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Tesla 62-stall Supercharger project in Santa Monica isn’t dead yet

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4 years ago

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Santa Monica, California City Councilmembers are still interested in Tesla’s 62-stall V3 Supercharger project. Apparently, there is still hope that the project could eventually happen in the future as long as the time and property availability line up with what would be Tesla’s largest V3 Supercharger station in the world.

After Tesla proposed a 62-stall V3 Supercharger site in Santa Monica in early March, the Santa Monica City Council voted 5-2 to approve the site that would bring the automaker’s fastest chargers to the coastal town located in Los Angeles. Santa Monica would officially become the home of the world’s largest V3 Supercharging lot, and LA-based owners were ecstatic regarding the possibilities. Along with the Superchargers, a small lounge would also be available for owners to use the restroom or hang out for a few minutes while their electric car gained some range.

However, just a few days after the site’s approval, the Santa Monica City Council met once again. They scrapped the project in favor of an Emergency Interim Zoning Ordinance that prioritized housing instead of electric vehicle chargers. The ordinance would temporarily reserve any available commercial property for potential housing development, including apartments and condominiums. The ordinance would last between 45 days and two years, depending on an extension process.

Tesla’s largest V3 Supercharger facility is coming to Santa Monica

Now, City Councilmembers indicate that Tesla could still open up the project eventually as long as the scenario is right. Councilmember Kevin McKeown said (via Santa Monica Daily Press):

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 I’ve already been working with City staff to see if we can get Tesla and the property owner to come back with such a project.”

Unfortunately for Tesla, the timing of the proposal was just off. There wasn’t really much that the automaker could do, especially as housing and reducing displacement remains a priority to the Santa Monica City Council. There are not enough housing options in the Santa Monica area. To prevent displacement of families living in currently-built complexes, the City Council decided that new buildings were the best option. Therefore, Tesla’s project took an unfortunate backseat to make way for new housing opportunities.

The proposed Supercharger location is a perfect location for new, appealing apartment complexes, McKeown added. “The Tesla site is at the intersection of major bus routes, with two bus stops, one on the boulevard and one on 14th Street. And while EV charging is a laudable amenity, one I have championed over the years, it could be done in a mixed-use format that provides housing as well,” the Councilmember said. “If we’d exempted their existing proposal from the temporary commercial-only moratorium, we might instead have had to swap into our Housing Element Suitable Sites Inventory other parcels where residents live currently. I’d prefer to both protect current residents from redevelopment of their homes for what would likely be less-affordable housing, albeit more of it, and provide EV charging in a format that makes wiser use of scarce land in a crucial location.”

Tesla employee Noelani Derrickson petitioned to have Tesla’s Supercharger project exempted from the Emergency Ordinance. Derrickson said Tesla has been working closely with the Santa Monica planning staff for over six months, highlighting the advantages a Supercharger station would have in the location that was proposed. The councilmember said, “Tesla has been working closely with Santa Monica planning staff for over half a year now on a Tesla electric vehicle fast-charging station that includes solar energy and battery storage within the mid-city neighborhood.”

Derrickson’s argument persuaded the fellow Councilmembers to unanimously vote on a temporary hold for commercial projects like Tesla’s Supercharging station and other automotive dealerships. This alone proves that the Supercharging facility may not be dead after all. It just may come a tad later than expected.

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Cybertruck

Tesla clears the air on Cybertruck ‘deactivation’ video that is obviously fake

Tesla has cleared the air on the viral video, stating it is fake.

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6 hours ago

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August 11, 2025

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Credit: Cybertruck | X

Tesla has cleared the air regarding a video that has been circulating, where the owner claims his Cybertruck was “deactivated” by the company while he was driving.

The video was shared on X and showed a driver pulled over on the side of the road, claiming his Cybertruck had been deactivated by Tesla in the middle of traffic. It is very obviously fake to those who know the company, but these kinds of things have a tendency to pick up steam.

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The video shows a screen that says:

“Tesla Cybertruck De-Activated. Critical Issue Detected | Contact Customer Service, Comply with Cease & Desist to Re-Activate. Update Failed, Return to Dealer.”

The same person who posted the video also shared an image of what appears to be a Cease and Desist letter from Tesla, but it is also likely fake:

The company finally responded to the video on Monday afternoon, stating that the video is, in fact, fake, reiterating that it will not disable vehicles remotely for any reason.

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It is a shame that these types of things happen, especially as people are prone to believe anything they see on the internet. As there is so much misinformation circulating surrounding Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk, it is no surprise that someone would leverage the situation for their own benefit.

If that Cease and Desist letter is not real, perhaps the next one might be. These types of things can truly cause damage to a company’s reputation, and someone getting an idea that Tesla would remotely deactivate a car could prevent them from buying one.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk is stepping up for Tesla Service in a big way

Elon Musk has stepped up to resolve a handful of customer issues regarding vehicle service.

Published

8 hours ago

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August 11, 2025

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tesla service
Credit: Tesla

Elon Musk is stepping up to help customers in a big way, especially when they are having issues with Tesla’s Service.

Perhaps one of the biggest advantages Tesla owners have is access to Musk through X, his social media platform. Over the years, we’ve seen Tesla add features, refine its cars’ performance, and more, all through asking Musk directly through a post.

Now, Musk is stepping up in another way by resolving a few Service complaints that customers had.

The first occurred last week when a recall on a Tesla battery was not honored by Service. The company sought $30,000 for a replacement and labor, which was not right. Musk responded that he would personally investigate the matter. The vehicle was fixed at no cost as it was a recall, and was ready for pickup the next day.

It also revealed a new strategy Tesla is using to combat service communication issues:

Tesla creates clever solution to simplify and improve its Service

The next occurred with a Cybertruck owner who was in Japan. Their car was parked at an airport in the U.S. and had lost a vast majority of its state of charge, leaving them just fifty miles of range at the time.

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Musk reached out to the owner and said Service will take care of the car and will investigate the cause of the battery drain:

There are not too many companies out there where the CEO will get involved with individual issues like these. It’s pretty exclusive to Tesla, as Musk has commonly stepped up to resolve complaints with vehicles or to confront features that some owners might find useful.

Service has been a weak point of the company for some time, but it has worked to refine and resolve customer complaints by building more Service Centers across the world that can handle these issues.

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Elon Musk

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirms Robotaxi is opening to the public: here’s when

Anyone will be able to request a Tesla Robotaxi in September, Elon Musk said this morning.

Published

10 hours ago

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August 11, 2025

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that the company’s Robotaxi platform is opening to the public, and he even gave a timeline for when anyone will be able to access one for a ride.

Tesla’s Robotaxi platform launched to a small group on June 22 in Austin, Texas. The company has continued to expand the number of riders and its geofence over the past month and a half.

Tesla officially launches Robotaxi service with no driver

Additionally, it launched rides in the Bay Area of California, but it differs slightly, as the Texas Robotaxi platform does not utilize a Safety Monitor in the driver’s seat. In California, the monitor sits in the driver’s seat.

As the geofence, service areas, and testing populations expand, Tesla fans are awaiting their elusive emails that enable their ability to use the Robotaxi platform. It now seems that the email will come soon, as Musk said Tesla will open up public access to Robotaxi next month:

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Tesla has been prioritizing safety over anything else with the launch of the Robotaxi platform, which is why it has been slow to push invitations to new riders. It is confident in the abilities of the platform and its Full Self-Driving suite, which has been proven with data.

However, even a single accident could set Tesla back years in terms of its development of self-driving cars. It is not a risk it is willing to take.

Musk said during the recent Q2 Earnings Call:

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“We need to make sure it works when the vehicles are fully under our control. It’s kind of one step at a time here. We don’t want to jump the gun. As I said, we’re being paranoid about safety. But I guess next year is I’d say confidently next year. I’m not sure when next year, but confidently next year, people would be able to add or subtract their car to the Tesla, Inc. fleet.”

As the platform will expand in Austin and the Bay Area for anyone, Tesla still continues to reiterate that Robotaxi will be available for everyone sometime next year, as Musk said in the quote above.

Things will continue to improve over time, and Tesla will likely expand its geofence in both regions in the coming weeks. It has already done that in Austin twice, with about a doubling in size occurring both times.

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