Every three months, Tesla Motors holds a financial results conference call where Elon Musk and Co. detail the brand’s performance during the previous quarter. There was significant chatter about Tesla’s Q4 2015 losses this time around, but we’re not here to talk about that. We’re here to talk about cars.
The highly-anticipated Model 3 was the most notable vehicle to come up during the call, and although Musk didn’t divulge anything new specifications-wise, he did drop a few newsworthy nuggets. The Model 3 is set to be unveiled on March 31, and although the company will be accepting preorders by then, the executive still hasn’t settled on how much of the car he’ll show at the event. We may not even see a full car at all.
“We’re trying to decide whether we should show all the cards or keep a few cards close to the vest,” he said. “We haven’t made a decision yet.”
Musk also hinted at something than keen-eyed Tesla fans already knew — the first Model 3s sold will likely cost more than the car’s $35,000 base price. Like the Model S and Model X before it, initial deliveries will be fitted with expensive options and packages to help cover the sedan’s development costs.
“Our default plan as we’ve done in the past is that the initial sales are relatively highly-optioned versions of the car, because we’ve got to pay back the investment of the tooling and everything, so it makes sense to have the higher optioned versions first,” he explained.
Outside of predicting a 1,000 unit-per-week production rate for the Model X in Q2 2016, Musk didn’t spend much time talking about the electric SUV. He did lather the five-door with praise though, saying, “Honestly think it’s probably the best car ever. I’m not sure anyone is going to make a car like this again. I’m not sure Tesla would make a car like this again.”
In addition, the controversial CEO quickly commented on Tesla’s Gigafactory battery facility, claiming it will have no toxic output and boast the title of “the largest footprint building in the world.” Musk also expressed interest in opening 80 new retail locations and 300 new Supercharger locations this year.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.