2022 Tesla Model S Plaid on 2040-cars

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New Jersey votes against Tesla, stores may close April 1

Doesn't New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have enough people mad at him already? Apparently not, since more than a few folks who like Tesla Motors are ready to get riled up. The governor is already embattled via his office's alleged role in a scandal involving politically-motivated lane shut-downs to the George Washington Bridge. And with him now deciding to let the state's motor-vehicle commission rule on allowing for Tesla to own its dealers, Tesla has likely lost that battle and may have to shutter its two New Jersey factory-owned stores by April 1, Automotive News says. Earlier this week, Tesla accused the governor on going back on his word after the company said it believed that the ruling would go before state legislature. Of course, the governor's office disagreed with that characterization. Kevin Roberts, a spokesman for Gov. Christie, sent a statement to AutoblogGreen that said: Since Tesla first began operating in New Jersey one year ago, it was made clear that the company would need to engage the Legislature on a bill to establish their new direct-sales operations under New Jersey law. This administration does not find it appropriate to unilaterally change the way cars are sold in New Jersey without legislation and Tesla has been aware of this position since the beginning. Tesla strenuously disagrees with that characterization, and Diarmuid O'Connell, Tesla's vice president of business development, told Bloomberg that, "any suggestion that Tesla was told 'since the beginning' about any problem with its ability to be licensed there is false." Representatives for New Jersey auto dealers say the ruling merely upholds current regulations and forces everyone to operate under the same mandate. Tesla first received approval to operate in New Jersey in the fall of 2012. Tesla has won court decisions regarding dealer allowances in Massachusetts and New York, though most notably lost one in Texas (the company also can't sell cars direct to customers in Arizona). In the past, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said he'd take the matter to the federal government, and we wouldn't be surprised to hear that sort of rallying cry come up again soon.

Time slots Tesla Model S among best inventions of 2012

Time Magazine has released its list of the best inventions of 2012, and while a few automotive products made the cut, the Tesla Model S was the only vehicle to nab the honor this year. The magazine cites the electric sedan's sexy aesthetics, lofty 265-mile range and touch-screen cabin controls as reasons for the laurel, though Tesla's network of supercharger stations certainly factored in as well. This is just the latest in long list of accolades for the Model S. As you may recall, Motor Trend recently called the EV the most important car since the Ford Model T, and Automobile Magazine named the five-door its Automobile of the Year.
A total of 25 inventions made the Time list in all, including the self-inflating tires we saw from Goodyear earlier this year. From whimsical indoor clouds crafted by Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde to a potentially life-saving in-home HIV test, the selections showcase the diversity of human innovation. Check out the complete list here.

FCA UConnect fiasco could set over-the-air updates back years

Since cars have become more software dependent, most major automakers have been inching toward enabling over-the-air updates to keep vehicle electronics, ranging from infotainment systems to safety features, current. But there are only two car companies — Fiat Chrysler and Ford —± currently doing OTA updates, and on a limited basis. GM CEO Mary Barra announced last summer that the automaker will launch a new EV architecture and infotainment system capable of over-the-air updates "before 2020." The one exception, per usual, is Tesla. Since the release of the Model S almost six years ago, the maverick EV automaker has made routine OTA software updates a core part of its vehicle platforms and value proposition, and has sent out updates for everything from adjusting ride height to enabling Autopilot, largely without incident. When I've asked automakers why they can't do the same thing, I've heard reasons ranging from running afoul of their dealers (and archiac regulation) to security concerns. Automakers like Ford and General Motors say they want to act like tech companies, which routinely send out OTA updates for a wide range of devices, but overall the car industry still moves at a very cautious snail's pace. And when automakers do try to move faster and take more risks — unlike with a smartphone update, which people bitch about but live with — the consequences can be significant when things go wrong. That's the case with Fiat Chrysler America and its recent public-relations nightmare when an OTA update went awry. The update went out at the end of last week for the Uconnect system in late-model vehicles, and it made head units go into a near continuous reboot, which caused owners to not only lose access to entertainment features, but also critical functions like emergency assistance. Almost immediately, owners took to Twitter to express outrage, and FCA was caught flatfooted. A tweet went out on Monday on the UconnectCares Twitter account that read, "Certain 2017 & 2018 Uconnect systems may experience a reboot every 45-60 seconds. Our Engineering teams are investigating the cause and working towards a resolution.