News
New Panasonic CEO talks Tesla battery partnership and 4680 cell production
New Panasonic President and Chief Executive Officer Yuki Kusumi is taking over a leaner version of the 103-year-old Japanese conglomerate. Thanks to the efforts of his predecessor, Kazuhiro Tsuga, who spent almost nine years optimizing Panasonic by letting go of struggling businesses like Plasma TVs, Kusumi could now take the reins of a company that is ready to face the future. This means that Panasonic would be doubling down on its electric car battery business, headlined by its partnership with the world’s premier EV maker, Tesla.
Tesla and Panasonic’s joint operations in Gigafactory Nevada have had their own fair share of challenges, with the automaker putting pressure on its Japanese partner to produce more batteries for its vehicles. Over the years, Panasonic has been pushed frequently by Tesla to produce more batteries, particularly as the demand for the Model 3 hit its pace. With this experience in mind, the new Panasonic CEO noted that moving forward, the Japanese battery maker would be focusing its efforts on raising its output while keeping facility costs low.
“It doesn’t matter how much you want to grow sales or increase profit if you don’t have the capacity to do so. Within our new structure, we’re going to polish this ability, and if you stay tuned, we’ll invest again in building supply capacity,” Kusumi noted.
For now, Panasonic is looking to set up a prototype production line to test 4680 battery cells. The 4680 format was highlighted last year by Tesla during its Battery Day event, and it was framed as a possible catalyst for more affordable electric vehicles. Kusumi stated that if Panasonic could produce the high-quality 4680 cells more efficiently than its rivals, it would be making a “large investment” in the technology. It may also supply the batteries to both Tesla and other automakers.
When asked by Bloomberg about its electric vehicle business, the new Panasonic CEO explained that EV batteries are central to the company’s growth strategy for the coming years. He also noted that Panasonic would work to refine its battery manufacturing techniques to keep itself competitive, despite the emergence of aggressive competitors from South Korea and China.
“(The) battery unit will be one of the central segments of our energy business. We believe it’ll contribute to the environment, and we intend to see it grow further. Competition within the industry is quite fierce, but the battery business is making extremely large facility investments. It’s important to work with manufacturing techniques to efficiently produce batteries in low cost facilities.
“Refining this ability along with further investments will give us the competitiveness to grow further. With the next generation of batteries, we aim to grow by not only producing high-quality batteries but also by making the production procedure more efficient and competitive while improving the competitiveness of our manufacturing. We’ll continue to challenge ourselves and grow,” Kusumi said.
Watch Bloomberg‘s interview with new Panasonic CEO Yuki Kusumi in the video below.
(Quotes from the article courtesy of Bloomberg.)
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Tesla has officially launched its first branded Supercharger just months after initiating a new program that allows third-party companies to brand their own charging piles.
The site opened in Land O’ Lakes, Florida, and features eight V4 Supercharging stalls offering up to 325 kW of charging speed. It appears it was purchased by a company called Suncoast Credit Union. This particular branch is located Northeast of Tampa, which is on the Gulf of Mexico.
It features graphics of Florida animals, like alligators:
Here’s a video of the graphics being installed on the Tesla Superchargers at this site: https://t.co/oIfEPNZjAH pic.twitter.com/ENWakZ2qT9
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 20, 2025
Tesla launched this program back in September, and it basically was a way to expand its Supercharger presence and also allow companies to pay for the infrastructure. Tesla maintains it. When it announced the “Supercharger for Business,” it said:
“Purchase and install Superchargers at your business. Superchargers are compatible with all electric vehicles, bringing EV drivers to your business by offering convenient, reliable charging.”
The program does a few things. Initially, it expands EV charging infrastructure and makes charging solutions more readily available for drivers. It can also attract people to those businesses specifically.
Tesla launches new Supercharger program that business owners will love
The chargers can also be branded with any logo that the business chooses, which makes them more personalized and also acts as an advertisement.
The best part is that the customers do not have to maintain anything about the Supercharger. Tesla still takes care of it and resolves any issues:
“We treat your site like we treat our sites. By providing you with a full-service package that includes network operations, preventative maintenance, and driver support, we’re able to guarantee 97% uptime–the highest in the industry.”
It appears the Superchargers will also appear within the in-car nav during routing, so they’ll be publicly available to anyone who needs to use them. They are still available to all EVs that have worked with Tesla to utilize its infrastructure, and they are not restricted to people who are only visiting the business.
Tesla has revealed its Cybertruck light bar installation fix after a recall exposed a serious issue with the accessory.
Tesla and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated a recall of 6,197 Cybertrucks back in October to resolve an issue with the Cybertruck light bar accessory. It was an issue with the adhesive that was provided by a Romanian company called Hella Romania S.R.L.
Tesla recalls 6,197 Cybertrucks for light bar adhesive issue
The issue was with the primer quality, as the recall report from the NHTSA had stated the light bar had “inadvertently attached to the windshield using the incorrect surface primer.”
Instead of trying to adhere the light bar to the Cybertruck with an adhesive, Tesla is now going to attach it with a bracketing system, which will physically mount it to the vehicle instead of relying on adhesive strips or glue.
Tesla outlines this in its new Service Bulletin, labeled SB-25-90-001, (spotted by Not a Tesla App) where it shows the light bar will be remounted more securely:
The entire process will take a few hours, but it can be completed by the Mobile Service techs, so if you have a Cybertruck that needs a light bar adjustment, it can be done without taking the vehicle to the Service Center for repair.
However, the repair will only happen if there is no delamination or damage present; then Tesla could “retrofit the service-installed optional off-road light bar accessory with a positive mechanical attachment.”
The company said it would repair the light bar at no charge to customers. The light bar issue was one that did not result in any accidents or injuries, according to the NHTSA’s report.
This was the third recall on Cybertruck this year, as one was highlighted in March for exterior trim panels detaching during operation. Another had to do with front parking lights being too bright, which was fixed with an Over-the-Air update last month.
News
Tesla is already expanding its Rental program aggressively
The program has already launched in a handful of locations, specifically, it has been confined to California for now. However, it does not seem like Tesla has any interest in keeping it restricted to the Golden State.
Tesla is looking to expand its Rental Program aggressively, just weeks after the program was first spotted on its Careers website.
Earlier this month, we reported on Tesla’s intention to launch a crazy new Rental program with cheap daily rates, which would give people in various locations the opportunity to borrow a vehicle in the company’s lineup with some outrageous perks.
Along with the cheap rates that start at about $60 per day, Tesla also provides free Full Self-Driving operation and free Supercharging for the duration of the rental. There are also no limits on mileage or charging, but the terms do not allow the renter to leave the state from which they are renting.
🚨🚨 If you look up details on the Tesla Rental program on Google, you’ll see a bunch of sites saying it’s because of decreasing demand 🤣 pic.twitter.com/WlSQrDJhMg
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 10, 2025
The program has already launched in a handful of locations, specifically, it has been confined to California for now. However, it does not seem like Tesla has any interest in keeping it restricted to the Golden State.
Job postings from Tesla now show it is planning to launch the Rental program in at least three new states: Texas, Tennessee, and Massachusetts.
The jobs specifically are listed as a Rental Readiness Specialist, which lists the following job description:
“The Tesla Rental Program is looking for a Rental Readiness Specialist to work on one of the most progressive vehicle brands in the world. The Rental Readiness Specialist is a key contributor to the Tesla experience by coordinating the receipt of incoming new and used vehicle inventory. This position is responsible for fleet/lot management, movement of vehicles, vehicle readiness, rental invoicing, and customer hand-off. Candidates must have a high level of accountability, and personal satisfaction in doing a great job.”
It also says that those who take the position will have to charge and clean the cars, work with clients on scheduling pickups and drop-offs, and prepare the paperwork necessary to initiate the rental.
The establishment of a Rental program is big for Tesla because it not only gives people the opportunity to experience the vehicles, but it is also a new way to rent a car.
Just as the Tesla purchasing process is more streamlined and more efficient than the traditional car-buying experience, it seems this could be less painful and a new way to borrow a car for a trip instead of using your own.
Tesla launches its new branded Supercharger for Business with first active station
Tesla reveals its Cybertruck light bar installation fix
