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Tesla updates Referral Program, all Model 3 eligible for free Supercharging

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Tesla has made yet another revision to its popular referral program, this time offering six months of free unlimited Supercharging to all new vehicle purchases made through a current owner’s referral code.

The update comes one month after the previous referral program came to an end on September 18 and replaced with a new program that included $100 in Supercharging credits for customers placing an order on a new Model S, Model X or Model 3 Performance through a Tesla referral code. Unlike previous programs that were applicable to the company’s higher-margin vehicles, the latest update is unrestricted and applicable to all new vehicle purchases, including all Model 3 variants such as the recently announced $45k Mid Range version.

Referral program prizes including the launching of a personal laser-etched photo into deep space aboard a SpaceX rocket, and a chance to race the Tesla Semi remain unchanged.

A Tesla spokesperson confirms with Teslarati that the new referral program update will also be made retroactive to customers that made a qualifying purchase between September 19 and October 19. Customers who previously received $100 in Supercharging credits will also receive six months of free, unlimited Supercharging. All Model 3 owners who placed an order between October 4 and October 19 are also eligible for the retroactive Supercharging update.

Tesla Supercharger station in Baker, CA [Photo: Teslarati]

The latest update can be seen as another incremental step Tesla is taking toward a seamless purchasing and vehicle ownership experience. With free, unlimited Supercharging being offered right before the busy travel season, new buyers that transitioned from a traditional gasoline vehicle and taking advantage of the high-powered charging stations will be able to experience cost-free, long-distance travel for the first time.

Owners also have access to a network of Tesla destination charging partners, with company chargers placed conveniently at hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, and other popular travel spots. Additionally, the company’s network of “urban Superchargers” are strategically placed in high-density areas where Tesla-owning city dwellers that live in apartments or highrises have less access to installing personal home chargers and can benefit from Tesla’s public charging stations.

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Updated October 20: There was some initial confusion on whether owners that already had the $100 Supercharging credit would retain it. We confirmed with Tesla that the six months of free, unlimited Supercharging is in addition to their original $100 Supercharging credit.

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Tesla Giga Berlin hits a sustainability milestone that’s so impressive, it sounds fake

As per the facility’s plant manager, Giga Berlin has completed one whole year without any of its process wastewater being discharged into the municipal sewer system.

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Credit: Tesla Manufacturing/X

Tesla Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg has achieved a sustainability milestone that is so impressive, it almost sounds fake. As per the facility’s plant manager, Giga Berlin has completed one whole year without any of its process wastewater being discharged into the municipal sewer system. 

The announcement comes just over a month after Tesla Germany revealed that Gigafactory Berlin had returned 377,000 cubic meters of annual water rights to local authorities due to the facility’s sustainability systems. 

Insane one year feat

Andre Thierig, Giga Berlin Senior Director of Manufacturing, stated that the factory’s one-year milestone was made possible by the facility’s industry-leading waste treatment systems. With no process wastewater discharged into the municipal sewer for a year now, Giga Berlin has effectively become one, if not the region’s, most environmentally friendly vehicle production facilities. 

“Today, we completed 1 YEAR without any process waste water being discharged into the municipal sewer, achieved by an incredible team (aka Ninja Turtles) with our futuristic waste water treatment facility. Making a sustainable product matters a lot but doing it sustainably is just as important! This underlines our strong environmental commitment to region of Berlin-Brandenburg,” the plant manager wrote in a LinkedIn post.

Credit: Andre Thierig/LinkedIn

Officials and Giga Berlin’s water consumption

Jochem Freyer, Chairman of the Management Board of the Employment Agency Frankfurt (Oder), shared his congratulations to Tesla Germany. “The decision in favor of the facility was a strong move – for the environment, for the brand, for East Brandenburg! I hope for further innovations from Giga Berlin-Brandenburg, the official noted.

In late September, reports emerged stating that Tesla Germany had returned 377,000 cubic meters of annual water rights to the Strausberg-Erkner Water Association (WSE). This was because the facility ended up using significantly less water than originally planned. WSE chairman Thomas Krieger stated that the water Giga Berlin was saving would be distributed to municipalities and other users in the region. 

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Tesla’s latest Robotaxi job posting takes the whole program a step forward

On Tuesday, Tesla posted a new job for a Senior Insurance Claims Specialist, Robotaxi, the first of its kind.

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(Credit: Tesla North America/X)

Tesla’s latest Robotaxi job posting goes beyond what has been posted in the past and truly takes the entire program a step forward.

Tesla has been hiring some employees for Robotaxi, but a vast majority of the job postings have been related to Vehicle Operator positions, meaning the people who are Safety Monitors or Validation Vehicle Drivers.

Some job postings have hinted at Robotaxi expanding to new cities.

However, on Tuesday, Tesla posted a new job for a Senior Insurance Claims Specialist, Robotaxi, the first of its kind.

The job description says the employee will “oversee the company’s corporate insurance, risk management and surety programs across all business components.” Additionally, it says the position plays “a critical role in managing incident reporting a claim processes for Tesla Robotaxi and ride-hailing operations.”

Essentially, Tesla could be looking to prepare for when it eventually will have to take liability for accidents completely. This would be when the company launches fully autonomous vehicles, meaning Cybercab and the Robotaxi program, specifically. It would also include passenger vehicles with Full Self-Driving.

Tesla is currently operating a Robotaxi program in Austin, Texas, as well as a ride-hailing platform in the California Bay Area.

These programs are the company’s first foray into ride-hailing, with or without someone in the driver’s seat of the vehicle. In Austin, Tesla operates most of its rides without a Safety Monitor in the driver’s seat. Only freeway routes require the Monitor to be directly behind the wheel.

In California, someone sits in the driver’s seat at all times.

The job posting seems to indicate that things could be relatively close in terms of solving self-driving, especially if Tesla is looking to fill a role that would handle autonomous insurance claims.

Of course, it will take Tesla to solve autonomy, and with the company aiming to start Cybercab production (without a steering wheel) in Q2 2025, it surely feels like it is on the brink of something great.

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Tesla snags Lamborghini alum to help in newly entered market

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tesla showroom
Credit: Tesla

Tesla has snagged a Lamborghini alum to help with its entrance into a new market, which has proven to be an intricate situation for the automaker.

A report from Bloomberg states that Tesla has hired Sharad Agarwal, who was formerly employed by the Italian luxury carmaker, to run its operations in India. With Lamborghini, he was employed to handle operations in India.

Tesla launches in India with Model Y, showing pricing will be biggest challenge

Tesla has gone through quite a few different team members with its launch in India, starting with a few hirings a few years ago, well before the company actually committed to selling cars in the country.

The move helps Tesla streamline its executive decision-making process, as it previously had employees in India reach out to managers based in China, among other areas. Agarwal will be stationed in India and will handle the company’s operations.

Tesla’s mentality behind the strategy is to have local leadership, something that seems to cater to the market specifically.

Tesla had previously put Isabel Fan, the manager of Southeast Asia for the company, in the position. However, Tesla seemed to want someone who was more permanent and would be dedicated to India exclusively.

India has the largest population on Earth and has a massive automotive market for that reason. Tesla stands to gain a lot from a strong performance in India, and its clean energy vehicles could help with pollution of all kinds in the region.

Tesla’s path to entrance in the Indian market was a long one, as the company tried for nearly ten years to get into the elusive region. Back in 2016, CEO Elon Musk said Tesla “would love to be in India,” teasing the Model 3.

By 2017, Tesla had met with officials from the country, but tried to get import duties down to nothing from 100 percent.

Indian authorities denied Tesla’s request.

For years, Musk met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to try and iron out a deal of some sort. Nothing truly came to fruition, at least until last year, when real movement started.

By 2024, India had introduced a strategy to reduce import duties for some companies, which was enough for Tesla to make a move. It is now 2025, and the company still has not committed to building a factory in the region. However, it is not completely out of the question.

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