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Recharge Wrap-up: Couple wins Toyota Mirai; Tesla Gigafactory wages reported

A couple who won a Toyota Mirai at the Los Angeles Auto Show are among the first people to own the new fuel-cell sedan. Marianne Ellis bought the winning ticket - auctioned off by the Environmental Media Association to fund environmental programs - as a possible 30th anniversary gift for her husband, David. The excited couple picked up their ceremonial keys at the LA Auto Show on Wednesday. "For us, it's about being at the cutting edge of change," says Marianne Ellis. "It's a chance to support environmental causes and clean energy, while showing it's possible to make a car like this part of your lifestyle." The Mirai will go on sale in California in the fall of 2015. Read more in the press release below. The salaries for 6,500 full-time employees at Tesla's Gigafactory battery production facility have been reported. According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, the 4,550 production associates and 200 material handlers will be paid $22.79 an hour. 460 equipment technicians and 360 quality technicians will get $27.88 an hour. 930 engineers and senior staff will earn $41.83, or $87,000 a year. Tesla plans to staff 6,500 people at the Reno, Nevada-based Gigafactory by 2020. Read more at the Reno Gazette-Journal or at Teslarati. The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) has elected its governing board members. The board leaders include Sprague Operating Resources Chairman Steven J. Levy, Minnesota Soybean Processors Vice Chair Ron Marr, American Soybean Association Treasurer Mike Cunningham and Nebraska Soybean Board Secretary Greg Anderson. NBB also filled four more spots on the board, discussed federal policies, began program planning and recognized outstanding member involvement in the biodiesel industry. Read more at Biodiesel Magazine. The US Department of Energy (DOE) has reported progress on renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production. The DOE calls electrolysis, photoelectrochemical, biological and solar-thermochemical key areas of hydrogen production and has made advances in each. The DOE is looking into technological advancements in making the clean fuel and ways to reduce production costs. The DOE has also outlined various plans for the 2015 fiscal year with regard to advancing hydrogen technology, with the goal of getting hydrogen prices in line with other fuels. Read more at Green Car Congress. Toyota Mirai Winners Celebrate The Future November 19, 2014 TORRANCE, Calif. (Nov.

Tesla Roadster getting 400-mile battery upgrade

A few months ago, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk said something a bit cryptic during the company's annual shareholder meeting: Tesla was working on "a fairly exciting upgrade to the Roadster." Mysterious, no? Well, speaking with Auto Express recently, Musk revealed what this upgrade will be: an improved battery pack. "The Roadster had an old generation battery," Musk told Auto Express." We'll upgrade it to a new generation battery pack and it should have a range of about 400 miles, which will allow you to drive from LA to San Francisco non-stop." The Roadster originally came with a 245-mile range, which is good for Los Angeles to Madera, CA. Tesla sold the Roadster, its first car, in the US from 2008 to 2011 and elsewhere until 2012. It's not that the old Roadster batteries were failing regularly – quite the opposite, in fact – but li-ion EV technology advances rapidly, and so now we're extra curious what's in the new pack and how it will work. Will it be compatible with Tesla's Supercharger technology? How much will it cost, both for Roadster owners as well as for Tesla? We've asked Tesla for answers to these questions, but all a spokeswoman would say is, "We have no further details at this time." At the shareholder meeting in early June, Musk said the "exciting upgrade" would happen this year, so if he was talking about the battery upgrade at that time, we should be getting more information on the new packs right soon.

Carmakers, NHTSA to unveil auto-emergency braking agreement tomorrow

Happy St. Patrick's Day Eve. Tomorrow, there will be green beer, corned beef and cabbage, and automatic emergency braking for all. Weird combo, we know. But on St. Patty's we can expect an official announcement from a pact of automakers making auto-braking systems standard equipment by 2022. That's per a report from Reuters, which cites three sources familiar with the plans. Originally announced in September 2015 by 10 automakers and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the agreement is expected to be even larger when the details are unveiled tomorrow. According to Reuters, the manufacturers of 99 percent of the US domestic market's vehicles will be represented by the new agreement. It's believed that standard AEB systems could prevent thousands of accidents across the country. Expect more on the official announcement when it's made. Related Video: