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UAW sets up organizing committee at Tesla's Fremont factory

Tesla is happy to do things differently than other automakers, from the company-owned stores to the all-electric drivetrain. It also doesn't use union workers at its factory in Fremont, California (the former NUMMI plant, pictured). But now the United Auto Workers (UAW) is testing the waters for representation at the plant, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle. UAW President Bob King has revealed that the UAW has created an organizing committee in Fremont. How this would change things at Tesla – and whether it would be a good or bad thing – is not really known, but it would certainly make the EV company more like the Big Three in this one aspect. We heard rumblings of unions at Tesla in 2010, when Toyota and Tesla announced they were going to collaborate on developing EVs. At that time, the United Auto Workers said it wanted union workers back at the plant, especially some of the 4,500 who ended up unemployed after the General Motors/Toyota partnership that built cars at NUMMI was shut down. That didn't happen, but Tesla has called unionization a 'risk' to business in a financial report. Tesla CEO Elon Musk at least has a plan for running his shop both with and without a union. As he told Wired in 2009, "Most of our experienced factory workers come from unionized environments, and we asked them what benefit did they see in unions. They said, 'Well, if their boss was an asshole, they had recourse.' I said, 'Let's make a rule: There will be no assholes.' I fired someone for being an asshole. And I only had to do that once, actually." Tesla declined comment to AutoblogGreen about the new union rumblings, but when we spoke with Musk in 2012, he described the longer-than-average work hours: Right now we're working six days a week. Some people are working seven days a week – I do – but for a lot of people, working seven days a week is not sustainable. The factory is operational seven days a week but most people we only ask to work six days a week right now and, obviously, we want to get that to a more reasonable number. I think people can sustain a 50-hour work week. I think that's a good work week. If you're joining Tesla, you're joining a company to work hard. We're not trying to sell you a bill of goods. If you can go work for another company and then maybe you can work a 40-hour work week. But if you work for Tesla, the minimum is really a 50-hour week and there are times when it'll be 60- to 80-hour weeks.

Tesla Model S driver goes from Mexico to Alaska, loves the experience

As range anxiety lessens, and more chargers are installed along major roadways, increasing numbers of people are taking road trips in their electric vehicles. The Tesla Model S in particular has become the go-to vehicle for electric touring. When equipped with the 85-kWh battery pack, the Model S offers up to 265 miles of range, which is a respectable distance to cover in one sitting. It's still notable, though, when a Model S driver makes a particularly long trek, especially when much of the route is mostly devoid of Tesla Superchargers. Guy Hall, the president of the Sacramento Electric Vehicle Association, drove his Tesla Model S from the US/Mexico border outside of Yuma, Arizona to Fairbanks, Alaska in 17 days. He calls the trip the T5 (Tesla Tijuana to Tundra Tour), and he encourages other people to make the journey, despite the challenge of driving through areas that are sparsely populated. Charging "slows you down to take a break. I've met some marvelously nice people here." – Guy Hall Driving through California, Oregon, and Washington isn't too difficult. North of Vancouver, British Columbia is where charging starts to get a little tricky. Hall says that when gas stations with electrical outlets were few and far between, he stopped at RV parks to charge (a trick of the Tesla tripping trade we've seen before). Hall made use of his charms, and would offer rides in his Model S to curious employees at mechanic and welding shops in return for the opportunity to more quickly charge his battery using their 240-volt outlets. While the trip took quite a bit longer than it would have in one of the Ford Tauruses Hall owned before switching to EVs, it allowed him to soak in the beauty of his surroundings, meet people along the way and answer questions about the Model S. Charging "slows you down to take a break," says Hall. "I've met some marvelously nice people here." Guy Hall now hopes to turn the T5 trip into a sort of event, where EV drivers who make the trip in the shortest amount of time could win a trophy. If you're interested in making a similar journey, Hall has posted his route from Sacramento northward, here. Read more about Hall's journey at News Miner, or read his thread at Tesla Motors Club.

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.