Tesla Ventilators, Audi Virtual Plant Tour, & JD Power Tire Study
Tesla engineers are using car parts to create ventilators.
The automaker is using as many car parts as possible to build a prototype of the life-saving device. In a video posted to their YouTube channel, Tesla engineers can be seen using suspension system parts to build the ventilator’s oxygen mixing chamber. The infotainment computer and touchscreen from a Model 3 is also shown as a way to monitor and control the ventilator’s air-flow. Tesla says they’re working on their own ventilator design, specifically one that’s heavily based on Tesla car parts because they want to use parts that they know and that are readily available. This is just a prototype, so no word on when, or if, this will actually hit the market.
The coronavirus may have you cooped up right now, but you can still step inside an Audi factory without ever leaving the comfort of your couch.
In fact, you can go on a guided virtual tour of the plant in Ingolstadt, Germany and get a first hand look at how an Audi is made. During the roughly 20 minute livestream, you can ask your guide questions, all while checking out an A3 in the body shop or an A4 coming down the assembly line. But if you’re craving that foot on the gas, hands on the wheel feeling Audi has got you covered there too…kind of. They’re offering a “virtual view” of the open road with a 4 hour long trip in an A6 sedan through the Australian landscape. The drive was shot using multiple camera angles to replicate the feel of driving the car.
And when rubber finally hits road again for real, it looks like more and more drivers are happy with their tires.
A JD Power study looked at how satisfied new vehicle owners’ were with their original equipment tires after one and two years. Over 26,000 owners of 2018 and 2019 model year vehicles were surveyed. The study looked at satisfaction in four areas…wear, ride, handling, and appearance. For luxury vehicles and trucks or utility vehicles, Michelin ranked the highest. For passenger vehicles, Pirelli ranked the highest.
And that wraps things up for this week’s Motor News update.