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Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla's Cold Weather Blues

Cities in Oregon are looking into relocating underutilized EV chargers. With little data available at the time, and a lot of grant money to spend on installation, numerous public chargers were placed in locations that ended up being used very little. Now, some cities are considering moving certain chargers rather than building new ones. Factors to calculate - besides cost, of course - are the longer ranges of EVs being sold now, the amount of people charging at home, and the fact that many of the earlier public chargers are much slower than many of the quick chargers being deployed now. Read more at Plugin Cars. The Tesla Model S range indicator shows how much range is lost due to cold weather. Besides the green, yellow or red bars to show remaining driving range, there is also a blue indicator showing what portion of range is limited from the battery being cold. A message also states, "Less energy is available due to cold battery." The blue could indicate the amount of energy the car is reserving for thermal management of the battery, as the car works to warm the battery for optimal operation. See the discovery in the video below, or read more at Teslarati. Tony Posawatz has been appointed Non-Executive Director (NED) of Nexeon. The UK-based battery company develops silicon anode battery technology, which it says enables a "new generation" of more energy-dense lithium-ion batteries. Posowatz led the development of the Chevrolet Volt, led Fisker Automotive as CEO for a while, consults as president and CEO of Invictus iCar and has held roles in various other companies in the automotive and alternative energy fields. Posawatz follows former Nokia executive Antti Vasara, who was also named NED at Nexeon last month. Nexeon Chairman Dr. Paul Atherton says that Posowatz's experience with EV technology will "help Nexeon enormously in addressing the challenges and opportunities we face." Read more at Hybrid Cars, or in the press release below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Nexeon Appoints Top Automotive Expert to its Board of Directors Battery materials development company Nexeon has appointed Tony Posawatz as a Non-Executive Director (NED) with immediate effect. Posawatz is well known in the automotive industry for leading the team that brought the award-winning Chevrolet Volt from concept to production.

Tesla Model S now the least-stolen car in the US

When is a Honda Accord more appealing than a Tesla Model S? When you're a thief. The Accord continues to reign as the most-stolen car in the US but the Model S is now claiming a new and interesting title: the least-stolen car in America. Last year, it wasn't even on the list. Of course, sometimes a Model S is stolen and the most famous case ended with tragic results. Last year there was an eight-way tie for "least-stolen." For the record, last year there was an eight-way tie for "least-stolen," made up mostly of SUVs and CUVs. The rankings were listed by a value called "claim frequency," which is how many were reported stolen per 1,000 units produced and where lower means it is stolen less. With a 0.4, these were the vehicles least wanted by thieves in 2013: Dodge Journey, Volkswagen Tiguan, Audi A4, Acura RDX, Toyota Matrix, Lexus HS 250 hybrid, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson. This year, the Tesla clocked in with a 0.15. The average vehicle has a claim frequency of 3.51. Tesla has, of course, worked hard to make the Model S an unlikely target. It can be shut down remotely, it can be tracked and it has a hacker princess and cash prizes working to protect from other attacks. Tesla's Alexis Georgeson told AutoblogGreen that Tesla hasn't been able to verify the "least-stolen" moniker but said that, "We take the security of our cars very seriously and relentlessly continue to improve our vehicles via over-the-air updates, an ability unique to the industry. We will continue to work to stay ahead by providing the most sophisticated tools and technologies in our cars and working closely with security researchers to identify and address potential vulnerabilities." Value Walk says that another reason for the low theft rate is that there might be very low demand for Model S parts, since the cars are still under warranty and there aren't many on the road. Still, the claim frequency is a fair comparison, and by that metric the Tesla Model S looks just awful to at least one group of people.

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