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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.
Thieves could have cloned Tesla's Model S key fob
Tesla may be more security-conscious than many car manufacturers, but it's still vulnerable to the occasional glaring exploit. KU Leuven researchers have detailed a technique that let them bypass the encryption on Tesla's key fob for the Model S, making it trivial to clone the key, get inside and start the vehicle. They discovered that the fobs used an easy-to-crack 40-bit cipher to safeguard the codes. Once they got two codes from a specific fob, they only had to try using encryption keys until they discovered the one that unlocked the EV. From there, the researchers created a data table for code pairs that would let them find the encryption key for cloning any Model S fob.
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.
Tesla is quietly making its own AI chip for self-driving cars
In a recent earnings call, Tesla CEO Elon Musk revealed the automaker has been 'stealth' developing a custom-built AI chip for at least two years.
Tesla is adding classic Atari games to its cars
Tesla isn't limiting its fun-oriented EV updates to its upcoming party mode. Elon Musk has promised that "some of the best" Atari games will be playable in Tesla cars as part of a version 9.0 software update coming in roughly four weeks. The exec didn't provide a full list of titles, but he indicated that Missile Command, Pole Position and Tempest would ideally be part of the release, which will make them available as Easter eggs. And crucially, you won't just be tapping the screen or twiddling thumbwheels. For Pole Position, you'll use the car's steering wheel to drive in the game.
Tesla aims to make 10,000 Model 3 cars per week in 2019
Now that Tesla is finally making over 5,000 Model 3 cars per week, it's eager to move to the next production goal... and it knows it needs to pick up the pace. As part of its second quarter earnings release, the automaker signaled plans to ramp up production to 10,000 Model 3 units per week sometime in 2019. The "majority" of its production lines would be ready for that volume by the end of 2018, it said, but it will still have to boost output in "certain places."
Tesla 'party and camper mode' turns EVs into tailgating machines
Teslas are nothing if not giant batteries on wheels, so it would only make sense if you could use the battery for something other than getting from A to B, wouldn't it? You will soon. Elon Musk has teased the future addition of a "party & camper mode" that will keep the car's climate systems, "selective" lights, audio and device-powering features alive for "48 hours or more" while the car is stationary. Yes, you could host an all-day tailgate party with your Model X while the music keeps pumping and your phone stays charged.
Tesla to cover the cost of Germany's court-ruled subsidy repayments
Some German Tesla owners are facing a surprise €4,000 bill for purchasing their Model S cars, thanks to a confusing ruling by Germany's Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control. In a bid to push EVs and plug-in hybrids in the country, Germany offers a €4,000 subsidy for electric vehicles with a base price under €60,000 (half of the subsidy comes from the government, the other half from the automaker itself).
Tesla and Luxembourg squabble over failed Model S braking test
Did you think Tesla could move past braking complaints just because it addressed the issue with the Model 3? Luxembourg certainly doesn't. The European country's testing and standards body ILNAS has put itself at odds with Tesla after conducting an unusually public emergency braking test (media outlets like Luremberg Wort got to watch) that compared a 2015-era Model S to a new Volvo S90.The Model S failed the test in spectacular fashion, according to observers, crashing into a dummy car (above) at just under 19MPH where the S90 could avoid it at 37MPH. It didn't look good for Tesla, but the company unsurprisingly took issue with the results.
NTSB: Model S battery caught fire twice after Florida crash
It's not unheard of for cars to catch fire in a crash, but there are now instances of Tesla cars' batteries reigniting well after the fact. As part of a preliminary report on a Model S crash in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, NTSB investigators revealed that a piece of the EV's lithium-ion pack reignited twice despite firefighters dousing it with water and foam. It first reignited when crews were removing the car from the crash scene, and again when it arrived at a storage yard.
Tesla will charge for 'premium' internet on new cars starting July 1st
Ever since Tesla started offering cellular data access in its cars, there's been the implication that it would eventually charge for service. In 2014, it indicated that would start charging in 2018. Four years later, that moment is at hand... although it's not playing out as you'd expect. Electrek has obtained a sales team email indicating that Tesla is launching a paid Premium Connectivity package for cars ordered on or after July 1st. There will still be no-extra-charge (Standard Connectivity) cell access, according to the email -- you'll just have to pay to get features that current owners take for granted.
Electric GT's first race-spec Tesla Model S hits the track
Two years ago, we learned that a Tesla Model S-based electric racing series was in development. This week Electric GT holdings showed off its first race-spec Model S P100DL in Barcelona ahead of the series' planned debut in November. Its builders say the EPCS V2.3 Tesla P100DL is more than just a standard P100D with Ludicrous mode, capable of going from 0 - 100 km/h in 2.1 seconds, which is three tenths faster than the production car, and speeds up to 250 kph. The improvement comes thanks to Pirelli P Zero wet/dry tires, and a race weight that's lighter by 500kg with carbon fiber body panels and a roll cage. There's a double steel wishbone suspension up front, a new front splitter / rear wing setup for more downforce plus upgraded suspension and race brakes to keep everything under control on the track. With the 100 kWh battery on board, Electric GT expects its cars to complete 90 km on a single charge.
Tesla will start enabling full self-driving features in August
Tesla has been promising true self-driving features in its cars for the better part of two years, but there has been precious little to show for it. Now, though, you might get what you paid for. Elon Musk has revealed that Autopilot version 9 should arrive in August, and Tesla will "begin to enable" the full autonomous driving features with that release. The company has "rightly focused entirely on safety" with previous versions, Musk said, but now it's time to spread its wings.
Tesla Model S in Autopilot collides with police SUV
A Model S driver in Laguna Beach has crashed into a parked (and thankfully unoccupied) police SUV while her EV's Autopilot was reportedly engaged, sustaining minor injuries in the process. It's not yet known what the driver was doing at the time of the collision, but the incident is once again raising questions about Tesla's role in educating drivers about its semi-autonomous feature.
Tesla settles class action suit over Autopilot issues
Tesla has agreed a class action lawsuit settlement with Model S and Model X owners who claimed the Autopilot feature was "dangerous" and "essentially unusable." The settlement, which was filed at San Jose federal court late Thursday, doesn't cover any claims about the safety of Autopilot -- instead, it's compensation for the fact that Telsa has gone through a number of delays in rolling out updates to Autopilot to address these issues. A district judge still has to rubber stamp the settlement, Reuters reports.
Tesla releases source code for some of its in-car tech
Tesla doesn't have many fans in the open source crowd. It based its car platforms on open platforms like Linux and BusyBox, but it has gone years without sharing the source code their license (the GPL) requires. The company is finally setting things right, though -- more or less, that is. It has posted the source code for both the material that builds the Autopilot system image as well as the kernels for the Autopilot boards and the NVIDIA Tegra-based infotainment system used in the Model S and Model X. While they don't represent the absolute latest code, Tesla is promising to keep pace with newer releases.
Tesla Autopilot was engaged during 60 MPH crash, driver tells police
By Mary Papenfuss The Tesla Autopilot system was engaged when a Tesla Model S sedan was crushed as it rammed into a stopped truck at 60 MPH in Utah last week, the driver has told police. The driver luckily escaped with only a broken foot, though the car suffered extensive damage.
Tesla owner faces 18-month ban for leaving the driver's seat
Tesla will be one of the first to tell you not to put too much faith in Autopilot. It's currently more of an advanced driver assist than a full self-driving system. However, one driver recently ignored that advice in dramatic fashion. Nottingham, UK resident Bhavesh Patel has received an 18-month driving ban after he was caught sitting in the passenger seat of his Model S on the M1 in May 2017. The man said he invoked Autopilot and was betting that its "amazing" semi-autonomous guidance would keep the car rolling at the estimated 40MPH of surrounding traffic.
Tesla batteries will live longer than expected, survey finds
Tesla batteries retain over 90 percent of their charging power after 160,000 miles, according to data gathered by a Dutch-Belgium Tesla owners group. According to its survey of over 350 owners, the EVs dropped about 5 percent of their capacity after 50,000 miles, but lose it at a much slower rate after that. If the trend holds, most Tesla vehicles will still have 90 percent capacity after around 300,000 km (185,000 miles), and 80 percent capacity after a whopping 800,000 km (500,000 miles).
Tesla recall covers 123,000 pre-April 2016 Model S EVs
While Tesla's current-day Model 3 production tries to keep up with demand, the company is dealing with an issue affecting earlier cars. Today it announced a recall affecting every Model S built before April 2016. That adds up to about 123,000 vehicles worldwide that it plans to retrofit with new power steering bolts because it has "observed excessive corrosion in the power steering bolts, though only in very cold climates, particularly those that frequently use calcium or magnesium road salts, rather than sodium chloride (table salt)." According to Tesla, it's initiating this recall (similar to others it has done in the past) even though it estimates that fewer than 0.2 percent of vehicles will exhibit this issue. In an email to owners it explained that if the bolts fail then the steering would still work, but with lost or reduced power assist. I've experienced this while driving and can attest that it's something you should probably hope to avoid. There's a sizeable thread on Tesla Motors Club showing at least one vehicle this happened to, but with less than an hour of service it should be preventable on other cars.
