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Tesla rival Audi hits the pause button on e-tron production

Audi promotes the e-tron in front of a Tesla store in Stuttgart, Germany. (Photo: Provotroll1/Twitter)

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The Audi factory in Belgium paused the production of the e-tron SUV citing production issues such as a battery supply bottleneck. The production of Audi Brussels was shut down Thursday last week and is expected to last until Tuesday.

According to Audi insiders, aside from battery supply issues, there are also shortages of other parts such as rear lights for the e-tron and even sun visors, reported Belgian publication L’Echo.

The spokesperson for Audi’s plant in Brussels clarified that the production issues are not because of the coronavirus outbreak in China where global car manufacturers’ factories for car parts are located.

The factory in Brussels produces the Audi e-tron and the e-tron Sportback, the first two electric vehicles of the German carmaker under the umbrella of Volkswagen. Audi sold about 26,400 e-trons in 2019 but the company declined to give an estimate on deliveries this year, according to Bloomberg.

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The current halt in production shows how traditional carmakers struggle to keep up with the pace of Tesla, the undoubted leader in the electric vehicle industry today. Unlike traditional car manufacturers, a recent teardown of the Model 3 by Nikkei Business Publications revealed that Tesla does not depend on multiple other suppliers for its parts, allowing it to push itself to the limits in terms of technologies it wants to use for its vehicles.

In January, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Deiss emphasized during a global board meeting with the company’s senior managers that they need to act fast to avoid having a similar fate as Finnish phone maker Nokia that wasn’t able to keep up with the technology. This announcement came just a couple months after Audi announced that it plans to cut 9,500 jobs through 2025, which will save it 6 billion euros and help fund its push to make electric cars.

Audi Brussels’ halt in e-tron production paints a picture of how labeled “Tesla Killers” simply don’t match the current technologies and capabilities of the electric car maker, despite having the resources for the production of petrol-powered cars. Putting car parts together to make a vehicle is one thing but they still need to catch up in other aspects such as connectivity and driver-assist systems, among other things.

Oh, of course, the killer blow can also be seen when you look at the details, too. The image of an Audi e-tron’s cockpit reminding its owner to change oil is just difficult to look at just like this one below shared by Twitter user  Georg Konjovic.

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A curious soul who keeps wondering how Elon Musk, Tesla, electric cars, and clean energy technologies will shape the future, or do we really need to escape to Mars.

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SpaceX Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee, grabbing three of the ‘Big Four’

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Credit: American Airlines

SpaceX’s Starlink product has just gotten its latest airline adoptee, and the move marks the successful partnership of three of the “Big Four” U.S. airlines.

American Airlines announced on Tuesday that it would utilize Starlink in more than 500 narrowbody aircraft beginning in the first quarter of 2027. These include the Airbus aircraft in its fleet, including the new A321XLR and A321neo.

With the new partnership with American Airlines, Starlink is now present on three of the largest airlines in the country: American, United, and Southwest.

Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee for stable and reliable internet access

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Starlink’s VP of Enterprise Sales, Jason Fritch, said:

“We are proud to bring Starlink on board American Airlines, delivering fast and reliable internet to passengers and crew. Whether traveling for leisure or business, Starlink enables a fully connected experience gate to gate, making every flight smoother and more enjoyable.”

Additionally, American Airlines Chief Customer Officer, Heather Garboden, said:

“As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want. The addition of Starlink solidifies American as a leading airline in keeping passengers connected in flight.”

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Starlink has been on a tear over the past year, as it has continued to be adopted by a wide variety of airlines as a more consistent and reliable way to provide WiFi to its passengers. It has already gained a great reputation among residential users, but its biggest commercial application appears to be how it is being used in the air.

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The only airline of the Big Four not to adopt Starlink thus far is Delta, which chose to opt for the alternative, which is Amazon Leo. CEO Ed Bastian said to Bloomberg that Delta chose Amazon’s product over Starlink’s because “the opportunities, in terms of the improved bandwidth with a much lower price point than what we’ve ever seen from Starlink, will make a big difference.”

Delta will not start installing Amazon Leo until 2028.

“Of course, we expect Starlink will be warning people that we’re going to go with an inferior product,” Bastian said. “But I’m not too worried about partnering with Amazon.”

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Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim is nearing its first deliveries

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Credit: Joe Tegtmeyer | X

Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim level is nearing its first deliveries just a few months after being offered for an incredible deal.

Back in February, Tesla officially launched a new trim of the Cybertruck, the All-Wheel-Drive, starting at just $59,990. It was a lot of truck for the money, especially considering what it offered the Rear-Wheel-Drive variant for last year, which was a total flop.

The $59,990 price that was offered initially was a deal due to its 325-mile range rating, powered tonneau, three bed outlets, Powershare capability, coil springs with adaptive damping for a refined suspension feel, Steer-by-Wire and four-wheel steering, a 6′ x 4′ composite bed, towing capacity of 7,500 pounds, and a powered frunk.

Tesla is now nearing deliveries of this trim, according to watcher Sawyer Merritt, as Tesla has officially started assigning VINs to people who ordered the vehicle initially:

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Earlier this month, we reported on units of the trim being spotted outside Gigafactory Texas by Joe Tegtmeyer.

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Tesla Giga Texas buzzing as new Cybertruck appears to enter production

This Cybertruck trim was interesting because it was released basically out of nowhere, priced incredibly well, and gathered many orders in a small amount of time. However, CEO Elon Musk noted just days afterward that the vehicle would only be priced at this bargain level for ten days.

Tesla fans were not happy.

However, the issues with the pricing strategy have blown over since the February unveiling event, and now that deliveries are near, Tesla fans are anticipating the truck making its way to their driveways soon.

The truck is currently priced at $69,990, and deliveries for new orders are slated for between August and September 2026.

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Tesla ships new feature that silences neighborhood Supercharger complaints

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is shipping a new feature that silences neighborhood Supercharger complaints, prompting drivers to be aware of those who might be impacted by excessive noise nearby.

Tesla is now rolling out a new location-specific “Quiet Charging Zone” that prompts drivers to lower their vehicle’s audio volume in an effort to make things comfortable for everyone, even those who are not Tesla owners.

This is an impactful feature that will resolve many complaints from those who are living nearby.

When a Tesla plugs into this Supercharger and its media volume exceeds a certain level, the vehicle’s central touchscreen displays a polite notification: “Could you turn the volume down? Please be mindful of our neighbors.”

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Accompanying the message is a prominent “Lower” button. One tap automatically reduces the audio to a more considerate level. Physical “Quiet Charging Zone” signs posted at the station reinforce the request, creating a cohesive experience that blends digital nudges with on-site reminders.

This feature highlights Tesla’s unique advantages. Unlike traditional automakers, Tesla owns both the vehicle software and the charging infrastructure.

Engineers can detect the precise location via GPS, trigger context-aware prompts, and deploy changes fleet-wide in hours or days without recalls or dealer visits. No public release notes highlighted the change, suggesting it was a quiet, site-specific rollout designed to test effectiveness before potential expansion.

These are usually referred to as “Undocumented Changes.”

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Beyond immediate noise reduction, the initiative underscores Tesla’s customer- and community-focused ethos. While EVs are inherently quieter than combustion-engine vehicles, auxiliary behaviors like loud infotainment can still create friction in dense cities. Tesla’s rapid response turns potential conflict into an opportunity to demonstrate thoughtful engineering.

As Tesla expands its Supercharger network, which is now open to other EVs in many places, features like location-based quiet modes could become standard tools for harmonious integration into neighborhoods.

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