If you’ve mistakenly put normal tires on your Tesla, you quickly understand why special EV tires are needed. It may also be the closest you’ll get to what Fred Flinstone’s car must’ve sounded like. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has announced the launch of the Goodyear ElectricDrive 2. This innovative tire, unveiled at CES 2024, is poised to elevate the driving experience for EV owners.
Listening to EV Owners
Goodyear has listened to EV drivers' needs. Recent consumer research conducted by the company highlights two critical aspects for EV owners: a quiet ride and exceptional wet-road performance. The ElectricDrive 2 addresses these needs with its SoundComfort Technology. This built-in sound barrier significantly reduces interior vehicle noise, a particularly beneficial feature for inherently quieter EVs.
The all-season tire also boasts an asymmetric tread pattern designed to optimize grip and responsiveness on both wet and dry roads. This feature is crucial for EVs like Tesla, known for their rapid acceleration and need for responsive handling. The long-lasting tread compound is another standout, crafted to endure and provide more mileage for EV drivers – a vital attribute considering the instant torque and potential for quicker tread wear in EVs.
Sustainability is a Priority
Many EV drivers are environmentally conscious. Therefore, the ElectricDrive 2, an all-season tire, is not just any addition to Goodyear's acclaimed lineup. The new tire comprises at least 50% of its composition derived from sustainable materials. This includes using soybean oil, rice husk ash silica, and sustainably sourced natural rubber. Such a leap in sustainable manufacturing is a significant step towards a greener future, aligning perfectly with the ethos of Tesla and its user base, who value eco-friendly innovations.
Aerodynamics and efficiency are also at the forefront of the ElectricDrive 2's design. The tire features an aerodynamic sidewall and an innovative compound that lowers aerodynamic drag and enables lower rolling resistance. This particularly benefits the range-conscious EV driver, as reduced rolling resistance can translate to extended driving range. Considering the range was just adjusted for a few Tesla models, these new tires are a welcome addition.
The Goodyear ElectricDrive 2 is set to hit the markets in May 2024 and will be available in 17 sizes to fit a range of consumer EV sedans and CUVs. This tire represents a significant leap forward in performance, sustainability, and driving pleasure for Tesla owners and EV enthusiasts.
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Tesla recently showed off Giga Small Haus, an interesting new display project hosted at Giga Berlin. The small new house is located just outside the main entrance of Tesla’s Giga Berlin factory, with a Quicksilver Model Y parked inside.
Giga Small Haus is powered only by solar and Powerwall 3 - disconnected from the local grid and from Giga Berlin itself. It serves as a live demonstration of Tesla Solar and Tesla’s Powerwall battery backup.
Giga Small Haus
The centerpiece of the display is a Model Y in Quicksilver - a beautiful pick for a beautifully lit house. However, that’s not the real focus here - it's the Powerwall and Gateway on the wall.
The Powerwall is the focus of Giga Small Haus, and there’s a display with some additional information on the wall. Part of the display also includes a screen that displays the current output of the Powerwall itself versus the consumption of Giga Small Haus, as well as the input from solar.
The interior exhibit of Giga Small Haus
Not a Tesla App
The text on the exhibit is divided into several sections. Here’s a translated and edited version of what we can see from Tesla’s images. Some additional text is obscured. If someone visits Giga Small Haus, let us know.
Powerwall
Powerwall is a home battery system that stores energy from solar panels, the electrical grid, or during off-peak hours and powers your home during the day or during a power outage.
With Powerwall, you can use self-generated solar energy during the day and night, thus avoiding high electricity costs. You can also store excess energy produced during sunny periods for use during times of low production or power outages.
Key Features
Energy Storage: Powerwall stores excess energy from solar panels or the grid for later use or during power outages.
Backup Power: In the event of a power outage, Powerwall automatically switches to battery power to ensure continuous power supply.
Integration: Powerwall can be seamlessly integrated with existing solar systems and other power sources.
Scalability: Multiple Powerwalls can be installed to meet higher energy storage needs.
Smart Energy Management: Powerwall works with Tesla's software to optimize energy consumption and reduce costs.
How Powerwall Works
Storage: During the day, when solar panels produce more energy than needed, the excess is stored in Powerwall.
Usage: At night or during times of low solar production, the stored energy is used to power the home, reducing reliance on the grid.
Backup: During a power outage, Powerwall automatically provides power to critical circuits, ensuring continuous operation of essential appliances.
Benefits
Cost Savings: By storing and using solar energy, you can reduce your electricity bills.
Reliability: Provides backup power during outages, ensuring your home remains powered.
Sustainability: Promotes the use of renewable energy by storing excess solar production for later use.
Overall, Giga Small Haus is an interesting real-life demo of what Powerwall and Solar can accomplish. It would be neat if Tesla built more of these displays - perhaps near major Delivery and Service Centers and at Giga Texas, Fremont, Giga Shanghai, and other facilities. Many Tesla owners have yet to learn about and experience some of Tesla’s Energy products.
Tesla has added the Acceleration Boost option to the Tesla store for owners of the 2024 Model 3 Long Range - specifically owners in Australia and China. Acceleration Boost is an upgrade that provides a significant performance boost, drastically narrowing the performance gap between the Long Range and Performance versions of the same model.
This upgrade will likely become available in Europe, Canada, and the United States in the next few days as Tesla updates its shops globally.
Acceleration Boost
This new Acceleration Boost is retailing for $3,000 AUD, or approximately $2,000 USD. That’s the same price for current owners of older Model 3 or Model Y Long Range vehicles, which all have the option to purchase Acceleration Boost through the shop.
The boost provides improved 0-100km/h (0-60mph) performance, bumping the 2024 Model 3 LR from 4.4s to 3.8s. The 2024 Performance version comes in at a blazing fast 2.9 seconds, so while it isn’t equivalent to just buying a performance variant in the first place, it is still a noticeable and significant upgrade.
Performance variants also come with a different front fascia vent for cooling, performance drive units, sport seats, adaptive suspension, 20-inch wheels, and Track Mode V3. That’s a significant number of additional features in the $10,000 USD price difference between the Long Range and Performance versions.
Should You Buy It?
If you’ve purchased a Long Range model and are itching to go just that little bit faster at every red light, this is the upgrade for you. It previously came with the cost of slightly reducing vehicle range, but the Tesla store doesn’t make a note of reduced range this time around. The 2023 Model 3 and Model Y Long Range models had an efficiency loss of about 5% due to the additional always-available acceleration and cooling.
You could drive in Chill mode to mostly negate that efficiency loss, but what’s the fun in driving in Chill when you just got Acceleration Boost? Anyhow, the shop listing for the 2024 variant doesn’t include this detail, so it's possible Tesla may have worked some more engineering magic.
Overall, if you’ve got the $3,000 AUD burning a hole in your pocket, some Tesla referral credits sitting around, or just want to go faster, it's definitely an upgrade many users find valuable.
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