Connect with us
tesla giga texas roof tesla giga texas roof

News

Tesla construction workers at Giga Texas claim unsafe conditions, unpaid wages

Photo Credit: Tesla (from Q2 2022 shareholder deck)

Published

on

Tesla Giga Texas construction workers plan to file a complaint with the Department of Labor on Tuesday, claiming they were forced to work in unsafe conditions and still have unpaid wages dating back to last Thanksgiving.

At the site, various whistleblowers claim labor, employment, and wage violations while working at Tesla’s production facility located just outside Austin.

Construction workers at the site state that subcontractors falsified necessary credentials and did not require workers to complete job training that would inform them of health, safety, and workers’ rights.

Workers also stated they were forced to work in unsafe conditions with flooded floors and exposed wiring, with one worker telling his wife, “I am going to die in this factory.”

“Every day, there was a safety issue,” one worker told The Guardian, who initially reported the story.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, others that have worked on the site claim they have been victims of wage theft and haven’t received adjusted paychecks for working through last Thanksgiving while being away from their families. Workers expected double-pay bonuses for working the holiday but say they have not received this compensation almost a year later.

While the subcontractors allegedly skipped necessary job training and other measures to ensure workers were prepared, workers feel as if Tesla, the owner of the entire project, should have been more involved in workers’ rights. A staff attorney for the Workers Defense Project, a non-profit helping the workers said the automaker “didn’t seem — interested in using their power to ensure everyone was able to go home at the end of the day without injuries.”

Unfortunately, this is not the first time Tesla has experienced claims of mistreatment at its factories. Over the past several years, Tesla has fended off numerous lawsuits related to workplace conditions.

The company’s production facility in Fremont, California, has been linked to racial abuse claims. Fremont has also had numerous OSHA violations related to record-keeping. From 2014 to 2018, Tesla had three times as many OSHA violations as the ten largest U.S. auto manufacturing facilities combined, The Drive reported.

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.

Advertisement

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

Advertisement
Comments

Elon Musk

Analyst: Elon Musk’s $1 trillion Tesla pay deal modest against robot market potential

Jonas highlighted Tesla’s longer-term ambitions in robotics as a key factor in his assessment.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas, one of Wall Street’s most ardent Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) bulls today, has described Elon Musk’s newly proposed $1 trillion performance-based compensation package as a “good deal” for investors. 

In a note shared this week, Jonas argued that the package helps align the interests of Musk and Tesla’s minority shareholders, despite its shockingly high headline number.

Future market opportunities

Jonas highlighted Tesla’s longer-term ambitions in robotics as a key factor in his assessment. “Yes, a trillion bucks is a big number, but (it) is rather modest compared to the size of the market opportunity,” Jonas wrote. He added that the humanoid robot market could ultimately surpass the size of today’s global labor market “by a significant multiple.”

“We have entertained scenarios where the humanoid robot market can exceed the size of today’s global labor market… by a significant multiple,” Jonas wrote, as shared on X by Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt.

The analyst likened the arrival of AI-powered robotics to the transformative effect of electricity, noting that “contemplating future global GDP before AI robots is like contemplating global GDP before electricity.” The Morgan Stanley analyst’s insights align with the idea that as much as 80% of Tesla’s future valuation could be tied to its Optimus humanoid robot program.

Advertisement

Elon Musk’s pay package

Tesla’s board has tied Elon Musk’s proposed compensation package to some of the most ambitious targets in corporate history. The 2025 CEO Performance Award requires the automaker’s valuation to soar from roughly $1.1 trillion today to $8.5 trillion over the next decade, a level that would make Tesla the most valuable company in existence.

The plan also demands a leap in Tesla’s operating profit, from $17 billion in 2024 to $400 billion annually. It also ties the CEO’s compensation to a number of product milestones, including the delivery of 20 million vehicles in total, 10 million active Full Self-Driving subscriptions, 1 million Tesla Bots, and 1 million Robotaxis in operation. Tesla’s board emphasized that Musk’s leadership was fundamental to achieving such ambitious goals, with Chair Robyn Denholm noting the award would align the CEO’s incentives with long-term shareholder value.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla China posts strongest registrations of Q3 so far with first Model Y L deliveries

Tesla posted 14,300 insurance registrations in China during the week of September 1–7.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla China

Tesla posted 14,300 insurance registrations in China during the week of September 1–7, a 14.4% increase from the previous week’s 12,500 units. 

The figure marks Tesla’s highest weekly performance so far this quarter so far, despite the company’s year-over-year figures still being below 2024’s numbers.

Weekly registrations

The week’s registrations broke down to 5,000 Model 3s and 8,400 Model Ys, including the first 900 units of the newly launched Model Y L variant, as per estimates from industry watchers. On a quarterly basis, Tesla China is tracking 41.3% growth compared to the previous quarter, which bodes well for the company’s results this Q3 2025.

For the month of August, Tesla sold 57,152 vehicles in China, down 9.93% from the same period in 2024 but up 40.7% from July’s 40,617 units, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). Year-to-date, Tesla’s China sales are 7.2% lower compared to the previous year.

Model Y L first deliveries

The week ending September 7 was the first week that included the newly released Model Y L, a six-seat extended wheelbase version of the company’s best-selling all-electric crossover. Industry watchers estimate that last week, the first 900 units of the Model Y L have been registered, though this number is expected to increase in the coming weeks as deliveries of the vehicle hit their pace.

Advertisement

Citing information from a Tesla store in Beijing, Chinese media outlet Cailianshe stated that the Model Y L has been seeing a lot of interest among car buyers. “(The Model Y L) is selling very well. Since its launch, 120,000 orders have been received, with nearly 10,000 orders placed every day. The first batch of customers began receiving deliveries in the past two days,” a Tesla representative stated.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla launches MultiPass to simplify charging at non-Tesla stations

With the new service, Tesla owners can activate charging either through the Tesla app or by using their existing Tesla key card.

Published

on

tesla nacs charger
(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla has introduced MultiPass, a new feature that allows owners to use their Tesla account to charge at non-Tesla charging stations. 

The service launched this week in the Netherlands, giving drivers the ability to find chargers, start sessions, and view charging history directly within the Tesla app.

Streamlining third-party charging

With MultiPass, Tesla owners can activate charging either through the Tesla app or by using their existing Tesla key card. This eliminates the need for separate accounts or additional cards from third-party networks. Tesla Charging highlighted the convenience of managing charging sessions in one location in a post on X, while Max de Zegher, Tesla’s Director of Charging for North America, emphasized that the update removes unnecessary friction.

“Nobody likes creating more accounts with payment details and passwords. For charging, this can even mean needing a third-party charging card mailed to your house. Starting in the Netherlands today, your Tesla App and your existing (!) Tesla keycard can start charging at third-party chargers. We’ll expand this to more countries quickly if customers love it. To make ownership effortless, the Tesla App should really be the only thing you need,” the Tesla executive wrote in a post on X.

Third-party payments and a familiar name

Tesla owners could pay for their third-party charging session with their Tesla accounts, as per the electric vehicle maker on its official website. Payments are drafted from users’ default payment method in the Tesla App, though charging costs will still vary depending on the third-party charger that is used.

Advertisement

Interestingly, the MultiPass name also echoes a pop culture reference. In the 1997 sci-fi film The Fifth Element, Leeloo Dallas-505 carried a futuristic “Multipass” smart card that functioned as her ID, passport, and ticket to space travel. Her accented repetition of “Multipass!” became one of the film’s most memorable lines, and it highlighted the card’s all-in-one convenience.

Tesla has not provided a timeline for Multipass’ U.S. rollout, though the service could become an important addition to the growing but often fragmented landscape of DC fast charging.

Continue Reading

Trending