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Tesla Model 3 adopted by German taxi operator over mass savings in fuel and maintenance costs
Tesla Model S taxis now roam the streets of Dusseldorf as local operator Taxi Norman added two electric vehicles to its fleet, with plans to add 50 Model 3 emission-free taxis in the next few weeks.
While the company spent 105,000 euros for each of the Model S taxis and 45,000 euros each for the Tesla Model 3 units, the German operator began the switch to a green fleet not only to be more environment-friendly but to boost profits as well. With the support of the local government, Taxi Norman will only spend around 35 euros ($38) to charge each Tesla taxi a month compared to 750 euros ($830) of fuel per month for each of its diesel units. Overall, it can save the company around 36,000 euros (around $39,000) when the fuel expenditure of internal combustion taxis is compared to the cost of charging the same number of electric vehicles.
Aside from saving on fuel expenses, Taxi Norman will also save its bank account from maintenance costs. “The cars are also much easier to care for. An old car costs us 6,000 euros ($6,600) a year. The expenses are now gone. We also save on fuel costs through cheaper electricity, ” said Managing Director Erol Norman.
Likewise, customers welcome the development. “Anyway, my drivers are totally satisfied. Customers are so enthusiastic about the driving experience in the electric car that they give higher tips. One received a tip of ten euros for a trip that cost seven euros,” Norman added.
The investment in a greener taxi fleet is highly appreciated by the local government. Local Council member and Chairman of the Environment Committee Philipp Tacer promised to initiate taxi regulations that will further benefit the likes of Taxi Norman that invests in electric taxis. The local government plans to build taxi stops that will be exclusive for electric taxis
Taxi Norman operates a fleet of 150 vehicles in Dusseldorf and plans to complete the switch to electric taxis by 2023.
Looking at the overall picture, Germany has an ambitious goal of cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent compared to the 1990 levels come 2020 and one of its core strategies is to increase the share of renewable energies in total energy consumption. One crucial step in this strategy is to raise its renewable energy use in the transport sector.
While Germany delayed its goal of having one million electric vehicles on the road by 2020, the government shows great support for those who want to purchase EVs. Under a new agreement between the government and the car industry, Germany increased the subsidies for cars costing around $44,500 to around $6,700 from around $4,500. Incentives for pricier electric cars were also increased by 25%, however, EVs over 60,000 euros are not supported by the said program.
In the EU, the country is one of the frontrunners in the production of electric vehicles per capita. One can only expect a good boost in this aspect when Tesla begins the production of electric vehicles in its upcoming Gigafactory 4 in Brandenburg. The electric car manufacturer is just awaiting the last hurdles before clearing activities on the approved site begin.
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Tesla launches new Model 3 financing deal with awesome savings
Tesla is now offering a 0.99% APR financing option for all new Model 3 orders in the United States, and it applies to all loan terms of up to 72 months.
Tesla has launched a new Model 3 financing deal in the United States that brings awesome savings. The deal looks to move more of the company’s mass-market sedan as it is the second-most popular vehicle Tesla offers, behind its sibling, the Model Y.
Tesla is now offering a 0.99% APR financing option for all new Model 3 orders in the United States, and it applies to all loan terms of up to 72 months.
It includes three Model 3 configurations, including the Model 3 Performance. The rate applies to:
- Model 3 Premium Rear-Wheel-Drive
- Model 3 Premium All-Wheel-Drive
- Model 3 Performance
The previous APR offer was 2.99%.
NEWS: Tesla has introduced 0.99% APR financing for all new Model 3 orders in the U.S. (applies to loan terms of up to 72 months).
This includes:
• Model 3 RWD
• Model 3 Premium RWD
• Model 3 Premium AWD
• Model 3 PerformanceTesla was previously offering 2.99% APR. pic.twitter.com/A1ZS25C9gM
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) February 15, 2026
Tesla routinely utilizes low-interest offers to help move vehicles, especially as the rates can help get people to payments that are more comfortable with their monthly budgets. Along with other savings, like those on maintenance and gas, this is another way Tesla pushes savings to customers.
The company had offered a similar program in China on the Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, but it had ended on January 31.
The Model 3 was the second-best-selling electric vehicle in the United States in 2025, trailing only the Model Y. According to automotive data provided by Cox, Tesla sold 192,440 units last year of the all-electric sedan. The Model Y sold 357,528 units.
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Tesla hasn’t adopted Apple CarPlay yet for this shocking reason
Many Apple and iPhone users have wanted the addition, especially to utilize third-party Navigation apps like Waze, which is a popular alternative. Getting apps outside of Tesla’s Navigation to work with its Full Self-Driving suite seems to be a potential issue the company will have to work through as well.
Perhaps one of the most requested features for Tesla vehicles by owners is the addition of Apple CarPlay. It sounds like the company wants to bring the popular UI to its cars, but there are a few bottlenecks preventing it from doing so.
The biggest reason why CarPlay has not made its way to Teslas yet might shock you.
According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Tesla is still working on bringing CarPlay to its vehicles. There are two primary reasons why Tesla has not done it quite yet: App compatibility issues and, most importantly, there are incredibly low adoption rates of iOS 26.
Tesla’s Apple CarPlay ambitions are not dead, they’re still in the works
iOS 26 is Apple’s most recent software version, which was released back in September 2025. It introduced a major redesign to the overall operating system, especially its aesthetic, with the rollout of “Liquid Glass.”
However, despite the many changes and updates, Apple users have not been too keen on the iOS 26 update, and the low adoption rates have been a major sticking point for Tesla as it looks to develop a potential alternative for its in-house UI.
It was first rumored that Tesla was planning to bring CarPlay out in its cars late last year. Many Apple and iPhone users have wanted the addition, especially to utilize third-party Navigation apps like Waze, which is a popular alternative. Getting apps outside of Tesla’s Navigation to work with its Full Self-Driving suite seems to be a potential issue the company will have to work through as well.
According to the report, Tesla asked Apple to make some changes to improve compatibility between its software and Apple Maps:
“Tesla asked Apple to make engineering changes to Maps to improve compatibility. The iPhone maker agreed and implemented the adjustments in a bug fix update to iOS 26 and the latest version of CarPlay.”
Gurman also said that there were some issues with turn-by-turn guidance from Tesla’s maps app, and it did not properly sync up with Apple Maps during FSD operation. This is something that needs to be resolved before it is rolled out.
There is no listed launch date, nor has there been any coding revealed that would indicate Apple CarPlay is close to being launched within Tesla vehicles.
Elon Musk
Starlink restrictions are hitting Russian battlefield comms: report
The restrictions have reportedly disrupted Moscow’s drone coordination and frontline communications.
SpaceX’s decision to disable unauthorized Starlink terminals in Ukraine is now being felt on the battlefield, with Ukrainian commanders reporting that Russian troops have struggled to maintain assault operations without access to the satellite network.
The restrictions have reportedly disrupted Moscow’s drone coordination and frontline communications.
Lt. Denis Yaroslavsky, who commands a special reconnaissance unit, stated that Russian assault activity noticeably declined for several days after the shutdown. “For three to four days after the shutdown, they really reduced the assault operations,” Yaroslavsky said.
Russian units had allegedly obtained Starlink terminals through black market channels and mounted them on drones and weapons systems, despite service terms prohibiting offensive military use. Once those terminals were blocked, commanders on the Ukrainian side reported improved battlefield ratios, as noted in a New York Post report.
A Ukrainian unit commander stated that casualty imbalances widened after the cutoff. “On any given day, depending on your scale of analysis, my sector was already achieving 20:1 (casuality rate) before the shutdown, and we are an elite unit. Regular units have no problem going 5:1 or 8:1. With Starlink down, 13:1 (casualty rate) for a regular unit is easy,” the unit commander said.
The restrictions come as Russia faces heavy challenges across multiple fronts. A late January report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that more than 1.2 million Russian troops have been killed, wounded, or gone missing since February 2022.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War also noted that activity from Russia’s Rubikon drone unit declined after Feb. 1, suggesting communications constraints from Starlink’s restrictions may be limiting operations. “I’m sure the Russians have (alternative options), but it takes time to maximize their implementation and this (would take) at least four to six months,” Yaroslavsky noted.
Tesla launches new Model 3 financing deal with awesome savings
Tesla hasn’t adopted Apple CarPlay yet for this shocking reason
