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Tesla's Model S now drives up to meet you
When Tesla first unveiled its semi-autonomous driving upgrades for the Model S, it made much ado over the ability to summon your car -- you wouldn't have to go into the garage (or walk across a large parking space) just to get moving. Well, that option is finally here. The newly available 7.1 update adds a Summon feature to the Autopilot that has the EV drive itself to meet you, or park in typical spaces. It'll even open and close your HomeLink-compatible garage door. You have to be within 39 feet of your target for this to work (it won't fetch your car from the back of the company parking lot), but you may never have to grapple with narrow parking spaces again.
Tesla Model S deliveries soared at the end of 2015
If cautious trade magazines and long-term reliability reports spooked any would-be Tesla Model S buyers, you wouldn't know it from the delivery numbers. The automaker says that it delivered 17,192 units of the electric sedan in the fourth quarter of 2015, easily setting a delivery record -- that's 48 percent more than its previous best (the third quarter), and 75 percent more than what it managed last year. Tesla shipped a total of 50,580 EVs last year, which is behind its original goal (roughly 53,000) but better than some analysts expected.
Those early Teslas might not be too reliable
A survey of 327 Tesla owners conducted by Plug In America has revealed that there may be a serious issue with the drivetrain on the 2012 and 2013 Model S. As reported by Green Car Reports, the component is likely to conk out after just 60,000 miles, forcing drivers to go back to the firm for a replacement. The Model S was first produced in 2012, so it's only at this point that people have been using it long enough to test its durability after a sustained period of use. It's not the first time that questions have been raised either, since Consumer Reports dropped its recommendation for the ride back in October.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Tesla Model S recall, and more!
When a problem comes along, you must fix it. This week Tesla noticed a defective seatbelt in one of its Model S sedans, so the automaker immediately issued a recall for all 90,000 vehicles on the road out of "an abundance of caution." In other transportation news, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin beat out Elon Musk's SpaceX in the race to develop a rocket that can return intact from space. Porsche announced plans to offer a hybrid version of one of the most-loved sports cars of all time. We also spotted several outlandish infrastructural hazards: a three-day traffic jam snared drivers in Kenya and a highway suddenly lifted towards the sky and splintered into pieces in California.
Tesla recalls 90,000 Model S sedans to check possible seatbelt defect
Due to a possible defect in the front seatbelt assembly, Tesla issued a voluntary recall for the 90,000 of its Model S electric sedans currently on the road. The company added that the cost of recalling so many vehicles is "immaterial" as it checks to ensure the restraints are safe. First revealed back in 2012, the Model S is no stranger to safety issues, including a number of fires, all of which Tesla has been quick to respond to. The potential problem with the seatbelts was first reported to the company earlier this month when a customer in Europe turned to speak with back-seat passengers and the assembly broke.
Tesla will put more limits on Autopilot to discourage stunts
Tesla introduced Autopilot features to the Model S for the sake of convenience, but some drivers have been using it as a chance to goof off. They've invoked the semi-autonomous mode while speeding, or even while they're sitting in the back seat. Understandably, Tesla isn't happy with these stunts -- and it's getting ready to clamp down. The company's Elon Musk has revealed that Autopilot will get "additional constraints" so that owners can't abuse it. There's no mention of what those features will entail or when you'll see them, but it'd be reasonable to expect speed limits and occupancy checks.
Tesla's Autopilot approved for international use
At the launch of its latest Autopilot features, Tesla CEO Elon Musk noted that it would roll out the new vehicle capabilities to nations outside the United States once it got regulatory approval. Today Musk tweeted that the company has gotten approval from all those countries (except Japan). Now Tesla owners around the world can enjoy the slightly unnerving feeling of letting their Model S drive itself on the highway. Musk also announced that Autopilot 1.01 would be coming soon with improved fleet learning, better lane tracking on poor roads, curved speed adoption and controller smoothness.
Elon Musk responds to Consumer Reports' Tesla Model S downgrade
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk is good at looking on the bright side of things, from space travel to clean energy and even people getting fired. After Consumer Reports revoked its "recommended" rating for the Tesla Model S this week, noting a "worse-than-average overall problem rate," Musk went on the optimistic offensive in a few tweets. Musk noted that the Consumer Reports reliability survey included "a lot of early production cars" with issues that have been fixed in newer models. He added, "97% of owners expect their next car to be a Tesla (the acid test)."
Tesla's first Model X electric SUVs sell for $132k
Now that Tesla's Model S has the world warmed up to the idea of classy-looking electric cars, it's ready to do it all again with a different form factor. After delays (and more delays), CEO Elon Musk announced the Model X in full specific detail -- much to the delight to those that put down some heavy deposits years back. A cheat sheet for what you'll get for waiting? Falcon wing doors to access the back; a scooch slower than the Model S; but also a taller and bigger interior than its forebear. It'll initially come in two models (at two prices): Reuters reports prices as $132,000 for the P90D Signature and $142,000 for the P90D Founder edition. (Update: The company has not said when the cheaper versions of the X will be available, but the CEO told press that the models will cost roughly $5,000 more than a comparable Model S).The future isn't cheap, but let's take a look at what alleged time-traveler Musk has crammed underneath those falcon wings.
Watch Tesla's super-fast Model S modes square off in a drag race
When Tesla introduced its extra-fast Ludicrous Mode for the Model S, it also raised a big question: is that acceleration advantage over the already-quick Insane Mode actually meaningful? Thankfully, some owners were willing to find out. DragTimes has posted a drag race between a Model S P85D (using Insane Mode) and a P90D (using Ludicrous) to see how much that added performance really matters. And the answer is "quite a lot" -- as you'll see in the clip below, the P90D pulls ahead quickly and leaves the P85D firmly in the dust. Who'd have thought that the P85D would suddenly seem pokey? You'd expect this kind of lead when it costs at least $5,000 extra to get the Ludicrous setting, but it's still good to have evidence that you're getting more than just a spec bump.
Tesla starts testing its autopilot features with Model S drivers
As promised, Tesla's latest autopilot features are out in the wild. A handful of Model S drivers are now testing the electric car's upcoming semi-autonomous tech, including highway autosteer (which tackles lanes, passing and vehicle distance) and automatic parallel parking. Ideally, these vehicular pioneers will find the last remaining quirks in both the autopilot's behavior and its interface -- those edge cases that tend to creep up only in the real world.
Tesla is putting chargers in garages around Manhattan
Drivers commuting into Manhattan will soon have more options for charging up their Model S. Tesla plans to put charging units in two dozen garages around the borough through an upcoming partnership. The units will offer quicker 240-volt charging, besting the speeds of regular ol' household outlet. Of course, scattering the stations around Manhattan also means the stress of pre-planning the route home is reduced a bit. The list of participating garages includes the parking decks at hotels like the Waldorf Astoria, too. This latest effort follows the installation of charging stations along major highways as part of Tesla's plan to offer more places for drivers to replenish those batteries and cure the so-called range anxiety. "We wanted to move to an urban charging network that meets the needs of those who live in apartments or commute into a big city," Tesla's Alexis Georgeson told The New York Times. "Naturally, Manhattan was the place to try this for the first time." [Image credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images]
Tesla's prehensile car charger plugs itself in automatically
Keep your flying cars and robot maids, we are already living in Elon Musk's future. Tesla officially unveiled its automatic charging system today and whaaaaa? When Musk first announced its development last December, he compared it to a "solid metal snake" and he was not lying. In the video below you can see the charger bend and flex like one of Doc Oc's appendages as it pokes around the backside of a Model S before inserting a nozzle on its tip into the vehicle's charging port.
Tesla's Model S hack still proves it's better than other car makers
In the run up to this year's DEF CON, major car hacks seem to be a recurring theme. A few weeks ago we saw how hackers were able to remotely take control and shut down Chrysler vehicles -- now Tesla's Model S is the latest target. Researchers have figured out a way to digitally "hot wire" a Model S, Wired reports. They can also plant a Trojan that allows them to remotely control the car, including shutting it down. It's a sign that even the most technologically advanced car in the world will never be fully safe from security vulnerabilities. But while Chrysler had to issue a "voluntary safety recall" (in the form of a software update on a USB stick) for 1.4 million affected vehicles, Tesla has already sent out a fix to all Model S owners with an over-the-air update. Look at it this way: In one day every Model S owner is protected against these hacks, whereas it'll take much longer for the majority of Chrysler owners to get their patch (and there's a good chance it'll never reach them all).
Tesla's autopilot mode will get two awesome new features
Last fall, Tesla introduced an optional, semiautonomous "autopilot" mode on its Model S. Equipped with ultrasonic radar, the system can sense and avoid obstacles, other vehicles and even pedestrians. Hell, the thing even changes lanes for you with the flip of a turn signal. On Friday, Elon Musk revealed two new features that will do even more of the driving for you: highway autosteer and parallel autopark.
Tesla Model S drivers rack up over 1 billion miles
Apparently, Tesla Model S owners like to hit the road quite often. The electric car maker has revealed that Model S drivers have collectively notched up more than 1 billion miles, or enough usage to prevent over 570,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the EV's three-year history. Is this marketing hype? Absolutely -- we're sure that conventional car brands wouldn't even blink at that milestone. However, it's evidence that Tesla is growing up as a company. It's an established (if small) presence in an industry where electric cars still tend to be treated as side projects, rather than the main attraction.
Experiment charges your Tesla with footsteps
Eventually, you might not have to find a charging station when you park your electric car downtown -- pedestrians could do the work instead. Pavegen has teamed up with Tesla to show off an experimental charger that tops up your EV through kinetic energy from footsteps. You'd need "several hundred thousand" steps just to drive a Model S for 20 minutes in a downtown area, the company tells PSFK, so you won't power your vehicle just by running in place. However, this isn't as daunting a challenge as it sounds. Many urban hubs are chock-full of foot traffic, and a sufficiently long stretch of sidewalk could speed up the charging time. It'll be a long while before you see this in action. Pavegen is crowdfunding the technology, and it'll depend on adoption from cities and corporate offices after that. If all goes well, though, people power might be all you need to complete your commute home.
Tesla won't build more battery swap stations
If you've ever taken your Tesla to a battery swap station then, according to Elon Musk, you're in a minority. At the company's shareholders meeting, the CEO revealed that the uptake on the service has been miniscule. Musk said that, by this point, every Model S owner in California had been invited to book an appointment, but only a handful took them up on the offer. As such, it's highly unlikely that the company will persist with the plans, instead focusing its time, money and resources on building out its popular supercharger network.
Hornby's KitStarter lets fans crowdfund vintage model sets
Hornby, a British company that makes detailed model trains, plastic build-it-yourself toolkits and die-cast collectibles, wants to bring back some of its classic sets. To do so, it's launching a Kickstarter-style site called KitStarter that lets Airfix fans pledge their interest for old and out of production models. Once a set receives enough support from backers, Hornby will trigger a two-week "last orders" period and then put the kit back into limited production. To begin with, the company is starting small with two bird-themed kits -- Bluetits and Bullfinches -- that were originally produced in the 1970s. Hornby plans to add new vintage sets over time and is encouraging fans to submit their most-wanted recommendations in the forums. So if you've ever regretted not completing a particular Airfix collection, this could be your opportunity to finally pick up some missing sets.
Tesla loses its shot at direct car sales in Texas
If you want to buy a Model S in Texas, you're going to have to jump through some hoops for at least the next couple of years. Bills that would let Tesla sell cars directly to customers aren't going to get a vote before the state's legislative session wraps up on June 1st, leaving the electric vehicle maker high and dry until the next session kicks off in 2017. This doesn't mean that you're completely out of luck if you want Tesla-made transportation in Austin (see above for proof), but you can't simply pick one up.
