Tesla Model 3

VW plans electric car to compete with Tesla Model 3

Volkswagen may be giving up on the Beetle, but its continuing its quest to regain public trust and modernize its offerings with a new all-electric mid-sized sedan for $23,000. The German automaker cheated for years on its diesel emission tests, but its pending electric sedan has the name I.D. Aero. According to a Reuters report, it will cost nearly $12,00 less than the basic price of a Tesla Model 3. Reuters’ sources also reported VW will convert three of its factories in Germany to produce its Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) entry. The carmaker’s goal will to manufacture 200,000 vehicles using the platform to make a family of electric vehicles. Volkswagen said its goal is selling 10 million by the

Read more

Elon Musk delays production of Tesla Model 3 – again

Production of Tesla Model 3, the affordable electric sports car the manufacturer’s owner, Elon Musk, hoped would bring his vehicles into the mainstream car-buying market, has a weak battery. Tesla has announced it won’t begin full production of the vehicle until the end of June. It will mark nearly a year since the Fremont, California-based company began manufacturing the entry-level Tesla in limited numbers. Musk previously announced an expected production of 5,000 model 3s a week by December 2017. In November, he announced a delay of that goal to March 2018. Now the company said it would produce 2,500 Model 3s by March and the original goal of 5,000 by June. Tesla said it has between 400,000-500,000 refundable deposits of

Read more

Will Tesla be the first to offer affordable autonomous cars?

What company will be the first to make autonomous cars readily available in the United States? Will it be Tesla, Google or the Apple self-driving car? Or might it China and its manufacturers’ efforts? It’s hard to know what to expect or who will be at the front of the pack. Beyond pending infrastructure and legal issues, the successful company will likely be at the forefront with its design, functionality and affordability. Functionality involves ensuring the car can do what it is expected to do without failure. But how? Machine learning is a technology that allows machines to learn and adapt without specific programming based on data input from others. The more sources of input, the better and faster the

Read more

Tesla woes continue with production shortfall

Tesla has had its second disappointment in a week. The luxury electric carmaker has fallen short of shipment targets for the second straight quarter, raising further questions of the manufacturer’s ability to meet production demands of its pending Model 3. The carmaker said it shipped 14,370 cars in the second quarter. It missed its target of 17,000. The shortcoming also put Tesla’s claim of delivering 80,000-90,000 cars this year in jeopardy. Further, the announced delivery date of late November 2016 for the affordable Model 3 has now also been questioned. About 400,000 wannabe be buyers of the new vehicle have paid a $1,000 deposit. Tesla blamed in driver death Production woes aside, Tesla has faced scrutiny since the death of

Read more

Commentary: Tesla Model 3 could mean hybrids matter

The recent announcement of the high-performance Tesla Model 3, the all-electric, 200-mile range, reasonably priced sports car sedan attracted the consumers like no other recent new vehicle. If Telsa can meet the demand of 400,000 wannabe buyers who each deposited $1,000 to get the new model 3, the car industry could change. That’s if the Tesla delivers the vehicles in 2017, as promised. The car industry will finally have an alternative vehicle that’s infiltrated mainstream with a car that doesn’t have the look and stigma of the Toyota Prius. Tesla Model 3: Game Changer? Most major car manufacturers offer at least one hybrid model. But the family of Prius vehicles that includes five models combines to outsell all other alternative

Read more

Tesla Model 3 unveiling, reservations streamed live

The Tesla Model 3, the first “green car” that will make a substantial impact on the automotive industry’s interest in a cleaner environment, will be available to reserve live at 7:30 p.m. PT on March 31. The live streaming of the unveiling will begin at 8:30 p.m. The reservation process and debut of the vehicle, anticipated for months, will be available HERE. Tesla suggests trying to log-in at least 15 before the debut time. A reservation can be made online for $1,000. It can be refunded in the event of cancellation — or applied instead to the purchase of a Model S or Model X instead. With its announcement, Tesla said it will give existing customers priority, but different geographic

Read more

New $35,000 Tesla Model 3 reservations begin March 31

Reservations for the Tesla Model 3, the car that could change the automobile industry, will begin March 31 with a lot of fanfare and bravado from Elon Musk, the carmaker’s CEO. The reason it could alter the automobile industry is that the high performance and extraordinarily safe electric car will now be affordable to the middle class. The current and previous Tesla models don’t need re-introductions. But while Musk has already achieved a lot with his current vehicles, the introduction of the Model 3 will rectify Tesla’s major downfall. The electric sports car is the safest car ever tested by Consumer Reports and its performance numbers are superior. Tesla Model 3: $35,000 Plus Incentives But the car’s current base price

Read more

Tesla announces Model 3 for 2017 with $35,000 price

Tesla may be the safest car ever tested. And company Elon Musk may have shaken up the car industry. But since its debut, Tesla’s inability to make an environmental difference with its high-performance electric car has been thwarted by one large problem. The Tesla and its six-figure price made the car unaffordable to most buyers. Now, it may all change with the announcement of the new Tesla Model 3, the manufacturer’s third platform. The base price for the Model 3 is anticipated at $35,000. The price does not include a $7,500 to $13,000 governmental rebate depending upon the state in which the car is purchased. According to Tesla, the unveiling of the Model 3 will take place in March, and

Read more