The Week in Tesla News: Still Amped for Tesla Truck? Mustang Mach-E, BMW i4 Want Some of That Juice

The media preview for the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show may be this week, but after Thursday night’s reveal of the Tesla pickup truck, the City of Angels should be renamed TesLA because the California-based luxury-electric automaker’s latest creation has been more hyped than any two new-model reveals at the L.A. auto show combined.

Related: Which 2019 Electric Cars Have the Greatest Range?

So, the truck reveal is coming, and that’s about all we know other than Elon Musk’s description of its looks as “like an armored personnel carrier from the future.” The one official teaser image might as well be the Magic Eye poster from “Mallrats” for all it reveals. The truck’s pricing, performance and production schedule are all up in the air (or in Muskian boasts). We’ll just have to wait for Thursday to find out what’s real and what isn’t.

Here’s what else is new in Tesla’s world: Ford comes for the king, BMW is threatening and Consumer Reports recommends the Model S and 3 … again.

Mach-E-avellian Move by Ford

Ford debuted its Mustang Mach-E all-electric SUV, which aims to challenge Tesla for some of the electric-vehicle market. OK, so it’s not exactly Machiavellian, but the Mustang-inspired SUV has a polarizing look and name. One early fan? Elon Musk, who believes that the Mustang Mach-E will help encourage other automakers to commit to all-electric vehicles.

Based on the Ford’s size and pricing, the most comparable Tesla is the not-yet-released Model Y, the brand’s upcoming small crossover. Until the Model Y comes out, it will be interesting to see how many shoppers consider the Mustang Mach-E instead of a Model 3 sedan.

BMW i4 Has Eye-Opening Power, Range

BMW’s upcoming i4 electric sedan will offer roughly 530 horsepower and about 373 miles of range according to the European testing cycle — that translates to about 330 miles of range by EPA standards here in the U.S. — thanks to power from an 80-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The i4 will reach 62 mph in just inside four seconds, with a top speed limited to approximately 125 mph.

With a charging capacity of up to 150 kilowatts, BMW estimates the i4 can go from empty to 80% charged in around 35 minutes and add 62 miles of range in around six minutes. We’ll have more details on the i4 as it gets closer to production, though the iX3 electric crossover is expected to come first.

Recommendations Returned

The Model 3 and Model S sedans have returned to Consumer Reports’ list of recommended vehicles following improved reliability scores. Consumer Reports and Tesla have a … complicated history, though recommending the two sedans should improve relations between the two (to be clear, that is not why CR is recommending the sedans). In CR’s list of 12 luxury compact cars, the Model 3 ranks fifth, while the Model S ranks second out of four ultra-luxury cars, trailing only the Genesis G90. The Model X is still not on the recommended list due to its low reliability scores.

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• The Week in Tesla News: Model 3 Boosts Profits, Model S Returns to ’Ring, Flamethrower Feud and More

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