More drama is unfolding as the dispute between Swedish unions and Tesla now involves a supplier of critical components for the Model Y, where workers have reportedly set down their tools in support of the IF Metall strike. They said they won’t be showing up for work, or will be given non-Tesla-related tasks, until further notice.
Now around 50 workers at Hydro Extrusions in Vetlanda, Sweden, a subsidiary of Norwegian aluminum and energy company Hydro, have reportedly joined a sympathy strike against Tesla over the weekend. The workers there have their own collective agreement, with some of the employees now being affected by the strike, even though the company “is not a party to the dispute,” according to Swedish local newspaper Vetlanda-Posten. The company is responsible for delivering aluminum profiles for the Model Y to Giga Berlin. According to Automotive News Europe, this is the first Telsa supplier in Sweden to join in support of the IF Metall strike.
“They deliver components to Tesla’s factory in Berlin, and if this causes disruption to them we hope to force them back to the negotiation table,” said IF Metall negotiation secretary Veli-Pekka Saikkala. He added that the union is prepared to ramp things until Tesla signs. “This fight is very, very important. It’s so important that we cannot let it go. It’s important for us but also for the whole Swedish labor market.”
However, Hydro Extrusions CEO Jonas Bjuhr is concerned that the move could have long-term negative impact on the company, indicating that Telsa may be able to quickly replace the parts and bring on other suppliers, he told Vetlanda-Posten. “It is very frustrating to have a situation where we have very limited opportunities to do anything,” Bjuhr said. “Of course, we want to protect jobs… and jobs in Sweden in general. That’s the big concern here, that if it becomes long term, it can have consequences that are greater than what we see now.”
Bjuhr added that Tesla may have already taken action in the preparative buildup to the strike, sourcing additional suppliers from the US or China, the only two regions outside of Germany that produce the Model Y.
Still, there is a chance a move like that could backfire against Tesla as unions in Norway, one of Europe’s biggest EV markets, said they too will stop Telsa vehicles heading to neighboring Sweden from being unloaded in ports in Norway. If German unions chime in to show solidarity, things could get even more dicey. Telsa’s Berlin factory now produces nearly three-quarters of the models the company sells in Europe.
For a country with only a few Tesla employees, Sweden has served up a giant helping of culture shock to the notoriously anti-union Elon Musk, who has described the actions in the country as “insane.” Last month, about 130 mechanics in Sweden, who belong to the IF Metall union and service Tesla cars, went on strike after the company refused their request for collective bargaining. Since, thousands of workers in Sweden have joined, from dockworkers to car dealers to now even the post office workers refusing to touch anything Tesla-related until Tesla signs the collective bargaining agreement with IF Metall.
Tesla first entered Sweden in 2013 and has said that it follows Swedish labor market rules. However, Tesla says it chooses not to sign a collective agreement because it doesn’t have a manufacturing plant in Sweden. Unions, however, are an essential part of the Swedish labor model, with about 90% of the workforce belonging to trade unions and protected by employee contracts that work to standardize pay, insurance, and pensions, as well as protect worker conditions.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
The 2026 Mustang Mach-E will not come with a standard frunk, but Ford says you can pay for it.
Ford drops free frunk from 2026 Mustang Mach-E
Because electric vehicles don’t require a massive internal combustion engine, the frunk, or front trunk, is an added bonus.
Nearly every EV has a frunk, but Ford reportedly won’t offer one for the 2026 Mustang Mach-E, at least not for free.
Speaking with The Electric Duo on YouTube recently, Teddy Ankeny, Ford’s new Mustang Mach-E brand manager, said drivers were not using it as much as the company expected.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
To save buyers a little money, Ford made it optional. Ankeny explained that Ford revised pricing across the Mach-E lineup to better align with what buyers were looking for. As a result, the 2026 Mustang Mach-E GT is about $1,000 cheaper than the outgoing model, starting at $53,395.
The 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E Select starts at $37,795, the same as the outgoing model. A new California Edition joins the Mach-E lineup for the first time, starting at $55,890.
The 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT California Special (Source: Ford)
To give it its own identity, separate from the two-door Mustang, Ford gave the Mach-E California Edition a distinct Rave Blue color scheme.
The special edition model is built on the Mach-E GT with 280 miles of EPA-estimated driving range, 480 horsepower, and 700 lb-ft of torque.
The 2026 Mustang Mach-E is available to pre-order online and will begin arriving at dealerships in early 2026. Just how much the frunk will cost has yet to be announced.
In terms of specs, the 2026 model year is about the same as the 2025 Mustang Mach-E, but Ford is looking to cut costs anywhere it can, hence the optional Frunk.
The interior of the 2026 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT California Special (Source: Ford)
Ford is offering other ways to save for those looking to go electric, including through its Ford Power Promise initiative.
The offer includes a free Level 2 home charger (plus standard installation), 24/7 live electric vehicle support, roadside assistance, and an 8-year, 100,000-battery warranty. If you already have a home charger, you can opt for a $2,000 cash bonus.
Interested in a test drive? With the 2026 models coming, Ford is heavily discounting 2025 Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning models with leases starting as low as $219 per month. You can use the links below to find the 2025 and 2026 models in your area.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.More.
Save up to 57% on Jackery power stations + bonus savings during its Christmas Holiday Sale – deals start from $79
Jackery has officially launched its Christmas Holiday Sale with up to 57% discounts, and two different thresholds to receive extra savings, as we saw during Black Friday. The brand’s newest HomePower 3600 Plus Portable Power Station can be scored during this event at $1,614.05 shipped, after using the code OFFER5 at checkout for an additional 5% off, which beats out Amazon’s pricing by $85. Only on the market since September, we’ve been getting plenty of deals bringing costs down from its $2,799 full price, with today’s rate matching its Black Friday pricing and only being beaten out by the $1,599, $1,519, and $1,499 rates that all popped up in various stages of Prime Day savings over one week in October. You’re getting the next-best price outside of those Prime Day deals here, with $1,185 total savings. Head below to learn more about it and browse the full lineup of Christmas Holiday savings.
As we saw during Jackery’s Black Friday events, we’re seeing the continuance of the two bonus savings codes that turn on once your cart reaches certain pricing thresholds. The code OFFER5 provides an extra 5% savings on orders of $1,500 to $2,499, while orders over $2,500 can use the code OFFER7 to score 7% extra savings.
Advertisement – scroll for more content
Jackery’s newest HomePower 3600 Plus station came along to fill the gap between the previously released HomePower 3000 station and the brand’s Explorer 5000 Plus station, which boasts the most expansive capabilities amongst the bunch. It does so with a 3,584Wh LiFePO4 starting battery capacity that can climb up to 21kWh with expansion accessories added on, and delivers up to 3,600W of power (surging as high as 7,200W) through its 10 output ports.
Like its predecessor, this new model has also been given an expanded tally of recharging options, with a standard AC outlet putting it back to full capacity in around 2.5 hours. You can also use both AC and DC charging simultaneously, connect a gas generator to take advantage of its bypass charging feature, plug into your car’s auxiliary port, or connect up to 1,000W of solar input.
***Note: None of the prices below have had any extra savings factored into their costs, so be sure to use one of the two above codes when your cart becomes eligible to get the absolute best deals during Jackery’s Christmas Holiday Sale!
Jackery’s Christmas Sale HomePower 3600 Plus offers:
Jackery’s Christmas Sale outdoor adventure offers:
Jackery solar panel/expansion battery offers:
Jackery’s other device deals:
Rad Power’s Christmas Holiday Radness sale drops Radster Trail & Road e-bikes to new $1,599 lows (Save $400), more
Rad Power Bikes has officially launched its Christmas Holiday Radness Sale with up to $500 savings across multiple e-bikes – plus, a shipping deadline of December 16 to receive your order ahead of Christmas. Among the bunch, we spotted the latest Radster Trail Off-Road e-bike at $1,599 shipped, with its counterpart Radster Road Commuter e-bike also down at $1,599 shipped. Part of Rad’s new wave of e-mobility solutions, these e-bikes saw a permanent price cut from their original $2,199 MSRPs to $1,999 back in August, with discounts since having taken costs as low as $1,699 during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Now, you’re looking at an even greater $400 markdown while supplies last, landing these models down at new all-time lows.
Get a refurbished Anker SOLIX F3800 power station with $1,280 exclusive savings at a new $1,399 low
We have secured an exclusive deal from Wellbots on a refurbished Anker SOLIX F3800 Portable Power Station for $1,399 shipped, after using the exclusive code 9TO5XMAS100 at checkout for an additional $100 savings. This deal already starts off lower than ever, as the usual $2,679 price tag has been cut down to $1,499, but the exclusive savings our readers are getting take things even further. In our previous early Black Friday exclusive deal on this unit, the cost was taken down to $1,597, but today’s deal goes lower by $98 ($1,280 total savings) and marks a new all-time low for this renewed backup power solution.
Gift autonomous lawn care support with up to 35% off Mammotion robot mowers – all starting from a $649 low
By way of its official Amazon storefront, Mammotion is offering up to 35% discounts across a collection of its robot lawn mowers, with most down at their next-best rates since Black Friday, while the YUKA Mini 500H Robotic Lawn Mower has returned to its best price of $649 shipped. Coming down from its $999 price tag here, we saw costs taken down to this same low rate back during the brand’s Black Friday sale event two weeks ago. For those who didn’t jump on the deal then, you’re getting another chance here today, thanks to the 35% markdown cutting $350 from the going rate to land back at the all-time lowest tracked price.
Pick up Goal Zero’s solar-charging 500-lumen Torch Light and 5,200mAh power bank at $36 annual low
Through its official Amazon storefront, Goal Zero is offering the best price of the year on its Torch 500 Multi-Purpose Light at $35.89 shipped. It goes for $50 at full price, which we’ve been seeing regularly drop down to $38 over 2025, even during both Prime Day events. While it did go lower in 2024, you’re looking at the best price that we have tracked this year, giving you a multi-functional tool with $14 savings.
Save up to 50% on Fanttik’s unique NB8 Fold and Ultra cordless electric pressure washers starting from a $130 low
Through the official Fanttik Amazon storefront, you can pick up the unique NB8 Fold Cordless Electric Pressure Washer for $129.99 shipped. It’s dropping down from its $210 full price, which we saw go as low as $150 in the first half of 2025, while the latter half has seen drops to $140, as well as the one-time previous fall to this same rate during Black Friday events two weeks ago. It’s coming back around for the second time here today, giving you $80 in savings to the best price that we have tracked. If you’re looking for something with a little more power, but still providing unique portability, the brand’s NB8 Ultra 4-gallon Cordless Pressure Washer is down at its second-lowest price of $199.99 shipped, too.
The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.
President Donald Trump is willing to seize more oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela, a White House official told CNBC on Thursday.
The U.S. seized a tanker on Wednesday that had allegedly transported oil from Venezuela to Iran. The action comes as Trump escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro.
The White House official told CNBC that the Trump administration is always looking to enforce the law.
The oil market has been focused on Ukraine peace talks and so far is not indicating a risk of a major supply disruption. U.S. crude oil fell 86 cents, or 1.47%, to close at $57.60 a barrel. Global benchmark Brent settled at $61.28, down 93 cents, or 1.49%.
Sources told Reuters earlier that U.S. is expected to target more ships transporting Venezuelan crude in the coming weeks. The Treasury Department updated its Venezuela sanctions list on Thursday to include more than a dozen additional people, companies and tankers.
The tanker seized on Wednesday was a Very Large Crude Carrier, or VLCC, identified as the Skipper, Matt Smith, head U.S. analyst at energy consulting firm Kpler, told CNBC. It was loaded covertly with 1.1 million barrels in mid-November and appeared on course for Cuba, Smith said.
The tanker will be taken to a U.S. port and the oil will be seized, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday. “However, there is a legal process for the seizure of that oil, and that legal process will be followed,” Leavitt said.
The tanker seizure comes amid a major U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean. The Trump administration has launched a series of deadly strikes in recent months on boats that it says were trafficking drugs to the U.S. Those strikes have been the subject of intense scrutiny in Congress over their legality.
Venezuela is a founding member of OPEC and has the largest proven oil reserves in the world. It is exporting about 749,000 barrels per day this year, with at least half that oil going to China, according to data from Kpler.