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Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla store reboot, Jaguar "EV-Type" an electric F-Pace?

The Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate (CHEAPR) program is creating demand for EVs. $1 million has been set aside for rebates ranging from $750 to $3,000 per car, depending on battery size (in addition to federal incentives). Dealers also get an incentive of $150 to $300 per vehicle to help motivate them to promote EVs. "This is the type of program that can be a win-win-win for the state, auto manufacturers, dealers and consumers," says Chevrolet dealer Leo Karl, who has seen a jump in demand for the Volt under the CHEAPR program. Karl expects the funds to run out as early as this fall. Read more at Automotive News. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is scheduled to go on sale in the US in May 2016. As Mitsubishi makes some changes, including plans to ditch its Normal, IL assembly plant, the company's future in the US is being called into question. The new date for the plug-in hybrid version of the Outlander comes after multiple delays. Mitsubishi also plans to offer a 2016 model of the i-MiEV despite slowing sales. Read more at Automotive News. Tesla is overhauling its stores in advance of the Model X going on sale. The revamp includes informative interactive displays and a heavier emphasis on Tesla merchandise sales. The displays provide information about safety, Autopilot technology, the charging network, electric motors and other information to help familiarize customers with Tesla. The Tesla Design Collection - which includes luggage, apparel and other gear - also helps position Tesla as a luxury lifestyle brand, rather than just a mere automaker. Expect the stores to be continually updated over time. "Tesla is able to pivot in their stores the way they release new software," says Cadent Consulting Group's Ken Harris. "This is important to an emerging brand." Learn more from Bloomberg. Could Jaguar be planning an electric F-Pace called the EV-Type to compete with the Tesla Model X? Autocar is reporting that the upcoming SUV from Jaguar could spawn a whole family of vehicles, including an all-electric version. Jaguar has registered the trademark for the EV-Type name, and that vehicle would likely be built at the Magna Steyr factory in Graz, Austria. That would free up capacity to build the traditionally powered F-Pace in the UK. Read more at Green Car Reports, or at Autocar.

Tesla rockets to $259 a share on Morgan Stanley, Consumer Reports announcements [w/video]

Remember way back when we mentioned that Tesla's Gigafactory for batteries might prove to be a good investment opportunity, with its potential to bring cell prices down to a level that could make the forthcoming Tesla Model E affordable, not to mention attractive for massive amounts of renewable energy storage? Well, today the automaker's share price popped – we'd say exploded, but it's not as alliterative – up over 15 percent to hit an all-time $259.20 high. It seems market analysts at Morgan Stanley were way ahead of us, and they have now released a report outlining their decidedly optimistic expectations. Authored by analyst Adam Jonas, the document looks forward to a Utopian future (around 2026, for those anxious for such a thing) where it is predicted that Tesla will enjoy a commanding share of both the battery and autonomous automobile market, and its revenues will be sixty times that of today. Sixty times. That's a pretty sunny outlook. Not incidentally, the financial services company also has doubled its target price for TSLA, from $153 to a nice, round $320. Consumer Reports named the Tesla Model S its best overall top pick for 2014. That rosy outlook report is not necessarily the only thing filling the sails of the California automaker today. Consumer Reports has also also added to the momentum, naming the Tesla Model S its best overall top pick for 2014. And now we hear that Panasonic and some partners are interested in investing almost a billion dollars into Tesla's new gigafactory. Of course, we here at AutoblogGreen are simply scribes, not investment professionals, so this is not an encouragement to buy, sell or hold. We can recommend, though, that you scroll below and check out CR's brief video containing all 10 of its 2014 top picks. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Michigan gets into anti-Tesla legislation game

If you figured the home of the US car industry would be against messing with the age-old, franchised-dealer auto distribution system, you'd be right. Michigan, home to the Big Three US automotive companies (General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, now Fiat Chrysler), is moving towards officially disallowing companies like Tesla Motors from selling their cars directly to consumers, according to the Wall Street Journal. Tesla will naturally fight this, but it's one more challenge for the California-based automaker. Both chambers of Michigan's legislature approved bills banning automakers from selling cars to the public without doing so through a third-party franchised dealership. Tesla once again will rally against this, arguing that the uniqueness of its electric vehicles prevents third-party dealers from properly marketing the cars. Legislation like this continues to make its way through various states, with varying degrees of approval. Last month, the Georgia Automobile Dealers Association stated its intention to shut down Tesla's one state store and prevent two planned outlets from opening. Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Arizona have also taken a hardline approach to preventing direct automaker-to-public sales. Tesla has worked out compromises in other areas, for example with Pennsylvania in August. There, electric vehicles are now exempted from the franchised-dealer mandate.