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Recharge Wrap-up: Shift to offer Teslas for Hire, Model S P85D beats Ferrari in drag race

A company called Shift plans to provide bikes and EVs for hire. Based in Las Vegas, NV, Shift will provide chauffeured ride services like Uber, but will also include a car- and bike-sharing service that delivers the desired wheels to the customer. Shift's fleet will include EVs like the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive and the Tesla Model S. Shift also promises that you will, "Be on your way within five minutes," which is a pretty tall order. Shift is scheduled to be available to members beginning this fall. Read more at The Car Connection. Nissan UK has confirmed the price of replacement batteries for the Leaf. UK drivers will be able to buy new batteries for 4,920 pounds (or about $7,738). That's considerably more than the price of $5,499 for US customers. Customers get 1,000 pounds back when they exchange their old battery. The original battery is covered under a five-year, 60,000-mile warranty, and most owners will never need to replace it. According to Nissan, only three replacement batteries have been sold out of 30,000 Leafs sold in Europe. Read more at Autocar. The Tesla Model S P85D walloped a Ferrari in an impromptu drag race video. The Ferrari driver pulls up alongside the Tesla and asks, "What you got in there?" before challenging him to a race. The Ferrari gets a head start, but the Tesla pulls out ahead quickly. The video also gets the reactions of some passengers to the car's mighty acceleration. See the video below and read the account of a drag race against a Lamborghini Aventador at Car Throttle. Australian website Drive has chosen their Cars of the Year in various categories. The Tesla Model S was a carryover winner for Luxury Car Over $80,000, but the Mercedes-Benz C200 narrowly overtook it to be crowned the overall winner. Regarding the Model S, one judge says, "This makes every other EV look at least a generation behind." The main thing that held the Tesla back from winning outright was the near-term lack of charging infrastructure. The judges did note Tesla's plans to build a network of Superchargers in Australia, but also pointed out that those plans exclude much of the country so far. See the video below and read more at Drive. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla lane detection video, H2 station locator app

See how well Tesla's Autopilot detects lane markings on a winding road. Tesla Owner and YouTuber KmanAuto puts Autopilot under Firmware version 8.0 to the test in traffic on a curvy road with bright sunlight. The driver is comparing the system's prowess to version 7.0 on the same roads, and doesn't see much of an improvement, despite heavier reliance on radar than cameras. Still, KmanAuto notes, this is not the type of road Autopilot is designed for, but it offers a good comparison between the two versions. While it now works better in some instances, Kman also notes some "regressions." See the video above, and read more at Teslarati. The Renault Zoe EV will take part in the 2016 e-Rallye Monte Carlo. From October 12 through 16, the French automaker will enter four Zoes in the FIA-sanctioned, zero-emissions drive from Fontainebleau, France to Monaco. This marks the third year that the Zoe will compete, and allows the EV to showcase its new battery with improved driving range. Read more from Renault. Industrial gases company Air Liquide has launched an informational website about hydrogen, as well as an H2 infrastructure app. In honor of National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day on October 8 (which corresponds to hydrogen's atomic weight of 1.008), the company launched Let's Clear The Air to educate the public about hydrogen as an alternative fuel. Additionally, the "Hydrogen Station Finder" app, launched in collaboration with the California Fuel Cell Partnership, helps FCEV drivers navigate to stations that make up the growing hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Read more from Air Liquide. UPS will add 200 new hybrid electric delivery trucks to its fleet. Like the 125 vehicles UPS previously announced, these new trucks will use the Workhorse E-Gen chassis, and feature a lithium-ion battery pack and two-cylinder BMW range extender that provide 150 miles of range and about 26 mpg. They'll go into service in January 2017 in Arizona, Texas, Nevada, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and possibly other states. Read more form UPS. Related Gallery Renault ZOE - 2015 ZENN Monte-Carlo Rally News Source: Teslarati, YouTube: KmanAuto, Renault, Air Liquide, UPS, Workhorse Green Tesla Renault Alternative Fuels Technology Autonomous Vehicles Electric Hybrid Hydrogen Cars Videos recharge wrapup

Musk reports positive cash flow for Tesla last week

According to Bloomberg, Tesla actually earned money last week. CEO Elon Musk sent out a message on Twitter saying his company was "narrowly cash positive." That's big news for a company that hasn't turned a quarterly profit as of yet. Tesla is currently in the middle of stepping up production for its Model S sedan, and has announced the vehicle's MSRP will jump by $2,500, presumably to help fund that expansion.
So far, Tesla says it has built will build around 20,000 Model S units at its California production facility next year, though analysts say the ability to repeatedly generate a positive cash flow would go a long way toward the company's evolution into a "sustainable operating entry." So far, the Model S has garnered substantive praise, earning the Motor Trend Car of the Year Award among others. Tesla shares are up 19 percent this year over the same time period in 2011.