Intelligent Indicators: A pylon built to a height of 15 feet, visible from the street, indicates the status of the charging stall: in use, free or reserved.
- Accessibility: The charging hub includes one charging spot, closest to the charging lounge, designed especially for handicap-accessible vehicles, as well as one uncovered, drive-through charging spot that is designed for electric vans or EVs with trailers up to 26 feet in length.
- Powered by clean energy: Through both direct and indirect means, the charging hub uses renewable energy and is carbon neutral.
At future locations, Mercedes-Benz said it will have “exclusive lounges” that will integrate a retail setting into a charging location. Charging will be the “backdrop” to grabbing a coffee with friends or recharging yourself while your car does the same.
- Credit: Mercedes-Benz
The partnership with MN8 Energy aims to help the charging hub remain up and running to give those who visit a reliable place to charge their cars. So many EV charging companies have had issues with keeping their chargers maintained, and all too frequently, we see reports of people visiting stalls to charge their cars, but being presented with malfunctioning charging piles.
This is the first of many Mercedes-Benz charging hubs, as we can expect at least sixty of these to come to fruition every year until 2030.
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News
Tesla arson suspect pleads guilty, faces up to 70 years in prison
The update was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
A Las Vegas man has pleaded guilty to federal arson charges tied to a March 2025 attack on a Tesla Collision Center in Nevada.
The update was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, Paul Hyon Kim spray-painted the word “RESIST” on the front entrance of the Tesla Collision Center before damaging the facility and multiple vehicles.
Federal prosecutors stated that Kim used a PA-15 multi-caliber firearm equipped with a .300 BLACKOUT upper receiver and a 7.62mm silencer to shoot out surveillance cameras. He then fired multiple rounds into Tesla vehicles on the property.
Authorities stated that Kim later threw three Molotov cocktails into three separate Tesla vehicles. Two of the devices exploded and ignited the vehicles, while a third did not detonate. In total, five Tesla vehicles were damaged in the incident.
Kim pleaded guilty to two counts of arson of property used in interstate commerce, one count of attempted arson of property used in interstate commerce, and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm classified as a destructive device.
The mandatory minimum sentence for the charges is five years in federal prison, though the total maximum statutory penalty is 70 years, as per a release from the United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Nevada.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 27, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. A federal judge will determine the final sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the Clark County Fire Department.
Elon Musk
SpaceX pursues 5G-level connectivity with Starlink Mobile V2 expansion
SpaceX noted that the upcoming Starlink V2 satellites will deliver up to 100 times the data density of the current first-generation system.
SpaceX has previewed a major upgrade to Starlink Mobile, outlining next-generation satellites that aim to deliver significantly higher capacity and full 5G-level connectivity directly to mobile phones.
The update comes as Starlink rebrands its Direct-to-Cell service to Starlink Mobile, positioning the platform as a scalable satellite-to-mobile solution that’s integrated with global telecom partners.
SpaceX noted that the upcoming Starlink V2 satellites will deliver up to 100 times the data density of the current first-generation system. The company also noted that the new V2 satellites are designed to provide significantly higher throughput capability compared to its current iteration.
“The next generation of Starlink Mobile satellites – V2 – will deliver full cellular coverage to places never thought possible via the highest performing satellite-to-mobile network ever built.
“Driven by custom SpaceX-designed silicon and phased array antennas, the satellites will support thousands of spatial beams and higher bandwidth capability, enabling around 20x the throughput capability as compared to a first-generation satellite,” SpaceX wrote in its official Starlink Mobile page.
Thanks to the higher bandwidth of Starlink Mobile, users should be able to stream, browse the internet, use high-speed apps, and enjoy voice services comparable to terrestrial cellular networks.
In most environments, Starlink says the upgraded system will enable full 5G cellular connectivity with a user experience similar to existing ground-based networks.
The satellites function as “cell towers in space,” using advanced phased-array antennas and laser interlinks to integrate with terrestrial infrastructure in a roaming-like architecture.
“Starlink Mobile works with existing LTE phones wherever you can see the sky. The satellites have an antenna that acts like a cellphone tower in space, the most advanced phased array antennas in the world that connect seamlessly over lasers to any point in the globe, allowing network integration similar to a standard roaming partner,” SpaceX wrote.
Starlink Mobile currently operates with approximately 650 satellites in low-Earth orbit and is active across more than 32 countries, representing over 1.7 billion people through partnerships with mobile network operators. Starlink Mobile’s current partnerships span North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, allowing reciprocal access across participating nations.
News
Tesla FSD (Supervised) fleet passes 8.4 billion cumulative miles
The figure appears on Tesla’s official safety page, which tracks performance data for FSD (Supervised) and other safety technologies.
Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system has now surpassed 8.4 billion cumulative miles.
The figure appears on Tesla’s official safety page, which tracks performance data for FSD (Supervised) and other safety technologies.
Tesla has long emphasized that large-scale real-world data is central to improving its neural network-based approach to autonomy. Each mile driven with FSD (Supervised) engaged contributes additional edge cases and scenario training for the system.

The milestone also brings Tesla closer to a benchmark previously outlined by CEO Elon Musk. Musk has stated that roughly 10 billion miles of training data may be needed to achieve safe unsupervised self-driving at scale, citing the “long tail” of rare but complex driving situations that must be learned through experience.
The growth curve of FSD Supervised’s cumulative miles over the past five years has been notable.
As noted in data shared by Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt, annual FSD (Supervised) miles have increased from roughly 6 million in 2021 to 80 million in 2022, 670 million in 2023, 2.25 billion in 2024, and 4.25 billion in 2025. In just the first 50 days of 2026, Tesla owners logged another 1 billion miles.
At the current pace, the fleet is trending towards hitting about 10 billion FSD Supervised miles this year. The increase has been driven by Tesla’s growing vehicle fleet, periodic free trials, and expanding Robotaxi operations, among others.
With the fleet now past 8.4 billion cumulative miles, Tesla’s supervised system is approaching that threshold, even as regulatory approval for fully unsupervised deployment remains subject to further validation and oversight.










