2021 Tesla Model S Plaid Autopilot Self Driving Capability $141k Msrp on 2040-cars

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Ford files trademark application for 'Model E'

In early December, Ford filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for the name "Model E." Historically, Ford never produced a Model E, and while automakers are known to file for trademarks they never use, some have wondered if the application might be used for a concept car.
Based on other recent events, though, it could be a legal move. In 2000 Ford sued an online start-up called Model E over the similarity of that name to Ford's industry-shaping Model T, but the judge dismissed the case citing lack of proper grounds. In August 2013, Tesla applied for trademark registration for Model E, and at the time, Ford said it would review the application. Tesla actually made two applications for Model E, one for automobiles and structural parts therefore, the other for "providing maintenance and repair services for automobiles," and there are plenty of theories about what the name could be applied to.
The Published for Opposition date for Tesla's applications is December 31, 2013, after which anyone who thinks they'd be harmed by Tesla being granted the trademark gets 30 days to register their issues. This is just speculation, but Ford's application - which was filed for automobiles only - might be about protecting what it sees as unwelcome encroachment on the name Model T, protection it wasn't able to enforce before when the stakes were only online and much smaller.

Silly dyno, that Tesla doesn't have 2,000 lb-ft of torque

Torque. Lots of torque, right off the line. That one benefit presented by an electric motor over its internal-combustion sibling, and the Tesla Model S delivers it in spades. 443 spades, to be precise, or about as much as a Bentley Continental GT or McLaren 12C. But when one Emmanuel Chang put his electric sedan on a dyno up (way up north) in Edmonton, Alberta, it registered a whopping 2,000 pound-feet!
Of course that number isn't correct, as no car on the road produces that much torque. Even a Bugatti Veyron produces "only" 1,000 lb-ft, give or take. Clearly something's amiss here, but the problem the dyno had in reading the Tesla's torque apparently doesn't come down to its electric powertrain. (Nor does it have anything to do with the northerly latitude or the interference of polar winds.) It comes down to the shiny, ten-spoke alloys.
Apparently this type of dyno measures torque by running horsepower and wheel revolutions through an algorithm. It measures horsepower at the wheel (which, at 436 hp, wasn't far off of Tesla's own rating of 416 hp) and uses a stationary optical sensor interfacing with a reflector on the wheel. Every time the reflector passes the sensor, it counts one revolution. But since the Model S has shiny ten-spoke wheels (and we presume because it was taken outdoors under bright sunlight), the sensor thought that each passing spoke was one revolution of the wheel... when it was, in fact, ten times too much.

Recharge Wrap-up: Ferrock a carbon-negative cement substitute, Audi makes e-diesel

A cement alternative uses recycled materials and traps CO2 rather than producing it. Invented by David Stone at the University of Arizona, Ferrock uses recycled steel dust and glass to produce a substance stronger than conventional concrete. Cement has a high carbon footprint from the high heat needed to process the limestone. Ferrock needs no such heat, and it actually uses CO2 to harden, making it, as Stone calls it, a carbon-negative material. Learn more in the video above, see the transcript at PBS NewsHour and read more at Green Car Reports. Teslarati offers a detailed rundown of Tesla's new Valet Mode feature for the Model S. Part of the Firmware 6.2 update, Valet Mode allows the owner to disable certain performance features and block personal information when letting someone else drive the car. It limits the car's to speed to 70 miles per hour, and caps output at 80 kW. It can also disable mobile app access, Homelink, Bluetooth and wifi and the "Places" function, which stores addresses for you. The folks at Teslarati did find some shortcomings in the new feature, though. Read more at Teslarati. Audi has produced its first batch of e-diesel made from water and CO2. The fuel is made by reacting hydrogen from the water with CO2 to make long-chain hydrocarbon compounds called "blue crude." That can then be refined similarly to crude oil to make e-diesel, which is a fuel free from sulfur and aromatic hydrocarbons. That e-diesel can be used on its own, or mixed with fossil fuel diesel to power a vehicle. "In developing Audi e-diesel we are promoting another fuel based on CO2 that will allow long-distance mobility with virtually no impact on the climate," says Audi Head of Sustainable Product Development Reiner Mangold. Read more in the press release below. Fuel of the future: Research facility in Dresden produces first batch of Audi e-diesel - The verdict: Pilot plant produces high-quality diesel fuel - No need for mineral oil: e-diesel made from water, CO2 and green power - Minister Wanka: "Synthetic diesel using CO2 is a huge success" Audi has taken another big step in the development of new, CO2 neutral fuels: A pilot plant in Dresden has started production of the synthetic fuel Audi e diesel. After a commissioning phase of just four months, the research facility in Dresden started producing its first batches of high-quality diesel fuel a few days ago. To demonstrate its suitability for everyday use, Federal Minister of Education and Research Prof.