Tesla Motors Archives – The Green Optimistic

Tesla More Valuable than Ford and GM Right Now

Guest Contributor — Sat, 15 Apr 2017 18:19:57 +0000

Last week, Tesla has become a real challenge for all car makers on the stock market. In a period of economic descent for the biggest actors in the car business, Tesla has been posting a rise of about 7% on yearly basis in the past years, overtaking the positions, according to Financial Times and New […]

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Tesla Gigafactory’s Solar Roof Will Be the Largest of Its Kind

Nicholas Say — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 20:45:38 +0000

It is often said in Asian philosophy that at the center of darkness, there is light. Elon Musk very well may be that light. It is hard to imagine a culture that is more wasteful than the consumer culture in the United States. Somehow from within that culture, Mr. Musk emerged a very successful innovator. […]

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Tesla and Panasonic to Make Solar Cells in New York

Mila Luleva — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 10:32:47 +0000

Tesla and Panasonic just agreed to manufacture solar cells in Buffalo, New York. This year electric cars, solar energy and energy storage were continuously in the spotlight. Prices dropped significantly, new and improved technologies emerged, and more and more companies decided to get involved. The competition among the inventors and manufacturers is more severe than […]

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Spain Gets Tesla Treatment: Two Stores to Open in 2017

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 03 Dec 2016 18:56:01 +0000

European car manufacturers now have a reason to worry: new Tesla stores are about to come up in Barcelona and Madrid, Spain, in the second half of next year. This will coincide with the official launch of the Model 3 in the US. An e-mail sent by Tesla to Cleantechnica said that customers who order […]

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Tesla Helps Paradise Island Become 100% Solar Powered

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 20:35:59 +0000

When big league players get together, everyone can bet the game is going to be worth watching. SolarCity and Tesla combined forces and brains and a year ago started implementing a project that helps the small paradise island of Ta’u in American Samoa to break free from diesel and to embrace solar power. The Ta’u island […]

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New Tesla Video Shows Fully Autonomous Car Capabilities at Work

Ovidiu Sandru — Sat, 19 Nov 2016 17:52:14 +0000

Since a few years ago, Elon Musk has placed a bet on autonomous driving. Despite the few incidents that Tesla cars have been involved in this year, the company’s engineers kept going further and have now released a second video showing their achievements. Just like Elon stated in 2013, the autonomous driving feature would not […]

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Revolutionary Solar Roof Announced by Elon Musk This Week

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 05:20:58 +0000

Since the news of the fusion between SolarCity and Tesla Motors, some even greater news now show up. At SolarCity’s second quarter financial call this week, Elon Musk announced that the company will launch a revolutionary solar roof. Now mind you, a solar roof is NOT a solar cell mounted on the roof. For existing buildings, […]

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Tesla Model 3 Unveiled Today – Despite Cost Cuts, Still Feels Like a Tesla

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 20:22:08 +0000

Tesla Model 3 has finally been unveiled a few hours ago at the Hawthorne SpaceX studio, as usual. This has been Elon Musk’s promise from the beginning: build a low-volume, high cost car, then a mid-volume mid-cost car, after which they’ll build what everybody wants: The Model 3 – a high-volume, low-cost Tesla. How many miles […]

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The Best Review of a Tesla Model X Ever

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 31 Mar 2016 15:19:27 +0000

If you’ve been secretly admiring the Tesla Model X lately, then you will surely want to watch this. It’s one of the best and fairest reviews made by anyone I know in recent history. EverydayDriver made a review that’s balanced, has common sense and, unlike Top Gear-like movies, isn’t focused on super-mega-extravagant gas guzzling pieces […]

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Tesla Puts Forth Destination Charging Stations

Michelle Lutz — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 17:07:06 +0000

Destination charging differs from supercharging in several ways. Tesla developed the charging stations to be beneficial for establishments, because the people who are able to use them are customers that are patronizing that establishment. You will find destination charging stations at places such as hotels. This is good because the charging takes longer than the […]

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Bob Lutz on Tesla Motors – “It’s Too Expensive to Run the Company”

Benji Jerew — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 14:04:39 +0000

Given that Bob Lutz has been head honcho for a number of automakers and departments of automakers, I would definitely take some stock in what he says about automakers in general, but I wonder if he’s right about Tesla Motors. In Bob Lutz’ recent article on Road & Track, he asserts that Tesla Motors needs […]

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Cheaper Tesla Model 3 Might be Unveiled in Early 2016

Annika Tostengard — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 14:03:51 +0000

The Model 3 will retail for just $35,000 dollars, far less money than any of their previous models or their new, advanced car, the Model X. The new Tesla Model 3 should be unveiled by March of 2016. Although Tesla has been known to delay new technologies and models of their electric vehicles, production of the cheaper Model […]

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Tesla Machine Learning Software will Fix Autopilot Problems

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 05 Nov 2015 10:31:40 +0000

Tesla is using machine learning software to fix the problems it has been having with the autopilot, or self-driving, program. Even though Consumer Reports recently withdrew its support for the Model S because of reliability issues, the problems will become a memory quickly with machine learning. Using data collected from real-world driving to identify problems and explain […]

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Tesla Plans to Build the Model 3 in China Starting 2017

Annika Tostengard — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 19:19:59 +0000

Tesla CEO Elon Musk wants to begin marketing and selling the Model S in China, but there are a lot of costs associated with exporting vehicles across the ocean. That’s why he plans to work with a Chinese manufacturer to begin building the electric cars there, instead. That will let Tesla drop the price of […]

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Consumer Reports Withdraws Tesla Model S “Recommended” Status

Benji Jerew — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 17:44:25 +0000

Today, on another episode of “Who Cares?” we are considering the implications of what Consumer Reports says about the Tesla Model S, who seems to be talking out both sides of its mouth. On the one hand, Consumer Reports (CR) has, on multiple occasions, given the Tesla Model S all thumbs up. Indeed, it’s hard […]

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Jay Leno’s Awkward Phone Call with Tesla CEO Elon Musk

Annika Tostengard — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 15:55:14 +0000

Everyone is impressed with the Tesla, even former late night TV host Jay Leno. That’s lucky since he could have been scared off the subject entirely by one awkward phone call. On his CNBC show, Jay Leno’s Garage, he tells the story of a time he accidentally called Elon Musk in the middle of the night, […]

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Tesla Autopilot Comes with Tesla Version 7.0 Software Update

Benji Jerew — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 23:42:52 +0000

The future is here, most of it anyway. Tesla Version 7.0, the software update that was just broadcast on Wednesday, includes Tesla Autopilot. The new software includes everything needed to take advantage of all the cameras and actuators that have been installed in many Tesla Model S since October 2014. The equipment includes a GPS […]

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Elon Musk Reveals How Difficult It Is to Build Tesla Model X

Annika Tostengard — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 05:25:18 +0000

The Model X launched in the San Francisco Bay Area and was a huge success. Although the event celebrated the green tech company’s accomplishments, CEO Elon Musk also took the opportunity to explain just how much of a pain the Model X was to build. The vehicle is complicated and insanely high-tech, to the point that Musk […]

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Even Porsche Cayenne Can’t Beat Tesla’s 0-60 Accleration

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 20:09:49 +0000

Even though Porsche is synonymous with sports cars, Tesla’s Model X outperforms the Cayenne Turbo in nearly every way. The Model X is cheaper, too. In Ludicrous Mode, 0-60 takes just 3.2 seconds, while in a Cayenne Turbo that same acceleration will take 3.8 seconds. It’s easy to forget just well great Tesla’s vehicles perform when […]

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Soon, Supercharger Network Not Just for Teslas Anymore

Annika Tostengard — Tue, 29 Sep 2015 10:31:13 +0000

Tesla wants electric vehicles to change transportation. To accomplish that goal, the company needs other electric vehicles, not just Teslas, to be able to use their Supercharger network. The biggest obstacle for many consumers when deciding whether or not to purchase an electric car are the limitations imposed by the distance each charge can travel. Tesla […]

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What Refugee Crisis and Climate Change Have in Common

Annika Tostengard — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 07:06:13 +0000

Elon Musk has been busy. He was recently interviewed for Danish television about the range of Model S batteries, and on Thursday of this week warned of the consequences of climate change while speaking at a business seminar in Berlin organized by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Musk drew attention to the […]

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Tesla Gigafactory to Drop Battery Prices 70%

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 17:39:54 +0000

According to Jeffries analyst Dan Dolev, the Tesla Gigafactory will drop the cost of battery packs by 70%. The factory’s improved chemistry, economies of scale, and supply chain optimization are the major factors that contribute to the cost drop. Jeffries increased the price target for Tesla stock to $365 a share. The Tesla Gigafactory, built specifically […]

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Electric Vehicles – Part of the Solution, but No Magic Bullet

Benji Jerew — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 02:00:40 +0000

If the werewolf is climate change, then we’ve been feeding the wolf too much, when what we really need is a silver bullet. The question is, who’s loading the gun and with what? Given that transportation covers about a third of emissions, at least in the US, or about a sixth of global emissions, one […]

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Tesla Model S Breaks Consumer Reports Ratings System, Scores 103%

Annika Tostengard — Sat, 29 Aug 2015 05:55:23 +0000

Tesla’s innovative technology is in the news again, this time for breaking the Consumer Reports rating system. The Tesla Model S P85D “insane” mode performed so well during testing that it received a score of 103 points out of a possible 100. Consumer Reports will have to update their metrics so that the P85D has an official score […]

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Is Fisker Karma Back on Track? $30 Million Lease Deal in California Points to “Yes”

Benji Jerew — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 19:07:41 +0000

Fisker Automotive just didn’t have an easy time of it, between company restructuring, battery problems, and a series of unfortunate events, the premium plug-in hybrid automaker managed to deliver less than 3,000 units before it went bankrupt. Wanxiang Group, a Chinese autoparts giant, bought the company, with plans to restart production of the flagship vehicle, […]

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Future Tesla Batteries Will Be More Affordable Thanks to Silicon

Annika Tostengard — Tue, 28 Jul 2015 07:42:52 +0000

Affordable but high-capacity batteries are becoming a thing of the present, and not the future anymore, as manufacturers strive to make battery technology better. Meanwhile, electric automobile manufacturer Tesla is looking even farther into the future, where expensive batteries are made affordable with silicon. Their new 90 kilowatt-hour battery pack, which includes silicon in the design, […]

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Faraday Future Could be Tesla Motors Competitor by 2017

Benji Jerew — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 23:52:31 +0000

You’ve heard of Tesla Motors, for certain, which has pretty much nailed the electric vehicle race, and some figured that Fisker Automotive “coulda been a contender,” until it disappeared into thin air. True, Fisker could be coming back from the dead… but let’s talk about a company that seems like it might have a shot […]

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Conference Call Confirms New Tesla Roadster

Annika Tostengard — Sat, 18 Jul 2015 14:33:05 +0000

Elon Musk announced during a Friday phone-in conference call that Tesla will be releasing a new model in just four years, called “The Roadster”. The car will not merely be an upgrade of the 2008 Roadster, but will be based on a brand-new design. The car will be able to accelerate to sixty miles in […]

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Tesla Model S Customer Loyalty has No Equal

Benji Jerew — Mon, 13 Jul 2015 20:15:33 +0000

Mention Godzilla, Wrangler, or Mustang, and you’re sure to rouse the passions of an enthusiast, possibly against, but usually in favor of whatever that name stands for. Still, that passion pales in comparison to the enthusiasm that the Tesla Model S generates, to the point of inflamed debates regarding the merits of electric vehicles, tax […]

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Uber Wants to Buy All Tesla Self Driving Vehicles

Annika Tostengard — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 10:38:24 +0000

The CEO of Uber has apparently declared that if the Tesla self driving vehicle is available by 2020, Uber will buy every single one. At least, that is, all Tesla will be able to produce that year, an estimated 500,000 vehicles, according to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Tesla chief technical officer JB Straubel confirmed that number […]

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That Time Google Almost Bought Tesla Motors

Benji Jerew — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 17:12:53 +0000

Do you remember that time that Google almost bought Tesla Motors? A new book, Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future, due to be published May 19, shows just how close such a deal came. We’ve touched on the possibility of a tech company buying Tesla Motors a couple of times, […]

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Tesla Model S P85 Review, After One Year and 60k Miles

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 08 Apr 2015 12:20:15 +0000

While looking after Tesla Model S videos (I do that from time to time), I came across this guy from Norway, Bjørn Nyland, who happens to own a Model S P85 and is the most prolific reviewer of the car I’ve seen so far. Nyland has made an hour-long review of everything about the Model S […]

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Tesla Motors Banned from Selling Cars in West Virginia

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 16:48:31 +0000

Tesla Motors has been banned from selling cars in West Virginia, and made Elon Musk to tweet a big “Oh, no!”. If you were thinking that the West Virginia is a fully democratic state, and the American dream of being free is the ultimate stuff you could think of, you’re mostly wrong. It looks like some […]

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Tesla Model S Ticket Avoidance Mode, a Feature of Autopilot

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 14:38:27 +0000

Putting an autopilot drive system on a toy car is a great achievement for an engineer, but making it work in real-world scenarios in a 691-horsepower electric car is definitely worth the world’s attention. Going further, to make that autopilot system become even more badass than a parking ticket cop, is stellar. Although it’s a bit […]

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Tesla Model S Now Has a Certified Pre-Owned Program

Satya Sivani — Tue, 24 Mar 2015 07:00:34 +0000

It looks like Tesla has launched a Certified Pre-owned program for the Model S sedan. One of the CPO Model S buyers posted the photos of official Tesla CPO limited warranty document in the Tesla motors club discussion forum. The best way to experience service is, of course, not to experience service – said Elon Musk, CEO […]

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Tesla Motors is Now Open For Business in New Jersey!

Benji Jerew — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 21:20:36 +0000

Tesla Motors’ direct sales model has repeatedly drawn fire from the ADAs (automobile dealership associations), which has led to prohibition in a number of states. Tesla Motors can’t sell any cars in Texas, for example, and buyers have to jump through hoops to get one delivered to them, and that’s not the only state with […]

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Tesla Model S Towing – A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Benji Jerew — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 23:16:11 +0000

You could tow with a Tesla, as much as you could tow with a Prius, but we wouldn’t recommend it. On the other hand, you can buy a hitch receiver for a Toyota Prius as well as you can buy one for an electric vehicle (maybe), but should you tow with an electric vehicle? Indeed, […]

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BYD’s New Gigafactory Could Lower Lithium-Ion Battery Prices

Benji Jerew — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 17:25:22 +0000

As discussed, one of the things that keeps electric vehicles expensive, particularly with regard to their range per charge, is the price of lithium-ion battery packs. Chinese automaker BYD already produced a number of electric vehicles, even electric buses, and says it will triple its capacity in the next three years, putting it just about […]

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Electric Vehicle Battery Prices Forced Down by VW

Benji Jerew — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 20:22:38 +0000

Demand and deployment for electric vehicles remains low, but automakers tend to agree that the technology could be the biggest shift in automotive technology since the invention of the automatic transmission. The problem, of course, that electric vehicle batteries are far more expensive than any conventional powertrain. A brand new four-cylinder engine might cost $4,000, […]

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No More Range Anxiety in a Tesla Model S, Says Elon Musk

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 14:41:10 +0000

Range anxiety is bad for EV adoption, and Elon Musk is going to end it for the Tesla Model S. This Thursday. Every once in a while, Elon Musk stirs media curiosity by posting a Twitter update that’s cleverly thought to put EV lovers on fire. This time, he tweeted “Tesla press conf at 9am […]

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“Let Tesla Direct Sales Be,” says Letter to the States

Benji Jerew — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 21:26:32 +0000

Americans have a love / hate relationship with Tesla direct sales model, but it depends on if you’re a buyer or not. Specifically, it depends on if you are a buyer or an automobile dealership. Most buyers love buying direct from Tesla Motors, whether online or in a Tesla Store, even giving the Tesla Model […]

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Tesla Roadster 3.0 Features Over 340 Miles Range!

Benji Jerew — Fri, 20 Feb 2015 06:27:45 +0000

The Tesla Roadster may not have one of the longest histories, but it certainly is an illustrious one. If it ever makes it to production, the Tesla Roadster 3.0 will leave all of its own accolades in the dust. The Tesla Roadster is not a hypermiler, much like the Tesla Model S is not a […]

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Electric Car Battery Life – What to Expect

Benji Jerew — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 07:27:31 +0000

Considering a Tesla Model S or other electric car? Whoa, what will you do when the battery finally dies? Yes, we’ve all heard the arguments filed against electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt. The most famous of electric cars might be the Tesla Model S, the first car to boast any appreciable […]

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Why Hydrogen Cars are Less Efficient Than Electrics

Ovidiu Sandru — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 13:42:58 +0000

The efficiency of hydrogen cars versus battery electrics has been debated for a long time in the past decade. However, despite of all that talk, these days Toyota unveiled the first widely-available commercial hydrogen fuel cell vehicle hybrid, the Toyota Mirai. I have nothing against hydrogen itself or the hydrogen cars currently produced – it’s […]

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Toyota Mirai Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car – Just a “Better Battery”, Says Exec

Benji Jerew — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 21:03:45 +0000

Personally, I think both battery electric cars and hydrogen fuel cell cars, such as the Toyota Mirai, have a place in the future of transportation, but maybe the solution isn’t that clearly cut. Ahh, the age-old debate between battery electric cars and hydrogen fuel cell cars… Actually, can we call it an “age-old debate” if it’s […]

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Should Tesla Motors Franchise? If Yes, With Whom?

Benji Jerew — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 16:22:57 +0000

Tesla Motors has long been chastised for its adoption of the direct-sales model, much to the dismay of many automobile dealer associations. Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, at the 2015 Automotive News World Congress (link might be behind a paywall), was encouraging other automakers to adopt electric vehicles, expanding on the success of models such […]

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Elon Musk Discusses the Future of Electric Cars in Michigan

Guest Contributor — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 07:06:57 +0000

On a recent visit to Michigan, Musk stated again his belief that electric cars are just ‘fundamentally better’ than gas guzzling cars, and noting that they ought to be the way of the future. Given Tesla’s currently tiny market share (less than one third of one percent), the only way this will happen is if […]

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Drivr: Tesla Model S Meets Modern Taxi Market in Cincinnati

Guest Contributor — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 06:16:14 +0000

New competition for Uber and Lyft has popped up in Cincinnati where a new competitor called Drivr has begun to use modern electric Tesla cars in their taxi service. This is generally good news for the development of renewable resources, as new technology seeps into other industries in public transportation. Despite the beauty and newness […]

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You Guys REALLY Don’t Like Selling Electric Vehicles, Do You?

Benji Jerew — Tue, 13 Jan 2015 21:08:11 +0000

With the introduction of the first commercially-successful electric vehicles, things have started to change in how vehicles are sold. Of course, we’re not talking about the General Motors EV1, which was more of a research project than mass-production electric vehicle. We’re talking about Tesla Motors’ Tesla Roadster and Tesla Model S, which started an electric […]

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Tesla Motors’ Gigafactory Construction Under Way

Benji Jerew — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 14:41:49 +0000

With construction of the Tesla Gigafactory (is that really its name?), Tesla Motors expects to be able to get lithium-ion battery pricing down below $100/kWh, which will enable production of an affordable mass-market electric vehicle. If we recall, the Tesla Motors plan wasn’t simply to offer high-end electric vehicles to the rich and famous, but […]

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Advancing Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology – Toyota Opens Patent Vault

Benji Jerew — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 20:02:41 +0000

Over the last couple of decades, a lot of research and development money has been poured into hydrogen fuel cell technology, one form of clean transportation technology that Toyota has hedged its bets on, as opposed to battery electric vehicles. In fact, Toyota has gone so far as to say that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles […]

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Tesla Motors vs Falling Gasoline Prices – This Won’t Hurt a Bit

Benji Jerew — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 18:27:25 +0000

We have a question for all buyers of Tesla Motors and Toyota Prius high-efficiency vehicles: “Why did you buy your electric vehicle or hybrid electric vehicle?” There seems to be two schools of thought on this. One might say that people buy these cars because they are better for the environment. Tesla Motors, for example, […]

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Tesla Model S Battery Swap Pilot Program – Online Soon in California

Benji Jerew — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 15:59:01 +0000

It’s been a few months in coming, but Tesla Motors is finally making good on its promise to offer battery swapping, for realz this time, for the Tesla Model S. We all know at least three things about the Tesla Model S: 1) It’s quite the performer, that is, it has a high fun-to-drive quotient, […]

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Tesla Motors Still Pushing for Direct Sales in Texas

Benji Jerew — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 19:21:51 +0000

Buying and owning a Tesla in Texas is, lacking better words, far too complicated, of course, because Texas law does not allow automakers to sell directly to the consumer. Owning a Tesla in Texas, however, is even more difficult that you might imagine, because it only starts with buying from Tesla Motors. For example, Tesla […]

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Tesla, Aiming for the Stars, or at least Mars

Ari Luis — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 01:15:01 +0000

A generation ago, the only electric vehicles around were golf carts, fork lifts, and bumper cars. It’s probably this kind of lineage that Tesla came from. Or maybe not. After all, it’s cool to drive any of the aforementioned vehicles only when it’s winter or fall, and it has nothing to do with style. But […]

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Building a Better Battery – Elon Musk

Benji Jerew — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 20:13:41 +0000

Over the years, rechargeable battery technology has grown only by short spurts, intervening time typified by stagnation, but that has not stopped innovators, such as Elon Musk, from making other improvements to the technology. We cover many new battery technologies on this site, such as Sakti3 solid-state lithium-ion cells and Envia Systems’ 400 Wh/kg cells, […]

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Sakti3 Solid-State Lithium-Ion Battery Could Make EVs Affordable

Benji Jerew — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 16:44:29 +0000

While much research has gone into anode and cathode materials, Sakti3 focused instead on the electrolyte, developing a solid state electrolyte that makes the battery as easy to produce as flat-screen television screens. Right now, there seems to be at least three approaches to making electric vehicles affordable for the masses, be it mass production, […]

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SolarCity Generates One Billion Kilowatt-Hours of Clean Energy

Benji Jerew — Mon, 22 Sep 2014 23:02:01 +0000

A lot of milestones in clean energy have been reached in the last few years, made possible by forward-thinking companies, such as SolarCity. SolarCity, of course, is a solar power company, enabling thousands of residences, municipalities, and businesses, to adopt solar power. Constantly expanding across the United States, SolarCity is the nation’s number one full-service […]

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SolarCity and Tesla Batteries, Together Forever

Benji Jerew — Fri, 19 Sep 2014 17:21:26 +0000

We know that renewable energy, such as that provided by SolarCity solar panel installations, is only useful as long as the sun is shining, which is where Tesla batteries come in. In fact, Tesla batteries are already being offered with some SolarCity residential solar power installations in California, hopefully nationwide next year, but the plan […]

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Off-Grid System from a Tesla 85 kWh Battery

Benji Jerew — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 23:49:38 +0000

Now, before we get started, we need to cover the basics of safety, prudence, and good sense and say of this Tesla Motors Off-Grid system project, “Do not attempt this at home.” Of course, we can forget all that safety crap and jump right in, at least vicariously, through the eyes of a Tesla Motors Club […]

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Tesla Motors to Build “Gigafactory” in Nevada

Benji Jerew — Mon, 15 Sep 2014 22:11:34 +0000

Leading up to the planned, and affordable, Tesla Model 3, Tesla Motors really needs to get lithium-ion battery prices down, which is the whole purpose of the so-called “Tesla Gigafactory.” Currently, for Tesla Motors’ electric vehicles, the Tesla Model S and upcoming Tesla Model X, individual lithium-ion cells are sourced from Panasonic. True, the cells […]

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Gigafactory Key to Next Chapter in Toyota and Tesla Relationship?

Ari Luis — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:01:33 +0000

Back in May 2010, Toyota and Tesla announced a deal to jointly develop electric vehicles and parts, and to cooperate on engineering and production systems support. The result of the partnership of the maker of the iconic gas-electric hybrid Prius and the maker of the equally iconic EV Roadster sports cars was an electric sports […]

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Tesla Motors Researching Graphene to Boost Energy Storage Capacity

Benji Jerew — Sat, 30 Aug 2014 03:00:49 +0000

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk said his company was working on something big, so we’re wondering if it has anything to do with this news report from China. Tesla Motors, as we’ve discussed before, isn’t simply an electric vehicle company, but an energy storage company. Plans for the Tesla Gigafactory are testament enough to that […]

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Elon Musk Announces Warranty Adjustment for Tesla Model S 85 kWh

Benji Jerew — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 19:17:59 +0000

Apparently, some alarms were raised regarding the enduring quality of the Tesla Model S, so Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has announced a little change to the warranty coverage. Even we covered this story here, a short discussion on how hard it is to make it as an automaker these days, and initial and enduring […]

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Tesla Looks to Hire White Hat Hackers to Boost Security

Benji Jerew — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 12:41:29 +0000

The Tesla Model S, like all modern automobiles, is essentially one big electronics package (read: computer) and, like many hardware / software systems, can be vulnerable (read: hacking). While we’ve discussed being able to “hack” or modify for malicious intent another vehicle, such as the Toyota Prius, which is also highly computerized. Of course, in […]

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Tesla Will Disrupt Centralized Power Companies, says Morgan Stanley

Benji Jerew — Mon, 11 Aug 2014 20:37:27 +0000

Tesla Motors may be more than an electric vehicle automaker, according to financial services corporation Morgan Stanley. Morgan Stanley says that Tesla could actually end up disrupting centralized power companies as we know them, but how? Tesla is not just a car company, and neither is SolarCity just a solar panel company. In the end, […]

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Official – Panasonic Signs on Tesla Gigafactory Project

Benji Jerew — Fri, 01 Aug 2014 21:40:49 +0000

If the Tesla Model 3 is going to be sold at a price that will make everyone smile, the Tesla Gigafactory and the economies of scale will make it happen. It hasn’t, or they haven’t, been built yet, but the Tesla Gigafactory (-ies?) are the next key to Tesla Motors’ success as an automaker and […]

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Three Updates from Tesla Motors

Benji Jerew — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 15:01:54 +0000

Perhaps one of the most progressive and successful automakers in the world, Tesla Motors has really set things in motion with its well-endowed battery electric vehicles. Tesla Motors’ motion, of course, was set by the original Tesla Roadster, a Lotus Elise electric vehicle conversion with 245 miles of range per charge. Some electric vehicles today, […]

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Dear Tesla Motors Fans, “You Have to Resolve This On State Level.” Sincerely, The White House

Benji Jerew — Tue, 15 Jul 2014 14:39:30 +0000

Unlike every other automaker in the United States (we say US, because no other country on the planet has such ridiculous protectionist laws) Tesla Motors does not sell its cars through a franchised dealer network. If you want to buy a Lexus CT 200h, for example, you don’t buy from Lexus itself, but from a […]

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CarCharging Group is First to Touch Tesla Motors Open Patents

Benji Jerew — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 15:46:23 +0000

In a stunning move to expand and encourage the adoption of electric vehicles, Tesla Motors turned and made all of its patents public-access. What does this mean? In the words of visionary Elon Musk, who said in his blog post “All Our Patent Are Belong to You,” “Tesla will not initiate patent lawsuits against anyone […]

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More on What the Tesla Motors Mass-Market Model WON’T Be

Benji Jerew — Wed, 02 Jul 2014 19:14:16 +0000

I sure hope Tesla Motors gives us some more solid information on what its third production model will be like, but so far we can glean a few things about it. For example, we were somewhat disappointed to learn that the next Tesla Motors offering, a mass-market electric vehicle at an average-sedan price, will not […]

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Morgan Stanley Says Tesla Motors is the World’s Most Important Automaker

Benji Jerew — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 17:16:02 +0000

Tesla Motors may be the most-successful automobile startup in the last half-century and, at least according to Morgan Stanley, could be the world’s most important. Tesla Motors’ initial public offering started at just $19.10, just shy of four years ago, a modest beginning for a startup automaker with a totally unique vehicle, the fully-electric Tesla […]

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Tesla Supercharger Expansion Planned in Europe

Benji Jerew — Fri, 27 Jun 2014 15:11:45 +0000

It’s the age-old “chicken and egg” conundrum, which comes first, the Tesla Supercharger or the Tesla Model S? Depending on who you ask, public-access electric vehicle fast-charging stations, such as the Tesla Supercharger LIII charging network, may or may not be absolutely necessary. For example, considering that most electric vehicle drivers charge at night or […]

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Tesla Motors Direct Sales is the Right Idea for Tomorrow’s Automobile Market

Benji Jerew — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 17:17:24 +0000

While Tesla Motors’ direct sales model has caused a great divide in the country, most especially with regard to protectionist laws regarding automobile dealerships, is direct sales the future of automobile sales and service? Tesla Motors is changing the way we think about buying a new automobile, which has been described by many as one […]

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SolarCity Acquires Silevo, Plans One of Largest Solar Panel Factories in the World

Benji Jerew — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 16:28:04 +0000

In the words of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, “SolarCity was founded to accelerate mass adoption of sustainable energy,” which company is working hard to increase the efficiency and availability of solar power systems. In an announcement yesterday, Elon Musk revealed that SolarCity had signed an agreement, acquiring Silevo, a solar panel manufacturer. This may seem […]

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Tesla Motors Update on the Tesla Model X

Benji Jerew — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 14:48:49 +0000

The progress of Tesla Motors in the automobile market cannot be described as anything less than astounding, but model releases might seem to be slow in coming, such as the upcoming Tesla Model X. The business model is sure, and it seems to be working for the company, Tesla Motors being perhaps the most successful […]

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Tesla Motors Patents Open for Everyone to Use

Benji Jerew — Thu, 12 Jun 2014 19:48:01 +0000

The rumors were true! Tesla Motors has indeed opened up all its patents to open-source, and even symbolically demolished the Patent Wall, shown above. Many companies hold their patents sacred, ready to jump down the throats of anyone even coming close to them. Think about the recent news coverage between Apple and Samsung, the world’s […]

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Tesla Motors Might be Able to Sell Direct in New Jersey After All

Benji Jerew — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 19:15:46 +0000

We’ve been covering the Tesla Motors direct-sales approach in depth, but a big blow came from New Jersey lawmakers in March. Tesla Motors’ direct-sales models has lawmakers, automobile dealers, and even some other automaker, up at arms. In the United States, the only country in which these laws exist at all, automakers are not allowed […]

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Tesla Motors May Go Open-Source

Benji Jerew — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 16:15:02 +0000

Tesla Motors may be worth over $25 billion, but founder Elon Musk’s dreams aren’t all about the money. The bigger picture, according to Musk, is to make clean transportation easier for everyone, and not just those who can afford the luxury-car-priced Tesla Model S, which comes with exclusive access to the growing network of Tesla […]

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One Tesla, Two Supercharger, Red State, Blue State

Benji Jerew — Wed, 04 Jun 2014 15:04:36 +0000

Red State, Blue State, indeed. Looking at this map that someone at Mojo Motors put together, you might think this is a political map of the United States, but what this map does is show where you can and cannot buy a Tesla. Tesla Motors’ direct-sales strategy has thrown the ADAs (automobile dealer associations) into […]

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Tesla is Not Just a Car Company

Benji Jerew — Wed, 28 May 2014 21:32:30 +0000

True, Tesla Motors is most well-known for its award-winning electric vehicle, the Tesla Model S, but CEO Elon Musk’s vision goes so much further. The basis for this vision is the lithium-ion battery, which Elon Musk is using to corner the market, but which market? Elon Musk is the mastermind and founder of bother Tesla […]

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Tesla Motors is California’s Biggest Automotive Employer

Benji Jerew — Tue, 27 May 2014 16:40:39 +0000

Comparing Tesla Motors and Toyota Motor Corporation may not be fair, but it’s interesting to note Tesla’s growth in California. Toyota has been around for over eighty years, and is worth over $170 billion today. In California, the undisputed home of the automobile in the United States, Toyota employs about 5,300 people. Tesla Motors is […]

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Tesla Motors Needs a Competitor, Will Fisker Automotive Step Up?

Benji Jerew — Mon, 19 May 2014 17:04:11 +0000

Tesla Motors, for now, is the undisputed leader in electric vehicle technology, but could the resurrected Fisker Automotive be a good competitor? No, I’m not talking about Fisker Automotive’s stalled lineup of extended-range electric vehicles (EREV), such as the Fisker Karma (a $100,000 Chevy Volt?). The truth is, you just don’t bring a hybrid vehicle […]

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Cartoonist Waxes on Tesla Model S, Wants to Build Nikola Tesla Museum

Benji Jerew — Thu, 15 May 2014 17:10:06 +0000

Calling Matthew Inman a “cartoonist” isn’t really fair, but the way he waxes on about his Tesla Model S goes much deeper than simple talking heads in the Sunday Intellectuals Funnies page. Matthew Inman runs The Oatmeal, and also runs a Tesla Model S, and we thank him for putting together an accurate portrayal of […]

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Is This The End of The Line for Toyota RAV4 EV?

Benji Jerew — Tue, 13 May 2014 17:33:48 +0000

Toyota’s stance on electric vehicles seems to be clear, so the end of the Toyota RAV4 EV doesn’t really come as a shock. Instead, Toyota is focusing on its hybrid electric vehicle and hydrogen fuel cell technology, clearly seen even in its marketing. True, hybrids are a great interim step, but I don’t think they’ll […]

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Panasonic Takes Interest in Tesla Gigafactory

Benji Jerew — Fri, 09 May 2014 15:47:06 +0000

The Tesla Gigafactory’s plan is to reduce lithium-ion battery costs for Tesla Motors electric vehicles and SolarCity backup power supplies, and it’s a huge plan. Tesla Motors expects the new complex to cost about $5 billion, but it isn’t going to foot the bill alone. Of course, the bulk of the money will mostly likely […]

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Have we Been Incentivizing Electric Vehicles Wrong All This Time?

Benji Jerew — Tue, 06 May 2014 15:40:28 +0000

Electric vehicles aren’t exactly the biggest sellers in the automarket, and it’s easy to see why. First, electric vehicles, not including the $100,000 Tesla Model S, are more expensive than their conventional or even hybrid electric vehicle counterparts, as much as $10,000 more, in many cases. Let’s face it, why would you spend an extra […]

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Tesla Motors Smeared [Hilariously] by Tin Hatters

Benji Jerew — Thu, 01 May 2014 23:41:17 +0000

In case you’re wondering, the tin hatters are the ones that constantly go on about the Moon Landing and 9/11 being fake. Next on the list of conspiracy theorist targets, apparently, is Tesla Motors. Of course, there have to be hundreds of conspiracy theories out there, and yes, men really did land on the moon, […]

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Tesla Gigafactory to Break Ground – in Two States?

Benji Jerew — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 15:38:34 +0000

Tesla Motors is planning some big developments in the future, and a lot of those changes hinge on the Tesla Gigafactory. The Tesla Gigafactory, of course, could be Tesla Motors’ key to an affordable mass-market electric vehicle. Currently, Tesla Model S production takes up barely half of the Fremont, California, Tesla Motors factory, but Tesla […]

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Tesla Motors Celebrates Opening of 100th Tesla Supercharger

Benji Jerew — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 14:08:30 +0000

I’ll admit that, when I first read this Tesla Motors headline, I thought, “Wow, 100 Tesla Superchargers in North America!” Well, we’re not quite there, yet. However, in spite of Tesla Motors being an American company, it has its sights set globally, so that’s 100 Tesla Superchargers now open in the whole world. This opens […]

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Federal Trade Commission Speaks up Regarding Tesla Motors

Benji Jerew — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 17:29:28 +0000

Tesla Motors has no problem selling cars in California, China, or Germany, since direct sales are no problem in these places. On the other hand, the situation is very different in Texas and New Jersey, and some other states, where direct sales by automakers to customers is prohibited. These laws have been in place for […]

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Oops! Elon Musk Got a Speeding Ticket Showing off his Tesla Model S

Benji Jerew — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 17:42:57 +0000

During filming of the upcoming sci-fi movie, Transcendence, Elon Musk took lead actor Johnny Depp out for a test drive in the Tesla Model S, but things may not have gone exactly as planned. Of course, going out for a test drive, you never know exactly what you might expect. We always hope for the […]

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Will the Tesla Gigafactory be Greener than Tesla’s Current Operation?

Benji Jerew — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 17:33:31 +0000

While the Tesla Gigafactory is still in its planning stages, it makes us wonder, how much goes into making a world-class electric vehicle that’s also green? On the surface of things, bringing the Tesla Gigafactory into being will enable mass-production of an affordable electric vehicle for the masses. Electric vehicles, such as the upcoming Tesla […]

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Tesla Motors, Clearing the Air in China?

Benji Jerew — Thu, 17 Apr 2014 17:23:02 +0000

Moving Tesla Motors manufacturing to China could bring that price down, but the Chinese nouveau-riche love their import luxury cars. In fact, one Chinese investor recently ordered 100 Tesla Model S to be shipped, but not before being convertible-converted by Newport Convertible Engineering, adding between $29,900 and $49,900 to the price of each car. Tesla […]

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Hacking the Tesla Model S Uncovers Ubuntu Roots, May Void Warranty

Benji Jerew — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 15:26:14 +0000

Now, you’re not supposed to hack the Tesla Model S, because even the MVPA says you can’t, but give a computer geek an Ethernet port and, well, you know the rest. I’m certain that this wasn’t what Tesla motors had in mind when they wrote the software for the Tesla Model S, giving hackers access, […]

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Tesla Model S Lemon Lawsuit, Sounds Like Nonsense to Me

Benji Jerew — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 16:44:30 +0000

Given the accolades that Tesla Motors and the flagship Tesla Model S have garnered, it might come as a shock that a lawyer has brought a lawsuit against the company. The Tesla Model S, interestingly, was given the best score ever by Consumer Reports, which doesn’t just measure vehicle worthiness, but customer satisfaction. I can […]

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One Hundred Tesla Model S Convertibles Going to China

Benji Jerew — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 16:44:04 +0000

I know what you’re thinking, and now that you’re back from checking TeslaMotors.com for a convertible version of the Tesla Model S, you’re absolutely right. Tesla Motors does not offer a Tesla Model S Convertible, at least not yet. For now, Tesla Motors is focused on getting the Tesla Model X into production, as well […]

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Tesla Motors says “Shields Up!” Adds More Protection for Battery Pack

Benji Jerew — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 14:31:52 +0000

After three Tesla Model S fires last year, some have been wondering if electric vehicles truly have a place in our transportation future. Tesla Motors says yes! Of course, the three fires in question were highly unusual, one involving a Class III three-ball towing hitch that had fallen off a truck, and another involving a […]

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Tesla Motors to Source Gigafactory Raw Materials from North America

Benji Jerew — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 19:29:34 +0000

The Tesla Gigafactory, Tesla Motors brainchild, not only holds the promise of an electric-vehicle future in the United States, but much more. Tesla Motors has been extolled, by some at least, as an American success story and, in many ways, it is. True, a few hundred million dollars went out in loans, but the company […]

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Tesla Motors Pushing for Side-View Mirror Elimination

Benji Jerew — Wed, 02 Apr 2014 20:34:29 +0000

Aerodynamics play a big role in fuel economy and, in electric vehicles like those built by Tesla Motors, range, which is why side-view mirrors are such a drag, literally. By law, every vehicle in the US needs to have these side-view mirrors, but at every car show, we see a concept car without side mirrors, […]

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