Tesla is pushing hard to increase its sales and production capability. The automaker currently has some of the most popular electric vehicles on the market, and they also tend to be some of the most expensive. Recently, the automaker gave some details on vehicle production and delivery for Q4 2020.
One of the things that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has touted as evidence of the confidence the automaker has in its vehicles is its no questions asked seven-day return policy. The automaker has now quietly abandoned that seven-day return policy. The return policy allowed new Tesla buyers to return the vehicle within the first seven days of taking delivery as long as it had less than 1000 miles on the odometer.
Although the company has insisted that it isn't meant to be used for full self-driving purposes, Tesla's Autopilot feature has still be presumed by some drivers to mean they can take their eyes off the road even while still holding the wheel. Accidents involving Tesla's cars have often blamed this feature and the company might be looking into ways to curb that before the numbers rise. Tesla EVs might soon be alerting drivers if their attentions veer off course thanks to hardware that's already present in some models.
One of the concerns that come with connected and complex, computer-controlled modern cars is their vulnerability to hacking. It turns out, however, that there are some hacks that are being done for the benefit of car owners rather than for their harm. One prime example is the Tesla Model 3 that has an "Acceleration Boost" that's already part of the car but disabled only via software. Unsurprisingly, a company was already selling unofficial ways to remove that limitation at half the price Tesla is asking for. Unsurprisingly, Tesla is not amused.
It definitely took a while but wireless charging has become more or less common even if it still isn't a standard. While already a standard right from the start, USB-C, on the other hand, is only recently becoming more ubiquitous as well. But while computers and smartphones are quicker to adopt them, some places where you will find these new technologies aren't. Inside cars, for example, the full-sized USB port still holds dominance but not anymore in Tesla Model 3 cars headed for the US.
Cars equipped with cameras facing outward is nothing new and is used for all kinds of safety and object-detection purposes. Cars with built-in cameras facing inside to record people are, however, almost unheard of. As one that often calls dibs of certain features, Tesla's Model 3 is indeed one such rare breed. But before you panic about your privacy, CEO Elon Musk officially confirmed it is not for that. It doesn't limit the company, however, from going beyond that initial purpose.
Tesla is making some changes to its product lineup today, dropping some vehicles and tweaking prices for others. If you were considering buying a standard-range Model S or Model X, then this is bad news, as Tesla has dropped both vehicles from its product lineup. That leaves the long-range and performance models as the only available Model S and Model X variants.
The Tesla Model 3 has aced European crash safety testing, with the most affordable car in the EV automaker's line-up grabbing five stars out of five after Euro NCAP put it through its trials. The 2019 Model 3 scored a whopping 96-percent in adult occupant testing, while Tesla's safety assistance systems like automatic emergency braking came in only shortly behind that, with a score of 94-percent.
There have been criticisms of Tesla ability, or rather the lack of it, to deliver on its promises in terms of production and, well, deliveries. That became even more pronounced with the Model 3 which has become the most popular of the three electric sedans. The car maker has largely downplayed those but in its Q1 2019 report on production and deliveries, it had no choice but to admit it had lower than expected deliveries which, of course, will now negatively impact their first-quarter earnings.
Fast charging isn't a necessity for mobile devices only. While electric cars offer fewer worries about carbon footprints, they increase worries about charging times and the number of charging stations available. Tesla has already addressed the latter with 12,000 superchargers across the world. Now it is addressing charging speeds with its new V3 Supercharging upgrade that can reduce charging times down to an average of 15 minutes.
Just like with smart homes, the more you deck out your car with more smart features, the more valuable and more expensive it becomes. The more valuable it becomes, the more attractive it also becomes for those who might want to take a piece or even the whole thing. As Tesla's electric cars become more common and more easily identifiable, the more they become tempting targets as well. That's why Tesla is now introducing a new Sentry Mode security feature that will watch for and alert you of attempted or successful break-ins. Presuming you remember to turn it on first, that is.
It's a pretty big day for Tesla, as it's been given to go-ahead to start delivering Model 3 orders in Europe. This news comes as the company makes cutbacks to get it on the road to profitability while at the same time scaling up production on the Model 3. Tesla expects that European deliveries will begin next month, so its looking to jump on this approval right away.