tesla

Tesla begins assembling beta versions of Model S

Tesla's Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen and Model S Program Director Jerome Guillen announced on the company's blog that they've begun working on Beta versions of the Model S sedan.

Tesla is breaking up the vehicle's development into two stages: Alpha and Beta. Earlier this year Tesla revealed the Alpha version of the electric sedan. In a recent blog post on the company's Web site, von Holzhausen and Guillen said that they've begun assembling the Beta versions of the vehicle to help them prepare for the preproduction of the vehicle that is expected to … Read more

Tesla sees $100 million from electric RAV4 deal

Tesla Motors today said that it has signed an agreement worth $100 million to supply electric power train equipment to Toyota.

In a regulatory filing, Tesla said that it will supply the battery, charging system, inverter, motor, and related software to power Toyota's planned electric version of its RAV4. Toyota plans to sell the small SUV to both consumer and residential customers next year.

Toyota took a $50 million stake in Tesla last year and signed an agreement to use Tesla's electric power train in the electric RAV4. In Tesla's filing, it said production of the electric … Read more

Tesla's next act: Cheaper electric cars...and a profit?

Tesla Motors can design cool-looking electric cars. Now it has to show the world that it can steer its finances just as well.

CEO Elon Musk said this week that Telsa's iconic Roadster electric sports car will no longer be on sale in the U.S. within a few months, marking a turning point for the company which helped catalyze an industry-wide technology shift to electric propulsion.

The move will cut off Tesla's main revenue source and start a transition to a new product--the Model S electric sedan. Whereas Tesla has still sold fewer than 2,000 Roadsters, … Read more

This Day in Tech: Tesla says bye to Roadster; Google antitrust probes stepped up

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Thursday, June 23.

Tesla bids farewell to Roadster Tesla will stop taking orders for its electric Roadster sports car later this year as it shifts its focus to the Model S electric sedan. More

FTC, Senate rachet up Google antitrust probes Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Senate appear to step up their antitrust investigations of Google, a development that follows formal investigations already under way in Europe. More

Microsoft chasing Apple's app lead Trailing badly in the number … Read more

With Model S in wings, Tesla to stop making Roadster

Tesla Motors will stop taking orders for its pricey Roadster sports car as it begins a tricky transition to manufacturing and selling its Model S sedan.

The electric-car company will stop taking orders for the $109,000 Roadster in two months, according to reports. A representative from Tesla said today that two months was not a firm time. Instead, it will depend on when Tesla runs out of cars for North American customers. Roadsters will continue to be available in Europe and Asia through 2012, she said.

Last week, Tesla said in a regulatory filing that it has amended its … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1496: Goodbye to the Winklevii (Podcast)

On today's show, why horny Amish guys shouldn't sext while driving their horse and buggies and why somewhere in the world, Martin Short is currently clenching his butt cheeks. Yep, it's a Donald Bell show. Also, ISPs are adopting graduated responses to piracy and Apple gets a patent that may or may not be broad depending on how you define "N."

Car Tech Live 219: CNET picks over the 2011 Hyundai Elantra (podcast)

The trend is on to unplug red-light cameras...Cambridge Crude could be the electric oil of tomorrow...Tesla turns a corner...and we take you for a run in one of the new four bangers that shame most hybrids.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 219 SHOW NOTES

• CNET reviews the 2011 Hyundai Elantra

• L.A. seriously considers dropping red-light cameras

• Can "Cambridge Crude" make electric cars more practical?

• What do you think of a mini-er Mini?

• Tesla ends production of Roadster, gets ready to sell Model S… Read more

Tesla preps to build a string of EVs at NUMMI

SAN JOSE, Calif.--Tesla Motors will begin building prototypes of its Model S electric sedan in the third quarter at the NUMMI plant in Fremont, Calif., that it acquired from Toyota.

The Model S, which is expected to achieve a 0-to-60 time of 6 seconds and a range of up to 300 miles, is on target for a mid-2012 launch, the company said.

The project involves a $500 million investment, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at the first annual shareholders meeting since Tesla went public last July. He said the Model X crossover, scheduled to go on sale in late … Read more

DOE expands partnerships with energy companies and automakers

Tesla Motors and Electric Power Research Institute join U.S. Department of Energy, automaker research teams and energy companies to accelerate the development of new energy-efficient technologies for cars and light trucks and the infrastructure needed to support them.

According to the DOE, the collaborative effort formerly known as FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership, is now U.S. DRIVE--Driving Research and Innovation for Vehicle efficiency and Energy sustainability. The goal is to beef up research and development of not only new vehicle technologies, but to also work on a broad range of energy infrastructure technologies.

"Government-industry partnerships like U.… Read more

BMW ActiveE home charging supplier also powers Leaf, Volt

To power its upcoming test fleet of electric vehicles, BMW announced AeroVironment as the preferred supplier and installer for the ActiveE's 240-volt home charging dock.

Based on the 1-Series, the BMW ActiveE has a 32-kWh lithium ion battery pack that provides a 100-mile range. The AeroVironment EVSE-RS charging station uses the industry standard SAE J1772 connector to deliver approximately 25 miles of driving range per hour of charging time. Using the EVSE-RS charger, a completely drained battery can be fully recharged in 4 to 5 hours.

BMWs aren't the only electric cars the EVSE-RS can charge--AeroVironment's weather-proof … Read more