2020 Tesla Model X Long Range Plus on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: BMW to test autonomous cars, Korea bans sales of BMW, Nissan, Porsche models

BMW will test autonomous cars on public roads by the second half of 2017. The German automaker, with partners Mobileye and Intel, will operate a fleet of 40 self-driving vehicles using a "scalable architecture" that will be made available to other automakers. The partners plan to offer products ranging from key components to "a complete end-to-end solution" for autonomous driving. Since parting ways with Tesla, Mobileye also recently announced it would provide its technology to Lucid Motors. For BMW, it all leads up to its fully autonomous iNext model slated for introduction in 2021. See the video above, and read more in the press release from Intel. South Korea has banned the sale of certain models from BMW, Nissan, and Porsche over emissions cheating. Following an investigation, regulators determined emissions testing documents to be falsified. The country's Ministry of Environment has fined the three automakers a total of $5.9 million, and revoked the certification of 4,523 vehicles across banned 10 models. Six of the models were still on sale, while the other four have been discontinued. Read more from Automotive News Europe. China's prices for the Cadillac CT6 Plug-in are significantly higher than those announced for the US. The plug-in hybrid version of the luxury sedan recently went on sale with the two variants priced at RMB 558,800 and RMB 658,800. At the time of this writing, that's $80,420 and $94,812. Cadillac announced it would bring the CT6 Plug-In Í– which is built in China – to the US in the spring of 2017, starting at $76,090 before federal and local tax incentives. Hybrid Cars points out that China's own generous incentives could help to make it more competitive. The offering of a charger with free installation as well as an eight-year warranty on the electric powertrain should help, too. Read more at Hybrid Cars. A Connecticut court has ruled in favor of Tesla's gallery showroom in Greenwich. Last May, the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association brought the suit to block the showroom on Greenwich Avenue, which has now been dismissed by the Connecticut Superior Court. Tesla cannot offer test drives, sell cars, or operate a Supercharger at the location, but it can sell other branded items and educate the public about its vehicles. It's possible that the issue of Tesla's direct sales model could come up again this year in Connecticut state legislature. Read more at Teslarati .

Could Tesla build EVs in China as soon as 2017?

A 25-percent import tariff can certainly make an automaker take notice (to wit: Toyota). In Tesla's case, that means getting production capabilities on the ground in China as soon as possible. According to Bloomberg News, that could mean 2017. Or maybe not. Bloomberg, citing comments by Tesla chief Elon Musk made at Beijing's Geekpark Conference earlier this week, said the California-based maker of the Model S electric sedan may start making vehicles in China as soon as 2017 or 2018. Musk also envisions a substantial charging network throughout cities such as Beijing and Shanghai and obviously thinks the current Chinese resistance to plug-in vehicles will pass. The California-based automaker delivered its first nine Model S EVs in China this week. Of course, Musk has a way with hyperbole, and when contacted by AutoblogGreen, a company representative toned down such a timeframe. "We hope that local production in China is in Tesla's future so that we can manufacture our vehicles where they are sold," wrote Tesla spokeswoman Liz Jarvis-Shean in an e-mail to AutoblogGreen. "We aren't likely to produce cars in China within the next three to four years, however, nor are we currently in any serious discussions to do so." By making cars in China, Tesla, which opened a showroom in Beijing late last year, would avoid the 25 percent import tax China enforces on foreign-made vehicles. As it is, Tesla is pricing the 85-kilowatt hour version of the Model S at about $118,000 in China. That's about $47,000 higher than the US base price, but it's actually kind of "aggressive." Musk has said Tesla will sell as many as 5,000 vehicles in China this year, while Tesla executives have said they expect China to account for a third of Tesla's global sales this year and as much as half next year. Tesla sold about 22,300 vehicles in the US last year. Tesla has also started leasing the Model S in Switzerland for roughly $750 a month. Read more details in the press release below. Tesla and Sixt Leasing Announce Strategic Partnership in Switzerland ZURICH, April 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Swiss Customers Can Drive Model S for About CHF 660 per month, After Fuel and Tax Savings in Multiple Cantons Leasing Offer Includes Annual Service Performed by Tesla Tesla today announced an expansion of its strategic relationship with Sixt Leasing. Now Model S customers in Switzerland, as well as Germany, can benefit from compelling lease offers from Sixt Leasing.

Watch Tesla Model X P100D drag race Lamborghini Aventador SV

It's always fun to see the performance capabilities of electric vehicles, and we haven't yet tired of watching Teslas go up against supercars, street racers, even airplane s, win or lose. DragTimes fed the world another Tesla drag race video this week, pitting a Tesla Model X P100D with Ludicrous+ against a Lamborghini Aventador SV powered by a 6.5-liter V12 (and worth $530,000) in a quarter-mile challenge at Palm Beach International Raceway. The Model X gets a better start off the line, and ends up finishing just 0.05 seconds ahead of the Lamborghini (which was quickly catching up at the end). While the Lamborghini was technically faster (with an elapsed time of 11.281 seconds and a speed of 129.38 miles per hour), the Model X finished the quarter mile in 11.418 seconds at 117.95 miles per hour, which DragTimes notes is a world record for an SUV. The difference in the sound between the two vehicles is striking, as we find from the separate camera views. The Lamborghini absolutely screams, while the Tesla just whistles in the wind a bit. After the Model X, the Lamborghini takes on a Model S P100D. It almost looks like the Aventador jumps the gun a bit (but it doesn't get a red light, and shows a reaction time of just .008 seconds with some well-timed wheel spin), and ends up finishing 0.15 seconds ahead of the Model S. The Tesla's elapsed time was 10.947 seconds at 119.71 mph, while the Lamborghini's ET was 11.164 seconds at 129.08 mph. These races showcase the mighty acceleration of the P100D Teslas. While the traditionally powered supercar is faster at the high end, the low-end shove of the EVs prove them to be great drag cars, even weighing over 5,000 pounds. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: YouTube: DragTimes via Teslarati Green Motorsports Lamborghini Tesla Green Automakers SUV Electric Supercars Videos world record drag race lamborghini aventador sv p100d