Elon Musk’s Hyperloop May Materialize through New Company

Elon Musk’s idea of creating a high-speed transportation system that is neither plane nor train, but both at the same time, sounds good to us, and not an entirely unfeasible prospect – he called it the ‘Hyperloop’ and it's Mach 1-capable. However, while he still endorses the idea, he won’t be a part of the plan to make it come true, because as Fox News reports, he’s too busy and others have taken up the challenge.

Patricia Galloway, the first female president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and former member of the US National Science Board, whose portfolio of completed jobs includes an extension of the Panama canal, is one of the managers behind the newly-created company Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Inc.

She says that despite being a very young corporate entity that just came into being, “the feasibility is done. What we’re working on now is moving toward conceptual design.”

Her statements bristle with optimism; “It’s similar to what the Concorde did for air transport,” she said, certain that “This will revolutionize how we transport people from city to city.”

She will join forces with Marco Villa, former mission operations director at SpaceX, yet no connection will be made between this fledgling company and Musk’s private space agency. They will benefit from the support of other businesses manufacturing and design company GloCal Network Corporation (GLOCAL) and UCLA Architecture and Urban Design’s grad program SUPRASTUDIO, along with ANSYS (simulations specialists), whose director of automotive and ground transportation industry, Sandeep Sovani said they’ve “already virtually tested an initial concept of the Hyperloop.”

Money sources for the project are currently not plentiful, but an attempt will be made to try to go the crowdfunding route, but if this does what it says on the tin, they won’t have to and investors will be queuing around the corner to get a slice. However, they understandably need to see a working prototype before parting with their cash, and apparently that could be coming “as early as the end of 2014,” according to the quoted source article.

By Andrei Nedelea

PHOTO GALLERY

First Tesla Model S Arrives in China; Sets Owner Back $410,500

This is not the first time we’ve discussed Tesla Motors’ entry plans into China, but it is the first time we’re able to show you photos of an actual Model S on The People’s Republic soil.

The black example that you see in this post's opening shot is believed to be the very first one to ever be imported into the country, although we don’t believe it was brought in via an official source.

For all intents and purposes, it’s a bit of a grey market car now and its owner must have really wanted it, because it apparently cost him $410,500 / €298,600 for the privilege. Most of it is probably due to VAT and delivery charges on top of the regular price.

Besides, when Tesla does officially break the Chinese ice, they will be doing so under a different name, after a would-be speculator snagged up the local rights to use the company moniker. Its owner is a 24 year-old man from the city of Dongyang, who reportedly had it ordered from Hong Kong, and may make it part of the luxury wedding car rental service that he’s involved in.

We’re still waiting for a long-wheelbase version of the Model S, a variant which would make it so much more appealing in China. We tried our hand at making a quick mockup of what it could look like here.

By Andrei Nedelea

Story References: scmp and weibo

PHOTO GALLERY

Another Tesla Catches Fire, This Time After Crash in Mexico [w/Video]

After Tesla narrowly evaded a full-scale investigation on the Washington State incident, another example of its Model S saloon has caught fire, this time more severely and at the hands of a reportedly drunk driver in Mexico that crashed it straight through a wall, then into another one, while attempting to enter a roundabout in the town of Mérida, says Progreso Hoy.

They had a video up on October 18, so the two incidents are separated by around two weeks. Apparently, as Jalopnik reports, an official statement from Tesla has already been issued.

“We were able to contact the driver quickly and are pleased that he is safe. This was a significant accident where the car was traveling at such a high speed that it smashed through a concrete wall and then hit a large tree, yet the driver walked away from the car with no permanent injury. He is appreciative of the safety and performance of the car and has asked if we can expedite delivery of his next Model S.”

The Tesla Model S is definitely one of the fastest two-wheel drive cars off the line in the world, and from a standing start, it can hold its own against or even be quicker than more powerful mainstream rivals. We’ve seen countless videos of just how electric it really is, but only now are we starting to see what happens when that kind of swift progress is stopped by significant metallic debris that pierces the battery – fire breaks out, and because it’s an EV, people tend to react differently…

The heavily discussed Washington State incident had a negative and direct effect on company shares and cast some doubt in people’s minds as to the safety of the Model S in the event of a severe crash, something that is not hard at all to achieve, given the performance on tap.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Elon Musk is Confident of Prospect to Sell 10,000 Cars Annually in Germany

Tesla CEO and co-founder, Elon Musk, seems sure that Europe will appreciate the Tesla Model S, even more so than America, not only because of its much talked about qualities, but also because distances on the Old Continent are considerably shorter, therefore making it more practical to use on a daily basis. In Norway, it was so popular, in fact, that it became the country’s best-selling car for about two weeks, in September, as per previous reports.

Now, Musk goes further, talking to Welt am Sonntag, quoted by Reuters. He said, "I have confidence in the German consumer," going on to add that "Our fast charging stations should cover around half of Germany by the end of March 2014 and the entire country by the end of 2014." This move will be backed up by the opening of a planned number of 25 dealerships in the country, by the end of 2014.

The goal is to achieve 10,000 sales per year by 2015, with a car that starts from €71,400, but you can pay up to €109,150 for a fully-extra Signature Performance model. However, the introduction of the Model S, and the construction of the Supercharger network will do a great job in smoothing the arrival of the smaller and cheaper electric car that Tesla is reportedly working on.

You can also check out a German perspective on the Model S in the video posted below via Deutsche Welle – it’s a bit different to the usual reviews we post, especially in its approach to testing and picking out key qualities that matter.

By Andrei Nedelea

Video Credits: Deutsche Welle

VIDEO

Tesla Won’t be Investigated by NHTSA for Model S Fire

It’s been ruled; Tesla won’t be facing a large scale investigation over the October 1 battery fire incident, but rather pay the penalty in the revenue it gets from trading green car credits.

The National Highway Safety Administration said on Thursday that “no evidence that the fire on a Washington state highway resulted from a Model S defect or violations of U.S. safety standards. The luxury car struck metal debris that pierced its lithium-ion battery pack.”

Tesla CEO and co-founder, Elon Musk, was keen to point out that they’ve installed a “six-millimeter thick armor plate on the bottom of the car,” further distancing the company from the implications of the fire. Evidently, though, the market did react, and shares fell by 10 percent in the two days after it all happened.

Moving over to the Silicon Valley-based automaker’s European side of the business, Musk gave an interview while he was in London, where he illustrated his views on why the Model S is a suitable car for the Old Continent.

In fact, he even went as far as to say it’s more suitable here, than it is in the US, basing the argument on several points, but especially the reality of distances being much shorter, and therefore making the dreaded range anxiety less of an issue. You can find the interview, in video form, courtesy of Bloomberg, after the virtual jump.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

This Tesla Model S Review Doesn’t Completely Shower it with Appreciation

Pretty much all Tesla Model S reviews we’ve seen so far have been raving on about how good it is to drive, the big 17-inch screen and the pretty styling. They all talk about how it’s one of, if not the, first EV that also really works as a car. That’s still the case with this latest one we found, uploaded by EverydayDriver, though the stance it takes beyond that is different.

The reviewers (there are two of them) first begin to comment on the Model S’ interior, which they say is “all about the big screen,” and because it’s meant to draw your attention to it, the fledgling manufacturer has put less emphasis on material quality – its overall finish does not reflect is high price tag, according to the video.

As for handling, the reviewer says yes, the car is competent, but no it’s not an agile little sports car dressed up as a big family car. We are lead to understand that the Model S needs a bit of time to settle into a corner, after the driver has sent his or her input through the steering wheel. It grips and steers brilliantly (no surprises here), but we are warned that it definitely shows its weight, and it’s not necessarily the most engaging of drives – a Porsche Panamera or Aston Martin Rapide would serve you better in that area.

However, since this review is a different take on the Model S, the conclusion reached at the end is also an unusual one, but it’s an understandable choice given the presented arguments. Now, check it out after the jump.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Tesla will Offer High-Speed Tune for Model S in Germany

With an electronically-limited top speed of 130 mph (209 km/h), the Tesla Model S is one of the fastest electric cars on sale today. However, it could use some extra km/h on Germany’s unrestricted sections of Autobahn and this is why Tesla will offer German Model S owners custom tuning for high-speed driving.

The announcement was made by Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the company’s service center in Munich, Germany, this week. The exec said Tesla will offer customers free custom high-speed tuning to make driving above the 130 km/h (81 mph) recommended speed more refined and enjoyable.

“I was just driving the Model S on the Autobahn, on one of the unrestricted sections. It was a lot of fun. But for Buyers of the Model S, we’ll offer a free, optional high-speed tuning,” Musk said.

“If you’re someone who likes to ride at the top speed on the Autobahn then we will tune the car. We’ll do a custom tune of the car to make it feel really great at top speed,” he added. Musk also said that he will send his top engineers from California to Germany to make sure Model S cars there were perfectly tuned for Autobahn driving.

Although Musk didn’t state it explicitly, the Model S with the high-speed tuning is expected to have an increased top speed and not just feel better at speeds of over 130 km/h. The CEO also announced a massive rollout of Supercharger stations across Germany, promising that more than half of the country’s population would be within range of a Supercharger. By the end of 2014, Tesla wants to have the whole country covered.

By Dan Mihalascu

Story References: Transport Evolved

PHOTO GALLERY

VIDEO

Elon Musk Calls Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicles "So Bullshit" [w/Video]

Elon Musk has definitely made a name for himself in the automotive industry and beyond (literally, with SpaceX) in a relatively short time span. His reputation was built on showing off the things his companies had achieved (and making comparisons to what other companies haven’t), coupled with his strong visionary attitude towards the future and humans’ evolving transportation needs/problems.

You can swap out ‘visionary’ with whatever word you want, but it doesn’t change the fact that he still wants to build a supersonic-vacuum-tube-train and thinks it would work.

However, Musk is sometimes a bit too outspoken about his personal views, and this time he definitely got on a few people’s nerves with what he said. During a speech he was giving at the opening of a new Tesla service center in Germany, the EV maker’s CEO and co-founder revealed his disapproval of hydrogen-fuel cell-powered vehicles by saying they are “so bullshit. Except in a rocket.”

He backs up his claim by adding that current fuel-cells lack the necessary energy storage capacity of lithium-ion cells (like on the Model S), still seeing conventional batteries as the way to go.

You can check out his entire speech below, though most of what is said (aside from Musk’s own words) is in German. Skipping through to the 29th minute, when he says it, may not be the worst idea if you don’t speak the language – he starts speaking after the 15-minute mark.

By Andrei Nedelea

Story References: YouTube via Wired

VIDEO

Oh, Cartman…South Park Fist-Bumps Tesla Model S Calling it's Throttle 'The P…Y Pedal’

If you ask me, Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s South Park animated series has aged like fine wine. Sure, the first two seasons were a mere test bed for characters, settings and humor types, but that’s some 15 years in the past, and now the show has created its own unique bubble where freedom of speech and expression are pushed to the very edge, and whatever situation (or bad movie) is plaguing the American public will be violently satirized and ridiculed to raise awareness.

Naturally, laughing at clearly directed pokey humor is a big part of why South Park is still so popular, and so far, in the newly-started season, number seventeen, it’s been business as usual.

The two creators don’t seem to miss any of the important developments that take place while the show is off-air, and thus we were not shocked to see Tesla’s electric Model S featured, and, of course, made fun of specifically because it's not powered by gasoline...

There’s nothing in particular that they link to, though, and the only use of derogatory terms is calling the car’s throttle the ‘pussy pedal’ – its logo has been altered, though, and now it looks like some kind of mushroom. They would have definitely played more with the Model S, had the recent fire happened before the episode was put together, but it doesn’t mean they won’t be picking it up again.

Check out the video excerpt posted below, or go watch the complete (third) episode which is freely available on the official site, M'kay?

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

Tesla Model X Has Racked Up More than 6,000 Orders Already

Despite last week's bad news for Tesla Motors, with the Model S fire causing company stocks to fall, it looks like people are still confident in the company’s products. Reservations for the upcoming Model X crossover have exceeded the 6,000 mark, with a member of the Tesla MotorsClub website confirming he has reserved car number 6,117 on October 5.

Refundable reservations start at $5,000 for the base Model X, while those for the Model X Signature start at $40,000. It’s not clear how many of each variant have been reserved, nor how many customers have ordered the 60 kWh battery pack versus the more powerful and longer range 85 kWh pack.

However, it's a good sign for Tesla Motors that the Model X, the price of which remains unknown, has managed to rack up more than 6,000 reservations with deposits. The Model X is expected to cost about the same as the Model S, which is priced between $62,400 and $95,000 before incentives.

Many Model X reservation holders appear to be existing Tesla customers, with either a Roadster or a Model S already in their garage. Many are looking to buy the Model X as a replacement for a conventionally-powered SUV.

The Model X is built on a slightly modified version of the Model S platform and comes with seating for seven adults and optional all-wheel-drive capability via two electric motors. Deliveries will begin next year.

By Dan Mihalascu

Story References: plugincars

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This is What a Tesla Model S EV Burnout Looks and Sounds Like

While fiddling around with Tesla's new battery-powered Model S, the crew at Road&Track magazine wanted to have their 6 seconds of fame fun by performing something that looks, but never really sounds, like a proper burnout.
The result? As one commentator named Jason Pischke put it on the publication's YouTube channel, "Well that was... ummm, I'm just going to go with awkward".

Tesla Motors Under Federal Investigation for Using Foreign Instead of U.S.-Made Parts

Electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors has had its ups and downs in recent months. It may still be in the red and facing the wrath of traditional dealers over its Apple-like stores, but its Model S received a lot of praise, and unlike rival Fisker Automotive, it hasn’t been involved in massive (and image-damaging) recalls.
What it does have in common with Fisker, though, is federal agencies questioning their spending of federal loans. According to a report from The Washington Times, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has been conducting an investigation on Tesla for nearly a year.

Mass. Superior Court Denies Injunction Request Against Tesla by Dealers’ Association

On November 16, Tesla opened its first “new design” retail store in Toronto, Canada. It’s located in the Yorkdale Shopping Center and features large touchscreens on which customers can design their own Model S and then view it on a massive 85-inch video wall.
The same day that Tesla Motors was opening its 24th store in North America a Massachusetts Superior Court judge was denying a request by the Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association and individual dealerships for a preliminary injunction against the automaker’s store in suburban Boston.