2019 Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Sedan 4d on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Google CEO Larry Page says his billions should go to Elon Musk

When you have basically all the money in the world, it can be tough to spend it all. It will be even tougher to spend when you're dead. If you're Google CEO and co-founder Larry Page, though, you already know how you want your money to live on after you're gone: support innovators like Tesla CEO Elon Musk. That's what Page said at the TED conference in Vancouver, Canada this week, anyway, adding that the already-wealthy Musk is worthy of the Page billions because he's one of the people who can change the world. Page said: He wants to go to Mars. That's a worthy goal. We have a lot of employees at Google who've become pretty wealthy. You're working because you want to change the world and make it better; if the company you work for is worthy of your time, why not your money as well? We just don't think about that. I'd like for us to help out more than we are. On top of Tesla, Musk also runs SpaceX and Solar City. Tesla said in a statement to Automotive News that, "[Musk] is honored by Larry's comments and very much admires what he has accomplished with Google."

Epic Electric American Road Trip goes 12,000 miles on EV power

Twenty-seven states. 12,000 miles. Zero gasoline. Those are the headline numbers for the "Epic Electric American Road Trip" that ended in Venica, CA today, just in time for Earth Day. Norman Hajjar, the managing director of Recargo's driver research division, PlugInsights, made the journey in a stock Tesla Model S both as a way to draw attention to electric vehicles (he's trying to get Guinness World Record to verify that this was the longest vehicle journey ever taken using 100 percent electric power) and to show that long-distance road trips are possible even with today's charging infrastructure. This was certainly a trip for an EV diehard, since it was made up of 109 hours of charging and 213 hours of driving. That leads to the second part of Hajjar's reason for driving criss-cross across the US: to "draw attention to needs for further improvement." You can relive the journey over at Plugshare or on Twitter. World Record-Breaking Electric Vehicle Journey Crosses Finish Line "Epic Electric American Road Trip" marks the longest ever journey made with zero fuel costs VENICE, Calif., April 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today marks the completion of the record-setting Epic Electric American Road Trip, a 24-day, 12,183-mile battery-powered journey sponsored by electric vehicle (EV) software and information services company Recargo Inc. The trip is seeking Guinness World Record verification for longest vehicle journey ever taken using 100% electric power, and served to emphasize the possibilities of the nation's current electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Norman Hajjar, Managing Director of Recargo's driver research division, PlugInsights, crossed the finish line in a stock Tesla Model S sedan. At the trip's end, Norman has ventured across a 27-state route spanning the four corners of the lower 48 states: Washington, Maine, Florida, and California, ending at Recargo's offices in Venice, California. Hajjar took advantage of Tesla's newly built, proprietary string of cross-country "Supercharger" stations, in order to make the coast-to-coast electric venture. "We wanted to illustrate what's possible with the nation's charging infrastructure, and draw attention to needs for further improvement," said Norman Hajjar. "The plausibility of a mass switch to EV usage in America simply can't be separated from the need for a robust fast-charging network. I've traveled over 12,000 miles in under 3.5 weeks.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla Model X towing drag race, Porsche 918 salvage auction

Watch an Alfa Romeo 4C drag race against a Tesla Model X towing an Alfa Romeo 4C. The ridiculous (or, perhaps more appropriately, ludicrous) race appeared in MotorTrend's Instagram, which was then shared on Facebook by Tesla Motors Autopilot Program Director Sterling Anderson, along with the comment, "Fun fact: many high-performance cars cross the quarter mile line faster when towed by a Model X than they do on their own four wheels." While we can't quite see the actual results of the drag race in the video, it appears to be a close one. Check it out in the video above, and read more from Electrek. A Porsche 918 Spyder has gone up for auction. Unfortunately, it's a salvage auction, and said performance plug-in hybrid is totally mangled. The gut-wrenching photos reveal an even sadder detail, as the car's odometer shows it only logged 92 miles before being involved in what appears to have been a terrible wreck (though the listing describes the miles as "not actual"). The current bid on the Copart auction site is up to $106,000, and the listing shows a $600,000 repair estimate. The very expensive hunk of metal and carbon fiber is located in Long Island. Check out the listing for yourself, or read more at MotorAuthority. GKN Driveline says that German drivers are more interested in plug-in hybrids (especially with all-wheel drive) than conventional hybrid cars. In a poll of more than 1,000 drivers commissioned by GKN, 75 percent preferred PHEVs to standard hybrids, while 61.2 percent said that 50 kilometers (31 miles) of electric range is enough for their daily driving duties. About 81 percent are "wary of hybrids," most believing them to be a poor value. 52 percent said their ideal car would combine a plug and all-wheel drive. "We believe that plug-in hybrids with all-wheel drive make sense," says GKN Automotive President of Engineering Peter Moelgg, "and the public's positive response to vehicle programmes that offer this combination – like the Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine, BMW i8, and Porsche 918 Spyder – can only continue to grow." Read more in the press release below. NEW RESEARCH REVEALS GERMAN DRIVERS PREFER PLUG-IN HYBRIDS Lohmar, Germany, 22 March 2016: Drivers now consider plug-in hybrid vehicles to be more attractive and practical than conventional hybrids, a survey commissioned by GKN Driveline has revealed.