2022 Tesla Model 3 Long Range Awd 4dr Sedan on 2040-cars

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Tesla could need another $6 billion to really change the auto landscape

Telsa Motors has some big plans. The electric car company is building its $5-billion Gigafactory near Reno, NV to guarantee a steady supply of lower-cost batteries, has plans to release two new models and is even talking about providing home energy storage on a large scale. The California automaker is ramping up EV production, and hopes to eventually be producing 500,000 cars per year. To do all this, Tesla is going to need a lot of cash, particularly if any of its cars becomes the "next big thing," so to speak. This is money Tesla would need in addition to the revenues it already pulls in. Patrick Archambault, an analyst at Goldman Sachs, said last week that Tesla could need at least $6 billion through 2025 to complete all of the plans listed above and any others, should Tesla become the automotive Apple. An increase in popularity that would see the company hit its production targets would create a need for capital to match that growth. Keep in mind, this is money it would need in addition to the revenues it already pulls in. Tesla has already secured a portion of the funds for its Gigafactory, but still needs to make up the rest. Some will come from its partner Panasonic and Tesla is receiving some serious tax incentives from the state of Nevada (to the tune of $1.2 billion). Archmabault predicts that most of the funds would be needed beginning in 2017, suggesting that Tesla has the financial means to reach its target of 100,000 vehicles by the end of next year. It's not until the Model III comes into play that Tesla might come to need the hefty sums suggested by the analyst. Whether Tesla will become more of a disruptive brand in the automotive world is still anybody's guess. Still, Archambault's suggestion of that possible $6 billion figure was enough to have an effect on Tesla's stock price, which fell after the estimate was released last week, and remains down as of this writing after a note from JP Morgan. Featured Gallery Tesla Model S View 24 Photos Related Gallery Tesla Model X View 15 Photos News Source: Bloomberg via Green Car ReportsImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL Green Plants/Manufacturing Tesla Electric gigafactory

Recharge Wrap-up: Renault e.dams wins Formula E Marrakesh ePrix, S. Korean Tesla store opens this month

Renault e.dams has won the 2016 Formula E Marrakesh ePrix. The win at the season's second round gives the team a strong lead with 74 points. ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport and Mahindra Racing are tied in second place with 36 points. Renault e.dams driver Sebastien Buemi took first place in the race, with teammate Nico Prost finishing fourth. "We know we have an efficient car and we had to take advantage of that after we started further back on the grid than we wanted," says Buemi. "I was able to extract everything I needed from the car and it shows the team is working really well, so it's been a very positive start to the season." Read more at Green Car Congress, or from Renault. Navigant Research has ranked the EV charging companies. Of the 12 companies providing public charging networks and services, Navigant has named The New Motion, ChargePoint, and EV-Box as "leaders" in the field based on market share, breadth of products, and market adaptability. Following that group of three are a group of "contenders," including Chargemaster, Fortum, Innology SE, Greenlots, Clever A/S, EVgo, POD Point, and SemaConnect. Trailing those is Car Charging Group in the "challengers" category. Read more at Green Car Congress. BMW has entered the second phase of its ChargeForward program to study advanced EV charging. In partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Company, BMW is inviting i3 and i8 owners in the San Francisco Bay Area to apply to participate in the second phase of the smart charging project, which aims to test technology that optimizes charging for the benefit of the electric grid. "By managing charging when a BMW i or iPerformance vehicle is plugged in – wherever the vehicle is plugged in – BMW can ensure that vehicles are efficiently charged to meet driver's communicated mobility needs while helping the grid reach greater levels of efficiency and sustainability," says BMW's Manager of Connected eMobility, Cliff Fietzek. Read more from BMW. Tesla will open its first Korean retail location this month. On November 29, Tesla plans to open a store in Starfield Hanam, South Korea's largest mall, in Gyeonggi Province. Tesla has also finished ground construction of a Supercharger station in the mall's parking area. Tesla is working to open another store in Seoul's Gangnam District, as well as charging stations around the country. Read more from The Country Caller.

Supra successor may be all-electric sourced from Tesla; MR2 returning too?

Rumors of a revival of the Toyota Supra and MR2 have been swirling for years right up until just this week when high-level Toyota employees all but confirmed their return.
But now The Detroit Bureau has put together news from different sources suggesting that the next Supra might be all electric. The report cites recent comments from Toyota senior executives hinting at plans to work with Tesla on a new joint project. The FT-HS Concept (shown above) seems a logical inspiration for a new Supra.
And on the other side of the equation is Tesla's design chief Franz von Holzhausen who was quoted last year saying his company was looking at its next project, probably a sports car, that would follow next year's intro of the Model X. He went on to suggest the car would compete directly with BMW's 3 Series, which, in coupe form, could be a worthy competitor to a Supra as well.