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Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla Launches In Australia, Model S makes for a popular limo

A Chicago limousine company that uses the Tesla Model S in its fleet is finding demand overwhelming. E-Motion Chauffeurs and Hires introduced six Model S EVs to its lineup in October, which resulted in the company's website server crashing due to high demand. "We are completely booked and I've been looking for other Tesla owners to try to cover some of our overflows," says E-Motion owner Abdullah Illahi. E-Motion has ordered another six of the all-wheel-drive P85D model, set to arrive in January. Illahi says that he chose the Model S in order to gain a competitive edge, as it is a car customers would find interesting. It also has the benefit of lower operating costs than traditionally fueled vehicles. Read more at Hybrid Cars. The province of Quebec is offering EV incentives, as well as penalties based on engine size. Quebec is offering an $8,000 (about $6,997 US) rebate for EV purchases, plus up to $1,000 ($874) toward the installation of a home charger. The government is also imposing additional registration fees for traditional vehicles based on the size of their engines beginning in 2016 (on top of the ones already in place). This will mean that cars with engines displacing 4.0 to 4.9 liters will be charged an extra $50, 5.0 to 5.9 liters an extra $100, and cars with engines larger than 6.0 liters will cost an added $200 to register. Read more at Montreal Gazette or at Green Car Reports. Battery company Seeo has closed a successful round of investment funding. Samsung Ventures, Khosla Ventures and GSR Ventures all invested in Seeo, making this funding round it largest yet. Seeo will use the money it secured to commercialize its DryLyte lithium polymer batteries. The solid polymer electrolyte in these batteries is especially energy-dense, and or not flammable or volatile. Seeo also claims they are lighter and longer lasting than other lithium batteries. Read more in the press release below. Tesla has officially launched in Australia. The company delivered the first nine units of its Model S EV to customers on Tuesday, December 9, with more to come on Wednesday and beyond. Tesla powered up its first Superchargers at the Star and Darling Hotel at Pyrmont and at the North Sydney Retail and Service Center. Wednesday, Telsa will open its first store and service center in St Leonards, Sydney. By the end of 2015, Tesla will have stores in Sydney and Melbourne, and a Supercharger network connecting Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney.

Ohio Senate strips anti-Tesla amendment from bill

Tesla's strategy to sell cars, such as the Model S, through manufacturer-owned retail stores has rubbed traditional franchise auto dealerships the wrong way. The battle between Tesla and the Ohio Auto Dealers Association heated up quickly over the past week because a proposed amendment to an Ohio road-maintenance worker safety bill (Senate Bill 137) threatened to ban Tesla stores in Ohio. The automaker asked for help from its supporters to fight the amendment, and on Tuesday all 12 members of the Ohio senate passed the bill without it, Transport Evolved reports.
After the vote, Tesla sent out an e-mail to its supporters thanking them for their help, which you can read below:
Dear Tesla Advocate,

Tesla facilitating Chinese trade-ins for Model S buyers

When many people buy a new vehicle in the US, it's quite common to trade in an older model at the same time. Not only does the decision knock a little money off the purchase, but there's often not enough room for an extra car taking up room in the driveway. Now, Tesla is extending that option to some of its buyers in China in hopes that the added convenience boosts sales. According to Bloomberg, Tesla is working with used car traders in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou to help buyers dump their old vehicles. That value is then deducted from the price of the customer's new Model S. Tesla is still a rather new entrant into China but seems to be performing well. The company began selling the Model S there in April, and it only took a few months to deliver the first 1,000 vehicles. It didn't hurt that the initial pricing was lower than expected, the first 3,000 buyers in Shanghai have been eligible for a free license place, a roughly $15,000 value. According to Bloomberg, the electric automaker has opened nine stores and service locations in six Chinese cities, so far. The business is also considering opening a factory there at some point in the future. News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Wang Zhao / AFP / Getty Images Green Tesla Car Buying Car Dealers Electric Sedan trade-in