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Tesla adds free titanium underbody shields to Model S to prevent fires

Following a garage fire incident with a Model S EV last year, Tesla Motors quickly sent out an over-the-air software update to adjust how the car charges. Following two on-road fires caused by road debris that struck the underside of different Model S EVs (one in Washington State and the other in Tennessee), Tesla basically said, that it was a random thing, and the car is perfectly safe. The company later sent out a software update to have the car ride a bit higher at highway speeds. Today, Tesla is offering a more substantial solution. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that all Model S EVs built since March 6 have a stronger triple underbody shield that should "bring this [fire] risk down to virtually zero." The company conducted 152 tests using, "every worst case debris impact we can think of, including hardened steel structures set in the ideal position for a piking event, essentially equivalent to driving a car at highway speed into a steel spear braced on the tarmac" and is now confident that there's basically nothing that can break through the new barriers. As you can see here, the shields prevent a concrete block, a three ball tow hitch and a steel alternator from puncturing the car's underside. The new shields should "bring this [fire] risk down to virtually zero." Any Model S owner who wants the new triple shield can ask for it, and even if they don't ask, the structure will be installed whenever the car is next in for service. The three layers of the shield include a rounded, hollow aluminum bar, a titanium plate and "a shallow angle, solid aluminum extrusion." The new shields, "only have a 0.1 percent impact on range and don't affect ride or handling," Musk writes, which means there's no reason for Model S owners not to get the upgrade. You can read all of Musk's explanation below. Tesla Adds Titanium Underbody Shield and Aluminum Deflector Plates to Model S By Elon Musk, Chairman, Product Architect & CEO In 2013, two extremely unusual Model S collisions resulted in underbody damage that led to car fires. These incidents, unfortunately, received more national headlines than the other 200,000 gasoline car fires that happened last year in North America alone. In both cases, the occupants walked away unharmed, thanks to the car's safety features. The onboard computer warned the occupants to exit the vehicles, which they did well before any fire was noticeable.

Tesla expands Supercharger network in central Europe

While you can't drive a Tesla from the US to Europe, Model S drivers on both sides of the pond are seeing a robust Supercharger network. Today, Tesla announced that enough stations exist in central Europe to get a Model S from Amsterdam to cities 500 or 600 miles away in the Alps. As in the US, using a Supercharger is free. The eight Superchargers are located in Germany, Holland, Switzerland and Austria trace a route along the German Autobahn (another six are in Norway) and Tesla says that by the end of March 2014, "50 percent of the German population will live within 320km [200 miles] of a Supercharger," with the rest covered by the start of 2015. The lowest-range Model S, the one with a 60-kWh battery pack, can go 230 miles on a charge, officially. Tesla says its Superchargers can add 170 miles of range in a 30-minute fill-up. You can see Tesla's future Supercharger plans here and find more details in the press release below. TESLA EXPANDS SUPERCHARGER NETWORK IN EUROPE Newly energized routes enable free, convenient long distance travel across DACH region and the Netherlands Tuesday, January 21, 2014 AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands – This week, Tesla officially opens new Supercharger locations connecting the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. These newly-energized routes will enable Model S customers to enjoy free, convenient, 100 percent electric trips on the German Autobahn and to destinations in the Alps and elsewhere. Tesla's first six Superchargers were energized in California in September 2012, with the first network of European Supercharger stations opening in Norway less than a year later. As of today, 81 Supercharger locations are energized worldwide, with 14 locations in Europe. More than 11 million kilometers have been charged by Tesla Superchargers and nearly 1.13 million liters of gas have been offset. The accelerated energizing of Superchargers in Germany (Wilnsdorf, Bad Rappenau, Aichstetten and Jettingen), Switzerland (Lully), Austria (St. Anton) and the Netherlands (Zevenaar and Oosterhout) represents a new milestone in the expansion of the European network. In Germany, Superchargers connect Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich. They also connect the German network to Amsterdam, Zurich, and Innsbruck. In the Netherlands, energized routes connect Amsterdam to Cologne and Brussels, and in Switzerland the stations connect Zurich and Geneva.

Ford 1.0L takes third-straight International Engine of the Year award

Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost is proving to be The Little Engine That Could, and it continues to acquit itself well, finding favor as one of the best powerplants in the world. To confirm it yet again, the tiny mill just won the International Engine of the Year award for the third year in a row, likewise also nabbing the title in the Sub 1.0-liter category.
Packing 123 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque with overboost (125 lb-ft normally), the tiny engine combines impressive power in a size small enough to be a carry-on item for a commercial flight. US buyers only got a taste of the award winner in the 2014 Fiesta, while the 1.0 EcoBoost has been available throughout the Ford lineup in Europe for a few years now. American sales have reportedly been strong, however, and next up in the US, the mill will find its way into the 2015 Focus.
The panel of 82 jury members from 34 countries also named the Mercedes-AMG 2.0-liter turbo found in the A45, CLA45 and GLA45 AMG models with 355 hp and 332 lb-ft as the best New Engine for 2014. The electric powertrain from Tesla won Green Engine prize, and the 4.5-liter V8 from the Ferrari 458 Italia took home the honor of top Performance Engine yet again. You can check out all the winners below, and scroll down further to read Ford's celebratory announcement of its award.