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Tesla Semi reservation holders are remaining unfazed amid skepticism, rising competition
While there remains a notable amount of skepticism from legacy trucking companies, the emergence of zero-emissions semi-trailers is looking more and more inevitable. Among these vehicles is the Tesla Semi, a battery-powered all-electric vehicle aimed at disrupting the lucrative trucking market.
Tesla pulled no punches with the Semi, with the Class 8 truck being capable of traveling up to 500 miles with one charge. In true Tesla tradition, the Tesla Semi is also very quick, thanks to its four Model 3-derived electric motors whose instant torque allows it to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5 seconds flat without a trailer. That’s muscle car-level acceleration — from a large, fully capable electric long-hauler.
When Elon Musk announced the Semi last year, he noted that the vehicle is expected to start production sometime in 2019. Such a timeline is an aggressive goal for the company, considering that Tesla is yet to announce where the large electric truck would be built. Considering Elon Musk’s tendency to be overly optimistic about his targets, as well as Tesla head of investor relations Martin Viecha’s statement earlier this year when he noted that the company is “earnestly” planning on producing the Semi by 2020, skeptics of the company suggest that the all-electric truck would likely see notable manufacturing delays, just like the Model 3 and Model X.
Despite these reservations, Tesla Semi reservation holders appear to be fully confident in the company’s capability to deliver the vehicle. In a statement last month, NFI Industries vice president of fleet services James O’Leary, whose company ordered 10 Semis, stated that the electric car maker is actually staying relatively consistent with its self-imposed timeline.
“They are staying relatively consistent with their timeline, even though Elon doesn’t talk about it on their earnings call,” he said.
Albertsons Companies, one of the United States’ largest food and drug retailers, revealed its order of 10 Tesla Semis earlier this month. In a press release, the company noted that its adoption of the Semi is part of its efforts to decrease its overall carbon emissions and run a cleaner fleet. Tom Nartker, VP of Transportation, stated that Tesla Semi would play a part in advancing the company’s supply chain efficiency and sustainability as well.
“Advancing supply chain efficiency and sustainability is an important goal for our company. We’re excited to pilot this expansion of our transportation program with trucks that help us limit our overall carbon footprint,” Nartker said.
Much like the passenger car market, the emergence of electric-powered vehicles is starting to become notable in the trucking industry. Legacy automaker Daimler, for one, has released vehicles like an electrified Freightliner as an alternative to fossil fuel-powered trucks. Hydrogen-electric vehicles from startups like Nikola Motor are also expected to enter the market in the coming years. Amidst these competitors, the Tesla Semi could very well play a large part in the emerging zero-emissions trucking market, as it aims to prove that battery-powered long-haulers are fully-capable of performing tasks usually reserved for diesel trucks.
The market for the Tesla Semi is vast, and so far, reactions from the market have been encouraging. As of the company’s Q1 2018 earnings call, CEO Elon Musk and CTO JB Straubel noted that Tesla had around 2,000 reservations for the vehicle, from companies such as PepsiCo, FedEx, and UPS in the United States and Bee’ah from the United Arab Emirates, to name a few. Overall, Tesla appears to have targeted the perfect market that is ready to be disrupted with the Semi — and it is a market that is prepared to invest and wait for a vehicle that would satisfy its needs.
Elon Musk
Starlink V2 to bring satellite-to-phone service to Deutsche Telekom in Europe
Starlink stated that the system is designed to deliver 5G speeds directly to compatible smartphones in remote areas.
Starlink is partnering with Deutsche Telekom to roll out satellite-to-mobile connectivity across Europe, extending coverage to more than 140 million subscribers across 10 countries.
The service, planned for launch in 2028 in several Telekom markets, including Germany, will use Starlink’s next-generation V2 satellites and Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum to enable direct-to-device connectivity.
In a post on X, the official Starlink account stated that the agreement will be the first in Europe to deploy its V2 next-generation satellite-to-mobile technology using new MSS spectrum. The company added that the system is designed to deliver 5G speeds directly to compatible smartphones in remote areas.
Abdu Mudesir, Board Member for Product and Technology at Deutsche Telekom, shared his excitement for the partnership in a press release. “We provide our customers with the best mobile network. And we continue to invest heavily in expanding our infrastructure. At the same time, there are regions where expansion is especially complex due to topographical conditions or official constraints,” he said.
“We want to ensure reliable connectivity for our customers in those areas as well. That is why we are strategically complementing our network with satellite-to-mobile connectivity. For us, it is clear: connectivity creates security and trust. And we deliver. Everywhere.”
Under the partnership, compatible smartphones will automatically switch to Starlink’s satellite network when terrestrial coverage is unavailable, enabling access to data, voice, video, and messaging services.
Telekom reports 5G geographic coverage approaching 90% in Germany, with LTE exceeding 92% and voice coverage reaching up to 99%. Starlink’s satellite layer is intended to extend connectivity beyond those terrestrial limits, particularly in topographically challenging or infrastructure-constrained areas.
Stephanie Bednarek, VP of Starlink Sales, also shared her thoughts on the partnership. “We’re so pleased to bring reliable satellite-to-mobile connectivity to millions of people across 10 countries in partnership with Deutsche Telekom. This agreement will be the first-of-its-kind in Europe to launch Starlink’s V2 next-generation technology that will expand on data, voice and messaging by providing broadband directly to mobile phones,” she said.
Starlink’s V2 constellation is designed to expand bandwidth and capacity compared to its predecessor. If implemented as outlined, the 2028 launch would mark one of the first large-scale European deployments of integrated satellite-to-phone connectivity by a major telecom operator.
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Tesla back on top as Norway’s EV market surges to 98% share in February
Tesla became Norway’s top-selling brand with 1,210 registrations, representing a 16.6% share.
Tesla reclaimed the top spot in Norway’s auto market in February as electric vehicles captured more than 98% of all new car registrations.
The rebound follows a sharp January slump triggered by VAT rule changes, which prompted numerous car buyers to advance their purchases into late 2025.
As per data from the Norwegian Road Traffic Information Council (OFV), 7,127 new electric vehicles were registered in February, representing a 98.01% market share. Fossil-fuel vehicles and hybrids accounted for just 2% of total new registrations.
Total new car registrations reached 7,272 units in February, hinting at a rapid recovery after January sales fell nearly 75% year-over-year following VAT adjustments.
OFV Director Geir Inge Stokke noted that similar patterns were observed after previous VAT changes in 2022, with demand temporarily weakening before normalizing, as noted in an Allt Om Elbil report.
“We are now seeing signs that the market is returning to a more normal level of activity, which we also experienced after the VAT change in 2022. At that time, changes in demand led to a weak start to 2023. We have seen the same pattern this year,” he said.
Amidst this trend, the Tesla Model Y made a strong comeback in the domestic market. After an unusually weak January that saw the Tesla Model Y drop to seventh place, the model returned to the top of Norway’s sales chart in February.
The Model Y recorded 1,073 registrations, giving it a 14.8% market share for the month. Tesla also became Norway’s top-selling brand with 1,210 registrations, representing a 16.6% share. Toyota followed with 941 registrations, while Volkswagen, Volvo, and Skoda rounded out the top five brands.
The February data suggests that Tesla’s January dip was tied more to timing effects around VAT adjustments than to structural demand shifts. It would then be interesting to see how the rest of the year unfolds for Tesla, particularly as the company pushes for the release of its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system to Europe this year.
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Tesla arson suspect pleads guilty, faces up to 70 years in prison
The update was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
A Las Vegas man has pleaded guilty to federal arson charges tied to a March 2025 attack on a Tesla Collision Center in Nevada.
The update was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada.
According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, Paul Hyon Kim spray-painted the word “RESIST” on the front entrance of the Tesla Collision Center before damaging the facility and multiple vehicles.
Federal prosecutors stated that Kim used a PA-15 multi-caliber firearm equipped with a .300 BLACKOUT upper receiver and a 7.62mm silencer to shoot out surveillance cameras. He then fired multiple rounds into Tesla vehicles on the property.
Authorities stated that Kim later threw three Molotov cocktails into three separate Tesla vehicles. Two of the devices exploded and ignited the vehicles, while a third did not detonate. In total, five Tesla vehicles were damaged in the incident.
Kim pleaded guilty to two counts of arson of property used in interstate commerce, one count of attempted arson of property used in interstate commerce, and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm classified as a destructive device.
The mandatory minimum sentence for the charges is five years in federal prison, though the total maximum statutory penalty is 70 years, as per a release from the United States Attorney’s Office of the District of Nevada.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 27, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. A federal judge will determine the final sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the Clark County Fire Department.
Starlink V2 to bring satellite-to-phone service to Deutsche Telekom in Europe
Tesla back on top as Norway’s EV market surges to 98% share in February
