LNG: TESLARATI

The Audi factory in Belgium paused the production of the e-tron SUV citing production issues such as a battery supply bottleneck. The production of Audi Brussels was shut down Thursday last week and is expected to last until Tuesday.

According to Audi insiders, aside from battery supply issues, there are also shortages of other parts such as rear lights for the e-tron and even sun visors, reported Belgian publication L’Echo.

The spokesperson for Audi’s plant in Brussels clarified that the production issues are not because of the coronavirus outbreak in China where global car manufacturers’ factories for car parts are located.

The factory in Brussels produces the Audi e-tron and the e-tron Sportback, the first two electric vehicles of the German carmaker under the umbrella of Volkswagen. Audi sold about 26,400 e-trons in 2019 but the company declined to give an estimate on deliveries this year, according to Bloomberg.

The current halt in production shows how traditional carmakers struggle to keep up with the pace of Tesla, the undoubted leader in the electric vehicle industry today. Unlike traditional car manufacturers, a recent teardown of the Model 3 by Nikkei Business Publications revealed that Tesla does not depend on multiple other suppliers for its parts, allowing it to push itself to the limits in terms of technologies it wants to use for its vehicles.

In January, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Deiss emphasized during a global board meeting with the company’s senior managers that they need to act fast to avoid having a similar fate as Finnish phone maker Nokia that wasn’t able to keep up with the technology. This announcement came just a couple months after Audi announced that it plans to cut 9,500 jobs through 2025, which will save it 6 billion euros and help fund its push to make electric cars.

Audi Brussels’ halt in e-tron production paints a picture of how labeled “Tesla Killers” simply don’t match the current technologies and capabilities of the electric car maker, despite having the resources for the production of petrol-powered cars. Putting car parts together to make a vehicle is one thing but they still need to catch up in other aspects such as connectivity and driver-assist systems, among other things.

Oh, of course, the killer blow can also be seen when you look at the details, too. The image of an Audi e-tron’s cockpit reminding its owner to change oil is just difficult to look at just like this one below shared by Twitter user  Georg Konjovic.

Audi hat den Sprung ins elektrische Zeitalter noch nicht ganz verkraftet. Am Ölwechsel hängt man noch sehr. Im Bild: Auto e-tron Cockpit. pic.twitter.com/6ghNL2rFuW

— Georg Konjovic (@GeorgKonjovic) January 18, 2020

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Recent images of a Tesla Model Y release candidate with its rear hatch open has provided a small teaser of the upcoming all-electric crossover’s rear cargo space. Based on the photos, it appears that the Model Y’s primary luggage area is very generous, to the point where it almost seems comparable to that of the larger Tesla Model X. This is quite impressive, especially considering that the Model Y shares 75% of its parts with the Model 3 sedan, which is far smaller than the Model X. 

The new pictures were shared on the Tesla Model Y Enthusiasts Facebook page, with members Thomas Andre Davik and Josh Jones sharing a couple of new shots from a recent Model Y sighting. Fortunately, the two Tesla enthusiasts were able to capture a photo of the vehicle with its open rear hatch, showing how much cargo space is available when the second row seats are up. 

Tesla Model Y trunk (Source: Thomas Andre Davik | Model Y Enthusiast Facebook Page)

Tesla Model Y extra storage under main trunk(Source: Josh Jones | Model Y Enthusiast Facebook Page)

The Tesla Model Y with rear hatch open. (Credit: Thomas Andre Davik and Josh Jones/Facebook)

Immediately noticeable from the images was the fact that the Model Y’s luggage area is quite large. Surprisingly large, in fact, even without its additional storage space underneath the trunk itself. An image of this additional storage area shows that it is quite deep as well, possibly fitting a couple of extra bags during long drives. 

Reactions from the Tesla community show that the Model Y’s cargo space may end up being a key selling point for the upcoming vehicle. Tesla Model X 90D owner and r/TeslaMotors subreddit member u/kenriko noted that the Model Y’s luggage space looks comparable in utility as his vehicle’s cargo area with its third row folded. Fellow Tesla enthusiast Christopher Pichner also remarked that the Model Y’s design makes for a cargo area that looks more usable than his 2018 Subaru Forester, which lists a 76 cu ft of luggage space versus the Model Y’s 66 cu ft.

These observations, while only based on a couple of new photos of the Model Y, bodes well for the upcoming all-electric crossover, as it suggests that Tesla is pretty much optimizing the vehicle’s utility as much as possible, making it more attractive to the mainstream crossover market. The comparisons to the Model X’s cargo space are quite impressive too, considering that the Model Y shares most of its parts with Tesla’s smallest vehicle today, the Model 3. 

As the Model Y nears its first deliveries, it is becoming more and more evident that the vehicle is designed to disrupt an established auto market. Apart from its competitive price, the Model Y has the performance to match, with its top-tier version being capable of sprinting from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds. The Model Y also has a middle row pass-through feature that will allow owners to transport long items like skis without any issues. Together with a seemingly very generous trunk space, these little details may very well prove to be among the reasons why the Model Y may eventually start eating into the market of mainstream vehicles like the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV-4, much like the Model 3 and more affordable cars like the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Accord. 

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Tesla is urging the German government to lift a ban on Sundays and holidays for electric trucks, according to a report.

Recent reports from Germany indicated that a delegation from the electric vehicle manufacturer recently met with Steffen Bilger, the Parliamentary State Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMVI) to discuss the abolition of the ban that has been in effect since May 1956, among other topics.

The truck ban prohibits commercial trucks weighing 7.5 tons from 12 midnight to 10 p.m on Sundays and holidays with the primary purpose of protecting citizens from noise and pollution. A similar law is also in effect in most countries in Europe.

Following the conversation with the electric car maker, German authorities reportedly pledged to look into the matter. “During a conversation at the BMVI with Mr. Bilger and representatives from Tesla, options for strengthening sustainable modern mobility were discussed, especially with regard to the logistics area,” a Ministry of Transport spokesperson said.

While Tesla has not commented on the matter yet, the move bodes well if the electric vehicle maker plans to introduce the Tesla Semi in Europe in the near future. With clearer regulations in Europe, Tesla can better position the Tesla Semi as an industry disruptor that can operate in areas and days when petrol-powered trucks aren’t even allowed on the roads. If the electric truck will be allowed on the roads of Germany and the rest of Europe seven days a week, logistics companies in Europe may turn their sight into a greener cargo hauler such as the Tesla Semi.

The Tesla Semi was unveiled in November 2017 and is expected to start limited production this year. Tesla notes that the Semi will give owners about $200,000 in fuel savings compared to its diesel counterparts within the first few years of its service. It’s also capable of hitting 0 to 60 mph in just 20 seconds even while fully-loaded.

The base price of the truck is listed at $150,000 for its 300-mile range version and $180,000 for the 500-mile range iteration. There’s also a Founders Series with a sticker price of $200,000.

Tesla has been closely coordinating with German authorities as it works closer to begin construction of its Giga Berlin in Grunheide. The first factory of Tesla in Europe is expected to focus on the production of the Model Y during its initial phase and has a target capacity of 10,000 vehicles per week.

It is not yet clear if Giga Berlin will also be tooled to produce the Tesla Semi but it will not be a surprise if the Silicon Valley electric vehicle manufacturer sees the big potential of the electric cargo hauler in Europe especially with adjustments of regulations going in its favor.

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NASA has revealed that the astronauts assigned to SpaceX’s Crew Dragon astronaut launch debut are training for a space station mission many times longer than initially planned.

Scheduled to deliver two NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS) no earlier than (NET) late-April or May 2020, Crew Dragon’s Demo-2 mission will be the first crewed launch in SpaceX’s 18-year history. As previously noted on Teslarati (and by NASA itself, briefly), Demo-2 will also mark the first time in history that a privately-built spacecraft attempts to launch humans into orbit.

Still, NASA has funded the development of Crew Dragon (and competitor Boeing’s Starliner) not to achieve firsts but to restore the United States’ ability to launch its own astronauts to the ISS. Along those lines, both Crew Dragon (Demo-2) and Starliner’s (CFT) astronaut test flights were nominally designed to last about a week or two before returning NASA’s astronauts to Earth – a full end-to-end test for both extraordinarily complex vehicles. Two weeks, however, is simply not long enough for those astronauts to practically serve as full members of space station crew, something the ISS generally requires. In response, NASA has been seriously considering extending Boeing’s crewed test flight and has just recently suggested that SpaceX’s own Demo-2 test flight will be similarly upgraded.

About a month ago, SpaceX and NASA talked openly about the possibility of a longer-duration Crew Dragon astronaut launch debut for the first time, potentially extending the amount of time those astronauts are able to spend at the space station from about one week up to 1.5-3 months. This would allow Crew Dragon’s Demo-2 NASA astronauts – Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley – to serve as full members of the ISS crew, expanding the US presence from one to three astronauts.

Ars Technica’s Eric Berger offered some additional details about what exactly NASA might task Behnken and Hurley with on an extended flight earlier this month. Most importantly, the space agency wants the former astronaut – a Space Shuttle and extra-vehicular activity (EVA) veteran – to be (re)trained for spacewalks, allowing him to support an ever-growing to-do list of critical space station repairs and upgrades.

In effect, extending Crew Dragon’s astronaut flight test will make it almost identical to an “operational” flight where Crew Dragon ferries astronauts to the space station, docks for about six months, and finally returns the same astronauts to Earth at the end of its mission. More importantly, though, NASA’s decision to extend Commercial Crew Program (CCP) test flights – kickstarted with Boeing’s beleaguered Starliner spacecraft – is motivated by a desire to prevent the United States’ presence on the space station from dwindling or even regressing to zero in the near future.

Triggered by years of SpaceX and Boeing delays, NASA will now likely have to purchase more seats on Russian Soyuz launches if it wishes to maintain an full, uninterrupted presence on ISS for the next 12-24 months. After suffering numerous deeply concerning software failures on its first and only orbital launch, Boeing’s Starliner is unlikely to be ready to launch crew anytime soon. At the same time, although SpaceX is closer to its astronaut launch debut than ever before, it’s highly unlikely that Crew Dragon can singlehandedly support a full ISS complement of three NASA astronauts while Starliner works out its issues.

As such, NASA is looking everywhere it can to squeeze a bit more on-orbit time out of existing astronaut missions scheduled in the next year or so, and both Starliner and Crew Dragon’s test flights – barring showstoppers – are excellent opportunities. With NASA Johnson Space Center’s confirmation that both Behnken and Hurley are already deep into the extra training needed for an extended flight, chances are good that both astronauts will be ready for a one- or several-month mission by the time that NASA and SpaceX are ready and willing to launch.

Check out Teslarati’s newsletters for prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket launch and recovery processes.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed that the Tesla Cybertruck will come with a payload and towing calculator that shows real-time data to help drivers understand how extra loads affect the pickup truck and the vehicle’s driving experience.

Musk confirmed the feature in a series of tweets that mentioned the Cybertruck’s laser blade lights and 82″ width. “Yes, will also show real-time changes to max acceleration, braking, cornering, speed on gradient & range, latter factoring in route elevation changes & cargo or tow mass & drag impact,” Musk wrote.

Knowing how the Cybertruck is performing, be it while towing cargo or not, having access to vital information in real-time will allow the driver to make necessary adjustments to ensure a safe and optimal driving experience. The real-time data will be crucial in helping the driver plan a tight turn, execute an overtake maneuver with a heavy payload, or plan for negotiating steep downgrade with cargo in tow. Any additional load on the Cybertruck, or on any vehicle for that matter, can impact how the vehicle responds to braking, turning, or even parking. Of course, another big consideration will be how the extra load will impact the Cybertruck’s range.

Yes, will also show real-time changes to max acceleration, braking, cornering, speed on gradient & range, latter factoring in route elevation changes & cargo or tow mass & drag impact

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 22, 2020

The Tesla Cybertruck definitely has the brute power to handle heavy payloads with its entry-level single motor variant capable of towing more than 7,500 pounds and its Tri-Motor All-Wheel Drive version boasting a towing capacity of more than 14,000 pounds. It also has the technologies that will allow it to handle the different dynamics when towing or carrying cargo.

Elon Musk, for example, suggested that Cybertruck’s active ride height and the suspension’s active damping capability can help make for a smoother ride that will also maximize efficiency especially in vehicles where the weight ratio is imbalanced. But dynamically sensing the differences in front and rear weight and making real-time adjustments to its weight distribution by changing ride height and suspension damping, Cybertruck will have maximum performance regardless of its use case. This, in turn, will ensure energy consumption is kept to a minimum thereby negating range impacts.

Active ride height & active damping are game-changing for a truck or any car with a high max/min weight ratio

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 21, 2020

Furthermore, Tesla will be able to train its neural net with suspension data gathered from its Cybertruck fleet to further improve the driving experience based on load and terrain for a given geography through over-the-air software updates.

While details still remain thin on how an actual payload and towing calculator will be integrated into the Cybertrucks interface, having real-time data with dynamic vehicle response to cargo will be an eye-opening game-changer for the pickup truck industry.

The towing calculator makes the Cybertruck even more interesting. Aside from allowing drivers to adjust their driving skills and help manage the extra demand to the vehicle when one is pulling or carrying a load,  it can be one factor that wins the pickup truck game for Tesla. No more tug of war needed.

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SpaceX officially has permission to perform a Falcon 9 booster recovery after its next launch for the US Air Force, now guaranteed to be the first time a rocket booster attempts to land during an operational launch for the US military.

Alongside their booster landing attempt confirmation, the USAF Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) also posted the first official SpaceX video of a rocket acceptance test released in almost 2.5 years, a test it says was completed just days after the GPS satellite it’s scheduled to launch arrived in Florida. The very same Falcon 9 booster was shown off in unprecedented detail just last month and now SMC says that SpaceX fired up the rocket at its McGregor, Texas development facilities for a routine static fire on February 13th. The company is currently scheduled to launch its second USAF GPS III satellite – Space Vehicle 03 (SV03) – no earlier than 7am EDT (11:00 UTC), April 29th, a target set just days ago.

With the spacecraft in Florida and factory-fresh Falcon 9 booster successfully proofed, all that remains is for SpaceX to test and deliver the mission’s Falcon upper stage and payload fairing (if it hasn’t already). After the booster – believed to be B1060 – is inspected and its tanks are cleaned, it can also be packaged and transported by road the rest of the way to SpaceX’s Florida launch facilities, setting the company up for the critical mission and historic landing attempt.

While SpaceX has technically already landed Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy boosters after its NROL-76 and STP-2 launches for the NRO and USAF, the company only officially began operational military launches once its Falcon 9 rocket was fully certified. STP-2, for example, was effectively high-stakes make-work designed to help the USAF fully certify SpaceX’s brand new Falcon Heavy rocket to launch expensive – verging on irreplaceable – military satellites.

Its first truly operational US military launch occurred in December 2018, when Falcon 9 booster B1054 was intentionally expended in support the USAF’s inaugural GPS III launch, successfully placing the first of 10 (or 32) planned upgraded navigation satellites into orbit. It’s believed that the USAF required such extreme safety margins (extra propellant and performance) that SpaceX couldn’t even attempt booster or fairing recovery. This made B1054 the first (and hopefully only) Falcon 9 Block 5 booster to launch without even the basic hardpoints needed to attach landing legs.

Effectively confirming that B1054’s demise was was a contrivance and by no means a technical necessity, the SMC announced on February 20th that SpaceX’s GPS III SV03 mission is officially “the first time a booster is planned to land on a drone ship during a NSS [National Security Space] launch.” Effectively identical to B1054 aside from the addition of grid fins and landing legs, this means that Falcon 9 booster B1060 will be able to attempt a landing aboard a SpaceX drone ship shortly after launch.

Just like GPS III SV01 satellite launched by SpaceX in December 2018 and the GPS III SV02 satellite launched United Launch Alliance (ULA) launched in August 2019, GPS III SV03 is a more than $500 million spacecraft designed to upgrade the US GPS navigation constellation. SpaceX has already won five (of five) competitively-awarded GPS III launch contracts thanks to its Falcon 9 rocket’s exceptionally competitive pricing, meaning that there is an excellent chance the company will win many more in the near future.

GPS III SV03 is one of 10 “Block IIIA” satellites to be launched between 2018 and 2026 and will be followed by another 22 “Block IIIF” satellites to be built by Lockheed Martin for ~$330M apiece. All 26 unassigned spacecraft will need launches of their own between now and the mid-2030s, worth anywhere from $1-2.5B to SpaceX if the company performs well on all five of its first contracts and continues to crush competitor ULA on launch costs.

With the USAF already demonstrably interested in supporting Falcon booster reusability and now open to SpaceX recovering Falcon 9 boosters after moderately-challenging GPS III launches, it’s safe to say that SpaceX’s ultra-competitive pricing is here to stay.

Check out Teslarati’s newsletters for prompt updates, on-the-ground perspectives, and unique glimpses of SpaceX’s rocket launch and recovery processes.

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Tesla Cybertruck’s width will be roughly 82 inches and the vehicle will come standard with upper “laser blade lights”, according to the most recent update provided by CEO Elon Musk.

Musk clarified via Twitter that the previously announced width of the upcoming all-electric truck might be too small. The Cybetruck officially measured 84 inches wide when it was unveiled in Los Angeles last November 2019, but he estimated a possible reconfiguration to around 80 inches wide to make the Cybertruck fit in typical garage setups.

The Tesla Cybertruck will also feature upper laser blade lights, the aesthetically futuristic bar of lights across the top of the truck’s windshield. While details about this feature are very limited, the laser blade lights are said to help provide the driver with better visibility, especially needed in challenging terrain or dark outback excursions. Additionally, the laser blade lights add a cool factor to the dystopian vehicle that has reportedly caught the interest of over 500,000 reservation holders since its debut.

Btw, in some prior tweets I’d said production Cybertruck would be ~80” wide (vs ~84” body width at unveil). This is slightly too small. Will be closer to 82”, but come standard with upper laser blade lights.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 21, 2020

Elon Musk was pretty generous with Tesla Cybertruck updates Friday night. When asked if the much-awaited pickup truck’s look will generally be the same, he said that “it’s slightly better.”

This latest Cybertruck news from Musk also shows how Tesla listens to the electric vehicle community just like when Musk confirmed that owners will be able to comfortably camp in the Cybertruck’s truck bed and that it would come with a flip stop for those hauling long cargo.

Unclear is how Tesla’s electric pickup might fit in a typical residential garage in the United States. In response to Teslarati’s story on how one Youtuber used a to-scale Cybertruck AR mobile app to discover that the truck’s dimensions were too big for a home garage, Musk responded with his thoughts on how Cybertruck’s length and width can be adjusted.

We can prob reduce width by an inch & maybe reduce length by 6+ inches without losing on utility or esthetics. Min height is below 75 inches when air suspension set to low. Will post exact number soon.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 7, 2019

Typical two-car garages in the United States measure around 20×20, 22×22, or 24×24 feet. While these measurements are fine for the usual sedans and SUVs like the Model S, Model X and Model 3, or crossovers such as the Model Y, things can get a bit tight for mid-size utility pickups like the Tesla Cybertruck that originally measured 231.7 inches long, 84 inches wide, and 75 inches high. The parking issue is not unique to the Cybertruck as owners of Ford F-150 Supercrew and Dodge RAM pickups have reported that their trucks are often too long to fit inside their garages. With the adjusted width, the Cybertruck will fit in the same external envelope as full-size SUVs just like how Elon Musk pictures it.

The Cybertruck’s Tri-Motor and Dual Motor versions are expected to hit the production line in 2021.

Tesla Cybertruck Dimensions

• Width: 82″ (2083 mm)
• Height: 75″ (1905 mm)
• Length: 225″ to 231″ (5715 mm to 5892 mm)
• Wheelbase: 149.9″ (3807 mm)

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