Connect with us
tesla logo tesla logo

Energy

2X Superchargers, Model 3 robots, mobile app update: Tesla week in review

Published

on

The top stories this week on Teslarati focused almost exclusively on Tesla’s constant innovations, with just a bit of ennui thrown in about one Tesla software update oversight. Tesla’s announcement that it would be increasing its Supercharger network was greeted with great enthusiasm, as were reports from some Tesla owners touring the factory who saw a number of Kuka robots aimed at Model 3 production.

Updates to Tesla iOS and Android apps will help Powerwall and other Tesla product owners to have increased control, while Consumer Reports decried Tesla’s foot-dragging in updating its automatic emergency braking software. Here are those stories and more on our “Tesla week in review.”

Tesla prioritizes Supercharger expansion “so drivers never wait to charge”

In order to expand the capacity of its network of fast electric car chargers as well as to shorten wait times at existing stations, Tesla has announced that it will double the number of Supercharger stations in 2017. The upcoming Tesla Model 3, which has a mass market target audience, is a significant motivation for the all-electric car company to refine its charging network. The goal is to increase the 5,000 Superchargers around the world to a total of 10,000 by the end of the year.

The announcement also included the company’s intention to build larger Supercharger sites along the busiest travel routes and in areas further away from the highway for the convenience of local drivers.

Read the article here.

Advertisement

Leaked Tesla factory photos reveal ‘alien’ robot army for Model 3 production line

Advanced robots will play a significant role in Tesla’s Model 3 manufacturing process as the company continues to hold to its July production start date. The company is reported to have had nearly 500 new robots delivered recently. They seem to be part of the Model 3 “alien dreadnought” production line that Tesla CEO Elon Musk predicted last summer during an earnings call.

Read the article here.

Tesla bets big as factory prepares for Model 3 final production tooling

Tesla will be relying on “advanced analytical techniques,” or computer simulations, to test the Model 3. Generally, auto manufacturers look to a beta production phase in which prototype tooling fosters a small run of pilot cars that are evaluated for reliability. Skipping this usual step will allow Tesla to cut costs and speed up delivery time. Tesla is not alone in looking to computer generation as forerunner to actual production. Audi initiated production at its new Mexico plant using computer simulations of production tools, the entire assembly line, and factory, which accelerated production 30 percent faster than anticipated. Tesla is betting that it can produce cars that present with consistent tolerances and lack of quality-control issues, which have plagued previous Tesla model releases.

Read the article here.

Tesla updates mobile app with Powerwall and solar energy monitoring features

In order to provide Powerwall owners with up-to-date information about solar power generation, battery power flow, household energy consumption, and the like, Tesla has updated its iOS and Android apps. The app update will allow owners to monitor other Tesla products, too, like their Model S and Model X vehicles. For example, if a power outage were to be likely, owners can now adjust the amount of power stored by their Powerwall home battery pack. App users access a new “Power Flow” screen to assess household energy storage and consumption by connected Tesla Energy products.

Advertisement

Read the article here.

 

CR downgrades Tesla Model S, X over missing automatic emergency braking feature

In response to Tesla’s perceived failure to update software that would have enabled automatic emergency braking (AEB) in versions built since October, 2016, Consumer Rreports has cut its ratings for both models. “When we purchased our latest test car, we were assured automatic emergency braking would be enabled by the end of 2016,” said Jake Fisher, director of CR’s Auto Test Center. CR consistently applies higher scores to vehicles with AEB as a standard feature, which the organization believes reduces crashes and cuts the likelihood of serious injuries.

Read the article here.

Advertisement

Carolyn Fortuna is a writer and researcher with a Ph.D. in education from the University of Rhode Island. She brings a social justice perspective to environmental issues. Please follow me on Twitter and Facebook and Google+

Advertisement
Comments

Energy

Tesla inks multi-billion-dollar deal with LG Energy Solution to avoid tariff pressure

Tesla has reportedly secured a sizable partnership with LGES for LFP cells, and there’s an extra positive out of it.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

Tesla has reportedly inked a multi-billion-dollar deal with LG Energy Solution in an effort to avoid tariff pressure and domesticate more of its supply chain.

Reuters is reporting that Tesla and LGES, a South Korean battery supplier of the automaker, signed a $4.3 billion deal for energy storage system batteries. The cells are going to be manufactured by LGES at its U.S. factory located in Michigan, the report indicates. The batteries will be the lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, chemistry.

Tesla delivers 384,000 vehicles in Q2 2025, deploys 9.6 GWh in energy storage

It is a move Tesla is making to avoid buying cells and parts from overseas as the Trump White House continues to use tariffs to prioritize domestic manufacturing.

LGES announced earlier today that it had signed a $4.3 billion contract to supply LFP cells over three years to a company, but it did not identify the customer, nor did the company state whether the batteries would be used in automotive or energy storage applications.

Advertisement

The deal is advantageous for both companies. Tesla is going to alleviate its reliance on battery cells that are built out of the country, so it’s going to be able to take some financial pressure off itself.

For LGES, the company has reported that it has experienced slowed demand for its cells in terms of automotive applications. It planned to offset this demand lag with more projects involving the cells in energy storage projects. This has been helped by the need for these systems at data centers used for AI.

During the Q1 Earnings Call, Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja confirmed that the company’s energy division had been impacted by the need to source cells from China-based suppliers. He went on to say that the company would work on “securing additional supply chain from non-China-based suppliers.”

It seems as if Tesla has managed to secure some of this needed domestic supply chain.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Energy

Tesla Shanghai Megafactory produces 1,000th Megapack for export to Europe

The Shanghai Megafactory was able to hit this milestone less than six months after it started producing the Megapack. 

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla Energy has announced a fresh milestone for its newest Megapack factory. As per the electric vehicle maker, the Shanghai Megafactory has successfully produced its 1,000th Megapack battery. 

The facility was able to hit this milestone less than six months after it started producing the grid-scale battery system. 

New Tesla Megapack Milestone

As per Tesla Asia in a post on its official accounts on social media platform X, the 1,000th Megapack unit that was produced at the Shanghai Megafactory would be exported to Europe. As noted in a CNEV Post report, Tesla’s energy products are currently deployed in over 65 countries and regions globally. This allows Tesla Energy to compete in energy markets that are both emerging and mature.

To commemorate the 1,000th Megapack produced at the Shanghai Megafactory, the Tesla China team posted with the grid-scale battery with celebratory balloons that spelled “Megapack 1000.” The milestone was celebrated by Tesla enthusiasts on social media, especially since the Shanghai Megafactory only started its operations earlier this year.

Quick Megafactory Ramp

The Shanghai Megafactory, similar to Tesla’s other key facilities in China, was constructed quickly. The facility started its construction on May 23, 2024, and it was hailed as Tesla’s first entry storage project outside the United States. Less than a year later, on February 11, 2025, the Shanghai Megafactory officially started producing Megapack batteries. And by March 21, 2025, Tesla China noted that it had shipped the first batch of Megapack batteries from the Shanghai plant to foreign markets.

Advertisement

While the Shanghai Megafactory is still not at the same level of output as Tesla’s Lathrop Megafactory, which produces about 10,000 Megapacks per year, its ramp seems to be quite steady and quick. It would then not be surprising if Tesla China announces the Shanghai Megafactory’s 2,000th Megapack milestone in the coming months.

Continue Reading

Energy

Tesla launches first Virtual Power Plant in UK – get paid to use solar

Tesla has launched its first-ever Virtual Power Plant program in the United Kingdom.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Energy | X

Tesla has launched its first-ever Virtual Power Plant program in the United Kingdom. This feature enables users of solar panels and energy storage systems to sell their excess energy back to the grid.

Tesla is utilizing Octopus Energy, a British renewable energy company that operates in multiple markets, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States, as the provider for the VPP launch in the region.

The company states that those who enroll in the program can earn up to £300 per month.

Tesla has operated several VPP programs worldwide, most notably in California, Texas, Connecticut, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. This is not the first time Tesla has operated a VPP outside the United States, as there are programs in Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.

This is its first in the UK:

Tesla is not the only company that is working with Octopus Energy in the UK for the VPP, as it joins SolarEdge, GivEnergy, and Enphase as other companies that utilize the Octopus platform for their project operations.

It has been six years since Tesla launched its first VPP, as it started its first in Australia back in 2019. In 2024, Tesla paid out over $10 million to those participating in the program.

Tesla VPP program in California hits new capacity milestone

Participating in the VPP program that Tesla offers not only provides enrolled individuals with the opportunity to earn money, but it also contributes to grid stabilization by supporting local energy grids.

Continue Reading

Trending