Tesla Roadster News
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The nice thing about buying advanced-technology cars is that many of them, at one point or another, come with financial incentives meant to encourage fuel efficiency. Even if the car in question is a 2010 Tesla Roadster, the $109,000 two-seat all-electric convertible that blasts from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4 seconds on the power of 6,831 little lithium-ion batteries--and uses no gasoline whatsoever. Starting today, the not-yet-quite-bankrupt State of California is offering $5,000 rebates to residents who buy or lease a Tesla Roadster. The cash comes from its new Clean Vehicle Rebate...
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2010 Geneva Motor Show: Green Car Concepts RoundupYesterday we covered the new green production cars at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, now underway in snowy Switzerland. Today, we get to cover the cooler, sexier side of the show: concept cars! So, here's our roundup of notable green and advanced-technology concept cars at Geneva. Audi A1 e-tron...
John Voelcker -
Lease Your Tesla Roadster Now, Only $1,658 Per MonthHave you ever dreamed of owning Tesla Roadster, but simply could not muster together enough money for the $109,000 electric supercar? Well, Tesla has the answer. Now you can lease one for only $1,658 a month. Sounds like a bargain, but there's a catch. Tesla has just opened up a leasing...
Eric Loveday -
Electric-Car Dealerships Struggle, But Why Such Surprise?A recent article in the Oakland Tribune highlights the high failure rate of independent car dealerships selling only electric vehicles. Frankly, we're not at all surprised. We worried readers might find a subtext that the slew of EV-only dealerships that have closed--in Berkeley, Concord, Davis...
John Voelcker -
Don't Have A Spare $109K? Now You Can Lease a Tesla RoadsterWhen the auto market fell apart last year, the era of cheap car leases came to an abrupt end. And only recently have manufacturers tiptoed cautiously back into offering lease payments for some models, rather than selling them outright. The latest maker to join the lease parade is Tesla Motors...
John Voelcker -
BREAKING: Tesla Employees Killed in Plane Crash IdentifiedUPDATE (February 18): The three Tesla Motors employees killed yesterday in the crash of a small airplane at the Palo Alto Airport have now been identified, according to local news reports. They were: Doug Bourn, a senior electric engineer and the presumed pilot of the plane; Andrew Ingram, an...
John Voelcker -
After the rapturous reception for three successive models of its e-Tron electric coupe concept at the Frankfurt, Los Angeles, and Detroit auto shows, Audi announced it would build and sell a small number of the electric supercars. Now we know a few more details of Audi's plans. And it seems Audi plans to make the e-Tron model name as powerful, distinctive, and well-known as its legendary "Quattro" all-wheel-drive system--which started as a vehicle model and then spread to the technology. First 100, then 1,000 The first 100 e-Trons will be built in Ingolstadt in 2012, where Audi does its...
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Tesla Charge at Airport Plug Shows EV Drivers Are ResourcefulThe Tesla Roadster may be going out of production in 2012, but Tesla drivers--and electric vehicle drivers in general--are nothing if not resourceful. First, in December, the company managed a cross-country road trip, driving a Roadster from Los Angeles to Detroit. Now, we find that a Colorado...
John Voelcker -
If Tesla Roadster Production Ends in 2012, Show Us The MoneyWhenever we're asked whether electric-car startup Tesla Motors will make it, we respond with our own question: What's the last carmaker started from scratch in the U.S. by entrepreneurs that's still with us, and when did it launch? The answer is Chrysler, and the year was 1924. In other words...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Roadster Production to End in 2011, New Version Expected in 2013According to a report from Wired's Autopia site, the Tesla Roadster that we are familiar with will come to the end of its production run in 2011. A new version of the Roadster will appear in 2013. Autopia came across the information while perusing through the filings made by Tesla with the...
Eric Loveday -
2010 Tesla Roadster Sport Offers More PunchFor About $25K Extra You Can Get To 60 MPH Quicker
Jonathan McGrew -
AC Propulsion and AutoPort, Inc. Partner to Develop Electric Vehicle for US Postal Service Feasibility StudyAC Propulsion, source of the technologies and/or components and systems for the Tesla Roadster and Mini-e, has now partnered with AutoPort, Inc. to develop an electric vehicle for a US Postal Service (USPS) feasibility study. Among many capabilities, AutoPort specializes in fleet conversions, so...
Jason Hendler -
A group of concerned activists is raising questions about one potential location for Tesla's future Model S assembly plant. The Raging Grannies spent last Saturday in front of the Tesla dealership in Menlo Park, California, asking why the electric vehicle company might build their future plant on a brownfield site in the SoCal town of Downey. The site was previously used for military and NASA research, but has since been redeveloped with a hospital and a film production facility. Numerous people who have worked at the location say that they're now suffering from chronic, debilitating...
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2010 Detroit Auto Show: The Confusing Wrongness of Electric AvenueOnly four electric vehicles really matter at the Detroit Auto Show: the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the 2012 Nissan Leaf, and the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, plus the current 2010 Tesla Roadster. They're on sale, or destined for volume production. The rest fall into two categories: low-volume...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Motors to Showcase Roadster VIN 1000 and Model S Concept at NAIAS.Tesla Motors will be showcasing a major milestone in their production history at the North American International Auto Show. Tesla Roadster VIN 1,000 will be making it's debut at Cobo Hall, signifying Tesla Motors' impressive feat of producing / selling 1,000 highway capable electric vehicles...
Jason Hendler -
Audi E-tron Torque Numbers Recalculated, New Output 501.5 lb.-ftPrevious reports of the highly anticipated Audi E-tron electric vehicle have definitely raised some questions about the claimed torque rating of 3,319 lb-ft. Though the number is a true calculation, it does not follow industry standards for torque ratings. Adjusted to industry standards, the...
Eric Loveday -
Your Dream of Driving a Tesla Roadster Sport Could Become a RealityTo many, the chance to drive a Tesla Roadster Sport may only be a dream. Its high price and lack of usefulness as your primary, only car may put it out of reach to us ordinary folk. Dreaming about driving a Tesla Roadster and having the unique chance to actually pilot one are two entirely...
Eric Loveday -
All-Electric Roadtrip From LA to Detroit? No Problem, Says TeslaAs we've noted elsewhere, we write a lot about Tesla. We certainly give them more ink...errr, electrons?...than their share of the sports car market, since they're just delivered their 900th Roadster. Not that they're not wildly fun to drive, mind you. But despite early engineering difficulties...
John Voelcker -
We tested a 2009 Tesla Roadster last spring. Without a doubt, it's one of the most fun and breathtaking performance cars around. And the new-for-2010 Roadster Sport model is even quicker. Zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, anyone? Now you too can have your very own chance to drive a 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport. Tesla and High Gear Media have partnered for our latest writing contest, through December31, where we'll pick the best article submitted by a user and give that person a Tesla test drive. On January 20, in fact, we'll fly the winner to San Francisco, let him or her interview Tesla...
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Electric Supercar Concept Uses Small Turbine Engine To Boost RangeWe're gearing up for the Los Angeles Auto Show here at GreenCarReports, and the press releases are flying across the desk. Most of them don't apply to green car buyers and fans, but here's one worth watching. At the show, Capstone Turbine Corp. will unveil its CMT-380 concept, an extended-range...
John Voelcker -
All-Electric Rolls-Royce Phantom To Awe 2012 London Olympics?We almost never mention the 2010 Rolls-Royce Phantom here on GreenCarReports.com. That's because--at three tons, with 453 horsepower from its 6.7-liter V-12 engine, and an EPA rating of 13 mpg city / 19 mpg highway--it's [ahem] just not that green. Well, Rolls-Royce is looking ahead. Not only into...
John Voelcker -
Introducing The ECOS Harbinger-An Electric Supercar For Under $90,000ECOS is known for the electric retrofitting of old Volkswagens - for around $12,500, you can have your Beetle converted into highway capable electric commuter. But capitalizing on the availability of off-the-shelf componentry and the relative simplicity of EV powertrains, ECOS is hoping to...
Jon Vandervelde -
New Nickel-Lithium Battery Has Ultra-High Energy DensityResearchers at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) have succeeded in making the world’s first Ni-Li battery, a formulation that holds more than 3.5 times the energy of Li-ion batteries and doesn’t run the risk of catching fire. By including a...
Jon Vandervelde -
Tesla Roadster Channels Taxi Cab In FranceIf you own a car as unique as the Tesla Roadster, why not advertise your business with it? That's what one Monaco resident did with this electric sports car clad in the standard issue yellow and black. The owner, who runs a New York City cab company which uses mostly hybrid vehicles, recently put...
Robert Scardino