It’s no secret that Tesla has a habit of making substantive and even subtle aesthetic changes to the Model S with each passing quarter. During the company’s recent earnings conference call, for example, Elon Musk and JB Straubel noted that the company in recent months has made marked improvements to Model S seats, the car’s wipers, and even the Model S charge port door. And oh yes, let’s not forget that each new Model S rolling of the line is now equipped with some pretty cool and safety-oriented autopilot features.

Underscoring Tesla’s impressive commitment towards continuously improving the Model S, Motor Trend, in an overwhelmingly positive review of the recently unveiled Model S P85D, relays that Tesla, on average, implements upwards of 20 modifications to the Model S per week.

Meanwhile, the Model S has undergone a quiet mid-cycle refreshing with better standard seats, terrific-looking and highly bolstered front and rear performance seats in the P85D (even in the back!), better whiplash protection, revised (and more conventional) steering column stalks, wider-opening rear doors, a self-closing charge port door, and bigger sunvisors. Everything’s better. During a chat with Musk at the P85D’s introduction, he mentioned that on average, Tesla implements about 20 modifications to the car per week. Not software, mind you, but actual hard parts. Per week.

One of the great benefits resulting from Tesla having only one car on the market is that it can remain laser focused and devote a good deal of attention towards continuously enhancing the Model S.

The Dark Web on Thursday suffered a major blow when a trio of law enforcement agencies seized Silk Road 2 along with two additional sites. At the same time, a 26-year old from San Francisco named Blake Benthall was arrested on charges of running Silk Road and, in the process, engaging in and facilitating a number of illegal activities such as the trafficking of illegal drugs and fraudulent IDs.

In reading over the story at Wired, a blurb regarding Benthall’s spending habits caught my eye.

The complaint also traces Benthall’s proceeds from his alleged management of the Silk Road 2′s bustling sales. Law enforcement officials found that he used a bitcoin exchange to cash out $273,626 between Silk Road 2′s creation in November of last year and October of this year. About $70,000 of that money went towards a down payment on a $127,000 Tesla Model S.

I suppose even individuals in the seedy underworld of the Dark Web know a quality vehicle when they see it.

And as it turns out, it appears that Benthall, for a short time, actually worked as a software engineer at SpaceX.

Tesla earlier today announced that it was pushing back the release of its highly anticipated Model X until the third quarter of 2015. Explaining the delay, Tesla relayed the following in its quarterly shareholder letter:

Work continues on the finalization of Model X with the testing of Alpha prototypes and initial builds of the first Beta prototypes. Model X powertrain development is almost complete with the early introduction of Dual Motor drive on Model S. We recently decided to build in significantly more validation testing time to achieve the best Model X possible. This will also allow for a more rapid production ramp  compared to Model S in 2012.

During Tesla’s earnings conference call on Wednesday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk shed a bit more light on all things Model X.

While articulating that work on the Model X’s drivetrain and chassis are nearly complete,  Musk said that the company is still working on some of the features that distinguish the Model X from the Model S, most notably the vehicle’s Falcon Wing doors and the extra seating.

“We’re adding some new stuff that’s really not out there,” Musk explained. “Stuff that has never existed in a way that was useful before.”

When asked if Tesla was encountering some overarching engineering challenges in finishing up the Model X, Musk indicated that the delay, in part, is the result of Tesla’s obsession with getting every small detail exactly right. Tesla, Musk proudly stated, is perfection-obsessed when it comes to future products.

There’s no big thing, it’s a bunch of little things. It’s really about getting all the details right. And I think people will appreciate that we get the details right. If you get all the details right, its the difference between a diamond with a flaw and a diamond without out a flaw. It’s damn hard to do that but thats what we’re going to do.

On a related note, Musk also took some time to point out that manufacturing a complex and advanced car on a massive scale is no small feat.

People don’t quite appreciate how hard it is to manufacturing something…  Making one of something is quite easy. Making lots of something, consistently, that can last a long time is extremely hard. In fact, it is way harder to make the machine that makes the machine than to make the machine in the first place.

So we have Model X  Alphas done… and it would certainly be easy for us to make a handful of production units, but that doesn’t really move the needle.  So what really matters is at what point can we scale production of a really high quality car, and that’s really in the third quarter.

And we also learned this lesson in manufacturing; you have issues that are sometimes 1 out of 100, and unless you make 100 of something you don’t see it… but you don’t necessarily know which 1 out of 100 so you have to look at all 100 cars. Once you get into volume manufacturing, there are statistically rare issues, but you really have to make a bunch of something to know it’s there. And we want to make sure we do that with the X experience.  It’s a lesson we’ve learned. I do think the X is going to be something quite special. It’s hard to get there. It’s hard to engineer and it’s hard to produce.

It’s also worth pointing out that while some folks who have already submitted a deposit for the Model X may get the vehicle come Q3 2015, Musk indicated that anyone ordering the Model X today won’t likely get the car until 2016.

I think realistically if someone is ordering the Model X right now, the car is gonna get delivered in early 2016. So we’re essentially sold out of 2015.

As for how the Model X will resonate with consumers, Musk confidently stated that the car will do well, noting numerous times that it’s a “phenomenal” and “really special” car that will address a different market segment than the Model S.

So while the delayed release of the Model X is undoubtedly frustrating for eager consumers, the following excerpt from Tesla’s shareholder letter should nonetheless assure buyers that when their Model X finally comes off the line, it’s gonna be a best-in-class vehicle.

This also is a legitimate criticism of Tesla – we prefer to forgo revenue, rather than bring a product to market that does not delight
customers. Doing so negatively affects the short term, but positively affects the long term. There are many other companies that do
not follow this philosophy that may be a more attractive home for investor capital. Tesla is not going to change.

Later this afternoon, all eyes will be on Tesla as the automaker is slated  to release its Q3 2014 earnings report.

The consensus on Wall St. is that Tesla will report a loss of $0.01 a share on revenue of $892 million. On the low end of the earnings spectrum, one analyst anticipates a loss of $0.15 a share while, on the high end, one analyst anticipates earnings to check in at $0.10 a share. During Tesla’s third quarter last year, the company reported earnings of $0.12 per share.

Financial figures aside, it’ll be interesting to keep a close eye on the number of Model S vehicles delivered for the quarter, with analysts expecting the figure to check in at 7,800 units. By way of comparison, Tesla, during the same quarter a year-ago, delivered 5,500 Model S vehicles. Last quarter, Tesla delivered 7,579 Model S vehicles.

Now given that Tesla is able to sell Model S vehicles as fast as they can make them, it stands to reason that the company may very well surpass the 7,800 estimate. What’s more, recall that a right-hand drive version of the Model S went on sale in the UK and in Hong Kong this past summer. Naturally, both of these launches will help boost overall sales figures for the quarter.

You might also recall that Elon Musk, in response to a WSJ article claiming that Tesla Model S sales were slumping, tweeted out the following about a week ago.

Article in @WSJ re Tesla sales is incorrect. September was a record high WW and up 65% year-over-year in North America.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2014

An earnings call will follow Tesla’s earnings report where we will hopefully gain some more information regarding the highly anticipated Model X, the newly christened Gigafactory, and of course, the even more hotly anticipated Model 3.

The European auto safety agency, the NCAP, gave Tesla’s Model S almost as glowing marks as the Model S achieved when tested by NHTSA in 2013. In a post on the Tesla Blog, Tesla notes:

We’re pleased to announce that the Tesla Model S has received a maximum-possible 5-star safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP).

Model S is one of just a few cars to have ever achieved a 5-star safety rating from both Euro NCAP and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Additionally, Model S is the only car this year to have achieved both a 5-star Euro NCAP rating and 5 stars in every NHTSA subcategory, including frontal impact, side impact, and rollover. Only two other cars have earned the same recognition since 2011 (when NHTSA introduced its latest rating scheme).

The reason so few models achieve 5-star ratings in both Europe and the U.S. is that each program places emphasis on different safety aspects in the assessment process. NHTSA emphasizes structural and restraint safety, with a deep focus on how well the vehicle can withstand and absorb the energy of an impact while protecting its occupants. It is also primarily concerned with adult occupants. On the other hand, Euro NCAP assesses a wider range of scenarios, including tests for child and pedestrian safety. Unlike for NHTSA, active safety is also an important part of Euro NCAP’s 5-star requirement. Every year, the European organization raises the standard for a 5-star rating to account for technological advances in the industry.

We’ve seen Tesla’s CHAdeMO adapter in the wild and it might soon be hitting the streets. The Tesla Motors Shop now has the adapter, with the same “Coming Soon” designation but with a drastically reduced $1000 $450 price tag.  That means there is some movement on the product and you might actually be able to buy one soon.

The one we saw a few months ago was working well but our tipster said that because of the variances between CHAdeMO stations it was still being tuned.

Tesla launched in Japan last month where CHAdeMO stations are plentiful. But as you can see from the map of CHAdeMO adapters from the standard body’s site, they are also plentiful and growing in the US.

CHAdeMO is the official DC fast charging option used by Nissan for the Leaf and a few other Japanese electric car manufacturers. As of October 7th, 2014, the CHAdeMO Association web site states that there are 2,129 DC Quick Chargers installed in Japan, 1327 in Europe, 731 in the USA and 54 elsewhere

Tesla charging times vary depending on the amperage on the stations but the fastest will approach the speeds of Tesla’s Superchargers.

@llsethj correction. Just rechecked:118 mi/hr 351v 105a. So halfish SC speed. May be faster elsewhere, we shall see.

— PlugShare (@plugshare) April 10, 2014

In a recent interview with AutoExpress, Tesla VP of Engineering Chris Porritt (formerly of Aston Martin) strongly hinted that the highly anticipated Tesla Model 3 will be part of a vehicle platform that may ultimately comprise a few varied designs.

Tesla has revealed that its new BMW 3 Series rival, the Tesla Model 3, will spawn a number of derivatives that could include an SUV and an estate in order to attract a broader spread of customers.

From a strategic standpoint, this makes a load of sense. Indeed, Tesla is already implementing this strategy with the Model X which is based on the same platform as the highly revered Model S.

Lending more weight to Porrit’s statements, check out the following slide taken from a recent presentation given by Tesla CTO, and all-around battery guru, JB Straubel.

Right there in black and white, the Model 3 platform will include a Sedan and likely a crossover vehicle down the line.

Again, this is a shrewd strategy that shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. There’s no denying that the Model S is a certified hit, and if pre-orders are any indication, Tesla will be selling Model X vehicles as fast they come off the production line. Still, for electric vehicles to truly gain mainstream traction, Tesla will not only need to release a more affordable car (which is the plan), but they’ll also have to have models that can appeal to the varied tastes of the masses.

On this note, Porritt adds:

We don’t know what type of customer we’re trying to appeal to yet, but we want to speak to more customers… Lots of them! We’ve got specific customers for Model S, we have an idea with Model X, but we need to appeal to more people with Model III.

Looking ahead, the impeccable and elegant design of the Model will certainly serve to raise expectations for the Model 3, a car which Tesla chief designer Franz von Holzhausen previously explained would be “more expressive” and have more of a “couture” look than the Model S.

On the materials side of the equation, Porritt noted earlier this summer that the Model 3 won’t rely as much on aluminum as the Model S, explaining that Tesla has to be more cost conscious to truly make the Model 3 widely affordable.

The plans to introduce a Model 3 Crossover may have also cut the Toyota RAV4 EV program short. The program was abruptly stopped a few months ago with Musk noting that future plans with Toyota weren’t out of the question.

If you weren’t able to see the livestream last night, Tesla now have a video and summary:

Yesterday, we unveiled the world’s first dual electric motor production car and announced that new safety and autopilot hardware is standard on every new Model S.

Conventional all wheel drive vehicles distribute power to the wheels from a single engine driving a complex mechanical transmission system. By contrast, Dual Motor Model S, which comes with either the 60 kWh or 85 kWh battery, has a motor on each axle, digitally and independently controlling torque to the front and rear wheels. The result is unparalleled control of traction, with instantaneous response to the motors giving drivers precisely controlled performance in all conditions. With its digital torque controls and low center of gravity, Dual Motor Model S has the most capable road holding and handling of any vehicle ever produced.

Where gasoline-powered all wheel drive cars sacrifice efficiency in return for all weather traction, Tesla’s Dual Motor propulsion system actually increases efficiency while delivering exceptional traction and control in slippery conditions. By precisely splitting the delivery of current from the battery to each motor, the Model S 85D and 60D actually gain an additional 10 miles of highway driving range compared to their rear motor Model S counterparts.

Consistent with our mission, we also wanted to demonstrate that an electric car can soundly beat gasoline cars on efficiency and pure performance. The Model S P85 already outperforms gasoline-powered cars in the same class with its ability to deliver 100 percent of peak torque from a standing start. We combined our new front drive unit and our P85 rear motor with the objective of outperforming one of the greatest supercars of all time, the McLaren F1. With P85D’s 0 to 60 mph performance of 3.2 seconds, we have succeeded.

The P85D combines the performance of the P85 rear motor with an additional 50 percent of torque available from our new front drive unit. The result is the fastest accelerating four-door production car of all time – while remaining one of the most efficient cars on the road. That’s a combination that can only be achieved by an electric car. Not only is the P85D a match for the McLaren F1, but it also doesn’t need a professional driver to achieve optimum performance. Just plant your foot and go.

Customers can order a Dual Motor Model S today. Deliveries of P85D begin in December for North America, to be followed 85D and 60D in February. Deliveries to Europe and Asia will follow in the months afterwards.

New Safety Features and Autopilot

The launch of Dual Motor Model S coincides with the introduction of a standard hardware package that will enable autopilot functionality. Every single Model S now rolling out of the factory includes a forward radar, 12 long range ultrasonic sensors positioned to sense 16 feet around the car in every direction at all speeds, a forward looking camera, and a high precision, digitally controlled electric assist braking system.

Building on this hardware with future software releases, we will deliver a range of active safety features, using digital control of motors, brakes, and steering to avoid collisions from the front, sides, or from leaving the road.

Model S will be able to steer to stay within a lane, change lanes with the simple tap of a turn signal, and manage speed by reading road signs and using active, traffic aware cruise control.

Our goal with the introduction of this new hardware and software is not to enable driverless cars, which are still years away from becoming a reality. Our system is called Autopilot because it’s similar to systems that pilots use to increase comfort and safety when conditions are clear. Tesla’s Autopilot is a way to relieve drivers of the most boring and potentially dangerous aspects of road travel – but the driver is still responsible for, and ultimately in control of, the car.

The Autopilot hardware opens up some exciting long term possibilities. Imagine having your car check your calendar in the morning (a feature introduced in Software v6.0), calculate travel time to your first appointment based on real time traffic data, automatically open the garage door with Homelink, carefully back out of a tight garage, and pull up to your door ready for your commute. Of course, it could also warm or cool your car to your preferences and select your favorite morning news stream.

The introduction of this hardware is just the first step for Autopilot in Model S. We will continue to develop new capabilities and deliver them through over-the-air software updates, keeping our customers at the forefront of driving technology.

Other Product Updates

Our commitment to continuous improvement extends to other features of Model S, and we have recently made several updates to the car, including:

• Seat comfort improvements and taller headrests for whiplash protection
• Improvements for a quieter cabin
• Wider rear door opening
• Electrically opening, self-closing charge port door on Dual Motor Model S
• Increased visor size and larger vanity mirror
• Parcel shelf and front trunk cargo net now standard
• Air ionizer and carbon filter for cabin air purity
• Updated steering column
• Updates to Alcantara interior trim, such as wrapped roof bow and top pad

I’m very excited to announce that I’m going to be going to LA for the Tesla D event launch and will be liveblogging it as it happens. Come back here Thursday evening at 7PM for all of the excitement.

We know a few things about the event, I’ve heard whispers on some other stuff, and I’ve got some learned speculation on other possibilities that might be announced. Here we go…
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We might now know what Elon Musk teased about in his Tweet yesterday. The below shot was taken at a central California Airport and appears to show a P85D Model S (It doesn’t appear at first glance to be ‘shopped but you never know).

That Beechcraft in the background is registered in Mojave, CA. Full info on that plane: Aircraft Data N5717V, 1966 Beech 35-C33 C/N CD-1027. Metadata from the picture says it was snapped on Sept. 19th.

At this point it would seem that the new version could include AWD with Dual motors which would make it great for the upcoming Winter. We’ll know in a few short days.

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Elon Musk is teasing on Twitter the launch of a new Tesla product. At first blush Model X Crossover SUV built on the Model S chassis would be assumptions. I’m not sure what the D stands for but jokes aside it could have something to do with the garage or the naming of the product.

D could stand for ‘Driver Assist’ that showed up in recent forum leaks from new Teslas.

D could also stand for ‘deliveries’ of the Model X though the latest word is that the Model X isn’t supposed to start deliveries until Early 2015.

Or perhaps, D could be a new version of the Model S or the Model 3 which was slated to be announced at the N. American Motor Show in Detroit. “D” could stand for Dual Motors for AWD.

We’ve got a week to find out.

About time to unveil the D and something else pic.twitter.com/qp23yi59i6

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 2, 2014

I love the Internet. Comments had me literally ROFL. No, it wasn't intentional. Glad I didn't mention the other letter!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 2, 2014

Although it has already leaked more than a few times, here is the official Blog post.  Absent are some of the pre-announced features like music improvements:

Today, we’re announcing details about new software being delivered to Model S customers through an over-the-air update. The new features further personalize the Model S ownership experience and help make the car smarter about owners’ individual preferences. This is the latest in a series of software updates issued since we launched Model S in 2012, enabling new features such as hill start assist, smart suspension controls, and energy saving sleep mode.

The Software v6.0 update introduces traffic-based navigation and commute advice, provides an in-car view of daily schedules, enables location-based air suspension settings, and allows owners to name their Model S and start it remotely using their mobile phone.

New features include:

Traffic-Based Navigation (BETA)
The Model S navigation system will be a lot smarter. Navigation will now provide route suggestions based on real-time traffic and calculate estimated travel times accordingly. It will also update dynamically as traffic conditions change throughout your trip. This feature will also take into account traffic data shared by other Tesla vehicles on the road.

Commute Advice
Navigation isn’t particularly useful when commuting between home and work because most of us usually know the way. But if traffic has an effect on a typical route, it’s helpful to know in advance. Now, Model S will monitor traffic before you even start your weekday commute and alert you with a pop-up message on the 17-inch touchscreen when a faster route is available.

Calendar (BETA)
Model S will synch with your smartphone to bring you a large in-car view of your daily schedule. If you’ve already set locations for particular events, you don’t have to worry about re-entering the details into your car’s navigation system. Instead, you can just tap on the event in your calendar to bring up route directions.

Remote Start
You will have the ability to start your Model S using only your smartphone. This function, which is particularly useful if you forget your key fob, will be accessible through the Tesla mobile app and requires you to input your password for each use.

Location-Based Air Suspension
If you regularly drive on roads or driveways that require higher than normal clearance, your Model S will remember where you previously selected high ride heights and automatically adjust the air suspension at those locations. This feature will be especially handy for people who have steep driveways. (Model S must be equipped with air suspension for this function to work.)

Name Your Car
You can now make your Model S nickname official. The car’s name will appear in the Tesla mobile app and in the About Your Tesla section on the touchscreen.

Power Management Options
A new power management option will put Model S into energy saving mode at night to help maximize available energy. There’ll also be an option that allows the Tesla mobile app to always connect immediately to the car, while still saving power.

This software update represents Tesla’s commitment to improving Model S for customers even long after it has left the assembly line. With each update, Model S becomes more attuned and responsive to its owner’s needs without requiring excessive user input. We will continuously fine-tune the software and work on new features in response to customer feedback.

[tweet https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/503077090803986432]

Surely there had to be a better way? Personally, I’ve never wanted for much of this but I’ve also never had cars that had these features in the past either.  Full ad pasted below:
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNY6VhGzfA0]

Steve Saleen previews the result of his newest partnership with the trend-setting electric vehicle manufacturer, Tesla. This high performance electric will run $150-grand and can be ordered now, arriving to customers in 6-8 weeks.

Personally, I’m not a fan of the outward appearance (inside isn’t bad) and he quotes 0-60 time of mid-4 seconds which seems like Saleen must’ve slowed the speed down a bit?

Gallery and press release below:

Tesla just announced that it’s extending its Model S drivetrain warranty to 8-years and infinite miles to match the vehicle’s battery pack warranty.  Tesla also confirmed that the new warranty will apply retroactively to all Model S vehicles and have no limit on the number of owners. The previous drive unit warranty included a 4-year, 50,000 mile limited warranty with the option to pay for an upgraded 8-year, 100,000 mile warranty.

Elon Musk warned investors in the company’s statement that the change “will have a moderately negative effect on Tesla earnings in the short term, as our warranty reserves will necessarily have to increase above current levels. This is amplified by the fact that we are doing so retroactively, not just for new customers.”

In hindsight, this should have been our policy from the beginning of the Model S program. If we truly believe that electric motors are fundamentally more reliable than gasoline engines, with far fewer moving parts and no oily residue or combustion byproducts to gum up the works, then our warranty policy should reflect that.

The full statement is below:
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Interesting move. Juniper makes large scale networking equipment that runs on the backbone of the Internet and at ISPs as well as larger corporations. Denholm began her career in Australia serving at Toyota Motor Corporation for seven years and at Arthur Andersen and Company for five years in various finance assignments.

From today’s Shareholder Report(PDF):

In June, we broke ground just outside Reno, Nevada on a site that could potentially be the location for the Gigafactory. Consistent with our strategy to identify and break ground on multiple sites, we continue to evaluate other locations in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. The final site for the first Gigafactory will be determined in the next few months, once we have full visibility and agreement on the relevant incentives and processes for enabling the Gigafactory to be fully operational to meet the timing for Model 3. We see these concurrent efforts as prudent. This vehicle will be
our third-generation product and will substantially broaden the addressable market for Tesla, helping to accelerate the transition towards sustainable transportation. Any potentially duplicative investments are minor compared to the revenue that could be lost if the launch of Model 3 were affected by any delays at our primary Gigafactory site.

Conference call will be at 5:30 here. Stock is down in after hours on unit shipment numbers.

At Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Cruise Terminal earlier this week, Tesla handed eight owners the keys to the first right hand drive Model S’s in Asia. Jerome Guillen, Tesla’s Vice President of Worldwide Sales and Service, also unveiled Hong Kong’s first Superchargers, which allow Model S drivers to charge for free.