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James May gears up to pit his new Tesla vs a Hydrogen Toyota Mirai

Credit: YouTube/DRIVETRIBE

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Former Top Gear host and Model S owner James May will compare his new battery-powered Tesla sedan to his most recent purchase: a Toyota Mirai, a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (HFCEV).

The Toyota Mirai is the Japanese automaker’s hydrogen fuel cell-powered mid-size sedan and was unveiled in 2014 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Toyota has been developing fuel cell vehicle technology since 1992 when the company decided to invest time into producing alternative fuel options for its vehicles, and decided to redevelop the Mirai for release in 2020. Hydrogen must be extracted from an external source, such as water or a fossil fuel. This can be a lengthy and somewhat laborious process, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated in the past he finds hydrogen fuel cells to be “extremely silly”.

After speaking at the Automotive World News Congress event in Detroit in 2015, Musk gave his thoughts on the process of separating hydrogen from its main derivative to supply a vehicle with energy. “It’s just very difficult to make hydrogen and store it and use it in a car. Hydrogen is an energy storage mechanism, it is not a source of energy, so you have to get that hydrogen from somewhere,” Musk said to reporters.

“If you get that hydrogen from water, so you’re splitting H2O, the electrolysis is extremely inefficient as an energy process. If you compare it to a solar panel, and you use that energy from a solar panel to charge a battery pack directly, compared to trying to split water, take the hydrogen, dump the oxygen, compress the hydrogen to an extremely high pressure or liquefy it and then put it in a car and run a fuel cell, its about half the efficiency, its terrible. So why would you do that? It makes no sense.”

May purchased his Tesla Model S 100D in early November and unveiled it on the DRIVETRIBE YouTube channel. Describing his newest purchase as “just a car”, May stated he enjoyed the excessive cargo space, the frunk, and the keyfob shaped like his vehicle. While the man responsible for hosting a show that has primarily showcased the power and performance of petrol-based automobiles, he admits he does not know where the automotive industry will go in the future due to the evolving popularity of electric vehicles. He does see, however, electric cars being the norm.

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Vehicles powered by a hydrogen fuel cell must be “filled up” at a hydrogen fuel station. These stations are rare according to energy.gov, who states there are 49 total hydrogen refueling locations within the United States and Canada. The availability of Tesla Superchargers is growing every week, and currently, there are 1,636 total stations, with 14,497 total Superchargers in North America. The convenience factor of electric vehicles, as of now, is more beneficial to a consumer that lives outside of California, where 43 of the 49 total hydrogen stations are located.

An influencer like James May who has such a strong following is comparing the advantages and disadvantages of both battery-powered vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell cars could be beneficial. This strategy could bring an even and unbiased contrast between the cars powered by different fuel sources. May stated he will release a follow-up video within the coming weeks that will do an in-depth comparison of the two vehicles.

You can watch James May’s unveiling of his new Toyota Mirai below.

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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This signature Tesla feature is facing a ban in one of its biggest markets

The report indicates that Chinese government agencies have concerns “about failure rates and safety issues with the flush design.”

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A signature Tesla feature is under fire in one of the company’s largest markets, as regulators in one EV hot spot are mulling the potential ban of a design the automaker implemented on some of its vehicles.

Tesla pioneered the pop-out door handle on its Model S back in 2012, and CEO Elon Musk felt the self-presenting design was a great way to feel like “you’re part of the future.”

It is something that is still present on current Model S designs, while other vehicles in the Tesla lineup have a variety of handle aesthetics.

How to repair your Tesla Model S Door handle (DIY Kit)

According to Chinese media outlet Mingjing Pro, the company, along with others using similar technology, is facing scrutiny on the design as regulators consider a ban on the mechanism. These restrictions would impact other companies that have utilized pop-out handles on their own designs; Tesla would not be the only company forced to make changes.

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The report indicates that Chinese government agencies have concerns “about failure rates and safety issues with the flush design.”

However, EVs are designed to be as aerodynamically efficient as possible, which is the main reason for this design. It is also the reason that many EVs utilize wheel covers, and sleek and flowing shapes.

However, the Chinese government is not convinced, as they stated the aerodynamic improvements are “minimal,” and safety issues are “significantly elevated,” according to The Independent.

The issue also seems to be focused on how effective the handle design is. According to data, one EV manufacturer, which was not specified in the report, has 12 percent of its total repairs are door handle failure fixes.

There are also concerns about the handles short-circuiting, leaving passengers trapped within cars. Tesla has implemented emergency latch releases in its vehicles that would prevent passengers from getting stuck in their cars in cases of electric malfunctions or failures.

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However, evidence from the Chinese Insurance Automotive Technology Research Institute (C-IASI) suggests that 33 percent of door handles using this design fail to function after a side impact.

Obviously, Tesla and other automakers could introduce an alternative design to those vehicles that are affected by the potential restrictions China intends to impose. The regulation would take effect in July 2027.

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Tesla pushes crazy ‘Luxe’ incentive package on flagship Model S and X

Tesla is pushing more customers to the Model S and Model X with a new incentive package.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has pushed a crazy new incentive package, known as the “Luxe Package,” on the flagship Model S and Model X, along with a $10,000 price increase on each trim level.

The move aims to likely bolster margins for the company on the two cars while also giving those who choose to buy the Tesla lineup mainstays a variety of awesome advantages, including Free Supercharging, Full Self-Driving, and other add-ons.

Tesla is offering a crazy Supercharging incentive on its two ‘sentimental’ vehicles

Last night, Tesla launched the “Luxe Package” for the Model S and Model X, which includes the following four add-ons:

  • Full Self-Driving (Supervised) – Your car will be able to drive itself almost anywhere with minimal driver intervention
  • Four-Year Premium Service – Wheel and Tire Protection, Windshield Protection, and Recommended Maintenance
  • Supercharging – Charge for free at 70,000+ Superchargers worldwide
  • Premium Connectivity – Listen to music, stream movies, monitor live traffic, and more – no Wi-Fi needed

Full Self-Driving is priced at $8,000. Free Supercharging for the life of the car is between $10,000 and $15,000 over the life of the vehicle, although Tesla has valued it at $5,000 in recent promotions.

Free Premium Connectivity is roughly $1,000, and the four-year tire, wheel, windshield, and maintenance plan is about $3,200.

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In all, the value is over $25,000, but this is loosely based on usage.

The Model S and Model X are low contributors to Tesla’s overall sales figures, as they make up less than five percent of sales from a quarterly perspective and have for some time.

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As they are certainly the luxury choices in Tesla’s lineup, the Model 3 and Model Y are the bigger focus for the company, as a significantly larger portion of the company’s sales is made up of those vehicles.

The Luxe Package is an especially good idea for those who drive high-mileage and plan to use the Model S or Model X for commuting or long drives. The free Supercharging makes the deal worth it on its own.

As for the price bumps, each of the vehicles are now priced as follows:

  • Model S All-Wheel-Drive: $94,990
  • Model S Plaid: $109,990
  • Model X All-Wheel-Drive: $99,990
  • Model X Plaid: $114,990
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Tesla takes first step in sunsetting Model S and X with drastic move

Tesla won’t be taking custom orders of the Model S or Model X in Europe any longer.

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Credit: @supergeek18 | X

Tesla has seemingly taken the first step in sunsetting two of its older vehicles, the Model S and Model X, by ending international orders.

The flagship sedan and SUV from Tesla are the two oldest cars in the company’s lineup. They account for a very small portion of overall sales, and several years ago, CEO Elon Musk admitted that Tesla only continues to build and sell them due to “sentimental reasons.”

Earlier this year, there were calls for Tesla to end the production of the two cars, but Lars Moravy said that the Model S and Model X were due to get some love later in 2025. That happened, but the changes were extremely minor.

Tesla launches new Model S and Model X, and the changes are slim

Some took this as an indication that Tesla has kind of moved on from the Model S and Model X. A handful of people seemed to think Tesla would overhaul the vehicles substantially, but the changes were extremely minor and included only a few real adjustments.

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In Europe, customers are unable to even put a new order in on a Model S or Model X.

We noticed earlier today that Tesla pressing the ‘Order’ button on either of the flagship vehicles takes you to local inventory, and not the Design Studio where you’d configure your custom build:

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Tesla simply does not make enough Model S or Model X units to justify the expensive logistics process of shipping custom orders overseas. It almost seems as if they’re that they will essentially build a bunch of random configurations, send them overseas every few months, and let them sell before replenishing inventory.

Inversely, it could also mean Tesla is truly gearing up to sunset the vehicle altogether. It seems unlikely that the company will fade them out altogether in the next couple of years, but it could absolutely think about ending international orders because volume is so low.

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