Tesla wants to make more cars, and they’re going to the heart of America’s motor industry for help.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the electric automobile manufacturer reached a deal to acquire Riviera Tool, a Tooling and Die auto supplier base in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This is significant in a few ways, not the least of which is how the deal marks Tesla’s first major acquisition.
The other significance is that the Silicon Valley-based automaker now has a presence in the back yard of America’s big three. Furthermore, it’s about the only Tesla-related facility anyone will see in Michigan for the time being as its Governor has passed a bill into law that bans the automaker from selling cars directly to its customers.
The automaker has worked with other suppliers in the past, but this move brings the production in-house, with the ability to regulate things more closely. This move is also crucial to the need for Tesla to increase its output capacity.
The move couldn’t come any sooner, either. Right now, Tesla is keen to expand production of its acclaimed Model S sedan, on top of the fact that its repeatedly delayed Model X still hasn’t come out yet, and there’s a Model 3 coupe looming in the company’s future.
Company co-founder and CEO Elon Musk as admitted that they may have underestimated the logistics of launching a global product.
Riviera, for its part, will stamp out parts and ship them to Tesla’s Fremont, California assembly facility. The company has about 100 employees and, according to an off-the-record source, Tesla isn’t looking to clear house. In fact, Riviera might become Tesla Tool & Die.
It’s a good start to make good on the many promises the company has made. Electric cars may be a big part of the future, but Tesla better meet demands quickly if it wants to continue to be a part of it.
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.