Norway’s best-selling vehicle
Norwegians registered nearly 1,500 Tesla Model S electric sedans in March, beating out the entire Ford product range as well as out-pacing the runner-up Volkswagen Golf by more than double. The figures makeup more than 10 percent of all vehicle registrations in the country.
First deliveries in UK
The first five reservation holders claimed the keys to their new cars from Elon Musk himself, at an event at The Crystal in London. Musk tells reporters that pre-orders are already going well in the UK, adding that there’s already a four-month waiting list for customers getting hold of cars. UK specifications largely match those in the US, and pricing begins at £55,280 before the U.K.’s £5,000 ($8,400) government grant towards going electric. That price puts it at around $92,800 at current exchange rates.
3 dead, 2 injured
0 CommentsThree people are killed and two others seriously injured after a Tesla traveling southbound on the 14 Freeway in the Antelope Valley plowed into the rear of another vehicle. The crash occurred in Palmdale about 10:35 p.m. when the Tesla crashed into a Toyota Corolla on the freeway near Avenue S, killing the Toyota’s 40-year-old male driver and two passengers, a 13-year-old boy and an 8-year-old boy, according to a statement from California Highway Patrol Officer Jordan Richards. The dead victims have not been identified.
Stolen Tesla crashes, splits in half
A stolen Tesla Model S split in two after a fiery crash in West Hollywood, Calif., following a police chase at speeds up to 100 miles per hour. The car apparently split after striking a pole at the end of the chase early Friday, resulting in injuries to several people. The chase began after a Tesla dealership reported the car was being tampered with on its lot. Video shows the Tesla’s rear end wedged between a wall at a synagogue, several dozen feet from the front half, which came to rest next to two other wrecked cars in the middle of the street. The car had split behind the front seats.
Delivered 11,500 cars globally
Tesla announces its second-quarter delivery totals. The manufacturer delivered 11,507 Model S luxury electric cars from April 1 through June 30, its highest quarterly total to date, and brings Tesla’s global deliveries for the first half of 2015 to 21,537 cars. The company does not release monthly numbers.
Ludicrous Speed upgrade
Musk announces “Ludicrous Speed,” a $10,000 upgrade for the P85D Model S. The upgrade improves 0-60 time by 10 percent, to 2.8 seconds, with a quarter-mile sprint dropping to 10.9 seconds. The top speed increases to 155 miles per hour, 20 percent faster than on a standard P85D. The Model X will also have Ludicrous Speed as an option, but because that vehicle is 10 percent heavier than the S it will be slower.
Withdraws recommendation
Consumer Reports withdraws its recommendation for the Tesla Model S, after surveying 1400 owners, because of “worse-than-average” reliability. The car previously had the best rating possible.
As the older vehicles are getting up on miles, we are seeing some where the electric motor needs to be replaced and the onboard charging system won’t charge the battery. On the newer vehicles, we are seeing problems such as the sunroof not operating properly. Door handles continue to be an issue…Despite the problems, [Consumer Reports] data show that Tesla owner satisfaction is still very high: Ninety-seven percent of owners said they would definitely buy their car again.
Tesla Motors share price drops 10% before recovering to close off 7%.
90,000 cars recalled
Tesla recalls 90,000 cars because of a single report of a front seat belt not being properly connected. Tesla was alerted to the seat belt issue by a customer in Europe two weeks ago and has since inspected 3,000 vehicles and its assembly process.
Tesla recently found a Model S in Europe with a front seat belt that was not properly connected to the outboard lap pretensioner. This vehicle was not involved in a crash and there were no injuries. However, in the event of a crash, a seat belt in this condition would not provide full protection.
Tesla wins Autopilot crash case
After a three-week trial in the Los Angeles Superior Court, a California jury rules in Tesla’s favor in a lawsuit over a crash involving the company’s partially automated driving software. The jury finds that the company’s Autopilot feature did not fail when plaintiff Justine Hsu’s Model S swerved into a curb while the feature was turned on. The jury also found that the vehicle’s airbag performed safely and Tesla did not intentionally fail to disclose facts. Hsu, who had sought more than $3 million in damages, and was awarded none, broke down in tears outside the courtroom after the jury delivered its verdict. One of her attorneys expressed disappointment with the result. Tesla’s attorney declined to comment.