The Tesla Model 3 is Finally Getting an Update

EV automaker Tesla is preparing to update its Model 3 sedans, Hyundai plans to build a multi-billion dollar battery factory in the U.S., and Vietnamese automaker VinFast is launching its first car. was shipped to the United States.all this and more morning shift Monday, November 28, 2022.

First gear: Tesla is preparing to update the Model 3

Tesla has had its current range of cars for some time now.of model S It’s been around in one form or another since 2012, Model X SUV hit the road in 2015, Model Y Then there is the Model 3, the brand’s smallest sedan that has been on sale since 2017. It’s been a popular car for Tesla, but it seems it’s time to update it.

According to ReutersAs Tesla scrambles to release its Cybertruck electric pickup, engineers at the electric-car maker are also working on updates to the already-existing Model 3. The update will “reduce production costs and increase the attractiveness” of the Model 3.

“One focus of the redesign, codenamed ‘Highland,’ will be to reduce the number and complexity of components inside the Model 3 and focus on features that Tesla buyers value, including the display. That’s because no modifications have been announced.

“The battery-powered sedan refresh, which may also make changes to the Model 3 exterior and powertrain performance, will begin production at Tesla’s Shanghai and Fremont, Calif., factories. Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory. plans to produce the redesigned Model 3 in the third quarter of 2023.”

Reuters said it was “unclear” how big the cost savings for the refreshed Model 3 would be, or whether those savings would be passed on to EV buyers.Tesla slowly but surely EV price hike in most markets around the world, Excluding Chinawas lowered earlier this year.

Will cost reductions in Model 3 production be key to CEO Elon Musk’s promise of affordable EVs for the masses?

Phase 2: Investors are tired of waiting for self-driving cars

Every engineer likes to say self-driving cars will be here in a year. The only problem there is they are just a year apart For at least the last five years, the ever-changing goalposts have gotten a little tired.

It turns out that investors in the autonomous driving space are starting to feel the same way. according to wall street journal:

“After years of ambitious goals and bold promises, investors are starting to get frustrated with the pace of self-driving car development, an industry accustomed to discretion and large amounts of cash from investors. It’s shocking.

“In recent weeks, automakers have scaled back plans for the technology amid renewed pressure to keep costs down during a slowing economy. It also calls into question the long-standing effort to advance self-driving technology, which is proving to be more difficult than many experts predicted just a few years ago.”

WSJMore Investor confidence in the space is waning, reporting that “profitable, fully autonomous vehicles are still a long way off at scale,” and driverless vehicles such as Nuro, Inc. The same goes for driving start-ups, he adds. Thinking about cutting costs by reducing staff.

this, WSJMore Famous automakers like Ford and GM throw money at a driverless car Startup. A question arises here. Are fully self-driving cars still over a year away?

Gear 3: Hyundai plans $1.9 billion U.S. battery plant

The auto industry was in turmoil in the United States earlier this year. Fixed EV tax breaks As such, only vehicles manufactured in the United States can qualify. First, there was the outrage from overseas manufacturers, and slowly but surely they began to commit to building new facilities here in America.

Today, Hyundai is the latest automaker to make such a pledge as it plans a new $1.9 billion battery factory that could open in 2026. According to ReutersThe plant will be built by Hyundai in partnership with South Korean battery maker SK On. Reuters reports:

“Hyundai Motor and SK On, the battery unit of energy group SK Innovation Co Ltd, will sign an investment memorandum next week. [Korea Economic Newspaper] Citing an unidentified vehicle and battery source, he said:

Aiming to start in the first quarter of 2026, the paper said it will have an initial annual capacity of about 20 gigawatt hours (GWh), which will power about 300,000 electric vehicles (EVs). is enough for

Construction of the new plant is scheduled to begin in Georgia. Near Hyundai’s new EV plantHyundai broke ground on a new $5.54 billion EV production facility last month. When fully operational, it will produce electric vehicles for Hyundai and Kia Motors.

SK On now also operates two battery factories in Georgia.

Gear 4: VinFast Ships First Car to US

Vietnamese car manufacturer VinFast launched at breakneck speed Entering the United States Earlier this year, the automaker announced plans to build a production facility here in the United States, shortly after opening its first showroom in the state. It’s now starting to ship its first EVs to the US while it waits for its US factory to go live.

according to car news, VinFast shipped the first car from Asia to North America. This includes his 999 EVs, which are expected to reach customers in the coming weeks. A second vehicle will also be heading to these shores in early 2023.

“The first cars are expected to be delivered to customers by the end of December.

“VinFast CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy said some of the VF 8 electric crossovers that will be shipped on Friday will go to U.S. car subscription service Autonomy, but most will go to retail purchases where the cars have been ordered. said it would be sent to

But even though VinFast landed its first car in the US less than two years after announcing its US launch ambition, the rollout is behind schedule.Company Originally said it wanted to ship 5,000 cars To the US by December. Instead, we will only ship 999 models, determined as the right amount for the first shipment, as it is a lucky number in Vietnam.

5th gear: H2

As the world scrambles to clean up the practice, engineers are looking to aviation as the next big sector to watch out for.This is why the project to investigate electric aircraft or hydrogen powered engine under investigation.

now, BBC report Its engine maker, Rolls-Royce, has launched the first hydrogen-powered jet engine. The engine in question is a Rolls-Royce AE-2100A gas turbine motor, the same model used to power the C-130 Hercules.

“This is the first time that a modern aircraft engine will run on hydrogen.

“With no bodywork and intricate wiring and plumbing exposed, it’s firmly anchored to a sturdy test rig, where engineers crowd around a series of screens in the control room at a safe distance. increase.

“Testing is being carried out by Rolls-Royce in partnership with airline easyJet after development work at the Derby.”

The test was intended to prove that hydrogen fueled jet engines can be safely operated and controlled. It is part of a project backed by British low-cost airline EasyJet, which believes fuel is key to the future of sustainable aviation.

But if engineers can prove the fuel will successfully power an airliner, the next challenge is to make it sustainably. We have used hydrogen for a long time, but scaling it up to power the global aviation industry is a whole other challenge.

Reverse: Lights Out and Away We Go