Tesla is under pressure from Democratic leadership who claims it is hiding complaints
Tesla is under pressure from the Democratic Party’s leadership who claim the automaker is hiding complaints from workers and customers.
The issue stems from the inclusion of “arbitration clauses” inside Tesla’s contracts with workers and customers.
An arbitration clause consists of any form of agreement between parties that indicate certain disputes will be resolved by an arbitrator instead of through a civil court.
There are several reasons why someone would prefer arbitration since the proceedings are often faster, less costly, and more private than those in a court. Tesla uses arbitration clauses in employee and customer contracts. Over the last year, these clauses have been raised as an issue.
Last summer, we reported on a former Tesla employee who the automaker accused of stealing information about its Dojo supercomputer. Tesla aggressively sued the worker in court, making some serious public accusations against him, which he denied, and then moved to settle the dispute in arbitration – effectively preventing the worker from defending himself against the claims.
Now seven senators, including well-known Democratic leaders like Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Richard Blumenthal, and Edward J. Markey, have sent a letter to Elon Musk to pressure Tesla to stop including arbitration clauses.
They wrote in the letter:
We are incredibly troubled by Tesla’s reported use of forced arbitration clauses in consumer and employee contracts. Such provisions deny consumers their right to bring cases in court and shield Tesla from public scrutiny and accountability. Several recent reports and lawsuits have described a culture of “severe and pervasive harassment” faced by workers at Tesla, and on February 15, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found Tesla’s Full Self-Driving Beta software could “infringe upon local traffics laws or customs” and increase the vehicle’s crash risk. 1 We are deeply concerned that the arbitration agreements you impose on your workers and consumers have kept these reportedly deplorable and discriminatory conditions and potential safety flaws from the public eye and limited regulatory authorities’ ability to protect Tesla customers and employees and hold Tesla publicly accountable.
They believe Tesla is using the tactic to hide complaints from employees and customers. These senators are asking Tesla to release the number of complaints it received from both and to commit to stop using arbitration clauses in its contracts.
Here’s the letter in full:
Normally, this is where we would add a response from Tesla about these claims, but Tesla doesn’t have a PR department to ask for a response.
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The third of a quintet of West Virginia solar farms just came online, and while that’s a renewable milestone, there’s a disappointing hitch.
3 out of 5 West Virginia solar farms are online
FirstEnergy subsidiaries Mon Power and Potomac Edison have launched a 5.75 megawatt (MW), 17,000-panel solar farm at Marlowe in Berkeley County. The new solar farm sits on about 36 acres of land along I-81 and the Potomac River – land that used to store ash from the retired R. Paul Smith Power Station.
In 2022, FirstEnergy wrapped up a major cleanup effort, pulling more than 3 million tons of ash from the site to be reused in cement manufacturing. With the landfill officially closed, the company cleared the way to turn the former waste site into a clean energy generator as part of its solar program. Fifty-four local union workers constructed the solar farm, which features US-made solar panels, a racking system, and electrical equipment.
It’s the third of Mon Power and Potomac Edison’s five solar farms that will generate up to 50 MW of clean energy combined. The companies completed their first solar farm at Fort Martin Power Station (18.9 MW) in early 2024, and their Rivesville solar site (5.5 MW) came online last fall. In total, the companies now have 30 MW of solar capacity.
Electrek’s Take
Combined, the five projects will create more than 87,000 Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) available for purchase by customers for 4 cents per kilowatt hour in addition to normal rates. Aside from the essential benefit of cutting carbon emissions, there isn’t anything else in it for customers, apart from spending, on average, an extra $40 or so a month out of the goodness of your heart to go solar. Heck, you don’t even get a T-shirt.
Mon Power and Potomac Edison – why are customers being charged MORE to buy into solar in West Virginia? That’s a stick, not a carrot. (And WV? Coal’s not coming back. It doesn’t matter what Trump says.)
But solar growth anywhere is something to be cheerful about, and solar energy in coal-state West Virginia is progressing. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, as of Q4 2024, 205 MW of solar is installed in West Virginia. So, it’s no surprise that it’s at the bottom – it’s ranked 49th in the US for the amount of solar installed. However, it’s projected to reach 40th place over the next five years with 1,064 MW, so at least it’s expected to improve.
To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.
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Is the Kia EV4 GT the affordable electric sports car we’ve been waiting for? Kia’s first global electric sedan is about to get a sporty upgrade. After the EV4 GT was spotted in public, we’re finally getting a glimpse of the interior.
Kia EV4 GT spotted, revealing first look at the interior
The EV4 arrives as one of the most highly anticipated electric cars of 2025. After opening orders in Korea earlier this year, Kia will launch it in Europe later this year and the US in 2026.
Kia’s electric sedan starts at just 41.92 million won, or around $30,000 in Korea. Although prices for Europe and North America have yet to be revealed, the entry-level EV is expected to start at around $35,000 to $40,000.
Despite its typical four-door design, Kia labels it as an “entirely new type of EV sedan” with a wide stance and fastback silhouette.
Although the EV4 already has that sports car look, Kia is about to introduce an upgraded GT variant that could be a true Tesla Model 3 Performance challenger.
Who could forget the EV6 GT? It hit the market in 2022 as “the most powerful Kia production vehicle ever.” With 576 hp, the high-performance EV could hit 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 secs, faster than the average Ferrari or Lamborghini.
With significant advancements in battery technology, powertrain, and other areas over the past few years, the EV4 GT will likely offer even more.
The EV4 GT was spotted outside Kia and Hyundai’s facility in Korea, and a few spy photos give us a glimpse of the interior for the first time.
The new video from HealerTV reveals a few interior upgrades the GT model will get over the standard EV4. As you can see, it resembles the EV9 GT interior almost identically. The only slight difference that we can see is the different material on the upper part of the seating.
Like the EV6 GT and EV9 GT, the EV4 GT will also include an adjustable ambient lighting feature, allowing you to customize the interior color and brightness.
Although it’s covered, the EV4 GT is expected to feature Kia’s new ccNC infotainment system. The panoramic curved display includes dual 12.3″ driver and navigation screens.
The exterior is likely to receive a more aggressive front-end design and larger wheels, similar to those of other Kia GT vehicles. Although the final specifications have yet to be revealed, the EV4 GT is expected to feature an all-wheel-drive (AWD) dual-motor powertrain.
In Korea, the EV4 is available in two battery options: 58.2 kWh and 81.4 kWh, offering a driving range of 237 miles or 331 miles (533 km). The GT variant is likely to use the larger 81.4 kWh battery pack, similar to other GT models.
Kia will launch the EV4 in the US next year, featuring a built-in NACS port to access Tesla Superchargers and an EPA-estimated driving range of up to 330 miles. Prices will be revealed closer to launch, but the EV4 is expected to start at around $35,000 to $40,000. The GT variant could cost upwards of $50,000 to $55,000, with the 2025 Kia EV6 GT starting at $63,800.
The Tesla Model 3 Performance starts at $54,990 in the US with 298 miles range and a 0 to 60 mph time in 2.9 seconds.
Will the Kia EV4 GT match it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Trump’s tariffs are about to drive up the cost of clean energy projects in the US, and energy storage is set to take the biggest hit, according to new analysis from Wood Mackenzie.
In its latest report, “All aboard the tariff coaster: implications for the US power industry,” Wood Mackenzie lays out what the power sector could be in for as new tariffs raise costs across the board. The biggest tariff hit will be on utility-scale energy storage, where US projects still overwhelmingly rely on imported battery cells from China.
“In a business with 5-to-10-year planning cycles, not knowing what a project will cost next year or the year after is disruptive and causes massive uncertainty,” said Chris Seiple, vice chairman of power and renewables at Wood Mackenzie. “We will definitely see impacts on power sector capital projects. The severity depends on what scenarios play out.”
The firm modeled two scenarios: one where tariffs settle at an effective rate of 10% by 2026, and a more extreme “trade war” scenario where that rate climbs to 30% and stays there through 2030. Either way, energy storage takes a big hit.
Wood Mackenzie estimates energy storage project costs could rise from 12% to over 50%, depending on the scenario. That’s because, in 2024, nearly all utility-scale battery cells used in the US came from China. And the domestic supply is nowhere near ready to take over.
“While US battery cell manufacturing capacity is expanding, it is not expanding at a pace nearly fast enough to meet even a small fraction of battery projects in the US,” Seiple said. “In 2025, we estimate there is sufficient domestic manufacturing capacity to only meet about 6% of demand, and by 2030, domestic manufacturing could potentially meet 40% of demand.”
The solar sector is getting a rough deal, too. With existing tariffs and tough interconnection rules already making solar builds more expensive in the US, new tariffs would pile on. Wood Mackenzie says utility-scale solar could end up 54% more expensive than in Europe, and a staggering 85% pricier than new solar plants in China.
“An increase in tariff levels will only worsen this premium US energy consumers need to pay to access renewable energy,” Seiple said.
Wood Mac’s bottom line: Current trade policies are making clean energy more expensive to build in the US than almost anywhere else, and the industry will have to brace for more uncertainty and higher costs ahead.
Read more: Audi may build EVs in the US to dodge Trump’s new tariffs
If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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