2023 Tesla Model 3 on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: BMW i3 to get more range, a call for EV signage

The BMW i3 will get more range next year, and BMW will announce another i model soon. BMW CEO Harald Kruger didn't say by how much the i3's electric range would be expanded (it currently gets 81 miles on a single charge, or 150 with the range extender). He did say that a third, yet unnamed i car would be out "soon," and that it would be larger than the i3. We've heard rumors of an i5 for years now and BMW has previously stated that a new i car would not be based on an existing model. Read more at Green Car Reports. Where is the sun visor in the Tesla Model X? With a huge panoramic glass roof, Tesla had to be pretty inventive with its design. The sun visor is tucked away in the A-pillar and held in place by a magnet. It pulls out, and swivels overhead. A magnetic peg pops out to attach the end of the visor to the rear view mirror housing. From there, it can be rotated, or one can flip out a panel to create a larger shade. The vanity mirror is hidden behind another panel inside the visor. Have a look over at Teslarati. Nissan and Ecotricity are calling on the UK government to create road signage for EV charging points. There are currently over 9,000 places for drivers to charge their electric vehicles throughout the UK, but no official signage to tell them where they are. "It's time to introduce charging point road signs in Britain," says Ecotricity founder Dale Vince. "They'll provide necessary direction for the thousands of electric car drivers in Britain as well as increasing public awareness that the infrastructure is ready for them to make the move to an electric car." Nissan and Ecotricity suggest that symbols to designate the different types of charging available would also be helpful to EV drivers. Read more at Green Car Congress, or in the press release below.

This anti-Tesla conspiracy theory isn't nearly as creative as it could be

Here we go again. Remember the anti-Tesla "truther" leaflets that were going around San Francisco a few months ago? There's another bit anti-Tesla message making the rounds, but this time we just don't find the same level of creative detail. As published on Gas 2.0 and copied for your reading pleasure below, the screed claims that a number of Senators and White House staffers were bribed to allow the "toxic tesla crime-mobile" on the street. You know, the one that "is full of lies and cancer causing material." And there's also this bombshell: "Some of the people involved have worked at Tesla and claim to have witnessed: 'Organized crime on a first hand basis.'" Well, then, let's call the cops right this moment. But wait, the conspiracy runs deep, apparently, "Members found out that major media outlet owners (Engadget, Google, AUTOBLOG GREEN [sic], Gizmodo, Jalopnik, etc.) had stock in the Tesla and battery cartels and, thus, covered up the first investigation results." For the record, none of us here at AutoblogGreen have or are allowed to have Tesla stock, so we can knock that rumor down right now. But let's not let the facts get in the way of a good story. All in all, this little tirade isn't nearly as good as the last one, but we'll take this sort of creative fiction any day. The truth is out there. THIS IS YOUR TESLA MOTORS INTERVENTION: BORN IN BRIBES AND CORRUPTION, FORGED IN FIRES, AND MORE FIRES, AND STILL MORE FIRES AND SOME EXPLOSIONS, THE TOXIC TESLA CRIME-MOBILE THAT YOU ARE DRIVING IS FULL OF LIES AND CANCER CAUSING MATERIAL. WE WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT THE LOOK ON PEOPLE'S FACES, WHEN YOU DRIVE BY, MAY NOT BE ENVY BUT, RATHER: DISGUST! BRIBED: 5 Senators, 8 Senior Agency Staff and 2 White House Staff. Why do "YOU" want to be a part of that? Let's examine the facts and details ... ... Some of the people involved have worked at Tesla and claim to have witnessed: "Organized crime on a first hand basis." Two members have subscriptions to the Axciom Privacy Abuse database. They thought: "hmmm, why not use something evil for good purposes by helping to inform, and save, hapless Tesla owners who got screwed during the information Green-wash!" Members found out that major media outlet owners (Engadget, Google, AUTOBLOG GREEN, Gizmodo, Jalopnik, etc.) had stock in the Tesla and battery cartels and, thus, covered up the first investigation results. They want to clean the market more completely than an email "accident" on an IRS Hard Drive.

Recharge Wrap-up: Volt makes up third of Quebec Chevy dealerships sales, Tesla seeks Aussie talent

A Chevrolet dealership in Quebec has had the Volt make up 35 percent of its sales so far this year. Bourgeois Chevrolet in Rawdon, Quebec received recognition for the feat at the 2014 Electric Vehicle Conference, where it won the award for Leading Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Dealership. To sell that many, Bourgeois Chevrolet had to import used Volts from the US, and keeps about 50 units on the lot in various configurations. The conference also saw Park Avenue Nissan of Brossard, Quebec win the Leading Battery Electric Vehicle Dealership Award, and Loch Lomond Mitsubishi of Saint John, New Brunswick receive the award for Electric Vehicle Dealership Inspiration. Read more at Green Car Reports. Tesla Motors has begun scouting Australian engineers as other automakers shutter operations there. Ford, General Motors and Toyota have announced that they will shut down their Australian factories, leaving behind a lot of unused talent. Tesla recently held a "Recruiting Open House" in Melbourne for engineers to fill positions at its plant in Fremont, CA, where they will be paired with other Aussie engineers already on staff. Read more at Green Car Reports, or at Motoring. Electric turbochargers may come to play a key role in making internal combustion engines more efficient. Valeo recently showed an electric turbo it plans to supply to an unnamed automaker at a fuel economy showcase event at the EPA's National Vehicle Emissions and Fuel Lab. Electric turbochargers have the advantage of greatly reduced lag when compared to exhaust-driven turbos. They also work well when paired with cylinder deactivation, providing a much-needed boost when driving on a grade, which can help reduce the need for cylinders to reactivate. Independence from the exhaust system also makes it easier to package the turbocharger wherever there is room. Read more from Navigant Research. US crude oil futures have dropped to their lowest in more than two years. Saudi Arabia cut oil costs for the US and raised them for Europe and Asia as the US has increased output. On November 3, US crude futures fell as much as 2.2 percent in New York. West Texas Intermediate closed at $78.78, the lowest since June 2012. Brent crude slipped $1.08 to $84.78 a barrel. Read more at Bloomberg.