Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve been hearing and seeing a lot about Tesla‘s Model S sedan, which is an all-electric car that looks to break all stereotypes about the greener technology, with CEO Elon Musk proving that electric cars don’t need to be small compact go-karts. However, we’ve never seen the inside of the Tesla factory where they make the Model S, until now.

Wired was able to get a look inside the Tesla factory floor and see how the Model S is made. Of course, robots are a big part of the production line, with a whopping 160 robots lining the factory to complete certain tasks like cutting metal, welding it together, and shaping components.

However, Tesla also has a huge army of human workers as well. In fact, they have 3,000 of them to do the more skillful and detailed work that robots just don’t have the capabilities to perform. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the factory is that the car starts with all raw materials, meaning that the Model S starts out as a roll of sheet metal, and almost all of the parts needed are made in-house.

From there, robots cut the sheet metal into panels and presses carve out and shape exterior car parts, like the hood, doors, trunk lid, fenders, etc. Once the body shell is put together, it’s taken to the painting department where robots prep, primer, and paint the body shell. From there, it goes to general assembly, where workers play a more important role, like installing the interior and engine.

In the end, it takes anywhere from 3-5 days to make a Tesla Model S, and while the company relies a lot on automation and using robots (even for installing the interior car seats), Tesla’s 3,000 employees make sure that the finer details are complete and a Model S is ready to hit the road.

Tesla Model S factory tour shows Elon Musk’s robot army is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Tesla Motors has been in a constant battle with state governments over whether or not the car company can sell its vehicles directly to customers rather than going through a middle man (a.k.a. car dealerships). However, a White House petition recently surpassed the required 100,000 signatures, and it asks the US government to allow Tesla direct sales in all 50 US states.

Since it passed 100,000 signatures, it now moves into the hands of the Obama administration and requires a response. The petition stated that “states should not be allowed to prevent Tesla Motors from selling cars directly to customers. The state legislators are trying to unfairly protect automobile dealers in their states from competition. Tesla is providing competition, which is good for consumers.”

Several states have already issued bans on Tesla Motors from selling their cars within state borders, including Texas, Virginia, and Massachusetts, with other states trying to sneak in similar legislation – the most recent state being New York. Tesla as a company has been fighting with legislators to reserve the bills, but Tesla Motors fans have begun joining in.

The White House petition was started around a month ago, and it reached the required number of signatures today, just a couple days shy of the deadline. The best part is, all the signatures came from the community, so we’re sure that Tesla is more than grateful for the help. Frankly, we’re surprised at how quickly the petition gained the last 25,000 signatures, seeing as how the petition reached 75,000 signatures just yesterday.

The next step is to wait for an official response from the Obama administration. It’s not guaranteed that President Obama will be writing the decision himself, but as the petition website notes, we’ll most likely hear a response from other administration officials instead. Hopefully, they lean our way in their decision, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Tesla White House petition to allow direct sales passes signature threshold is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

There’s a petition out there in Washington summond by the public on behalf of Tesla Motors, and as of the first of July, it’s reached 75,000 of the 100k it needs to be seen. While the end result of the petition gaining its full set of signatures isn’t entirely clear*, the sheet’s aim is this:

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At the D11 event yesterday, Tesla Motors’ Elon Musk let an announcement out of the bag a tad earlier than planned: Tesla will be tripling its SuperCharger network of charging stations this year. As promised, Tesla made the official announcement today, adding a few more details into the mix that we didn’t learn last night, one being that Tesla will roll out a beta version of a new technology that speeds up charging time by 50-percent.

Tesla says that it has been improving the current technology used in the SuperCharger network, with the goal being a new type of technology that allows its customers to recharge their cars in half the time it currently takes. Such numbers are based on early trials of the new charging system, with Tesla saying that it is presently still in beta mode.

The updated technology will be “fully rolled out” some time this summer, although we don’t have a specific date – likely it will happen in increments. When using this newer technology, Model S owners will see their vehicles charged to 120kW, which represents three hours’ worth of driving time, in a tad over 20 minutes. This is yet another change that helps assuage concerns that have kept some from investing in the all-electric vehicle, with the technology no doubt heading towards even faster charging times in the future.

Also revealed in the announcement was the specific locations that can expect new SuperCharging stations, which is comprised of locations in California, Austin, Dallas, Illinois, Colorado, Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver. Tesla says there will be “four additional eastern seaboard stations” as well, though it doesn’t elaborate. Such are meant to serve as more convenient places to stop and recharge than what is currently available.

This particular change – the tripling of the stations available and the locations specified above – will be completed by the end of June. Tesla has revealed a 6-month and 12-month outlook as well, however, with the former including a connection of nearly all the major metro areas of the United States and Canada. In 12 months’ time, Tesla says the SuperCharger network will be available to nearly all of Canada and the US.

SOURCE: Tesla

Tesla to roll out SuperCharging stations that are 50% faster this summer is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Tesla‘s current and only production electric car, the Model S, isn’t exactly cheap. It starts at just over $60,000, which most middle class people wouldn’t even bother to purchase. Of course, there’s always options from Nissan, Toyota, and Chevrolet that are a bit cheaper, Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that these cheaper electric cars aren’t all that great.

Musk says that he wants to build low-cost all-electric cars that more people can afford, and it’s not just because he wants more Tesla cars on the road, but also because he wants to cut down on CO2 emissions that gasoline cars are notorious for, by introducing an all-electric, zero emissions vehicle that is both low-cost and high-quality.

The Tesla CEO has taken to Twitter these last few days to voice his opinions on climate change, and he’s been quite outspoken about the subject, saying that “science helps confirm climate change by, once again, pointing to sea level rise,” and “in reality, 97% of scientists agree that we face serious human generated climate change.” He also notes that “tailpipe emissions cause lung degradation, particularly in dense urban environments.”

However, Musk says he’s “not suggesting shutting down CO2 production, but rather to price in environmental cost and shift to sustainable energy.” He’s certainly doing his part by making luxury electric cars, but the CEO says that he wants the company to produce “a compelling, affordable car” that costs less than the Model S but is a lot nicer than Nissan’s Leaf (below $40,000). Musk says he adamant about making such a car, mentioning that he’s “not going to let anything go, no matter what people offer, until I complete that mission,” referring to selling the company before making an affordable electric car.

VIA: Detroit News

Tesla aims for low-cost electric cars as CEO discusses climate change is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.