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Recharge Wrap-up: Derailing Malaysia's B10 plans, Tesla and Solyndra

Tesla Motors will lease the Solyndra building near its Fremont, California factory. The manufacturing facility is more than 500,000 square feet, but the cost of the lease and the production capacity remain undisclosed. The lease of the building, "located conveniently down the road from the Tesla Factory, gives us the space to expand our manufacturing and build more engineering labs as we build up production," says a Tesla spokesperson. The added manufacturing space will help Tesla meet its production goals for the upcoming Model X electric SUV. Trip Chowdhry, senior analyst at Global Research Equities, says that shifting some engineering duties from the Deer Creek facility to the new one could help solve current parking shortages, as well. Read more at Business Finance News. BMW has expressed concerns over Malaysia's planned B10 biodiesel mandate. Malaysia recently announced that it would use crude palm oil to make the B10 blend that would be required to be sold beginning in October, up from the current B7 mandate. "In our tests with B10 biodiesel worldwide, we have found technical challenges," says BMW Group Malaysia Managing Director and CEO Alan Harris, such as the fatty acid methyl ester in palm oil thinning motor oil. Mercedes-Benz also urges reconsideration of B10. The Malaysia Automotive Institute says it will include representatives from the auto industry in talks with the Malaysian Palm Oil Board. Read more from The Star. Pacific Ethanol's acquisition of a competitor, Aventine Energy Holdings, has been approved by shareholders. Pacific is buying Aventine for $192 million in stock. In 2009, ethanol suffered a price drop that forced Pacific Ethanol to decrease production and declare bankruptcy for four of its plants. Now its base extends from the West Coast to the Midwest, as Aventine Energy Holdings has four plants in Illinois and Nebraska. The merger more than doubles Pacific Ethanol's production capacity, making it the fifth-largest ethanol producer in the US. Read more from The Sacramento Bee. Related Gallery Tesla Model X View 15 Photos News Source: Business Finance News, The Star Online, The Sacramento BeeImage Credit: Tesla Green Plants/Manufacturing BMW Tesla Alternative Fuels Biodiesel Ethanol Electric recharge wrapup

2015 BMW Alpina B6 Gran Coupe challenges the M6 in New York

Despite being a well-respected outfit for decades, Alpina remains something of a mystery to many stateside BMW fans. In Europe, Alpina has established itself as a first-rate source for breathed-upon high-performance Bimmers, and it's looking to continue picking up traction on our shores. The US has received a handful of Alpina models through BMW factory channels, namely the 7-Series-based B7, and now we're getting another fast four-door with the debut of the BMW Alpina B6 xDrive Gran Coupe at today's 2014 New York Auto Show.
The B6 Gran Coupe stands as an interesting sibling to the factory's M6 Grand Coupe. Both are propelled by a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, but the tunes are quite different. The Alpina produces 540 horsepower and 540 pound-feet of torque, which is 20 hp less than the M6, but with 40 lb-ft more torque. An eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive mean that the B6 is about half a second quicker to 60 miles per hour than BMW's own creation. Plus, the B6 has an unrestricted top speed of 198 mph, making it one seriously rapid 6 Series Gran Coupe.
The sport sedan also wears other Alpina goodies like 20-inch versions of the brand's 21-spoke wheels and exclusive color options. The B6 Gran Coupe goes for $118,225 (including destination), and will be available through BMW dealers immediately after the auto show ends. More info about the B6 is in the release below.

BMW planning Chinese recall for engine part issue [w/video]

After receiving an unspecified number of complaints in China, BMW has reportedly started a "full investigation" into what may be a defective part in its VANOS engine control system. BMW said via a Chinese blog that it would file a recall application with the the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine in China.
BMW has not yet announced how many vehicles will be recalled, or which models the potential recall might cover. We're also curious as to whether the VANOS issue could extend into markets outside of China.
We've placed a call with BMW in the United States, and will update this post as soon as we hear back. Stay tuned for more, and if you're curious about what VANOS is and how it works, scroll down below for a video animation.