autoevolution
 

Cristian Agatie

Contributor
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As a child, he grew up among tractors and heavy machinery and was covered in grease from tip to toe most of the time. It was a tractor that he drove for the first time and when asked what he’d become, he candidly replied: “tractor operator”. Later on, he drove all kinds of vehicles, from heavy trucks to off-roaders, all outside of public roads until he got his driving license.

He did not become a tractor operator, as you can tell already. Instead, he got interested in journalism and pursued a career finding stories for local newspapers and radio stations. But the first love is never forgotten, so when presented with the chance, he seized it and became a motor journalist in 1995.

Having found the perfect job to mix his passion for cars and journalism, he couldn’t help exploring other areas, like science, computers, and mobile devices. He took stints working for a computer magazine for a couple of years, and it was then that he had his first contact with new media. But cars always remained his passion, so he returned to motor journalism when Auto Bild started its local branch. Later, he became an internet junkie, and moving online felt only natural.

In the meantime, he also became obsessed with technology, electric vehicles, batteries, and whatnot, so he writes a lot about those. He found autoevolution a fertile ground for exploration and so he discovered his passion for RVs and campers, but also solar panels and new energy solutions.
Tesla Revamps Referral Program for Cars, Launches Cybertruck Raffle
Tesla Revamps Referral Program for Cars, Launches Cybertruck Raffle

12 May 2023, 16:23 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla reconsidered the referral program in North America as a measure to boost sales of its vehicles. People can earn credits for vehicle purchases and refer others to purchase using their code. The credits earned can be exchanged for items in the ...

 
Here's the First Look at the Rivian R1T's Updated Powered Tonneau Cover
Here's the First Look at the Rivian R1T's Updated Powered Tonneau Cover

12 May 2023, 10:29 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Rivian appears to have sorted out problems with the R1T tonneau cover and is ready to ship both the manual and the powered versions starting this summer. The update was offered on Twitter by Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe, who also showed how both versions...

 
Tesla Officially Cancels RHD Model S and Model X, Will Ship LHD Vehicles to Japan and UK
Tesla Officially Cancels RHD Model S and Model X, Will Ship LHD Vehicles to Japan and UK

12 May 2023, 09:15 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla reservation holders in right-hand-drive markets are in for a brutal awakening as Tesla announced the cancellation of the RHD Model S and Model X. Customers in Japan and the UK will still receive the Model S and Model X but in the LHD variant....

 
First Glimpse Inside the Refreshed Model 3 Cockpit Reveals the Stalks Are Gone
First Glimpse Inside the Refreshed Model 3 Cockpit Reveals the Stalks Are Gone

12 May 2023, 07:46 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Known as Project Highland, the facelifted Tesla Model 3 will introduce many subtle changes and production optimizations but no significant new features. The first images of the cockpit confirm that this will also be the case with the interior. Alth...

 
Semi-Solid-State Batteries Entering the Mainstream With NIO EVs This Summer
Semi-Solid-State Batteries Entering the Mainstream With NIO EVs This Summer

11 May 2023, 17:51 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / NIO will start using semi-solid-state battery cells supplied by WeLion in three of its models beginning this summer. Initially, the packs made with the new battery cells will only be available for rent. As the production yields improve and costs dr...

 
Panasonic Hit a Snag With the 4680 Battery Cells for Tesla, Production Delayed
Panasonic Hit a Snag With the 4680 Battery Cells for Tesla, Production Delayed

11 May 2023, 16:40 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Panasonic, Tesla's first battery partner, announced it will delay 4680 cell production until April-September 2024. The official reason was that it needed more time to improve battery performance. It was another way of saying the new cells were...

 
Tesla Model X To Get LED Matrix Headlights Soon, Still No Software Support
Tesla Model X To Get LED Matrix Headlights Soon, Still No Software Support

11 May 2023, 15:22 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla currently offers LED matrix headlights on the Model 3, Model Y, and Model S. Rumor has it that the Model X will also get the advanced headlights soon. Still, Tesla doesn't offer support in software for the advanced features allowed by th...

 
Tesla Takes Its S3XY Bunch to Dubai for Heat Testing, Video Shows Cars From a Year Ago
Tesla Takes Its S3XY Bunch to Dubai for Heat Testing, Video Shows Cars From a Year Ago

11 May 2023, 13:39 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla showed a high-temperature test with its S3XY lineup in Dubai, torturing the cars and gathering data to help engineers fine-tune the car's systems. The temperatures in the Emirati desert exceed 120 F (50 C), making the perfect opportunity...

 
GM's Cruise Announces Expansion in Houston and Dallas
GM's Cruise Announces Expansion in Houston and Dallas

11 May 2023, 10:26 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Cruise announced expanding its driverless ride-hailing service in Texas, with Houston and Dallas added to the list after Austin last December. Cruise robotaxis are still working night hours in Austin, making the service unknown to most people. We a...

 
Tesla Rolls Out FSD Beta V11.4.1 With "Major Architectural Improvements"
Tesla Rolls Out FSD Beta V11.4.1 With "Major Architectural Improvements"

11 May 2023, 08:41 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Although it seems like a minor update over the previous V11.4 version released to select Tesla employees in April, the FSD Beta V11.4.1 is nothing but. Musk recently tweeted that the new update is not a simple bug-fixing release, as it includes &qu...

 
Toyota Teases Next-Generation EV, First Concept Will Land at Japan Mobility Show in Fall
Toyota Teases Next-Generation EV, First Concept Will Land at Japan Mobility Show in Fall

10 May 2023, 17:29 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Toyota has been harshly criticized for its reluctance to embrace electric vehicles. Still, things appear to have changed under Koji Sato, who replaced Akio Toyoda as the company's CEO. Toyota announced a new dedicated EV platform and teased th...

 
Tesla Is Physically Removing the Model S' Radar Sensors
Tesla Is Physically Removing the Model S' Radar Sensors

10 May 2023, 15:28 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Several Tesla Model S owners complained on Tesla Motors Club forums that the service center physically removed the radar sensors from their vehicles. The explanation is that the sensors are no longer used following the transition to Tesla Vision. ...

 
After Tesla Lithium Groundbreaking Ceremony, the Cybertruck Fell Victim to the Texas Mud
After Tesla Lithium Groundbreaking Ceremony, the Cybertruck Fell Victim to the Texas Mud

10 May 2023, 11:02 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla opened its first lithium refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday, with Elon Musk and Texas Governor Greg Abbott attending the ceremony. Musk arrived at the site in a Cybertruck prototype, which became an instant attraction. After the ce...

 
Giga Texas Reaches Mass-Production Milestone More Than a Month After Giga Berlin
Giga Texas Reaches Mass-Production Milestone More Than a Month After Giga Berlin

10 May 2023, 09:22 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla is ramping up production at two gigafactories simultaneously, which understandably leads to internal competition. After a slower-than-expected start, Giga Berlin ramped up faster the Giga Texas. The latter announced a significant milestone, r...

 
Rivian Posts $1.35 Billion Q1 Net Loss, Still on Track To Deliver 50K Units in 2023
Rivian Posts $1.35 Billion Q1 Net Loss, Still on Track To Deliver 50K Units in 2023

10 May 2023, 07:52 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Rivian reported its first-quarter financial results, with the company's executives expressing optimism for its future. Rivian lost $1.35 billion in the quarter, an improvement over the $1.59 billion loss in Q1 2022. As stated before, the EV st...

 
South Pasadena PD Goes All-Electric With 20 Tesla EVs Added to Its Fleet
South Pasadena PD Goes All-Electric With 20 Tesla EVs Added to Its Fleet

9 May 2023, 16:40 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Electric vehicles are ideal patrol vehicles thanks to their low running costs and dynamic performance. Yet few police departments considered replacing their entire vehicle fleet with EVs. The South Pasadena Police Department is the first in the nat...

 
Elon Musk Promises One Month Free FSD Trial to All Tesla Cars in North America
Elon Musk Promises One Month Free FSD Trial to All Tesla Cars in North America

9 May 2023, 15:02 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla FSD Beta is a hot topic, especially as many owners want Tesla to offer more favorable conditions to beta testers. Elon Musk promised Tesla would offer a one-month trial period for the FSD Beta software to all cars in North America. Still, Mus...

 
These Are the Best Pictures Yet of the Upcoming Lucid Gravity SUV
These Are the Best Pictures Yet of the Upcoming Lucid Gravity SUV

9 May 2023, 13:30 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Lucid Motors disappointed analysts and investors with lackluster first-quarter performance and questionable delivery estimates for the rest of the year. Still, there's a light at the end of the tunnel: the upcoming Gravity SUV. Lucid said the ...

 
Lucid Earnings Look Like the End of the World, Will the EV Startup Ever Recover?
Lucid Earnings Look Like the End of the World, Will the EV Startup Ever Recover?

9 May 2023, 10:37 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Lucid's first-quarter financial results disappointed investors, as the EV startup missed all targets. Lucid burned through over one billion dollars in cash and delivered only 1,406 vehicles during the quarter. The company's cash reserves ...

 
Tesla Broke Ground on Its Lithium Refinery in Texas, but the Cybertruck Stole the Show
Tesla Broke Ground on Its Lithium Refinery in Texas, but the Cybertruck Stole the Show

9 May 2023, 08:40 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Elon Musk once said that Tesla must own the whole battery supply chain from mine to pack. Tesla gets much closer to fulfilling this with the groundbreaking of its first in-house Lithium refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas. Still, the ceremony was hij...

 

Stories by Cristian Agatie