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Automaker interest in open Tesla EV patents is decidedly lukewarm

Tesla Motors made big headlines when CEO Elon Musk announced a few weeks ago that he would open up all of the automaker's patents. The response has been interesting, to say the least, with some electric vehicle advocates and investor groups praising the news and others saying that what Musk did wasn't all that big a deal, in the end. "No major car company would be foolish enough to use Tesla's patents." – Motley Fool The Motley Fool, for example, says that the patents themselves are not all that revealing since, "There often is only so much information that you can get from a patent. Only Tesla knows how to put it all together in a cost-effective manner." And who's to say that once you dig into the patents, they won't be outdated? A search of the US Patent Office reveals 1,444 patents for "Tesla and motors" including some from inventor Nikola Tesla and other sources. The Washington Post says Tesla Motors itself only has around 300 patents. The Motley Fool also notes that Musk's statement was not a legal document and that, "no major car company would be foolish enough to use Tesla's patents based on some undefined words in a blog post by one executive who may not even be working at Tesla in five years." Then there's the fact that the battery technology that Tesla uses, linking up thousands of small format cells from Panasonic, is not something most other automakers have expressed an interest in. The cell patents belong to Panasonic and most automakers use larger format cells anyway. Still, there is some excitement over the announcement in the EV space. The most concrete evidence we have of a major global OEM working with Tesla are the stories about BMW and Nissan meeting with Tesla in secret to discuss charging technology. Details are sadly lacking, but BMW of North America's product and technology communications manager, Matthew Russell, told AutoblogGreen, "We can confirm that BMW Group executives met on June 11th, 2014 with Tesla executives. Both companies are strongly committed to the success of electric vehicles and discussed how to further strengthen the development of electro mobility on an international level. We are interested in the success of electro mobility, but we cannot comment on the business announcements from other companies." But the news has been greeted with a lukewarm 'meh' from most of the rest of the automotive industry.

Pennsylvania, Tesla approach five-store compromise [UPDATE]

In the Keystone State, the compromise number between zero and unlimited is five, apparently. Pennsylvania's Senate applied that math in an attempt to resolve the issue of allowing Tesla Motors to operate company-owned stores in the state. The senate this week unanimously voted for a bill that will allow Tesla's operations, but placed a limit on the number of stores at five. The bill will now go to the state's House for approval, according to Automotive News. Earlier this month, trade group the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers went on record against the lack of limits on Tesla-owned stores in Pennsylvania. While the group was neutral on the issue of whether Tesla could work around the traditional third-party dealership network to sell its electric vehicles, the group said allowing Tesla to own an unlimited number of stores in the state created an unfair advantage for the California-based automaker. The trade group is now on board with bill as currently drafted because the store limit is similar to that of nearby states such as Ohio and New York. Tesla has one store in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, with another slated for Devon. *UPDATE: Diarmuid O'Connell, Tesla's vice president of corporate and business development, wrote in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen that the company was "pleased" with the Pennsylvania's senate vote, and that the state's bill "serves the interests of Pennsylvania's consumers while enabling all parties, including lawmakers and auto dealers, to avoid unnecessary and potentially protracted conflict."

Ford 1.0L takes third-straight International Engine of the Year award

Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost is proving to be The Little Engine That Could, and it continues to acquit itself well, finding favor as one of the best powerplants in the world. To confirm it yet again, the tiny mill just won the International Engine of the Year award for the third year in a row, likewise also nabbing the title in the Sub 1.0-liter category.
Packing 123 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque with overboost (125 lb-ft normally), the tiny engine combines impressive power in a size small enough to be a carry-on item for a commercial flight. US buyers only got a taste of the award winner in the 2014 Fiesta, while the 1.0 EcoBoost has been available throughout the Ford lineup in Europe for a few years now. American sales have reportedly been strong, however, and next up in the US, the mill will find its way into the 2015 Focus.
The panel of 82 jury members from 34 countries also named the Mercedes-AMG 2.0-liter turbo found in the A45, CLA45 and GLA45 AMG models with 355 hp and 332 lb-ft as the best New Engine for 2014. The electric powertrain from Tesla won Green Engine prize, and the 4.5-liter V8 from the Ferrari 458 Italia took home the honor of top Performance Engine yet again. You can check out all the winners below, and scroll down further to read Ford's celebratory announcement of its award.

MindDrive cruises California with 1972 Karmann Ghia EV

If you need a bit of inspirational EV goodness, spend some time watching the collection of videos we've got for you from Minddrive. Minddrive, as you might remember, is the education mentorship program that "uses real-world issues of our times to teach urban students critical thinking, creativity, entrepreneurship and how to improve their future by expanding their vision for themselves." The focus was on a fully restored 1972 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. Well, restored and converted to electric power. The students previously worked on the Lola EV but this year the focus was on a fully restored 1972 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. Well, restored and then converted to electric power. In early June, almost 50 Minddrive students and mentors flew from Kansas City to California to visit the epicenter of electric vehicles in the US on something called the "Raise Your Hand Tour." Filmmakers Mark Honer and Kelly Creech from DHTV Digital were along for the ride. The videos below show the students flying from to Oakland, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, presenting the Karmann Ghia at the California Academy of Sciences and then visiting the Monterey Bay EV Club, Google, Twitter and Telsa. All of this EV engagement apparently worked. One of the students, identified only as Xavier, wrote a poem and essay about what the electric vehicle project meant to him. Here's a tease: "Minddrive has honestly opened my eyes to sights and things I would have never thought possible. I have finally found the right path to follow." Read the whole thing below, after the videos. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. I used to think that I would never be able to achieve to a greater rank. Always thought that power was given to people with a big bank. Never could imagine that my life would be amazing. Felt that my whole existence was around the weed blazing.

Recharge Wrap-up: Japan supports hydrogen, Fools against fuel cells, BlueIndy controversy

Japan hopes to expand the use of hydrogen energy by subsidizing fuel cell vehicles, according to The Japan News. The trade ministry plans to include the subsidies in its 2015 budget to coincide with the expected launch of Toyota's Fuel Cell Vehicle and the Honda FCEV hydrogen car. By jump-starting purchases of hydrogen cars, Japan hopes that innovation and mass-production will get a boost and the cost of fuel cell vehicles will be competitive with gasoline-powered models by the year 2025. Japan plans to have 100 hydrogen fueling locations operating by March 2016, and wants to halve the cost of building those stations by 2020. The amount of the subsidies has not yet been set. Investing website The Motley Fool isn't quite as optimistic as Japan about hydrogen cars, and is instead bullish about Tesla Motors. The Fool points to Tesla's strong stock performance, and predicts future growth will come from more car models in the future - starting with the Model X - as well as the company's proposed Gigafactory for manufacturing batteries. If Tesla's charging technology continues to catch on, that only improves its financial prospects. The article has some harsh words, however, for hydrogen: "Fuel cells are an inferior automotive technology and for fundamental efficiency, cost, and infrastructure reasons always will be mere compliance gimmicks." Yeesh. As part of a program to build charging stations for the Indianapolis EV carsharing service BlueIndy, utility company Indianapolis Power & Light (IPL) wants to raise its electricity rates an average of 44 cents a month per residential customer to help pay for its share of the project. State consumer advocacy agency Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor and consumer watchdog group Citizens Action Coalition oppose the plan, according to Greenfield, Indiana's Daily Reporter. The BlueIndy program, which is a partnership between the city of Indianapolis and battery manufacturer Bollore Group, will provide up to 500 cars for rent at 25 charging sites around the city. Those who oppose the rate hike call IPL a monopoly and say the amount of the increase is not allowed under state law and that the program wouldn't benefit working class and low-income citizens. A hearing regarding IPL's proposal is scheduled for July 23. A Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV will run the 2014 Asia Cross Country Rally, Hybrid Cars reports. The rally covers 1,367 miles of woods, swamps and mountains from Thailand to Cambodia.

AAA says Tesla Model S is the best green car available

AAA has released its 2014 Green Car Guide (PDF), a 140-page document that discusses what it means to be green, how to be a greener driver, how to shop for green cars, what choices are available and what green cars are on the horizon. Most importantly, the guide evaluates and ranks 83 different green vehicles, from high-mileage gasoline vehicles to battery electric cars, and everything in between. This year's king of green vehicles, according to AAA, is the Tesla Model S. Despite some interpreting this to mean that AAA is calling the Tesla Model S (with 85-kWh battery) the greenest car, the scoring system only includes two "green" categories out of the 13 evaluated: emissions and fuel economy; the Tesla earns 10 out of 10 in both, but so do every other EV on the list. The other categories include braking, crashworthiness, visibility, slalom handling, ride quality, interior noise, acceleration, ease of entry and exit, interior size, turning circle and luggage capacity. The Model S scored very well (more than 7 out of 10 points) in every category except the last four mentioned. So, this isn't about whether the Tesla is the greenest of the lot. Instead, it's about the AAA deeming it the best all-around car of the green bunch. The best green car value is the gasoline-powered Chevrolet Spark 1LT at $229 per point. AAA also calculates the cost per point for the 83 cars tested. The best green car value, according to this evaluation, is the gasoline-powered Chevrolet Spark 1LT at $229 per point. The Tesla Model S is in the bottom five, at $953 per point. So while the Tesla might be AAA's best green car, those points don't come cheap. In terms of the greenest car available, there are other evaluations out there. For instance, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released its own list earlier this year, using broader methods for evaluating what makes a car green, including emissions, fuel economy, curb weight and battery weight (the latter two are used to inform environmental impact of production and disposal). Their top three green cars are the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, Toyota Prius C and Nissan Leaf. The Tesla Model S isn't even in the top 10. Oh, and let's not forget Green Car Journal's Green Car Of The Year, the Honda Accord. Still, which car would you rather drive every day?

Tesla does Dallas

Despite not being allowed to actually sell cars on site - or even offer a test drive - Tesla has opened its newest venue in Texas. As of Friday, NorthPark Center mall in Dallas is home to the newest Tesla Gallery. Don't call it a Store! Employees at the gallery can't even discuss pricing. The 2,200-square-foot gallery lets interested parties learn more about the California-based electric car company, and even sit behind the wheel of a Tesla Model S. Texas law prohibits manufacturers to sell directly to the customer, though which is the business model for Tesla. Employees at the gallery can't even discuss pricing. They can, however, explain the technology, and direct potential customers to their website where they can make a reservation at home. Let's call it a hands-on advertisement. "Our galleries create strong awareness for our product," Tesla Spokesperson Alexis Georgeson told Automotive News. "[They] are our advertising." Other Tesla owners in Texas, of which there are nearly 2,000, help pick up the slack, too, some even offering test drives to strangers, she said. Since Texas law restricts selling cars without a franchised dealership, taking delivery of a Model S is a bit of a process. After purchasing online or by phone, the car is delivered from out of state by a third party. The vehicle is registered out-of-state as well, and customers must then register the car in Texas after taking ownership. When they do that, they must also pay the entirety of the Texas sales tax on the vehicle, as well as the price of the aspirin required for the accompanying headache. Without franchised dealerships, repair options are also limited for Tesla owners in Texas. Tesla does have local subsidiaries that do repair work, but customers must first call Tesla Motors in California, who will decide what repair work is necessary before being sending the customer to the service center. Even then, employees aren't allowed to discuss additional repair needs with customers, or even advertise that they do warranty work. Currently, Tesla has three of these subcontracted service centers in Texas, in Austin, Houston and Dallas, with a San Antonio location on the way. Last year, a bill was introduced to exempt Tesla from Texas's law banning factory-owned dealerships, but it didn't get to the House floor before the end of session. According to Georgeson, Tesla will try again to overturn the law when legislators reconvene next year.

Morgan Stanley says Tesla is world's most important automaker [w/poll]

If you had to choose one automaker, out of the dozens out there on the marketplace, to identify as the single most important in the world, which would it be? Toyota, the world's largest automaker? General Motors, which once laid claim to the same and is still the largest in America? Volkswagen, the largest in Europe? Or maybe Hyundai, which has risen like a phoenix from the proverbial ashes to become the fourth largest in the world? Nope, nope and nope, says financial services company Morgan Stanley: it's Tesla.
The potentially startling conclusion came in the form of an investment report cited by the LA Times and issued by Morgan Stanley research analyst Adam Jones, who wrote that "Tesla Motors has transformed from a fledgling start-up to arguably the most important car company in the world."
To back up the claim, Jones asserts that Tesla is not only an emerging force to be reckoned with in its own right, but has also spurred other, more established automakers to take electric vehicles (and their champion) more seriously. It's also prompted local governments to solicit Tesla to build its new gigafactory in their state, and encompasses more US content than any other car on the road.

Will Audi surprise us with an all-electric SUV?

Audi may be looking to get seriously competitive in the electric vehicle market, according to a report from Reuters. The company has plans prepared for a range of EVs that would compete with the likes of BMW and Tesla. In a market where innovation is seen as valuable, getting on board with electrification could help Audi avoid appearing out of step with the rest of the crowd (and the market), with analysts predicting a sharp uptick in battery-powered cars in the next several years. Building on the E-Tron line, which already includes the A3 E-Tron, Audi will begin offering an electric version of its R8 supercar in Europe next year. According to two confidential sources at Audi, the company also has plans for high-performance electric sedans and SUVs. It appears as though Audi is taking direct aim at Tesla with alternatives to the current Model S and the upcoming Model X SUV. Advantage: Audi? Without getting into too many specifics about such plans, the sources did confirm the existence of blueprints for an Audi Q8 E-Tron. Audi has said that any future electric cars would have a target range of 400 kilometers (about 249 miles), but previous reports suggest that the Q8 E-Tron could have a range of about 370 miles. That could be a serious challenge for Tesla. Advantage: Audi? All the German automakers have electric tricks up their sleeves. BMW has its i line, with the i3 making headway and the i8 expected to sell well. Mercedes-Benz has gotten into the game the B-Class Electric Drive. Also, its parent company Daimler has a stake in Tesla. Now, Audi appears poised to launch its own diverse electric fleet, and the next move might just be an SUV. And while this added competition might seem like tough news for Tesla, the proliferation of EVs, and the growing infrastructure that goes along with it, is more likely a tide that raises all (electric) ships - something that Elon Musk seems to understand very well.

Tesla prepping Supercharger network for big growth across Europe

It'd be a nice life to be able to tour across Europe in a Tesla Model S. And that's something the California-based electric-vehicle maker is looking to enable by the end of the year. We're ready. Who's got the key fob? Tesla opened three Supercharger stations in Germany on Thursday and is aiming to string enough together to let drivers roam across the continent purely by Supercharger power by the end of 2014, Bloomberg News says. The company now has 23 Superchargers in Europe, including nine in Germany and six in Norway. Those high-powered stations can half-charge a Model S in about 20 minutes. Tesla has 97 Superchargers in North America. Tesla's most recent Supercharger deployments across the Pond merely reinforces Tesla chief Elon Musk's pledges earlier this year to ensure that all European Tesla owners would be within reach of a Supercharger by year-end, Tesla spokeswoman Liz Jarvis-Shean wrote in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen. Musk said in March that Tesla drivers would be "able to travel almost anywhere in Europe using only Superchargers" by the end of 2014. Earlier this month, Tesla started deliveries of right-hand-drive Model S sedans in the UK. Additionally, Musk estimated that the company would open a factory in Europe once annual sales on the continent reached 160,000 units. By all accounts, that's likely to be a long way off. Earlier this year, Tesla dropped the price of the Model S in Europe, though the company said that move was due to the strengthening Euro and not because of any demand issues.