Tesla’s Model 3 all-electric sedan captured Edmunds‘ Electric Vehicle of 2022, while the Rivian R1T won the publication’s Editors’ Choice award.
The Model 3 has captured the EV award for the third time, outlasting the numerous EVs that have entered the market recently, including the Lucid Air Dream Edition and Ford Mustang Mach-E. While the EV sector continues to become saturated with more trendy, high-tech options, the Model 3 continues to show its status as the best EV on the market, even in Edmunds’ ratings.
“Give credit to Tesla. Despite an influx of new electric vehicles hitting the market, the company’s Model 3 is the Edmunds Top Rated EV, a title it’s now held for three years in a row,” the publication wrote about Tesla’s first mass-market vehicle. Add numerous improvements, including wireless charging, additional range, and a power-operated trunk only increased the Model 3’s apparent lead over its competitors. Along with the Model 3’s user-friendly and intuitive, simple design, exterior factors, like Tesla’s massive Supercharging network, makes the Model 3 an ideal candidate for anyone looking for a reasonably-priced EV. It’s important to get another thing straight, too: while other companies continue to improve on their designs, Edmunds says “the Model 3 is still the one to beat.”
Credit: Tesla
Newcomers are also offering exciting electrified options for consumers to feast their eyes upon as the EV sector continues to grow. Edmunds also named the Rivian R1T the Top Rated Editors’ Choice pick for 2022, labeling the all-electric pickup as a vehicle “that has exceeded our expectations and delivered something genuinely new.”
The R1T is the first electric pickup on the market, beating the GMC Hummer EV, Ford F-150 Lightning, and Tesla Cybertruck to the market. It is an extremely capable vehicle, primed for peak performance in challenging, offroad terrains while still giving owners a luxurious interior with all the bells and whistles that one would expect with a model year 2022 vehicle. Three feet of wading depth, 0-60 in only 3.5 seconds, 317 miles of range and 11,000 pounds of towing capacity have all contributed to the R1T’s recognition as the Top Rated Editors Choice vehicle. There are plenty of other candidates, including the Model S Plaid and Lucid Air Dream Edition, which both pack high performance, long range ratings, and luxury interiors. However, the R1T is the first all-electric truck on the market, and with the body style’s popularity in the United States, the R1T is arguably a groundbreaking vehicle.
Credit: Rivian
The R1T also captured MotorTrend’s 2022 Truck of the Year award earlier this week.
“Rivian has made a strong impression with its R1T. And with its R1S SUV arriving soon, we expect the excitement to continue,” Edmunds said about the R1T.
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Energy
Tesla Megapack Megafactory in Texas advances with major property sale
Stream Realty Partners announced the sale of Buildings 9 and 10 at the Empire West industrial park, which total 1,655,523 square feet.
Tesla’s planned Megapack factory in Brookshire, Texas has taken a significant step forward, as two massive industrial buildings fully leased to the company were sold to an institutional investor.
In a press release, Stream Realty Partners announced the sale of Buildings 9 and 10 at the Empire West industrial park, which total 1,655,523 square feet. The properties are 100% leased to Tesla under a long-term agreement and were acquired by BGO on behalf of an institutional investor.
The two facilities, located at 100 Empire Boulevard in Brookshire, Texas, will serve as Tesla’s new Megafactory dedicated to manufacturing Megapack battery systems.
According to local filings previously reported, Tesla plans to invest nearly $200 million into the site. The investment includes approximately $44 million in facility upgrades such as electrical, utility, and HVAC improvements, along with roughly $150 million in manufacturing equipment.
Building 9, spanning roughly 1 million square feet, will function as the primary manufacturing floor where Megapacks are assembled. Building 10, covering approximately 600,000 square feet, will be dedicated to warehousing and logistics operations, supporting storage and distribution of completed battery systems.
Waller County Commissioners have approved a 10-year tax abatement agreement with Tesla, offering up to a 60% property-tax reduction if the company meets hiring and investment targets. Tesla has committed to employing at least 375 people by the end of 2026, increasing to 1,500 by the end of 2028, as noted in an Austin County News Online report.
The Brookshire Megafactory will complement Tesla’s Lathrop Megafactory in California and expand U.S. production capacity for the utility-scale energy storage unit. Megapacks are designed to support grid stabilization and renewable-energy integration, a segment that has become one of Tesla’s fastest-growing businesses.
News
Tesla Sweden strikers see tax issues over IF Metall union error
To address the issue, IF Metall is encouraging Tesla strikers to return the refunded tax amounts to the union.
A tax correction is set to return two years of income tax payments to Tesla strikers in Sweden, after authorities determined that conflict compensation during a labor dispute should not have been taxed.
The issue is caused by a decision by IF Metall to treat strike compensation for Tesla workers as taxable income during the ongoing labor dispute with Tesla Sweden. That approach has now been reversed following guidance from the Swedish Tax Agency.
Strike compensation is typically tax-free under Sweden’s Income Tax Act, as noted in a report from Dagens Arbete (DA). However, two years ago, IF Metall’s board decided to classify payments to Tesla strikers as taxable.
“We did it to secure SGI, unemployment insurance and public pension. Those were the risks we saw when the strike had already dragged on,” Kent Bursjöö, financial manager at IF Metall, stated.
According to Bursjöö, the union wanted to ensure that members continued to register earned income with the tax agency, protecting benefits tied to income history. At the end of January, however, the Swedish Tax Agency informed the union that compensation during a labor dispute must be tax-free.
“Of course, we knew that it could be tax-free. But we clearly didn’t know that it couldn’t be taxable,” Bursjöö said.
Following discussions with auditors and tax authorities, IF Metall began correcting the payments. As a result, two years of paid income tax will now be credited back to the affected strikers’ tax accounts. The union will also recover previously paid employer contributions.
However, the correction creates secondary effects. Since the payments will now be treated as tax-free, pension contributions tied to those earnings will be withdrawn, potentially affecting state pension accrual and income-based benefits such as parental or sickness benefits.
To address this, IF Metall is encouraging members to return the refunded tax amounts to the union. In exchange, the union plans to pay 18.5% into occupational pensions on their behalf. “Otherwise, it will be a form of overcompensation when they get the tax paid back,” Bursjöö said.
That being said, the IF Metall officer acknowledged that the union’s legal ability to reclaim the funds from its improperly paid Tesla Sweden strikers is limited. “The legal possibilities are probably limited, from what we can see. But we assume that most people see the value of securing their pension,” Bursjöö said.
News
Tesla sues California DMV over Autopilot and FSD advertising ruling
The complaint seeks to remove the agency’s conclusion that Tesla falsely promoted the capabilities of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving.
Tesla has filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in an effort to overturn a prior ruling that found the automaker engaged in false advertising related to its driver-assistance systems.
The complaint seeks to remove the agency’s conclusion that Tesla misled customers about the capabilities of Autopilot and Full Self-Driving.
Tesla’s legal action follows a decision by California’s Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), which concluded that Tesla’s earlier marketing of “Autopilot” and “Full Self-Driving” violated state law, as noted in a CNBC report.
While the DMV opted not to suspend Tesla’s license after determining the company had updated its marketing language for its advanced driver-assistance systems, Tesla is asking the court to go further and reverse the agency’s conclusion.
In its Feb. 13 complaint, Tesla’s attorneys argued that the DMV “wrongfully and baselessly” labeled the company a “false advertiser” for its Autopilot and FSD systems. The filing argued that regulators failed to demonstrate that consumers were actually misled about the capabilities of Tesla’s systems.
According to Tesla’s complaint, the DMV “never proved consumers in the state had been confused about whether its cars were safe to drive without a human at the wheel.”
Tesla’s legal team further stated: “It was impossible to buy a Tesla equipped with either Autopilot or Full Self-Driving Capability, or to use any of their associated features, without seeing clear and repeated statements that they do not make the vehicle autonomous.”
Tesla now promotes its driver-assistance system as “Full Self-Driving (Supervised),” a name that overemphasizes the need for active driver attention.
Tesla’s autonomous driving program is a pivotal part of the company’s future, with CEO Elon Musk stating that self-driving technology will truly be the solution that will push Tesla into its full potential. The company is currently operating a Robotaxi pilot in Austin and the Bay Area, and the company recently announced that it has produced the first Cybercab from Giga Texas’ production line.
Tesla Megapack Megafactory in Texas advances with major property sale
Tesla Sweden strikers see tax issues over IF Metall union error
