If you want to be a beta tester of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system, you’re going to need to be a good driver.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that owners will soon be able to request access via a button in the car. This will give Tesla permission to evaluate owners’ driving for seven days before they’re included in the beta testing group.

Musk also tweeted that that Version 10.1 of the FSD Beta is estimated to arrive on September 24th. The beta request button will be included in the update.

The V10 update was well-received, with some reviewers showing their cars navigating through areas that it was previously unable to complete without driver intervention. Musk has said the next version will be another noticeable step in performance for the system. 

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The Environmental Protection Agency has given the upcoming Lucid Air Dream Edition a preliminary range rating of 520 miles, the first electric vehicle to cross the 500-mile mark.

Performance has been a big promise of the Lucid vehicles as it aims to be a meaningful challenger to Tesla’s flagship vehicles. Lucid’s range rating is 100 miles more than the Tesla Model S Long Range.

“I’m delighted that our Lucid Air Dream Edition Range has been officially accredited with a range of 520 miles by the EPA, a number I believe to be a new record for any EV. Crucially, this landmark has been achieved by Lucid’s world-leading in-house EV technology, not by simply installing an oversize battery pack,” CEO and CTO Peter Rawlinson said in a release. “Our race-proven 900V battery and BMS technology, our miniaturized drive units, coupled with our Wunderbox technology endow Lucid Air with ultra-high efficiency, enabling it to travel more miles from less battery energy. The next generation EV has truly arrived!”

The company noted in a release that multiple Lucid Air models have received their official EPA range ratings, including the Dream Edition Performance and Grand Touring versions on both 19” and 21” wheels. That positions Lucid Air models in the top six spots for overall EPA range ratings among all EVs as well as the highest MPGe ratings in the Large vehicle class.

The first Lucid vehicles are expected to be delivered by the end of the year.

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SpaceX achieved Wednesday a significant milestone in the history of spaceflight, sending a crew of citizen astronauts into orbit.

Aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragan capsule, the Inspiration4 astronauts were propelled by a Falcon 9 rocket into the sky at 8:03 p.m. above Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The flight marked the highest altitude a private citizen has traveled. In fact, the mission increased the number of private citizens reaching Earth’s orbit from 8 to 12.

The Falcon 9 used for the mission was flown twice before. The rocket performed flawlessly, sending Crew Dragon into orbit, then returning to Earth for a perfect landing on SpaceX’s drone ship Just Read The Instructions.

The mission was spearheaded by billionaire software entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who purchased the seats on Crew Dragon to raise awareness and funding for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The fee for the flight was not disclosed.

The citizen astronauts selected for Inspiration4 are Haley Arceneaux, who was treated at St. Jude and now works at the hospital; Isaacman; geologist Sian Proctor; and Chris Sembroski, an Air Force veteran who served in Iraq.

The astronauts on board will be treated to spectacular views, due to the installation of the largest window ever built into a spacecraft. The Crew is expected to conduct experiments and livestream discussions while in space. 

A return to earth is expected on Saturday.

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SpaceX is set for a historic launch Wednesday night for the first all-private orbital flight aboard the company’s Crew Dragon.

The mission is a collaboration between SpaceX and billionaire software entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who purchased the seats on Crew Dragon to raise awareness and funding for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The fee for the flight was not disclosed.

The citizen astronauts selected for Inspiration4 are Haley Arceneaux, who was treated at St. Jude and now works at the hospital; Isaacman; geologist Sian Proctor; and Chris Sembroski, an Air Force veteran who served in Iraq.

The crew will spend nearly three days in orbit, conducting experiments and appearing on livestream events. The crew is expected to return to Earth around 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 18th.

Inspiration4 will take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The five-hour launch window is scheduled to open at 8:03 p.m. ET.

Check out the livestream below.

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SpaceX delivered late Monday another 51 of its Starlink satellites into orbit.

The mission took off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 8:55 p.m. PT. The Falcon 9 rocket used in the mission made its tenth flight. SpaceX successfully recovered the rocket on one of its drone ships.

SpaceX now counts some 1,800 Starlink satellites as part of its constellation beaming broadband internet back to earth. The company said last month that 100,000 terminals have been shipped to early customers, while it has received orders for around 500,000 units.

Monday’s mission was the first launch for the Starlink program to take place on the west coast. The company hopes to expand the network to new regions, including Northern Canada and parts of Northern Europe. Eventually, the company hopes to grow the constellation to around 30,000 satellites to cover the entire world.

Watch SpaceX’s broadcast of the launch below.

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Tesla’s solar panel subscription service has been removed from its website.

Telsa launched the service in 2019, enabling customers to pay a monthly fee to use the company’s solar panels to power their homes.

Tesla offered three rental systems:

• 3.8 kW for $65 per month
• 7.6 kW for $130 per month
• 11.4 kW for $195 per month

Offering a flat rate helped take away the financial risk of installing an expensive solar system.

Tesla said at the time of launch that the 3.8 kW system saved homeowners $250–650 per year after paying the monthly rental fee. The 7.6 kW system was estimated to save $500 to $1,300 and the 11.4 kW system was estimated to save $750 to $1,950 per year.

Tesla currently offers commercial solar subscriptions in California.

It’s not clear why Tesla has removed the residential subscription option. The company’s solar business is experiencing meaningful growth.

According to the company’s Q2 2021 update, solar deployments more than tripled year-over-year.

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Tesla has rolled out FSD Beta 10 to testers, which have been offering their reviews of the advanced self-driving system.

The latest version of FSD was delivered with software update 2020.24.15. Early reviews were positive, saying that the self-driving system is noticeably smoother than the previous version.

FSD Beta Tester AI Addict posted a video to YouTube of his Model 3 having no trouble navigating the famous twists and turns of San Francisco’s Lombard Street. After having to make no interventions, AI Addict said, “I’m flabbergasted.”

Some reviewers were not as impresses with FSD Beta 10’s highway driving. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk tweeted that highway improvements will come in version 10.1.

Musk was critical of the previous version of the software, saying it was “not great.”

“FSD Beta 9.2 is actually not great imo, but Autopilot/AI team is rallying to improve as fast as possible,” he tweeted. “We’re trying to have a single stack for both highway & city streets, but it requires massive NN retraining.”

Musk said the next version could be shipped to testers in three weeks. 

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has posted official range estimates for the Rivian’s all-electric pickup and sport-utility vehicle. 

According to a posting on the agency’s website, the R1T pickup truck has an official EPA range of 314 miles, while its R1T SUV received a rating of 316 miles. Rivian has promised at least 300 miles of range.

The “Launch edition” of the R1T pickup and R1S SUV will have a 135-kWh battery pack. Future trim packages will also include the “large pack” battery. Rivian plans a future “Max pack” that will push range over 400 miles.

While pickups are among the most popular vehicles in the U.S., there has yet to be a competitive electric pickup option. With deliveries for Rivian beginning this month, the startup automaker will have the first compelling option on the market.

The post Rivian Gets Range Rating of 316 Miles for R1T Pickup appeared first on Tesla Motors Club.

A former Tesla executive who left the company to work on automotive projects for Apple has now moved on to Ford.

Doug Field joins Ford as chief advanced technology and embedded systems officer. He most recently served as vice president of special projects at Apple, which reportedly included the Titan car project. Field will report to to President and CEO Jim Farley Field, who led development of Tesla’s Model 3.

“Doug is one of the world’s most respected engineering and product design leaders and has been a driving force behind breakthrough products across auto, tech and mobility, including at Apple, Tesla and Segway,” Farley said in a release. “His talent and commitment to innovation that improves customers’ lives will be invaluable as we build out our Ford+ plan to deliver awesome products, always-on customer relationships and ever-improving user experiences. We are thrilled Doug chose to join Ford and help write the next amazing chapter of this great company.”

Field will lead Ford’s Embedded Software and Hardware organization currently consisting of Vehicle Controls, Enterprise Connectivity, Features, Integration & Validation, Architecture & Platform, Driver Assistance Technology and Digital Engineering Tools.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Friday that they are investigating a July 26 fatal crash in New York involving a Tesla with Autopilot engaged.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) spokeswoman told Reuters that the agency has launched a Special Crash Investigation team to analyze the death of a 52-year-old man attempting to fix a flat tire on his vehicle on the Long Island Expressway when he was struck by a Tesla.

NHTSA continues to ramp up scrutiny of Tesla’s Autopilot system.

The agency announced last month that it is investigating 12 crashes involving Tesla models and emergency vehicles.

Reuters notes that NHTSA has opened 33 investigations into Tesla crashes involving 11 deaths since 2016, in which use of advanced driver assistance systems was suspected.

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A picture shared online suggests that Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada has officially produced its 1 millionth battery pack.

The photo was posted to the r/TeslaMotors subreddit of a sign reading “We have officially built 1,000,000 packs at Gigafactory Nevada.” It appeared employees put their signature on the sign.

Gigafactory Nevada has been key to Tesla’s growth, despite challenges. Production began at the factory in January 2017 before Tesla’s mass-market Model 3 sedan. The company experienced serious growing pains – what Chief Executive Elon Musk called “production hell.” The company now produces powertrains and 2170 cells for both the Model 3 and Model Y.

Tesla is currently close to opening two new factories near Austin, Texas and Berlin, Germany. Both facilities will be home to both battery manufacturing and vehicle assembly.

Image: Reddit

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Ever wonder what happens to a vehicle at the shop, after it gets dropped off for window tint and paint protection film installation? Watch our video to find out. It takes you to Jay’s Detail Studio in San Antonio, where two expert SunTek installers are working on a Tesla X. They’re tinting the windows with our CeramicIR film, and fully wrapping the finish with SunTek PPF Ultra Defense.  

The edit moves fast, so we break down the action for you below. 

Before

0:00 to 0:19 – Meet our heroes: a black Tesla X and SunTek film.

Decontamination

0:20 to 0:40 – Wash, rinse and dry to remove debris that could contaminate film.

Paint ‘Perfection’

0:49 to 1:06 – More pre-install prep: smoothing the finish with a power buffer.

Window Tint Pattern Cutting

1:07 to 1:14 – Separating a cut tint piece from bulk for the front driver-side window.

Heat Shrinking

1:15 to 1:21 – Molding tint to the shape of the window with a heat gun before installation.

Window Tint Application

1:22 to 1:32 –  Smoothing and tucking tint on the inside of the driver-side window.

Paint Prep for PPF

1:33 to 1:44 – Cleaning edges with a swab to ensure they’re ready to be wrapped with PPF.

More Prep for PPF

1:45 to 1:56 –  Spraying and squeegeeing the hood with PPF installation fluid.

PPF Installation: Hood

1:57 to 2:01 – Unrolling bulk PPF; removing liner; spraying with installation fluid.

More PPF Installation: Hood

2:02 to 2:14 – Placing bulk PPF over the hood and squeegeeing it down.

Edge Trimming & Wrapping

2:14 to 2:20 – Using a knife and microfiber cloth to trim and wrap hood edges with PPF.

PPF Installation: Bumper

2:21 to 2:27 – Separating a cut piece of PPF from the bulk roll, then placing and trimming.

After

2:28 to 2:29 – Wings, baby!

A Happy & Protected Customer

2:30 to 2:40 – Look at those custom-tinted windows and that intense PPF shine. Nice.

We hope you enjoyed seeing what happens when two SunTek film installation pros spend some quality time alone with a Tesla. Bonus points if you used the timecodes to follow along – or if you just enjoyed in the nicely lit Tesla beauty shots. (We don’t judge.) Have a question about any of the on-screen action? Please share it in the comments and we’ll get back to you.

Ready to protect your Tesla? Find a SunTek Dealer

Check out SunTek on Facebook and Instagram

The post Behind the Scenes of Window Tint & PPF Installation appeared first on Tesla Motors Club.

SpaceX successfully launched Sunday a Falcon 9 with a loaded Dragon cargo capsule to the International Space Station.

It had been two months since SpaceX had flown a Falcon 9. The mission was the 23rd to deliver supplies to ISS.

This delivery included 4,300 pounds of equipment, science gear, food and other supplies.

The rocket lifted off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center around 3:14 a.m. ET. After deploying the Dragon capsule, the Falcon 9 had a successful return to earth with a landing on SpaceX’s new droneship, “A Shortfall of Gravitas.” The landing marked the 90th booster recovery for SpaceX.

The Dragon is expected to stay at ISS through September.

The post SpaceX Mission Delivers Science Gear, Fresh Fruit to ISS appeared first on Tesla Motors Club.

A Tesla operating on Autopilot hit a Florida Highway Patrol car Saturday, according to a report.

The Orlando Sun Sentinal reported that a trooper was helping a disabled vehicle in the westbound lanes of I-4 near downtown Orlando. With his emergency lights on, the trooper was helping the driver when the Tesla hit the left side of his car. There were no injuries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced early this month an investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot feature.

The agency pointed to 11 crashes since January 2018 where Tesla models operating on Autopilot “have encountered first responder scenes and subsequently struck one or more vehicles involved with those scenes.” The agency said the accidents caused 17 injuries and one death.

“Most incidents took place after dark and the crash scenes encountered included scene control measures such as first responder vehicle lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board, and road cones,” the investigation summary said. “The involved subject vehicles were all confirmed to have been engaged in either Autopilot or Traffic Aware Cruise Control during the approach to the crashes.”

The investigation includes about 765,000 Tesla vehicles in the U.S., applying to the entire lineup since 2014.

Image: Flordia Highway Patrol

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Electric vehicle upstart Rivian has filed for an initial public offering that would value the company between $70-80 billion.

The company is currently pursuing two segments, electric delivery vans for companies like Amazon, and an electric pickup and SUV aimed at adventure seekers.

While Amazon currently has Rivian vans in operation, the consumer vehicles have yet to be delivered. Rivian says the first production versions of the R1T pickup will be delivered next month.

Rivian has raised a whopping $10.5 billion since 2019 from strategics including Amazon and Ford. Other investors include Soros Fund Management and BlackRock.

Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk took a jab at the company following the filing. Replying to a tweet about the filing, Musk replied, “Don’t want to be unreasonable, but maybe they should be required to deliver at least one vehicle per billion dollars of valuation before the IPO?”

More info on Rivian’s finances and timeframe for IPO are expected in coming weeks.

The post Rivian Files for IPO Targeting $80 Billion Valuation appeared first on Tesla Motors Club.

Tesla has filed an application with the Texas Public Utility Commission to sell electricity to customers.

The application, first reported by Texas Monthly, was submitted by a subsidiary of Tesla called Tesla Energy Ventures.

Tesla also intends to build two massive batteries near Austin and Houston. The 100-megawatt storage system would enable Tesla to serve power companies. The company has built several examples of large-scale batteries around the world, including California and Australia.

In those instances, Tesla is assisting the power companies. Its new venture in Texas would sell power directly to consumers. The reliability of the grid in Texas has been of concern since freezing temperatures in February left millions of residents without power or water for days.

Tesla is currently building a factory near Austin. Chief Executive Elon Musk’s other company SpaceX also has operations in the state. 

It’s not clear when Tesla plans to bring the service live.

The post Tesla Plans to Sell Energy to Texans appeared first on Tesla Motors Club.

Ford has doubled its production target for the all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup, according to a report from Reuters.

The first electric version of the nation’s top-selling truck is expected to start deliveries next year. According to the report, demand for the Lighting has been so strong that Ford has decided to pump $850 million in production efforts.

Ford is now aiming to produce 80,000 electric F-150s in 2024, an increase from 40,000, according to the report. 

The company is planning to build 15,000 next year, 55,000 in 2023, and up to 160,000 units of a second-generation 2025 Lightning.

Ford unveiled the vehicle in May. The truck will have two separate liquid-cooled batteries, the 230-mile standard and the 300-mile extended range. Ford says the F-150 Lightning targets 563 horsepower, 775 lb.-ft. of “near-instantaneous” torque and a 0-60 mph time in the mid-4-second range. Ford is targeting a maximum 2,000 pounds of payload in the standard-range model with 18-inch wheels, and a maximum 10,000 pounds of available towing capacity on XLT and Lariat trucks with the extended-range battery and Max Trailer Tow Package.

The F-150 Lighting is part of a pack of electric pickups coming to market soon, including the Tesla Cybertruck, GMC Hummer, and the Rivian R1T.

The post Report: Ford Doubles Production Target for F-150 Lightning appeared first on Tesla Motors Club.

SpaceX’s effort to beam internet around the globe has already racked up 100,000 customers.

Chief Executive Elon Musk tweeted Monday that 100,000 Starlink terminals have been shipped. The terminals receive the internet signal from a constellation of satellites that SpaceX continues to build.

The first Starlink satellites were launched in February 2018. The constellation has now grown 1,740 satellites. The company has said its current operational satellites could provide global coverage as soon as September.

For a $499 upfront cost, Starlink customers receive a terminal, Wi-Fi router, power supply, cables, and a mounting tripod. The service then costs $99 a month.

SpaceX opened the program last year in beta and has received more than half a million orders for the service since. 

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Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said its latest beta version of its Full Self Driving software is “not great.”

Musk was replying to a video praising the new self-driving software. Musk said Tesla employees have urgency to improve the system.

“FSD Beta 9.2 is actually not great imo, but Autopilot/AI team is rallying to improve as fast as possible,” he tweeted. “We’re trying to have a single stack for both highway & city streets, but it requires massive NN retraining.”

Tesla sells FSD for $10,000 or a $199 per month subscription. The beta version of the FSD software has only been rolled out to small number of owners and employees to test the software.

Musk’s admission on Monday follows an announcement last week that the National Transportation Safety Board has launched a formal investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system, saying Tesla vehicles using Autopilot have caused 11 crashes with first responder vehicles in the U.S.

Tesla also hosted its AI Day last week where it touted a chip designed specifically for training artificial intelligence to identify a variety of obstacles. But, it seems there remains work to be done for Tesla to meet its full-self-driving promise.

The post Musk Says FSD Beta is ‘Not Great’ appeared first on Tesla Motors Club.

Tesla announced Thursday at its “AI Day” that it will build a “Tesla Bot” as soon as 2022.

Chief Executive Elon Musk said the human-like robot will be able to complete tasks that are “boring, dangerous, repetitive jobs that people don’t want to do.”

A Tesla Bot was on display at the event, but as a joke the company put a person in a suit designed to look like Tesla Bot to dance on stage. “Tesla Bot will be real,” Musk said.

Musk said the top goal of Tesla Bot was to make it safe.

“It’s intended to be a friend, of course,” Musk said.

The robot will be 5 feet 8 inches tall and 125 pounds. The head of the robot will include a screen to display useful information. Tesla says the robot will have “human-level hands.” The robot’s top speed will be about 5 MPH.

“At a physical level you can run away from it and most likely overpower it,” Musk said.

The robot leverages the technology developed for its Autopilot feature in its vehicles. The system includes eight cameras and the same computer found in Tesla cars.

The company did not offer any details on pricing for the robot.

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