Once-deemed ‘Tesla Killer’ Mercedes EQC production target gets halved over battery issues


The Mercedes-Benz EQC, once deemed a “Tesla Killer” by the electric car maker’s critics, recently had its production targets reduced by 50% from 60,000 to 30,000 after parent company Daimler revealed that there is a shortage in LG Chem battery cells.

Daimler’s forecast for the EQC has not matched the actual sales figures for the vehicle. The goal was to sell 25,000 EQC cars last year but Daimler only managed to build around 7,000. In Daimler and Mercedes-Benz’s home country of Germany, vehicle registrations suggest that the car only sold 55 total units as of January 3, 2020.

Works Council Chief for Daimler Michael Brecht places some of the blame on Tesla. He states the company’s purchase of battery automation specialist Grohmann Engineering in 2016 has hindered Mercedes-Benz ability to produce a sufficient number of batteries, according to Reuters.

Brecht went on to state that Tesla’s acquisition of Grohmann caused problems in the ramping up process of producing batteries at its battery production plant known as Deutsche Accumotive.

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Mercedes-Benz had hired Grohmann to build batteries for the company’s planned electric fleet. After Grohmann’s founder, Klaus Grohmann and Tesla CEO Elon Musk had a disagreement on how much involvement the battery automation company would have with Mercedes Benz, Musk formally removed Grohmann from his position. The company is now known as Tesla Grohmann Automation.

The news of the EQC’s reduced target production output seems to be a crossroads for Daimler as the European Union will begin issuing fines to auto manufacturers who do not reach the CO2 requirement of 95g per kilometer by the end of this year. This is dependent on the size of each individual manufacturer’s production rate and vehicle fleet.

Daimler will need to reduce its emissions by 27.3 grams by 2021 to avoid the $1.1 billion fine, according to a forecasting group called PA Consulting.

The terms of the emissions requirement allowed for the pooling of multiple companies so larger manufacturers would have an easier time meeting the CO2 requirement. Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles struck a deal with Tesla to pool emissions figures that will require an estimated $2 billion payment to the electric car manufacturer. This amount will effectively pay for the initial construction of Tesla’s German Gigafactory 4 in Berlin.

The EQC has been anything but smooth sailing for Mercedes since its release. The vehicle has been the subject of numerous production issues and has even received a delay in its North American launch.

Once-deemed ‘Tesla Killer’ Mercedes EQC production target gets halved over battery issues

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Tesla Gigafactory 4 update: 187 pounds of Word War II ammunition found on site


The Interior Ministry of Brandenburg reported that roughly 187 pounds of ammunition have been recovered on almost 60 hectares of land in the Grunheide forest where Tesla will build the Gigafactory 4, the company’s first car factory in Europe and the second outside the United States.

Authorities estimate that there are 220 bomb craters on the build site where they might recover about 25 unexploded bombs from the World War II era, according to a report by WBOC.

While the construction of access roads to the Gigafactory 4 site continues, the area has been declared as restricted to local explorers. The Grunheide forest is now off-limits to non-personnel as a safety measure while work is going on and while the clearing team scans for unexploded WWII explosives.

The clearing operation started earlier this month when the team and authorities learned that there could be vintage bombs where Gigafactory 4 will rise.

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“It turned out (…) that contrary to original expectations, World War II ammunition is suspected on the site – specifically American aviation bombs,” said Environment  Minister Axel Vogel.

Tesla’s top priority is to first clear a 90-hectare parcel of the property that will be used for the initial stage of the build. The team wants to clear the area of vintage bombs, cut off trees, and move animals from the forest by Feb.27 because March is when the mating season of birds in the forest begins and when cutting of trees is prohibited.

Tesla plans to begin construction of the GF4 by mid-March and aim to start vehicle production by July 2021. The factory will create about 8,000 jobs for locals and nearby countries and will produce 150,000 vehicles during its initial phase.

Earlier this week, a Tesla spokesperson confirmed that the board of directors of the Palo Alto, California-based electric car manufacturer approved the purchase agreement for the 300-hectare property in Grunheide. The initial price for the expansive man-made forest was set at 40.91 million euros or roughly $45 million but the state government is still waiting for a report from an independent firm that will re-assess the value of the land. Tesla and the Brandenburg government have agreed to revise the price of the Gigafactory 4 lot if the second appraisal finds the first one too low. The initial deal puts the pricing of the industrial land at just 13.5 euros per square meter, or just about a third of nearby properties.

Aside from vintage bombs, Tesla is also dealing with local protesters who are concerned about the water consumption of the Tesla car factory and its effect on their water supply. The electric car manufacturer has set up an information center to deal with these concerns. There are also local Tesla supporters who try to convince the community about the benefits the Gigafactory 4 will bring to Grunheide and their families.

Tesla Gigafactory 4 update: 187 pounds of Word War II ammunition found on site

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Tesla stock (TSLA) holds gains despite ‹Sell› and downgrade combo from Wall St.


Swiss Investment Firm UBS Group AG analyst Patrick Hummel is insisting Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) shareholders sell their current holdings. This advice comes shortly after Hummel more than doubled his price target for the electric car maker. Yet, despite the analyst’s rather bearish take, TSLA stock has held its gains, trading as high as $582.00 per share after the opening bell on Thursday. 

UBS’s price target for Tesla stands at $410, a whopping 28% below its Wednesday closing price of $569.56. However, Hummel believes the positives that Tesla brings to the table are being “taken for granted,” even though the company’s price per share has more than doubled since October 1.

After Tesla shares fell just 1.2% in pre-market trading on Thursday due to a downgrade from Wall Street, the stock has nine buy ratings, eleven holds and seventeen sells. Bloomberg consensus believes the average price target for Tesla is around $370.

Tesla was recently recognized as the second most valuable automaker in the world, trailing behind only Japanese car manufacturer Toyota. Hummel does not seem to buy into Tesla’s long-term success as he notes risks in execution and the United States’ removal of some electric-car tax credits as reasons to unload the stock now. He believes these two factors will slow Tesla down substantially.

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Hummel did not talk all bad about Tesla, as he did recognize that the company’s towering value is due to its long-term opportunities in autonomous vehicles. As Tesla’s technology continues to revolutionize the future of fully-autonomous driving, Hummel agrees that the company should hold a higher value than incumbent original equipment manufacturers.

Apart from UBS, Tesla also received a downgrade from Exane BNP Paribas. The firm adjusted its rating on the company, moving TSLA to “Neutral” from its previous “Outperform” rating.

On the contrary, Tesla’s target price from other financial firms continues to rise. Earlier this week, New Street Research’s Pierre Ferragu increased his price target to $800 after his initial target of $530 that was set in May 2018 was reached earlier this week.

Ferragu states Tesla’s dominance in the electric vehicle sector combined with the dependability the company offers to its customers was enough to increase the price target. Ferragu also believes the price of the stock could rise to as much as $960 by early 2021.

Tesla’s surge on Wall Street has been nothing short of spectacular. But when analysts and traders take into account the company’s strong Q3 numbers along with a massive 112,000 vehicle deliveries in Q4, it is understandable that the Tesla stock continues to rise in a quick fashion.

While the company continues to show a strong performance in the markets, Tesla stock has surged 22% in 2020 alone. Tesla’s Q4 2019 earnings call is scheduled for Wednesday, January 29. If CEO Elon Musk and other executives report another strong quarter, Tesla stockholders could be in for another big surge.

Disclosure: I have no ownership in shares of TSLA and have no plans to initiate any positions within 72 hours.

Tesla stock (TSLA) holds gains despite ‹Sell› and downgrade combo from Wall St.

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Tesla destroys recent China FUD by releasing video of Gigafactory 3’s stamping press


It’s pretty difficult to believe it at this point, but there are still groups of Tesla critics who insist that Gigafactory 3 is not really fully operational. A central part of this thesis is the allegation that Gigafactory 3 does not have a stamping press, which means that Tesla’s China team is only assembling cars in the Shanghai-based factory using pre-stamped panels from Fremont. 

A recently released video from Tesla China has just decimated these allegations in a subtle but definitive manner. The clip was short, less than 30 seconds long, but it showed a busy stamping press operating in Gigafactory 3. The video was released in China, and shared on Twitter by Tesla enthusiast @JayinShanghai. 

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What is rather surprising is that this is not really the first time that Tesla released an image of Gigafactory 3’s stamping press. Among the press images released by the company last year featured a stamping facility producing a few Model 3 panels. This image was questioned by Tesla skeptics, several of whom claimed that the picture was from the Fremont factory, despite the areas surrounding the press being bare concrete, a notable sign that it’s situated in the China facility since the interior of GF3’s Phase 1 area was still under construction at the time. 

Tesla’s Gigafactory 3 and the company’s potential in China are starting to become painful truths for critics. Even a number of TSLA bulls from Wall Street, after all, have exhibited a tempered stance for Tesla’s growth in China. Yet, the open support from the Chinese government, coupled with the MIC Model 3’s reasonable starting price, may very well end up pushing more and more local customers to purchase the company’s all-electric vehicles. China is the world’s largest auto market, after all, so the room for Tesla to grow its reach is vast. 

The full operation of Gigafactory 3’s stamping and paint lines for the MIC Model 3 are imperative for the electric car maker, especially amidst the impending arrival of the Model Y crossover. CEO Elon Musk recently launched the Model Y program in China, which could signify that the release of the crossover in the country may not be too far off from its US release. If this is indeed the case, Gigafactory 3’s stamping press would have to work perfectly to ensure that the company meets the demand for the Model 3 and Model Y in the country. 

Tesla has started delivering the MIC Model 3 to local customers this month, exactly one year after Gigafactory 3’s groundbreaking ceremony. A teaser of how much China could help Tesla’s finances could be released this coming January 29 as well, when the electric car maker holds its Q4 2019 earnings call.

Tesla destroys recent China FUD by releasing video of Gigafactory 3’s stamping press

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Tesla Cybertruck clone takes on heavy Siberian snow in off road tests


Tesla’s unique Cybertruck design has gained the attention of the automotive world, including a Russian mechanic who fabricated a near-identical Cybertruck prototype for deep winter testing in Siberia.

YouTube channel Кик Обзор (translated to Kik Review) fabricated a Cybertruck in its production garage, creating quite possibly the most realistic clone of Tesla’s futuristic truck to date. The engineers and builders at Kik Review built the Cybertruck by using the exact dimensions and specifications that Tesla has listed for its first pickup.

After putting the final touches on the Cybertruck clone, the team at GARAG54 loaded it onto a hauler and transported it to a local snow-covered field. The Cybertruck managed to drive through the accumulation with little issue, and nothing significant enough to stop the test.

The Cybertruck clone was then taken into the nearby town of Novosibirsk near the Trans-Siberian Railway in Southern Russia and gained the attention of pedestrians and fellow drivers. The truck was the center of attention, being recorded on video and being snapped for photos on people’s cell phones, evidently because of its unique design and polarizing build.

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“We have arrived in almost the center of the city, and people walk by, the reactions of the kids, it is very cool,” the channel’s host says. “It attracts attention to itself very much, its cool because the shape is unusual and men and women take out their phone to snap pictures.”

GARAG54 and Kik Review plan to keep the Cybertruck copy for themselves and have no plans to disassemble the vehicle.

The Cybertruck became a pop culture icon after its unveiling event last year. The vehicle became the focus of memes and music videos, and celebrities and public figures showed their support for the one-of-a-kind truck. Most interestingly, many people have attempted to build replicas of the Cybertruck, but this one from GARAG54 may be the best one to date.

Tesla will begin producing both the $49,990 Dual-Motor and $69,990 Tri-Motor variants of the truck in late 2021. The $39,990 Single Motor trim will be available the following year in 2022. All of the variants will come standard with Autopilot and an Adaptive Air Suspension feature, a necessary feature according to Elon Musk after he watched a Ford pickup become inoperable following an attempt to carry a 3,000-lb payload.

You can watch the video of Kik Review and GARAG54’s Cybertruck clone below.

Tesla Cybertruck clone takes on heavy Siberian snow in off road tests

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NASA is sending a helicopter to Mars on its upcoming Rover mission


NASA is sending a helicopter to Mars. That’s right, the Mars Helicopter, is a small, autonomous rotorcraft, that will travel with the agency’s Mars 2020 rover and scheduled to launch in July 2020.

The helicopter is designed to demonstrate whether or not this type of technology is capable of being used off-world. (A similar type of craft is scheduled to explore Titan, Saturn’s largest moon in the coming decade.)

“NASA has a proud history of firsts,” NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a news release. “The idea of a helicopter flying the skies of another planet is thrilling. The Mars Helicopter holds much promise for our future science, discovery, and exploration missions to Mars.”

What started as a development project, the Mars Helicopter quickly proved it was a shining example of how big things come in small packages.

Weighing in at just under 4 pounds (1.8 kilograms), the craft’s fuselage is about the same size as a softball and its dual blades will slice through the tenuous Martian atmosphere, rotating at nearly 3,000 rpm. (For comparison, that’s 10 times the rate of a helicopter on Earth.)

“Exploring the Red Planet with NASA’s Mars Helicopter exemplifies a successful marriage of science and technology innovation and is a unique opportunity to advance Mars exploration for the future,” Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate said in a news statement. “After the Wright Brothers proved 117 years ago that powered, sustained, and controlled flight was possible here on Earth, another group of American pioneers may prove the same can be done on another world.”

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The helicopter is equipped with solar cells to charge its onboard lithium-ion batteries, as well as a heating mechanism to keep it warm during the frigid Martian nights. But before it can buzz around Mars, it has to get there.

The craft will hitch a ride to the red planet thanks to NASA’s upcoming Mars 2020 rover. It will launch attached to the rover’s belly.

Soon after the rover lands on the planet’s surface, it will deploy the helicopter. The rover then drive a short distance away so the craft can take flight.

“The altitude record for a helicopter flying here on Earth is about 40,000 feet. The atmosphere of Mars is only one percent that of Earth, so when our helicopter is on the Martian surface, it’s already at the Earth equivalent of 100,000 feet up,” Mimi Aung, Mars Helicopter project manager at JPL, said in a news release. “To make it fly at that low atmospheric density, we had to scrutinize everything, make it as light as possible while being as strong and as powerful as it can possibly be.”

Animation of Mars helicopter and Mars 2020 rover.
Credits: NASA/JPL-CalTech

The Mars helicopter will carry out a 30-day flight test campaign, where it will complete as many as five flights, each a little further away than the last. For its first flight, the helicopter will climb to 10 feet (3 meters), hovering for about 30 seconds.

“The ability to see clearly what lies beyond the next hill is crucial for future explorers,” said Zurbuchen. “We already have great views of Mars from the surface as well as from orbit. With the added dimension of a bird’s-eye view from a ‘marscopter,’ we can only imagine what future missions will achieve.”

NASA is sending a helicopter to Mars on its upcoming Rover mission

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Tesla Cybertruck LEGO kit one step closer to hitting stores as it qualifies for official review


While Tesla’s Cybertruck isn’t slated for production until 2021, an official LEGO Cybertruck kit may hit store shelves a little sooner.

LEGO is reviewing a fan-made brick-built Cybertruck submitted through its LEGO Ideas program. The idea has quickly gained traction since it was submitted in December last year, quickly rounding up 10,000 followers to qualify for a review from LEGO’s experts.

If the LEGO Cybertruck is approved, the toymaker’s designers will take over to finalize the kit’s design. It then gets sent to production before it gets shipped to stores.

LEGO Cybertruck pushes past 10,000

The LEGO Cybertruck is the brainchild of a long-time electric vehicle fan who goes by the Twitter handle BrickinNick. He says that while the Cyberpunk design of Tesla’s upcoming pickup truck isn’t for everyone, it has many features that lend itself well to a LEGO build.

“As of yet, EVs have only been marginally represented in the LEGO set catalog,” BrickinNick says. “The striking yet fun design of this LEGO Cybertruck would be an amazing way to get kids and adults alike excited about EVs and all the good they can do for our environment.”

LEGO Cybertruck with fully functioning features

BrickinNick’s submission has a front trunk and tailgate function but hopes to integrate several other features, including opening doors, a fold or slide-out ramp, opening charging ports, a full interior, steering, and suspension. He also plans to include a two-seater Tesla ATV as an accessory.

In his latest update, BrickinNick included a display stand featuring Elon Musk and Cybertruck designer Franz von Holzhausen, with the latter holding a sledgehammer and a steel ball to poke fun at the mishap during the Cybertruck unveiling in November.

The display also comes with a mini Cybertruck. For fans who can’t wait for LEGO to come out with an official LEGO Cybertruck kit, you can check out BrickinNick’s tutorial on how to build a mini Cybertruck below.

Other Tesla-inspired LEGO creations

LEGO launched its Ideas program to encourage fans to submit their own brick-built creations. If their ideas are approved, creators are expected to gather support for their designs.

Once a design reaches 10,000 supporters, LEGO will officially put it through a round of expert reviews. The toymaker does not disclose its review process and criteria. However, if a design passes the review phase, it is handed over to the company’s designers, who will finalize the kit before it hits the production floor.

Other Tesla fans have submitted their designs to the Ideas program, although none aside from BrickinNick’s project has gathered 10,000 supporters.

As of writing, A Tesla Model 3 kit with an opening charging port and its own Supercharger has 278 days to reach the 10,000-supporter mark. It currently has 1,015 supporters. A SpaceX Falcon 9 kit was also submitted in 2017 but was unfortunately unable to gather enough supporters to qualify for review.

Tesla Cybertruck LEGO kit one step closer to hitting stores as it qualifies for official review

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Tesla finds fountain of youth as Model 3 ‘ages’ with 124 OTA software updates


Tesla’s over-the-air (OTA) software updates take the spotlight on a new video created by Tesla owners who are constantly amazed at how the Palo Alto, California-based car manufacturer enhances their electric vehicles. With OTA updates, Tesla can easily fix bugs or roll out features that practically makes its cars so much better as they age.

Tesla Model 3 owner and YouTuber Tesla Raj created a video with the help of other Tesla-focused YouTubers about the 124 OTA enhancements for the Model 3 since its release in 2017. The information was based on the Tesla Model 3 change logs compiled by tech enthusiast and Tesla fan Rocco Speranza.

“So, we are a two-car household. You obviously know my Tesla Model 3 but this is my wife’s 2016 Toyota RAV4 hybrid and the interesting thing is we bought this vehicle three years ago and it’s exactly the same that it was then as it is now,” Tesla Raj said.

“In retrospect, this is my Tesla Model 3 where in the last year and a half, it has gotten so many over-the-air enhancements, adding new features and abilities to it that it’s mind-blowing,” he added.

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Tesla regularly pushes OTA software updates to the Model 3, Model S, and Model X to fix software bugs, add new features, or enhance existing ones. The firmware updates can improve the car’s performance via a power boost, add safety features, or just make the car more fun for its driver and occupants. Speranza’s compilation of Model 3 change logs shows that Tesla updates its cars’ software every 7.3 days on average.

This ability to update the vehicle over WiFi sets Elon Musk’s car brand from the rest of the automotive industry. Ford is diving in and will start with OTA updates starting this year while most vehicles in GM’s lineup will have this feature by 2023.  Such Tesla advantage pushes automotive giants and legacy automakers such as Volkswagen to rally their team to act fast or risk falling behind beyond recovery.

OTA updates make consumers feel that their old vehicles are new because they are able to enjoy the latest features rolled out to newly-produced units as well. Tesla has been doing it since the beginning when consumers still dealt with range anxiety. It also changing how car companies can deal with a recall just like what it did when Consumers Report was so amazed how Tesla fixed a braking issue with its Model 3 via OTA.

Elon Musk explained Tesla’s advantage during the Tesla Autonomy Investor Day last April when he said, “The fundamental message that consumers should be taking today is that it’s financially insane to buy anything other than a Tesla. It would be like owning a horse in three years.”

Tesla’s electric cars, their connectivity, autonomous driving capability, and dream of having Tesla robotaxis reshaped and continues to drive changes in the car industry.

In September, Tesla owners received an update that includes the Smart Summon feature that is an improved version of the original Summon, plus some more. The update added a geographical location option that adds more convenience for users. Additionally, the Tesla holiday update gave Tesla vehicles better inner-city Driving visualization, voice commands, Camp Mode, among others.

Aside from free OTA updates, Tesla has also started exploring firmware updates that can be purchased through its mobile app. The carmaker introduced the Acceleration Boost upgrade for $2,000 that improved the Model 3 Dual Motor’s 0-60 mph time from 4.4 seconds to 3.9 seconds.

Elon Musk also has the habit of interacting with the Tesla community via Twitter where vehicle owners suggesting car features that they need such as using the cameras of the vehicle to negotiate tight parking spots, a feature to avoid dooring, or requesting for popular apps such as Disney+.

Consumers can only expect Tesla to continue pushing OTA updates in the future so its electric vehicles will perform better, be safer, and be more fun to drive.

Here’s the video by Tesla Raj in collaboration with notable members of the Tesla YouTube community on the 124 OTA enhancements:

Tesla finds fountain of youth as Model 3 ‘ages’ with 124 OTA software updates

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Tesla “hacker” debunks sudden unintended acceleration claims


A well-known Tesla hacker has released his thoughts about the recent claims of “Sudden Unintended Acceleration,” claiming that the company’s vehicles are not capable of gaining speed on their own.

Self-proclaimed “Tesla Tinkerer” Jason Hughes has been vocal about the company’s hardware issues in the past. Hughes has managed to make something of a career of recognizing flaws in Tesla vehicles and addressing ways to fix them. However, Hughes is not a believer in the new claims that Teslas will subject some owners to unexpected acceleration and has now publically dispelled them.

Hughes took to his Twitter account to address the rumors and claims they are simply an attempt to blame Tesla for mistakes the driver may have made, or an attempt to gain attention through the internet and gain traffic to a website. Hughes stated, “Seriously, Teslas do NOT have a sudden unintended acceleration issue. The engineering here is spot on. They have people not wanting to accept responsibility for their screw ups, plus clickbait.”

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While Hughes states that he does not hold any TSLA stock, he is a supporter of the company. In the past, Hughes recognized issues with the MCUv1 hardware and brought them to light for Tesla owners to ponder. While he claims to have issues with some of the things Tesla has done with their vehicles, he fails to believe the company has issues with something that is as simple as a gas pedal.

In a post addressing the issues on the Tesla Motors Club forum, Hughes said, “Tesla’s accelerator pedal is actually the exact same drive-by-wire pedal used in several other manufacturer’s vehicles. It’s a highly proven technology over decades. Nothing special at this point. No Tesla secret sauce here. Just two hall effect sensors with slightly different curves for redundancy and position validation. If they don’t agree, the car doesn’t move.”

Hughes believes that any issues with sudden acceleration may be the fault of the driver. “I’ve almost made a pedal misapplication mistake several times in the past with multiple different vehicles… fortunately not in any catastrophic situation. We’re not infallible creatures. You get in a zone of habit, feel like you know what’s going on, and when something unexpected happens you’ll swear you were doing everything normally the way you’ve done it 10000 times before, when in reality you just screwed up. It happens,” he added on the TMC forum under his username wk057.

Tesla released an official statement on the Sudden Acceleration claims on Monday, January 20, and claimed they were completely false. Tesla has worked closely with the NHTSA to resolve any issues that come forward with its cars and all research and data have shown that the company’s vehicles accelerate in a proper fashion.

Hughes’ belief that Tesla’s vehicles are not capable of sudden acceleration is more credible than most claims. Hughes has spent years breaking down and finding issues with Teslas, but he simply finds no proof in the claim that the vehicles are randomly accelerating. “But in this case, Tesla did their homework on the hardware and software side very well to make sure this would never be an issue. Kudos where due,” he said.

Tesla “hacker” debunks sudden unintended acceleration claims

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First look at Tesla’s newest Wall Connector: Sleek, lightweight, and powerful


The first units of Tesla’s third-generation Wall Connector have been shipped, and customers are excited to give us a detailed first look at the latest iteration of the new home charger.

In a new unboxing video by Tesla Owners Online, the Tesla enthusiast reveals a gorgeous wall charger fronted by a sleek tempered glass faceplate.

The box is already much smaller than that of the previous charger, which is around twice as big. The charger itself is slimmer and more compact than its predecessor, a change that allows for more versatile indoor charging. The cable is also shorter and thinner, measuring 18 feet long with a diameter that’s around half as thick as the old one.

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The box comes with a mounting template, which helps customers know where to drill on the wall. While the old unit has a separate metal plate where the charger is mounted, the new charger has a detachable back piece that is mounted on the wall where the charger is placed. Tesla requires a qualified electrician to install the charger.

“It is absolutely gorgeous. It’s beautiful,” says Tesla Owners Online. “It sells for $500, which I think is a really good deal. Actually, it’s a fantastic deal. As far as EVSEs, electric supply vehicle equipment, is concerned, buying anything else from another manufacturer […] it’s still cheaper than the competition.”

YouTube creator Super Tesla has the same great first impression. His new charger took two to three hours to get installed. Once it’s on, the green light on the faceplate moves to indicate that it’s charging.

Tesla promises a full charge overnight. For Super Tesla, he was able to charge his Model 3 up to 90 percent in two hours and 25 minutes. This gives him a range of 44 miles per hour of charge, which is up to par with what Tesla promises. It now takes only one hour to power up his daily commute.

“I had to have my laundry room door open while charging and I was only getting 22 to 23 miles per hour of range,” says Super Tesla.” So now my daily commute I can pretty much charge up in one hour, which is awesome.”

Tesla unveiled its new home charger earlier this month. It comes with Wi-Fi connectivity to allow for over-the-air software and firmware updates. It is also compatible with a variety of electrical systems and can be customized to work with a range of circuit breakers. The new Wall Connector syncs with mobile to allow users to monitor charging and receive notifications on their phones.

Tesla’s third-generation Wall Connector home charger is available for $500.

First look at Tesla’s newest Wall Connector: Sleek, lightweight, and powerful

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