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Tesla opens new Los Angeles delivery center with lot full of Model 3

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Roughly a month after we reported that Tesla has signed a lease agreement to occupy a massive 131,000 square-feet facility near the seaside town of Marina Del Rey in Southern California, the company has officially opened the doors to its newest customer delivery center in Los Angeles.

A large banner adorned by the company name is seen affixed to a fence just outside of the main entry gate on 4755 Alla Road. Also present is an illuminated “TESLA” wall sign attached to the southeast corner of the building. Documents filed on September 19, 2017 with the Los Angeles Department of City Planning identified Tesla as the company seeking a permit for the 24-feet long sign.

 

By comparison to one month ago when the facility was completely empty, the building’s expansive parking lot that can support upwards of 400 parked vehicles was holding a fleet of Model 3 on Thursday. Few people were seen at the facility, with only a handful of Tesla service staff spotted cleaning and prepping Model S and Model X vehicles awaiting customer deliveries.

A private gate located at the north end of the building leads to several loading docks, as well as a holding lot where approximately a dozen Model 3, several Model S and a handful of Model X were parked outside.

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Metal ramps painted in the company’s ubiquitous red color were seen leading to a relatively empty interior space with no walls. A few vehicles were seen stationed on oversized mats that were presumably awaiting customer pickup. We expect the center to eventually have partitioned interior spaces aimed at delivering a more personalized customer experience.

As the company pushes to meet quarterly delivery numbers down the road, with a large portion of its customer base and deliveries in Southern California, Tesla’s Marina Del Rey facility will bring much needed relief to an already overcrowded Centinela location.

The new facility near Silicon Beach will serve mainly as a vehicle delivery and customer pickup center, while the company’s nearby Centinela location, that once served double-duty as a delivery and service center, will mainly operate as a service facility and parts warehouse.

Tesla has begun delivering Model 3 vehicles to customers earlier this month. The company expects to reach volume production of 5,000 Model 3 vehicles per week by the end of the first quarter in 2018.

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Tesla Los Angeles-Centinela facility once served as a service center and customer delivery center

 

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Swedish union rep pissed that Tesla is working around a postal blockade they started

Tesla Sweden is now using dozens of private residences as a way to obtain license plates for its vehicles.

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Andrzej Otrębski, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Two years into their postal blockade, Swedish unions are outraged that Tesla is still able to provide its customers’ vehicles with valid plates through various clever workarounds. 

Seko chairman Gabriella Lavecchia called it “embarrassing” that the world’s largest EV maker, owned by CEO Elon Musk, refuses to simply roll over and accept the unions’ demands.

Unions shocked Tesla won’t just roll over and surrender

The postal unions’ blockade began in November 2023 when Seko and IF Metall-linked unions stopped all mail to Tesla sites to force a collective agreement. License plates for Tesla vehicles instantly became the perfect pressure point, as noted in a Dagens Arbete report.

Tesla responded by implementing initiatives to work around the blockades. A recent investigation from Arbetet revealed that Tesla Sweden is now using dozens of private residences, including one employee’s parents’ house in Trångsund and a customer-relations staffer’s home in Vårby, as a way to obtain license plates for its vehicles.

Seko chairman Gabriella Lavecchia is not pleased that Tesla Sweden is working around the unions’ efforts yet again. “It is embarrassing that one of the world’s largest car companies, owned by one of the world’s richest people, has sunk this low,” she told the outlet. “Unfortunately, it is completely frivolous that such a large company conducts business in this way.”

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Two years on and plates are still being received

The Swedish Transport Agency has confirmed Tesla is still using several different workarounds to overcome the unions’ blockades.

As noted by DA, Tesla Sweden previously used different addresses to receive its license plates. At one point, the electric vehicle maker used addresses for car care shops. Tesla Sweden reportedly used this strategy in Östermalm in Stockholm, as well as in Norrköping and Gothenburg.

Another strategy that Tesla Sweden reportedly implemented involved replacement plates being ordered by private individuals when vehicles change hands from Tesla to car buyers. There have also been cases where the police have reportedly issued temporary plates to Tesla vehicles.

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Czech Deputy excited for Tesla FSD, hints at Transport Committee review

The ANO party lawmaker shared his thoughts about FSD in a post on social media platform X.

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Credit: @BLKMDL3/X

Martin Kolovratník, a Czech Republic Chamber of Deputies member, has expressed his excitement for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) after an apparent constituent called for a quick approval for the advanced safety system.

The ANO party lawmaker, who drives both diesel and EV, shared his thoughts about the matter in a post on social media platform X.

The official’s initial statements

Kolovratník kicked off the exchange with a post outlining his coalition’s efforts to scrap highway toll exemptions for electric vehicles and plug-ins starting in 2027. 

“Times have changed. Electric vehicles are no longer a fringe technology, but a full-fledged part of operations. And if someone uses the highway network, they should follow the same rules as everyone else. That’s the basis of fairness,” he wrote.

He emphasized equity over ideology, noting his personal mix of diesel and electric driving. “For this reason, there is no reason to continue favoring one technology at the expense of another… It’s not about ideology, it’s about equal conditions. That’s why we clearly agreed within the new coalition: the exemption for electric vehicles and plug-ins will end in 2027. The decision is predictable, understandable, and economically sound.”

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Tesla FSD enthusiasm

The conversation pivoted to Tesla’s FSD when X user @robotinreallife, who seems to be one of the official’s constituents, replied that other matters are more important than ending highway exemptions for EVs. 

“I’m happy to pay for the highway, but I have a question about a much more fundamental matter: The Netherlands will approve the operation of Tesla FSD in February 26, a technology that has been proven to reduce accidents. The Czech Republic has the option to immediately recognize this certification. Do you plan to support this step so that we don’t unnecessarily delay?” the X user asked. 

Kolovratník responded promptly, sharing his own excitement for the upcoming rollout of FSD. “I know about it. I like it and it seems interesting to me. Once we set up the committees and subcommittees, we’ll open it right away in that transport one. Thanks for the tip, I’ll deliver the report,” the official noted in his reply on X. 

Kolovratník’s nod to FSD hints at the system’s potentially smooth rollout to Czechia in the coming year. With the Netherlands possibly greenlighting FSD (Supervised) in early 2026, Kolovratník’s commitment could accelerate cross-border certification, boosting FSD’s foray into Europe by a notable margin.

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Tesla Model 3 named New Zealand’s best passenger car of 2025

Tesla flipped the switch on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in September, turning every Model 3 and Model Y into New Zealand’s most advanced production car overnight.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

The refreshed Tesla Model 3 has won the DRIVEN Car Guide AA Insurance NZ Car of the Year 2025 award in the Passenger Car category, beating all traditional and electric rivals. 

Judges praised the all-electric sedan’s driving dynamics, value-packed EV tech, and the game-changing addition of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) that went live in New Zealand this September.

Why the Model 3 clinched the crown

DRIVEN admitted they were late to the “Highland” party because the updated sedan arrived in New Zealand as a 2024 model, just before the new Model Y stole the headlines. Yet two things forced a re-evaluation this year.

First, experiencing the new Model Y reminded testers how many big upgrades originated in the Model 3, such as the smoother ride, quieter cabin, ventilated seats, rear touchscreen, and stalk-less minimalist interior. Second, and far more importantly, Tesla flipped the switch on Full Self-Driving (Supervised) in September, turning every Model 3 and Model Y into New Zealand’s most advanced production car overnight.

FSD changes everything for Kiwi buyers

The publication called the entry-level rear-wheel-drive version “good to drive and represents a lot of EV technology for the money,” but highlighted that FSD elevates it into another league. “Make no mistake, despite the ‘Supervised’ bit in the name that requires you to remain ready to take control, it’s autonomous and very capable in some surprisingly tricky scenarios,” the review stated.

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At NZ$11,400, FSD is far from cheap, but Tesla also offers FSD (Supervised) on a $159 monthly subscription, making the tech accessible without the full upfront investment. That’s a game-changer, as it allows users to access the company’s most advanced system without forking over a huge amount of money.

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