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Fatal Tesla Autopilot crash, Porsche debuts 2017 Panamera | Autoblog Minute

A roundup of this week's car news includes the first fatal Tesla Autopilot crash and Porsche's reveal of the 2017 Panamera. Senior Producer Chris McGraw reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] A motorist is killed while using Tesla Autopilot. In what is believed to be the first fatal accident involving Tesla's autonomous driving feature, the Model S failed to stop when a tractor trailer drove across the highway perpendicular to the Model S, and the car drove underneath the truck. Tesla said the trailer's white paint set against the bright sky were the reason the driver and the Autopilot didn't stop the car. Tesla also called this accident a "tragic loss," and pointed out that it's the first death involving Autopilot in more than 130 million miles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [00:00:30] has opened a preliminary evaluation of Tesla's Autopilot. Its evaluation will look at the design and performance of Autopilot during the crash. Find more details at Autoblog.com. The 2017 Porsche Panamera made its official debut this week. With a clear styling link to the Porsche 911, we think this is the best looking Panamera yet. The new Panamera's body is made mostly from aluminum, minus some high-strength steel and optional large panoramic roof overhead. A completely new range of engines powers the second-gen Panamera, starting [00:01:00] with a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 that puts out 440 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. The Panamera Turbo boasts a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 with 550 hp and 567 lb-ft. Both the 4S and the Turbo come with standard all-wheel drive and an eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission. Porsche is claiming that this Panamera set the Nurburgring record for a production sedan finishing just 14 seconds quicker than the outgoing model. We expect to see the 2017 [00:01:30] Porsche Panamera hit deals in January of 2017. Find more details at Autoblog.com. I'm Chris McGraw. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals. Porsche Tesla Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video

Recharge Wrap-up: Audi Q5 EV built in Mexico, Tesla's $1.26B expansion

Audi will build an electric version of its Q5 in Mexico, according to anonymous sources close to the matter. Audi plans to shift all Q5 manufacturing to its $1.3 billion factory in San Jose Chiapa, which is set to open this fall. Initially, the company will build internal-combustion Q5s at the plant, with an electric version to be introduced in the near future. One source tells Automotive News Europe that Audi is currently training personnel ahead of the facility's opening. The Q5 is currently built in Ingolstadt, Germany, with some being assembled in China and India for sale in those markets. Read more from Automotive News Europe. Tesla is applying for $106 million in tax breaks as it expands its Fremont factory to the tune of $1.26 billion. The expansion comes as the electric automaker looks to accelerate production in order to meet demand for the upcoming Model 3 sedan, and the buildout will include a new production line dedicated to the model. Tesla plans to ramp up production to 500,000 units a year in 2018, though Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the Fremont factory could potentially build a million cars annually. Read more at Electrek. Formula E is partnering with the sports charity StreetGames to help bring sports opportunities to disadvantaged communities. DS Virgin Racing driver Sam Bird, who is currently in third place in the 2015/2016 season's driver standings, will head to his hometown to join Roehampton FC for a soccer tournament on June 27. "If I hadn't been a racing driver, I'd like to think I could have had a career as a professional footballer," Bird says, "so I might be able to give them a few hints and tips on ball control as well as explaining car control!" StreetGames will also be represented at the London ePrix with sports activities for attendees. Read more from Formula E. Related Video: Featured Gallery Tesla Model 3 View 18 Photos Related Gallery 2014 Audi Q5 TDI View 28 Photos News Source: Automotive News Europe, Electrek, Formula E Government/Legal Green Motorsports Plants/Manufacturing Audi Tesla Green Automakers Electric recharge wrapup

For Tesla, the energy-storage company, the magic is in batteries

Tesla Motors Chief Elon Musk has always been a big-picture guy, and the company's chief technology officer appears to be following suit. JB Straubel, who was a keynote speaker at the Joint Venture Silicon Valley symposium near the automaker's Northern California home base recently, says the company is just as much an energy-storage company as a car maker. And he said the rate of battery-technology improvement shows no signs of slowing down, according to Green Tech Media. Straubel estimated that battery performance has improved about 40 percent during the five years between the debuts of the Tesla Roadster and the Model S. Additionally, battery density has doubled during the past decade and continues to ramp up fairly steeply. He noted that further near-term improvements will come not from the size and shape of the cell, but from improved cathode and anode materials. Those energy improvements won't just help the cars. Tesla uses a two-megawatt-hour battery pack to supply as much as 10 percent of the peak energy used at the company's factory in Fremont, CA, and will double the size of that battery-powered energy capacity within the next few months, Straubel says. Automakers like Tesla and Nissan are licking their proverbial chops at the prospect of substantially improved battery performance paired with declining battery costs as more and more lithium-ion battery packs get produced. Late last year, Navigant Research estimated that lithium-ion battery costs would fall by almost two-thirds by 2020, down to a low $180 per kilowatt hour. That should make electrified powertrains price-competitive with conventional vehicles, as electric vehicles could then command a price premium as low as $2,000 compared to their gas-powered brethren.