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Here's how buying a Tesla Model S works in China

When it comes to selling and delivering the California-made Tesla electric vehicles in China, we know there's a bit of a time difference. And that difference may be more a matter of months than hours as the California-based electric vehicle maker prepares to start sales in the world's most populous country, Forbes says. Not that it makes Tesla any less confident about its prospects there. Tesla's first showroom in China opened in Beijing in early November and a service center popped up about 13 miles away from there. The company is asking for an upfront $2,400 deposit on its Model S sedans and another $19,500 deposit after customization is complete. Foggier, though is the estimated delivery time, which for vehicles ordered this month can range from July to October, depending on who's doing the estimating, according to Forbes. Tesla representatives didn't respond to our request for clarification but you can get more details in Forbes. Still, Tesla executives have said they expect for China to account for about a third of global sales this year and as much as half in 2015, which could mean about 25,000 vehicles purchased in the country. All this despite the fact that Tesla, like other automakers, has upped the price of its cars for China compared to the levels in other countries. Tesla in January set a base price for the 85-kilowatt-hour Model S of more than $120,000 (depending on the exchange rate) in China. The company says that the price could have been higher, but it wanted to set a fair price.

Tesla wins in Massachusetts, tries for more in New Jersey

Another brick falls as Tesla fights to practice its direct-to-consumer business model. A Massachusetts high court has thrown out a lawsuit seeking to block the electric car company from selling vehicles the Tesla way in the state. The Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association, along with two dealers, claimed that Tesla was in violation of a law that protects affiliated dealerships from oppressive practices from automakers. According to the law, it is illegal for an automaker to operate "a motor vehicle dealership within the relevant market area of a motor vehicle dealer of the same line make." The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the plaintiffs didn't have a standing in this case because they weren't affiliated with Tesla, and because Tesla also doesn't have any franchise dealerships in the state. Judge Margot Botsford writes that the law, "was intended and understood only to prohibit manufacturer-owned dealerships when, unlike Tesla, the manufacturer already had an affiliated dealer or dealers in Massachusetts." Armed with the Massachusetts win, Tesla is taking another whack at New Jersey. Armed with that win, Tesla is taking another whack at New Jersey, which barred Tesla from selling cars directly to customers in the state. Tesla's appeal argues that the state franchise statute doesn't apply to it, as the automaker lacks any franchisor-franchisee relationship. Tesla also argues that the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission doesn't have the authority to enforce the statute, and that certain rules (requirements of minimum square footage, multiple display models and on-site servicing) violate the state Constitution. In New Jersey, though, the appeal may become moot, as there are currently at least two pending bills that could grant exemption to Tesla, allowing it to sell cars directly to consumers. Jim Appleton, president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers, says, "Something may be on the governor's desk and signed before they even decide to grant oral arguments at all." Tesla recently won the right to practice its sales model in the state of Nevada as part of a deal to build its Gigafactory in Reno. Tesla is still barred from selling its cars in Texas, Arizona and Maryland.

And now for a different sort of Tesla Model S review...

Our friends at Kelley Blue Book have taken an unflinching look at the Tesla Model S in a new video. The crew originally planned to pack up and whip the electric sedan all the way to Las Vegas from Los Angeles, but got sidelined by a flat tire. The ensuing detour to a Tesla service center resulted in a day of hopping from charge point to charge point and a number of close calls on the range front. Confronted with cold temperatures, a desire to make time and some serious topography, the Model S pulled up short on projected range but never left the guys stranded.
The team eventually makes it to Vegas and discovers the aggravation of trying to charge the car with anything other than the company's supercharger stations. The return trip goes quite a bit better, however, and KBB starts to figure out what makes the Model S so special. We won't ruin the end for you. You can check out the full clip below.