News
Tesla Model 3: Austrian company will supply critical cabling for electric motor and battery
Austrian cable company [name removed] has secured a large order from Tesla for 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) worth of aluminum cabling that will be used to connect the Model 3 electric motor with onboard battery pack.
Updated: By request, we have replaced the name of the supplier mentioned within the original story with “company”.
The initial order represents the first business dealing between Tesla and [company] and reportedly worth up to 5 million Euros or $5.4 million. According to a report from the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, the company manager said they were first approached by Tesla who asked if [company] could supply cabling for the upcoming Model 3. A sales manager for the company flew out to Tesla’s Fremont, Calif. factory, where Model 3 will be built, on February 10th to discuss the details of the arrangement.
Traction cabling is a critical component for electric vehicles and is akin to the fuel supply lines in an internal combustion vehicle, though instead of gasoline, the cabling allows electrical current to flow between Model 3’s electric motor and battery. The Kurier reports that the cable spec being supplied to Tesla is “a shielded aluminum cable with silicone cable [that provide] the power supply between the [battery] and the electric motor.”
On February 16, [company] revealed through the company’s Facebook page that “After intensive development and sales activities” (translated), [company] will be the supplier for the next generation of Tesla Model 3. “Let’s go in the green industry!”
The aluminum cables being supplied by [company] are reportedly lighter and cheaper than traditional materials commonly used in cabling. The cabling will presumably be transported to Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 facility in Sparks, Nevada where Model 3’s motor and drivetrain assembly is expected to be produced.
The late addition of [company] as a supplier shows that Tesla continues to vet new suppliers who have demonstrated the ability to deliver in their respective fields. The fact that this arrangement was firmed up recently reveals Model 3 supply chain is still very much in development, with only a few short months remaining before Model 3 production is expected to begin in July.
[company] may be new to Tesla but it is no stranger to the automotive industry. The company has supplied components to Ford and Chrysler, and other specialized industrial applications. While past experience in the auto industry will surely help [company]deliver quality components that are meant to last in an automotive application, it provides no surety that the company will be able to deliver against Tesla’s extremely high standards, variable timelines and demanding in-vehicle applications.
One key piece of the variability is the S-curve of the production ramp which is essentially the time at which the production lines have worked through any initial issues and start increasing production volume at a very quick pace. Elon noted on the Q4 earnings call that the S-curve is very difficult to predict:
“I mean, I really look at where does it end up, as opposed to what happens in the very near term. And it’s hard for us to predict exactly where it is in the near term. Just think of that sort of S-Curve and say like, where are you on the S-Curve? If you have a rapidly changing slope on a curve, it’s really hard to say, okay, let’s pick a date, because you could move that date by a week and have a huge difference.”
This extreme variability combined with the high demand, coming from what may be the most in-demand automobile in history, is even more challenging when considering Tesla’s extreme, high standards for suppliers.
News
Tesla shares rare peek at Semi factory’s interior
The new video of the Tesla Semi factory was posted by the official Tesla account on X.
Tesla has shared a rare peek inside the factory of the Tesla Semi, which is expected to start production next year. Based on the video, it appears that work in the facility’s interior is ongoing, just as hinted at by drone flyers of the site.
Tesla Semi factory
The new video of the Tesla Semi factory, which is located close to Giga Nevada, was posted by the official Tesla account on X. While the video was short at less than 30 seconds long, it did show several parts of the factory’s interior, from its gigantic machines to its expansive space. The company also showed some initial production units of the Semi operating around the site.
Elon Musk shared a quick update on the Tesla Semi’s production at the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting. While addressing the company’s shareholders, Musk confirmed that production of the Semi is on track for 2026.
“Starting next year, we (will) manufacture the Tesla Semi. So this, we already have a lot of prototype Tesla Semis in operation. PepsiCo and other companies have been using the Tesla Semi for quite some time. But we will start volume production at our Northern Nevada factory in 2026,” Musk said.
Tesla Semi redesign
Apart from Elon Musk’s confirmation that the Semi will indeed enter production next year, Tesla also showed an image of the Class 8 all-electric truck’s overall look. Based on a slide that was shown during Musk’s presentation, it appears that the Semi has undergone a pretty major redesign. The redesigned Semi features updated design cues that align with the company’s current lineup.
Immediately noticeable from the Semi’s updated design is its front end, which now feature headlights that resemble the style of the Cybertruck, Cybercab, and the new Model Y. Several other changes appear designed to improve aerodynamics, with Tesla now stating that the Semi has an efficiency of 1.7 kWh per mile. Side cameras, likely for FSD, are also quite prominent on the redesigned Semi.
Elon Musk
Tesla says texting and driving capability is coming ‘in a month or two’
“In the next month or two, we’re going to look at the safety statistics, but we’re going to allow you to text and drive, essentially.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that within the next month or two, the company will be able to open the ability for people to text and drive because its Full Self-Driving suite will be robust enough to allow drivers to take their attention away from the road.
In its current state, Tesla Full Self-Driving is a supervised driver assistance suite that requires the vehicle operator to maintain control of the vehicle and pay attention to the road surroundings.
However, the company has been aiming to release a fully autonomous version of the Full Self-Driving suite for years, teasing its future potential and aiming to release a Level 5 suite as soon as possible.
CEO Elon Musk believes the company is on the cusp of something drastic, according to what he said at yesterday’s Annual Shareholder Meeting.
One thing Musk hinted at was that the company should be able to allow those sitting in the driver’s seat of their cars to text and drive “in the next month or two,” as long as the statistics look good.
He said:
“In the next month or two, we’re going to look at the safety statistics, but we’re going to allow you to text and drive, essentially.”
The company recently transitioned to its v14 Full Self-Driving suite, which is its most robust to date, and recently expanded to Cybertruck, completing its rollout across the vehicle lineup.
Currently, Tesla is running v14.1.5, and when major improvements are made, that second number will increase, meaning v14.2 will be the next substantial improvement.
Musk said that v14.3 will be when you can “pretty much fall asleep and wake up at your destination.”
🚨🚨 Elon Musk says Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.3 will be when you can “pretty much fall asleep and wake up at your destination.”
We are on v14.1 currently 👀 pic.twitter.com/KMkWh5Qa7T
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 6, 2025
We’ve heard a considerable amount of similar statements in the past, and Tesla owners have been conditioned to take some of these timeframes with autonomous driving with a grain of salt.
However, with the upgrades in FSD over the past few months, especially with the rollout of Robotaxi in Austin, which does not utilize anyone in the driver’s seat for local roads, it does not seem as if autonomy is that far off for Tesla.
News
Tesla Semi undergoes major redesign as dedicated factory preps for deliveries
The Semi has been one of the most anticipated products in the Tesla lineup due to the disruption it could cause in the trucking industry.
Tesla put its all-electric Semi truck through quite a major redesign as its dedicated factory for the vehicle is preparing for initial deliveries to the public starting next year.
The Semi has been one of the most anticipated products in the Tesla lineup due to the disruption it could cause in the trucking industry.
It has already been in numerous pilot programs for some pretty large companies over the past couple of years, PepsiCo. being one of them, and it is moving toward first deliveries to other companies sometime in 2026.
Yesterday at the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Tesla unveiled its new Semi design, which underwent a pretty significant facelift to match the aesthetic and vibe of the other vehicles in the company’s lineup.
Additionally, Tesla announced some other improvements, including changes to efficiency, and some other changes that we did not get details on yet.
The first change was to the design of the Semi, as Tesla adopted its blade-like light bar for the Class 8 truck, similar to the one that is used on the new Model Y and the Cybertruck:
There also appear to be a handful of design changes that help with aerodynamics, as its efficiency has increased to 1.7 kWh per mile.
Tesla also said it has an increased payload capability, which will help companies to haul more goods per trip.
All of these changes come as the company’s Semi Factory, which is located on the same property as its Gigafactory in Reno, Nevada, is just finishing up. In late October, it was shown that the Semi facility is nearly complete, based on recent drone imagery from factory observer HinrichsZane on X:
The factory will be capable of producing about 50,000 Tesla Semi units annually when it is completely ramped. The company has major plans to help get the Semi in more fleets across the United States.
Other entities are also working to develop a charging corridor for electric Class 8 trucks. The State of California was awarded $102 million to develop a charging corridor that spans from Washington to Southern California.
Another corridor is being developed that spans from Southern California to Texas, and 49 applicants won $636 million from the Department of Transportation for it.
Tesla requested funding for it, but was denied.
The Semi has been a staple in several companies’ fleets over the past few years, most notably that of Frito-Lay and PepsiCo., who have reported positive experiences thus far.
Musk said last year that the Semi had “ridiculous demand.”
Tesla shares rare peek at Semi factory’s interior
Tesla says texting and driving capability is coming ‘in a month or two’
Tesla Semi undergoes major redesign as dedicated factory preps for deliveries
-
Elon Musk1 week agoNeuralink’s first patient could receive an upgrade: Elon Musk
-
News1 week agoTesla Cybercab spotted testing on public roads for the first time
-
Elon Musk5 days agoElon Musk subtly confirms one of Tesla AI8’s uses, and it’s literally out of this world
-
Elon Musk3 days agoTesla teases new AI5 chip that will revolutionize self-driving
-
Elon Musk2 days agoTesla 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting: How to watch
-
Cybertruck5 days agoTesla Cybertruck fleet takes over at SpaceX’s Starbase
-
News1 day agoFord reportedly considers cancelling F-150 Lightning: ‘The demand is just not there’
-
News3 days agoTesla Giga Berlin hits a sustainability milestone that’s so impressive, it sounds fake