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In China, Tesla Model S is missing one basic feature

There were questions about the nav system in the Tesla Model S when the vehicle launched in the US, and there are still people who don't like it. But here's the thing: the US version at least has a nav system. With the luxury electric vehicle now available in China, drivers are discovering that the car is shipping without a working navigation system at all.
As China EV blogger Alysha Webb reports, Tesla's explanation for the lack of a nav system is that "Google maps are not supported." At least the company is working on an alternative map database for the land where Google doesn't work right. We've confirmed with Tesla PR in the US that Webb's report contains an official Tesla response, which includes the following:
Currently there isn't a navigation system in Chinese Model S as Google maps are not supported in the country. However, teams are currently working on a solution with Chinese text and voice recognition. We plan to introduce navigation to Chinese cars later this year (as already communicated to our customers). Once it's available, maps will be pushed to customers' vehicles through software updates.

NHTSA denies Tesla asked for Model S fire probe

The Tesla Model S is being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after three of the models caught fire; two of the electric cars impacted debris on the road, and one was involved in a single-car accident. This much we know for sure. Just exactly how the investigation came to be, though, is up for debate.
According to Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the California-based automaker requested that the government safety agency open the investigation, saying in a blog post, "We have requested that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conduct a full investigation as soon as possible into the fire incidents. While we think it is highly unlikely, if something is discovered that would result in a material improvement in occupant fire safety, we will immediately apply that change to new cars and offer it as a free retrofit to all existing cars."
Not so fast, counters NHTSA head David Strickland. Speaking to The Detroit News, Strickland had this to say: "Investigations are independent... We have never ... actually had an automaker ask for a formal investigation, but it causes a couple of implications: If a manufacturer asks me or asks the agency for a formal investigation, you've already made a determination that you may have a defect that imposes an unreasonable risk to safety. ... I don't think that would ever happen."

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder hasn't yet signed anti-Tesla legislation

The nation's auto dealers are taking their fight against Tesla and its direct method of selling cars to consumers to the symbolic heart of the auto industry. In Michigan, a bill that would entrench the existing dealer networks and prohibit direct car sales to buyers has passed both the state's house and senate, and awaits Gov. Rick Snyder's signature. A spokesperson for Snyder says a determination on whether he'll sign the legislation has not yet been made. "Right now, the staff is doing its due diligence and studying the bill," spokesperson Dave Murray said. Snyder has until Tuesday to act on the bill. Fighting this sort of legislation is nothing new for Tesla, which has already lost such legislative fights against auto dealers in Texas, New Jersey, Maryland and other states. "We're fighting these actions as they come up," said James Chen, vice president for regulatory affairs and associate general counsel at Tesla. While Snyder's staff said the governor has not yet made up his mind, executives from Detroit's Big Three automakers and state car dealers are some of the top individual donors to his ongoing campaign to retain the governorship. Campaign records show Martha Ford has given $10,200 to the Snyder campaign, while her brother, William Clay Ford Jr., has donated $3,400. Edsel B. Ford II has also given $3,400 to Snyder, who is in a tight race against Democratic challenger Mark Schauer. Michigan car dealer magnate Paul Alandt has donated $6,800 to the Snyder campaign. His wife, Lynn Ford Alandt, daughter of Benson Ford, has donated $6,200 so far in this election cycle. Other car dealers that have given to Snyder include: Richard Garber Jr., president of Garber Chevrolet in Saginaw, Michigan; Howard Cooper, past owner of Howard Cooper Honda in Ann Arbor; Joseph Sesi, president of Sesi Motors in Ann Arbor; Michael Savoie of Savoie Chevrolet in Troy, Michigan; John Kudner of Art Moehn Chevrolet and David Fisher of The Suburban Collection, which touts itself as Michigan's largest car dealer. All have given between $2,000 and $4,000, according to election records collected by the National Institute on Money in State Politics, a nonpartisan archive of contributions to political campaigns.