Tesla to allow preferred routes in Autopilot, hints Elon Musk

Joey Klender

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Posted on October 8, 2019

Routes chosen by Tesla’s Autopilot are based on the most time and energy-efficient options available. However, that may be changing, as options that would allow owners to choose routes that would be longer, allowing for more time to operate on Autopilot, may be coming soon.

After Yu-kai Chou, a notable pioneer in the industry of gamification thanked Tesla CEO Elon Musk for creating the Model 3 by calling it “the best purchase he’s ever made”, Musk inquired to his followers about any requests that they may have for future updates. Many requests were sent, but one, in particular, caught Musk’s attention.

“Allow us to choose a route based on more Autopilot, not just shortest travel time. Because Autopilot is the greatest thing ever. Period. And I’ll spend an extra 15 minutes on my commute if it means more Autopilot,” a Tesla owner said. Musk’s response suggests that he has agreed to the Tesla owner’s suggestion.

Usually, cars with GPS systems suggest routes based on the shortest period of travel or on the shortest distance between the two destinations. However, Tesla owners seem to not care about spending a few extra moments in their car, as long as Autopilot is doing the driving for them.

Tesla’s Autopilot feature has come a long way since its unveiling in October 2014. Most recently, it has been able to recognize makeshift lanes on the highway and perform flawlessly in rush-hour traffic. Autopilot has made driving safer and easier for those who have the option available on their vehicles.

This is not the first time that Musk has entertained ideas from owners and suggested that they would be a great addition to Tesla software. In fact, the V10 software update’s “Joe Mode” was a suggestion from a follower on Twitter. He expressed his need for softer chimes in order to make the car rides with his kids a little bit more peaceful, and Musk listened. Joe Mode is available for anyone running the V10 software and has alleviated the risk of waking their children.

Tesla to allow preferred routes in Autopilot, hints Elon Musk

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The ‘Tesla Effect’ is wrecking Europe’s luxury brands in the 2nd-hand market

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on October 7, 2019

There was once a time when plush leather seats, chrome-trimmed knobs, metal buttons, and a loud, grumbling engine were the hallmarks of a luxury vehicle. That was the status quo for a very long time, but with the emergence of Tesla and its tech-focused approach to cars, these age-old definitions of luxury in the automotive industry are getting disrupted.  

In a recent article, American bank holding firm Capital One opted to examine a phenomenon in the second-hand luxury car segment that it dubs as “The Tesla Effect.” According to the financial firm, the influx of sales generated by Tesla consumers’ reaction to the brand amid the release of more attainable vehicles like the Model 3 has pretty much wrecked the pre-owned luxury segment. And the biggest victims of the Silicon Valley-based electric car maker are some of Europe’s strongest brands. 

A key vehicle in this transition is the Tesla Model 3, which went from zero to 140,000 units sold faster than any other luxury car before. The market’s interest with the electric sedan has been consistent, to the point where it is now a driving force in the US’ used luxury car segment. As more and more luxury car owners trade in their vehicle for a Tesla, traditional high-end brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz are getting the short end of the stick. 

The Tesla Model 3 draws crowds in South Korea. (Credit: Tesla, Tae Koan, Ko/Twitter)

Capital One notes that Tesla currently gets European vehicles as trade-ins 22.2% of the time, over two times the industry average of 10.9%. The result of this is the second-hand market getting flooded with luxury vehicles — vehicles that are so far not seeing an increase in demand. These conditions create a perfect storm for veteran luxury automakers. 

Data from the Manheim Market Report reveals that a 2018 BMW 320i lost almost 20% of its value in the first half of 2019 alone, dropping from $37,700 to $30,700. One could say that this is the case considering that the new 320i is a new vehicle, and new cars depreciate at a steeper rate, but Capital One maintains that the decline is usually not as prominent. A Mercedes-Benz B-Class also dropped nearly 30% in the first six months of the year, from $18,500 to $13,250. 

The Tesla Model S, Model X, and Model 3.

A rather surprising result of The Tesla Effect is that customers in the market for pre-owned luxury vehicles could see lower prices for cars like BMW’s 3-Series. With their depreciation being so steep, customers could acquire a three-year-old BMW or Mercedes-Benz sedan at a lower price than a brand new Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. 

A key driving force behind The Tesla Effect is the apparent change in priorities among luxury car buyers. While buyers of luxury cars in the past valued the exclusivity of materials used in their vehicles’ accents, consumers today appear to be more focused on how much convenience is offered by a car. In this light, a vehicle that can pull itself out of a parking spot and pick up its passengers seems to be a more preferable purchase over a car that just happens to have exclusive leather seats. 

Overall, Tesla seems to be lucky enough to hit its stride at a time when consumers care most about tech and convenience. With its silent, stealthy power and its zero-emissions nature, Tesla’s electric cars are starting to become the preferred vehicle for buyers who grew up in a world where tech moves at an incredibly fast pace, and those that cannot catch the most recent update risk getting left behind.

The ‘Tesla Effect’ is wrecking Europe’s luxury brands in the 2nd-hand market

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Tesla and EV drivers are front and center in young advocate’s heartfelt initiative

Simon Alvarez

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Posted on October 6, 2019

Charlotte Smith from Solihull, England, wanted to know why she kept getting a bad cough whenever she walked around the back of vehicles. Smith, who was still in primary school then, opted to do some research on the topic with her father. Through their study sessions, Charlotte learned that vehicle emissions are the culprit for several adverse lung conditions. 

It did not take long before Charlotte became a full-on electric vehicle advocate, at one point even writing a science paper on the topic for her school. Her conclusions were simple: if more people drove electric cars, far fewer kids will get sick from the emissions of vehicles that had internal combustion engines. Thus, the primary school student decided to start an awareness campaign that recognizes EV owners for helping clean the air that children like her are breathing.

With this, a little movement called “EV Thank You” was born. With some help from her dad, who worked then as a software engineer at Jaguar Land Rover, the carmaker behind the all-electric I-PACE, Charlotte decided to make little thank you cards for people and companies that are accelerating the transition to sustainable transportation. Her goal was simply to brighten up the day of EV owners a little. 

“I wanted to encourage more people to drive electric cars, but instead of punishing the people who drove normal cars I decided to thank those who drove electric cars and hope they would promote it! I love to think that these people are driving home in their electric cars feeling really good about themselves, just because I said thank you,” Charlotte said.

That was over a year ago. Now 12, Charlotte has given thousands of EV Thank You cards to thousands of electric car owners. She has also traveled over 10,000 miles while expanding her initiative from countries in Europe such as England and Norway to the United States. Her efforts have received some notable recognition from British royalty, including the Queen of England, the Prince of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall, but even until now, she and her dad remain the only members of her grassroots movement. 

A look at the official EV Thank You Twitter page shows that Charlotte and her dad’s recent trip to the United States included a stop at Tesla’s electric car factory in Fremont, CA, where she, of course, gave the company’s staff her thank you cards. The reception to her campaign has been overwhelmingly positive, with some EV owners stating that they are very grateful for receiving some surprising recognition from the young advocate. 

Sometimes, it takes one small initiative to make the world a slightly better place, or to make someone’s day just a bit better. Charlotte Smith’s EV Thank You cards might be a simple gesture, but the themes behind them are poignant. They show that today’s young are becoming more and more aware of the disadvantages of using internal combustion engines. At the same time, they are becoming more and more aware that electric-powered transportation makes more sense.

Tesla and EV drivers are front and center in young advocate’s heartfelt initiative

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