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Waymo to test self-driving vehicles in another country in 2025

Credit: Waymo

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Waymo, the self-driving arm of Google’s parent company Alphabet, has officially announced plans to bring its robotaxis to another country starting early next year.

On Monday, Waymo announced in a press release that it will start testing its self-driving Jaguar I-Pace units in Tokyo, Japan in early 2025, in partnership with the city’s largest taxi company, Nihon Kotsu. The launch will mark the first time Waymo’s robotaxis have operated outside of the U.S., following the company’s launch and expansion of paid driverless ride-hailing over the past few years.

To start, the vehicles will be operated manually to map out certain areas of Tokyo, including Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Chiyoda, Chūō, Shinagawa, and Kōtō. Waymo says Nihon Kotsu will be in charge of managing and servicing the vehicles, and the U.S. company is already working closely with the taxi firm to train the team on operating the autonomous vehicles.

The company’s Driver will learn to adapt to left-hand traffic and other driving differences in Japan and in one of the world’s most densely populated metros.

Waymo is now giving over 100,000 paid self-driving rides per week

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READ MORE ON WAYMO: Waymo launches its AI research model for self-driving operations

“This expansion into Japan aligns with the country’s vision for the future of transportation,” Waymo writes in the release. “Over the years, the Japanese National and Tokyo Metropolitan governments have been proactively working to address the evolving transportation needs of society and foster the adoption of innovative technologies that can enhance safety and mobility.

“We are engaging with Japanese policymakers, regulators, and local safety officials to ensure a responsible and seamless implementation of Waymo’s technology to Tokyo’s streets.”

Waymo gained approval to operate paid driverless rides in San Francisco last August, and the company has since expanded throughout more California. In June, the company’s driverless ride-hailing app, Waymo One, opened to the public, no longer requiring users to sign up for a waitlist to ride. More recently, Waymo also ditched the waitlist in Los Angeles, after first gaining approval to operate in the Southern California city earlier this year.

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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Waymo valued at over $45 billion following latest financing round: report

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Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

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Elon Musk

Tesla is building a new UFO-inspired Supercharger in the heart of Alien country

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Credit: MarcoRP | X

Tesla is planning to build a new UFO-inspired Supercharger in the heart of Alien country — Roswell, New Mexico.

Back in 1947, a crash of debris led to rumors of an alleged crash of a UFO just 75 miles north of Roswell near Corona, New Mexico. The crash was officially noted as the recovery of a military balloon, but over the years, speculation persists that the “flying disc” many saw might have been extraterrestrials trying to make contact with Earth.

As a result of the 1947 crash, Roswell has adopted it and used it as the inspiration for much of its tourism. As Tesla is planning to build a Supercharger in the area, it is using the same sort of inspiration for the location, which will feature just eight charging stalls located under a CyberCanopy.

It was first spotted by MarcoRP, a noted Supercharger permit insider:

Here are some better pictures of the design:

Tesla’s Head of Charging for North America, Max de Zegher, confirmed that the site will be inspired by the events near Roswell in 1947. He noted that Tesla “wants to build a few Superchargers cool enough to be worth of the trip itself.”

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This will undoubtedly be one of those locations, and along with the Tesla Drive-in Diner Supercharger in Santa Monica, it seems the company could be moving toward some more unique designs for the future, making the charging experience more fun and interesting for owners:

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This Tesla vandal caused thousands in damage, but she was let off the hook: Here’s why

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Credit: Tesla

A Tesla vandal in Bloomington, Minnesota, caused $3,200 in damages to a car after keying it. However, the local police department, as well as the owner of the Tesla, let her off the hook.

As a Tesla sat in the parking lot of a Cub Foods grocery store, it was damaged in an act of vandalism that we are unfortunately seeing all too frequently. Police managed to locate the woman responsible for the damage, aiming to hold her responsible for the scrapes she applied to the vehicle.

However, in an act that many might not be able to perform, the owner of the Tesla did not want to pursue any criminal charges. Instead, they just wanted their car fixed.

Police Chief Booker Hodges said (via Minnesota Star Tribune):

“The victim in this case just wanted their car fixed, and they just wanted the suspect to pay for that. Based on the totality of the circumstances here, and along with our core value of being compassionate, this is the best outcome for everybody involved in this case.”

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It was an incredible act of forgiveness, as many of those who have had their Teslas damaged in response to CEO Elon Musk likely would not have been able to do the same thing. One person who had their vehicle keyed filed a civil lawsuit against the vandal, who damaged their car while it was parked at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, seeking $1 million in damages.

Chief Hodges finished his remarks about this specific situation by calling out the leaders who have spread a hateful narrative about Musk and Tesla, and the company’s vehicle owners as well:

“We need our leaders to start leading and stop feeding this rhetoric. People should be able to drive whatever car they want without fear of going into a store and someone scratching their car or people yelling at them because of the car that … they choose to drive. It’s time for all of us, you know, just to start getting along and knock this stuff off, man. People should be able to be left alone.”

While Chief Hodges did not mention anyone specifically, Minnesota politician and former VP candidate Tim Walz said earlier this month that he “gets a boost” when Tesla stock falls. He later retracted his statement by stating it was just a joke.

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Tesla Model Y tops Norway sales despite low Q1 delivery results

The new Model Y ended March as Norway’s top-selling vehicle for the month, with 1,819 units sold.

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla did not meet delivery expectations in the first quarter of 2025, and a huge reason behind this was the changeover to the new Model Y in Giga Texas, the Fremont Factory, Giga Shanghai, and Giga Berlin.

Despite Tesla’s disappointing Q1 vehicle delivery results, the new Model Y still made a significant impact in key markets such as Norway.

The new Model Y’s Norway Comeback

While sales of the new Model Y in January and February were low in Norway, the vehicle saw a lot of momentum as soon as deliveries of the updated all-electric crossover started. This resulted in the new Model Y ending March 2025 as Norway’s top-selling vehicle for the month, with 1,819 units sold.

Over the course of Q1 2025, Tesla was able to sell a total of 2,792 Model Y units. That was enough to also make the all-electric crossover Norway’s best-selling vehicle in the first quarter. This is quite an impressive feat for Tesla, especially since sales were throttled during the quarter due to the company’s changeover to the new Model Y.

Source: Elbilstatistikk

Tesla in Other European Markets

Tesla’s results in Europe during the first quarter were a mixed bag. In Germany alone, Tesla saw 4,935 vehicles sold in Q1 2025. As per the German road traffic agency KBA, Tesla’s sales in March dropped 42.5% to 2,229 units year-over-year. This was despite overall EV registrations rising 35.3% during the month. 

In Italy, new vehicle registrations rebounded 51% in March from the previous year to 2,217 units, as per data from the Transport Ministry. This is still quite impressive considering that Tesla has become a very polarizing carmaker in Europe, thanks in no small part to CEO Elon Musk’s politics and close relation to U.S. President Donald Trump.

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