Tesla Sues the BBC and Top Gear for Libel Against the Roadster

Tesla Motors announced yesterday that it has sued BBC's Top Gear TV show for “libel and malicious falsehood.” The American automaker’s action refers to a Top Gear episode aired on December 14 2008, when Jeremy Clarkson tested the Tesla Roadster.

According to Tesla, the show “contained lies and misinformation about the Roadster's performance, behavior and reliability.” Tesla Motors considers the breakdowns of the Roadster that allegedly occurred during the Top Gear episode were “staged” and that the statements made during the show are untrue.

More specifically, Tesla claims Top Gear misrepresented that:

1. The Roadster ran out of charge and had to be pushed into the Top Gear hangar by 4 men.
2. The Roadster’s true range is only 55 miles per charge (not 211).
3. One Roadster’s motor overheated and was completely immobilized as a result.
4. The other Roadster’s brakes were broken, rendering the car undriveable.
5. That neither of the two Roadsters provided to Top Gear was available for test driving due to these problems.

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Tesla Roadster Starts 3,000-Kilometer Tour in Australia

The "Oz Goes Electric" tour is an event staged by Tesla Motors with the aim of allowing fans from Australia's eastern coast to get a closer look at the electric-powered sports car. Starting from March 16, the Tesla Roadster will journey 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles), which is the longest roadtrip ever to be undertaken by an EV in Australia, according to the company.

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Meet the Artega SE, Germany’s Answer to the Tesla Roadster

The world of electric sports cars may soon welcome a new member; the Artega SE. Revealed in pre-production form at the Geneva, the ‘electrified’ version of the Artega GT is powered by two electric motors mounted on the rear axle that develop a combined output of 280 kW or 380HP. Each motor operates independently from one another and drives one of the rear wheels.

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Tesla Losses Soar to $154.3 million in 2010, Despite Gains in Revenue

Tesla Motors has just released a preliminary, unaudited financial report concerning the year than ended on Dec. 31, 2010. The company reported losses of US$51.4 million in Q4 2010 and US$154.3 million for 2010, which was almost triple the US$55.74 million loss for the year ending Dec. 31, 2009.

The EV automaker's revenue, however, rose approximately 5 percent in 2010 to $116.7 million. Revenues for the fourth quarter of 2010 were US$36.3 million, a 16% increase from the US$31.2 million reported in the prior quarter. Tesla added that gross margin improved to 26% for the full year 2010, up from 9% for 2009.

The company 's future plans include the launch of the Model S, which is scheduled to go on sale in the middle of next year. Scroll down to read Tesla CEO Elon Musk's statement.

“We are very pleased to report continued revenue growth, improving margins and a steady progression in our Roadster and powertrain activities,” said Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors. “Our powertrain team delivered solid results, with an increase in orders and record deliveries of battery packs and chargers for the Daimler Smart fortwo electric drive, the completion of our development program for the Daimler A-Class, and the commencement of the phase 1 development program for the Toyota RAV4 EV.”

“The highlight of the quarter was our on-time completion of the first drivable Model S alpha,” continued Musk. “The quality and level of refinement of the alpha demonstrates the superb job of our design, vehicle engineering and powertrain teams. They have embraced the opportunity to build an EV from the ground up and have produced a vehicle which shows great potential to deliver superior aerodynamics, stability and handling, crash safety, performance and range. We believe the Model S is well on its way toward becoming the vehicle of choice for 2012.”

Tesla to Extend its Lineup with an All-Electric SUV by 2014

*Opening Photo: Tesla Model S

Lately, the folks over at Tesla have been very busy developing the upcoming Model S sedan and, together with Toyota, the all-electric version of the RAV4 compact SUV. But there’s more, as according to an LA Times report, the California-based automaker is also working on a small SUV of its own, currently named Model X.

Scheduled to go on sale by 2014, the new crossover model is said to offer more cabin space compared to similarly sized SUVs thanks to the electric powertrain, which, unlike an internal combustion engine and conventional transmission, needs less space.

Tesla hasn’t released any other information, but it’s quite possible that the Model X will follow in the footsteps of the Roadster and Model S. That means customers can expect good handling characteristics, multiple battery pack options to suit specific autonomy needs and a versatile interior. Last but not least, Tesla’SUV should also qualify for some kind of federal tax credit.

Tesla Opens European Flagship Showroom in London

Electric sports car maker Tesla opened its first UK dealership in the heart of London at the Knightsbridge district. The 5,000 square-foot showroom on Cheval Place which is in walking distance from Harrods department store and convenient to Heathrow Airport will act as Tesla's European flagship store and will be followed by sales and service centers in Monaco, Munich and Zurich as well as four new stores in the United States.

The company said that it will begin delivering cars to European customers this summer of which the first 250 will be the Signature Edition Roadster model, priced from £94,000 on the road, but UK customers will have to wait until early 2010 for the first right-hand drive models. All in all, Tesla said that it has received 1,300 European orders for the all-electric Roadster model.

"Thanks to an abundance of discriminating drivers and progressive public policy, Tesla is already well known in Europe," said Tesla CEO Elon Musk. "We expect the London store to dramatically increase our brand identity throughout the continent, and with right hand drive models now due at the beginning of next year, the UK market will provide a solid foundation on which to build this."

Along with the Roadster, Tesla said that is also taking reservations for the four-door Model S sports saloon that is due for production in late 2011.

Tesla Model S Road Testing Underway [with Video]

It has been a long journey, but it looks like the Tesla Model S all-electric sport sedan is one step closer to series production as the California-based automaker announced it is moving on to the final road tests. The first phase called Alpha, which began in 2010, includes both computer simulations and test-drives of prototype vehicles. There will be a Beta phase as well.

“The first Alpha is amazingly agile for a car of its size. It has great handling balance and poised ride with communicative steering. Just goes to show what combining a low center of gravity with a very stiff body structure can achieve”, said test drive Graham Sutherland.

According to Tesla, Alpha cars will be tested in the coming months in all sorts of climatic conditions, which should help engineers improve the EV’s driving dynamics.

Tesla’s second model after the Roadster offers seating for five adults and two children. The Model-S' drivetrain consists of an electric motor coupled to a single-speed transmission and a floor-mounted lithium-ion battery pack. Customers will be able to specify their cars with one of three available battery packs offering a driving range of up to 160, 230 or 300 miles (258, 370 or 483 kilometers).

Roughly the same size as a BMW 5-Series, the Model S sprints to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 5.6 seconds and can reach a top speed of 130 mph (209 km/h). Production is set to begin in 2012 and Tesla is currently taking orders, with the base price set at US$49,000, including a US$7,500 Federal tax credit.

Fulton Innovation Wirelessly Charges Tesla Roadster

A few days ago we brought you the news that GM will begin offering in-car wireless charging mats for mobile phones as an option from Q3 2012. These devices, that are making big waves at trade shows both in the U.S. and around the world, do away with the pesky cords and bulky adapters of old, replacing them with two conductive metal plates (i.e. one on the back of your phone and one in your car).

So imagine if you could charge your electric car this way. It should be simple, right? You’d just need to upscale it to suit charging a bigger battery. Well, at the 2011 CES technology trade show in Las Vegas, Fulton Innovation showed such a gadget by wirelessly charging the be-all and end-all of electric vehicles: the Tesla Roadster.

The eCoupled Powerspot, as it is called, works on the same principles as its smaller cousins and can even provide you with charging updates through a smart phone app. Do you want to keep track of how much it costs to recharger your electric car? The app can do that too.

There’s even a video, though admittedly it’s not very interesting. No electrical arching or unearthly humming noise here, I’m afraid; just a silent, practical vision for the future. You can check out the video for yourself, if you’re so inclined. There’s no indication of when this technology will be available, though I suspect we will be seeing it within the next five years or so.

It has, after all, been used by Hino to recharge electric busses for at least the past two years. It’s not so much a matter of if but when, and whether it can be made cost effective. One thing is for sure, the future for electric vehicles just got a little brighter.

Via: Jalopnik & The Next Web

Tesla Model S All-Electric Sports Sedan to Start from $57,400

In its latest newsletter, Tesla officially confirmed that its forthcoming Model S which will be revealed in prototype form on March 26, 2009, will have an anticipated base price of $57,400 (€43,700 with today's exchange rates) or $49,900 after a federal tax credit of $7,500, when it goes on sale in late 2011. This means that the Model S will not only cost half the price of the Tesla Roadster that begins from $109,000, but also that it will be priced significantly lower than Henry Fisker's plug-in hybrid Karma sedan that starts from $87,900.

"Because of tax incentives and relatively inexpensive maintenance and refueling, the lifetime ownership cost will be closer to cars with far lower sticker prices," the company stated.

Tesla aims to roughly split initial sales of its all-electric four-door sports sedan in North America and Europe, with Asian markets following shortly after.

Tesla Gives an Upskirt of its Model S All-Electric Sports Sedan

On March 26th, 2009, Tesla will unveil a fully-working prototype of its forthcoming Model S sports saloon, but until then, Silicon Valley's famed electric carmaker decided to tease us by lifting the covers on its all-electric sedan. Evidently, there's much we can say about the car's design from this photo, but it does look promising. The Model S will enter production in 2011 and according to Tesla's chief investor Elon Musk it will go up against cars like the Lexus GS 450h hybrid, the diesel Mercedes E-class, and the Chevrolet Volt.

As a gesture of gratitude for their early support, Tesla announced that the firm's Roadster owners will receive a $10,000 discount off the price of the Model S Signature series and automatically be first in line for the sedan when it goes on sale.

Tesla Roadster Sport

Not long ago, Tesla Motors Inc. has officially revealed the new Tesla Roadster Sport. The price of the Tesla Roadster Sport starts at $128,500 in the US and €112,000 (excluding VAT) in Europe where the deliveries start in late June 2009.

The Roadster is a high-performance all-electric, zero-emission sports car that has 15 % more peak power. The car able to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds (3.9 seconds for the standard Roadster). In order to get this figure, the Roadster Sport comes with a hand-wound stator and increased winding density for lower resistance and higher peak torque. A set of Yokohama Ultra High Performance tires and improved suspension with adjustable dampers and anti-roll bars tuned to the customer’s preference.

Tesla hires away Mazda’s chief designer

Mazda's top designer to become its new Design Director and head up a team of in-house designers at a new studio. Franz von Holzhausen is the current rock star of the automobile design world, having been the creative force behind the last few year's worth of Mazda concepts that include the Nagare and Furai, as well as overseeing the design of all Mazda production vehicles in North America since February 2005. von Holzhausen has also been a designer at both General Motors and Volkswagen.

Tesla’s leadership has been looking for a lead designer for its next two vehicles, wanting to give the company’s more prolifically produced cars a unique look. That requires in-house design - the Roadster was designed by Lotus - and von Holzhausen was reportedly the company’s first choice. He resigned from Mazda on Thursday of last week according to a report by Car Design News, and is already tasked with setting up a complete design team.

Tesla Roadster

The Tesla Roadster is and powerful roadster. It runs on exhaust-free plug power, and it's already primed for more power. A specialty car importer is quoting the Euro Tesla's power at or over 300 hp, with a 13,000 rpm red line and a single speed transmission.

The revised gearbox drops a gear, adds an upgraded power electronics module, and provides better cooling. It seems the hype machine that is the Tesla Roadster is beginning to heat up, and more power will only make us want the green little drop-top more.