Tesla Compact Cars

As you are probably well aware, a lot of governments offer some relatively big incentives to get people into EVs, probably, well before they would normally make the transition. Government incentives have been a big deal here in the U.S. and even over in Europe. Canada also has a new incentive – a $5,000 tax incentive – but there’s a catch: The electric car in question needs to have a base price under $45,000 and cost no more than $55,000 with options. Tesla’s entire lineup was out of the running, until recently when Tesla dropped the price of the entry-level Model 3 to $44,999 by removing autopilot and cutting range down to just 151 km or about 94 miles. This is where it gets sketchy, and it gives a good reason for criticism.

Since Elon Musk announced a new affordable Tesla model at the 2020 Battery Day, the internet has been buzzing about it, trying to unearth every detail possible. Although Tesla is known to keep the cards close to its chest in such matters (remember what a surprise the Cybertruck was?), there are a few bits of information out there apart from the ones that Musk has announced. One – it could arrive sooner than expected. And, two – it will cost not $25,000; but $18,000!

At the 2020 Tesla Battery Day event, Musk announced that the company will build a $25,000 ‘affordable’ EV. This came as a surprise because Musk had mentioned in the past that the company will not build an inexpensive vehicle. There are no specific details about the car yet, not even the body style, but it is expected to be a hatch.

An artist who goes by the handle ‘KDesign AG’ has rendered the $25,000 EV and uploaded it on Behance. The artist calls it the Model H, and honestly, it looks super classy.

The Tesla Model 3 is the undisputed king despite some strong upcoming competition, like the Polestar 2. People may say it’s because of the first-mover advantage or the fact that it has been in the segment the longest, which is true to an extent, but it’s also because of the continuous updates. Tesla has managed to keep the product fresh – even though it looks the same from the beginning – by introducing new packages, constant over-the-air updates, and so on. Now, the automaker has refreshed the Model 3 for the 2020 model year and it comes with quite a few changes that make it an even better product.

When you take the delivery of a new car, there are times when everything is not perfect. You might see the floor mats missing, hear a random rattle from somewhere within the car, or something really minor. But, this is something you wouldn’t ever imagine happening. This brand-new Tesla Model Y’s roof just flew off while cruising on the highway. Has that ever happened before? Not that I can recollect.

A few years ago when it only sold the Model S, Tesla promised a new electric car that would be better and more affordable than the Nissan Leaf. That project became the Model 3, but even though it is better than the Leaf, it’s not more affordable. Originally targeted to start from around $30,000, the Model 3 was priced from $35,000, and it currently retails from almost $38,000. Come 2020 and Elon Musk promises that Tesla will make a $25,000 car in three years.

The news surrounding the Roadster has surely gotten us frustrated at some point or the other. It was unveiled in 2017 and was expected to hit the roads in 2020, but Tesla made it clear that the Roadster is not its priority and it will arrive later.

Although its arrival date is pushed to 2022 for now, we do get constant updates about it every now and then. This time, it comes from none other than the CEO himself about the Roadster going to Nurburgring. Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter that the Roadster will hit the tarmac on the Green Hell next year. From what we know already, can it set a record?

The initial plan was for Tesla to be an affordable EV company. Now, cars like the Model 3 and Model X are fairly affordable to some – especially with various federal and local tax credits – they still aren’t exactly able to compete with other entry-level cars. During a recent conference call, Elon Musk stressed this fact and even alluded to making things right, part of which means that a smaller Tesla could grace the market, and in this case, we could be talking about a Model 3 Hatchback.

Tesla cars have been eviscerating legendary supercars for quite some time now. Thanks to constant updates from the company, the performance levels of many models are getting better and better. Recently, a skimmed Tesla Model X broke the 11-second barrier in a quarter-mile run.

This time, it’s the Tesla Model 3 and it has taken down the yesteryear McLaren F1. Although the F1 is a hypercar from the 1990s, it is still regarded as one of the best performance cars out there. The Model 3 has beaten McLaren F1’s time around the Tsukuba Circuit in Japan, but there’s a catch. The Model 3 that did the run was not stock. Does it matter?

The Model 3 Performance has proven its worth time and again on drag strips and in straight-line races. It has put some big names to shame courtesy of its fantastic instant torque deliver and speed-raking skills. But, how does it perform on the ‘Lord of the Rings’ called the Nurburgring? Racetrack-expert, Misha Charoudin, took it to the iconic track, and it left him impressed, but he had a few pointers for Tesla as well.

The Tesla Owners Silicon Valley group asked Elon Musk on Twitter if the company has plans to launch a Track Mode for the Model Y and the CEO replied in the affirmative. Despite a few flaws in its build and build quality, the Model Y has started well and is raking in good sales numbers for Tesla. So, the addition of a Track Mode will lure a lot more people and make this a complete package overall.

Remember the top cop of the Bargersville, Indiana Police Department who made a move to add Tesla Model 3s in his department’s patrol fleet? Well, it looks like the EVs are serving well.

Police office Todd Bertram was asked on Twitter how his experiment’s been going after he decided to add Tesla Model 3 in the fleet. He replied that the breakeven point will be much sooner than the department had expected. Is this a big win for Tesla or what?

The next-gen Tesla Roadster is going to be a revolutionary car and there’s no doubt about that. The automaker has claimed an 0-60 mph time of 1.9 seconds for the base model. However, this could probably be the slowest trim in the lineup.

Elon Musk has already said that Tesla will offer the Roadster with a SpaceX option package. According to Engineering Explained’s Jason Fenske, the Roadster with this package will be able to sprint to 60 mph from a standstill in 1.1 seconds! Phew!

Tesla cars are known not only for their electric powertrains, but also for the amount of technology they offer. You’d expect Tesla to be at the zenith when it comes to offering high-tech features, but surprisingly, that was not the case with a few things.

But, Tesla has finally introduced it. We’re talking about two features here – wireless charging and USB C-ports. The automaker has finally decided to offer it on its entry-level EV. Better late than never, right?

Have you ever wanted to give your Tesla extra power but have had to wait for the automaker to roll out updates? Or, didn’t feel like paying the extra moolah they charge to unlock the added performance? Well, this will intrigue you then. If you watch the YouTube videos posted by Rich from Rich Rebuilds, you may even know his garage-partners, Electrified Garage. These guys have teamed up with a company called Ingenext from Quebec, Canada, and have managed to hack into Tesla’s systems. The company has cracked the code to happiness, and that happiness will cost you half the price of what Tesla charges for a Performance upgrade. Sweet deal, right?

It was only a matter of time before the Model 3 went under the knife. As is the case with all popular vehicles, aftermarket companies lay their hands on them and try to give a twist in their own ways. We’ve seen the Tesla Model 3 being experimented on in the past, but we haven’t seen anything like this before. Newport Convertible Engineering has laid its hands on the electric car and converted it into a drop-top model. Do you like it?