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Tesla will fix 1,100 Model S motors in Norway

As far as we know, Tesla didn't build all of the Model S sedans it has sold in Norway at once, but it is just those vehicles that have been found defective and will soon be fixed. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that the company will replace defective Model S drive units sold in the Northern European country. Not a great way to start the holiday season. The issue involves a part that connects the Model S' drive motor to the gearbox, according to Dow Jones Business News. The part could break down because the company didn't apply enough grease to the part when the cars were produced. The issue may impact about 1,100 vehicles that had been shipped to Norway, though about one percent of those have already experienced "premature" wear and tear. The repairs for the couplings will take about a month. We suspect the news won't put much of a damper on Model S demand in a country that's been on the leading edge of electric-vehicle adoption with its high subsidies and cheap electricity. In March, Tesla set an all-time monthly sales record for any type of vehicle in Norway, moving almost 1,500 units that month. In fact, on a per-capita basis, the Model S sold more than the best-selling Ford F-150 here in the states that month.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tow-charging a Tesla, Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell taxis in Paris

Watch a Tesla charge another Tesla by towing it. Bjorn Nyland has found yet another way to explore what Teslas can do, this time by towing a Model S behind a Model X to recharge the sedan's battery. While it's not the most efficient method of charging, it's definitely one way you could help out a stranded electric motorist in a time of desperation. The single-motor S was couldn't quite hit its regen capacity of 60 kW because of the towing speed. Nyland suggests a dual-motor Tesla in tow might be able to capture more energy. Check out the video above, and read more at Teslarati. Paris-based taxi startup STEP (Societe du Taxi Electrique Parisien) will use 60 Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cells in its fleet. These will replace internal combustion taxis on Paris roads. Hyundai says that its Tucson Fuel Cell taxi fleet presence in Paris will increase from five vehicles to up to several hundred in coming years. Read more from Hyundai. Montreal is installing 50 new EV chargers, with a goal of 1,000 by 2020. The new chargers are in addition to 50 built downtown in August. "Our administration has bet on the electrification of transportation, with a view to being the first electric metropolis in North America," says Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre. The 50 new stations are spread out throughout seven boroughs of the city. Read more at Green Car Congress, or from the City of Montreal (in French). Denver will add 200 electric vehicles to its city fleet by 2020. The city plans to save $800,000 over the next decade due to the switch, as it starts to replace aging vehicles with electric ones starting in 2018. "Both financially and from the environmental perspective, it puts the city in a leadership position," says Denver Energy and Transportation Administrator Tyler Svitak. The city currently employs three EVs in its fleet. Read more at Hybrid Cars, or from The Denver Post. Related Gallery Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell STEP Taxi Service News Source: Teslarati, YouTube: Bjorn Nyland, Hyundai, Green Car Congress, City of Montreal, Hybrid Cars, Denver Post Government/Legal Green Hyundai Tesla Green Automakers Electric Videos recharge wrapup

GM CEO Akerson calls out Tesla, says Cadillac will compete on EVs

Cadillac will be taking on Tesla Motors, the underdog EV manufacturer that's seen heaps of critical acclaim and stock market buzz with its most recent sedan, the Model S. "If you want to compete head-to-head with Tesla, and we ultimately will, you want to do it with a Cadillac," Dan Akerson, the chairman and CEO of General Motors, told media in Washington, according to The Detroit News.
Akerson continued, telling The News, "We'll sell more Volts and lose less money on the Volts than they'll lose on the Model S." He also took time to point out that Tesla getting vehicles out to customers isn't a guarantee of success or permanence, using Fisker as an example, saying "Does anybody even remember Fisker? I mean, there were a number of them; they are all gone."
This strong talk from Akerson comes after Doug Parks, another GM exec, let slip that the Detroit-based manufacturer has an EV in the works that will cover 200 miles per charge and only cost about $30,000, a massive upgrade over similarly priced EVs that struggle to top 100 miles per charge. Until that vehicle arrives, though, GM is preparing the Cadillac ELR, a small coupe that, like the Volt with which it shares technology, uses a gas engine as a mobile generator to recharge the batteries. Akerson took aim at Tesla again, saying, "But I do think when the ELR comes out late this year, early next - it's certainly the same postal code as Tesla, but now we're going to move up. It's not going to be a mass-produced car."