2020 Tesla Model Y Performance on 2040-cars

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Tesla Model S tops Consumer Reports annual satisfaction ratings [w/video]

Despite all the bad recent publicity for Tesla, it would appear that its Model S customers remain the happiest of any automaker - or at the very least, they're just likely to respond as such in satisfaction surveys. For its just-released annual owner satisfaction report, Consumer Reports surveyed more than 600 Model S owners, which resulted in the all-electric hatchback receiving a top score of 99 out of 100.
These results come from surveys that are sent out to current vehicle owners asking them "Considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had it to do all over again?" and the scores are assessed based on how many respondents answer "definitely yes." The Tesla's impressive 99-percent satisfaction rates the highest among all of this year's responses, with the Porsche Boxster was a close second with 95 percent. Other class-leading standouts include the Subaru Forester, Mazda6, Volkswagen Golf TDI and Dodge Charger, which were each the top vehicle in their respective classes with 85-percent satisfaction rates.
The full press release is posted below along with a video detailing the institute's findings.

Has Tesla's fire chilled the battery car market?

The nascent battery-car market just might be short-circuiting.
If this year is average, about 194,000 vehicles will catch fire before the ball drops in Times Square. And, for the moment at least, just one of them will have been a Tesla Model S. Of course, it didn't help that a passerby happened to catch that blaze in the Seattle suburbs earlier this month, quickly posting the video on YouTube (you can watch it yourself below).

Recharge Wrap-up: Volt makes up third of Quebec Chevy dealerships sales, Tesla seeks Aussie talent

A Chevrolet dealership in Quebec has had the Volt make up 35 percent of its sales so far this year. Bourgeois Chevrolet in Rawdon, Quebec received recognition for the feat at the 2014 Electric Vehicle Conference, where it won the award for Leading Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Dealership. To sell that many, Bourgeois Chevrolet had to import used Volts from the US, and keeps about 50 units on the lot in various configurations. The conference also saw Park Avenue Nissan of Brossard, Quebec win the Leading Battery Electric Vehicle Dealership Award, and Loch Lomond Mitsubishi of Saint John, New Brunswick receive the award for Electric Vehicle Dealership Inspiration. Read more at Green Car Reports. Tesla Motors has begun scouting Australian engineers as other automakers shutter operations there. Ford, General Motors and Toyota have announced that they will shut down their Australian factories, leaving behind a lot of unused talent. Tesla recently held a "Recruiting Open House" in Melbourne for engineers to fill positions at its plant in Fremont, CA, where they will be paired with other Aussie engineers already on staff. Read more at Green Car Reports, or at Motoring. Electric turbochargers may come to play a key role in making internal combustion engines more efficient. Valeo recently showed an electric turbo it plans to supply to an unnamed automaker at a fuel economy showcase event at the EPA's National Vehicle Emissions and Fuel Lab. Electric turbochargers have the advantage of greatly reduced lag when compared to exhaust-driven turbos. They also work well when paired with cylinder deactivation, providing a much-needed boost when driving on a grade, which can help reduce the need for cylinders to reactivate. Independence from the exhaust system also makes it easier to package the turbocharger wherever there is room. Read more from Navigant Research. US crude oil futures have dropped to their lowest in more than two years. Saudi Arabia cut oil costs for the US and raised them for Europe and Asia as the US has increased output. On November 3, US crude futures fell as much as 2.2 percent in New York. West Texas Intermediate closed at $78.78, the lowest since June 2012. Brent crude slipped $1.08 to $84.78 a barrel. Read more at Bloomberg.