Tag Archives: Automotive industry

Tesla warns against wet towel charging trick two months too late

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Tesla car culture is full of hacks and shortcuts, some more effective than others. One, known as the “wet towel” trick, required the Tesla Charging department — or whatever remains of it — to publicly tell customers to knock it off.

The “wet towel” trick involves wrapping a damp, cool cloth around a Supercharger cable handle as a way to presumably speed up the charging time. The Supercharger has temperature monitors that keep it from overheating as it charges Tesla vehicles. Some Tesla owners believe that cooling down the charging handle will trick the temperature monitor into topping off their vehicles faster.

Here's the problem, at least in Tesla's telling: If the sensor in the charging handle believes that the temperature is lower than it actually is while it’s charging, the towel-wrapped charger can create a "risk of overheating or damage" according to the company.

This may sound like the biggest “duh” statement in tech news history but it’s taken more than two months for Tesla to warn its customers not to do the “wet towel” trick on their cars, even after it became a well known “hack” on other auto news websites and Reddit forums. The official Tesla Charging account on X posted a warning on Wednesday in response to an article from InsideEVs.com explaining the dangerous car charging trick.

This kind of epic communication breakdown is what happens when a major automaker doesn’t have a public relations department. Tesla dissolved its entire PR team in 2020 and Elon Musk publicly refused to hire one on his X account the following year saying he didn’t want to “spend money on advertising & manipulating public opinion,” according to Electrek.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-warns-against-wet-towel-charging-trick-two-months-too-late-190237430.html?src=rss

The Cybertruck is coming to Fortnite and Rocket League because we’re being punished

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Video games are supposed to provide us an escape from the grinding and anger produced on an average day. Now one of the real world’s most contentious aggravations has slithered its way into Fortnite AND Rocket League. The Cybertruck, Tesla’s electric vehicle that replaced the pink Hummer as the official car for total jerks, makes its digital debut in both games today.

The Cybertruck add-ons are part of a new “Summer Road Trip'' promotion bundle for Fortnite and Rocket League. Both bundles come with a vehicle that looks like a door stop and special body decals such as “Baja Off-Road,” “CyberCamo,” “MatteBlack,” “Stainless Steel” and “OMG Cybertruck,” which recreates the window that Elon Musk broke while trying to prove the strength of the Cybertruck’s windows. Did they also include the sticky accelerator?

The new Cybertruck DLC for Fortnite and Rocket League come with six unique skins, all of which scream
Psyonix/Tesla

Presumably, the OMG stands for “Oh my God! (Can’t I go one day without seeing that ego on wheels we call the) Cybertruck?" The Baja Off-Road skin paired with the douchey Cybertruck in particular just screams, “I wear a lot of Ed Hardy!”

We have… some questions. Will the rain in Fortnite cause widespread rusting of the chassis? Will the Rocket League ball dent the “shatterproof” window like a metal ball famously did way back in 2019? Will players be able to finish a whole game if there’s another recall alert? If you really must, you can find out in both games now.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-cybertruck-is-coming-to-fortnite-and-rocket-league-because-were-being-punished-210309356.html?src=rss

Tesla now sells a $300 Cybertruck Tailgate Shield to protect your bulletproof truck

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Tesla has started selling a couple of new accessories for the Cybertruck, including a $300 tailgate shield. It's a custom-made padding for the vehicle, designed to hang off its tailgate and protect it from any equipment you're hauling. 

We gotta say, it's admittedly quite amusing to see Tesla selling an accessory to protect the Cybertruck when one of the vehicle's promotional videos shows someone shooting guns at it. When the company debuted the model, it also staged a demonstration to show that it can withstand a sledgehammer. Still, if you regularly put, say, a road or a mountain bike in the bed of your truck, the shield could prevent it from banging up against the vehicle's tailgate and cause scratches and other cosmetic imperfections. To mount the pad, you'll need to insert its straps into the tailgate gap while it's halfway open, so you may need a friend to help you out. 

In addition to the tailgate shield, Tesla is now also selling a $100 jumpseat that you can attach to your Cybertruck. The vehicle's tailgate can fit up to three jumpseats, and you can install them even with a shield on. Tesla recommends the jumpseat for tailgating parties, picnics, sporting and other outside events. And once your activity is done, you can fold the collapsible seats up for storage. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-now-sells-a-300-cybertruck-tailgate-shield-to-protect-your-bulletproof-truck-110037148.html?src=rss

Ford ‘revives’ the Capri after 30 years as a four-door EV

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Ford is reviving that most '70s of cars, the Capri, though pretty much in name only. Resembling not at all the original two-door pony-style fastback that debuted in 1968, the new Capri will instead be a four-door electric vehicle built on Volkswagen's MEB platform and be sold only in Europe.

The Capri looks like it was designed by executive committee, with styling that resembles the Polestar 2, but far more nondescript. Ford calls it a "sports coupe for the family," and the only thing vaguely as rebellious as the original is the paint scheme, either in bright yellow or blue. 

Ford is reviving the Capri after 30 years as a four-door EV
Ford

Two models will be available in launch, base and Premium versions, both termed "Extended Range." The base is a 282-horsepower single-motor rear-drive model with a 77-kWh battery pack, 390 miles or range (WLTP) and a 28-minute charge time from 10-80 percent. 

The Premium model is all-wheel-drive with two motors and 335 horsepower. The slightly larger 79kWh battery accepts a 185 kW charge (50 kW more than the base), so it can get from 10-80 percent in 26 minutes. Range on this model is just slightly reduced to 368 miles, according to Europe's WLTP standard. As for performance, the base model can zip from 0-62MPH in 6.4 seconds, while the Premium can do it in 5.3 seconds. 

Ford is reviving the Capri after 30 years as a four-door EV
Ford

The Premium model gets a few other add-ons, including 20-inch alloy wheel instead of 19-inch, along with ambient lighting, a B&O sound system and hands-free tailgate. 

On the tech side, the Capri offers automated lane changes, cyclist detection when opening doors and a massaging driver's seat. The 14.6-inch vertical touchscreen even slides out to reveal a storage compartment, while the front armrest caches a "MegaConsole" with 0.6 cubic feet of space.

Ford recently unveiled another EV in Europe named after a classic model, the Explorer. Like the Capri, it's nothing like the original either in looks or spirit, being a compact crossover rather than a pickup or SUV.

With availability in Europe only, you'll be able to buy a Capri on its namesake Italian island, but nowhere in North America. It'll be built in Germany and starts at €49,400 (around $53,590) for the base model and €53,000 ($57,490) for the Premium pack, according to Ford's French website. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ford-revives-the-capri-after-30-years-as-a-four-door-ev-140013729.html?src=rss

Biden administration awards car factories $1.7 billion so they can build EVs

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The US Energy Department has revealed that it's awarding car and auto parts factories in eight states a total of $1.7 billion in funding, so that they can be retooled to build electric vehicles and their components. According to The New York Times and The Washington Post, the money will come from President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, which provides subsidies to EV and battery plants, as well as the $7,500 tax credits consumers can get if they buy an electric vehicle.

One of the 11 recipients is a Jeep factory in Belvidere, Illinois that closed last year. The $334.8 million it will get from the initiative will allow it to reopen to produce electric vehicles and restore 1,450 jobs. GM, which will be awarded $500 million, will convert a plant in Lansing, Michigan to produce EVs instead of gasoline cars. The US subsidiary of Korean auto parts maker Hyundai Mobis will also get $32.6 million to refit a plant in Toledo, Ohio for the production of plug-in vehicle components. 

Government officials said they chose communities that are disproportionately affected by pollution or lack of investment. In addition, employees in all of the selected companies are represented by unions. The grants aren't set in stone — the companies still have to negotiate terms with the Department of Energy. They have to commit to retaining their current workers despite the shift to EVs, and they have to meet employment targets. The companies also have to promise to provide their workers with certain benefits, such as child care, pensions and training to further their careers. 

As The Times notes, several factories selected for the initiative are located in "battleground states" for the upcoming presidential elections. "This investment will create thousands of good-paying, union manufacturing jobs and retain even more — from Lansing, Michigan to Fort Valley, Georgia — by helping auto companies retool, reboot and rehire in the same factories and communities," Biden said in a statement. "This delivers on my commitment to never give up on the manufacturing communities and workers that were left behind by my predecessor."

Jennifer Granholm, the US Energy secretary, believes the fund will retain 15,000 jobs and create 3,000 new ones. Granholm also said that it will help the US "compete with other countries who were subsidizing their auto industries." While the secretary didn't mention China specifically, the country is known for subsidizing its EV manufacturers. Earlier this year, the US government quadrupled import tariff for Chinese EVs, while the European Union announced that it was going to impose additional tariffs of up to 38 percent on Chinese-made electric vehicles to protect local manufacturers. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/biden-administration-awards-car-factories-17-billion-so-they-can-build-evs-133008903.html?src=rss

ESA’s new heavy-lift rocket, Ariane 6, is poised to launch for the first time on Tuesday

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Ariane 6, the European Space Agency’s next-gen heavy-lift rocket, is expected to take its inaugural flight on July 9, ending a yearlong gap in Europe’s ability to access space on its own. The launch vehicle, made by ArianeGroup, replaces Ariane 5, which was retired last July following its 117th mission. The launch window opens at 2PM ET on Tuesday (8PM CEST).

Ariane 5 was in operation from 1996 to 2023 and was ESA’s main launch system. Ariane 6 was supposed to take over right away after its predecessor’s retirement, but years of delays in its development meant it ultimately wasn’t ready in time. As a result, ESA has had to rely on other launch providers, like SpaceX, to get science missions off the ground over the last year. If all goes smoothly with Ariane 6, Europe will be back in the game. “Ariane 6 marks a new era of autonomous, versatile European space travel,” ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said in June, adding that it “will re-establish Europe’s independent access to space.”

Ariane 6 will launch from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. It’ll be streamed on ESA Web TV, with coverage expected to start 30 minutes before liftoff.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/esas-new-heavy-lift-rocket-ariane-6-is-poised-to-launch-for-the-first-time-on-tuesday-172813576.html?src=rss

China’s BYD is catching up with Tesla in sales

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China’s leading EV manufacturer, BYD, is catching up with Tesla in sales, according to sales figures published by Reuters. The company posted a 21 percent increase in electric vehicle sales throughout the second quarter. This totals 426,039 EVs from April to June, which is just 12,000 fewer vehicles than Tesla’s estimated deliveries for the same time period. This places BYD in a good position to become the world’s leading vendor.

Tesla just reported a five percent drop in deliveries for the most recent quarter, which is the first time the company has ever experienced two straight quarters of decline. It produced 410,831 units and delivered 443,956 EVs in Q2. Production decreased by over 20,000 units compared to quarter one. Analysts like Barclays predicted an even steeper drop, so this is (sort of) good news for the company. 

There are a lot of factors playing into Tesla’s decline, but the biggest one is likely the fact that it seems to have abandoned budget-friendly models in favor of robotaxis and dystopian stainless steel beasts. BYD’s cars are fantastically cheap, with the recently-released Seagull starting at just $10,000. Of course, the company doesn’t have much of a presence in the US yet and tariffs on imported Chinese vehicles hope to keep it that way. The EU has taken a similar approach to curb the influx of inexpensive Chinese EVs.

BYD is part of China’s industrial strategy to topple US carmakers, though there’s one sure-fire way to stem the tide. Automakers should manufacture cheaper electric vehicles. BYD is becoming a global phenomenon because it makes budget-friendly EVs that aren’t pieces of junk. Some manufacturers have taken note. Look at the Nissan Leaf, for instance, or the Hyundai Kona. One company that seems to have ignored the memo entirely? Tesla.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chinas-byd-is-catching-up-with-tesla-in-sales-153900131.html?src=rss

Tesla’s year-over-year deliveries decreased for the second quarter in a row

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Tesla has announced its second quarter figures, with the company producing 410,831 and delivering 443,956 EVs in Q2. Production decreased by a little over 20,000 units compared to quarter one, but deliveries increased by nearly 15 percent. However, its distribution numbers are 4.8 percent lower than the same period in 2023. Tesla notes it "deployed 9.4 GWh of energy storage products in Q2, the highest quarterly deployment yet."

The car manufacturer's first quarter of 2024 was the first time since 2020 that the company reported a year-over-year sales drop. The car manufacturer blamed the decrease partly on "the early phase of the production ramp of the updated Model 3 at our Fremont factory and factory shutdowns resulting from shipping diversions caused by the Red Sea conflict and an arson attack at Gigafactory Berlin." A group of people called "Volcano Group" claimed responsibility for cutting the power to Tesla's factory outside Berlin. The plant is Tesla's only one in Europe and had to close for a week while power was restored.

Notably, on April 1 Tesla increased the price of every Model Y in the US by $1,000, but we'll have to wait until July 23 to see if it impacted the company's Q2 financial results. Earlier this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that a lower-cost EV should arrive in the second half of 2025, but that its production might lower sales growth this year. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/teslas-year-over-year-deliveries-decreased-for-the-second-quarter-in-a-row-144057024.html?src=rss

Tesla’s year-over-year deliveries decreased for the second quarter in a row

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Tesla has announced its second quarter figures, with the company producing 410,831 and delivering 443,956 EVs in Q2. Production decreased by a little over 20,000 units compared to quarter one, but deliveries increased by nearly 15 percent. However, its distribution numbers are 4.8 percent lower than the same period in 2023. Tesla notes it "deployed 9.4 GWh of energy storage products in Q2, the highest quarterly deployment yet."

The car manufacturer's first quarter of 2024 was the first time since 2020 that the company reported a year-over-year sales drop. The car manufacturer blamed the decrease partly on "the early phase of the production ramp of the updated Model 3 at our Fremont factory and factory shutdowns resulting from shipping diversions caused by the Red Sea conflict and an arson attack at Gigafactory Berlin." A group of people called "Volcano Group" claimed responsibility for cutting the power to Tesla's factory outside Berlin. The plant is Tesla's only one in Europe and had to close for a week while power was restored.

Notably, on April 1 Tesla increased the price of every Model Y in the US by $1,000, but we'll have to wait until July 23 to see if it impacted the company's Q2 financial results. Earlier this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that a lower-cost EV should arrive in the second half of 2025, but that its production might lower sales growth this year. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/teslas-year-over-year-deliveries-decreased-for-the-second-quarter-in-a-row-144057024.html?src=rss

Tesla’s Cybertruck has been recalled again

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Tesla’s Cybertruck is being recalled yet again, according to reporting by The Verge. The company issued a physical recall that could impact nearly 12,000 owners of the controversial vehicle.

Here’s how it breaks down. The company’s recalling 11,688 Cybertrucks due to a faulty windshield wiper that could significantly reduce visibility while driving. It’s also recalling 11,383 electric pickups because of trim in the bed that could come loose and create a road hazard for other people on the road. Tesla said that it’s “not aware of any injuries or deaths” related to either issue, according to Quartz.

The NHTSA's recall notice for the wiper indicates that Tesla will replace the wiper motor once the owner brings it in for service. As for the potentially loose trim, the company will apply “adhesion promoter and pressure sensitive tape or replace missing applique as necessary.” Both of these fixes will be free of charge.

This follows another significant recall from earlier this year. That one involved a faulty accelerator pedal that could get stuck during use. The accelerator pedal issue impacted nearly 4,000 vehicles.

It’s tough to figure out what percentage of sales these recalls impact, but it could be just about all of them. Back during the accelerator pedal fiasco in April, Tesla revealed it had manufactured and sold 3,878 units to date. The company hasn’t released updated sales figures but these latest recalls account for nearly 12,000 vehicles. How many more could it have sold since April? Maybe people are snatching them up just for the purpose of spray painting anti-Elon graffiti.

The Cybertruck has been plagued by issues since launch, though most of them didn’t reach the level of a recall. Consumers have complained about an overall lack of visibility, difficulty in off-road conditions, costly repairs, an inability to drive on snow, poor mileage and all kinds of other frustrations. It also starts at nearly $82,000.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/teslas-cybertruck-has-been-recalled-again-174632424.html?src=rss