The owner of the Model 3 Tesla that was involved in a fatal accident in San Francisco said that prior to placing the vehicle up for rent, every safety feature was enabled. 
The crash involved a Tesla Model 3, which ran a red light, hitting a Mini Cooper, and then striking two pedestrians. Benjamin and Kelly Dean, who were in the area to celebrate their 3rd wedding anniversary, were struck. Kelly is in critical condition while her husband, Benjamin, has died. At the time of publication, investigators had determined that Tesla’s Autopilot feature was not to blame for the traffic crash that occurred on Sunday. The investigation is on-going and a spokesperson for the SF Police department noted that investigators removed a data storage devices from the Tesla involved in the accident, which will be analyzed to help determine the actions and events that lead up to the crash.

Tesla (NASDA: TSLA) has begun developing the means to produce its own batteries, reported by five current and recent employees. Currently, Tesla has relied on Panasonic for its batteries after signing an extensive partnership deal in 2014. If Tesla is able to pull off manufacturing its own batteries, it will help tech company offer cheaper, higher-performance electric vehicles that it currently does today. Tesla would no longer have to pay or share data and resources with outside vendors or partners and it would be handling battery production in house. Tesla vehicles, which currently are entirely electric, rely on a massive battery pack and battery cells to power the car or SUV. Both the battery pack and battery cells are the main cost component in an electric vehicle. While Tesla, in the near future, may set the groundwork for in-house battery development, they are likely not going to cut all ties with Pansonic and other battery suppliers right away.

Audi has announced a recall of its compact crossover Q3 SUV that was produced between 2016 and 2018. The recall is over a turn signal problem that fortunately can be fixed with a software update. All of the vehicles that are part of this recall are equipped with LED headlights, but in the recall it is unclear if there is a specific batch of VINs associated with the recall. The problem arises from the LED headlights where “incorrect software configuration” (as Audi puts it) may not alert the driver if one of the LED front turn signals fails to work. Because all vehicles on the road must conform to regulations from the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, this places the Audi Q3s in violation of one of the requirements – FMVSS 108 “Lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment” A malfunctioning front turn signal and no warning light may result in a vehicle that changes lanes without enough notification to other drivers which can increase the likelihood of a crash. The recall is expected to start in mid-July. Consumers who own an Audi Q3 can take their vehicles into Audi to be serviced. The software update is a relatively quick fix,   Read more…

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) who is currently producing its entry-level Model 3 which is at a lower-cost point than its bigger brother the Model S was denied a tariff exemption on the Model 3’s computer and screen due to the new Chinese tariffs put into place by the Trump Administration. Tesla is currently producing all of its vehicles in the US but still relies on Chinese suppliers for specific parts for its vehicles, of which many of those parts would be difficult to produce in the US. The Chinese goods tariff was put into place in an effort to convince American companies to keep more of their production in the US. Such is the case with the ‘brain of the vehicle’ which is how Tesla describes the computer and screen for the Tesla Model 3. Tesla made a request to the United States Trade Representative’s Office for an exemption on the parts, arguing that it isn’t realistic to switch suppliers on the computer and screen and that the new tariff is significant enough that it could cause “economic harm” to the company. The Model 3 continues to be a popular car amongst electric car buyers and Tesla has still outpaced electric   Read more…

Ford Motor Company announced today that they are recalling over 1.2 Million vehicles in the U.S. They are also recalling three other types of cars of which 150,000 are affected in the US and Canada. 28,000 Explorers are being recalled from Canada and 1 in Mexico. The affected vehicles were all manufactured at the Chicago Assembly Plant between May 17,2010 and January 26, 2017. The affected vehicles could experience a fractured rear suspension toe link under certain conditions which would result in significantly diminished steering control ultimately leading to the increase in the risk of a crash. Just last year Ford also recalled nearly 1.3 Million vehicles over a stalling issue with another 38,000 the following month. The cost of this fix for the Explorers ? Roughly $180 million according to Ford.

Crossovers and SUVs are currently one of the most sought after body-styles for new car buyers and used car buyers alike. Offering better gas mileage than heavy duty trucks and plenty of room to haul everything from groceries, family, friends, and junk – the SUV and CUV market is booming. The $35,000-and-under SUV segment has plenty of offerings to those looking to get into a new vehicle. While many of these vehicles start under the $35,000 mark, some trim levels will take them beyond that price point. As CNET Reports on Roadshow, these are the best Crossovers and SUVs to get: Honda CRVKia Niro HybridMazda CX-5Subaru ForesterToyota 4RunnerVolkswagen AtlasVolvo XC40Chevy BlazerKia TellurideHyundai Kona Each of these models has made this list for a variety of reasons that include spacious cargo, great gas mileage, reliability, good value, a nice selection of text options, and a handsome exterior. 
 For more details, read the full article online on CNET

BMW is having to recall more than 5,000 compact cars that have knee airbag models for both the driver and passenger. The recall is affecting the following models: – 2019-2020 2 Series: 230i and 230i xDrive coupe and convertible, M240i and M240i coupe and convertible, M2 Competition. – 2019 3 Series: 330i xDrive Sportswagon. – 2019-2020 4 Series: 430i and 430i xDrive coupe and convertible, 440i and 440i xDrive coupe and convertible, M4 coupe and convertible – 2020 4 Series Grand Coupe: 430i and 430i xDrive, 440i and 440i xDrive The modules which were supplied by Joyson Safety Systems may have airbags that were not properly folded in the airbag housing resulting in the airbags becoming damaged during inflation which can then lead to preventing the full safety benefit of the airbag itself during deployment. The fix is pretty easy with dealership technicians having to replace one or both knee airbag models with correctly folded parts. Owners of models affected should receive mail notifications by mid July.

Jaguar Land Rover, owned by Tata Motors (NYSE: TTM) is having to recall some of its electric I-Pace vehicles due to problems involving the regenerative braking system. The I-Pace which starts at $69,850 has a regenerative braking system that helps recharge the car’s electric battery when the driver presses the brake peddle to come to a stop. The issue, which could be a failing electrical regenerative braking system could result in an increased delay in declaration after pressing the brakes, which could ultimately lead to the driver failing to stop in time.
Jaguar will begin notifying I-Pace owners that are affected on July 1 and the fix will involve a software update to reduce the braking delay. The recall covers vehicles produced in the 2019 and 2020 model years which totals to 3,083 vehicles.

The all new Audi (OTCMKTS: AUDVF) Electric vehicle that has a starting price of $74,900USD and was set to take on the Tesla SUV is being recalled over fire risks. The E-Tron is new for 2019 and 1,644 vehicles are being recalled due to a bad seal that can let moisture into the battery compartment and potentially cause a short which could start a fire. At the time of publication, there were no real-world reports of incidents where a fire occurred or accidents that happened as a result of the bad seal. Of the 1644 vehicles being recalled, only 540 have been sold to consumers. This is bad news for Audi as this is their first electric vehicle in the US and with a high starting price, this vehicle caters to a specific segment of car buyers. Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) has had its own shortfalls with its auto-pilot mode but is still king when it comes to electric car sales.

Honda announced last month that 1,082 Clarity Fuel Cell vehicles were being recalled due to a defective cooling system part. The models affected were all produced between 2017 and 2018 and were all sold in California. The recall issue is specific to an electric water pump that wasn’t properly treated for corrosion. What happens over time that if the component becomes corroded it would potentially result in a low-pressure warning for the system. When this happens, the vehicle may be able to be driven for a short distance on reduced power but then the vehicle would shut down. Fast Recall Facts:Model Year 2017: 911
Model Year 2018: 171Build Dates: 2017-FEB 28, 2018New 2019 Models: Unaffected Honda USA continues to bet on the long-term adoption of fuel cell vehicles and is one of the only manufactures that offers fuel-cell vehicles to consumers for purchase.