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Swedish unions upset after Tesla opens two new Superchargers

Tesla seems to be getting better at overcoming the unions’ blockades.

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Credit: TeslaCharging/X

Tesla Sweden is still dealing with a number of strikes due to its conflict with IF Metall, but the electric vehicle maker seems to be getting better at overcoming the unions’ efforts. 

Tesla’s clever workarounds have resulted in network owner Telge Nät apologizing to the unions after two new Superchargers were opened despite the sympathy strikes of the Elektrikerna union and Seko.

Tesla Sweden’s New Superchargers

While Tesla’s main conflict in Sweden is with trade union IF Metall, a number of other unions have initiated sympathy strikes against the company. These include the Elektrikerna union and Seko, both of which have initiated efforts to block the launch of new Superchargers.

As noted in a CarUp report, however, Tesla Sweden recently opened two new Supercharger locations in the city of Södertälje. The first was a site with 16 Supercharger stalls in the Moraberg shopping area, and it was followed by a large 20-stall Supercharger at Vasa Handelsplats. The new Superchargers were appreciated by EV owners, as even non-Teslas use them, and they are among the most reliable and most affordable in the market.

Tesla Sweden celebrated the launch of its two new Superchargers in the country. “Södertälje is a long-awaited destination for fast charging, and Tesla’s two new stations enable comfortable, fossil-free, and economical trips between the east and west coasts and to southern Sweden,” the electric vehicle maker stated.

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Angry Unions and Apologies

The unions were not happy at all that Tesla Sweden was able to overcome their blockade. Dennys Bello, press officer for the Elektrikerna union, noted that Tesla seems to be tapping the services of foreign companies and flying in people to help launch its charging stations. “It is a good question how this has happened. We think it is unfortunate. But they seem to have their methods. They bring in foreign companies and fly in people, we think,” Bello stated.

Network owners Telge Nät has issued an apology to the unions, stating that they regret the launch of the new Superchargers. In a comment, Erik Elowsson, press officer at the Telge Group, highlighted that they are not in any way overriding the union’s efforts. 

“We can confirm that two Tesla-owned facilities in Södertälje have been connected contrary to the purpose of the current conflict measures. We regret this. We want to make it clear that we had no intention of overriding Seko’s conflict measures. We have taken strong measures to ensure that this does not happen again. We respect the Swedish model, and stand up for the value of collective agreements and see strength in the dialogue we have with Seko,” Elowsson stated.

Seko, for their part, demanded an apology and correction from Telge Nät. As per Seko’s head of information Jonas Pettersson, “The company has responded that it is a mistake, and we have had a good dialogue with them. They have said that this will never be repeated. Of course, it is unfortunate that it has happened. We feel confident that Telge is now taking the necessary measures to ensure that it never happens again.”

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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GM CEO Mary Barra says she told Biden to give Tesla and Musk EV credit

“He was crediting me, and I said, ‘Actually, I think a lot of that credit goes to Elon and Tesla…You know me, Andrew. I don’t want to take credit for things.”

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General Motors CEO Mary Barra said in a new interview on Wednesday that she told President Joe Biden to credit Tesla and its CEO, Elon Musk, for the widespread electric vehicle transition.

She said she told Biden this after the former President credited her and GM for leading EV efforts in the United States.

During an interview at the New York Times Dealbook Summit with Andrew Ross Sorkin, Barra said she told Biden that crediting her was essentially a mistake, and that Musk and Tesla should have been explicitly mentioned (via Business Insider):

“He was crediting me, and I said, ‘Actually, I think a lot of that credit goes to Elon and Tesla…You know me, Andrew. I don’t want to take credit for things.”

Back in 2021, President Biden visited GM’s “Factory Zero” plant in Detroit, which was the centerpiece of the company’s massive transition to EVs. The former President went on to discuss the EV industry, and claimed that GM and Barra were the true leaders who caused the change:

“In the auto industry, Detroit is leading the world in electric vehicles. You know how critical it is? Mary, I remember talking to you way back in January about the need for America to lead in electric vehicles. I can remember your dramatic announcement that by 2035, GM would be 100% electric. You changed the whole story, Mary. You did, Mary. You electrified the entire automotive industry. I’m serious. You led, and it matters.”

People were baffled by the President’s decision to highlight GM and Barra, and not Tesla and Musk, who truly started the transition to EVs. GM, Ford, and many other companies only followed in the footsteps of Tesla after it started to take market share from them.

Elon Musk and Tesla try to save legacy automakers from Déjà vu

Musk would eventually go on to talk about Biden’s words later on:

They have so much power over the White House that they can exclude Tesla from an EV Summit. And, in case the first thing, in case that wasn’t enough, then you have President Biden with Mary Barra at a subsequent event, congratulating Mary for having led the EV revolution.”

In Q4 2021, which was shortly after Biden’s comments, Tesla delivered 300,000 EVs. GM delivered just 26.

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Tesla Full Self-Driving shows confident navigation in heavy snow

So far, from what we’ve seen, snow has not been a huge issue for the most recent Full Self-Driving release. It seems to be acting confidently and handling even snow-covered roads with relative ease.

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Credit: Grok

Tesla Full Self-Driving is getting its first taste of Winter weather for late 2025, as snow is starting to fall all across the United States.

The suite has been vastly improved after Tesla released v14 to many owners with capable hardware, and driving performance, along with overall behavior, has really been something to admire. This is by far the best version of FSD Tesla has ever released, and although there are a handful of regressions with each subsequent release, they are usually cleared up within a week or two.

Tesla is releasing a modified version of FSD v14 for Hardware 3 owners: here’s when

However, adverse weather conditions are something that Tesla will have to confront, as heavy rain, snow, and other interesting situations are bound to occur. In order for the vehicles to be fully autonomous, they will have to go through these scenarios safely and accurately.

One big issue I’ve had, especially in heavy rain, is that the camera vision might be obstructed, which will display messages that certain features’ performance might be degraded.

So far, from what we’ve seen, snow has not been a huge issue for the most recent Full Self-Driving release. It seems to be acting confidently and handling even snow-covered roads with relative ease:

Moving into the winter months, it will be very interesting to see how FSD handles even more concerning conditions, especially with black ice, freezing rain and snow mix, and other things that happen during colder conditions.

We are excited to test it ourselves, but I am waiting for heavy snowfall to make it to Pennsylvania so I can truly push it to the limit.

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Tesla hosts Rome Mayor for first Italian FSD Supervised road demo

The event marked the first time an Italian mayor tested the advanced driver-assistance system in person in Rome’s urban streets.

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Credit: @andst7/X

Tesla definitely seems to be actively engaging European officials on FSD’s capabilities, with the company hosting Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and Mobility Assessor Eugenio Patanè for a hands-on road demonstration. 

The event marked the first time an Italian mayor tested the advanced driver-assistance system in person in Rome’s urban streets. This comes amid Tesla’s push for FSD’s EU regulatory approvals in the coming year.

Rome officials experience FSD Supervised

Tesla conducted the demo using a Model 3 equipped with Full Self-Driving (Supervised), tackling typical Roman traffic including complex intersections, roundabouts, pedestrian crossings and mixed users like cars, bikes and scooters.

The system showcased AI-based assisted driving, prioritizing safety while maintaining flow. FSD also handled overtakes and lane decisions, though with constant driver supervision.

Investor Andrea Stroppa detailed the event on X, noting the system’s potential to reduce severe collision risks by up to seven times compared to traditional driving, based on Tesla’s data from billions of global fleet miles. The session highlighted FSD’s role as an assistance tool in its Supervised form, not a replacement, with the driver fully responsible at all times.

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Path to European rollout

Tesla has logged over 1 million kilometers of testing across 17 European countries, including Italy, to refine FSD for local conditions. The fact that Rome officials personally tested FSD Supervised bodes well for the program’s approval, as it suggests that key individuals are closely watching Tesla’s efforts and innovations.

Assessor Patanè also highlighted the administration’s interest in technologies that boost road safety and urban travel quality, viewing them as aids for both private and public transport while respecting rules.

Replies on X urged involving Italy’s Transport Ministry to speed approvals, with one user noting, “Great idea to involve the mayor! It would be necessary to involve components of the Ministry of Transport and the government as soon as possible: it’s they who can accelerate the approval of FSD in Italy.”

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