Tesla Debuts Robovan and Autonomous Taxi Coupe
Tesla goes for a double play with the unveiling of the Cybercab an Robovan concept.
Tesla
Tesla’s Cybertruck Gets Software Update To Make It More Capable
While the Tesla Cybertruck began rolling out to customers five months ago, it was readily apparent that it was missing some core pickup truck features and was instead relying on some of its core essentials to make a crack at breaking through the EV pickup segment. That’s changing with the company confirming that a new software update will help add some luster to the Cybertruck’s capabilities. Off-roading Is Now In The Cards For Cybertruck A key provision in this update is that the truck gets a new Off-Road mode with many of the new features Tesla added being found …
Tesla Cybertruck Promises Big Power And Newfound Levels Of Tech, Is It Too Little Too Late?
When Tesla first revealed the Cybertruck back in 2019, it was a unique and daring offering with the wedge-like shape and stainless steel bodywork being balanced out by the ambitious promises of Tesla CEO Elon Musk. It was a polarizing statement but then the company forced the world to wait several more years while it embarked on a long development program to bring the concept to production that endured plenty of challenges and setbacks along the way. Fast forward to 2023 and the production version Cybertruck is finally here, but is it a classic case of too little too late? …
Tesla Slashes Thousands Off New Car Prices To Improve Sales Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
In a surprise move over night, Tesla revealed that it has cut prices on all three of its electric vehicles by as much as 6% for U.S. customers. The move comes amid a string of recent developments for Tesla and Elon Musk, with the latter poised to make history with a SpaceX rocket launch that will be the first one ever to be formally manned by NASA astronauts. As for the price cuts themselves, they will follow a two tiered structure, with the biggest cuts focused on the older Model S sedan and the Model X SUV. The Model …
Sony shocks with Vision-S Concept Preview.
Watch out Tesla! Apple beaten to the punch! Sony previews their entry into the future of the automobile. Doing what only a true electronics giant can, Sony touches every aspect of the modern automobile with its legacy of moving electrons to provide customers with style and substance. In the age where many automobile analysts espouse that people don’t want to drive their cars, they want to drive their iPhones, it appears that Sony has embraced that and lined every nook and cranny with portable device feature goodness. DriveMan or “Drive your Walk-Man”, perhaps? Sony Vision-S Official Page Quick Specs (More …
2019 Jaguar i-Pace EV400 – First Drive Review – By Becky Antioco
The Jaguar I-Pace is everything you’d expect from a luxury car, and more than you would from an electric vehicle (EV). The case for EVs, in general, is complex, with considerations like environmental impact, practicality, range anxiety, and issues of substance and style coming into play. I’d argue that the I-Pace has the last two, in spades. I-Pace’s accolades are many: World Car of the Year, World Car Design of the Year, and World Green Car for 2019, European Car of the Year, and one of AutoTrader’s Best New Cars for 2019, to name a few. Yet, judging by sales …
Tesla Unveils Long Awaited Model Y SUV, Starts At $39,000
Following years of rampant speculation, as well as multiple teasers, and a veil of mystery that would make the Manhattan Project feel jealous. Tesla has finally unveiled the long awaited Model Y CUV to the world, and it appears that Tesla is finally ready to take a serious stab at penetrating the growing and increasingly important mid-size CUV market. The exterior styling of the Model Y is not as ground breaking as some in the industry initially thought it would be, with the Model Y looking alot like its sedan counterpart the Model 3, albeit with a puffed up roof. …
Insider: How to Get the Most Out of Your Vehicle
If you have put a significant amount of money into your vehicle, it is important that you see a return on your investment. As a car owner, you need to show respect for your ride, rather than taking it for granted. Luckily, there are plenty of straightforward ways for you to get the most out of your vehicle. Below are seven suggestions that will help to get you started. Find the right make and models If you are still in the process of looking for your car, it is important that you find the right make and model to invest …
Who’s Winning the Race to Driverless Trucking?
Driverless cars are a hot topic in automotive circles, and the introduction of Tesla’s electric semi’s is set to turn the long-haul trucking world on its head — if they ever get around to releasing it. While Tesla is one contender in the race toward driverless trucking, they may not be the frontrunner when you look at the other contenders. Otto Despite the bad press surrounding Uber, it recently acquired a San Francisco based startup company that can turn any big rig or semi into a self-driving vehicle. Otto’s set up isn’t at risk of putting drivers out of a …
Novitec Debuts Tesla Model X Stage One Bodykit, Vossen 22s and CCBs
Welcome to Hell! Electric cars heading to the supertuning boutique? Yes, the day has come, folks. Just kidding. The Tesla X is already over $100k easily and rips to 100-mph like a stabbed rat. So why not upgrade its style and stance to match? If you’re like us, you loathe the Tesla roofline and bloated surfaces. But realize: the looks outside, and the glasshouse in particular, are basically just there to create ridiculously airy cabins. The same reason there is a double-height windshield — to make the X feel like a legit spaceship. Once you accept that — and know …
2017 Volvo S90 T6 – Road Test Review + Best of 2017 Award-Winner
We all knew the brand-new Volvo S90 sedan would be a quantum leap ahead of its S60 and S80 predecessors in the luxury segment. We knew this new S90 is the second Volvo since XC90 to be a real class-best achievement in style and safety. But knowing all this still offers no prep for how absolutely phenomenal the new S90 is inside and on the road. It is so magnificently high-tech, yet grounded in light Swedish leathers and a open-pore walnut woods. It drives with lightness and agility unlike anything you might expect from a 5 series or E-Class rival. …
4.0s, 400HP Jaguar I-PACE Concept – Design Analysis: Is It Sexy?
The Jaguar I-Pace has a hard name to overcome. And when it was first shown in silver, it had a mountain to climb for good style, too. Too generic EV, they said. FastForward two months and the I-Pace is back in striking red paint with dark details. More fitting, perhaps, for the first credible Model X rival. Going full electric for the i-pace means the proportions are radically rethought. Yes, this is crossover territory, but with a chopped (and hard to digest) nose and nonexistent overhangs. A lower roof and much lower ride height than F-Pace. But looking wide as XJ and …
2018 LUCID AIR – $60k EV Limo Is Dream Tesla Rival
Pretty fascinating new make at the NY auto show this year. Lucid out of California, a startup set to take on Tesla. How will they succeed where others failed? Similar talent pools help, while Tesla’s current market cap makes an investment in Lucid seem genius. What can take down a killer startup? An even more-killer startup. Lucid is making big promises and is taking reservations for their launch model now. This is a real-deal car versus a one-off concept. But still, production remains some time off into the future. Likely about a year from now. Let’s focus elsewhere: the powertrain with three …
How Lehman, Obama and Tesla Changed the Car Business – By J.R. Anderson
Early in the recession, after President Obama bailed out the auto industry, I noticed the largest shift we have ever seen in the auto industry. The majority of vehicles produced before 2010 featured cheap plastic interiors, faux wood grain, uninspired designs, and confusing electronic equipment systems. In those days, most vehicles had terrible handling and very little effort to better fuel economy. In fact, for a while I questioned whether manufacturers and dealers were in cahoots to make vehicles that would ensure customers return for repairs. Then, a few things happened simultaneously. 2008 we experienced the worst recession …
World Debut – 2016 GLM G4 is Four-Door HyperEV Out of Japan
One of the most stunning vehicles at the Paris motor show? This unknown entry from a Japanese startup called GLM. Their debut model is dubbed the G4, an all-electric supersedan with stellar performance and untouchable style. Think of the size of a Lamborghini Huracan or Gallardo, but stretched lengthwise and integrating four doors. Still an ultra-low roof and brutal, mid-engine proportions… but expressed for a new era. This is a car that competes with the Tesla Model S, but is a cool half-foot shorter and far more extreme overall. The closest spritual predecessor of this model is surely the Fisker/VLF …
Power Surge! LARTE Design TESLA Model S P85D Elizabeta REDLINE
PART TWO: The Redline Look! 50 more gorgeous photos from Larte Design of their Tesla Elizabeta mods. This time at a heavy industrial site. The heaviest industry of all, in fact! What’s that? Nuclear power…! No cooling towers needed for this Tesla’s hot black and red look. Tesla is wiping the face off the Model S for its first facelift, but we think Larte Design’s new bumpers and aerokit are far sexier. Please enjoy a thorough look at the Larte ‘Elizabeta’ upgrades in this posh shopping photoshoot! The parts are available in three materials, with the top carbon-fiber/basalt combination said …
LARTE Design TESLA Model S P85D Elizabeta Mods Are Hot!
Tesla is wiping the face off the Model S for its first facelift, but we think Larte Design’s new bumpers and aerokit are far sexier. Please enjoy a thorough look at the Larte ‘Elizabeta’ upgrades in this posh shopping photoshoot! The parts are available in three materials, with the top carbon-fiber/basalt combination said to be stronger and much lighter than traditional fiberglass. The nose and tail is the most upgraded, to our eyes, but the sill extensions, spoilers all around and exposed-weave carbon elements are deeply sexy throughout. The upgrades from Larte Design are pretty reasonable, in terms of …
VOSSEN VFS-2 Alloys Sex Up TESLA Model S
Tesla’s Model S is rumored to have a facelift debuting very soon. And it is about time! We are shocked to know they are still making many of these EV benchmarks with those same bright alloys and boring maroon paintwork. Just like they have for years! This is not great for the $100k super-sedan shopper, who has plenty to choose from these days. Staying stylish is just a phonecall away with these gorgeous Vossen wheels. These VFS-2 forged alloys in matte bronze/copper finish are enough to make even a very-familiar silver Model S feel fresh. The lowered ride height helps, …
2018 TESLA Model 3 – Design Analysis, 50 Images and Flyarounds Inside and Out
This is not going to be a boozy lovesong about Tesla changing the world. As you have probably seen from the deluge of media coverage, the Tesla Model 3 arrived just after dark in SoCal last night, to much fanfare and fanboy eagerness. Initial reaction: horror. Horror and revulsion. Why, oh why, Tesla, if you can change the world and make the best EVs of all time… can you not realize how ugly the new Tesla models have become? It is in the details like the formless faces, the bloated rooflines and the generic detailing of the Model X, the very-tired-looking Model …
2016 Audi h-Tron Quattro Concept – Hypercomplex Tech Showcase Headed for Sale as $100k Tesla Rival as 2018 Q6
Audi’s big news for the Detroit show? The new 2017 A4 and Q7 — which are set for arrivals to US showrooms in the next few months. Alongside those dull-looking production cars come massive cabin tech enhancements, efficiency boosts and all-new powertrains. A bit more exciting on the appearance front? This new h-Tron Quattro Concept. Roughly previewing the size of an upcoming Q6 crossover, this latest prototype shows a production-intent hydrogen-electric SUV. And boy is is complex: multiple tanks of hydrogen power advanced electrics for a range of nearly 400 miles, a 0-60-mph sprint under 7-seconds, and AWD grip just …
2016 Tesla Model X – Mouth-Watering Tech and Speed; Sleeker Nose for $140k 7-Seater
Watch this on The Scene. WIRED drive video embed alpha Tesla unveiled the Model X last night with some seriously impressive tech specs, cabin features and range estimates. But first: the nose. This is the biggest and most dramatic change versus the near-production models previewed at SEMA and elsewhere over the last three years. Replacing the gloss-black grille shell is a smooth one-piece painted bumper. Just a sliver of black grille remains up at the hood edge. This black grille houses the sharp Tesla T badge, making a point into the bodycolored bumper below. EXTERIOR The look is quite unique …
2015 Porsche Mission E – See Under Its Pajun-Previewing Panels Via 88 New Images and Animations
Updated 9.16.15 We absolutely crave this machine. Ultra low, wide and expressive — the design is absolutely breathtaking. The engineering and tech down below is arguably even more impressive, however. The flat battery pack below the entire floorplan offers a suite of challenges versus a normal monocoque, but also presents some fascinating new opportunities. And Porsche is clearly relishing the new-found freedom of not finding room for an big engine at either end, or in the middle. The compact drive system allows most of the rulebook on safety, production feasibility and passenger comfort to be torn up. Rewritten for a …
3.5s 2015 Porsche Mission E – 600HP Concept Is 4-Door Battery Boxster!?
A fascinating look inside the future Porsche lineup today via Frankfurt’s IAA. The just-revealed Mission E is absolutely breathtaking. Reviewing the images, my mouth was wide open in giddy shock and delight. Imagine the smooth and flowing bathtub Porsche silhouette, with curves like a 550 Spyder and stance like a super Cayman. The put in a beautifully minimal overhang at either end and four doors under an ultra low and lean roof. The look has every bit of the original Boxster concept’s star power. Running an all-new battery electric powertrain, the vehicle promises great things for future supercoupe buyers. …
2016 TESLA Model X – Fug EV SUV May Carry $150k Sticker As Gas Falls Below 2 Bucks
The Model X SUV is big news for Tesla — a reminder that the company actually makes cars versus headlines. Amid the inventions and novel solutions for the first seven-seat, AWD EV SUV lurks a pair of big concerns for Tesla and car lovers alike: the Model X’s awkward design and expected obese pricetag. Morbidly obese pricetag? Perhaps…. INTRO The Tesla hype machine can be seriously exhausting. The company relies on fairly gratuitous financial PR outreach — juicing NASDAQ:TSLA with every snippet of info rehashed by analysts ad nauseam. The entire operation starts to feel like a boilerroom pump …
Fool Me Once… 2015 MINI Hardtop Chrome Line Is Chortle-Proof Custom Gag
As we prepped this article, the headline going around was “MINI Officially Out Of Ideas.” We thought they were serious about this silly chrome wrap going on sale or being offered to customers. This would be a strange offering for any OEM manufacturer. For one, foil wraps will not last 1 year on the roads without starting to peel off or otherwise deteriorate visibly. Definitely not strong enough for a 3-year warranty period. Secondly, chrome wraps are so out. Elton John arguably popularized the trend with his R8 from around 2008 — which he sold at a charity auction more than …
2016 Toyota Mirai FCV Priced From $58,000 in Cali From October 2015 + 56 New Photos!
Updated 11.25.14 Toyota just announced that the Mirai will indeed be on sale in the US in Fall 2015 — but only in California initially. Pricing in the US of $58,000 closely matches the Japanese-spec model, which is rumored to already be on the way to their domestic showrooms. Further markets will be added when there is hydrogen recharging infrastructure in place. The other major update is the first look at the interior of the Mirai – as shown below. This brings a fairly revolutionary dash and infotech design interface. Where the Mirai varies from the fourth-gen 2017 Prius …
Update2 – 2016 Toyota FCV Named ‘Mirai’ – On Sale October 2015!
Updated 11.17.14 Second update today: Toyota just announced that the Mirai will indeed be on sale in the US in Fall 2015 — but only in California initially. Further markets will be added when there is hydrogen recharging infrastructure in place. The other major update is the first look at the interior of the Mirai – as shown below. PREVIOUS Toyota just revealed the official name of its upcoming fuel-cell vehicle: the Mirai. Mirai is pronounced “mi-rye” and means Future in Japanese, as explained by CEO Akio Toyoda in the announcement below. We are very eager for this car’s launch …
2016 Toyota FCV On Sale October 2015! Fuel Cells Now Less Vaporware, More EVent H20rizon
Are those typos in the headline? No, just some attempted cleverness. The FCV is an EV and H20 event horizon. VAPORWARE? Fuel cells helped define the term vaporware. Vaporware is now a ubiquitous silicon valley description of long-term possibilities that are always on the distant horizon. Part of the reason fuel cell Hydrogen vehicles have earned and propelled this bit of jargon is that their main byproduct is water vapor by converting hydrogen into electricity for a battery pack. The other reason is that companies have been researching this technology for more and 30 years, with no production models to …
3.2s 2015 Tesla Model D Arriving in February With AWD and AutoPilot in 60D, 85D and 85D Performance Trims
Pretty exciting news last night from Tesla! The Model S is now available with a dual-mode AWD system that boosts mileage by 10-percent and is a $4,500 option on all three battery sizes of the Model S. Few changes outside except a small radar box in the lower nose of the Model D, along with new badges out back. Inside, updated systems integrate a new AutoPilot automated drive mode — but we are still awaiting official details from Tesla on the functionality of the system. Overall, we expect lane-keeping assist, full-speed cruise control with city braking as new convenience and …
Update1 – 2015 VOLVO XC90 – 400HP Twin-Engine PHEV Dubbed T8, 316HP T6 Also Coming to USA
Updated 8.12.14 with additional platform info from Volvo More info from Volvo today about the all-new XC90’s platform – plus the first official exterior image! Granted, it is just a headlight close-up… but we are excited all the same. [ The full exteriors shown here are unofficial renderings. ] 2015 VOLVO XC90 Powertrain Well, here is some good news! So far, we have seen the new XC90’s interior luxury and infotainment solutions. The luxury looks good, but the info touchscreen is a bit short of the Tesla 17-inch ideal. Under the hood? This has been another worry …
Charleston Cars and Coffee Mini Gallery – 2011 TESLA Roadster
It is really, really easy to hate Tesla Motors. As a VC-backed startup that has made a successful ‘exit’ into the stock market, they are a hero to many in the Silicon Valley area. They also have a tangible, physical product sold in an established and very competitive industry. But even so, Tesla is immensely irritating to observe. The owner of this Roadster was definitely smelling her own smug farts early and often. Luckily, Tesla’s cars are actually pretty good. Only a handful of photos of this lovely 2011 Tesla Roadster, but it is definitely still a rare machine. And …
2015 VOLVO XC90 Powertrain Teaser – Twin-Engine PHEV with 400HP Dubbed T8, 316HP T6 Also Coming to USA
2015 VOLVO XC90 Powertrain Well, here is some good news! So far, we have seen the new XC90’s interior luxury and infotainment solutions. The luxury looks good, but the info touchscreen is a bit short of the Tesla 17-inch ideal. Under the hood? This has been another worry – will dropping the inline-6, turbo six and V8 engines hurt the XC90 in power-pad American showrooms? The answer is a big No! The range-topping plug-in hybrid powertrain is teased today, and it looks awesome. Called T8 for twin-engine 4+4 shorthand, the T8 brings 400 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque. Through …
Vision GT Concept Car Teasers – What Is Left? Subaru, Lexus, Honda, Tesla, Aston, Ford, GM…
Oh yes! Were you growing a bit fatigued with the GranTurismo VisionGT concepts? Well, brace yourself! We are only about 20-percent of the way through the major manufacturer releases – only Mercedes-Benz AMG, VW GTI Roadster, Mitsu XR-PHEV and a handful of others have been seen so far. This leaves the vast majority still to come, in a drip feed about once monthly over the next year or more. Why this slow trickle? It is to provide space for each car to be driven by people in the game, and room to breath around the other announcements. Here are …
2014 Cadillac ELR – Design Analysis Plus 65 High-Res, Real-Life Photos
One of the flip sides of really excellent CGI renderings is that it can become hard to discern what photos are, in fact, photos. Photos taken on location, even digitally, are really the only way to really see what a car’s styling looks like in motion. So while one step forward, another step to the side in some ways. For designers and buyers, a clearer idea of what the finished car looks like will always be a good thing – especially when that car is years away from hitting the streets. All this is multiplied when a car is really …
HD Road Test Review – 2014 TESLA Model S 85 – Smooth Power, Great Dynamics, Unequivocal EV Brilliance
2014 TESLA Model S 85 Review After a scathing Op-Ed the other week about Tesla Motors’ many (perceived) shenanigans on Wall Street and in Washington: I decided it was time to get behind the wheel to experience the car itself. I registered my interest in the Model S at TeslaMotors.com and promptly received a nice phone call from Silicon Valley to help arrange things. But the nearest Tesla dealers were at least five hours away from me, so I put a pin in the Tesla test drive and went back to work on normal vehicle reviews/ keeping the website up/ …
OP-ED: Tesla Increasing Already-Hefty Risks + Online Build Shows $72k Model S Is Tech Vanguard Bargain vs. Accord PHEV at $45k
As my Tweets previewed a few minutes ago: “When you or I flip a coin, there are two possible total outcomes. When Tesla flips a coin, it lands as a still-spinning Rubik’s Cube.” PART 1: DEVILS ADVOCATE DISCLAIMER — OPINIONS ONLY We have been pretty hard on Tesla recently for a variety of reasons that have little to do with the excellence of the firm’s main product: the Model S sedan. Before you write this off as uninformed Tesla ‘hating,’ please note a few things about his article right at the top: The Model S is ** by far** …
Latest Toyota FCV Concept Shows Design of Future SuperPrius
The Toyota FCV runs on Hydrogen-powered batteries, but looks like it could also convert squirrels or road debris into energy via its lower air scoops… This car has some really, really awkward angles. Even as a concept only, the FCV’s styling and design leaves much to be desired. From the initial sketches, this car loses the plot completely – with another tall roof and seriously unattractive nose. Perhaps for aerodynamic reasons, the fender tops do not quite reach the hood of the FCV. For style, aero, or cooling? It is believable that the latest water-operated fuel cell design could have …
Best of 2013 Awards: Most Improved Design/Style – Volvo Concept Coupe
Welcome to the first in a playful series of ‘2013 Awards’ articles about the most significant and influential cars of the past year. What a year for concept cars! After serious austerity at the major European shows in recent years, our favorite luxury brands embraced exotic prototypes once again in 2013. After all, show cars can – and do – work wonders for the best car brands. The list is long, but two of great American icons come to mind. The 1953 Corvette concept led to hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue in the 60 years since then, while …