Revisions to the Tesla Model S include full LED headlamps, medical-grade air filter

Tesla's Model S with a revised front bumper and grille on display at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey's biggest mall.

My 2015 Tesla Model S with the original grille, which is reminiscent of a 1950s Ferrari.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Changes to the front of Tesla's all-electric Model S are more than cosmetic.

Tesla's Web site says Model S now features full LED adaptive headlamps and a medical-grade HEPA air-filtration system.

"Fourteen three-position dynamic turning lights improve visibility at night, especially on winding roads."

The HEPA air-filtration system "removes [from cabin air] at least 99.97% of particulate exhaust pollution and effectively all allergens, bacteria and other contaminants."

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said 53,000 people die every year from auto emissions.

"The bioweapon defense mode creates positive pressure inside the cabin to protect occupants," according to Tesla Motors.

And Model S now comes standard with Autopilot, Autosteer and Autopark.

The new "Summon" feature lets you call your car from your phone "so it comes and greets you at your front door in the morning." 

Features are enabled with software updates.

Update: Media totally ignored what CEO says Model 3 will mean for environment

Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiling his $35,000 Model 3 in California on Thursday night.

Editor's note: On April 7, Tesla announced more than 325,000 reservations for the Model 3 had been received in the week after the car was unveiled.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

At the unveiling of the Model 3, the first words out of Tesla CEO Elon Musk's mouth were to alert the media to the dire state of the environment.

But his strong environmental message -- that this affordable all-electric car will "accelerate sustainable transport" -- was virtually ignored by reporters and financial analysts.

Noting record high carbon-dioxide levels, Musk said 53,000 deaths a year are caused by auto emissions.

200,000+ reservations

CNBC.com quoted Musk as saying 232,000 Model 3 reservations at $1,000 each were placed in the first 24 hours after Tesla stores opened on Thursday morning.

No other single vehicle in the history of the automobile has generated this kind of excitement.

This is a watershed moment, and if Tesla achieves volume sales of the Model 3, it could mark the beginning of the end for the antiquated internal combustion engine.

Glass roof

Model 3 won't just be a smaller, three-quarter version of Model S.

Notable differences from Model S include:

• The roof of the Model 3 will be glass to give the driver and four passengers a feeling of openness.

• The central touchscreen will be mounted horizontally, and include the speedometer and other instruments.

For $35,000, the new all-electric car will come standard with Autopilot, Autosteer and Autopark, autonomous functions that were extra on the Model S 60 I bought a year ago.

Free charging

And Model 3 owners also will be able to use Tesla's nationwide network of Superchargers for free as long as they own their cars, just like Model S owners.

Free charging for life is an exclusive Tesla feature no other automaker has matched.

Chevrolet hasn't said whether it will build a network of fast chargers for owners of the all-electric Bolt, due out late this year.

Musk also said Model 3 will be the safest car in its class, with 5-star ratings in every category.

Model 3 battery

Model 3 will have a range of 215 miles on a full charge, compared to the 208-mile range of the Model S 60 I own, so the battery in the new car likely will be about 65 kilowatt-hours.

The Model 3, like the Model S 60, does 0-60 in under 6 second.

The current base Model S is the 70D with dual motors, a 70 kilowatt-hour battery and a range of 250 miles at 65 mph.

Battery, car factories

Musk said on Thursday night Tesla's battery factory in Nevada is "operational," and batteries from there will cost 30% less than those in Model S, allowing him to sell Model 3 for $35,000.

And he noted the Tesla Factory in Fremont, Calif. -- a former GM-Toyota joint venture -- has the capacity to build 500,000 cars a year.

The plant was building an average of 6,000 cars a week when it closed in May 2010.

Tesla Motors reopened the factory in October 2010.

EVs go mainstream

On April 7, the Tesla blog announced more than 325,000 reservations had been received in the week since the March 31 unveiling of Model 3:

Tesla declared that was "the week when electric vehicles went mainstream." 

See: Biggest one-week launch of any product ever

Warning to Tesla owners: Don't follow N.Y. Times guide to autonomous driving

On Route 80 west in northern New Jersey on Saturday, I briefly engaged the autonomous-driving features of my Tesla Model S, allowing pedal-free and hands-free driving. But a recent New York Times article erred on how the system works.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

New York Times reporter Aaron M. Kessler made two big errors in reporting on high-speed autonomous driving in the Tesla Model S, and one of them could land owners off the road.

In an Oct. 15 article in the paper's Wheels newsletter, Kessler said a software update gave owners Autopilot, "a semi-autonomous feature that allows hands-free, pedal-free driving on the highway under certain conditions."

But the business-automotive writer made no mention of Autosteer, the other shoe that has to drop for the car to "drive us, rather than the other way around," as Kessler put it.

I had the same incomplete understanding on Oct. 16, when I first tried Autopilot on Route 80 west, near my home in northern New Jersey.

I blame some of that on an Oct. 15 email from Tesla -- "Your Autopilot has arrived" -- that didn't fully explain how to engage Autopilot and Autosteer.

After reading the email and Tesla's blog, I asked my wife to accompany me on our first attempt on Route 80, and figured pulling back on the cruise-control stalk would engage the self-driving functions.

I soon found out that wasn't enough, as my Model S didn't start turning as we entered a curve on the highway. I grabbed the wheel.

I turned around in Paterson, and headed for the Tesla dealer on Route 17 in Paramus, where one of the product specialists accompanied me on my second attempt.

I was told I had to pull back once on the cruise-control stalk to engage Autopilot and a second time to engage Autosteer, lighting up speedometer and steering-wheels symbols that flank the digital speed display.

Second error

Kessler's second major error was reporting "Autopilot is not free (the download costs $2,500)."

That's not the case. 

Tesla Version 7 software with self-driving functions is free, but only to owners who paid for an option called Autopilot Convenience Features when they ordered their car ($2,500 or $3,000 after delivery).

When I ordered my 2015 Tesla Model S 60 early this year, the option was called Tech Package with Autopilot and cost $4,250.

Kessler also didn't mention Tesla's Autopark, which scans for a parking space, alerts you when one is available and parallel parks on your command.