Model S
Tesla claims ‘Quickest Production Car in the World’ title with new 100 kWh battery pack: 0-60 in 2.5s & 315 miles range
Yep, you read that right. An all-electric 4-door sedan with a 0 to 60 mph acceleration in 2.5 seconds and a SUV with a 0 to 60 mph acceleration under 3 seconds. Elon Musk described the new P100D pack as “complex” and that Tesla will first focus on the performance P100D version and the 100D will follow “several months” later. Model S and Model X P100D with Ludicrous mode are available for order right now. He added that they plan for “200 P100Ds per week” right now, but he sees the number increasing in the coming months. It represents about 10% of Tesla’s current production of ~2,000 vehicles per week. For the 100 kWh battery pack, Tesla is using the same battery cell, but a new module and pack architecture, new cooling system and electronics. CTO JB Straubel described the upgrade as a “significant change”. The exterior of the pack is the same, which means that it is available as an upgrade. Existing P90D with Ludicrous mode owners can upgrade to a P100D for a $20,000 fee. It is not a software upgrade. The actual pack will be replaced and the used 90kWh pack will have to be recycled. Tesla customers who have ordered a P90D with Ludicrous mode, but have not taken delivery of their vehicle may choose to upgrade to P100D for $10,000.
I thought the P90D was fast. Now, I can't imagine what the P100D will feel like at 2.5 seconds 0-60mph.
Tesla Announces New 2-Year Lease Deal For Model S 60 From $593/Month
A 2-year lease option is one of our most popular requests. We listened and are launching a limited time test of a 2-year lease on Model S and Model X. Starting at only $593/month (details here), our new 2-year lease program was designed just for you to drive electric today, and is available on all Model S and X orders placed by September 12th. For additional savings, combine this offer with the Tesla Referral Program and apply a $1,000 credit towards your configuration. Just get the special personal code of any Tesla owner and enter it at the time of order.
If you're in the market for a new Model S or X, you might want to consider doing a 2 year lease on an inventory car. Some people are reporting that they're getting some hard-to-believe super lease deals on inventory cars, TMC post. The super deals aren't for all inventory cars, rather it's for inventory cars that already have heavy discounts (ie., cars that have mileage or are several months old). This discount is then applied to the lease in a way that makes the monthly payments very attractive.
Also, if you order a Model S or X, please use my referral code to save $1000, http://ts.la/david7556.
Tesla releases new charging adapter to connect directly in most dryer outlets – NEMA 14-30
“The NEMA 14-30 adapter will provide recharge speeds from 15-17 miles of range per hour of charge to a Model S or Model X. This outlet is commonly used for electric dryers and is convenient for charging at friend’s or relative’s home.”
Model X
Tesla is now on Amazon: you can buy accessories and parts, but not the actual vehicles
Today, Amazon announced a new tool called ‘Amazon Vehicles‘, which it describes as “a car research destination and automotive community”. It looks like the vehicles are actually listed for sales like you can see above, but you can really only “add them to your garage” and it will instead suggest compatible accessories and parts.
You can now add a Tesla Model X, a Tesla Model S, or even a Tesla Roadster to your garage and explore the suggestions.
Model 3
The key challenge to Tesla’s growth
To deal with its metal sourcing needs, Tesla is hiring supply chain specialists to help it cut deals with small miners around the world. The company has signed deals with Pure Energy Metals and Bancanora Metals among others. Pure Energy is exploring lithium deposits in Nevada while Bacanora Minerals is looking at developing lithium deposits in Sonora, Mexico.
Tesla Model 3: P100D is a test bed for Tesla’s third-generation battery pack technology
Musk added that with the current cell form, he doesn’t expect to be able to improve the energy density of the battery pack. He described the new 100 kWh pack’s energy density as 11 pounds in a 10-pound bag. The Model 3 battery pack will make use of the battery module and battery pack cooling improvements, but it will also feature the new cell, meaning that we can expect a higher energy density even though the energy capacity should be lower since it’s a smaller and less expensive vehicle than the Model S and X.
TSLA
Tesla's Innovations Are Transforming The Auto Industry
It’s this innovation premium that helped Tesla race to the top of our Forbes Most Innovative companies list in 2015 – and stay there. It maintains its #1 position for the 2016 ranking. Tesla’s next challenge is whether or not it can become profitable and deliver on its huge market value. And will Tesla ultimately be the catalyst behind transforming the auto industry from ICE vehicles to electric vehicles? Our analysis signals it can and likely will.
Elon Musk, SolarCity execs to buy most of SolarCity bond offering
In a filing Tuesday afternoon, SolarCity said that Tesla chief executive (and SolarCity chairman) Elon Musk has agreed to buy more than half its latest offering of bonds, putting $65 million toward the $124 million SolarCity hoped to raise. SolarCity cofounders and top executives Lyndon Rive and Peter Rive, Musk’s cousins, agreed to buy $17.5 million in bonds apiece, a total of $100 million for the three executives.
Is Elon Musk the next king of trucking?
Electric trucks are even more interesting than electric cars. Trucks, while accounting for just 1% of all traffic in the USA, account for 28% of pollution. Electrifying the industry would be an enormous environmental coup — to the tune of about 12 tons of CO2 per year, per truck.
Other News
Lazy Automakers Can Just Buy Self-Driving Cars From Delphi
Supplier Delphi has spent a century making things like electric starters, radios, and navigation systems for well-known brands. Isreali firm Mobileye makes very smart and relatively cheap cameras, helping dozens of automakers enable active safety features like collision warnings and automatic braking. Now, the two auto industry role players are aiming for the All Star game. They’re teaming up to build an off-the-shelf system to make any car fully autonomous, and they’ll sell it to any automaker starting in 2019.