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Tesla Gigafactory 4 protestors in focus following recent “Forest Walk” demonstration
A spokesperson from the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) of Brandenburg has responded to concerns that arose from protests on January 12 at the future site of Tesla Gigafactory 4.
The “Forest Walk” was comprised of around 50 citizens of Grünheide who opposed Tesla’s presence in the German town. Those who attended the protest felt they were not given enough recognition in the decision to allow Tesla to build a production plant in a local forest, a decision they feel could have negative environmental implications.
@GF4Tesla on Twitter was able to reach members of NABU to ask what they felt about the protests. Spokesperson Friedhelm Schmitz-Jersch says that he feels it is important for local citizens to be recognized and involved in the project.
Schmitz-Jersch also stated his organization has been involved in the planning of Gigafactory 4 since its announcement in November 2019. They are currently examining documents including Tesla’s Environmental Impact Report that was released earlier this month. This document clarified Tesla’s plans to protect the wildlife that calls the 300-hectare property “home.”
Met the ' State Board of NABU Brandenburg ' (Nature Conservation Association)
" to involve the citizens in the project is very important "
"No groundwater is taken from the factory site "
NABU is examining the documents and was already involved in the procedure in Nov. 2019. pic.twitter.com/g5bHpt0HR2— Gigafactory Berlin News (@Gf4Tesla) January 15, 2020
Tesla has stated that they will have the initial process of removing trees from the site finished by February 27 to comply with the bird breeding season that begins on March 1.
One of the issues the protesters were most vocal about had to do with groundwater at the site and local drinking water. To alleviate difficulties that arise from trying to build a structure on wet ground, Tesla believes this issue could be relieved with the addition of an underground water pump. However, the protestors claim this may dry the area up too much and could make it prone to wildfires in the dryer seasons of the year.
Grünheide residents and Tesla alike have already experienced multiple issues with the amount of drinking water in the area. Before Tesla chose the area as its preferred location for Gigafactory 4, residents of the town were already experiencing a drought of clean drinking water. They claim that Tesla’s presence in the area could make this issue worse. “If a huge consumer is now added by Tesla, it will be even more difficult,” protestor Steffen Schorcht stated.
Tesla has already taken multiple steps to secure drinking water for each of its three construction phases. The company has recognized that they will need to obtain clean water from an outside source as production ramps up to the eventual goal of 500,000 cars a year. The amount of water currently in Grünheide is simply not enough to supply its employees with an appropriate amount of clean water for drinking.
Tesla plans to have the factory up and running by July 2021. While this small group of citizens has voiced their discontent with the factory, German politicians have recognized the positives that Tesla will bring to the country’s economy. German Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier has stated that if Tesla were to not be present in Germany, it could be a detrimental decision that would negatively affect all of Germany.
Tesla Cybercab is using a unique strategy for picking up the correct rider, which is a crucial part of ride-hailing to ensure people end up in the right place and are charged the correct price.
Cybercab will utilize an RGB strip in its front light bar that will illuminate in a variety of different colors to mark itself.
This identifying mark will also appear in the Robotaxi app, giving riders in the same location a notable distinction in an effort to avoid any confusion regarding who should get in each vehicle.
🚨 Tesla is using different light bar colors to help riders understand which vehicle is theirs
Pretty cool strategy pic.twitter.com/eGMpEMeRpc
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 27, 2026
Other ride-hailing services use similar strategies: Lyft and Uber rides are recognizable through driver identity, vehicle type and color, as well as license plate. Waymo will display the rider’s initials on top of the vehicle, letting them know that the specific vehicle for them has arrived.
Tesla’s strategy is unique and interesting, but there are some flaws. Cybercab’s main purpose is aimed toward being an autonomous ride for all, including those who have disabilities like being blind or even color blind.
Tesla will likely have something in the pipeline for those who cannot see colors or have limited vision. There will definitely be multiple ways to identify which vehicle is the one that “you” specifically ordered.
Cybercab is set to start giving public rides next Thursday, September 3, in Austin, as it announced a dedicated event last week and invited many members of the Tesla community.
Additionally, members of the public will be invited as well. Tesla has been offering employee rides in Cybercab for nearly two months.
Tesla has said goodbye to one customization option for its vehicles: the wrap service it launched several years ago.
After launching an in-house wrap service in August 2020 for the first time in China. In the U.S., it launched in October 2023. Tesla continued to expand the program and adjust it with better pricing and fewer options for the Cybertruck.
By December 2023, it was giving owners of the Model 3, Model Y, and the Cybertruck the opportunity to give their vehicle a fresh look with a vinyl wrap.
Tesla revamps in-house vinyl wrap service with better pricing
It was only available in five locations: Costa Mesa, Oceanside, Santa Clara, West Covina, all in California, and Seattle, Washington.
However, Tesla made some big adjustments to its shop, and the wrap service is officially gone:
Tesla has made a LOT of changes to its online shop recently — price increases, price cuts, new options, and several products being removed entirely.
Some of the biggest increases are wheel covers. 👀
📈 PRICE INCREASES
• 2017-2023 | Model 3 Aero Wheel Cover — Style: Refresh…— Phoenix Self-Driving 🐦🔥 (@PhoenixFSD) August 25, 2026
Wraps are very popular across the Tesla lineup, especially since the company offers relatively few colors. Many choose to wrap their Teslas with interesting colors, patterns, or even finishes, turning their cars from glossy to satin or matte.
However, Tesla’s wrap service was so limited geographically that it never really had a chance to get off the ground or compete with local shops. Every area in the United States is now overflowing with detailing shops, mobile detailers, and other automotive specialists, many of whom perform wrap services.
Tesla’s service was confined to the Pacific time zone and only spanned across two states. It was never going to be something Tesla was a major competitor in, nor was it going to disrupt the wrapping industry. Now that the program has ended, it seems pretty ideal to believe it was always going to be a short-term thing.
Along with the wrap service, Tesla removed several other products, but nothing too crazy. The Model 3 Door Pocket and Cupholder Liners, the Model S 19″ Magnetite Wheel and Winter Tire Package, Model X/Y Ski/Snowboard Carrier for Hitch Rack, Tesla’s Electric Summer Party Tee, and the Electric Summer Tee were the other items the company totally eliminated from its online shop.
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Tesla Robotaxi fleet gets a brain upgrade ahead of Cybercab launch event
Tesla’s Robotaxi service now runs longer hours nationwide as its unsupervised fleet quietly grows larger.
Tesla’s Robotaxi service just got easier to catch, with the company’s official Robotaxi account noting that rides are now available from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week, across its operating footprint. The account also said its unsupervised fleet is “a lot bigger” than before, though without specifics. The bigger change is what Tesla says upgraded intelligence in vehicle distribution and routing is what’s actually cutting wait times, not a new Full Self-Driving version.
While Tesla did not name the team behind the upgrade, the language points to its AI and fleet software group rather than the driving stack itself. Vehicle distribution and routing in Robotaxi has functioned mostly as a dispatch problem with the software deciding which idle car goes to which rider, and how far it has to travel to get there. “Upgraded intelligence” suggests a smarter version of that dispatch logic, likely using demand forecasting to position idle cars near where riders are about to request them rather than reacting once a request comes in. Tesla’s AI division has built similar prediction systems for other parts of the business, including the neural networks that power FSD itself, so applying that same approach to fleet logistics would be a natural extension rather than a new discipline for the team.
Robotaxi now runs 6am to 10pm, 7 days/week
Unsupervised fleet is a lot bigger
Also, upgraded intelligence in vehicle distribution & routing means you wait less pic.twitter.com/UFZ4bqg2dZ
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) August 26, 2026
Tesla is also about a week away from a separate robotaxi milestone. The company plans to launch Cybercab, its purpose built two seat robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals, in Austin on September 3. Cybercab has been giving employees rides on public and private roads for weeks, and the September event is expected to fold those vehicles into the existing Robotaxi fleet within days of the launch.
Thank you so much @Tesla for inviting us to the Cybercab launch in Austin! 🤠 pic.twitter.com/F1rAR8zd5O
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 22, 2026
Austin previously ran Robotaxi from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. as of last September, a schedule set before the service expanded into Dallas, Houston, Miami, Tampa, Orlando and the Bay Area. Wednesday’s post did not specify whether that extended overnight window still applies in Austin specifically or whether 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. is now the standard across every market. Tesla’s post, visible on its official Robotaxi account, framed the change simply as fewer riders waiting around for a car.
Whether the wider hours hold once Cybercab enters the fleet next week is the next thing worth watching. Tesla has tended to expand Robotaxi in increments, first geofence, then hours, then fleet size, and each step so far has arrived without much advance notice.
Tesla Cybercab uses a unique strategy for picking up the right rider
Tesla ends in-house wrap service that always seemed like a short-term program
