News
Tesla partners with automated paint shop company at Giga Berlin
Tesla has partnered with Geico Taikisha for Giga Berlin’s paint shop, and the first machines have arrived on site. Tesla plans to improve its paint quality at Giga Berlin dramatically, and the electric carmaker has recruited Geico Taikisha’s automated machines to help solve the lengthy issues that the company has had with its automotive coatings.
@gigafactory_4 spotted several large machines with Geico Taikisha labels on Twitter. The devices, which are fully automated for efficiency and quality reasons, will aim to revolutionize the way Tesla paints its vehicles at the European production plant.
The partnership was also confirmed by several advertisements that sit outside of the buildings where the paint machines are being stored. The banners dawn both Geico Taikisha and Tesla logos, indicating the two companies are working together for the automaker’s attempt to revamp its paint projects.
Looks like the first machines for #GigaBerlin already arrived! Never heard about Geico Taiki-Sha.
Seems to be an innovative italian coating company.https://t.co/MqpFwWkFMFAny additional information @tobilindh @Gf4Tesla?
Thanks @SimoneCatharin for the hint. pic.twitter.com/pcReYMhNRV
-->
— Giga Berlin / Gigafactory 4 (@gigafactory_4) September 15, 2020
Tesla will likely use the company’s “Smart Paintshop,” based on the fact that the banner displays the logo for that solution.
The Smart Paintshop uses a series of computer-generated designs, along with 4D modeling, to create a high-quality paint application while reducing energy usage.
According to Geico Taikisha’s website, its paintshop solutions are fully customizable and are turnkey systems. The customization gives the client full range control over how the system will operate, and Tesla’s automation goals indicate that the paint shop will be operated by machinery with little human interaction.
-->Additionally, Geico Taikisha’s innovation-focused approach allows the company to increase the technological possibilities that its clients request continually. The customizable systems that give a broad range of options “in order to meet the needs of the most demanding customers in a highly competitive sector,” the company’s website states.
Geico Taikisha’s goals also line up with Tesla’s in terms of sustainability and energy efficiency. The company’s paintshop systems use 70% less energy consumption than competitors and are 30% powered by renewable resources.
The partnership will allow Tesla to increase the quality of its paintshop while also increasing automation.
The electric automaker has stressed that its main focus is to increase production and manufacturing efficiency through innovation. Still, another main focus was to improve the quality of its paint shop.
Elon Musk stated that Giga Berlin would have a world-class paint facility, offering new colors that would change with the curvature of the vehicles produced at the facility.
-->The partnership could lead to these developments, eventually becoming a reality. It is already known that Giga Berlin will offer a new Deep Crimson color, but the improvements to the paintshop have been relatively undisclosed until now.
News
Waymo driverless taxi drives directly into active LAPD standoff
No injuries occurred, and the passengers inside the vehicle were safely transported to their destination, as per a Waymo representative.
A video posted on social media has shown an occupied Waymo driverless taxi driving directly into the middle of an active LAPD standoff in downtown Los Angeles.
As could be seen in the short video, which was initially posted on Instagram by user Alex Choi, a Waymo driverless taxi drove directly into the middle of an active LAPD standoff in downtown Los Angeles.
The driverless taxi made an unprotected left turn despite what appeared to be a red light, briefly entering a police perimeter. At the time, officers seemed to be giving commands to a prone suspect on the ground, who looked quite surprised at the sudden presence of the driverless vehicle.
People on the sidewalk, including the person who was filming the video, could be heard chuckling at the Waymo’s strange behavior.
The Waymo reportedly cleared the area within seconds. No injuries occurred, and the passengers inside the vehicle were safely transported to their destination, as per a Waymo representative. Still, the video spread across social media, with numerous netizens poking fun at the gaffe.
-->Others also pointed out that such a gaffe would have resulted in widespread controversy had the vehicle involved been a Tesla on FSD. Tesla is constantly under scrutiny, with TSLA shorts and similar groups actively trying to put down the company’s FSD program.
A Tesla on FSD or Robotaxi accidentally driving into an active police standoff would likely cause lawsuits, nonstop media coverage, and calls for a worldwide ban, at the least.
This was one of the reasons why even minor traffic infractions committed by the company’s Robotaxis during their initial rollout in Austin received nationwide media attention. This particular Waymo incident, however, will likely not receive as much coverage.
Tesla Model Y demand in China is through the roof, and new delivery dates show the company has already sold out its allocation of the all-electric crossover for 2025.
The Model Y has been the most popular vehicle in the world in both of the last two years, outpacing incredibly popular vehicles like the Toyota RAV 4. In China, the EV market is substantially more saturated, with more competitors than in any other market.
However, Tesla has been kind to the Chinese market, as it has launched trim levels for the Model Y in the country that are not available anywhere else. Demand has been strong for the Model Y in China; it ranks in the top 5 of all EVs in the country, trailing the BYD Seagull, Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, and the Geely Galaxy Xingyuan.
The other three models ahead of the Model Y are priced substantially lower.
Tesla is still dealing with strong demand for the Model Y, and the company is now pushing delivery dates to early 2026, meaning the vehicle is sold out for the year:
NEWS: New orders for all four Tesla Model Y trims in China are now officially sold out for 2025, as the factory’s remaining production capacity for the year has been fully allocated.
Estimated delivery dates for new orders now show January-February 2026. pic.twitter.com/Dfnu7yY58N
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) December 1, 2025
Tesla experienced a 9.9 percent year-over-year rise in its China-made EV sales for November, meaning there is some serious potential for the automaker moving into next year despite increased competition.
There have been a lot of questions surrounding how Tesla would perform globally with more competition, but it seems to have a good grasp of various markets because of its vehicles, its charging infrastructure, and its Full Self-Driving (FSD) suite, which has been expanding to more countries as of late.
Tesla Model Y is still China’s best-selling premium EV through October
Tesla holds a dominating lead in the United States with EV registrations, and performs incredibly well in several European countries.
With demand in China looking strong, it will be interesting to see how the company ends the year in terms of global deliveries.
News
Tesla Europe rolls out FSD ride-alongs in the Netherlands’ holiday campaign
The festive event series comes amid Tesla’s ongoing push for regulatory approval of FSD across Europe.
Tesla Europe has announced that its “Future Holidays” campaign will feature Full Self-Driving (Supervised) ride-along experiences in the Netherlands.
The festive event series comes amid Tesla’s ongoing push for regulatory approval of FSD across Europe.
The Holiday program was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on X. “Come get in the spirit with us. Featuring Caraoke, FSD Supervised ride-along experiences, holiday light shows with our S3XY lineup & more,” the company wrote in its post on X.
Per the program’s official website, fun activities will include Caraoke sessions and light shows with the S3XY vehicle lineup. It appears that Optimus will also be making an appearance at the events. Tesla even noted that the humanoid robot will be in “full party spirit,” so things might indeed be quite fun.
“This season, we’re introducing you to the fun of the future. Register for our holiday events to meet our robots, see if you can spot the Bot to win prizes, and check out our selection of exclusive merchandise and limited-edition gifts. Discover Tesla activities near you and discover what makes the future so festive,” Tesla wrote on its official website.
-->This announcement aligns with Tesla’s accelerating FSD efforts in Europe, where supervised ride-alongs could help demonstrate the tech to regulators and customers. The Netherlands, with its urban traffic and progressive EV policies, could serve as an ideal and valuable testing ground for FSD.
Tesla is currently hard at work pushing for the rollout of FSD to several European countries. Tesla has received approval to operate 19 FSD test vehicles on Spain’s roads, though this number could increase as the program develops. As per the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), Tesla would be able to operate its FSD fleet on any national route across Spain. Recent job openings also hint at Tesla starting FSD tests in Austria. Apart from this, the company is also holding FSD demonstrations in Germany, France, and Italy.
Waymo driverless taxi drives directly into active LAPD standoff
Tesla Model Y demand in China is through the roof, new delivery dates show
