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Tesla excluded from NY charger incentive program, argues discrimination
Tesla alleges that it’s being discriminated against by the New York state government’s electric vehicle charging cash incentive program. In their march to encourage the transition to clean energy transportation in the consumer market, the state’s Department of Public Service has issued an Order which provides monetary supplements to companies installing publicly accessible EV charging stations. However, the money is only available if both a Combined Charging System (CCS) plug and a CHAdeMo plug are included, not the proprietary charger used by Tesla vehicles. Per the Order:
“Tesla uses its own standard…which the Commission does not recognize as publicly accessible for purposes of this incentive program…Tesla DCFC [direct-current fast charging] stations will become eligible for this per-plug incentive where their proprietary technology is coupled with plug types that enables use by EVs with Asian and European charging systems.”
Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo entered into a “Memorandum of Understanding” with other like-minded governors to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions in October 2013. Specifically, the plan aims to reduce emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. Part of that initiative includes creating incentives for EV purchases via “Zero-Emission Vehicle” (ZEV) programs to quantify to 800,000 to 1 million ZEVs on state roads by 2025.
Tesla and other EV manufacturers participated in a hearing prior to the Order which resulted in a Consensus Proposal wherein the government and the companies agreed to the conditions of the program. In that Consensus, however, “publicly accessible” was defined as stations available without physical limitations (i.e., exclusive locations) or membership requirements for use. The later-issued Order implementing the program redefined the term “publicly accessible” to include specific types of technology, ultimately excluding Tesla’s proprietary chargers.
Tesla objects to this and has since filed a Petition for Rehearing arguing against the state’s overreach. Per the Petition:
“…without providing any notice of intent to adopt an alternative definition to that set forth in the Consensus Proposal, and without any reasonable record support or rational basis…the Order’s novel definition of ‘publicly accessible’ is unlawful and arbitrary and capricious since it is devoid of record support, lacking a rational basis, and discriminatory.”
The cash incentive program is set to last seven years (2019-2025) and not to exceed 1,074 total stations and/or $28 million dollars provided to participants. To qualify, stations must have charging capability of at least 50 kW, a higher cash incentive being offered for rates over 75 kW. The cash incentive amounts range by regional provider and, according to the Order establishing the charger program, the variance is between $4,000 and $17,000 for the 75 kW stations. With each passing year, the cash incentive amount declines significantly, thus rewarding early birds.
Despite Tesla being the top-selling EV in the country, New York is using its money to vote in favor of a public charging standard, leaving proprietary versions at a disadvantage. Perhaps this wouldn’t seem unusual if Tesla wasn’t arguably the (market-driven) reason New York can dream of such an EV-centered future.
New York has a lot to gain as Tesla continues to bring parity to efficient fueling of electric cars with conventional gas-powered vehicles, especially with the release of its newest 1,000 mi/hr Supercharger V3.
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Swedish unions consider police report over Tesla Megapack Supercharger
The Tesla Megapack Supercharger opened shortly before Christmas in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm.
Swedish labor unions are considering whether to file a police report related to a newly opened Tesla Megapack Supercharger near Stockholm, citing questions about how electricity is supplied to the site. The matter has also been referred to Sweden’s energy regulator.
Tesla Megapack Supercharger
The Tesla Megapack Supercharger opened shortly before Christmas in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm. Unlike traditional charging stations, the site is powered by an on-site Megapack battery rather than a direct grid connection. Typical grid connections for Tesla charging sites in Sweden have seen challenges for nearly two years due to union blockades.
Swedish labor union IF Metall has submitted a report to the Energy Market Inspectorate, asking the authority to assess whether electricity supplied to the battery system meets regulatory requirements, as noted in a report from Dagens Arbete (DA). The Tesla Megapack on the site is charged using electricity supplied by a local company, though the specific provider has not been publicly identified.
Peter Lydell, an ombudsman at IF Metall, issued a comment about the Tesla Megapack Supercharger. “The legislation states that only companies that engage in electricity trading may supply electricity to other parties. You may not supply electricity without a permit, then you are engaging in illegal electricity trading. That is why we have reported this… This is about a company that helps Tesla circumvent the conflict measures that exist. It is clear that it is troublesome and it can also have consequences,” Lydell said.
Police report under consideration
The Swedish Electricians’ Association has also examined the Tesla Megapack Supercharger and documented its power setup. As per materials submitted to the Energy Market Inspectorate, electrical cables were reportedly routed from a property located approximately 500 meters from the charging site.
Tomas Jansson, ombudsman and deputy head of negotiations at the Swedish Electricians’ Association, stated that the union was assessing whether to file a police report related to the Tesla Megapack Supercharger. He also confirmed that the electricians’ union was coordinating with IF Metall about the matter. “We have a close collaboration with IF Metall, and we are currently investigating this. We support IF Metall in their fight for fair conditions at Tesla,” Jansson said.
News
Tesla HW4.5 spotted in new Model Y, triggers speculation
Owners taking delivery of recent Model Y builds have identified components labeled “AP45.”
Tesla’s Hardware 4.5 computer appears to have surfaced in newly delivered Model Y vehicles, prompting fresh speculation about an interim upgrade ahead of the company’s upcoming AI5 chip.
Owners taking delivery of recent Model Y builds have identified components labeled “AP45,” suggesting Tesla may have quietly started rolling out revised autonomy hardware.
Hardware 4.5 appears in new Model Y units
The potential Hardware 4.5 sighting was first reported by Model Y owner @Eric5un, who shared details of a Fremont-built 2026 Model Y AWD Premium delivered this January. As per the Model Y owner, the vehicle includes a new front camera housing and a 16-inch center display, along with an Autopilot computer labeled “AP45” and part number 2261336-02-A.
The Tesla owner later explained that he confirmed the part number by briefly pulling down the upper carpet liner below the Model Y’s glovebox. Other owners soon reported similar findings. One Model Y Performance owner noted that their December build also appeared to include Hardware 4.5, while another owner of an Austin-built Model Y Performance reported spotting the same “AP45” hardware.
These sightings suggest that Tesla may already be installing revised FSD computers in its new Model Y batches, despite the company not yet making any formal announcements about Hardware 4.5.
What Hardware 4.5 could represent
Clues about Hardware 4.5 have surfaced previously in Tesla’s Electronic Parts Catalog. As reported by NotATeslaApp, the catalog has listed a component described as “CAR COMPUTER – LEFT HAND DRIVE – PROVISIONED – HARDWARE 4.5.” The component, which features the part number 2261336-S2-A, is priced at $2,300.00.
Longtime Tesla hacker @greentheonly has noted that Tesla software has contained references to a possible three-SoC architecture for some time. Previous generations of Tesla’s FSD computer, including Hardware 3 and Hardware 4, use a dual-SoC design for redundancy. A three-SoC layout could allow for higher inference throughput and improved fault tolerance.
Such an architecture could also serve as a bridge to AI5, Tesla’s next-generation autonomy chip expected to enter production later in 2026. As Tesla’s neural networks grow larger and more computationally demanding, Hardware 4.5 may provide additional headroom for vehicles built before AI5 becomes widely available.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia is getting cited by OpenAI’s ChatGPT
Some responses generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT have recently referenced information from Grokipedia.
Some responses generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT have recently referenced information from Grokipedia, an AI-generated encyclopedia developed by rival xAI, which was founded by Elon Musk. The citations appeared across a limited set of queries.
Reports about the matter were initially reported by The Guardian.
Grokipedia references in ChatGPT
Grokipedia launched in October as part of xAI’s effort to build an alternative to Wikipedia, which has become less centrist over the years. Unlike Wikipedia, which is moderated and edited by humans, Grokipedia is purely AI-powered, allowing it to approach topics with as little bias as possible, at least in theory. This model has also allowed Grokipedia to grow its article base quickly, with recent reports indicating that it has created over 6 million articles, more than 80% of English Wikipedia.
The Guardian reported that ChatGPT cited Grokipedia nine times across responses to more than a dozen user questions during its tests. As per the publication, the Grokipedia citations did not appear when ChatGPT was asked about high-profile or widely documented topics. Instead, Grokipedia was referenced in responses to more obscure historical or biographical claims. The pattern suggested selective use rather than broad reliance on the source, at least for now.
Broader Grokipedia use
The Guardian also noted that Grokipedia citations were not exclusive to ChatGPT. Anthropic’s AI assistant Claude reportedly showed similar references to Grokipedia in some responses, highlighting a broader issue around how large language models identify and weigh publicly available information.
In a statement to The Guardian, an OpenAI spokesperson stated that ChatGPT “aims to draw from a broad range of publicly available sources and viewpoints.” “We apply safety filters to reduce the risk of surfacing links associated with high-severity harms, and ChatGPT clearly shows which sources informed a response through citations,” the spokesperson stated.
Anthropic, for its part, did not respond to a request for comment on the matter. As for xAI, the artificial intelligence startup simply responded with a short comment that stated, “Legacy media lies.”
Swedish unions consider police report over Tesla Megapack Supercharger
Tesla HW4.5 spotted in new Model Y, triggers speculation
