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Arizona may soon allow direct Tesla EV sales

Arizona was one of a handful of states in the southwestern US to lose out on getting Tesla Motors' massive gigafactory (Nevada won those honors last year). But one can't exactly accuse state legislators of being sore losers. That's because some Arizona politicos are looking to free up state laws and allow for direct automaker-to-consumer sales for the electric vehicles, says Hybrid Cars. Last week, Arizona's House Commerce Committee voted in favor House Bill (HB 2216), which gets the state at least one step towards the approval of Tesla sales. The catch is that, for one, Tesla can't have an established relationship with a dealer (we don't think that's an issue), and, two, Tesla will have to build a service center in Arizona for repairs, recalls or warranty issues. "Consumers should be allowed the choice of how they wish to purchase their vehicles and the Commerce Committee vote validates that choice," Tesla spokeswoman Alexis Georgeson wrote in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen. "Tesla looks forward to working with legislators as this bill moves through the legislative process." For now, though, Arizona remains in the same boat as Michigan (home to the Big Three US automakers), Texas (which is fiercely protective of its existing dealership interests) and New Jersey in barring Tesla sales within its borders. A number of other states, such as Georgia and Connecticut, continue to be in play in terms of working on laws that may allow for Tesla to sell to its citizens.

Tesla wants to hackproof the Model S

Apparently, Tesla Motors is abiding by the wise words of Chinese military general Sun Tzu to keep its friends close and its enemies closer. The tech-heavy electric vehicle maker attended the recent Def Con conference in Las Vegas, The Wall Street Journal reports, in order to learn about computer-security advances and to attract hackers. Come and get it. But Tesla's there for good reason. The California-based automaker is looking to hire at least 30 hackers from the conference (which is chock full of hacking competitions), according to the Journal. Kristin Paget, Tesla's self-described "hacker princess," notes that with the automotive industry increasingly relying on networked communications for features ranging from on-board entertainment to parallel-parking controls, automakers are very vulnerable to whims of expert hackers. Tesla has a built-in way to play defense since it already regularly sends out wireless software updates for its Model S sedan. In February, Tesla hired Paget away from Apple Computer to improve its virtual shields. Paget previously worked at Microsoft, specifically with its Vista operating system, before joining Apple in 2012. She once gained notoriety for writing a manual on how to build a fake cell tower that was capable of intercepting mobile-phone calls, so she's got a good eye for these things.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla's new wheels, BMW Smart Transport Robots

Tesla has added a new standard wheel option for the Model S. The electric carmaker updated its configurator to include the 19-inch "Slipstream" wheels, replacing the standard five-spoke wheels. The Slipstream wheels look somewhat similar to the larger Turbine wheels Tesla also offers in the Model S. Recent deliveries may have included the new wheels, and one Redditor said he was surprised to find them on his new Model S. Customers can still opt for the 21-inch Turbine wheels or the 19-inch Cyclone wheels for additional cost. Read more from Teslarati. A scam artist who pled guilty to fraud for selling credits for biodiesel he didn't produce has been sentenced to more than 10 years in prison. Philip Rivkin will spend 121 months in prison with three years of supervised release, and is required to forfeit $51 million and pay $87 million in restitution. Rivkin pled guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of making a false statement under the Clean Air Act. "Today we take another big step toward upholding the integrity of an important program that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and promotes energy independence," says EPA Assistant Administrator Cynthia Giles. She adds, "This sentence deters would-be violators and helps protect responsible companies that follow the rules." Read more from the US Department of Justice. BMW will launch its On-Street Parking Information service this year. By the end of 2016, the service will allow drivers in the US and Germany to find open parking spaces through their navigation system. It uses movement data of cars entering or leaving parking spaces to predict areas that are more likely to have vacant parking and direct drivers to those areas. Besides offering convenience, On-Street Parking Information could help save fuel that cars use while the driver searches for parking. BMW says trials in major cities have already delivered "reliable results." Read more at Green Car Congress. BMW is developing autonomous robots that move parts around its factories. The Smart Transport Robots can make their way to rolling parts containers and deliver them to where they need to be on the factory floor. The robots use radio transmitters and a digital map to navigate around the factory, but BMW plans to eventually upgrade to a more accurate 3D camera system. Powered by retired BMW i3 batteries, the robots have enough charge to last an eight-hour shift. According to BMW Vice President of Foreign Supply Dr.