

News
Tesla Giga Berlin will reportedly expand by 30 percent to make way for future operations
Tesla is reportedly planning to expand operations at Gigafactory Berlin in Germany. New reports suggest the automaker will make a massive purchase of 100 additional hectares of land near its production facility, known as Gigafactory Berlin, in Grünheide. Tesla plans to use the new land for a freight station and storage purposes while keeping other areas on the property free as it could expand manufacturing operations in the future.
Tesla currently owns nearly 300 hectares of land in Germany where the Gigafactory Berlin plant currently stands. However, reports from German media outlet rbb24 now indicate that Tesla has plans to purchase an additional 100 hectares on the site, which would expand operations at the facility.
According to the report, Tesla wants to keep vacant land that it already owns on the Giga Berlin property free so that it can expand manufacturing operations later on. The additional 100 hectares that the automaker could purchase would be used for storage and a possible freight station for material transport.
RBB24 said in its report that “official circles” have been discussing the potential expansion of Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin property ownership. The site would be located east of the Tesla factory between the RE1 railway line and the L23 and L38 state roads, the report suggests.
The price for the additional 100 hectares of land Tesla intends to purchase is currently unclear. However, Tesla received an unbelievable deal for the 300-hectare property it obtained that now houses the Gigafactory Berlin production plant. Tesla paid just €40.91 million, or $45.48 million, or about €13.52 per square meter for the property located in Grünheide. This was significantly less than what Tesla paid in Shanghai, which was slightly more than $140 million for just 86.5 hectares.
Like Giga Berlin, the purchase and planning of the site will have to be approved by the Municipality of Grünheide, which could discourage some investors who were up to date on the bureaucratic processes Germany offered to Tesla. Gigafactory Berlin was delayed several times due to red tape, which eventually subsided and Tesla was able to begin operations in early 2022. Tesla reportedly wants to propose to the community representatives to begin taking initial steps in June. All authorities, including the water association Strausberg-Erkner, have to approve Tesla’s plans.
Construction could begin as soon as June 2023 at the earliest, the report concludes. There is the potential for a lot of discussion for the project as the site still is in a water protection area. Pine forest is currently growing on the land as well, and Tesla will likely have to replace the fallen timber, a project it promised to complete during Giga Berlin’s first phases by returning the trees three-fold.
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News
Tesla robotaxi test details shared in recent report: 300 operators, safety tests, and more
Tesla has launched an initial robotaxi service for its employees in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area.

During the Q1 2025 earnings call, Tesla executives reiterated the idea that the company will be launching a dedicated robotaxi service using its Full Self Driving (FSD) Unsupervised system this coming June.
A recent report from Insider, citing people reportedly familiar with the matter, has now provided a number of details about the preparations that Tesla has been making as it approaches its June target date.
Remote Operators
As noted by the publication, about 300 test operators have been driving through Austin city streets over the past few months using Teslas equipped with self-driving software. These efforts are reportedly part of “Project Rodeo.” Citing test drivers who are reportedly part of the program, Insider noted that Tesla’s tests involve accumulating critical miles. Test drivers are reportedly assigned to specific test routes, which include “critical” tracks where drivers are encouraged to avoid manual interventions, and “adversarial” tracks, which simulate tricky scenarios.
Tesla has launched an initial robotaxi service for its employees in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area, though the vehicles only operate in limited areas. The vehicles also use safety drivers for now. However, Tesla has reportedly had discussions about using remote operators as safety drivers when the service goes live for consumers. Some test drivers have been moved into remote operator roles for this purpose, the publication’s sources claimed.
While Tesla is focusing on Austin and San Francisco for now, the company is reportedly also deploying test drivers in other key cities. These include Atlanta, GA, New York, NY, Seattle, WA, and Phoenix, AZ.
Safety Tests
Tesla reportedly held training events with local first responders as part of its preparations for its robotaxi service, Insider claimed, citing documents that it had obtained. As per the publication, Tesla had met with the city’s autonomous vehicle task force, which include members of the Austin Fire Department, back in December.
Back in March, Tesla reportedly participated in about six hours of testing with local first responders, which included members of the fire department and the police, at a close test track. Around 60 drivers and vehicles were reportedly used in the test to simulate real-world traffic scenarios.
Interestingly enough, a spokesperson from the Austin Police Department stated that Tesla did hold a testing day with emergency responders from Austin, Williamson County, as well as the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Reported Deadlines
While Tesla has been pretty open about its robotaxi service launching in Austin this June, the company is reportedly pursuing an aggressive June 1 deadline, at least internally. During meetings with Elon Musk, VP of AI software Ashok Elluswamy’s team reportedly informed the CEO that the company is on track to hit its internal deadline.
One of Insider’s sources, however, noted that the June 1 deadline is more aspirational or motivational. “A June 1 deadline makes a June 30 launch more likely,” the publication’s source noted.
News
Atty who refused to charge six-time Tesla vandal sparks controversy
Despite the multiple offenses, Moriarty opted to enter Adams into an adult diversion program instead.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who made the decision not to charge 33-year-old vandal Dylan Bryan Adams after he keyed six Teslas around Minneapolis last month, has found herself in the middle of controversy.
The controversy came amidst her decision to press charges against a 19-year-old first-time vandal who keyed one vehicle at the White Castle in Brooklyn Park.
The Tesla Vandal
Moriarty’s decision not to charge Adams after he keyed six Teslas was met with widespread criticism. Adams’ actions resulted in more than $20,000 worth of damages, more than $10,000 of which was to a single vehicle, as noted in a New York Post report. Yet despite the multiple offenses, Moriarty opted to enter Adams into an adult diversion program instead.
The fact that Adams is a state employee who works for the Department of Human Services as a program consultant triggered allegations that his dismissal might be partly influenced by Gov. Tim Walz. Walz is a staunch critic of Musk, previously stating that the falling price of TSLA stock gives him a “boost” in the morning.
As noted in a report from The Minnesota Star Tribune, Moriarty’s decision was so controversial that she was asked about the matter on Wednesday. In response, the attorney argued that her office made the decision outside of any political consideration. “We try to make decisions without really looking at the political consequences. Can we always predict how a story will be portrayed in the media or what people will say? No,” Moriarty stated.
Actually Charged
As noted by the Tribune, Moriarty has made arguments around the fact that Adams was a first-time offender, even if he opted to deface six separate Teslas. But even this argument has become controversial since Moriarty recently charged a 19-year-old Robbinsdale woman with no criminal record with first-degree felony property damage after she allegedly keyed a co-worker’s car. The damage incurred by the 19-year-old woman was $7,000, substantially less than the over $20,000 damage that Adams’ actions have caused.
Cases surrounding felony first-degree property damage are fairly common, though they require the damage to be over $1,000. The 19-year-old’s damage to her co-worker’s car met this threshold. Adams’ damage to the six Teslas he vandalized also met this requirement.
When Moriarty was asked about her seemingly conflicting decisions, she noted that her office’s primary goal was to hold the person accountable for keying the vehicle and get restitution to the people affected. She also noted that her office tries to avoid convictions when possible since they could affect a person’s life. “Should we have treated this gentleman differently because it’s a political issue? We made this decision because it is in the best interest of public safety,” she noted.
News
Tesla faces emission credits tax in Washington state
House Bill 2077 taxes emissions credits, mainly hitting Tesla. Lawmakers expect $100M/year from the taxes.

Washington state lawmakers are advancing a bill that would tax Tesla’s emission credits, targeting profits under the state’s clean vehicle policy. Lawmakers who support the bill clarify that the Tesla credit tax is unrelated to Elon Musk.
HB 2077, introduced in mid-April, seeks to impose a 2% tax on emission credit sales and a 10% tax on banked credits. The bill primarily affects Tesla due to exemptions for companies with fewer credits.
In 2022, Washington’s Department of Ecology mandated that all new cars sold by 2035 be electric, hydrogen-fueled, or hybrids, with 35% compliance required by next year. Carmakers selling more gas-powered vehicles can buy credits from companies like Tesla, which sells only electric vehicles.
A legislative fiscal analysis projects taxes on those credits would generate $78 million in the 2025-27 biennium and $100 million annually thereafter. About 70% of the taxes will be allocated to the state’s general funds, and the rest will help expand electric car infrastructure.
HB 2077 passed the state House eight days after its introduction and awaits a Senate Ways and Means Committee vote on Friday. At a House Finance Committee hearing, supporters, including union and social service advocates, argued the tax would prevent cuts to state services.
House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon emphasized its necessity amid frozen federal EV infrastructure funds. “We didn’t have a budget crisis until this year. And we didn’t have the federal government revoking huge amounts of federal dollars for EV infrastructure,” he said.
Tesla’s lobbyist, Jeff Gombosky, countered that the proposal “runs counter to the intent” of the state’s zero-emission policy. Rivian’s lobbyist, Troy Nichols, noted a “modest” impact on his company but warned it could undermine the EV mandate. Kate White Tudor of the Natural Resources Defense Council expressed concerns, stating, “We worry it sets a dubious precedent.”
Fitzgibbon defended the tax, noting Tesla’s dominant credit stockpile makes it “one outlier” that is “very profitable.” “That’s the kind of thing legislators take an interest in,” he said. “Is it serving the interest of the public for this asset to be untaxed?”
With the legislative session nearing its end, the bill remains a key focus in budget talks in Washington.
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