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Tesla battery supplier Panasonic pondering additional 4680 investment in Kansas: report

Image used with permission for Teslarati. (Credit: Tom Cross)

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Tesla battery supplier Panasonic is reportedly considering an additional investment in Kansas. This potential expansion, reportedly known internally as Phase 3, would reportedly involve the buildout of new battery production lines. The main customer for the additional output would reportedly be Tesla, whose Giga Nevada facility is a joint venture with Panasonic.  

Citing a person reportedly familiar with the matter, Nikkei Asia noted that the scale of the additional investment would be similar in size to Panasonic’s current De Soto plant, which is costing the company about $4 billion to construct. One of the publication’s sources claimed, however, that the plan is still in its early stages, at least for now. “No final decision has been made,” Nikkei’s source noted, though a decision on Phase 3 is expected by the end of the year.

The publication’s sources have noted that Panasonic would likely utilize the additional capacity to make 4680 cells, which are expected to feature an energy capacity that’s about five times greater than conventional 2170 cells. Panasonic is not alone in ramping 4680 cell production, as Tesla itself and competitors such as LG Energy Solution are also developing 4680 batteries.  

Panasonic’s potential expansion of its Kansas operations comes at a rather interesting time. Previous reports have claimed that Panasonic had already spent a notable portion of its initial investment budget for the De Soto site due to the United States’ construction costs. Despite this, Mitsutaka Fujita, a researcher at Techno Systems Research, noted that Panasonic’s plan seems to suggest a steady demand from Tesla. 

The analyst noted that Tesla is “making a decent profit, even after its price cuts.” This should give Tesla an edge over conventional automakers, especially those that still rely on conventional combustion-powered cars and hybrids to even out the losses from their electric vehicle business. Fujita also noted that Tesla is likely pushing to get more 4680 batteries from suppliers, considering the delays in the company’s own 4680 efforts and the ramp of new vehicles like the Cybertruck, Tesla Semi, and the next-generation Roadster. 

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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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“Tesla Takedown” movement plans 500 protests in 277 stores, Superchargers

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) stated that March 29 is her birthday, and “all I want to see happen on my birthday is for Elon to be taken down.”

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Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

The “Tesla Takedown” group is aiming to hold its “biggest day of action” in over 277 Tesla stores, as well as Supercharger stations.

During a mass call on Wednesday, organizers, filmmakers, members of Congress, and other key individuals banded together to call for a mass demonstration against the electric vehicle maker this coming March 29, as noted in a report from The Verge.

Tesla Takedown

The Tesla Takedown movement emerged from critics’ opposition to Elon Musk’s increasingly political nature, his close relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump, and his work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is aimed at cutting unnecessary government spending and waste. Members of the Tesla Takedown movement have targeted the EV maker since a notable portion of Musk’s net worth is tied to his Tesla holdings.

Unfortunately, protests against the electric vehicle maker and Musk have become increasingly violent, with Tesla stores being shot up and vehicles being burned in acts of arson. Supercharger stations have also been targeted in arson attacks. Tesla owners’ vehicles have been vandalized and set on fire as well.

Amidst these attacks, Trump has noted that he considers such actions as domestic terrorism. Attorney General Pam Bondi has also noted that those behind the arson and vandalism against Teslas will be caught and persecuted.

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LFG! #teslatakedown GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION March 29Every showroom in America500+ around the worldLet's send these techno-fascists, broligarchs and old fashioned Nazis a message loud and clear. NO WAYPlan an action or find one near you: teslatakedown.com— #TeslaTakedown (@teslatakedown.com) 2025-03-20T01:48:34.522Z

“No Conspiracy,” but Still Wishing For Musk Takedown

During the hour-long call, actor and filmmaker Alex Winter, who promoted the Tesla Takedown movement on BlueSky, stated that there is no conspiracy to take down the electric vehicle maker. “There is no conspiracy, there is no well-funded cabal. It’s just Elon Musk who has taken Tesla down,” he said.

Alice Hu, executive director of Planet Over Profit, noted that protesters are looking to hold over 500 events across the world on March 29, with 277 Tesla stores expected to see demonstrations. She also stated that protesters should feel free to demonstrate at Supercharger stations. 

“We need to show Elon that he can throw a tantrum online because his stocks are tanking. He can get Trump to put on a humiliating used car show in front of the White House. These wannabe authoritarians can try to intimidate us from exercising our First Amendment rights, but they can’t stop us from fighting back,” Hu said.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) called for participants to fight, though she was quick to state that protests should be nonviolent. “The things that we’re fighting for, we are fighting for our country. We’re fighting for democracy. We’re fighting for our freedoms. And when I say fighting, I’m saying that figuratively. Obviously, everything that I am promoting is nonviolent,” she said. Interestingly enough, Crockett also stated that March 29 is her birthday, and “all I want to see happen on my birthday is for Elon to be taken down.”

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Elon Musk confirms two measures Tesla is taking to fight vandalism

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced two measures the company is taking to fight the vandalism that is going on at showrooms across the country as vehicles and even structures have been lit on fire, spray painted, or damaged by various means by those who oppose him or the automaker.

As attacks against Tesla owners and even the company directly continue to occur across the country, people have been wondering what the company will do to fight back. After President Trump and other members of the administration stated that attacks against the company would be treated as domestic terrorism, many thought things would cool down.

However, things have only intensified. Although several of the perpetrators have been arrested and are facing consequences, it seems the severity of the attacks has only gotten worse. Things like Molotov cocktails have been employed by protestors to show their distaste for the company.

Now, Musk is detailing several things Tesla is doing at its showrooms in hopes of ending everything that has gone on and persisted due to the resistance from those who oppose the automaker.

Musk says that Tesla is now ramping up security at its showrooms and is now using Sentry Mode on all vehicles to help catch perpetrators in the act.

We have seen security beef up in several high-profile locations, including Tesla’s Las Vegas location on Sahara Blvd., where Las Vegas Metro Police were spotted yesterday keeping things under control:

Additionally, Sentry Mode has already done a great job of catching several perpetrators in the act, like this one who was recently caught, arrested, and now faces up to 18 months in jail for keying a swastika in a Tesla:

Hopefully, these two measures can eliminate most of the issues Tesla has had at its showrooms. If not, there will likely be follow-up measures utilized by Tesla in hopes of ending this senseless vandalism.

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Tesla Giga Berlin ramping to optimum production capacity: plant manager

The plant manaher noted that the company has no plans to downsize Gigafactory Berlin’s staff.

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Credit: Tesla Manufacturing/X

Tesla Gigafactory Berlin is roaring back to life, shrugging off a brutal 76% sales dip in February and the ongoing controversies surrounding CEO Elon Musk’s politics.

As per factory manager André Thierig, Giga Berlin is currently aiming to return to its optimal production output, which was throttled when the plant shifted to the new Model Y. Thierig’s comments were related to German publication Der Tagesspiegel

Return to Production

The Giga Berlin plant manager noted that the facility is ready to ramp its production of the new Tesla Model Y. Last year, the factory produced about 1,000 vehicles per day. Efforts are now underway to return Model Y production to these levels.

Interestingly enough, the plant manager also noted that Giga Berlin only has 3,200 vehicles– about three days’ worth of last year’s production–in its warehouse. This suggests that current demand for the revamped all-electric crossover is quite healthy. 

No Slowdowns

While Tesla has seen its sales dip in Germany in the past couple of months, Thierig noted that the company has no plans to downsize Gigafactory Berlin’s staff. He also highlighted that Gigafactory Berlin does not just provide vehicles to Germany—it also supplies the Model Y to dozens of territories, as noted in a CarUp report.

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“There are no plans for production stops, staff reductions or downsizing. We have switched production from our previous model to the new Model Y, it takes time. We do not manufacture vehicles in bulk… We not only manufacture vehicles for the German market, but also for 37 other markets, both within and outside the EU,” the plant manager noted.

No Politics

Tesla is a lightning rod in Germany today, and so is CEO Elon Musk, but it is undeniable that Giga Berlin’s 11,000 jobs make it one of Brandenburg’s biggest economic contributors. Thierig, for his part, has highlighted that Giga Berlin is focused on producing cars, not entering political discourse. “We build cars and have never made any political statements,” the plant manager stated.

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