Energy
Tesla celebrates first deliveries in New Zealand with launch party

With red lights casting an alluring glow and enormous paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling, Tesla celebrated its official launch in Auckland, New Zealand by delivering the first Model S and Model X vehicles to their owners at a a special launch event held .
Eight cars were presented to their new owners at the Tesla launch event held at Shed 10 on the waterfront Thursday evening. Honored guests included Minister of Transport Simon Bridges and Minister of Energy and Resources Judith Collins.
Each of the eight new Tesla customers was called onto the stage during the event and handed keys in front of the assembled crowd. The onlookers were comprised of current Tesla owners or those with a Model S sedan or Model X SUV on order. Both of these models were on display at Shed 10. Guests were decked out in suits and evening dresses, and RSVPs, which had been cross-posted on Facebook, exceeded capacity. Some unhappy folks had to be turned away from the much desired event.
Images via Facebook and Stuff.co.nz
Tesla New Zealand is about EVs and energy systems
Tesla New Zealand director Kurt Schlosser welcomed guests by snapping a crowd shot on his cellphone then introducing Tesla as “the world’s first vertically integrated sustainable energy company.” This comment extended the conversation beyond Tesla’s innovative electric car line and helped the crowd to differentiate the Powerwall 2 and Powerpack 2.
- Powerwall 2 is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery designed for households to store solar power and offer emergency backup, load-shifting, and other grid service applications. It has a 14kWh battery pack, liquid thermal control system, inverter, and 24-hour monitoring via a smartphone app.
- Powerpack 2 is for business and utility applications and scalable from 200kWh to over 100MWh applications.
With over 80% of NZ electricity generated by renewables, it makes sense for Tesla to deliver energy storage solutions to local residents. Powerwall has the potential to empower homeowners, support electricity networks, and achieve greater grid autonomy.
In November, 2016, Tesla opened up its online design studio for New Zealanders who wished to purchase a Tesla electric vehicle. They could choose their model and options for Model S and Model X vehicles, with the first vehicles then expected to arrive April-June 2017. The Shed 10 event inspired consumer confidence in Tesla NZ with its earlier-than-expected deliveries.
Many New Zealanders could not wait for Tesla to provide these national sales, however, so they opted to purchase their Teslas abroad and had them shipped home. Not wanting these members of the Tesla family to be made to feel left out of the charged atmosphere, Schlosser included early Tesla adopters in the evening’s remarks. “We want to thank those pioneering customers who bought Tesla from our stores around the world.”
Interested in solar? Get a solar cost estimate and find out how much a solar system would cost for your home or business.
Energy
Tesla Energy is the world’s top global battery storage system provider again
Tesla Energy captured 15% of the battery storage segment’s global market share in 2024.

Tesla Energy held its top position in the global battery energy storage system (BESS) integrator market for the second consecutive year, capturing 15% of global market share in 2024, as per Wood Mackenzie’s latest rankings.
Tesla Energy’s lead, however, is shrinking, as Chinese competitors like Sungrow are steadily increasing their global footprint, particularly in European markets.
Tesla Energy dominates in North America, but its lead is narrowing globally
Tesla Energy retained its leadership in the North American market with a commanding 39% share in 2024. Sungrow, though still ranked second in the region, saw its share drop from 17% to 10%. Powin took third place, even if the company itself filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, as noted in a Solar Power World report.
On the global stage, Tesla Energy’s lead over Sungrow shrank from four points in 2023 to just one in 2024, indicating intensifying competition. Chinese firm CRRC came in third worldwide with an 8% share.
Wood Mackenzie ranked vendors based on MWh shipments with recognized revenue in 2024. According to analyst Kevin Shang, “Competition among established BESS integrators remains incredibly intense. Seven of the top 10 vendors last year struggled to expand their market share, remaining either unchanged or declining.”

Chinese integrators surge in Europe, falter in U.S.
China’s influence on the BESS market continues to grow, with seven of the global top 10 BESS integrators now headquartered in the country. Chinese companies saw a 67% year-over-year increase in European market share, and four of the top 10 BESS vendors in Europe are now based in China. In contrast, Chinese companies’ market share in North America dropped more than 30%, from 23% to 16% amid Tesla Energy’s momentum and the Trump administration’s policies.
Wood Mackenzie noted that success in the global BESS space will hinge on companies’ ability to adapt to divergent regulations and geopolitical headwinds. “The global BESS integrator landscape is becoming increasingly complex, with regional trade policies and geopolitical tensions reshaping competitive dynamics,” Shang noted, pointing to Tesla’s maintained lead and the rapid ascent of Chinese rivals as signs of a shifting industry balance.
“While Tesla maintains its global leadership, the rapid rise of Chinese integrators in Europe and their dominance in emerging markets like the Middle East signals a fundamental shift in the industry. Success will increasingly depend on companies’ ability to navigate diverse regulatory environments, adapt to local market requirements, and maintain competitive cost structures across multiple regions,” the analyst added.
Energy
Tesla inks multi-billion-dollar deal with LG Energy Solution to avoid tariff pressure
Tesla has reportedly secured a sizable partnership with LGES for LFP cells, and there’s an extra positive out of it.

Tesla has reportedly inked a multi-billion-dollar deal with LG Energy Solution in an effort to avoid tariff pressure and domesticate more of its supply chain.
Reuters is reporting that Tesla and LGES, a South Korean battery supplier of the automaker, signed a $4.3 billion deal for energy storage system batteries. The cells are going to be manufactured by LGES at its U.S. factory located in Michigan, the report indicates. The batteries will be the lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, chemistry.
Tesla delivers 384,000 vehicles in Q2 2025, deploys 9.6 GWh in energy storage
It is a move Tesla is making to avoid buying cells and parts from overseas as the Trump White House continues to use tariffs to prioritize domestic manufacturing.
LGES announced earlier today that it had signed a $4.3 billion contract to supply LFP cells over three years to a company, but it did not identify the customer, nor did the company state whether the batteries would be used in automotive or energy storage applications.
The deal is advantageous for both companies. Tesla is going to alleviate its reliance on battery cells that are built out of the country, so it’s going to be able to take some financial pressure off itself.
For LGES, the company has reported that it has experienced slowed demand for its cells in terms of automotive applications. It planned to offset this demand lag with more projects involving the cells in energy storage projects. This has been helped by the need for these systems at data centers used for AI.
During the Q1 Earnings Call, Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja confirmed that the company’s energy division had been impacted by the need to source cells from China-based suppliers. He went on to say that the company would work on “securing additional supply chain from non-China-based suppliers.”
It seems as if Tesla has managed to secure some of this needed domestic supply chain.
Energy
Tesla Shanghai Megafactory produces 1,000th Megapack for export to Europe
The Shanghai Megafactory was able to hit this milestone less than six months after it started producing the Megapack.

Tesla Energy has announced a fresh milestone for its newest Megapack factory. As per the electric vehicle maker, the Shanghai Megafactory has successfully produced its 1,000th Megapack battery.
The facility was able to hit this milestone less than six months after it started producing the grid-scale battery system.
New Tesla Megapack Milestone
As per Tesla Asia in a post on its official accounts on social media platform X, the 1,000th Megapack unit that was produced at the Shanghai Megafactory would be exported to Europe. As noted in a CNEV Post report, Tesla’s energy products are currently deployed in over 65 countries and regions globally. This allows Tesla Energy to compete in energy markets that are both emerging and mature.
To commemorate the 1,000th Megapack produced at the Shanghai Megafactory, the Tesla China team posted with the grid-scale battery with celebratory balloons that spelled “Megapack 1000.” The milestone was celebrated by Tesla enthusiasts on social media, especially since the Shanghai Megafactory only started its operations earlier this year.
Quick Megafactory Ramp
The Shanghai Megafactory, similar to Tesla’s other key facilities in China, was constructed quickly. The facility started its construction on May 23, 2024, and it was hailed as Tesla’s first entry storage project outside the United States. Less than a year later, on February 11, 2025, the Shanghai Megafactory officially started producing Megapack batteries. And by March 21, 2025, Tesla China noted that it had shipped the first batch of Megapack batteries from the Shanghai plant to foreign markets.
While the Shanghai Megafactory is still not at the same level of output as Tesla’s Lathrop Megafactory, which produces about 10,000 Megapacks per year, its ramp seems to be quite steady and quick. It would then not be surprising if Tesla China announces the Shanghai Megafactory’s 2,000th Megapack milestone in the coming months.
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla hints a smaller pickup truck could be on the way
-
Elon Musk1 day ago
Elon Musk confirms Tesla AI6 chip is Project Dojo’s successor
-
News2 weeks ago
Elon Musk highlights Tesla Model Y’s most underrated feature
-
Lifestyle2 weeks ago
Tesla brings perhaps the coolest interior feature to cars in latest update
-
News2 weeks ago
Tesla’s new affordable Model Y details teased in new sighting
-
Elon Musk2 weeks ago
Tesla exec gives big update on Roadster, confirming recent rumor
-
Investor's Corner2 weeks ago
Elon Musk shares details on Tesla AI6 production deal with Samsung
-
Elon Musk5 days ago
Tesla ‘activist shareholders’ sue company and Elon Musk for Robotaxi rollout