Tesla has had a long history with Swedish Unions. IF Metall, a Swedish Metalworkers Union, has been involved in a labor dispute against Tesla for over a year now, with the strike beginning back in October 2023.
The core issue lies in Tesla’s refusal to sign a collective bargaining agreement with IF Metall. In Sweden, these are the norm. However, Tesla compensates its workers well, and it seems that many of its employees in Sweden don’t even want to sign the collective agreement—they would be losing out on a lot. Employees have banded together to wear vests that say “Tack, det ӓr bra” - “Thanks, I’m good” in response to the unionization efforts.
Tesla does not have any unions in any of its facilities across the world - and signing one in Sweden would be a massive change. United Autoworkers in the US (UAW) has also been working towards establishing an autoworkers union in Tesla, but it has never really taken off.
Previous Impacts
The strike originally targeted just Tesla’s service centers but quickly grew beyond that. IF Metall expanded the strike to include painters, suppliers, electricians, postal workers, and many other unionized bodies within Sweden. Hydro Extrusions, a notable Tesla supplier, lost its primary contract with Tesla due to the strike in early 2024.
Sympathy strikes have also impacted the mailing of registrations and license plates for new Tesla owners, which led to a lawsuit against IF Metall and other unions involved.
Superchargers Unpowered
Now, the latest impact of the strike has left 100 Tesla Supercharger stalls across six different sites unpowered. All these sites have been permitted, built, and fully set up. Now, the last step is to just power them on.
This step lies in the hands of one of the unions working for local electricity companies - who are conducting sympathy strikes against Tesla. Max de Zegher, Tesla’s Director of Charging, previously commented that not enabling these Supercharger stations will leave EV drivers struggling over the Holiday period.
And that prediction has come true. Nicklas, a Swede who has been covering the dispute on X, recorded a video of the few Supercharger stations that are working - where Tesla vehicles are lined up waiting to charge.
Teslas (mostly) in the middle of 🇸🇪Sweden waiting in line at a Superchargerstation in Malung. Can you count how many there are in line?
Max commented again on the situation, pointing out that it's not just Tesla drivers suffering - this impacts other EV drivers in Sweden as well. Tesla’s Supercharger network in Europe uses the CCS2 standard and is open to other electric vehicles as well.
Tesla vehicles and other EVs are now either lined up and waiting for long charge queues or being diverted to third-party sites, many of whom are unable to keep up with the Holiday travel impacts and whose uptimes are nowhere near the 99.99% availability that the Supercharger network provides.
We’re hoping to see a positive resolution to this strike, as it seems the employees of Tesla want no part of the union, but the union wishes to insert themselves into the equation anyway.
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According to a new report from Business Insider, Tesla is planning a week-long production pause for the Cybertruck and Model Y lines at Giga Texas. On the surface, the reason seems pretty straightforward: maintenance and line upgrades.
But Tesla has been infamous for never shutting down lines unless it's an absolute production necessity. Given that this is the third production pause in the last 12 months, this suggests that Tesla is planning something other than routine maintenance.
Official Story
The facts, as reported by BI, are fairly straightforward. Tesla will be shutting down the Model Y and Cybertruck lines from June 30th to July 4th. In a staff meeting at Giga Texas, Tesla stated that the pause would enable maintenance and upgrades to help ramp up production.
While this could seem odd for the recently updated Model Y and Cybertruck lines, it also makes sense as Tesla continuously makes production improvements, rather than waiting for model year updates.
There definitely feels like there’s more to this story than a simple pause, but the timing and context suggest this pause is far more significant.
The Affordable Model
The key to this shutdown is Tesla’s strategy for its more affordable model. Tesla has pivoted away from building Giga Mexico, and is instead planning to build both the Cybercab with its unboxed assembly process, as well as the next-gen affordable vehicle at Giga Texas.
For now, Tesla plans to build the affordable model based on existing production lines within Giga Texas, rather than build a standalone line. This is mostly because Tesla intends for the affordable model to have a high part familiarity with the Model 3 and Model Y.
The Model Y line, in particular, is the prime candidate for this retooling. It is Tesla's most refined high-volume production line, and the tooling and equipment on the line are perfectly suited to enable Tesla’s quick transition to producing the new model.
A week-long shutdown is not enough time for a complete overhaul, but it is the perfect window to begin preparatory work. This could include installing new mounting points for future robotics, rerouting utilities, or even running initial trials for new assembly processes in a portion of the line.
Timing is Everything
This theory makes even more sense in the context of recent events. The cheaper model was initially planned for the first half of 2025, but following reported delays, the timing seems right for Tesla to start incorporating changes to support the new vehicle. While Tesla initially planned for a cheaper model to be based on the Cybercab with its unboxed assembly, they decided to produce one based on the current assembly line to get to market sooner. This isn’t the cheaper, “$25k” vehicle we were all hoping for, but instead a more affordable version of the Model 3 or Model Y.
While the Cybertruck line is likely undergoing standard ramp-up tweaks, the shutdown of the Model Y line likely presents something more. While it could also include maintenance and incorporate updated tools, it may include changes required for the newer model.
More Than Maintenance
While the official reason reported by Business Insider seems fairly plausible, there’s always more under the surface when it comes to major decisions like this with Tesla. Using the planned maintenance window to quietly begin the process of retooling is the kind of move we expect from Tesla.
Just days before Tesla’s planned launch of the Robotaxi network in Austin, a group of local lawmakers has sent a letter to Tesla, urging them to delay the launch. Citing a new state law set to take effect on September 1st, the letter asks Tesla to pause its launch until it can formally comply with the new framework.
On the surface, this could sound like a significant roadblock. However, upon closer examination of the lawmaker’s concerns, the requirements of the new law, and the upcoming unified federal autonomy regulations, the request may be more political theater than a genuine obstacle.
In fact, Tesla’s Robotaxi service appears to already meet the spirit—and likely the letter—of the upcoming regulatory framework.
The Letter and the Law
The letter, penned by State Senator Sarah Eckhardt, formally requests that Tesla postpone its planned Robotaxi launch this month until the new and more comprehensive autonomous vehicle law is in effect on September 1st. It's important to note that this isn’t a legal injunction; it doesn’t have any power, and Tesla is under no obligation to comply or even reply. The letter is a formal request, a piece of political pressure intended to encourage proactive compliance.
So, what does this new law demand? It has five key requirements for autonomous vehicle operation in Texas.
Barely A Speed Bump
A detailed look reveals that Tesla's existing technology and practices likely already meet every single requirement of the upcoming regulations, so let’s dive in.
1) Capable of operating in compliance with state traffic laws.
This is the fundamental purpose of FSD - complying with traffic laws to get a passenger from Point A to Point B. The system is designed to adhere to traffic laws, and in fact, sometimes sticks to them too closely (like the NHTSA stop).
2) Equipped with a recording device.
This is probably the easiest requirement when you look at a Tesla. Every vehicle is a rolling 360-degree security suite, equipped with multiple cameras and internal sensors that document every action taken by the vehicle.
3) Compliant with federal law, including federal motor vehicle safety standards.
Tesla is currently deploying Model Ys for its Robotaxi network pilot, which means that they are fully compliant with FMVSS standards. This will likely change once Cybercab begins to deploy, but the NHTSA is working on accelerating federal regulation for vehicles without driver controls in the near future.
4) Capable of achieving a “minimal risk condition” if the automated system is rendered inoperable.
When the system detects a critical fault or issue it cannot handle, it must slow down, activate hazard lights, and pull over to a safe location at the side of the road. That is very doable, and likely within Tesla’s calculations for how they will handle system aborts and other incidents. In fact, the Model Y robotaxis with a safety driver in the passenger seat have been spotted with buttons on the screen that say “Emergency Stop” and “Pullover.”
5) Registered, Titled, and Insured under Texas law.
This is a bog-standard requirement. Every vehicle operator must meet those three requirements, and as Tesla’s Model Ys currently driving the roads in Austin are sporting manufacturer plates, this is likely already done.
While these Texas lawmakers are asking for a pause, the NHTSA is actively working to make it easier for companies like Tesla to deploy autonomous vehicles. This state-level scrutiny, while perhaps well-intentioned, is a clear example of the challenge of deploying a national network under fragmented regulations.
Ultimately, this letter is unlikely to be anything more than a political statement. It will be logged and acknowledged, but it presents no new technical or legal hurdles for Tesla to clear before its planned launch. For an autonomous future, this isn't even a bump in the road.
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