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Suspect behind failed Tesla ransomware ploy on Giga Nevada pleads not guilty
After a long drive from Reno, Nevada to Los Angeles on August 22, 2020, Russian citizen Egor Igorevich Kriuchkov was intercepted by authorities, seemingly as he was attempting to flee the United States. Kriuchkov was arrested for his alleged involvement in a planned ransomware attack against Tesla, which came to light thanks to a report from an employee at Gigafactory Nevada who was being recruited for the effort.
Before a federal magistrate judge on Thursday, Kriuchkov denied any wrongdoing. While responding to a charge of conspiracy to intentionally cause damage to a protected computer, the Russian citizen steadfastly remarked “I’m not guilty.” Earlier in the hearing, he also remarked that he wanted to “go through the whole process as fast as possible.”
In a statement to US Magistrate Judge Carla Baldwin, the 26-year-old, who was initially reported as 27 by authorities, stated that he knew the Russian government was already aware of his case. In response, the judge ordered Kriuchkov to remain in federal custody pending trial, which is scheduled for December 1. This date, however, could be postponed.
Kriuchkov is accused of spending over five weeks in the United States planning a ransomware attack against Tesla’s Gigafactory Nevada facility. During his stay in the country, Kriuchkov reached out to a Russian-speaking employee at the Nevada-based facility, urging him to insert malware into the electric car maker’s systems. For his participation, Kriuchkov offered the Tesla employee a $500,000 reward, an amount that was raised to $1 million later on.
Instead of going on with Kriuchkov’s plan, the employee promptly reported the planned ransomware attack to Tesla, which, in turn, reported the attempt to the FBI. Working with the FBI, the Tesla employee continued to communicate with the Russian citizen, which culminated in a meeting on August 19 where Kriuchkov agreed to pay an advance of $11,000. Two days later, the Tesla employee was informed that the plan was being “delayed.” The Russian citizen was arrested in Los Angeles the next day.
During his hearing on Thursday, Kriuchkov opted to speak in English to the judge, though he had a Russian translator available. The hearing was also held by video conference due to ongoing restrictions on in-person gatherings due to the pandemic. Kriuchkov’s lawyers, federal public defenders Sylvia Irvin and Brandon Jaroch, have not released a statement about their client as of date, as per a report from The Stamford Advocate.
If convicted, the Russian citizen could face a sentence of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine, as per Nicholas Trutanich, an attorney in Nevada. Kriuchkov could also face deportation following his prison term.
Elon Musk has acknowledged the planned ransomware attack against Gigafactory Nevada, noting on Twitter that the incident was a serious effort to harm Tesla. The cyberattack could have harmed Tesla to a notable degree, especially since Gigafactory Nevada is a key component of the company’s operations, being the site where the Model 3’s batteries are being produced. Tesla officials have not provided a statement about Kriuchkov’s hearing as of writing.
Elon Musk
California city weighs banning Elon Musk companies like Tesla and SpaceX
A resolution draft titled, “Resolution Ending Engagement With Elon Musk-Controlled Companies and To Encourage CalPERS To Divest Stock In These Companies,” alleges that Musk “has engaged in business practices that are alleged to include violations of labor laws, environmental regulations, workplace safety standards, and regulatory noncompliance.”
A California City Council is planning to weigh whether it would adopt a resolution that would place a ban on its engagement with Elon Musk companies, like Tesla and SpaceX.
The City of Davis, California, will have its City Council weigh a new proposal that would adopt a resolution “to divest from companies owned and/or controlled by Elon Musk.”
This would include a divestment proposal to encourage CalPERS, the California Public Employees Retirement System, to divest from stock in any Musk company.
A resolution draft titled, “Resolution Ending Engagement With Elon Musk-Controlled Companies and To Encourage CalPERS To Divest Stock In These Companies,” alleges that Musk “has engaged in business practices that are alleged to include violations of labor laws, environmental regulations, workplace safety standards, and regulatory noncompliance.”
It claims that Musk “has used his influence and corporate platforms to promote political ideologies and activities that threaten democratic norms and institutions, including campaign finance activities that raise ethical and legal concerns.”
If adopted, Davis would bar the city from entering into any new contracts or purchasing agreements with any company owned or controlled by Elon Musk. It also says it will not consider utilizing Tesla Robotaxis.
Hotel owner tears down Tesla chargers in frustration over Musk’s politics
A staff report on the proposal claims there is “no immediate budgetary impact.” However, a move like this would only impact its residents, especially with Tesla, as the Supercharger Network is open to all electric vehicle manufacturers. It is also extremely reliable and widespread.
Regarding the divestment request to CalPERS, it would not be surprising to see the firm make the move. Although it voted against Musk’s compensation package last year, the firm has no issue continuing to make money off of Tesla’s performance on Wall Street.
The decision to avoid Musk companies will be considered this evening at the City Council meeting.
The report comes from Davis Vanguard.
It is no secret that Musk’s political involvement, especially during the most recent Presidential Election, ruffled some feathers. Other cities considered similar options, like the City of Baltimore, which “decided to go in another direction” after awarding Tesla a $5 million contract for a fleet of EVs for city employees.
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Tesla launches new Model 3 financing deal with awesome savings
Tesla is now offering a 0.99% APR financing option for all new Model 3 orders in the United States, and it applies to all loan terms of up to 72 months.
Tesla has launched a new Model 3 financing deal in the United States that brings awesome savings. The deal looks to move more of the company’s mass-market sedan as it is the second-most popular vehicle Tesla offers, behind its sibling, the Model Y.
Tesla is now offering a 0.99% APR financing option for all new Model 3 orders in the United States, and it applies to all loan terms of up to 72 months.
It includes three Model 3 configurations, including the Model 3 Performance. The rate applies to:
- Model 3 Premium Rear-Wheel-Drive
- Model 3 Premium All-Wheel-Drive
- Model 3 Performance
The previous APR offer was 2.99%.
NEWS: Tesla has introduced 0.99% APR financing for all new Model 3 orders in the U.S. (applies to loan terms of up to 72 months).
This includes:
• Model 3 RWD
• Model 3 Premium RWD
• Model 3 Premium AWD
• Model 3 PerformanceTesla was previously offering 2.99% APR. pic.twitter.com/A1ZS25C9gM
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) February 15, 2026
Tesla routinely utilizes low-interest offers to help move vehicles, especially as the rates can help get people to payments that are more comfortable with their monthly budgets. Along with other savings, like those on maintenance and gas, this is another way Tesla pushes savings to customers.
The company had offered a similar program in China on the Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, but it had ended on January 31.
The Model 3 was the second-best-selling electric vehicle in the United States in 2025, trailing only the Model Y. According to automotive data provided by Cox, Tesla sold 192,440 units last year of the all-electric sedan. The Model Y sold 357,528 units.
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Tesla hasn’t adopted Apple CarPlay yet for this shocking reason
Many Apple and iPhone users have wanted the addition, especially to utilize third-party Navigation apps like Waze, which is a popular alternative. Getting apps outside of Tesla’s Navigation to work with its Full Self-Driving suite seems to be a potential issue the company will have to work through as well.
Perhaps one of the most requested features for Tesla vehicles by owners is the addition of Apple CarPlay. It sounds like the company wants to bring the popular UI to its cars, but there are a few bottlenecks preventing it from doing so.
The biggest reason why CarPlay has not made its way to Teslas yet might shock you.
According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Tesla is still working on bringing CarPlay to its vehicles. There are two primary reasons why Tesla has not done it quite yet: App compatibility issues and, most importantly, there are incredibly low adoption rates of iOS 26.
Tesla’s Apple CarPlay ambitions are not dead, they’re still in the works
iOS 26 is Apple’s most recent software version, which was released back in September 2025. It introduced a major redesign to the overall operating system, especially its aesthetic, with the rollout of “Liquid Glass.”
However, despite the many changes and updates, Apple users have not been too keen on the iOS 26 update, and the low adoption rates have been a major sticking point for Tesla as it looks to develop a potential alternative for its in-house UI.
It was first rumored that Tesla was planning to bring CarPlay out in its cars late last year. Many Apple and iPhone users have wanted the addition, especially to utilize third-party Navigation apps like Waze, which is a popular alternative. Getting apps outside of Tesla’s Navigation to work with its Full Self-Driving suite seems to be a potential issue the company will have to work through as well.
According to the report, Tesla asked Apple to make some changes to improve compatibility between its software and Apple Maps:
“Tesla asked Apple to make engineering changes to Maps to improve compatibility. The iPhone maker agreed and implemented the adjustments in a bug fix update to iOS 26 and the latest version of CarPlay.”
Gurman also said that there were some issues with turn-by-turn guidance from Tesla’s maps app, and it did not properly sync up with Apple Maps during FSD operation. This is something that needs to be resolved before it is rolled out.
There is no listed launch date, nor has there been any coding revealed that would indicate Apple CarPlay is close to being launched within Tesla vehicles.
California city weighs banning Elon Musk companies like Tesla and SpaceX
Tesla launches new Model 3 financing deal with awesome savings
