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Tesla Model X: The official SUV of the future
My eyeballs feel weird. It's the fault of Tesla's Ludicrous mode. With the feature enabled the Model X P90D is the world's fastest SUV -- launching from zero to 60 in 3.2 seconds. Sure that jolt of acceleration will fling you back into your seat, but what I wasn't prepared for was how the g-forces affected my eyes as the acceleration seemingly pushed my corneas into my skull. Like the car itself, it was at first unsettling, but once that feeling passed, it was a hell of a ride. Even with those ostentatious Falcon Wing doors.
Tesla ramps up production to meet aggressive delivery goals
In Tesla's second quarter earnings release (PDF), the company announced it had completed the design phase on the long-awaited Model 3 while also missing the mark on delivery numbers for current production models. Although CFO Jason Wheeler said on an accompanying conference call that Tesla is "clearly disappointed" about those deliveries, CEO Elon Musk was characteristically upbeat when talking about the future of his company as it launches part two of its Master Plan.
Tesla's plan for world domination, and more in the week that was
Tesla is known for producing some of the world's best electric cars, but founder Elon Musk has even bigger plans for the company: world domination. Musk's new masterplan will grow the company to produce trucks and buses while using battery technology and solar infrastructure to transition the world away from fossil fuels. Meanwhile, the world's first "Tesla Town" is coming to Australia, and every home in it will feature solar panels and a powerwall. Driverless cars are almost here: This week Mercedes-Benz unveiled the fully autonomous bus of the future, while a GM exec confirmed plans to launch a self-driving Chevy Bolt EV with Lyft. And we spotted a crazy truck that's able to lay its own road across treacherous terrain in just six minutes.
Elon Musk: Autopilot was turned off in PA Model X rollover
The driver who crashed his Model X on the Pennsylvania Turnpike earlier this month blamed Tesla's Autopilot for his accident. But according to Elon Musk, onboard vehicle logs showed the car's semi-autonomous mode was switched off when the incident happened. Tesla's CEO revealed that info on Twitter, adding that if Autopilot was on, the accident wouldn't even have occurred.
Tesla unveils its less pricey crossover Model X 60D
While much pricier than its upcoming $35,000 Model 3 sedans, Tesla's Model X crossovers fit the bill for electric car enthusiasts that need a little more space. That dream is a little easier to achieve with the new $74,000 Model X 60D, which doesn't go quite as far as the old baseline X 75D but costs $9,000 less.
Tesla's Autopilot blamed for a Model X crash
Tesla's semi-autonomous Autopilot mode is coming under fire for the second time in as many weeks. Art dealer Albert Scaglione claims that the feature was responsible for a crash that rolled his Model X on the Pennsylvania Turnpike on July 1st. According to the police report, the electric SUV smacked into a guard rail and hit the median before landing on its roof. Both Scaglione and his passenger (his son-in-law) thankfully survived.
Tesla will make as many EVs in 6 months as it did in all of 2015
Tesla isn't waiting for the Model 3 (or the Gigafactory) to be ready before it kicks its production into overdrive. The electric car pioneer now expects to build and deliver over 50,000 vehicles in the second half of 2016 -- that's as many as it built in all of 2015. It hopes to make 2,400 EVs per week by the end of the year, which is no mean feat when it made just under 2,000 a week in the spring. You can pin a lot of this on an "extreme" boost to production in the second quarter, where nearly half of the cars were made in the last month.
Tesla will soon sell EVs at a Nordstrom store in LA
Tesla is about to start selling cars at a Los Angeles outlet of the upscale fashion retailer Nordstrom, according to Fast Company. It will display its Model X SUV inside the tiny, 400 square foot store at The Grove mall starting June 18th, and allow prospects to take test drives with on-site Tesla employees. The company doesn't yet have a sale license for the location, so if a prospect wants to buy on the spot, they'll have call a salesperson at a Tesla dealership or place the order online.
Tesla update helps users avoid self-parking mistakes
Tesla has issued an update for the "Summon" mode on its Model X and Model S vehicles, according to a Reddit user. The feature instructs your vehicle to autonomously park or come to you like Kitt from Knight Rider (though only at one mph for 33 feet). You now must confirm the vehicle's travel direction on the touchscreen, which should make users think twice about what's around them. The fix may be a response to a Utah user whose Model S rolled into the back of a trailer in "Summon" mode.
Tesla puts its extreme air pollution filter to the test
When Tesla revealed that the Model X (and eventually, the Model S) would have a HEPA filter so effective that it could protect against bioweapons, people were understandably skeptical. Can it really save you from terrorists? Apparently, it just might. Tesla has revealed some of the in-house testing it conducted for the filter's Bioweapon Defense Mode, and its ability to clean the air borders on overkill. The electric car maker put a Model X into a bubble with extremely dangerous air quality levels (83 times dirtier than the EPA's "good" rating) and watched as the filtration system rendered the air so clean that sensors couldn't even detect what pollution was left. You could drive through a "military grade" attack and not even notice, Tesla claims.
Tesla recalls the Model X over rear seat safety
The Model X may be a groundbreaker in the electric vehicle world, but it also appears to be a bit rough around the edges in its initial form. Tesla has issued a recall for the SUV after discovering a flaw in the locking hinge for the recliner in the third row of seats. There's a chance that the hinge will fail on models built before March 26th, sending the seat back flying forward. That's not exactly what you want during a crash, to put it mildly. There aren't any reported incidents, but Tesla would rather not wait to get things sorted out.
Tesla will let you spec out a Model X starting Monday
Sure, all of the excitement is around Tesla's $35k+ Model 3, but what about the Model X SUV? It's slowly starting to hit the road, and CEO Elon Musk claimed (in a since deleted tweet) that the SUV's configurator will open to all on Monday.
Tesla Model X P90D first drive
Driving a Tesla - driving any EV, really - is an experience. If you've never done it before, the first time is a revelation. I'm lucky enough to be able to say that my first time in an EV was at the Tesla Roadster launch event in 2006. During my first time behind the wheel of an EV, again in a Roadster, this time a few years later, I couldn't believe how easy it was to just will the car go where you wanted it to. Instant torque is real, people, and it'll change your life.
Tesla wants a factory in China, and fast
Ahead of his participation in a Hong Kong technology forum tomorrow, the ever so busy Elon Musk has managed to take some time out to give us an update on how Tesla's doing in Greater China. Without revealing specific sales figures, the CEO told Engadget that his company is now "doing reasonably well" in Mainland China despite the earlier hiccup, and he aims to lock down manufacturing plans -- finding a local partner and a location for the plant -- for the local market by middle of this year. As with most other foreign auto makers who do business in China, this key strategy is to waive the high import duties charged by the local government, as well as to access other local incentives for EVs. Until then, Musk said there's no further news to share on that end.
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.
Tesla Model Xmas show is cooler than your house's lights
Currently there are only a handful of owners of the Tesla Model X. But by this time next year, expect everyone with the electric SUV to show off the vehicle's elaborate holiday light show complete with flashing lights and opening doors.
Tesla's cheapest Model X is priced at $80,000
If you don't mind waiting on delivery, the Tesla Model X is now on sale to the public. Like the Model S before it, there's three different versions to choose, but the 70D starts at $80,000 -- before incentives like federal (and possibly state) tax credits. The 70D has an estimated range of 220 miles and a top speed of 140 mph, while the 90D runs to 257 miles, with a 155-mph top speed. The P90D (the first Model X that'll arrive in early 2016), reduces the range to 250 miles, but will hit 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds (or 3.2 if you're feeling Ludicrous). While we don't have the pricing on all the models, Tesla has shared some of the configuration prices. They're all outlined after the break, but regardless of you make it your own, expect the cheaper 90D and 70D models to land mid- and late 2016.
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.
Here's how to watch Tesla's Model X launch event
After dealing with many production delays over the past couple of years, Tesla's finally ready to launch the Model X, its highly anticipated crossover. Later this evening, the company will hold an event at a factory in Fremont, California, where it is expected to make the latest member of the Tesla family official. Yes, there's a lot we know about this electric vehicle already, but tonight we'll likely learn details that were previously unknown -- such as availability and how far it can go on a charge. The announcement is set for 8PM PT/11PM ET, and you can watch it live on Tesla's website.
After Math: The price of doing business
This week on the After Math, we're all about the benjamins. Between four major corporations shelling out $413 million over an employee anti-poaching scheme, the feds spending $133 million to protect victims of the OPM breach and the new cost of Hulu doing what every other streaming service on the market already does, there's a whole bunch of money changing hands.
