Tag Archives: Tesla

Tesla Model S hit several cars and fell off the ledge

In recent years, Tesla has had major safety issues with its cars that have even led to fatalities. It has happened that a car suddenly stops and causes an accident, and the uncontrolled behavior happened in early December in New South Wales (Australia) when a Model S crashed into several cars in a parking lot.

According to a report by 9 News Australia, the Tesla Model S smashed into several cars and then drove off the ledge on a loading dock. Customers managed to extract two people trapped inside the vehicle, a 59-year-old driver and a 68-year-old passenger who were fortunately not seriously injured.

Police took the vehicle to a garage for an electronic check. It is not yet known whether the driver had full control of the car or if there was a malfunction in the car.

In 2022, a Tesla Model 3 suddenly stopped on I-70 Highway east of Kansas City, causing a collision of several vehicles, which resulted in the death of one person. Some information says that a mechanical issue could be the reason for the loss of power and stopping, but this has not been confirmed. Also, the U.S. authorities launched an investigation following reports of a braking problem that occurred on a number of Tesla cars. According to some owners, their cars unexpectedly activated the brakes for no reason.

This summer, the company recalled over 120,000 cars due to problems with the seat belt warning system. The system is supposed to send visual and audible warnings to drivers when they are not buckled in, but NHTSA has determined that it may not work as intended in some vehicles.

Source: 9 News Australia

India wants to be a leader in EV production

After China proved itself as a leader in EV production, another Asian country is becoming a center for carbon-neutral vehicle manufacturers. According to the latest information, India could be one of the developing countries that wants to be a leading player in the production of electric cars.

The country has devised a strategy for the development and production of electric cars, although it initially focused specifically on Tesla, which it invited to invest in the construction of a gigafactory, but the American manufacturer has focused on Mexico. However, the announcement of the new President of the United States, Donald Trump, that he will introduce additional tariffs on vehicles imported from Mexico gives India an opportunity to renew negotiations with Tesla. The American manufacturer has already suspended the construction of a factory in Mexico.

The suspension of Tesla Model 2 production in Mexico was the main motive for Musk to go to India, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi canceled the meeting. The Indian government intends to launch its electric car production plan in March 2025, which Tesla and other major manufacturers see as a new opportunity. The plan is to expand aid to existing manufacturers rather than restricting benefits to new plant construction. India is ready to help any manufacturer that invests at least $500 million in electric vehicle production with 50 percent of components sourced locally. The government is also offering a 15 percent import tax cut for up to 8,000 electric cars a year.

Toyota and Hyundai have already shown interest, although it is not known whether they would use existing plants or build new ones. Hyundai already knows that the €500 million spent on research and development will not be included in the total investment, so the Korean company is waiting for the final guidelines for its electric car plan in India.

Volkswagen, which already has plants in India, wants to know if it could spend 75 percent of the total investment in the first three years, rather than the entire $500 million at once. Also, if VW decided to use its factories in Pune, they would have to install new lines separate from those for the production of combustion engine cars.

Source: Reuters

Tesla Cybercab has arrived

After seeing the unsuccessful presentation of the Robotaxi Verne in June, yesterday we could witness another presentation of this type of vehicle. It’s the long-awaited Tesla Cybercab that was supposed to debut in August, but it didn’t happen because the company wanted to improve the vehicle with some new technological solutions.

The Cybercab design is inspired by the Cybertruck model. It is equipped with a full-length LED light line in the front, a light line in the back, and a butterfly door that no other Tesla car has. Also, since it is an autonomous vehicle, there are no side mirrors and no back glass either.

Inside, as expected, a minimalist design with a large central infotainment screen and two seats, without a steering wheel or pedals.

The car is Musk’s desire to impress investors and Tesla fans may help the company’s shares, which have not seen much growth this year due to weak sales of electric cars. However, some feel that Tesla is still far behind Waymo.

Although the Cybercab is equipped with Tesla’s latest autonomous driving systems, Missy Cummings, a professor at George Mason University and an expert in artificial intelligence who advises the California DMV on the topic of autonomous vehicles, believes that Tesla is not a serious candidate for real applications of autonomous driving. “I think they are at least 10 years away from implementation.”

The company stopped reporting to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) back in 2019, nor does it update outside experts or the media on its progress. Regulators have been closely monitoring Tesla’s Autopilot and fully autonomous driving programs for some time, and the technical problems surrounding those programs suggest that it will be extremely difficult to fulfill Musk’s vision anytime soon.

Source: Tesla, Forbes

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