Tesla News

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...

ECOS 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...

According to the Japanese newspaper Yomiuri, Toyota is preparing a larger version of their popular Prius hybrid for production by the end of 2010. The new vehicle will fall into the SUV or station wagon class and will utilize lithium-ion batteries as opposed to the nickel-metal hydride...

Researchers 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...

If 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...

The Global Green Car Challenge took place this week in Australia.  Participants in numerous categories faced off for supremacy.  One vehicle, the Tesla Roadster, set a new world record in the battery powered production vehicle class. Driver Simon Hackett and co-driver Emilis Prelgauskas set out...

There's nothing like a little old-fashioned reporter shoe leather, especially when few other automotive media outlets bother to make the trip. Our colleague Gary Gastelu of Fox News traveled down to Delaware yesterday, to cover the official announcement of Fisker Automotive's $18 million purchase...

At 10 am tomorrow morning, Vice President Joe Biden is expected to announce that Fisker Automotive will buy the closed General Motors factory in Wilmington, Delaware, his home state. According to reports, company founder Henrik Fisker will join Delaware Governor Jack Markell and other dignitaries...

  Here's a frightening scene from the streets of Denmark submitted to Autopia by reader, Lars H. A Tesla Roadster was involved in a three-way crash with a Volkswagen Touareg and a Toyota Prius earlier this week. Apparently the Roadster was stopped behind the Touareg when the Prius rear-ended the...

From the source linked below, the following is an excerpt from a recently published newsletter from Tesla Motors: "If you custom-order your car online, in showrooms or by phone today, you could have your car in time for Christmas." The source then speculates that Tesla Motors sales must be down...

Back in April, startup company Bright Automotive unveiled its design for a plug-in hybrid light delivery truck. Now, we've had a chance to drive the prototype, briefly, just as Bright raised its electric range to 40 miles. Our test vehicle was the only Bright IDEA van prototype built thus far by...

By voting 80 to 17 to approve a compromise bill allocating $33.5 billion to fund energy and water projects, the U.S. Senate yesterday also redefined what qualifies as an "automobile". Once President Barack Obama signs the measure, a vehicle with only three wheels can--for the purpose of allocating...

The e2 Seems To Be Aimed Squarely At Tesla

Michael Donoughe recently resigned as Tesla Motors engineering chief, but he did not leave quietly.  On his way out, he revealed information about the upcoming Model S that has not been publicized before.  According to Donoughe, the Model S is designed to be capable of battery swapping. ...

Anyone in the world who's ever seen a movie set in New York City can recognize a New York taxi. It's yellow with black graphics. So would you mistake this 2009 Tesla Roadster Sport for a taxi and hail it on the streets of Monaco? Probably not, but it's a tribute to the hacks of New York just the...

If Panasonic gets its way, your average laptop battery could be the electric vehicle power source of the future. The Japanese consumer electronics company announced Thursday that it has developed a method of binding standard lithium-ion batteries together (Tesla Motors style), for use in...

Executive turnover continues at Silicon Valley electric-car startup Tesla Motors, with three executives leaving in nine months and two more hired. The turnover comes both in Vehicle Engineering--the group that must executive and deliver the 2012 Tesla Model S electric luxury sports sedan--and in...

There are few people who deny that Tesla makes beautiful vehicles, but many wonder why an electric car is designed in such a manner as to blend in with other high dollar luxury vehicles.  Since most electric vehicles boldly say, "Look at me, I run on electricity alone", one question still...

The revolving door of Tesla Motors leadership keeps turning. Today, executive vice president of vehicle engineering and manufacturing, Mike Donoughe, is calling it quits, just over a year after he started the job. Formerly employed by Chrysler, Donoughe was charged with overseeing engineering...

The U.S. Department of Energy yesterday approved a $529 million low-interest loan to Fisker Automotive, which will start building its 2010 Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan later this year. Customer deliveries will start next May. In June, Tesla Motors received a $465 million loan for...