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Tesla owners set to win legislative protection from Supercharger blocking in CO
The Colorado electric vehicle (EV) community is set to benefit from legislation that will fine gas-powered violators for parking in EV charging spaces. The penalty prescribed is $150 plus a $32 surcharge.
The bill, HB19-1298, recently passed the state congressional house and corresponding senate committee, and it now awaits a final vote in the Senate before signature by Colorado Governor Jared Polis. Once enacted, the Centennial State will join ten other states with similar laws, many of them with substantial financial penalties as well.
The legislative charge in Colorado is being led by local Tesla owners feeling especially impacted by the blocking incidents, nicknamed “ICEing” in reference to the internal combustion engines of the violators. Tesla owner, YouTuber, and President of the Denver Tesla Club, Sean Mitchell, took the community’s frustration with electric vehicle owners’ lack of options for dealing with ICEing directly to his local representatives and has been rallying for the case ever since. His efforts were backed by Margaret-Ann Leavitt, vice president of Denver-based National Car Charging, and both advocates were recently featured in a local paper highlighting both their cause and their coming legal victory.
Internet forums and social media are full of sightings where Superchargers are being blocked by ICE vehicles, some even maliciously as a statement against zero emissions cars overall. Given the benefit of the doubt, however, most instances of gas-powered vehicles blocking EV chargers are a matter of location, convenience, and in places without means of enforcement, unimpeded if a driver chooses to ignore the purpose of a charging location.
The legislation in Colorado doesn’t come without detractors. “This is a solution looking for a problem,” Tim Jackson, CEO of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) representing 260 dealers in the state, was quoted as saying in The Colorado Sun article featuring the bill. He cited the EV chargers located in the CADA parking lot, noting that he could “count on one hand” the number of times an electric car wasn’t able to use them due to ICEing. He failed to mention, though, that the chargers on CADA’s property ban Tesla vehicles specifically from using them, which does not bode well for the association’s supposed neutrality on the issue.
-->Another argument made by an opposing legislator was the preference EVs would be given over other cars needing special parking treatment such as large vehicles. When smaller vehicles fill those spots despite reservation signs, the larger cars’ options are limited or eliminated from the immediate area. This comparison may be relevant when only focused on the issue of reserved parking space violations, but considering the miles-long distances between Supercharger/EV charger locations vs. locations for big cars to park, the larger vehicle issue doesn’t seem to align with the purpose of the bill at hand.
Tesla itself is aware of the ICEing problem and has recently been spotted testing its own countermeasures. In Taiwan, a member of the Tesla owner community posted a video of a ground lock that used camera-based identification for deactivation to ensure only Tesla vehicles could park in the space without damage. Tesla China was also seen testing a similar device using QR codes for deactivation.
Overall, the growing presence of electric vehicles throughout the US will continue to bring changes to the existing transportation industry as it adapts to their particular needs. As seen in this recent example in Colorado, advocacy may be necessary in cases where local government isn’t immediately aware of the changes needed, but the effort can prove worthwhile.
Elon Musk
SpaceX’s Starship program is already bouncing back from Booster 18 fiasco
Just over a week since Booster 18 met its untimely end, SpaceX is now busy stacking Booster 19, and at a very rapid pace, too.
SpaceX is already bouncing back from the fiasco that it experienced during Starship Booster 18’s initial tests earlier this month.
Just over a week since Booster 18 met its untimely end, SpaceX is now busy stacking Booster 19, and at a very rapid pace, too.
Starship V3 Booster 19 is rising
As per Starbase watchers on X, SpaceX rolled out the fourth aft section of Booster 19 to Starbase’s MegaBay this weekend, stacking it to reach 15 rings tall with just a few sections remaining. This marks the fastest booster assembly to date at four sections in five days. This is quite impressive, and it bodes well for SpaceX’s Starship V3 program, which is expected to be a notable step up from the V2 program, which was retired after a flawless Flight 11.
Starship watcher TankWatchers noted the tempo on X, stating, “During the night the A4 section of Booster 19 rolled out to the MegaBay. With 4 sections in just 5 days, this is shaping up to be the fastest booster stack ever.” Fellow Starbase watcher TestFlight echoed the same sentiments. “Booster 19 is now 15 rings tall, with 3 aft sections remaining!” the space enthusiast wrote.
Aggressive targets despite Booster 18 fiasco
SpaceX’s V3 program encountered a speed bump earlier this month when Booster 18, just one day after rolling out into the factory, experienced a major anomaly during gas system pressure testing at SpaceX’s Massey facility in Starbase, Texas. While no propellant was loaded, no engines were installed, and no one was injured in the incident, the unexpected end of Booster 18 sparked speculation that the Starship V3 program could face delays.
-->Despite the Booster 18 fiasco, however, SpaceX announced that “Starship’s twelfth flight test remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026.” Elon Musk shared a similar timeline on X earlier this year, with the CEO stating that “ V3 is a massive upgrade from the current V2 and should be through production and testing by end of year, with heavy flight activity next year.”
Considering that Booster 19 seems to be moving through its production phases quickly, perhaps SpaceX’s Q1 2026 target for Flight 12 might indeed be more than feasible.
News
Elon Musk makes a key Tesla Optimus detail official
“Since we are naming the singular, we will also name the plural, so Optimi it is,” Musk wrote on X.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk just made a key detail about Optimus official. In a post on X, the CEO clarified some key wording about Optimus, which should help the media and the public become more familiar with the humanoid robot.
Elon Musk makes Optimus’ plural term official
Elon Musk posted a number of Optimus-related posts on X this weekend. On Saturday, he stated that Optimus would be the Von Neumann probe, a machine that could eventually be capable of replicating itself. This capability, it seems, would be the key to Tesla achieving Elon Musk’s ambitious Optimus production targets.
Amidst the conversations about Optimus on X, a user of the social media platform asked the CEO what the plural term for the humanoid robot will be. As per Musk, Tesla will be setting the plural term for Optimus since the company also decided on the robot’s singular term. “Since we are naming the singular, we will also name the plural, so Optimi it is,” Musk wrote in his reply on X.
This makes it official. For media outlets such as Teslarati, numerous Optimus bots are now called Optimi. It rolls off the tongue pretty well, too.
Optimi will be a common sight worldwide
While Musk’s comment may seem pretty mundane to some, it is actually very important. Optimus is intended to be Tesla’s highest volume product, with the CEO estimating that the humanoid robot could eventually see annual production rates in the hundreds of millions, perhaps even more. Since Optimi will be a very common sight worldwide, it is good that people can now get used to terms describing the humanoid robot.
-->During the Tesla 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk stated that the humanoid robot will see “the fastest production ramp of any product of any large complex manufactured product ever,” starting with a one-million-Optimi-per-year production line at the Fremont Factory. Giga Texas would get an even bigger Optimus production line, which should be capable of producing tens of millions of Optimi per year.
News
Tesla is improving Giga Berlin’s free “Giga Train” service for employees
With this initiative, Tesla aims to boost the number of Gigafactory Berlin employees commuting by rail while keeping the shuttle free for all riders.
Tesla will expand its factory shuttle service in Germany beginning January 4, adding direct rail trips from Berlin Ostbahnhof to Giga Berlin-Brandenburg in Grünheide.
With this initiative, Tesla aims to boost the number of Gigafactory Berlin employees commuting by rail while keeping the shuttle free for all riders.
New shuttle route
As noted in a report from rbb24, the updated service, which will start January 4, will run between the Berlin Ostbahnhof East Station and the Erkner Station at the Gigafactory Berlin complex. Tesla stated that the timetable mirrors shift changes for the facility’s employees, and similar to before, the service will be completely free. The train will offer six direct trips per day as well.
“The service includes six daily trips, which also cover our shift times. The trains will run between Berlin Ostbahnhof (with a stop at Ostkreuz) and Erkner station to the Gigafactory,” Tesla Germany stated.
Even with construction continuing at Fangschleuse and Köpenick stations, the company said the route has been optimized to maintain a predictable 35-minute travel time. The update follows earlier phases of Tesla’s “Giga Train” program, which initially connected Erkner to the factory grounds before expanding to Berlin-Lichtenberg.
-->Tesla pushes for majority rail commuting
Tesla began production at Grünheide in March 2022, and the factory’s workforce has since grown to around 11,500 employees, with an estimated 60% commuting from Berlin. The facility produces the Model Y, Tesla’s best-selling vehicle, for both Germany and other territories.
The company has repeatedly emphasized its goal of having more than half its staff use public transportation rather than cars, positioning the shuttle as a key part of that initiative. In keeping with the factory’s sustainability focus, Tesla continues to allow even non-employees to ride the shuttle free of charge, making it a broader mobility option for the area.
SpaceX’s Starship program is already bouncing back from Booster 18 fiasco
Elon Musk makes a key Tesla Optimus detail official
