Tesla Model X News
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The 2019 Jaguar I-Pace SUV that debuted Thursday beat all the German luxury makes to the punch in launching a viable competitor to the looks and capabilities of electric cars offered by Tesla. The 14-year-old Silicon Valley startup has attracted huge attention for the stunning acceleration of its cars, particularly the "P" performance versions. Now Jaguar has waded right into that fray. The company released a video showing the Jaguar I-Pace competing at a drag strip against two different versions of the Tesla Model X crossover utility vehicle. DON'T MISS: 2019 Jaguar I-Pace electric crossover...
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All-wheel drive now standard on all Tesla Model S, Model X cars
Tesla now offers roughly the same percentage of its model lineup with standard all-wheel-drive configuration as famed AWD proponent Subaru. The Silicon Valley electric-car maker has completely ditched rear-wheel drive in its Model S hatchback sedans and Model X crossover utility vehicles. Only its...
Mark Stevenson -
Norway proposes electric car tax that could affect Tesla significantly
Norway is likely the friendliest place on Earth for electric cars. The government's generous incentives and perks have led to an electric-car boom, and the country is now Silicon Valley automaker Tesla's third-largest market. However, Norway's latest taxation proposal could have serious...
Sean Szymkowski -
Don't be fooled: only some electric cars are sold nationwide, even now
Almost seven years after modern electric cars entered the mass market, there are now more than two dozen battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models on sale in the U.S. But that impressive number shouldn't disguise a fundamental truth about those vehicles: only about half of them are widely...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Model S beats Lamborghini Aventador in 1/4-mile drag race; so does Model X SUV
Tesla has not only put some of the world's longest-range electric cars into production, but its cars also happen to house some serious performance specifications. Everyone knows the P100D versions of the Tesla Model S sedan and Model X SUV are capable of accelerating at lightning speed, thanks to...
Sean Szymkowski -
Tesla Model S, Model X electric cars updated with new features
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...
Sean Szymkowski -
Often there seems to be no middle ground in discussing electric-car maker Tesla Motors. The challenge of reading large volumes of Tesla coverage is that it tends to be either sharply negative or rabidly positive. And the California company's stock is so obsessively analyzed both by supporters and detractors that sober analysis is often hard to come by. DON'T MISS: Tesla Model 3 prices: reader makes his guesses, via spreadsheet Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk are remarkably adept in issuing positive or interesting new developments on top of less favorable news as well. A single Tesla Model 3 that...
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Tesla extends free Supercharger use to all current owners (updated)
Tesla has bestowed upon its current owners a sought-after perk previously reserved for early adopters: free Supercharging. Last year, Tesla announced it would begin charging for Supercharger station use for buyers of its electric cars after a certain date—but now it appears to have walked...
Sean Szymkowski -
Tesla Model X gets uniform 5-star safety ratings from NHTSA, first SUV to do so
Tesla's Model X has secured a major accomplishment: it is officially the first SUV to receive 5-star crash-test ratings in every single category. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Model X uniform 5-star ratings, which Tesla says is due to the design of the all-electric...
Sean Szymkowski -
AAA raises Tesla insurance rates 30 percent; company disputes analysis
It's never a good day to learn one's insurance rates are rising, but AAA has decided the Tesla Model S and Model X warrant 30 percent increases. AAA combed through its own data and found Model S and Model X owners had abnormally high claim rates. The claim rates were also much costlier than...
Sean Szymkowski -
So what happened to Tesla Model X electric SUV sales, anyway?
A few years ago, before the Tesla Model X electric SUV went into production, company CEO Elon Musk said he thought it could outsell the older Model S hatchback luxury sedan. That hasn't happened. In the first three months of this year, Tesla said it delivered 11,550 Model Xes—but 13,450 Model...
John Voelcker -
Consumer Reports restores some points to Tesla electric cars for automatic braking
Tesla had long been a darling of Consumer Reports magazine since the time the Model S electric car was first revealed, and it consistently scored well in the magazine's tests. However, when Tesla pulled its automatic emergency braking feature when it switched to all-new vehicle sensors and...
Sean Szymkowski -
Tesla has released updated pricing and features for its 2017 Tesla Model X all-electric crossover utility vehicle, including lower prices for both the 75D and 90D models. Like the changes released at the same time to the Model S sedan, the new lineup increases the distance between the two lower-end models and the top-of-the-range 100D and P100D versions. The most notable feature of the battery-electric, all-wheel-drive family vehicle is its distinctive "falcon-wing" doors, which lift and fold within the width of the car. DON’T MISS: 2017 Tesla Model S pricing, feature changes: breaking...
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Tesla Model X electric car vs Toyota Mirai fuel-cell car: CA road trip
The ability to travel long distances has long been a distinguishing feature of Tesla's luxury electric cars, whose Supercharger fast-charging network now offers access to essentially every part of the 48 continental states. But where hydrogen infrastructure exists, which can cover a long road trip...
Green Car Reports -
Tesla electric cars have quality issues, but owners love them regardless
Tesla electric cars have many notable and pioneering qualities. Faultless reliability has not necessarily been one of them. Since the Model S launched in 2012, multiple quality issues have been documented by both owners and media outlets like Consumer Reports. The Model X debuted with a...
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla updates maintenance plans; higher fees now include hardware updates
Electric cars may require significantly less maintenance than internal-combustion cars, but even they will break down eventually. So the Silicon Valley automaker offers maintenance plans, which allow owners to prepay for annual inspections and other routine work. Early in the life of the Model S...
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla reverses recent limit on lifetime full-speed launches (updated)
Tesla uses over-the-air software updates to quickly add new features to its electric cars, or to correct problems without the need for customers to bring their cars to service centers. But one apparent software update rankled more than a few Tesla owners: it limits the number of times Launch Mode...
Stephen Edelstein -
How high a hill could recharge a coasting Tesla electric car completely?
One of the benefits of electric cars is that slowing down becomes a useful activity. Regenerative braking recovers energy normally lost as friction heat, as it does when the accelerator pedal is not pushed and the car is coasting. In some cars, regeneration is aggressive enough to allow "one-pedal...
Stephen Edelstein -
As well as software updates to add back Autopilot functionality in its latest cars, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has hinted on Twitter at an update to improve performance even further. Musk recently teased a software update that would allow the latest Model S P100D to do 0 to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds—shaving 0.1 second off the time previously quoted—and a quarter-mile time of 10.6 seconds. That update is now available, and Tesla fans have nicknamed it "Ludicrous Plus" mode. DON'T MISS: Tesla quietly limits lifetime full-speed launches via over-the-air update Accessing this new mode takes some...
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Tesla upgrades Autopilot for 1,000 'Hardware 2' cars to test
Tesla launched its upgraded Autopilot software on a handful of cars December 31.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla to recall certain accessory adapter cables for overheating risk
Tesla will recall three types of accessory adapter because of the risk of overheating.
Stephen Edelstein -
Consumer Reports' view of Tesla Model X: 'fast but flawed'
Consumer Reports cited numerous issues with the Model X in a recent review.
Stephen Edelstein -
Why did Tesla take capabilities out of latest Model S + Model X?
Tesla may have taken capabilities out of the Model S and Model X because of a supplier switch.
Stephen Edelstein -
Tesla falls even further as Consumer Reports ranks reliability
Tesla was ranked 25th out of 29 car brands in Consumer Reports' reliability rankings.
Stephen Edelstein