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.
First Look at Supercharger V4 Internals Shows They Are More Complex Than the V3 Stalls
First Look at Supercharger V4 Internals Shows They Are More Complex Than the V3 Stalls

15 Mar 2023, 13:09 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Two weeks ago, Tesla began to install the first V4 chargers at a Supercharger station in the Netherlands. During the work at the station, enthusiasts got to snap the first pictures of the pedestals’ internals. It looks like the V4 chargers ar...

 
Tesla Autopilot Safety Records Show Continued Improvements Over Human Drivers
Tesla Autopilot Safety Records Show Continued Improvements Over Human Drivers

15 Mar 2023, 11:15 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla released the Q4 2022 Vehicle Safety Report, showing that safety has improved compared to the years before. Even so, it looks a lot worse than in the third quarter because the winter months are inherently less safe for driving. People say t...

 
2024 BMW 5 Series Will Also Come as an M Performance i5 EV Model, i5 Touring Confirmed Too
2024 BMW 5 Series Will Also Come as an M Performance i5 EV Model, i5 Touring Confirmed Too

15 Mar 2023, 09:39 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Previous leaks show that BMW is planning at least two M Performance versions of the all-electric i5. Speaking at BMW's annual conference, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse confirmed that the upcoming 5 Series Sedan would get an all-electric BMW M Performan...

 
SpaceX To Begin Testing Starlink Satellite-to-Cell Service With T-Mobile This Year
SpaceX To Begin Testing Starlink Satellite-to-Cell Service With T-Mobile This Year

14 Mar 2023, 20:22 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Last year, SpaceX partnered with T-Mobile to offer sat-to-cell services to the cell phone company's customers and Tesla owners. The new service would connect areas without cell coverage, leveraging Starlink V2 satellites' capabilities. Ac...

 
GMC Hummer EV Will Get Bi-Directional Charging With 2024 Model Year
GMC Hummer EV Will Get Bi-Directional Charging With 2024 Model Year

14 Mar 2023, 18:34 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / GMC has announced that the Hummer EV will get bi-directional charging with the 2024 model year. Thanks to a new onboard charger, the Hummer EV will be able to power household appliances and charge other EVs from its massive Li-ion battery. Bi-di...

 
Audi Q4 E-Tron Finally Gets Coveted OTA Update Feature With Software Version 3.2
Audi Q4 E-Tron Finally Gets Coveted OTA Update Feature With Software Version 3.2

14 Mar 2023, 15:14 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / The magic of software over-the-air updates has been discovered by Tesla, while other carmakers reluctantly introduced it to satisfy their customers’ requests. Audi is late to the game but is finally offering OTA updates to the Q4 e-tron with ...

 
Hackers Stole SpaceX Blueprints, Threatened to Sell Them to the Highest Bidder
Hackers Stole SpaceX Blueprints, Threatened to Sell Them to the Highest Bidder

14 Mar 2023, 13:34 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Ransomware group LockBit threatens to leak thousands of blueprints it stole after it hacked a SpaceX contractor. Although it's unclear how sensitive the stolen materials are, the breach could prove damaging to SpaceX and U.S. since Musk's...

 
Volkswagen Plays Both Ends, Announces Massive $193 Billion Electrification Plan
Volkswagen Plays Both Ends, Announces Massive $193 Billion Electrification Plan

14 Mar 2023, 11:17 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Volkswagen Group has announced a massive $193 billion investment plan in the next five years, with more than two-thirds allocated toward electric vehicles and software development. The German carmaker also sees investment in combustion engine techn...

 
Tesla Moves To Dismiss Model S Door Handle Lawsuit Over Obscure Technicalities
Tesla Moves To Dismiss Model S Door Handle Lawsuit Over Obscure Technicalities

14 Mar 2023, 09:46 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla Model S owners have complained about door-handle problems in early models, and some disgruntled owners have filed a class-action lawsuit over this issue. Now Tesla wants the case dismissed, not because the door handles had no problem but beca...

 
Rivian Seeks To End EDV Exclusivity Deal With Amazon Following Lower-Than-Expected Order
Rivian Seeks To End EDV Exclusivity Deal With Amazon Following Lower-Than-Expected Order

13 Mar 2023, 19:53 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Amazon and Rivian are in talks to end the exclusivity clause of their electric-van deal after the retail giant ordered fewer vans than Rivian expected. The EV maker is trying to convince Amazon to let it sell the electric delivery vans to other com...

 
Model X Owner Claims Tesla Service Center Messed Up His Car To Sell Him Expensive Upgrades
Model X Owner Claims Tesla Service Center Messed Up His Car To Sell Him Expensive Upgrades

13 Mar 2023, 17:19 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / The owner of a 2014 Tesla Model X claims that the Service Center updated his car software without consulting him first, which messed up the car. After that, it tried to sell him a costly computer and screens upgrade to solve the issue. Service C...

 
Thousands of Rivian R1T Reservation Holders Will Get Their Trucks Within Months
Thousands of Rivian R1T Reservation Holders Will Get Their Trucks Within Months

13 Mar 2023, 13:48 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Rivian is stepping up R1T production and expects deliveries to speed up significantly in the coming months. Rivian's communications director Andy Bowman is confident that thousands of R1T reservation holders will get their trucks in the next 1...

 
Confirmed: Tesla Model S Plaid With Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit Reaches 205 Mph Top Speed
Confirmed: Tesla Model S Plaid With Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit Reaches 205 Mph Top Speed

13 Mar 2023, 11:19 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla recently sent letters to Model S Plaid owners who showed interest in buying the Carbon Ceramic Brake kit. The $20,000 equipment was rumored to unlock the sporty sedan's 200-mph (322-kph) top speed, although Tesla did not confirm this. An...

 
Guy Who Sold Tesla Model X for a Rivian R1S Reconsiders His Options, Takes His Words Back
Guy Who Sold Tesla Model X for a Rivian R1S Reconsiders His Options, Takes His Words Back

13 Mar 2023, 09:52 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Last December, YouTuber Ryan Pineda sold his Tesla Model X and bought a Rivian R1S, which he considered much better. Not long after that, he made another video explaining why he ditched the Rivian after one month and bought a Tesla Model Y instead....

 
What's Next in 2023: Batteries and EV Tech
What's Next in 2023: Batteries and EV Tech

12 Mar 2023, 16:22 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Electric vehicle adoption is accelerating, and many people believe 2023 is the year they will finally get the recognition they deserve. Prices will go down, production volumes will go up, and technology will finally catch up with gas-powered vehicl...

 
Tesla Investor Spills the Beans on the Production Cybertruck: Everything You Need To Know
Tesla Investor Spills the Beans on the Production Cybertruck: Everything You Need To Know

12 Mar 2023, 01:24 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Investor Day came and went, but still, Tesla revealed almost nothing about the Cybertruck. The truck was displayed at Giga Texas during the event, and people could see how the production version looks, but no technical details were offered. Neverth...

 
Ford Recalls Just 18 Electric F-150 Lightning Trucks Over Battery Fire Risks, It's a Joke
Ford Recalls Just 18 Electric F-150 Lightning Trucks Over Battery Fire Risks, It's a Joke

11 Mar 2023, 10:36 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / After an F-150 Lightning was consumed by fire in a holding lot while awaiting a final quality control check, Ford decided to halt production and shipments of the truck. The Blue Oval said the vehicles already delivered to customers or dealers were ...

 
Watch a Tesla Model 3 Performance Lapping Streets of Willow on FSD Beta
Watch a Tesla Model 3 Performance Lapping Streets of Willow on FSD Beta

10 Mar 2023, 18:49 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / People dream of times when autonomous vehicles will race without drivers behind the wheel, expecting a leap in performance versus humans. While not there yet, a Tesla Model 3 Performance driving on FSD Beta completed a lap on the Streets of Willow ...

 
Tesla's FSD Beta V11.3.1 Is Not That Safe, Will Try To Run Through Red Lights
Tesla's FSD Beta V11.3.1 Is Not That Safe, Will Try To Run Through Red Lights

10 Mar 2023, 17:17 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla has released the FSD Beta V11.3.1 to a wider group of beta testers, claiming that it solves the issues that prompted the voluntary "OTA recall." The first videos show that the software has become more human-like, including bad behav...

 
After a Botched EV Push, General Motors Is in Deep Trouble
After a Botched EV Push, General Motors Is in Deep Trouble

10 Mar 2023, 15:39 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / General Motors vowed to surpass Tesla as the number one EV maker in the U.S., and its plans look rock solid on paper. In reality, the carmaker is struggling to produce the GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyriq, its Ultium-based EVs, in significant numbe...

 

Stories by Cristian Agatie