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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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Cybertruck

Tesla confirms date when new Cybertruck trim will go up in price

Tesla has officially revealed that this price will only be available until February 28, as the company has placed a banner atop the Design Configurator on its website reflecting this.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has confirmed the date when its newest Cybertruck trim level will increase in price, after CEO Elon Musk noted that the All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the all-electric pickup would only be priced at its near-bargain level for ten days.

Last week, Tesla launched the All-Wheel-Drive configuration of the Cybertruck. Priced at $59,990, the Cybertruck featured many excellent features and has seemingly brought some demand to the pickup, which has been underwhelming in terms of sales figures over the past couple of years.

Tesla launches new Cybertruck trim with more features than ever for a low price

When Tesla launched it, many fans and current owners mulled the possibility of ordering it. However,  Musk came out and said just hours after launching the pickup that Tesla would only keep it at the $59,990 price level for ten days.

What it would be priced at subsequently was totally dependent on how much demand Tesla felt for the new trim level, which is labeled as a “Dual Motor All-Wheel-Drive” configuration.

Tesla has officially revealed that this price will only be available until February 28, as the company has placed a banner atop the Design Configurator on its website reflecting this:

Many fans and owners have criticized Tesla’s decision to unveil a trim this way, and then price it at something, only to change that price a few days later based on how well it sells.

It seems the most ideal increase in price would be somewhere between $5,000 and $10,000, but it truly depends on how many orders Tesla sees for this new trim level. The next step up in configuration is the Premium All-Wheel-Drive, which is priced at $79,990.

The difference between the Dual Motor AWD Cybertruck and the Premium AWD configuration comes down to towing, interior quality, and general features. The base package is only capable of towing up to 7,500 pounds, while the Premium can handle 11,000 pounds. Additionally, the seats in the Premium build are Vegan Leather, while the base trim gets the textile seats.

It also has only 7 speakers compared to the 15 that the Premium trim has. Additionally, the base model does not have an adjustable ride height, although it does have a coil spring with an adaptive damping suspension package.

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Cybertruck

Tesla set to activate long-awaited Cybertruck feature

Tesla will officially activate the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature on Cybertruck soon, as the company has officially added the feature to its list of features by trim on its website.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is set to activate a long-awaited Cybertruck feature, and no matter when you bought your all-electric pickup, it has the hardware capable of achieving what it is designed to do.

Tesla simply has to flip the switch, and it plans to do so in the near future.

Tesla will officially activate the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature on Cybertruck soon, according to Not a Tesla App, as the company has officially added the feature to its list of features by trim on its website.

Tesla rolls out Active Road Noise Reduction for new Model S and Model X

The ANC feature suddenly appeared on the spec sheet for the Premium All-Wheel-Drive and Cyberbeast trims, which are the two configurations that have been delivered since November 2023.

However, those trims have both had the ANC disabled, and although they are found in the Model S and Model X, and are active in those vehicles, Tesla is planning to activate them.

In Tesla’s Service Toolbox, it wrote:

ANC software is not enabled on Cybertruck even though the hardware is installed.”

Tesla has utilized an ANC system in the Model S and Model X since 2021. The system uses microphones embedded in the front seat headrests to detect low-frequency road noise entering the cabin. It then generates anti-noise through phase-inverted sound waves to cancel out or reduce that noise, creating quieter zones, particularly around the vehicle’s front occupants.

The Model S and Model X utilize six microphones to achieve this noise cancellation, while the Cybertruck has just four.

Tesla Cybertruck Dual Motor AWD estimated delivery slips to early fall 2026

As previously mentioned, this will be activated through a software update, as the hardware is already available within Cybertruck and can simply be activated at Tesla’s leisure.

The delays in activating the system are likely due to Tesla Cybertruck’s unique design, which is unlike anything before. In the Model S and Model X, Tesla did not have to do too much, but the Cybertruck has heavier all-terrain tires and potentially issues from the aluminum castings that make up the vehicle’s chassis, which are probably presenting some challenges.

Unfortunately, this feature will not be available on the new Dual Motor All-Wheel-Drive configuration, which was released last week.

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News

Tesla Model S and X customization options begin to thin as their closure nears

Tesla’s Online Design Studio for both vehicles now shows the first color option to be listed as “Sold Out,” as Lunar Silver is officially no longer available for the Model S or Model X. This color is exclusive to these cars and not available on the Model S or Model X.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla Model S and Model X customization options are beginning to thin for the first time as the closure of the two “sentimental” vehicles nears.

We are officially seeing the first options disappear as Tesla begins to work toward ending production of the two cars and the options that are available to those vehicles specifically.

Tesla’s Online Design Studio for both vehicles now shows the first color option to be listed as “Sold Out,” as Lunar Silver is officially no longer available for the Model S or Model X. This color is exclusive to these cars and not available on the Model S or Model X.

Tesla is making way for the Optimus humanoid robot project at the Fremont Factory, where the Model S and Model X are produced. The two cars are low-volume models and do not contribute more than a few percent to Tesla’s yearly delivery figures.

With CEO Elon Musk confirming that the Model S and Model X would officially be phased out at the end of the quarter, some of the options are being thinned out.

This is an expected move considering Tesla’s plans for the two vehicles, as it will make for an easier process of transitioning that portion of the Fremont plant to cater to Optimus manufacturing. Additionally, this is likely one of the least popular colors, and Tesla is choosing to only keep around what it is seeing routine demand for.

During the Q4 Earnings Call in January, Musk confirmed the end of the Model S and Model X:

“It is time to bring the Model S and Model X programs to an end with an honorable discharge. It is time to bring the S/X programs to an end. It’s part of our overall shift to an autonomous future.”

Fremont will now build one million Optimus units per year as production is ramped.

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