Elon Planet

Tesla Inc. ’s new Model Y has what people have come to expect from Elon Musk’s cars: It’s lightning quick, handles nicely and has better electronic gadgetry than its competitors. Unlike past Tesla offerings, early versions are rolling off the assembly line looking more like you’d expect from a company with a handle on the finer points of car building, according to Sandy Munro. The manufacturing consultant who’s been tearing cars apart piece-by-piece for three decades offered his initial impressions before digging into the Model Y that his shop took delivery of this week. “I don’t have much negative to say,” Munro said in an interview. “It’s much better than the  Model 3  when we got it. We found problems, but the average car buyer won’t even see these things.” Munro and his eponymous firm have been well known for years among Detroit’s automotive engineers for their in-depth analysis of hundreds of cars from virtually every manufacturer. He gained wider noto...

Elon Musk   said Wednesday that the company’s factory in Buffalo, New York will open “as soon as humanly possible” to produce ventilators that are in short supply due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. His comments, which were made Wednesday via Twitter, follows previous statements by the CEO outlining plans to either donate ventilators or work to increase production of the critical piece of medical equipment needed for patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by coronavirus. COVID-19 attacks the lungs and can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia. And since there is no clinically proven treatment yet, ventilators are relied upon to help people breathe and fight the disease. There are about 160,000 ventilators in the United States and another 12,700 in the National Strategic Supply, the  NYT reported . Elon Musk ✔ @elonmusk  ·  16 h Replying to @flcnhvy @Tesla Making goo...

Billionaire Elon Musk has told his employees at Tesla that they can stay at home if they’re worried about the novel coronavirus outbreak, but that he intends to keep going to work. According to the Los Angeles Times, Tesla’s Fremont, California, electric vehicle assembly plant, which employs about 10,000 people, will remain open despite a lockdown issued by six Bay Area counties. That’s because it’s been deemed to be an “essential business” by officials, although it’s unclear why a vehicle manufacturer has been given that status. Musk told employees in a Monday night email: “If you feel the slightest bit ill or even uncomfortable, please do not feel obligated to come to work.” However, he added: “My frank opinion is that the harm from the coronavirus panic far exceeds that of the virus itself.” He said COVID-19 cases “will not exceed 0.1 percent of the population,” and told staff: “I will personally be at work, but that’s just me.” One unnamed employee told the Times: “I’m going in...

Tesla has officially started delivering the first Model Ys to customers in the US ahead of its original schedule, and despite the world becoming increasingly wrapped up in the grips of the coronavirus pandemic. The company tweeted a video Monday showing the small electric SUV going through the production process and being tested in different parts of the world, along with a link to the order page. A few of the first deliveries were also  spotted over the weekend  by some Tesla-focused YouTubers like Teslanomics’ Ben Sullins. First unveiled in March 2019, the Model Y is the company’s fifth all-electric car to go into production. It’s a small SUV built on the same technological platform as the Model 3 sedan, with the two cars sharing about 75 percent of parts. There are a few key differences, though, like a full hatch door at the rear (which is motorized), extra headroom, and an optional small third row with two shotgun-style seats. While the Model 3 has prov...