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 Adds One-Time Charge Limit, Adaptive Headlights to S3XY Models
Tesla Adds One-Time Charge Limit, Adaptive Headlights to S3XY Models

14 Mar 2024, 09:27 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla is making another bold move with the 2024.8 software branch that expands adaptive headlight functionality to older EVs with compatible hardware. So far, this is still reserved for vehicles in Europe, but Tesla is working to get the adaptive h...

 
Polestar 3 Gains New Variants, More Affordable Pricing Ahead of US Production Start
Polestar 3 Gains New Variants, More Affordable Pricing Ahead of US Production Start

13 Mar 2024, 14:04 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / As Polestar is preparing to start Polestar 3 production in the US later this year, the Swedish carmaker is also reconsidering its pricing strategy. Polestar announced new variants of the electric SUV, lowering the entry price to $73,400 from the pr...

 
Hyundai Will Have a Rugged Variant of the Ioniq 5 EV, Beating Rivian R3X to the Punch
Hyundai Will Have a Rugged Variant of the Ioniq 5 EV, Beating Rivian R3X to the Punch

13 Mar 2024, 11:58 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / As consumer interest in rugged electric crossovers increases, carmakers scramble to satisfy their needs. Rivian may have hit a home run with the R3X, but Hyundai will be the first to market with the Ioniq 5 XRT. The rugged electric crossover has be...

 
Rivian Update 2024.07.02 Paves the Way for Tesla Supercharger Access
Rivian Update 2024.07.02 Paves the Way for Tesla Supercharger Access

13 Mar 2024, 09:52 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Rivian appears to have shortened its software testing cycle, with the latest update being pushed to customer vehicles only two days after the beta started internal testing. The 2024.07.02 software update paves the way for Tesla Supercharger access ...

 
Jaguar Reportedly Cancels Orders, Closes Dealerships and My Jaguar Portal, What's Next?
Jaguar Reportedly Cancels Orders, Closes Dealerships and My Jaguar Portal, What's Next?

12 Mar 2024, 18:15 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Rumors about Jaguar scaling down its operations started to emerge last year, with new rumors making waves recently. The British luxury carmaker announced a major overhaul, but all the information points to the carmaker's operations being halte...

 
Tesla Spoils Owners With Host of Updates, Including FSD Beta V12.3 and Better Autowipers
Tesla Spoils Owners With Host of Updates, Including FSD Beta V12.3 and Better Autowipers

12 Mar 2024, 16:35 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla has always been the software update champion but has become more active recently. Aside from pushing FSD Beta V12.3 to beta testers, Tesla also promised vastly improved Autowipers and Smart Summon, although it sounds like a broken record alre...

 
Volvo Found a Way To Dramatically Reduce EV Charging Time Without Impacting Battery Life
Volvo Found a Way To Dramatically Reduce EV Charging Time Without Impacting Battery Life

12 Mar 2024, 15:01 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Volvo partnered with the Imperial College London spinoff Breathe Battery Technologies, a startup that developed an innovative battery management platform. By optimizing the charging algorithms, the new battery management system can reduce EV chargi...

 
Porsche Taycan Turbo GT vs Tesla Model S Plaid: The Embarrassment of a Great Brand
Porsche Taycan Turbo GT vs Tesla Model S Plaid: The Embarrassment of a Great Brand

12 Mar 2024, 11:32 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Years ago, even considering that Porsche might compete with Tesla was a blasphemy. Today, the German brand is proud to have a model that beat the Model S Plaid on a racetrack. The fact that the Taycan Turbo GT costs more than twice as much and has ...

 
Tesla Offers LFP Pack Retrofit for 2170-Equipped Model 3 That Need a Battery Replacement
Tesla Offers LFP Pack Retrofit for 2170-Equipped Model 3 That Need a Battery Replacement

11 Mar 2024, 17:54 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / In 2020, Tesla started using lithium-iron-phosphate battery cells in the base variants of the Made-in-China Model 3. One year later, the Model 3 RWD with an LFP battery pack appeared in the US, with the LFP-powered Model Y RWD following in 2023. No...

 
Rivian Patents a Hidden Winch, and It Looks Like a Ghost From the Past
Rivian Patents a Hidden Winch, and It Looks Like a Ghost From the Past

11 Mar 2024, 13:08 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Three years ago, Rivian hinted at offering an integrated winch for the R1T, and the option appeared a year later in the Rivian app but never on a Rivian truck. A recently published patent filing shows that the EV startup has not abandoned the idea....

 
Rivian Treehouse Rooftop Tent Hides a Neat Trick up Its Sleeves
Rivian Treehouse Rooftop Tent Hides a Neat Trick up Its Sleeves

11 Mar 2024, 10:24 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Rivian was full of surprises at the R2 unveiling event in Laguna Beach last week. Besides the "one more thing" R3 and R3X electric crossovers, Rivian also showcased a new range of accessories, including a Treehouse rooftop tent. The Treeh...

 
10 Cool Things That Make the Rivian R2 One of the Hottest SUVs on the Market
10 Cool Things That Make the Rivian R2 One of the Hottest SUVs on the Market

9 Mar 2024, 23:28 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Rivian continues its EV adventure with a new lineup of compact crossovers set to arrive in 2026. The Rivian R2 is arguably one of the most practical SUVs, with many features that are unique in its segment. Here are ten of the coolest Rivian R2 feat...

 
Rivian 'One More Thing' R3 and R3X Are a Cry for Help, Not a Winning Bid
Rivian 'One More Thing' R3 and R3X Are a Cry for Help, Not a Winning Bid

9 Mar 2024, 22:18 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Rivian unveiled the R2 compact crossover, and CEO RJ Scaringe pulled a typical Steve Jobs "one more thing" by also showing the R3 and R3X, two smaller crossovers sharing the same platform. While this produced a nice surprise, the announce...

 
Rivian R2 Versus Tesla Model Y: Which One Is the Best Electric SUV?
Rivian R2 Versus Tesla Model Y: Which One Is the Best Electric SUV?

8 Mar 2024, 22:18 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Rivian fans cheered as their favorite EV maker announced the upcoming R2 compact SUV. Unlike the R1S and R1T, the R2 will face fierce competition when it will arrive. The Tesla Model Y is currently the best-selling electric SUV and, thus, Rivian R2...

 
Rivian R2, R3, and R3X Come With NACS Ports but They Are Installed in the Wrong Place
Rivian R2, R3, and R3X Come With NACS Ports but They Are Installed in the Wrong Place

8 Mar 2024, 18:09 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Under the NACS deal, carmakers promised to adopt the NACS port in their vehicles starting from 2025. Rivian was the first to showcase NACS-enabled EVs. However, simply because the R2, R3, and R3X crossovers come with the NACS port doesn't mean...

 
Porsche Dealer Re-Flipping the Manheim Auction Cybertruck May Have Made a Colossal Mistake
Porsche Dealer Re-Flipping the Manheim Auction Cybertruck May Have Made a Colossal Mistake

7 Mar 2024, 18:00 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Despite Tesla's no-resale clause, many Cybertruck owners risked and flipped their electric pickup. Recently, one Cybertruck was flipped twice, once by its original owners and then by the company that bought it. However, the Porsche dealership ...

 
Tesla Tests Cybertruck's Locking Differentials at Hell's Revenge, OTA Update Coming Soon
Tesla Tests Cybertruck's Locking Differentials at Hell's Revenge, OTA Update Coming Soon

7 Mar 2024, 12:21 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla's Cybertruck off-road performance has been often mocked despite Tesla promoting it as an off-road-capable pickup truck. Although, in many cases, the blame was on the driver rather than the truck, the Cybertruck did have one major issue: ...

 
Covered Rivian R2 Arrives at the Laguna Beach Venue Before the Launch Event
Covered Rivian R2 Arrives at the Laguna Beach Venue Before the Launch Event

7 Mar 2024, 10:18 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Rivian is taking the wraps off the R2 electric SUV today, and we expect to find out the juicy details in a few hours. Rivian fans have spotted a covered prototype arriving at the South Coast Theater in Laguna Beach, where the unveiling will take pl...

 
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona 'Electric Muscle Car' Is As Useful as a Toothless Guard Dog
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona 'Electric Muscle Car' Is As Useful as a Toothless Guard Dog

6 Mar 2024, 19:17 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Dodge has unveiled its next-generation Charger, with an electric variant for the first time. While electrifying the muscle car is a commendable initiative, this might be as futile as the muscle car category itself. Even without considering the flag...

 
Tesla Stalkless Cockpit Rattles Safety Agency, Threatening Near-Perfect Safety Ratings
Tesla Stalkless Cockpit Rattles Safety Agency, Threatening Near-Perfect Safety Ratings

6 Mar 2024, 16:09 UTC · By: Cristian Agatie / Tesla has simplified the car cockpit by eliminating almost all physical controls and operating everything from the touchscreen. The latest push removed the stalks in favor of touch controls, which rattled Euro NCAP. The agency announced that it wou...

 

Stories by Cristian Agatie