Connect with us
Rivian-tesla-supercharger-access-demo Rivian-tesla-supercharger-access-demo

News

Tesla details four Supercharger network improvement goals for all EVs

Credit: Rivian

Published

on

Tesla has recently detailed some of the improvements it’s working on for the Supercharger network, especially as it has slowly been expanding access to the stations to electric vehicles (EVs) from other brands.

As Tesla has begun giving new non-Tesla EV brands access to the Supercharger network this year, many have also noticed how charging port placement on other vehicles can make it harder for short cables to reach—often requiring drivers to block other charging stalls to plug in.

However, in a post on X from the Tesla Charging account on Friday, the company has highlighted four things it’s aiming to improve for all EV owners, including a boost to the number of long charging cables at its Supercharger stations. In particular, Tesla says that within the next 18 months, it will have more long V4 Supercharger cables at stations than short ones, as it aims to start upgrading shorter cables to meet the needs of other EV brands.

In the post, Tesla outlines the following four goals it’s working on as it dives into improving the charging network:

  • Making stall availability more accurate than ever
  • Increasing the number of long Supercharging cables
  • Modifying Supercharger stations to avoid blocking stalls
  • Encouraging manufacturers to follow suit with charge port locations

Tesla makes it easier to find towing-compatible Superchargers

Tesla says that the latest software update makes stall availability estimates even more accurate, as the vehicle is now able to detect when EVs with a non-Tesla charge port location are plugged into a short-cable stall. This algorithm is set to continue improving over time, making it easier for drivers to get an accurate picture of how many stalls are available, as well as how many are blocked out by those needing to park unconventionally to reach.

Advertisement
-->

In addition, Tesla says it has already modified over 1,500 Supercharger stations to make it so that EV drivers never have to utilize more than two charging spaces to charge, and it plans to continue working on updating sites going forward. Lastly, the company has gone directly to other EV manufacturers to encourage them to move charging ports to the rear left of their vehicles or to the front right, in order to maximize compatibility with the company’s Superchargers.

As one example in March, Tesla’s Lead Cybertruck Engineer Wes Morrill encouraged Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe to re-consider the location of the charging port for the upcoming R2 and R3 platforms, after prototype designs for the EVs were first unveiled and showed the port on the rear right instead. If Rivian wants to optimize for street parking as it appears to be doing, Morrill says that the company should move the port to the front right instead.

The company’s deployment of longer V4 Supercharging cables also follows the company’s debut of V4 charging cabinets earlier this month, effectively debuting faster charging speeds of up to 500kW. Companies like Ford, Rivian, General Motors (GM), and Nissan have already started gaining access to Tesla’s Supercharger network after adopting the company’s NACS last year, and Tesla will continue to widen access to the charging stations in the coming months and years.

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Advertisement
-->

Ford to replace Tesla NACS adapters, warning of damaged charging ports

Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla Model Y and Model 3 named safest vehicles tested by ANCAP in 2025

According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025.

Published

on

Credit: ANCAP

The Tesla Model Y recorded the highest overall safety score of any vehicle tested by ANCAP in 2025. The Tesla Model 3 also delivered strong results, reinforcing the automaker’s safety leadership in Australia and New Zealand.

According to ANCAP in a press release, the Tesla Model Y achieved the highest overall weighted score of any vehicle assessed in 2025. ANCAP’s 2025 tests evaluated vehicles across four key pillars: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection, and Safety Assist technologies.

The Model Y posted consistently strong results in all four categories, distinguishing itself through a system-based safety approach that combines structural crash protection with advanced driver-assistance features such as autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring. 

This marked the second time the Model Y has topped ANCAP’s annual safety rankings. The Model Y’s previous version was also ANCAP’s top performer in 2022.

The Tesla Model 3 also delivered a strong performance in ANCAP’s 2025 tests, contributing to Tesla’s broader safety presence across segments. Similar to the Model Y, the Model 3 also earned impressive scores across the ANCAP’s four pillars. This made the vehicle the top performer in the Medium Car category.  

Advertisement
-->

ANCAP Chief Executive Officer Carla Hoorweg stated that the results highlight a growing industry shift toward integrated safety design, with improvements in technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane support translating into meaningful real-world protection.

“ANCAP’s testing continues to reinforce a clear message: the safest vehicles are those designed with safety as a system, not a checklist. The top performers this year delivered consistent results across physical crash protection, crash avoidance and vulnerable road user safety, rather than relying on strength in a single area.

“We are also seeing increasing alignment between ANCAP’s test requirements and the safety technologies that genuinely matter on Australian and New Zealand roads. Improvements in autonomous emergency braking, lane support, and driver monitoring systems are translating into more robust protection,” Hoorweg said.

Advertisement
-->
Continue Reading

News

Tesla Sweden uses Megapack battery to bypass unions’ Supercharger blockade

Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Charging/X

Tesla Sweden has successfully launched a new Supercharger station despite an ongoing blockade by Swedish unions, using on-site Megapack batteries instead of traditional grid connections. The workaround has allowed the Supercharger to operate without direct access to Sweden’s electricity network, which has been effectively frozen by labor action.

Tesla has experienced notable challenges connecting its new charging stations to Sweden’s power grid due to industrial action led by Seko, a major Swedish trade union, which has blocked all new electrical connections for new Superchargers. On paper, this made the opening of new Supercharger sites almost impossible.

Despite the blockade, Tesla has continued to bring stations online. In Malmö and Södertälje, new Supercharger locations opened after grid operators E.ON and Telge Nät activated the sites. The operators later stated that the connections had been made in error. 

More recently, however, Tesla adopted a different strategy altogether. Just before Christmas, Tesla went live with a new charging station in Arlandastad, outside Stockholm, by powering it with a Tesla Megapack battery, as noted in a Dagens Arbete (DA) report. 

Because the Supercharger station does not rely on a permanent grid connection, Tesla was able to bypass the blocked application process, as noted by Swedish car journalist and YouTuber Peter Esse. He noted that the Arlandastad Supercharger is likely dependent on nearby companies to recharge the batteries, likely through private arrangements.

Eight new charging stalls have been launched in the Arlandastad site so far, which is a fraction of the originally planned 40 chargers for the location. Still, the fact that Tesla Sweden was able to work around the unions’ efforts once more is impressive, especially since Superchargers are used even by non-Tesla EVs.

Esse noted that Tesla’s Megapack workaround is not as easily replicated in other locations. Arlandastad is unique because neighboring operators already have access to grid power, making it possible for Tesla to source electricity indirectly. Still, Esse noted that the unions’ blockades have not affected sales as much.

“Many want Tesla to lose sales due to the union blockades. But you have to remember that sales are falling from 2024, when Tesla sold a record number of cars in Sweden. That year, the unions also had blockades against Tesla. So for Tesla as a charging operator, it is devastating. But for Tesla as a car company, it does not matter in terms of sales volumes. People charge their cars where there is an opportunity, usually at home,” Esse noted. 

Continue Reading

Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s X goes down as users report major outage Friday morning

Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.

Published

on

Credit: Linda Yaccarino/X

Elon Musk’s X experienced an outage Friday morning, leaving large numbers of users unable to access the social media platform.

Error messages and stalled loading screens quickly spread across the service, while outage trackers recorded a sharp spike in user reports.

Downdetector reports

Users attempting to open X were met with messages such as “Something went wrong. Try reloading,” often followed by an endless spinning icon that prevented access, according to a report from Variety. Downdetector data showed that reports of problems surged rapidly throughout the morning.

As of 10:52 a.m. ET, more than 100,000 users had reported issues with X. The data indicated that 56% of complaints were tied to the mobile app, while 33% were related to the website and roughly 10% cited server connection problems. The disruption appeared to begin around 10:10 a.m. ET, briefly eased around 10:35 a.m., and then returned minutes later.

Credit: Downdetector

Previous disruptions

Friday’s outage was not an isolated incident. X has experienced multiple high-profile service interruptions over the past two years. In November, tens of thousands of users reported widespread errors, including “Internal server error / Error code 500” messages. Cloudflare-related error messages were also reported.

In March 2025, the platform endured several brief outages spanning roughly 45 minutes, with more than 21,000 reports in the U.S. and 10,800 in the U.K., according to Downdetector. Earlier disruptions included an outage in August 2024 and impairments to key platform features in July 2023.

Continue Reading