Tesla Industry News Cars

Did you know Mercedes-Benz and Tesla worked together closely back in 2009? In fact, the German automaker saved Tesla from bankruptcy by acquiring almost 10-percent stake in the company. Since then, both companies have grown apart and taken their own paths, but Mercedes-Benz is still open to working with Tesla in the future.

Tesla has been changing Model 3 prices very frequently lately. In its latest change, the automaker has added the $5,000 performance upgrade package as standard equipment on the top-trim of the Model 3 without any increase in the price. This time, the change is a good thing!

Lately, Tesla has been talking about ‘Right to Repair,’ and how it is trying to get on board with the idea. Now, Tesla has taken the first step by releasing its parts catalog for Model 3, Model S, Model X, and Roadster. There’s even a tool catalog that will allow you to, eventually, order all the specialized tools you need to tear down and rebuild any Tesla model.

This is good news for you if you like to work on your own car, or if you prefer to have a mechanic outside of Telsa perform maintenance and repair.

Despite all the controversy, things seem to be going well for Tesla. A couple of days back, CEO Elon Musk announced that Tesla has achieved a $312 million profit in the third quarter of 2018 - only the third time it has achieved a quarterly profit in its history of 15 years. However, this was not the only announcement made in the meeting. Musk spoke about Tesla Network – an upcoming self-driving ride-hailing service that could pose a serious threat to Uber and Lyft.

Are you worrying about your four-legged companion’s well-being while waiting for you back in your Tesla? Well, soon, you’ll have no reason for concern as Tesla’s poised to introduce a "Dog Mode" to keep dogs cool and calm inside while they wait for your return.

Following a series of tweet exchanges between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and some inquiring users, it seems like Tesla looks at ways to implement a "Dog Mode" that will keep the temperature inside the car cool, or warm, depending on the season, to have them relaxed until the owners come back.

While it’s unknown when will this mode will drop, supposedly as part of an upcoming system update; it isn’t Tesla’s first feature of this kind. The American manufacturer released two years ago the Cabin Overheat Protection mode which does exactly what its name suggests it would.

James Murdoch, the son of billionaire mogul Rupert Murdoch, reportedly has the inside track to replace Elon Musk as chairman of Tesla. The report comes from the Financial Times, which is quoting two people familiar with the matter. Tesla has not issued a comment on the report, though Musk, who is still the current CEO and chairman of the company, categorically denied the report, saying that it was “incorrect.” As it is, the younger Murdoch is a non-executive director at Tesla’s board.

Despite nagging production issues, the Tesla Model 3 is fast becoming one of America’s best-selling sedans. Monthly and quarterly sales totals in the last three months ending in September revealed that the Model 3 outsold all but four of the top sedans sold in the U.S., regardless of their size and price. In that time span, Tesla sold around 55,800 units of the Model 3, outselling far more established models like the Nissan Sentra, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Fusion, and Chevrolet Malibu. The only four models that outsold the Model 3 are the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, and Honda Accord.

Elon Musk is stepping down as chairman of Tesla as part of a settlement reached with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The man behind companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company will be allowed to remain CEO, but he must vacate his position as chairman of the board within 45 days and cannot seek re-election for three years. Tesla has also agreed to pay a $20 million fine as part of the settlement stemming from a tweet he posted announcing that he had secured funding to take Tesla private.

Elon ‘Controversy’ Musk is in the news yet again. This time, it seems serious. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has accused Musk of fraud. What fraud, you ask? The agency says he made a series of “false and misleading” tweets about potentially taking Tesla private last month. They want him fired from Tesla.

Thanks to the magic of over-the-air updates, Tesla has once again stepped up to the plate and delivered extra range, as well as free supercharging, to its customers in the path of Hurricane Florence. This move mirrors the same move the company made just last year for Florida residents right before Hurricane Irma made landfall. This special update has left Carolina-based customers with the following surprise message:

“We are temporarily enabling your car to access additional battery capacity, as well as free Supercharging, in preparation for Hurrican Florence. We hope this gives you the peace of mind to get to a safe location and will notify you before returning your car to its original configuration in mid-October. Badging on your display may adjust during this period. Safe travels.”

This temporary OTA update only affects those that previously purchased a Tesla Model S or Model X with a 75 kWh battery that was “software locked” to a capacity of 60 kWh. The option at the time made the car more affordable at the cost of a shorter range. It has, however, proven as-as a way that Tesla can offer some of its customers an unexpected and very much appreciated act of faith they need the extra go-juice the most. There’s no word as to when Tesla will return the cars to their original configuration or begin charging for Supercharging in the area again, but changes are the temporary update will remain in effect until long after the storm has passed.

Kudos to Tesla – it’s always nice to see an automaker help out its customers when it can. It costs the company next to nothing but can mean so much to those who have a desperate need for a few extra miles of range when getting out of mother nature’s way.

Koenigsegg has admitted to being bowled over by Tesla’s performance claims for its new Roadster to the point that company engineers went straight to work after realizing that the Roadster’s performance times were indeed possible. Speaking with Top Gear, Koenigsegg chief Christian von Koenigsegg admitted that Tesla had thrown the gauntlet, and it was up to his company to respond. In typical bravado fashion, Koenigsegg is embracing the challenge with plans that could set up an industry-altering showdown with Tesla.

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has a stake of almost five percent in Tesla, but a new report from Bloomberg claims that the Middle Eastern nation wants to raise its stake by being a part of any investor pool that will be created in response to Elon Musk’s plan to take the electric car maker private. It’s unclear if these plans will gain any traction because the process of taking Tesla private is going to be a difficult task.