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Tesla goes Down Under December 9th

Not too long after Tesla stepped in to scoop up some of the engineers left behind as Ford, GM and Toyota announced shuttering production Down Under, the California-based EV company will start selling its Model S in Australia. Beginning Tuesday, December 9, sales will begin in Sydney, bringing a California-style plug-in change to the country's automotive landscape. The Model S will start at $81,729 US in Australia. Come Tuesday, we can expect to hear what Tesla's plans are in regard to distribution, creating charging networks and the like. So far, we know that its Supercharger network will likely be powered at least in part by solar energy and that the first Model S deliveries will go to solar-powered homes. This isn't surprising, considering the company's ties to SolarCity, for whom Tesla will set aside a certain amount of battery production in its Reno-based Gigafactory. If Tesla's solar strategy is successful, it could open up conversations about larger-scale reliance on renewable energy in Australia. We'll have to wait and see. The Model S will start at $97,245 ($81,729 US) in Australia, and that includes taxes and registration fees, but customers outside of the Australian Capital Territory could see their base prices start at over $103,000. Tesla believes, though, that its prices will be competitive with the other big players in Australia's luxury segment. Right now, there are still a lot of questions to be answered regarding Tesla's future in Australia. Some of those answers should arrive next week, while we'll just have to wait for the market to respond for others. If you'd like to be part of that market, head on over to Tesla's Australia page. Featured Gallery Tesla Model S View 24 Photos News Source: Clean TechnicaImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL Green Tesla Electric Solar Cars supercharger gigafactory sydney

Beating Tesla's coast-to-coast time in a Model S

A Tesla Model S. A race across the country. An average driving speed of 63 miles per hour. Now which part of that doesn't jibe? A pair of drivers from Edmunds.com has set out to beat Tesla Motors' own cross-country time record by taking a Model S from Los Angeles (technically, Redondo Beach) to New York. And beat it they did, finishing the 3,332-mile route in 67 hours and 21 minutes, which was faster than Tesla's time by eight hours and 44 minutes. What's all the more impressive is that the pair had to recharge the car at Tesla's Superchargers 23 times, with an average of 38 minutes per stop, meaning that more than 14 hours were spent sitting still in recharge mode. And while the car is as fast as it is quiet, Edmunds had to curb its enthusiasm on the throttle to ensure the EV got from Supercharger A to Supercharger B and so on, hence the relatively pedestrian average driving speed of 63 miles per hour. Case in point was the 223-mile run between Las Vegas and Beaver, Utah, which was the longest stretch between Superchargers and included a 5,000-foot elevation climb. That caused the team to bring its highway speed down to about 50 miles per hour in order to avoid being stranded by the roadside. Read about how they made it over on Edmunds.

Dealers in Georgia latest to oppose Tesla showrooms

Tesla has been fighting challenges from dealer groups in several states for years due to the company's decision to sell directly to customers at stores rather than through franchise dealers. The business has won some of these battles like its recent compromise in Pennsylvania, which allows the company to open five stores there. Now, Tesla has another legal struggle ahead of it because the Georgia Automobile Dealers Association is hoping to shut down the brand's boutiques.
The Georgia dealers recently filed a petition to revoke Tesla's dealer license in the state and prevent it from reapplying for another one, according to Automotive News. The company currently operates just one store in Marietta, GA, but it reportedly has two more locations planned around Atlanta in the future. The association claims that Tesla's license limits it to direct sales of a maximum of 150 vehicles a year. It's now selling more than that, but attempting to increase the restriction.
If Tesla wants to keep selling cars in the state, which boasts high incentives and strong popularity around Atlanta for EVs, it needs to switch to franchises, according to the dealers. "No one should be allowed to act as if they are above the law, especially when there is a simple path to compliance that everyone else has agreed to follow," said Bill Morie, president of the association, to Automotive News.