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Tesla now California's top automotive employer

Tesla has knocked off Toyota as the biggest auto employer in the state of California, employing over 6,000 people to the Japanese company's 5,300. That lead is only likely to grow, as the EV manufacturer prepares to add another 500 jobs by the end of the year, and as Toyota begins its relocation to its new North American headquarters in Texas. The news comes barely a week after the company announced a $50 million loss during the first quarter of 2014.
Tesla's statewide employment could be set to double, beyond even 6,500 people, if it follows through on rumors to construct its eagerly awaited gigafactory in the Golden State. The $5-billion venture could add another 6,500 employees, making Tesla not just the largest automotive employer in the state, but making it one of the largest employers in the state full stop.
The investment of Tesla and its founder (and real-life Tony Stark), Elon Musk, has been substantial. The company has added 3,000 employees in the state since 2013, reopening the Toyota and General Motors joint-venture factory that use to be known as NUMMI in 2009 and constructing a design studio in Los Angeles, all in addition to its Palo Alto headquarters.

Tesla-Based Rinspeed XchangE Concept Offers A Vision For The Future Of Autonomous Driving

It has become an annual tradition for Swiss automaker Rinspeed to release details of its latest inventive concept just ahead of the Geneva Motor Show. Not your customary custom shop, Rinspeed considers themselves an "automotive think tank and mobility lab." Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that this year's concept pairs two emerging automotive industry trends: electric vehicles and autonomous driving technology. From the outside, the Rinspeed XchangeE looks much like the all-electric Tesla Model S upon which it is based, save for a modified front fascia, clear plexiglass roof and bright green paint job. Inside, however, is where things get interesting. View 6 Photos "Passengers will be able to assume virtually any seating or resting position when traveling in a fully autonomous vehicle in the future, which will require a completely new operating and display concept," says the automaker in a statement. The plush "business-class" interior of the XchangE is reconfigurable, offering up to twenty possible seating positions to passengers. Additional flexibility is provided by a "bionic" steering column, featuring a TRW wheel that can slide to the center of the vehicle when not in use by the driver. With the XchangE, Rinspeed has rethought safety and security for the autonomous age as well. An RFID access control system ensures that only approved drivers will be able to command the vehicle. The steering wheel's hands-on recognition system will let the car know when the driver has returned to the helm. All data transfer between car and cloud is handled by a secure LTE network connection. In-car infotainment runs on HTML 5, which Rinspeed claims will provide "comprehensive protection against hacker attacks." The only question that remains is what to do on those long road trips, now that you're no longer hunched over a steering wheel the entire time. Forget flip-down or seat-back DVD players. The Rinspeed XchangE features a gesture-controlled 32-inch 4K television. "You can read, listen to music, surf the web, play games and watch movies in brilliant picture and sound quality," says the automaker. "Or you can hold a four-party meeting at 120 km/h [75 mph] and work on your files while brewing a fresh cup of Italian Amici espresso." This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Geneva Motor Show Tesla Autonomous Vehicles Concept Cars Translogic Videos

Tesla China president steps down after fewer than 9 months on the job

In July, 2013, before Tesla had delivered its first car to China, CEO Elon Musk called the country a "wild card." A year on, that continues to be the case, with media reports all over the spectrum concerning how Tesla is doing in China. The immediate future won't be any calmer with news that Tesla China president Veronica Wu has resigned from the company, having just taken the job in April. Hers follows the sudden departure of Kingston Chang, the man she replaced; he was hired away from Bentley China in March, 2013 and left in March of this year citing personal reasons. Observers have put the latest departure down to the difficulties of Tesla's expansion efforts. In spite of widely acknowledged pent-up demand and the Model S being priced below expectations in China, the company has stumbled a few times navigating issues such as customs paperwork, on-time customer deliveries, navigation systems with local mapping and the installation of charging equipment for customers in rural areas. Speculative articles questioning the company's actual sales numbers in China inflate the narrative of a "speed bump" in the way of Tesla's ambitions. Tesla China's head of charger network development, Tom Zhu, will run the company in the interim.