Luxury Cars
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Drivers shopping the luxury crossover market have a new proposition to consider, and it comes with hybrid power. The updated 2018 Lexus NX 300h hybrid crossover will go on sale with a recommended price that's actually lower than the outgoing 2017 model. Despite the price drop, this year's hybrid NX 300h actually boasts more standard equipment. DON'T MISS: Lexus has sold 1 million luxury hybrid vehicles in 11 years A 2017 Lexus NX 300h started at $40,715, including the $995 destination fee, but a 2018 Lexus 300h will be priced from $39,330. That equals a price decrease of $1,385, according to...
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Latest image shows shape of Mercedes EQA compact electric car for Frankfurt show
German luxury maker Mercedes-Benz has released another teaser photo of the electric-car concept it will reveal next week at the Frankfurt auto show. That vehicle will be the Mercedes EQA Concept, a compact electric hatchback that's one of several concepts that preview future products as the company...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model S durability: cars with 250K and 300K miles still humming along happily
The latest reports on Tesla Model S durability and reliability should likely be considered a win for the Silicon Valley automaker. High-mileage cars aren't unusual, but we're only now starting to see the first truly high-mileage examples of electric cars. With less maintenance required compared to...
Sean Szymkowski -
How Teslas charge in US and UK: similarities and differences
It's well-known that electrical outlets in the United States and elsewhere vary, but it also makes for somewhat different charging experiences with the Tesla Model S. In Europe, the standard voltage is higher than the United States, which means more power can be drawn from a standard wall outlet...
Sean Szymkowski -
What car is closest Tesla Model 3 competitor? Poll results
Much of the electric-car world is waiting to see how quickly production of the Tesla Model 3 will ramp up over the balance of this year. Will it reach the remarkable level of 5,000 cars per week by December 31 that CEO Elon Musk has set as a goal? Analysts and industry commentators are skeptical...
John Voelcker -
Fisker EMotion electric luxury sedan to be shown at CES in January
Henrik Fisker, legendary automotive designer and the man behind the now-defunct Fisker Automotive company, is getting ready for his grand return to the industry. Spearheading the return will be the Fisker EMotion, which will arrive from the designer's new company, Fisker Inc. Although we only have...
Sean Szymkowski -
The Tesla Model 3 continues to generate an inordinate amount of interest from electric-car advocates and the general public, as pretty much any Tesla model has in the past. But unlike the Model S in 2012, which broke new ground on multiple fronts, the lower-priced Model 3 appears to be less innovative based on what we've seen as the car goes into production. That was the argument made by electric-car owner and Chargeway creator Matt Teske in a piece arguing that the Model 3 was not "Car 2.0" as some enthusiasts have suggested. DON'T MISS: Is the Tesla Model 3 really 'Car 2.0'? Maybe not...
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2018 Karma Revero: first drive of reborn luxury plug-in hybrid sedan
The 2018 Karma Revero remains as much of a head-turner today as the low, sleek four-door sedan was when it debuted a decade ago under another name. It also happens to be a range-extended electric luxury sedan, though we tend to think that the Karma would sell just as well if it ran on coal dust and...
John Voelcker -
Does Tesla Model 3 compete with Bolt EV and Leaf, or BMW 3-Series?
There's a new generation of the BMW 3-Series sport sedan coming next year, and rumors suggest there will be an all-electric version in 2019 or 2020. If so, there's only one car that it would be targeting: the Tesla Model 3, the 220-mile or 310-mile electric sedan from the Silicon Valley carmaker...
John Voelcker -
Is the Tesla Model 3 really 'Car 2.0'? Maybe not: here's why
Like the company's three previous electric cars, the Tesla Model 3 launched into production with a splashy media event during which owners received the keys to their new cars and the company's fans applauded. Like the Model S and Model X, production is starting at very low rates, with the rate of...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model 3 won't be delivered in Michigan to buyers; lawsuit grinds on
An ongoing lawsuit continues to complicate life for potential buyers of the Tesla Model 3, and the automaker's other electric cars, who live in Michigan. Tesla and the state remain locked in a legal battle over the state's franchise law, which requires automakers to sell vehicles only via an...
Sean Szymkowski -
Tesla Model 3 battery cells will turn a profit for Panasonic by next year
Relatively few people focus on it, but the huge Japanese electronics company Panasonic is a minority shareholder in electric-car maker Tesla. The deal dates all the way back to November 2010, the same year that Tesla completed its initial public offering after Toyota took a stake in the company and...
John Voelcker -
Now that the Tesla Model 3 has officially entered production, the electric-car maker's main goal will be to ensure the manufacturing process ramps up smoothly. With 1,800 new reservations reportedly placed each day for the affordable electric sedan, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter to confirm the company needs to get through six months of "production hell" with its most mainstream model. After the automaker stabilizes production of the Model 3, Musk promised, a performance variant will arrive. DON'T MISS: 2017 Tesla Model 3 prices, features, details, specifications from Handover Party The...
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Faraday Future gets $14 million; factory moved to CA from Vegas
Electric-car maker Faraday Future has received an emergency injection of $14 million to move its FF 91 luxury electric car closer to market. The rescue funds come in the form of a loan from Innovatus Capital Partners, after Faraday Future pledged its California-based headquarters as collateral. For...
Sean Szymkowski -
Tesla Model 3 electric car: what's your take? Poll results
With the Tesla Model 3 electric car now in early production and an aggressive ramp rate targeted, it's getting lots of media attention. Part of that is due to the allure of the Tesla brand and fascination with company CEO Elon Musk. Some more may be due to the widespread misapprehension that the...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model 3 rated at 126 MPGe, third-best after Ioniq Electric and Prius Prime
Ten days ago, when the first 30 Tesla Model 3 electric cars were delivered to their owners at a much-publicized Handover Party, we didn't get full information on the latest Tesla model. The company didn't discuss battery capacity in kilowatt-hours, for instance, giving range in miles instead, nor...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model Y to be based on Model 3 after all; Musk 'reeled back' from 'insanity'
It's fair to say that Tesla CEO Elon Musk probably raises more eyebrows more often than all other automaker CEOs combined. One case in point came in early May, when he mentioned during a financial-results call that the upcoming Tesla Model Y compact crossover utility would be based on a new...
John Voelcker -
Life with Tesla Model S: beware Extended Service Agreement fine print
A couple of years ago, as my 2013 Tesla Model S approached the end of its 50,000-mile warranty, I debated long and hard whether to opt for Tesla’s extended warranty, which they call an Extended Service Agreement (ESA). At $4,000, it wasn’t cheap. It provided four years and an additional...
David Noland -
Before the Tesla Model 3 officially entered production, the electric-car maker shuffled features on its Model S to provide a clear distinction between the two sedans. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has often said those looking for luxury will be happiest in a Model S, while the Model 3 remains a much more straightforward piece of transportation. The updates to the Model S, many of which come to the Tesla Model X as well, underscore the separation Musk has alluded to in the past. DON'T MISS: Tesla Model 3 net reservations clarified after 16 months: 455,000 The least expensive Tesla Model S now tallies in...
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Tesla Model 3 net reservations clarified after 16 months: 455,000
Sometimes, if you ask a question often enough for long enough, an answer will eventually be forthcoming. In the case of the net number of $1,000 reservations for the Tesla Model 3 electric car, it took 16 months for the company to cough up the latest data. It came, not surprisingly, from CEO Elon...
John Voelcker -
Tesla won't discuss net Model 3 reservations number; why?
One year ago today, a communications staffer (since departed) wrote that Tesla had received 373,000 reservations for its future Model 3—a number first issued in April 2016. In a splashy event for owners, fans, and media, a few dozen early-production Model 3 electric cars were delivered last...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model 3 Easter eggs, discovered by board member Steve Jurvetson
The few dozen 2017 Tesla Model 3 owners who've already taken delivery of their electric cars will find a few surprises inside if they look closely enough. The Silicon Valley automaker handed over the first examples of its new Model 3 to customers, one of whom happens to be Steve Jurvetson...
Sean Szymkowski -
Tesla Model 3 drive reports, reviews: raves for sporty electric car
The first, earliest production versions of the Tesla Model 3 electric car were delivered to their owners in a splashy "Handover Party" late last week. A few journalists got short drives at the event, but only one outlet was granted a Model 3 before the party to enable a more comprehensive review...
John Voelcker -
2017 Tesla Model 3 prices, features, details, specifications from Handover Party
Thirty of the earliest Tesla Model 3 buyers took delivery of their electric cars last night in a gala event for owners, investors, and friends the company had dubbed the Handover Party. The highly anticipated Model 3, the vehicle Tesla hopes will boost its production to hundreds of thousands of...
John Voelcker