Of all the changes Tesla has brought over the past few years, the switch to the yoke steering wheel may prove be the most controversial. Elon Musk, though, is unrepentant about the unusual controls found in the latest Model S and Model X, and that means if you were hoping for an option to swap in a "normal" steering wheel, you're out of luck.
Tesla plans to open up its Supercharger network to other automaker's electric vehicles, Elon Musk has confirmed, a huge change in strategy that risks infuriating owners of Tesla cars. The decision to make more broadly available what has, so far, been exclusive to Tesla drivers reflects the significant changes electric automakers face, particularly in the face of new subsidies and incentives.
It's looking more and more like the future of buying an automobile will include features that you have to pay for each month. We have seen several automakers offer subscriptions to services like improved navigation more in recent years. Now Tesla has a new subscription service for its Full Self-Driving (FSD) capability. Typically, FSD adds about $10,000 purchase price of the new Tesla vehicle.
Elon Musk is known for being fairly offbeat in his management style, but the Tesla CEO is positively laid-back about the possibility of the Tesla Cybertruck proving to be a failure. Unveiled in 2019, Telsa's first pickup is one of a number of electric trucks on the calendar at this point, but there's no denying that it's still the more unusual to look at.
Tesla's Supercharger network is getting a potency upgrade, with Elon Musk confirming the maximum charging rate is going to increase. The new upgrade will take Superchargers from 250 kW to 300 kW, Musk revealed on Twitter, having hinted that power increases were in the pipeline back at the Model S Plaid event in June 2021.
Elon Musk is in court today, as the Tesla chief exec testifies in a SolarCity lawsuit brought by shareholders upset with just how much the electric car company spent on the solar panel business. Tesla acquired SolarCity for $2.6 billion back in 2016, though the case alleges Musk applied undue pressure in an attempt to drive through the deal before the solar firm ran out of cash.
When it comes to using beta software, it doesn't matter what the software is used in. You always expect the software to not work as expected at some point. While having a computer crash or a smartphone not make calls isn't catastrophic, beta testing software for fully self-driving vehicles by the public is somewhat concerning. Tesla is reportedly rolling out an early access program for the Full Self-Driving Beta 9.0 software.
Tencent Games has pushed out update version 1.5 for its hit mobile game PUBG Mobile, giving players a variety of new content, not the least of which is a bigger Tesla collaboration. Under this partnership, PUBG Mobile is now home to a Tesla Gigafactory where players can not only explore the virtual version of the facility but also produce their own Model Y vehicle.
Tesla has quietly increased the cost of its high-end electric cars, with the Model S and Model X both climbing by $5,000. The price change comes only months after Tesla increased the cost of the Model S Plaid, adding $10,000 to the sticker price of its most potent EV.
The Tesla Model 3 has regained its safety ratings, after temporarily being stripped of high-profile rankings following the automaker's decision to switch to an all-camera system in May. At the time, Tesla argued that the camera-based replacement to the old advanced driver-assistance system - which had included radar - would be more effective, though organizations like the IIHS wouldn't take that at face value.
The Tesla Model S Plaid is mighty fast, but don't expect to hit Elon Musk's big 1.99 second 0-60 mph boast for an impromptu stop sign drag-race. Deliveries of the tri-motor sedan began earlier this month, with a big Tesla launch event at which the CEO made the pitch for why hypercar-shaming EVs are necessary to give electrification a halo. What Musk didn't mention on-stage, though, was the small print.
It's a big week for Tesla, and for Elon Musk. The company held its promised Model S Plaid delivery event in Fremont, CA, last night, handing over the first 25 examples of the super-fast EV, and it was an opportunity for the outspoken CEO to make the pitch not only for Tesla, but for electric vehicles in general.