Connect with us

News

A Peek into Tesla’s Battery Swap Station at Harris Ranch

Published

on

Less than a week after Tesla’s official announcement of its battery swap pilot program, I decided to pit stop at Harris Ranch, CA, site to the first battery swap station, to see if there’s been any new activity since the last pictures were reported.

As I made my way up the I-5 from 200 miles south of Harris Ranch, I had plenty of time to think about the reasons why anyone would use a battery swap station. The cost for a battery swap is designed to mirror the cost of filling up the gas tank on a premium luxury sedan. Obviously this will vary depending on the current price of oil, but the question still remains – is there a situation where it would lead me to pay for instant gratification by receiving a fully charged battery pack versus charging just enough (and for free) to get me to my next destination? Before I could compile a complete mental list, my thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the stench of what is Harris Ranch.

Tesla-Battery-Swap-Harris-Ranch-10

Having been to Harris Ranch several times before, I instinctively made my way to the Supercharger bays but then quickly remembered that the site to the new battery swapping station was across the street near the Shell gas station. I made my way over only to find a quiet and unbadged building (so I thought) with no signs that this was home to Tesla’s new pilot program.

I asked the Shell gas station employee if they knew of “Tesla’s new battery station” although in the back of my mind I’ve already ruled out any sort of  valuable feedback. But to my surprise, the gas station attendant lit up with enthusiasm and walked me over to the side of the building where Tesla had recently installed their signage.

Tesla Battery Swap Station at Harris Ranch

According to the attendant, the Tesla Motors crew had been around all week testing the battery swap station and will be going live with it during the last week of the year.

Advertisement
-->

The entry to the battery swap station is a swooping turn adjoining the trash dumps.

Entryway into the Tesla Battery Swap Station at Harris Ranch

The fresh trenching work seen along the ground and leading up to the entry door is a good indicator that power for the battery swap equipment and additional plumbing has been put in place.

Tesla has approximated each battery swap to take on average of 3 minutes through the use of robots and pneumatics.

Battery Swap Station Trenching

Only one car can undergo a battery swap at a time although there are two bay doors seen from the exit area. One of the doors (the narrower and taller one) will likely be used as a service door for loading and storage.

Tesla-Battery-Swap-Harris-Ranch-3 Tesla-Battery-Swap-Harris-Ranch-6 Tesla-Battery-Swap-Harris-Ranch-7

The overall size of the battery swap station is large and can technically accommodate 6 Supercharger bays. Restrooms are situated in the center of the building and probably the only thing that’s relevant for Tesla owners that are looking to leverage the battery swap service. After all, they’re paying a premium to get in and get out as quickly as possible so any additional services being offered would likely be ignored.

Advertisement
-->

Makes sense to me.

Tesla-Battery-Swap-Harris-Ranch-8

I'm friendly. You can email me. gene@teslarati.com

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025

According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.

Published

on

Credit: ANCAP

The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.

According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.

The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring. 

This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.

The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.  

ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.

Advertisement
-->

“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.

“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade

Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Charging/X

Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.

Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.

Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error. 

More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report. 

Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.

Advertisement
-->

Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.

Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.

“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted. 

Advertisement
-->
Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s X goes down as users report major outage Friday morning

Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.

Published

on

Credit: Linda Yaccarino/X

Elon Musk’s X experienced an outage Friday morning, leaving large numbers of users unable to access the social media platform.

Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.

Downdetector reports

Users attempting to open X were met with messages such as “Something went wrong. Try reloading,” often followed by an endless spinning icon that prevented access, according to a report from Variety. Downdetector data showed that reports of problems surged rapidly throughout the morning.

As of 10:52 a.m. ET, more than 100,000 users had reported issues with X. The data indicated that 56% of complaints were tied to the mobile app, while 33% were related to the website and roughly 10% cited server connection problems. The disruption appeared to begin around 10:10 a.m. ET, briefly eased around 10:35 a.m., and then returned minutes later.

Credit: Downdetector

Previous disruptions

Friday’s outage was not an isolated incident. X has experienced multiple high-profile service interruptions over the past two years. In November, tens of thousands of users reported widespread errors, including “Internal server error / Error code 500” messages. Cloudflare-related error messages were also reported.

In March 2025, the platform endured several brief outages spanning roughly 45 minutes, with more than 21,000 reports in the U.S. and 10,800 in the U.K., according to Downdetector. Earlier disruptions included an outage in August 2024 and impairments to key platform features in July 2023.

Advertisement
-->
Continue Reading