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Unplugged Performance Tesla Model S is a blue-sky mod

Sitting outside in the sun at the SEMA show this week was the modified Tesla Model S from Unplugged Performance . As we noted a few days ago, this company wants to be known as the "AMG of Tesla" and has made a few changes to the standard S to try and claim the title. You can read about those changes in detail here but for now we just wanted to share our shots from Las Vegas of the upgraded EV. Now that we can see things better than in the provided studio shots, the modified front end doesn't look quite as rough and the carbon-fiber nosecone has a sleek elegance to it. The car was shut, so we couldn't get a good view of the heavily modified interior. For that, take a gander at the press images in the gallery below.

Chinese Tesla Model S buyers to get free license plate... a $15k value

Tesla buyers in in Shanghai, China, are getting even more of an incentive to choose its electric sedans. Each purchase of a Model S in the city will come with a free license plate.
That might not sound very important, but Shanghai operates under a government-organized auction system to distribute plates. Last year, they were selling for as much as $15,000, according to Car News China. The measure is a way to control the number of cars on the road, which contribute to the city's bad traffic and poor air quality.
Electric cars are exempt from the auctions and get a free license plate. However, that rule only covers Chinese-made electric cars. Obviously, Tesla doesn't build cars there (at least for now). But the Shanghai government will exempt 3,000 foreign electric cars per automaker to receive free plates, according to CNC. After they are gone, the company would have to go back and ask for more.

Tesla Model S scores 5 stars in Euro NCAP crash test

If you've been aching to see more Tesla Model S crash test videos, it's your lucky day. The European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) safety agency has announced that the EV scored a 5-star safety rating in a new battery of tests. And it released the video footage for you to "enjoy," which you can do below. Five stars is the highest score that Euro NCAP hands out, and this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone who's familiar with the way the Model S handled the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) tests a year ago. Tesla says that its popular luxury EV scored five stars overall as well as "every NHTSA subcategory, including frontal impact, side impact, and rollover" and that, "only two other cars have earned the same recognition since 2011 (when NHTSA introduced its latest rating scheme)." Euro NCAP says that three vehicles that are comparable to the Model S are the Volvo V60 Plug-In Hybrid,, the Lancia Thema and the Infiniti FX. You can find the details Model S results in the gallery below or in this PDF and find out why Tesla thinks it did so well on both the American and European tests – "our holistic approach to safety" – in the press release below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Model S Achieves Euro NCAP 5-Star Safety Rating AMSTERDAM, November 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- We're pleased to announce that the Tesla Model S has received a maximum-possible 5-star safety rating from the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP). Model S is one of just a few cars to have ever achieved a 5-star safety rating from both Euro NCAP and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Additionally, Model S is the only car this year to have achieved both a 5-star Euro NCAP rating and 5 stars in every NHTSA subcategory, including frontal impact, side impact, and rollover. Only two other cars have earned the same recognition since 2011 (when NHTSA introduced its latest rating scheme). The reason so few models achieve 5-star ratings in both Europe and the U.S. is that each program places emphasis on different safety aspects in the assessment process. NHTSA emphasizes structural and restraint safety, with a deep focus on how well the vehicle can withstand and absorb the energy of an impact while protecting its occupants. It is also primarily concerned with adult occupants.