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Tesla suspends work at Fremont plant, will comply with shelter in place order
Wide swaths of the Bay Area have been under semi-lockdown since Tuesday when seven counties issued shelter in place orders, barring residents from travel unless in need of essential supplies and effectively shuttering many businesses. Come March 24th, that will include Tesla's plant in Fremont, California, the company announced on Thursday.
Tesla adds '2048' and Atari’s 'Super Breakout' to its dashboards
Tesla is adding more free games to the dashboard display on Model S, Model X and Model 3 cars. Super Breakout and 2048 are joining other Atari classics Missile Command, Asteroids, Lunar Lander and Centipede, which Tesla added in August. To date, hundreds of thousands of people have played those games, according to the automaker.
Tesla's change of heart will bring Autopilot prices 'back to normal'
Tesla's partial about-face on vehicle pricing will also have an effect on Autopilot pricing. Elon Musk has confirmed that prices for Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving will "revert to normal" on March 18th. The company shouldn't have dropped prices in the first place, Musk said, and only did so "because some simply couldn't afford it." Some existing owners felt as if they'd been ripped off after paying higher prices for features that still weren't fully unlocked.
Tesla cuts Autopilot upgrade prices for existing EV owners
Tesla's across-the-board price drops have been helpful for new car buyers, but painful for veteran owners who just watched their EV's value plunge. There's some consolation, however: Tesla is lowering the prices of its autonomy upgrades. Anyone who bought a vehicle before the price drops can buy the Autopilot upgrade for $2,000 after delivery, or half as much as before, while springing for the Full Self-Driving pack on top of that costs $3,000 instead of the earlier $7,000. You're saving about $6,000 if you go all-in, Tesla said.
Tesla will stop selling Model S and X cars with 75kWh batteries
Tesla isn't done streamlining its electric car lineup. Elon Musk has announced that his company will stop taking orders for the 75kWh versions of the Model S and Model X after January 13th. He didn't directly explain the move, but said "yes" when a Twitter user asked if Tesla was moving away from its longstanding use of battery capacity numbers to denote variants.
Tesla slashes EV prices by $2,000 to offset reduced tax credits
Now that Tesla's federal EV tax credit has been cut in half, it's determined to keep sales humming with a price cut. The automaker has slashed the price of the Model 3, Model S and Model X by $2,000 in the US to soften the blow of the reduced tax incentive. You still won't save as much as you would if you'd snagged the full $7,500 credit, but it could make the financial hit easier to bear. As it stands, Tesla may need this price drop -- its deliveries didn't meet market expectations.
Apple hires former Tesla and Microsoft senior designer
Apple has hired Andrew Kim, formerly of Tesla and Microsoft, to bolster its design team. Kim captured the attention of many in 2011 with a custom iOS device stand and again in 2012 when, as a fan, he shared his vision for an overhaul of Microsoft's branding and design language. He then joined Microsoft and helped design the Windows 10 UI along with HoloLens and Xbox One S, he writes on his LinkedIn profile, before moving to Tesla.
Tesla puts more cars on sale to maximize $7,500 EV tax credit
Tesla really, really wants to be sure buyers can make the most of the full $7,500 EV tax credit before it's cut in half for the company in 2019. Elon Musk has announced that the automaker is now selling "all" cars where the original customer can't take delivery before the end of 2018. If you're quick on the draw, you could get the full credit even if you're placing an order for the first time.
How Rivian is building the longest lasting batteries in the EV business
The Rivian R1T "adventure vehicle" made headlines and dropped jaws when it was revealed at the 2018 LA Auto Show last month, namely because nobody has ever really tried to make an all-electric pickup for the US market before. Much less one with more than a 400-mile range. That capability is due to the vehicle's gargantuan power pack with capacities up to 180 kWh -- 80 percent larger than today's biggest batteries.
Tesla tests Autopilot navigation for traffic lights and roundabouts
Tesla has teased that Navigate on Autopilot will gradually handle more and more driving responsibilities, but those aren't just fanciful long-term plans -- they're very much on the roadmap for the near future. In the midst of a public pitch for Navigate on Autopilot, Elon Musk mentioned that Tesla is currently testing "traffic lights, stop signs & roundabouts" in pre-release software. It's hard not to be a bit skeptical of Musk's claim that you'll soon travel to work with "no driver input at all," but this is promising if the very thought of entering a busy roundabout makes you nervous.
Tesla raises prices, cuts options to simplify its EV lineup (updated)
Tesla has made good on its plan to cull options for its electric cars, and the changes are... mixed. Electrek has learned that Tesla has raised the prices of the Model S 75D and Model X 75D by $1,000 to $78,000 and $84,000 respectively, albeit with $500 price drops for their 100D counterparts (now $96,000 and $99,000). However, you now get the black Premium interior standard, with cream and white interiors costing $1,500 instead of the earlier $3,300. And it's what you don't see that may matter the most -- Tesla has scrapped a number of choices, including some drivers might like.
Tesla's Summon upgrade turns vehicles into remote-controlled cars
Tesla's self-parking Summon feature is getting an upgrade, and it'll be ready in less than six weeks. In a series of tweets, chief executive Elon Musk revealed that the beefed-up feature will now allow vehicles to drive around parking lots, find empty spots and read parking signs. "Car will drive to your phone location & follow you like a pet if you hold down summon button on Tesla app," he wrote, without giving any further details.
Tesla publishes the parts catalog for its electric cars
Unless you're changing tires, you generally can't fix a Tesla car yourself -- not when the brand has made it difficult just to get documentation, let alone parts. It's inching in the right direction, though. Tesla has published its parts catalog, detailing all the components for cars ranging from the original Roadster to the Model 3. You'll even see schematics showing how everything fits together.
2019 Jaguar I-Pace receives 234-mile range rating from the EPA
Jaguar's I-Pace is just getting into consumer's hands, and now the EPA has officially released its range estimates for the all-electric SUV. The vehicle has a range of 234 miles from its 90kWh battery pack, according to the EPA's tests. And compared to its all-electric competition, this range-to-kilowatt ratio is not great. But most people don't compare the I-Pace to the tiny Nissan Leaf, rather its main rival is the Tesla Model X.
Tesla drops Model S and X interior options to simplify production
Tesla isn't just pulling exterior color options to keep its assembly lines humming. Elon Musk has announced that his company is removing "many" Model S and Model X interior configuration options after November 1st in order to "simplify production." He didn't say which features were getting the chop, but it's safe to presume that you'll want to order quickly if you demand an interior that's equipped just so.
Tesla shelves the full self-driving option you couldn't use
Ever since Tesla hinted at its autonomous future, there's been a "Full Self-Driving Capability" checkbox on the order page for its cars -- spend several grand and your car would one day steer itself. It has yet to materialize, though, and now Tesla has removed the option from its site. You can still order it "off menu" for a week as of Musk's tweet (approximately October 25th) or add it to your existing car for $5,000, but new customers will have to 'settle' for Enhanced Autopilot.
Tesla's big software update arrives without new AutoPilot features
Tesla is rolling out a much-anticipated software update to every "Model S, Model X and Model 3 ever built" that will everything from Atari games hidden as Easter Eggs to 360-degree surround camera views, even as some driving assistance features are on hold. There's a new app launcher, and users can switch between apps by swiping up or down. Once you have this update (downloaded via WiFi, you can schedule it for convenience), you'll be able to trigger software updates remotely via the app, send navigations to the car's software from your phone's mapping apps, and let passengers control media playback using their phones.
Tesla is ending its lifetime free Supercharging offer
Tesla's offer of free, unlimited Supercharger access was supposed to have ended in early 2017, but it's been on a form of life support since then. Unless you were buying a regular Model 3, you could get the no-cost charging by ordering your EV with a referral code from an existing owner. Now, however, even that exception appears to be coming to an end. Elon Musk has pointed out that the referral program is about to end. After September 16th, owners will only get to hand out $100 in Supercharging credit to Model S, Model X and Model 3 Performance buyers -- just enough for a few top-ups.
Tesla drops color options to speed up production
We hope you weren't dead set on getting a Tesla vehicle in Silver Metallic or Obsidian Black. Elon Musk has revealed that the company is taking both colors "off the menu" for all its cars in a bid to streamline manufacturing. They'll stick around for people who want the hues on "special request," but it'll cost you more than the $1,500 it does today.
Tesla cars will play video with a future update
Tesla is planning to bring games to its electric cars' giant touchscreens, so why doesn't it have video playback while the car isn't moving -- something drivers have wanted for years? Don't worry, you'll get your wish soon. Elon Musk has responded to a question about the feature with a claim that video playback will be available with "version 10" of Tesla's car software. He didn't say what services would be available or when you could expect to see the update, but version 9 (with Atari games) is due to arrive by the end of August. You could be waiting a while, to put it bluntly.
