News
Tesla begins Supercharger CCS upgrade ahead of Model 3 rollout in Europe
It is still a couple of months before Model 3 deliveries in Europe are expected to begin, but Tesla is already starting the rollout of dual-charge CCS Superchargers in the region. The company confirmed last month that the Model 3 will be getting a CCS plug for Europe, while a CCS adapter will be introduced for the Model S and X. During its announcement for the Model 3’s charging standard for the region, Tesla noted that it would be “retrofitting our existing Superchargers with dual charge cables to enable Model 3, which will come with a CCS Combo 2 charge port, to use the Tesla Supercharger network.”
Tesla’s adoption of CCS (Combined Charging System) is a notable step for the electric car maker. CCS, after all, is prevalent in the region, being preferred by several European carmakers including BMW, Volkswagen and the Daimler group. The system combines the Type 2 design, which is used for slower AC charging at home or work, as well as with two large DC pins for rapid charging. CCS competes with the CHAdeMO rapid charging standard, which is being used by companies such as Nissan, Mitsubishi and Subaru.
Tesla owner-enthusiast Hans Noordsij visited the site of Tesla’s first dual charge Supercharger station, where he was able to take photos and meet Tesla staff who were working on the updated charging stall. Several details of the upgraded Supercharger were evident from Hans’ images, including a sign indicating that the new stations are “Model 3 Priority.”
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- One of Tesla’s first dual-charge, CCS-compatible Superchargers in Europe. (Photo: Hans Noordsij)
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- A close-up of Tesla’s CCS plug for the Model 3. (Photo: Hans Noordsij)
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- One of Tesla’s first dual-charge, CCS-compatible Superchargers in Europe. (Photo: Hans Noordsij)
One of Tesla’s first dual-charge, CCS-compatible Superchargers in Europe. (Photo: Hans Noordsij)
Speaking to Teslarati after his trip to the Supercharger, Hans noted that Tesla was testing the connection of a Model 3 to the dual charge station when he arrived. Tesla’s staff reportedly informed him that they were aiming to add CCS connectors to every Supercharger in the Netherlands sometime in January.
We reached out to Tesla for more information about its first dual charge CCS Supercharger in Europe. The electric car maker noted that the first upgraded stations are located at the Badhoevedorp Supercharger near the Corendon Village Hotel, just outside Amsterdam. The site currently has 20 Superchargers, and Tesla is installing 8 more stalls on the site, each of which is fitted with both a CCS and a Type 2 connector. When completed, 8 out of the 28 stalls in the location would be compatible with the Model 3, S, and X, while the remaining 20 would be compatible with the flagship sedan and SUV.
Tesla plans to fully retrofit Europe’s Supercharger Network with its dual charge CCS system, allowing the Model 3 to have access to Tesla’s expansive charging infrastructure. While Tesla is in the process of retrofitting its Superchargers with CCS plugs, though, Model 3 owners in the region could expect their vehicles to smartly suggest charging stations that are fitted with the necessary connectors. The location, as well as the availability of these CCS stalls, would be displayed on the Model 3’s display.
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- A Tesla Model 3 gets connected to one of Tesla’s first dual-charge, CCS-compatible Superchargers in Europe. (Photo: Hans Noordsij)
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- One of Tesla’s first dual-charge, CCS-compatible Superchargers in Europe. (Photo: Hans Noordsij)
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- A Tesla Model 3 gets connected to one of Tesla’s first dual-charge, CCS-compatible Superchargers in Europe. (Photo: Hans Noordsij)
A Tesla Model 3 gets connected to one of Tesla’s first dual-charge, CCS-compatible Superchargers in Europe. (Photo: Hans Noordsij)
Europe is a pivotal part of Tesla’s strategy for the Model 3, considering that the premium sedan segment is twice as big in the region as it is in the United States. The Model 3 is already performing well in the US, despite the country being enamored by SUVs and pickup trucks. In a market where sedans are prevalent such Europe, the Model 3’s potential is vast.
Considering that Tesla is now rolling out CCS plugs on its European Supercharger Network, the idea of Tesla sharing its charging infrastructure with other electric cars emerges once more. Tesla’s head of global charging infrastructure, Drew Bennett, addressed this in an interview with Auto Express UK, where he noted that several EV makers have already reached out to Tesla about sharing the Supercharger Network.
“We’re definitely open to talking to other car manufacturers who want to have access to the network. Capacity is a driver for our investment; it’s new routes, new markets and then capacity. A lot of car makers have spoken to us about it, but we haven’t had any conclusive discussions on it. They’re still trying to figure out what they would need in a network, but we’re a couple of years ahead of them in terms of embracing the investment required to transition to EVs,” Bennett said.
News
Tesla Model Y Standard Long Range RWD launches in Europe
The update was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official social media account on X.
Tesla has expanded the Model Y lineup in Europe with the introduction of the Standard Long Range RWD variant, which offers an impressive 657 km of WLTP range.
The update was announced by Tesla Europe & Middle East in a post on its official social media account on X.
Model Y Standard Long Range RWD Details
Tesla Europe & Middle East highlighted some of the Model Y Standard Long Range RWD’s most notable specs, from its 657 km of WLTP range to its 2,118 liters of cargo volume. More importantly, Tesla also noted that the newly released variant only consumes 12.7 kWh per 100 km, making it the most efficient Model Y to date.
The Model Y Standard provides a lower entry point for consumers who wish to enter the Tesla ecosystem at the lowest possible price. While the Model 3 Standard is still more affordable, some consumers might prefer the Model Y Standard due to its larger size and crossover form factor. The fact that the Model Y Standard is equipped with Tesla’s AI4 computer also makes it ready for FSD’s eventual rollout to the region.
Top Gear’s Model Y Standard review
Top Gear‘s recent review of the Tesla Model Y Standard highlighted some of the vehicle’s most notable features, such as its impressive real-world range, stellar infotainment system, and spacious interior. As per the publication, the Model Y Standard still retains a lot of what makes Tesla’s vehicles well-rounded, even if it’s been equipped with a simplified interior.
Top Gear compared the Model Y Standard to its rivals in the same segment. “The introduction of the Standard trim brings the Model Y in line with the entry price of most of its closest competition. In fact, it’s actually cheaper than a Peugeot e-3008 and costs £5k less than an entry-level Audi Q4 e-tron. It also makes the Ford Mustang Mach-E look a little short with its higher entry price and worse range,” the publication wrote.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s xAI bets $20B on Mississippi with 2GW AI data center project
The project is expected to create hundreds of permanent jobs, dramatically expand xAI’s computing capacity, and further cement the Mid-South as a growing hub for AI infrastructure.
Elon Musk’s xAI plans to pour more than $20 billion into a massive new data center campus in Southaven, Mississippi, marking the largest single economic development project in the state’s history.
The project is expected to create hundreds of permanent jobs, dramatically expand xAI’s computing capacity, and further cement the Mid-South as a growing hub for AI infrastructure.
xAI goes MACROHARDRR in Mississippi
xAI has acquired and is retrofitting an existing facility in Southaven to serve as a new data center, which will be known as “MACROHARDRR.” The site sits near a recently acquired power plant and close to one of xAI’s existing data centers in Tennessee, creating a regional cluster designed to support large-scale AI training and inference.
Once completed, the Southaven facility is expected to push the company’s total computing capacity to nearly 2 GW, placing it among the most powerful AI compute installations globally. The data center is scheduled to begin operations in February 2026.
Gov. Tate Reeves shared his optimism about the project in a press release. “This record-shattering $20 billion investment is an amazing start to what is sure to be another incredible year for economic development in Mississippi. Today, Elon Musk is bringing xAI to DeSoto County, a project that will transform the region and bring amazing opportunities to its residents for generations. This is the largest economic development project in Mississippi’s history,” he said.
xAI’s broader AI ambitions
To secure the investment, the Mississippi Development Authority approved xAI for its Data Center Incentive program, which provides sales and use tax exemptions on eligible computing hardware and software. The City of Southaven and DeSoto County are also supporting the project through fee-in-lieu agreements aimed at accelerating development timelines and reducing upfront costs.
Founded in 2023 by Elon Musk, xAI develops advanced artificial intelligence systems focused on large-scale reasoning and generative applications. Its flagship product, Grok, is integrated with the social media platform X, alongside a growing suite of APIs for image generation, voice, and autonomous agents, including offerings tailored for government use.
Elon Musk highlighted xAi’s growth and momentum in a comment about the matter. “xAI is scaling at an immeasurable pace — we are building our third massive data center in the greater Memphis area. MACROHARDRR pushes our Colossus training compute to ~2GW – by far the most powerful AI system on Earth. This is insane execution speed by xAI and the state of Mississippi. We are grateful to Governor Reeves for his support of building xAI at warp speed,” Musk said.
Tesla’s Head of AI, Ashok Elluswamy, says that something that was expected with version 14.3 of the company’s Full Self-Driving platform has already partially shipped with the current build of version 14.2.
Tesla and CEO Elon Musk have teased on several occasions that reasoning will be a big piece of future Full Self-Driving builds, helping bring forth the “sentient” narrative that the company has pushed for these more advanced FSD versions.
Back in October on the Q3 Earnings Call, Musk said:
“With reasoning, it’s literally going to think about which parking spot to pick. It’ll drop you off at the entrance of the store, then go find a parking spot. It’s going to spot empty spots much better than a human. It’s going to use reasoning to solve things.”
Musk said in the same month:
“By v14.3, your car will feel like it is sentient.”
Amazingly, Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2.2.2, which is the most recent iteration released, is very close to this sentient feeling. However, there are more things that need to be improved, and logic appears to be in the future plans to help with decision-making in general, alongside other refinements and features.
On Thursday evening, Elluswamy revealed that some of the reasoning features have already been rolled out, confirming that it has been added to navigation route changes during construction, as well as with parking options.
He added that “more and more reasoning will ship in Q1.”
🚨 Tesla’s Ashok Elluswamy reveals Nav decisions when encountering construction and parking options contain “some elements of reasoning”
More uses of reasoning will be shipped later this quarter, a big tidbit of info as we wait v14.3 https://t.co/jty8llgsKM
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 9, 2026
Interestingly, parking improvements were hinted at being added in the initial rollout of v14.2 several months ago. These had not rolled out to vehicles quite yet, as they were listed under the future improvements portion of the release notes, but it appears things have already started to make their way to cars in a limited fashion.
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.2 – Full Review, the Good and the Bad
As reasoning is more involved in more of the Full Self-Driving suite, it is likely we will see cars make better decisions in terms of routing and navigation, which is a big complaint of many owners (including me).
Additionally, the operation as a whole should be smoother and more comfortable to owners, which is hard to believe considering how good it is already. Nevertheless, there are absolutely improvements that need to be made before Tesla can introduce completely unsupervised FSD.
Tesla Model Y Standard Long Range RWD launches in Europe
Elon Musk’s xAI bets $20B on Mississippi with 2GW AI data center project
