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Recharge Wrap-up: Georgia gets E15, new PSA EVs will be cheaper and offer more range

What would it be like to test drive a gasoline-powered car in an EV-dominated world? A post by Tibor Blomhall at Tesla Club Sweden gives a glimpse into this alternate universe. The review begins by noticing the pushiness of the dealer at the "repair shop" that sells the car, which is cause for suspicion - a clear nod to Tesla's lack of such franchise dealerships. Of course, the author mentions the noise, vibration and the smell of the exhaust. He notes the inefficiency of the idling vehicle and its less-than-smooth operation, particularly when it comes to changing gears. The one plus: refueling is quick. The downsides, though, are that the fuel is toxic, dangerous and expensive, and you can't refuel at home. "Imagine if you could charge your electric car only at the power companies' most expensive fast chargers - and nowhere else!" Read more at Tesla Club Sweden. Georgia's first E15 station opens Friday, May 8. The Gulf Quick Stop Food Store at 855 S Cobb Drive SE in Marietta, Georgia will offer the 88-octane E15 ethanol blend. Two other Gulf locations in Madison and Greensboro will also offer E15 in Georgia. Customers at the Marietta location can enjoy "Happy Hour" pricing from 4 to 5 pm on May 8, and festivities include music, a concert ticket giveaway, face painting and a moon walk. State officials will be present for the celebration. Read more at Domestic Fuel. PSA/Peugeot-Citroen says its second-generation EVs will be less expensive and offer more range (surprise). The company is also planning to launch a plug-in hybrid in 2019 using the company's EMP2 platform, shared by the Peugeot 308 and Citroen C4 Picasso. "PSA will make pure electric cars from the bottom of the market upwards based on the new platform by the end of the decade," says a PSA spokesman. As for the plug-in hybrid, PSA CEO Carlos Tavares says, "We have completed the architectural aspects and are currently deciding on the battery technology." Read more from Automotive News Europe. Related Gallery 2014 Peugeot 308: Frankfurt 2013 View 23 Photos News Source: Domestic Fuel, Automotive News Europe, Tesla Club SwedenImage Credit: Citroen Green Tesla Citroen Peugeot Alternative Fuels Ethanol Electric recharge wrapup

Analyst slashes Tesla sales forecast by 40% due to fuel prices

While falling gas prices are cause for celebration among Americans, many of whom are seeing their budget for Christmas presents burgeon on account of the cheap fuel, it's decidedly bad news for Tesla Motors. The electric car manufacturer's fortunes are being seriously impacted by the low cost of petrol, with one of the firm's biggest fans on Wall Street, Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas, now slashing his expectations for the Palo Alto, CA-based company. Jonas has a long record of being bullish on the brand, but that hasn't stopped him from lowering his forecast for the company by a whopping 40 percent. In other words, Jonas thinks Tesla will only be able to sell 300,000 vehicles by the end of the decade rather than the half a million that was originally forecast. "While nobody buying a Model S today is doing so to save on their monthly expenses, the longer-term story is far more dependent on the volume success of the Model 3," Jonas wrote, according to CNN Money. "Oil price is a factor for Model 3." Gas prices might not be the only factor that could hurt the Model 3, though. Jonas seems to think that Tesla won't be able to sell its more affordable model for anything less than $60,000, which is a far cry from the $35,000 price that the company has targeted. Jonas doesn't elaborate on why Tesla might miss its target so drastically, but it does help to explain his bearish attitude – if gas prices remain low, there's not really any incentive for customers to join the Tesla family. That's doubly true when the cost of joining said family is twice as much as expected.

Governor Rick Perry backs bid for Tesla Stores in Texas

It's funny how the prospect of a $5-billion investment in a state has the ability to focus minds. Take Texas, for example. The Lone Star State has long had laws prohibiting automakers from selling directly to consumers, even if the manufacturer didn't already sell through franchise dealerships. Last year, a bill went to the legislature that would have allowed Tesla Motors to sell directly to its customers, but despite entreaties and a visit from CEO Elon Musk, lawmakers didn't pass it. Sure, Texans can still buy the a Model S, but the process is a bit cumbersome. With the prospect of an expensive battery gigafactory and the jobs it would bring, however, Texas Governor Rick Perry taken to the airwaves cable news outlet Fox Business to make his supportive position known. To be fair, the one-time Republican Presidential hopeful has been in favor of Tesla's sales model for some time. The difference now is he is being proactively vocal about it. Appearing on Opening Bell with Maria Bartiromo, Perry spent close to eight minutes pitching a new approach to dealership laws in his state, at one point referring to the traditional dealer model as "antiquated" and encouraging legislators to have an "open and thoughtful" conversation and decide whether or not they want to lead the country when it comes to manufacturing. If you think that he has become warm and fuzzy about environmental issues, Perry reminds us after a brief discussion on 2014 and 2016 elections – yes, he may run again – that he has no qualms about continuing to rely on fossil fuels, stating that he thinks the most important thing the federal government can do to impact the economy right now is to "say yes" to the Keystone XL pipeline. You can view the segment in its entirety be simply scrolling below.