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How Volkswagen’s diesel scandal may change the EV charging landscape
As part of its settlement with federal and state regulators over its diesel emissions cheating scandal, Volkswagen has agreed to invest $2 billion in charging infrastructure over the next 10 years. The money is supposed to come in chunks of $500 million every 30 months. Volkswagen is largely free to decide how and where to spend the money, but a good portion of it will be spent in California, the state with the highest concentration of electric cars.
According to Automotive News, the money may be used for EV charging stations and hydrogen fuel stations, brand neutral ad campaigns to boost awareness of EVs, or zero emission car sharing and ride hailing programs. Some see this as the answer to the chicken or egg dilemma that has plagued electric car sales for the past 6 years. People don’t want to buy a car that can’t be recharged conveniently and companies don’t want to invest in charging infrastructure if there aren’t enough electric cars in use to justify the cost.
Nissan has applauded the deal, saying the money VW invests could provide “much needed” funding to EV infrastructure. It urges VW and regulators to put a priority on installing DC fast chargers. $1 billion would be enough to pay for the purchase and installation of 10,000 of those, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute. Nissan also said the projects should be coordinated at a national level to avoid a “patchwork” of initiatives steered by individual states or cities.
Last week, the Obama administration announced a plan to expand the EV charging infrastructure in the US that would create charging corridors on 48 interstate highways spanning nearly 25,000 miles in 35 states. At a minimum, there would be one charging station every 50 miles along major routes. The proposal would require an alliance of states, utilities, charging companies, and automakers. General Motors, BMW, and Nissan have agreed to cooperate to bring the plan to fruition.
“This could be a very big moment in time where we see a shift from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles,” said Roland Hwang, transportation director at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “This could actually be a real game changer.”
When there are two billion dollars on the table, everyone will be anxious to grab a piece of the pie for themselves. Volkswagen is not being entirely altruistic by agreeing to do this. Yes, its investment may benefit its competitors but it will also help Volkswagen sell its own electric cars in America. The company is in the midst of a major pivot away from diesel powered cars to electrics. The money it pays out to settle emissions cheating claims could ultimately work to its advantage.
ChargePoint, the largest private charging network in America, is one of those not pleased with the terms of the deal. It says pumping all that money into charging infrastructure “threatens to destroy the competitive market for ZEV infrastructure” and could create a monopoly for VW. Two Republican lawmakers raised similar concerns in a letter to the EPA last week.
NRDC’s Hwang agrees that the settlement money must be used appropriately. “It’s going to be incumbent upon both the Air Resources Board and the EPA to ensure that VW is investing their money wisely in a way which benefits the entire electric vehicle market and not somehow tuned to assist VW’s business plan.” Expect some wrangling over who gets what to continue.
The Tesla Semi was spotted mounted with ground truth validation equipment as the company nears its looming launch. The Semi is Tesla’s Class 8 all-electric truck, and has been utilized in its earlier stages by many companies like PepsiCo. and Frito-Lay, who have been using it in a pilot program.
The Semi was spotted in Sunnyvale, California, and sports a typical ground truth validation unit that Tesla routinely uses on its vehicles. Ground truth validation is essentially the process of training supervised algorithms to ensure they can perform reliably. Tesla typically performs this on vehicles that are being released soon:
Spotted the new semi adorned with ground truthing equipment. Haven’t seen anyone post this so figured I’d share.
The future is autonomous!!@SawyerMerritt @wholemars pic.twitter.com/qkPDHPUQZ6
— Danny (@dannywinner1) June 21, 2026
The Semi being spotted with this type of validation rig is important because it means the company is working on solidifying a Full Self-Driving model for its commercial vehicle offering. This would be a massive development for not only Tesla but also the logistics industry as a whole.
There are strict regulations on driving hours for commercial truck drivers, and autonomy is a way to potentially combat these issues. FSD is already a widely effective way that owners of typical passenger vehicles take stress out of travel. Even launching a semi-autonomous platform for truck drivers to use to increase safety, reduce fatigue, and increase productivity would be a huge development.
Tesla Semi gets strange-but-understandable comparison from Jay Leno
The Semi has already proven to be an ideal solution for companies that use commercial logistics. It has increased efficiency and reduced operating costs for many companies that have been able to use it in pilot programs.
There are expected to be some bumps along the way. Tesla saw some challenges with FSD on the Cybertruck, as it had never had a vehicle with cameras at that height, so some of the features with FSD were not immediately available. Just a week ago, Tesla launched Actually Smart Summon (ASS) for Cybertruck, nearly three years after the vehicle was first delivered to customers.
President Donald Trump unveiled an upgraded Boeing 747-8 at Joint Base Andrews on June 19, 2026, describing the Qatar-gifted aircraft as an interim Air Force One equipped with advanced communications systems, including Starlink, Elon Musk’s SpaceX satellite internet service.
The plane, valued at around $400 million and modified for presidential use, serves as a bridge until the delayed VC-25B replacements arrive. Trump highlighted its luxury features and new technology during remarks to service members.
Trump stated:
“We have communication equipment up there that nobody’s ever seen before. It’s the highest level and, uh, including Starlink. My friend Elon is going to be very happy, but, uh, Starlink and we have, uh, four or five different sets of double and triple communications like people haven’t seen.”
He added:
“And it represents what can happen with hard work, innovation, and aggressive timelines because we did this quickly and yet there’s never been communication like is on this plane.”
🚨 President Trump confirmed today that the new Air Force One is equipped with Starlink:
“We have communication equipment up there that nobody’s ever seen before, it’s the highest level and including Starlink…my friend Elon is going to be very happy.” pic.twitter.com/IhkDmtr5hL
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 20, 2026
The aircraft features a redesigned red, white, and blue livery and has been outfitted with Starlink satellite connectivity alongside other secure systems.
Trump praised the plane’s uniqueness, calling it among the world’s most luxurious. The gift from Qatar and subsequent modifications have drawn attention, with the jet positioned as a solution for presidential travel. It is expected to support operations, including potential ceremonial roles such as Fourth of July flyovers.
The event marked the formal introduction of the converted jet, which will help maintain capabilities while the primary Air Force One fleet undergoes modernization. Defense observers note the inclusion of commercial satellite technology like Starlink as part of efforts to ensure resilient communications, crucial to keep the country running as the President is in the sky.
President Trump’s comments underscored appreciation for rapid upgrades and innovation in equipping the aircraft. The plane remains a U.S. government asset and is slated for eventual transfer related to presidential library purposes after its service.
Tesla just gave what is perhaps its biggest signal yet that the launch of the Cybercab, its autonomous ride-hailing-geared car, is imminent.
The Cybercab has been spotted outside of Gigafactory Texas in massive numbers over the past few days, with hundreds of units being stored on property just days after the vehicle received a Certificate of Conformity from the EPA.
Today, things were a bit different.
Cybercabs spotted on Giga Texas property today had an addition: a Cybercab decal on the side, reminiscent of the “Robotaxi” ones that were placed on Model Ys just as the company launched its ride-sharing platform about a year ago.
Giga Texas drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer noticed the change today:
Tesla Cybercabs are now getting “Cybercab” logos on the side of them!
Tesla did the same with Model Ys that were given “Robotaxi” logos: https://t.co/DanANtw1m7 pic.twitter.com/FqOhH0S9Ks
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) June 19, 2026
Tesla could be signaling that the Cybercab is preparing to enter the Robotaxi fleet in the coming weeks or months with this move. It seems more symbolic than anything; Tesla is ready to throw Cybercabs in the ride-hailing platform just as it did with Model Ys last year.
The addition of the Certificate of Conformity awarded to the Cybercab is another major factor working to Tesla’s advantage. The company now has permission from the EPA to allow the vehicle to operate on public roads and enter the chain of commerce. It’s officially street legal.
Tesla Cybercab specs revealed: range, curb weight, range ratings, and more
The big question that remains is whether Tesla will be able to operate the car without a safety monitor, especially considering it plans to put the car out there without a steering wheel or pedals. With the Cybercab only having a seating capacity of two, it is hard to believe Tesla will even consider putting a Safety Monitor in the car.
It did recently self-certify as Level 4 and has the ability to operate driverless vehicles in the State of Texas under a law that took effect on May 28. You can read more about that here:
Tesla’s Robotaxi dreams just took a massive step toward reality
We’d imagine Cybercabs will be on the roads as soon as July, but August will likely be a better estimate of when the car will be entered into the Cybercab fleet. It all depends at where Tesla is, as they’ve truly prioritized safety with the rollout of the Robotaxi platform.
Tesla Semi spotted with ground truth validation equipment as launch looms
President Trump touts new Air Force One with Musk technology
