Tesla continues to change the game, pushing the auto industry away from unsustainable gas-powered tech faster than we ever would have seen otherwise. But it’s not just the general electric vehicle market where Tesla is a leader. Elon Musk’s EV giant is also at the forefront of exciting new technologies including autonomous driving.
Though the company’s fast-paced software updates are adored by fans and the tech media, Tesla has also been scrutinized for using its end user base as a mass beta test, so to speak. Those criticisms boiled over recently when Tesla confirmed that its Autopilot software was active at the time of a fatal crash in Florida. Now, the company is reportedly prepping a major update to its Autopilot software following that widely publicized crash. More →
This past May, a driver of a Tesla Model S was tragically killed when his car slammed into a tractor-trailer that had veered into his lane. At the time, the Tesla had its Autopilot software engaged, a fact which has since prompted an investigation from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) so that they can examine “the design and performance of any driving aids in use at the time of the crash.”
Recently, ABC Action News ran a news segment that happens to include images of the aftermath of the crash while also providing some new details surrounding what happened before and following the fatal accident.
Faraday Future is apparently the real deal. Bankrolled by Chinese billionaire Jia Yueting, the electric car startup announced today a new partnership with Dragon Racing that will see the company lend its expertise towards producing an electric car for use in the FIA Formula E Championship.
Tesla and Google aren’t the only companies working towards a future filled with self-driving cars. BMW earlier today boldly announced its plan to begin mass producing a self-driving car by 2021.
As part of its 5-year plan to make autonomous driving a reality, BMW will rely upon camera and sensor technology sourced from Mobileye, the same Israeli company that Tesla currently partners up with for its own self-driving car technology. Also in the mix is Intel who will contribute technology of its own at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Yesterday, word broke that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) was looking into a Florida incident involving a Tesla Model S that crashed into a tractor-trailer this past May, tragically killing the driver of the Tesla. What prompted the NHSTA’s interest in the matter is that the Model S had Tesla’s Autopilot software activated at the time of the accident.
As a result, the agency indicated that the crash “calls for an examination of the design and performance of any driving aids in use at the time of the crash.”
There’s still a great deal we don’t know about the deadly Model S crash that occurred back in May. We know that the driver had Autopilot engaged and we know that Tesla is under investigation, but on Friday, Tesla’s partner Mobileye shed some light on how the car’s self-driving system might factor into this incident.
Telsa’s much-lauded Autopilot feature on the Model S and Model X managed to log a combined 130 million miles without a single crash involving a fatality. That phenomenal streak came to an end recently, however, when Tesla acknowledged that the Autopilot feature was engaged on a Model S when it struck a tractor-trailer while traveling at high speeds. The driver of the Model S was killed in the horrific crash, and Telsa is now cooperating with an investigation being conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
As impressive as Tesla’s Autopilot feature is, drivers are always advised to keep their attention on the road even while autonomous features are enabled. But according the driver of the truck that was struck by the Model S, the driver was actually watching a movie while Autopilot was engaged. More →
Tesla’s Autopilot software often works like magic, but there’s clearly a long road ahead before we find ourselves in a world filled with fully autonomous vehicles. Most recently, a driver of a 2015 Model S who had Tesla’s Autopilot software activated was involved in a fatal accident when it crashed into a tractor-trailer.
Now comes word via Reuters that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is looking into the crash amid concerns that a glitch in the car’s Autopilot software may have played a role in the tragic accident.
When Tesla flipped the switch and activated its Autopilot software in late 2015, it provided us with a glimpse into what the future of driving would be like. And while Tesla’s Autopilot isn’t exactly perfect, it’s still more capable and advanced than anything else out on the market today.
Being one of the hottest electric carmakers in town also comes with unwanted side-effects. Every Tesla-related incident, whether it’s an accident caused by human error or linked to the car’s AI features, receives plenty of scrutiny. Take, for example, a car rolling over. If it’s your average vehicle, it’s a scary incident but not terribly interesting. But if it’s a Tesla that rolls, then it’s major news — and for good reason, because Teslas rarely roll.
Tesla’s upcoming Model 3 is one of the hottest new cars to have been unveiled in recent years. The vehicle will be Tesla’s first electric car with a price tag that is accessible to mass market buyers, following the Roadster and Model S with pricing that could reach well over $100,000. The Model 3 starts at just $35,000, and that’s before available tax incentives that could drop the price to as little as $25,000 for early buyers.
As it turns out, tax incentives aren’t the only perk that a select group of Model 3 buyers will enjoy. Tesla is sending out “golden tickets” to a small number of people who reserved the company’s newest car. More →
If you’re looking for a car that can really scream and you’re not in a place to spend several hundreds of thousands of dollars in one fell swoop, a tricked out Tesla might be the way to go. With a Tesla Model S P90D capable of going from 0-60 in 2.8 seconds flat, you won’t find a car that provides more bang for your buck in that department anywhere else. Even the older Model S P85D is no slouch in the acceleration department as it can skyrocket form 0 to 60 in a still blazing fast 3.2 seconds.
But incredible acceleration, no matter how impressive, is still not a replacement for raw speed. So when DragTimes recently decided to pit a Tesla Model S P85D up against the beastly Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4, the Model S gets absolutely smoked.
