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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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+

Energy

Tesla Lathrop Megafactory celebrates massive Megapack battery milestone

The Tesla Megapack is the backbone of Tesla Energy’s battery deployments.

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Credit: Tesla Megapack/X

The Tesla Lathrop Megafactory recently achieved a new milestone. As per the official Tesla Megapack account on X, the Lathrop Megafactory has produced its 15,000th Megapack 2 XL battery.

15,000 Megapack Batteries

Tesla celebrated the milestone with a photo of the Lathrop Megafactory team posing with a freshly produced Megapack battery. To commemorate the event, the team held balloons that spelled out “15,000” as they posed for the photo.

The Tesla Megapack is the backbone of Tesla Energy’s battery deployments. Designed for grid-scale applications, each Megapack offers 3.9 MWh of energy and 1.9 MW of power. The battery is extremely scalable, making it perfect for massive energy storage projects.

https://twitter.com/Tesla_Megapack/status/1932578971700638203

More Megafactories

The Lathrop Megafactory is Tesla’s first dedicated facility for its flagship battery storage system. It currently stands as the largest utility-scale battery factory in North America. The facility is capable of producing 10,000 Megapack batteries every year, equal to 40 GWh of clean energy storage.

Thanks to the success of the Megapack, Tesla has expanded its energy business by building and launching the Shanghai Megafactory, which is also expected to produce 40 GWh of energy storage per year. The ramp of the Shanghai Megafactory is quite impressive, with Tesla noting in its Q1 2025 Update Letter that the Shanghai Megafactory managed to produce over 100 Megapack batteries in the first quarter alone.

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Tesla Energy’s Potential

During the first quarter earnings call, CEO Elon Musk stated that the Megapack is extremely valuable to the energy industry. 

“The Megapack enables utility companies to output far more total energy than would otherwise be the case… This is a massive unlock on total energy output of any given grid over the course of a year. And utility companies are beginning to realize this and are buying in our Megapacks at scale,” Musk said.

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Energy

Tesla Megapacks powers the xAI Colossus supercomputer

Tesla Megapacks step in to stabilize xAI’s Colossus supercomputer, replacing natural gas turbines. Musk’s ventures keep intertwining.

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(Credit: Tesla Megapack)

Tesla Megapack batteries will power the xAI Colossus supercomputer in Memphis to ensure power stability. The collaboration between Tesla and xAI highlights the synergy among Elon Musk’s ventures.

The artificial intelligence startup has integrated Tesla Megapacks to manage outages and demand surges, bolstering the facility’s reliability. The Greater Memphis Chamber announced that Colossus, recently connected to a new 150-megawatt electric substation, is completing its first construction phase. This transition addresses criticism from environmental justice groups over the initial use of natural gas turbines.

“The temporary natural gas turbines that were being used to power the Phase I GPUs prior to grid connection are now being demobilized and will be removed from the site over the next two months.

“About half of the operating turbines will remain operating to power Phase II GPUs of xAI until a second substation (#22) already in construction is completed and connected to the electric grid, which is planned for the Fall of 2025, at which time the remaining turbines will be relegated to a backup power role,” the Chamber stated.

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xAI’s rapid development of Colossus reflects its ambition to advance AI capabilities, but the project has faced scrutiny for environmental impacts. The shift to Megapacks and grid power aims to mitigate these concerns while ensuring operational continuity.

The Megapack deployment underscores the collaboration among Musk’s companies, including Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company. Tesla appears to be the common link between all of Musk’s companies. For example, The Boring Company built a tunnel in Giga, Texas. In addition, Musk has hinted at a potential collaboration between the Tesla Optimus Bot and Neuralink. And from January 2024 to February 2025, xAI invested $230 million in Megapacks, per a Tesla filing.

Tesla Energy reported a 156% year-over-year increase in Q1 2025, deploying 10.4 GWh of storage products, including Megapacks and Powerwalls. Tesla’s plans for a new Megapack factory in Waller County, Texas, which is expected to create 1,500 jobs in the area, further signal its commitment to scaling energy solutions.

As xAI leverages Tesla’s Megapacks to power Colossus, the integration showcases Musk’s interconnected business ecosystem. The supercomputer’s enhanced stability positions xAI to drive AI innovation, while Tesla’s energy solutions gain prominence, setting the stage for broader technological and economic impacts.

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Energy

Tesla Energy celebrates one decade of sustainability

Tesla Energy has gone far since its early days, and it is now becoming a progressively bigger part of the company.

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla Energy recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a dedicated video showcasing several of its milestones over the past decade.

Tesla Energy has gone far since its early days, and it is now becoming a progressively bigger part of the company.

Tesla Energy Early Days

When Elon Musk launched Tesla Energy in 2015, he noted that the business is a fundamental transformation of how the world works. To start, Tesla Energy offered the Powerwall, a 7 kWh/10 kWh home battery system, and the Powerpack, a grid-capable 100 kWh battery block that is designed for scalability. A few days after the products’ launch, Musk noted that Tesla had received 38,000 reservations for the Powerwall and 2,500 reservations for the Powerpack

Tesla Energy’s beginnings would herald its quiet growth, with the company later announcing products like the Solar Roof tile, which is yet to be ramped, and the successor to the Powerwall, the 13.5 kWh Powerwall 2. In recent years, Tesla Energy also launched its Powerwall 3 home battery and the massive Megapack, a 3.9 MWh monster of a battery unit that has become the backbone for energy storage systems across the globe.

Key Milestones

As noted by Tesla Energy in its recent video, it has now established facilities that allow the company to manufacture 20,000 units of the Megapack every year, which should help grow the 23 GWh worth of Megapacks that have already been deployed globally. 

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The Powerwall remains a desirable home battery as well, with more than 850,000 units installed worldwide. These translate to 12 GWh of residential entry storage delivered to date. Just like the Megapack, Tesla is also ramping its production of the Powerwall, allowing the division to grow even more.

Tesla Energy’s Role

While Tesla Energy does not catch as much headlines as the company’s electric vehicle businesses, its contributions to the company’s bottom line have been growing. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, Tesla Energy deployed 10.4 GWh of energy storage products. Powerwall deployments also crossed 1 GWh in one quarter for the first time. As per Tesla in its Q1 2025 Update Letter, the gross margin for the Energy division has improved sequentially as well.

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