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Recharge Wrap-up: meet the '66 ZelectricBug, DOE announces home-scale H2 refueling competition

The US Department of Energy has launched the $1 million H2 Refuel H-Prize competition to create small- to medium-scale hydrogen refueling systems. The systems could be home-scale systems that produce hydrogen using utilities at home for refueling, or medium-scale systems to supply locations such as retail centers, apartment complexes or small fleets. The DOE sees hydrogen fueling infrastructure as the biggest obstacle to fuel-cell vehicle adoption and putting the production and refueling in the hands of the consumer could be a way around that obstacle. Read more at Energy.gov and at Green Car Congress. Hyundai has announced a new six-speed automatic transmission with integrated electric motor for new hybrid models. The new configuration puts most of the hybrid powertrain components within the transmission, and the torque converter has been eliminated. The new engine clutch reduces drag with fewer clutch discs, and the mechanical oil pump has been replaced with an electric one. The result is fewer energy losses, improved efficiency and greater mileage. Read more at Hybrid Cars in Reuters or in the press release from Hyundai below. Zelectric Motors has completed its electric 1966 Volkswagen Beetle rebuild, and has put it up for sale. The '66 ZelectricBug, as it's called, is powered by a 50-kW electric motor and 20-kWh battery pack, and offers 120 pound-feet of torque. It has a range of 80 miles, and is capable of at least 100 mph. The stock transmission has been rebuilt. It also has some new goodies like high-performance sway bars, custom shocks, and LED lighting. The '66 ZelectricBug is priced at $45,000. Check it out in the video below and read more at Hybrid Cars. A startup called Alevo says it will build a billion-dollar factory in North Carolina to make longer-lasting lithium iron phosphate batteries. Alevo has purchased an old cigarette factory in Concord for $68.5 million, but it's unclear whether or not the company has secured the $1 billion investment to begin producing batteries. The company plans to create 2,500 to 6,000 jobs and produce several gigawatts worth of batteries per year, which is a tall order for a relatively unknown company. Read more at Gigaom, or in Alevo's press release below. Tesla owners in Shanghai will be exempt from the city's $12,000 registration fee. About 400 people have already received the free license plates in Shanghai, where the government wants to encourage alternative fuel vehicles.

Nevada's $1.2 billion deal for Tesla Gigafactory lets EV company sell direct

Now that the Nevada deal for the Tesla Motors Gigafactory has the governor's signature, we've got more details on the automaker's $1.2-billion benefits package. As originally reported, this is the broad breakdown: $725 million for a 20-year 100 percent sales tax abatement $332 million for a 10-year 100 percent property tax abatement $120 million in transferable tax credits $75 million in transferable tax credits worth $12,500 per job times 6,000 jobs). $27 million for a 10-year, 100 percent modified business tax abatement $8 million in discounted electricity rates for eight years New reports say that one way that state legislators freed up some money ($125 million) was by ending a long-standing tax break for insurance companies. Legislators also eliminated some tax credits for movie companies to give the money ($70 million) to Tesla. One surprising side benefit for Tesla is the ability to sell its EVs directly to customers in Nevada. The state hasn't been a big player in the EV dealer fight issue, but now the company's right to sell cars there is secure. What does Nevada get out of the deal? Well, a lot of publicity, for starters, but also a big new employer. The state is also requiring that at least half of all the workers at the $5 billion Gigafactory be from Nevada, but there is a way for Tesla to get waivers around this if needed. Add that all up and you get what state Assemblyman Ira Hansen called, "arguably the biggest thing that has happened in Nevada since at least the Hoover Dam." Not everyone is so positive. A Las Vegas schoolteacher told the Nevada Appeal, "I think it is kind of ironic that a renewable energy, a green energy car company we are courting to come to our state, that one of the things we are giving them is free energy." You can watch a video of the September 4th Tesla/Nevada announcement and read the governor's press release about signing the bill below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Governor Brian Sandoval Signs Historic Legislation Thanks Legislature for Thorough Review and Approval CARSON CITY, NV - September 11, 2014 Governor Brian Sandoval signed Assembly Bills 1, 2, and 3, and Senate Bill 1, legislation from the 28th Special Session of the Nevada Legislature, tonight in a ceremony that was open to members of the Nevada Legislature and the public.

Tesla asks feds to investigate Model S fires, amends warranty to cover fire damage

As of the last official count, there are 19,000 Tesla Model S sedans on US roads. Three of those, as has been widely reported, have caught on fire after significant accidents. That means one in about 6,333 Model S sedans has caught fire, and none of those fires led to any injuries. By way of contrast, there were 172,500 gasoline-car fires in the States last year, which, according to the National Fire Protection Association, equals about one in every 1,450 vehicles on US roads.
In a move we'd describe as very baller, Tesla has amended the warranty to cover damage due to a fire, even if due to driver error.
Put more simply, as stated by Elon Musk in his latest posting on the official Tesla Motors blog, "You are more than four and a half times more likely to experience a fire in a gasoline car than a Model S! Considering the odds in the absolute, you are more likely to be struck by lightning in your lifetime than experience even a non-injurious fire in a Tesla." While the assertion of dangerous lightning strikes may be just as spurious a correlation as those who claim the Model S is a burning inferno waiting to happen, the point is clear: You are quite unlikely to experience a fire in a Tesla Model S.