2018 Tesla Model X 75d on 2040-cars

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Tesla gets its own Smartcar, but it's not what you think [w/video]

The idea may be a good one, but to call your new car-based predictive technology "Smartcar" seems like you're asking for a lawsuit from Daimler, the makers of the Smart car. But dig a little deeper and you realize that the plan could work, and whether or not Daimler bites is something we'll let the lawyers decide. In the meantime, here are the details on what the Smartcar for the Tesla Model S is all about. "Whenever you can automate something, that's where the value comes in" - Smartcar CEO Sahas Katta The idea is that your car, using the Internet and a Smartcar subscription, should be able to figure out what time you head off to work each day. Once it does, it can have the cabin at the right temperature (heated in the winter, cooled in the summer) and the battery charged for the drive by the time you're headed out the door. The automated system can also tell the charger to only slurp electrons when lower-cost nighttime electricity rates are in effect. The slightly confusing part is that the Model S already has the capability to program nighttime charging built-in and it can also be pre-conditioned remotely without the Smartcar system, you just have to tell it to do so with your smart phone (see one happy driver doing just this in frigid temperatures in the second video below). The difference with Smartcar is that your Tesla will soon be able to do all this stuff automatically. For example, the system "predicts the required range for your next journey" and "will only delay charging to off-peak hours when it can confidently determine your vehicle will have enough range available for the rest of the day." Smartcar is being designed for the Model S and the upcoming Model X, but the developers say "we're working to bring support to connected vehicles from other manufacturers in the near future." The lead developer behind Smartcar is Sahas Katta, who readers might remember from his GlassTesla project, which integrated Google Glass with a Model S. We called him up to ask why it makes sense to pay $100 a year for a Smartcar subscription when the features it offers are available in the car's default settings. Katta had obviously thought the arguments through, and told AutoblogGreen that he knows plenty of Model S owners who don't remember to set these triggers every day. "Whenever you can automate something, that's where the value comes in," he said.

Tesla Supercharger Network Now Covers Majority Of Americans

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk announced via twitter Sunday that Tesla has officially expanded its Supercharger network across the county. The Supercharger network contains 71 stations, according to Autoblog, and Musk estimates that 80 percent of Americans are within 200 miles of at least one of them. Notably, that includes Texans who are barred from buying Tesla products in their home state. The Supercharger can charge a Model S EV to half its full power in 20 minutes, providing enough charge to get to the next filling station. All for free. The Supercharger is considered such a leap forward in green technology that it was voted 2013 Technology of the Year by AOL Autos. Critics of electric vehicles often cite a lack of recharging infrastructure as one of the major hurdles companies face when bringing the cars to the market. Tesla is tackling this problem head-on, and wants to continue expanding the network to 100-percent coverage, according to Clean Technia. With the release of the more affordable Tesla Model E on the horizon, the Northern California-based company is surely hoping that the expansion of the Supercharger network will put "range anxiety" to bed once and for all. Related Gallery Electric Cars And Hybrids Don't Have To Be Frumpy Green Tesla Alternative Fuels Fuel Efficiency Green Driving Electric supercharger network

Electric Hummer is official, and Tesla's got momentum | Autoblog Podcast #612

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Alex Kierstein and Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder. They start things off with a discussion of the week's news: GMC is launching an electric Hummer truck with a Super Bowl ad, and Tesla was profitable in Q4, sending its stock soaring. Then they talk about what they've been driving, including a super badass Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, the Kia Telluride and their long-term Volvo S60 PHEV. There's no "Spend My Money" segment this week, so send in your questions for future podcast episodes. Autoblog Podcast #612 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Hummer returns as electric GMC truck Further reading: Grappling with the dark side of EVs Tesla profitable for second straight quarter Cars we're driving: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 3500XD Kia Telluride (whose safety tech won Autoblog's 2020 Technology of the Year Award) Long-term Volvo S60 T8 update Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.