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Recharge Wrap-up: Road-tripping in a Tesla Model S, Big Oil's tax advantage

Zap is poising itself to take advantage of China's extension of its electric vehicle incentive program. The government will be offering rebates on EVs, forgiving sales taxes and licensing fees, installing EV charging infrastructure and other measures to encourage adoption of zero-emission vehicles beyond 2015, through the year 2020. In response, electric vehicle company Zap and its partner Jonway Autos are decreasing production of gasoline-powered vehicles to make more EVs. It plans to increase production of its two EV production lines from 50 to 100 vehicles per day each, as well as positioning certain models for larger-scale production. Zap hopes customers will make use of rebates of up to $20,000 from the central government, plus local EV incentives. In October, Zap and Jonway will unveil new SUV and minivans that they intend to offer as less-than-gasoline- and zero-ownership-cost and vehicles under the umbrella of China's incentives. Read more in the press release below. Tesla Model S owner David Zygmont shares tips for taking cross-country road trips in an electric vehicle in a two-part podcast. David talks about his two-week road trip in his Tesla, and how he managed to make the most of charging his vehicle. One of his tools is the site EV Trip Planner. He also shares advice on overnight charging while staying at hotels. If you're thinking of going on an adventure in your EV, you should check this out to gain some valuable insights into the experience. Listen to part one of the podcast at EV Parade, and part two at Teslarati. Oil companies paid federal income taxes of just 11.7 percent over the last five years, according to a new report from Taxpayers for Common Sense. Oil companies reported a pre-tax income of $133.3 billion, and paid just $15.6 billion in federal income taxes. Some of the smaller oil companies paid much less than average, or about 3.7 percent. Oil companies enjoy many tax provisions that aren't available to other taxpayers, and the companies are able to defer taxes year after year, without paying any interest on it. Read more in the press release from Americans United for Change below.

Ford Mustang Mach-E fails Sweden's moose test

The infamous moose test has claimed another casualty. This time it's the Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD Long Range, which was tested in an electric four-way alongside the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Skoda Enyaq iV (an electric utility vehicle closely related to the Volkswagen ID.4 that is sold in the United States). According to the Swedish testers at Teknikens Varld, Ford's electric car not only failed to hit the speed necessary for a passing grade, it didn't perform well at slower speeds, either. To pass the outlet's moose test, a car has to complete a rapid left-right-straight S-shaped pattern marked by cones at a speed of at least 72 km/h (44.7 miles per hour). The test is designed to mimic the type of avoidance maneuver a driver would have to take in order to avoid hitting something that wandered into the road, which in Sweden may be a moose but could just as easily be a deer or some other member of the animal kingdom elsewhere in the world, or possibly a child or car backing into the motorway. Not only is the maneuver very aggressive, it's also performed with weights belted into each seat and more weight added to the cargo area to hit the vehicle's maximum allowable carrying capacity. The Mustang Mach-E only managed to complete the moose test at 68 km/h (42.3 mph), well below the passing-grade threshold. Even at much lower speeds, Teknikens Varld says the Mach-E (which boasts the highest carrying capacity and was therefore loaded with more weight than the rest of the vehicles tested in this quartet) is "too soft in the chassis" and suffers from "too slow steering." Proving that it is indeed possible to pass the test, the Hyundai and Skoda completed the maneuver at the 44.7-mph figure required for a passing grade and the Tesla did it at 46.6 mph, albeit with less weight in the cargo area. It's not clear whether other versions of the Mustang Mach-E would pass the test. It's also unknown if Ford will make any changes to its chassis tuning or electronic stability control software, as some other automakers have done after a poor performance from Teknikens Varld, to improve its performance in the moose test. Related video:

What is the fastest car in the world in 2024?

It wasn't that long ago that the notion of reaching 200 miles per hour in a car, on a road, seemed basically impossible. As you likely know by now, that time has passed. And once that threshold was crossed, the automotive world immediately began eying the next triple-digit benchmark: 300 miles per hour. It may have taken a little while, but the 300-mph line has been crossed, and some cars have moved well past that seemingly insane speed number. While some of these speeds have been achieved in simulations (including the fastest car listed below), there's little doubt that a driver with nerves of steel and a heavy right foot could indeed push several automobiles up to 300 miles per hour and beyond. Interestingly, it’s not just one car or automaker in the 300-mph club, as a handful of models have earned a place (sometimes claimed but not yet demonstrated) on the leaderboard. The fastest car in the world is: Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut (330 MPH) That title goes to the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut, which recorded a staggering 330 mph top speed earlier in 2023. The carÂ’s twin-turbocharged 5.0-liter V8 lays down 1,600 horsepower and 1,106 pound-feet of torque, which plays a significant role in delivering that speed, but KoenigseggÂ’s engineers have given the car a lot more than mind-blowing power. The Jesko Absolut has a super-slippery 0.278 drag coefficient and a nine-speed transmission that shifts so quickly itÂ’s almost imperceptible. Koenigsegg calls it a Light Speed Transmission (LST), saying its shifts happen at almost light speed. While that might be a slight exaggeration, the gearbox is impressive, bringing several wet multi-disc clutches and a super lightweight construction. As Koenigsegg says, "the Jesko Absolut is destined to achieve higher, more extraordinary speeds than any Koenigsegg or any other fully homologated car before it." How expensive is the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut? If you were reading that and wondering how much the fastest car in the world costs, the price tag is just another dizzying number on the Jesko Absolut's spec sheet. All 125 Absolut cars offered sold out at a price of almost $3 million. Of course, being able to afford the Koenigsegg is just the first step in realizing its full potential. There are very few places on the map that can support a 300-plus-mph speed run, and the locations that do are not conveniently located.