News
VW’s “Dirty Diesels” gives life to Rivian’s future EV manufacturing plant
Nothing normal is happening at the newly acquired Rivian Automotive Factory in Normal, IL. Teslarati has discovered a massive stockpile of Volkswagen’s “dirty diesels” being stored on the aspiring electric car startup’s vast factory parking lot. The VWs on site were produced over the course of 6 years between 2009-2015, and are vehicles equipped with an emissions cheating device that became the subject of the global “VW Dieselgate scandal” which took place last year.
The owner of the plant, Rivian Automotive, is looking to make moves in the central Illinois town by developing their first production electric vehicle from the newly acquired ex-Mitsubishi factory. The company is leasing an onsite storage lot to a logistics company that’s responsible for transporting the thousands of affected vehicles to an unknown final destination.
Aerial inspections obtained via drone video by Teslarati, show an estimated 14,000 VWs being stored on the facility lots adjoining Rivian’s main factory. The plant was owned by Mitsubishi Motors until June 2016, before Rivian Automotive purchased the entire facility in January 2017 for $2 million. The facility was built in 1988 and boasts 1.9 million square feet of space, before expanding to 2.4 million square feet in 2003. Mitsubishi’s sales of the Outlander Sport (the sole vehicle produced at the factory) slumped when the Russian recession began in 2014; the vehicle was a massive hit in the country. The plant once employed 3,400 employees and ended production with 1,280 in late 2015.
“We know that the TDI emissions issue has understandably eroded the trust that we have worked so hard to build with you, our customers.” – VW in a pamphlet to affected customers
- VW Diesel vehicles being loaded off of a transport truck (Photo: Christian Prenzler for Teslarati)
- A variety of VW Diesels are being stored at the facility, some from as far as Montana [Credit: Christian Prenzler/Teslarati]
- The VWs are lined up very neatly as Vascor logistics makes use of the large lots [Credit: Christian Prenzler/Teslarati]
- Hundreds of VW 2.0 TDI’s parked awaiting their unknown future [Credit: Christian Prenzler/Teslarati]
- Hundreds of VW 2.0 TDI’s parked awaiting their unknown future [Credit: Christian Prenzler/Teslarati]
- Drone flies closely over the thousands of VW Diesel vehicles being stored at the Rivian Factory. [Photo: Jim Finch]
Images showing thousands of VW diesels on site paint a clear picture of the German automaker’s failure to come up with a real fix for vehicles equipped with emission cheating devices. VW has also been storing affected vehicles at the Pontiac Silverdome but based on our estimates, Rivian’s factory storage lots are approximately two and a half times larger than the Silverdome’s lots.
“These vehicles will be held and routinely maintained until it is determined whether an approved emissions modification becomes available. If approved, the settlement allows Volkswagen to modify affected 2.0L TDI vehicles so they can be returned to commerce or exported. Vehicles that are not modified must be responsibly recycled.” – Jeannine Ginivan, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Uncertain effects from possible fixes
The vehicles stored at the site are expected to be pulled for parts and scrapped, but the company has not released official plans for all of 475,000 vehicles affected in the US as part of “Dieselgate”. VW is in the process of buying some vehicles and working towards solutions for vehicles that have been less affected by the emission devices. The 67,000 2015 3rd generation VW diesels were the first to receive an approved fix earlier this year. The fix does not bring the cars within federal compliance, but the vehicles emit significantly less NOx pollutant. VW is expected to release a phase 2 fix for the 3rd generation vehicles in 2018, which will bring the vehicles into federal compliance.
A spokesperson for Volkswagen Group of America told Teslarati that they have removed or modified more than 25% of the affected vehicles in the US, insinuating that the firm has bought back over 50,000 diesel cars since beginning the program four months ago (~67,000 were modified).
Software fixes to the 3rd generation vehicles will cause the following changes to the cars:
- Reduced performance in sport mode
- Engine sound variation
- 1-14 percent higher diesel exhaust fluid use
Owners of affected vehicles that have been given an approved fix also received two-thirds of the restitution cash that the company is issuing to customers. The last third will be distributed to owners after the phase 2 hardware update is completed. The phase 2 modifications are not designed to cause major differences in consumption or acceleration, but the cars efficiency and driving characteristics may change. Recently, The Daily Mail has reported that fixes to UK cars have resulted in “poor fuel consumption, weak acceleration, and mysterious rattles”.
Aerial Imagery of the Rivian Automotive Plant
While the terms of the deal between Rivian and Vascor Logistics are confidential, we know that revenue from the contract is contributing to the development of Rivian’s electric vehicle lineup. The global logistics company provides significant logistical services to automotive companies, one of which is VW. Rivian took ownership of the factory in January and has received incentive deals from both the State of Illinois and local municipalities.
“We are working hard to utilize the factory leading up to our production launch.” Rivian CEO, RJ Scaringe said in a comment to Teslarati.
The factory has direct access to several nearby interstate routes and has a rail car station directly on the property. Mitsubishi shipped a large portion of its vehicles around the globe from the facility, and to this day still has an operations warehouse near their old plant that’s being used for vehicle parts storage and logistics.
As Rivian continues developing their electric vehicle lineup, the company can make use of the factory by leasing out the vehicle storage lots and generate revenue. It is unclear how many more vehicles will be stored in Normal, IL or how long the vehicles will be retained on site, but Vascor’s operations at the factory appeared to be very active. VW’s polluting diesels are now giving way to the future of the automotive industry.
Vascor Logistics & Wheelan Security did not respond to our request for comment.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia is getting cited by OpenAI’s ChatGPT
Some responses generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT have recently referenced information from Grokipedia.
Some responses generated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT have recently referenced information from Grokipedia, an AI-generated encyclopedia developed by rival xAI, which was founded by Elon Musk. The citations appeared across a limited set of queries.
Reports about the matter were initially reported by The Guardian.
Grokipedia references in ChatGPT
Grokipedia launched in October as part of xAI’s effort to build an alternative to Wikipedia, which has become less centrist over the years. Unlike Wikipedia, which is moderated and edited by humans, Grokipedia is purely AI-powered, allowing it to approach topics with as little bias as possible, at least in theory. This model has also allowed Grokipedia to grow its article base quickly, with recent reports indicating that it has created over 6 million articles, more than 80% of English Wikipedia.
The Guardian reported that ChatGPT cited Grokipedia nine times across responses to more than a dozen user questions during its tests. As per the publication, the Grokipedia citations did not appear when ChatGPT was asked about high-profile or widely documented topics. Instead, Grokipedia was referenced in responses to more obscure historical or biographical claims. The pattern suggested selective use rather than broad reliance on the source, at least for now.
Broader Grokipedia use
The Guardian also noted that Grokipedia citations were not exclusive to ChatGPT. Anthropic’s AI assistant Claude reportedly showed similar references to Grokipedia in some responses, highlighting a broader issue around how large language models identify and weigh publicly available information.
In a statement to The Guardian, an OpenAI spokesperson stated that ChatGPT “aims to draw from a broad range of publicly available sources and viewpoints.” “We apply safety filters to reduce the risk of surfacing links associated with high-severity harms, and ChatGPT clearly shows which sources informed a response through citations,” the spokesperson stated.
Anthropic, for its part, did not respond to a request for comment on the matter. As for xAI, the artificial intelligence startup simply responded with a short comment that stated, “Legacy media lies.”
News
Tesla Europe builds momentum with expanding FSD demos and regional launches
Needless to say, it appears that Tesla is putting in some serious effort into boosting sales in Europe this year.
Tesla has been notably active across Europe in recent weeks, expanding its Full Self-Driving (Supervised) ride-along program, entering a new market, and showcasing its newest vehicles across multiple regions.
Needless to say, it appears that Tesla is putting in some serious effort into boosting sales in Europe this year.
Tesla Europe recently announced the expansion of its FSD (Supervised) ride-along experiences, inviting the public to experience the system on local roads. Initially available in Italy, France, and Germany when it launched, the program has now expanded to Hungary, Finland, and Spain.
The ride-along program allows participants to ride in the passenger seat and observe how FSD Supervised handles real-world traffic scenarios, including dense urban driving and other challenging conditions. Tesla has positioned the initiative as a way to familiarize European drivers and regulators with the system’s capabilities in everyday use. The program has received positive reviews so far, with many being impressed by FSD’s real-world capabilities.
Tesla also recently launched operations in Slovakia with a pop-up store and multi-day public event in Bratislava, as noted in an EV Wire report. The launch, held from January 16 to 18 at the Eurovea Mall Promenade, featured test drives, vehicle displays, including the Cybertruck, as well as family-focused attractions such as a mini-Tesla racetrack.
Local observers noted that Tesla Optimus was also shown at the event, while the Tesla Owners Slovakia club welcomed the brand with a coordinated light show near the Slovak National Theater. Tesla Europe later shared its appreciation for Slovakia in a post on its official social media account on X, stating, “Thanks, Slovakia, for the amazing last 3 days & for giving us such a warm welcome!”
Tesla’s Slovakia entry follows a familiar pattern used by the company in other European markets. Tesla opened a pop-up store in Bratislava as an initial step, with plans for a permanent showroom and a potential service center at a renovated site previously occupied by a Jeep and Dodge dealership. Tesla has used a similar approach in markets such as Czechia and Lithuania, where permanent facilities followed within a few months of pop-up launches.
Slovakia already has six Supercharging sites totaling 46 Superchargers, including two locations in Bratislava, providing early infrastructure support for Tesla owners. Tesla staff program manager Supratik Saha described the Slovakia launch as a strategic expansion in the heart of the EU, citing the country’s strong automotive manufacturing base and appetite for advanced technology.
Beyond the EU, the company also marked another milestone with the first Cybertruck deliveries in the United Arab Emirates, signaling continued geographic expansion for Tesla’s newest vehicle. Just like Tesla Slovakia, the Cybertruck also received a warm welcome from the UAE’s EV community.
News
Tesla Sweden maintains Trelleborg port deal despite union blockade
As noted in a report from Dagens Arbete (DA), Tesla was able to maintain its storage agreement with the Port of Trelleborg.
Tesla Sweden is still storing vehicles at the Port of Trelleborg despite the ongoing blockades against the company from the country’s labor unions.
Tesla still at Port of Trelleborg
As noted in a report from Dagens Arbete (DA), Tesla was able to maintain its storage agreement with the Port of Trelleborg. This allows the company to keep vehicles at the port while imports into Sweden continue. This was despite the Transport Workers’ Union’s blockade, which was aimed at halting the loading and unloading of Tesla vehicles in the area.
Local union leader Jörgen Wärja, chairman of Transport and an employee representative on the port company’s board, confirmed that the agreement was still active. “The agreement has not been terminated. You want to have the money instead of having empty warehouses. I understand the reason, but I do not support it,” Wärja said
The local union leader also noted that he visited Tesla’s storage area earlier this week. “There were a lot of cars. I was surprised that there were so many, actually,” he said.
Tesla had been able to bring vehicles into Sweden via passenger ferries at Trelleborg, a method that unions said allowed the company to bypass the blockade, DA noted. According to estimates from IF Metall, the workaround enabled Tesla to deliver thousands of cars to Sweden each year.
Port defends decision
The Port of Trelleborg did not issue a comment on its current agreement with Tesla, but said it had complied with union sympathy measures. Documents reviewed by Swedish media showed that the contract with Tesla was being extended in six-month intervals.
Port CEO Malin Collin noted that the port would not discuss individual customer arrangements. “We do not go into details regarding any customer agreements. We have continuous dialogue with potential tenants, and this is not unique to any location,” Collin wrote in an email.
The CEO added that the port was following legal requirements related to the labor dispute. “We have taken note of the Transport Workers’ Union’s decision on sympathy measures and are of course following applicable legislation and the requirements placed on us as employers,” Collin said.
Jörgen Wärja, for his part, stated that the issue was not whether Tesla’s imports into Sweden could be fully stopped, but whether the port should provide logistical support to the electric vehicle maker during an active conflict. “The port shouldn’t have anything to do with Tesla at all, we believe,” he said. “It’s purely moral. Whether you honor a conflict or not. If you say you support Transport’s sympathetic actions against Tesla, it becomes a double standard.”
Elon Musk’s Grokipedia is getting cited by OpenAI’s ChatGPT
Tesla Europe builds momentum with expanding FSD demos and regional launches
