Tesla News

  • Tesla gigafactory, March 2016, shown in drone footage posted to YouTube by Above Reno

    The state of Nevada has been fairly generous to startup electric-car makers that pledge to establish manufacturing operations within its borders. After offering a generous incentive package several years ago, the Silver State landed Tesla's lithium-ion battery "Gigafactory," which is now up and running just outside Reno. Then it lured the Chinese-backed startup Faraday Future and its planned assembly plant, which broke ground in North Las Vegas last year. CHECK OUT: Faraday Future vs Nevada treasurer: electric cars vs taxpayer protection (Jul 2016) That plant is now stalled amidst reports of...

  • Tesla Motors - Model S lithium-ion battery pack
    Northvolt: $4 billion electric-car battery plant planned for Sweden by former Tesla execs

    Tesla is currently ramping up lithium-ion battery cell production at its U.S. "Gigafactory" near Reno, Nevada. But the automaker has discussed plans for at least one additional Gigafactory, presumably to meet demand for battery cells related to large-scale electric-car production outside the U.S...

  • Tesla Motors, Palo Alto, California
    Tesla exec turnover soars as Model 3 pressure builds

    Tesla says it will put its mass-priced Model 3 electric car into production by July, and ramp up production extremely quickly from there. CEO Elon Musk hopes to be building 5,000 cars each week by the end of the year; he previously set a goal of producing 500,000 cars across all model lines by the...

  • Tesla Model 3 design prototype  -  reveal event  -  March 2016
    Tesla Model 3 prices: reader makes his guesses, via spreadsheet

    Since more than 350,000 people around the world put down $1,000 deposits to reserve a place in line, the Tesla Model 3 electric car has assumed larger-than-life status. Its maker, Silicon Valley-based Tesla Motors, recently reaffirmed that series production will start in July and that Model 3...

  • Tesla Model S battery pack teardown: frame from YouTube video by JehuGarcia, Feb 2017
    Tearing down the Tesla Model S battery pack (video)

    The lithium-ion battery pack is at the heart of any electric car. Its cost, energy density, and safety features do as much as any other feature of an electric car to determine its success. And battery packs from Tesla Motors differ from those built by virtually any other electric-car maker in at...

  • Tesla Model S at Supercharger site in Ventura, CA, with just one slot open  [photo: David Noland]
    Tesla plans major U.S. expansion of Supercharger fast-charging

    Tesla will undertake a major expansion of its Supercharger network of DC fast-charging stations this year. The Silicon Valley automaker is already one of the most committed to offering widespread DC fast charging, positioning the stations as a way for customers to complete longer journeys more...

  • 2017 Tesla Model S

    Tesla Motors has spent more than 10 years beating the odds for startup automakers. Most new, independent makers barely survive long enough to produce a handful of vehicles, let alone sell more than 100,000 and garner praise from both customers and the media—as the electric-car startup has done. Now the Silicon Valley automaker can claim another distinction no other company in its position has likely ever won. DON'T MISS: Tesla Model 3 timing confirmed: first cars in July, 5K a week by next year In market value, Tesla Motors now rivals the Detroit Three U.S. automakers. That news was...

  • Tesla factory, Fremont, California
    Musk responds to Tesla line workers on wages, injuries, confidentiality

    Tesla CEO Elon Musk has responded vigorously to an employee's claims of low wages and commonplace on-the-job injuries. In an email to employees and statements to media outlets, Musk denied the claims and accused the employee who made them of being a paid union agitator. Earlier this month, Jose...

  • Tesla Model 3
    Will Tesla Model 3 be most 'made in America' car, beating Toyota Camry?

    For some buyers, where a car is made can be as important as the qualities of the car itself. "Made in America" can be a powerful selling point, especially after a presidential election in which domestic manufacturing jobs were a hot-button issue. But in the age of globalization, U.S. automakers no...

  • 2017 Tesla Model S
    Tesla to sell 200 electric cars to Dubai taxi service

    If you wanted to start a green taxi service—and had ample funds to do so—Tesla electric cars would seem to be a good choice. The Model S and Model X offer plenty of interior space and range, and their popularity would like raise the profile of any taxi service using them. So perhaps...

  • Tesla Model 3 design prototype  -  reveal event  -  March 2016
    Tesla Model 3 timing confirmed: first cars in July, 5K a week by next year

    Tesla Motors confirmed today that it expected to start production of its crucial Model 3 electric car in July, and claims that it will boost production to 5,000 cars a week by the end of this year. The news was contained in Tesla's latest letter to its shareholders, and it started with the third...

  • Engineering Explained talks about how the Tesla Model S can do the 0-60 run in 2.28 seconds
    Video explains how Tesla Model S P100D takes just 2.28 seconds to hit 60 mph

    The Tesla Model S, now into its sixth model year, just keeps getting quicker. When Tesla introduced the current P100D version, it quoted a 0-to-60-mph time of 2.5 seconds. But then it released a "Ludicrous Plus" software upgrade, cutting that time to 2.4 seconds. DON'T MISS: Tesla P100D 'Ludicrous...

  • 2012 Tesla Model S beta vehicle, Fremont, CA, October 2011

    When it comes to Tesla and electric-car batteries, the eyes of most analysts are currently on the automaker's "Gigafactory," which began battery-cell production earlier this year. The Gigafactory is expected to build cells in massive numbers, but using a variation of the same lithium-ion chemistry that currently dominates in the electric-car sector. Yet Tesla may also be planning to add a different type of battery for future electric cars. DON'T MISS: Tesla starts cell production at Gigafactory, shows it off to investors Several years ago, Tesla began filing patent applications for a hybrid...

  • Tesla Supercharger site in Newburgh, New York, up and running - June 2015
    Tesla now tells electric cars about charger status en route

    Unlike most automakers, Tesla doesn't schedule redesigns, updates, and new features for its cars to coincide with traditional model years. Aided by the fact that most of its new features are software-related, Tesla takes a more flexible approach. Many new features are pushed to its electric cars...

  • 2017 Tesla Model S
    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...

  • Nikola Tesla drives a Tesla Model S in fan-made video
    Nikola Tesla drives Tesla Model S: amateur fan video imagines

    As an auto company that exclusively produces electric cars, Tesla Motors has a very appropriate name. It is, of course, named after Nikola Tesla, a famed engineer who pioneered technologies related to electricity. So what might Nikola Tesla think of his namesake? DON'T MISS: Pilot production of...

  • Tesla Model 3 Driving on a Public Road
    Pilot production of Tesla Model 3 to start Feb 20: report

    Tesla said yesterday it would shut down its production lines for one week this month to prepare for the launch of its upcoming Model 3 electric sedan. The Silicon Valley carmaker said the "brief, planned pause" was to add paint-shop capacity and do general maintenance at its assembly plant in...

  • Tesla and SolarCity energy storage array on Ta'u, American Samoa
    3 California battery storage sites come online, one from Tesla

    Long a leader in the push to reduce vehicle emissions and switch to renewable energy, California marks another milestone this week. The last of three battery energy-storage sites will come online in Southern California, providing storage and buffering for unpredictable renewable energy. Together...

  • 2012 Tesla Model S beta vehicle, Fremont, CA, October 2011

    An automaker's logo can and perhaps should be as recognizable as its cars, if not more. That makes logo design a very important task. Tesla's logo is certainly not anonymous, but it turns out there's more to it than may be immediately apparent. DON'T MISS: Why Faraday Future's luxury electric car is named FF 91 What looks like simply a stylized "T" is actually a reference to the company's products, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in a recent tweet (via Motor1). The Tesla logo is intended to represent the cross-section of an electric motor, Musk explained to a querying Twitter follower. Musk seemed...

  • 2017 Tesla Model S
    BMW i3, Tesla Model S electric cars miss top IIHS safety ratings

    Two of the most prominent electric cars have missed out on the highest award given for vehicle safety by the influential IIHS: Top Safety Pick+. Funded by the insurance industry, the IIHS—which operates independently of the federal government—says that neither the BMW i3 nor the Tesla...

  • Tesla Model 3
    Tesla Model 3 preview

    The Tesla Model 3 electric car is undoubtedly one of the most highly-anticipated new-car launches in recent memory. Unveiled in prototype form last April after a drawn-out teaser campaign, the Model 3 quickly generated an unprecedented response from the public. As of last August, around 400,000...

  • Tesla Model 3 design prototype  -  reveal event  -  March 2016
    How many Tesla Model 3 electric cars can company build this year?

    It's one of the most fascinating sets of questions in the auto industry. How quickly can Tesla Motors put its Model 3 electric car into production? And when? How many cars can it build this year? How many can it deliver to paying customers? At a promised starting price of $35,000, the Model 3 is...

  • Tesla Enhanced Autopilot
    Tesla Autopilot features edge closer to self-driving in 3 to 6 months

    Last year, after Tesla updated the radar, camera, and ultrasonic sensors on its electric cars, CEO Elon Musk said the new hardware's capabilities would lag behind the cars on the street already. Now, Musk has projected that the "Hardware 2.0" cars may surpass the older generation of "Hardware 1.0"...

  • 2016 Tesla Model S
    Even top German minister for environment prefers Tesla

    Government officials in Germany seeking to express national pride in their choice of vehicle have no shortage of options. The established German luxury brands offer many models that frequently serve in the capacity of official vehicle for an elected official. Indeed, given Germany's considerable...

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