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Tesla adjusts Autopilot to comply with new EU regulations
Tesla will push an updated Autopilot in Europe that scales back on a couple of functions in order to comply with new regulations. The changes will require faster lane changes and limit how far you can turn the steering wheel on Autosteer. Electrek reports that while Tesla's Autopilot was approved under older rules, it had to be dialed back in order to comply with the new UN/ECE R79 regulation on driver assistance systems. The update only impacts Model S and Model X vehicles; Model 3 already complies with the new rules.
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.
Daily Roundup: Tesla Model X, DARPA YouTube robots and more!
Tesla's Model X has been spotted in the wild; a new DARPA technology lets robots learn from YouTube videos; and Verizon is changing its policy on "supercookies." Get the details on these stories and more in the Daily Roundup.
Tesla gets $10 million grant from California to help with Model X production
Tesla's outspoken CEO, Elon Musk, said last week that he expects his company's financials to be somewhat satisfactory in the very near future, but that's not to say a $10 million grant wouldn't be welcomed with open arms. Thanks to the California Energy Commission, Tesla will have some extra cash to work with during the production phase of its upcoming electric SUV, otherwise more formally known as the Model X. According to Forbes, Tesla will match California's gesture with $50 million of its own -- the total, naturally, will be used to ramp up production at its Fremont plant and to snag the necessary machinery and components to build that sleek Model X. There's still a good amount of time before this EV hits the masses, so it looks like watching those select demos will have to suffice for now.
Tesla CEO teases crossover and sports car EVs for 2016
Tesla founder Elon Musk would like to remind you that the Model X isn't the terminus of his company's electric car ambitions. Far from it: Musk tells Wired that Tesla's 2016 plans include both a crossover SUV akin to the BMW X3 as well as a pure sports car that goes beyond just a Roadster redux. The racier vehicle will have speed, but "not supercar pricing," the CEO says. He also elaborated on already-known plans for an 'entry' sedan in 2015, which should resemble a 20 to 25 percent smaller Model S and cost about $30,000 if all goes well. There's a wide gap between promises and reality in all those statements, but Musk has a reputation for largely delivering on target -- which gives us hope that there will finally be Tesla EVs within range of everyday budgets.
Tesla's Model X struts its stuff on video, gets serenaded by Elon Musk
We may have attended the Model X premiere, but despite us pleading for a ride-along, Tesla PR insisted only those who'd plunked cash for a pre-order that evening would get the chauffeur treatment. Thankfully there's YouTube user TheSpeedRead, who either threw down enough cash or was swift enough to evade security, slipping into a Model X and gratuitously posting it for all to see. In the video above you'll catch a glimpse of the interior, which features the same 17-inch touchscreen as in the Model S. In addition, a Tesla employee muses about the advantages of its dual motor AWD system and low center of gravity as he sashays the crossover through a slalom course outside Tesla's design HQ. Our friends at Autoblog Green also culled a video from SmartPlanet featuring the company's CEO, Elon Musk, reflecting on the advantages of the Model X's unique "Falcon Wing" rear doors and touting the advantages of not having a space-hogging combustion engine in its front -- enabling the front trunk, or Frunk, to serve as a crumple zone "two to three times longer" than in competing vehicles. Get the full sales pitch from the entrepreneur extraordinaire after the break.
Tesla unveils Model X SUV, wants to be your all-electric crossover
We're here at the Tesla Design Studio in Los Angeles, where Elon Musk just unveiled his startup's third vehicle: an SUV it calls the Model X. It's party piece is a pair of double-hinged "Falcon Wing" rear doors which apparently make loading people and things easier, as you reach into the car not over it. According to Musk they'll open in tighter spots than a traditional door, and swivel high enough to fit a standing human. Powered by an AWD variant of the Model S' drivetrain, it'll do 0-60MPH in 4.4 seconds in its most performant guise, a figure that matches the most brawny variant of Tesla's sedan, despite being a much larger vehicle. And because it's devoid of a space-hogging ICE, that front portion is a trunk, Musk lovingly calls the "Frunk." Per GigaOm, the seven-seater will cost in the $50,000 to $70,000 range, with first deliveries of the "Signature Series" arriving in late 2013 before mass production starts in 2014. If that sounds like your kind of beat, those interested can begin reservations on Tesla's website tomorrow at noon. Update: Want to see the unveiling for yourself? Check out the video posted by Tesla, embedded after the break.
Tesla's Model X SUV reportedly pushed to February, first deliveries coming in 'late 2013'
So much for December, eh? While Tesla's been talking up an electric sport utility vehicle for months on end, it's evidently harder than expected to actually deliver it. Shocking, we know. The latest hit in the saga comes via GigaOM, who has confirmed with Tesla CEO Elon Musk that the Model X will finally -- finally -- see a public unveiling on February 9th. Details beyond that aren't yet known, but Musk seems adamant that the first paying customers will see theirs in "late 2013," with 15,000 units per year being pushed out starting in 2014. We'll let you know if get an invite, deal?
Tesla Model X SUV to launch in December, will be gliding quietly down the highway by 2014
Well, it's not often that we hear about products being ahead of schedule. Telsa CEO Elon Musk presented some forward-looking statements during his company's quarterly earnings call this week, revealing a mid-December time frame for the unveiling of its Model X prototype, which could hit streets as soon as 2014. There hasn't been any hint as to pricing for the all-electric SUV, but we wouldn't be surprised to see Tesla's X priced comparably to BMW's identically named X model hybrid SUV -- think sub-$100,000, not "affordable." With plans to produce only 15,000 per year beginning in 2013, a high price tag won't be the only thing keeping Tesla from fulfilling the dream of having an electric car in every driveway. Range has been another obstacle for electric car makers, but with new charging stations popping up on a regular basis, we may be able to make the 165-mile drive from New York City to Albany with slightly less anxiety by the time mid-decade rolls around.
