Drew Dowdell

According to sources familiar with Tesla software, Tesla is preparing to update the Model S and Model X with new, more efficient motors. Recent software updates have appeared that make reference to the new motors. The new motors with the codename "Raven", are permanent magnet reluctance motors as found in the Model 3. These motors have the benefit of pre-excitation from the magnets giving them an efficiency advantage. They also work to reduce the overall costs of the vehicle. In the Model 3, the motors can achieve an efficiency rating higher than 97% compared to 93% on the Model S/X. The difference in efficiency is even more marked in stop and go traffic where the Model 3 is much more efficient than the AC induction motors in the Models S and X. These upgrades could work out to a longer range and better performance for the pair. Tesla sales, though up year over year, have recently crashed down 31% from the previous quarter . While the timing of the release of these upgrades is not known, there are rumors that Tesla is planning a major interior refresh for the pair for 2020, so it could be matched with those updates. Important timing when vehicles like the Porsche Taycan, Audi E-Tron , and Polestar 2 will be hitting the market over the next 18 months. View full article

Probably new enough

This isn't a map update though. If your system isn't up to date enough, it could go pear shaped even with new maps.

I would think it would mostly be fleet purchases for a while.

Isn't that mostly because of Dynaflow?

The Society of Automotive Engineers has announced today that they are joining with Ford, General Motors, and Toyota to form the Automatic Vehicle Safety Consortium (AVSC), a group that will work together to test the deployment and development of Level 4 and Level 5 automated vehicles. The AVSC will provide a safety framework for the advancement of the technology in a safe and responsible manner. The group will use the expertise of its current members to establish a set of guiding principles for safety. GM, Ford, and Toyota already have autonomous vehicle development well underway. GM is producing driverless Chevrolet Bolt EVs as part of a development and testing program via its GM Cruise unit. View full article

To drive? There isn't an ICE out there that can out smooth or out torque an electric of similar size power unit. If you were talking the Ford GT, I may see your point about the visceral feeling of the engine, but these are isolation chambers that pride themselves on removing any feeling of the engine beyond the thrust.

The excess is in the results... not how the sausage is made.

The suspension could use a firm-up either way.

They go into production in a few weeks and will be on sale by the summer.

If you're currently running with an older GPS system, either built into your car or via an external device, you may need to check if a firmware update is available. Tonight at midnight, the UTC clock used by the satellite navigation system will roll over to 0000000000. That number is a 10-bit "week number" that counts the number of weeks since August 21, 1999, the date of the current GPS "epoch". Most newer GPS devices will know about the coming rollover and will just continue working, but older ones that haven't been updated could fail with timing data jumping backwards by almost 20 years. This isn't a new issue, this will be the second time the GPS system has seen such a flip. Eventually, the GPS system will be upgraded to a 13-bit date system and greatly increase the length of time between epochs. If you have an older GPS device or car with GPS built in, you may want to check with the manufacturer if a firmware update is needed. View full article

Naturally. The suspension would want a little bit of a firm up too. The base model suspension is tuned more for comfort.

Karma Automotive is preparing to release the 2020 refresh of the Revaro. The current car uses GM's 2.0 liter 4-cylinder as a regenerator to charge the 21.4 kWh battery while underway. The battery then powers a pair of electric motors in the rear that produce a combined 403 horsepower letting the Revero dart to 60 in just 5.4 seconds. Range in full EV mode is about 37 miles, so says the EPA. In a press release, Karma has announced that the the refreshed Revero will now move to a 1.5 liter BMW 3-cylinder to support a new, more powerful NMC lithium-ion battery pack. The rear drive unit is being replaced as well with a new twin-motor rear drive module. In the 2020 car, naught to 60 will drop by nearly a full second to 4.5 seconds. The refreshed Revero will sport updated body work to go along with its technological upgrades. Karma will be unveiling the 2020 Revero at the Shanghai Motor Show on April 16th along with two other concepts. 2020 Karma Revero Teaser (Click to Enlarge) Related: View full article

The President has threatened to slap tariffs on the import of all cars in a year if Mexico does not completely halt the flow of illegal immigration, a near impossible task. This is after he backtracked on his previous threat to completely close the US-Mexico border, a move his own advisers recommended against. Such actions would have massive economic repercussions on both sides of the border, raising prices for many consumer goods. Trump said, "Mexico understands that we're going to close the border or I'm going to tariff the cars. I'll do one or the other. And probably start with the tariffs". He further added, "I don't think we'll ever have to close the border because the penalty of tariffs on cars coming into the United States from Mexico, at 25%, will be massive". One problem with this threat is the fresh trade agreement with Mexico that Trump has already negotiated. Going back on a fresh trade agreement adds to the longtime concerns by other world leaders on whether Trump's word, and the U.S. Government, can be trusted. Tariffs on imported goods aren't paid by the exporting country, they are paid by the consumers of the importing country, so it is unclear who Trump is targeting with these tariffs. One of the biggest automotive importers from Mexico is General Motors. GM recently had to remove a Chevrolet Blazer display from a stadium in Michigan after backlash over its Mexican origin. GM has recently closed two plants in Michigan costing the state thousands of jobs. View full article

Last month we reported that Ford was apparently working on another version of the Mustang with a more powerful Ecoboost 4-cylinder. Well apparently Ford is preparing to show that Mustang at an event during the New York International Auto Show. The new Ecoboost Mustang could possibly wear an SVO badge, going back to the days when one of the hotter Mustangs was also powered by a Turbo-4. Ford is looking to fill a gap in the Mustang lineup. Currently, there is a 125 horsepower gap between the current Turbo-4 powered car and the V8 Powered GT. Chevrolet fills that space with a 335 hp V6 in their Camaro, while Ford's base powerplant offers just 310 hp only when using 93 octane. Over at the Focus desk, Ford has tuned the same 2.3 liter turbo to 350 hp, so we know the drivetrain can handle the extra boost. We expect, if this SVO does come to pass, some suspension and chassis adjustments to handle the extra power. Possibly even an updated fascia like the original SVO had. We'll find out on April 17th. Related: View full article

Rhymes with Bone.

The bad news: There's no easy way to fly to the less touristy ones.

The 3008 looks like a good vehicle for Peugeot to start with in the US. It hits right at the core of the US market.