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Recharge Wrap-up: QR code hints at Tesla Supercharger in Mexico, Lyft tests scheduling

A QR code in a parking garage hints at an upcoming Tesla Supercharger in Mexico. The mysterious QR code directs to a tweet from Elon Musk where he affirms that Tesla will expand its charging network into Mexico "this year." The folks at Teslarati reached out to the automaker, and a spokesperson responded by saying, "Yes, we can confirm that we are planning on having our first Supercharger in Mexico in Cuernavaca City." That's about 50 miles south of Mexico City, where the country's lone Tesla store is located. Read more at Teslarati. Lyft is testing out a ride scheduling system for its ride-hailing service in San Francisco. When requesting a ride, users can select a pickup time up to 24 hours out, ensuring they'll be able to get where they need to go. Users can cancel or change the time up to 30 minutes before their scheduled ride. Lyft says it plans to expand the scheduling service to more users this summer. Read more from Lyft, or at Green Car Congress. Renault is partnering with other automakers and charging operators as part of the EU's Fast-E charging project. Fast-E seeks to install fast-charging infrastructure for electric vehicles along Germany and Belgium's main motorways, financed by the EU and nine companies, including Renault, BMW, Volkswagen and Nissan. The 278 charging stations will be installed every 50 miles along the major roadways by the end of the year, at a cost of about $20 million. A sister project in the Czech Republic and Slovakia plans to add another 30 charging stations in those countries. Read more in the press release below. Renault is a partner of the European fast-charging project Fast-E in Germany • Official launch of Fast-E project co-financed by the European Union and nine companies, including Renault, in Berlin and Brussels. • 241 charging stations installed in Germany and 37 in Belgium by the end of 2016. • A sister project between the Czech Republic and Slovakia adds another 30 charging stations. The 278 charging points set up every 80 km along Germany and Belgium's main motorways, will allow drivers of electric vehicles to "refuel" and extend their car's range. The total investment of the EU-funded cooperation is approximately ˆ18 million. Every one of the multi-standard fast-chargers spread out over four countries have AC and DC connections, allowing drivers to charge their vehicles' batteries easily and quickly. Electric vehicles can be charge up to 80% on the charging stations within an hour.

The 'AMG of Tesla' unveils SEMA-bound Model S

Take a Tesla Model S, rip out the interior and throw on a new face and you might come up with the electric blue EV you see above. The modified Model S pictured is the new car that Unplugged Performance will bring to SEMA this week as it continues towards its self-declared goal of becoming the "AMG of Tesla." The first thing we noticed was how the updated fascia has a real Tom Selleck vibe, even if it's not quite the can't-look-away mustache of the Fisker Karma. Unplugged Performance says the new carbon fiber oval plastic nosecone is just one of a number of changes. It's easy to spot the new sports headlights and the 21-inch UP-01 wheels from the outside, but the inside is where most of the work was done. Unplugged Performance says it "dispensed with nearly all of the original Tesla innards" and "completely reimagined [the interior] for higher performance and more luxurious grade materials." That means a lot of the company's prototype upgrades are being shown here for the first time, things like sport seats in Italian Alcantara material and "luxury floor mats," that have "plush Rolls Royce carpet and Ferrari leather detailing." Performance has been changed as well, with prototype suspension components and new, prototype sports brake pads that UP says will "improve the car's driving dynamics." We won't be able to test them out when we get to SEMA, but we do look forward to getting a closer look at what's going on here. Unplugged Performance Brings New Developments to SEMA with Extensively Redesigned Tesla The Model S Gets a Face Lift and Slew of New Upgrades Las Vegas, NV – 11/04/2014 – Today, Unplugged Performance, a pioneer in Tesla Model S tuning, debuts their highly anticipated and freshly redesigned Model S at the SEMA trade show. The car features a completely new front end image, a complete overhaul of the interior, revised lighting, revised suspension, revised braking, upgraded wheels and enhanced aerodynamics. The first thing viewers will notice is that the oval plastic nosecone is changed to a wider and more aggressive design in carbon fiber. The bumper itself is an exercise in form following function with a priority on retaining cooling, ground clearance and aerodynamic efficiency. Despite the sharp modern looks, the bumper quietly integrates a ram air ducting system that feeds four factory integrated motorized cooling louvers which assist the car's cooling systems.

When your Tesla Model S gets stolen, fire up the app [w/video]

It's a nightmare for anyone who loves their car: you return to your parking spot, only to find it empty. You flash the lights or honk the horn with your key fob just to make sure you didn't forget where you parked, but nothing happens. What do you do? If you're a Tesla Model S owner, you get out your phone, open your Tesla app and track that baby. That's exactly what Shahin Pirani did when her Tesla went missing after visiting a friend in San Diego. Seeing that the car was nearby, she called the police as she tried to track down the car. When the cops showed up, the two thieves fled, resulting in a 20-minutes chase. Pirani watched it all go down through her app, able to track her car's location and speed throughout the pursuit. "The car was actually running at 100 mph so we figured the car was being chased by the cops." Eventually, the police were able to stop the car with spike strips and apprehend the suspects. What makes this story particularly notable is its rarity. While the car can be a thief's target, the Model S was recently named the least-stolen car in the US. With the suite of technology on board to ensure the car's security, as well as Tesla's continual over-the-air updates to fix any vulnerabilities (including to hackers), that's not totally surprising. Teals even has a feature that can shut the car down remotely in some circumstances. And after her ordeal, Pirani remains a satisfied customer, saying "After this, I'm not going to get any other car for sure." You can watch some b-roll TV news footage of the event's aftermath below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.