2016 Tesla Model S on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Will.i.am's custom Tesla, Mahindra's Formula E livery

Take a look at Will.i.am's custom Tesla Model S caught on video in the wild in Beverly Hills. The over-the-top body kit comes from Black Eyed Peas member's own so-called car company, IAMAUTO. The deep-dish wheels appear to recede into nothingness, and the placement of the handles gives away the car's suicide rear doors, which a valet opens slightly at one point in the video. Overall, the custom job gives the EV a wide, low, and extremely chunky look. The man behind the camera gets a good view from a variety of angles, though whether there is actually a good angle for this particular Tesla is up for debate. Check it out in the video above, and read more at Teslarati. 1,635 Smart cars traveled in a parade through Hamburg, Germany as part of Smart Times 2016. At the 16th such gathering of Smart enthusiasts and their vehicles, the group beat the former world record of 1,427 parading cars at Smart Times 2014 in Cascais, Portugal. In addition to meeting with like-minded fans and showing off their fuel-sipping and electric runabouts, Smart Times attendees had the opportunity to test drive new models, talk to designers and tuners, enjoy live music, and meet beach volleyball players Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst, who arrived in a golden Smart Fortwo Cabriolet. There will be yet another opportunity to set a new record next year, when the Smart community will descend upon Salou, Spain. Read more from Daimler. ChargePoint is offering 10 percent off its ChargePoint Home EV charger. In honor of National Drive Electric Week, the deal on the 32-amp charging station is good until September 18, 2016. ChargePoint Home comes in hardwired and plug-in versions with either an 18- or 25-foot cable, and is for sale on Amazon. Read more from ChargePoint. Mahindra Racing has new livery for the third season of Formula E. The livery for the team's M3Electro racecar debuted at Donington Park for the first round of preseason testing. Mahindra held an online contest called #DrivenByDesign to choose its new look, with the winning design created by Spanish artist Adria Haro Jorba. Pininfarina Chief Designer Fabio Filippini chose Haro Jorba's design, which visualizes the car's aerodynamics and makes use of India's national colors. Learn more in the press release from Mahindra Racing.

Musk: Tesla Model S production up to 'around 80 cars' per week *UPDATE

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently spoke to Fox Business about the state of Model S production, and to hear the CEO tell it, things are going very well. Assembly line production has been climbing every week; the interview was conducted on September 13, and Musk said when asked how many cars they'd build, "I think it's probably going to be around 80 cars this week." If they hit that number it would represent double the production of the week before.
Tesla's Model S production goal this year is 5,000 units, and the outside estimate is that 400* have been built so far. To make the target in the roughly 14 weeks left in the year, Tesla would need to - as of this week - quadruple last week's production to a little more than 320 units. That's a steep climb, but the numbers so far point to it being still being possible. Musk said that orders continue to come in and the company is working through its backlog, and he expects an annual profit to come in 2013. You'll find both parts of the interview in the videos below.
*UPDATE: Tesla spokeswoman Christina Ra pointed out that the last publicly confirmed number is just 100 Model S units, and that Tesla will "likely make another announcement on that front soon." She added, "400 is really inaccurate."

Recharge Wrap-up: Shift to offer Teslas for Hire, Model S P85D beats Ferrari in drag race

A company called Shift plans to provide bikes and EVs for hire. Based in Las Vegas, NV, Shift will provide chauffeured ride services like Uber, but will also include a car- and bike-sharing service that delivers the desired wheels to the customer. Shift's fleet will include EVs like the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive and the Tesla Model S. Shift also promises that you will, "Be on your way within five minutes," which is a pretty tall order. Shift is scheduled to be available to members beginning this fall. Read more at The Car Connection. Nissan UK has confirmed the price of replacement batteries for the Leaf. UK drivers will be able to buy new batteries for 4,920 pounds (or about $7,738). That's considerably more than the price of $5,499 for US customers. Customers get 1,000 pounds back when they exchange their old battery. The original battery is covered under a five-year, 60,000-mile warranty, and most owners will never need to replace it. According to Nissan, only three replacement batteries have been sold out of 30,000 Leafs sold in Europe. Read more at Autocar. The Tesla Model S P85D walloped a Ferrari in an impromptu drag race video. The Ferrari driver pulls up alongside the Tesla and asks, "What you got in there?" before challenging him to a race. The Ferrari gets a head start, but the Tesla pulls out ahead quickly. The video also gets the reactions of some passengers to the car's mighty acceleration. See the video below and read the account of a drag race against a Lamborghini Aventador at Car Throttle. Australian website Drive has chosen their Cars of the Year in various categories. The Tesla Model S was a carryover winner for Luxury Car Over $80,000, but the Mercedes-Benz C200 narrowly overtook it to be crowned the overall winner. Regarding the Model S, one judge says, "This makes every other EV look at least a generation behind." The main thing that held the Tesla back from winning outright was the near-term lack of charging infrastructure. The judges did note Tesla's plans to build a network of Superchargers in Australia, but also pointed out that those plans exclude much of the country so far. See the video below and read more at Drive. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.