2019 Tesla Model 3 Long Range on 2040-cars

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Tesla talking to Slovakia about European EV plant

Ready for some far-flung Tesla news? How about a wild rumor out of Slovakia? You got it. The Slovak Spectator reports that Tesla might build a manufacturing plant there some day and is already in talks with the Economy Ministry and the Slovak Agency for Development of Investments and Trade. This was apparently confirmed to the newspaper by the EM, which also said the ministry offered Tesla an unspecified amount of investment aid (a smart move). Tesla spokesperson Liz Jarvis-Shean told AutoblogGreen simply, "This story seems quite speculative, and we don't comment on such rumors." Fair enough. We do know that Tesla is looking to open a manufacturing center in Europe, but that's unlikely to happen in the next few years, given that the CEO Elon Musk said recently that Tesla would need to sell 160,000 vehicles a year in Europe before building them there makes sense. Hard numbers of difficult to come by, but in the first four months of 2014, Tesla sold around 3,500 EVs in Europe, according to research firm JATO Dynamics. So, we have some time to cultivate some Slovakian sources.

Watch Rimac's Concept One roast a LaFerrari and Tesla Model S in a drag race

It's been five long years since Rimac Automobili took the covers off of its Concept_One at the Frankfurt Motor Show. From the very beginning, Rimac has confidently touted the supercar's capabilities, but now we actually have proof of just how capable the Concept_One really is. Here's your takeaway: It's quick enough to show a Ferrari LaFerrari its taillights through the quarter-mile. If you've spent any time clicking around on YouTube, you've seen the Tesla Model S P90D trump all sorts of high-performance cars. In this video, the Tesla is really only there for reference, because the way the Concept_One bests the electric sedan is just brutal. For those not familiar with Croatia's electric machine, here's the lowdown: 1,088 horsepower and 2,800 pound-feet of torque thanks to four electric motors that put everything down off the line Zero to 62 mph in 2.6 seconds, 6.2 seconds to get to 124 mph from a standstill, and 0 to 186 mph in 14.2 seconds An independent gearbox for each electric motor with the front featuring single-speed gearboxes and the rear axle using two-speed double-clutch gearboxes Rimac All Wheel Torque Vectoring (R-AWTV) system that calculates the optimum amount of torque for each wheel On paper, the Concept_One makes a Tesla Model S P90D with Ludicrous Mode look slow. But a LaFerrari isn't a Model S. And it's definitely not an electric car. It's a stampeding thoroughbred with a naturally aspirated V12 and an electric motor that together make 950 horsepower. It can blitz the quarter-mile in roughly 9.8 seconds and is faster than the majority of cars on the road today. Granted, the LaFerrari is quicker to 60 mph than the Concept_One, at 2.5 seconds. In essence, this race between two titanic machines should be close. But it's not. It's not even close to being close. It's a massacre. Related Video: News Source: Archie Hamilton Racing via YouTubeImage Credit: Archie Hamilton Racing / YouTube Green Ferrari Tesla Coupe Electric Videos drag race ferrari laferrari Rimac

If Tesla Model 3 is successful, Sergio Marchionne will copy it

Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne hasn't hidden his disdain for electric vehicles, but he would copy the Tesla Model 3 if it is successful, according to Automotive News Europe. If Elon Musk "can show me that the car will be profitable at that price, I will copy the formula, add the Italian design flair and get it to the market within 12 months," Marchionne told Automotive News Europe during FCA's annual meeting in Amsterdam. In terms of pre-orders, the Model 3 is a success. Musk tweeted on April 7 that the company had over 325,000 reservations for the sedan, which he estimated were worth around $14 billion. The car will start at $35,000 before incentives. Marchionne, however, isn't optimistic Tesla can actually make the electric sedan work financially. "I'm am not surprised by the high number of reservations but you have then to build and deliver them and also be profitable," he told ANE. The FCA boss is a noted skeptic of EVs. In 2012, he said that the company only built the 500e because of California's zero-emissions vehicle mandate and to give engineers experience with the technology. He doubled-down in 2014 when he claimed FCA lost $14,000 on each 500e and said he would rather people didn't buy them. More recently, he infamously said "you'd have to shoot me first," before he'd allow a fully electric Ferrari. Related Video: