2013 Tesla Model S Performance Sedan 4d on 2040-cars

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Tesla spies something that begins with the letter D

Lest there be any doubt to the contrary, Tesla is a company on the move. Following the sensational Tesla Roadster, the Model S is now humming down roads across the country and around the world. And there's more to come: the entry-level Model 3, the upcoming Model X crossover... and something else. Two somethings, to be precise, going by this latest, cryptic tweet from Tesla chief Elon Musk.
The image enclosed appears to show the front of a Model S peering out from under a partially open garage door emblazoned with the letter D. Just what that letter stands for, we don't know. Usually we'd guess it stood for "diesel," but given that Teslas are powered purely by electricity, that'd probably be viewed as a backwards step. Drive? Possibly, if Tesla has an all-wheel-drive sedan in the works (which is does).
Whatever it is, we'll have to wait until October 9 before Tesla reveals the full thing. At that point it will also reveal "something else," though it's given even less indication as to what that might be. The Model 3? Production-ready Model X? A new Roadster? We'll find out in a week's time.

Tesla Model S Proves Troublesome For Consumer Reports

The Tesla Model S has turned into the breakthrough model that electric cars needed. Instead of looking like a futuristic jellybean whizzing by, the Tesla would still be incredibly attractive with a V8 stuffed under the hood. But beyond its appealing styling, the luxury sedan offers a realistic driving range, impressive performance and oft-praised driving dynamics. It's everything many drivers are looking for. However, as more long-term reviews come out, it's becoming clear that living with one of these wonder cars isn't without its fair share of problems. A few weeks ago, Edmunds published its 17-month ownership experience with a Model S. It praised the experience being behind the wheel of the luxury sedan, at least when it was possible. Edmunds reported that it had to make seven unscheduled trips to the service bay and even left a writer by the side of the road once. The biggest issues included replacing the drive unit three times, needing a new main battery and numerous resets of the center screen. Consumer Reports just wrote about its own driving impressions after 15,743 miles, and its experience with the Model S has hardly been a walk in the park, though not nearly as bad as Edmunds' rough time. The infotainment screen needed a hard reset once after blinking out, and one unscheduled service left the sedan in the shop for two days. There have been other, smaller issues too. In Tesla's favor, the repairs were done under warranty. Even with this latest report, we only have data regarding two Model S examples out of thousands, but a somewhat difficult picture is being painted about the breakthrough EV as we read more and more. Everyone loves driving it, but living with one might not be quite so joyous. Head over to Consumer Reports to read its full impressions.

CARB scrapping plan for $60,000 limit on EV rebates

In April, we heard about a discussion within the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that would have put a $60,000 MSRP limit on plug-in vehicles that would qualify for CARB's $2,500 rebates. A new report in Silicon Beat says that CARB is once again ready to give EV money to everyone, no matter what expensive car they buy. There's no question that the CARB proposal would have had an inordinate effect on Tesla Motors, the only company selling a EV expensive enough to cost more than $60,000, the Tesla Model S. Okay, the Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid would also have been affected, but that only would have applied to a small handful of people. According to Silicon Beat, the updated CARB proposal says clearly that, "at this time staff is not proposing any significant changes to the Clean Vehicle Rebate Project as part of this year's Initial Funding Plan." CARB spokesman David Clegern told Silicon Beat that, "It's fair to say [the $60,000 limit] been removed. I never say anything is dead until after the vote, but I'm not aware of any plans to revisit it." In other words, Tesla, you're good to go. We've asked CARB for confirmation of this, but have not yet heard back.