Tesla Model 3 gets bizarre “active sound” package to resemble gas cars

Randell Suba

By

Posted on March 8, 2020

A Tesla Model 3 Performance was recently modified by a UK-based exhaust system manufacturer, giving the electric sedan a range of active sounds to give it a “proper exhaust note and sound.”

YouTube channel Archie Hamilton Racing featured the Tesla Model 3 modified by Miltek Sport. The latter created the mobile app-based Active Sound Generator by that produces around 98 decibels of performance exhaust sounds.

“For some, the peace and quiet of a Tesla is the reason they buy the car. For us, it was the way the car drives, and the silence was something we saw as a project to overcome. Why can’t we have the best of both worlds?” Miltek Sport wrote on its blog.

The mobile app allows one to set the kind of sound the system will play and the sound changes as one steps on the accelerator of the Model 3. One can choose from the roar of a V10 or V12 engine, and Miltek Sport will reportedly add more to the list of active sound options in the future.

The host of the Archie Hamilton Racing and the spokesperson for Miltek Sport took the Model 3 Performance with Active Sound for a spin.

“With EVs, our roads aren’t ready for EVs… it’s too loud so when you’re driving along, you get a lot of road noise in the car. Sometimes…it’s just nice to have an engine burbling away rather than just tire and wind noise. It feels more natural to have that. With the EVs, yes, the performance is there on paper but it’s not emotive. There’s no feeling to it. What the sound does is give it some feeling and some heart,” a spokesperson said.

Electric cars are radically quieter than their internal combustion engine counterparts. Tesla owners, for example, may only encounter tire noises and wind resistance noise at higher speeds. An occasional whine of electric motors is present from time to time.

“It’s a very subtle noise and you’re right, it gives it character. I just feel like we’re in a normal life sports car now,” the YouTube host added.

Artificial engine sounds for electric cars is not really a new idea. In fact, authorities in the United States and Europe recommend electric and hybrid car manufacturers to give owners the ability to choose an engine sound they can use while driving at low speeds to alert pedestrians. Tesla competitor Porsche Taycan, for example, offers a $500 package for an Electric Sport Sound package that gives the electric sports car the howl of a high-revving V8 engine.

Tesla owners, on the other hand, commonly deal with cabin noises with additional door seals. The Palo Alto, California-based carmaker even designed acoustic foam-lined tires for a quieter interior cabin.

According to Miltek Sport, Active Sound might soon feature futuristic sounds comparable to Star Wars. For most Tesla owners who enjoy the quiet motors and their potent performance, the force in such modification might not be that strong.

Check out the video of the Tesla Model 3 with Active Sound from Archie Hamilton Racing:

[embedded content]

Tesla Model 3 gets bizarre “active sound” package to resemble gas cars

<!–

View Comments

–>

Source

Tesla Giga Berlin in stunning 3D render is a sneak peek of Elon Musk’s grand plans in Germany

Randell Suba

By

Posted on March 8, 2020

A new Tesla Giga Berlin rendering overlayed on a satellite 3D view of the Grunheide property provides a strong digital representation of Elon Musk’s massive electric vehicle factory to come.

Emil Senkel, hailed by German local publications as one of the most active Tesla fans and enthusiasts in the region, created a 3D Giga Berlin map that shows the factory with a solar roof, areas of the property that has been cleared of trees, employee parking, and railyard. The railroad and nearby roads are also accurately represented on the digital map.

Senkel rendered to life Tesla’s activities in Brandenburg as it prepares to hold a Giga Berlin groundbreaking ceremony later this month where CEO Elon Musk has confirmed his attendance. The maps are consistent with the latest reports showing more heavy machines and activities on the build site.

Tesla Giga Berlin rendering (Source: Emil Senkel | Twitter)

Tesla Giga Berlin rendering (Source: Emil Senkel | Twitter)

Tesla Giga Berlin rendering (Source: Emil Senkel | Twitter)

Tesla Giga Berlin rendering (Source: Emil Senkel | Twitter)

Another Tesla fan @DerCaspar reported via Twitter that there are around 19 excavators, 6 forwarders, 1 crane, several other heavy machines, and trucks in the Grunheide property. The activities are reminiscent of what happened when Tesla built Giga Shanghai, its car factory in China that was completed and operational in just 10 months.

Tesla completed the clearing of 93 hectares (229 acres), roughly a third of the total 300-hectare (741 acres) site, of land on Feb. 29 and has also ramped the installation of electric cables that will supply power to the construction site and later on to the factory itself.

Tesla is doing the current construction preparations and taking its own risks while waiting for permits from the government. The complaint period for the project recently ended and a public hearing will be conducted on March 18, after which the building permits will be discussed at the Ministry of Economics.

So far, lawmakers have seen how Tesla wants to conduct business in Germany — quick but doing everything within the bounds of the law and respecting nature. The Brandenburg Social Democratic Party chairman Erik Stohn said last week that they want to bring the Tesla Effect across the country.

“We want to take the Turbo Tesla pace across the country,” said Stohn, alluding to the speed seen during the build of Giga Shanghai in China.

Tesla aims to turn the switch of Giga Berlin on by July 2021 and begin the production of the Model Y electric crossover. It plans to produce 10,000 units per week, an aggressive goal that can potentially have the Model Y redefining what “Elon Time” is all about.

Check out this new 4K drone footage by Tesla Kid Grunheide which shows the expanse of the Tesla property and the activities going on to prepare the land for construction.

[embedded content]

Tesla Giga Berlin in stunning 3D render is a sneak peek of Elon Musk’s grand plans in Germany

<!–

View Comments

–>

Source

Tesla Model 3 infotainment design validated in Koenigsegg Gemera hypercar

Simon Alvarez

By

Posted on March 7, 2020

There are a lot of noteworthy things about the Koenigsegg Gemera, one of the craziest vehicles to come out of the Sweden-based high-performance car manufacturer. It’s insanely quick, it produces 1700 hp, it seats four, it even has anchor points for child seats. The most exciting feature about the Gemera, however, is its infotainment system, which is inspired by the Tesla Model 3.

When the Tesla Model 3 was initially unveiled, its interior immediately caught the ire of many critics. Tesla bears promptly called out the electric car maker for rolling out such an impractical and “dangerous” infotainment design. Even Consumer Reports complained about the Model 3’s touchscreen and how simple tasks such as adjusting side mirrors depended on it.

(Credit: Koenigsegg Automotive AB)

Yet, inasmuch as the Model 3’s infotainment system was heavily criticized, it was also met with much acclaim from owners who purchased the car. Some noted that it only took a short period of time before they got used to the 15” display, while others stated that the touch-based controls were actually pretty innovative.

Koenigsegg Automotive AB founder Christian von Koenigsegg appears to be part of the latter group. Koenigsegg is a staunch supporter of electric vehicles, and he has spoken positively about companies such as Tesla in the past. In fact, the man behind hypercar monsters such as the One:1 and the Regera recently revealed that his daily driver is a Tesla Model 3. When asked why during an interview with Road and Track, Koenigsegg simple stated that the Model 3 is “the best contemporary ‘normal’ daily driver around” today.

Koenigsegg Gemera

Considering that he drives a Model 3 and he is actually fond of the vehicle, it seems safe to infer that Christian von Koenigsegg must have spent a considerable amount of time interacting with his electric car’s infotainment display. And based on the Gemera’s own infotainment system, Koenigsegg appears to have recognized the advantages of Tesla’s approach on the Model 3.

Similar to Koenigsegg’s other creations, the Gemera is a work of art. The vehicle weighs roughly the same as a Model 3 Performance, but it has about three times the power from its electric motors and its small 3-cylinder engine. It’s insanely quick as well, sprinting from 0-60 mph in 1.7 seconds. That’s faster than the base Tesla Roadster and the Rimac C-_Two. If Koenigsegg’s previous creations are any indication, the Gemera will probably only be produced in very limited quantities, and it will likely fetch a price that’s worth several next-gen Roadsters combined.

Tesla Model 3 infotainment design validated in Koenigsegg Gemera hypercar

<!–

View Comments

–>

Source