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Tesla Sweden takes a stand against union strike with new Superchargers

Credit: TeslaCharging/X

Published

3 months ago

on

Tesla Sweden recently took a stand against union IF Metall using its Superchargers.

Tesla Sweden highlighted just how much the union’s actions and protests are inconveniencing everyone—even drivers outside the electric vehicle maker.

Tesla Sweden vs IF Metall

  • IF Metall’s strike against Tesla Sween has been going on for over a year now. 
  • The EV maker is not just in conflict with IF Metall either, as other unions have implemented sympathy strikes to disrupt Tesla Sweden’s operations. 
  • As a result of these sympathy strikes, some Supercharger stations that have been built by Tesla remain inactive even if the sites themselves are completed. 
  • This was because some employees of companies responsible for connecting the Superchargers to the grid are forbidden from working with Tesla due to their collective agreements.
  • There are currently five new, completed Supercharger stations with 72 stalls that remain inactive across the country.

Tesla Sweden’s jab

  • In what appears to be a jab against IF Metall and its allies, Tesla opted to post a clear message on its completed but inactive Superchargers. 
  • “Here, all EV drivers could charge for emission-free travel, contributing to a sustainable Sweden,” Tesla wrote on its inactive Supercharger sites. The fact that the Superchargers are “Ready to Connect” was also highlighted.
  • Other Tesla Superchargers featured a message stating that one Supercharger in Sweden helps avoid approximately 60,000 kg of CO2 emissions annually.
  • Tesla also included a graphic of the company’s hedgehog mascot, which was wearing a vest that stated, “Thanks, I’m good.” The vest was worn by Tesla Sweden employees who did not participate in the union’s protests against the electric vehicle maker.

A potential Tesla lifeline

  • The refusal of local energy companies to connect Tesla’s completed Superchargers is reportedly under investigation by the Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate, as noted in a report from Allt Om Elbil.
  • As noted by the publication, local energy companies typically only deny the connections of installations like EV charging stations due to issues like lack of network capacity or other “specific reasons.”
  • It then remains to be seen if IF Metall’s protests against Tesla qualify as valid “specific reasons.”
  • The investigation is expected to be completed by spring 2025.

What they’re saying:

  • Jerker Sidén, an analyst at the Energy Markets Inspectorate, shared some insights about the matter. 
  • “That’s what we are investigating. Historically, we haven’t had many cases about denied connections. This is what we’re assessing now,” the analyst noted.
  • Tesla Director of Charging Max de Zegher also shared his thoughts on the matter in a post on X.
  • “We’re ready to turn on 72 Supercharger stalls for the holidays for all Swedish EV drivers. Superchargers are the most affordable charging, support all EVs, and are critical infrastructure to support peak travel days. Important for EV adoption in Sweden that current & future Superchargers get energized asap by utilities currently blocking us from opening them,”  the Tesla executive wrote.

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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Elon Musk

Tesla is building a new UFO-inspired Supercharger in the heart of Alien country

Published

8 hours ago

on

April 3, 2025

By

Credit: MarcoRP | X

Tesla is planning to build a new UFO-inspired Supercharger in the heart of Alien country — Roswell, New Mexico.

Back in 1947, a crash of debris led to rumors of an alleged crash of a UFO just 75 miles north of Roswell near Corona, New Mexico. The crash was officially noted as the recovery of a military balloon, but over the years, speculation persists that the “flying disc” many saw might have been extraterrestrials trying to make contact with Earth.

As a result of the 1947 crash, Roswell has adopted it and used it as the inspiration for much of its tourism. As Tesla is planning to build a Supercharger in the area, it is using the same sort of inspiration for the location, which will feature just eight charging stalls located under a CyberCanopy.

It was first spotted by MarcoRP, a noted Supercharger permit insider:

Here are some better pictures of the design:

Tesla’s Head of Charging for North America, Max de Zegher, confirmed that the site will be inspired by the events near Roswell in 1947. He noted that Tesla “wants to build a few Superchargers cool enough to be worth of the trip itself.”

This will undoubtedly be one of those locations, and along with the Tesla Drive-in Diner Supercharger in Santa Monica, it seems the company could be moving toward some more unique designs for the future, making the charging experience more fun and interesting for owners:

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Elon Musk

This Tesla vandal caused thousands in damage, but she was let off the hook: Here’s why

Published

9 hours ago

on

April 3, 2025

By

tesla
Credit: Tesla

A Tesla vandal in Bloomington, Minnesota, caused $3,200 in damages to a car after keying it. However, the local police department, as well as the owner of the Tesla, let her off the hook.

As a Tesla sat in the parking lot of a Cub Foods grocery store, it was damaged in an act of vandalism that we are unfortunately seeing all too frequently. Police managed to locate the woman responsible for the damage, aiming to hold her responsible for the scrapes she applied to the vehicle.

However, in an act that many might not be able to perform, the owner of the Tesla did not want to pursue any criminal charges. Instead, they just wanted their car fixed.

Police Chief Booker Hodges said (via Minnesota Star Tribune):

“The victim in this case just wanted their car fixed, and they just wanted the suspect to pay for that. Based on the totality of the circumstances here, and along with our core value of being compassionate, this is the best outcome for everybody involved in this case.”

It was an incredible act of forgiveness, as many of those who have had their Teslas damaged in response to CEO Elon Musk likely would not have been able to do the same thing. One person who had their vehicle keyed filed a civil lawsuit against the vandal, who damaged their car while it was parked at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, seeking $1 million in damages.

Chief Hodges finished his remarks about this specific situation by calling out the leaders who have spread a hateful narrative about Musk and Tesla, and the company’s vehicle owners as well:

“We need our leaders to start leading and stop feeding this rhetoric. People should be able to drive whatever car they want without fear of going into a store and someone scratching their car or people yelling at them because of the car that … they choose to drive. It’s time for all of us, you know, just to start getting along and knock this stuff off, man. People should be able to be left alone.”

While Chief Hodges did not mention anyone specifically, Minnesota politician and former VP candidate Tim Walz said earlier this month that he “gets a boost” when Tesla stock falls. He later retracted his statement by stating it was just a joke.

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News

Tesla Model Y tops Norway sales despite low Q1 delivery results

The new Model Y ended March as Norway’s top-selling vehicle for the month, with 1,819 units sold.

Published

11 hours ago

on

April 3, 2025

By

Credit: Tesla China

Tesla did not meet delivery expectations in the first quarter of 2025, and a huge reason behind this was the changeover to the new Model Y in Giga Texas, the Fremont Factory, Giga Shanghai, and Giga Berlin.

Despite Tesla’s disappointing Q1 vehicle delivery results, the new Model Y still made a significant impact in key markets such as Norway.

The new Model Y’s Norway Comeback

While sales of the new Model Y in January and February were low in Norway, the vehicle saw a lot of momentum as soon as deliveries of the updated all-electric crossover started. This resulted in the new Model Y ending March 2025 as Norway’s top-selling vehicle for the month, with 1,819 units sold.

Over the course of Q1 2025, Tesla was able to sell a total of 2,792 Model Y units. That was enough to also make the all-electric crossover Norway’s best-selling vehicle in the first quarter. This is quite an impressive feat for Tesla, especially since sales were throttled during the quarter due to the company’s changeover to the new Model Y.

Source: Elbilstatistikk

Tesla in Other European Markets

Tesla’s results in Europe during the first quarter were a mixed bag. In Germany alone, Tesla saw 4,935 vehicles sold in Q1 2025. As per the German road traffic agency KBA, Tesla’s sales in March dropped 42.5% to 2,229 units year-over-year. This was despite overall EV registrations rising 35.3% during the month. 

In Italy, new vehicle registrations rebounded 51% in March from the previous year to 2,217 units, as per data from the Transport Ministry. This is still quite impressive considering that Tesla has become a very polarizing carmaker in Europe, thanks in no small part to CEO Elon Musk’s politics and close relation to U.S. President Donald Trump.

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