2021 Tesla Model Y Long Range on 2040-cars

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Audi tops Consumer Reports' brand rankings while Tesla leads domestics at eighth

Tesla supplanted General Motors' Buick division as the top-ranked US automaker in Consumer Reports annual brand rankings, though the electric-vehicle maker finished eighth among global automakers. Buick had finished atop CR's domestic car-brand list for three years before Tesla leapfrogged it. Scores were calculated from a combination of performance, owner satisfaction, and reliability. CR noted that Buick scored big on reliability but not so high on performance, while Tesla appeared to present the opposite case. Volkswagen's Audi division repeated as the best overall brand for the second straight year, beating out VW's Porsche unit, BMW, Toyota's Lexus division, and Subaru. Kia and Mazda followed those brands, while Honda finished ninth, between Tesla and Buick. Consumer Reports took results from 31 brands. Reliability issues related to the Toyota Tacoma helped drop that Japanese automaker out of the top 10. Take a look at CR's results for its Annual Brand Report Card here. That Tesla, Audi, and Porsche placed so high is topical, given some of the issues plaguing those automakers. Audi, Porsche, and their parent VW have been coping with the effects of the diesel-emissions scandal that broke back in 2015. The scandal has cost Europe's largest automaker billions of dollars, and forced VW to put a stop-sale on diesel-powered cars in the US in late 2015. And while the Tesla Model S improved from the "worse-than-average" label CR gave it in its 2015 Annual Auto Reliability Survey, the problematic falcon-wing doors on the Tesla Model X SUV pulled that model's reliability scores lower last year. Additionally, the Model X's climate-control system and door locks have also caused issues. Toyota and Lexus finished atop CR's reliability rankings last year. Related Video:

2021 BMW M3/M4 and Volkswagen ID.4 revealed | Autoblog Podcast #646

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by West Coast Editor James Riswick. Together, they tackle a week's worth of big news, including the reveals of the BMW M3 and M4 and Volkswagen ID.4, as well as Tesla's Battery Day. Greg's been driving the long-term Subaru Forester, and gives us an update on that, while James discusses the current state and direction of Cadillac after driving the CT5. Then, the two dads talk about child seat safety, as well as random things they've learned from having children of their own. Autoblog Podcast #646 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown 2021 BMW M3 and M4 revealed with a standard manual and up to 503 horsepower 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 breaks cover with 250-mile range Why the Volkswagen ID.4 is a Very Big Deal Elon Musk promises $25,000 car, EV battery cell that costs half — but not soon 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid coming with three motors and more than 1,100 horsepower Cars we're driving: Long-term 2019 Subaru Forester 2020 Cadillac CT5 A conversation on child car seats Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Green Podcasts BMW Cadillac Subaru Tesla Volkswagen Safety Coupe Crossover Electric Luxury Performance Sedan

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla's Cold Weather Blues

Cities in Oregon are looking into relocating underutilized EV chargers. With little data available at the time, and a lot of grant money to spend on installation, numerous public chargers were placed in locations that ended up being used very little. Now, some cities are considering moving certain chargers rather than building new ones. Factors to calculate - besides cost, of course - are the longer ranges of EVs being sold now, the amount of people charging at home, and the fact that many of the earlier public chargers are much slower than many of the quick chargers being deployed now. Read more at Plugin Cars. The Tesla Model S range indicator shows how much range is lost due to cold weather. Besides the green, yellow or red bars to show remaining driving range, there is also a blue indicator showing what portion of range is limited from the battery being cold. A message also states, "Less energy is available due to cold battery." The blue could indicate the amount of energy the car is reserving for thermal management of the battery, as the car works to warm the battery for optimal operation. See the discovery in the video below, or read more at Teslarati. Tony Posawatz has been appointed Non-Executive Director (NED) of Nexeon. The UK-based battery company develops silicon anode battery technology, which it says enables a "new generation" of more energy-dense lithium-ion batteries. Posowatz led the development of the Chevrolet Volt, led Fisker Automotive as CEO for a while, consults as president and CEO of Invictus iCar and has held roles in various other companies in the automotive and alternative energy fields. Posawatz follows former Nokia executive Antti Vasara, who was also named NED at Nexeon last month. Nexeon Chairman Dr. Paul Atherton says that Posowatz's experience with EV technology will "help Nexeon enormously in addressing the challenges and opportunities we face." Read more at Hybrid Cars, or in the press release below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Nexeon Appoints Top Automotive Expert to its Board of Directors Battery materials development company Nexeon has appointed Tony Posawatz as a Non-Executive Director (NED) with immediate effect. Posawatz is well known in the automotive industry for leading the team that brought the award-winning Chevrolet Volt from concept to production.