The carmaker will be releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update to rectify the issue.

Tesla has recalled 8,17,000 vehicles in the USA over a 'seat belt reminder alert' issue. According to the company, the audible alert may not activate when a vehicle starts and the driver hasn't buckled up.

As per the details shared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the models that failed a federal motor vehicle safety standard include the 2021-2022 Model S and Model X, 2017-2022 Model 3 and the 2020-2022 Model Y.

Tesla has confirmed that it was unaware of any crashes or injuries related to the issue. The carmaker will be releasing an over-the-air (OTA) software update to rectify the issue.

Tesla plans to introduce the Model 3 in India.

Tesla has recalled 4.75 lakh Model 3 and Model S electric cars over issues related to the rear-view camera and front trunk that could increase the risk of a crash.

According to the U.S. road safety regulator, 3,56,309 units of the Model 3 manufactured between 2017 and 2020 and 1,19,009 Model S cars have been affected by these issues.

The report states that repeated opening and closing of the trunk can damage a cable for the rear-view camera. Further, the front latch assembly for the front trunk in the Model S could malfunction. It could release the trunk lid and obstruct visibility.

Source: Reuters

The electric sedan was upgraded back in June by 'Unplugged Performance' for the Pikes Peak run.

A modified Tesla Model S Plaid has set a new EV lap record at the Laguna Seca race track. The Model S Plaid went around the track in 1:28.2 - making it the fastest EV around the popular circuit.

Having said that, the Tesla Model S Plaid has been heavily modified. The electric sedan was upgraded back in June by 'Unplugged Performance' for the Pikes Peak run.

The Model S Plaid receives a number of aero components, along with wider tyres, improved brakes and completely stripped out interiors. It does, however, retain the same powertrain as the standard production model, without any changes or updates.

The Tesla Model S Plaid was driven by Randy Pobst, who also drove the McLaren Senna - the current lap record holder at the Laguna Seca with a time of 1:27.6. The modified Tesla Model S Plaid is now the second-fastest car around the Laguna Seca, beating a Porsche 911 GT2 RS, by a tenth of a second (1:28.3).

The Tesla Model S Plaid is powered by three electric motors, producing a total of 1020 BHP. The car is said to be capable of sprinting from 0 - 100 km/h in under 2 seconds while reaching a top speed of 322 km/h. The car is also claimed to have a maximum range of 627 km on a single charge.

Source: Twitter

Elon Musk stated that there is no need for the 'Plaid+' edition as the Model S Plaid itself is so good.

The production of the Tesla Model S Plaid+ edition has been cancelled. Elon Musk recently took to Twitter to announce the development. He stated that the Plaid edition is so good, there is 'no need' for a Plaid+.

The Tesla Model S Plaid+ was said to be a long-range version of the Plaid, offering over 400 miles on a single charge. The launch of the Plaid+ was initially planned for mid-2021 but had been pushed to mid-2022.

The Plaid edition will now be the range-topping performance version of the Tesla Model S electric sedan. Deliveries for the Tesla Model S Plaid are scheduled to start from June 10, 2021.

The Tesla Model S Plaid is currently said to be the fastest production car in the world. The electric sedan is said to be capable of accelerating from 0 - 100 km/h in under 2 seconds, while covering a quarter-mile in 9.3 seconds.

The Model S Plaid comes with three high-performance motors producing 1020 BHP and offering a top speed of 200 mph (322 km/h). The electric powertrain also claims a range of 390 miles (627 km) on a single charge.

Source: Twitter

Jay Leno confirms that the Tesla Model S Plaid has broken the 1/4 mile world record, previously held by the Bugatti Chiron Sport.

The Tesla Model S Plaid is said to have set a new quarter-mile world record. According to a media report, the electric sedan from Tesla is said to have recorded a quarter-mile time of 9.247 seconds with a 0 - 100 km/h acceleration time of under 2 seconds.

The record attempt was conducted on May 11 at the Autoclub Famoso Raceway, Bakersfield, California, USA. However, the quarter-mile time was considered to be just a rumour at that time. Now, reports suggest that Jay Leno, television host and comedian has confirmed the details.

Jay Leno who is said to have been present at the raceway during the record run confirmed in a radio show that the Tesla Model S Plaid did achieve the world record time. He even confirmed that there was a member of NHRA to make the quarter-mile time official. As per Jay Leno, the Tesla Model S completed the quarter-mile in 9.2 seconds at 152 mph.

If these numbers are to be believed, then it makes the Tesla Model S Plaid the fastest production car in the world. The electric sedan beats the previous record of 9.4 seconds, set by the Bugatti Chiron Sport.

Tesla themselves, however, are yet to reveal the official figures of the Model S Plaid. The company is expected to announce these numbers at the time of deliveries, which is expected in the coming days.

Source: Tesmanian

Tesla has introduced two new variants of the Model S – Plaid and Plaid+. Both get three electric motors with an identical 0-100 km/h time of sub 2.1 seconds.

Tesla has updated the Model S with new features. While the exterior design remains similar to the outgoing car, the interiors and the powertrain have been reworked.

On the inside, the car now gets a chopped-off steering wheel with a U-shaped hand grip area. It gets two circular jog dials on either side. The main touchscreen is now a 17-inch unit in a landscape orientation compared to the portrait layout of the earlier display. The rear seats get additional bolstering and a smaller display unit for the rear occupants between the front two seats.

Also included is a new gaming computer with 10 teraflops of processing power and wireless controller compatibility which allows gaming from any seat. The car also gets wireless and USB-C fast charging for every passenger and multi-device Bluetooth.

Tesla has introduced two new variants of the Model S – Plaid and Plaid+. Both get three electric motors with an identical 0-100 km/h time of sub 2.1 seconds. But the Plaid has a claimed range of 628 km while the Plaid+ gets a range of over 840 km. The carmaker also claims a quarter mile time of sub 9 seconds.

Tesla has announced that these upgrades can be expected on the Model X in the near future.

A Tesla Model S crashed in to a Sheriff's car outside Nashville, North Carolina early morning on Wednesday. The police car was parked on the road with lights flashing while responding to another crash.

The driver of the Tesla, Devainder Goli of Raleigh, was watching a movie on his mobile phone and had engaged the autopilot function in his Tesla Model S. He first crashed into the Sheriff's car which then slammed into another car parked ahead. There have been no injuries reported, but both the cars have been totalled.

This is not the first time that a car using autopilot has been involved in an accident. Last year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a preliminary report on a fatal Tesla crash that happened in Delray Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida. In 2017, the NTSB had concluded that over-reliance on technology led to a Tesla crashing into a truck.

Autopilot is a level 2 autonomous system that controls the steering, acceleration and braking, but it is the human that is responsible for monitoring the surroundings. He/she must be ready to take over in case the system fails.

Source

Tesla has announced that it has become the first manufacturer to break the 400-mile (643.74 km) range for production electric vehicles. The Tesla Model S Long Range Plus has managed to achieve this feat.

The announcement comes after the CEO displayed displeasure over a previous 391-mile (629 km) rating given by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to Musk, someone at the testing agency left the keys inside the car and the door open overnight resulting in a 2% depletion of the car's range.

Some of the changes done over the years to the Model S include lowering the weight by in-house seat manufacturing and use of lighter weight materials in the battery pack and drive units, addition of Tempest aero wheels and tyres, improved drive efficiency by replacing a mechanical oil pump with electric pump and improved regenerative braking.

Compared to the 2019 version of the same car, there has been an improvement of nearly 20% in claimed range. All Model S Long Range Plus cars produced from January 2020 have a 402-mile (646.96 km) range.

Porsche and Tesla are competing for the 4-door electric car lap record around the Nürburgring.

According to a media report, Tesla might have set an unofficial lap time of 7 minutes and 23 seconds, which is almost 20 seconds quicker than what the Porsche Taycan could manage. The lap time is said to have been timed by a Nürburgring spy shooter and Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport. The car used by Tesla is a Model S P100D+, which is said to have three electric motors. The car has not been launched yet but is expected to make it to production in 2020.

The Porsche Taycan currently holds the record for the fastest electric 4-door car around the Nürburgring. It set a lap time of 7 minutes and 42 seconds. Reports suggest the car used for the record run was a stock Taycan Turbo, which is the base model. The faster Taycan Turbo S could set a faster lap time.

It is said that Tesla's official lap attempts might happen this week.

Source: Jalopnik

Bhavesh Patel, a resident of Nottingham, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in a court on April 20, 2018. He was recently caught on video sitting in the front passenger seat of his Tesla Model S with the Autopilot on.

According to the eyewitness who recorded the video, Patel was seen sitting on the front passenger seat with his hands behind his head. There was moderate traffic on the road at the time and vehicles were moving at about 64 km/h.

The local police issued a notice to the driver after the video went viral showing Patel, the sole occupant of the car of the driver seat on the M1 highway. His driving license was suspended for 18 months and the court also ordered him to carry out 10 days of rehabilitation in addition to 100 hours of unpaid work and levied a fine of GBP 1,800. Police issued a statement saying that he not only endangered his own life, but also of others on the highway.

Tesla has said that the autonomous features in their cars are designed to work in tandem with an attentive driver. Further, the driver must be able to take over the control of the car at all times.

Source - Herts Police Youtube channel