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Tesla Model S P85D details leaking out

When the cat pokes its nose out of the bag, sometimes you can see a bit more than the cat intended. This week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk Tweeted a tease about "revealing the D" and promised to show more on October 9th, giving us a week to prepare for the big surprise. This ignited a debate over at the Tesla Motors Club and user Adelman has now posted a picture that a friend took of a Model S with P85D branding [UPDATE: Image removed from this post, but you can see it here]. This doesn't help us know exactly what we're looking at, but it does make the picture a bit clearer, since we can eliminate the idea that there's a Tesla Model D coming. And things come even more into focus when we put Musk's Tweet into context with not only previous company statements about an all-wheel drive Model S based on work being done on the AWD-only Model X but also a new Tweet by Edmunds' Mike Magrath that says, "According to the guide there's supposed to be an all-wheel drive Tesla here at the Paris Motor Show. There is not." See the Tweet and pic below. Given these pieces, it's looking pretty clear that the "D" Musk mentioned will be the AWD Model S. Now, about the "something else" he hinted at. What could that be? This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Man steals, crashes, catches on fire and breaks in half Tesla Model S

Multiple injuries were reported in a dangerous high-speed crash involving a Tesla Model S this holiday weekend in Los Angeles. The EV was apparently stolen from a local Tesla store and was driven at triple-digit speeds through LA a little before 1 am, a sergeant Campbell from the Los Angeles Police Department's Pacific Division told KTLA 5. "They tried to help but there was too much smoke." – Eyewitness Following a call from employees at the store, police chased the apparent thief through LA until he crashed into two cars and a lamp post. The Model S split in half, with the back end getting wedged into a nearby synagogue while the front half caught on fire. An eyewitness told NBC Los Angeles that, "Everybody who was looking was screaming. They tried to help but there was too much smoke." What, exactly, caused the fire is unknown, but let's just rehash the old chestnut that Tesla EVs are not inherently fire traps and that driving at over 100 miles per hour is a dangerous endeavor in any vehicle. It was originally reported that the thief died, but he, along with people from the cars he hit, were taken to the hospital for treatment and he is reportedly still alive. More to come, most assuredly, and for now you can watch three local TV news video reports below.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla seeks Gigafactory architect, Uber hails carpools

Tesla is looking for an architect to help design its proposed Gigafactory battery manufacturing facility. According to the Palo Alto-based job listing, which is titled "Architect - Gigafactory," the applicant must have, among other qualifications, over five years of experience with "high-tech infrastructure and operational facilities (semiconductor, solar, battery, waste water treatment plants, etc.)." The job also includes being away from home quite a bit, as it the listing states, "This full time role requires the flexibility of traveling when needed (up to 70 percent) and doing whatever it takes to achieve project objectives." Think you've got what it takes? See the listing for yourself, here, or read more at Silicon Valley Business Journal. Tesla has appointed Robyn Denholm of Juniper Networks to its board of directors. Denholm is Executive Vice President, Chief Financial and Operations Officer at Juniper Networks. Denholm replaces Brad Buss as chair of Tesla's Audit Committee and a member of the company's Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance committees. Buss will remain a member of Tesla's board as he joins SolarCity as CFO. Denholm is Tesla's first female director. Read more at Bloomberg, or in the press release below. Uber, the company behind the now famous ride-hailing app, is introducing its carpooling service, UberPool. The service matches drivers with (hopefully multiple) passengers going to similar destinations, with users paying just a fraction of the cost of a normal taxi, or even an Uber ride. If a rider can't get matched with a driver, they can enjoy a discounted Uber ride. As the company points out in its blog, "At these price points, Uber really is cost-competitive with owning a car, which is a game-changer for consumers." UberPool is currently running a private beta program, which it plans to expand on August 15. Read more in-depth about the UberPool at Forbes, or learn more at Uber's blog. For a few reasons why this new expansion might run afoul of archaic laws (put there to keep entrenched interests in play), check out Engadget. Plug-in hybrids are encouraging an evolution of transmission technology. Companies like Schaeffler and ZF Friedrichshafen are adapting their transmissions to include electric motors within them for use in plug-in hybrids. For example, the electric motor in ZF's eight-speed powers the transmission when the internal combustion engine is shut off.