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Tesla looks to expand in-house insurance initiative to European markets

(Photo: Andres GE)

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Tesla is currently looking for several insurance professionals in the United Kingdom and Germany, in what appears to be the initial preparations for an eventual ramp of the company’s insurance program to regions beyond the United States.

The Careers page on Tesla’s website displayed several new listings that showed the company seeking Underwriting and Insurance Product Program Managers. Tesla is searching for Program Managers in Insurance Product and Underwriting in both London, England, and Brandenburg, Berlin, Germany. The German market is also looking for a Program Manager for Insurance Pricing Actuary and Data.

The listings were posted on May 27.

Tesla’s job listings in Brandenburg come as the company began the foundation process of its Giga Berlin production facility. Construction crews have been working diligently to prepare the land in Brandenburg since the first days of 2020. With the property completely excavated and preliminary permits received, foundational work for the company’s first European production facility can officially begin.

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Tesla does not have a production facility in the UK yet. However, rumors have circulated throughout the EV community that the automaker could be interested in a plot of land in England. With the company seeking insurance professionals in the same country as its Giga Berlin facility, speculation also suggests that there may be some truth to rumors of Tesla coming into the UK.

For now, Tesla’s insurance program remains exclusive to California drivers, which makes its international job postings quite interesting. Considering the program is yet to make it outside of the company’s home state, the international job listings seem to hint that a more serious ramp of the service to other countries.

Tesla launched its in-house insurance service in August 2019, aiming to slash the rates owners were experiencing with traditional providers. The company stated that owners could expect rates that were 20-30% lower than what they were currently paying.

One of the main reasons Tesla can offer lower rates than competitors is due to the simple fact that the company knows its vehicles down to the most specific details. Tesla could leverage the advanced technology, safety, and serviceability of (its) cars to provide insurance at a lower cost. The pricing of Tesla insurance also takes the company’s generous array of safety features into account, providing additional discounts for buyers.

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Recently, Tesla offered a retroactive credit to customers of the insurance program in April amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “To help support our customers during these uncertain times, Tesla Insurance Services is providing you with a 20% credit for your March and April auto insurance payments,” Tesla wrote in an e-mail to insurance customers.

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

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Tesla launches Cybertruck vehicle-to-grid program in Texas

The initiative was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has launched a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) program in Texas, allowing eligible Cybertruck owners to send energy back to the grid during high-demand events and receive compensation on their utility bills. 

The initiative, dubbed Powershare Grid Support, was announced by the official Tesla Energy account on social media platform X.

Texas’ Cybertruck V2G program

In its post on X, Tesla Energy confirmed that vehicle-to-grid functionality is “coming soon,” starting with select Texas markets. Under the new Powershare Grid Support program, owners of the Cybertruck equipped with Powershare home backup hardware can opt in through the Tesla app and participate in short-notice grid stress events.

During these events, the Cybertruck automatically discharges excess energy back to the grid, supporting local utilities such as CenterPoint Energy and Oncor. In return, participants receive compensation in the form of bill credits. Tesla noted that the program is currently invitation-only as part of an early adopter rollout.

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The launch builds on the Cybertruck’s existing Powershare capability, which allows the vehicle to provide up to 11.5 kW of power for home backup. Tesla added that the program is expected to expand to California next, with eligibility tied to utilities such as PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E.

Powershare Grid Support

To participate in Texas, Cybertruck owners must live in areas served by CenterPoint Energy or Oncor, have Powershare equipment installed, enroll in the Tesla Electric Drive plan, and opt in through the Tesla app. Once enrolled, vehicles would be able to contribute power during high-demand events, helping stabilize the grid.

Tesla noted that events may occur with little notice, so participants are encouraged to keep their Cybertrucks plugged in when at home and to manage their discharge limits based on personal needs. Compensation varies depending on the electricity plan, similar to how Powerwall owners in some regions have earned substantial credits by participating in Virtual Power Plant (VPP) programs.

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Samsung nears Tesla AI chip ramp with early approval at TX factory

This marks a key step towards the tech giant’s production of Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chips in the United States.

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Image used with permission for Teslarati. (Credit: Tom Cross)

Samsung has received temporary approval to begin limited operations at its semiconductor plant in Taylor, Texas.

This marks a key step towards the tech giant’s production of Tesla’s next-generation AI5 chips in the United States.

Samsung clears early operations hurdle

As noted in a report from Korea JoongAng Daily, Samsung Electronics has secured temporary certificates of occupancy (TCOs) for a portion of its semiconductor facility in Taylor. This should allow the facility to start operations ahead of full completion later this year.

City officials confirmed that approximately 88,000 square feet of Samsung’s Fab 1 building has received temporary approval, with additional areas expected to follow. The overall timeline for permitting the remaining sections has not yet been finalized.

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Samsung’s Taylor facility is expected to manufacture Tesla’s AI5 chips once mass production begins in the second half of the year. The facility is also expected to produce Tesla’s upcoming AI6 chips. 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently stated that the design for AI5 is nearly complete, and the development of AI6 is already underway. Musk has previously outlined an aggressive roadmap targeting nine-month design cycles for successive generations of its AI chips.

Samsung’s U.S. expansion

Construction at the Taylor site remains on schedule. Reports indicate Samsung plans to begin testing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment next month, a critical step for producing advanced 2-nanometer semiconductors.

Samsung is expected to complete 6 million square feet of floor space at the site by the end of this year, with an additional 1 million square feet planned by 2028. The full campus spans more than 1,200 acres.

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Beyond Tesla, Samsung Foundry is also pursuing additional U.S. customers as demand for AI and high-performance computing chips accelerates. Company executives have stated that Samsung is looking to achieve more than 130% growth in 2-nanometer chip orders this year.

One of Samsung’s biggest rivals, TSMC, is also looking to expand its footprint in the United States, with reports suggesting that the company is considering expanding its Arizona facility to as many as 11 total plants. TSMC is also expected to produce Tesla’s AI5 chips. 

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Anti-Tesla union leader ditches X, urges use of Threads instead

Tesla Sweden and IF Metall have been engaged in a bitter dispute for over two years now. 

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UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Marie Nilsson, chair of Sweden’s IF Metall union and a prominent critic of Tesla, has left X and is urging audiences to follow the union on Meta’s Threads instead.

Tesla Sweden and IF Metall have been engaged in a bitter dispute for over two years now. 

Anti-Tesla union leader exits X

In a comment to Dagens Arbete (DA), Nilsson noted that her exit from X is not formally tied to IF Metall’s long-running labor dispute with Tesla Sweden. Still, she stated that her departure is affected by changes to the platform under Elon Musk’s leadership.

“We have stayed because many journalists pick up news there. But as more and more people have left X, we have felt that the standard has now been reached on that platform,” she said. 

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Jesper Pettersson, press officer at IF Metall, highlighted that the union’s departure from X is only indirectly linked to Tesla Sweden and Elon Musk. “Indirectly it does, since there is a lot of evidence that his ownership has caused the change in the platform to be so significant. 

“We have nevertheless assessed that the platform had value for reaching journalists, politicians and other opinion leaders. But it is a microscopic proportion of the public and our members who are there, and now that value has decreased,” Petterson added.

IF Metall sees Threads as an X alternative

After leaving X, IF Metall has begun using Threads, Meta’s alternative to the social media platform. The union described the move as experimental, noting that it is still evaluating how effective the platform will be for outreach and visibility.

Pettersson acknowledged that Meta also does not operate under Sweden’s collective bargaining model, but said the union sees little alternative if it wants to remain visible online.

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“In a perfect world, all large international companies would be supporters of the Swedish model when they come here. But unfortunately, the reality is not like that. If we are to be visible at all in this social media world, we have to play by the rules of the game. The alternative would be to become completely invisible, and that would not benefit our members,” he said. 

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