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ROEV Charging Network No Match For Tesla Superchargers

BMW and Nissan are joining the ROEV partnership to bring reliable charging service to their customers, but their network is far behind the Tesla SuperCharger system.

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Source: Tesla Racer via App

CarCharging/Blink, ChargePoint, and NRG EVgo are partnering with BMW and Nissan to bring hassle free charging to their customers through a new ROEV Association (“ROEV”), a neutral collaboration of industry stakeholders designed to support EV adoption by facilitating public charging network interoperability. Audi and Honda are also members of the coalition, as are several regional electric utility companies. Together, the three charging networks control 91% of all public chargers in the United States. The partners hope to “streamline EV charging access across multiple charging networks in order to help bring EVs further into the mainstream,” says Simon Lonsdale, ROEV’s chairman.

At present, electric and plug-in hybrid drivers are confronted with a variety of private charging services, each with its own access cards, billing services and subscription programs. The new partnership will operate much like an ATM card. Drivers will keep their current access cards, but will now enjoy the ability to use any charger at any time, so long as it is operated by a ROEV member.

In a press statement announcing the partnership, ROEV says, “Currently, to access all 19,000 public, networked EV charging ports in the U.S., drivers may have accounts with numerous EV charging networks, carry multiple access cards, and use a variety of mobile apps to find stations. Particularly for unplanned charging, this may mean additional time and inconvenience for the drivers of the more than 380,000 EVs sold in the United States to date.”

BMW and Nissan say they will install 500 new DC fast chargers in 25 major US cities by the end of 2016. But even when that plan is fully implemented, ROEV will still not challenge the network of Tesla Supercharger stations Tesla has built across the country. DC fast chargers operate at no more than 50 kW of power whereas liquid-cooled Superchargers offer Tesla owners between 80 and 130 kW of power with rumors of higher power units in the works. Also, the Supercharger stations are built along major transportation corridors to make it possible for Tesla drivers to go long distances with a minimum of charging time required along the way. Conversely, the ROEV chargers are often installed in public parking facilities within cities.

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Elon Musk says he wants other manufacturers to build more and better electric cars. His focus is always on the transition from a civilization that runs on fossil fuels to one powered by renewables. But a large, functioning network of public chargers will be required before most people will consider driving an electric car from someone other than Tesla. Most manufacturers have paid little attention to the charging infrastructure needed to sell electric cars to mainstream shoppers. BMW and Nissan should be applauded for leading the way, but they are still years behind Tesla and just now starting to catch up.

 

 

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Tesla Cybercab display highlights interior wizardry in the small two-seater

Photos and videos of the production Cybercab were shared in posts on social media platform X.

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Credit: Tesla Robotaxi/X

The Tesla Cybercab is currently on display at the U.S. Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C., and observations of the production vehicle are highlighting some of its notable design details. 

Photos and videos of the production Cybercab were shared in posts on social media platform X.

Observers of the Cybercab display unit noted that the two-seat Robotaxi provides unusually generous legroom for a vehicle of its size. Based on the vehicle’s video, the compact two-seater appears to offer more legroom than Tesla’s larger vehicles such as the Model Y, Model X, and Cybertruck.

The Cybercab’s layout allows Tesla to dedicate nearly the entire cabin to passengers. The vehicle is designed without a steering wheel or pedals, which helps maximize interior space.

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Footage from the display also highlights the Cybercab’s large center screen, which is positioned prominently in front of the passenger bench. The display appears intended to provide entertainment and ride information while the vehicle operates autonomously.

Images of the vehicle also show an additional camera integrated into the Cybercab’s C-pillar. The extra camera appears to expand the vehicle’s field of view, which would be useful as Tesla works toward fully unsupervised Full Self-Driving.

Tesla engineers have previously explained that the Cybercab was designed to be highly efficient both in manufacturing and in operation. Cybercab Lead Engineer Eric E. stated in 2024 that the Robotaxi would be built with roughly half the number of parts used in a Model 3 sedan.

“Two seats unlocks a lot of opportunity aerodynamically. It also means we cut the part count of Cybercab down by a substantial margin. We’re gonna be delivering a car that has roughly half the parts of Model 3 today,” the Tesla engineer said.

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The Tesla engineer also noted that the Cybercab’s cargo area can accommodate multiple golf bags, two carry-on suitcases, and two full-size checked bags. The trunk can also fit certain bicycles and a foldable wheelchair depending on size, which is quite impressive for a small car like the Cybercab.

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Elon Musk’s xAI wins permit for power plant supporting AI data centers

The development was reported by CNBC, citing confirmation from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).

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Mississippi regulators have approved a permit allowing Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company xAI to construct a natural gas power plant in Southaven. The facility is expected to support the company’s expanding AI infrastructure tied to its Colossus data center operations near Memphis.

The development was reported by CNBC, citing confirmation from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).

According to the report, regulators “voted to approve the permit” of xAI subsidiary MZX Tech LLC to construct a power plant featuring 41 natural gas-burning turbines “after careful consideration of all public comments and community concerns.”

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality stated that the permit followed a regulatory review process that included public comments and community input. Jaricus Whitlock, air division chief for the MDEQ, stated that the project met all applicable environmental standards.

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“The proposed PSD permit in front of the board today not only meets all state and federal permitting regulations, but goes above and beyond what is required by law. MDEQ and the EPA agree that not a single person around our facilities will be exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution,” Whitlock stated.

The planned facility will help provide electricity for xAI’s AI computing infrastructure in the Memphis region.

The Southaven project forms part of xAI’s efforts to scale computing capacity for its artificial intelligence systems.

The company currently operates two major data centers in Memphis, known as Colossus 1 and Colossus 2, which provide computing power for xAI’s Grok AI models. xAI is also planning to build another large data center in Southaven called Macrohardrr, which would be located in a warehouse previously used by GXO Logistics.

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Large-scale AI training requires substantial computing power and electricity, prompting technology companies to develop dedicated energy infrastructure for their data centers.

SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell previously stated that xAI plans to develop 1.2 gigawatts of power capacity for its Memphis-area AI supercomputer site as part of the federal government’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge. The commitment was announced during an event with United States President Donald Trump.

“As part of today’s commitment, we will take extensive additional steps to continue to reduce the costs of electricity for our neighbors. xAI will therefore commit to develop 1.2 GW of power as our supercomputer’s primary power source. That will be for every additional data center as well. We will expand what is already the largest global Megapack power installation in the world,” Shotwell said.

“The installation will provide enough backup power to power the city of Memphis, and more than sufficient energy to power the town of Southaven, Mississippi where the data center resides. We will build new substations and invest in electrical infrastructure to provide stability to the area’s grid.”

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Tesla China teases Optimus robot’s human-looking next-gen hands

The image was shared by Tesla AI’s account on Weibo and later reposted by Tesla community members on X.

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Credit: Tesla China

A new teaser shared by Tesla’s China team appears to show a pair of unusually human-like hands for Optimus. 

The image was shared by Tesla AI’s account on Weibo and later reposted by Tesla community members on X.

As could be seen in the teaser image, the new version of Optimus’ hands features proportions and finger structures that look strikingly similar to those of a human hand. Their appearance suggests that they might have dexterity approaching that of a human hand.

If the image reflects a new generation of Optimus’ hands, it could indicate Tesla is continuing to refine one of the most critical components of its humanoid robot.

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Hands are widely viewed as one of the most difficult engineering challenges in robotics. For Optimus to perform complex real-world work, from manufacturing tasks to household activities, its hands would need to be the best in the industry.

Elon Musk has repeatedly described Optimus as Tesla’s most important long-term product. In posts on social media platform X, Musk has stated that Optimus could eventually become the first real-world Von Neumann machine.

In theory, a Von Neumann machine is a self-replicating system capable of building copies of itself using available materials. The concept was originally proposed by mathematician John von Neumann in the mid-20th century.

“Optimus will be the first Von Neumann machine, capable of building civilization by itself on any viable planet,” Musk wrote in a post on X.

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If Optimus is expected to carry out complex work autonomously in the future, high levels of dexterity will likely be essential. This makes the development of advanced robotic hands a key step towards Musk’s long-term expectations for the product.

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