News
China’s NIO expands mobile charging service to all electric cars, including Tesla
China’s NIO announced at the Shanghai Auto Show that any electric vehicle will soon be able to use their “One Click for Power” services. The service allows EV owners to order valet charging and mobile charging vans right from the NIO app.
NIO, founded in 2014, began production of their first vehicle last year and has since delivered over 15,000 vehicles. Up until this point, the NIO Power services have only been available to NIO owners. The services division includes the company’s quickly growing rapid charging network, charging vans, and battery swap stations. Shen Fei, VP of NIO Power, stated that the company has had several owners order power services seeking to charge their other electric vehicles, including several Teslas. While the company had accommodated those owners in the past, they are now opening up the services to all types of electric vehicles.
While nearly all EV owners in the US and Europe charge at home, it can be difficult to install in-home chargers in China. Fei stated that 22% of NIO owners lack home charging stations, creating a need for other power solutions. While public chargers are becoming quite prevalent in most major Chinese cities, NIO’s One Click for Power services allows owners to skip the trip to the charging station.
The China-based electric car maker highlighted that NIO owners have used the service over 93,000 times since the company started vehicle deliveries last year. Approximately 70% of NIO owners have used the One Click for Power service, indicating that there is a real desire for flexible charging solutions.
On the same day that NIO announced the expansion of their power services to other EVs, NIO was charging up a customer’s Tesla (the customer owned both a Tesla and a NIO ES8). Other EV owners, including Tesla owners, will be able to pay just 280 yuan ($42 USD) through NIO’s WeChat mini-app to have their vehicle charged. The company has more than 510 mobile charging vans across 95 cities in China.
NIO CEO William Li told Teslarati that he sees the expansion of their services business as an opportunity to both grow revenue and expose more users to the NIO brand. “Lots of EV owners want to have better [charging] service and we have the capability to serve them,” Li stated. “Even if they don’t want to buy our car, we can introduce our brand and our service to other buyers. I think it’s very good for us,” he said.
In addition to expanding their power services, NIO also unveiled a new DC-fast charging station. The company previously partnered with ABB to deploy 60 kW fast-charging stations across China. NIO’s new DC fast chargers are far more compact than the previous generation chargers and now have a charging capacity of 105 kW.
NIO debuted on the New York Stock Exchange last fall and has since been on a bit of a rollercoaster as investors react to changing market conditions in China. Despite the swings in value, NIO is focused on servicing its growing customer base. The company now has ~9,500 employees globally, including a team of more than a 1,000 NIO Power service workers. NIO expects to start deliveries of their mid-size SUV, the ES6, in June which starts at ¥358,000 ($53,500) and delivers 315 miles of range.
Elon Musk
Tesla and xAI team up on massive new project
It is the latest move by a Musk company to automate, streamline, and reduce the manual, monotonous, and tedious work currently performed by humans through AI and robotics development. Digital Optimus will be capable of processing and actioning the past five seconds of a real-time computer screen video and keyboard and mouse actions.
Elon Musk teased a massive new project, to be developed jointly by Tesla and xAI, called “Digital Optimus” or “Macrohard,” the first development under Tesla’s investment agreement with xAI.
Musk announced on X that Digital Optimus will “be capable of emulating the function of entire companies.”
Macrohard or Digital Optimus is a joint xAI-Tesla project, coming as part of Tesla’s investment agreement with xAI.
Grok is the master conductor/navigator with deep understanding of the world to direct digital Optimus, which is processing and actioning the past 5 secs of…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 11, 2026
It is the latest move by a Musk company to automate, streamline, and reduce the manual, monotonous, and tedious work currently performed by humans through AI and robotics development. Digital Optimus will be capable of processing and actioning the past five seconds of a real-time computer screen video and keyboard and mouse actions.
Essentially, it will be an AI version of a desk worker in many capacities, including accounting, HR tasks, and others.
Musk said:
“Grok is the master conductor/navigator with deep understanding of the world to direct digital Optimus, which is processing and actioning the past 5 secs of real-time computer screen video and keyboard/mouse actions. Grok is like a much more advanced and sophisticated version of turn-by-turn navigation software. You can think of it as Digital Optimus AI being System 1 (instinctive part of the mind) and Grok being System 2. (thinking part of the mind).”
Its key applications would be used for enterprise automation, simulating entire companies, high-volume repetitive tasks, and potentially, future hybrid use with the Optimus robot, which would handle physical tasks, while Digital Optimus would handle the clerical work.
The creation of a digital AI suite like Digital Optimus would help companies save time and money, as well as become more efficient in their operations through massive scalability. However, there will undoubtedly be concerns from people who are skeptical of a fully-integrated AI workhorse like this one.
From an energy consumption perspective and just a general concern for the human workforce, these types of AI projects are polarizing in nature.
However, Digital Optimus would be a great digital counterpart to Tesla’s physical Optimus robot, as it would be a hyper-efficient addition to any company that is looking for more production for less cost.
Musk maintains that there is no other company on Earth that will be able to do this.
Elon Musk
Tesla China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai
The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.
Tesla China sold 58,599 vehicles wholesale in February, reflecting strong year-over-year growth. The figure includes both domestic deliveries in China and vehicles exported to international markets.
The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.
Tesla’s February wholesale result represents a 91% increase year over year, compared with 30,688 vehicles in February 2025. Month over month, the result was down 15.2% from January, when Tesla China recorded 69,129 wholesale units.
The February total reflects combined sales of the Model 3 and Model Y produced at Gigafactory Shanghai. The facility produces the two vehicles for both domestic sales and exports.
Gigafactory Shanghai continues to serve as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub, supplying vehicles to markets across Asia and Europe. Data compiled by Tesla watchers shows that 18,485 vehicles were sold domestically in China in January 2026, while exports accounted for 50,644 units during the same period.
Tesla has also been extending financing programs in China as it pushes to strengthen domestic demand. The company recently extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing programs through March 31, marking the second extension of the promotion this year.
The financing initiative was first introduced on January 6 as a strategy aimed at offsetting higher ownership costs ahead of China’s planned 5% NEV purchase tax in 2026. The promotion was originally scheduled to expire at the end of January before being extended to February and then again through the end of the first quarter.
Tesla’s efforts come amid growing competition in China’s EV market. According to data compiled by CNEV Post, Tesla’s 2025 retail sales in China reached 625,698 vehicles, representing a 4.78% year-over-year decline. Part of that decline was linked to the Model Y changeover to its updated variant in early 2025, which temporarily reduced deliveries during the transition period.
News
Tesla Model Y L spotted on transport trucks in Australia
One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier.
Tesla’s upcoming Model Y L has been spotted on transport trucks in Australia. Sightings of the six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y variant have been reported on social media platform X by members of the Australian Tesla community.
One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier.
The sighting follows earlier observations by Tesla enthusiasts in Sydney, where a covered vehicle believed to be a Model Y L was spotted at a Supercharger.
The Sydney sighting drew attention after observers noted that the vehicle’s tare weight appeared to match the ADR approval listing for the Model Y L, suggesting it could indeed be the extended wheelbase variant of the electric SUV.
Tesla has previously confirmed that the Model Y L will launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2026. The confirmation was reported by techAU following a media release from Tesla Australia and New Zealand.
The Model Y L expands the existing Model Y lineup with seating for six passengers. The vehicle features a longer body compared with the standard Model Y in order to accommodate a spacious second and third row.
Tesla has opted for a 2-2-2 seating configuration instead of a traditional seven-seat layout for the Model Y L. The design includes two individual seats in the middle row to provide easier access to the third row and additional passenger space.
Tesla Australia and New Zealand has also stated that the Model Y L will be covered under the company’s updated warranty structure beginning in 2026.
Tesla has not yet announced pricing or official range figures for the Model Y L in Australia.
Tesla and xAI team up on massive new project
Tesla China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai
