Tesla drops Full Self-Driving option from online configurator to spare ‘confusion’
Tesla drops Full Self-Driving option from online configurator to spare ‘confusion’
Tesla no longer offers a Full Self-Driving (FSD) option for Models S, X, and 3 in the company's online configuration tool. CEO Elon Musk said the FSD option caused confusion. The option was for a future software upgrade to the Enhanced Autopilot option. FSD software validation and regulatory approval could take years.
Tesla keeps promise with more affordable Model 3 with midrange battery pack
Tesla keeps promise with more affordable Model 3 with midrange battery pack
Tesla is keeping its promise of making the Model 3 gradually more affordable. The company released a new variant of the car with a mid-range, 260-mile battery option that's priced under the $50,000 mark. Buyers who take delivery before the end of 2018 are eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit.
Double your charging speed with Nomad’s Tesla Model 3 wireless charger
Double your charging speed with Nomad’s Tesla Model 3 wireless charger
Nomad's wireless charger for the Tesla Model 3 fits the EV's charging dock exactly. If you plug both of the Nomad's into the Model 3's two front USB ports you can charge two smartphones quickly or one phone twice as fast. An anti-slip rubber base helps keep the charger and phones in place.
Tesla’s referral program lets owners send laser-etched photos into space
Tesla’s referral program lets owners send laser-etched photos into space
Tesla has a referral program that provides its loyal owners who recommend the company's cars to others with rewards. The latest reward offered through the program is an interesting one: Tesla will laser-etch any photo of the owner's choosing and shoot it into space.
After Tesla’s ‘best car’ boasts, the NHTSA stresses its scale only goes to five
After Tesla’s ‘best car’ boasts, the NHTSA stresses its scale only goes to five
Tesla published a long blog post to announce that the Model 3 is the best car the NHTSA has ever tested. While the electric sedan indeed aced its crash test, the NHTSA clarified that its rating system doesn't go above five stars. Crash test data suggests the Model 3 stands out as one of the safest cars in America.
‘Navigate on Autopilot’ is conspicuously absent from Tesla software Version 9.0
‘Navigate on Autopilot’ is conspicuously absent from Tesla software Version 9.0
Tesla began a wide rollout of software update version 9.0 with a number of enhanced features but not the long-promised Navigate on Autopilot feature. New features include mobile app updates, a dash cam, updated climate controls, obstacle-aware acceleration, and enhanced 360-degree views with adjacent lanes.
One tweet cost Elon Musk his chairman job at Tesla and led to a $40M fine
One tweet cost Elon Musk his chairman job at Tesla and led to a $40M fine
Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk has settled a lawsuit filed by the SEC. He got the fraud charges dropped by agreeing to step down from his role as Tesla chairman and pay a $20 million fine. The company will pay an additional $20 million, appoint an independent director, and vet Musk's communications.
This is how Tesla’s Autopilot system sees the idyllic streets of Paris
This is how Tesla’s Autopilot system sees the idyllic streets of Paris
Tesla's Autopilot system doesn't care about Parisian landmarks like the Eiffel Tower. It's focused on keeping track of other cars, tracking pedestrians, and avoiding collisions with trucks. This video shows exactly how Autopilot identifies the world around it as it drives through the chaotic streets of Paris.
SEC sues Tesla CEO Elon Musk for securities fraud, Musk calls suit unjustified
SEC sues Tesla CEO Elon Musk for securities fraud, Musk calls suit unjustified
The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Tesla CEO Elon Musk with fraud, alleging that Musk made "false and misleading" statements when he tweeted he was considering taking the company private with "funding secured." At the time, Musk also tweeted investor support was confirmed, contingent on a shareholder vote.
Aced it! Tesla’s Model 3 earns a five-star crash-test rating
Aced it! Tesla’s Model 3 earns a five-star crash-test rating
The results are in and they're great: the Tesla Model 3 has aced the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's different crash tests and earned a five-star safety rating. Tesla's smallest, most affordable model achieved a five-star rating in every category, a rare score in the automotive industry.
Tesla says dash cam feature using car’s built-in cameras is coming soon
Tesla says dash cam feature using car’s built-in cameras is coming soon
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is promising the next version of Autopilot, which is expected imminently, will include a dash cam feature that uses the car's built-in cameras. It's a feature many Tesla drivers have long been asking for, with Musk saying it's currently going through final testing and will launch with Autopilot 9
Lucid Motors accepts $1 billion investment from Saudi Arabian fund
Lucid Motors accepts $1 billion investment from Saudi Arabian fund
The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia will invest $1 billion in upstart electric car company Lucid Motors. Lucid hopes to launch a Tesla-fighting luxury sedan called the Air by 2020. That's two years later than the company originally stated, but delays are not unusual among electric-car startups.
Elon Musk: Tesla is bringing most collision repair in-house, outsiders too slow
Elon Musk: Tesla is bringing most collision repair in-house, outsiders too slow
Unsatisfied with third-party collision repair shops, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to announce the company is bring most repair work in-house. The goal is a car as good or better than new with the repair completed in under an hour. Musk admits parts availability is a major factor in collision repair turnaround.
Tesla extends battery capacity to help owners of the older Model S flee Florence
Tesla extends battery capacity to help owners of the older Model S flee Florence
Over 10 million people are being affected by the pending doom that is Hurricane Florence in North and South Carolina, Virginia, and Georgia. Tesla Motors decided to lend a helping hand for owners of its vehicles who seek to escape its path as rampant electricity outages are expected.
Tesla’s latest update reportedly breaks Autopilot rather than improving it
Tesla’s latest update reportedly breaks Autopilot rather than improving it
A recent over-the-air (OTA) update meant to improve Autopilot functions for Tesla vehicles went awry recently, crippling the system rather than adding new features. Elon Musk personally tweeted to say he's aware of the issue and made it a priority for Tesla engineers.
Elon Musk hints at Tesla-connected smart air conditioning
Elon Musk hints at Tesla-connected smart air conditioning
A huge portion of your energy bill goes towards heating and cooling your home. Elon Musk suggests that a connected air conditioner may be the way to reduce utility costs and make smarter use of energy. In an interview with Joe Rogan, he hinted that Tesla may be developing a new air conditioning system.
Tesla trims its color palette in bid to leave production hell behind
Tesla trims its color palette in bid to leave production hell behind
Tesla will stop offering two colors -- obsidian black metallic and silver metallic -- to simplify its production process. Reducing the number of available configurations will make the Model 3 easier to build. Both colors remain available but customers need to special order them and pay extra.
Tesla’s wireless smartphone charger returns, and it’s $16 cheaper than before
Tesla’s wireless smartphone charger returns, and it’s $16 cheaper than before
Tesla launched a stylish-looking wireless smartphone charger in the summer, but it sold out pretty quick. This week the device returned to the Tesla website with a $49 price tag, $16 lower than the original price. Anyone who forked out first time around will be refunded the difference.
Researchers hack and steal a Model S; Tesla says vulnerability now fixed
Researchers hack and steal a Model S; Tesla says vulnerability now fixed
Security researchers in Belgium discovered an encryption flaw that let them hack into and steal a Tesla Model S without setting off the alarm. The problem involves the key fob and affects cars built before June 2018. Tesla fixed the problem, but the researchers warn other cars could be affected, too.
5 reasons why you shouldn’t be surprised Elon Musk smoked weed
5 reasons why you shouldn’t be surprised Elon Musk smoked weed
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently smoked weed during a recorded interview with Joe Rogan. Are you surprised? You shouldn't be. Ever since Elon has been in the public eye, he's done all kinds of things that should've tipped you off and tipped you off that he gets down.
Tesla’s big surprise at Grand Basel was the same Roadster we’ve seen before
Tesla’s big surprise at Grand Basel was the same Roadster we’ve seen before
Tesla usually avoids auto shows, but it made an exception to unveil the next-generation Roadster at the Grand Basel show in Switzerland on September 5. There were glimpses of the car seen last year, including a promise that it could go from zero to 60 mph in just 1.9 seconds.
Tesla Model 3: Here’s the latest news including specs and performance
Tesla Model 3: Here’s the latest news including specs and performance
Here's everything we know about the Tesla Model 3, including its underlying tech, features, and its claimed range of 250 miles per charge. Now that the Model 3 production line is back up and running at an accelerated rate, and there's also a new Track Mode available to folks who buy the Performance model.
Tesla wants help, will hire customer experience specialists at 98 locations
Tesla wants help, will hire customer experience specialists at 98 locations
Tesla is on a tear, ramping up hiring for Tesla showrooms in 98 locations across the country. In the largest reported jump in job openings since at least 2016, there are now more than 2,000 open positions. The hiring may be a result of increased Model 3 production or the decision to remain a public company.
No, this airborne Tesla isn’t the flying car Elon Musk talked about
No, this airborne Tesla isn’t the flying car Elon Musk talked about
Elon Musk once talked about a future Tesla vehicle that could “fly short hops,” probably a bit like this Tesla that was recently seen flying through the air in Ontario, Canada. The incident was caught by a security camera and ended with the electric car crashing in a parking lot. No, it wasn’t meant to happen.
Tesla isn’t going private (but it had the funding to do so, Musk says)
Tesla isn’t going private (but it had the funding to do so, Musk says)
Tesla CEO and co-founder Elon Musk has decided not to take the company off the stock market. He made this decision after talking to three major banks, shareholders, and members of its board of directors. Going private would require time and resources Musk would rather allocate to ever-important Model 3.
Elon Musk says a $25K Tesla is possible in ‘maybe 3 years’
Elon Musk says a $25K Tesla is possible in ‘maybe 3 years’
Tesla CEO Elon Musk told YouTuber Marques Brownlee the company is focused on more affordable cars. Musk called a $25,000 Tesla a 'maybe' in three years, depending on high volume and scale. Musk says Tesla relies on word-of-mouth sales based on recommendations from customers who love to talk about their cars.
Nvidia ‘more than happy to help’ if Tesla’s self-driving chip doesn’t pan out
Nvidia ‘more than happy to help’ if Tesla’s self-driving chip doesn’t pan out
After Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the intention to use an in-house Autopilot chip, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang responded to an analyst's question about losing Tesla's chip business. Huang spoke about Nvidia's new high-powered Xavier GPU and said if the Tesla chip doesn't work out, he'd be more than happy to help.
Whistleblower says a drug-peddling Mexican cartel thrives in Tesla’s Gigafactory
Whistleblower says a drug-peddling Mexican cartel thrives in Tesla’s Gigafactory
A former Tesla employee has filed a complaint against the company. He alleges Tesla covered up links between some of its workers and a Mexican drug cartel, illegally spied on its employees by wiretapping their phone, and failed to report a $37 million theft. The company disputes the accusations.
Tesla board waits for Musk’s plan to go private as Saudi Arabia stays silent
Tesla board waits for Musk’s plan to go private as Saudi Arabia stays silent
Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk asked more questions than he answered when he declared he could take Tesla private. The money allegedly comes from Saudi Arabia, an oil-rich nation and Tesla investor, but officials have stayed silent. Tesla's board wants to closely examine any proposal to go private.
Head Tesla engineer leaves for Apple to possibly reboot self-driving car
Head Tesla engineer leaves for Apple to possibly reboot self-driving car
Apple's self-driving car project could potentially get the reboot as a former chief engineer for Tesla Motors left the company to go back to the Cupertino-based tech giant. Doug Field, who worked at Apple from 2008-2013, then Tesla from 2013 until last month, will go back to Apple.
Elon Musk tweets about privatizing Tesla Motors, causes an investor frenzy
Elon Musk tweets about privatizing Tesla Motors, causes an investor frenzy
Elon Musk is in the news again over some tweets on Twitter about openly expressing the idea of transitioning Tesla Motors into a private company, prospectively starting stock share prices at $420 per share. This ultimately has industry analysts and investors going crazy trying to make sense of it all.
IIHS tests advanced driver-assist tech, gets mixed results
IIHS tests advanced driver-assist tech, gets mixed results
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tested adaptive cruise control and active lane-keep systems from BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Tesla, and Volvo. Testers found them to be unreliable in the real world, and noted that drivers must remain attentive behind the wheel.
What kind of mini car does Tesla CEO Elon Musk have in mind?
What kind of mini car does Tesla CEO Elon Musk have in mind?
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced his company has started the development of a mini car with space for one passenger. He didn't provide more specific details and there's no widely accepted definition of a mini car, so it's difficult to predict what the company is up to. One thing is for sure: it will be electric.