Tesla

You are currently browsing articles tagged Tesla.

Tesla Model S Plaid Needs 15 Seconds To Run Quarter Mile In ‘Chill’ Mode

December 11, 2021 in Uncategorized | Permalink

The Tesla Model S Plaid has been in the headlines a lot in recent months and has established itself as the world’s quickest production car this side of the Rimac Nevera and Pininfarina Battista hypercars.

Importantly, virtually all performance tests you’ll see online of the Model S Plaid show it being driven in Plaid mode with the available Drag Strip Mode system enabled. Eager to see how his Model S would perform in the more relaxed ‘Chill’ and ‘Sport’ driving modes, YouTuber DragTimes headed onto the street for some tests.

Read Also: Tesla To Add $20,000 Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit Option For Model S Plaid

For the first test, he set a baseline with Plaid mode and Drag Strip Mode enabled, rocketing to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 2.42 seconds and running the quarter-mile in 9.52 seconds at 148.58 mph (239.1 km/h). He then switched the EV into Sport mode. Doing so saw the 0-60 mph time climb to 3.51 seconds while the car then needed 11.14 seconds to run the quarter-mile with a trap speed of 129.36 mph (208.18 km/h). That’s still a quick quarter-mile time and just a few couple tenths behind a BMW M5 CS.

As for the ‘Chill’ mode, well it is exactly that. After pinning the throttle in this mode, the YouTuber is immediately amused with how much slower it is. It picks up speed very gently and ultimately needs a full 7.13 seconds to hit 60 mph and completes the quarter-mile in 15.27 seconds at just 93.81 mph (150.97 km/h).

[embedded content]

Tags: , , , , , ,

Would You Trust Tesla’s FSD Beta After Watching This Video?

October 22, 2021 in Uncategorized | Permalink

Tesla’s driver assistance systems are currently under the scrutiny by federal authorities, but video footage of its full-self driving package in operation shows just how close it is to replicating real human behavior.

You might even say it’s a little too human-like after watching this video from AI DRIVR. The Tesla-driving YouTuber has been testing out the FSD Beta software for several months on his Model S and produced a number of videos that show the technology attempting to tackle different real-world traffic scenarios. And the latest video shows just how much more confident FSD has become in its latest 10.2 incarnation.

First, in its recent form it seems much better at predicting the behavior of other vehicles, rather than simply seeing their initial movement – something that’s always been one of the biggest issue with basic adaptive cruise control systems. We see a mail truck go to make a three-point turn in the road, and instead of trying to fit through the gap that appears when the truck makes the first part of its maneuver, the Tesla waits for the truck to back up and drive away.

But in other situations its assertiveness is genuinely surprising. It creeps forward at intersections on the Berkley, CA, route, and begins to move into the road before the other cars have fully cleared, just as a human driver might. At one junction it even cheekily cuts in front of a Prius, again, like a human might if they were late for work, and is rewarded by a blast of horn from the irate Toyota driver.

Related: Elon Musk Says Tesla’s Beta Testers Are Ignoring Their NDAs

[embedded content]

The Model Seven treats stop signs like humans often do, not quite coming to a halt as it goes to make a right turn, but simply checking the road is clear before moving out. The maneuver is safe, but an officious cop could still pull you over. And when it needs to move wide to give cyclists room it crosses the central lines, moving deep into the oncoming lane, unperturbed by an approaching car. Which a human might do, too, but is a rather ill-advised move.

Tesla has received criticism from some tech experts for relying solely on camera-based systems rather than highly detailed maps and lidar, a technology Elon Musk has described as a “stupid, expensive and unnecessary”. Instead, it hopes to improve its cars self-driving capabilities by developing a neural network, drawing on the behavior and experiences of Tesla drivers.

Although Musk conceded that Tesla’s FSD Beta was “actually not that great” back in August, on this evidence, FSD does a mostly great job of tackling some tricky traffic situations on Berkley’s narrow, twisty streets. But it doesn’t get everything right, occasionally veering between lanes (fortunately on a quiet bit of road) when it gets confused. And there were a couple of occasions when the driver had to intervene.

Tesla warns drivers participating in the FSD Beta test to keep hold of the wheel at all times, and AI DRIVR claims he does, but you can imagine many other drivers leaving the car to its own devices. So, having seen this footage, would you let a FSD Tesla drive you home?

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Mitsubishi Driver Hunts Down And Crashes Into Tesla Model X During Crazy Road Rage Incident

October 8, 2021 in Uncategorized | Permalink

Dramatic dashcam footage out of New Zealand has captured the moment the driver of a Mitsubishi Galant slammed into a Tesla Model X owned by Geoff Gardiner in a horrifying and bizarre case of road rage.

The video shows the driver of the Model X passing the beaten-up Galant on a road near Auckland Airport. The driver of the Mitsubishi, for some reason, appears upset by this overtake and immediately cuts in behind the Tesla and starts tailgating.

It is reported that the driver of the Galant continued to tailgate the Model X for several miles before he overtook it, cut in front of it, and slammed on the brakes. The Tesla driver took this as an obvious sign that the Mitsubishi motorist was very angry and quickly accelerated away.

Watch Also: Tesla Model X Driver Hits Double-Decker Bus With Open Falcon Wing Door

Despite trying to speed away from the Galant, the driver of the Model X came up to some slow-moving traffic, allowing the Mitsubishi to catch up. Once again, its driver pulled out in front of the Tesla and brake checked them before stopping in the middle of the road. The Tesla driver fled once again.

But that wasn’t the end of it as the driver of the Galant cranked things up a notch and sideswiped the Tesla before pulling directly in front of it, resulting in a heavy collision. The driver of the Mitsubishi proceeded to get out of his car and repeatedly banged on the doors and windows of the Tesla as the two cars sat on the side of the highway. Soon after, police arrived.

Remarkably, the owner of the Galant tried to claim that it was the driver of the Tesla who was at fault. Unfortunately for him, the front, side, and rear cameras of the Model X captured the entire saga and authorities arrested the man on the spot. It is reported that the Tesla suffered $45,000 worth of damage.

[embedded content]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Elon Musk Confirms Tesla Cybertruck Has Been Delayed Until Late 2022

September 7, 2021 in Uncategorized | Permalink

Elon Musk has confirmed that the Tesla Cybertruck will not hit the production line until late 2022.

When first unveiled in November 2019, Tesla stated the Cybertruck would hit the market in 2021. However, the automaker revealed its plans had been pushed back until 2022 during its Q2 2021 financial results announcement in August. Musk has now specified that it has been delayed yet again until late 2022 and that significant volume production will not be achieved until late 2023.

Musk confirmed the news while speaking with employees on a company-wide call. He did not specify a month or a quarter when production will begin.

Read Also: Crowdsourced Tracker Suggests Cybertruck Reservations Could Exceed 1 Million

When the Cybertruck was first unveiled, there was an expectation that it would be one of, if not the, first electric pickup trucks to reach the hands of customers. However, it appears that the Rivian R1T will take that crown with deliveries set to commence imminently. Both the GMC Hummer EV and Ford F-150 Lightning will also likely reach customer driveways before the first Cybertrucks.

However, as we have learned time and time again, most Tesla customers are more than willing to put up with delivery delays. It is also reported that there have been more than 1 million reservations placed for the Cybertruck, meaning that when it does finally launch, it certainly has the potential to be the best-selling electric pickup truck on the market, at least for the first couple years of production.

Tags: , , , , , ,

Tesla’s Sentry Mode Camera Will Melt Snow To Give It A Clear View

January 6, 2021 in Uncategorized | Permalink

The Sentry Mode of the Tesla Model 3 is one of its most useful features and as it turns out, not even snow can stop it from working.

Sentry Mode uses the Model 3’s exterior cameras to monitor what is going on around the car when it is parked. If the system detects something suspicious, it will start recording. While the side cameras and rear camera are quite well protected from the elements, the front-facing camera at the top of the windshield could easily be covered by snow – and, wouldn’t you know it, Tesla has already thought of that.

Watch Also: Tesla Model 3’s Sentry Mode Captures Two Men Keying Car

Images recently shared by owners online reveal that the camera unit is able to heat up to melt snow that may be blocking its view. More specifically, The Drive, who published photos from Model 3 owner Jon Herrity, writes that there are defrosting lines in front of the camera unit that work like the ones you’ll find on rear windows.

It appears as though the system is always enabled, just in case an owner wants to use Smart Summon and drive the car remotely through their smartphone.

Since Tesla rolled out its Sentry Mode function, heaps of videos have surfaced online of people breaking into Model 3s or intentionally damaging them. In fact, we’ve shared more than a couple of videos that show individuals keying the sides of Teslas while unknowingly being filmed by the exterior cameras.

Tags: , , , ,

Watch A Tesla Model 3 With Full Self-Driving Beta Overtake A Garbage Truck

December 6, 2020 in Uncategorized | Permalink

In October, Tesla rolled out its Full Self-Driving Beta software to a handful of owners to test the feature, and this clip offers a glimpse of what the system is capable of.

The Full Self-Driving suite of autonomous technologies is arguably the closest thing currently available to full autonomy, so it’s interesting to see how it performs in a real-world scenario.

During this video, a Model 3 equipped with the system approaches a garbage truck on the road that’s traveling slowly and stopping frequently. The car’s systems soon decide that the best course of action would be to overtake it.

Watch Also: Should You Spend $10,000 On Tesla’s Full Self-Driving System?

As such, the Tesla moves slightly to the left to see if there are any vehicles ahead and if it’s safe to overtake. Before long, the Tesla recognizes that there is no oncoming traffic and overtakes the garbage truck.

On the one hand, this is a pretty impressive demonstration of the vehicle’s abilities. However, it was far from a smooth overtaking maneuver, as the driver did have to intervene at one stage when the Model 3 tried to get back into its lane too soon.

Then, the car stayed in the opposite lane for far longer than it needed to. So, while it did get the job done, the whole process could have been smoother.

[embedded content]

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Footage Shows Tesla Rear-Ending A Honda At 136 MPH Well After Autopilot Disengages Due To Forward Collision Warning

November 14, 2020 in Uncategorized | Permalink

A Tesla’s on-board front camera has captured the moment the EV rear-ended a Honda Civic on highway CA-24 near Lafayette, California recently.

The videos were shared on Twitter by noted hacker and security researcher GreenTheOnly, who is understood to have received it from a salvage yard where this Tesla was sitting.

The standard footage from the front of the Tesla shows it speeding down one of the center lanes of the highway. According to the separate clip that overlays the Tesla’s various semi-autonomous visualizations over the video, it is revealed that the speed differential between the two cars at the time of the rear-end collision was a shocking 63 mph (101 km/h). Blackbox data from the Tesla confirms it was traveling at 136.55 mph (219.7 km/h) at the moment of impact.

Watch Also: Tesla Model S On Autopilot Crashes Into Dodge Police Car, Driver Admits To Watching A Movie

The video cuts out almost immediately after the Civic is hit from behind, so it’s hard to know how much damage was caused to the two cars, although we guess they must have been totaled.

GreenTheOnly notes that Autopilot disengaged roughly 40 seconds before the crash and the Forward Collision Warning chime was triggered.

It is unclear why the driver of the Tesla continued to accelerate after Autopilot had been disabled, the Front Collision Warning alarmed them and still they made no attempt to brake or swerve out of the way of the slower-moving Honda. The most likely explanation is that the driver was distracted but even still, that doesn’t explain why they were driving so fast.

In incidents like this, it would be, you know, helpful to get in touch with a Tesla representative for a comment, but as Jalopnik notes, the Californian electric carmaker doesn’t see the need to have a press department at all.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Does This Lowered Tesla Model 3 On Bronze Wheels Sit Better With You?

October 11, 2020 in Uncategorized | Permalink

While the Tesla Model 3 offers performance to rival, and oftentimes beat, its competition, the all-electric sedan has a relatively soft and sculpted design, dramatically different from some of the aggressive and sporty designs from Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.

This one though is a little different. Tuned by Unplugged Performance, this Deep Blue Metallic Model 3 is the short-lived Mid Range model Tesla built between October 2018 and March 2019. As such, it has a 52 kWh battery, a single electric motor driving the rear wheels, and hits 60 mph (96 km/h) in 5.2 seconds.

Eager to make this Model 3 Mid Range stand out, Unplugged Performance has equipped it with a new carbon fiber front splitter and a set of lowering springs. However, the most striking modification are the wheels.

Read Also: Tesla Model 3 Selling Like Hotcakes In China Due To Price Cuts

These are the ADV5.0 FLOWSpec wheels from ADV.1. They measure 19×9 at the front and 19×10 at the rear and have a polished gloss bronze finish that contrasts the blue paint scheme nicely, with the sharp and angular design of the spokes juxtaposing the curvaceous bodywork of the electric sedan.

Unplugged Performance offers a range of upgrades for the Model 3, and in late August, brought one of its modified Model 3s to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. While the car was badly damaged during a practice session, it was repaired and managed to complete the treacherous hillclimb.

PHOTO GALLERY

more photos…

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Escape the coronavirus at the drive-in in 5 comfortable cars

June 17, 2020 in Uncategorized | Permalink

The movies are classics and there won’t be new releases for a while. But in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, drive-in movie theaters are experiencing another renaissance. Escaping to see a movie in your car is safe entertainment. But certain vehicles make better seats on wheels than others.

Cars.com, the Chicago-based automotive classified website, has released new research detailing that 42 percent in-the-market car shoppers plan to visit a drive-in movie theater this summer.

The Chrysler Pacifica is an ideal vehicle for a drive-in movie during the coronavirus.

The Chrysler Pacifica is an ideal vehicle for a drive-in movie during the coronavirus. Image © James Raia/2019

“Drive-in theaters are making a comeback this summer as the destination of choice for movies, music and other forms of live entertainment that people can experience without ever leaving the safety of their vehicle,” said Matt Schmitz, Cars.com’s assistant managing editor.

Drive-in Movie Theaters: Ideal For Social Distancing

“Since the pandemic began, we’ve found that Americans are using their cars as an extension of their homes. They’ve resurrected the Sunday drive, are using their cars to socialize from a distance through birthday and graduation parades, and now they’re using their cars as a new way to see live entertainment, too.”

Cars.com recommends the following five best cars to take to a drive-in movie:

Volkswagen Atlas: The sensible, sexy Volkswagen Atlas is a three-row SUV that earned Cars.com’s Best of 2018 award and the 2020 Family Car of the Year award. The Atlas comfortably holds seven occupants and boasts a Fender 12-speaker audio system in the SEL Premium trim. Premium sound system upgrades are available for an extra $6,000.

Ram 1500: Chill outside in the Ram 1500’s spacious truck bed with blankets and plenty of fluffy pillows. This pickup truck also has the RamBox. The RamBox Cargo Management System is a massive locking, conveniently lit storage space inside the hull. It’s drainable, perfect for filling with ice to keep snacks, sodas and other movie treats cool.

Chrysler Pacifica: Cars.com’s Best of 2017 sports plenty of mini cubbies and storage nooks in the back for popcorn, soda and sweet snacks. The Stow ‘n Go seats create a huge flat surface in the rear, ideal for settling in for a long night at the moving pictures. Park with the back facing the screen, pop the liftgate and spread out blankets and pillows while sheltered from rain or wind. If the movie isn’t a hit for the entire party, parents can pop in a Blu-ray movie into Chrysler’s Uconnect infotainment system.

Dodge Challenger: Muscle-car fans love the Challenger’s throwback body-style feel and charm. Upgrade to the 717-horsepower SRT Hellcat version for extra power; however, be polite and stay until after the credits roll to avoid drowning out the on-screen dialogue with the rumble under the hood.

Tesla Model X: Tesla’s first all-electric SUV looks like a rocketship from the future with incredible acceleration, over-the-air updates, a roomy cabin and up to 328 miles of range. For movie watching, the Model X’s visibility is spot on with tall side windows and a large windshield that stretches over the first and second rows combined to ensure passengers can see as much of the screen as possible.

Support independent journalism. Many of us are undergoing pay cuts and decreased hours. Shop on Amazon using this banner, and The Weekly Driver receives a small commission at no cost to you.

Advertising Disclosure: TheWeeklyDriver.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Tags: , , , , ,

This Is How The Tesla Roadster’s Rockets Could Work

June 11, 2020 in Uncategorized | Permalink

Elon Musk likes to make bold proclamations and in January 2019, he wildly claimed that the second-generation Tesla Roadster would use rocket thrusters. While that may have initially seemed like a fantasy, Musk is said to be very serious about using rockets to improve the Roadster’s performance and Jason from Engineering Explained recently set out to discover how this could work.

The system will work as follows. Tesla’s optional ‘SpaceX’ package for the Roadster will see the rear seats removed and replaced by a composite overwrapped pressure vessel (COPV). The car’s battery will power a pump which in turn runs the COPV that can then send pressure to cold gas thrusters located around the vehicle. Musk says the car will use roughly 10 of these thrusters.

Read Also: Musk Says Tesla Roadster Will Be Delayed Until After The Cybertruck’s Launch

The use of these cold gas thrusters could have profound impacts on the car’s performance. In a straight-line, it is possible the Roadster with the available SpaceX package will be able to hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in 1.1 seconds. Braking performance could also be improved with a 60-0 mph braking time of as little as 45 feet (14 meters). There is a big caveat to the system, however.

Storing all of this ‘boost’ in the Roadster will add weight and Jason believes the boost may only last for 1 or 2 seconds at a time as having any more than that would simply add too much weight to the car. Consequently, it is unlikely the system will provide any sustained or meaningful improvements to cornering because you wouldn’t want the rocket thrusters to run out of puff halfway through a corner.

[embedded content]

Tags: , , , , , ,