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FTC officials question 'bad policy' that stops Tesla's direct sales

It looks like Elon Musk has a new group of allies over at the Federal Trade Commission. Writing on the FTC blog, three high-level FTC officials came out against the "protectionist" network of laws in the US that govern automotive dealers and prevent, in some cases, Tesla Motors from selling its cars directly to customers. They called the rules, "bad policy for a number of reasons." They write: [The legal] protections expanded until in many states they included outright bans on the sale of new cars by anyone other than a dealer-specifically, an auto manufacturer. Instead of "protecting," these state laws became "protectionist," perpetuating one way of selling cars-the independent car dealer. The post is not a call to arms, but more of a position statement co-authored by Andy Gavil (director of the Office of Policy Planning), Debbie Feinstein (director of the Bureau of Competition), and Marty Gaynor (director of the Bureau of Economics). "The collective [cost] impact of [the state-by-state battles] is one of the major concerns here. [Tesla is] just trying to sell their cars" – Andy Gavin Gavil told AutoblogGreen that the main goal was to bring attention to the issue, which the post has certainly done. There are so many of state fights going on, he said, that this was a way to reach a lot of people at once. "We've been watching this for months," he said. "It's very clearly a state-by-state battle. We are concerned about Tesla litigating state-by-state. The collective [cost] impact of that is one of the major concerns here. They're just trying to sell their cars. The way the industry is reacting shows that it's about more than that." Gavil wouldn't go so far as to say that there should be new national rules – it's up to Congress to do that, he said - but he has also been looking at the taxi industry and the upstarts like Lyft and Uber. The competition angle sometimes doesn't get the attention it deserves, he said. "If there's a more open debate about it, that can only be a good thing." One of the groups opposed to Tesla's direct sales is the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), which represents 16,000 new car and truck dealerships with about 32,000 domestic and international franchises.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla's usable battery capacity uncovered, Opel Ampera-e costlier than BMW i3 in Norway

Tesla hacker Jason Hughes has uncovered the actual usable capacity of Tesla's batteries. While total capacity is used in the branding of the various versions of the Model S and Model X, the usable capacity is usually less than the "75" or "90" on the badge suggests. The outlier is the Model S 60 and 60D, and Model X 60D, which use the same battery pack as the 75 versions. They have 62.4 usable kWh, and a paid upgrade unlocks another 10.2 kWh in usable capacity for a total of 72.6 kWh – not 75 – plus a top speed of 140 mph. Hughes gathered the data from Tesla's Battery Management System software, and made a list of usable capacity for each model. Read more at Electrek. Opel has priced the Ampera-e higher than the BMW i3 and Nissan Leaf in Norway. In its first European market, the overseas sibling to the Chevrolet Bolt will start at 299,900 kroner (about $34,585). The i3 starts at 267,500 kroner ($30,850), while the Leaf costs 204,990 kroner ($23,640). Opel is launching the Ampera-e first in countries with more EV infrastructure. The automaker says the car's pricing in Norway is unique because of the country's EV incentives and market conditions, and that one shouldn't extrapolate Norway's price to other markets. Read more at Automotive News Europe. Renault has placed Gilles Normand in charge of its EV unit. After holding important roles at both Renault and Nissan, Normand will lead the French automaker's electric car business as it prepares for a period of accelerated growth. Renault enjoys a 25 percent market share of EVs in Europe, selling more than 100,000 since 2012. "I am very motivated by this new strategic challenge at a time when the Global EV market is entering into a significant growth phase," says Normand, who steps into the role on January 1, 2017. "I look forward to working with the team to continue to drive our leadership in existing and new markets, and bring exciting EV vehicles to our customers." Read more from Automotive News Europe, or from Renault.

Rinspeed XchangE points the way forward for secure, autonomous EV driving [w/video]

If there're features that have great potential to sell the public at large on the concept of self-driving cars, we're guessing that cozy, rear-facing seats and a gigantic in-car 4K television are high on the list. If you've heard of the Swiss company Rinspeed, you almost certainly associate it with outlandish concept cars, and this XchangE autonomous EV fits that description, while still providing insight into a seemingly plausible future. Always a highlight of the Geneva Motor Show, this year's Rinspeed concept has transformed a Tesla Model S into a self-piloting, business class, mobility pod. Or something very like that. Sure, you can drive the XchangE for yourself if you like, but then you'd miss out using the all-new, HTML5-based infotainment platform or the aforementioned mobile movie theatre, which is operable via gesture controls. No more losing the remote down the seat crack for you. Beyond the show car "wow factor" items like the striking interior treatment and green-on-yellow paint scheme, it is interesting to see that Rinspeed has taken electronic security very seriously for the concept car. The infotainment platform is said to be bolstered against hacker attacks, the LTE wireless system offers secure data transmission, and the car systems themselves use RFID tech to identify authorized drivers. Considering the legitimate concerns associated with autonomous cars in a fully computerized, connected environment, high-security while on the motorway might be the biggest luxury of all. Find the usual complement of video, press release and official photos below and see our live gallery of the XchangE concept, above. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2014 Geneva Motor Show: Rinspeed presents the future of autonomous driving. What will move us tomorrow: the office and living room on wheels. Traveling in business-class style redefined with innovative Harman infotainment concept. Autonomous driving is set to become reality in the near future. While the major automakers are putting the finishing touches on the technology, the Swiss idea factory Rinspeed puts man at the center of the autonomous car. At the 2014 Geneva Motor Show Rinspeed presents the "XchangE" study to the public in a world premiere. It demonstrates how cars will 'move' us just a few short years from now, in both senses of the word. Frank M.