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Totaled Tesla Model S is a case of buyer beware *UPDATE

*UPDATE: AutoblogGreen reader Dan F. sent us a link to a somewhat similar story, which you can find here. Getting a Tesla Model S for just $50,000 is a steal, but when it's a salvage title car and was written off as totaled by an insurance company, the bargain might not be worth the headache. That's what a San Diego man is learning now that he's having trouble getting his fancy but damaged electric vehicle to work. Tesla has a different version of the story, of course. Peter Rutman has spent $8,000 in repairs for his EV, but there's one important bit of help he still needs: official activation from Tesla. Rutman is steaming mad at Tesla, telling San Diego 6 that, "Tesla has created a situation where there is nowhere to go. They've blocked every avenue." Tesla has a different version of the story, of course, and says that they're happy to look at the car (and certify it to run if it's in good shape), but said in a statement to AutoblogGreen that Rutman isn't willing to sign a waiver to let Tesla's mechanics get at the car. "We have strong concerns about this car being safe for the road, but we have been prevented from inspecting the vehicle because Mr. Rutman refused to sign an inspection authorization form. That form clearly states that in order for us to support the vehicle on an ongoing basis, we need to ensure the repairs meet minimum safety standards," the company said. You can read the full statement below. San Diego 6 says that one of the problems is Tesla's direct-sales model, which means that there's only one place for a customer like Rutman to go for assistance: the company itself. Right now, Rutman says, a Tesla-certified mechanic has to trigger some switch before the car will charge. And that can't happen until he signs the aforementioned authorization form. Rutman told the local TV station (video also below) that, "The document they wanted me to sign didn't indicate they were going to do any repairs to the car, or get it up and running. They can take the car. They can keep it. They can do whatever they want with it." Tesla says this isn't true, and also denies there is any sort of black list in effect. Tesla Motors Statement Safety is Tesla's top priority and it is a principle on which we refuse to compromise under any circumstance. Mr. Rutman purchased a vehicle on the salvage market that had been substantially damaged in a serious accident.

Tesla halts production to prep for Model X

That darling of the electric car world, Tesla, is idling production at its factory in Fremont, CA, for the first time in order to expand the factory in preparation for its future Model X crossover. The $100-million renovation will add 25 robots and upgrades to the body shop and assembly line to support the new vehicle. Since it will be offering two models simultaneously, Tesla will need to be able to keep up with the pace of demand. "This represents the single biggest investment in the plant since we really started operations and enables us for higher volumes," said Tesla spokesperson Simon Sproule to Bloomberg. The new robots will be able to boost production by 25 percent and will allow the automaker to build the Model S and Model X on the same assembly line. There won't be too much downtime at the California plant, though. The upgrades will be finished within the next two weeks. With these factory updates, the Model X may finally get its electrically powered wheels on the road. The CUV has been delayed multiple times since its announcement. It was originally supposed to be on sale in early 2014, then later in the year, but now the latest news from Elon Musk places the crossover's launch in the second quarter of 2015. Until the Model X is on sale, the renovations should also provide a nice lift in Model S assembly. In the company's first quarter financial report, Tesla said that it expected the sedan's production rate to grow from about 700 cars per week to 1,000 per week by the end of the year, with the expectation of selling a total of 35,000 of them in 2014. That should help quell demand in new markets like the UK and expansion in Europe.

Tesla hires Hacker Princess Kristin Paget away from Apple

Might it be that one of Apple Computer's software-security gurus wasn't quite, ahem, secure enough to resist the pull of Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk? Kristin Paget, who held the illustrious title of "Hacker Princess" at Cupertino, CA-based Apple, starts working for nearby Tesla this week, Re/code says. Paget would only say on her Twitter feed that the gig was "something security-related" and added that she "shouldn't say too much." Paget would only say that the gig was "something security-related." Paget joined Apple in 2012 after spending time with Microsoft, where she was responsible for security in the Vista operating system. Paget was also known within the Silicon Valley cognoscenti for her instructions on how to build a fake cell tower that could intercept cellphone calls. Tesla's headquarters in Fremont are just 25 miles from Apple's, but the poaching is far more than merely geographic. Tesla has always been big on technological advancements and has been steadily making over-the-air software upgrades to the Model S. Most recently, Musk and Tesla Chief Technology Officer Straubel toured Western Europe, talkind to Tesla owners and followers. They said the company was on the cusp of releasing Version 6.0 of the Model S software, which includes more suspension control as well as real-time traffic data. We wonder what features Paget will bring to Version 7. Featured Gallery Tesla Model S: Quick Spin View 33 Photos News Source: Re/code via Pulse2Image Credit: Copyright 2014 AOL Green Tesla Electric microsoft security software