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SpaceX delivers truckload of Starlink dishes to Ukraine, as promised
The Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine reports that a substantial truckload of Starlink dishes has arrived in the besieged country, fulfilling SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s promise about 48 hours after his first exchange.
There are already reports from Ukrainians that the satellite internet service is up and running in the country. Packed with at least 100-200 dishes, SpaceX’s delivery will thus hopefully ensure that thousands or even tens of thousands of Ukrainians will be able to stay connected to high-quality internet in the event that Russia’s invasion begins to a larger toll on the country’s connectivity infrastructure.
It’s not entirely clear how SpaceX’s Starlink internet constellation will reach Ukraine, a country with no known ground stations. To function, an active Starlink satellite must simultaneously have a direct line of sight to individual user terminals (dishes) and a larger ground station. Communications from individual dishes travel up to a nearby Starlink satellite, which then routes those communications to a local ground station connected to the rest of the global internet. Due to a combination of physical limits and regulations designed to prevent interference, Starlink users must generally be within ~250 miles of a ground station to connect to use the service.
One such ground station located in central Poland might barely cover a sliver of Western Ukraine. Otherwise, the only explanation is that SpaceX is continuing a sort of unplanned field test that began with the island nation of Tonga and is attempting to connect Ukrainian Starlink users to distant ground stations using communications lasers installed on a new generation of satellites. Put simply, by using those “optical interlinks” to route communications in space, new Starlink V1.5 satellites can technically connect users anywhere on Earth – including war-torn regions where access to otherwise routine infrastructure is no longer safe or guaranteed.
The only challenge is that SpaceX only appears to have about 100 fully operational Starlink V1.5 satellites in orbit. More than 300 other V1.5 satellites are still slowly raising their orbits and could take weeks or months to reach operational altitudes. On top of the unproven nature of Starlink’s large-scale orbital laser network, it’s likely that the service will be intermittent, inconsistent, and far from reliable. Of course, when the alternative is nothing, any solution becomes a good option. It may also be the case that a series of ground stations in Poland, Lithuania, and Turkey collectively cover most of Ukraine, in which case the service will likely be excellent.
Regardless, Ukrainians will face two additional challenges with Starlink. First, the dishes require quite a lot of power to run. If internet infrastructure is suffering, it’s safe to assume that electricity distribution may also be in rough shape, meaning that users might have to get creative to use Starlink internet. Somewhat related to that challenge, there’s also a significant risk that Starlink dishes could become shiny bullseyes for antiradiation weapons if Russia were to start targeting communications. The country has done exactly that in past conflicts, which makes the use of any high-powered communications system inadvisable for anything more than short, intermittent use.
Regardless, Ukraine has shown extraordinary resolve in the face of a truly nightmarish situation and it’s safe to say that Starlink dishes will become another useful tool in the country’s arsenal as it continues to defend against a chaotic Russian invasion.
News
Tesla cleared in Canada EV rebate investigation
Tesla has been cleared in an investigation into the company’s staggering number of EV rebate claims in Canada in January.

Canadian officials have cleared Tesla following an investigation into a large number of claims submitted to the country’s electric vehicle (EV) rebates earlier this year.
Transport Canada has ruled that there was no evidence of fraud after Tesla submitted 8,653 EV rebate claims for the country’s Incentives for Zero-Emission Vehicles (iZEV) program, as detailed in a report on Friday from The Globe and Mail. Despite the huge number of claims, Canadian authorities have found that the figure represented vehicles that had been delivered prior to the submission deadline for the program.
According to Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland, the claims “were determined to legitimately represent cars sold before January 12,” which was the final day for OEMs to submit these claims before the government suspended the program.
Upon initial reporting of the Tesla claims submitted in January, it was estimated that they were valued at around $43 million. In March, Freeland and Transport Canada opened the investigation into Tesla, noting that they would be freezing the rebate payments until the claims were found to be valid.
READ MORE ON ELECTRIC VEHICLES: EVs getting cleaner more quickly than expected in Europe: study
Huw Williams, Canadian Automobile Dealers Association Public Affairs Director, accepted the results of the investigation, while also questioning how Tesla knew to submit the claims that weekend, just before the program ran out.
“I think there’s a larger question as to how Tesla knew to run those through on that weekend,” Williams said. “It doesn’t appear to me that we have an investigation into any communication between Transport Canada and Tesla, between officials who may have shared information inappropriately.”
Tesla sales have been down in Canada for the first half of this year, amidst turmoil between the country and the Trump administration’s tariffs. Although Elon Musk has since stepped back from his role with the administration, a number of companies and officials in Canada were calling for a boycott of Tesla’s vehicles earlier this year, due in part to his association with Trump.
News
Tesla Semis to get 18 new Megachargers at this PepsiCo plant
PepsiCo is set to add more Tesla Semi Megachargers, this time at a facility in North Carolina.

Tesla partner PepsiCo is set to build new Semi charging stations at one of its manufacturing sites, as revealed in new permitting plans shared this week.
On Friday, Tesla charging station scout MarcoRP shared plans on X for 18 Semi Megacharging stalls at PepsiCo’s facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, coming as the latest update plans for the company’s increasingly electrified fleet. The stalls are set to be built side by side, along with three Tesla Megapack grid-scale battery systems.
The plans also note the faster charging speeds for the chargers, which can charge the Class 8 Semi at speeds of up to 1MW. Tesla says that the speed can charge the Semi back to roughly 70 percent in around 30 minutes.
You can see the site plans for the PepsiCo North Carolina Megacharger below.

Credit: PepsiCo (via MarcoRPi1 on X)

Credit: PepsiCo (via MarcoRPi1 on X)
READ MORE ON THE TESLA SEMI: Tesla to build Semi Megacharger station in Southern California
PepsiCo’s Tesla Semi fleet, other Megachargers, and initial tests and deliveries
PepsiCo was the first external customer to take delivery of Tesla’s Semis back in 2023, starting with just an initial order of 15. Since then, the company has continued to expand the fleet, recently taking delivery of an additional 50 units in California. The PepsiCo fleet was up to around 86 units as of last year, according to statements from Semi Senior Manager Dan Priestley.
Additionally, the company has similar Megachargers at its facilities in Modesto, Sacramento, and Fresno, California, and Tesla also submitted plans for approval to build 12 new Megacharging stalls in Los Angeles County.
Over the past couple of years, Tesla has also been delivering the electric Class 8 units to a number of other companies for pilot programs, and Priestley shared some results from PepsiCo’s initial Semi tests last year. Notably, the executive spoke with a handful of PepsiCo workers who said they really liked the Semi and wouldn’t plan on going back to diesel trucks.
The company is also nearing completion of a higher-volume Semi plant at its Gigafactory in Nevada, which is expected to eventually have an annual production capacity of 50,000 Semi units.
Tesla executive teases plan to further electrify supply chain
News
Tesla sales soar in Norway with new Model Y leading the charge
Tesla recorded a 54% year-over-year jump in new vehicle registrations in June.

Tesla is seeing strong momentum in Norway, with sales of the new Model Y helping the company maintain dominance in one of the world’s most electric vehicle-friendly markets.
Model Y upgrades and consumer preferences
According to the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV), Tesla recorded a 54% year-over-year jump in new vehicle registrations in June. The Model Y led the charge, posting a 115% increase compared to the same period last year. Tesla Norway’s growth was even more notable in May, with sales surging a whopping 213%, as noted in a CNBC report.
Christina Bu, secretary general of the Norwegian EV Association (NEVA), stated that Tesla’s strong market performance was partly due to the updated Model Y, which is really just a good car, period.
“I think it just has to do with the fact that they deliver a car which has quite a lot of value for money and is what Norwegians need. What Norwegians need, a large luggage space, all wheel drive, and a tow hitch, high ground clearance as well. In addition, quite good digital solutions which people have gotten used to, and also a charging network,” she said.
Tesla in Europe
Tesla’s success in Norway is supported by long-standing government incentives for EV adoption, including exemptions from VAT, road toll discounts, and access to bus lanes. Public and home charging infrastructure is also widely available, making the EV ownership experience in the country very convenient.
Tesla’s performance in Europe is still a mixed bag, with markets like Germany and France still seeing declines in recent months. In areas such as Norway, Spain, and Portugal, however, Tesla’s new car registrations are rising. Spain’s sales rose 61% and Portugal’s sales rose 7% last month. This suggests that regional demand may be stabilizing or rebounding in pockets of Europe.
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