Month: January 2021

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Samsung Electronics said a global semiconductor shortage that has hit global carmakers could also disrupt orders for the memory chips used in smartphones, as manufacturers rushed to respond to the crisis.

The warning from the world’s biggest memory chipmaker comes as companies and governments grow concerned that constrained chip manufacturing capacity could derail countries’ economic recoveries from the coronavirus pandemic.

The rush by semiconductor foundries to meet demand for auto chips means many are now operating at full capacity, limiting their ability to take on new orders, which could in turn slow deliveries of chips designed for mobile devices.

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  Tesla has given its venerable Model S sedan a much-needed makeover. [credit: Tesla ]

On Wednesday evening, Tesla revealed a comprehensive refresh for its Model S sedan and Model X SUV. The revised battery electric vehicles go into production in the next few weeks at the company's factory in Fremont, California, and include brand-new interiors and some exterior styling changes, but significantly both models will get updated powertrains, including new battery packs, power electronics, and drive units. And there are also "Plaid" versions of both sedan and SUV, the former with a supercar-rivaling 0-60mph time and 200mph top speed.

First introduced in 2012, the Model S received a minor refresh—notably a new look for the front and some small tweaks on the interior—back in 2016. This time, the work has been far more radical. Unlike the Models 3 and Y, the Model S still comes with a main instrument panel in front of the driver, but like the smaller, cheaper Tesla BEVs the big infotainment screen is now in a landscape orientation. Tesla has also added wireless charging for devices, a small screen for rear passengers, and boasts "10 teraflops of processing power" for "in-car gaming on-par with today's newest consoles," as well as compatibility with wireless controllers.

The most visibly obvious change has to be the new steering wheel. Or rather, steering yoke. While other car makers have experimented with flat-bottomed steering wheels in the past (and even square wheels in the case of the Austin Allegro), the new Tesla controller owes more to the controls of a Boeing 747, or perhaps K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider (the original, not the mid-00s remake with a Mustang). Presumably, Tesla expects Model S owners to use the car's automated parking feature rather than parallel parking, an activity that invariably involves rotating the steering wheel more than 360 degrees.