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BMW’s potential EV program revival to be decided as Oliver Zipse nears new CEO post

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BMW’s electric car initiative is at a crossroads. After mostly being shelved by outgoing CEO Harald Krüger during his years leading the company, BMW’s EV program has the potential to see a revival with the naming of its new chief executive. Fortunately, recent reports indicate that BMW is set to name the rather understated Oliver Zipse over Klaus Fröhlich as the carmaker’s new CEO. 

BMW’s supervisory board is expected to discuss the company’s new leadership at the Spartanburg, South Carolina plant on Thursday. So far, reports indicate that the 55-year-old Zipse is the favored candidate over the 59-year old Fröhlich, who serves as BMW’s Head of Development. Fröhlich had attracted a number of headlines as of late, particularly when he insisted that there was no demand for electric vehicles. 

Zipse joined BMW as a trainee back in 1991, rising through the company’s ranks and holding several posts. Prior to becoming a board member for production, Zipse worked as the carmaker’s Head of Brand and Product Strategies. Over his years with the company, Zipse has shown proficiency in manufacturing efficiencies. BMW’s efficient production network, which was expanded in Hungary, China, and the United States, emerged under Zipse’s lead, and it has helped the carmaker deliver healthy profit margins. 

Auto analysts and industry experts believe that it will take more than manufacturing expertise to lead BMW into the EV era. In a statement to Reuters, Carsten Breitfeld, a former BMW engineer who currently serves as the chief executive of China-based ICONIQ motors, noted that Zipse’s apparent appointment “goes far beyond optimizing an existing business.” “He needs to be able to build teams, to attract key talent, and to promote a culture which is increasingly oriented along consumer electronics and internet dynamics,” the former BMW engineer said. 

One key aspect that Zipse would have to work on is BMW’s electric car program, which has lagged against rivals like Mercedes-Benz and Audi, both of which have already released, or a least unveiled, their own premium all-electric vehicles. BMW actually had an early lead with the i3, but the vehicle was practically abandoned by the company when it failed to get traction. 

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Silicon Valley-based Tesla, a newcomer on the market, has so far established a substantial lead in the EV space, and its Model 3 sedan has started eating into the sales of popular gas-powered four-doors like the BMW 3-Series. UBS analyst Patrick Hummel addressed this, stating that “Tesla has a lead of three to four years in areas like software and electronics. The millennials are much more focused on these things. There is a risk that the Germans can’t catch up.”  

BMW had already made a mistake in electric vehicles once. During the time of the i3, it was reported that CEO Harald Krüger’s reluctance to push low-margin EVs ultimately led to an exodus of talented engineers. Among these are Christian Senger, who is now a board member responsible for software for Volkswagen, and Markus Duesmann, who is reportedly in line to be Audi’s CEO in the future. If BMW does decide on Zipse, it could have another chance at breaking through the emerging EV market, albeit late.

Now, if BMW elects the electric car-dismissing Klaus Fröhlich as its next CEO instead, the German carmaker could be looking into even more turbulent years ahead.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla Full Self-Driving’s European launch frustrations revealed by Elon Musk

Tesla plans to launch Full Self-Driving in Europe later this year, but regulatory bodies are proving to make it a bigger challenge than it needs to be.

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Credit: Tesla Europe and Middle East | X

Tesla Full Self-Driving is set to launch in Europe in the future, but the region’s governing bodies are not giving the suite any chance to move forward, according to CEO Elon Musk, who blames the regulatory processes for robbing citizens of a safer mode of travel.

The automaker revealed late last year that it planned to bring Full Self-Driving to Europe sometime in 2025. However, Musk said that the launch of the suite is being continuously prolonged by both individual and European Union officials, dragging their feet with approvals.

In a post on X on Wednesday, Musk said the company is still dealing with and waiting for approvals from both the Dutch government and the EU’s governing officials, giving an indication that some progress has been made, but ultimately, there are still some bodies that are taking their time:

He continued by stating that the delays are “very frustrating” and they “hurt the safety of people in Europe” because of Autopilot’s statistical prowess, which shows it is much safer than human drivers.

Tesla is readying for the launch of a completely driverless Robotaxi platform in the U.S., which is set to occur in the coming days. While the initial rollout of the platform will be reserved for a select few, public rides are slated for June 22, meaning anyone will be able to come to Austin and hail a Tesla Robotaxi through the company’s smartphone app.

The first Robotaxi without a driver was spotted in Austin yesterday and shared on X:

First Tesla driverless robotaxi spotted in the wild in Austin, TX

Musk dropped several hints that the Robotaxi launch, which has been rumored for June 12, is imminent. For now, the operation will take place in Austin and will eventually expand, likely to California next, as noted in past reports. The City’s official website confirmed that Tesla gained a license as an Autonomous Vehicle operator in the City of Austin earlier this week.

Tesla applied for a similar license in California earlier this year.

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Tesla Lathrop Megafactory celebrates massive Megapack battery milestone

The Tesla Megapack is the backbone of Tesla Energy’s battery deployments.

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Credit: Tesla Megapack/X

The Tesla Lathrop Megafactory recently achieved a new milestone. As per the official Tesla Megapack account on X, the Lathrop Megafactory has produced its 15,000th Megapack 2 XL battery.

15,000 Megapack Batteries

Tesla celebrated the milestone with a photo of the Lathrop Megafactory team posing with a freshly produced Megapack battery. To commemorate the event, the team held balloons that spelled out “15,000” as they posed for the photo.

The Tesla Megapack is the backbone of Tesla Energy’s battery deployments. Designed for grid-scale applications, each Megapack offers 3.9 MWh of energy and 1.9 MW of power. The battery is extremely scalable, making it perfect for massive energy storage projects.

https://twitter.com/Tesla_Megapack/status/1932578971700638203

More Megafactories

The Lathrop Megafactory is Tesla’s first dedicated facility for its flagship battery storage system. It currently stands as the largest utility-scale battery factory in North America. The facility is capable of producing 10,000 Megapack batteries every year, equal to 40 GWh of clean energy storage.

Thanks to the success of the Megapack, Tesla has expanded its energy business by building and launching the Shanghai Megafactory, which is also expected to produce 40 GWh of energy storage per year. The ramp of the Shanghai Megafactory is quite impressive, with Tesla noting in its Q1 2025 Update Letter that the Shanghai Megafactory managed to produce over 100 Megapack batteries in the first quarter alone.

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Tesla Energy’s Potential

During the first quarter earnings call, CEO Elon Musk stated that the Megapack is extremely valuable to the energy industry. 

“The Megapack enables utility companies to output far more total energy than would otherwise be the case… This is a massive unlock on total energy output of any given grid over the course of a year. And utility companies are beginning to realize this and are buying in our Megapacks at scale,” Musk said.

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Tesla launches “TeslaVision” video contest to celebrate Model Y deliveries

The program marks a revival of Tesla’s popular Project Loveday initiative back in 2017.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla has announced the TeslaVision Contest, a global video showcase inviting fans and owners to highlight the impact of the company’s vehicles on people. 

The program marks a revival of its Project Loveday initiative in 2017, which was extremely well-received by the electric vehicle community. 

A Contest to Celebrate the New Model Y

As per the TeslaVision contest’s official website, the program is being rolled out to commemorate the launch and deliveries of the new Model Y across all continents. Thus, the contest could be seen as a global celebration and showcase of owners and fans who made Tesla the household brand that it has become today.

Participants are tasked with creating a 90-second or shorter video demonstrating how Tesla vehicles provide “more freedom, more safety, more fun, more convenience.” Submissions must be uploaded to YouTube and shared on X and Instagram with the tag @Tesla and the phrase “TeslaVision contest.” 

Videos must align with Tesla’s mission to accelerate sustainable energy, be suitable for all ages, and avoid references to non-Tesla brands. English text or voice-overs are required, and entrants must relinquish rights to their content for Tesla’s commercial use.

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https://twitter.com/Tesla/status/1932559030892802153

A Big Prize Awaits

When Tesla launched Project Loveday in 2017, the company noted that the contest’s winner would receive an all-expenses paid invitation to an upcoming Tesla product launch. For TeslaVision, the grand prize is a lot more tangible, with the winner receiving a new Model Y AWD. They will also get an all-expenses-paid trip to Gigafactory Texas. Second and third-place winners will also receive a Giga Texas tour. 

Finalists will be selected based on creativity, originality, relevance to the prompt, and entertainment value. Tesla will shortlist 100 videos, with the top 10 subject to public voting to influence the final judging. The contest is open to legal residents of the United States, Mexico, and Canada, aged 18 or older, with a valid driver’s license and Tesla account. No purchase is necessary, though entries are limited to just one per person. 

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