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Tesla offers free Thanksgiving Supercharging rates during off-peak hours

Credit: Tesla

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Tesla is offering free Supercharging rates during off-peak hours during the Thanksgiving holiday to avoid congestion at its stations.

Thanksgiving is commonly known as the holiday that provides the most traffic on American roadways due to excessive traveling. As a result, gas stations, EV charging stations, and basically any station that is meant for refueling will be another recipient of long lines and excessive wait times. Tesla Superchargers will be no different, and since EV charging stations are less available than gas stations currently, they will likely be more congested than basically anything else.

Therefore, Tesla is offering incentives for Supercharging during non-peak times in various California locations. The promotion started at midnight and runs until 10 AM Pacific Time. It will then reactivate at 7 PM and run until 10 AM every day until Sunday, November 28th. Tesla lists the following locations as eligible for the promotion.

“Avoid the rush this Thanksgiving holiday and charge for free during off‑peak hours at Superchargers along select California travel routes,” the company wrote.

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Tesla Supercharing offer locations for Thanksgiving 2021. (Credit: Tesla)

  • Arroyo Grande, CA – W Branch Rd
  • Atascadero, CA
  • Baker, CA
  • Bakersfield, CA – Copus Road
  • Bakersfield, CA – I-5
  • Barstow, CA
  • Buellton, CA
  • Buttonwillow, CA
  • Clovis, CA
  • Corning, CA
  • Firebaugh, CA
  • Fresno, CA
  • Fresno, CA – North Blackstone Avenue
  • Fresno, CA – North Riverside Drive
  • Greenfield, CA
  • Gustine, CA
  • Harris Ranch
  • Hesperia, CA
  • Kettleman City, CA
  • Kettleman City, CA – Bernard Drive
  • Merced, CA – Martin Luther King Junior Way
  • Mojave, CA
  • Mount Shasta, CA – 111 Morgan Way
  • Mount Shasta, CA – 134 Morgan Way
  • Paso Robles, CA – Golden Hill Road
  • Pismo Beach
  • Primm, NV
  • Red Bluff, CA – Belle Mill Road
  • Salinas, CA
  • San Luis Obispo, CA – 3897 S Higuera St
  • San Luis Obispo, CA – Los Osos Valley Road
  • San Luis Obispo, CA – Madonna Inn
  • Soledad, CA – 100 Front St
  • Tejon Ranch, CA
  • Tejon Ranch, CA – Outlets at Tejon Pkwy
  • Traver, CA
  • Williams, CA – 6th Street
  • Yermo, CA
  • Yreka, CA

Non-peak hour charging is a great opportunity for owners to get their vehicles a full charge during times when Superchargers are typically unoccupied. It will spread Supercharging needs throughout the day. If Tesla did not do this, many of its owners would see no advantage in Supercharging before beginning their trip, and it would likely lead to extensive lines at California charging stations. It is a great strategy to alleviate many hours of waiting that owners may experience as a result of the mass traveling efforts that Americans will experience over the next few days.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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New details emerge on The Boring Company’s Universal tunnel plans

The materials outline staffing, construction timelines, tunnel configuration, and operational details that were not previously public.

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Credit: Grok Imagine

Newly released bidding documents have shed light on how Elon Musk’s Boring Company plans to connect Universal Orlando Resort’s north campus to Universal Epic Universe. 

The materials outline staffing, construction timelines, tunnel configuration, and operational details that were not previously public about the planned Loop system.

The Shingle Creek Transit & Utility Community Development District voted Feb. 11 to begin contract negotiations with The Boring Company after ranking it the top bidder for the Universal Orlando transport project. Now, evaluation documents obtained by local news media reveal how the company intends to execute the project, according to Attraction Insight.

The proposal describes a twin-tunnel configuration, with one tunnel in each direction. It also noted that permitting, design, and construction could take roughly a year and a half once approvals are secured. The company indicated it could deploy multiple tunnel boring machines and install temporary support infrastructure, including muck storage pits and stormwater systems, during construction.

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Bid documents list eight internal specialists assigned to the project, including tunnel engineers, structural engineers, and tunnel boring machine experts. Six subcontractors would handle fire protection, communications, soil treatment, and concrete work.

The company stated it “has the necessary internally produced tunneling equipment and personnel immediately available to complete this project for the district as quickly as permits and approvals can be obtained.”

Operationally, the system would mirror the company’s Las Vegas Loop model, using Tesla vehicles to provide point-to-point transport rather than fixed-route buses. The proposal frames the concept as “on-demand, express transportation,” with vehicles dispatched as needed and capacity adjustable in real time.

Stations could be built underground or above ground with ramp access into tunnels. The documents also referenced potential future integration of a configurable Robovan for passengers and cargo, though capacity projections for the Orlando tunnels have not yet been disclosed.

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The proposal states that the Loop can integrate “easily into environmentally sensitive areas,” but it does not provide detailed mitigation plans for Central Florida’s high water table and limestone geology, which is susceptible to sinkholes. The company has stated that it intends to hire an Orlando-based geotechnical firm to evaluate soil conditions.

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Tesla Giga Berlin dispute against IG Metall union leads to investigation

As per a report from rbb24, police seized a laptop belonging to an IG Metall member at Tesla Giga Berlin on Tuesday afternoon.

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Credit: Tesla Manufacturing/X

German authorities have opened an investigation into an IG Metall union representative following allegations that a confidential works council meeting at Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin was secretly recorded. The probe follows a criminal complaint filed by Tesla management last week.

As per a report from rbb24, police seized a laptop belonging to an IG Metall member at Tesla Giga Berlin on Tuesday afternoon. Prosecutors in Frankfurt (Oder) confirmed that an investigation is underway into a possible unauthorized audio recording of an internal works council meeting.

Under German law, recording a non-public meeting without consent may constitute a criminal offense.

Tesla stated that Gigafactory Berlin employees alerted management after allegedly discovering that an external union representative, who was attending the event as a guest, had recorded the session. Plant manager André Thierig stated in a post on X that the representative was “caught in action,” prompting the company to contact police and file a criminal complaint.

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The seized device is now part of the investigation, and authorities will determine whether any unlawful recording had indeed occurred.

IG Metall has denied the accusation. In comments to German media, representatives rejected Tesla’s claim and described the electric vehicle maker’s allegation as an election campaign tactic ahead of upcoming works council elections.

The election at Tesla’s Grünheide plant is scheduled for March 2–4, 2026, with about 11,000 employees being eligible to vote. Regular works council elections in Germany are held every four years between March and May.

The incident comes amid tensions between Tesla and organized labor in Germany. While works councils operate independently from unions, IG Metall has been active at the plant and has previously criticized Tesla’s labor practices. Authorities, for their part, have not yet announced whether charges will be filed, though the investigation remains ongoing.

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Tesla rolls out xAI’s Grok to vehicles across Europe

The initial rollout includes the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain.

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Tesla is rolling out Grok to vehicles in Europe. The feature will initially launch in nine European territories.

In a post on X, the official Tesla Europe, Middle East & Africa account confirmed that Grok is coming to Teslas in Europe. The initial rollout includes the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, France, Portugal, and Spain, and additional markets are expected to be added later.

Grok allows drivers to ask questions using real-time information and interact hands-free while driving. According to Tesla’s support documentation, Grok can also initiate navigation commands, enabling users to search for destinations, discover points of interest, and adjust routes without touching the touchscreen, as per the feature’s official webpage.

The system offers selectable personalities, ranging from “Storyteller” to “Unhinged,” and is activated either through the App Launcher or by pressing and holding the steering wheel’s microphone button.

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Grok is currently available only on Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, and Cybertruck vehicles equipped with an AMD infotainment processor. Vehicles must be running software version 2025.26 or later, with navigation command support requiring version 2025.44.25 or newer.

Drivers must also have Premium Connectivity or a stable Wi-Fi connection to use the feature. Tesla notes that Grok does not currently replace standard voice commands for vehicle controls such as climate or media adjustments.

The company has stated that Grok interactions are processed securely by xAI and are not linked to individual drivers or vehicles. Users do not need a Grok account or subscription to enable the feature at this time as well.

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