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Tesla is quietly building a mammoth Supercharger with a whopping 56 stalls

(Credit: @bryanMackSC/Twitter)

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The Supercharger Network is arguably one of Tesla’s biggest strengths. Providing a rapid, seamless, and convenient way for electric car owners to charge their vehicles, the Supercharger Network is a service that is rarely matched by competitors. And Tesla being Tesla, the electric car maker never really let up in its efforts to spread its chargers across the globe. This is especially notable with the introduction of V3 Superchargers, which are capable of charging vehicles at peak rates of 250 kW. 

But even among Superchargers, there are sites that are particularly impressive. The Kettleman Supercharger, for one, has made headlines due to its 40-stall capacity and its impressive lounge. Equally impressive is the massive 50-stall Supercharger in Shanghai, which was built during a time when the only Teslas being sold in China were the Model S and Model X. Now, it appears that another massive Supercharger is under construction, and it has the potential to be even more impressive than Tesla’s other premier charging sites. 

As noted recently by Tesla enthusiast @bryanMackSC, he recently came across a Supercharger station that’s currently under construction in Firebaugh, California. The site seemed to be fairly new, as even trackers like supercharge.info did not list the site until very recently. What is rather interesting was that the Supercharger in question had over 50 stalls, making it notably larger than the Kettleman site, which is already one of the largest in the world. 

It did not take long before fellow Tesla enthusiast @MontrealTesla, who tracks updates to the Supercharger Network, was able to retrieve filings for the Firebaugh site. As it turned out, the site will host 56 Tesla Superchargers, and it will be in the same vicinity as a full-fledged restaurant and convenience store. These were outlined in filings submitted for the site, one of which was filed with the County of Fresno’s Department of Public Works and Planning. “A total of 56 Tesla EV charging spaces will be provided, 2 of which will be ADA accessible (under a separate permit),” the filing noted. 

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The filings did not specify if the massive Firebaugh Supercharger will be equipped with the company’s V3 stalls, though considering that it would be one of the world’s largest Tesla charging stations, there seems to be a good chance that this will be the case. Equipping the site with Supercharger V3 stalls, after all, would allow the station to cater to a substantial number of Teslas every day. 

Interestingly enough, the 56-stall Supercharger is also on the same site as a restaurant and convenience store. Elon Musk has actually mentioned an integrated 50’s themed restaurant in Tesla Superchargers before. Perhaps the Firebaugh Supercharger will be the first of its kind to adopt the Tesla CEO’s concept? The next few months will likely reveal if this will be the case. 

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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Tesla begins Grok AI chatbot rollout to Australia and New Zealand fleet

The update follows earlier deployments in the United States and Europe.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has rolled out its Grok AI assistant to Australia and New Zealand, embedding the conversational chatbot directly into compatible vehicles via an over-the-air update. 

The system, developed by Elon Musk’s xAI, is now live on select models, giving drivers access to a voice-based assistant that goes well beyond traditional command-driven controls.

The update follows earlier deployments in the United States and Europe.

Tesla Australia confirmed Grok is available on Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y vehicles equipped with an AMD processor and running software version 2025.26 or later.

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“Grok is coming to Teslas in Australia and New Zealand. It can answer almost any question using real-time information & also add/edit navigation destinations to become your personal guide. Phased rollout has now begun to eligible vehicles,” Tesla Australia and New Zealand wrote in a post on its official X account.

Drivers can activate Grok using the steering wheel controls once the update is installed. Access requires either a Premium Connectivity subscription or a stable Wi-Fi connection.

Unlike conventional in-car voice assistants that rely on fixed prompts, Grok is designed to respond conversationally. It can adjust navigation mid-trip, locate nearby points of interest, explain dashboard warnings, provide driving guidance and reference the owner’s manual. 

Tesla noted that interactions with Grok are processed by xAI and remain anonymous to Tesla, adding that conversations are not linked to a specific driver or vehicle.

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Grok has attracted attention overseas for offering multiple interaction modes. In the U.S., users can select personalities such as Assistant, Language Tutor, Therapist, Storyteller and Meditation. Additional optional modes for adult users include settings labeled Unhinged, Motivation, Argumentative, Romantic and even Sexy.

Viral clips shared online have shown Grok adopting sarcastic or playful tones that differ from more neutral digital assistants, with the AI assistant typically catching drivers off-guard with its sharp personality and wit. 

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Ford is charging for a basic EV feature on the Mustang Mach-E

When ordering a new Ford Mustang Mach-E, you’ll now be hit with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.

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Credit: Ford Motor Company

Ford is charging an additional fee for a basic EV feature on its Mustang Mach-E, its most popular electric vehicle offering.

Ford has shuttered its initial Model e program, but is venturing into a more controlled and refined effort, and it is abandoning the F-150 Lightning in favor of a new pickup that is currently under design, but appears to have some favorable features.

However, ordering a new Mustang Mach-E now comes with an additional fee for one basic EV feature: the frunk.

The frunk is the front trunk, and due to the lack of a large engine in the front of an electric vehicle, OEMs are able to offer additional storage space under the hood. There’s one problem, though, and that is that companies appear to be recognizing that they can remove it for free while offering the function for a fee.

Ford is charging $495 for the frunk.

Interestingly, the frunk size varies by vehicle, but the Mustang Mach-E features a 4.7 to 4.8 cubic-foot-sized frunk, which measures approximately 9 inches deep, 26 inches wide, and 14 inches high.

When the vehicle was first released, Ford marketed the frunk as the ultimate tailgating feature, showing it off as a perfect place to store and serve cold shrimp cocktail.

Ford Mach-E frunk is perfect for chowders and chicken wings, and we’re not even joking

It appears the decision to charge for what is a simple advantage of an EV is not going over well, as even Ford loyal customers say the frunk is a “basic expectation” of an EV. Without it, it seems as if fans feel the company is nickel-and-diming its customers.

It will be pretty interesting to see the Mach-E without a frunk, and while it should not be enough to turn people away from potentially buying the vehicle, it seems the decision to add an additional charge to include one will definitely annoy some customers.

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Tesla to improve one of its best features, coding shows

According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.

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Credit: @jojje167 on X

Tesla is looking to upgrade its Matrix Headlights, a unique and high-tech feature that is available on several of its vehicles. The headlights aim to maximize visibility for Tesla drivers while being considerate of oncoming traffic.

The Matrix Headlights Tesla offers utilize dimming of individual light pixels to ensure that visibility stays high for those behind the wheel, while also being considerate of other cars by decreasing the brightness in areas where other cars are traveling.

Here’s what they look like in action:

As you can see, the Matrix headlight system intentionally dims the area where oncoming cars would be impacted by high beams. This keeps visibility at a maximum for everyone on the road, including those who could be hit with bright lights in their eyes.

There are still a handful of complaints from owners, however, but Tesla appears to be looking to resolve these with the coming updates in a Software Version that is currently labeled 2026.2.xxx. The coding was spotted by X user BERKANT:

According to the update, Tesla will work on improving the headlights when coming into contact with highly reflective objects, including road signs, traffic signs, and street lights. Additionally, pixel-level dimming will happen in two stages, whereas it currently performs with just one, meaning on or off.

Finally, the new system will prevent the high beams from glaring back at the driver. The system is made to dim when it recognizes oncoming cars, but not necessarily objects that could produce glaring issues back at the driver.

Tesla’s revolutionary Matrix headlights are coming to the U.S.

This upgrade is software-focused, so there will not need to be any physical changes or upgrades made to Tesla vehicles that utilize the Matrix headlights currently.

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