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Only Four Tesla Model S Cars Ever Stolen

Tesla owners are some of the most satisfied car owners in America, and now they have one more reason to love their Model S: They basically never get stolen. In the last three years just four of the luxury electric cars have been stolen, MarketWatch reported. Three were reported stolen last year, none in 2012 and only one was stolen in 2011. It's not like they are too rare for thieves to get their hands on. At least 20,000 were sold last year alone. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says cars are stolen at an average rate of about 3.56 thefts per 1,000 vehicles produced. The Model S, however, squeaks by with a 0.15 per 1,000 theft rate, making it the least-stolen vehicle in America. The second-lowest theft rate is that of the Hyundai Tucson, with 0.40 thefts per 1,000 vehicles, according to the Highway Data Loss Institute. All that technology makes the Tesla tempting, but ultimately too difficult to steal. The Model S doesn't have any locks to pick, since the car opens and starts only when its corresponding key fob is near. Sure a thief could go to the trouble of hacking the car, but once they had it there isn't much they could do with it. Most cars are stolen and parted out in chop shops, and there simply isn't a market for additional Tesla parts. Related Gallery Tesla Model S Wins Coveted 'Car Of The Year' Awards Green Weird Car News Tesla Safety Electric stolen car

Tesla dropped to 'junk bond' status by S&P

While Tesla Motors' Model S is a piece of pristine, well-designed metal, the company's bonds have now been rated as "junk." But maybe that's better than the other way around. We'll let the investors decide. Standard & Poor's gave Tesla's bonds a 'B-' rating this week, indicating so-called "junk status," Automotive News says. That means investors are saying the company has a relatively high chance of defaulting on its loans. S&P cites Tesla's short history, competition from some very large companies and relatively narrow product line (none of which are new facts), and estimates that investors would be able to recover 30 to 50 cents on the dollar should the company default. Tesla has been issuing billions of dollars in bonds this year to raise funds for its planned gigafactory somewhere in the southwestern US, a project that Tesla estimated will cost $5 billion ($2 billion from Tesla, $3 billion from partners). Tesla said earlier this month that it took a first-quarter loss of $49.8 million, compared to year-earlier net income of $11.2 million. While revenue rose 10 percent to $620.5 million, selling and administrative costs more than doubled while research and development costs jumped 48 percent. And while Tesla's share price has doubled during the past 12 months (it's at around $209 today), the company's liabilities doubled to $3.52 billion from the beginning of the year to the end of the first quarter. There's a short video on the situation from CNN Money below.

Tesla-Based Rinspeed XchangE Concept Offers A Vision For The Future Of Autonomous Driving

It has become an annual tradition for Swiss automaker Rinspeed to release details of its latest inventive concept just ahead of the Geneva Motor Show. Not your customary custom shop, Rinspeed considers themselves an "automotive think tank and mobility lab." Perhaps it's no surprise, then, that this year's concept pairs two emerging automotive industry trends: electric vehicles and autonomous driving technology. From the outside, the Rinspeed XchangeE looks much like the all-electric Tesla Model S upon which it is based, save for a modified front fascia, clear plexiglass roof and bright green paint job. Inside, however, is where things get interesting. View 6 Photos "Passengers will be able to assume virtually any seating or resting position when traveling in a fully autonomous vehicle in the future, which will require a completely new operating and display concept," says the automaker in a statement. The plush "business-class" interior of the XchangE is reconfigurable, offering up to twenty possible seating positions to passengers. Additional flexibility is provided by a "bionic" steering column, featuring a TRW wheel that can slide to the center of the vehicle when not in use by the driver. With the XchangE, Rinspeed has rethought safety and security for the autonomous age as well. An RFID access control system ensures that only approved drivers will be able to command the vehicle. The steering wheel's hands-on recognition system will let the car know when the driver has returned to the helm. All data transfer between car and cloud is handled by a secure LTE network connection. In-car infotainment runs on HTML 5, which Rinspeed claims will provide "comprehensive protection against hacker attacks." The only question that remains is what to do on those long road trips, now that you're no longer hunched over a steering wheel the entire time. Forget flip-down or seat-back DVD players. The Rinspeed XchangE features a gesture-controlled 32-inch 4K television. "You can read, listen to music, surf the web, play games and watch movies in brilliant picture and sound quality," says the automaker. "Or you can hold a four-party meeting at 120 km/h [75 mph] and work on your files while brewing a fresh cup of Italian Amici espresso." This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Geneva Motor Show Tesla Autonomous Vehicles Concept Cars Translogic Videos