Tesla Superchargers Are About to Be Faster

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Some people don’t mind waiting for their Tesla to charge. Sure, it can be an inconvenience when you have somewhere to be. Yet Tesla has taken steps to make charging more pleasant, like placing Superchargers near cafes. If you’ve viewed charging time as ‘me time,’ you may be disappointed by Elon Musk’s latest news: Tesla is upgrading their Superchargers. 

Tesla Supercharger | Tesla

Elon Musk says Superchargers are getting upgraded

Right now, Tesla Superchargers are 250 kW, which means they can charge relatively quickly. The upgrade will increase that to 300 kW. As you might imagine, this means that people will be able to charge their Teslas even more quickly. By how much isn’t certain yet.

Musk’s tweet also didn’t specify if all Teslas would be able to handle the increased power from the upgraded Superchargers. As Tesla is putting new batteries into their cars, the number of Teslas that will be able to handle more rapid charging should increase. It’s believed that the upgrade will first benefit the new Model S and Model X Teslas.

It’s also not clear if the upgrade will impact current superchargers or if Tesla will be making new Superchargers. 

How does this help Tesla?

According to Electrek, having faster Superchargers doesn’t just benefit Tesla drivers. The company will also benefit, as people torn between two electric vehicles might be drawn to the one that can charge more quickly. 

Another benefit of faster charging is more availability at charging stations, which will reduce wait times for chargers. 

There’s also the possibility that Tesla’s technology will inspire other charging networks and car manufacturers to look at how they can improve their charging speeds, and follow suit. This will benefit the electric vehicle movement, as it will be easier for people to charge their EVs and travel farther once they do.

Other electric vehicle companies and charging networks also have the same incentive as Tesla to increase their charging speed. With range anxiety playing a major role in people’s unwillingness to make the switch to an electric vehicle, more chargers and reduced charging time will play an integral part of people choosing electric vehicles.

Electrify America is a charging network that has at least one type of charger capable of 350 kW. Their website says that “The brand of electric vehicle (EV) you drive will determine which plug you can use. You should be able to find out more about your vehicle’s capabilities from your owner’s manual and the manufacturer’s official website.”

So what kind of electric vehicles can handle these fast chargers?

Fred Lambert, Editor-in-Chief of Electrek, asked Elon Musk (via Twitter, of course), if Tesla had plans to beat what other networks were attempting to attain. Musk virtually laughed. He then called the 350 kW that Lambert proposed a “child’s toy.” Lambert notes that when Tesla did upgrade their Superchargers a few years later, their capacity had only increased to 250 kW.

It will be interesting to see if Tesla can beat even this latest upgrade in their future. Of course, battery technology would have to improve too, but that’s a possibility. It may not be long before electric vehicles are charging at superfast speeds, and dominating the roads.

RELATED: Tesla’s Table Salt Patent Could Be a Game Changer

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Steven Spielberg’s $160 Million Yacht Can House 12 Guests

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Celebrities are often known for having a lot of fancy boats and automobiles. Jay Leno, for example, has close to 200 cars (and counting) and even has a popular web series, Jay Leno’s Garage. Some celebrities prefer motorcycles or decked-out RVs. Tiger Woods even has a tricked-out golf cart he drives around when he isn’t crashing his SUV. 

Then there are the celebrities who prefer the yacht life, including Steven Spielberg and tennis champ Rafael Nadal. If you want to buy a celebrity yacht and have the cash, you are in luck, as Steven Spielberg is selling his superyacht. 

Some high-profile celebrity yachts

Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg | Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

Spielberg is far from the only celebrity to have a fancy yacht. According to Boat International, Tom Brady owns a Wajer 55S, christened Viva a Vida, and has recently commissioned a larger yacht, the Wajer 77. The Piano Man, Billy Joel, is not only a yacht fanatic; he also designs yachts. He previously owned an Inace explorer yacht which he converted to hold some of his motorcycles. He currently owns a commuter yacht, Vendetta, which is listed for sale with yacht broker Fraser. 

Before his death, Steve Jobs commissioned a 78-meter Feadship yacht that, while he never got to enjoy, is just what you would expect from the founder of Apple. Very high-tech (of course), Venus is also covered in glass and has a tender garage that houses a Pascoe tender. Meanwhile, Pink Floyd guitarist, David Gilmour, owns a houseboat christened Astoria built in 1911 for Fred Karno, and it’s large enough that a 90-piece orchestra can play on the deck. Gilmour converted it into a recording studio, and Pink Floyd recorded parts of the band’s last three albums on board.  

Steven Spielberg’s aptly named yacht, Seven Seas

The legendary director’s superyacht Seven Seas, was recently listed for sale with yacht brokers Edmiston and Merle Wood & Associates, according to Boat International. It was commissioned in 2010, and Spielberg has owned it for the last decade. The boat is 86.01 meters long, or 282 feet, and has room for up to 12 guests, with quarters for 23 crew members. It is listed for €131,000,000, which is just under $160 million. 

Seven Seas has quite a few amenities for its multi-million dollar price tag. It also has a massive swimming pool, gym, massage room, sauna, and steam room. Meanwhile, the owner’s suite has a private deck and a Jacuzzi. It also has a touch-and-go helipad, along with a variety of custom tenders. Additionally, it has a professional cinema, which is almost expected when considering the yacht’s owner. It even has a pirate protection unit. 

Where did Spielberg go with the Seven Seas?

So (obvious pun alert) did Seven Seas actually traverse the Seven Seas? Spielberg has taken his superyacht to several places in the last decade, including China, Sri Lanka, and Hawaii, during a 2013 30,000 mile world tour. It has also been spotted in Puerto Vallarta and France, and, like many superyachts, it flies under the Cayman Islands flag.

Owning a superyacht is the dream of many people, even if it only ever remains just a dream. Maybe a smaller yacht tender from a celebrity superyacht would be enough. However, if you are really a fan of Steven Spielberg, then you probably know, “you’re gonna need a bigger boat.” That is, at least if you are chasing a super shark. 

RELATED: You Will Not Believe Tiger Woods’ Ultra-Luxurious Yacht

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Elon Musk Tweet-Explains Cybertruck Technology

by Gabrielle DeSantis

It seems a simple thing, car doors. You pull, they open. What if your car doesn’t have door handles? Then what? Tesla’s new Cybertruck won’t, and everyone has been wondering how they’d get into their Cybertruck. Finally, Elon Musk explains the new Cybertruck doors. 

Tesla Cybertruck | Tesla

What do we know about the Cybertruck doors?

The technology surrounding the new Cybertruck hasn’t exactly been a mystery, but it’s been evolving and new. Parents filed by Tesla give clues as to the type of technology we can expect to see in the Cybertruck, and the doors don’t disappoint. 

Although the original Cybertruck design had door handles, the newest version does not. He first announced that the Cybertruck wouldn’t have door handles in Marcy, but it was unclear how exactly a car without handles would work. 

As far as the rest of the Cybertruck, Electrek reports it will likely remain much the same as when we first saw it. Musk tweeted, “In end, we kept production design almost exactly same as show car. Just some small tweaks here & there to make it slightly better.”

So how exactly will the Cybertruck door handle technology work?

In a tweet (which is Musk’s favorite form of communication), Musk explained how the Cybertruck’s door handle technology will work. He wrote, “No door handles. Car recognizes you & opens door.”

 Of course, people have questions and reservations about the new technology. All sort of logistical concerns come up: what if someone borrows your car? What if the weather is bad, and the car doesn’t recognize you? What if you just want to stand near your car without opening the door?

It isn’t entirely clear how all of the intricacies will work, but all of those questions will likely be resolved by the time (or shortly after) the Tesla Cybertruck has been released.

The Tesla Cybertruck door handle technology will likely incorporate cameras

Tesla has recently incorporated even more camera-based systems into their vehicles. They’ve gotten rid of radar and lidar sensors in the Model 3 and Model Y cars, and have relied only on cameras in their safety equipment. Although this first raised some eyebrows – and caused Tesla to lose a few top safety awards, most people have come around. The IIHS tested Tesla’s new safety equipment and found that it was effective. Both the IIHS and Consumer Reports then reinstated Tesla’s safety awards.

Of course, it’s always possible that everyone will hate the Cybertruck’s new doors, or the Cybertruck itself. Musk said as much recently, tweeting that the Cybertruck may be a “flop,” but that he wouldn’t care and he’d still love it. Considering how unlike the Cybertruck is to anything else on the market, that’s a real concern. Yet its newness, combined with its functionality, make it likely that the Cybertruck will be a success (and a cool thing to see driving down the street).

One thing’s for certain: if the Cybertruck doesn’t need door handles, it will be a whole lot easier to get into your car without spilling your coffee. And that can only be a good thing. 

RELATED: Tesla Cybertruck Patent Is Straight Out of Science Fiction

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The Worst EVs of All Time Are Also Some of the Smallest

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Many of the best electric cars built today take the shape of SUVs or long sedans, with some budget hatches sprinkled in. But on the opposite end of things, some of the worst EVs ever made are ridiculously small. Dismal range, little practicality, and awful designs are all packed into the smallest shells possible. These EVs were genuine attempts to make cheap electric cars, but missed the mark in one way or another.

The Sebring-Vanguard Citicar SV48 was a cheap, cheese wedge electric car

Citicar SV48 | Eric Kilby

One can cut the Citicar SV48 some slack considering it was built in the 70s, but the sketchy build quality isn’t hard to spot. The sharp edges riveted together like an old steamliner and general cheese wedge aesthetic makes it an odd and ugly duckling.

It started with four lead-acid batteries that made a total of 48 volts of power. The estimated top speed was around 50mph, and the range was roughly 40 miles, which meant you couldn’t run this car for over an hour. But this slapped-together slab of steel was actually the highest production US-built electric car until the Tesla Model S came around.

2000 were built under the Citicar name, followed by 2000 more when they became the Commutacar. Then, in 1990, the patent was sold to Norwegian company Kewet, and built until October of 2013. Another 1,500 units rolled off the line, making about 7,000 over a non-consecutive 39-year timeframe. Something about this little lead-acid battery sled had to have worked for it to last that long.

The Corbin Sparrow was a one-seater electric high heel

A large flock of colorful Corbin Sparrows in an ad from 2002
2002 Corbin Sparrow Ad | John Lloyd/Flickr

First revealed at the 1996 San Fransico Auto Show, the Corbin Sparrow is an odd commuter vehicle with some promising numbers (especially in the 90s). Unlike the Citicar, the Sparrow could get up to 80mph and, on a good day, the range made it to 50. You still couldn’t run it for over an hour, but at least you could get up to speed. It could also be charged in 6 hours with a simple 110v outlet, convenient and quick.

During the week-long show, the concept received unexpected amounts of interest, and soon a factory was built to churn out these one-seater electric cars. However, production was rushed, and mistakes were made. Lithium-ion batteries hadn’t been developed yet, so the Sparrow ran on the same lead-acid tech used by the Citicar. 13 batteries, weighing over 600lbs in total. And if one of the batteries in the Sparrow died, the whole car was inoperable.

By 2003, Corbin Motors had run out of investor money and filed for bankruptcy. Only 289 Sparrows ever made it out of the factory, making it an incredibly strange and insanely rare EV.

The ZAP! Xebra is the worst electric car ever made

A green ZAP! Xebra parked on the side of the road
Green ZAP! Xebra | Infrogmation of New Orleans/Flickr

While the previous entries on this list were decent when first made, the ZAP! Xebra is a whole new level of atrocious. Despite being built in 2003, the Xebra only had a 40mph top speed and a 25 mile range. The Citicar from 30 years prior was faster and ran longer.

And yet, you’d also feel safer driving a Citicar, as the Xebra developed multiple brake issues in 2006, 2008, and 2012. It’s also classified as a motorcycle, which means it didn’t have to meet any safety regulations. And in early iterations, the Xebra couldn’t be left out in the rain. Water would seep in through the sharp and shoddy welds, short-circuiting the batteries and disabling the car.

The only saving grace of this car is that you could fit four people inside. Impressive for a three-wheeler, but would you want to stuff four people inside this crummy thing? Though perhaps it’s not fair to compare these cheap electric cars with the EVs of today. The technology still isn’t perfect, and the range isn’t quite where gas is. But progress is being made, and right now electric cars are better than ever before.

RELATED: The Worst ‘Cheap’ 2020 Electric Car You Should Never Buy

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