Connect with us

News

Tesla sued by colorado toll road operator over alleged unpaid toll fees

Credit: Tesla China/Twitter

Published

on

A private toll road operator in Colorado is suing Tesla Inc. over alleged unpaid tolls. As per the toll operator’s complaint, the electric car company has failed to pay on time for thousands of trips made by its company vehicles.

Northwest Parkway LLC, which maintains and operates the connector toll road between Highway E-470 and US Highway 36, filed a lawsuit in Broomfield County District Court last week alleging that vehicles with license plates registered to Tesla’s store in Littleton have racked up more than $34,000 in unpaid Go-Pass tolls.

“Ongoing and continuous use of the Northwest Parkway by the motor vehicle(s) registered to defendant Tesla Inc. constitutes consent and agreement to the terms of use and creates a binding contract between Tesla Inc. and plaintiff Northwest Parkway LLC… 

“The failure to pay Go-Pass toll bills on time is a breach of the contract for use of the Northwest Parkway and subjects defendant Tesla Inc. to additional fees and legal action,” the complaint noted. 

The Northwest Parkway was opened to traffic in late 2003, though tolls were only collected starting in 2004. Northwest Parkway LLC signed a 99-year lease with the Northwest Parkway Public Highway Authority in November 2007, which granted the company the right to collect tolls in exchange for maintaining the highway, as noted in a BizWest report.

Advertisement

Go-Pass tolls for two-axle vehicles on the Northwest Parkway range from $1.70 to $5.20 per trip. Considering that Tesla is accused of racking up over $34,000 in unpaid tolls, the electric vehicle maker’s dealership vehicles appear to have used the Northwest Parkway up to 20,000 times without paying.

Tesla has not responded to requests for comment on the lawsuit as of writing.

Back in May 2022, Elon Musk noted on X, then called Twitter, that Tesla was forming a “hardcore litigation department” that would handle cases against the electric vehicle maker. At the time, Musk noted that the team would never surrender or settle if the case against the company was unjust, and the team would never seek victory if a case against Tesla was just. 

Considering that the private toll road operator’s claims seem straightforward, it would not be surprising if Tesla ends up paying the $34,000 in unpaid fees from its company vehicles without any issue.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement
Comments

Elon Musk

Tesla blacklisted by Swedish pension fund AP7 as it sells entire stake

A Swedish pension fund is offloading its Tesla holdings for good.

Published

on

tesla
(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla shares have been blacklisted by the Swedish pension fund AP7, who said earlier today that it has “verified violations of labor rights in the United States” by the automaker.

The fund ended up selling its entire stake, which was worth around $1.36 billion when it liquidated its holdings in late May. Reuters first reported on AP7’s move.

Other pension and retirement funds have relinquished some of their Tesla holdings due to CEO Elon Musk’s involvement in politics, among other reasons, and although the company’s stock has been a great contributor to growth for many funds over the past decade, these managers are not willing to see past the CEO’s right to free speech.

However, AP7 says the move is related not to Musk’s involvement in government nor his political stances. Instead, the fund said it verified several labor rights violations in the U.S.:

“AP7 has decided to blacklist Tesla due to verified violations of labor rights in the United States. Despite several years of dialogue with Tesla, including shareholder proposals in collaboration with other investors, the company has not taken sufficient measures to address the issues.”

Tesla made up about 1 percent of the AP7 Equity Fund, according to a spokesperson. This equated to roughly 13 billion crowns, but the fund’s total assets were about 1,181 billion crowns at the end of May when the Tesla stake was sold off.

Tesla has had its share of labor lawsuits over the past few years, just as any large company deals with at some point or another. There have been claims of restrictions against labor union supporters, including one that Tesla was favored by judges, as they did not want pro-union clothing in the factory. Tesla argued that loose-fitting clothing presented a safety hazard, and the courts agreed.

tesla employee

(Photo: Tesla)

There have also been claims of racism at the Fremont Factory by a former elevator contractor named Owen Diaz. He was awarded a substantial sum of $137m. However, U.S. District Judge William Orrick ruled the $137 million award was excessive, reducing it to $15 million. Diaz rejected this sum.

Another jury awarded Diaz $3.2 million. Diaz’s legal team said this payout was inadequate. He and Tesla ultimately settled for an undisclosed amount.

AP7 did not list any of the current labor violations that it cited as its reason for

Continue Reading

News

Tesla launches new Model S and Model X, and the changes are slim

Tesla’s newest versions of its flagship vehicles have arrived with some slim changes.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially launched the newest versions of its flagship Model S and Model X vehicles, but the changes are pretty slim, which is something we expected when a couple cars were spotted during public testing recently.

The new “refreshed” Model S and Model X were spotted recently by The Kilowatts, and the changes appeared to be a new front camera, a new color, and only a handful of other changes.

Tesla officially announced the launch of the Model S and Model X on Thursday night, and here’s what it listed as the changes to the two vehicles:

  • Frost Blue paint color
  • Up to 410 miles of range (Model S Long Range – our longest range Tesla yet)
  • Even quieter inside: less wind + road noise & more effective Active Noise Cancellation
  • New wheel designs & improved aerodynamics = more range
  • Front fascia camera for better visibility
  • Dynamic ambient lighting that brings unique animations along the dash & doors upon entry
  • An even smoother ride thanks to new bushings & suspension design
  • Adaptive driving beams
  • New exterior styling for Model S Plaid, optimized for high-speed stability
  • More space for 3rd row occupants & cargo (Model X)

We expected most of these changes, especially the new Frost Blue paint color, as it was spotted by The Kilowatts in its initial coverage of the cars being spotted a few weeks back. Here’s what it looks like officially:

Some of the changes are familiar from the Model Y Refresh, which featured the quieter interior through acoustic-lined glass, a front fascia camera, new bushings, and suspension improvements for a smoother ride.

However, Tesla did refine the Model S Plaid’s exterior for “optimized high-speed stability.” You can see the difference between the two below:

The front-end air diffusers are much deeper, and the front end is more boxy than the previous iteration of the Plaid Model S.

Here are some more images of the Model S that Tesla released in a teaser video:

Tesla sells such a low volume of the Model S and Model X that it was probably less than likely that the company would put endless manpower and effort into completely redesigning it. CEO Elon Musk said a few years ago that the two cars would only stay in production for “sentimental reasons.” 

While they are very special to the Tesla family, they are not incredibly important to the mission of the company.

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Tesla owners across the globe prepare for Robotaxi launch with this neat customization

Tesla will eventually have Robotaxis worldwide. Some owners are already preparing.

Published

on

Credit: @HanChulYong | X

Tesla owners are already preparing for the company’s launch of the Robotaxi platform with a new, neat customization that is appearing around the world.

On Tuesday, the first Tesla Robotaxi test mule was spotted in Austin, where the company will launch the first driverless rides of this ride-hailing service. At first, it will be a limited rollout, reserved for a select few. CEO Elon Musk said public rides could occur as soon as June 22.

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

However, the Tesla Robotaxi platform is not one that will be confined to cities and geofenced to certain areas.

Eventually, Tesla will gain enough confidence to roll the Full Self-Driving software straight to every car in the customer fleet that paid for it. Owners will be able to generate income for themselves while they sleep, as the cars will operate as ride-hailing vehicles for people to use for transportation.

In an effort to prepare for the launch of Robotaxi, Tesla owners across the globe are installing Tesla’s ‘Robotaxi’ word art on their cars.

Here’s one in South Korea:

Here’s another in the U.S.:

Obviously, this is more of a symbol of support for the Robotaxi launch, but many owners are recognizing that Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software will extend to them the ability to use their personal cars as ride-hailing vehicles, becoming a part of the global fleet of self-driving chauffeurs.

Continue Reading

Trending