TorqueNews Hot Topics (Page 40)

According to an official statement by Tesla, the EV maker doesn't expect to begin Cybertruck mass production until mid-2023. However, today we got new insider leaks that suggest Tesla is planning to deliver 30 manually-built Cybertrucks in December.

Since November 2021 Tesla has opened the supercharger network to non-Tesla EVs in 15 European countries. And today, the EV maker announced that it will be opening the supercharger network to non-Tesla EVs in Italy.

After Torque News teased about the intro of the new Transit Trail Life van, we have followed up with the official introduction which occurred this week.

Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Tesla has decided to put on hold plans to produce 4680 cells in Giga Berlin. However, today, we have received conflicting information from individuals on the ground citing senior Tesla staff, that suggests work on the Giga Berlin battery plant is progressing according to plan.

Tesla recently removed radar from the company's vehicles and moved to a camera-based pure vision system. However, today we have gotten conflicting information that suggests, Tesla is planning to bring back updated HD radar to the company's vehicles with the upcoming Autopilot Hardware 4 upgrade.

Tesla has once again brought back the Cyberwhistle to the company's online shop. And this time, the EV maker has increased the price of the Cybertruck-inspired whistle by 37%.

A few weeks, back we got our first images of Tesla's next-generation V4 Superchargers with taller and thinner stalls. And today, we have seen plans for the first Tesla V4 supercharger station to be built in Yuma County, Arizona. The upcoming supercharger station, in addition to the new superchargers, also features solar panels and a megapack.

Tesla China has just posted its second-highest monthly delivery number in August, producing and selling 76,965 vehicles. And even more impressively, August's delivery numbers mark the second time Giga Shanghai was able to surpass an annualized production run rate of 900,000 vehicles.

The Tesla Model Y has received a leading score of 98 percent in Euro NCAP's automatic emergency braking test despite the vehicle not being equipped with radar. This is a great testament to Elon Musk's and Tesla's belief that level 5 autonomy can be achieved using only cameras.

California is currently experiencing record heat waves and a record electricity demand with authorities warning residents to prepare for rolling blackout. And in response, Elon Musk says the state needs more solar panels & stationary batteries to deal with the current situation.

Labor Day is one of the top holidays for driving. A new study shows many of those drivers are taking their four-legged friends along for the ride. The 2022 Jeep Wrangler was just voted one of the "10 Best Cars for Dog Lovers" for the 4th time.

Are more vehicles on the way? Toyota's new battery plant will be even bigger now.

Chrysler is revving up the athletic wear market! It is selling athleisure inspired by one of its designers.

Tesla is currently in the process of getting ready to launch the Cybertruck. And today, we got a glimpse into that process as a new Cybertruck prototype was spotted which appeared to have been off-road testing. This Cybertruck prototype had a broken windshield, several scratches all over the body, bolted-on Lidar sensors, and a new unconventional wheel design.

Tesla recently released a major autopilot update. The new software called FSD Beta 10.69 incorporates major improvements including solving Chuck Cook style unprotected left turn. However, despite FSD Beta 10.69's improvements, some testers are reporting issues with the new software. And Musk, frustrated with the criticism, has asked early testers to stop complaining.

Today, Tesla released the next iteration of the company's full self-driving software, FSD Beta 10.69. This new software brings a number of improvements including solving Chuck Cook style unprotected left turn. And Elon Musk, happy with FSD Beta 10.69 has praised Tesla's AI team.

After facing difficulties ramping refreshed 4680 Model Y production at Giga Texas, Tesla started making the last generation Model Y, with 2170 cells, at the new Austin Texas plant. And now, only 2 months after doing so, Tesla has reached a production rate of 1000 Model Y's a week.

Elon Musk has shared a letter he received from his would-be Stanford Professor Bill Nix. In the letter, Professor Nix discusses the amorphization of crystalline silicon when used as the anode material in lithium-ion batteries and how Musk would be working on this problem if he continued at Stanford.

Elon Musk had previously confirmed that the Cybertruck will ship with easily removable side-view mirrors. Since then, there has been debate on whether the vehicle can legally be driven without side-view mirrors. However, today Musk has confirmed that a Cybertruck without side-view mirrors can legally be driven on US roads. Musk also says it will improve the range by 5%.

Tesla's FSD Beta software is rapidly progressing towards becoming a level 5 fully self-driving software. However, as the AI's capabilities grow, so has scrutiny by regulatory agencies. And today, an 8-month-old message sent by the NHTSA to Tesla asking to be included in the FSD Beta program has surfaced. After a long wait, Musk has finally agreed to turn on FSD Beta on the regulatory agency's in-house test Tesla vehicle.

In an update to the company's online configurator, Tesla has stopped taking new orders for the Model 3 Long Range. Now if you go to Tesla's website to order this Model 3 variant, it simply reads "available in 2023."

Tesla first unveiled the Semi back in 2017 with deliveries expected to begin in 2019. However, after years of delay, today, Elon Musk has confirmed that the 500-mile version of the Tesla Semi will start "shipping this year."

At Tesla's recently held Q2 2022 earnings call, the EV maker has revealed that it is working on a second-generation Giga Casting. And according to Tesla, the next generation Giga Casting will be used to build the Cybertruck.

At Tesla's recently held second quarter earnings call, Elon Musk has given us more details regarding the refreshed Model Y's structural battery pack. Musk says the pack is not yet optimized and that it is a "C" in an "A" architecture.

Last week we saw schematics for Tesla's V4 supercharger showing thinner and taller stalls. And, today, thanks to a Tesla application to build a supercharger site in Danvers, Massachusetts, we get our first look at all the changes coming to Tesla's V4 supercharger.

Tesla's next shareholders' meeting is scheduled for August 4. And issues up for vote include giving Tesla the ability to do a 3 to 1 stock split, in addition to other proposals that Tesla management has advised voting against such as issues pertaining to child labor and water risk. And today Musk has implored investors to side with management by saying "please vote your shares with Tesla."

The release note for Tesla's next iteration of FSD Beta software, FSD Beta 10.13 has been leaked online. In the release note, Tesla lists several improvements, including improvements to "Chuck Cook style unprotected left turns."

After years of hinting at the possibility, today, Elon Musk has finally unequivocally confirmed Tesla will be making a home HVAC system with a HEPA filter.

After a seemingly endless series of price hikes, now Elon Musk says Tesla can lower prices for its vehicles if inflation calms down.

Munro & Associates is currently in the process of tearing down a refreshed Model Y with 4680 cells and a structural pack. And in the tear-down process, they have found getting to the batteries extremely challenging. This has led some individuals to believe the 4680 cells are non-recyclable. However, Elon Musk reassured us that the new cells are indeed recyclable.