Tesla China cleared the air regarding rumors of 4680 battery cells being used in vehicles built at the company’s Gigafactory Shanghai facility. According to the post, rumors have indicated that China-built Tesla vehicles are equipping the company’s 4680 cell chemistry, which was unveiled two years ago at Battery Day.
“In order to protect the interests of consumers, and in response to the special action of relevant departments to rectify rumors on the Internet, the following explanations are made in response to several recent rumors about Tesla China on the Internet,” Tesla’s Customer Support account wrote on Weibo yesterday.
It makes two points, the first being that no Tesla vehicles built in China use 4680 cells. “No matter what kind of battery is used, the products we provide to customers can meet Tesla’s strict product requirements and well meet vehicle performance indicators such as safety, battery life, and acceleration,” the account then wrote.
Additionally, the company clarified that “recent hype by some individuals…about Tesla ‘is about to change its model’” is a rumor that “deliberately misleads consumers.” Tesla then said that it would encourage people to point them in the direction of those who are starting these rumors so they can be held responsible.
“At the same time, prospective car owners are requested to pay attention to the changes in the delivery cycle and arrange the pick-up time reasonably,” the company also said. “Vehicles produced at Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory are usually exported to overseas markets in the first half of each quarter and supplied to the domestic market in the second half.”
The second part of that quote was revealed by CEO Elon Musk over a year ago as Gigafactory Shanghai was supplying Europe with cars as Gigafactory Berlin completed construction.
Elon Musk explains Tesla’s local and export strategy for factories like Giga Shanghai
Tesla has dealt with major misinformation campaigns against it in China for several years. After dealing with numerous fabricated stories, including several that put into question the effectiveness of Tesla’s braking systems, the company started suing those who made up stories about their vehicles failing.
For now, 4680 battery cells are being utilized for Model Y builds at Gigafactory Texas. Suppliers such as Panasonic have already started sending test samples of the cell to Tesla as they will eventually begin producing the battery for the electric automaker. Tesla produces the batteries in-house in California, but plans to begin manufacturing the cells at Gigafactory Texas by the end of this quarter.
Tesla China’s Weibo post was written as follows:
“In order to protect the interests of consumers, and in response to the special action of relevant departments to rectify rumors on the Internet, the following explanations are made in response to several recent rumors about Tesla China on the Internet:
1. Tesla models made in China currently do not use 4680 batteries in Plans for any new model batteries within. No matter what kind of battery is used, the products we provide to customers can meet Tesla’s strict product requirements and well meet vehicle performance indicators such as safety, battery life, and acceleration.
2. The recent hype by some individuals and self-media about “Tesla is about to change its model” is completely a rumor that deliberately misleads consumers. I hope everyone can provide us with clues, and we will hold the rumour-mongers accountable.
At the same time, prospective car owners are requested to pay attention to the changes in the delivery cycle and arrange the pick-up time reasonably. Vehicles produced at Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory are usually exported to overseas markets in the first half of each quarter and supplied to the domestic market in the second half.
We are very grateful that so many users choose Tesla because of their trust and love. We will continue to strive to provide customers with excellent products and user experience! Thanks again for your attention!”
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.
News
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.
The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.
According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.
The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring.
This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.
The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.
ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.
“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.
“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.
News
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.
Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.
Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.
Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error.
More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report.
Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.
Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.
Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.
“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s X goes down as users report major outage Friday morning
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Elon Musk’s X experienced an outage Friday morning, leaving large numbers of users unable to access the social media platform.
Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.
Downdetector reports
Users attempting to open X were met with messages such as “Something went wrong. Try reloading,” often followed by an endless spinning icon that prevented access, according to a report from Variety. Downdetector data showed that reports of problems surged rapidly throughout the morning.
As of 10:52 a.m. ET, more than 100,000 users had reported issues with X. The data indicated that 56% of complaints were tied to the mobile app, while 33% were related to the website and roughly 10% cited server connection problems. The disruption appeared to begin around 10:10 a.m. ET, briefly eased around 10:35 a.m., and then returned minutes later.
Previous disruptions
Friday’s outage was not an isolated incident. X has experienced multiple high-profile service interruptions over the past two years. In November, tens of thousands of users reported widespread errors, including “Internal server error / Error code 500” messages. Cloudflare-related error messages were also reported.
In March 2025, the platform endured several brief outages spanning roughly 45 minutes, with more than 21,000 reports in the U.S. and 10,800 in the U.K., according to Downdetector. Earlier disruptions included an outage in August 2024 and impairments to key platform features in July 2023.
Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025
Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade
