Connect with us

News

‘Tesla killers’ are celebrating 7-year anniversary since Model S debut

Published

on

This is a free excerpt of our weekly members-only newsletter. Each week, we give you our take on the biggest stories of the week, our favorite photos & videos and much more. Become a member today receive all of Teslarati’s newsletters.

In just a few weeks, Tesla’s first mass-produced vehicle (Model S) will be celebrating 7 years on the road. Back in June 2012, people would scoff when you would mention Tesla, “Who’s going to buy an electric car, let alone a luxury electric car??” 

A lot has changed since then. The company has sold over 260,000 Model S’ globally since its debut and it has yet to be dethroned as the longest-range electric vehicle on the road. After analysts and naysayers starting paying attention to Tesla in late 2012 (hint: Model S was Motor Trend Car of the Year in 2012), another narrative took shape, The Germans will squash these California guys, just wait a few years.

Stay ahead of the curve, the most important EV trends every week.

We give our take on the biggest news stories of the week and everything you need to know as a Teslarati Superfan.


So here we are, 7 years later. Audi has just released its first real EV, the e-tron, and Mercedes is in the process of launching their counterpart, the EQC, BMW is nowhere to be found. While the e-tron and the EQC are meaningful ploys to keep Audi and Mercedes customers from fleeing to Tesla, they seem underwhelming and late. The e-tron is equipped with a massive 95 kWh battery, but only erks out 204-miles of EPA range, and the EQC is estimated to land somewhere in between 200-220 miles with an 80 kWh battery.

Elon Musk at the Model S delivery ceremony, June 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

Let’s be clear, no one is a bigger fan of automakers entering the EV space. Audi’s e-tron should be considered an overture for the upcoming Audi and Porsche co-developed electric vehicles, which will sport one of the first 800V systems, longer range, and more efficient motors. But one thing is clear here, Tesla is still miles and years ahead of the Germans. Porsche’s upcoming Taycan would have been quite competitive with the 2018 Model S, but with the Model S’s latest platform update sporting 370-miles out of a 100 kWh battery, Tesla’s lead becomes more and more apparent. Things haven’t panned out as 2013 wall street envisioned.

Batteries, Motors, Capacity, and more!

Tesla’s latest range increases are certainly impressive, but it’s important to know where these increases are coming from: motor technology. Tesla has been developing their own motors for 15 years and has a massive lead on existing OEMs and suppliers. From the outside, Tesla’s famed Gigafactory with Panasonic makes it appear as though their battery-cells are the secret sauce, but battery suppliers have been working on lithium-ion technology far longer than Tesla. To find where Tesla is truly leading with battery technology turn to the company’s thermal management systems and packaging of the cells. While Tesla’s cells aren’t the most exciting things on earth (modified-2170 cells), their early investment into production capabilities has allowed them to lower costs and scale battery production in conjunction with vehicle demand.

Advertisement

Tesla’s been ahead of the game since the start and is positioned to stay ahead for many years. Do you think the German automakers or others will ever catch up to Tesla? If so, when and who? Let me know in the comments.

Christian Prenzler is currently the VP of Business Development at Teslarati, leading strategic partnerships, content development, email newsletters, and subscription programs. Additionally, Christian thoroughly enjoys investigating pivotal moments in the emerging mobility sector and sharing these stories with Teslarati's readers. He has been closely following and writing on Tesla and disruptive technology for over seven years. You can contact Christian here: christian@teslarati.com

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla Model Y L’s impressive specs surface in China’s recent MIIT filing

The Tesla Model Y L is expected to launch later this year.

Published

on

Credit: Tesla

The specs of the upcoming Tesla Model Y L has appeared in new Chinese regulatory filings, revealing key specifications including a six-seat layout and an extended range of up to 751 kilometers. The variant is expected to launch later this year alongside a new long-range Model 3 variant rated at 830 kilometers.

The updates were listed on the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) latest batch of new energy vehicle models that are eligible for vehicle purchase tax exemptions.

Model Y L to debut with larger battery, six-seat layout

Listed under the model code TSL6500BEVBA0, the Model Y L will feature dual motors producing 142 kW at the front and 198 kW at the rear. It will be powered by a 465-kilogram 82.0-kWh lithium-ion battery from LG Energy Solution, with a pack energy density of 176 Wh/kg, as noted in a CNEV Post report. The long-range crossover achieves 751 km on the lenient CLTC cycle, making it Tesla’s highest-range Model Y to date in China despite its curb weight of 2,088 kg.

The “L” designation is believed to refer to the vehicle’s larger size and seating configuration, as the new variant is listed with six seats. It builds on Tesla’s strategy to diversify offerings in the Model Y lineup, which currently includes both RWD and AWD five-seat versions.

Model 3+ breaks record with 830 km CLTC range

Alongside the Model Y L, Tesla China also registered a new rear-wheel-drive Model 3, which was designated with the model code TSL7000BEVBR1. The vehicle boasts either 800 or 830 km of range on the CLTC cycle, depending on its trim. This marks the highest range yet for any Tesla vehicle in China.

The variant will use a 448-kilogram, 78.4-kWh LG-supplied battery with an energy density of 175 Wh/kg and a peak motor output of 225 kW. The vehicle’s curb weight is listed at 1,760 kg. The model was previously identified in filings as “Model 3+,” hinting at a possible tier above the existing long-range variant, which tops out at 753 km CLTC.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Elon Musk explains why Tesla stepped back from Project Dojo

The update was initially reported by Bloomberg News, which cited people reportedly familiar with the matter.

Published

on

(Credit: Tesla)

Elon Musk has confirmed that Tesla is stepping back from its Dojo supercomputer initiative and focusing instead on the company’s in-house AI5 and AI6 chips. 

The update was initially reported by Bloomberg News, which cited people reportedly familiar with the matter.

Project Dojo Ends

As per Bloomberg, Peter Bannon, who led Project Dojo, will be departing Tesla following Elon Musk’s decision to shut down the initiative. The publication claimed that Tesla’s Project Dojo team has lost about 20 members recently, and the remaining members of the initiative would be reassigned to other data center and compute projects within Tesla. 

Dojo was expected to help Tesla train its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems. With this change, Tesla will reportedly be increasing its reliance on external partners for its training hardware. These partners reportedly include Nvidia, AMD, and Samsung, among other companies.

Credit: Elon Musk/X

Musk Explains Dojo Shutdown

In a series of posts on X, Elon Musk explained that it doesn’t make much sense for Tesla to divide its resources to scale two different chip designs. And since the company is putting in a lot of effort in its AI5 and AI6 chips–which would be used not for training but in actual products like Optimus and the Cybercab–it was time for Project Dojo to take a bow.

“It doesn’t make sense for Tesla to divide its resources and scale two quite different AI chip designs. The Tesla AI5, AI6 and subsequent chips will be excellent for inference and at least pretty good for training. All effort is focused on that.

Advertisement

“In a supercomputer cluster, it would make sense to put many AI5/AI6 chips on a board, whether for inference or training, simply to reduce network cabling complexity & cost by a few orders of magnitude. One could call that Dojo 3, I suppose. The difference in real-world performance between AI4 and AI5 is far more than any chip version I’ve ever heard of by a lot. It’s real good,” Musk wrote in his post.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla creates clever solution to simplify and improve its Service

Raj Jegannathan, a Vice President of IT/AI-Infra, Apps, Infosec, and Vehicle Service Operations, revealed that Tesla has started a small pilot program at a few service locations to combat this issue.

Published

on

tesla service
Credit: Tesla

Tesla has created a clever solution to simplify and improve its Service. Tesla performs most of the services that are needed on its vehicles at its company-owned Service Centers.

However, service has been a weak point of the company, as some regions have fewer Service Centers than others. This can cause long wait times for Tesla owners in some parts of the country.

There are also instances where customers do not agree with what Tesla is saying about their vehicle. In fact, one instance that revealed this new change Tesla is making to its Service was precisely that.

One owner posted on X that his vehicle’s battery seal had failed after a recall was issued. Tesla insurance and Tesla Service both did not assist, and it took CEO Elon Musk stepping in to get the issue resolved:

Another owner suggested there should be a more streamlined communications process between the customer and the Service Center, a solution that has been missing.

Raj Jegannathan, a Vice President of IT/AI-Infra, Apps, Infosec, and Vehicle Service Operations, revealed that Tesla has started a small pilot program at a few service locations to combat this issue.

Elon Musk wants Tesla Service to fix two-thirds of cars in the same day

Jegannathan said that Tesla has started to share local and regional leader contact information so customers have the ability to reach out when they have complaints or disagree with warranty claims, changes in estimates, or initial diagnostics.

It is available in a handful of locations already, and Jegannathan said that once abuse guardrails are built, this will expand to all locations:

This would be a major improvement in the Service portion of Tesla’s business. There are common disagreements between Service and customers, specifically when Service’s suggestions don’t align with the customer’s beliefs.

When it comes to things like a warranty claim, these issues are not really up for interpretation. Instead, the repairs should be made. If there is a misunderstanding on Service’s side, a simple message from the customer could have resolved the issue. That’s basically what happened here.

Continue Reading

Trending