Here’s an awesome question for all you green motor enthusiasts out there:  which car is more green, an electric Tesla roadster or a car powered by bioethanol?  Here are two points to consider by way of the Biofuels Institute:

*  The Tesla gets its juice from a power plant that is burning coal, which means it has 2.095 pounds of CO2 per kWh and can go 3.12 miles per kWh.

* The theoretical corn-ethanol E85-burning vehicle puts out CO2 according to the GREET model (Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation) for lifecycle emissions and is operating at the proposed new CAFE standards.

These facts by themselves don’t mean a whole lot, but when you follow them to their logical conclusion what you get is a downright shocker: as it turns out, the E85 car is actually THIRTY PERCENT GREENER (in that it generates thirty percent fewer CO2 emissions over the course of both vehicles’ hundred and forty five thousand mile life spans) than the Tesla Roadster.

I was pretty shocked to hear that myself.  Now the next time someone looks all smug in their electric car while you’re filling up on flexfuel, just look at them, shake your head sadly, and know that you’re greener than thou.

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Well, Tesla owners, you may well be happy to know that you’ll be able to call for help almost at any time around the clock day or night should your hugely expensive electric car break down.

But I hope that you didn’t spend your entire life savings on the roadster itself, because using the repair service is gonna cost you. Like a LOT.  Read on:

Customers will pay $1 per round-trip mile from the nearest Tesla service center — and there are just four of them in North America, with none in the heartland. Tesla has service centers in California’s Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Seattle and New York City. Stores are slated to open later this year in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Toronto and South Florida. The electric-car startup says it plans to have at least 20 regional sales and service locations in the U.S. in about two years.

Just so you know, the barest minimum charge is a hundred bucks. And considering where these guys are coming out of, you’ll pay a WHOLE lot more than that by the time you’re done.  Of course, Tesla claims it’s losing money on the deal, as a dollar per mile is less than their actual cost.

But somehow…I’m not convinced.

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It seemed that Tesla did a bit of planning ahead with their Model S as it was recently announced that the car was designed with the ability to have its battery swapped out from the get go.

What’s even better is the design allows for a very fast swap so a potential driver would be able to do it in less than 5-minutes. Just imagine, you’re cruising along and your battery runs out of juice but no worries because you have another fully juiced up battery in the trunk that you can swap out in under 5 minutes.

Of course, this also means that Tesla can sell different batteries for the Tesla Model S that could potentially make for a cheaper purchase price tag while still leaving room for a hassle free upgrade.

via autoblog

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You may have already read our detail of the huge government grant that went to Fisker Automotive for its construction of their new electric sports car.  Well, what just came out in the Wall Street Journal is a bit of explanation as to the WHY behind it.

See, Fisker Automotive has a major name backer behind it; you may recognize the name  when I tell you it’s Al Gore.  That five hundred and twenty nine million is going to Fisker so they can build “a hybrid sports car in Finland that will sell for about $89,000″.

Naturally, Fisker cars are also backed by a whole lot of celebrities who all, interestingly enough, voted Democrat in the last election.  Fisker defends itself by saying that most technology starts out pricey, but eventually becomes affordable, and cites flatscreen televisions as an example.

Yes, this is true, but generally we don’t pay foreign flatscreen makers tax money to build them in the hopes that, one day, we’ll get to BUY THEM!  Oh, and those five thousand jobs that Fisker mentioned?  From the look of it, they’ll be in Finland rather than in the United States.

My disgust is palpable.

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Seriously.  You ask any two car companies what the future of the electric car looks like and both will, with a straight face, give you two totally different answers and insist in the most strenuous fashion available that the other company is represented by a series of lying bastards who wouldn’t know the future of the electric car if it crawled up their pant legs and started licking them.

Some insist that there have been no major changes in technology.  Others claim that’s so much crockery and there HAVE been major changes, especially in battery technology.  Some claim that electric cars will never catch on anyway because they’re too quiet.  Too quiet?  How does THAT happen?  Well, for all my readers who live out in the country you know what the biggest threat to driving at night is–car-deer collisions.  Animals will be constantly running out in front of these electric cars because they CAN NOT HEAR THEM COMING.

For every solution, there’s a whole new set of problems.  And nowhere is this more clearly illustrated than with the electric car.

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It seems like only yesterday that Tesla announced their 500th Roadster was in the hands of a consumer and already they have come forth to make a similar announcement. First of all, Tesla’s CEO Elon Musik let us know that despite ‘not looking for any money’ his company was approached by a equity investment group, which includes Fjord Capital Partners, who managed to pump an additional $82.5 million into the company.

Added to that, Tesla has announced that they have delivered their 700th Roadster to 24 year old Lennart Henning who is reportedly a German law student. Congratulations to Tesla for their continued success, now all they need is a more consumer concision priced model and they’ll be on their way to the top.

Read (Bloomberg)

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Tesla has today released a whole slew of images feature their their Model S in action. As you can see the car looks beautiful, event though that was already.

You can check out the rest of the shots in the gallery below and then begin the long wait until Q3 2011 for a chance to get your hands on the vehicle. If you can afford it, that is.

via egmcartech

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Tesla has recently announced an incentive for existing owners of their all-electric offerings in hopes to spur more sales. This is your run of the mill customer referral program that will net you a $500 check if you get someone else to buy one of Tesla’s vehicles.

Make note that this won’t apply to those who buy the Model S as it only works once your buddy buys a Roadster and receives delivery. Sure, $500 may not seem like a lot when comparing it to the price of the car but in these times every penny counts.

via AutoBlogGreen

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Tesla is pround to announce that their NYC debut store will officially open this Friday, July 17th at 511 W. 25th Street.

AutoBlogGreen reports that the store will showcase Tesla’s all-new 2010 Roadster along with the Roadster Sport. What’s more, Bank of America has announced that they will be providing Tesla with financing that will be sure to provide some security for potential buyers.

This is great news for Tesla as they begin to open stores all over the world. Any bets on where a Tesla store will pop up next?

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The US government has decided to offer some important loans for electric car development. Tesla is going to receive $465 million from the Department of Energy Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program. Nissan is going to receive even more. $1.6 billion will be offered to Nissan to build batteries and EVs in Tennessee. Ford has received $5.9 billion which is going to go into the development of two new electric cars. We’ll be waiting patiently to see what new electric cars are going to emerge especially from Ford since it has received a large chunk of that available funds.

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Tesla has had three CEOs in the last three years alone and now, original founder and designer of the famed Tesla Roadster, Martin Eberhard, has filed a lawsuit against current Tesla CEO Elon Musk, suing over a number of actions that could be possibly damaging to both Musk and the company. This suit covers slander, libel and breach of contract. Eberhard claims that Musk consistently set out to expel him and gain control of the company when he initially became an investor. Eberhard is also claiming that Musk is discounting his role as the original founder of Tesla and is alleging that Musk is claiming to have founded the company and originally had the idea for the Tesla Roadster.

Finally, Eberhard is suing for severance pay that he never received, as well as a special Founders’ Series of the Tesla Roadster, which was limited to the first few Tesla models off the assembly line. Evidently he was promised one of these early models, which his lawyers believe could be worth several million dollars eventually, but instead Musk gave the car to a friend. The Roadster that Eberhard finally received was shattered due to some endurance testing that required running the car into the back of a truck. This whole saga sounds like a big, expensive mess.

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Now don’t go thinking there is a “1-800 number” you can call to get a free Tesla Roadster, oh no, you’re going to have to lay down some serious cash to get your hands on one.

It was recently announced that a real estate project in France entitled “Welcome in France” is bundling a free Tesla Roadster for those who purchase a villa.

Considering these estates will offer such things like solar panels and geothermal units, there’s no wonder they are featuring a Roadster.

Read (AutoBlogGreen)

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Daimler has been hot on the coattails of Tesla for the battery requirements of its electric Smart. However, if these spotted pictures are reliable, then perhaps Daimler and Tesla have finally bound a prototype as a glimpse of things to come.

To further support the current phase of the vehicle, here is an actual video from Autoblog Green to make believers out of people relying solely on rumors.

(Source) Engadget

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For sure many of us have heard by now that Fisker Automotive is scheduled to unveil its own version of plug-in hybrid vehicles and give the Tesla a run for its money. While these were all verbal some weeks back, today it has been made official as Fisker has announced that it has appointed its first group of North American retailers to market and service its luxury plug-in hybrid vehicles, beginning with the $87,900, 100mpg Karma sedan later this year.

Thirty-two award-winning retailers have confirmed their intent to carry the Fisker marquee. The number puts the carmaker close to its goal of having 40 locations across the country by the end of June 2009.

By keeping startup costs low and not requiring floor-planning beyond demonstrator and display cars, Fisker is able to attract new franchises even in tough economic times. President Obama’s recent pledge of $2.4B to support development of plug-in hybrid vehicles and battery technology is added incentive.

Fisker showrooms will reflect the company’s concern for the environment and their vehicles’ emission free capabilities. “They will be Eco-facilities, not Ego-facilities,” Doolan said. Architecture calls for natural and sustainable materials like wood and textiles. An available solar-powered car port can keep demonstrator vehicles clean, dry, fully charged and ready to go.

(Source) Azo Clean Tech

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While the Tesla Roadster is indeed a very expensive car, no matter how hot it is, the Tesla Model S sedan is a very affordable electric car. The new car which you have already seen yesterday comes with a price tag of less than $50,000, after a $7,500 federal tax credit.

Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk says the car is quite a bargain compared to any other sedan. He says that:

the ownership cost of Model S, if you were to lease and then account for the much lower cost of electricity versus gasoline at a likely future cost of $4 per gallon, is similar to a gasoline car with a sticker price of about $35,000.

The car will be a bargain even if the gas would cost $1 per gallon as it will cost you just $5 to drive for 230 miles. Would you buy the Model S when it comes available?

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