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Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla Model S races TVR Tuscan S, Chicago considers E15

Continental might end a partnership with Korean battery manufacturer SK Innovation due to low demand. Lower-than-expected growth and an abundance of competition have cast a shadow over the partners' plans to supply lithium ion batteries for electric cars. Continental CFO Wolfgang Schaefer sees interest in EVs, but says consumers "are delaying their purchases," leading the Germany-based company to find a way to end the deal. Read more at Bloomberg. Chargemaster has installed the Rapid EV quick charging network in Wiltshire, England. The six "triple standard" chargers are equipped with CHAdeMO, DC 44 kilowatt CCS Combi and AC 43 kilowatt Type 2 plugs to support a wide variety of electric vehicles. The charging stations are linked to the country's Polar network, and can charge cars to 80 percent in 20 minutes. The chargers are free to use. Read more at Hybrid Cars. A bill in Chicago could allow retailers to sell E15 within city limits. The suggested amendment to the Chicago Clean Air Choice ordinance is intended to help reduce air pollution and promote energy security and independence by supporting ethanol. "By reducing our dependence on fossil fuels by increasing ethanol usage, this ordinance is supporting a renewable fuel that is grown in America, keeping American dollars and troops at home, instead of sending them overseas," says Alderman Anthony Beale. Read more at Domestic Fuel. Probably just because they could, Auto Express pitted a Tesla Model S against a TVR Tuscan S in a drag race. The publication put the cars through multiple runs throughout the day with the electric car up against the inline-6-equipped TVR on an 1800-meter runway, and posted the cars' best times for the day. We won't spoil the results here, so watch what happens in the video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Bloomberg, Hybrid Cars, Domestic Fuel, YouTube: Auto ExpressImage Credit: YouTube: Auto Express Green Tesla Ethanol Electric Racing Vehicles Videos recharge wrapup

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla Model X assembly video, autonomous Apple test car spotted?

A video from Tesla shows factory robots assembling a Model X. The teaser video is titled, Team of robots gives Model X its backbone, as the machines are working on the car's structural support. It gives a rare glimpse into the underpinnings of the Model X, and it also reminds people that the cars are being built despite previous delays. See the video above, and read more at Teslarati. A Chinese electric vehicle company has hired multiple executives from BMW's i sub-brand. Sources close to the matter tell Automotive News Europe that Future Mobility, an EV company backed by Tencent Holdings and Foxconn Technology Group, has hired Dirk Abendroth as VP of software and connectivity, Benoit Jacob as VP of design, and Henrik Wenders as VP of marketing. The former BMW employees will join former BMW i8 project manager Carsten Breitfeld, who is Future Mobility's CEO. Abendroth and Wenders confirmed their new positions at the Chinese company, while Benoit didn't immediately respond to ANE. A BMW spokesman declined to comment. Read more at Automotive News Europe. A blogger at TechRadar claims to have spotted a possible Apple autonomous test vehicle. Author Michelle Fitzsimmons says the white, unmarked Ford Transit was kitted out with various apparatuses, including Lidar sensors and cameras on the roof. While she originally thought it could be a van from Apple's Maps service, the Lidar and a couple other oddities lead her to speculate that it is actually using self-driving technology. If not testing autonomous features itself, the van could also be gathering data for a future driverless vehicle. Read more at TechRadar, or from Apple Car Fans.

Elon Musk teases Tesla Roadster update

A holiday present is coming for Tesla enthusiasts, according to a Tweet from Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk. Like all good presents, we don't know what it'll be, though. Musk only said that details for an improved Roadster electric vehicle will be announced later this week. Ever the master of suspense, Musk would not provide further detail. He only said that a number of "crisis issues ... pushed this out longer than expected." Whatever it is, make mine red, Santa. Earlier this year at Tesla's annual shareholder meeting, Musk said the automaker would do "something cool" with the Roadster before the end of the year, though, again, he wasn't specific. In the summer, Musk told the UK's Auto Express that the Roadster would get an upgraded battery that would give the convertible a 400-mile single-charge range. That would make the convertible's range about 135 miles longer than the top-of-the-line Tesla Model S sedan. While a new Roadster has been talked about, this update is for the first-go-round model, which was sold in the US between 2008 and 2011 and had a single-charge range of 245 miles. Whether the longer range is the only news or if there's something else in store (all-wheel drive? more horsepower?), we'll all have to wait just a little bit longer to see. Featured Gallery 2012 Tesla Roadster Final Edition View 10 Photos News Source: Twitter/Elon Musk Green Tesla Electric roadster