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Tesla denies exaggerating Model 3 production prowess
Tesla has asked a federal court in San Francisco to dismiss a securities fraud lawsuit filed by shareholders, which accuses the automaker of lying about its ability to mass produce the Model 3 sedan. The lawsuit, filed in October, alleges that Tesla released false statements when it announced that the vehicle's production was on track in May and August last year. Its says those statements and the lack of disclosure that Tesla was "woefully unprepared" to mass produce the vehicle misled investors into snapping up "artificially inflated" shares. In a court filing asking for the dismissal, Tesla has denied that it intended to mislead anyone and said that it used frank and plain language to discuss the production nightmare it went through.
Tesla may reveal the Model Y this year... maybe
Elon Musk can't stop shooting from the hip on Twitter. Last night, the Tesla chief said he might reveal the mysterious Model Y SUV on March 15th, 2019, "because the Ides of March sounded good." He then clarified that the unveiling could take place sometime between the end of 2018 and the middle of 2019. Maybe. Possibly.
Elon Musk needs to chill out
Remember when an Uber executive said some crazy shit at a dinner party about tracking and digging up dirt on journalists? Yeah, that was a stupid thing to do. Now Tesla CEO Elon Musk is walking down that same path. Except he didn't say it at a private shindig where he thought the world wasn't listening. It's on Twitter and it's ridiculous, dangerous -- and shouldn't he be building cars right now?
Consumer Reports will give Tesla’s Model 3 another shot after brake fix
After Consumer Reports once again slammed a Tesla vehicle -- this time, the automaker's eagerly-anticipated Model 3 -- the publication said it will retest the car following a software update. The car company's CEO Elon Musk promised a firmware revision will come in the next few days to address one of Consumer Reports' biggest sticking points: The car braked far more slowly than competitors, taking even longer to come to a complete stop than a Ford pickup truck.
Tesla's promised $35,000 Model 3 is still a long way off
When Tesla first unveiled the Model 3, it pitched it as an EV for the masses that would have a reasonable $35,000 price. Ten months after the first deliveries, however, the cheapest version costs $49,000, and Tesla just announced a hot rod AWD Model 3 that will cost $78,000 -- more than the Model S 75D. That situation isn't going to change anytime soon, either -- CEO Elon Musk recently tweeted that the $35,000 Model 3 now won't ship until three to six months after Tesla achieves its 5,000 vehicle-per-week production goal.
Tesla and Consumer Reports continue feud following Model 3 review
Tesla and Consumer Reports have a sordid history of squabbling over car reviews, and that's not about to stop just because the Model 3 is on the road. CR has stopped short of recommending the Model 3 following a handful of complaints, most notably braking. The publication found that the EV only came close to Tesla's estimated 60-to-0MPH braking distance (about 133 feet) once -- it more typically stopped in 152 feet, which was "far worse" than other modern cars and 7 feet further than a giant Ford F-150. This happened with a privately owned second tester, so it couldn't be chalked up to a fluke.
Tesla's performance Model 3 delivers 3.5 second 0-60 for $78,000
Tesla is almost ready to start shipping Model 3s equipped with an AWD dual-motor option, so CEO Elon Musk announced specs and pricing for the new options on Twitter. The Performance trim Model 3 will sit at the top of the line, with 20-inch wheels, carbon fiber spoiler, black and white interior and specially-selected dual-motor setup available for $78,000 (adding AutoPilot costs extra). Musk said that its cost is "about" the same as BMW's M3 (a base model starts at $66,500), but it's supposedly quicker by 15 percent (3.5 seconds 0-60, 155 MPH top speed, 310 miles of range) and handles well enough to fulfill a promise it will "beat anything in its class on the track." If you're not looking for all of the upgrades, simply adding a second motor for all-wheel-drive (and extra reliability -- Musk said either one can drive the car if the other breaks) is an option that costs an extra $5,000, just like it used to on the Model S. Compared to the standard sedan's 0-60 time of 5.1 - 5.6 seconds and 130 MPH top speed, this one can do it in 4.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 140 MPH.
Tesla starts delivering Model 3 cars outside the US
Tesla is still struggling to produce the Model 3, but there are signs that it's improving. The EV brand has delivered its first Model 3 outside of the US, handing the keys (or rather, keycard) to a driver from Kingston, Ontario, Canada. There had been hints this was coming in March, when Tesla sent purchase invitations to pre-order customers, but it wasn't exactly clear when the Model 3 would arrive in the country.
Tesla engineering lead takes break amid Model 3 production issues
Tesla is facing a tough time: it's racing to improve production of the Model 3 not just to catch up on its backlog, but to avoid serious damage to its bottom line. It's slightly unusual, then, that one of the EV maker's key executives is taking a break from it all. The company has confirmed that Senior VP Doug Field, the head of engineering, is "taking some time off to recharge" (yes, Tesla said that) and "spend time with his family." It stressed that Field "has not left" the team. There's no official word on how long Field will be away, but Wall Street Journal sources described the leave as a "six-week sabbatical."
Elon Musk: Tesla Model 3 dual-motor ordering opens next week
In a sign that Tesla's Model 3 production continues to improve, CEO Elon Musk tweeted that the company will enable ordering of dual-motor versions of the sedan at the end of next week. Customers waiting for a Model 3 in performance or all-wheel-drive trim can find out how much the options will cost and put orders in with production scheduled to start in July, consistent with Musk's statement last month. We don't know anything about the specs on either model, but AWD was a $5,000 option on the Model S until it became standard (as it is on the Model X) late last year. Also, in his response to IGN's Ryan McCaffrey, Musk said air suspension could arrive as an option in 2019.
Tesla's latest prediction for Model Y's arrival is 2020
Tesla has largely kept its forthcoming Model Y shrouded in mystery. We know it's a crossover EV, and we know it might not have mirrors, and that's about it. But CEO Elon Musk has now revealed that the company aims to bring the new vehicle to production in 2020, adding in its conference call that doing so will spark a "manufacturing revolution". Although he didn't expound on what that revolution will look like.
Tesla says Model 3 panel quality is now on par with German rivals
When the first everyday Tesla Model 3 buyers received their electric cars, the reports on build quality were... mixed, to put it mildly. A Munro & Associates analysis revealed panel gaps and other imperfections you would have expected from a budget car two decades ago. Tesla, however, wants to let you know that it turned a corner. In a response to a later Munro analysis at Motor Trend, the automaker said it had refined the deviation of panel gaps and offsets had improved by "nearly" 40 percent, to the point where they're on par with "Audi, BMW and Mercedes." The aim is to make them "even tighter," Tesla said.
Elon Musk: 'Oh btw I’m building a cyborg dragon'
Oh btw I'm building a cyborg dragon — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 25, 2018 Where my Model 3, tho?
California opens investigation into Tesla factory safety
Tesla has been struggling lately to meet its automotive production targets, vowing to run its Model 3 factories "24/7." Unfortunately, they might also be underreporting serious workplace injuries, labeling them "personal medical" to avoid penalties. Now, according to a report at Bloomberg, California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) is opening an official investigation into the allegations.
Tesla will run its Model 3 production '24/7' to meet targets
Tesla is scrambling to increase Model 3 production however it can, and that now appear to include some drastic measures. Elon Musk has informed staff that Model 3 assembly at the company's Fremont factory will step up to "24/7 operations," with a new shift added to keep the plant humming. Combined with upgrades (including both an ongoing improvement and one due in late May), Tesla intends to "unlock" production levels of 6,000 per week by the end of June. The company's publicly stated goal is 5,000 per week, but Musk doesn't want a production volume with "no margin for error" across a vast supply chain.
Tesla pauses Model 3 production again
As Tesla attempts to meet its own projections for Model 3 production, Buzzfeed reports that it is temporarily shutting down the car's Fremont, CA assembly line -- where a report earlier today claimed it's undercounting injuries -- for four to five days. This follows a similar pause in March, and the company gave the same response now as it did then, saying "These periods are used to improve automation and systematically address bottlenecks in order to increase production rates. This is not unusual and is in fact common in production ramps like this." Last year Tesla projected it would manufacture 5,000 of the mass-market aimed EVs per week by the end of Q1 2018, but its production report a couple of weeks ago showed the number at 2,020. CEO Elon Musk has recently pointed out an over-reliance on robots and battery module production at its Gigafactory in Nevada as limiting factors. Now Musk has pointed out July as a potential target, saying that production of AWD models is likely to begin after it hits the 5,000 per week number.
Elon Musk agrees robot glut slowed Model 3 production
Tesla's affordable Model 3 has been trapped in development hell for what seems like ages now, and in an interview with CBS's Gayle King, CEO Elon Musk offered a little more insight into how the production process has fallen short. While escorting King through the company's Fremont, California-based factory, Musk conceded that Tesla might've had too many robots involved in its car production process and that the company would benefit from having more humans on the line. And when King opined out loud that in some cases, said robots probably slowed down production, Musk responded with a terse "yes, they did."
Tesla hopes to deliver all-wheel drive Model 3 in July
Every Tesla Model 3 rolling off the line has so far been a single motor, rear-wheel drive variant. That's been more than a little frustrating if you've had your heart set on the surefootedness of the dual motor all-wheel drive model. However, you now have a better idea of when you can expect it... and you might not be entirely happy. Elon Musk has informed a pre-order customer that AWD Model 3 production will "probably" start in July. Simply put, he wants manufacturing levels to climb high enough that Tesla can afford to introduce features that "inhibit production ramp" -- and while the company is improving, there's still a way to go.
Tesla doubled its weekly Model 3 production in Q1
Today, Tesla issued a press release regarding its Model 3 production in the first quarter of 2018. The company produced 34,494 vehicles total; 9,766 of those were Model 3. The release noticed that Model 3 production was a fourfold increase over Q4 of 2017, and Tesla anticipates continuing to increase Model 3 rate by quarter.
Tesla puts Model 3 Autopilot controls on the steering wheel
Tesla has rectified one of the biggest Model 3 issues that cropped up during early reviews from Engadget and others. Until now, operating key vehicle functions like the Autopilot required tapping on the center display, effectively pulling the driver's eyes off the road. With a new update, however, drivers can adjust the Autopilot's cruise speed and follow distance via the steering wheel scroll buttons.
