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Elon Musk is NOT happy with just 150 Model S sales in China in January

There's been some debate about how Tesla is really doing in China - a cornerstone market for the California company - and whether media stories about troubles there are overblowing the situation. Just last July it was breaking quarterly records with the help of 1,000 sales in China and we called the momentum "gangbusters." Then the news trend went the opposite direction for the rest of the year, with the company's two top managers resigning and a constant rill of speculative articles laying out the various issues Tesla was having there and why it's switching up its disclosures. Well, the issue might be overblown, but there is definitely something brewing in China. Reuters was shown a transcript of an e-mail Elon Musk sent to regional managers at the end of January after they sold 120 cars for the month. Those 120 sales were on the heels of "unexpectedly weak" sales in Q4 last year, when Musk said the China situation would "be in pretty good shape probably in the middle of" 2015. In the missive he said managers could be fired or demoted if they can't show that they're "on a clear path to positive long-term cash flow." He also wrote that that specialized roles and any personnel outside of vehicle production would need to be justified because, "There is no way that we can afford to subsidize a region of any size in the long term without causing serious harm to the company." In 2013, when Tesla was ramping up for sales in China, Musk predicted that market would be about on par with the US by this year; Tesla sold almost 19,000 cars in the US last year, and a 120-unit January won't get China anywhere near those numbers. We're sure there'll be a lot of questions about the e-mail, the Chinese market, and Tesla's projections when the company holds a conference call for analysts after presenting its 2014 results later today. For one in-country assessment of Tesla's troubles, check out this piece on Car News China. We reached out to Tesla about the China email, but were told the company had no comment.

Tesla facilitating Chinese trade-ins for Model S buyers

When many people buy a new vehicle in the US, it's quite common to trade in an older model at the same time. Not only does the decision knock a little money off the purchase, but there's often not enough room for an extra car taking up room in the driveway. Now, Tesla is extending that option to some of its buyers in China in hopes that the added convenience boosts sales. According to Bloomberg, Tesla is working with used car traders in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou to help buyers dump their old vehicles. That value is then deducted from the price of the customer's new Model S. Tesla is still a rather new entrant into China but seems to be performing well. The company began selling the Model S there in April, and it only took a few months to deliver the first 1,000 vehicles. It didn't hurt that the initial pricing was lower than expected, the first 3,000 buyers in Shanghai have been eligible for a free license place, a roughly $15,000 value. According to Bloomberg, the electric automaker has opened nine stores and service locations in six Chinese cities, so far. The business is also considering opening a factory there at some point in the future. News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Wang Zhao / AFP / Getty Images Green Tesla Car Buying Car Dealers Electric Sedan trade-in

Dodge Charger Hellcat and Tesla Model S P85D in Motor Trend Head 2 Head battle

One has James Bond Mode, Insane Mode, Creep Mode, and, yes, Insane Creep Mode. The other has 707 horsepower and is a heck of a lot cheaper. But which one is the bigger American badass? We figure most people already have strong opinions on the Dodge Charger Hellcat and Tesla Model S P85D, and they aren't likely to be swayed too far in the opposite direction by another person's viewpoint. Still, we think you'll enjoy watching the video above. In it, Autoblog friend and Motor Trend "Head 2 Head" host Jonny Lieberman summons smoke, shares smiles, and spouts spiels about both cars, finally finding one just slightly more badass than the other. Which ridiculously ludicrous American sedan takes top honors? Watch above to find out. Related Gallery 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat View 142 Photos Related Gallery 2015 Tesla Model S P85D: Detroit 2015 View 18 Photos News Source: Motor Trend via YouTube Green Dodge Tesla Electric Performance Videos Sedan motor trend head 2 head dodge charger hellcat autoblog black