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New Tesla Superchargers blocked by union efforts in Sweden: report

(Credit: Tesla Charging)

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Tesla Sweden is seemingly facing its toughest challenge yet in its ongoing conflict with trade union IF Metall. As per recent reports, sympathy strikes from the Swedish Union for Service and Communications Employees (Seko) and the Electricians Union have successfully put a stop to Tesla Sweden’s expansion of its Supercharger Network. 

As per a report from Dagens Arbete (DA), Tesla Sweden currently has plans to build about 35 new Supercharger stations in the coming years, from Malmö in the south to Kiruna in the north. This 2024, the electric vehicle maker has been planning to open 20 new Supercharger sites. These plans appear to have been put on hold for now since Seko’s members have stopped connecting Tesla’s Superchargers to local power grids. Seko announced on March 4 that its members will no longer connect Tesla Superchargers to the local power grid, and on March 20, 2024, the Electricians Union expanded its sympathy strike to include new Tesla Supercharger installations. 

Janne Halvarsson, group manager at Seko Mellannorrland, stated that he was recently at a new Tesla Supercharger site just north of Sundsvall. As per Halvarsson, the Sundsvall site will probably be the last new Tesla Supercharger for some time, or at least until Tesla Sweden and IF Metall resolve their conflict. “It was connected the week before our blockade started. We had full control of it. I was there myself to see that everything went right,” he said. 

IF Metall and its allies have initiated a number of efforts designed to disrupt and stop Tesla Sweden, but the electric vehicle maker has so far been able to bypass the groups’ strikes and blockades. Halvarsson, however, noted that Tesla Sweden will likely find it much harder to deal with the unions’ initiatives against its Supercharger Network. As per Dagens Arbete, the electricity grids are run as local monopolies in Sweden. For example, in Sundsvall, where Tesla’s possible last Supercharger was activated, Sundsvall Elnät AB owns the power infrastructure.

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Thus, there is usually only one power grid owner in each geographical area, and only these electricity grid owners are permitted to connect an installation like a Tesla Supercharger to the grid. If the network owner happens to have a collective agreement with Seko, then it would likely deny power to new Tesla Supercharger stations in their respective areas. “I see it as an impossibility to complete this. The signing of collective agreements among the electricity network companies is high. Many of the companies are owned by the municipalities and there are usually collective agreements,” Halvarsson said. 

Ann-Charlotte Kling, chairman of Seko Södra, stated that such a scenario has already happened to a Tesla Supercharger in Ljungby in Småland. The Ljungby Tesla Supercharger site features 20 stalls and is ready for activation, but it has not been connected to the grid yet. “The cables are buried, but there is no electricity in them. And there will be no current in them as long as this conflict continues. They simply will not be connected to the electricity grid,” Kling said. 

The local electricity company in the area, Ljungby Energi, has confirmed that it is not providing power to the Tesla Supercharger site due to the ongoing conflict between the EV maker and IF Metall. Network manager Jan Olsson described the situation as follows. “The cable is not connected either at their end or in our cables. It will be like this as long as the conflict lasts. Our electricians are connected to Seko,” Olsson noted. 

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

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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.

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Tesla FSD mocks BMW human driver: Saves pedestrian from near miss

Tesla FSD anticipated a BMW driver’s lane drift before the human behind the wheel could react.

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A video posted to r/TeslaFSD this week put a sharp spotlight on Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software being able to react to pedestrian intent than an actual human driver behind the wheel. In the Reddit clip, a BMW driver can be seen rolling through a neighborhood street completely unaware of a pedestrian stepping in to cross. At the same time, a Tesla  driving on FSD had already begun slowing down before the pedestrian even began their attempt to cross the street The BMW kept moving, prompting the pedestrian to hop back, while the Tesla came to a stop and provide right-of-way for the human to safely cross.

That gap between what the BMW driver saw and what FSD had already processed is the story. Tesla FSD wasn’t reacting to a person in the street, rather it was reading the signals that a person was about to enter it based on the pedestrian’s movement, trajectory, and their trajectory to telegraph intent.

Tesla’s FSD is now built on an end-to-end neural network trained on billions of real-world miles, learning to interpret subtle human behavioral cues the same way an experienced human driver does instinctively. The difference is consistency. A human driver distracted for two seconds misses what FSD does not.

Tesla sues California DMV over Autopilot and FSD advertising ruling

Reddit commenters in the thread were blunt about the BMW driver’s failure, with several pointing out that the pedestrian was visible well before the crossing. One response put it plainly that the car on FSD saw the situation developing before the human in the other car had registered there was a situation at all.

Tesla has published data showing FSD (Supervised) is 54% safer than a human driver, accumulated across billions of miles driven on the system. Elon Musk has said FSD v14 will outperform human drivers by a factor of two to three, and that v15 has “a shot” at a 10x improvement. Pedestrian safety is where the stakes are highest, and where intent prediction closes the gap fastest. At 30 mph, a car covers roughly 44 feet per second. An extra second of awareness from reading a person’s body language rather than waiting for them to step out is often the difference between a near miss and a fatality.

Video and community discussion: r/TeslaFSD on Reddit

FSD saves man from becoming a pancake. BMW driver nearly flattens him.
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Tesla Robotaxi gets a small but significant change

In the world of Tesla, where billion-dollar battery breakthroughs and autonomy milestones dominate headlines, a quiet design update can still pack a punch.

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Credit: David Moss | X

In the world of Tesla, where billion-dollar battery breakthroughs and autonomy milestones dominate headlines, a quiet design update can still pack a punch.

Last week in downtown Austin, sharp-eyed observers spotted a subtle but telling evolution on the Cybercab: a new “ROBOTAXI” logo graphic now graces the vehicle’s doors at Tesla’s Autonomy Popup.

What looks at first glance like a minor stylistic choice is, in fact, a deliberate rebranding move that hints at how the company envisions its robotaxi fleet fitting into everyday life.

The updated lettering is bold, graffiti-inspired, and unapologetically street-smart. Rendered in black with dripping white accents and a glowing yellow outline, the font evokes urban energy and playful irreverence.

Gone is the sleek, minimalist typography that defined earlier Cybercab prototypes. In its place is something more human, almost rebellious.

The new logo pops against the Cybercab’s smooth, metallic body, turning the autonomous pod into a rolling piece of public art rather than just another futuristic taxi.

Designers know that fonts are silent brand ambassadors. They shape perception before a single ride is taken. Tesla’s classic sans-serif aesthetic screams precision engineering and Silicon Valley cool.

The new Robotaxi script leans into accessibility and fun, suggesting the vehicle is approachable, not intimidating. For a product meant to ferry strangers through city streets 24/7, that matters. It signals that the robotaxi isn’t reserved for tech elites; it’s for everyone.

Tesla Cybercab spotted next to Model Y shows size comparison

The timing is no accident. With regulatory approvals for unsupervised autonomy advancing and Tesla preparing to scale Cybercab production, the company is shifting from prototype showcase to fleet deployment.

A fresh logo helps differentiate the vehicles visually in dense urban environments—crucial for rider recognition and brand recall. It also aligns with Elon Musk’s long-standing ethos: make the future feel exciting, not sterile.

Small changes like this often foreshadow a larger strategy. Tesla has always obsessed over details—door handles, screen interfaces, even the curvature of a steering wheel.

Updating the Robotaxi font reflects the same meticulous care now applied to consumer-facing autonomy. It’s not just paint on metal; it’s a statement that the ride of the future should feel personal, memorable, and undeniably cool.

In an industry racing toward self-driving fleets, Tesla’s willingness to evolve even the smallest visual cues shows confidence. A font won’t launch the robotaxi network, but it might just help millions climb aboard with a smile.

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Tesla makes latest announcement on Model S and Model X

The announcement follows Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s statement on the Q4 2025 earnings call in late January. Musk described the decision as an “honorable discharge” for the two vehicles, noting that production would wind down in Q2 2026.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has officially begun winding down production of its flagship Model S and Model X in the United States, notifying owners via email that the long-running models will soon reach the end of the line.

The email, sent to U.S. customers on March 27, opens with gratitude. “Model S and Model X marked the beginning of the world’s transition to electric transportation,” it reads. “These vehicles also made it possible for Tesla to develop the technology that would move our world toward autonomy.”

Tesla officially begins sunset of Model S and Model X

It then delivers the news directly: “As we make way for this autonomous future, Model S and Model X production will be ending. If you’d like to bring home a new Model S or Model X, order yours soon from our limited inventory.”

The message closes with a simple thank-you: “Thank you for being part of our journey.”

The announcement follows Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s statement on the Q4 2025 earnings call in late January. Musk described the decision as an “honorable discharge” for the two vehicles, noting that production would wind down in Q2 2026.

The move frees factory floor space at Fremont, California, for next-generation manufacturing, including Optimus humanoid robots and the upcoming Robotaxi platform.

Introduced in 2012 and 2015, respectively, the Model S and Model X were Tesla’s original halo cars. They proved EVs could outperform gasoline luxury vehicles in acceleration, range, and tech features while pioneering over-the-air updates and early autonomy hardware.

Although they never matched the volume of the Model 3 and Model Y, their engineering breakthroughs laid the foundation for the company’s current lineup and full self-driving development.

Early adopters highlighted how the cars convinced them to invest in Tesla stock and the EV movement. Some U.S. owners who had not yet received the note voiced mild frustration, and international customers confirmed the outreach remains U.S.-only for now.

Tesla has not detailed an exact final production date beyond the Q2 2026 target or confirmed immediate replacements. Speculation continues about a possible Cybertruck-derived SUV, but the company’s public focus has shifted squarely to autonomy and robotics.

For buyers still interested in the S or X, the window is closing. Inventory is described as limited, and Tesla’s Korean division has already set a March 31 cutoff for new orders in that market. The email serves as both a farewell and final sales push, an elegant close to a chapter that helped define modern electric driving.

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