News
Sen. Joe Manchin ‘reluctant’ of EVs: ‘I don’t want to have to be standing in line waiting for a battery’
Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia has been visibly and vocally skeptical of the electric vehicle movement, especially as he failed to support President Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan that would increase EV infrastructure. However, Sen. Manchin, a conservative Democrat, said he was skeptical of EVs for several reasons, including foreign dependency. However, Munchin said at a conference on Friday that he was still reluctant of EVs because he didn’t “want to have to be standing in line waiting for a battery.”
“I’m very reluctant to go down the path of electric vehicles,” Manchin said last week at a global energy conference held by S&P Global, according to Business Insider. “I’m old enough to remember standing in line in 1974 trying to buy gas. I remember those days. I don’t want to have to be standing in line waiting for a battery for my vehicle because we’re now dependent on a foreign supply chain – mostly China.”
Credit: Tesla
It is unclear if Sen. Manchin referred to wait times at electric vehicle charging stations or wait times for an electric vehicle order to be fulfilled and delivered to a customer. Either way, these instances are common in gas-powered vehicles’ ownership experience, especially in 2022. Wait times at gas pumps are common during high-travel times, and while gas stations are more common than EV charging stations, there are still the occasional waits at petrol pumps.
Additionally, wait times for electric vehicles may be increasing due to demand spikes. However, gas-powered cars are also subject to intense and prolonged wait times for delivery. Last year was especially relevant to this issue as semiconductor and chip shortages halted many automakers from completing vehicle manufacturing. Ford suffered a 27 percent decrease in sales in Q3 2021 due to the shortage, according to the New York Times.
Understandably, Munchin wants to relieve the U.S. supply chain of foreign dependency. However, U.S.-based battery manufacturing projects are becoming more popular, and automakers are working toward developing materials contracts with domestic companies. In one example, Tesla signed a nickel supply deal with Talon Metals, a Minnesota-based company, in January.
Still, the Senator has his skepticism for the Biden Build Back Better plan. He reiterated the House-approved plan is essentially dead in the water as it lacks his support. While some politicians attempted to sway Manchin to support the bill as it offered massive incentives for domestically-produced chips and batteries, his focus for the bill remained on prescription drug costs, among other issues, which included climate spending.
“The reason I had concerns from day one is that we shouldn’t be doing that much policy. Reconciliation was never designed for us to do policy,” Munchin added.
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Elon Musk
Starlink achieves major milestones in 2025 progress report
Starlink wrapped up 2025 with impressive growth, adding more than 4.6 million new active customers and expanding service to 35 additional countries, territories, and markets.
Starlink wrapped up 2025 with impressive growth, adding more than 4.6 million new active customers and expanding service to 35 additional countries, territories, and markets. The company also completed deployment of its first-generation Direct to Cell constellation, launching over 650 satellites in just 18 months to enable cellular connectivity.
SpaceX highlighted Starlink’s impressive 2025 progress in an extensive report.
Key achievements from Starlink’s 2025 Progress
Starlink connected over 4.6 million new customers with high-speed internet while bringing service to 35 more regions worldwide in 2025. Starlink is now connecting 9.2 million people worldwide. The service achieved this just weeks after hitting its 8 million customer milestone.
Starlink is now available in 155 markets, including areas that are unreachable by traditional ISPs. As per SpaceX, Starlink has also provided over 21 million airline passengers and 20 million cruise passengers with reliable high-speed internet connectivity during their travels.
Starlink Direct to Cell
Starlink’s Direct to Cell constellation, more than 650 satellites strong, has already connected over 12 million people at least once, marking a breakthrough in global mobile coverage.
Starlink Direct to Cell is currently rolled out to 22 countries and 6 continents, with over 6 million monthly customers. Starlink Direct to Cell also has 27 MNO partners to date.
“This year, SpaceX completed deployment of the first generation of the Starlink Direct to Cell constellation, with more than 650 satellites launched to low-Earth orbit in just 18 months. Starlink Direct to Cell has connected more than 12 million people, and counting, at least once, providing life-saving connectivity when people need it most,” SpaceX wrote.
News
Tesla Giga Nevada celebrates production of 6 millionth drive unit
To celebrate the milestone, the Giga Nevada team gathered for a celebratory group photo.
Tesla’s Giga Nevada has reached an impressive milestone, producing its 6 millionth drive unit as 2925 came to a close.
To celebrate the milestone, the Giga Nevada team gathered for a celebratory group photo.
6 million drive units
The achievement was shared by the official Tesla Manufacturing account on social media platform X. “Congratulations to the Giga Nevada team for producing their 6 millionth Drive Unit!” Tesla wrote.
The photo showed numerous factory workers assembled on the production floor, proudly holding golden balloons that spelled out “6000000″ in front of drive unit assembly stations. Elon Musk gave credit to the Giga Nevada team, writing, “Congrats on 6M drive units!” in a post on X.
Giga Nevada’s essential role
Giga Nevada produces drive units, battery packs, and energy products. The facility has been a cornerstone of Tesla’s scaling since opening, and it was the crucial facility that ultimately enabled Tesla to ramp the Model 3 and Model Y. Even today, it serves as Tesla’s core hub for battery and drivetrain components for vehicles that are produced in the United States.
Giga Nevada is expected to support Tesla’s ambitious 2026 targets, including the launch of vehicles like the Tesla Semi and the Cybercab. Tesla will have a very busy 2026, and based on Giga Nevada’s activities so far, it appears that the facility will be equally busy as well.
News
Tesla Supercharger network delivers record 6.7 TWh in 2025
The network now exceeds 75,000 stalls globally, and it supports even non-Tesla vehicles across several key markets.
Tesla’s Supercharger Network had its biggest year ever in 2025, delivering a record 6.7 TWh of electricity to vehicles worldwide.
To celebrate its busy year, the official @TeslaCharging account shared an infographic showing the Supercharger Network’s growth from near-zero in 2012 to this year’s impressive milestone.
Record 6.7 TWh delivered in 2025
The bar chart shows steady Supercharger energy delivery increases since 2012. Based on the graphic, the Supercharger Network started small in the mid-2010s and accelerated sharply after 2019, when the Model 3 was going mainstream.
Each year from 2020 onward showed significantly more energy delivery, with 2025’s four quarters combining for the highest total yet at 6.7 TWh.
This energy powered millions of charging sessions across Tesla’s growing fleet of vehicles worldwide. The network now exceeds 75,000 stalls globally, and it supports even non-Tesla vehicles across several key markets. This makes the Supercharger Network loved not just by Tesla owners but EV drivers as a whole.
Resilience after Supercharger team changes
2025’s record energy delivery comes despite earlier 2024 layoffs on the Supercharger team, which sparked concerns about the system’s expansion pace. Max de Zegher, Tesla Director of Charging North America, also highlighted that “Outside China, Superchargers delivered more energy than all other fast chargers combined.”
Longtime Tesla owner and FSD tester Whole Mars Catalog noted the achievement as proof of continued momentum post-layoffs. At the time of the Supercharger team’s layoffs in 2024, numerous critics were claiming that Elon Musk was halting the network’s expansion altogether, and that the team only remained because the adults in the room convinced the juvenile CEO to relent.
Such a scenario, at least based on the graphic posted by the Tesla Charging team on X, seems highly implausible.
Starlink achieves major milestones in 2025 progress report
Tesla Giga Nevada celebrates production of 6 millionth drive unit
