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Tesla finalizes 430MW Megapack contract in Puerto Rico

Credit: Tesla

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Tesla Megapacks are set to back a new energy storage facility in Puerto Rico, after officials from the territory’s government and from the company met last week to sign a contract for the deal.

As detailed in a press release from project partner Genera PR, Tesla has signed a contract for a 430MW/ 1,720MWh Megapack project across six different power plant locations in Puerto Rico. Tesla’s Director of Megapack Americas Brad Harbidge was joined by Genera CEO and President Winnie Irizarry, Governor Jenniffer González Colón, and other officials for a contract signing event last Friday.

“We are addressing the energy crisis by taking action to stabilize the system and ensure a reliable, modern, and accessible electric service for all,” said González Colón. “The signing of the contract for the acquisition of 430 MW in Energy Storage Systems, which does not cost the people as it comes from federal funds, does not increase emissions, is part of the movement toward new energy sources, and can greatly reduce power outages.”

The Megapacks will be deployed to sites at power generation plants in the following locations:

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  • Cambalache, Arecibo
  • Vega Baja
  • Palo Seco, Toa Baja
  • Yabucoa
  • Aguirre, Salinas
  • Costa Sur

Initial Megapacks are set to begin arriving in Cambalache in July, while the parties expect the entire distributed system to become operational by the first quarter of 2027.

On Monday, González Colón also shared additional photos from the Friday meeting on X, which you can see below.

Credit: Jenniffer González | X

Credit: Jenniffer González | X

Credit: Jenniffer González | X

READ MORE PUERTO RICO: Tesla launches large-scale Virtual Power Plant (VPP) in Puerto Rico

“The new energy storage systems will allow for the integration of 430 MW of clean, instantly dispatchable energy for up to four hours, resulting in an expected 90-percent reduction in load shedding,” Irizarry said.

Officials selected Tesla’s four-hour Megapacks for the project in October, prior to finalizing the contract at the signing event. The groups have also said that they expect the total investment into the project to reach $767 million, likely including everything from the purchase price of the Megapacks, to construction and labor.

The capacity level for the 430MW project is also considered to be the equivalent of the largest power plant currently operating in Puerto Rico, according to the release.

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“The signing of this agreement with Tesla represents a momentous change in Puerto Rico’s energy transformation. This unprecedented investment in our energy infrastructure is a firm step toward a sustainable future,” Irizarry adds.

Tesla also launched its latest-generation Powerwall home battery, the Powerwall 3, in Puerto Rico in December, after beginning to roll the new hardware out to a number of markets throughout last year. While Megapacks are Tesla’s product for grid-scale energy storage, Powerwalls are a suitable size for homes and businesses hoping to keep the lights on during outages through charging from the grid or from renewable sources such as solar.

Using the Powerwall batteries, Tesla has also launched its Virtual Power Plant (VPP) program in Puerto Rico alongside these programs in a handful of U.S. states. The VPP programs effectively create a giant, distributed battery from Powerwall owners across a given region, letting them sell their stored electricity back to the grid during times of peak use or outages.

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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Tesla building battery repair facility near Collie Megapack project

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Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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I figured out how to charge my Tesla at my rented townhouse – Here’s how

I hope that this article is able to help the prospective EV buyer or the current Tesla owner who is living in a rental and does not have a straightforward solution to home charging. My situation will be presented in this article, and I will tell you why I went with the solution I went with, and alternatives, because there is more than one way to do this.

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When I bought my Tesla Model Y Premium All-Wheel-Drive last year, I knew I would have to try to figure out a way not become totally reliant on Superchargers. After about six months of ownership, it came time to resolve that problem once and for good, and being a tenant in a rented townhouse community definitely added to my challenge.

Before I even bought my Tesla, I emailed my leasing office to see if the community had any plans to bring EV charging to the neighborhood. I had made myself available to them as I am familiar with a lot of the solutions out there and how much of an advantage this could be for the community, and attracting new tenants. After months of trying, I bought my Tesla in August anyway, and figured I’d be able to find an answer — whether positive or negative — and go from there.

I hope that this article is able to help the prospective EV buyer or the current Tesla owner who is living in a rental and does not have a straightforward solution to home charging. My situation will be presented in this article, and I will tell you why I went with the solution I went with, and alternatives, because there is more than one way to do this.

My Challenge with Home Charging

In a rental community, apartment complex, or even townhouse row, parking spots are a little complicated. I have assigned parking at my house, and unfortunately, my parking spot is not right in front of my front door. Instead, it is staggered, so my car is parked in front of my neighbor’s front door.

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Initially, I had spoken to my neighbor whose spot is right in front of my front door and had gotten permission to park in their spot during the day while it is vacant. However, I was not going to be able to upgrade my outlet from a 110v-120v to the typical and suggested 220v-240v alternative.

I knew that this would mean I would need to be in my permanent spot because charging sufficiently, especially in preparation for trips or errands, would require overnight charging.

The Tesla Mobile Connector is 20 feet long, which is sufficient for most applications. Mine, however, required about 30 feet, maybe even a little more, to charge.

My Options

I had a few options: Use the Mobile Connector and park in my neighbor’s spot and charge when I could, buy an 8 or 10-gauge extension cord that could handle moving power from the Mobile Connector to my car, or buy an NACS to NACS extension cord.

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I didn’t really want to do the first option, considering I knew that spot would only be available when my neighbor was not there. It didn’t seem like a viable option, and I figured it would be better to figure out something from my personal, permanent parking spot anyway.

The 10-gauge extension cord option was what I first considered: it was less expensive than buying an NACS extension, it was more readily available, and it was the first thing my friends who are electricians recommended.

However, running this option would have put the Mobile Connector in the grass or on the ground, and I was not interested in doing that. Running the risk of having that $300 connector that came with the car in the grass and exposing it to dew, dogs, and various other things just did not seem like the best idea.

I looked around for some NACS to NACS connectors, and there are a lot of options. Given that this was something that was going to plug into a $50,000 car, I chose to spend the additional money on one that was not from Amazon, and I went with this one from A2Z, which was recommended by other owners, and their reputation seemed more than positive. I was leaning toward this option anyway because it would keep the Mobile Connector off the ground, and it gave me an additional 16 feet of length to work with.

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This was the solution.

Putting It Into Action

It was a relatively simple process: Plug the Mobile Connector into my house, plug the NACS to NACS extension into the Mobile Connector, plug the NACS extension into the car. It all worked immediately, but there are some things you should know if you are also planning to do this.

The first is that you should be very aware that these cables are going to be a target of thieves. I don’t have too much of an issue with this in my area, but if you’re in a place where copper wiring is heavily sought after, be sure to keep these in a place where they won’t be stolen. I put mine away when they’re not charging, and at night, they’re visible from my Ring camera, so I’m not overly concerned. Definitely be aware of it, though.

Additionally, if you’re going to run it across the sidewalk like I am, you’re going to want to pick up some sort of cable cover from a local hardware store. I picked up this one from Amazon because it was a little more heavy-duty, and it was big enough to cover the thicker gauge of the NACS to NACS extension:

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I’ve considered picking up a second one for the visible cable, but I am undecided.

So far, I’ve been able to add some range to my car three times using this strategy, and while it is very slow, it is definitely worth it. It’s better than it sitting there stagnant.

Speed of Charging

Tesla says the Mobile Connector will provide you with between 3 and 5 miles of range per hour when plugged into a typical wall outlet. That is about what I’ve gotten with it. From 30 percent to 80 percent, be aware that it will take well over 24 hours to charge your car.

I plan to cover some additional details on this as time goes on, including any troubleshooting I might have to do, how much my electric bill goes up, and whether or not I run into any issues with my neighbors or my leasing office.

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If you’re looking for some help on an at-home charging solution or have any questions about my setup, please email me at joey@teslarati.com.

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Starlink V2 to bring satellite-to-phone service to Deutsche Telekom in Europe

Starlink stated that the system is designed to deliver 5G speeds directly to compatible smartphones in remote areas.

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Credit: Deutsche Telekom/X

Starlink is partnering with Deutsche Telekom to roll out satellite-to-mobile connectivity across Europe, extending coverage to more than 140 million subscribers across 10 countries.

The service, planned for launch in 2028 in several Telekom markets, including Germany, will use Starlink’s next-generation V2 satellites and Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum to enable direct-to-device connectivity.

In a post on X, the official Starlink account stated that the agreement will be the first in Europe to deploy its V2 next-generation satellite-to-mobile technology using new MSS spectrum. The company added that the system is designed to deliver 5G speeds directly to compatible smartphones in remote areas.

Abdu Mudesir, Board Member for Product and Technology at Deutsche Telekom, shared his excitement for the partnership in a press release. “We provide our customers with the best mobile network. And we continue to invest heavily in expanding our infrastructure. At the same time, there are regions where expansion is especially complex due to topographical conditions or official constraints,” he said.

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“We want to ensure reliable connectivity for our customers in those areas as well. That is why we are strategically complementing our network with satellite-to-mobile connectivity. For us, it is clear: connectivity creates security and trust. And we deliver. Everywhere.”

Under the partnership, compatible smartphones will automatically switch to Starlink’s satellite network when terrestrial coverage is unavailable, enabling access to data, voice, video, and messaging services.

Telekom reports 5G geographic coverage approaching 90% in Germany, with LTE exceeding 92% and voice coverage reaching up to 99%. Starlink’s satellite layer is intended to extend connectivity beyond those terrestrial limits, particularly in topographically challenging or infrastructure-constrained areas.

Stephanie Bednarek, VP of Starlink Sales, also shared her thoughts on the partnership. “We’re so pleased to bring reliable satellite-to-mobile connectivity to millions of people across 10 countries in partnership with Deutsche Telekom. This agreement will be the first-of-its-kind in Europe to launch Starlink’s V2 next-generation technology that will expand on data, voice and messaging by providing broadband directly to mobile phones,” she said. 

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Starlink’s V2 constellation is designed to expand bandwidth and capacity compared to its predecessor. If implemented as outlined, the 2028 launch would mark one of the first large-scale European deployments of integrated satellite-to-phone connectivity by a major telecom operator.

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Tesla back on top as Norway’s EV market surges to 98% share in February

Tesla became Norway’s top-selling brand with 1,210 registrations, representing a 16.6% share.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Tesla reclaimed the top spot in Norway’s auto market in February as electric vehicles captured more than 98% of all new car registrations.

The rebound follows a sharp January slump triggered by VAT rule changes, which prompted numerous car buyers to advance their purchases into late 2025.

As per data from the Norwegian Road Traffic Information Council (OFV), 7,127 new electric vehicles were registered in February, representing a 98.01% market share. Fossil-fuel vehicles and hybrids accounted for just 2% of total new registrations.

Total new car registrations reached 7,272 units in February, hinting at a rapid recovery after January sales fell nearly 75% year-over-year following VAT adjustments.

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OFV Director Geir Inge Stokke noted that similar patterns were observed after previous VAT changes in 2022, with demand temporarily weakening before normalizing, as noted in an Allt Om Elbil report. 

“We are now seeing signs that the market is returning to a more normal level of activity, which we also experienced after the VAT change in 2022. At that time, changes in demand led to a weak start to 2023. We have seen the same pattern this year,” he said. 

Amidst this trend, the Tesla Model Y made a strong comeback in the domestic market. After an unusually weak January that saw the Tesla Model Y drop to seventh place, the model returned to the top of Norway’s sales chart in February.

The Model Y recorded 1,073 registrations, giving it a 14.8% market share for the month. Tesla also became Norway’s top-selling brand with 1,210 registrations, representing a 16.6% share. Toyota followed with 941 registrations, while Volkswagen, Volvo, and Skoda rounded out the top five brands.

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The February data suggests that Tesla’s January dip was tied more to timing effects around VAT adjustments than to structural demand shifts. It would then be interesting to see how the rest of the year unfolds for Tesla, particularly as the company pushes for the release of its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system to Europe this year. 

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