Tag: Tesla

Tesla says ‘Automatic driving on city streets’ including responding to traffic lights/stop signs coming this year

Coming later this year: Recognize and respond to traffic lights and stop signs. Automatic driving on city streets. We’ve heard that advanced summon is already in wider testing so that should be a software update in the coming weeks. The new pricing scheme works like this: Current AP will be $3,000 if purchased with car… Continue reading Tesla says ‘Automatic driving on city streets’ including responding to traffic lights/stop signs coming this year

Tesla is closing stores, shifting all sales online

Bobby Yip | Reuters
Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk stands on the podium as he attends a forum on startups in Hong Kong, China.

Tesla is shifting its sales to online only, and giving drivers up to a week to return their newly purchased vehicles if they aren't satisfied, the company announced on Thursday.

The move to e-commerce only will require Tesla to reduce headcount in sales, CEO Elon Musk confirmed. It should also help Tesla cut some operating expenses, and avoid dealing with local politics that have prevented it from operating its own stores (dealerships) in certain states including Connecticut, New Mexico and others.

“We will be closing some stores, some reduction in headcount as a result — there's no question about that. I wish there was some other way. Unfortunately, it will entail a reduction in force on the retail side. There's no way around it,” Musk said.

In a blog post Tesla emphasized that shifting sales to online only would enable it to sell its Model 3 vehicles for the long-awaited base model price of $35,000.

Tesla also said, in that post, it would be shifting resources to improve its customer service systems, with the goal of providing same-day service to Tesla owners.

Tesla's service team reports directly to Musk at this point. The company intends to do as much as possible through its mobile service, rather than asking drivers to come to Tesla service centers, it said.

On Thursday's press call, following the announcement, the CEO did not disclose how many stores would be shuttered, what any restructuring costs might be, or whether savings would offset the cost of hiring more service employees including auto technicians.

As the electric vehicle maker has grown, Tesla has struggled to provide prompt repair service, and handle customer returns and refunds efficiently.

A small number of Tesla stores will remain open as “galleries, showcases and Tesla information centers,” where customers can learn about the company's products, and buy Tesla merchandise.

WATCH:
Tesla launches $35K Model 3 with shorter range, new interior

Tesla launches $35K Model 3 with shorter range, new interior
3 Hours Ago | 07:08

Elon Musk just sent this memo to employees about the cheaper Model 3 and store closures

Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images
GP: Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., speaks during an event at the site of the company's manufacturing facility in Shanghai, China, on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Thursday sent an email to employees explaining the company's decision to reduce its headcount in its sales and marketing divisions, according to a copy of the memo that was sent to CNBC.

News of the upcoming layoffs come as Tesla announced that sales of the $35,000 Model 3 were finally available, adding that all sales of Tesla vehicles would be moving exclusively online. As part of the announcement, Musk also warned that the company would not turn a profit in the first quarter, sending Tesla's share price down more than 3 percent Thursday night.

Here's the full memo:

Last month, I noted in my email that the fundamental issue Tesla must overcome is that our products remain too expensive for most people. We know there are many people who want to buy Model 3, but simply can't afford to do so.
That is why we're excited to announce today that we are now offering the standard Model 3 at $35,000. This is a significant milestone for Tesla, the culmination of years of hard work by employees across the company, and something of which you should all be very proud. You can read the details of the announcement on our blog: LINK HERE
In addition, we are also making the decision to shift all sales worldwide to online only.
Last year, 78% of all Model 3 orders were placed online, rather than in a store, and 82% of customers bought their Model 3 without ever having taken a test drive. Customers can now buy a Tesla in North America via their phone in about 1 minute, and that capability will soon be extended worldwide. We are also making it much easier to try out and return a Tesla without a test drive. You can now return a car within 7 days or 1,000 miles for a full refund. Customers are becoming increasingly comfortable making purchases online, and that is especially true for Tesla — which is a testament to the products we make.
As a result, over the next few months, we will be winding down many of our stores and significantly reducing our spend on sales and marketing, which will help make the price changes we've announced today possible. Shifting all sales online combined with other ongoing cost efficiency will enable us to lower all vehicle prices by about 6% on average, allowing us to achieve the $35,000 Model 3 price point.
A small number of stores in high-traffic locations will remain as galleries, showcases and Tesla information centers. At the same time, we will be increasing our investment in the Tesla service system and manufacturing, and I expect that headcount to grow next year.
Unfortunately, this means that some jobs will be impacted or transitioned to other areas of the business. This is a hard decision, but it necessary to make our cars more affordable. Our sales team has fought on the front lines of advancing our mission and has been our connection to hundreds of thousands of customers along the way. I want to express my sincere gratitude for all that you've done.
Kn the coming weeks, we will be evaluating all of our sales and marketing organization to understand where there are operation efficiencies, and how best to support the transition to online sales while also continuing to deliver a truly awesome and education Tesla buying experience.
We'll be sharing more information on this transition soon.
Thank you,
Elon

WATCH: Tesla launches $35K Model 3 with shorter range, new interior

Tesla launches $35K Model 3 with shorter range, new interior
3 Hours Ago | 07:08

Tesla closing retail stores in shift to online-only sales strategy

Tesla is moving all of its sales online, a dramatic shift in its sales strategy that will result in the closure of stores and some layoffs as the automaker looks for ways to reduce costs in order to bring a cheaper Model 3 to market. Tesla CEO Elon Musk didn’t say how many stores would… Continue reading Tesla closing retail stores in shift to online-only sales strategy

CORRECTED-UPDATE 4-Tesla to close many stores as $35,000 Model 3 goes on sale

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Tesla Inc said on Thursday it would offer a $35,000 version of its Model 3 sedan with a delivery time of two to four weeks, while closing many of its retail stores worldwide. FILE PHOTO: A Tesla Model 3 sedan, its first car aimed at the mass market, is displayed during… Continue reading CORRECTED-UPDATE 4-Tesla to close many stores as $35,000 Model 3 goes on sale

Nissan Leaf progress, fast electric motorcycle charging, Audi plug-ins: Today’s Car News

BMW and Mercedes-Benz self-driving car concepts
Audi plans to introduce four new plug-in hybrids at next week's Geneva auto show. A drive in the Nissan Leaf Plus reveals how far electric cars have come in nine years. Electric motorcycle maker Zero has a novel way to get faster charging and longer trips on an electric bike. And German prosecutors fined BMW for its diesel emissions—but it may not be what you think. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

A look back at the first modern production electric car, compared with its latest versions shows the progress electric cars have made in nine years. Range has tripled for a little more than a 20 percent price increase.

Electric motorcycles are becoming a lot more useful for long trips with longer ranges and available fast charging. California electric bike-maker Zero has a novel way to recharge them: using two Level 2 chargers on the road simultaneously.

Audi announced some details on four new plug-in hybrids it plans to reveal at the Geneva auto show next month: the Q5, A6, A7, and A8.

German prosecutors announced a $9.6 million fine against BMW for violating emissions standards with some of its diesel cars. The sum is a tiny fraction of that levied against Volkswagen, because prosecutors traced the problem to a mistake rather than intentional cheating.

Meanwhile, the German company is pairing up with rival Daimler to work on self-driving cars.

Finally, after a driver dozed off behind the wheel of a speeding Tesla Model S driving on Autopilot, police are pleading with automakers who make self-driving systems to make the cars recognize when they're trying to pull one over.

_______________________________________

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175 kW Hypercharger Doesn’t Charge Tesla Model 3 … At All (Video)

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Clean Transport Published on February 23rd, 2019 | by Kyle Field
175 kW Hypercharger Doesn’t Charge Tesla Model 3 … At All (Video)TwitterLinkedInFacebookFebruary 23rd, 2019 by Kyle Field

Bjorn Nyland loves running around in a variety of electric vehicles to explore what is possible and, well, what is not possible. Just a few short days after the first Model 3s were delivered to customers in Norway, he encountered a Model 3 owner attempting to use a 175 kW hypercharger and found that no charge could be delivered.
He documented the process in typical Bjorn style, with a quick video that shows the hypercharge station where he and the owner gave the process several attempts. The blue LED on the Model 3 charging port seems to indicate that the car recognized that a charger was plugged in, but could not successfully initiate a charging session at any speed.
The charging protocol communication typically works like this: The car sees the charging station asking what speed/power the car is capable of charging at, and after the initial “handshake,” it proceeds to dole out the charge at the negotiated speed. From the video, it is not clear which party in the transaction didn’t want to make a deal, but the charge does not start.
The issue is likely just a minor software issue that can be resolved with a firmware update. The Tesla Model 3 and these new 175 kW hyperchargers are both new entrants to the market. The Tesla Model 3 brings the most advanced electric vehicle technology to the party and the 175 kW hypercharger is a rare bird, in any market. EV fast chargers typically offer around 50 kW of charging power, and non-Tesla ones offering 100kW to 150 kW have started popping up in the past year or so, but very few in the 175 kW range are anywhere in the world.
The fact that this chance encounter even happened is worth getting excited about. We are far beyond the days of a 70 mile EV hypermiling to get to the next 25 kW charging station. We can now explore how quickly a 300 mile charge can be delivered. These brand new stations should be able to accomplish the task in a matter of minutes.
The future is exciting, and thanks to the people on the front lines of deploying the solutions — buying the vehicles and putting them to the test in the real world — we can all join in on the fun as it unfolds.

About the AuthorKyle Field I'm a tech geek passionately in search of actionable ways to reduce the negative impact my life has on the planet, save money and reduce stress. Live intentionally, make conscious decisions, love more, act responsibly, play. The more you know, the less you need. TSLA investor.

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Tesla Gigafactory 3 Targets September Completion Of Stamping, Bodywork, Paint, & Assembly Workshops

According to documents released by the local ecology and environment authority, Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai is targeting completion of stamping, bodywork, painting, and assembly workshops by September 2019, making it ready to produce much of the Tesla Model 3 onsite by sometime in Q4. Motor and powertrain workshops, and seat production, are targeted for completion by March 2020, increasing further the degree of localization

Apple self-driving car layoffs give hints to division’s direction

(Reuters) – Apple Inc said on Wednesday it planned to lay off 190 employees in its self-driving car program, Project Titan, changes that provide a rare window into the automotive technologies the company has been pursuing. FILE PHOTO: The Apple Inc. store is seen on the day of the new iPhone 7 smartphone launch in… Continue reading Apple self-driving car layoffs give hints to division’s direction