THE CAR AND TRUCK FLEET AND LEASING MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE
On an early morning in March, a 2018 Tesla Model 3 electric-powered passenger vehicle crashed into a tractor-trailer near Delray Beach, Florida. The National Transportation Safety Board now says the car’s autonomous control system was engaged at the time of the accident.
Tesla has raised the price of its cheapest Model 3 electric vehicle by $400, and is now $35,400.
Long Range versions of Tesla Model S and Model X are now available with extended drive ranges, increasing to 370 miles and 325 miles, respectively.
During Tesla’s first quarter 2019 earnings call, the company indicated that production of the Tesla Semi would begin in 2020, later than the initial projection of 2019.
New legislation to raise the electric vehicle sales cap for automakers from 200,000 to 400,000 cumulative sales was proposed by a group of bipartisan lawmakers.
Tesla unveiled a battery-electric, midsize SUV called the Model Y that will feature a minimum driving range of 230 miles and will be available at a starting price of $39,000.
While 10 automakers reported equipping more than 50% of the vehicles they produced between Sept. 1, 2017 and Aug. 31, 2018 with automatic emergency braking, the top four among these managed to equip 90% or more with the crash avoidance technology.
The Trump administration has plan to cut the $7,500 federal tax credit that has supported sales of battery-electric vehicles as part of its 2020 budget proposal.
At the Green Truck Summit, Carlton Rose, president of global fleet maintenance and engineering at UPS, said the desire for clean and quiet trucks is growing and pointed out how the global delivery giant has already made substantial investments in that green future.
General Motors reached the threshold of 200,000 plug-in electric vehicles sold in December, which begins a phase-out of the $7,500 federal tax credit over the next 15 months, Reuters reported.