Tesla News
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What does a pizza delivery teen, a taxi driver and a courier have to do with EVs? Not much right now, but could these and other professional drivers hold the key to truly prove that EVs have what it takes to hit the big time, or do they risk condemning EVs to the history books forever? Chinese auto firm BYD (Build Your Dreams) is known for its larger-than life attitude to EVs. Initially a battery firm, it has branched out into cars and plans to bring its e6 all electric car to the USA in the next few years. The e6 doesn't stand out. It is a normal-looking car from a small company with a big...
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WSJ: No Tesla-Toyota Joint Venture, YetThey may have struck a deal to transfer control of the old NUMMI manufacturing facility, but as of yet, Toyota and electric-car manufacturer Tesla have no firm deal to produce vehicles together. The Wall Street Journal says a recent stock filing reveals the companies haven't yet inked a deal that...
Martin Padgett -
Tesla Cashes In, Sells Zero-Emission Vehicle Credits to HondaEver wondered how car companies make money fast? Sexy electric sports car creators Tesla motors have figured it out: sell off its excess zero-emission vehicle credits for much-needed hard cash to Honda, the only mainstream automaker to not yet fully commit to making an EV. In 2008, a revised...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Friday Favorite: Best 2009 Tesla Roadster Video Review Ever!We've driven a 2009 Tesla Roadster, contributed to the complete review, and written about the torturous tradeoff between using the stupendous acceleration and maintaining enough battery range to get you home again. While the Roadster will go down in history for making electric vehicles sexy, Tesla...
John Voelcker -
Tesla backs up: New S-1 language tackles Musk finances, divorceLast week, VentureBeat reported that Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk was personally running low on cash, a fact he disclosed in court papers as part of his divorce proceedings. We asked if the company, which is seeking to go public, should have included those facts in its filings with the Securities...
John Voelcker -
Does Tesla's Toyota Deal Change Everything For Electric Cars?The surprise partnership between Tesla Motors and Toyota announced two weeks ago generated a lot of head-scratching. The big question is, What does Toyota get out of the deal? It's easy to see what Tesla gets: more capital (Toyota will invest $50 million in Tesla just before its planned public...
John Voelcker -
What would happen if the charismatic CEO responsible for the 2009 Tesla Roadster -- the most sexy electric sports car to hit the roads of the U.S. this century -- were to leave the Silicon Valley startup company he co-founded? Now we know: The possibly less-sexy, less-charismatic, less-electrified executives of Tesla's investor Daimler will have to approve someone they feel fit to run the company. Tesla's lawyers publicly submitted documents to the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) on May 27 as part of preparations into its forthcoming initial public offering (IPO). The document...
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Daimler looks beyond Tesla with BYD electric-car partnershipUntil Toyota stepped in last week, Daimler was the only major auto manufacturer to take a stake in electric-car startup Tesla Motors — a company that has now become synonymous with next-generation transportation. Now Daimler wants to work the same magic with BYD, the Chinese battery and electric...
John Voelcker -
Tesla’s Elon Musk: 'I Ran Out of Cash'Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk seems to have it all. The electric-car entrepreneur is the toast of Silicon Valley, Sacramento, and Tokyo after unveiling a plan to revive Toyota’s shuttered NUMMI plant last week. And deal-hungry Wall Street bankers are angling to take his company public. He’s even a...
John Voelcker -
Questions answered: Live-blogging the Tesla-Toyota press conferenceWe’re here at Tesla’s new headquarters in Palo Alto, Calif. live-blogging the announcement of a strategic partnership between Tesla Motors and Toyota. Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, Toyota President and CEO Akio Toyoda and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger are on stage. Elon Musk: This is...
John Voelcker -
Toyota Teams Up With Tesla For Electric Vehicle DevelopmentTesla and Toyota have announced that they intend to cooperate on the development of electric vehicles, parts, and production system and engineering support. The two companies intend to form a team of specialists to further those efforts. Additionally, Toyota has agreed to purchase $50 million of...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Confirmed: Tesla to Build Electric Vehicles with Toyota at NUMMI PlantGovernor Arnold Scharzenegger leaked earlier today that Tesla Motors will be partnering with Toyota to build a new electric vehicle. Now, a reliable source close to the deal confirms that this is true — but that Tesla will also be acquiring the recently-closed NUMMI automotive manufacturing plant...
John Voelcker -
Rumors fly that Indian Electric Car firm REVA is soon to have new investors, as U.S. based Investors start negotiations to sell their stake in the $100 million company. According to VCCircle, a financial news portal, three groups of investors are seeking to play out their exit strategy. Sources cite AEV LLC of California, Investors Global Environment Fund and Draper Fisher Jurvetson as all wishing to sell their stake in the company. AEV LLC founded the REVA Electric Car Company in a joint project with Maini Group in 1996. Draper Fisher Jurveston are known for their investment in green tech...
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GM, Chrysler To Join Ford, Tesla in DoE Retooling Loan QueueOver the last year, the U.S. Department of Energy has granted almost $9 billion of low-interest loans to help automakers retool for more fuel-efficient cars. But until now, General Motors and Chrysler had been shut out while Ford, Nissan, and Tesla were awarded loans last June, joined by Fisker in...
John Voelcker -
Snapped on the Street: Fiat 500 Electric Car Visits Palo AltoThe great thing about having your company headquartered in Palo Alto, California, is that you never quite know what you'll see on the street. There are lots of expensive cars like BMWs and Bentleys floating around. There are also a disproportionate number of Tesla Roadsters, since the company is...
John Voelcker -
Musk divorce case could hang over Tesla for up to a yearThis story, written by Camille Ricketts, was originally posted on VentureBeat's GreenBeat, an editorial partner of AllCarsElectric. Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk may have won an initial ruling in the divorce dispute with his now-separated wife, novelist Justine Musk, but the case is far from over...
John Voelcker -
All-Wheel Drive And Crossovers In The Pipeline For TeslaTesla has hinted on several occasions in the past that it wants to expand its range of vehicles beyond the current Roadster and upcoming Model S sedan in the very near future. The CEO of the electric car start-up, Elon Musk, has now reaffirmed his company’s plans to do just that, by revealing...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Tesla Outlines Production Details For 2012 Model STesla's first all-original car, the upcoming Model S sedan, is already on pre-order sale and should be launched by late 2011 if there aren’t any major development stumbles. In the lead up to its showroom appearance, Tesla has revealed an expected price tag for the Model S of $49,900 and confirmed...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Last fall, Fisker Automotive was awarded $529 million in low-interest loans by the Department of Energy, and the company has continued to rake in cash since then. In January, for instance, Fisker raised an additional $115 million in private capital. Last week, the DoE and Fisker announced that the $529 million of loans had closed. But there's more: The state of Delaware kicked in a further $21.5 million loan to Fisker two days ago. From loan to grant The Delaware loan will convert to a grant after five years, assuming Fisker meets certain goals. Those include investing $175 million or more in...
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2010 Tesla Roadster's Price is Right--But Not For One PlayerYou've seen it all--Alpine hikers plummeting to their deaths, women losing tube tops and falling down spinning the big wheel, people losing their "stuff" when they bid exactly right on a Showcase Showdown. But have you ever seen one winner walk away with more than $112,000 on The Price is Right?...
Martin Padgett -
Forecast For The Future of Small Plug-In Car Companies: BleakLast month was was a pretty great one for mainstream automakers planning to deliver plug-in vehicles. Publicity a-plenty, state and Federal grants announced, pricing revealed. The message from Detroit and Japan is clear: If you like it then you shoulda put a plug on it ... But with so many of the...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
DoE Says No, Denies Secretive Startup V-Vehicle Loan RequestLooks like secretive startup V-Vehicle Co. won't be joining Ford, Nissan, Tesla, and Fisker in getting government guarantees for low-interest loans to invest in advanced vehicle technology. Yesterday the U.S. Department of Energy turned down a $321.1 million loan application by V-Vehicle (VVC)...
John Voelcker -
Tesla Roadster Production to Continue Through 2012In a recent article posted on this site, we had reported that the Tesla Roadster would see a production lapse in 2012. The lapse was considered to be necessary due to a chassis changeover by Lotus, of which the Roadster shares numerous components. During the changeover by Lotus, Tesla would be...
Eric Loveday -
The Tesla and TAG Heuer Odyssey Begins!Certainly, TAG Heuer is a pioneer, as is Tesla Motors, and this week, together they launched a 23,000-mile road trip appropriately dubbed the "Odyssey of Pioneers." The Odyssey departs Basel, Switzerland, tomorrow morning, striking out for Zurich, stopping only to charge its batteries at...
Jennifer Knightstep