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In hindsight, Musk wouldn't use Lotus for Tesla Roadster

The world will be a different place after Elon Musk builds a time traveling device (don't ask us how we know that will happen). For one thing, the Tesla Roadster of the rewritten future will not have been built using the chassis of the Lotus Elise. Also, verb tenses will be becoming even more confusing and, possibly, awkward. "We ended up changing most of the damn car" – Elon Musk We know about the not-using-the-Lotus thing because the Tesla Motors CEO said as much yesterday at the World Energy Innovation Forum at the Tesla Factory in Fremont. The two-day event, which also offers Model S test rides and a factory tour for attendees, featured a fireside chat with the electric automaker's CEO and Ira Ehrenpreis. During the discussion, Musk revealed that if he had to do it over again, he would have built the Roadster from the ground up instead of using the Lotus Elise chassis. "We ended up changing most of the damn car, so we thought later, why did we do that," he said. Another problem with the original idea for the car was the drivetrain. At first, Tesla had meant to use the motor and other propulsive bits from AC Propulsion, only to find that powertrain didn't work well in a commercial application. Instead Tesla only licensed the reductive charging patent, which allowed some integration of the inverter and charger. Besides knocking Tesla's own early efforts, the outspoken entrepreneur took a couple swings at other technologies with quotable quotes such as: "The internal combustion engine is a ridiculous thing!" and "Current lithium ion technology is better than theoretical fuel cell limits. So, game over. Why bother with fuel cells?" Looks like there are some things Musk is not interested in going back in time and changing.

Tesla expands Supercharger network in central Europe

While you can't drive a Tesla from the US to Europe, Model S drivers on both sides of the pond are seeing a robust Supercharger network. Today, Tesla announced that enough stations exist in central Europe to get a Model S from Amsterdam to cities 500 or 600 miles away in the Alps. As in the US, using a Supercharger is free. The eight Superchargers are located in Germany, Holland, Switzerland and Austria trace a route along the German Autobahn (another six are in Norway) and Tesla says that by the end of March 2014, "50 percent of the German population will live within 320km [200 miles] of a Supercharger," with the rest covered by the start of 2015. The lowest-range Model S, the one with a 60-kWh battery pack, can go 230 miles on a charge, officially. Tesla says its Superchargers can add 170 miles of range in a 30-minute fill-up. You can see Tesla's future Supercharger plans here and find more details in the press release below. TESLA EXPANDS SUPERCHARGER NETWORK IN EUROPE Newly energized routes enable free, convenient long distance travel across DACH region and the Netherlands Tuesday, January 21, 2014 AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands – This week, Tesla officially opens new Supercharger locations connecting the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. These newly-energized routes will enable Model S customers to enjoy free, convenient, 100 percent electric trips on the German Autobahn and to destinations in the Alps and elsewhere. Tesla's first six Superchargers were energized in California in September 2012, with the first network of European Supercharger stations opening in Norway less than a year later. As of today, 81 Supercharger locations are energized worldwide, with 14 locations in Europe. More than 11 million kilometers have been charged by Tesla Superchargers and nearly 1.13 million liters of gas have been offset. The accelerated energizing of Superchargers in Germany (Wilnsdorf, Bad Rappenau, Aichstetten and Jettingen), Switzerland (Lully), Austria (St. Anton) and the Netherlands (Zevenaar and Oosterhout) represents a new milestone in the expansion of the European network. In Germany, Superchargers connect Cologne, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Munich. They also connect the German network to Amsterdam, Zurich, and Innsbruck. In the Netherlands, energized routes connect Amsterdam to Cologne and Brussels, and in Switzerland the stations connect Zurich and Geneva.

Elon Musk likens NJ vote to mafia tactics

When the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission decided on Tuesday to block Tesla Motors from selling cars from its stores in the Garden State, it may have inadvertently kicked a hornet's nest. Perhaps they thought no one was looking. Maybe they imagined no one would really care. If so, they were wrong. People do care, and there's some stinging criticism going on. One individual in particular cares an awful lot. As co-founder and CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk takes extreme umbrage when his baby is subject to what he feels is unfair treatment. Whether it be from the media or from politically-manipulative foes like automobile dealer's associations. Never one to hold back, the entrepreneur has penned a piece directly to the people of New Jersey, making his case for manufacturer-to-consumer sales. It also explains how the company will operate there as of April 1st when the new rules take effect. He also pointedly questions the dealers association's reasoning for asking for the change. And we quote, The rationale given for the regulation change that requires auto companies to sell through dealers is that it ensures "consumer protection". If you believe this, Gov. Christie has a bridge closure he wants to sell you! Unless they are referring to the mafia version of "protection", this is obviously untrue. The uproar is not limited to Tesla insiders, or even the automaker's many fans. Apparently, people still care whether or not their government reeks of corruption, and in this case the smell wafting from New Jersey has attracted a lot of people's attention. A White House petition asking the Obama administration to "Inform New Jersey that markets should be free for Tesla Motors and for everyone" has attracted the attention of over 97,000 signatures 2,615 signatures in a few short days. The petition, though not legally binding, and the outrage in comments following articles on the issue ought to be a warning bell to politicians who trumpet the importance of the free market (or environmental concerns, as the case may be), and then act seemingly contrary to those convictions. For now, Tesla is said to be mulling a legal remedy, but we would not be surprised to see a Political Action Committee (PAC) arise in the future that could take the company's concerns directly to voters. You can read Musk's letter, "To the People of New Jersey" here. If you're so inclined, you can add your name to the petition here. As always, feel free to let us know your take in the Comments.