Connect with us

News

Tesla Semi Megacharger site reportedly under construction at Giga Nevada

(Credit: @SawyerMerrit/Twitter)

Published

on

Tesla Gigafactory Nevada is building a Semi Megacharger site on its grounds. The construction of Semi Megachargers at Giga Nevada hints that the pre-production of Tesla’s Class-8 truck maybe underway in the coming months.

According to a source familiar with the matter, the Semi Megacharger site at Giga Nevada has been under construction for the last three months. With that in mind, work on the Megacharger site probably started sometime in the summer. A look at the reported Megacharger site shows that the charging spaces seem to be designed for large vehicles as well.

The Megacharger site strongly suggests that Tesla is moving forward with the Semi’s production. The Tesla Semi has been delayed for about two years already. However, rumors started spreading earlier this year that production for the electric Class-8 truck would be moving forward.

For example, in March, Tesla posted multiple job openings related to the Semi, which the community interpreted as a sign that production of the vehicle would start soon. In addition, an employee working at one of Tesla’s suppliers said the EV automaker was working on components for the Semi in a lab usually used for production and prototype parts.

Advertisement

Tesla Semi production was initially scheduled to start in 2019 but was later moved to 2020. However, the pandemic has affected several industries, including several automakers, and Tesla was not immune. Elon Musk has been vocal about the supply chain challenges Tesla faced this year.

In Q1, Musk explained that Model S Plaid production was delayed because of supply chain challenges. And just recently, at the 2021 Shareholders Meeting, Musk talked about how supply chain challenges are affecting Semi and Cybertruck production.

“So this year has been just a constant struggle with part supply. So just to be clear, if we had like five extra products, we would not change our vehicle output at all because we were just basically limited by multiple supply chain shortages. Like so many supply chains of so many types, not just chips, there were lots of supply chain shortages,” Musk said.

“So it really wouldn’t matter if we had like the Semi or the [Cyber]truck or anything. We would not be able to make it. And the Semi, in particular, needs a lot of cells, so it needs a lot of cells, a lot of chips,” he explained further.

Musk believes that Tesla Semi production might start by 2023, considering the supply chain challenges. This suggests that the following year could be utilized by Tesla to prepare and refine the production of the Semi.

Advertisement

The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, reach out to me at maria@teslarati.com or via Twitter @Writer_01001101.

Maria--aka "M"-- is an experienced writer and book editor. She's written about several topics including health, tech, and politics. As a book editor, she's worked with authors who write Sci-Fi, Romance, and Dark Fantasy. M loves hearing from TESLARATI readers. If you have any tips or article ideas, contact her at maria@teslarati.com or via X, @Writer_01001101.

Advertisement
Comments

Energy

Tesla Powerwall distribution expands in Australia

Inventory is expected to arrive in late February and official sales are expected to start mid-March 2026.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Supply Partners Group has secured a distribution agreement for the Tesla Powerwall in Australia, with inventory expected to arrive in late February and official sales beginning in mid-March 2026.

Under the new agreement, Supply Partners will distribute Tesla Powerwall units and related accessories across its national footprint, as noted in an ecogeneration report. The company said the addition strengthens its position as a distributor focused on premium, established brands.

“We are proud to officially welcome Tesla Powerwall into the Supply Partners portfolio,” Lliam Ricketts, Co-Founder and Director of Innovation at Supply Partners Group, stated.

“Tesla sets a high bar, and we’ve worked hard to earn the opportunity to represent a brand that customers actively ask for. This partnership reflects the strength of our logistics, technical services and customer experience, and it’s a win for installers who want premium options they can trust.”

Advertisement

Supply Partners noted that initial Tesla Powerwall stock will be warehoused locally before full commercial rollout in March. The distributor stated that the timing aligns with renewed growth momentum for the Powerwall, supported by competitive installer pricing, consumer rebates, and continued product and software updates.

“Powerwall is already a category-defining product, and what’s ahead makes it even more compelling,” Ricketts stated. “As pricing sharpens and capability expands, we see a clear runway for installers to confidently spec Powerwall for premium residential installs, backed by Supply Partners’ national distribution footprint and service model.”

Supply Partners noted that a joint go-to-market launch is planned, including Tesla-led training for its sales and technical teams to support installers during the home battery system’s domestic rollout.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Tesla Giga Berlin growth could stall if not “free from external influences”: Elon Musk

The comments were delivered in a pre-recorded video discussion.

Published

on

Credit: Andre Thierig/X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reportedly warned that future expansion of Gigafactory Berlin could be jeopardized if the site does not remain “free from external influences.”

Musk’s comments were delivered in a pre-recorded video discussion with employees and came at a sensitive moment for the facility, where union representation has been a recurring issue.

According to reports from Handelsblatt and Der Spiegel, citing participants at the event, Musk suggested that if Giga Berlin is no longer “free from external influences,” further expansion would become unlikely. He did not, however, hint that the plant would shut down.

While Musk did not name IG Metall directly, his remarks were widely interpreted as referencing the union, which is currently the largest faction on the works council but does not hold a majority, as noted in an electrive report. 

Advertisement

The video conversation was conducted between Musk in Austin and Grünheide plant manager André Thierig, then played back to the workforce in Germany. Works council elections are scheduled for early March, heightening the tension between management and organized labor.

The CEO has previously voiced concerns that stronger union influence could limit Tesla’s operational flexibility and long-term strategy in Germany.

Despite the warning on expansion, Musk praised the Giga Berlin site during the same address, describing it as one of the most advanced factories worldwide and highlighting its cleanliness and team culture.

The discussion also reportedly touched on battery cell production. According to attendees cited in German media, Musk indicated that Tesla has begun ramping cell production at the site. That would mark a notable shift from earlier expectations that large-scale cell manufacturing in Brandenburg would not begin until 2027.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Tesla Full Self-Driving’s newest behavior is the perfect answer to aggressive cars

According to a recent video, it now appears the suite will automatically pull over if there is a tailgater on your bumper, the most ideal solution for when a driver is riding your bumper.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla Full Self-Driving appears to have a new behavior that is the perfect answer to aggressive drivers.

According to a recent video, it now appears the suite will automatically pull over if there is a tailgater on your bumper, the most ideal solution for when a driver is riding your bumper.

With FSD’s constantly-changing Speed Profiles, it seems as if this solution could help eliminate the need to tinker with driving modes from the person in the driver’s seat. This tends to be one of my biggest complaints from FSD at times.

A video posted on X shows a Tesla on Full Self-Driving pulling over to the shoulder on windy, wet roads after another car seemed to be following it quite aggressively. The car looks to have automatically sensed that the vehicle behind it was in a bit of a hurry, so FSD determined that pulling over and letting it by was the best idea:

We can see from the clip that there was no human intervention to pull over to the side, as the driver’s hands are stationary and never interfere with the turn signal stalk.

This can be used to override some of the decisions FSD makes, and is a great way to get things back on track if the semi-autonomous functionality tries to do something that is either unneeded or not included in the routing on the in-car Nav.

FSD tends to move over for faster traffic on the interstate when there are multiple lanes. On two-lane highways, it will pass slower cars using the left lane. When faster traffic is behind a Tesla on FSD, the vehicle will move back over to the right lane, the correct behavior in a scenario like this.

Perhaps one of my biggest complaints at times with Full Self-Driving, especially from version to version, is how much tinkering Tesla does with Speed Profiles. One minute, they’re suitable for driving on local roads, the next, they’re either too fast or too slow.

When they are too slow, most of us just shift up into a faster setting, but at times, even that’s not enough, see below:

There are times when it feels like it would be suitable for the car to just pull over and let the vehicle that is traveling behind pass. This, at least up until this point, it appears, was something that required human intervention.

Now, it looks like Tesla is trying to get FSD to a point where it just knows that it should probably get out of the way.

Continue Reading