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Unplugged Performance, BBS offering flashy 21-inch Model S wheel upgrade

Owners of the Tesla Model S love their cars. They love the emissions-free driving, the luxury and technology, range, looks and especially, it seems, the performance. The Model S isn't just clean, it's fast and fun. Now, Tesla owners looking to give their baby some hot shoes have an enticing new option, as Unplugged Performance has announced a set of 21-inch BBS wheels specific to the Model S. Unplugged Performance used its own experience with the Tesla Model S to identify its strengths and weaknesses to improve upon the factory wheels. The Unplugged Performance wheels use the same flow-formed manufacturing technology as the ones BBS supplies for the Ferrari F430 Challenge, providing plenty of strength. The Model S being a relatively heavy car, Unplugged Performance engineered the UP-01 to be able to support 2,145 pounds per wheel, nearly double the car's weight. Beside sheer strength, the BBS UP-01 wheels bring more to the table. Unplugged Performance designed the wheels to reduce the moment of inertia, offering better acceleration, deceleration and efficiency. The team also focused on wheel harmonics to provide a smoother ride with less vibration making its way into the cabin. The wheels are designed to work with all of the original Tesla components already on the car, such as lug nuts and tire pressure monitoring system, even the regular Model S 245/35ZR21 and P85+ 265/35ZR21 tires. Of course, the wheels need to look good, too. The UP-01 rims are coated in Asteroid Graphite that Unplugged Performance designed to go with any of the Tesla factory body colors. The wheels come with two sets of center caps: four branded with BBS and four Tesla factory center caps, to suit the driver's preferred look. The wheels also come with stainless steel wheel protectors made by BBS, which can be replaced in the case of any curb damage. The set comes with one spare wheel protector and additional ones can be purchased if needed. The wheel set is for sale at the Unplugged Performance website, priced at $3,995. Read on for more details in the press release from Unplugged Performance, below. BBS and Unplugged Performance Release Tesla Model S Upgraded Wheel Set Legendary F1 Wheel Maker BBS Partners with Unplugged Performance for Exclusive Tesla Wheel Hawthorne, CA – 10/06/2014 – Unplugged Performance, the leading Tesla-focused performance organization, announces the UP-01 wheel upgrade package co-developed and produced by world renowned wheel manufacturer BBS.

BYD CEO calls Tesla a rich man's toy, not worried about competition

We've heard the comment, "the Tesla Model S is a rich man's toy" before. Usually it comes from a Cranky McCrankster-type of character in the Comments beneath posts about the all-electric automobile. Not everyone sees the utility of an expensive car that can seat up to seven, run with Corvettes and only gets 265 miles on a charge. We get that, sort of, and everyone's entitled to their opinion. It's a bit odd, though, hearing the remark fall from the lips of Wang Chuanfu, however. BYD Auto's CEO made the comment – well, he said it in Chinese and it's been translated this way by the International Business Times – in an interview with Shanghai Securiites News, along with mentioning that he expects the California automaker to only capture a very small percentage of the Chinese market. That last bit is a fair point, though a tiny chunk of that burgeoning market could still mean a lot of sales. Tesla has intimated its hopes for at least 10,000 takers in its first year of operation in China and says its Beijing location is its biggest and most bustling. As for Chuanfu's comment, Tesla gave AutoblogGreen a simple, "no comment." BYD, of course, sells its e6 electric sedan in its home country and its sales might not even reach the 10,000 level, despite being more affordable and boasting a respectable 186-mile range. Mr. Chuanfu expects bigger things for it Qin plug-in hybrid, which rings up at $31,000 and offers 41 miles of battery-powered range before the gasoline engine kicks in. China wants 500,000 plug-in vehicles plying its streets by 2015's end and BYD wants to be a big part of that picture. While we can understand the competitive downplaying of Tesla's Chinese-market entrance, we expect that BYD is as well aware as anyone that Tesla has a more affordable future car on the horizon and that Chinese car buyers tend to favor foreign brands. It's a big market, though, so perhaps the two entities might help further each other's goals by cooperating on charging standards and infrastructure development instead of sniping. One can dream, right?

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla battery drain reported; ELF two-seater solar trike

Biofuel company KiOR has filed for bankruptcy. KiOR, which was born out of a partnership between Khosla Ventures and Dutch biofuel startup BIOeCON, has debts numbering $261.31 million, with just $58.27 million in assets. The company produced biocrude from cellulosic biomass, but was unable to meet its production targets at its facility in Columbus, MS, and was also facing quality problems and accused mismanagement. KiOR shuttered its biocrude plant earlier this year, and suffered a huge loss in stock value. Read more at Gigaom. Some Tesla Model S owners are complaining again of "vampire" drain during sleep mode. Since downloading the Firmware 6.0, some drivers have reported a battery draw, even when set to "sleep always." Losses can be up to 12 miles of range from sitting overnight, and the latest versions of 6.0 haven't seemed to have solved the problem. Interestingly, the problem isn't affecting all Model S owners. Also, battery draw problems have been reported in the past, which Tesla took steps to fix in previous firmware updates. Read more at Inside EVs. Daimler's Car2go carsharing service is expected to reach 1 million users by the end of the year. The company currently reports 900,000 users worldwide. Car2go operates in 29 cities in North America and Europe, with plans to expand operations to China. "China might be risky, but it also brings lots of opportunities," says Daimler's Rainer Becker. While Car2go has yet to make a profit as a whole, it is moving in that direction, with Becker saying some cities' operations are already profitable. Read more at Automotive News Europe. The ELF solar- and human-powered trike from Organic Transit is now available as a two-seater. The ELF 2FR, as it is called, is a package that adds a rear seat behind the driver of the pod-shaped EV to allow for eco-friendly transport of two adults. The standard ELF retails for $5,495, and the upgrade to the 2FR adds another $499 to the price, which seems like a small premium for doubling the occupancy. Organic Transit hasn't released all the details on its website for the 2FR yet, but the standard ELF charges via outlet or 100-watt solar panel, goes 20 miles per hour and gets the equivalent of 1,800 miles per gallon (though adding the weight of another adult will certainly change those mileage numbers). Check out the Organic Transit's ELF 2FR in the videos below and read more at Treehugger. VIA Motors has received EPA certification for its range-extended electric van.