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Volkswagen receives ‘Dieselgate’ lawsuit in Germany amid new EV plant announcements

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Auto titan Volkswagen is facing a class-action lawsuit from German customers who purchased diesel vehicles equipped with emissions-cheating defeat devices. The new suit was made possible by a new legislation that took effect on November 1, which was expedited to beat a year-end statute of limitations for claims against Volkswagen. 

Justice Minister Katarina Barley noted that an estimated two million Volkswagen owners could benefit from the new law. While the initial complaint against the German automaker is starting with just ten disgruntled Volkswagen drivers, the case, if deemed admissible by a judge, would be opened to other owners who wish to take part in the lawsuit as well. Thus, anyone who purchased a Volkswagen vehicle or one of the group’s Audi, Skoda, or Seat brands that are equipped with a diesel EA 189 engine from November 2008, would likely be qualified to file claims against the company.

Lawyer Ralf Stoll, part of the legal team coordinating the suit, called the case a legal “milestone,” while stating that “several tens of thousands” of VW owners could join the lawsuit, particularly since taking part in the complaint is free of charge. In a statement to the DPA News Agency, Klaus Müller of Germany’s VZBV consumer federation noted that November 1 would be a day that Volkswagen would remember.

“Volkswagen will remember this day as the moment the kid gloves of the politicians were replaced by the boxing gloves of consumer advocates,” he said.

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Thousands of VW Diesels being Stored at Rivian Factory. [Credit: Jim Finch/Teslarati]

Christian Saefken, who purchased his Skoda Oktavia without knowing that his vehicle was equipped with an emissions testing cheat device, is among the owners who might join the lawsuit if it does go through.

“They have played us for fools. I wish they had been more honest from the start,” he said.

Volkswagen’s high-profile dieselgate scandal has resulted in steep penalties for the legacy carmaker. Since admitting that it knowingly cheated emissions tests, Volkswagen had paid out more than $31.9 billion in dieselgate costs, a portion of which went to around half a million US drivers who were offered buybacks and up to $10,000 in compensation.

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In Germany, the legacy carmaker has paid authorities $2 billion in fines, though customers have only been offered software upgrades. Despite this, Volkswagen appears to be preparing to fight the upcoming class-action lawsuit, stating that the complaints have “no legal basis” since the company had already complied with all recall requirements.

“All the cars are technically sound and roadworthy,” a statement from the company noted.

Volkswagen’s new legal battle against diesel car owners comes amidst the company’s announcements for new electric car plants in Germany. According to a EuroNews report, the legacy carmaker is considering converting its plants in Emden and Hannover, Germany into pure-EV facilities. The German publication noted that the plans would be discussed in an upcoming strategy review on November 16.

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess recently expressed the company’s commitment to becoming a competitive player in the electric car market. The CEO even laid the gauntlet on first movers like Tesla, stating that by 2020, Volkswagen would be offering electric vehicles that match Tesla’s electric cars for half the price.

“We are coming on very strong now. We have invested 30 billion euros ($33.9 billion) in electromobility, we have already rededicated a plant in Zwickau, and we are building an electric vehicle plant in Shanghai. Truly highly attractive vehicles will begin arriving from Volkswagen as early as 2019. We will come in 2020 with vehicles that can do anything like Tesla and are cheaper by half,” he said.

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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 just unlocked sales to 50,000+ government agencies

It marks a significant step in expanding Tesla’s presence in the public sector, where procurement processes have traditionally slowed electric vehicle adoption.

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Credit: Patrick Bean | X

Tesla just unlocked sales to over 50,000 government agencies by entering a new agreement with Sourcewell, a purchasing cooperative.

Tesla entered a new master purchasing agreement with Sourcewell, the largest government purchasing cooperative in the U.S. This will enable streamlined sales of its EVs to more than 50,000 U.S. public entities. Tesla entered Designated Contract 0813525-TES, and the agreement covers Model 3, Model Y, and Cybertruck, and potentially other vehicles the company could release.

It marks a significant step in expanding Tesla’s presence in the public sector, where procurement processes have traditionally slowed electric vehicle adoption.

The deal allows eligible agencies, including cities, school districts, state governments, and higher-education institutions, to purchase Tesla vehicles directly through Sourcewell without conducting their own lengthy competitive bidding or request-for-proposal (RFP) processes.

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Pricing is pre-negotiated and capped, providing transparency and predictability. Agencies simply register for a Sourcewell account online or by phone and place orders under the existing contract. This cooperative model aggregates demand across thousands of members, reducing administrative costs and time while ensuring compliance with public procurement rules.

For Tesla, the agreement removes major barriers to government fleet sales. Public-sector procurement cycles often stretch 12 to 18 months due to bidding requirements and committee reviews.

Tesla buyers in the U.S. military can get $1,000 off Cybertruck purchases

By securing the master contract, Tesla gains immediate, simplified access to a massive customer base that previously faced friction in adopting EVs. The company highlighted in its announcement that the partnership will help these 50,000-plus agencies “save thousands of $$$ in operating costs for their vehicle fleet over time” through lower maintenance, energy efficiency, and the elimination of tailpipe emissions.

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The initial four-year term runs through November 13, 2029, with options for up to three one-year extensions, offering long-term stability for both parties.

Sourcewell’s role is central to execution. As a cooperative purchasing organization, it negotiates and manages vendor contracts on behalf of its members, then makes them available nationwide. Participating entities contact Tesla’s dedicated fleet team or Sourcewell representatives to complete purchases, bypassing redundant paperwork.

This structure accelerates fleet electrification while maintaining fiscal accountability—agencies receive pre-vetted pricing and terms without reinventing the wheel for each vehicle order.

The partnership positions Tesla to capture a larger share of the public fleet market, where total cost of ownership often favors electric vehicles once procurement hurdles are removed.

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For government buyers, it translates to faster deployment of sustainable fleets, reduced long-term expenses, and alignment with environmental mandates. As more agencies transition, the contract could contribute to broader EV infrastructure growth and taxpayer savings across the country.

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How much of SpaceX will Elon Musk own after IPO will surprise you

SpaceX’s IPO filing confirms Musk will maintain his voting power to make key decisions for the company.

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Rendering of Elon Musk overlooking a Starship fleet (Credit: Grok)

Elon Musk will retain dominant voting control of SpaceX after it goes public, according to the company’s IPO prospectus that was filed with the SEC. The filing reveals a dual-class equity structure giving Class B shareholders 10 votes each, concentrating power with Musk and a handful of other insiders, while Class A shares sold to public investors carry one vote.

Musk holds approximately 42% of SpaceX’s equity and controls roughly 79% of its votes through super-voting shares. He will simultaneously serve as CEO, CTO, and chairman of the nine-member board after the listing. Beyond that, the filing includes provisions that may limit shareholders’ influence over board elections and legal actions, forcing disputes into arbitration and restricting where they can be brought.

The case for Musk holding this level of control is grounded in SpaceX’s actual history. The company’s most important bets, from reusable rockets to a global satellite internet constellation, were decisions that ran against conventional aerospace thinking and would likely have faced resistance from a board accountable to investor gains. Fully reusable rockets were considered economically irrational by established industry players for years. Starlink, which now generates over $4 billion in annual operating profit, was widely dismissed as financially unviable when it was proposed. The argument for concentrated founder control seems straightforward, and the decisions that built SpaceX into what it is today required someone willing to ignore consensus and absorb years of losses.

SpaceX files confidentially for IPO that will rewrite the record books

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For context, Musk’s position is significantly more dominant than Zuckerberg’s at Meta. The comparison with Tesla is also worth noting. When Tesla did its IPO in 2010, it did not issue dual-class shares. Musk has only recently pushed for enhanced voting protection, proposing at least 25% control at Tesla in 2024 after selling shares to fund his Twitter acquisition left him with around 13%.

SpaceX has clearly learned from that experience and structured the IPO differently by planning to allocate up to 30% of shares to retail investors, roughly three times the typical norm for a large offering. The roadshow is expected to begin the week of June 8, with a Nasdaq listing rumored to be a $1.75 trillion valuation and a $75 billion raise.

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Tesla bolsters App with new safety, insurance, and storage features

The Tesla Smartphone App is one of the biggest and best features and advantages owners have. Everything from moving the vehicle with Summon, to getting Navigation sent to the car, to preconditioning the cabin can be done with the Tesla App.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is bolstering its smartphone App with a series of new features to streamline operations for owners. The new additions include fixes to safety, its in-house insurance offering, and storage management for Dashcam clips.

The Tesla Smartphone App is one of the biggest and best features and advantages owners have. Everything from moving the vehicle with Summon, to getting Navigation sent to the car, to preconditioning the cabin can be done with the Tesla App.

But in classic Tesla fashion, the company is aiming to improve the offerings of the app, and it is doing so with a handful of new features. They were first discovered by Tesla App Updates.

Tesla Insurance – Safety Score 3.0

This is truly part of the Spring 2026 Update, but Tesla has now given more transparency on how FSD has saved people money on their premiums.

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Tesla intertwines FSD with in-house Insurance for attractive incentive

Additionally, Tesla is now automatically awarding a Safety Score of 100 for every mile traveled on Full Self-Driving (Supervised).

Update Tracking

Updates traditionally appear on the App or on the Center Touchscreen in the car. There is nothing better than seeing that Green Arrow at the top of the screen, or opening your app and seeing that there is a Software Update available.

Now, there will be no need to manually check the app and initiate the download. Tesla is enabling a new feature that will automatically download updates for you.

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Storage Management

Your USB drive can now be remotely formatted, and old Dashcam clips can be deleted straight from the phone. When you record a lot of things using the Dashcam feature, that storage fills up pretty quickly.

Now, manually deleting the Dashcam videos is easier than ever.

Trailer Light Test

This is perhaps the coolest and most crucial addition to the Tesla App, as those who tow and haul will now be able to trigger a diagnostic light sequence from the app while standing behind your trailer to ensure the brake lights work.

Verifying your trailer lights are connected properly and operating normally and as intended is normally a massive hassle.

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Now, a new trigger will be available to initiate a diagnostic light sequence directly from your phone.

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