Tesla to recall 3,183 Model X vehicles in China sue to power steering issue

Tesla Inc will recall 3,183 Model X vehicles in China, because of a potential issue that could make steering harder and increase the risk of a crash, according to the country's market regulator.

Tesla will recall the sport-utility vehicles made in 2016 from June, according to a statement from the State Administration for Market Regulation on Friday.

Tesla cars may soon stream Netflix, YouTube when not moving, says Musk

The ability to stream YouTube and Netflix when a Tesla vehicle is not moving is coming soon, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter.

The change may come in August but wouldn’t take “more than a few months,” Musk said while responding to a Twitter user.

Tesla owners will be able to stream while the car is moving once regulators approve full self-driving, Musk said in a second tweet. The CEO described the experience as having a “cinematic feel due to the comfy seats and surround sound audio.”

Tesla tweeted Friday it was beginning its global roll-out of chess for the Tesla Arcade. Musk said on Saturday the Unity game engine port was done and that they were finessing the controls. He added that there would be additional game storage via USB.

Musk also replied that the company is “maybe” two to three months away from unveiling its pickup truck offering. He said Tesla is close, “but the magic is in the final details.”

Version 10 of Tesla’s software will include games, infotainment features, an improved highway autopilot, better traffic light and stop sign recognition as well as smart summon, Musk said in a separate tweet. When asked if the version would include the ability to read a text message through speakers, Musk replied “yes,” in another post.

Tesla has a plan to revive its foundering solar biz: cut installation costs

Tesla has a new plan to revive its foundering solar business: standardisation.

At a time when most rooftop panel installers offer custom-designed arrays, the automaker is now only offering cookie-cutter systems, sold exclusively online. The cost-cutting strategy will also require customers to photograph meters and circuit breaker boxes, minimising the need for Tesla workers to visit homes.

It’s the latest pivot for a company that’s lost much of its rooftop-solar market share since acquiring former industry leader SolarCity for $2.6 billion in 2016. The shift comes less than a week after Tesla reported its lowest-ever quarterly installation total, putting it as low as third or even fourth among US installers.

“Tesla has been caught in this death spiral ever since the SolarCity acquisition,” said Hugh Bromley, a BloombergNEF solar analyst. “It’s hacked away at its marketing costs, but that’s led to spiraling quarterly installations.” A Tesla spokesman declined to comment on Bromley’s assessment. The company’s new strategy was first reported by the New York Times. The shift will enable Tesla to sell panel systems for as much as 16 per cent below the national average price, according to the Times.

The company has been overhauling its solar unit for more than two years. It now prioritises direct sales over no-money-down leases, has ceased door-to-door marketing and ended a partnership with Home Depot. It’s also cut jobs.

Lower installations costs “could potentially grab market share from peers,” analysts at Credit Suisse Group wrote in a research note on Tuesday. “It is unclear if Tesla’s offerings will compete with solar leases offered by peers.”

Many of Tesla’s solar competitors, including Sunrun, offer customised systems to account for different roofs, locations and home-energy needs. “Most customers today need an expert to guide them through the process of going solar,” Georgia Dempsey, a Sunrun spokeswoman, said in an emailed statement. Sunrun is now the largest US rooftop-solar company.

While rooftop solar has thrived in the US, the process of tailoring systems to individual roofs and installing them can take months. Tesla’s push to standardise the process by selling arrays in 4-kilowatt increments comes after an upstart solar company, GAF Energy, has been offering a one-size-fits-all option that’s ready to install right out of the box.

But the complexities of installing rooftop panels don’t easily lend themselves to standardisation, Bromley said.

“For 10 years, people have talked about self-installation systems or plug-and-play systems,” he said. “It hasn’t gone really far.”