Tesla is adding a Model 3 lease option, one of the most requested options for its EV, while making big changes to the most affordable $35,000 version of the car. In addition, Tesla will be making Autopilot a standard feature on all of its cars, though that will mean their base prices increase.
Tesla's Gigafactory 1 is too much of a risk for further investment, Panasonic has reportedly concluded, with the EV company's battery partner freezing its plans to expand the facility while Tesla looks to squeeze more out of existing capacity. The hiccup in the relationship comes on the heels of Elon Musk suggesting Tesla would look to multiple battery suppliers for its Shanghai factory, along with the automaker missing its Q1 2019 production goals.
Tesla has released its latest Autopilot safety report, its third assessment of how many accidents its electric cars have experienced while the driver assistance tech is active. The automaker began reporting Autopilot safety back in late 2018, in an attempt to counter skepticism from some quarters as to how reliable the system is.
Tesla has confirmed just what the interior camera in the Model 3 is for, with Elon Musk revealing how the sensor will play into the electric automaker's future roadmap. The camera is positioned up above the rear-view mirror inside the EV, facing into the cabin rather than out of it.
You shouldn't be using your smartphone while driving and you most definitely shouldn't be playing games while your hands are on the wheel. But what if you're just sitting there, parked and waiting for someone? Rather than do something stressful, like being productive, Tesla is offering the next best thing: playing old-school Atari games on your electric car's dashboard, using that steering wheel as a giant controller.
Tesla has announced an update for Navigate on Autopilot, the active guidance navigation feature the company launched late last year. The new version brings a "more seamless" experience, according to Tesla, including a specific option the company had promised it would eventually offer: lane changes without stalk confirmation. The update brings a couple other notable changes, as well.
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.
Tesla has made some big promises about autonomous driving, and the electric automaker plans to show off some of the fruits of its efforts at an Autonomy Investor Day later this month. The company has invited investors to visit Tesla HQ in Palo Alto on April 19, for test drives of prototype self-driving EVs and more.
Tesla's Autopilot could be misled by rogue markings on the road, security researchers have found, though the EV-maker insists that it's no concern if the driver-assistance technology is used correctly. Although focusing on Tesla's systems, the investigation raises further questions about the resilience of systems that will form the basis of truly autonomous cars in general, when such vehicles become available.
Tesla has announced a new Referral Program that rewards customers who recommend the company to their friends...assuming that recommendation results in a vehicle purchase, of course. The company explains that its previous Referral Program was popular but pricey, and so it is back with a new version, one that offers exclusive perks for existing customers without the same 'significant costs' for Tesla.
Tesla has delayed its price increase this week, with the electric car company confirming that would-be buyers have a few more days than initially expected to get their order in. The automaker confirmed earlier this month that, having lowered prices just a week beforehand, it would be nudging them back up again in mid-March.
Tesla frequently makes changes to its line of EVs, and the most recent change sees a version of the Model 3 EV being discontinued. The mid-range battery pack has been discontinued after only being around since October 2018. That battery pack was launched as a way to offer cheaper versions of the Model 3, but with the long-anticipated $35,000 Model 3 now here, the mid-range option is no more.