LeX2K

How many software engineers does Tesla have? They roll out updates at a break neck pace.

swajames

That’s not unique to Tesla. I’ve had four updates on my Lightning over the past four weeks alone. I’d guess owners of other EVs are also getting pretty frequent updates.

AMIRZA786

My Polestar gets an update about every three months. It used to get them once a month or every other month when I first got it

AMIRZA786

Tesla is working on controversial ‘congestion fee’ at Supercharger stations

Tesla is planning a new “congestion fee” at Supercharger stations, and it’s building on top of an already controversial practice.

Back in 2019, Tesla introduced a new feature at Supercharger stations to help shorten charging sessions during busy times. The automaker started to limit owners’ state of charge (SOC) to 80% at select high-traffic sites.

Most people don’t charge at 100% anyway, and the last 20% is much slower to get to, so this would have the opportunity to greatly reduce the average charging session time.

However, it was worrying to many owners as you sometimes do need to charge more than 80%. What can you do in those cases?

Tesla quickly modified the feature to automatically set the state of charge of vehicles at those stations at 80%, but owners could manually increase it back to 100% if they wanted to. This has been the solution for years and quelled most owners’ concerns. But now, Tesla is apparently seeing the need for a more drastic approach.

Tesla hacker Green, famous for diving into Tesla’s code and finding new features the automaker is working on, has looked into the latest Tesla software update and found that Tesla was working on a “congestion fee”:


It sounds like at those busy stations where Tesla automatically sets the state-of-charge at 80%, the automaker would now charge you more if you decide to lift the limit above 80%.

There’s no word on how much this new fee would be.

It’s not the first time that Tesla has introduced a new fee to Superchargers. The automaker has also instated the “Supercharger Idle fee,” which applies when a car is done charging but still parked at a Supercharger.

This fee is a lot less controversial as most people agree that Superchargers are for charging, not parking

https://electrek.co/2023/10/24/tesla...-supercharger/

AMIRZA786

A Tesla Model 3 Highland tsunami is starting in European markets

It appears that Tesla’s fourth-quarter delivery numbers would be bolstered pretty well by the updated Model 3, better known in EV circles as Project Highland. Based on social media posts from electric vehicle enthusiasts, it appears that a Model 3 Highland tsunami is starting in Europe.

The new Tesla Model 3 is so far only being produced in Gigafactory Shanghai, the company’s primary vehicle export hub. Fortunately, the facility is also Tesla’s largest factory by output, with the EV maker listing the site with an estimated annual output of over 950,000 vehicles in its Q3 2023 Update Letter. It was then no surprise to see Giga Shanghai exporting batches of new Model 3 over the past weeks.

Some of these vehicles have arrived in Europe, at least based on reports from Tesla watchers and EV enthusiasts. Over the past days, numerous photos and videos of the new Model 3 across Europe were shared online, from first deliveries in Germany to car carrier trucks filled with the updated Model 3 units in Paris, France.

Following are some of the posts from European EV fans featuring the upgraded Tesla Model 3







Tesla delivered a total of 435,059 vehicles in the third quarter, which was 6% less than the 466,140 that the company delivered in Q2 2023. Part of this decline was due to the new Model 3, which was not delivered during the third quarter. Considering that the updated Model 3 is now seeing its deliveries in Europe, Tesla may indeed have a solid shot at meeting its ambitious target of delivering around 1.8 million vehicles this 2023

https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-mode...opean-markets/

LeX2K

BP is buying hardware from Tesla.

Hameed

So BP will be I installing Tesla superchargers at their locations?

AMIRZA786

Tesla Model S and X to Gain Ambient Lighting and Front Bumper Camera

Tesla has found itself in a bit of a pickle. Its flagship vehicles, the Model S and Model X now have a similar feature set as the recently released new Model 3. While the new Model 3 does have an improved suspension, the Model S, Model X, and soon the Cybertruck are still the only Tesla vehicles with an air suspension. However, the new Model 3 now includes many features that were previously exclusive to the Model S/X, such as ventilated seats, a quieter cabin, and a rear screen, reducing the feature set gap between Tesla's economy and luxury lines.

Ambient Lighting for Model S & X

However, it looks like the Model S and X will be catching up in some regards. was able to find references to the Model S/X receiving the same https://www.notateslaapp.com/news/1619/a-closer-look-at-tesla-s-ambient-lighting-feature-in-the-new-model-3-and-cybertruck-video. The references were discovered in one of Tesla's recent firmware updates. As Green points out, Tesla is much more careful nowadays to include any code that may reveal upcoming features. Given the discovery, he believes that Tesla is already implementing or will soon start implementing the feature on its assembly lines.

Upcoming Minor Refresh

One of our sources has confirmed that the S/X will not only receive Tesla's latest interior lighting feature in an upcoming refresh, but that it will also be outfitted with a front bumper camera. It's unknown whether Tesla will introduce both these features simultaneously or in a phased manner. Considering Tesla's known strategy of incorporating upgrades as they deplete available parts, it wouldn't be surprising if they took the latter route.

Model Y Envy

After Tesla China's surprising reveal of an upgraded Model Y with some modifications like adding ambient lighting to the dashboard, the spotlight is now turning to what's in store for the Model S and Model X. The Model Y's changes, touted as its "evolutionary debut" by Tesla China on its official Weibo account came out of nowhere.

Ambient Lighting is a Must

Ambient lighting has always been a staple in luxury car interiors, enhancing the ambiance and offering a more sophisticated driving experience. For years, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Lexus, Jaguar, Porsche, Volvo, and others have used ambient lighting, also known as mood lighting. That didn't seem to matter all that much to the Model S and Model X, which have worked their way up the luxury brand market.

But now that ambient lighting is in the Model Y, Model 3, and the upcoming Cybertruck, the omission of the features from the luxury models is noticeable.



With the Model Y's recent update featuring ambient lighting on its dash and front doors, there is speculation about the extent to which this feature will be introduced in the S and X. Will Tesla stick to the approach seen in the Model Y, or will they amplify the luxury feel with an almost 360-degree wraparound, similar to the new Model 3?

Front Camera

In addition to ambient lighting, the Model S and Model X will get a front bumper camera. We expected to see it in the Model 3 refresh. Still, it mysteriously didn't make the long list of changes when the car was revealed, even though the camera was spotted in various Tesla photos. However, the Cybertruck does have a front bumper camera.

It's not known if the front bumper will be used to improve Autopilot and Full Self Driving or if it could be more about enhancing parking assist capabilities. The front camera is not available in the existing fleet, which would put those vehicles at a disadvantage if FSD utilizes the camera in future updates.

With the last quarter of the year unfolding, Tesla enthusiasts and potential buyers have much to look forward to. A new Model 3, slightly refreshed Model Y, the Cybertruck, and maybe even an enhanced Model S and X are yet to arrive before Santa.

https://www.notateslaapp.com/news/16...-bumper-camera

LeX2K

A whole pile of them. I've never heard of them until now, they have an app
https://www.bppulse.co.uk/

AMIRZA786

BP doesn't operate in California, but I've seen them on the East coast

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

BP is an enormous company. infamous for the massive exploding oil rig and pollution in the gulf of mexico a few years ago.

LeX2K

Benthic Petroleum is a massive company.

Mike728

And, just like that, they raised the price of the Long Range by $500.

AMIRZA786

Wow, that was quick 😂. I just pulled that screenshot from their website this afternoon

AMIRZA786

Tesla price cuts seem to have hurt Hertz

Tesla price cuts hinder Hertz earnings as it misses profit estimates

Tesla’s price cuts throughout the third quarter provided challenges for rental company Hertz (NASDAQ: HTZ), who adopted the electric automaker’s vehicles in 2021 for its fleet. The swings in pricing hindered Hertz’s Q3 earnings report, as it missed profit estimates.

Hertz said it would slow down EV adoption while it learns to manage costs, CEO Stephen Scherr said on Thursday, according to Bloomberg.

Tesla and Hertz signed a massive deal for 100,000 vehicles in 2021, marking the start of a major partnership and an overall shift in the landscape of the rental sector in the U.S.

Hertz has roughly 35,000 Teslas in its EVs, which has climbed to 50,000 total vehicles, or 11 percent of its total fleet.

Tesla, on the other hand, has been cutting prices to enable more affordability for buyers, attempting to get some vehicles as close to or even below the $30,000 price point after government and state incentives.

While car buyers are loving the discounts, investors in the company’s stock, and companies like Hertz that are dependent on maintaining healthy margins and profitability are not. The resale value of their Tesla fleet has decreased by about 30 percent, and EV maintenance costs have been higher than Hertz initially expected.

Hertz will still buy 100,000 Teslas and 175,000 GM EVs, but it will not meet the goal to have one-quarter of its rental fleet be EVs by the end of next year. It needs to lower repair costs by working with suppliers and wait for costs to settle to lower its purchase costs.

“We have an opportunity to buy these cars now at roughly a third less than where we bought the initial component of our Teslas. We’re ultimately better buyers on a falling price where the margin composition on those cars will be better,” Scherr said.

Of course, EV price cuts were not the only reason Hertz felt financial pressure during Q3. Used car costs were much higher a year ago and Hertz could sell its vehicles used for more than it would buy them for new.

https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-pric...nings-results/