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What to do if you run out of juice in your Tesla Model S

After writing about their Tesla Model S running out of juice on the side of the road between Las Vegas and Barstow, CA recently (read about it here), the fine folks at Teslarati figured they had some 'splainin' to do. The brief explanation is headwinds. Yes, headwinds. A Model S has about 10 miles of range even after it shows a big fat "0" on its dash. Thankfully, the drivers took notes about what to do if your Model S is about to shut down like C-3PO in A New Hope. Step one is to know that the EV has about 10 miles of range (maybe 20) even after it shows "0" on its dash. Once that distance is used up, it's time to pull the car over, and even then there is enough reserve juice to power the screen for a half hour. After that, all that works are the door handles and the flashers. So, before everything goes completely dark, it's best to remember to put the car into "tow mode" and get it into neutral so that the EV doesn't have to be jumpstarted just to get it onto a truck. Also, once the Model S has been recharged from empty, it needs to be powered off in order to reset the system and not keep it in "depleted power" mode. Now you know. The way Teslarati learned all of this was that, after using a Las Vegas supercharger to give their Tesla Model what they thought would be about 240 miles worth of range for the 160-mile drive, the car unfortunately provided them with just 157 before shutting down. The culprit was a sand storm that sent 35-mile-per-hour headwinds (and probably a bit of grit) into the car as it maintained a 75-mph cruising speed. Teslarati also said elevation changes were part of the problem. Las Vegas and Barstow are both about 2,200 feet above sea level, but there are a bunch of hills in between, and we guess the declines giveth less then the inclines taketh away. Happens to the best of us.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla lane detection video, H2 station locator app

See how well Tesla's Autopilot detects lane markings on a winding road. Tesla Owner and YouTuber KmanAuto puts Autopilot under Firmware version 8.0 to the test in traffic on a curvy road with bright sunlight. The driver is comparing the system's prowess to version 7.0 on the same roads, and doesn't see much of an improvement, despite heavier reliance on radar than cameras. Still, KmanAuto notes, this is not the type of road Autopilot is designed for, but it offers a good comparison between the two versions. While it now works better in some instances, Kman also notes some "regressions." See the video above, and read more at Teslarati. The Renault Zoe EV will take part in the 2016 e-Rallye Monte Carlo. From October 12 through 16, the French automaker will enter four Zoes in the FIA-sanctioned, zero-emissions drive from Fontainebleau, France to Monaco. This marks the third year that the Zoe will compete, and allows the EV to showcase its new battery with improved driving range. Read more from Renault. Industrial gases company Air Liquide has launched an informational website about hydrogen, as well as an H2 infrastructure app. In honor of National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day on October 8 (which corresponds to hydrogen's atomic weight of 1.008), the company launched Let's Clear The Air to educate the public about hydrogen as an alternative fuel. Additionally, the "Hydrogen Station Finder" app, launched in collaboration with the California Fuel Cell Partnership, helps FCEV drivers navigate to stations that make up the growing hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Read more from Air Liquide. UPS will add 200 new hybrid electric delivery trucks to its fleet. Like the 125 vehicles UPS previously announced, these new trucks will use the Workhorse E-Gen chassis, and feature a lithium-ion battery pack and two-cylinder BMW range extender that provide 150 miles of range and about 26 mpg. They'll go into service in January 2017 in Arizona, Texas, Nevada, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and possibly other states. Read more form UPS. Related Gallery Renault ZOE - 2015 ZENN Monte-Carlo Rally News Source: Teslarati, YouTube: KmanAuto, Renault, Air Liquide, UPS, Workhorse Green Tesla Renault Alternative Fuels Technology Autonomous Vehicles Electric Hybrid Hydrogen Cars Videos recharge wrapup

Carmakers, NHTSA to unveil auto-emergency braking agreement tomorrow

Happy St. Patrick's Day Eve. Tomorrow, there will be green beer, corned beef and cabbage, and automatic emergency braking for all. Weird combo, we know. But on St. Patty's we can expect an official announcement from a pact of automakers making auto-braking systems standard equipment by 2022. That's per a report from Reuters, which cites three sources familiar with the plans. Originally announced in September 2015 by 10 automakers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the agreement is expected to be even larger when the details are unveiled tomorrow. According to Reuters, the manufacturers of 99 percent of the US domestic market's vehicles will be represented by the new agreement. It's believed that standard AEB systems could prevent thousands of accidents across the country. Expect more on the official announcement when it's made. Related Video: