Tesla Foundation Series All Wheel Drive, page #33

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Tesla loses top communicator Simon Sproule to Aston Martin

Looking for a new job? Have experience working in a frenetic environment, promoting cutting-edge mobility products for a demanding boss determined to change the way we travel on this planet, as well as how we trek to others? We hear Tesla Motors just might have an opening for such a person. Again. Simon Sproule, the electric automaker's vice-president of communications and marketing is vacating his cubicle after a mere six months in order to become the chief marketing officer (CMO) over at Aston Martin. That position had gone begging for a year until this appointment. Once he's settled into his new digs, Sproule will again be breaking rock with former Nissan associate Andy Palmer who himself recently took the top spot at the British luxury marque. The move comes at what seems like an inopportune time for Tesla. It has a big D product announcement – suspected to be an all-wheel-drive update of the Model S – scheduled just two days from now and the reveal of its "mass market" Model ? early next year. The company declined our offer to comment on the situation. Aston Martin, on the other hand, should be happy to finally have someone at the marketing helm, what with the recent dropping of the veil from its Lagonda sedan and what's likely to be a bevy of new product built on its forthcoming platform. News Source: PR WeekImage Credit: Haruyoshi Yamaguchi / Bloomberg via Getty Images Green Marketing/Advertising Aston Martin Tesla simon sproule

Tesla autopilot could offer 90 percent autonomous driving next year

Those Tesla Model S electric vehicles look good, but anyone worried about computers taking over our roads may want to steer clear of them starting next year. That's because 2015 may be when such vehicles will have autonomous-driving capabilities, according to an interview Tesla Chief Elon Musk conducted with CNN Money. Never one to shy away from bold statements, Musk says his vehicles will be "90-percent capable of autopilot" by next year. The combination of the cars' cameras, sensors and other tools that have made Silicon Valley the tech capital of the US will allow the vehicles to fully function most of the time without the aid of us silly humans. Tesla may also announce a feature that will keep the vehicle in its proper lane later this week, Bloomberg News says, citing a person familiar with the process. Whether most of us would rather actually refrain from driving a Model S than being fully engaged is another question altogether. The company's declining to comment beyond what was said in the CNN Money interview. Of course, automakers have been talking about autonomous driving for years, though the prevailing wisdom is that the technology won't be readily available until at least the end of the decade. Still, companies are making strides. Last month, Germany's Audi became the first automaker to receive one of California's autonomous-driving permits. Meanwhile, not too far from Tesla's headquarters, Google has been testing out its own autonomous-driving vehicle, though that one's of the hands-free, no-steering wheel, no-pedals variety.

Tesla Model S EVs now come with lane departure, speed assist AI

When a car's built on such a technology-heavy platform like the one used by Tesla Motors, there are going to be a lot of bells and whistles. More of those little "noisemakers" are being rolled out, as previewed by a new software update. What's most interesting to anyone paying close attention to the slow evolution of the Model S is that the new features are not going to be possible without new components. Tesla Model S sedans will likely need a new camera mounted on the front mirror, but it's not for selfies. Instead, it's there to keep the driver from having too much of a lead foot or straying into another lane thanks to the electric vehicle's software and hardware update that adds Lane Departure Warning and Speed Assist. Other luxury vehicles have long had lane departure warnings, but if you're unfamiliar with the idea, it's when the car emits a vibration through the steering wheel to let the driver know to straighten out if one of the wheels crosses a lane divider. Speed Assist lets the car use a combination of new camera and GPS system to record a particular road's speed limit. At that point, there are a number of signals, including a gray line on the speedometer or an audible chime, to warn the driver that he or she is running the risk of attracting the attention of a Smokey (for you Burt Reynolds fans) and a possible speeding ticket. Tesla has released an official statement that says: Starting recently, some Model S being delivered in North America come equipped with two new features. The features are lane drift detection, which will deliver a warning via vibration in the steering wheel if the driver starts to drift from the lane without signaling, and speed limit display, which will inform the driver of the speed limit and alert them when it is exceeded. These features are necessary to meet the latest standards in the European market, but we have decided to integrate them into Model S delivered worldwide. Whether these features will be an option or included standard is not yet known, but Tesla has said that it is not possible to retrofit the new tech into existing vehicles. The new technology is also vital to make autonomous driving possible.

Leilani Munter loves her Energy Freedom Race Car, Tesla Model S

Leilani Munter is putting a red, white and blue spin on green at the Kansas Speedway tonight. That's where the eco-minded racer is debuting her Energy Freedom car with the message that people should be able to choose how clean they want their energy to be. Tonight is the last race of the season for ARCA, a stock car racing series a level below the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Munter told AutoblogGreen this week that this is the perfect time to bring up the energy freedom issue, since the media is already paying attention. She's no stranger to this sort of thing, either, having driven a race car with solar power assistance at a race at Chicagoland and running a 100-percent renewable energy car at Daytona earlier this year. "I wanted to show people that [EV] technology that is available to us now." – Leilani Munter "My degree is in biology, so I've always been eco-minded," she said before recounting a story about driving her personal Tesla Model S from Charlotte, NC to that race in Chicago. "I wanted to show people that this is a technology that is available to us now and that you can make long trips," she said. She used the burgeoning Supercharger network to fill up along the way and even announced her stops ahead of time in order to meet fans, both of her racing and EV technology. She said some people asked about running out of electricity, but answered them with a laugh and explained that she's got this thing on her dash board that shows her how many miles she has left, just like a gas gauge. Regular readers might remember Munter from the "Eco Dream Team" of race car drivers she put together in 2008 or when she saw the effects of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 first hand. She also had a previous life in Hollywood as a stand-in for Catherine Zeta-Jones. She said that she used the money she made from working on movies to go racing school. That was 14 years ago, and she's used her racing skills to not only promote green energy but also to bring more green to the track since then. She adopts an acre of rain forest or donates to coral reef protection after each race. As for the new Energy Freedom car, Munter said that, "As Americans we should have the right to choose where we get our energy. Utilities are getting a little nervous about people choosing renewable energy, and this car is meant to bring that topic up. I have solar panels on my roof and I can drive off of sunshine every day.

Tesla Model S P85D details leaking out

When the cat pokes its nose out of the bag, sometimes you can see a bit more than the cat intended. This week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk Tweeted a tease about "revealing the D" and promised to show more on October 9th, giving us a week to prepare for the big surprise. This ignited a debate over at the Tesla Motors Club and user Adelman has now posted a picture that a friend took of a Model S with P85D branding [UPDATE: Image removed from this post, but you can see it here]. This doesn't help us know exactly what we're looking at, but it does make the picture a bit clearer, since we can eliminate the idea that there's a Tesla Model D coming. And things come even more into focus when we put Musk's Tweet into context with not only previous company statements about an all-wheel drive Model S based on work being done on the AWD-only Model X but also a new Tweet by Edmunds' Mike Magrath that says, "According to the guide there's supposed to be an all-wheel drive Tesla here at the Paris Motor Show. There is not." See the Tweet and pic below. Given these pieces, it's looking pretty clear that the "D" Musk mentioned will be the AWD Model S. Now, about the "something else" he hinted at. What could that be? This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Recharge Wrap-up: New "2-in-1" electric motor increases range, Gulf offers isobutanol blends

A new electric motor with integrated air-conditioning compressor increases the range of EVs in hot climates, where much of the battery power is used to keep the car cool. Developed by scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and the German Aerospace Centre, the "2-in-1" motor uses regenerative braking to help operate the AC compressor, and could increase range by 15 to 20 percent with some modifications. "By integrating the refrigerant compressor directly into the electric motor, we save components, weight and cost," says Dr. Michael Schier of the German Aerospace Centre. "Simultaneously, the more regenerative braking part of the kinetic energy is passed directly to the refrigerant compressor and thus the efficiency is further increased." Read more at Green Car Congress, and in the press release below. Elon Musk has been chosen as a Eurostar winner by Automotive News Europe. The publication chose the Tesla CEO for exceeding expectations in entrepreneurship, saying, "Musk has proved that he's capable of doing what seems impossible." Other Eurostar winners include Dieter Zetsche of Mercedes-Benz, Ralf Speth of Jaguar Land Rover and Marco Tencone of Maserati. Read more at Automotive News Europe. GreenTech Automotive has raised $47 million in a round of equity funding. The company, which was formerly run by Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, received the contributions from a total of 94 investors. GreenTech Automotive has plans to produce the small MyCar neighborhood electric vehicle at a newly built factory in Mississippi. The company also has a deal with Jianghuai Automobile Company to sell cars for the Chinese automaker in the US. Read more at Bloomberg. Gulf Racing Fuels will offer fuel blended with renewable isobutanol for marine use and off-road vehicles. The ethanol alternative is approved for sensitive environments, produces fewer emissions, is resistant to moisture and has a lower vapor pressure, making it suitable for boats and ATVs. Gulf will offer a new line of fuels with 16.1-percent isobutanol for these special applications. Gevo, the company supplying Gulf's isobutanol, produces the additive in biorefineries converted from ethanol facilities. Read more in the press release below.

Tesla spies something that begins with the letter D

Lest there be any doubt to the contrary, Tesla is a company on the move. Following the sensational Tesla Roadster, the Model S is now humming down roads across the country and around the world. And there's more to come: the entry-level Model 3, the upcoming Model X crossover... and something else. Two somethings, to be precise, going by this latest, cryptic tweet from Tesla chief Elon Musk.
The image enclosed appears to show the front of a Model S peering out from under a partially open garage door emblazoned with the letter D. Just what that letter stands for, we don't know. Usually we'd guess it stood for "diesel," but given that Teslas are powered purely by electricity, that'd probably be viewed as a backwards step. Drive? Possibly, if Tesla has an all-wheel-drive sedan in the works (which is does).
Whatever it is, we'll have to wait until October 9 before Tesla reveals the full thing. At that point it will also reveal "something else," though it's given even less indication as to what that might be. The Model 3? Production-ready Model X? A new Roadster? We'll find out in a week's time.

Tesla now has 200 Superchargers open around the world

Oxnard, California. That's where electric-vehicle enthusiasts can find Tesla Motors' 200th Supercharger station. And they should be able to find some pretty good surf nearby, too. Number 200 is located in a shopping mall near Highway 101 about 60 miles northwest of central Los Angeles and includes 10 stalls, according to Green Car Reports. Given the recent pace of European deployments, having No. 200 in the US is a slight surprise, since more than half of the 100 stations installed since April are in Europe (a lot of them are being deployed in Germany and Norway). Technically, Tesla is now up to 207 chargers, with a little over half of those in the US and the remainder in Europe and Asia. Tesla recently started providing a slightly less powerful but still valuable charging option in the form of wall chargers that can give 60 miles of charging range in about an hour. While no match for a Supercharger, that's about double the charging speed of a 240-volt charging station. As of early September, Tesla had partnered with about 110 North American hotels, restaurants and beach parking lots at deploying what it calls the Tesla Destination Charging Program. For a complete list of Tesla's Supercharger stations, go here.

Recharge Wrap-up: LA Auto Show may feature updated Cadillac ELR, Uber expands Chicago HQ

A Kentucky man has converted his 1939 Dodge pickup to an electric vehicle. Al Gajda of Lexington built the electric truck, which he now uses as his daily driver. "I take advantage of any excuse to drive it; just banging around town, errands, short runs on the interstate, delivering my granddaughter to school in the morning," he says. It is powered by a lithium-ion phosphate battery, which is mounted in a wooden box on the truck bed, and gets about 100 miles per charge. Read more at the Lexington Herald-Leader. Elon Musk will speak at the Automotive News World Congress in January. The Tesla CEO is a featured speaker for the program, "Setting the Pace in a Thriving Market." The event takes place in Detroit, which could lead to an interesting mix of people in the audience, and Musk will speak on January 13. Read more at Automotive News. Production of the Toyota Rav4 EV has ended. The shipment of the final Toyota EVs concludes Toyota's deal to source batteries from Tesla. Of the 2,600 Rav4 EVs to be produced, there are probably just a few hundred left to be sold, most of which are likely to be gone by the end of October. Read more at Inside EVs. Cadillac will likely show an improved version of the ELR at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. The 2016 ELR will include unspecified "engineering enhancements," according to Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell. There will be no 2015 model, as the 2014 model will be sold until the 2016 ELR goes on sale in the first half 2015. Read more at Edmunds. Uber executives, along with Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, have announced a major expansion of the ride-hailing company's Chicago headquarters. Uber also plans to add 420 jobs by the end of 2016. "Uber's new expanded headquarters will allow the company to continue its rapid growth and serve its riders and drivers throughout Illinois," says Governor Quinn. Last month, Quinn vetoed legislation that would have put restrictions on companies like Uber in the state. Read more in the press release below. Governor Quinn and Uber Announce Major Chicago Headquarters Expansion Innovative Ridesharing Company to Add 420 Jobs by End of 2016 CHICAGO, Sept. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Pat Quinn and Uber executives today announced that the ridesharing giant is moving forward with creating 420 new jobs by the end of 2016 in a major expansion of its Chicago regional headquarters.

Harry Reid in favor of $10,000 federal EV tax credit

Harry Reid says the federal government should commit more funds towards incentives for electric-vehicle purchases. We'll wait for readers' shock to sink in. Now, here are the details. The Senate Majority Leader (D-NV) is backing President Barack Obama's efforts to raise federal incentives for EV drivers to $10,000 from $7,500, according to The Detroit News. He's also big on the US Energy Department boosting its vehicle-research budget to help bring down the cost of EVs. Reid notes that Tesla Motors' $5-billion Gigafactory, which will be built near Reno, will provide $100 billion worth of economic value to the state. He also pointed out that Tesla paid off its $465-million loan from the US Energy Department last year, nine years early. There's a way to read this as some sort of quid pro quo for the new battery plant, since Nevada's providing about $1.2 billion (over a 20-year period) in incentives to Tesla and factory-building partner Panasonic and cutting EV prices for the average could help Tesla. But Reid has been speaking out in favor of more green cars for a while. In 2009, he helped promote a bill that would provide more incentives for people driving natural-gas powered vehicles. The year before that, Reid went on record saying that the US needed "a crash course to develop alternative and renewable energy." And in 2007, he called the debate over a more stringent Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard pointless because, he said, they were a given. News Source: The Detroit NewsImage Credit: J. Scott Applewhite / AP Government/Legal Green Tesla Electric incentives nevada gigafactory harry reid