Tesla to attend 2019 LA Auto Show, will offer test drives

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on October 31, 2019

Tesla will be making its presence known at the upcoming 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show, with the electric car maker scheduled to offer test drives for its lineup of vehicles to interested participants of the event. The test drive sessions have been formally listed on the LA Auto Show’s official website. 

The LA Auto Show is an event that has been graced by Tesla over the years, though the company’s previous efforts have been far more understated. Last year, for example, Tesla’s booth at the Los Angeles-based event was very simple, showcasing the company’s lineup of vehicles and its energy products. The same was true for Tesla’s 2017 LA Auto Show booth. 

It appears that the electric car maker is looking to shake things up a little this year. Apart from showcasing its vehicles, Tesla will also be offering test drives for the Model S, Model X, and Model 3 for the LA Auto Show’s attendees. This would not only add a more interactive flourish to the company’s booth at the event; it would also provide interested drivers the opportunity to experience a Tesla firsthand.

Based on an announcement from the organizers of the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show, Tesla’s test drive program will run for the duration of the event, from Nov. 22 to Dec. 1. It should be noted that participants have to be 21 years old or older with a valid US Driver’s License to be able to sign up for the company’s test drives. The use of mobile devices while driving is also strictly prohibited. 

Tesla has not provided details about its Model S, Model X, and Model 3 test drive program at the LA Auto Show, though there is a good chance that the company will utilize the best vehicles in its lineup for the event. Thus, it would not be surprising if the company’s test drive fleet will be comprised of Raven Model S and Model X Performance units, as well as Model 3 Performance sedans. 

Overall, offering test drives at the LA Auto Show could prove to be a wise strategy for Tesla. Test drives, after all, are a great way for potential customers to experience the company’s products firsthand. This is backed up by the Tesla community, many of whom decided to purchase their electric vehicles after undergoing a test drive in one of the company’s EVs.

Apart from its test drive program, Tesla will likely showcase some of its new energy products at the upcoming event as well. In previous years, the Silicon Valley-based company has brought over a “House of the Future” to the event, featuring its clean energy products like the Powerwall 2 and the Solar Roof tiles. With this in mind, it seems safe to assume that Elon Musk’s Solarglass V3 tiles will make an appearance at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Tesla to attend 2019 LA Auto Show, will offer test drives

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Tesla improves Model 3’s interior cabin noise in latest production cars

Joey Klender

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Posted on October 30, 2019

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently addressed a question regarding interior cabin noise in the Model 3, stating the issue has been “significantly improved in current production.”

Cabin noise has been a prevalent issue with Tesla Model 3 owners in the early days of production, prompting some third-party vendors to offer products designed to make for a quieter drive, like door seal kits. Tesla has gone as far as designing an acoustic tire, specifically focused on reducing interior cabin noises.

Electric vehicles, unlike a traditional combustion engine car, do not have an engine, transmission, and tailpipe noise that assist in eliminating the common sounds of the road. But in a test performed on twenty different electric vehicle cabin noise levels by Bjørn Nyland, three different variants of the Model 3 performed in the bottom 50%, citing an average noise of between 68 and 69 decibels. The quietest vehicle tested was the Audi e-Tron, scoring a 62.9 dB level.

The source of the noises is narrowed down to wind noises that creep through improper seals and weatherstripping in the vehicle’s doors, as well as other uninsulated areas that amplify wind noise. The faster one travels, the more wind noise. While Musk did not go into detail as far as what changes Tesla is specifically making to reduce cabin noise, we know the issue has been addressed by the company and will most likely be improved upon with new Model 3s. In the past, Musk has teased the idea of a sound system adjusting in volume according to cabin noise, however, this technique would not take care of the issue completely, and would ultimately add more noise. Tesla will address the problem from the source by trying to eliminate it altogether instead of masking it with other sounds.

Tesla and Musk are notorious for listening to consumers and addressing the requests they make in order to improve their vehicles. Joe Mode is one example, as a parent stated he was encountering issues with Tesla’s Autopilot chimes waking his children up. Musk confronted this problem and released Joe Mode with the V10 update. Cabin noise is an issue Tesla has battled with in the past, but the company is working diligently and seems to have found a fix for the problem in the production phases.

Tesla owner and YouTuber Tesla Raj performed a series of tests on his Model 3, with the goal of identifying ways to reduce its interior cabin noise. Watch below for some great insight.

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Tesla improves Model 3’s interior cabin noise in latest production cars

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Tesla Navigate on Autopilot to get Automatic HOV Lane detection

Joey Klender

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Posted on October 29, 2019

Tesla is expected to add an automatic High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) recognition feature that will enable Navigate on Autopilot to automatically utilize carpool lanes when the vehicle detects two or more passengers.

The “Use HOV Lanes” feature was released with Tesla’s V9 Software Update in October 2018, and was aimed toward allowing driver’s to determine if their car was eligible to use HOV lanes while utilizing Navigate on Autopilot. Navigate on Autopilot is a part of Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” software suite currently available to Model 3, Model S, and Model X drivers. However, Tesla YouTuber Quinn Nelson made the suggestion to utilize seat sensors as a means to determine whether passengers are present in the vehicle, automatically turning on and off the toggle button, eliminating the need for the driver to do it manually.

The “Use HOV Lanes” feature will allow Navigate on Autopilot to use carpool lanes on the highway when they are available. Without the feature enabled, the Tesla vehicle will avoid these lanes altogether. Nelson’s idea of having the vehicle automatically recognize passengers in the vehicle will utilize the car’s seat sensors in order to turn the HOV feature on. While carpool lanes are usually reserved for vehicles with two or more passengers, some states have recognized electric vehicles as “exempt” from this rule. This label was placed upon cars not using gasoline or diesel fuel as their primary power source in an attempt “to encourage acquisition of certain vehicle types, like [Alternative Fuel Vehicles], to further reduce mobile source emissions,” according to the United States Department of Energy. Owners of electric cars can apply for HOV stickers through the Department of Motor Vehicles if their state recognizes vehicle as “exempt”.

Tesla’s anticipated automatic HOV Lane feature will further provide convenience for drivers who are hauling passengers when utilizing Navigate on Autopilot. Tesla currently offers Navigate on Autopilot to any driver of the Model 3, Model S, or Model X for $6,000. Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently announced the price would receive a $1,000 increase on November 1, 2019, due to the addition of new features, such as the widely popular Smart Summon.

Tesla Navigate on Autopilot to get Automatic HOV Lane detection

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