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Surprise, surprise. Tesla is in the news again. Yes, partly because Tesla has delayed its promised robotaxi program. And yes, the company’s stock price has continued to plummet as its share of the US EV market drops below 50 percent. And yeah, the Cybertruck looks very silly. But forget all that, Tesla says, because the rear-wheel-drive Long Range version of the Tesla Model 3 is back. The RWD Model 3 with the longer range hasn't been available for five years, but now it has reemerged with a fresher design and a lower price.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared an announcement for the new vehicle on X, the social media site he owns (in case you forgot). The company says this new variant of Tesla’s popular electric car can get up to 363 miles range on a single charge. It costs $42,900 ($34,900 after the $7,500 Federal tax credit) and is available to order now. This RWD version of the Long Range Model 3 is $5,000 cheaper than the all-wheel drive version that's been available for a while.
One thing worth noting is that this is the third revamping of the Model 3 in this lower price range; Tesla has sold and then ultimately stopped offering sub-$35,000 Model 3s twice before. Musk promised he'd eventually bring the cost of the Model 3 down below that price point when he launched the car in 2017.
Here’s some other news from the world of consumer tech.
Ford Focused
The Ford Capri is in its mature phase. The original-era Ford Capri looked like a hallmark of freedom in the 1970s. The iconic two-door had a much-too-long front hood and a slicked-back cabin, and it had a vibe that suggested it should only be driven by someone with giant hair, a cigarette in each hand, and the seat reclined as far back as it could go. It was the kind of car that looked like it should have a mustache—unapologetically weird with a hint of danger.
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Sadly, Ford stopped making the Capri in 1986. Society moved on, and the people of that era grew up, voted for Reagan, and went gray. But once again, there is a new Ford Capri in the world.
The Capri has been miraculously resuscitated in EV form. Aside from the name, the 2024 Capri bears little resemblance to its eccentric progenitor. It is now a practical, tall, four-door electric SUV that looks, well, like nearly every other four-door electric SUV out there right now. (Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath even took a pop at the Capri’s design in an Instagram story, where he remarked that the Ford’s shape is nearly identical to the Polestar 2.)
There are two versions, one standard and one premium. Both have a “family design” and are available in several bright colors. The interior is roomy, with a spacious trunk for your ice chests and strollers. The car comes with heated seats that can also massage the occupants. The Capri can get up to 180 mph and has a battery that Ford claims can carry you and your brood up to 389 miles.
Here’s the rub: It’s only for sale in Europe for the time being. Pricing (based on what Capris will go for in the UK) starts at $61,000.
Samsung Strike
This week, Samsung held its Unpacked event in Paris, where it announced new foldables, earbuds, and its own health-tracking smart ring.
But one thing the company wasn’t eager to highlight was the ongoing labor strike of more than 6,500 of its unionized workers that kicked off two days before the event. Initially intended to be a three-day strike, the workers’ protest against working conditions and pay disparities has turned into an indefinite strike.
For now, the company has not responded to workers’ demands to meet with union organizers. (Even though the strikers were out there looking objectively rad as hell in matching headbands.) It’s not yet clear how much the strike will affect Samsung’s production or bottom line, but if the movement keeps gathering steam, it might be only a matter of time until it flattens plans for Samsung’s new foldables.
Slim Pickings
Ozempic is the biggest name in medicine right now. A drug known as a GLP-1 agonist, Ozempic has ushered in an era of weight-loss drugs that can be used to treat obesity and diabetes. Naturally, there’s a lot of other demand for it too, and a shortage of Ozempic and drugs like it mean people who can’t get them through normal medical channels are turning to other means. A whole cottage industry of Ozempic clones has arisen, making it remarkably easy for people to get weight loss meds—even if they may not work the same way, and even if you might have to lie to get them.
This week on the Gadget Lab podcast, WIRED writers Kate Knibbs and Emily Mullin join the show to talk about the science and regulatory realities of Ozempic and other weight loss medications.
