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Tesla Model S proves troublesome for Consumer Reports

The Tesla Model S has turned into the breakthrough model that electric cars needed. Instead of looking like a futuristic jellybean whizzing by, the Tesla would still be incredibly attractive with a V8 stuffed under the hood. But beyond its appealing styling, the luxury sedan offers a realistic driving range, impressive performance and oft-praised driving dynamics. It's everything many drivers are looking for. However, as more long-term reviews come out, it's becoming clear that living with one of these wonder cars isn't without its fair share of problems.
A few weeks ago, Edmunds published its 17-month ownership experience with a Model S. It praised the experience being behind the wheel of the luxury sedan, at least when it was possible. Edmunds reported that it had to make seven unscheduled trips to the service bay and even left a writer by the side of the road once. The biggest issues included replacing the drive unit three times, needing a new main battery and numerous resets of the center screen.
Consumer Reports just wrote about its own driving impressions after 15,743 miles, and its experience with the Model S has hardly been a walk in the park, though not nearly as bad as Edmunds' rough time. The infotainment screen needed a hard reset once after blinking out, and one unscheduled service left the sedan in the shop for two days. There have been other, smaller issues too. In Tesla's favor, the repairs were done under warranty.

Tesla working to eliminate side mirrors

Of all the concept car technologies, one of our favorites has been the deletion of side-view mirrors in favor of video cameras. Besides improving the look of the car, it'd lower drag and improve fuel economy. However, cost, available technology, and most importantly, the government, stand in the way of this tech making it onto a production model.
It's that last facet that Tesla is seeking to change. As Automotive News explains, when the Model X debuted in concept form, it was without wing mirrors. But when the production car was revealed, it had the conventional mirrors, largely because the camera'd car violated the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety code (Standard 111, to be precise).
Now comes word that Tesla has actively been lobbying the NHTSA to do away with the standard. It's got breathing room at the moment. We reported a few months ago that the federal mandate regarding backup cameras had been pushed back to 2015. That gives Tesla plenty of time to work the safety administration over regarding the mirror replacement, getting the new tech approved in the next mandate.

Tesla Roadster 3.0 package prototype announced with 400-mile possibilities

Once a car company ceases to manufacture a particular model, it is relegated to history, largely forgotten by its maker. Sure, warranties are honored and recall-worthy items are (hopefully) taken responsibility for, but post-production improvements are left up owners and the aftermarket. With the announcement of the Roadster 3.0 package, Tesla once again reminds us it is not most car companies. Following a heads-up given by CEO Elon Musk last week on Twitter, the company has now shared some details of a new upgrade it will be making available for its electric sports coupe sometime in 2015. For a yet-to-be-disclosed price, owners can opt to have their cars upgraded with a 70-kWh battery, some aerodynamically-optimized body bits and low-rolling resistance tires. Together, the enhancements should offer a 40-50 percent range improvement and give Roadsters a 400-mile range under certain conditions. Originally, it came with a 56-kWh unit and was rated for 245 miles on a charge. Tesla tells us that "this is a retrofit package currently in its prototype phase", and so it still isn't clear whether the changes will allow Roadsters to be compatible with the Supercharger network, or whether the body kit will affect the outward appearance. We do know that this automotive augmentation does not also apply to the Model S, though it does give hope that those cars will also be on the receiving end of similar upgrades in the future. The California company plans to put its 3.0 package to the test sometime early in the new year, with a road trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles. Interestingly, it says that this will not be the last time it offers improvements for its original model. You can get more details on the update below. Roadster 3.0 The Roadster 3.0 package applies what we've learned in Model S to Roadster. No new Model S battery pack or major range upgrade is expected in the near term. Battery technology has continued a steady improvement in recent years, as has our experience in optimizing total vehicle efficiency through Model S development. We have long been excited to apply our learning back to our first vehicle, and are thrilled to do just that with the prototype Roadster 3.0 package. It consists of three main improvement areas. 1. Batteries The original Roadster battery was the very first lithium ion battery put into production in any vehicle. It was state of the art in 2008, but cell technology has improved substantially since then.