Electric Vehicles

The technology many of us have been waiting for is on the horizon: a fully autonomous self-driving car. Tesla’s Autopilot is the boldest step we have seen a car manufacturer take to making this futuristic accomplishment a reality. However, while Tesla’s Autopilot is a breakthrough, it may not satisfy the expectations many eager consumers want out of a self-driving vehicle. Is it even worth the cost? If you are looking for a vehicle that can ease the hassles that come with driving, the Tesla Autopilot is a great and intuitive feature to utilize. However, if your desire is to be completely disengaged from your vehicle and the road, you may want to hold out until the technology further develops. There is a lot to take in when determining whether the Tesla Autopilot is right for you. Read on to learn about these factors and ensure you make the right decision before committing to this investment. Tesla’s Autopilot is now standard, we’ll cover it’s current features and explain the difference with the optional Full-Self Driving package. Read on! Tesla Autopilot Features Tesla’s innovative technology undergoes constant rapid growth, and we see this with their Autopilot feature. If you are considering investing in a Tesla vehicle for Autopilot, you should know there are two current versions of this technology: Base Level Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Mode. Let’s dive into the specifications of Tesla Autopilot’s two options and what kind of performance and key features you can expect from each one. Base Level Autopilot  While the Base Level Autopilot technology does not quite amount to the expectations one would associate with the traditional concept of an autopilot feature, it proves to be convenient and intuitive, nonetheless.  Tesla promotes two primary features with their standard Autopilot: Auto Steer and a Traffic-Aware Cruise Control.  Auto Steer When driving on the highway, it is easy to become absent-minded and accidentally drift over to the neighboring lane. This generally results in needing to make a quick readjustment in your steering but can become a dangerous hazard that can potentially lead to a traffic accident.  To prevent this common incident from occurring, Tesla has made auto-steering a primary function and highlight of their Autopilot feature. When you have autosteering enabled, your vehicle will ensure that you stay within your appropriate lane when driving.  Traffic-Aware Cruise Control Much like the cruise control system that can be found in almost any modern-day vehicle, the traffic-aware cruise control feature of the Tesla Autopilot will keep your car driving at a consistent speed. However, the technology of Tesla’s Autopilot also ensures that you keep a certain level of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. To give you versatility and control over your traffic-aware cruise control system, Tesla has created the option to manually adjust the speed of your car, as well as the allocated distance you want to maintain between you and other vehicles.  With that being said, you will find the autopilot feature is quite sophisticated and will make logical adjustments in speed and distance without you needing to make manual changes yourself.  Full Self-Driving Mode When Tesla announced their Full Self-Driving Mode, the prospect of having a fully autonomous car available peaked consumers’ interests and stirred quite a bit of hype.  Unfortunately, this title has proved to be somewhat of a misconception. This feature did not deliver on the fully self-driving car that most of us have imagined since drivers are still required to pay attention to the road.   However, the Full Self-Driving Mode has some incredible features that Tesla drivers will swear by, and the package includes the primary functions that come with the Base Level Autopilot.  Navigate on Autopilot This feature made opting for the Full Self-Driving Mode a no-brainer for absent-minded drivers and those who simply want to arrive from Point A to Point B without dealing with the tediousness of driving on the highway while having to check their navigation system continually.  With the Tesla Autopilot, all you need to do is have a destination marked on your vehicle’s navigation system. The auto-navigate feature enables the vehicle to control your trip for your entire time on the highway. That means the car is doing all the driving for you from the moment you hit the on-ramp to your exit point—including all lane changes and adapting to highway interchanges. Street-Level Autopilot Street-Level Autopilot allows Tesla vehicles to recognize and react to traffic lights and stop signs on the road. While this is an entirely new feature in Tesla’s Autopilot technology and is still in a preliminary phase, the potential it will have as it further develops will be paramount to getting us closer to fully autonomous self-driving cars. Drivers who are looking forward to the day of never having to manually drive a car again are sold on the notion of a street-level autopilot. Smart Summon  If you have ever been blocked by a neighboring car due to a driver parking too close to your parking space, the Smart Summon feature may just be the highlight of the Full Self-driving Mode for you.  So, instead of getting frustrated and dealing with the hassle of locating the owner of the vehicle or having to resort to awkwardly sliding in through the passenger or backseat of your car, simply open up your Tesla App and engage your vehicle via your phone to back out of the spot to your location—without ever needing to be behind the wheel.  Of course, for safety reasons, this feature was intentionally designed to be limited to being used within a distance of 200 feet of your car. Smart Summon is also only available to be used within private driveways and parking lots. Auto Park No matter the longevity of your experience on the road, parking can be an absolute nightmare for many drivers. The Auto Park feature with Tesla’s Autopilot has made fitting into tight spots and parallel parking a breeze. As you cruise through a parking lot looking for

If you ever plan to swap out the wheels on your Tesla, you’ll want to invest in this inexpensive tool. This could be to remove a wheel with a flat tire or swapping in or out from a set of winter tires. Tesla models that do not have an aero wheel cover (such as certain wheel options on the Model 3 and Model Y) will have these plastic lug nut covers. If you try using a tire iron or socket on them, they will quickly break. I learned this the hard way. They have a very thin walled designed and are not designed to have any torque applied to them whatsoever. To remove these plastic wheel covers, a lug nut cap cover removal tool set will make things much easier. It’s a essentially a plastic pair of tongs. There’s a raised section that will grip onto the lug nut cap covers. This allows you to easily get a grip on the lug nut covers and pull them off. Read on as we provide more information and tips on remove the lug nut covers from your Tesla, as well as options if you get a flat tire. Lug Nut Cap Cover Removal Tool I’ve read other articles where you can try and use a pair of flathead screwdrivers, but this can cause scratching. The first time we got a flat tire, I tried calling Tesla Roadside assistance, only to be informed that I was too far from their service center for them to provide service How To Remove Tesla Lug Nut Cap Covers Step 1: Grab your lug nut cap cover removal tool. Step 2: Insert the removal tool over the lug nut. Step 3: Press inward on the removal tool to apply pressure, ensuring they have gripped onto the cap covers. Step 4: Simply pull outward to remove the cap cover. What If You Get a Flat Tire on Your Tesla? Since Tesla’s and most other electric vehicles don’t have spare tires, you’ll find yourself with fewer options for getting back on the road. Several tire shops likely won’t have replacement tires in stock either. We’ll explore some of those now. Tesla Roadside Assistance While Tesla Roadside Assistance is free, it’s typically for a certain amount of time. Per their website: Tesla Roadside Assistance is a complimentary service offered under a Tesla warranty or some Extended Service Agreements. Please refer to the terms and conditions in your warranty document or service agreement to determine whether you are eligible for roadside assistance. https://www.tesla.com/sites/default/files/downloads/roadside-assistance-policy-en.pdf Tesla Roadside Assistance is available 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, however, you may find yourself having to wait a long period of time before someone is able to get to your location. Tow Truck Service In some cases you may find that you need to have your Tesla towed. Tesla strongly recommends that only flatbed trucks are used. If you find yourself having to call a towing service, make sure to specifically request for a flatbed. Also worth noting, you need to make sure to put your Tesla into tow mode in order for a tow truck to transport it. My neighbor works for the state highway patrol, and recently had a tow truck driver come out to tow a Tesla, only to have to leave because the owner was not there to put it into tow mode. We’ll add a new article on having a Tesla towed soon. Summary I’m not sure why certain manufacturers including Tesla opt for lug nut caps. Seems just having an enclosed lug nut would get the job done. However, since most Tesla wheels do have lug nut covers, having one of these tools in your glovebox at all times can certainly come in handy.

In the United States, around $18 billion worth of recreational vehicles are sold in any given year. A fifth of that are trailers. With the growing popularity of Tesla’s electric cars, many people are wondering if these vehicles, which are designed to travel light and rely on batteries, can tow trailers. A Tesla Model X can tow trailers. This Tesla car can easily tow trailers up to 5,000 pounds (2,267 kilograms) in weight. The tow package was made standard some time in 2018. When ordering a brand new Tesla Model Y, a tow package can be added for $1,000. The Model Y has a towing capacity up to 3,500 pounds (1,587 kilograms). If you’ve considered buying a Tesla car, but wondered if it can tow your trailers, then this guide could provide much-needed answers.. Your next trailer-towing vehicle could be an electric-powered Tesla. Tesla Factory Tow Packages and Specs The Model X currently comes standard with the tow package. The Model Y has an optional tow package. In Europe, the Model 3 also has an optional tow package. There are also aftermarket options. Additional Energy Use Among the different vehicle types, electric vehicles (EVs) are probably the most limited when it comes to towing. One of the biggest limiting factors is the energy required. Towing a trailer will use a substantial amount of additional energy, drastically reducing your battery’s range. Long distant towing will require a lot more stops to charge. Range Anxiety Towing requires more power because of the additional work your electric car does. As such, towing puts a strain on your batteries, and will almost certainly shorten the driving range you get on your electric vehicle. This is similar on an internal combustion engine vehicle. You’ll get less mileage when towing, but it can be magnified on an electric vehicle. Most consumers tend to prefer electric cars that can deliver the most range, allowing them to drive longer on a single full charge. Show them an electric vehicle with a shorter range, and not only do people refrain from buying the car, but those who own them also tend to give a low satisfaction rating. With the shorter range, especially while towing, it’s easy to scare off potential buyers. Especially if they plan on doing a lot of towing with the vehicle. Tesla Model 3 Towing Other Electric Car Models Can Be Used for Towing There are quite a few choices if you want to buy an electric vehicle that can also tow a trailer. Some of the most popular include: Audi e-Tron Mercedes EQC Jaguar I-Pace Rivian R1T While basic towing capability is a plus, it’s important that your car can tow something on the heavier side; for example, a tow trailer.  Tesla Cars Can Tow Trailers The Tesla Model X SUV has enough room for seven seats and a range of 340 miles (547 kilometers). This SUV goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour (0 to 97 kilometers per hour) in just 2.5 seconds with a peak power of 1,020 horsepower. Tesla states that the Model X can handle up to 5,000 pounds (2,268 kilograms). The Tesla Model X even comes with its own tow bar that you can hide away when you’re not using it. Trailer Mode Connecting a trailer to your Model X will trigger Trailer Mode to activate when the wiring harness is connected. When this happens, your vehicle’s: Rear parking sensors, auto park, and autosteer are disabled. Location-based and automatic height adjustments are disabled. Autopilot steering will not work. The AEB brake force is significantly decreased. Power Concerns Range is one of the major concerns people have about electric cars. Towing a trailer or camper uses up a lot energy than a regular drive or joyride. But how does the Tesla Model X address these issues? The long-range versions of Tesla’s models have an estimated range of: Model 3: 353 miles (568 kilometers) Model S: 412 miles (663 kilometers) Model Y: 326 miles (525 kilometers) Model X: 360 miles (579 kilometers) These estimates show that the Model X has the second longest range in Tesla’s current lineup. Its range is only beaten by the smaller Model S, which only has five seats and 28 cubic feet (0.8 cubic meters) of cargo capacity, as opposed to the Model X’s seven-seat and 88 cubic feet (2.5 cubic meters) capacity. However, towing with your Tesla Model X will mean a much shorter range. The reduction in how far you can go on a single charge can differ depending on how heavy the trailer is, as well as the added weight of everything inside the trailer. The range will also be shortened depending on the kind of terrain you’re driving on. Should You Use the Tesla Model X for Towing? Sure, the Tesla Model X can tow a trailer. But it might not be an excellent idea to buy a Tesla if your main purpose is to tow a trailer.  Tesla Model X loses a significant amount of driving range when it’s towing. A real-world test conducted by Australia’s Car Guide shows that towing halves the Tesla Model X’s driving range. Driving on its own, it will use up to 21.4 kilowatt-hours for every 100 kilometers (62 miles).  But towing a 1,746-kilogram (3,850 pounds) trailer, it needed 48.1 kilowatt-hours to travel the same distance, almost doubling the amount of charge required. Road conditions can affect towing performance, and you’ll spend more fuel when towing, even if you use something with a combustion engine.  Car Guide brought a Landcruiser VX along for the ride, and with the trailer attached, it needed only 10.35 liters (2.7 gallons) of gas for every 100 kilometers (62 miles). It then required 17.2 liters (4.5 gallons) to cover the same distance with a caravan attached to it. That’s only a 66 percent increase, compared to the 112 percent raise for Tesla. A Word of Caution: Towing = Longer Charging Time One of the things that one should consider when

A frequent question perspective buyers (and owners) likely have around electric vehicle ownership is what happens if your vehicle runs out of charge. Clearly it’s best not to allow your Tesla to run out of charge, but in the real world it can happen. Essentially, you’ll need to have the vehicle towed to somewhere it can be charged, preferably a Tesla Supercharger for fastest charging possible or to your intended destination (assuming you don’t need it charged faster at that location). Perhaps in the future we’ll have more vehicle to vehicle charging options. There are some mobile charging companies popping up, but they’re not as widespread with service and charging times can be much slower. For the first time in 6 years of electric vehicle ownership, I got down to a displayed 0% charge on a vehicle – our Tesla Model X. Read along as I detail how I misjudged the amount of energy I would need for a towing trip I made a handful of times previous. Big Factors that Affect Your Range This was a trip in which I was dealing with three of the biggest energy draining variables associated with electric vehicles: Towing a trailer Uphill driving through a mountain pass Colder temperatures in the low to mid 30’s (Fahrenheit) My destination was to a cabin we recently purchased in north Central Washington and was another trip I was hauling our 6×12 enclosed cargo trailer. In fact, this was a trip I had just made a week or two prior without issue. The Trip I stopped off at Monroe, WA and Supercharged to 81% before I took off. The Tesla estimated I would reach my destination with 47% charge. I knew this wasn’t the case since I was towing a trailer and going through the mountains. It was also colder temperatures. While the vehicle does adjust expected range when towing, I’ve come to expect a fluctuation up to 30% on previous trips to to our cabin with the enclosed cargo trailer. With an expected 47% at destination, I thought for sure I’d get to the cabin with at least 17% charge or more. When I First Had Concern Traveling east of Stevens Pass is mostly a downhill descent. I noticed my estimated range at arrival started to drop substantially. I kept an eye on things and the expected percentage upon arrival continued to drop. Range Anxiety Kicks In As I’m probably less than a mile from my turn, I notice the expected range now shows I’ll reach our cabin with only 2%. At this point I’m starting to worry and punch in the next nearest Supercharger which is in Leavenworth, WA. It shows I’ll reach the Supercharger with 4%, so I figured that will give me a better buffer than trying to reach the cabin. The Supercharger was approximately 15 miles away at this point. I decide to keep the Supercharger as my new destination and slowly watch the estimated range drop to 3%, a few miles later 2%. Panic Mode Sets – Warning Message I Can’t Reach my Destination As mentioned above, I have now seen the estimated percentage drop from 4% to 2% and I’m officially going into a panic mode. I’m now considering whether or not I should detach the trailer along the highway somewhere to Supercharge and come back for it. I decide to keep going, and see the estimated range now drop down to 1%. I’m now a few miles from downtown Leavenworth and my battery has now hit 1% and it is estimating I will get to the Supercharger with 0%. As I continue traveling, I’m nearing the downtown area, but I’m getting a warning I need to charge before I can reach my destination. I keep pushing onward as there aren’t many areas to pull over to see what happens. As I hit downtown, I’m still 1.5 miles from the supercharger and there’s imminent worry I won’t make it to the charger. Trying to find a 110v plug isn’t an option I wanted to consider, so I continued on. Reaching the Supercharger with 0% Luckily, I make it into the Dan’s Food Market parking lot where the Tesla Supercharger is located. No one else is charging, so I make a wide u-turn to pull in sideways to avoid having to disconnect the trailer, still wondering if the vehicle is going to simply power off. With relatively short cables at Superchargers, pulling in sideways doesn’t always give enough reach. I literally don’t know if I’ll need to pull up a few inches further (and whether or not I’ll have charge to be able to do so). The charging cable does reach, and I begin charging and can finally take a sigh of relief. Conclusion This is certainly not a situation I want to experience again. Ironically, I already planned on this being the last trip we made to the cabin towing a trailer until the Spring a week prior. This certainly affirmed it though. Despite seeing gradual drops in range as the weather began getting colder, this was by far the most energy used on the same trip with the same trailer. It may have even been the lightest load I was carrying this time. I’ve seen videos where other owners have shown a bit of additional range despite showing 0% which is the only reason I continued driving. See the warning message later appear that I needed to stop to charge in order to reach my destination was certainly worrisome. Word of advice, even though it takes longer to charge once you hit 80% (or even 70%), sometimes those extra minutes to get additional charge may be worth it. Especially in colder environments, uphill driving, and certainly when towing a trailer. If I didn’t make it to the Supercharger (those last several miles were nerve racking), it would have been time for a call to Tesla Roadside assistance or possibly other towing services.

Tesla has long been known as the best of the best in electric car design. Their cars are stylish and come equipped with every innovation Tesla can pack into them. However, how do Tesla’s electric vehicles stack up from a practical standpoint? Does the charging length and capacity of a Tesla speak to their stellar reputation? The length of time it takes to charge a Tesla depends on three factors: the charging system, the battery capacity, and the onboard charger. While knowing the time needed for a charge is essential for planning purposes, you cannot overcharge your Tesla due to the car’s monitoring features. It is typically recommended to charge your Tesla between 50-80% charge, depending on your daily driving needs. Charging to 100% frequently can prematurely degrade your battery. With three factors impacting charging time, it is quite the math problem to figure out how long it takes to charge your Tesla, and although you cannot overcharge your Tesla, you can reduce the battery life with certain charging practices. Do not get stressed yet! We have researched for you. Keep reading for everything you need to know about charging a Tesla! The Basics of Charging a Tesla Before we can start looking at the specifics of charging a Tesla, it will be helpful to cover exactly what happens when you charge an electric vehicle. When we fuel a gasoline-powered vehicle, we think of distance in miles per gallon. This many gallons will get me this far. Electric vehicle’s fuel capacity is in kilowatts per hour (kWh). The car stores so many kWh in its battery, which you use up as you drive. The distance you can go on 1 kWh depends on the car, your driving, and the terrain. When you charge an electric vehicle, the charger ability is measured in kilowatts of energy, but the battery storage within the car is in kilowatts per hour, so what is happening? Kilowatts is the speed of energy flow, while kilowatt-hours is the amount of energy stored. A charging unit has a kilowatt rating, which tells you how fast it can transfer kW to your Tesla, while the Tesla itself has a kilowatt per hour storage, which tells you how much energy your Tesla can hold. Thus charging time is determined by how fast the energy is flowing (kW) and how energy your Tesla can hold (kWh). Sounds simple enough, right? Higher kW means faster-charging speed, and higher kWh means more time needed to fill the battery and a longer-lasting charge. Now that we understand the basic principle let’s look at the specifics that change charge time. The Onboard Charger Most electrical outlets from which we get electricity use AC (alternating current). However, batteries, such as the one in your Tesla, use DC (direct current). This means that your Tesla must have a system to convert the AC into DC that can be stored in the battery. This system is called the onboard charger. The onboard charger has its own restrictions on how fast it can convert energy. Teslas come with either an 11.5 kW (48 amp) or a 7.7kW (32 amp) onboard charger. If you plug your Tesla into an AC outlet, then, no matter what the outlet’s power, it cannot charge at a faster rate than the onboard charger will allow, 11.5kW or 7.7kW depending on the Tesla. It can, however, charge at a slower rate. The amp ratings on the onboard charger represent the max the system can handle. The kW ratings given are based on charging your Tesla with a 240V AC outlet, which is the highest AC to which you would have access. The math behind this is quite simple. kW is the product of amps and voltage divided by 1000. If you plug your Tesla into a 240V outlet and your Tesla’s onboard charger has an amperage of 32, then your kW would be 240 x 32/1000, which equals 7.68kW, which Tesla has rounded to 7.7kW. To ensure your Tesla is reaching its kW rating, you will need to ensure that the onboard charger is pulling the maximum amount of amps it can. For a 48 amp onboard charger, Tesla thus recommends a 60 amp circuit breaker, and for a 32 amp onboard charger a 48 amp circuit breaker. Levels of EV Chargers The first, and also most important, thing to consider when figuring out how long you need to charge your Tesla is the charging system. The charging system determines your kilowatts, which is to say that it determines the speed at which energy is transferred to your Tesla. The more kilowatts a charging system uses, the faster your Tesla will charge. There are 3 levels of electric vehicle charging systems. These levels are divided by their voltage ratings. Level 1 Level 1 EV charging is charging your vehicle with a standard 120V outlet, which is what a basic electrical outlet around your house is. Level 1 EV charging (120V) is the slowest form of charging. It generally only provides 2 to 4 miles of driving for every hour of charge. A 120V outlet at your house is AC. Thus the onboard charger will come into play to convert this to DC. If your Tesla has the 11.5 kW 48 amp onboard charger, then plugging it into a 120V outlet only allows a charge of around 5.8 kW. At that rate filling, a 100 kWh battery will take at least 17 hours. Except there is a problem. 48 amps are how much your onboard charger can handle, but that does not necessarily mean that is what your outlet is giving. A 120V outlet probably only has 15 amps. Knowing that your Tesla’s charging rate decrease to 1.8kW. Filling a 100kWh battery will take around 55 hours. These numbers come from an ideal setting in which things such as temperature and efficiency do not also reduce charging time. In addition, Teslas charge more slowly as they reach capacity in order to protect the battery.

Tesla, the California-based company specializing in renewable energy and luxury electric vehicles, likes to set itself apart from the emerging competition. The Tesla models are leaders in the pack and are known for constantly-evolving technology. Competitors are starting to produce more electric vehicles, but Tesla continues to be in a different category. One of the main factors that set Teslas apart from the competition is the high-risk, high-reward thinking behind the industry. The company does not “play it safe” and opts for cutting-edge design, groundbreaking features, and constant evolution. If you’re looking to find out what makes Teslas different from other electric cars, read on to find out more about how the company works and the impact of its business model. With Higher Risks Come Higher Rewards Tesla is known for not playing it safe. The company makes many promises about the products on offer. While they’re not always ready when planned, they continue to push the envelope to reach the point they wish to reach. From the start, Tesla has been striving to go further than anyone else in the field. Breaking into the electric vehicle world came with many challenges for the company, mostly because this was and continues to be a developing industry. Tesla emerged in the field with its first electric vehicle offering, the 2008 version of the Roadster, and immediately broke the mold.  The Roadster was the first fully electric vehicle that was legal to drive on highways. It was also the first fully electric car with 200 miles of drive per charge, the first to use lithium-ion battery cells, and even the first car to be launched into space with one of Space X’s Falcon Heavy rockets in 2018. Tesla has been playing a high-stakes game ever since. The 2008 Roadster has been discontinued, but it’s been followed by models that keep making headlines. The Tesla Model S, released in 2012, was named the bestselling plug-in electric car across the world in 2015 and 2016. The Model X followed in 2015 and introduced the falcon-wing doors. The Tesla Model 3 broke another record by becoming the bestselling electric vehicle globally and has delivered more than half a million units to customers! The Model Y, the newest vehicle to be released, is following in its predecessor’s footsteps. Despite this continued success, Tesla continues to take risks in the name of innovation and sustainability. Constant Updates Bring Constant Improvements Tesla releases its electric vehicles as finished products, but they continue receiving upgrades long after they are delivered. Tesla releases over-the-air software updates regularly. This makes the luxury electric models long-term investments that never feel outdated.  With Tesla’s drive to reach new heights in terms of technology and features, the over-the-air updates contribute to its business model’s success. These updates are delivered directly to the electric vehicle through Wi-Fi and are available to be discovered in the software section of the touchscreen command center. The updates can introduce new features or enhance existing ones. They breathe new life into existing models without making users feel like they’re missing out by not immediately purchasing the newest model released on the market. The over-the-air updates are one of the most user-friendly parts of the Tesla models. Updates continue to improve upon existing Tesla electric vehicles while keeping interest alive for those in development. As the technology continues to evolve, it is distributed retroactively to existing models and can immediately deliver instant upgrades that only require the time necessary to download and install. The over-the-air updates can make it seem like you’ve purchased a new car without the extra investment and will make you feel kept in the loop throughout your experience as a Tesla owner. The updates are rolled out regularly, with bigger upgrades released around once per month and smaller ones delivered throughout the month at varying lengths. The usual time to download these updates is less than half an hour, making it easy to get your car upgraded before you have to start your day. These upgrades keep adding bonuses to your Tesla investment. Tesla’s Cutting-edge Design is a Huge Draw Tesla vehicles are known for their cutting-edge design. The models are usually: Sleek Minimalistic Packed full of features Tesla invests in some of the best car designers, like Franz von Holzhausen, who joined the company from General Motors during the early days and has since gone on to design some of the most influential vehicles in the world. The Tesla luxury electric vehicles are designed to be visually striking. The aesthetic impact is taken into consideration as one of the deciding factors behind the finished product. Tesla models make a statement when they appear on the road, not just through their performance but through their appearance.  Franz von Holzhausen designed the Tesla bestsellers and was the mind behind the Models Y, 3, X, and S. The upcoming offerings of the Tesla Semi, the Cybertruck, and the new version of the Roadster are also directly influenced by his vision. The initial version of the 2008 Roadster was based on a Lotus design, but they have all been originals since then. The falcon-wing doors of the Model X made waves when the vehicle was announced and continue to be one of the more striking design features encountered in an electric vehicle. With each model, the design remains one of the biggest selling points. Tesla is continuing to invest in designs that will keep them ahead of the curve. Groundbreaking Features Keep the User Entertained Tesla vehicles are known for their wide range of features that are both innovative and entertaining. These features are some of the most attractive parts of purchasing Tesla models, and the company continues to bring them across in new and improved ways.  Software and Hardware With each software update, Tesla sends Easter eggs over-the-air to the touchscreen command centers. Tesla users now expect these, and the thrill of discovering them is an event that keeps customers hooked throughout their experience.  Models S and