Tesla Model 3
Columbus Yellow Cab Adds Several Tesla Model 3s to Its Fleet
As first reported by cleantechnica.com, Columbus Yellow Cab announced last week that it has purchased ten Tesla Model 3s to add to its fleet. The mid-sized taxi company currently owns about 170 cars, 20 of which are all-electric vehicles (EVs). These newest additions to the fleet demonstrate Columbus Yellow Cab’s efforts to transition to cleaner transportation methods, as well as the company’s interest in further testing electric cars as taxis. In an interview, Columbus Yellow Cab owner and CEO Morgan Kauffman told reporters that the company’s goal was “To show the feasibility of going electric and, potentially in the next few years, do it in a way that is carbon net neutral and make it convenient and appropriately priced.” “We’ve been around for 91 years, and...
5 Gadgets to Consider If You Own a Model 3
It’s fair to say that I’m envious of Tesla Model 3 owners. While I love my Nissan Leaf, there is just something so cool about all of Tesla’s cars. If money were no object I would be a Model X owner but alas, I was born handsome and not rich (at least my mom says I’m handsome). A Model 3 however, is not out of the realm of possibility for me in the future. That got me thinking: what kind of gadgets and other accessories could I get to make my Model 3 even more fun? We found five must-haves for any Model 3 owner that are not only awesome but inexpensive as well. 1. Touch Screen Protector There are two types of people in this world: people who have broken a touch screen and people who lie and say they’ve never broken a touch screen. I myself have broken an iPad, ...
Vorsteiner Joins the Ranks of Tesla Tuners
Tesla’s excitingly fast lineup of electric vehicles has certainly gained the attention of the environmentalists of the motoring world in recent years– but performance enthusiasts haven’t missed the boat, either. Companies like Unplugged Performance and T Sportline have catered to the Tesla crowd by offering distinctive products to customize and enhance the already awesome EVs. Now, you can add another famous tuning house to the growing list of Tesla tuner and tweakers: Vorsteiner. “Vorsteiner is a company that was conceived through the imagination of creating the highest quality parts for the most discerning vehicles and clientele,” reads the company’s ABOUT page. “Our relentless pursuit of advancement and perfection is seen not only in our unmatch...
Model 3 Owners Block Factory to Protest Price Drop
A group of eleven (11) enraged Tesla Model 3 owners blocked the entrance to the company’s factory in Tilburg, Netherlands in protest of Tesla Motors’ (NASDAQ: TSLA) price drop on its Model 3 sedan. The Model 3 protestors even went so far as to show up wearing red vests as a way to invoke the Yellow Vest Movement currently influencing policies in France. That’s the key concept here: influence. At least, that’s the way one Red Vest protestor seemed to be leaning when he took to the European Tesla Model 3 Blog and wrote, “Today I participated in the so-called “Red vests action against Tesla” at the Tesla Factory & Delivery Center in Tilburg. Together with 10 other Model 3 owners from the Netherlands and Belgium, and with interest from the media, we have tried...
Bloomberg’s Tesla Q1 Estimates Were Way Off
We have to eat crow. That is the civilized way to say it. What we wrote was completely off. It was logical, believable, and wrong. After submitting it, I thought I should have included that famous line about complex problems having simple answers that are completely wrong — a point I did prove. Another way of saying it, it was FUBAR. Like many other people, we were fooled by a desire for Tesla progress and trust in the Bloomberg Tracker. There was a nagging feeling it was too optimistic, but no expectation that it was this far off. It was supported by rumors from Gigafactory 1 (GF1) that battery pack production was at a steady 6,000+. Those are either in storage, or those reports were too optimistic, too. What is happening with Model 3 production is worth a long explanation by ol...
Will Tesla Production in Q1 Shock the Market?
Tesla will report its first quarter 2019 production and delivery figures in the next few days. The Q1 sales report is an extremely anticipated one as it will tell us whether or not Tesla managed to increase production and if the company was able to generate enough demand for the cars it has built over the last three months. Tesla is not the kind of company that we associate with a demand shortfall, as the company has always managed to create demand that far outstripped their production. Demand for Tesla Roadster 2008, Model S, Model X, and Model 3 have always remained on the higher side since the day they were launched. But the first quarter of 2019 has the potential to break that trend — even as Tesla pulled a multitude of demand levers in order to sell as many cars as they possibly could...
Tesla has Moved from “Production Hell” on to “Delivery Hell”
It seems like nothing comes easy for Elon Musk these days. Ol’ Musky himself has now publicly said that Tesla has “gone from production hell to delivery logistics hell” as it rushes to get examples of its Model 3 sedan into (increasingly impatient) customers’ hands. Sorry, we’ve gone from production hell to delivery logistics hell, but this problem is far more tractable. We’re making rapid progress. Should be solved shortly. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 17, 2018 This delivery hell seems to have struck Tesla on two fronts. The first, obviously, is the car delivery front– a problem that seems to have been building up since 2016 when Musk, during an earnings call, warned investors TSLA’s existing delivery system would not be able to handle...
Tesla Model 3 Track Mode Unlocked – Sets Track Record
Sasha Anis and his crew of tuners at Mountain Pass Performance may be known for their big brake kits, coilovers, and suspension mods for the Tesla Model 3, but today, they took the wraps off their latest and perhaps greatest achievement: disabling Electronic Stability Control (SC) and the Traction Control System (TCS) without disabling the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) on the Model 3. CleanTechnica got an inside scoop. While details on the modification have yet to be shared, Sasha did share that they have designed a defeat system that, unlike the defeat devices implemented by internal combustion vehicle manufacturers, is designed to let the vehicle play a little nicer on the track. The factory Stability Control and Traction Control systems were designed to maximize traction and safety in ...
Honda Clarity: is it the Best EV Deal of 2018?
Is the new Honda Clarity electric the best electric car deal of 2018? It’s not the kind of question I usually ask on Gas 2, but it recently came up while I was reading a review of the car- and I think the answer might be: yes! My research began with a recent article on our sister site, Cleantechnica, criticized the new Honda Clarity electric sedan for its lack of range. At “just” 89 miles, the car’s range is nothing to write home about. Still, it’s worth noting that 89 miles is more than enough to meet the needs of most urban commuters, and I was quick to point that out, snarkily writing: When someone on this site mentions range-anxiety about a Tesla: “Most people drive less than 40 miles per day, so it doesn’t matter.” When someone on...
Tesla Fixes Model 3 Brake Issue, Gets CR Bump
Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter that the Model 3 braking issues which had been identified by Consumer Reports have been addressed by an over-the-air software update a few days ago. His post shows that he has toned down his responses to the trusted firm, which Tesla butted heads with back in October. Really appreciate the high quality critical feedback from @ConsumerReports. Road noise & ride comfort already addressed too. UI improvements coming via remote software update later this month. https://t.co/ZMLPJxmPlM — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 30, 2018 The about-face by Consumer Reports happened in what must be a record, taking just 7 days from a Consumer Reports article detailing such a significant issue to having it resolved by the manufacturer. As we reported earl...
Elon Musk Admits: Tesla Model 3 Has a Brake Problem
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after taking the “totally normal” step of locking contractors out of his buildings and denying them entry unless another Tesla employee personally vouched for them. Now, however, it’s Tesla’s cars that are coming under fire, with Consumer Reports calling out “big flaws” in the Model 3 electric sedan- specifically when it comes to the car’s brakes. Brakes, as you might imagine, are kind of a big deal. These allegations seem to be real, too. Real enough, anyway, that Elon Musk is publicly admitting that there is, in fact, a braking issue with the vehicle. One that, he claims, can be fixed with a software patch. Looks like this can be fixed with a firmware update. Will be rollin...
Elon Musk to Fire All Contractors Not “Personally Vouched For”
Rumors are circulating that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has locked contractors out of its facilities this morning and instituted a stringent review of all its current contractors. A review that could see every contractor fired unless they’re personally vouched for by an official Tesla employee. Really. It’s a move that- if true- reads a bit desperate, I think. And it doesn’t seem to be an exaggeration, either. A leaked internal memo from Musk to his employees states that every contractor at Tesla who doesn’t have an employee personally “putting their reputation on the line for them will be denied access to our facilities and networks on Monday morning.” You can read that memo for yourself, below. Once you’ve done that, feel free let us me why you think this will...