Tesla opens platform for repair by third parties in the EU

Tesla has opened its platform for repair and maintenance information to third parties after several complaints to the EU Commission. Independent car repair shops can now access the information without restrictions. Meanwhile, an investment firm has greatly increased its Tesla shares.

++ This article has been updated, you find all new information below. ++

The repair information webpage could have implications for many customers in Europe. The emphasis is on “could” because it is not yet clear whether and how many independent repair shops will now use the access. In mid-2020, the German industry association ZDK and other market participants complained to the EU Commission that Tesla was only granting access to its partners. According to current legislation, however, all motor vehicle workshops must be granted non-discriminatory access to repair and maintenance information as well as to diagnostic and programming software.

At the turn of the year, Tesla changed its repair information website accordingly and now grants access but with a catch: Tesla apparently charges 125 euros per hour for the use of the diagnostic and programming software and 30 euros per hour for maintenance information via the technical website. Costs that an independent workshop has to pass on to the customer. According to the ZDK, this makes it impossible to offer a “comparable service to the authorised Tesla workshops”. In addition, the fee for the diagnostic and programming software, in particular, violates the discrimination clause enshrined in the Type Approval Regulation (EU) 2018/858, according to the association.

The ZDK now also wants to contact the EU Commission in this matter “in order to obtain an improvement”. We will report further on this.

Back in Germany, Tesla will probably be granted another permit for an early start of measures at the construction site of Giga Berlin in Grünheide in the next days, said Brandenburg’s Environment Minister Axel Vogel. This will involve the installation of production technology for the paint shop, press shop and body shop.

According to Vogel, the warehouse, for which Tesla has already submitted a building application, will not be the preliminary stage for battery cell production at Giga Berlin. However, Vogel apparently did not give any further details on the exact purpose of the hall.

From the USA comes the news that the Pennsylvania-based investment firm Vanguard Group Inc. has significantly increased its Tesla shares. According to a notice from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Vanguard now holds 57,814,310 ordinary shares in the carmaker, equivalent to a 6.1 per cent stake. Vanguard is currently the third-largest shareholder after Elon Musk (20.7 per cent) and investment firm Susquehanna Securities (which holds 6.5 per cent). Vanguard bought the first Tesla shares back in 2013 and has since added 31 mail.

Update 13 February 2021: As suggested above, Tesla has indeed been granted approval by the Brandenburg State Office for the Environment to begin installing additional machine parts within the existing building. The permission includes plant components and equipment for the paint shop, press shop and body shop.

To protect the groundwater in the water protection area, the ministry imposed special conditions for the handling of hazardous substances. All conditions previously imposed, in particular those relating to noise abatement, also remain valid.

Tesla submitted the application to start early already at the end of November 2020. An application for the removal of topsoil and levelling of the site is still pending approval.

Tesla continues to build the facilities at its own risk. According to the Brandenburg State Office for the Environment, the review of the final decision is still ongoing. At present, the authorities involved are examining the objections to the project, taking into account the results of the hearing, it said.

automobilwoche.de, kfz-gewerbe.de (both in German, repair), teslarati.com (permit approval), teslarati.com (Vanguard). brandenburg.de (update 13 February, in German)