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VW and Renault promise electric car sharing services
Automaker-run EV sharing services are still novelties now, but they could be plentiful before long. Both Volkswagen and Renault have announced plans for electric car sharing services in a bid to promote "sustainable mobility." VW's We platform will offer on-demand EVs starting in Germany in 2019, and expanding to North America, Asia and other European cities "as early as" 2020. Renault, meanwhile, is prepping the gradual rollout of a similar service in Paris and the Ile-de-France region beginning in September 2018.
Audi shows off its electric SUV's screen-filled interior
Audi has been more than happy to show off its e-tron Quattro prototype's outside, but what will it be like if you're taking it for a drive? Wonder no more: the automaker has offered a proper look at the electric SUV's interior. In many ways, it's even more of a technology hub than Audi's modern vehicles. The driver is effectively surrounded by screens -- there's the familiar digital instrument column, but you'll also see two touchscreens in the center stack. This also gives you a good sense of how cameras will substitute for mirrors on some models, as 7-inch OLED displays tucked above the door handles will give you a peek at what's behind you.
Tesla engineering lead Doug Field leaves the company
Tesla's news isn't all positive now that it has met its Model 3 production milestone. The company has confirmed to Bloomberg that senior engineering VP Doug Field has left the company. It's not clear why Field left or who his replacement will be. However, he was supposed to be returning from a six-week leave to spend time with family -- whatever the reasons, that break wasn't enough to keep him as an employee.
Tesla reportedly met its Model 3 production goal (updated)
After months of delays, round-the-clock manufacturing and other drastic measures, Tesla appears to have met its long-sought 5,000-per-week Model 3 production target -- if only just. An employee briefly posted a photo on Twitter showing fellow staffers signing a "Model 3 5K Club" poster with the question "why would you doubt us," suggesting that Tesla had hit the elusive goal and was celebrating its achievement. Electrek reported other workers apparently cheering the achievement on social networks, while Reuters cited two workers who said the last car of the batch officially rolled off the Fremont line at 5AM local time on July 1st -- a little late, but close enough.
NTSB: Model S battery caught fire twice after Florida crash
It's not unheard of for cars to catch fire in a crash, but there are now instances of Tesla cars' batteries reigniting well after the fact. As part of a preliminary report on a Model S crash in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, NTSB investigators revealed that a piece of the EV's lithium-ion pack reignited twice despite firefighters dousing it with water and foam. It first reignited when crews were removing the car from the crash scene, and again when it arrived at a storage yard.
VW electric racer smashes Pikes Peak's overall record
VW may have been overly cautious when it hoped to beat Pikes Peak's electric vehicle record with its purpose-built racer. Official lap time data has confirmed that Romain Dumas' I.D. R Pikes Peak made it up the legendary hill in just over 7 minutes and 57 seconds, crushing not only the EV record (8 minutes and 57 seconds) but the overall record (just over 8 minutes and 13 seconds in the Unlimited class). It managed that with an average speed of 90.5MPH, clearly trouncing the 83.5MPH of its closest competitor, a Norma M20 SF PKP.
Tesla will charge for 'premium' internet on new cars starting July 1st
Ever since Tesla started offering cellular data access in its cars, there's been the implication that it would eventually charge for service. In 2014, it indicated that would start charging in 2018. Four years later, that moment is at hand... although it's not playing out as you'd expect. Electrek has obtained a sales team email indicating that Tesla is launching a paid Premium Connectivity package for cars ordered on or after July 1st. There will still be no-extra-charge (Standard Connectivity) cell access, according to the email -- you'll just have to pay to get features that current owners take for granted.
Tesla's Model 3 catches up on Autopilot and WiFi features
Tesla is still rushing to give the Model 3 some of the features you might take for granted in its EV stablemates. As part of a broader update across the lineup (including increased Autopilot nagging), Model 3 units now support a few key features, most notably Summon -- that is, the ability to move the car into and out of a parking space using either Tesla's phone app or the key. It's been something of a given for Model S and X drivers, but it'll definitely be appreciated if you'd rather not contort yourself to enter the 3 in a small garage.
Tesla built Model 3 assembly 'tents' to meet production goals
Remember how Elon Musk casually mentioned that Tesla had built a new assembly line in just three weeks to help it meet its lofty Model 3 production goals? It was more audacious than you might have thought. A combination of follow-up tweets from Musk, first-hand observations and Fremont's own approval process has made clear that Tesla built new manufacturing inside a group of several giant tents (or rather, tent-like Sprung structures) to boost output of its high-volume EV. If you think that sounds audacious, you'd be right. Ars Technica learned that each 'tent' is 150 feet long and 53 feet high, and there's no known instance of other car manufacturers doing this before.
Uber will pay drivers in some cities to use electric cars
Uber would like its drivers to go electric, but it knows that practical realities like high prices and hours of charging time make that difficult. Its solution? Give those drivers a helping hand. It's launching an EV Champions pilot program in seven cities (Austin, Los Angeles, Montreal, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle) that includes "direct monetary incentives" to drive EVs in some cities, including the existing testing ground of Pittsburgh. Local utilities are sometimes fronting part of the cost.
Elon Musk says Tesla employee committed 'sabotage'
Tesla may have more trouble on its hands than layoffs and production challenges. Reuters said it had obtained a company-wide email from Elon Musk stating that an unnamed employee had conducted "extensive and damaging sabotage." The staffer reportedly altered code in a company operating system and, more worryingly, had shared "large amounts" of sensitive info to unknown outsiders. There was no word on whether or not this alleged saboteur was working with another outfit or was going rogue.
Tesla is now making 3,500 Model 3 cars per week
Tesla has been scrambling to make its goal of producing 5,000 Model 3 cars per week by July, and it appears to be making good progress... although it also has a long way to go. Electrek has obtained a company-wide email from Elon Musk indicating that Tesla is now reliably producing "above 500" vehicles per day, or about 3,500 per week. Some portions of the line are "almost at 700" per day, he added. In a tweet, Musk also noted that Tesla had assembled its first performance-oriented dual motor model.
Byton's second EV is an autonomous sedan due in 2021
Byton has yet to deliver a single vehicle, but that isn't stopping it from promising more electric cars. As teased in April, the fledgling automaker has unveiled its second EV, the K-Byte Concept sedan. It shares the same platform as the SUV we saw at CES (now called the M-Byte Concept) and, to no one's surprise, is designed with autonomous driving in mind. It'll include a retractable LiDAR system that kicks in during full self-driving scenarios and retracts when space is at a priority, such as when you're parking. The company is aiming for Level 4 autonomy where it can drive all by itself without human input, but only in specific situations.
Mercedes-Benz flaunts its all-electric compact EQA concept
Mercedes has showed off footage of its prototype EQA, the compact EV that's part of its next-generation of EQ electric cars. It first unveiled the A-Class-sized electric car at the Frankfurt Auto Show last year, but it now apparently has a working prototype. It's expected to have a 60 kWh battery pack that will yield a 200 to 250 mile range, and electric drivetrain that will propel it from 0 to 60 mph in around five seconds. A DC quick-charging system will allow you to add 60 miles or so of range in just ten minutes.
Tesla opens its 10,000th Supercharger
Tesla's Supercharger network has come a long, long way since it was available in a handful of California towns in late 2012. The automaker has opened its 10,000th Supercharger in Belleville, Ontario, Canada as part of a rapid expansion that (as of late May) included roughly 1,000 chargers either in construction or at the permit phase. For context, it took roughly a year and a half for Tesla just to have enough EV charging stations for one coast-to-coast route in the US -- now, Superchargers blanket North America as well as significant stretches of Asia, Australia, Europe and the Middle East.
Tesla Roadster may offer SpaceX package with actual rockets
Yes, you read that correctly. Elon Musk has followed up on remarks from Tesla's annual shareholder meeting (not to mention more cryptic hints in November) with a statement that the new Roadster's previously mentioned "SpaceX option package" will include 10 small rocket thrusters strung around the car. Reportedly, the kit would "dramatically improve" acceleration, braking, cornering and everything in between. It sounds ridiculous, but this isn't the most outlandish thing Musk has talked about in recent months. We wouldn't absolutely count on it, but we wouldn't bet against it, either.
Tesla Roadster's 'Augmented Mode' will boost your driving ability
Tesla's current semi-autonomous technology helps reduce your driving involvement. Its next big move, however, could encourage you to take a more hands-on approach. Elon Musk has revealed that the new Roadster will include an "Augmented Mode" that promises to "massively enhance" your driving ability -- he likened it to Tony Stark's Iron Man suit. Just how it would work is unsurprisingly a mystery (the car isn't even slated to arrive until 2020), but it's implied that this will give you a helping hand when you're driving near the car's performance limits.
Kia Niro EV comes to Korea with 236-mile range
Kia is done teasing the all-electric version of its Niro crossover. The automaker has formally unveiled the production Niro EV, and it largely lines up with what you'd expect... although that's mostly a good thing. The finished design is now known to include a 204HP motor (similar to that in the electric Kona) and options for either a modest 39.2kWh battery good for 149 miles of range or a 64kWh pack capable of 236 miles. None of those figures are spectacular, but they promise a vehicle that's genuinely usable for everyday people-hauling while offering a significant amount of pep -- it can hit 62MPH in 7.8 seconds, and the floor-mounted battery gives it a low center of gravity you might not expect in a crossover.
Fiat Chrysler will launch over 30 EVs and hybrids by 2022
Fiat Chrysler isn't exactly the first name that comes to mind when you think of electric cars. Where Ford, Volkswagen and other brands are basing their long-term roadmaps around EVs, Fiat Chrysler has been hesitant to make more than the occasional hybrid. Now, though, it's ready to make up for lost time... if only just. As part of a five-year plan, the company has announced that it will launch over 30 vehicles with some kind of electrification by 2022, whether it's a full EV, a plug-in hybrid or a conventional hybrid. To that end, it's investing €9 billion ($10.5 billion) into the development of these greener machines.
Tesla Model S in Autopilot collides with police SUV
A Model S driver in Laguna Beach has crashed into a parked (and thankfully unoccupied) police SUV while her EV's Autopilot was reportedly engaged, sustaining minor injuries in the process. It's not yet known what the driver was doing at the time of the collision, but the incident is once again raising questions about Tesla's role in educating drivers about its semi-autonomous feature.
