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There's now a Tesla Model S registered in all 50 states

Yes, you too can impress friends at cocktail parties by knowing that the last state to go without a registered Tesla Model S battery-electric sedan was indeed Mississippi. And the second-to-last one was West Virginia. That's what Edmunds is saying, citing data from Polk. Mississippi was the final hold-out until one intrepid Jackson resident made the Model S plunge. The state's non-Tesla stature wasn't a surprise, given that Mississippi has the lowest percentage of plug-in vehicles in the country (on the flip side, Washington, Hawaii and California are there three most plug-in prevalent states by percentage of registrations). Another fun cocktail party fact: more than 20 percent of Mississippi's registered vehicles are trucks. Tesla took about a year and a half to finally register a vehicle all 50 states. Comparatively, the Nissan Leaf took almost two years to be registered in all states, while the Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in took just 11 months. Tesla sold about 22,300 Model S vehicles last year, and the approximately 6,900 units sold during the fourth quarter made it the country's best-selling plug in during that time. The bad news is that our Mississippi Tesla owner can't count on getting free electric charging from Tesla any time soon. The nearest Superchargers are in Texas and Florida, two states away. News Source: Edmunds.com Green Tesla Electric ev sales west virginia

California grants Tesla $34.7 million tax break to boost production

Tesla Motors' plans to expand just got a big boost, as the state of California has announced it will give the Palo Alto-based company a $34.7 million tax break to increase its production capacity. The EV manufacturer is being given a pass on sales and use taxes on up to $415 million worth of equipment, according to a report on the San Francisco Chronicle's website.
Tesla is currently on track to produce 21,500 cars, although the planned expansion should more than double that capacity to 56,500 units, adding 112 jobs at Tesla's Fremont factory. "I'm pleased we could take this action to encourage Tesla to expand its electric vehicle production in California, which will create green jobs and improve our air quality," State Treasurer Bill Lockyer said. The state estimates that between the additional jobs and (hoped for) increase in sales, it will recoup the costs of the tax break in more taxes.

Aluminum body on Tesla Model S may raise repair costs

One line of questioning about Ford's move to aluminum for the F-150 centered on the cost of repair. Speaking on the topic, Mike Jackson, CEO of AutoNation, said, "It's expensive, and it's complicated and it's difficult to work with." According to Green Car Reports, Tesla Model S drivers are learning that the expensive way, with a list of repair estimates ranging from $7,000 to fix "a small dent and scratch" to $45,000 for "minor front-end damage." At least one comment on the article supports the terrifically spendy bills, user "bdwaters" saying he got an estimate for more than $6,300 to fix minor damage to a rear quarter panel. The elevated numbers are put down to a few reasons beyond the difficulties of working in aluminum: the tools and equipment required to fix it are expensive, with one shop saying it spent $100,000 to get fitted out to Tesla standards, and incidentals like rivets and bonding agents are pricey; one repair shop charged $35 for a single rivet, and the bonding agent recommended by Tesla is $100 per tube. Other commenters on the piece, however, provided their own evidence that ran contrary to the trend mentioned. With aluminum certain to figure in the necessary move to automotive 'light-weighting,' this will end up being an issue that affects huge numbers of drivers. Check out the story on Green Car Reports for the early take.