Tesla Model S News
-
Like any startup company, Tesla Motors has had crises where the electric-car maker came very close to financial collapse. One was in 2008, when its Roadster model was late in delivery and its two-speed transmission proved unable to handle the car's power. But a second crisis developed in late 2012 and early 2013, when sales of its Model S electric luxury sedan were much slower than expected. DON'T MISS: First 2012 Tesla Model S Delivered To Earliest Depositor Steve Jurvetson: Video (Jun 2012) As related by Bloomberg in an excerpt from an upcoming book, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest...
-
Tesla Model S Body Kit: Definitely Different, Range-Robbing Too?Body kits--add-on components and replacements for a car's front and rear fascias and door sills--are often a good way for owners to make their vehicle stand out from the crowd. Often used on luxury brands and tuner cars, the updated looks are usually edgier and more aggressive than the factory...
John Voelcker -
2015 Tesla Model S 70D: First Drive Of New Electric Car Base ModelLast week, the new base version of the Tesla Model S, known as the 70D, hit the electric-car world like a thunderclap. No early-warning publicity, no teasing tweet from Elon. Just the sudden appearance on the Tesla website configurator of the new model--with dual motors, all-wheel drive, a 70-kWh...
David Noland -
When Will The Presidential Limo Become A Tesla Electric Car?Forgive us a Friday fantasy, if you will. We're looking forward a few years to a Request For Proposals issued by the Secret Service for a future presidential limousine. There's already a proposal out to replace the current limo, known as "The Beast," that's been used by President Barack Obama since...
John Voelcker -
BREAKING: $75,000 Tesla Model S 70D: AWD, 240-Mile Range Is New Base VersionLeave it to electric-car maker Tesla Motors to spring another surprise on the world. This morning, it announced a brand-new version of the base model in its signature battery-electric luxury sedan lineup. The Tesla Model S 70D is an all-wheel-drive Model S with a 70-kilowatt-hour battery pack...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model S Owners Love Their Cars The Most Of Any OwnersA recent customer survey shows owners love their Tesla Model S electric cars.
Stephen Edelstein -
It was another typically hyperbolic statement from Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. A simple tweet on a Sunday afternoon claimed that Tesla was “About to end range anxiety ... via [over-the-air] software update. Affects entire Model S fleet.” As usual, the media erupted with wild speculation about what Musk could do to "end range anxiety” in cars the company had sold more than two years ago. DON'T MISS: Elon Musk: Tesla Model S 'Ends Range Anxiety' With Smart Navigation, Trip Planner But when the actual announcement came, it seemed to disappoint a number of people: route planning...
-
How To Drive A Tesla Model S Electric Car Free For 18 MonthsAn owner claims to have essentially driven a Tesla Model S for free for 18 months.
Stephen Edelstein -
Elon Musk: Tesla Model S 'Ends Range Anxiety' With Smart Navigation, Trip PlannerEarlier this week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk teased us Model S owners with a tweet promising to “end range anxiety.” In a press conference this morning, Musk revealed the goods: an over-the-air firmware update that, while not increasing the range of the car, will at least set the...
David Noland -
UPDATE: First Tesla Model S Convertible (Video) Went Up For Sale On eBayNewport Convertible Engineering unveils its first Tesla Model S drop top.
Stephen Edelstein -
Kids React To Tesla Model S P85D 'Insane' Mode Launch: Video Shows How Fast It IsIf you haven't heard of the all-electric, all-wheel-drive Tesla Model S P85D--and you're reading about green cars--you may not have been paying attention. Tesla Motors claims the P85D is the fastest four-door sedan on the market, at least from 0 to 60 miles per hour. To date, no other automaker has...
Joel Feder -
Tesla Model S Double-Pedal Behavior Still Inconsistent: A Safety Plea To Elon MuskLast summer, I wrote an article patting Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk on the back for being so responsive to Model S electric-car owners. Of whom I am one. But in 2015? Not so much. I ended that article with a plea to Musk for a safety upgrade on the Model S: a firmware change to cut off power to the...
David Noland -
It has not been easy going in China thus far for electric-car maker Tesla Motors. Among the many challenges of selling its cars in that country are a lack of public-charging infrastructure and a Chinese charging standard that differs from any other standard in the world. Even more challenging, far more affluent Chinese citizens live in apartment buildings than in single-family homes, as in the United States. DON'T MISSE: Tesla Will Build Electric Cars In China; Model S On Sale There This Week (Apr 2014) This may require owners to resort to extreme measures to recharge the battery of a Tesla...
-
Tesla Battery Swapping: Useful Service Or Minimal Effort For Extra Income?Tesla Motors has been opening its Supercharger DC fast-charging stations at a dizzying pace lately, with 175 U.S. sites operating, and almost two dozen more either in construction or permitted. Globally that total is almost 400 sites, which likely represents more than 2,000 separate outlets. But...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model S P85D Hot Rod Now Has Shortest Delivery TimeTesla is prioritizing Model S P85D deliveries.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Supercharger Network Growth Surges Over Last 14 MonthsOne of the main advantages of the Tesla Model S is its relative freedom from “range anxiety,” at least in the 85-kilowatt-hour battery pack of the higher-end versions. Rated by the EPA at 265 miles, that range compares to ratings of 62 to about 90 miles in less expensive plug-in...
George Parrott -
China's Tesla-Beater (Or Not): Aoxin Ibis Electric Full-Size SedanThe Aoxin Ibis is a new electric car for the Chinese domestic market.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla Model S Cross-Country Trip, Without (Many) Superchargers: Days 8-10After seven days of traveling cross-country in my Tesla Model S electric car--including routes without Supercharger DC fast-charging sites--I had made it as far as Texas. The trip demanded both forward planning and considerable thought toward contingencies, should conditions not permit the Tesla to...
David Noland -
A cross-country road trip in a Tesla Model S electric car requires a fair amount of forward planning and contingency research. Still, I made it from New York's cold, snowy Hudson Valley into the warm, humid climes of Alabama in my first three days--as I wrote about yesterday. Then, waking up on Day Four, I had a stroke of unexpected luck. DAY 4: 421 miles, Foley, Alabama, to Beaumont, Texas Fantastic news! The website Supercharge.info tells me that the Baton Rouge Supercharger opened yesterday, shortening today’s gap from 374 miles to a mere 233. YESTERDAY: Tesla Model S Cross-Country...
-
Tesla Model S Cross-Country Trip, Without (Many) Superchargers: Days 1-3With our daughter off to college, my wife and I recently became empty-nesters. Suddenly, there was no more reason to endure the wretched winters in New York’s Hudson Valley. California, here we come: We rented a cottage for February and March in the small beach town of Carpinteria, an hour...
David Noland -
Is Tesla Model S P85D The World's Fastest Sedan? Top Speed Test NeededEven 10 years ago, the idea of a “family sedan” that could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds was something between a rarity and a fantasy. Even more delusional was the thought of a stock family sedan that could exceed 200 mph. Those heady performance figures were...
George Parrott -
Consumer Reports: Tesla Model S 'Best Overall' Again In 2015Well, Tesla Motors seems to have done it again. For the second year in a row, Consumer Reports has named the Tesla Model S its "Best Overall" vehicle to buy for 2015. DON'T MISS: Consumer Reports: Tesla Model S Electric Car Is 'Best Overall' Vehicle (Feb 2014) As the well-regarded consumer magazine...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model S Battery Life: How Much Range Loss For Electric Car Over Time?One of the things electric-car owners worry about is long-term battery degradation. It’s a well-established fact that lithium-ion batteries gradually lose capacity as they undergo numerous charge/discharge cycles. We owners understand that our range will gradually decline over the life of the...
David Noland -
Hellcat Driver Who Lost Drag Race To Tesla P85D Ready For RematchThe Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat driver who lost a race to a Tesla Model S P85D is improving his technique.
Stephen Edelstein