Items tagged with model 3
It looks as though one of the best parts about owning a Tesla will soon become less exclusive. Ever since the Model S launched a decade ago, Tesla has built out an extensive Supercharger network in the United States and around the globe. The network is only accessible to Tesla owners and allows them to [relatively] quickly charge their vehicles when making long road trips (Tesla doesn't recommend relying solely on Supercharging to preserve the battery). In a tweet yesterday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the Supercharger network would open to competing electric vehicle manufacturers in the United States starting later this year. This would give non-Tesla EV owners yet another option to choose...
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Tesla has been in the news frequently over the past few months, namely for its new and comically fast Model S Plaid sedan and for the late arrival of the Full Self Driving Beta v9 software. Now, Elon Musk is making headlines for an upcoming upgrade to Tesla's vast Supercharger network. Tesla's last big Supercharger V3 update occurred in mid-2019 when the on-site charging stations were upgraded from 150 kW to 250 kW output. Musk confirmed today that the next evolutionary bump of its Supercharger network would boost output to 300 kW. However, we don't know if this bump in capacity will result in a Supercharger V4 designation. Not bad, although new Model S has more range & faster charging. 3...
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Up until this point, Tesla vehicles have used a combination of front-facing radar, ultrasonic sensors, and computer vision systems to enable its Autopilot self-driving system. However, the company announced this week that it is making a significant change in how the system works on its entry-level Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles. Model 3 and Model Y EVs rolling off the assembly line going forward will no longer rely on radar. Instead, Autopilot will solely rely on the input of the vehicle's numerous cameras positioned around the car. The new camera-based system is aptly called Tesla Vision. Tesla explains the transition, writing, "these will be the first Tesla vehicles to rely on camera...
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The past few weeks have been somewhat of an emotional rollercoaster for Elon Musk. As the CEO of two high-profile companies -- SpaceX and Tesla -- Musk is under immense pressure to be at the bleeding edge of both the space industry and electric vehicles. And his "rock star" persona in the EV community comes with its ups and downs. Musk's latest escapade includes an escalation in his attacks on Alameda County, California, where's Tesla's headquarters and Fremont manufacturing facility is located. Tesla filed a lawsuit with the US District Court in the Northern District of California targeting Alameda County's current shelter-in-place order. Tesla's Fremont factory in Alameda County,...
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Tesla Model 3 Pwned As Hack Disables Autopilot Notifications, Speedometer, Climate Controls And More
There’s no question that the Tesla Model 3 is one of the most advanced cars on the planet, thanks in part to its advanced EV powertrain, its heavy use of powerful computers for its Autopilot self-driving system, and its heavy software integration with numerous vehicle functions. Tesla is also a leader in the industry when it comes to over-the-air updates that bring new features or fixes for existing features (and in some cases, removing features altogether). That complex integration of software and hardware is coming to light in findings posted by “Jacob A” of SafeKeep Cybersecurity. Jacob describes himself as a veteran security engineer that has disclosed previous...
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Volvo's Polestar division is looking to make a name for itself in the electric vehicle business, and its latest concept is sure to turn some heads. Roughly a year after the rather "interesting" Polestar 2 was first unveiled, the company is back again with the more daring Precept concept. In a world that is increasingly shifting to towards the monotony of jacked up crossovers, it’s nice to see that the Precept is a ravishing, low-slung sedan that looks nothing like a Volvo. That's not to say that Volvos are by any means ugly; it's just that they don't really get hearts racing. The Precept has an aggressive front end with LED headlights and thin LED DRL markers giving the...
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Tesla released its Q4 earnings report this afternoon, and needless to say, the company didn’t disappoint. For starters, it was Tesla’s second straight quarter of profit, coming in at $105 million for Q4 2019. This represented earnings of 56 cents per share for the quarter. However, Tesla posted an annual loss of $862 million, though investors seem unfazed by that figure. Two straight quarters in the black along with a steady increase in EV deliveries has investors rubbing their hands together. Tesla reported deliveries of 112,000 vehicles for Q4 2019, and a total of 367,500 deliveries for all of 2019 (a record for the company). Looking ahead, Tesla says that it will deliver...
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Tesla released V10 of its software recently and with that update came an enhanced Smart Summon feature. The idea behind Smart Summon is that drivers can press a button and have their car come to them rather than having to walk to their vehicle. It's not exactly a feature that we'd call "necessary", but it's definitely a cool trick to impress friends. The feature reportedly uses the smartphone GPS location of the owner as its target location. However, video of some users testing the new feature has surfaced, and it looks as if Smart Summon is not quite ready for the public. One video from David F. Guajardo shows the man hit the button in the Tesla app to summon his car, and shortly after...
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Tesla is famous for its immensely powerful electric cars and their ever-increasing range thanks to advances in battery chemistry, motor design, and software updates. The company is also famous -- for better or worse -- for its Autopilot software, which allows the vehicle to take over the task of driving, and even changing lanes in certain instances. However, new analysis out from Consumer Reports suggests that one subset of Autopilot -- Navigate on Autopilot -- is somewhat half-baked in its current iteration and needs a lot more work. As we've previously reported, Navigate on Autopilot is the latest step towards full autonomy for Tesla vehicles. The feature allows a Model 3, Model...
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Following an investigation into a fatal crash involving a Tesla Model 3 and a semi-truck, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that the autopilot feature in the Model 3 was in fact engaged at the time of the accident. Interestingly, the Model 3 was traveling 68 miles per hour in a 55 MPH zone on US 441 in Delray Beach, Florida. The southbound highway where the accident happened consists of two lanes, with two more lanes going northbound, separated by a grass median. There is also a turn lane that heads into a private driveway where the accident occurred. "As the Tesla approached the private driveway, the combination vehicle pulled from the driveway and traveled east...
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The automotive world is inching towards fully autonomous rides that can take us where we want to go without driver intervention. Tesla seems to be reaching towards full autonomy faster than competing brands; earlier this month the automaker announced that its Autopilot system could change lanes without driver input. Tesla has now announced that its latest self-driving hardware is available and it's called the Full Self-Driving Computer or FSD. The hardware was formerly known as Autopilot Hardware 3.0. Tesla also clarified that the new FSD is already installed in all new Model S and Model X cars that were built starting around March 20th. The new hardware is also inside many Model 3 vehicles that...
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Tesla’s wild few months of price changes, new trim introductions/deletions, and a new Model Y crossover is coming to a head this week with another round of changes. In a blog post that went up late last night, Tesla announced that it is in effect killing the $35,000 Model 3 Standard Range that it just recently announced in February. Tesla’s end goal with the Model 3 was always to get to the mythical $35,000 price point, and everyone thought that the time had come for the vehicle when it was made available to purchase in late February. However, customers never received the vehicles which were to have a cloth interior, a lower 220-mile range, and lack features like...
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Tesla is moving one step closer to fully autonomous driving with the latest update to its Autopilot software; more specifically, the optional Navigate on Autopilot feature. With Navigate On Autopilot, you can punch in a destination and while on the highway, the vehicle will autonomously take you to your destination with prompts to commit to lane changes along the way. The way it currently works, if your Tesla wants to make a lane change, the driver must confirm the action before the vehicle proceeds to take the necessary action. The new update allows the car to decide for itself if and when to change lanes automatically – all without driver intervention. Tesla writes: Once enabled,...
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Tesla is on the verge of pulling the wraps of its latest electric vehicle: the Model Y. Elon Musk confirmed the reveal date for the vehicle earlier this month following a whirlwind of Tesla stories involving price cuts and next-generation Superchargers. The Model Y will enter the fray at a time when crossovers are an incredibly hot segment of the entire global automotive market, and U.S. demand for the Model 3 compact sedan is starting to taper off. First, let’s talk about the name: Model Y. The names of Tesla’s EV family were deliberate, and the Model 3 was initially supposed to be called the Model E. However, the threat of a lawsuit from Ford forced...
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Over the weekend, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the company’s V3 Supercharger would be revealed this week. True to his word, the company lifted the veil on its third-generation charging stations at a private event last night, and they promise a higher charging capacity of 250 kW. For comparison, V2 Superchargers currently peak at 120 kW (more on that later). So, what does this actually mean for customers in the real world? According to Tesla, a Model 3 Long Range can now get a 75-mile boost in range in just 5 minutes, which the company is wildly claiming translates into a charge rate of 1,000 miles per hour. More importantly, the company says that the amount of time...
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Tesla's next big unveil has been confirmed, and it's happening on March 14th. That's right, the company's Model Y compact electric crossover will finally be revealed in less than two weeks according to a tweet this afternoon from CEO Elon Musk. At this time, we don't have many specifics regarding the vehicle, but we can infer a lot given comments that Musk has tweeted about the vehicle over the years. It will reportedly share about 75 percent parts commonality with the Model 3 compact sedan, which should simplify production and increase economies of scale. That means that we should see similar powertrain (single-motor/rear wheel drive, dual-motor, all-wheel drive) and battery configurations....
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It's finally here; the $35,000 Model 3 that Elon Musk first promised nearly three years ago has come to fruition. Tesla announced this afternoon that the Model 3 is finally available to order with a base price of $35,000 before any applicable federal ($3,750) and state rebates. Previously, the cheapest available Model 3 started at $42,900 for the Mid Range, rear-wheel drive model. The new Standard Range, rear-wheel drive model will travel 220 miles per charge compared to 264 miles for the Mid Range model. The vehicle will also go from 0-60 in 5.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 130 mph. The $35,000 price comes with a de-contented interior, meaning that you'll get cloth seats, basic audio...
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Volvo is putting the Tesla Model 3 on notice, and is doing so with the reveal of its new Polestar 2 electric car. Like the Model 3, the Polestar is a compact car that will be available in an all-wheel drive configuration. But whereas the Model 3 has a traditional trunk, the Polestar 2 features a hatchback design. Starting off with the styling, you won’t mistake the Polestar 2 for anything but a Volvo, as the company’s current design language is sprinkled throughout. You’ll notice the Thor’s hammer headlight detailing, chiseled lines, and sharp creases along the shoulders. Interestingly, the vehicle almost takes on a sort of sedan/crossover hybrid appearance (a la...
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Tesla CEO and Founder Elon Musk is known for encouraging his software engineers to incorporate Easter Eggs into the company's EVs. That's why we've been graced with such niceties as a Santa Mode, and more recently, the game Pole Position that can be played using your steering wheel and brake pedal. Tesla's latest Easter Egg will have you yelling "Great Scott," because "you're about to see some serious sh*t!" It was found by a redditor earlier this week who just so happened to stumble across the Back to the Future reference in the Tesla iOS app. When your Tesla EV has 121 miles of range left, you simply tap on the battery icon within the app which will enable the Easter...
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When Tesla CEO Elon Musk first announced the Model 3 over two years ago, he billed it as an "affordable" mainstream electric vehicle that would be available at a price of $35,000 before federal tax credits. More than a year after customers first starting taking deliveries of the Model 3, the mythical $35,000 Standard-Range model still isn't available. In fact, Tesla's website still lists it as being 4 to 6 months away. The next best thing for customers is a price cut on the existing models, and that's just what Tesla did today. The company has cut prices across the board on the Model 3 by $1,100. This is after Tesla cut the price of the cheapest currently available Model 3 by...
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There's been a rash of negativity swirling around Tesla in the past week. First, the company announced that it was killing its referral program, which gave Model S, Model X, and Model 3 owners sweet prizes (including free Tesla Roadsters). Then, Elon Musk announced that the company would be cutting its workforce by 7 percent in order to increase probability – this came after the company increased its headcount by 30 percent in 2018. But in a bit of good news for company, Tesla says that its Model 3 has now been given the go-ahead for sales in Europe. Now that the initial rush of buyers in the United States has died down a bit (customers in the U.S. can now get a new custom-ordered...
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It appears that Toyota still doesn't quite know what to make of electric vehicles (EVs). The Japanese auto giant was among the first to deliver a production hybrid vehicle to the public with the Prius. The Prius rode a wave of popularity starting with its first-generation and peaking with its third-generation. However, as traditional internal combustion engines (ICE) vehicles have become more efficient and the availability of hybrids has expanded, Prius sales have started trending downward. And according to Toyota Motor North America CEO Jim Lentz, electric vehicles are also starting to blunt Prius sales. More specifically, Lentz calls out the Tesla Model 3. Fourth-generation Toyota Prius...
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