The United Kingdom (UK) has delayed a ban on diesel and petrol cars by five years, officially pushing the initiative back to its original deadline. The news has upset some automakers as they have already made integral investment decisions based on the upcoming goal.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Wednesday that he would delay the gas car sales ban until 2035, citing hopes to soften financial burdens on individual households, according to a report from Reuters. The news comes after the country pushed the goal forward to 2030 just three years ago from an initial 2035 target, adding to automaker frustration.
Because the upfront cost for families is still high, and to give us more time to prepare, we’re easing the transition to electric vehicles.
That means you’ll still be able to buy new petrol and diesel cars and vans until 2035, in line with countries like Germany and France. pic.twitter.com/4nPiQ0gvGc
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) September 20, 2023
Automakers including Kia, Volkswagen and Ford have spoken out about the change of plans, noting the back and forth as confusing. In the next few years, Kia is seeking to release nine electric vehicles (EVs) in the UK, and the company called the recent change disappointing.
“Today’s announcement … alters complex supply chain negotiations and product planning, whilst potentially contributing to consumer and industry confusion,” said one Kia spokesperson.
The companies also pointed to a need for more certainty on policy, in line with recent EV adoption goals reached by the country. Some say the change could negatively affect EV adoption, risking a major momentum loss leading up to the mandate.
“We urgently need a clear and reliable regulatory framework which creates market certainty and consumer confidence, including binding targets for infrastructure rollout and incentives to ensure the direction of travel,” a Volkswagen UK spokesperson said.
Charging station operators also joined the call for clarity, noting that the move could put off consumers thinking about buying EVs. Adrian Keen, the chief executive of public charging network InstaVolt, suggests the move could risk the rollout of vital infrastructure, like EV charging stations.
“This delay will also put investment in EV infrastructure at risk, not to mention the wider market including battery, solar and green energy initiatives,” Keen said.
Ford has made financial commitments of as much as $50 billion to electrify its vehicles, and the automaker also faces labor strikes from the United Auto Workers (UAW) union in North America. The U.S. automaker responded to the delay saying that it undermines the company’s needs amidst what it called the “the biggest industry transformation in over a century.”
“Our business needs three things from the UK government: ambition, commitment and consistency,” said Ford UK Chair Lisa Brankin. “A relaxation of 2030 would undermine all three.”
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.
News
Tesla aiming to produce first “legion” of Optimus robots this 2025
Tesla is aiming to start the production of Optimus this year, and its first run will be no joke.
Tesla’s Q1 2025 All-Hands meeting saw CEO Elon Musk share a key update about the company’s most ambitious product yet — Optimus. As per Musk, Tesla is aiming to start the production of Optimus this year, and its first run will be no joke.
Tesla Optimus’ Quick Evolution
Tesla initially announced Optimus during its AI Day event in 2021. At the time, Tesla only had a mockup of the robot and a literal person in a suit to demonstrate what Optimus could look like. By 2022, Tesla had a working prototype of the robot. Optimus’ progress has been rapid since then, with several dozens of the humanoid robots interacting with attendees at the Cybercab’s unveiling last October.
Optimus’ Potential
During the recent All-Hands meeting, Elon Musk reiterated the idea that Optimus could very well be the biggest product of all time, likely being ten times larger than the next-biggest product. Musk also shared an update about Optimus’ production, stating that the first humanoid robot has been manufactured at the Fremont Factory.
A Legion for 2025
When discussing Optimus’ ramp, Musk clarified that Tesla is internally aiming for enough parts to produce 10,000 to 12,000 Optimus robots this year. However, since Optimus is a completely different product, even half of 10,000 units would be a huge victory for Tesla. Tesla also plans to ramp Optimus to a notable degree in 2026, with the company aiming for 50,000 units, or 10 “legions” of humanoid robots, next year.
“So this year, we hopefully will be able to make about 5,000 Optimus robots. We’re technically aiming for enough parts to make 10,000, maybe 12,000, but since it’s a totally new product with a totally new, like everything is totally new, I’ll say we’re succeeding if we get to half go the 10,000.
“But even 5,000 robots, that’s the size of a Roman legion, FYI, which is like a little scary thought. Like a whole legion of robots, I’ll be like ‘whoa.’ But I think we will literally build a legion, at least one legion of robots this year, and then probably 10 legions next year. I think it’s kind of a cool unit, you know? Units of legion. So probably 50,000-ish next year,” Musk said.
Tesla’s Q1 2025 All-Hands Meeting can be viewed below.
News
Tesla Shanghai Megafactory starts exporting Megapacks, first to Australia
Tesla Asia celebrated the Shanghai Megafactory’s first Megapack exports on X.
Tesla has begun exporting Megapack battery systems from its Shanghai Megafactory, with the first shipment departing for Australia on Friday. This marks a key step in Tesla Energy’s expansion into the global energy storage industry, utilizing its new China-based Megafactory to supply several new markets.
Tesla Asia celebrated the Shanghai Megafactory’s first Megapack exports through its official social media account on X.
Tesla Megapacks in Focus
The Tesla Megapack is capable of storing 3.9 MWh of energy, and they are designed for grid use. As per Tesla in its official website, each Megapack battery has enough energy to power an average of 3,600 homes for one hour. The Megapack is designed to be infinitely scalable as well, making it a good fit for large-scale sustainable energy projects.
The Shanghai Megafactory
The Shanghai Megafactory began production in early 2025, a record eight months after its May 2024 groundbreaking. With an initial output of 10,000 units annually, equal to about 40 GWh, the Shanghai Megafactory has the potential to significantly boost Tesla’s battery storage deployments.
As per a report from Xinhua News Agency, Tesla is expecting its energy deployments to rise 50% year-over-year this 2025.
Tesla Leaders on the Shanghai Megafactory
Mike Snyder, vice president of energy and charging at Tesla, previously outlined the potential of the Shanghai Megafactory. “Megafactory gives us the ability to scale production and efficiency. We can lower logistics costs as well as product costs, and grow the business to new markets,” he stated.
The Shanghai Megafactory also seems to be part of Tesla’s efforts to grow its presence in China, which was highlighted by CEO Elon Musk during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. During their meeting, Musk reportedly stated that “Tesla is willing to deepen cooperation with China and achieve more win-win results.”
Shark Tank personality and legendary investor Kevin O’Leary roasted former Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz over his comments regarding Tesla shares earlier this week.
Walz, a Minnesota Democrat, said that he recently added Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) to his Apple Stocks app so he could watch shares fall as they have encountered plenty of resistance in 2025 so far. He said that anytime he needs a boost, he looks at Tesla shares, which are down 36 percent so far this year:
If you need a little boost during the day, check out Tesla stock 📉 pic.twitter.com/KBEh6pOZLW
— Tim Walz (@Tim_Walz) March 19, 2025
Walz, among many others, has been critical of Tesla and Elon Musk, especially as the CEO has helped eliminate excess government spending through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
However, Kevin O’Leary, a legendary investor, showed up on CNN after Walz’s comments to give him a bit of a reality check. O’Leary essentially called Walz out of touch for what he said about Tesla shares, especially considering Tesla made up a good portion of the Minnesota Retirement Fund.
As of June 2024, the pension fund held 1.6 million shares of Tesla stock worth over $319.6 million:
O’Leary continued to slam Walz for his comments:
“That poor guy didn’t check his portfolio and his own pension plan for the state. It’s beyond stupid what he did. What’s the matter with that guy? He doesn’t check the well-being of his own constituents.”
He even called Walz “a bozo” for what he said.
Of course, Walz’s comments are expected considering Musk’s support for the Trump Administration, as the Tesla CEO was a major contributor to the 45th President’s campaign for his second term.
However, it seems extremely out of touch that Walz made these comments without realizing the drop was potentially hurting his fund. While we don’t know if the fund has sold its entire Tesla holdings since June, as a newer, more recent report has not been released yet, it seems unlikely the automaker’s shares are not still making up some portion of the fund.
Tesla aiming to produce first “legion” of Optimus robots this 2025
Tesla Shanghai Megafactory starts exporting Megapacks, first to Australia
Shark Tank’s O’Leary roasts Tim Walz over Tesla stock hate session
-
News2 weeks agoTesla at risk of 95% crash, claims billionaire hedge fund manager
-
News2 weeks agoTesla contract with Baltimore paused after city ‘decided to go in a different direction’
-
Elon Musk6 days agoElon Musk roasts owners of this car brand after another Tesla vandalism incident
-
Elon Musk1 week agoPresident Donald Trump buys a Tesla at the White House – Here’s which model he chose
-
News1 week agoU.S. AG Pam Bondi: Tesla Molotov attack suspect facing up to 20 years in prison
-
News1 week agoRivian supports Tesla despite all the Elon Musk hate
-
News4 days agoSpaceX rescue mission for stranded ISS astronauts nears end — Here’s when they’ll return home
-
Elon Musk1 week agoTesla says it will be a victim of Trump admin’s tariff strategy