Autoblog

Tesla libel suit against Top Gear fails again

Zach Bowman — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Government/Legal, UK, Tesla, Electric

Tesla and the company's lawyers are nothing if not determined. After a judge smacked down the electric vehicle manufacturer's libel suit against the BBC and Top Gear for comments made about the range of the Tesla Roadster, the automaker rallied with a second, amended lawsuit. It didn't take long for the the same judge to nix the new case, too, saying the amendment was "not capable of being defamatory at all, or, if it is, it is not capable of being a sufficiently serious defamatory meaning to constitute a real and substantial tort."

That sound? It's the smack of the judicial backhand.

The judge went on to say drivers know a manufacturer's claim about range is dependent on driving conditions and habits.

The dustup, as you may recall, began when Top Gear put the Tesla Roadster through its paces on the show's test track. While Jeremy Clarkson lauded the car's acceleration, the segment claimed the vehicle ran out of juice after just 55 miles of abuse. That figure is far south of the 200 mile range Tesla claims for the vehicle. CEO Elon Musk called the show "completely phony" not long after the segment aired and brought out the legal guns. The rest, as they say, is history.

Tesla libel suit against Top Gear fails again originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More on Tesla Model X crossover EV unveiled, set for late '13 launch

Autoblog Staff — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:21:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Tesla, Electric

The all-electric Tesla Model X crossover was unveiled at a red-carpet, velvet-rope style event at the Tesla Design Studios in Hawthorne, CA tonight, with company co-founder Elon Musk confirming that the Model X will start production late next year and that full production is expected in 2013.

With luminaries such as California Gov. Jerry Brown in attendance and a post-announcement concert by Foster the People, Musk presented a CUV that, as rumored, has so-called "falcon-wing" doors that are similar to those of the old gull-wing vehicles but bend in the middle, allowing them to be opened in tight spaces while offering better access to the rear and third row of seats. Musk said the Model X, which is expected to be priced similar to the $57,500 Model S sedan set to debut this summer, can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds, or 0.2 seconds quicker than a Porsche 911. The vehicle, which Musk says can seat "seven real adults," actually has front and rear electric motors that instantaneously shift power from one to the other to maximize traction, Musk said. He added that the CUV's turning radius was comparable to that of a Mini Cooper.

Musk, speaking to an enthusiastic crowd of about 1,000 people, touted the Model X as having, "more room than a minivan, more style than an SUV and more performance than a sports car." Indeed, with no internal combustion engine, the vehicle has substantial rear cargo space behind the third row of seats as well as a "frunk" in front of the car (which provided the evening's only glitch with a sticky latch. See video of that after the jump). Musk said that the "frunk" has the same storage space as the rear cargo area of an Audi Q7. Musk should know, since he owns one.

Musk also said Telsa will start deliveries of the Model S sedan - upon which the X is based - "no later than July" and will start taking online reservations for the Model X at noon Pacific time Friday. Tesla is expected to produce between 10,000 and 15,000 Model X units a year starting in 2014.

Continue reading More on Tesla Model X crossover EV unveiled, set for late '13 launch

More on Tesla Model X crossover EV unveiled, set for late '13 launch originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bob Lutz: "I honestly think Tesla's going to make it."

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:32:00 EST

Filed under: Tesla

Back around 2006, GM's Bob Lutz was spurred to action by Tesla Motors. Unable to get The General to move forward on a plug-in car, he pointed to the California start-up as a reason to get the Chevy Volt project going. This is all made pretty clear in the Revenge of the Electric Car movie, which is opening in theaters nationwide this fall. In a new interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Lutz describes how Toyota also played a big role in getting the Volt on the road: he didn't want GM to fall behind in the public eye.

The key point is that Lutz doesn't get behind plug-in cars for their fuel efficiency or environmental reasons - he's famously said that global warming is a crock of sh*t and that a CAFE standard of 42 mpg is "totally ridiculous" - but he can still strongly support them. This is because they can be good cars. Plain and simple. Speaking to the Chronicle, Lutz said that Tesla's long-term prospects are uncertain but that:

[Tesla's] stock's doing well and everyone's got a buy on it. Meanwhile, they're losing a ton of money. My philosophy always is, if you have a desirable product, you can muddle your way past the financial problems. Elon Musk and the team were smart enough to get, without question, some of the world's finest designers on the Model S. The car is so beautiful that you look at it and say, "I don't care what drives it, I just want one." That's really the secret of this business. I honestly think they're going to make it.

Lutz and Musk were both interviewed on Charlie Rose last night, and you can watch that video here.

Bob Lutz: "I honestly think Tesla's going to make it." originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Musk says Tesla Model S sold out

Chris Shunk — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Earnings/Financials, Tesla, Electric

About a month ago we reported that 1,500 Model S buyers showed up at the Tesla NUMMI plant to see firsthand the progress being made at the automaker's new California factory. Many of those buyers even got the chance to drive pre-production beta models of the Model S. It's the least Tesla could do to ease the minds of buyers who have already dropped $5,000 for a vehicle that won't arrive for another year. Now we know that those 1,500 buyers are but a fraction of overall early orders.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has just announced that the Model S is completely sold out for 2012, with 6,500 models already accounted for. Bloomberg reports that Musk gave the update on pre-sales during an interview on "In The Loop With Betty Liu." Musk added that most of those buyers were new to the Tesla brand, save for about 600 Roadster owners. That's a lot of potential good news for Tesla, and Musk wasn't finished. The tech startup mogul also added that Tesla could see an annual profit by 2013 - a lot quicker than many analysts expected.

News of Tesla's pre-sale orders and the prospect of short-term profits helped jump-start shares of the EV company's stock by 3.9 percent.

Musk says Tesla Model S sold out originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla Model S Sport to rival BMW M5, 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds

Autoblog Staff — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Hatchback, Tesla, Electric

A high-performance version of the zero-emissions Tesla Model S sedan will reportedly be available immediately from the vehicle's launch in 2012, giving Tesla a rival to the ultimate of Ultimate Driving Machines: the BMW M5.

Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk reportedly confirmed the Model S Sport launch alongside the unveiling of the near-production-ready electric sedan at an exclusive event for Model S reservation holders in Silicon Valley, CA.

According to Green Car Reports, Musk says the $80,000 high-performance version of the Model S will be offered with a battery pack sized at 85-kWh to give the sedan a 300-mile range. The Sport version will come equipped with enhancements that cut its 0 to 60-mph time from 5.5 to somewhere between 4.4 and 4.6 seconds.

Additionally, Musk confirmed the Model S will be offered with optional aerodynamic wheels, boosting range to 320 miles. Tesla's CEO stated:

People were skeptical about whether we could build an electric car with a 300-mile range. And we've gone and made one with a 320-mile range.

Tesla has also promised to equip the Model S with seating for up to seven and by fitting the sedan with a battery pack that can be swapped out by Tesla at suitable sites along major freeways. All to please Wall Street Journal scribe Dan Neil.

In closing, Musk stated:

The goal with the Model S was to build the best car, not just the best electric vehicle. It can seat seven, has got two boots, a really low center of gravity; no-one thought any of this was possible. I'm proud of this car and it's a revolution that I hope the rest of the industry will follow.

We like it, too. In our humble opinion, the Model S seems set to become the world's most spectacular zero-emissions vehicle. We'll know more when the car actually hits the road, but it sure looks good "on paper."

Tesla Model S Sport to rival BMW M5, 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elon Musk bets Dan Neil $1 million he can get Tesla Model S out on time

Sebastian Blanco — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:59:00 EST

Can a million dollars hold Elon Musks' feet to the fire? That's the value of a bet that Wall Street Journal auto journalist and all-around interesting guy Dan Neil and the Tesla Motors CEO reportedly have going over the release of the upcoming Model S.

According to Green Car Reports, the bet hinges on Neil's 2009 comment that the Model S is "ambitious" and that Musk's promised delivery date of late 2012 was, "an audacious timeline that makes many in the car industry roll their eyes." Musk, also a bit of a boisterous one, apparently emailed Neil in 2009 to say: You wanna bet? The exact emails have apparently been lost, but GCR says the details, according to Neil, are as follows. For Musk to win, the Model S:

Needs to start series production and be delivered to the first paying customers by the end of 2012.
Have to be certified by NHTSA with a four- or five-star safety rating and it has to have seven seats.
Needs to be priced at $57,400 (for the base model with the 160-mile range), $67,400 (230 miles) and $87,400 (300 miles).

These are all targets that Tesla itself announced, so Neil is simply asking the company to follow through on its promises. There is one final sticking point, and for this we'll quote GCR directly:

[The Model S] has to have a battery pack that allows en-route swapping at a highway roadside station, similar to the Better Place battery swapping scheme.

We hope, for Musk's sake, that someone got their wires crossed here. As far as we know, the Model S was never supposed to have Better Place-style batter swap capability. Instead, the plan has always been, "When [Model S drivers] take an occasional two-way long distance trip, they'll get a replacement pack and then pick up their original one on the way back," with the swaps done at Tesla dealerships.

We have to assume Musk would like this clarified, too, since Neil claims that Musk will have to donate a million dollars to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) if Tesla doesn't hit these targets. If Neil loses, he's willing to donate a more modest, journalist-level $1,000 to MSF. Which side of the bet would you rather be on?

Elon Musk bets Dan Neil $1 million he can get Tesla Model S out on time originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Elon Musk rips into Nissan Leaf's "primitive" batteries

Autoblog Staff — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:33:00 EST

Filed under: Hatchback, Nissan, Electric

If there's ever going to be a green-car cage match, we can guarantee that one of the fighters will be Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk, who apparently can't pass up the chance to take on any competitor. His latest target? The lithium-ion battery pack in the Nissan Leaf, about which Musk had some critical things to say in a conference call with investors this week.

Even though Nissan is supremely confident in the ability of its battery pack, Musk said it was a "much more primitive level of technology" than even Tesla's first prototype. Musk also said that the Leaf pack will have temperatures "all over the place" that will cause it to suffer "huge degradation" in cold environments and basically "shut off" in hot environments, according to Earth2Tech.

Tesla's battery has a more sophisticated/complicated cooling system than the air-cooled system found in the Leaf pack, but Nissan strongly supports its battery pack with an 8-year, 100,000-mile warranty and has been working on lithium-ion battery technology for a long time. We imagine they know what they're doing, and the proof will be in driveways soon enough.

[Source: Earth2Tech]

Elon Musk rips into Nissan Leaf's "primitive" batteries originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Aug 2010 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Elon Musk chats it up on The Colbert Report

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, Celebrities, Humor, Tesla, Electric

Elon Musk on The Colbert Report - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Elon Musk apparently has a sense of humor. Proof of which can be found in the video after the break, where you'll see the co-founder of Paypal, Tesla Motors and Space X sit-down with Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report.

As always, Colbert takes a lighthearted slant with the interview, making a few comic-relief jabs along the way. For instance, after detailing Musk's seemingly heroic take on the automotive and space exploration industries, Colbert point-blank asks Musk whether he's a super hero or a super villain. We'll let you figure that one out...

Our favorite quote, though, is this: "You have these electric cars that uses no fossil fuels, but then you've also got this rocket, this Space X that puts the rocket into space, using about as much fuel as 2,000,000 Hummers. So... are you just trying to break even as spectacularly as possible?"

There are plenty more gems in the video, and we don't want to spoil the whole thing for you. So just check out the video after the break.

[Source: The Colbert Report]

Continue reading Video: Elon Musk chats it up on The Colbert Report

Video: Elon Musk chats it up on The Colbert Report originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Those two mystery Tesla prototypes for Toyota? Bloomberg says RAV4 and Lexus RX

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:27:00 EST

Filed under: Crossover, Toyota, Tesla, Electric

Toyota has several fingers in a few electric pies. There's the electric car it's working on in-house, in conjunction with Panasonic, using proprietary technology. Then there are two mash-up prototypes that Tesla is building for Toyota, which according to Bloomberg include an electric RAV4 and Lexus RX. According to the report, the crossovers were chosen because they're the best fit for the weight of Tesla's battery pack, which uses 6,831 lithium-ion batteries.

Even though the Elon Musk says he expects, "range and acceleration exceeding that of other announced electric vehicles of this class," we wonder if he's including a crossover like the BYD e6. The electric SUV from China is currently testing in the Shenzhen taxi fleet and claimed to have a range of 186 miles. If that's his target, then the numbers would exceed the figures Toyota has for the joint project, with an ideal cost of "about $40,000 with 150 miles (240 kilometers) of driving range per charge."

Tesla's electrified RAV4 and Lexus RX are predicted to be delivered to Toyota this month, so expect a barrage of news to be forthcoming.

[Source: BusinessWeek]

Those two mystery Tesla prototypes for Toyota? Bloomberg says RAV4 and Lexus RX originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla shares in freefall, now below IPO price

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 08:39:00 EST

Filed under: Earnings/Financials, Tesla, Electric

After rising 41 percent on the first day of trading, stock in Tesla Motors has been in an alarming freefall. Yesterday, shares of Tesla Motors fell another 16 percent, landing below their initial offering price of $17 each. For those keeping track of such things, company head and largest shareholder Elon Musk's shares are now worth $433 million, a good bit less than their $457 million value after the IPO.

We're clearly not experts on the subject, so we'll tell you what more qualified people have to say. According to Josef Schuster, the Chicago-based founder of IPOX Capital Management LLC, "The company is a great concept with relatively weak fundamentals. Markets are weak and in a weak market right now this is hurting the company even more."

Financial expert Michael Holland explains, "They brought this thing into a market that was not rewarding hype... The stock did get its pop, and now it's plagued by the reality of the marketplace. The reality of the marketplace is that people aren't paying for dreams and visions."

[Source: Business Week, MarketWatch]

Tesla shares in freefall, now below IPO price originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 08:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla unveils refreshed Roadster 2.5

Sam Abuelsamid — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Tesla, Electric

Tesla Roadster 2.5 - Click above for high-res image gallery

In conjunction with the opening of its two newest stores in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Newport Beach, California, Tesla has unveiled the fourth major production iteration of its only current product, the Roadster. Dubbed the Roadster 2.5, in proper Southern California fashion, the revised electric sports car gets a nose job and fanny lift.

Up front, the latest Roadster gets a reshaped grille similar to the one found on the Model S that reflects Tesla's design language going forward. At the back, a new rear bumper now incorporates a diffuser element, although it's not known if it actually generates any downforce. Inside, the seats have again been reworked to improve comfort, and the finish of surfaces has been improved to better reflect the car's price tag. A seven-inch touchscreen display with a backup camera is available as an option, and it should viewed as a welcome addition for Roadster drivers to protect that new rear end.

There don't appear to be any powertrain changes to the 2.5 and no information about pricing has been revealed. Some of the upgrades will apparently be available to current owners that want to retrofit their cars, however. Want to learn more? Pour over our high-res gallery below and then head past the jump for the official press release.

Gallery: 2011 Tesla Roadster 2.5

[Source: Tesla]

Continue reading Tesla unveils refreshed Roadster 2.5

Tesla unveils refreshed Roadster 2.5 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jul 2010 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog Podcast #180 - Pre-announcement Mercury conjecture

Dan Roth — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Podcasts, Government/Legal, Buick, Ford, GM, Jaguar, Lincoln, Mercury, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

We solicited your questions again for Episode #179 of the Autoblog Podcast, and then Chris, Sam, and Dan proceeded to answer them. News topics we cover are the rumors (now confirmed) of Mercury's closure, Elon Musk's lack of liquidity, the final Zonda, a General Motors IPO, and Nissan Juke pricing. Sprinkled in there, of course, are your questions and comments from our newly-interactive post.

Autoblog Podcast #180: We answer your queries

In the Autoblog Garage:

Jaguar XFR
Lincoln MKT
Toyota 4Runner

News:

Hosts:
Chris Shunk, Dan Roth, Sam Abuelsamid

Runtime: 1:24:32

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Feedback:
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com
Voicemail: 734-288-8POD (734-288-8763)

Review the show in iTunes and take our survey

Autoblog Podcast #180 - Pre-announcement Mercury conjecture originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla's Elon Musk says he's broke

Sam Abuelsamid — Sun, 30 May 2010 09:31:00 EST

Filed under: Tesla

Diving into an extremely competitive and capital-intensive business in which customers generally don't appreciate having access to beta products is not a good way to enhance your personal fortune. In fact, if Elon Musk is being honest in the latest court filings related to his divorce proceedings, it looks like a great way to vaporize a fortune.

After selling Paypal to eBay in 2002, Musk and his partners netted $1.5 billion. An unknown portion of that went to Musk, who promptly turned around and invested several hundred million into not one, but three enterprises: Tesla, SpaceX and SolarCity. Neither Tesla nor SpaceX are generating enough revenue yet to be self-sustaining. The last we heard from someone inside Tesla, the company was selling about 20-30 Roadsters a month for likely revenue of under $4 million, plus whatever it's getting from Daimler for Smart ED battery packs.

Apparently Musk isn't personally self-sustaining either, claiming that he has $200,000 per month in expenses and $8,255 in income, presumably from his CEO salaries at Tesla and SpaceX. Musk's filings also list only $650,000 in liquid assets. Given that disparity, it seems like there might be at least a bit of leeway to cut back a bit. At any rate, Musk claims that he has had to start taking personal loans from friends to make ends meet.

Needless to say, Musk's estranged wife Justine sees the family finances a bit differently, and the reality is likely somewhere in between. If Musk's financial position is, in fact, as strained as he says, he'll want to complete the Tesla IPO as soon as possible just so that he can cash out some of his position.

[Source: CNN Money, Forbes]

Tesla's Elon Musk says he's broke originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 30 May 2010 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Governator says Tesla teaming up with Toyota in Cali

Chris Paukert — Thu, 20 May 2010 16:38:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Government/Legal, Plants/Manufacturing, Toyota, Tesla, Electric

Tesla Model S sedan - click above for high-res image gallery

California Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger has apparently let slip ahead of a scheduled 5pm Pacific announcement that Tesla Motors will be teaming up with Toyota to build electric cars.

While some might speculate that the agreement could result in the re-opening of Fremont's idle New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant (NUMMI), SFGate says that this is somewhat unlikely. Any production agreement will likely involve the forthcoming Model S sedan, and NUMMI's facilities are significantly larger than what the model will require, as it was originally scaled to accommodate the joint venture between Toyota and General Motors which required much greater capacity. The smart money is on a new factory location, probably in Downey, CA (in Los Angeles County).

It is not yet clear what Toyota will bring to the table or what, if any money or stock is changing hands with this rumored agreement. Also, no word yet on how Mercedes-Benz feels about all this - the German automaker already has a 10 percent stake in the company after opening its coffers to the struggling EV manufacturer back in May of 2009.

More information as it becomes available...

Gallery: Tesla Model S

[Source: SFGate]

BREAKING: Governator says Tesla teaming up with Toyota in Cali originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 May 2010 16:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wife of Tesla CEO demands 10-percent of his company stock and a Roadster in divorce

Eric Loveday — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Tesla

It's not all that often that a messy divorce pops up with a billionaire on one side and somebody who wants part of the money on the other, right? Actually, this occurs far too often and a divorce involving wealthy individuals can be downright messy and ultimately destructive to those involved. It appears as though the divorce between Tesla's chief executive officer Elon Musk and soon-to-be ex-wife Justine Musk is playing out as one of those mega-litigious affairs, and the impact may be extend well beyond just the two involved.

In case you haven't followed the Musk soap opera, here's what's going on. The divorce saga has been going on seemingly forever, as these things take lots of time. Justine Musk recently began blogging about the whole fiasco a couple of weeks ago on her Livejournal site. Justine is fighting the court battle to secure a few things that she feels entitled to. What does Justine want? Not much, just the house, alimony and child support, $6 million in cash, 10 percent of Elon's stock in Tesla, 5 percent of his stock in SpaceX, and throw in a Tesla Roadster as well.

Naturally, Elon is none too thrilled about the demands and has decided to fight this one in court. As the battle ensues, Elon stands a chance of losing much more than just the things listed above. If the divorce goes awry, Tesla could lose the $465 million in government funding that could delay its initial public offering. How does the divorce play into government funding? A stipulation in the paperwork states that government funds will be withdrawn if Musk doesn't hold enough stock in the company.

So is Justine being fair? Are her demands legit? As she said on her blog:

Is that what I deserve? I don't know. Who exactly deserves that kind of wealth? But based on our life and history together, is that reasonable? I think so.

One more thing to think about: by not agreeing to a settlement, Elon Musk risks losing even more as the post-marital agreement could be ruled illegal or fraudulent, and California law would then grant 50 percent of all communal property to Justine.

[Source: Livejournal, Reuters, Inside Line]

Wife of Tesla CEO demands 10-percent of his company stock and a Roadster in divorce originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 May 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Tesla's Elon Musk says new CUV model due in 2013

Sebastian Blanco — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Crossover, Tesla, Electric

IED Tesla EYE concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Tesla EYE design concept we saw in at the Geneva Motor Show was just an experiment some students at the Istituto Europeo di Design of Turin did with the Tesla brand. But the idea that we will see more and new vehicle models from Tesla Motors is a fact, as CEO Elon Musk reaffirmed this week during his acceptance speech for the Automotive Executive of the Year Innovator Award. AutoWeek was on hand and reports that Musk said that, after the Model S arrives in 2012, Tesla will introduce a crossover utility vehicle and other models starting in 2013. There's been talk about a Tesla SUV since at least 2008.

On the smaller side of things, Tesla's alliance with Daimler is moving forward with supplying electric vehicle technology for a Mercedes A-Class and the next Smart. For those of you who think Musk has a big ego, he said something in his speech that minimizes the impact of cars like the Tesla Roadster: "The smallest effect Tesla will make will be the cars we make ourselves. The biggest effect will be the cars they [other companies] make."

Gallery: Geneva 2010: IED Tesla EYE concept

Photos by Damon Lavrinc / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: AutoWeek]

Report: Tesla's Elon Musk says new CUV model due in 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The DetroitBureau.com on Autoblog with Paul Eisenstein

Paul Eisenstein — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, GM, Celebrities

Where have all the mavericks gone?

When he hands in his office keys a few days from now, General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz will begin an oft-delayed retirement that was originally set to begin shortly after the ill-fated "merger of equals" between Daimler and Chrysler.

His decision to rejoin the automotive workforce a few years later wasn't all that much of a surprise to those who knew the former Marine pilot and what quite literally could be called his driving ambition. That leads many to suspect we'll continue to hear from Lutz, even though he bluntly wonders, "Who would hire a senior executive who's nearly 80 years old?"

Finally, it seems, this old soldier really may fade away, taking on a book assignment and a board seat or two. And, in the process, Lutz's departure will bring with it a different sort of change in the auto industry, the departure of the last classic automotive maverick.

Pull out a pen and jot down the names of the best-known auto industry executives. Your list might include Billy Ford or Alan Mulally, Ed Whitacre or even Carlos Ghosn, if you're taking the global view. Despite their prominence, even their willingness to take risks, these aren't exactly the sort of mavericks and eccentrics the industry was long known for.

That goes for Sergio Marchionne, the head of both Fiat and Chrysler. True, he's not your typical gray-flannel executive - he buys his trademark black sweaters "by the dozen," he jokes - and is clearly playing a high-risk poker game in his effort to turn around a desperately ill American automaker. But in the end, if someone eventually writes the Harvard Business Review analysis of the Canadian-educated executive, he'll still turn out to be another by-the-books strategist.

Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading The DetroitBureau.com on Autoblog with Paul Eisenstein

The DetroitBureau.com on Autoblog with Paul Eisenstein originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BREAKING: Three Tesla employees die in Palo Alto plane crash *UPDATE

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Tesla

A small, twin-engined Cessna crashed this morning in an East Palo Alto neighborhood, killing all three passengers on board. According to reports, the plane was owned by Doug Bourn, a senior electrical engineer for Tesla Motors, and all three occupants were high-ranking officials at the electric car company. Authorities have not yet named the deceased.

"[The plane] hit a power line. Then it exploded... then half hit the next door neighbor's house and the other half hit across the street. We were right in the road," said neighborhood resident Heather Starnes. No injuries were reported on the ground, though a number of homes were damaged, including one currently being used as a daycare facility.

The National Weather Service had issued a dense fog advisory for the Bay Area earlier in the morning that was in effect until 10 a.m. A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said the "decision [to take off] would have been up to the pilot." We'll update with an official comment from Tesla when we hear back.

*UPDATE: Fox News reports Elon Musk was not on the plane (via Twitter).

*UPDATE: Local news video from Mercury News posted after the jump.

*UPDATE: Power outages reported in Palo Alto and nearby areas, affecting residences and businesses, including Facebook offices.

*UPDATE: We've received a comment from Tesla CEO Elon Musk:

Three Tesla employees were on board a plane that crashed in East Palo Alto early this morning. We are withholding their identities as we work with the relevant authorities to notify the families. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Tesla is a small, tightly-knit company, and this is a tragic day for us.

[Source: KTVU San Francicso]

Continue reading BREAKING: Three Tesla employees die in Palo Alto plane crash *UPDATE

BREAKING: Three Tesla employees die in Palo Alto plane crash *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tesla files with the feds for IPO *UPDATED

Jonny Lieberman — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:38:00 EST

Filed under: Earnings/Financials, Tesla, Electric

Tesla Model S - click above for high-res image gallery

For the first time in more than fifty years, a U.S. automaker is holding a public offering. Henry Ford made shares of Ford Motor Company public back in 1956. Tesla, the Elon Musk-owned Silicon Valley electric car company, filed to do so today. There's no word as to when the shares will be available for public consumption, nor any word as to how much each share will cost.

As for the timing of the filing, Telsa has sold nearly 1,000 (987 at last count) all-electric Roadsters in 18 different countries. Moreover, it has taken 2,000 reservations for its upcoming, more mainstream Model S, which is still at least a year away from production. With the production version of the Chevrolet Volt right around the corner, Tesla is looking to capitalize (quite literally) on the "growing interest in green technology and battery-powered vehicles." Should you buy? Don't ask us. However, King Midas-fingered whiz kids Sergey Brin and Larry Page (you know, the guys that founded Google) have already invested.

UPDATE: Full IPO filing here.

Gallery: Tesla Model S in motion

Gallery: Tesla Model S: LIVE REVEAL

[Soruce: Reuters]

Tesla files with the feds for IPO *UPDATED originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit 2010: Caption Contest - What the heck are Bob Lutz and Elon Musk talking about?

Chris Shunk — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Etc., Celebrities, Humor

Bob Lutz has been an important guy in the auto industry since before most of us were born. Elon Musk is the reason your eBay transactions go so smoothly (he was the co-creator of PayPal). Together, they don't seem to make much of a team. Well, they wouldn't make much of a match if Musk weren't the CEO of Tesla Motors. Elon makes electric cars. Bob wants to make electric cars. Both are (*ahem*) outspoken and give good soundbites. Upon further review, it makes perfect sense that the two men were hanging out at the Detroit Auto Show. But what were they talking about?

We have some ideas, but they probably aren't as creative as yours. We'll get you started with some appetizers, but we're really just looking for you to provide the main course:

Lutz to Musk: "You think you're nervous right now, but you really just have range anxiety"
Musk to Lutz: "We have more batteries in one car than you have in 500 Volts"
Lutz to Musk: "$500 million? $50 billion!"

Help us out with some better captions by leaving some tender verbal vittles in Comments.

Detroit 2010: Caption Contest - What the heck are Bob Lutz and Elon Musk talking about? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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