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Tesla rival Mercedes-Benz EQC to adopt gradual production ramp over possible warranty concerns
Tesla rival Mercedes-Benz has decided to adopt a gradual rollout for the EQC, the company’s first all-electric vehicle that’s designed to compete with premium SUVs like the Model X. Mercedes-Benz head of production and supply chain management Markus Schaefer related the EQC’s production ramp update last week.
Schaefer noted in a statement to Europe Auto News that the German automaker is opting to play it safe with the EQC’s rollout to make sure that warranty costs for the upcoming vehicle don’t spike. The Mercedes-Benz executive added that his main concern lies in monitoring the EQC’s costly, 80-kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
“We want to be sure we deliver Mercedes quality from day one in all aspects, and we have to watch the warranty side for customers as well. We don’t want customers ending up at the mechanic later. Slowing down the ramp-up is a tool to make sure we do it right, to address all the unknowns that an electric car brings,” Schaefer said.
So far, there have been no problems emerging from the EQC’s battery pack plant in Kamenz, Germany, with all component manufacturers being carefully vetted by the company. That being said, Mercedes-Benz acknowledges that building a new type of vehicle at scale could become more challenging than expected, considering the new technology involved and a series of new suppliers. Thus, for Schaefer, it would be best to prepare for any possible problems with the EQC’s battery.
“This is the heart of the electric vehicle, which is very much in charge of safety and performance of the vehicle as well as long life and costs. There are hundreds of components that have to come together from various new suppliers, Tier 2 and Tier 3, which are in the background, and we have to see their performance,” he said.
While the Mercedes-Benz EQC would see a gradual rollout when it starts production, Schaefer maintains that he is nonetheless optimistic about the company’s capability to quickly ramp the vehicle. The company plans to manufacture the EQC at its factories in Bremen, Germany, and Beijing, China, on the same line as the company’s fossil fuel-powered vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz GLC.
“I’m not worried about the production plants in Bremen and Beijing. I know their capability, and they have proven they can ramp up in lightning speed,” Schaefer said.
The Mercedes-Benz EQC is expected to be among the vehicles that would compete with Tesla in the premium EV market. The SUV was unveiled last week, and during the event, Daimler AG Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche stated that the legacy carmaker would be “going all-in” on the emerging electric car transition. Zetsche also noted that its first all-electric car, the EQC, would “offer the best package” compared to rivals.
The Mercedes-Benz EQC is equipped with two electric motors that produce 402 hp and 564 lb-ft of torque, which allows the EQC to accelerate from a dead stop to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds. The EQC also has a top speed of 112 mph. Mercedes-Benz courted some confusion when it unveiled the EQC, as some of the company’s press materials listed the vehicle’s range from its 80-kWh battery as ~200 miles per charge, but in a later statement to The Verge, Mercedes-Benz has clarified that the vehicle actually has a range of 279 miles per charge.
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Tesla Cybercab tests are going on overdrive with production-ready units
Tesla is ramping its real-world tests of the Cybercab, with multiple sightings of the vehicle being reported across social media this week.
Tesla is ramping its real-world tests of the Cybercab, with multiple sightings of the autonomous two-seater being reported across social media this week. Based on videos of the vehicle that have been shared online, it appears that Cybercab tests are underway across multiple states.
Recent Cybercab sightings
Reports of Cybercab tests have ramped this week, with a vehicle that looked like a production-ready prototype being spotted at Apple’s Visitor Center in California. The vehicle in this sighting was interesting as it was equipped with a steering wheel. The vehicle also featured some changes to the design of its brake lights.
The Cybercab was also filmed testing at the Fremont factory’s test track, which also seemed to involve a vehicle that looked production-ready. This also seemed to be the case for a Cybercab that was spotted in Austin, Texas, which happened to be undergoing real-world tests. Overall, these sightings suggest that Cybercab testing is fully underway, and the vehicle is really moving towards production.
Production design all but finalized?
Recently, a near-production-ready Cybercab was showcased at Tesla’s Santana Row showroom in San Jose. The vehicle was equipped with frameless windows, dual windshield wipers, powered butterfly door struts, an extended front splitter, an updated lightbar, new wheel covers, and a license plate bracket. Interior updates include redesigned dash/door panels, refined seats with center cupholders, updated carpet, and what appeared to be improved legroom.
There seems to be a pretty good chance that the Cybercab’s design has been all but finalized, at least considering Elon Musk’s comments at the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting. During the event, Musk confirmed that the vehicle will enter production around April 2026, and its production targets will be quite ambitious.
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Tesla gets a win in Sweden as union withdraws potentially “illegal” blockade
As per recent reports, the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla action might have been illegal.
Swedish union Vision has withdrawn its sympathy blockade against Tesla’s planned service center and showroom in Kalmar. As per recent reports, the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla action might have been illegal.
Vision’s decision to pull the blockade
Vision announced the blockade in early December, stating that it was targeting the administrative handling of Tesla’s facility permits in Kalmar municipality. The sympathy measure was expected to start Monday, but was formally withdrawn via documents sent to the Mediation Institute and Kalmar Municipality last week.
As noted in a Daggers Arbete report, plans for the strike were ultimately pulled after employer group SKR highlighted potential illegality under the Public Employment Act. Vision stressed its continued backing for the Swedish labor model, though Deputy negotiation manager Oskar Pettersson explained that the Vision union and IF Metall made the decision to cancel the planned strike together.
“We will not continue to challenge the regulations,” Petterson said. “The objection was of a technical nature. We made the assessment together with IF Metall that we were not in a position to challenge the legal assessment of whether we could take this particular action against Tesla. Therefore, we chose to revoke the notice itself.”
The SKR’s warning
Petterson also stated that SKR’s technical objection to the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla strike framed the protest as an unauthorized act. “It was a legal assessment of the situation. Both for us and for IF Metall, it is important to be clear that we stand for the Swedish model. But we should not continue to challenge the regulations and risk getting judgments that lead nowhere in the application of the regulations,” he said.
Vision ultimately canceled its planned blockade against Tesla on December 9. With Vision’s withdrawal, few obstacles remain for Tesla’s long-planned Kalmar site. A foreign electrical firm completed work this fall, and Tesla’s Careers page currently lists a full-time service manager position based there, signaling an imminent opening.
Tesla Semi Program Director Dan Priestly teased the major improvements to the all-electric Class 8 truck on Thursday night, following the company’s decision to overhaul the design earlier this year.
Priestley said he drove the Semi on Thursday, and the improvements appear to be welcomed by one of the minds behind the project. “Our customers are going to love it,” he concluded.
Just drove the redesigned Semi. Our customers are going to love it. https://t.co/KZ88sf1CDL
— Dan Priestley (@danWpriestley) December 19, 2025
The small detail does not seem like much, but it is coming from someone who has been involved in the development of the truck from A to Z. Priestley has been involved in the Semi program since November 2015 and has slowly worked his way through the ranks, and currently stands as the Director of the program.
Tesla Semi undergoes major redesign as dedicated factory preps for deliveries
Tesla made some major changes to the Semi design as it announced at the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting that it changed the look and design to welcome improvements in efficiency.
Initially, Tesla adopted the blade-like light bar for the Semi, similar to the one that is present on the Model Y Premium and the Cybertruck.
Additionally, there are some slight aesthetic changes to help with efficiency, including a redesigned bumper with improved aero channels, a smaller wraparound windshield, and a smoother roofline for better aero performance.
All of these changes came as the company’s Semi Factory, which is located on Gigafactory Nevada’s property, was finishing up construction in preparation for initial production phases, as Tesla is planning to ramp up manufacturing next year. CEO Elon Musk has said the Semi has attracted “ridiculous demand.”
The Semi has already gathered many large companies that have signed up to buy units, including Frito-Lay and PepsiCo., which have been helping Tesla test the vehicle in a pilot program to test range, efficiency, and other important metrics that will be a major selling point.
Tesla will be the Semi’s first user, though, and the truck will help solve some of the company’s logistics needs in the coming years.
Tesla Cybercab tests are going on overdrive with production-ready units
Tesla gets a win in Sweden as union withdraws potentially “illegal” blockade
