Tesla falls even further as Consumer Reports ranks reliability

2016 Tesla Model XThe Tesla Model S was once the darling of Consumer Reports, garnering high ratings in the magazine's initial tests. But more recently, Consumer Reports has found fault with the initial build quality of the Model X crossover, and criticized Tesla's Autopilot system. That build-quality problems meant Tesla's first appearance as a brand in the...

Tesla Network ride-sharing service details to come next year?

Tesla Enhanced AutopilotIn the updated "master plan" for Tesla Motors he released in July, CEO Elon Musk said that Tesla plans to continue pursuing self-driving cars, as well as a company-managed sharing service. Musk described a scheme in which owners could rent out their autonomous Teslas as part of a ride-sharing service, then summon them back when needed. Tesla took...

What will be the most unexpected thing about Tesla Model 3? Poll results

Tesla Model 3 design prototype  -  reveal event  -  March 2016Three long-range electric cars at affordable prices will move the industry forward over the next year or two. The Chevy Bolt EV is within several weeks of arriving at the first dealers that will carry it, and a second-generation Nissan Leaf should go into production by the end of next year. That leaves the Tesla Model 3, unveiled this past spring...

Does Tesla have plant, permits to build 500,000 electric cars a year?

Tesla Model 3 design prototype  -  reveal event  -  March 2016The 2017 Chevy Bolt EV is due at dealers within a couple of months, and little is known about the next Nissan Leaf. That leaves the Tesla Model 3 as the biggest question mark among electric cars. We know what the car is, since Tesla unveiled prototypes this spring. It's whether the company can get the Model 3 into production on schedule. DON'T...

Tesla Autopilot 8.0 better, still needs improvement, says Consumer Reports

2016 Tesla Model SThe magazine Consumer Reports has been one of the most vocal critics of Tesla's Autopilot driver-assistance system. It has called for Tesla to disable Autopilot's automated-steering feature, calling the technology "too much, too soon." It also called on Tesla to stop using the "Autopilot" name, claiming it could be misleading. DON'T MISS: Consumer...

CA to restrict use of term Autopilot: Tesla-owning pilot weighs in

Tesla AutopilotA recent news item from California aimed directly at Tesla's Autopilot system has me musing on words, meanings, and life and death. Last week, that state's Department of Motor Vehicles published the draft of a proposed new regulation that “…prohibits the advertisement of lower levels of automated systems, where the human driver is...

Tesla and China: why an obvious match isn’t as simple as it seems

2014 Tesla Model S in ChinaChina is not just the world's largest overall new-car market, it's also now the largest market for plug-in electric cars. With its ambitious plan to build 500,000 electric cars per year beginning in 2018, it would seem to make sense that Tesla Motors would make China a priority. But Tesla has struggled in China since it launched the Model S there...

Tesla delivered 24,500 electric cars in Q3, holds firm on 2016 goal

2016 Tesla Model STesla said late yesterday that it delivered roughly 24,500 electric cars during the third quarter, including 15,800 Model S sedans and 8,700 Model X utility vehicles. That total slightly exceeds estimates by at least half of the financial analysts who had projected deliveries from the Silicon Valley maker before their release. The third-quarter...

Tesla Model S race car revealed for Electric GT series

2016 Electric GT Championship Tesla Model S race carEarlier this year, a group called Electric GT Holdings announced plans for a race series exclusively for the Tesla Model S electric car. While the Formula E series currently runs events around the globe with purpose-built open-wheel race cars, Electric GT organizers reasoned that fans would relate better to a series that used cars based on...

How fast IS a Tesla Model S P100D? How about 0-to-60 in 2.5 seconds?

2016 Tesla Model S P100D on the drag stripLast month, Tesla Motors announced new 100D versions of the Model S and Model X. A battery-pack capacity increase of 10 kilowatt hours over the previous 90D versions brings a bump in range, of course. But what about performance? DON'T MISS: The Tesla Model S P100D really, seriously goes over 300 miles this time Tesla claims the top Model S P100D...

Tesla sues Michigan over ban on direct sales of its electric cars

Tesla Store Los Angeles [photo: Misha Bruk / MBH Architects]Earlier this month, an application for a dealer license submitted by Tesla Motors was denied by the state of Michigan. It was the final decision in a process that kicked off in October 2014. That was when a last-minute wording change in state franchise law foreclosed the electric-car maker's ability to sell cars directly to buyers, its business...

Tesla software update fixes flaw found by Chinese white-hat hackers

2016 Tesla Model SModern cars' increased reliance on software to control vital functions opens up new technological possibilities, but also poses the potential of hacking. That risk now requires automakers to think like tech companies, and keep to updating software to close weak points that could allow hackers to access vehicle systems. Electric-car maker Tesla...

Michigan says selling Tesla electric cars in state is illegal, again

Tesla Store opening in Westfield Mall, London, Oct 2013Tesla Motors has, once again, been blocked from selling its electric cars directly to customers in Michigan. Over the past couple of years, Tesla has been engaged in a battle with Michigan's franchised car dealers who—like dealers in several other states—view Tesla's direct-sales model as a threat. Most recently, Tesla submitted an...