2017 Tesla Model S on 2040-cars

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Bob Lutz says Tesla remains 'fringe' brand

We've said it before, we'll said it again: Bob Lutz gives great quotes. From his toilet-themed opinion of global warming to Toyota's deity status, the man knows how to get your attention. His latest? Saying that Tesla Motors is and will remain a fringe brand. Take that, Tesla fanbois. This, of course, is the same fringe company that prompted Lutz and his former colleagues at General Motors to start working on the Chevy Volt around eight years ago. The same fringe company that has easily outsold the similarly priced (but don't call it a competitor) Cadillac ELR with its Model S. Lutz did clarify that the fringe status will only last until Tesla comes out with a mass-market electric vehicle that has a range of 200 to 300 miles. Lutz was on CNBC talking about the TSLA stock's recent performance, and he pointed out that even Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that the California automaker's stock is overvalued these days. Despite its prevalence around these parts, Tesla is not yet a household brand. But the company is working hard to get a cheaper, long-range EV to market in the not-too-distant future, so this fringe thing may not last much longer than that show Fringe did. Watch the video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: CNBC via Green Car Reports Green Chevrolet Tesla Green Culture Electric Hybrid PHEV cnbc

New pictures of Tesla's not-yet-open battery swap station

Katie Fehrenbacher from GigaOm drove down to the Tesla's first battery-swap station in Coalinga, CA to check on its progress. Tesla had said in a blog post that it would start an invite-only pilot pack swap program last month; it doesn't appear that it's begun yet, but based on the almost-finished state of the not-yet-open swapping station, it could start up quite soon. Sited across the street from the Supercharger station at Harris Ranch, the $500,000 swapping lean-to appeared to Fehrenbacher to be a repurposed car wash. It's got signage for its new use, the restrooms are in order, and the mechanicals for changing out batteries have been installed in a bay large enough for one car at a time. This is the 'fee' part of the "Fee or Free" options for recharging a Tesla. Drivers with a bit of time can 'refill' at the supercharger station for free. Those who don't want to stop for more than three minutes - the time it's expected to take to change out the battery - will pay around $50 to $60 for a loaner battery so they can continue their trip. On their return trip, they will return to the swap station and return the loaner pack for their original one; it's said they can also pay to have their battery shipped to them - which seems odd - or pay the difference between the usage of their battery and the loaner. There have been a few articles written about how the battery stations can restore a revenue stream for Tesla, selling ZEV credits to other manufacturers. After CARB rules switched to provide maximum credits only to vehicles that could "accumulate at least 190 or 285 miles, respectively, in 15 minutes or less" - which the superchargers can't do - Tesla's ZEV credit sales dropped to $0 by the end of 2013. The swap stations could fulfill the requirement, although there was once talk that CARB would bar the technology, disallowing battery changing for actual recharging solutions. But that won't matter in the short term; we should find out what the Tesla-buying public thinks of swapping soon. Head over to GigaOm for more pictures of the station.

Totaled Tesla Model S is a case of buyer beware *UPDATE

*UPDATE: AutoblogGreen reader Dan F. sent us a link to a somewhat similar story, which you can find here. Getting a Tesla Model S for just $50,000 is a steal, but when it's a salvage title car and was written off as totaled by an insurance company, the bargain might not be worth the headache. That's what a San Diego man is learning now that he's having trouble getting his fancy but damaged electric vehicle to work. Tesla has a different version of the story, of course. Peter Rutman has spent $8,000 in repairs for his EV, but there's one important bit of help he still needs: official activation from Tesla. Rutman is steaming mad at Tesla, telling San Diego 6 that, "Tesla has created a situation where there is nowhere to go. They've blocked every avenue." Tesla has a different version of the story, of course, and says that they're happy to look at the car (and certify it to run if it's in good shape), but said in a statement to AutoblogGreen that Rutman isn't willing to sign a waiver to let Tesla's mechanics get at the car. "We have strong concerns about this car being safe for the road, but we have been prevented from inspecting the vehicle because Mr. Rutman refused to sign an inspection authorization form. That form clearly states that in order for us to support the vehicle on an ongoing basis, we need to ensure the repairs meet minimum safety standards," the company said. You can read the full statement below. San Diego 6 says that one of the problems is Tesla's direct-sales model, which means that there's only one place for a customer like Rutman to go for assistance: the company itself. Right now, Rutman says, a Tesla-certified mechanic has to trigger some switch before the car will charge. And that can't happen until he signs the aforementioned authorization form. Rutman told the local TV station (video also below) that, "The document they wanted me to sign didn't indicate they were going to do any repairs to the car, or get it up and running. They can take the car. They can keep it. They can do whatever they want with it." Tesla says this isn't true, and also denies there is any sort of black list in effect. Tesla Motors Statement Safety is Tesla's top priority and it is a principle on which we refuse to compromise under any circumstance. Mr. Rutman purchased a vehicle on the salvage market that had been substantially damaged in a serious accident.