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Tesla service workers in Sweden are on strike, and Tesla commented publicly on the strike for the first time as sympathy strikes expand to shipping, cleaning and electrical workers.

Late last month, Tesla service workers in Sweden threatened to strike over the lack of a collective bargaining agreement covering their working conditions. After getting no response from Tesla, the strike began almost two weeks ago.

Tesla does not have any manufacturing presence in Sweden, but since EVs are very popular in Sweden with about a 60% share of the new car market, there are certainly plenty of Teslas that need to be serviced.

But those Tesla service workers are not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, unlike 90% of Swedish employees. And IF Metall, a major union covering hundreds of thousands of industrial workers across Sweden, says that’s a problem. So it is leading a strike against the company.

The strike is relatively small, covering about 130 workers in 7 locations. Not everyone who works at these locations is unionized, and because of European data privacy rules, neither the union nor the workers need to specify exactly which workers are part of the union.

While 130 workers may sound like a small amount across a whole country, Sweden saw a similarly-small strike when Toys ‘R’ Us entered Sweden and refused to sign a collective bargaining agreement. About 80 retail workers decided to strike, and that strike spread to many other industries until Toys ‘R’ Us was forced to relent, making Sweden the only territory in the world where the company signed a collective bargaining agreement.

Because of near-universal collective bargaining coverage and a history of worker victories, strikes are relatively rare in Sweden. Companies know that it’s better just to come to the table rather than to let negotiations reach strike conditions.

So Sweden has a strong history with enforcing “the Swedish model” of labor, how is it going with Tesla, just a couple weeks in?

Is work stopped, or not?

The question of how effective the strike has been so far is still an open one. On the one hand, on the day the strike began, Tesla Club Sweden suggested that nobody showed up after visiting a single service center near Stockholm and talking to some of the employees there.

On the other hand, Dagens Arbete, a Swedish labor newspaper, reported on several locations and said that some of them have seen significant strike action and some have not. For example, nobody is on strike in Norrköping but almost everyone is in Umeå. And picketers were confronted by “an English-speaking man” in Malmö, who said he would call the police if they stepped out of line. And IF Metall says there has been “strong support” for the strike from workers.

Tesla committed to hiring strikebreakers, also known as “scabs,” and there have been reports of unidentified mechanics showing up in taxis in certain locations, which could suggest new hires, or that Tesla is shuffling remaining employees from one location to another. IF Metall says that hiring strikebreakers “would be crossing all boundaries. That kind of thing happened in Sweden in the 1920s and 30s.”

Tesla responds, negotiations begin

IF Metall sat down with Tesla on November 1 and November 6 for discussions. IF Metall says the November 1 meeting was constructive, but Monday’s discussion yielded nothing according to Vali-Pekka Säikkälä from IF Metall. He said “We are clear, there will be no agreement.”

After the second meeting, Tesla issued a public statement on the strike for the first time – a rare event for Tesla, which generally does not make public comments given that it does not have a PR/communications department (though it is more common for Tesla to make comment in other countries).

In TT, the Swedish national wire service, a Tesla representative was quoted thusly:

It is unfortunate that IF Metall has taken these measures. Tesla follows Swedish labor market regulations, but like many other companies has chosen not to enter into a collective agreement. We already offer equivalent or better agreements than those covered by collective bargaining and find no reason to sign any other agreement

But strikers say the issue is less about benefits such as pay, and more about working conditions and stability. Some Tesla employees say that timelines are far too strict for repairs, leading Tesla to send out damaged cars and rewarding employees who do incomplete work, while punishing those who take the time to completely solve a problem.

Strike expands to dockworkers, cleaners, third-party shops

Today, the strike expanded to dockworkers. The Swedish Dockworkers union said that if the strike was not resolved by November 7th, it would stop unloading vehicles in four Swedish ports, and the deadline for that began today. So Tesla will no longer be able to ship to Malmö, Södertälje, Gothenburg and Trelleborg.

But it was reported this week by SVT that Tesla is said to have rearranged its car transports around the affected ports. Typically one ship a week enters the port at Södertälje, for example, but there are no transports expected from the car brand according to the CEO of the port.

And so the dockworkers union has decided to expand its work stoppage across all ports, rather than just the four previously listed. Dockworkers will continue to unload docks across the country, but will not unload Tesla cars, starting November 17th.

In addition, Fastighets, the Swedish building maintenance workers’ union, said it will join the strike at Tesla facilities in Huddinge, Segeltorp, Umeå and Upplands Väsby on the same date, November 17th. This means that these facilities will not be cleaned by union workers starting on that date.

When Tesla consistently refuses to sign a collective agreement, it poses a threat to the stability of the Swedish labor market. Everyone who works in Sweden must be covered by Swedish wages and Swedish conditions

Joakim Oscarsson, Fastighets, in a comment to SVT

The strike has expanded to third-party repair shops as well, with 17 additional shops across the country refusing to work on Tesla vehicles. SVT attempted to interview one of these shops in Gothenburg, which responded “we have decided not to participate in media contexts during this conflict and during ongoing negotiations as we are not a party to the primary conflict.”

And Elektrikerna, the Swedish electricians’ union, will also refuse to do electrical work at Tesla’s workshops and charging stations, starting November 15. Other unions that are part of LO, Sweden’s Trade Union Confederation, may join as time goes on.

Electrek’s Take

As is the case in a necessarily oppositional conflict like this, there are a lot of competing voices for what is or is not happening in the strike.

And as I’ve stated before in strike-related articles, personally, I’m pro-union. And I think that everyone should be – it only makes sense that people should have their interests collectively represented, and that people should be able to join together to support each other and exercise their power collectively, instead of individually.

This is precisely what companies do with industry organizations, lobby organizations, chambers of commerce, and so on. And it’s what people do when sorting themselves into local, state, or national governments. So naturally, workers should do the same.

We’ve seen it work in the US, where UAW just recently won big gains with its unprecedented strike against all three of the largest American automakers, and this ended up being a boon for other workers as well when Toyota raised wages immediately after the strike was resolved.

It seems to be a success in Sweden, too, where workers typically have high median wages, high levels of life satisfaction and generally good quality of life and good labor protections. These sorts of protections become the standard when 90% of the country is covered by collective bargaining – they’re so standard that Sweden in fact does not have a national minimum wage, since union power is strong enough to ensure that workers get treated well without the force of law getting involved.

And, in our significant experience with Tesla, it is apparent that it is a company that offers good potential gains for workers, but suffers from high turnover and burnout, and plays fast and loose when relating to government regulations. Employees in one Swedish service center say that isn’t the case, at least according to a Tesla fan forum, so maybe it’s different in Sweden. But here in California, Tesla employees universally acknowledge the high turnover – even the ones that have been with the company for a long time themselves.

So I tend to think that the strikers likely have a point – everything I know about Tesla makes the reports of rushed work and tough conditions completely believable. And while Tesla’s “startup mentality” suggests that a scrappy, hardworking approach is the best way to move forward, maybe a company that is now 20 years old and has well over 100k employees could stand to mature a bit, focus on quality and employee retention (aiding institutional memory, which is lacking at Tesla), and play by the rules in a country that has stopped other anti-union companies dead in their tracks before.

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Trump signs executive order establishing U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve

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Trump signs executive order establishing U.S. strategic bitcoin reserve

AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks speaks with President Donald J Trump as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House on Jan. 23, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Jabin Botsford | The Washington Post | Getty Images

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday creating a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, marking a major shift in U.S. digital asset policy.

White House Crypto and AI Czar David Sacks, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist, wrote in a post on X that the reserve will be funded exclusively with bitcoin seized in criminal and civil forfeiture cases, ensuring that taxpayers bear no financial burden.

According to estimates, the U.S. government controls approximately 200,000 bitcoin, though no full audit has ever been conducted. Trump’s order mandates a comprehensive accounting of federal digital asset holdings and prohibits the sale of bitcoin from the reserve, positioning it as a permanent store of value.

Additionally, the order establishes a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile, managed by the Treasury Department, to hold other confiscated cryptocurrencies.

Many crypto investors who have supported Trump raised concerns over the weekend after the president said in a post on Truth Social that in addition to bitcoin, ether, XRP, Solana’s SOL token, and Cardano’s ADA coin would be part of a strategic crypto reserve.

“I have nothing against XRP, SOL, or ADA but I do not think they are suitable for a Strategic Reserve,” bitcoin billionaire Tyler Winklevoss wrote. “Only one digital asset in the world right now meets the bar and that digital asset is bitcoin.”

Ahead of the announcement, Castle Island Venture’s Nic Carter told CNBC that the U.S. committing to a bitcoin-only reserve would “ratify bitcoin as a global asset of consequence, somewhere in the realm of gold.”

“The U.S. is clearly the most important nation in the world, and so their stamp of approval really does a lot for bitcoin,” Carter said, noting that including any digital currencies other that bitcoin would have made it look like another speculative fund.

Read more about tech and crypto from CNBC Pro

Ryan Gilbert, a fintech investor, said the move will send a strong message to institutions that bitcoin is here to stay. He said the decision would further distinguish bitcoin from other cryptocurrencies.

“There’s been many folks out there for the past decade and a half that have said bitcoin is the way to go, ignore the other tokens,” Gilbert said. “I do think it will help bitcoin as a token, as an asset, separate itself from all the others as far as the debate is concerned.”

But Gilbert said the U.S. has to be cautious in how it manages the reserve.

“What we don’t want to see is the U.S. actively trading bitcoin,” he said. “A reserve should be a long-term store of value, not something that introduces market-moving speculation.”

Sacks praised the decision, calling it a milestone in making the U.S. the “crypto capital of the world.” He previously noted that the U.S. lost over $17 billion in potential value by selling seized bitcoin prematurely.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will oversee further policy development, with a focus on budget-neutral acquisition strategies for bitcoin, according to Sacks.

WATCH: Solana co-founder opposes Trump’s crypto reserve proposal

Solana co-founder opposes President Trump's crypto reserve proposal: CNBC Crypto World

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Kia’s EV9 can power your home and save you on energy costs: Watch how easy it is [Video]

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Kia's EV9 can power your home and save you on energy costs: Watch how easy it is [Video]

The Kia EV9 is already an impressive electric SUV with its bold design, spacious cabin, and smart technology. Now it’s unlocking another new feature. With the new Wallbox Quasar 2 home charger, Kia EV9 owners can power their homes for up to three days and even save on energy costs. Watch how easy it is to use in the demo below.

Kia EV9 can now power your home with V2H

Wallbox opened orders for its new bi-directional charger, the Quasar 2, for Kia EV9 owners this week. The Quasar 2 is the first home charger that works with the electric SUV to unlock its Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) capabilities.

EV9 owners can use their vehicle as a power source during power outages. You’ll need the Quasar 2 charger and Wallbox Power Recovery Unit, which can provide backup power for up to three days.

The Quasar 2 starts at $6,440, including the Power Recovery Unit, not including taxes and installation fees. EV9 owners can sign up for the waitlist here with a $100 deposit.

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Pre-orders will initially be limited to residents of California, Texas, Florida, New York, Washington, New Jersey, and Illinois, but the company plans a nationwide rollout. Once the units are available, pre-order customers will have first access, with shipping to follow soon after.

Kia-EV9-power-home-charger
Kia EV9 GT-Line (Source: Kia)

According to Wallbox, the Quasar 2 and Power Recovery Unit can save you up to $1,500 per year on energy costs.

As an all-in-one solution, the unit enables you to charge your EV with solar energy (solar panels are sold separately) and store it in your vehicle’s battery. During peak hours, you can use the energy to power your home to save on energy costs. With pre-set scheduling, you can also automatically charge your EV9 when the rates are the lowest.

Kia EV9 uses the Wallbox Quasar 2 to charge home devices (Source: Wallbox)

All of this can be easily utilized on the Wallbox App, allowing you to switch between grid/solar to vehicle and vehicle-to-home.

To demonstrate how easy it is to use, Wallbox put together a video showing the Kia EV9 using the Quasar to power several home devices.

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Honda’s new S7 electric SUV is surprisingly stylish and affordable, but you can’t have it

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Honda's new S7 electric SUV is surprisingly stylish and affordable, but you can't have it

Honda officially launched its new electric SUV, the S7, in China. As its first high-end electric SUV, Honda says the S7 will set new benchmarks with over 400 miles (650 km) of driving range, first-class comfort, and a stylish new design. The S7 will compete with the Tesla Model Y and other premium electric SUVs in China, starting at about $36,000.

Meet the Honda S7 electric SUV

Honda’s joint venture in China, Dongfeng-Honda claimed “the surge is about to break out” after teasing the S7’s new styling last month. On Thursday, the company officially launched its new electric SUV.

The S7 will be key to Honda’s comeback in the world’s largest EV market. Honda’s new electric SUV is now available starting at 259,900 yuan (about $36,000).

In terms of size, at 4,750 mm long, 1,930 mm wide, and 1,625 mm tall, the S7 is about the same size as the Tesla Model Y (4,797 mm long, 1,920 mm wide, 1,624 mm tall).

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Honda designed the SUV from the ground up for buyers in China, claiming it offers better driving, more fun, and more style. The electric SUV wears Honda’s new “H Mark,” exclusive for its next-gen EV lineup. Other design elements include a light-up H logo up front, a foot-sensing electric tailgate, and retractable door handles.

Honda-S7-electric-SUV
Honda S7 electric SUV (Source: Dongfeng-Honda)

Inside, the S7 is Honda’s first with a dimming panoramic sunroof. With a 2,930 mm wheelbase, it has a spacious interior with up to 860 mm of second-row legroom.

Several premium features include a 3-spoke multi-function leather steering wheel, streaming media rearview mirror, a fragrance system, and BOSE sound system.

Loaded with the latest software and connectivity tech, the S7 has “Honda’s most powerful smart cockpit” with split 12.8″ and 10.25″ smart infotainment screen and 9.9″ instrument display.

Honda Connect 4.0 provides an AI Voice Assistant, multi-screen linking, and continuous improvement with AI. Meanwhile, Honda Sensing 360+ includes ADAS features like active cruise control, pre-collision warning, lane keeping assist, parking assist, and a 360-degree panoramic imaging system.

It’s available in both single-motor (RWD) and dual-motor (AWD) options. The RWD variant includes a 268 hp (200 kW) electric motor and an 89.8 kWh NMC battery pack, good for a 650 km (404 miles) CLTC range.

With an added front motor, the AWD S7 packs up to 469 hp (350 kW) and is rated with 620 km (385 miles) CLTC driving range.

In comparison, the new Tesla Model Y RWD first edition starts at 263,500 yuan ($36,200), with a CLTC range of up to 593 km (368 miles). The Long-Range AWD model, with a CLTC range of up to 719 km (447 miles), starts at 303,500 yuan ($42,000).

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