2017 Tesla Model X on 2040-cars

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Elon Musk raises the stakes for Tesla Motors

Falling gas prices, production delays and weakened demand in a key market would send shudders through the CEOs of most automakers. None of those problems could dent the enthusiasm Tesla Motors CEO and co-founder Elon Musk has for a vision of an electric-car future. In a rare appearance Tuesday on the home turf of the Big Three automakers in Detroit, Musk said those factors wouldn't hinder Tesla Motors' growth over the next five to ten years. In fact, he revised the company's sales projections upwards, even as he said Tesla may not turn a profit for five more years. Previously, Musk had said he wanted the company to sell 500,000 vehicles by 2020. In more than an hour's worth of wide-ranging remarks at the Automotive News World Congress, he said, "I think we'll try to aim to do more cars than that. I think we'll continue past that. We probably should get to a few million cars by 2025. We could probably get to a few million cars per year." Spate Of Recent Complications Not that Tesla Motors' rise to prominence through a global economic recession hasn't already defied conventional wisdom, but the upward figures came despite recent complications that will only make that sort of sales climb more difficult. Gas prices fell to a national average of $2.11 per gallon Tuesday, and many automakers fret this plunge will make the sale of electric vehicles far more difficult. "I don't think it will affect the S or X," Musk said Tuesday. Production of the Model X – an all-electric crossover that features gullwing doors that would give Tesla Motors an immediate entrant in the fastest-growing vehicle segment – has been delayed for two years while the Fremont, CA-based company focused its limited production capabilities on its Model S and worked on complications with the X. "It's been two steps forward, one step back," Musk said. "Really, it was important to me that the doors were not just a gimmick, but a fundamental improvement to the functionality of the cars." Another hurdle for Tesla: Musk said Tuesday that sales had weakened in China during the fourth quarter of 2014. Exact sales figures were not known because Tesla does not release them, but Musk said growth slowed because customers there had overestimated the difficulty in installing and maintaining charging equipment; he said the "miscommunication" had been corrected and that the company has already seen an uptick in sales.

Recharge Wrap-up: Portland's Electric Avenue, hacking a Tesla

Portland, Oregon has opened a city block set aside for electric vehicles. Dubbed "Electric Avenue," the EV-only zone replaces one that was taken over by new construction. The new Electric Avenue is an improvement, though, with four universal, 50-kW fast chargers and two Level 2 chargers. Currently, charging is free when customers pay for the metered parking. Portland's original Electric Avenue became a gathering place for EV drivers and an opportunity for companies to test charging technology. Read more at Ecomento. Hackers Kevin Mahaffey and Marc Rogers discussed hacking a Tesla Model S at the Def Con hacking conference. They outlined the car's vulnerabilities, particularly regarding the central information display, instrument cluster and the gateway. The hackers were able to exert control over certain subsystems, but they also pointed out some of the ways in which the car is protected from outside manipulation. Among other things, they were able to turn the car on and off, lock and unlock the doors, control the brakes under five mph, and shift the car into neutral above five mph. Tesla, who was also on hand for the presentation, has patched many of the vulnerabilities. Read more at Tom's Hardware. The BMW i3 is now available through DriveNow in Copenhagen, Denmark. After the carsharing program's success with the electric car in Germany, the UK and US, BMW (which owns DriveNow along with car rental company Sixt) has created a fleet of 400 i3 EVs in the Danish capital. With the help of bus operator Arriva, the BMW fleet is interconnected with public transportation. "Here in Copenhagen we are now already witnessing mobility of the future," says BMW's Dr. Bernhard Blattel. "It is on-demand technology, interconnected, quiet and electric." Read more in the press release below. Four hundred BMW i3 for interconnected mobility in Copenhagen. BMW i supports the improvement of life-quality in cities; Electric car sharing as the key component; DriveNow with the BMW i3 shortly also in Copenhagen, directly interconnected with public transport. Copenhagen. Following the successful introduction of the BMW i3 to the DriveNow fleets in Germany, the UK and the USA, the next major step is being taken with the commissioning of 400 BMW i3 in Copenhagen on September 3rd 2015. What is new here is an all-electric fleet which is also interconnected with public transport.

Weekly Recap: Tesla loses money, still dominates the news

Some people get an inordinate amount of attention. In politics, it's Donald Trump. In football, it's Jim Harbaugh. And in the auto world, it's Elon Musk and his always-fascinating electric car company, Tesla Motors. General Motors is spending $877 million to upgrade a factory. So what! US auto sales are up. Who cares? Tesla has a metal snake that will recharge your car! So was the week in Tesla – er, the industry. Snarkiness aside, Tesla did dominate the news cycle, led by the announcement the company lost $184 million in the second quarter. Tesla also said it expects to deliver between 50,000 and 55,000 vehicles this year, and is preparing for a full launch of the Model X crossover in September. Musk also made news during the earnings call by simply not answering a question about ride sharing, leading to speculation Tesla could be considering its own operation. While the financials were the arguably the most important company news, reports of a Model S cyber hacking were more compelling fodder for Tesla followers. Researchers were able to attack the sedan and bring it to a stop, though they required access to the car first. Tesla says it already has deployed a remedy for the situation. On a lighter note, Tesla published a video of its metal charger prototype that autonomously uncoils like a snake to power up the company's vehicles, provoking plenty of humorous comments and comparisons. Watch it and decide for yourself. While some of this might seem trivial, much of Tesla's recent attention has been warranted. It's the first startup US automaker in decades to launch from nothing and actually gain traction in the market. Sure, Musk is a lightning rod and Tesla always seems to be in the spotlight. But amid all of the publicity, it easy to lose sight of the new reality: Tesla is a force. OTHER NEWS & NOTES 2016 Chevy Volt lights up 106 MPGe The Chevy Volt's vitals are looking healthier for 2016. The second-generation plug-in hybrid racks up a gaudy 106 miles per gallon equivalent, which is an increase of eight MPGe from the 2015 model. The new Volt can travel 53 miles on electricity, a significant jump from the 2015 Volt's 38-mile range. The new car also has a 420-mile total range when factoring in the capability of the gasoline engine, which is 40 miles greater than the current car offers.