One of Tesla’s biggest downsides has always been the upfront cost of its electric vehicles versus gas models. The cheapest car it currently sells is $42,490 before subsidies, and the average Kelley Blue Book starting price of its 2024 models is just over $63,000.
Tesla wrote in its third-quarter disclosure report that it’s making “preparations” to offer new vehicles with “more affordable models.” The EV maker’s cost of goods sold per vehicle also came down to “its lowest level ever” at $35,1000.
“Plans for new vehicles, including more affordable models, remain on track for start of production in the first half of 2025,” the report reads. “These vehicles will utilize aspects of the next generation platform as well as aspects of our current platforms and will be able to be produced on the same manufacturing lines as our current vehicle line-up.”
Tesla also says it plans to “begin launching” its cheaper EV models “in the first half of 2025.” That wording is still fairly loose, so there’s no guarantee that a new model will ship the same year.
The other surprise in Tesla’s report came from the numbers. It turns out that despite setbacks like the Cybertruck’s fifth recall and a federal investigation into its EVs’ Full Self-Driving feature, Tesla had a fairly robust third quarter. The carmaker’s net income rose by 8 percent to $2.51 billion and sales rose by 2 percent year-over-year. The news also ends its four-quarter streak of missed earnings targets.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-says-it-will-begin-launching-new-and-more-affordable-evs-next-year-215038050.html?src=rss
Car manufacturers will be able to develop new AI voice assistants for their cars thanks to a new partnership with Qualcomm and Google. Qualcomm announced earlier today that it’s working with Google on a new AI development system for carmakers.
The new version is based on Android Automotive OS (AAOS), Google’s infotainment platform for cars. Qualcomm is offering its Snapdragon Digital Chassis with Google Cloud and AAOS to generate new AI-powered digital cockpits for cars. Qualcomm also unveiled two new chips for powering driving systems including the Snapdragon Cockpit Elite for dashboards and the Snapdragon Ride Elite for self-driving features.
The new interface will allow car drivers and passengers to interact with custom voice assistants, immersive maps and real-time driving updates. Carmakers can use the new system to create their own unique and marketable AI voice assistants that don’t require a connection to a smartphone.
Other carmakers have taken steps to try to integrate AI systems in its vehicles. Volkswagen announced plans at CES 2024 that it would integrate ChatGPT in its cars’ voice assistants across a range of newer models. After a slow start, AAOS now underpins vehicles from several manufacturers including Chevrolet, Honda, Volvo and Rivian.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/qualcomm-and-google-team-up-to-help-carmakers-create-ai-voice-systems-211510693.html?src=rss
After offering its customers free NACS adapters for Tesla's Superchargers, Ford is telling its customers to stop using them, according to a service bulletin spotted by InsideEVs. The reason cited is a "potential issue" that could reduce charging speeds over time and even cause charging port damage, the company wrote.
The automaker will send a replacement adapter "in the coming weeks" and requires customers to send back the existing adapter, both at no cost. "It is imperative that we receive all adapters affected to reduce the risk of potential vehicle damage," it added.
After signing an EV-charging pact with Tesla in May 2023, Ford EV owners in Canada and the US got a green light to use Superchargers earlier this year. The original deadline for a free adapter was June 2024, but after multiple delays due to supplier issues, the deadline was extended until September 30, and may be further put off due to this latest issue.
The adapters convert North American standard CCS ports used on Ford EVs to Tesla's proprietary NACS cables. Other companies (Nissan, Rivian, GM, Subaru and many others) that cut deals with Tesla offered similar adapters, though many will permanently adopt the NACS standard for future vehicles. Ford itself plans to make the switch in 2025.
Creating a NACS adapter isn't just a matter of changing the pins around, as the latest V4 Superchargers are rated for 250 kW and 615 A — enough to power multiple homes. Earlier this year, Tesla sued the supplier of a cheap NACS adapter, saying it could lead to "catastrophic" injuries.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/ford-tells-ev-owners-to-stop-using-its-free-tesla-supercharger-adapters-120023623.html?src=rss
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigatingTesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature in relation to four crashes. The collisions took place in reduced-visibility conditions with either the beta or supervised versions of FSD enabled. In a November 2023 incident in Arizona, a Model Y fatally hit a pedestrian, as TechCrunch notes. An injury was sustained in one of the other three collisions, which occurred between March and May this year and all involved Model 3 EVs.
The NHTSA says conditions such as sun glare, fog and airborne dust lowered visibility in these incidents. The agency's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is looking into FSD's ability to "detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions." It will also try to determine if there have been other crashes in similar circumstances with FSD enabled. The ODI will also probe any changes by Tesla to the system "that may affect the performance of FSD in reduced roadway visibility conditions. In particular, this review will assess the timing, purpose and capabilities of any such updates, as well as Tesla’s assessment of their safety impact."
In April, the NHTSA closed an investigation into hundreds of crashes in which Tesla's Autopilot system was engaged. It said 13 of those crashes were fatal. The agency determined that, in many of the crashes, the drivers “were not sufficiently engaged” and that "the warnings provided by Autopilot when Autosteer was engaged did not adequately ensure that drivers maintained their attention on the driving task."
Tesla CEO Elon Musk just last week claimed that the Model 3 and Model Y SUV will be able to operate without supervision in California and Texas starting next year. At the same event, Musk unveiled the Cybercab, a two-seater robocab with no steering wheel or pedals that the company intends to start producing by 2027.
Tesla does not have a media relations department that can be reached for comment.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/teslas-fsd-is-under-federal-investigation-after-four-reduced-visibility-crashes-140248063.html?src=rss
Nissan is the latest carmaker to join Tesla’s network of charging stations. The company announced that Nissan Ariya drivers can use the MyNissan app to find charging stations with plans to make the North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapter available to Ariya drivers.
The move to Tesla’s grid of Superchargers will expand Nissan’s charging network to 90,000 stations across the US. Nissan’s energy network also includes the Shell Recharge, ChargePoint and EVgo networks with plans to expand other networks as well. Nissan will begin offering EVs with NACS ports in the US and Canada sometime next year.
Nissan Leaf drivers won’t be able to use the new charging stations. Instead, they can still find NissanConnect EV and Services through the app.
Tesla may not be winning the EV battle when it comes to its embittered Cybertruck that’s now under its fifth recall, but it’s ahead in the charging battle. Stellantis announced that EVs for brands like Dodge, Fiat and Alfa Romeo will use Tesla’s NACS. General Motors started selling Tesla’s NACS adapter last month after a 15-month wait. Hyundai just started adapting its EVs including its Ioniq lineup to Tesla’s NACS system. At this point, nearly every major automaker has pledged to support the system, making Nissan one of the last holdouts.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/nissan-ariya-drivers-will-soon-be-able-to-use-tesla-superchargers-195026448.html?src=rss
In a message to employees, Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg has announced that the company is reducing the size of its total workforce by 10 percent. That means Boeing is cutting roughly 17,000 jobs, including executives and managers, over the coming months. Ortberg, who only took the helm back in August, explained that the company has to "make structural changes" to ensure it can "stay competitive" and deliver for its customers over the long term.
Ortberg announced the upcoming layoffs in the midst of a machinist strike that had shut down production in most of Boeing's plants, including the ones manufacturing its best-selling plane, the 737 Max. Around 33,000 union machinists are involved in the strike, which has been going on since mid-September. As AP explains, that's had a big impact on Boeing's pockets, since it gets paid for half of what a plane costs after it delivers a customer's order.
In addition to the layoffs, Ortberg announced that Boeing will delay the development of its 777X planes due to the challenges it has faced in development, along with the ongoing work stoppage. It now plans to deliver the new wide-body planes in 2026 instead of 2025.
Boeing started 2024 having to ground some 737 Max 9 planes after an Alaska Airlines door plug blew off while it's mid-flight. While there were no reported injuries, the Boeing plane had only been in service since November last year. In July, the company had agreed to plead guilty to a conspiracy to defraud the US government following two fatal crashed in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. Boeing had also eaten hundreds of millions in losses as a result of Starliner's delayed return from the International Space Station. The company's first crewed flight was only supposed to last a few days, but hardware issues prevented it from sticking to the original timeline. In the end, the Starliner returned to Earth months later, without the astronauts it originally flew to the space station. Its crew will now come home on a SpaceX Dragon capsule in February next year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/boeing-to-lay-off-17000-employees-to-stay-competitive-110033175.html?src=rss
Tesla has introduced a robotaxi called Cybercab during its "We, Robot" event at Warner Bros. Discovery's studio in California, six months after Elon Musk revealed that the company was going to launch one. Musk made his way to the stage on a Cybercab, which has no steering wheels or pedals, announcing that "there's 20 more" where it came from. He talked about how our current modes of transportation "suck" and how how cars are on standby all the time. A car that's autonomous could be used more, he said. "With autonomy, you get your time back... Autonomous cars are going to become 10 times safer."
Musk said the costs of autonomous transport will be so low that they will be comparable to mass transit. In time, he said the operating cost of the robotaxi to be 20 cents a mile, 30 to 40 cents with taxes. He confirmed to the audience that people will be able to buy one and that Tesla expects to sell the Cybercab for below $30,000.
The Tesla CEO envisions a future wherein people own several robotaxis, managing a fleet like a "shepherd," that can earn them money through a ridesharing network. When asked when the model will be available, he replied that Tesla will start by making fully autonomous unsupervised Full Sell Driving available on the Model 3 and Model Y in Texas and California. Musk said that the Cybercab is expected to go into production before 2027, but he himself admitted that he tends to be "highly optimistic with timeframes." And he does — he said way back in 2019 that Tesla will "have over a million robotaxis on the road" within a year.
Tesla
Talking about the Cybercab's technology, he said that it uses AI and vision. Tesla has long dropped radars and sensors that other robotaxis like Waymo's use extensively. Because of that, he said that it doesn't need expensive equipment, and Tesla can keep manufacturing costs low. Notably, the Cybercab doesn't come with a charging port and uses inductive charging instead.
Reutersreported back in April that Musk ordered the company to "go all in" on robotaxis built on its small-vehicle platform. Musk previously said that the model was going to be unveiled on August 8, but he later announced that the company's robotaxi event will be pushed back to October after he requested "an important design change to the front." The delay would also give the company extra time to "show off a few other things," he explained. The Cybercab that Tesla presented to the audience today is all silver and seems to have taken design cues from the Cybertruck. It doesn't have a back windshield and has doors that open upwards.
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In addition to reporting the robotaxi's existence, Reuters revealed in April that Tesla scrapped its plans for an affordable, $25,000 electric vehicle. While Musk called it a lie, another report by Electrek backed Reuters' story and cited "sources familiar with the matter" who reportedly told the publication that the low-cost EV's development has been postponed.
After talking about the Cybercab, Musk briefly introduced the Robovan — an autonomous van that can carry up to 20 people and transport goods. It'll get the costs of travel down even further, he said, since it could transport big groups like sports teams. Finally, Musk brought out a parade of Tesla's humanoid Optimus robots. Musk said Tesla has made dramatic progress on its development over the past year and that in the future, it could teach your kids, mow your lawn and even be your friend. He believes Tesla could sell its Optimus robots, which mingled with the audience and served drinks during the event, for between $20,000 to $30,000.
Tesla
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/tesla-unveils-its-cybercab-robotaxi-032132013.html?src=rss
If you own a Porsche Taycan, you might plan on making a trip to the dealership. The Verge reported that recalls have been issued due to a short circuiting risk in one of the battery’s cell block modules. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a safety recall for more than 27,000 of the Porsche EVs. The recall affects “certain” Taycan vehicles released from 2021-2024. Notices will be issued to owners by the end of November.
Porsche hasn’t been able to pinpoint exactly which cars in the Taycan fleet have the hazard. In order to determine which cars need fixing, Porsche is advising owners of Taycans made between October 21, 2019 and February 1, 2024 to bring their car to a dealership where crews can monitor the battery with diagnostic software. Porsche is also advising its Taycan owners to only charge the vehicle’s battery up to 80 percent until dealership mechanics can determine if the battery needs to be replaced.
If this problem sounds familiar, it’s because it’s one of the chief causes for the downfall of Chevrolet’s EV, the Chevy Bolt. The electric car went through a similar recall in 2021 due to a fire risk with the battery.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/porsche-recalls-more-than-27000-taycan-evs-192335438.html?src=rss
Starting this fall, Uber will give its riders new self-identification options if they are deaf or hard-of-hearing and blind or have low vision. The company said that riders with hearing or vision issues often worry about potential misunderstandings that could cause them to miss their ride. If they choose to self-identify on the app, their driver will be notified beforehand and could work with them on their needs, such as making sure they're picked up exactly where they're located instead of having them look for their ride.
Uber is also moving the communication preferences settings to the Accessibility page so that passengers can easily change their preferred contact method. If they indicate that they only want to communicate via in-app chat, for instance, their driver wouldn't be able to call them. The company will start pilot testing another self-identification option for riders with service animals in the US and Canada over the next few weeks, as well. Uber said it will send its drivers a new service animal education video, with tips on how to transport the service animals and a reminder that it's against the company's policy to deny someone a ride because they're traveling with one.
Uber has added features to make its rides more accessible over the years, but it hasn't been smooth sailing for the company. It previously faced lawsuits for not providing wheelchair-accessible service in every US market even after teaming up with an external company to improve its accessibility for wheelchair users. In 2021, the Department of Justice sued the ride-hailing platform for charging passengers "wait time" fees because they need more time to enter a car due to their disabilities. And even with its promise to foster inclusion and be more accessible, whether or not a passenger gets a ride may still depend on the driver.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-will-let-riders-disclose-whether-theyre-hard-of-hearing-or-have-low-vision-130027692.html?src=rss
On Thursday, Tesla CEO and noted fancy leaper Elon Musk will take the stage to showcase the company’s robotaxi plans, a la the “Cybercab.” Although the vehicle we see isn’t expected to be a fully functional product, investors and Tesla fans are hoping for a working prototype or other signs the company can navigate the technological and regulatory obstacles it will face. You can watch the event on an X livestream at 10PM ET.
With the Cybercab, Musk is aiming for a fully autonomous vehicle that runs on a Tesla ridesharing network. Owners will also reportedly be able to make their cars available on the network to run as autonomous cabs, likened to a “combination of Airbnb and Uber.”
Unlike competitors Waymo, Cruise and Zoox, Tesla’s current automation relies on cameras and AI. Reutersnotes that Musk will aim to improve the tech rapidly enough to “crack” the highly regulated industry. No matter what is promised at the event, you may want to take the CEO’s promises with several grains of salt (if not Cybertruckloads). In April 2019, Musk said, “If you fast forward a year, maybe a year [and] three months, we’ll have over a million robotaxis on the road.”
Here we are in 2024 — which you may have noticed isn’t, in fact, 2020 — and Tesla doesn’t have a single robotaxi on the road.
Wirednotes that the company doesn’t have an autonomous permit in California and reportedly hasn’t contacted the state’s AV regulators about testing. Waymo, Zoox, the beleaguered Cruise and Apple (no longer in the self-driving car business) have logged thousands of miles testing their self-driving vehicles in the Golden State. Waymo is the only company in the US currently operating robotaxis commercially.
You can tune in to the livestream to see what Musk and company have in store at 10PM ET / 7PM ET on Thursday.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/how-to-watch-teslas-robotaxi-event-230046409.html?src=rss