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Tesla Model 3 adopted by German taxi operator over mass savings in fuel and maintenance costs

(Photo: Hojabr Riahi/Bild)

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6 years ago

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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

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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 Robotaxi has already surpassed Waymo in this key metric

Tesla Robotaxi has already overtaken Waymo in Austin in one key metric, but there’s still more work to do.

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1 hour ago

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July 14, 2025

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Credit: @HanChulYong/X

Tesla Robotaxi has already surpassed Waymo in one extremely important key metric: size of service area.

Tesla just expanded its service area in Austin on Monday morning, pushing the boundaries of its Robotaxi fleet in an interesting fashion with new capabilities to the north. Yes, we know what it looks like:

The expansion doubled Tesla Robotaxi’s potential travel locations, which now include the University of Texas at Austin, a school with over 53,000 students.

The doubling of the service area by Tesla has already made its travel area larger than Waymo’s, which launched driverless rides in October 2024. It became available to the public in March 2025.

According to Grok, the AI agent on X, Tesla Robotaxi’s current service area spans 42 square miles, which is five square miles larger than Waymo’s service area of 37 square miles.

The service area is one of the most important metrics in determining how much progress a self-driving ride-hailing service is making. Safety is the priority of any company operating a ride-hailing network, especially ones that are making it a point to use autonomy to deploy it.

However, these companies are essentially racing for a larger piece of the city or cities they are in. Waymo has expanded to several different regions around the United States, including Arizona and Los Angeles.

Tesla is attempting to do the same in the coming months as it has already filed paperwork in both California and Arizona to deploy its Robotaxi fleet in states across the U.S.

As the platform continues to show more prowess and accuracy in its operation, Tesla will begin to expand to new areas, eventually aiming for a global rollout of its self-driving service.

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Tesla Megapacks arrive for massive battery replacing coal plant

Tesla Megapacks have started arriving on-site to the Stanwell Battery Project, just as Queensland prepares to wind down the Stanwell coal plant.

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2 hours ago

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July 14, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

The first of over 300 Tesla Megapacks have arrived to the site of a massive battery energy storage system (BESS) being built in Australia, dubbed the Stanwell Battery Project after a coal plant it’s set to replace.

In a press release last week, the Stanwell Battery Project announced that the first Tesla Megapack 2XL units had arrived to the site, which is located outside of Rockhampton in Queensland, Australia. The project will eventually feature 324 Megapack units, set to arrive in the coming months, in order to support the 300MW/1,200MWh battery project.

“The Stanwell Battery is part of the diversification of our portfolio, to include cleaner and more flexible energy solutions,” said Angie Zahra, Stanwell Central Generation General Manager. “It is just one part of the 800 MW of battery energy storage capacity we have in our pipeline.

“Capable of discharging 300 MW of energy for up to four hours (1,200 MWh), our mega battery will be one of the largest in Queensland.”

Credit: Stanwell

READ MORE ON TESLA MEGAPACKS: Tesla Lathrop Megafactory celebrates massive Megapack battery milestone

The state is working with government-owned company Yurika to facilitate construction, and the process is expected to create roughly 80 jobs. The project is expected to come fully online in May 2027, with initial commissioning of the Megapacks aiming for November 2025.

The Stanwell Battery is set to replace the nearby Stanwell coal generation plant, which the government is planning to wind down starting in 2026 as part of efforts to reach an 80 percent renewable energy generation ratio by 2035. Meanwhile, the government is also set to begin winding down the Tarong and Callide coal plants, while several other Megapack projects are being built or coming online. o ya

Tesla currently has two Megapack production facilities, located in Lathrop, California, in the U.S. and another that came online earlier this year in Shanghai, China. The Shanghai Megafactory shipped its first units to Australia in March, while both factories are expected to be capable of producing 10,000 Megapack units per year upon reaching volume production.

xAI receives more Tesla Megapacks for Colossus 2

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The Tesla Diner is basically finished—here’s what it looks like

The company first broke ground on the Diner, Drive-in, and Supercharger location in September 2023. Now, it has served one of its first internal customers.

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3 hours ago

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July 14, 2025

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Tesla has finally completed the construction of its highly anticipated Diner, Drive-in, and Supercharger in Los Angeles, and recent photos of the interior’s “retro-futuristic” style are making their way around the internet.

X user Brad Goldberg shared photos from the Tesla Diner site last Tuesday, depicting some of the Supercharger stalls, indoor and outdoor seating areas, multiple neon lights, and even an Optimus robot. Goldberg also noted that there had been a “flurry of activity on site” while he was snapping the photos last week, suggesting that the restaurant location could be getting close to opening.

The Tesla Diner also served one of its first internal customers in the past few days, as Elon Musk posted on X on early Monday morning that he had just finished up eating a meal at the site:

I just had dinner at the retro-futuristic Tesla diner and Supercharger.

Team did great work making it one of the coolest spots in LA!

The photos also show that the site is pretty much done, with some of them even showing vehicles charging at the charging stalls.

You can see some of the latest photos of the Tesla Diner below.

Credit: BradGoldbergMD | X

Credit: BradGoldbergMD | X

Credit: BradGoldbergMD | X

Credit: BradGoldbergMD | X

Credit: TeslaKing420 | X

Credit: TeslaKing420 | X

Credit: Brad Goldberg (via Sawyer Merritt on X)

Credit: Brad Goldberg (via Sawyer Merritt on X)

Credit: Brad Goldberg (via Sawyer Merritt on X)

Credit: Brad Goldberg (via Sawyer Merritt on X)

Credit: Brad Goldberg (via Sawyer Merritt on X)

READ MORE ON TESLA’S LA DINER: Tesla readies Drive-In Diner Supercharger for launch with app inclusion

When will the Tesla Diner open to external customers?

While it’s still not open to external customers yet, the news again suggests that the company could be close to an official opening date. Tesla first broke ground on the Diner in September 2023, after receiving a wave of building permit approvals throughout that year. Teslarati also covered much of the construction progress throughout last year, including when crews installed the first and second drive-in screens.

Located at 7001 West Santa Monica Boulevard, the idea was first discussed in 2018 by Musk and a few others on Twitter, featuring 1950s rock and roll, waiters on roller skates, and drive-in movie theater screens playing clips from some of history’s best movies. Notably, the photos of the front doors also show that the site will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, whenever it does end up opening.

Tesla’s progress on Supercharger with diner, drive-in seen in aerial footage

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