Tesla Ex-Employee Snapped Up By FBI

In a story more in line with a primetime TV drama (or high school drama), a former Tesla employee has been charged with spreading unfavorable (and confidential) company information. This information includes employee reviews and customer complaints. The employee in question, Nima Kalbasi, is presumed to have hacked into his former manager’s email to access this material, which was then posted online, along with his own “false and misleading” commentary, according to the FBI.

Given the information has been taken down, it’s not clear how juicy the material was, but I’m willing to guess it would have made headlines further had it been anything worthwhile. Whether or not it is worth the six years in prison that Kalbasi is facing, we may never know. The 28-year old mechanical engineer is charged with two counts of felony computer intrusion and one count of misdemeanor computer intrusion. He appeared in court in San Jose, California, on August 27th, two days after being arrested on his way back to the U.S. from Canada.

Both sides are keeping quiet on the matter for now. This incident is not the first of its kind for Tesla, whose website and Twitter account were taken over earlier this year by hackers. For more on that, see: “When A Hack Is Not A Hack (Yep, We’re Talking Tesla).”

Some members of the Tesla Motors Club forum have a hunch as to a forum member who might be Nima Kalbasi. A poster by the username “Eds” had been saying that he had inside information that the soon-to-launch Tesla Model X had supply problems that would significantly delay its production (again) and that initial Model X SUVs shipped to customers would have issues. Tesla has indicated in a recent conference call that supplier issues may mean Tesla can’t produce as many of the SUVs as initially intended, but I think it’s safe to say that very few people would believe Elon Musk would ship a product to customers that had known issues — his perfectionism is actually considered to be something he could ease up on.

This may be as much as we ever learn about this story, but if we learn more, we’ll be sure to drop a note here.

First Model X SUV will be handed over to customer on Sept. 29, Tesla CEO says

Tesla to take Model 3 preorders in March 2016

Tesla Motors Inc. Chief Executive Elon Musk took to Twitter on Wednesday to give a firmer deadline and price for the company’s Model 3, the mass-market car that many expect is the electric-car manufacturer’s make-it-or-break-it offering.
Tesla TSLA, +3.80%  will be ready to take Model 3 preorders in March 2016, and the car will cost $35,000, Musk said:

In a tweet shortly before those about the Model 3, Musk also appeared to be responding to some criticism about the $132,000 price tag for a fully loaded Model X, the SUV that Tesla will start selling later this month.

Some of the first customers to preorder the Model X started configuring their SUVs this week, and a few posted screenshots of their invitation-only web pages providing more details about the car.
Musk also gave some new information about the Model X, revealing that the first customers will receive their all-electric SUVs — the second model fully designed and built by the company after the Model S — on Sept. 29 at the company’s Fremont, Calif., factory.

Tesla Roadster 3.0 Battery Info Emailed To Owners

One of the things Tesla has long said it would do is offer a Roadster upgrade as a thanks to the super-early adopters who helped Tesla get off the ground. That’s supposed to include a longer-range battery, improved aerodynamics, and better tires.

I don’t think anyone sane can blame Tesla for taking a while to get to this, considering the mammoth undertakings it is attempting (trying to get the gull-wing Model X into production; preparing for the Model 3; building a battery Gigafactory; introducing and developing Tesla Energy; and building out a massive global network of Superchargers, stores, and service centers), but I’m sure a number of Roadster owners have been eager for the details and offer.

In an email sent yesterday to Roadster owners, the battery part of that equation is now worked out. The upgraded battery pack on offer has 40% more capacity than the original battery pack, and will increase range ~35% once you take the extra weight into account. It will cost $29,000 (including labor) with Tesla not taking any profit on it and building the battery pack by hand.

“Owners need to place a $5,000 deposit for the company to start building the battery pack and plan the upgrade. On the Tesla Motors Club forum, a few owners have already confirmed having placed their deposit,” electrek’s Fred Lambert writes.

“Tesla sold roughly 2,400 Roadsters during its original run between 2008 and 2012. It will be interesting to see how many owners will choose to upgrade the battery pack, but apparently the company is not expecting a lot of takers with a planned production of only ‘2 or 3 per week’. At this rate, it would take 3 years just to replace 20% of the battery packs.”

We’ll see what’s next for these initial Tesla buyers (and those who acquired Roadsters used).

BMW Mulls Large All-Electric SUV To Counter Tesla Model X: Report

2015 BMW i3 REx - Driven, Portland OR, April 2015

Battery-electric vehicles with ranges of 150 to 200 miles and prices under $50,000 are now on the horizon from Chevrolet, Nissan, and Tesla, but details of BMW's entry into that segment are less visible.

On the higher end, we know that German luxury makers Audi and Mercedes-Benz plan pricey all-electric sedans and SUVs with ranges of 250-plus miles. They'll compete with the current Tesla Model S sedan and upcoming Model X utility vehicle.

Will BMW--which has by far the most aggressive and advanced plug-in vehicle program of any German maker--enter that segment as well?

A report in the German newspaper Wirtschaftswoche (via BMW Blog) indicates that the BMW board is now assessing proposals for an all-electric SUV that would be derived from its upcoming BMW X7.

That full-size SUV, powered by gasoline or diesel engines--and likely a plug-in hybrid version as well--will go into production in Spartanburg, South Carolina, for the 2018 model year.

The all-electric SUV proposed by BMW could be derived from the X7, built in South Carolina, and offer a direct competitor to the Tesla Model X.

Tesla Model X prototype on Arizona road, July 2015 [by YouTube user count783]

It would also compete directly with the Audi Q6 all-electric crossover utility vehicle, which will be shown in concept form at September's Frankfurt Motor Show and is expected to go on sale for 2018 as well.

According to Wirtschaftswoche, BMW's new CEO, Harald Kruger, is waiting to assess the public reaction to the Tesla Model X before proposing a final decision on the idea to his board.

Tesla Motors says that more than 20,000 potential buyers have now put down deposits on the Model X. First deliveries are expected before the end of this year.

It's worth noting that the idea of a large luxury electric SUV would be a different and distinct project from the next vehicle expected in the BMW "i" lineup.

Purported Audi Q6 electric crossover teaser image

That car, thought to be called the BMW i5, is expected to be a five-seat battery-electric compact crossover, roughly the size of the BMW X3 SUV, with a range of 150 to 200 miles.

It was scheduled to arrive about four years after the launch of the BMW i3, meaning it would arrive sometime in 2017.

That would make it BMW's entry in the smaller segment of 150- to 200-mile electric cars, which seem likely to be led by the Chevrolet Bolt EV in late 2016.

The larger luxury electric entries are expected to have ranges of 250 or more miles, to face off against the current Tesla offerings.

Spy Video Reveals The Interior Of The Tesla Model X

Over the past few months, more pictures and videos of the highly-anticipated Tesla Model X have been making their way onto the Internet. So far, there haven’t been any real “gotcha” reveals from these spy shots, save for some testing of the Autopilot system, the potential towing capacity, and a shape very similar to the original concept.

Thanks to this latest video though, we have the first shots of the interior of a Tesla Model X. It may not be the best spy video ever, but what little we can see of the inside of this Model X test mule…looks a lot like the Tesla Model S, to be honest. That isn’t really surprising, given that the Model S and Model X are based on the same vehicle structure. From the looks of it, the same 17-inch center display console remains in the Model X, as does the hooded gauge cluster.

Beyond the falcon-wing doors and the promise of a third row though, we don’t know all that much about what Elon Musk has planned for the interior of the Model X. He may keep things simple and just expand on the well-received Model S. However, he also mentioned making the Model X more female-friendly.

I don’t know what that means to a man like Musk, but from the looks of it, Model X owners should be in for a familiar interior, though I expect some changes or improvements to be worked in. This is Tesla, after all.

Source: Gas2

Tesla Model S P85D Demand “Off The Charts”

The idea behind a halo car is to create a vehicle that gets people talking, and the 691 horsepower Tesla Model S P85D did just that. In an interview with GQ Magazine, Elon Musk says that demand for the top-of-the-line Model S is “off the charts,” but knocking off those last few 10ths of a second was hard, but necessary to change the perception of EVs.

According to Musk’s estimates, about 70% of the orders for the new Model S include the new Dual Motor Drive unveiled in October, and many of them are for the top-end, P85D version that will rocket from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.2 seconds. That makes it the quickest four-door sedan in the world, and has served to stimulate Model S sales in the face of yet-another-delay for the Model X SUV. Even at $120,000, the Model S P85D represents an incredible performance bargain, and the electric automaker now has a car that can draw the interest of both electric car fans and those seeking insane levels of acceleration.

In the interview, Musk also discussed the reason behind open-sourcing Tesla’s patents, and reaffirming that the cheaper Model III will be 20% smaller than the Model S, and about half the price. Musk also let it slip that the battery pack will be about 20% smaller as well, which will help reduce costs but makes it more difficult to reach the promised 200 miles of driving range. Musk also rehashed his desire to force the rest of the auto industry to start making long-range electric cars, and say its “mind blowing” that Tesla is still the only automaker offering an EV with over 250 miles of range.

But that will soon change as numerous competitors are lining up to challenge the Tesla Model S. Audi confirmed it was working on an electric sedan with over 280 miles of driving range, and GM is rumored to be at work on a 200-mile Chevy Sonic EV of its own. Even Ford is saying it could build a Tesla for the masses, and they just might.

But it wouldn’t have happened were it not for Elon Musk.

Tesla Aims to Sell 500,000 EVs by 2020

In a recent interview with Germany’s Manager Magazin Online, Tesla Motors’ Chief Designer Jerome Guillen made the comment that the company is aiming to build and sell at least 500,000 EVs a year by the year 2020.

Said sales will of course depend upon the success of the Gigafactory and the company’s “affordable” 4th production model – and, for that matter, perhaps the Model X SUV as well.

Amongst the other interesting comments made by Guillen in the interview, is the fact that there will never be any hybrids or gasoline-using vehicles produced by the company (not really a surprise – “No Compromises,” as Guillen put it); that of all of Tesla’s competitors in the industry, Guillen is probably most impressed by BMW’s i line of vehicles — the i3 and i8, specifically; and that he would love for Tesla to have more (and stronger) competition – as Elon Musk’s whole goal in creating the company was to spur the transition to a “sustainable transportation concept.”

Humorously, Guillen offered “No comment” when asked about his former employer, Daimler, selling off its shares of Tesla. “Please understand that I am- and on that subject, (I) can not comment,” as he put it.

Not that you need to this interview to get excited about Tesla’s immediate future – the Gigafactory and the Model X SUV can certainly do that for you themselves – but it does seem a good reminder of how interesting the next year or two looks to be for the company. Keep an eye on the stock.

Tesla Model III Design Could Include SUV And Wagon Versions

The Tesla Model III is being designed with a broad audience in mind, Tesla’s vice president of engineering told AutoExpress in a recent interview. This could lead to a wider variety of available models that could include a SUV and station wagon (estate) versions as well.

Elon Musk has time and again set his sights on BMW 3 series as the benchmark for the Model III (formerly called the Model E), promising a $35,000 price point and 200 miles of driving range per charge. But in order to really compete with the class-leading Bimmer, the Model III will have to come in more than just sedan flavors; one of the easier and more obvious choices would be a two-door coupe model, and British-born Tesla’s VP of engineering Chris Porritt says that the door is wide open to any of a number of ideas to broaden the appeal of the Model III. Tesla is doing something similar with the Model X SUV, which shares the same chassis as the Model S sedan, but a station wagonhas only been imagined by concept artists so far.

Porritt went on to emphasize that the two most important things to Tesla right now are volume and cost; achieving a comparable price with its primary competition is the only way Tesla can hope to really compete with the likes of BMW, Audi, and other luxury automakers. The Model S makes a compelling case against similarly-priced luxury cars, but the market for $70,000 luxury barges is a lot smaller than the market for entry-level luxury cars like the BMW 3 series. While Tesla’s $32 billion valuation sounds formidable, consider that BMW is worth more than twice as much and has many of the existing manufacturing and supply systems in place that Tesla needs if it ever wants to rival the embedded auto industry.

Elon Musk hopes the Gigafactory will bring costs down far enough to make the Model III as affordable as he keeps claiming, but some analysts have their doubt that Tesla can bring battery costs down far enough. This likely means the Model III will be made from steel instead of aluminum like the Model S, and neat features like the pop-out door handles might not make the transition either.

With a wider range of models though, Tesla’s appeal will grow exponentially. Coupe, SUV, crossover, wagon…what flavor of Model III would get your money?

Image: Theophilus Chin