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'Pro-Tesla' bill in Pennsylvania gets Auto Alliance to end neutral stance

Unlike dealership groups all over the country, one automaker group isn't taking issue with Tesla Motors being able to sell its electric vehicles through company-owned stores in Pennsylvania. But the idea of no limits on its number of stores? That's a problem. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers – which has been neutral on the Tesla dealer fight thus far – is now squawking about a recent law in the Keystone State allowing the California-based company to sell cars through its stores there, Automotive News says. The group doesn't have a problem with the idea in general, but the fact that there's no cap on either the number of stores Tesla can operate or how many cars it can sell there is causing the Alliance to speak out on the issue. And while the Pennsylvania Automotive Association is okay with the new law, the Alliance is alleging a non-level playing field in favor of Tesla. Tesla declined to comment to AutoblogGreen. The prospect of Tesla skipping over the third-party dealer franchise phase has garnered plenty of recent attention, especially from regulators and dealership representatives. Last month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) urged Missouri and New Jersey to change policies that would further prohibit car makers like Tesla from selling their vehicles directly to customers and without a third-party dealership. In April, FTC officials called called the prohibition of direct company-to-customer sales "protectionist" and "bad policy."

Drive eO Tesla Roadster is going to race up Pikes Peak [w/video]

Last year, Drive eO sent its PP01 electric supercar up Pikes Peak in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb - well, part-way up. Driver Janis Horeliks wasn't injured in the crash that ended his run near the Halfway Picnic Grounds. This year, the Latvian team will return to Colorado race again with a Tesla Roadster chassis in the Electric Modified division on Sunday, June 29. The PP02 is not quite as rowdy as the PP01, with a twin motor system putting about 482 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels compared to last year's car all-wheel-drive setup making about 536 hp. The PP02's liquid-cooled electric motor will get its electrons from a 40-kWh battery pack. The total weight of the car is about 2,337 pounds. Drive eO's return to Pikes Peak isn't just about getting back in the saddle and winning a single race. The group is using the experience to test new components that it intends to eventually put into later electric supercars. These, according to the press release, are "already on the drawing board." As interesting as it will be to see the PP02 Tesla Roadster 360 attempt to tackle the famous hill again, it should be equally interesting to see what Drive eO is up to next. See what happened in last year's race in the video below (it's not in English), or read on for the official press release from Drive eO. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Drive eO Returns to Pikes Peak with Bespoke Tesla Roadster Riga, Latvia - Electric motorsport specialists Drive eO are returning to the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 29 to test and develop their latest electric drive train system. The team has packaged it into a Tesla Roadster chassis, making the competitive debut in motorsport for Tesla. Drive eO has dubbed the project PP02 as it builds upon the team's initial attempt at the iconic hill climb competition in 2013 with a prototype supercar eO PP01. The new car features a more modest specification with rear axle powered by 360 kW (peak) twin-motor system and a 40 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The team is aiming to validate the new components ahead of scaling them up for successive electric supercar projects which are already on the drawing board. The 2014 edition of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will see 72 drivers attempting the treacherous 20 km course to the summit at 4300 m.

Could Tesla build EVs in China as soon as 2017?

A 25-percent import tariff can certainly make an automaker take notice (to wit: Toyota). In Tesla's case, that means getting production capabilities on the ground in China as soon as possible. According to Bloomberg News, that could mean 2017. Or maybe not. Bloomberg, citing comments by Tesla chief Elon Musk made at Beijing's Geekpark Conference earlier this week, said the California-based maker of the Model S electric sedan may start making vehicles in China as soon as 2017 or 2018. Musk also envisions a substantial charging network throughout cities such as Beijing and Shanghai and obviously thinks the current Chinese resistance to plug-in vehicles will pass. The California-based automaker delivered its first nine Model S EVs in China this week. Of course, Musk has a way with hyperbole, and when contacted by AutoblogGreen, a company representative toned down such a timeframe. "We hope that local production in China is in Tesla's future so that we can manufacture our vehicles where they are sold," wrote Tesla spokeswoman Liz Jarvis-Shean in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen. "We aren't likely to produce cars in China within the next three to four years, however, nor are we currently in any serious discussions to do so." By making cars in China, Tesla, which opened a showroom in Beijing late last year, would avoid the 25 percent import tax China enforces on foreign-made vehicles. As it is, Tesla is pricing the 85-kilowatt hour version of the Model S at about $118,000 in China. That's about $47,000 higher than the US base price, but it's actually kind of "aggressive." Musk has said Tesla will sell as many as 5,000 vehicles in China this year, while Tesla executives have said they expect China to account for a third of Tesla's global sales this year and as much as half next year. Tesla sold about 22,300 vehicles in the US last year. Tesla has also started leasing the Model S in Switzerland for roughly $750 a month. Read more details in the press release below. Tesla and Sixt Leasing Announce Strategic Partnership in Switzerland ZURICH, April 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Swiss Customers Can Drive Model S for About CHF 660 per month, After Fuel and Tax Savings in Multiple Cantons Leasing Offer Includes Annual Service Performed by Tesla Tesla today announced an expansion of its strategic relationship with Sixt Leasing. Now Model S customers in Switzerland, as well as Germany, can benefit from compelling lease offers from Sixt Leasing.