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Norwegian winter proving too much for some Tesla charging cables

Polar vortex 1, Tesla Model S 0? Possibly. Norway is certainly a long way from the sunny California climes where the luxury electric vehicle is made and, while the cars are popular in that country, the country's cold weather is creating problems for car owners, the Norwegian website News in English reports. As winter has set in, a number of Model S owners are reporting charging problems. One driver was stranded with a dead battery on Christmas Eve, while others have said Tesla's recharging cables are having a hard time holding a charge when the temperature gets substantially below freezing levels. Tesla has acknowledged that Norway has a different kind of electric grid than the US (and not just because it's 99 percent hydro-powered) that could be causing the problem. The company has reportedly sent Norwegian owners country-specific updates for the on-board recharging software. Once charged, the Model S works just fine in Norway. In this December video, posted by Norwegian Model S owner Bjorn Nyland, a Model S manages to drive for about 233 miles on a single charge in temperatures that reached only about 21 degrees Fahrenheit, and even then the car had about another 25 miles worth of juice left. Tesla has been well-received in Norway in part because of extensive government incentives as well as perks such as bus-lane access and free parking.

Recharge Wrap-up: NextEV raises $500M, A123 execs beat fraud claims

Scientists at Cardiff University's Catalysis Institute have developed a new method to improve biodiesel yields. Using a new catalytic process, the team is able to use the glycerol left over from biodiesel production and make more methanol to produce more biodiesel. Using magnesium oxide and cerium oxide is simpler than other methods, requiring only one step at room temperature with normal atmospheric pressure. "We set out to establish ways in which the waste product glycerol could be used to form other useful compounds, but we were surprised when we found that feeding glycerol and water over such a simple catalyst gave such valuable products and interesting chemistry," says Professor Stuart Taylor. The system could increase biodiesel yields by as much as 10 percent. Read more at Gizmag, or from Cardiff University. A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit claiming A123 Systems hid problems with Fisker from investors. The plaintiffs accused four A123 executives of failing to report Fisker's impending bankruptcy and issues with battery quality. US District Judge Laura Taylor Swain says there is not enough evidence showing that the defendants knew about problems with their batteries or about Fisker's financial difficulties. Read more at Reuters, or at Law360. Chinese startup NextEV is raising funds to build a Tesla-fighting electric car. The company, which plans to launch a supercar to match the acceleration of Tesla's Ludicrous Mode next year, has raised about half of its $1 billion goal thanks in part to investments from Sequoia Capital and Joy Capital. NextEV also plans to produce mass market electric vehicles at about half the price of a Model S. "Talking big is pointless," says NextEV cofounder William Li. "We develop the car purely from the angle of consumers. We most value what they would like the car to be. We want them to experience sheer pleasure of driving our car." Read more at Bloomberg. Featured Gallery 2012 Fisker Karma: First Drive View 23 Photos Related Gallery News Source: Gizmag, Cardiff University, Law360, Reuters, BloombergImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Earnings/Financials Green Fisker Automakers Tesla Biodiesel Green Automakers Electric recharge wrapup

Tesla Model S successfully hacked by Zhejiang University team

The $10,000 prize for successfully hacking a Tesla Model S has been claimed. A team from Zhejiang University in China claimed victory at the Symposium on Security for Asia Network (SyScan360) event in Beijing by exploiting a "flow design flaw," whatever that means, to gain access to vital systems including the door locks, horn and window controls, while the vehicle was moving.
The group that was able to hack a Tesla reported its findings to the electric car automaker, so this security breach will hopefully be fixed in short order. The event was welcomed by Tesla, which said it "[supported] the idea of providing an environment in which responsible security researchers can help identify potential vulnerabilities."
Last year, potential security pitfalls of high-tech electric and hybrid cars came to light when the US Defense Department's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (better known as DARPA) successfully hacked into hybrids from Ford and Toyota. Questions about the security of the Tesla Model S have been raised before. If you're wondering why all this might be such a big deal, we suggest you watch this.