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UK-based Model S driver sets out to prove rural reliability of Tesla Supercharger network

Source: Teslarati

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In Tesla’s earnings report earlier this week, CEO Elon Musk and other executives ensured investors and Tesla drivers alike that the Supercharger network would not only be able to handle the added weight of hundreds of thousands of Model 3s, but that it would allow customers to drive anywhere.

The key for Musk and his team is figuring out where to continue to place those chargers so that transportation within cities and between regions is not only feasible, but convenient.

“There’s long distance root enabling between cities, and then there’s also within the cities,” said Jonathan McNeill, president of global sales and services for Tesla during the call. “We’ve put those (long distance) stations in place to serve travel between the cities, but they can absorb a lot more cars.”

One man from England is already looking to get a jump start on proving that the Tesla Supercharging network is reliable.

Matt Porter and his 75-year-old father will set out across the U.K. in a Tesla Model S 100D to prove to “cynics” that Teslas can thrive in rural areas.

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Porter, who is also known as the gadget man, plans to begin his 1,200-mile journey in early October with his father, according to the East Anglian Daily Times. Porter runs a tech blog and is a correspondent on BBC Radio Suffolk’s Mark Murphy Show, and will broadcast his adventure to the world through a livestream.

“By far the most common question I receive about electric cars is ‘what is it’s range?’ and ‘how long does it take to charge?” Porter said. “Tesla have very kindly provided a Model S 100D for our challenge; a car with a range of more than 300 miles between charged and recharge times as fast as 30 minutes.”

“We are very confident we can achieve our challenge using their network of charging points along the way.”

The father-son duo will head out from Lowestoft Ness and drive up the country to Ardnamurchan, Scotland. Based on Teslarati’s app, there are many Superchargers along the prospective route.

Porter’s journey is another in a wave of drivers looking to prove to the world that sustainable vehicles can exist in rural and remote areas.

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Robert Dean recently made a 3,356 mile trek along the western coast of Australia in his 2015 Model S. Afterward, it was announced that more than 70 electric vehicle charging stations would be established along the route.

Likewise Alan Williamson completed a 1,600 mile trip from Orlando, Florida, to Richmond, Virginia. While this journey was certainly less remote than Dean’s, it’s still a clear example that the Tesla network is a reliable option for drivers looking to make long road trips.

Williamson highlighted how smooth his journey was in his Tesla Model S, citing autopilot, relaxed charging times and an enjoyable driving experience for what made his trip unique. He hopes to one day drive across the United States.

Based on their experiences, it seems the only challenge a Tesla drivers face on long road trips is planning which Superchargers to stop at.

These Superchargers could get a nice boost as well. Musk teased a “mega” Supercharger idea during the call that would offer fun amenities for drivers while their vehicles charged.

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“We — experimenting with our first sort of — I don’t know what we call it — mega supercharging location, like really big supercharging location with a bunch of amenities,” Musk said. “I think we’ll get a sense for just sort of how cool it can be to have a great place to — if you’ve been driving for three, four hours — stop, have great restrooms, great food, amenities, hang out and for half an hour and then be on your way.”

These mega centers could provide long distance drivers with an even better Tesla experience.

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Energy

Tesla inks multi-billion-dollar deal with LG Energy Solution to avoid tariff pressure

Tesla has reportedly secured a sizable partnership with LGES for LFP cells, and there’s an extra positive out of it.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has reportedly inked a multi-billion-dollar deal with LG Energy Solution in an effort to avoid tariff pressure and domesticate more of its supply chain.

Reuters is reporting that Tesla and LGES, a South Korean battery supplier of the automaker, signed a $4.3 billion deal for energy storage system batteries. The cells are going to be manufactured by LGES at its U.S. factory located in Michigan, the report indicates. The batteries will be the lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, chemistry.

Tesla delivers 384,000 vehicles in Q2 2025, deploys 9.6 GWh in energy storage

It is a move Tesla is making to avoid buying cells and parts from overseas as the Trump White House continues to use tariffs to prioritize domestic manufacturing.

LGES announced earlier today that it had signed a $4.3 billion contract to supply LFP cells over three years to a company, but it did not identify the customer, nor did the company state whether the batteries would be used in automotive or energy storage applications.

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The deal is advantageous for both companies. Tesla is going to alleviate its reliance on battery cells that are built out of the country, so it’s going to be able to take some financial pressure off itself.

For LGES, the company has reported that it has experienced slowed demand for its cells in terms of automotive applications. It planned to offset this demand lag with more projects involving the cells in energy storage projects. This has been helped by the need for these systems at data centers used for AI.

During the Q1 Earnings Call, Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja confirmed that the company’s energy division had been impacted by the need to source cells from China-based suppliers. He went on to say that the company would work on “securing additional supply chain from non-China-based suppliers.”

It seems as if Tesla has managed to secure some of this needed domestic supply chain.

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Energy

Tesla Shanghai Megafactory produces 1,000th Megapack for export to Europe

The Shanghai Megafactory was able to hit this milestone less than six months after it started producing the Megapack. 

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla Energy has announced a fresh milestone for its newest Megapack factory. As per the electric vehicle maker, the Shanghai Megafactory has successfully produced its 1,000th Megapack battery. 

The facility was able to hit this milestone less than six months after it started producing the grid-scale battery system. 

New Tesla Megapack Milestone

As per Tesla Asia in a post on its official accounts on social media platform X, the 1,000th Megapack unit that was produced at the Shanghai Megafactory would be exported to Europe. As noted in a CNEV Post report, Tesla’s energy products are currently deployed in over 65 countries and regions globally. This allows Tesla Energy to compete in energy markets that are both emerging and mature.

To commemorate the 1,000th Megapack produced at the Shanghai Megafactory, the Tesla China team posted with the grid-scale battery with celebratory balloons that spelled “Megapack 1000.” The milestone was celebrated by Tesla enthusiasts on social media, especially since the Shanghai Megafactory only started its operations earlier this year.

Quick Megafactory Ramp

The Shanghai Megafactory, similar to Tesla’s other key facilities in China, was constructed quickly. The facility started its construction on May 23, 2024, and it was hailed as Tesla’s first entry storage project outside the United States. Less than a year later, on February 11, 2025, the Shanghai Megafactory officially started producing Megapack batteries. And by March 21, 2025, Tesla China noted that it had shipped the first batch of Megapack batteries from the Shanghai plant to foreign markets.

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While the Shanghai Megafactory is still not at the same level of output as Tesla’s Lathrop Megafactory, which produces about 10,000 Megapacks per year, its ramp seems to be quite steady and quick. It would then not be surprising if Tesla China announces the Shanghai Megafactory’s 2,000th Megapack milestone in the coming months.

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Energy

Tesla launches first Virtual Power Plant in UK – get paid to use solar

Tesla has launched its first-ever Virtual Power Plant program in the United Kingdom.

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Credit: Tesla Energy | X

Tesla has launched its first-ever Virtual Power Plant program in the United Kingdom. This feature enables users of solar panels and energy storage systems to sell their excess energy back to the grid.

Tesla is utilizing Octopus Energy, a British renewable energy company that operates in multiple markets, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States, as the provider for the VPP launch in the region.

The company states that those who enroll in the program can earn up to £300 per month.

Tesla has operated several VPP programs worldwide, most notably in California, Texas, Connecticut, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. This is not the first time Tesla has operated a VPP outside the United States, as there are programs in Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.

This is its first in the UK:

Tesla is not the only company that is working with Octopus Energy in the UK for the VPP, as it joins SolarEdge, GivEnergy, and Enphase as other companies that utilize the Octopus platform for their project operations.

It has been six years since Tesla launched its first VPP, as it started its first in Australia back in 2019. In 2024, Tesla paid out over $10 million to those participating in the program.

Tesla VPP program in California hits new capacity milestone

Participating in the VPP program that Tesla offers not only provides enrolled individuals with the opportunity to earn money, but it also contributes to grid stabilization by supporting local energy grids.

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