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.
Renting a Tesla Model 3 From Hertz Is Not the Smooth Experience People Expect
Renting a Tesla Model 3 From Hertz Is Not the Smooth Experience People Expect

8 May 2023, 18:15 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / With electric vehicles becoming more widespread, rental companies bet big on EVs. Hertz is among the most bullish, although its customers don't seem very impressed with renting electric vehicles. One Hertz customer shared their experience, whi...

 
Volkswagen Decapitated Its Cariad Software Subsidiary, Bentley Exec Named New CEO
Volkswagen Decapitated Its Cariad Software Subsidiary, Bentley Exec Named New CEO

8 May 2023, 15:49 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Volkswagen announced it's firing the entire Cariad management team following chronic problems that caused many model delays. Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume allegedly informed top managers of his decision and named Bentley's production boss, ...

 
Intriguing MiC Tesla Model Y Spotted in San Francisco With Manufacturer Plates
Intriguing MiC Tesla Model Y Spotted in San Francisco With Manufacturer Plates

8 May 2023, 13:00 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla is currently building the Model Y in all its factories across the globe, aiming to produce the best-selling SUV locally whenever possible. Still, a made-in-China Tesla Model Y with manufacturer plates was spotted in San Francisco over the wee...

 
Tesla Rumored To Start Model 3 "Project Highland" Production at Giga Shanghai on June 1
Tesla Rumored To Start Model 3 "Project Highland" Production at Giga Shanghai on June 1

8 May 2023, 10:15 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla was expected to start the refreshed Model 3 production later this year. New rumors show that Project Highland would debut test production as early as June 1. In preparation for this, Tesla will ban workers from bringing their cell phones to t...

 
Tesla FSD Beta V11.4 Ships to Employees With Tons of Improvements, Going Wide Soon
Tesla FSD Beta V11.4 Ships to Employees With Tons of Improvements, Going Wide Soon

8 May 2023, 08:44 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla slowed FSD Beta development, with no new release for over two weeks. According to Elon Musk, this happened because the next release would come with many improvements. Musk says it should've been named V12 because of that, but the number ...

 
Ford Tosses Reservations for the F-150 Lightning, Orders Open to Everyone
Ford Tosses Reservations for the F-150 Lightning, Orders Open to Everyone

7 May 2023, 10:32 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Following a botched first quarter due to a battery issue that prompted Ford to halt F-150 Lightning production and deliveries, things are finally looking up. The Blue Oval announced to its dealers that the reservation program would no longer be nee...

 
California Wants All EVs To Offer Bi-Directional Charging, Tesla Will Have To Adjust
California Wants All EVs To Offer Bi-Directional Charging, Tesla Will Have To Adjust

6 May 2023, 18:24 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / California is discussing a bill to force carmakers to offer bi-directional charging on electric vehicles starting with the 2027 model year. Tesla is reluctant to provide such capabilities, allegedly because it would hurt its Powerwall business. Bi-...

 
The Omega Special Edition Will Make the GMC Hummer Even More Exclusive Than It Already Is
The Omega Special Edition Will Make the GMC Hummer Even More Exclusive Than It Already Is

5 May 2023, 15:29 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Even though it only produced two GMC Hummer EV trucks in the first quarter, General Motors is optimistic about its 2023 plans. As if the Hummer wasn't exclusive enough at these production numbers, GMC announced the Omega Special Edition, based...

 
How Much Does a Tesla Model S Replacement Battery Cost After the Dreaded BMS_u029 Error?
How Much Does a Tesla Model S Replacement Battery Cost After the Dreaded BMS_u029 Error?

5 May 2023, 13:56 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Many Tesla Model S owners with 2012-2015 cars reported the batteries failing after throwing a BMS_u029 error code. Because this issue is so widespread and Tesla doesn't help, a Tesla owner offered information about the official replacement opt...

 
Tesla Adds New Model Y Variant at Giga Berlin With BYD Structural Battery Packs
Tesla Adds New Model Y Variant at Giga Berlin With BYD Structural Battery Packs

5 May 2023, 09:19 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla was first rumored to start Model Y production with BYD batteries at Giga Berlin last August, but nothing happened beyond the certification. A new report indicates that Tesla has finally begun volume production of the Model Y RWD with BYD stru...

 
Cybertruck Production on Track As Tesla Signs Contracts With Suppliers
Cybertruck Production on Track As Tesla Signs Contracts With Suppliers

5 May 2023, 08:01 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla Cybertruck is in the "final approach" phase, with production scheduled for the year's end. Things are lining up as Tesla signs up the first suppliers, as revealed by Korean media. Tesla Cybertruck will use interior linings and ...

 
Rivian Owners Encountered Problems With the Latest Update, Support Team Was Not Helpful
Rivian Owners Encountered Problems With the Latest Update, Support Team Was Not Helpful

4 May 2023, 17:14 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Not every software update goes according to plan, and it's best to wait for feedback from other people before doing it yourself. This doesn't avoid issues, as some Rivian owners discovered after the latest 2023.14.00 update. Many reported...

 
Tesla Facing Demand Problem Because People Don't Want To Upgrade Their Cars
Tesla Facing Demand Problem Because People Don't Want To Upgrade Their Cars

4 May 2023, 15:11 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Despite ramping up two new gigafactories, Tesla's production seems to have peaked in the last quarter of 2022. There could be many reasons for that, and one of them is that Tesla owners don't want to upgrade their cars. Especially those w...

 
Fatal Shooting at Tesla Supercharger in Denver Had Nothing To Do With the Charging Spot
Fatal Shooting at Tesla Supercharger in Denver Had Nothing To Do With the Charging Spot

4 May 2023, 11:24 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Two Tesla drivers started a fight while waiting to charge at a Supercharger station in Denver, Colorado. One of them drew a gun and fatally shot the other in what many believed to be an argument over the charging spot. Police investigation revealed...

 
Rivian R1S Is the Only Large SUV To Earn Top Safety Pick+ Award From IIHS
Rivian R1S Is the Only Large SUV To Earn Top Safety Pick+ Award From IIHS

4 May 2023, 09:19 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Rivian proves that it takes safety very seriously, as the IIHS awarded both its models in production a Tope Safety Pick+ badge. This year's more stringent rules have prevented most vehicles built after January 2023 from getting the coveted awa...

 
Tesla Might Use IDRA's Die-Casting Machines To Produce Electric Motor Rotors
Tesla Might Use IDRA's Die-Casting Machines To Produce Electric Motor Rotors

3 May 2023, 18:06 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla's Gigapress supplier IDRA shared the picture of a smaller die-casting machine that is specialized in producing electric motor rotors. The contraption was painted in the same colors as the Gigapresses, which prompted speculations that it ...

 
Tesla Is Building a Boat Dock at Giga Texas, Is It for Cybertruck Testing?
Tesla Is Building a Boat Dock at Giga Texas, Is It for Cybertruck Testing?

3 May 2023, 16:26 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Elon Musk famously said that the Cybertruck should be "waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat," causing people to roll on the floor laughing. Still, Musk seems to be serious about this strange Cybertruck feature. New documents show ...

 
SpaceX Offers Two Essential Updates to Starlink Users
SpaceX Offers Two Essential Updates to Starlink Users

3 May 2023, 14:46 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / SpaceX has updated Starlink terms of use for the Standard plan to remove the 1-TB fair-use data cap. Following the update, the internet speed is no longer throttled after reaching the cap. SpaceX also introduced the ability to power down the Starli...

 
Ford Model E Division Lost $60K on Every Electric Vehicle They Sold in Q1 2023
Ford Model E Division Lost $60K on Every Electric Vehicle They Sold in Q1 2023

3 May 2023, 10:01 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Ford reported its first-quarter financials for 2023, showing that the losses at its 'Model e' EV division are widening. Specifically, the Blue Oval lost over $60,000 for every EV sold in those three months, which means that investors...

 
Tesla Re-Launches the Model 3 Long Range AWD in the US With Intriguing Specifications
Tesla Re-Launches the Model 3 Long Range AWD in the US With Intriguing Specifications

3 May 2023, 08:24 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla has finally reopened orders for the popular Long Range version of the Model 3 in the US, more than eight months after taking away this option. The new Model 3 Long Range AWD sports different specifications than the model retired last year. ...

 

Stories by Cristian Agatie