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Tesla exec calls rival EVs 'little more than appliances'

Tesla's Vice President of Business Development Diarmuid O'Connell called the company's competition "little more than appliances" at the Center for Automotive Research's Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City, MI yesterday. "In essence, [mainstream automakers] delivered little more than appliances," O' Connell said. "Now, appliances are useful. But they tend to be white. They tend to be unemotional." According to Automotive News, O'Connell's main critique is that vehicles like the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3 don't deliver enough performance or range to draw the attention of consumers outside of a small group. The solution, in O'Connell's mind, is more power, more range, more excitement and a lower price – that last point is particularly rich coming from an automaker whose cheapest current offering, the Model S 60, costs $66,000 – although the cheaper Model 3 is on the horizon, way out there, somewhere. But some EVs are better than none, O'Connell added. "On balance, I'm happier that [traditional automakers are] doing these cars than not," O'Connell said. "I just wish they would do them better and faster." O'Connell also used his appearance at the Management Briefing Seminars to launch a volley at the Michigan legislature, blaming its opposition to Tesla's direct-sales model for the lack of available EVs in the Wolverine State. "I think if the Michigan Legislature would allow Tesla to sell cars in Michigan, we could probably address [the lack of available electric cars]," O'Connell said. Related Video:

Question of the Day: Most heinous act of badge engineering?

Badge engineering, in which one company slaps its emblems on another company's product and sells it, has a long history in the automotive industry. When Sears wanted to sell cars, a deal was made with Kaiser-Frazer and the Sears Allstate was born. Iranians wanted new cars in the 1960s, and the Rootes Group was happy to offer Hillman Hunters for sale as Iran Khodro Paykans. Sometimes, though, certain badge-engineered vehicles made sense only in the 26th hour of negotiations between companies. The Suzuki Equator, say, which was a puzzling rebadge job of the Nissan Frontier. How did that happen? My personal favorite what-the-heck-were-they-thinking example of badge engineering is the 1971-1973 Plymouth Cricket. Chrysler Europe, through its ownership of the Rootes Group, was able to ship over Hillman Avanger subcompacts for sale in the US market. This would have made sense... if Chrysler hadn't already been selling rebadged Mitsubishi Colt Galants (as Dodge Colts) and Simca 1100s as (Simca 1204s) in its American showrooms. Few bought the Cricket, despite its cheery ad campaign. So, what's the badge-engineered car you find most confounding? Chrysler Dodge Automakers Mitsubishi Nissan Suzuki Automotive History question of the day badge engineering question

Nissan recalls 76k Rogues for faulty fuel pumps

Nissan is recalling 76,242 units of the 2014 Rogue with production dates between June 11, 2013 and June 7, 2014, because of faulty fuel pumps. According to the advisory from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the nickel plating in the part can come loose and bind up the impeller. With the pump no longer working, the vehicle might not start or there could be a stall when driving. According to the documents submitted to NHTSA (available here in PDF format), Nissan received the first report a Rogue not starting in March 2014. The automaker and fuel pump supplier Bosch monitored the situation. As more incidents occurred, they instituted this recall. Nissan is clear in saying that even if a stall occurs, electrical power remains to leave the air bags functional. To fix the problem the automaker is replacing the fuel pump on the affected Rogues with a new one at no charge to owners, and the company expects this process to begin in April. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Improper Plating on Fuel Pump may Result in Stall Report Receipt Date: APR 03, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V197000 Component(s): FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE Potential Number of Units Affected: 76,242 All Products Associated with this Recall Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) NISSAN ROGUE 2014 Details Manufacturer: Nissan North America, Inc. SUMMARY: Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) is recalling certain model year 2014 Nissan Rogue vehicles manufactured June 11, 2013, to June 7, 2014. Improper nickel plating of components within the fuel pump may result in the fuel pump failing. CONSEQUENCE: If the fuel pump fails, the vehicle may stall without warning, increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in April 2015. Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. Featured Gallery 2014 Nissan Rogue View 60 Photos News Source: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, [2]Image Credit: Nissan Recalls Nissan Safety nissan rogue