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Recharge Wrap-up: Ferrock a carbon-negative cement substitute, Audi makes e-diesel

A cement alternative uses recycled materials and traps CO2 rather than producing it. Invented by David Stone at the University of Arizona, Ferrock uses recycled steel dust and glass to produce a substance stronger than conventional concrete. Cement has a high carbon footprint from the high heat needed to process the limestone. Ferrock needs no such heat, and it actually uses CO2 to harden, making it, as Stone calls it, a carbon-negative material. Learn more in the video above, see the transcript at PBS NewsHour and read more at Green Car Reports. Teslarati offers a detailed rundown of Tesla's new Valet Mode feature for the Model S. Part of the Firmware 6.2 update, Valet Mode allows the owner to disable certain performance features and block personal information when letting someone else drive the car. It limits the car's to speed to 70 miles per hour, and caps output at 80 kW. It can also disable mobile app access, Homelink, Bluetooth and wifi and the "Places" function, which stores addresses for you. The folks at Teslarati did find some shortcomings in the new feature, though. Read more at Teslarati. Audi has produced its first batch of e-diesel made from water and CO2. The fuel is made by reacting hydrogen from the water with CO2 to make long-chain hydrocarbon compounds called "blue crude." That can then be refined similarly to crude oil to make e-diesel, which is a fuel free from sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbons. That e-diesel can be used on its own, or mixed with fossil fuel diesel to power a vehicle. "In developing Audi e-diesel we are promoting another fuel based on CO2 that will allow long-distance mobility with virtually no impact on the climate," says Audi Head of Sustainable Product Development Reiner Mangold. Read more in the press release below. Fuel of the future: Research facility in Dresden produces first batch of Audi e-diesel - The verdict: Pilot plant produces high-quality diesel fuel - No need for mineral oil: e-diesel made from water, CO2 and green power - Minister Wanka: "Synthetic diesel using CO2 is a huge success" Audi has taken another big step in the development of new, CO2 neutral fuels: A pilot plant in Dresden has started production of the synthetic fuel Audi e diesel. After a commissioning phase of just four months, the research facility in Dresden started producing its first batches of high-quality diesel fuel a few days ago. To demonstrate its suitability for everyday use, Federal Minister of Education and Research Prof.

Elon Musk says Model S demand in China could require new plant there

It's not exactly news when Tesla Motors chief Elon Musk talks big, but his prediction that sales of the Model S electric vehicle in China will require the California-based company to build a factory there is pretty substantial. Musk tells Bloomberg News that Tesla's sales in China could equal those in the US as soon as 2015. Could is the operative word here, though, since he backed off a tad by calling his production more "low fidelity" than firm. Still, Musk says demand will be strong enough that a factory in China could become a reality in the near future. Tesla recently set the price for the Model S in China at at about $121,000, which is about a 50-percent price premium compared to the US. And while that sounds steep, the extra cost is actually less than the doubling (relative to US) that usually happens when cars and trucks are imported in China. Looks like Musk wants to sell some cars in the People's Republic. Tesla finished strong in the US last year, moving about 6,900 of its battery-electric Model S sedans during the last three months of 2013. That made it the best-selling US plug-in vehicle during the fourth quarter. We'll be tracking when that same feat is achieved in China.

Panasonic not sure about Tesla Gigafactory commitment; Texas dealers wary, too

Just about the entire US southwest is ready to jump into the financial bed with Tesla Motors as the electric-vehicle maker looks for a place to put its massive "gigafactory." But lithium-ion battery maker Panasonic? Not so much, says Bloomberg News. Panasonic President Kazuhiro Tsuga spoke to a group of reporters in Tokyo and said he strategically understood the need for Tesla to go large-scale with its factory production, especially as it prepares to debut an SUV as well as a model that will be priced at about half of what a Model S costs. But, he added cautiously, there will be significant risk involved in the investment and his company hasn't committed to its involvement just yet. Texas dealers are already sounding the alarm against changing franchise laws to woo the battery plant. Panasonic or not, Tesla is taking the "go big or go home" approach to a factory that it says will cost about $5 billion ($2 billion already committed from Tesla itself) and may support 6,500 jobs. That latter point has states such as Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas tripping over themselves to figure out the financial incentives necessary to be the further production base for California-based Tesla. Texas auto dealers are already sounding the alarm against changing the state's franchise laws to woo the automaker's battery plant. An open letter sent by the Texas Automobile Dealers Association says it does not believe, "that economic development efforts to bring any business to Texas should in any way be connected to changing established laws in Texas for the singular benefit of any one company. ... We believe this sets a bad precedent for future economic development efforts by linking them to special interest changes in law." Last fall, Tesla expanded its battery-production agreement with Panasonic, saying at the time that Panasonic would provide almost 2 million automotive-grade battery cells for the Model S and Model X during the next four years.