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Tesla Model S headed to Vukee carsharing in San Francisco

The San Francisco bay area continues to expand as a carsharing hub, and the latest addition is going to attract some attention. Vukee, a Palo Alto, CA-based company, is introducing the Tesla Model S to carsharers in that market as a way to stand out from larger carsharing providers like Zipcar and City CarShare. Instead of spending $70,000 on the luxury electric sports car, Vukee's new carsharing deal offers an affordable behind-the-wheel driving experience, but the exact cost has not yet been announced. The launch happens in April. Vukee will start with 25 Teslas at its charging stations ready for drivers to pick up. Electricity and insurance are included in the rental fee. If you've a fan of this idea, you can make a small donation to Vukee and have your name emblazoned on the hood of one of the Model S EVs. If you donate a lot of money, like Gill up there in the picture, your name will be written very large on the hood. Signing up for Vukee is also easier than becoming a Zipcar or Car2go, since Vukee has no membership fees. You just download the Vukee app, scan your drivers license and credit card and pay as you go. Who wants to go for a drive? This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. vukee Car Spot Indiegogo from Meik-M. Lindberg on Vimeo.

Court says Tesla will be able to use Te Si La name in China

Turns out, a Tesla in China will remain a Tesla. Or, more accurately, Tesla will be Te Si La, which is the name the company originally wanted to use before having to come up with the "Tuosule" workaround after a Chinese businessman registered the "Te Si La" trademark away from the California automaker there. Speaking to Reuters this week as Tesla announced its "aggressive" pricing for the Model S in China, Veronica Wu, vice president of Tesla's China operations, said, "We went to court and we won. The court has given use right to use the name, which is why you see the Chinese name in our store now." Te Si La is the name "best known" to buyers in China, Reuters says. So now that's what it'll be called when buyers plunk down 734,000 yuan (the equivalent to $121,000 US) for a Model S. Featured Gallery Tesla Model S View 24 Photos News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Drew Phillips / AOL Green Tesla Electric trademark

Ford Mustang Mach-E fails Sweden's moose test

The infamous moose test has claimed another casualty. This time it's the Ford Mustang Mach-E AWD Long Range, which was tested in an electric four-way alongside the Tesla Model Y, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Skoda Enyaq iV (an electric utility vehicle closely related to the Volkswagen ID.4 that is sold in the United States). According to the Swedish testers at Teknikens Varld, Ford's electric car not only failed to hit the speed necessary for a passing grade, it didn't perform well at slower speeds, either. To pass the outlet's moose test, a car has to complete a rapid left-right-straight S-shaped pattern marked by cones at a speed of at least 72 km/h (44.7 miles per hour). The test is designed to mimic the type of avoidance maneuver a driver would have to take in order to avoid hitting something that wandered into the road, which in Sweden may be a moose but could just as easily be a deer or some other member of the animal kingdom elsewhere in the world, or possibly a child or car backing into the motorway. Not only is the maneuver very aggressive, it's also performed with weights belted into each seat and more weight added to the cargo area to hit the vehicle's maximum allowable carrying capacity. The Mustang Mach-E only managed to complete the moose test at 68 km/h (42.3 mph), well below the passing-grade threshold. Even at much lower speeds, Teknikens Varld says the Mach-E (which boasts the highest carrying capacity and was therefore loaded with more weight than the rest of the vehicles tested in this quartet) is "too soft in the chassis" and suffers from "too slow steering." Proving that it is indeed possible to pass the test, the Hyundai and Skoda completed the maneuver at the 44.7-mph figure required for a passing grade and the Tesla did it at 46.6 mph, albeit with less weight in the cargo area. It's not clear whether other versions of the Mustang Mach-E would pass the test. It's also unknown if Ford will make any changes to its chassis tuning or electronic stability control software, as some other automakers have done after a poor performance from Teknikens Varld, to improve its performance in the moose test. Related video: