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Man steals, crashes, catches on fire and breaks in half Tesla Model S

Multiple injuries were reported in a dangerous high-speed crash involving a Tesla Model S this holiday weekend in Los Angeles. The EV was apparently stolen from a local Tesla store and was driven at triple-digit speeds through LA a little before 1 am, a sergeant Campbell from the Los Angeles Police Department's Pacific Division told KTLA 5. "They tried to help but there was too much smoke." – Eyewitness Following a call from employees at the store, police chased the apparent thief through LA until he crashed into two cars and a lamp post. The Model S split in half, with the back end getting wedged into a nearby synagogue while the front half caught on fire. An eyewitness told NBC Los Angeles that, "Everybody who was looking was screaming. They tried to help but there was too much smoke." What, exactly, caused the fire is unknown, but let's just rehash the old chestnut that Tesla EVs are not inherently fire traps and that driving at over 100 miles per hour is a dangerous endeavor in any vehicle. It was originally reported that the thief died, but he, along with people from the cars he hit, were taken to the hospital for treatment and he is reportedly still alive. More to come, most assuredly, and for now you can watch three local TV news video reports below.

Tesla announces 'infinite mile warranty' for Model S EV drive unit

Tesla Motors has a way with words. From Superchargers to 'auto pilot,' Tesla likes to set itself apart by calling things other things. What, fast charging and autonomous drive not good enough for ya? The same thing just happened with the announcement of a new 'infinite mile warranty' for the drive unit. That's infinite, not unlimited, but whatever it's called, the new policy lifts the warranty mileage cap on the 85-kWh version of the Model S that had previously been set at four years and 50,000 miles. The new rules say that the drive unit will have the same 'limits' as the battery pack, which means as many miles as you can put on the car in eight years. Tesla will also honor the warranty no matter how many people have owned the car and is applying the warranty retroactively, so feel safe buying that used 2012 Model S until 2019 if you still want some warranty coverage. "If we truly believe that electric motors are fundamentally more reliable than gasoline engines ... then our warranty policy should reflect that." – Elon Musk Tesla has gotten some criticism recently for quality issues in Model S EVs that have been on the road for a while now. Consumer Reports, for example, described problems with their Model S after owning it for 17 months. In the warranty change announcement blog post, Tesla CEO Elon Musk admitted that Tesla made a mistake imposing a limit in the first place. "In hindsight, this should have been our policy from the beginning of the Model S program," he said. "If we truly believe that electric motors are fundamentally more reliable than gasoline engines, with far fewer moving parts and no oily residue or combustion byproducts to gum up the works, then our warranty policy should reflect that." Now it does. Tesla is warning its investors that the short-term impact might be negative, but "by doing the right thing for Tesla vehicle owners at this early stage of our company, I am confident that it will work out well in the long term," Musk said. You can read the short announcement below. Infinite Mile Warranty The Tesla Model S drive unit warranty has been increased to match that of the battery pack. That means the 85 kWh Model S, our most popular model by far, now has an 8 year, infinite mile warranty on both the battery pack and drive unit. There is also no limit on the number of owners during the warranty period. Moreover, the warranty extension will apply retroactively to all Model S vehicles ever produced.

Recharge Wrap-up: onshore wind energy is cheapest, Tesla Model S teardown videos

Renault's sustainability mobility website is celebrating its fifth anniversary. The site focuses on electric and hybrid cars, cycling, public transport as well as policy and events regarding getting around in a clean, green way. It also features a monthly forum where scientists, bloggers, politicians and other experts weigh in on sustainable transport. Visit the website, or read more in the press release below. Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde wants to turn Beijing's smog into jewelry. Roosegaarde plans to capture particulate matter from a park using a giant air purifier, then turn it into gems. This would give the particular park the cleanest air in the city. The smog gems would them be set in rings and sold. Each ring would represent 1,000 cubic meters of clean air in Beijing. Read more at Treehugger. A study commissioned by the EU shows that onshore wind electricity is cheaper than natural gas, nuclear and coal power. The study takes into account climate change, human health and the like for a more complete total cost of energy production. The study found that the cost per megawatt-hour is about $133 for onshore wind, $235 for offshore wind, $168 for nuclear, $207 for gas, $274 for photovoltaic and between $205 and $295 for coal. European Wind Energy Association's deputy CEO Justin Wilkes says, "Not only does the Commission's report show the alarming cost of coal but it also presents onshore wind as both cheaper and more environmentally-friendly." Read more at Domestic Fuel. The US Department of Energy is offering $14 million in funding toward landscape design projects for cellulosic feedstock. The DOE wants landscape designs that incorporate the bioenergy resources into agricultural and forestry systems already in place. It targets high-impact, sustainable production with a goal of 1 billion gallons of biofuel a year. Applications are due January 12, with concept papers due November 11. Read more at Ethanol Producer. IHS Technology did a complete teardown of the Tesla Model S. In two videos, IHS Technology's Senior Director of Teardown services Andrew Rassweiler talks about the findings and features of some of the car's most interesting components. The videos offer materials, specifications and analysis for the media control unit, instrument cluster, battery and more. Get to know the Model S more intimately in the videos at IHS Technology.