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Tesla Autopilot now detects speed limit signs
Tesla is rolling out an Autopilot update that detects speed limit signs and alerts you when traffic lights turn green.
Tesla's 'full self-driving' feature is coming in subscription form
During its Q1 2020 earnings on Wednesday, Tesla revealed that the "Full Self-Driving" system will be available as a monthly subscription later this year.
Tesla may call Fremont factory staff back to work this week
Tesla is calling workers back to its Fremont plant as soon as April 29th despite stay-home orders lasting until May 3rd.
Tesla Powerwall knows when to stop charging your EV during power outages
An update to Tesla's Powerwall will slow or even stop charging your EV to keep your house running during a power outage.
Tesla Model S range edges closer to 400 miles
When Elon Musk said the Tesla Model S was close to achieving 400 miles on a charge, he wasn't kidding. Tesla has updated the electric luxury sedan's stats once again to give it an EPA estimated range of 390 miles (previously 373 miles) in Long Range Plus trim. You could theoretically drive from New York City to Pittsburgh with enough battery life left to go on a brief tour. The Model X, meanwhile, is now estimated to drive 351 miles on a charge instead of the earlier 328 miles.
Tesla recalls some Model X SUVs for corroded power steering bolts
Tesla has started recalling some older Model X SUVs to avoid a potential safety issue down the road, according to Roadshow. In an email to Model X owners, the automaker says it recently noticed road salt can cause "excessive corrosion" to the car's power steering bolts.
Driver in fatal Tesla crash had reported problems with Autopilot
The Apple engineer killed in the fatal Tesla crash in Mountain View, California, in March 2018 had reported problems with the Autopilot driver-assistance system, Reuters says. On prior trips, the driver, Walter Huang aka Wei Lun Huang, reported that the car steered away from the highway, according to National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) documents shared Tuesday.
Senator calls on Tesla to make Autopilot safety changes
Tesla's Autopilot driving assist technology has come under fire over safety concerns, and now a US politician wants changes to put drivers' minds at ease. Senator Ed Markey has issued recommendations for Autopilot changes after Tesla both answered questions about the semi-autonomous system and met with him. For one, Markey agrees with those who want Tesla to change Autopilot's name -- he believes the company should "rebrand and remarket" the tech to make clear that it's not a full self-driving system and "cannot replace" human drivers.
Tesla update leaks some upcoming changes for Model S, Model X
Whether it's Fortnite, the latest Google Maps app or a firmware update for your Tesla Model X, reverse-engineering software to find features that are included but not-yet-enabled is a common hobby for the impatient hackers among us. Today the first new update of 2020 started rolling to Teslas, and researcher Greentheonly dug into it to see what might be next. According to him, updates that should coming soon for the Model S and Model X could include a built-in wireless Qi charger, a new charge port type, new suspension version and new seats.
Tesla says unintended acceleration claims are 'completely false'
Tesla just rejected any notion that its cars are prone to unintended acceleration. In a blog post, the EV maker claimed that a petition describing unexpected acceleration was "completely false" and the product of a "Tesla short-seller" hoping to make a quick buck. Every case where Tesla had a car's data showed that the car worked as intended, the company said. Moreover, Tesla claimed that its system was designed to avoid these problems. All it models have two pedal position sensors, and "any error" defaults to shutting off motor torque. It even uses the Autopilot sensors to catch potential pedal misuse and cut torque to prevent accidents.
Tesla cars will soon talk to pedestrians
If you're a Tesla owner, you might not have to open a window to let your intentions be known to passers-by. Elon Musk has teased plans to let Tesla cars "talk" to pedestrians through external speakers (presumably the ones added to comply with sound requirements in the EU and US). He didn't outline how it would work, but the feature appears to at least support canned clips -- Musk even hinted that you'll get to "fart in their general direction" Monty Python-style.
Tesla's car shipments grew by 50 percent last year
Tesla ended 2019 on a high note. According to the company, it delivered 367,500 vehicles in 2019. That's more cars than it delivered in the past two years combined, The Verge notes.
Tesla puts a music-making app in your EV
Never mind kicking back with some TV shows while you're waiting in your EV -- if Tesla has its way, you'll be creative during your downtime. YouTuber Oliver Ryan and others have discovered that Tesla's recently released holiday update includes a Trax app for creating your own tunes. It's not sophisticated, as you might imagine (it makes GarageBand look like a professional tool), but it does let you produce multi-track, keyboard-based compositions that include familiar instruments like Roland's TR-808 drum machine.
Musk: Holiday Tesla update adds 'Stardew Valley,' self-driving preview
It's been a few months since Tesla's 10.0 update brought Cuphead, Netflix and YouTube to some of its in-car systems, and it appears more options are around the corner. Elon Musk tweeted tonight that a "holiday" update will add farming RPG Stardew Valley as a playable game, and include a Full Self-Driving "sneak preview," as well as other things. Late last year, Tesla expanded testing of full autonomous features among employees, and Musk has continued to promise it will arrive for the customers who've ordered it on their existing cars to go well beyond the capabilities of its current Autopilot driver assist. We've seen a lot of clips of the carmaker's sedans and SUVs roaming the roads without human input over the years, but if the beta expands beyond employees then such sights could become more common. Earlier this year Musk said Teslas would be capable of self-driving by the end of 2019 before robo-taxi Teslas are a thing in 2020, and there's not much time left to get that done. Update: And if you'd like to know when it will arrive, in a subsequent tweet, Musk told a Tesla fan it "Needs a few more days of validation, then early access, then wide release."
Tesla will start charging $10 per month for 'Premium' in-car data
Tesla wasn't entirely accurate when it said it would start charging for some in-car data on July 1st of last year, but it looks like owners have finally been asked to cough up. The automaker is notifying customers who ordered on or after July 1st, 2018 that it's switching them to 30-day trials of Premium Connectivity (i.e. the full data services they're used to), and that they'll have to subscribe for $10 per month to keep using the functionality. Anyone who ordered before July 1st, 2018 still has access to all features for free.
Tesla Model X and Porsche Taycan score 5-star rating in EU safety test
If safety ratings are a major criteria for you when it comes to choosing a car, your best bet is probably an EV. Tesla's Model X has just received a 5-star safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), building on its existing credentials from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Porsche Taycan -- one of Tesla's biggest rival models -- also achieved a five-star rating.
Tesla Autopilot now recognizes traffic cones
Tesla's Autopilot has been adept at recognizing other cars on the road, but those aren't the only things you have to worry about on the road -- what about the traffic cones that wall you off from roadwork? You can relax after today... well, for the most part. Tesla is quietly rolling out an Autopilot update that lets its electric cars detect and display pylons on the road. If you're using Navigate on Autopilot, your EV will even plan lane changes to avoid cones so that you don't have to take control around construction work.
Tesla update gives EVs more power and 'automatic' navigation
Tesla's latest earnings call hinted at an update that would boost its electric cars' performance, and now that update appears to be rolling out -- with a few extras in store. Drivers receiving the upgrade get up to five percent more power thanks to optimized motor control, giving them better acceleration and overall performance. Elon Musk had also mentioned improvements to range and charging speeds during the call, so expect to drive a little farther from now on.
Consumer Reports finds Tesla's Smart Summon 'glitchy'
Consumer Reports and Tesla have had a rocky relationship over the years, and it doesn't look like they're about to patch things up any time soon. CR has declared Tesla's Smart Summon feature "glitchy" after several days of testing both at its own facility and in parking lots. The drive-to-you feature only works "intermittently," the publication said, sometimes confusing a parking lot for a public road and shutting off. And while Smart Summon appears to drive the car at cautious speeds, it also wanders "like a drunken or distracted driver" and sometimes veers into the opposite lane.
NHTSA reviews claims Tesla should have recalled 2,000 cars
Tesla's software updates normally bring a host of improvements, but some owners are less than thrilled with the implications for their cars' performance and safety. The NHTSA is reviewing a petition asserting that Tesla should have recalled 2,000 Model S and Model X units after a battery safety update arrived in May. The automaker allegedly knew the cars' batteries were defective and decided that it would rather push an update that reduced range, performance and charging speed than replace batteries under warranty.
