The first all-electric trucks from new car companies and veteran automakers are yet to start consumer deliveries, but this has not stopped truckmaker Nikola from throwing some good old-fashioned shade at one of its competitors. In comments during its inaugural quarterly earnings call, CEO Mark Russell stated that part of the reason behind the company’s decision to release the Nikola Badger pickup is due to the Cybertruck’s “doorstop” appearance.
According to the CEO, Nikola actually did not have plans to produce a zero-emissions pickup a year ago. The company had a concept for a pickup truck, but it did not really intend to do anything with it. That is, at least, until Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck. And as it turned out, the Cybertruck’s looks just happened to be very, very polarizing.
“A year ago we didn’t believe we would be building a pickup truck. We had built several off-road vehicle prototypes and had a concept for a pickup truck. We didn’t intend to do anything with it until we saw the Cybertruck. A lot of people didn’t like the look of the Cybertruck, including me. I think it looks like a doorstop, but they got lots of reservations for it, so more power to them,” Russell said.
That being said, pickup trucks like the Badger will likely be more of a sideline business for Nikola due to the company’s focus on zero-emissions long-haulers like the all-electric Nikola Tre and the hydrogen-powered Nikola Two. Nevertheless, Russell remarked that Nikola is currently close to naming its designated manufacturing partner for the Badger, and that an announcement on the topic will likely be held before the end of the year.
Interestingly enough, Nikola founder Trevor Milton actually offered the Badger’s design to Tesla CEO Elon Musk following the Cybertruck’s unveiling last November. In a post on Twitter, Milton noted that he would be happy to donate Nikola’s pickup design if Tesla wishes to hit a broader market. But after over 89,000 people signed up online for more information about Nikola’s zero-emissions pickup, Russell explained that the company opted to move forward with the vehicle’s production and release.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been pretty transparent with the Cybertruck’s design, noting even before the vehicle’s unveiling that the all-electric pickup will not be for everyone. In a recent interview with Automotive News, Musk remarked that if the Cybertruck would end up failing, Tesla would simply make a more conventional all-electric pickup. “If it turns out nobody wants to buy a weird-looking truck, we’ll build a normal truck, no problem,” Musk said.
The Tesla Cybertruck is currently available for a refundable $100 deposit. Nikola, on the other hand, is currently offering reservations for the Badger that range from $250 to $5,000 each. Reservations for the Badger started on June 29, 2020, though the CEO did not disclose how many reservations it has received to date. For his part, Russell stated that he is looking forward to competing with the Tesla Cybertruck in the pickup truck market. “We’re trying to get the whole world to zero” emissions. It’s gonna take more than us so we cheer (Musk) on. But a lot of people didn’t like the look of that thing,” the CEO said.
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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.