In its battle with auto dealers across the nation, Tesla has begun deploying its own lobbyists to take on the dealer groups’ well-financed troops. At the same time, another tactic may be even more effective – letting lawmakers drive a Model S themselves. Letting the car speak for itself seems to have done the trick… Read more »
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European safety agency gives BMW i3 four stars
The European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) has published the results of its crash test of the 2014 BMW i3, in which the new EV Bimmer scored four out of five possible stars. While that might not sound so bad, it does compare unfavorably with other popular plug-ins such as the Volt, LEAF and Model… Read more »
Fisker finally files for bankruptcy, reveals creditors
Fisker Automotive finally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week, some 18 months after building its last car. Hybrid Technology LLC, which bought the automaker’s outstanding $168 million DOE loan for $25 million in October, said that the purchase of the government loan was a first step toward restarting production of the Karma. “As… Read more »
Via Motors presents solar tonneau for its plug-in pickup
The first question the “average Joe” asks about an EV is often, “Why don’t they put a solar panel on it?” Leaving aside technical details about surface area, insolation, voltage levels and the requirements of vehicle design, the simple answer is that it wouldn’t produce enough energy to justify the cost. However, Via Motors’ VTrux… Read more »
NHTSA: There’s no such thing as a safety score higher than 5 stars
A perfect score ought to be good enough for any car – that’s the message from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has issued new marketing guidelines that explicitly prohibit automakers from promoting safety scores higher than 5 stars. The updated guidelines also say that NHTSA safety scores are always whole numbers. The… Read more »
ChargePoint network grows to 50,000 users
This week, the ChargePoint network reached a milestone as driver number 50,000 joined up. Unsurprisingly, the 50,000th ChargePoint member resides in the San Francisco Bay Area. Less than an hour after signing up, the new user plugged in a Tesla Model S to a ChargePoint station at the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael…. Read more »
Scientists invent self-healing battery electrode
Researchers from Stanford University and the DOE’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have developed a battery electrode that heals itself, a very useful trick indeed. “Self-healing is very important for the survival and long lifetimes of animals and plants,” said Chao Wang, one of two principal authors of the paper, which appeared in the latest issue… Read more »
New York PSC removes regulatory obstacle to new investments in EVSE
As EV charging stations proliferate across the country, uncertain regulatory situations in some states may be holding back investment. This week, the New York State Public Service Commission removed one potential roadblock, declaring that it does not have jurisdiction over publicly available charging stations. “The Commission’s determination that it does not have jurisdiction ensures that… Read more »
Tesla requests NHSTA investigation, confirms suspension update and amends warranty
(Updated 11/19/2013 – 11:10 am ET to include comments from NHTSA Administrator David Strickland) Tesla has taken a lot of heat since the third Model S fire in six weeks occurred earlier this month – the press pounced and the stock plummeted. Last week, Elon Musk reassured us that Tesla continues to build the safest cars… Read more »
Hot air and smoke abound as Tesla Model S fires spread to the media
The first fire was easily dismissed as an isolated incident. The second was rather comical, with a drunken driver sending his Tesla flying through the air and wrapping it around a tree, and a spicy video complete with a profane Spanish voiceover. The third Model S fire in six weeks seems more ominous, as the… Read more »