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Court says Tesla will be able to use Te Si La name in China

Turns out, a Tesla in China will remain a Tesla. Or, more accurately, Tesla will be Te Si La, which is the name the company originally wanted to use before having to come up with the "Tuosule" workaround after a Chinese businessman registered the "Te Si La" trademark away from the California automaker there. Speaking to Reuters this week as Tesla announced its "aggressive" pricing for the Model S in China, Veronica Wu, vice president of Tesla's China operations, said, "We went to court and we won. The court has given use right to use the name, which is why you see the Chinese name in our store now." Te Si La is the name "best known" to buyers in China, Reuters says. So now that's what it'll be called when buyers plunk down 734,000 yuan (the equivalent to $121,000 US) for a Model S. Featured Gallery Tesla Model S View 24 Photos News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL Green Tesla Electric trademark

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla breaks dyno on video, Lexus trademarks 'LS 500h'

A video shows a Tesla Model S P85D breaking a dyno during a test. Starting at a slow roll, the instant torque under full power snapped a belt on the dynamometer. Before it broke, the dyno measured over 700 pound-feet of torque from the all-wheel-drive Tesla. A previous dyno run saw the car reach its 155-mph top speed and a peak 435 horsepower. See the video above, and read more at DragTimes. Lexus has filed a trademark for "LS 500h" in Europe. This calls for some speculation as to what this means for an upcoming model. It could be that Lexus plans to release the LS with a new powertrain, perhaps a 4.0-liter engine with a hybrid system. Maybe it will use the 3.5-liter V-6 with a more powerful hybrid system. The LS 600h could simply be getting a new name. Or, we might not see the LS 500h badge used at all in the near future. Note that Lexus trademarked LC 500 and LC 500h in Canada last year, and we've seen no such cars yet. Read more at Hybrid Cars. Ethanol producers have strong words in response to the American Petroleum Institute's claims for demand for ethanol-free gasoline. The API and National Marine Manufacturers Association have urged the EPA to consider marine and small engine demand for E0 gasoline when setting Renewable Fuel Standard volume requirements. Big Oil is using a "false narrative to discourage the use of a cleaner, less expensive, homegrown renewable fuel," according to Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis. Buis says ethanol doesn't cause problems in marine and small engines, a statement backed by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute. "What probably does concern boaters is the amount of time they spend dry docked as a result of oil spills, like the one that dumped 21,000 gallons of oil along four miles of coastline in Santa Barbara, California," says Buis. Read more from Ethanol Producer Magazine. Related Gallery 2013 Lexus LS 600h L: Quick Spin View 13 Photos News Source: DragTimes, YouTube: DragTimes, Hybrid Cars, Ethanol Producer Magazine Green Lexus Tesla Alternative Fuels Ethanol Electric Hybrid Videos recharge wrapup

Ohio senator with deep dealer ties proposes anti-Tesla bill

The fight against customer-direct car sales by Tesla Motors continues around the US, and the California-based company can now count dealership groups in Georgia and Ohio among its adversaries. In Ohio, Tesla has opened company-owned stores in Cincinnati and Columbus and is now fighting a state dealership association that's pushing for legislation that explicitly outlaws direct dealer-to-public sales after a lawsuit against Tesla was dismissed last week, Automotive News says. The proposed law (Senate Bill 260) would prevent any entity from selling vehicles if it "is a manufacturer, or a parent company, subsidiary, or affiliated entity of a manufacturer, applying for a license to sell or lease new or used motor vehicles at retail." Under Ohio's current laws, Tesla says its stores are perfectly legal, but clearly that would would drastically change if SB260 becomes law without some sort of provision to 'grandfather' dealers opened before the legislation passes. Ohio's dealers say Tesla threatens their network since it sets a precedent for other automakers to use the same practice. The politician behind the bill received at least $42,825 from dealership owners, employees and PACs. The politician behind the anti-Tesla bill in Ohio is Senator Tom Patton (R-Strongsville), who "received at least $42,825 from state and national auto dealership owners, employees, and political action committees (PACs) between 2002 and 2013," according to Media Trackers. His Facebook page is filling up with negative comments about his "crony capitalism" actions. Meanwhile, a Georgia exemption from that state's prohibition of automaker-to-public sales states that a company can directly sell as many as 150 zero-emissions vehicles a year, the Atlanta Business Chronicle says. Tesla sold about 500 of its Model S sedans there last year, with the rest of the cars being registered in California. The automaker is looking to expand that exemption tenfold to 1,500 vehicles. Georgia and Ohio join states such as Massachusetts, New York and Texas that have done battle with Tesla and its business model, with Texas thus far being the most formidable opponent. CEO Elon Musk said last year that he may go to the federal government to get such laws changed on a national level. That's not surprising since Tesla's preparing to start selling its Model X crossover and could unveil its cheaper EV (possibly called Model E) at the Detroit Auto Show next year.