The United Auto Workers (UAW) has successfully agreed on tentative contracts with Ford, General Motors (GM) and Stellantis after over six weeks of strikes. However, the union’s president now says that the next round of contract negotiations will include more than just the Big Three, highlighting desires to unionize other automakers like Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen and others.
UAW President Shawn Fain said on Sunday that the next round of bargaining, set for 2028 when contracts expire again, will include more than just the Big Three, instead including a “Big Five or Big Six,” as detailed in a report from Bloomberg. The statements came after it has been widely speculated that Fain and the UAW might target Tesla next now that the union has come to tentative agreements with Ford, Stellantis and GM.
“One of our biggest goals coming out of this historic contract victory is to organize like we’ve never organized before,” Fain said. “When we return to the bargaining table in 2028, it won’t just be with a Big Three, but with a Big Five or Big Six.”
Earlier this month, Fain also called workers at Tesla, Toyota, Honda and others “UAW members of the future,” highlighting his ambitions to boost membership to include the automakers.
UAW President: Tesla workers are union “members of the future”
Tesla and other automakers, such as Toyota and Volkswagen, have U.S. facilities, though the UAW does not represent workers at those sites. Tesla is not a surprise target for the UAW, being the world’s most valuable automaker and the dominant market leader in electric vehicles (EVs), along with employing tens of thousands of U.S. workers in California, Texas, Nevada and New York.
According to a person familiar with the matter in the Bloomberg report, Tesla’s factory in Fremont, California, has a UAW organizing committee, and its members are actively talking to workers about the benefits of unionization and collective bargaining. The person also said that the UAW has shared its commitment to offering any needed resources for that campaign.
However, past unionization attempts at Tesla have failed, and CEO Elon Musk has been outspoken about his disdain for unions on many occasions. Last year, Musk invited the UAW to hold a vote at its Fremont factory, though it never took place.
A union is just another corporation. Far better for many companies to compete for your skills, so that you have maximum optionality.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 26, 2022
Labor efforts in other industries show that the landscape has changed since one Tesla worker at the Fremont factory went public with attempts to have the UAW unionize the plant in 2017. At the time, Musk also opposed the attempt, calling the union drive “morally outrageous,” and the campaign faded away after a few years.
“The UAW would love to get into Tesla, but I don’t think they have a chance,” said former Fremont employee Mark Eberley, who worked on a UAW drive at Tesla prior to his departure in 2020.
Others who previously worked at Tesla told Bloomberg that corruption scandals at the UAW and the switch to become a non-union factory when the automaker purchased the plant in 2010 were both viewed as liabilities to a unionization effort. In 2020, former UAW President Dennis Williams pleaded guilty to conspiracy to embezzle union funds after serving as the group’s leader from 2014 to 2018.
Despite the scandal, Fain and the UAW’s success in coming to a tentative agreement with the Big Three comes at a time when several other labor efforts have also taken shape. Additionally, Gallup data shows that the U.S. public has shifted in its views on unions since the last unionization efforts at Tesla. While just over half of Americans reported approving of labor unions in 2016, that number has risen to roughly 67 percent in 2023.
“Any effort to organize Tesla would be a battle royale,” said Seth Harris, President Joe Biden’s former deputy director at the National Economic Council. “The UAW is showing itself to be a militant, well-organized force.”
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.
Elon Musk
Tesla reveals key detail of Supercharger Diner, but it’s bigger than you think
Tesla has finally released one key detail about the Supercharger Diner, and it is bigger than what it appears at face-value.

Tesla has revealed a key detail of its Supercharger Diner as its launch date appears to be nearing, based on what we are seeing at the site currently.
The Supercharger Diner is located on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles and was first proposed as an idea by CEO Elon Musk back in 2018. Musk envisioned a drive-in movie-style 1950s-inspired diner that would feature elements such as servers on roller skates, large movie screens, and a menu inspired by classic treats from several decades ago.
A project that first broke ground in 2023, the Supercharger Diner has been in development for over two years, as Tesla performed demolition work at the site back in February of that year.
It has slowly moved forward, and drone footage shot this week seems to show things are nearly up and running. Musk even mentioned that he had eaten at the Diner Supercharger this week.
There are still details that Tesla has yet to announce and confirm. The most important thing is regarding the menu that will be served at the diner.
Tesla has not hinted at what it will be making for patrons at the restaurant, but Musk commended the food and said the diner would be one of the coolest spots in LA.
🚨 Tesla has involved “almost every team at the company…in some form” in the development of the Supercharger Diner in Los Angeles https://t.co/wLC6t79vgu pic.twitter.com/o52SWWbYPd
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 16, 2025
However, we now have details on another important thing about the restaurant: the hours.
Images taken by Aaron Cash of ABetterTheater.com show the diner will be open 24/7, as it appears on the front doors of the diner:
🚨 Tesla Diner in Los Angeles will be open 24/7 https://t.co/SlccUUlLIb pic.twitter.com/9I78ZGBdnz
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 15, 2025
At first thought, it seems this will operate like any other diner, as many are open for 24 hours a day. Diners typically serve large menus with numerous options, catering to the tastes and moods of anyone who walks in.
People of all walks of life eat at diners, as the food is typically affordable, tasty, and available at any hour to serve those who are night owls or those who work non-typical schedules.
However, Tesla is a bit different, and it seems that this new venture into food service could eventually transition from human servers and cooks to robots, most notably the company’s in-house project of Optimus.
It is something straight out of a Star Wars movie. I can think of Obi-Wan Kenobi visiting Dex in his diner in Attack of the Clones to figure out where a poison dart was sourced from:
Eventually, Optimus will likely be working as an employee in the Tesla Diner, and 24/7 operation will be performed by the humanoid robot that aims to eliminate trivial tasks from humans.
News
First glimpse of Tesla Model Y with six seats and extended wheelbase
It’s longer and taller than the regular Model Y, and it has a cool new badge.

Tesla’s extended wheelbase Model Y has been announced by the electric vehicle maker on its official Weibo page in China. At the same time, details of the upcoming vehicle have been listed in the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) new regulatory catalog.
The extended wheelbase Model Y
Tesla announced the upcoming vehicle on its official Weibo page, with the company noting that the new car will be called the “Model Y L.” Images posted by the company showed that the Model Y L will feature a “Model Y” badge with a stylized “Y” graphic. A teaser image of the vehicle taken from its side also emphasizes the extra space that was gained from its extended wheelbase.
The MIIT listing for the Model Y L indicated that the vehicle would be 4,976 mm long, 1,920 mm wide, and 1,668 mm high. Its wheelbase was listed in the MIIT’s catalog as 3,040 mm. In comparison, the new Model Y is currently 4,797 mm long, 1,920 mm wide, and 1,624 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,890 mm.
Six seats and some power
Most notably, the extended wheelbase Model Y was listed in the MIIT regulatory catalog as a six-seat model. The vehicle is also listed with the product model number TSL6500BEVBA0, as noted in a CNEV Post report. And as hinted in Tesla China’s Weibo post, the vehicle will be released sometime in the fall.
The Model Y L is listed as a dual motor vehicle with peak power outputs of 142 kW and 198 kW for the front and rear motors. The vehicle is also listed with ternary batteries supplied by LG Energy Solution, and it reportedly weighs 2,088 kilograms (4603 pounds). In comparison, the new Model Y Dual Motor AWD weighs 4391 pounds.
Tesla China has not hinted at the price of the new Model Y L, though expectations are high that the vehicle will be priced at about RMB 400,000 ($55,764). It also remains to be seen if the Model Y L will also be produced in Tesla’s vehicle factories in the United States and Germany.

Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, just posted what could very well be the nerdiest job opening of all time. As can be seen in the Careers section of xAI’s official website, the AI startup and Grok creator is seeking a Fullstack Engineer for its “Waifus” project.
Anime fans, rejoice.
xAI’s Companions take the internet by storm
Earlier this week, xAI launched its Companions feature for its SuperGrok users, but the company eventually opened access to the new feature to all Grok iOS app users. xAI has released two companions so far: Ani, an overly attached anime goth girl seemingly inspired by the character Misa Amane from Death Note, and Rudi, a talking red panda that becomes more and more unhinged if he gets toggled to “Bad Rudi.” A third companion that looks like a male anime character is also listed as coming soon.
Ani, in particular, has become a massive hit online. Her natural, playful, and flirtatious interactions have proven popular among users across the globe, so much so that there is now fan art of the character being shared by users on social media. This has inspired the joke that Elon Musk, who has openly admitted on X in the past that he is fond of the Death Note anime, had created an actual “waifu” through xAI.
More companions coming
Based on xAI’s job opening, it appears that the company is looking to release even more companions for its users. Ani and Rudi/Bad Rudi may just be the start, especially considering xAI’s growing ambition and raw computing power.
As per the job listing, engineers hired for the role will help build fast, scalable, and low-latency avatar experiences for Grok. The AI startup noted that the work will involve real-time media processing, performance optimization, and feature development across various platforms. Applicants are also expected to be highly proficient in Python, with bonus points for experience in Rust, WebSocket, and WebRTC protocols.
Fullstack Engineers for xAI’s Waifu project are expected to receive a salary of $180,000 to $440,000, plus equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and various other discounts and perks.
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