Almost a year ago, Tesla revealed that a ride-hailing network using its electric cars was in the works. Unlike Uber, the current market leader, Tesla’s fleet of on-demand cars would be fully driverless, according to earlier posts.
In recent times, Uber has started to try autonomous vehicles as well. However, for Tesla, the system intended to have a different approach. Drivers that owned a Tesla car could attach it to the network and employ it to generate extra revenue.
In other news, the company will start production of its Model 3 cars later this month and might enter the Indian market somewhere in 2017. Also, Tesla owners around the country can now see if Supercharger stations have free spots for them, thanks to a new update.
Tesla plans to build a taxi fleet formed by EVs
By the end of 2017, said Elon Musk, a fully autonomous Tesla car would be able to drive from the city of Los Angeles to New York City. The plan is ambitious, as it presents a 2,800-mile journey of approximately 40 hours from coast to coast.
If they manage to do so, people might feel more confident about having an entire fleet of driverless cars conducting business throughout the streets of the central cities. But, Tesla has not revealed any further details about this endeavor.
The Tesla-SolarCity catalog will start growing
The company plans to ramp up production ahead of its Model 3 launch. At its Gigafactory in Nevada, battery production is going well. For now, however, it will only serve Tesla’s rechargeable systems, the Powerwall 2 and Powerpack 2.
Its solar panel factory, which started production after the deal with SolarCity, will begin producing photovoltaic equipment this summer in Buffalo, New York. Online reports note that SolarCity began to hire workers for the plant a few weeks ago.
The Model 3 is coming soon
This car is one of Tesla’s most ambitious bets. Following the production success both factories represent to the company, the price of this new model went down to $35,000. The Model 3 will be Tesla’s affordable, family-oriented sedan.
The company has not revealed much about this automobile. Electric car enthusiasts still wait for news on its interior and more info about its internal specs. However, rumors point out to a range of at least 215 miles.
The Model 3 also follows Tesla’s effort to produce about 500,000 cars a year by 2018. The company acquired Grohmann Engineering, a German firm, to improve manufacturing automation on its factories.
Further endeavors for Elon Musk’s conglomerate also include the production of solar roofs, slated for the middle of the year, and a second Gigafactory in Europe.
Source: Business Insider