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Governor Rick Perry backs bid for Tesla Stores in Texas

It's funny how the prospect of a $5-billion investment in a state has the ability to focus minds. Take Texas, for example. The Lone Star State has long had laws prohibiting automakers from selling directly to consumers, even if the manufacturer didn't already sell through franchise dealerships. Last year, a bill went to the legislature that would have allowed Tesla Motors to sell directly to its customers, but despite entreaties and a visit from CEO Elon Musk, lawmakers didn't pass it. Sure, Texans can still buy the a Model S, but the process is a bit cumbersome. With the prospect of an expensive battery gigafactory and the jobs it would bring, however, Texas Governor Rick Perry taken to the airwaves cable news outlet Fox Business to make his supportive position known. To be fair, the one-time Republican Presidential hopeful has been in favor of Tesla's sales model for some time. The difference now is he is being proactively vocal about it. Appearing on Opening Bell with Maria Bartiromo, Perry spent close to eight minutes pitching a new approach to dealership laws in his state, at one point referring to the traditional dealer model as "antiquated" and encouraging legislators to have an "open and thoughtful" conversation and decide whether or not they want to lead the country when it comes to manufacturing. If you think that he has become warm and fuzzy about environmental issues, Perry reminds us after a brief discussion on 2014 and 2016 elections – yes, he may run again – that he has no qualms about continuing to rely on fossil fuels, stating that he thinks the most important thing the federal government can do to impact the economy right now is to "say yes" to the Keystone XL pipeline. You can view the segment in its entirety be simply scrolling below.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla details factory expansion; Ford and SunPower raise money for Sierra Club

Tesla has revealed the details of the upgrade of its Fremont, CA factory. One major change is the addition of a dedicated production space for the dual-motor P85D version of the Model S. Robots will be doing the battery installation on the Model S to save some time, and new export docks allow Tesla to get the cars out the door and on the way to their new owners more quickly. The new robots that move the cars around the factory have been named after X-Men characters, which makes our inner geeks smile. Check out the factory upgrade in the time-lapse video below and read more at Teslarati or at the Tesla Motors Blog. A program in Beijing for privileged registrations for EVs hasn't had much success. Of the 1,424 lottery winners, only about 30 percent went on to register an electric car despite a two-month extension of the deadline to do so. Buyers are likely discouraged by the lack of charging infrastructure, which the city hopes to ameliorate with the addition of 1,000 new charging stations by the end of the year, and by requiring new and renovated developments to set aside parking specifically for EV charging. Read more at Green Car Reports. The UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies suggests that laws designed to protect dealers and consumers are stymieing the adoption of EVs. Laws like the ones certain states have in place that block or otherwise restrict Tesla's direct-to-consumer business model are not helpful for companies that want to introduce new products to the market. They prevent companies from passing on savings to customers for whom they would likely make the difference in a purchasing decision. One possible solution would be to allow exemptions to certain selling restrictions for a certain number of vehicles sold. "This could give automakers the degree of control needed to work out kinks with early customers, develop scalable processes for supporting PEVs, and ensure that effective dealer performance standards are in place before handing the reins over to wholly independent retailers," according to UC Davis ITS. Read more at the UC Davis website. Volkswagen says its environmental program, called "Think Blue. Factory," is meeting the automaker's own sustainability targets. The main purpose of the program is to move toward eco-friendlier carmaking at each of its plants worldwide.

Hack a Tesla, win $10,000

In the world of computers, competitions that challenge so-called "white hat" hackers are fairly common. Break into this system in X minutes and we'll give you Y dollars. Rarely, though, does this world cross over with the realm of automobiles.
At the 2014 SyScan Conference, which runs from July 16 to 17 in Beijing, hackers have the chance to win $10,000, provided they can break into the systems of a Tesla Model S. According to BidnessETC, in order to win, a successful hack will need to remotely access the 17-inch touchscreen display (shown above) that dominates the Model S cabin in order to surf the Internet and access the vehicle's controls.
While we're not computer experts, it seems like a tall order. The Model S may maintain a constant data signal via its driver's cellphone, but it seems unlikely that Tesla hasn't installed a comprehensive security system to prevent electronic tampering. Tesla, for what it's worth, has no part in the competition.