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Morgan Stanley: Tesla is world's most important automaker

What makes a company important? Clothing companies are important because they help cover those of us not willing or able to sew up a storm. Housing companies shelter us. And who could live without whoever it is that makes pop rocks?* But those are basic needs kinds of things. When we start to discuss things like excitement and innovation, "important" is a more subjective idea. Nonetheless, if you're going to claim that anyone other than Tesla is the most important automaker in the world, you're going to have to argue with Morgan Stanley Research analyst Adam Jonas. Jonas called the California automaker the world's most important automaker in a new report to investors and he didn't mince words: "Not even two years after the delivery of the first Model S, Tesla Motors has transformed from fledgling start-up to arguably the most important car company in the world. We are not joking. ... Tesla is also emerging as an emblematic force in America's effort to foster high tech manufacturing job growth." His main reasons are as follows: Parts suppliers now thing positively about Tesla and are thinking of building dedicated production lines just to supply Tesla with parts for its electric vehicles. Other automakers are also paying close attention to Tesla. This is a sign that the company has finally become a serious competitor. Tesla could directly employ 20,000 people in seven years and create 100,000 related jobs at other companies. However many jobs are created, Tesla will have a positive effect on the US GDP. The Tesla Model S is the "most American made car on the road, pushing 90 percent US content," which to us might make Tesla the most important car company in America, but Jonas sees a larger impact, apparently. According to Market Watch, Jonas also sees a big potential in Tesla upcoming battery plant: "The success of the Gigafactory holds the key for the development of an entirely new industry. If Tesla can achieve battery cost per kWH below $150 and defend the IP, there is significant potential for revenue streams not captured in our $320 price target." Jonas knows there are risks and downsides, which you can read more about at the Los Angeles Times. *Just trying to think of the least essential product as a joke here.

Jay Leno burns rubber in Tesla Model S

Jay Leno has a pretty big soft spot for alternative-fuel vehicles. From his steam-powered relics to his beloved Chevrolet Volt, the comedian's automotive interests are nothing if not varied. In the latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage, Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen stops by the Big Dog Garage to show off his company's new Model S. Jay gets a closer look at the five-door EV's interesting touchscreen controls, expansive moonroof and yes, even the third-row jump seats, before taking to the road. The clip explains why Tesla eschewed the chunky standardized EV charger for a more svelte unit and how the company managed to serve up impressive aerodynamics without sacrificing styling.
Leno takes the time to whir the Model S around the greater Los Angeles area before hopping on the freeway for a quick spin. This particular model features the largest battery pack available, which gives the Model S a total range of around 300 miles. Check out the clip below for a closer look.

Tesla driver blames 'new car smell' in fatal cyclist crash

According to the accident report compiled by the California Highway Patrol, 63-year-old driver Navindra Kumar Jain fell asleep at the wheel while driving northbound on Highway 1 in Santa Cruz, crossed into the oncoming, southbound lane, crested a small hill and then while doing 55 miles per hour hit a southbound cyclist who was riding on the shoulder. The cyclist, Joshua Alper, died at the scene. Jain was driving a Tesla Model S he had bought ten days earlier and said that the intense new-car smell - which he attempted to counter with a baking-soda scented air freshener - caused him to fall asleep.
The accident happened in November, and after a three-month investigation the Santa Cruz district attorney has decided to charge Jain with "misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter." As you could guess, there are still plenty of unresolved issues. Jain has said he "fell asleep" and there was nothing mechanically wrong with the car he had bought ten days before the incident. His attorney, however, says "he passed out while driving and still does not know what caused the accident," and that the Tesla "and all its component parts" must be thoroughly tested. The CHP tore the Tesla apart, standard practice in manslaughter cases, and, not having found anything amiss, declared the driver at fault. Observers, and especially cyclists, want to know why Jain was only charged with a misdemeanor, and why he hasn't yet been arrested. Some might ask why he didn't just roll down a window.
It will take the courts to decide - that's "courts," plural. In addition to the criminal case, Alper's family is suing Jain and Tesla, appearing to cover its bases with the new-car-smell defense by accusing the Model S of being "defective and unreasonably dangerous when used in a normal, intended and foreseeable manner." That seems like a stretch to us, but it's not like bizarre defenses haven't ever swayed a sentencing before. No matter the verdict in the criminal or civil cases, though, with Joshua Alper gone, nobody wins.