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The 10 car brands cheapest to maintain over 10 years

Buying a car can be fun and bring a lot of freedom, but things can go sideways when it comes time for repairs. Some car brands are better than others, however, and Consumer Reports recently ranked the least- and most-expensive brands for owners to repair. There are few surprises on this list, but the cheapest new car and the runner-up might come as a shock. Tesla and Buick were the cheapest new car brands to maintain and repair over 10 years, followed by Toyota, Lincoln, and Ford. 10 car brands cheapest to maintain over the next 10 years: Tesla: $4,035 Buick: $4,900 Toyota: $4,900 Lincoln: $5,040 Ford: $5,400 Chevrolet: $5,550 Hyundai: $5,640 Nissan: $5,700 Mazda: $5,800 Honda: $5,850 Consumer Reports noted that maintenance costs for some brands can look deceiving, as many offer free maintenance for a period after the purchase. New-car warranties also play a role, with the powertrain coverage spanning four or five years and 50,000 or 60,000 miles, depending on the company. It's also worth noting that Tesla only sells EVs, which don't require engine air filters, oil changes, and some other routine maintenance, lowering their average costs. Related: Cheapest electric cars Cheapest SUVs The most expensive brands to maintain might not come as a surprise, but the costs associated with owning them might. Land Rover was the worst, at $19,250 over 10 years, while Porsche came in second at $14,090. Mercedes-Benz’s average costs were $10,525 and AudiÂ’s $9,890. While this suggests that these brands need more frequent repairs over the 10-year period, it also points to higher labor and parts costs for the European automakers. If you own one of the more expensive brands to maintain and youÂ’re worrying as you read this, there are a few things you can do to prolong your vehicleÂ’s life and minimize unnecessary maintenance costs. The first is to follow the automakerÂ’s suggested maintenance periods, changing your oil, rotating tires, and doing all the “boring” stuff before it becomes a problem. ItÂ’s also a good idea to take care with the way you drive, avoiding potholes, accelerating gently, and trying not to abuse your brakes. Finally, donÂ’t modify your vehicle. Car companies spend billions on research and development, and most know better about how a vehicle is meant to operate than you do in your garage with third-party parts. Buick Tesla Auto Repair Driving Maintenance Ownership Consumer Reports

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla tour recounted, Smart using Renault electric motors

A man recounts his recent Tesla factory tour in a new video. When Michael Brown toured Tesla's Fremont facility on September 10, he learned a bit about the production process, saw the enormous stamping equipment Toyota left behind, and even caught a glimpse of the finished Model X SUV. Brown was told very few people in the factory had seen the production version of the Model X. Check out the video above, and read more Teslarati. Johnson Controls is expanding production capacity for Absorbent Glass Mat batteries for fuel-saving stop-start systems. With the market for stop-start batteries possibly growing from 22 million to 56 million by 2020, Johnson is investing $555 million from 2011 to 2020 to be able to build more batteries in the US, Germany and, China. The company is planning to build a $200-million battery plant in Shenyang, China capable of producing 6 million batteries per year. "Johnson Controls is currently the world's leading provider of batteries for Start-Stop vehicles and we plan to stay that way," says Johnson's Lisa Bahash. Read more at Green Car Congress. Renault will provide electric motors for the new Smart ED. The electric versions of the Smart Fourtwo and Forfour will use the same motor as Renault's Zoe EV. The batteries for the Smart cars will be manufactured by Daimler's own Deutsche ACCUmotive. The Renault-powered Smart Fortwo and Forfour Electric Drive are slated to go on sale in 2016. Renault and Daimler have had a working alliance responsible for 13 projects since 2010. Read more from Automotive News Europe. Related Gallery Tesla Factory News Source: Teslarati, YouTube: Michael Brown, Green Car Congress, Automotive News Europe Green Plants/Manufacturing smart Tesla Renault Electric Hybrid Videos recharge wrapup

Cost to drop 691 horsepower in your Tesla Model S P85D? $14,600

Not mentioned during the much-hyped announcement event last night for the Tesla Model S Dual Motor "D" and Autopilot "A" options were how much those advancements will cost. Today, Tesla updated the Model S order page and those pesky little numbers are now available. As it turns out, opting for all of the features mentioned last night will add over $18,000 to the price of your $93,400 Model S P85. To get all of the benefits mentioned last night will add over $18,000 to the price of your Model S. Let's start by revealing the D's price. To add the second-motor to either the 60- or the 85-kWh Model S costs $4,000. That drops the 0-60 time by 0.2 seconds and ups the top speed by five miles per hour in the 60 (to 125 mph) and 30 mph in the 85 (to 155 mph). Interestingly, the overall horsepower output (according to Tesla) is 4 hp lower (376 compared to 380), but the car apparently gets the speed benefits by putting 188 hp on each axle. On the P85D, everything's different. Here, Tesla isn't just dividing the motor into two smaller versions. Instead, the old 470-hp motor is replaced by a "High Performance Dual Motor" setup that has a total output of 691 hp, 221 hp in the front and 470 hp in back. That's how you get the headline 3.2-second 0-60 time alongside the same 155 mph top speed, but the price tag jumps to $14,600 for the setup. Tesla CEO Elon Musk said last night that the tremendous drop in 0-60 time gets you 10 miles of extra range from the dual-motor setup. But if you don't need the quickness, you can go even further. Without the dual motors, an 85-kWh battery Model S can go 265 miles (EPA numbers). The standard 85D gets its range increased to 295 miles at 65 mph (according to Tesla's numbers) while the quicker P85D can "only" go 275 miles. Dual-motor Model S versions will begin deliveries in February 2015. The A option, officially called the "Tech Package with Autopilot," costs $4,250. This is the way that you can get your Model S to drive itself (on private property) and act as an active safety net to your own driving on public roads. Since all Model S EVs now come standard with a new forward-looking camera, radar and 360-degree ultrasonic sensors, the "Autopilot" part of the package would appear to be mostly a software switch. The rest of the package is rounded out by things like seven years of free navigation map updates, LED running lights, memory seats and more.