By Kevin Armstrong
Tesla's Chief Designer, Franz von Holzhausen, has designed the company's entire fleet of vehicles, but the Model S, 3, X, Y, Cybertruck and Semi are not his favorites. "My favorite one is the one that is coming.
I can't talk about (it)," von Holzhausen told CNBC. He then quickly pivoted the conversation away from that topic. Nevertheless, several rumored vehicles will be the next to carry the "T" logo. So, which one is the creative mind of Tesla referring to in his evasive answer?
Franz von Holzhausen Interview
Let's start with the suspects. A cheaper, smaller and less expensive electric vehicle has been predicted for years. More recently, there have been ideas about a van. And then there is the second generation of the highly anticipated Roadster. While von Holzhausen didn't talk about the next one, he did give some clues later in the interview. "My all-time favorite car is a '62 250 GTO (Ferrari). I mean, it is quintessential. It's an insane car. I'm also a big fan of this kind of wedge era. The early (Lamborghini) Countachs, the whole kind of flat, low sports car. Those were always the posters on my wall."
The Designer Loves Sports Cars
When a 54-year-old man reminisces about the cars featured in posters plastered on his wall when he was a kid, he is not excited about a van or a compact vehicle — no, he is excited about a sports car. The second-generation Roadster was unveiled in 2017 simultaneously with the Semi. But there hasn't been much mention of the sports car since. The company is just now delivering Semis, and Cybertrucks are expected in 2023, but the Roadster doesn't have an ETA. Or does it? The chief designer says, "… the one that is coming." So, we can only assume that the Roadster is next to hit the production line.
Tesla Roadster 2.0
A Designer Who has Changed the Industry
One of the first employees of Tesla back in 2008, von Holzhausen, recalls the early days and how things have changed. "There is a moment that I thought when I first joined Tesla that it would be great to see multiple Teslas in one drive experience around town. And now, it's hard to go anywhere without seeing a bunch of Teslas. So, it's great to see the impact that Tesla has had in people's lives but also how it's changed the industry. It really pushed this idea that an EV can be better than an internal combustion vehicle."
He also gave some insight into designing vehicles that have and continue to change the auto industry, "Tesla isn't beholden to what has been done in the past. We are always trying to push the boundaries and deliver on a promise of something fun, something enjoyable and something you would love to own and tell your friends about."
It looks like The Roadster could be the next fun, enjoyable vehicle to tell everyone about.
By Lennon Cihak
Tesla’s gearing up for a small "revamp" of its popular Model 3 vehicle, which is set to go into production in the middle of 2023.
According to Reuters, the revamp is called “Project Highland” and aimed at lowering the production costs and increasing the Model 3’s attractiveness and not because it needs a redesign. The Model 3 was launched back in 2017, and Tesla has already sold well over 1 million of them.
According to our sources, don’t expect a design overhaul of the Model 3, though. Instead, Project Highland will focus on reducing the number of components and complexity of the Model 3’s interior.
The main goal of this Model 3 revamp is to increase manufacturing efficiencies and reduce costs. Tesla would like to get the Long Range and possibly the Performance variants of the Model 3 to qualify for the US tax incentive for 2023. Under this tax credit, manufacturers’ suggested retail price for brand-new sedans must be less than $55,000. For SUVs, trucks and vans, the maximum price is capped at $80,000.
Our previous evaluation of the vehicles that would qualify include the Model 3 RWD, Model Y Long Range (AWD), and Model Y Performance. However, this will likely change once the revamp goes into production.
Do not expect new vehicle features to be added to the Model 3, such as a rear display, air suspension, or ventilated seats. These features would raise the price of the Model 3 and create a significant overlap between the Model 3 and the refreshed Model S.
Yoke Steering Wheel
One new feature that is possible in this Model 3 revamp is the introduction of a yoke steering wheel or more likely, a wheel similar to the Tesla Semi, which has capacitive controls and no stalks. The stalks are replaced with capacitive controls on the steering wheel and touch controls on the vehicle's display. We previously reported on this rumor in August.
Redesign Rumors
A few rumors are floating around online including a redesigned front bumper and removal of door handles in exchange for touchless doors like the Cybertruck and Roadster 2.0, although our source tells us that this is cool, but not accurate.
2023 Model 3 Update
Based on recent rumors
— Alwin (@Alwinart) November 29, 2022
-Bumper facelift (in line with Y/S/X)
-No door handles, wing mirrors or ultra sonics (as Cybertruck) pic.twitter.com/GQ5k64bV4O
The revamped Model 3 is likely to remain without its ultrasonic sensors, as Tesla is beginning its transition to its own Tesla Vision. This technology uses the vehicle’s onboard cameras and vast amounts of data from the neural net to function.
Over the past few years, Tesla has made significant efficiencies in the way it builds and manufactures vehicles. Recently, the Model Y switched to a single-mold front casting. This requires 169 fewer pieces and 1,600 fewer welds. To achieve this, Tesla is using its Giga Presses at its Berlin Gigafactory.
By Nuno Cristovao
Starting with update 2022.44.2, Tesla is making improvements to its popular Sentry Mode feature.
Sentry Mode, Tesla's camera-based car alarm and surveillance system, allows the vehicle to detect potential threats near the vehicle.
When Sentry Mode is enabled it records from four different cameras when the vehicle detects someone near the vehicle or an intrusion.
Although the feature is fantastic and has caught many situations when damage has been done to the vehicle, it can also lead to dozens of recordings when there is no threat at all. This is especially true if its raining, which can trigger Sentry Mode events, or if the vehicle is parked on a busy street with a lot of foot traffic.
With update 2022.44.2 Tesla is introducing two new features to Sentry Mode.
Camera-Based Detection
The first is the ability to turn off camera-based detection so that Sentry Mode will only save recordings that are triggered by intrusion, such as a glass breaking, a door opening, or the vehicle's tilt sensor being triggered (only available in some markets).
Turning off Sentry Mode recording when the cameras detect someone near the vehicle will greatly reduce the number of recordings, however, it could also lead to some threats going undetected.
Sentry Mode Clip Length
The second new feature of Sentry Mode is the ability to adjust the length of a recorded event. Once a potential threat is detected, Sentry Mode will record for the next several minutes unless additional threats are detected. The number of minutes that Sentry Mode records after a threat has been static up until now. With 2022.44.2, you'll now be able to adjust the length of each Sentry Mode clip.
Tesla's release notes for these Sentry Mode improvements read as follows:
Sentry Mode now allows for even greater customization, including:
- Camera-Based Detection, which allows users to disable use of cameras to detect threats.
- Sentry Mode Clip Length, which allows users to specify the length of the clip when a potential threat is detected.To adjust these Sentry Mode settings, tap Controls > Safety> Sentry Mode.
Other Improvement Coming?
Two other Sentry Mode features have been rumored in the past when Elon Musk responded to users on Twitter.
While there is no guarantee that these features will be implemented, in general, it does show that Elon Musk thinks they're a good idea and he'll likely share them with the team. The outcome of whether these features get added largely depends on the feasibility of implementing such features, Tesla's roadmap, and the effort required to develop them.
In 2020, Elon said that Tesla would allow users to adjust the sensitivity of Sentry Mode, which sounds like a great enhancement. Hopefully, that's a feature that Tesla is still considering or is actively developing.
Also in 2020, Elon replied to a user on Twitter suggesting that Tesla would allow an 'incognito' Sentry Mode. The goal is to not let perpetrators know that they're being recorded, although there could be potential legal ramifications to adding such a feature.
In update 2022.24 Tesla added the ability to disable Sentry Mode sounds when an intrusion is detected. This could have been Tesla's compromise when trying to create an incognito mode. Although the car will no longer make any audible noise, it will still flash its lights and display the Sentry Mode logo on the screen letting individuals know that they're being recorded.
Tesla recently added Sentry Mode support in Israel and expanded the countries where Sentry Mode Live Access is available. The feature is now available to users in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and Singapore.
Sentry Mode has seen several enhancements since its introduction. With update 2022.40 Tesla now allows you to use Sentry Mode and Dog Mode together in various markets.
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Tesla Chief Designer Says His Favorite Vehicle Is Yet to Come - Not a Tesla App"
Post a Comment