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Tesla Model 3 with mfg plate spotted Supercharging in snowy Toronto, Canada
Last month, a Model 3 with California manufacturer plates was spotted in Vancouver, British Columbia, suggesting that Tesla might be pursuing validation testing in the country ahead of its late 2018 planned production. Just a couple of days ago, yet another Model 3 sighting with the CA “mfg” license plate was reported in the country, this time at Tesla’s Lawrence Showroom in Toronto, Canada.
Considering that the compact electric sedan was Supercharging at a station that’s nearly 2,700 miles (4,345 km) away from the carmaker’s Fremont, Calif. factory, one can speculate that the Model 3 made a cross-country journey into the region and conducting winter testing in Canada’s snow and ice-filled roads.
The sighting was shared by Kushari, a YouTuber who happened to be charging his Model S 70D at the Lawrence Store. The YouTuber was close enough to make out the vehicle’s plates, which all but confirmed that the Model 3 was Tesla’s company car. Kushari further stated that during the time he filmed the car, the center touchscreen of the Model 3 was turned off, which led the YouTuber to speculate that the unit was possibly testing a new version of the Model 3’s software. Kushari also stated that a Tesla employee was driving the vehicle.
Overall, the sighting of the Model 3 in Toronto, Canada, seems to be yet another sign that the electric carmaker might be looking to release its latest and most affordable vehicle to Canada sooner than expected. If any, the increasing sightings of Model 3 units in the country are significant, especially since initial expectations suggested that Tesla would only begin manufacturing Model 3 units for Canada starting from the second half of 2018. The initial Canadian release timeline was also in line with the expected production date for the first all-wheel-drive variants of the mass market electric sedan.
Interestingly, the Model 3 in the recent Toronto sighting seemed to have no problem with the thick snow on the roads. The current variants of the Model 3 are only rear-wheel-drive, a drivetrain configuration that conventionally does not do very well in snowy conditions. As could be seen in the YouTuber’s video, however, the rear-wheel-drive Model 3 trudged along in the snow without any issues.
If Tesla’s online store is any indication, however, it seems like the electric carmaker is preparing its latest vehicle for sale in areas with especially harsh winters. Just recently, Tesla started offering custom Pewag Servo RS 77 snow chains for the Model 3.
The Model 3 is Tesla’s latest and possibly most disruptive vehicle to date, reportedly securing 400,000 pre-orders since its launch. Despite experiencing some production bottlenecks last quarter, the automaker is nonetheless expected to deliver its promise of manufacturing 5,000 units per week by the first quarter of 2018.
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Tesla’s Sweden standoff draws UAW support as unions widen pressure campaign
In a post shared on social media, the United Auto Workers stated that it stands with IF Metall workers who are striking against Tesla Sweden.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) has publicly expressed solidarity with Swedish union IF Metall as its strike against Tesla continues, adding international attention to the extended labor dispute in the European country.
UAW supports IF Metall’s strike
In a post shared on social media, the United Auto Workers stated that it stands with IF Metall workers who are striking against Tesla Sweden. UAW Region 8 Director Tim Smith stated that the union fully supports IF Metall’s efforts to secure a collective bargaining agreement with the automaker.
“UAW stands with IF Metall workers on strike against Tesla, fighting for a collective bargaining agreement. UAW Region 8 Director Tim Smith pledged the UAW’s full support and solidarity,” the UAW International Union stated in its post.
IF Metall launched its strike against Tesla Sweden in late 2023 over the electric car maker’s refusal to sign a collective agreement. The action has since been supported by other unions through sympathy strikes affecting ports, logistics, and service operations.
Tesla Sweden has maintained that it complies with Swedish labor laws and offers competitive pay and benefits, though the company has not publicly commented on the UAW’s latest show of support.
Tesla owners get union attention
Pro-union groups in Sweden have recently expanded their outreach beyond Tesla’s facilities and workforce. Activists have begun distributing informational leaflets against the EV maker directly on Tesla vehicles parked across Stockholm, as per a report from Swedish outlet Dagens Arbete.
The yellow slips, designed to resemble parking notices, urge regular Tesla owners to pressure the company into signing a collective agreement. Organizers involved in the effort have argued that the leaflets are intended to simply inform consumers rather than single out individual owners. When owners are present, however, activists stated that they explain the dispute verbally.
Tesla has not issued a public response regarding the leaflet distribution campaign as of writing.
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Starlink goes mainstream with first-ever SpaceX Super Bowl advertisement
SpaceX used the Super Bowl broadcast to promote Starlink, pitching the service as fast, affordable broadband available across much of the world.
SpaceX aired its first-ever Super Bowl commercial on Sunday, marking a rare move into mass-market advertising as it seeks to broaden adoption of its Starlink satellite internet service.
Starlink Super Bowl advertisement
SpaceX used the Super Bowl broadcast to promote Starlink, pitching the service as fast, affordable broadband available across much of the world.
The advertisement highlighted Starlink’s global coverage and emphasized simplified customer onboarding, stating that users can sign up for service in minutes through the company’s website or by phone in the United States.
The campaign comes as SpaceX accelerates Starlink’s commercial expansion. The satellite internet service grew its global user base in 2025 to over 9 million subscribers and entered several dozen additional markets, as per company statements.
Starlink growth and momentum
Starlink has seen notable success in numerous regions across the globe. Brazil, in particular, has become one of Starlink’s largest growth regions, recently surpassing one million users, as per Ookla data. The company has also expanded beyond residential broadband into aviation connectivity and its emerging direct-to-cellular service.
Starlink has recently offered aggressive promotions in select regions, including discounted or free hardware, waived installation fees, and reduced monthly pricing. Some regions even include free Starlink Mini for select subscribers. In parallel, SpaceX has introduced AI-driven tools to streamline customer sign-ups and service selection.
The Super Bowl appearance hints at a notable shift for Starlink, which previously relied largely on organic growth and enterprise contracts. The ad suggests SpaceX is positioning Starlink as a mainstream alternative to traditional broadband providers.
Tesla engineers deflected calls from Apple on a daily basis while the tech giant was developing its now-defunct electric vehicle program, which was known as “Project Titan.”
Back in 2022 and 2023, Apple was developing an EV in a top-secret internal fashion, hoping to launch it by 2028 with a fully autonomous driving suite.
However, Apple bailed on the project in early 2024, as Project Titan abandoned the project in an email to over 2,000 employees. The company had backtracked its expectations for the vehicle on several occasions, initially hoping to launch it with no human driving controls and only with an autonomous driving suite.
Apple canceling its EV has drawn a wide array of reactions across tech
It then planned for a 2028 launch with “limited autonomous driving.” But it seemed to be a bit of a concession at that point; Apple was not prepared to take on industry giants like Tesla.
Wedbush’s Dan Ives noted in a communication to investors that, “The writing was on the wall for Apple with a much different EV landscape forming that would have made this an uphill battle. Most of these Project Titan engineers are now all focused on AI at Apple, which is the right move.”
Apple did all it could to develop a competitive EV that would attract car buyers, including attempting to poach top talent from Tesla.
In a new podcast interview with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, it was revealed that Apple had been calling Tesla engineers nonstop during its development of the now-defunct project. Musk said the engineers “just unplugged their phones.”
Musk said in full:
“They were carpet bombing Tesla with recruiting calls. Engineers just unplugged their phones. Their opening offer without any interview would be double the compensation at Tesla.”
Interestingly, Apple had acquired some ex-Tesla employees for its project, like Senior Director of Engineering Dr. Michael Schwekutsch, who eventually left for Archer Aviation.
Tesla took no legal action against Apple for attempting to poach its employees, as it has with other companies. It came after EV rival Rivian in mid-2020, after stating an “alarming pattern” of poaching employees was noticed.
SpaceX strengthens manufacturing base with Hexagon Purus aerospace deal
Tesla’s Sweden standoff draws UAW support as unions widen pressure campaign
