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Official
Tesla delivered 2,650 Model S EVs last year, Musk confident of profit in Q1 and beyond

  • Official
    Tesla delivered 2,650 Model S EVs last year, Musk confident of profit in Q1 and beyond
  • Report
    Word of China's Geely leading bids for Fisker draws criticism from senator
  • Report
    Tesla Model S road trip drivers find success along NYT's failed drive route [w/video]
  • Official
    Nissan Leaf tops 50,000 sales worldwide
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Like Jeep, Fisker Twitter account briefly hacked, offers way to lose body fat

Posted Feb 20th 2013 7:45PM

fisker logo

In the overall scheme of things, having your Twitter account hacked isn't as bad as a flood or a fire. So, perhaps the "The Fastest Way To Lose BodyFat in (2)Weeks" tweet that Fisker Automotive sent out today isn't going to cause anyone to lose sleep, especially since it was almost instantly fixed. Not long after the body fat tweet went out, someone at Fisker took charge and wrote: "We know that the fans and followers of Fiskerauto don't need to lose weight... Disregard our last tweet as we were hacked like other OEMS."

Roger Ormisher, Fisker's senior director of global corporate communications & PR, told AutoblogGreen, "We became aware of the offending tweet in less than 30 minutes and promptly posted an apology. No information was taken and we will continue to monitor and our Social Media channels closely."

This is the latest in a string of high-profile Twitter hacks, including attacks against Jeep and Burger King. In those events, the hackers mucked around with background images and sent out some profane tweets. At least the Fisker hacker kept it clean, which is fitting.

News Source: Twitter

Tesla delivered 2,650 Model S EVs last year, Musk confident of profit in Q1 and beyond

Posted Feb 20th 2013 6:58PM

tesla model s

All eyes have been on Tesla Motors this past week as it disputed the veracity of an account of a long distance drive by The New York Times reporter John Broder. While it was somewhat amusing to watch NYT counter the original accusation of fakery made by CEO Elon Musk, only to be then publicly slapped with a handful of revelatory vehicle logs, today's release of Tesla's shareholder letter and fourth quarter financial results are certainly more relevant to the company's future. And, if Tesla manages to keep performing as it has these past few months, that future looks bright.

According to the letter, the California automaker ramped up its production to 400 units per week, building a total of 2,750 Model S sedans last quarter, bringing its yearly total to 3,100 vehicles. Of course, building cars is one thing and delivering quite another. The delivery process (in most States) involves buyers meeting with a specialist who explains the intricacies of owning and operating the car. The tricky logistics go some way to explain why Tesla delivered 2,400 units (100 units less than its target) for the quarter and around 2,650 for 2013. The next few months will see that number increase significantly with 4,500 deliveries planned for the 1st quarter of 2013.

"I'm quite certain we will deliver more than 20,000 cars this year."

Continuing at its current production rate, the company expects to build 20,000 all-electric machines in 2013, and CEO Elon Musk said on a conference call with analysts today that those are already sold. "I'm quite certain we will deliver more than 20,000 cars this year," he said, adding that if Tesla shut down all its stores and stopped taking orders, they'd still sell out for 2013. Tesla received an additional 6,000 new reservations in the 4th quarter of 2012, putting its net reservations – discounting deliveries and cancellations – at year end in excess of 15,000. Musk is happy about this, naturally, but is focused on figuring out, "how do we exceed the 20,000 number next year?"

Financially speaking, the numbers also look pretty positive. Tesla's quarterly loss shrunk to $90 million from $110 million in the third quarter, while revenue dramatically increased over 500 percent from the previous quarter to $306 million. That income was derived not only from Model S and a few Roadster sales, but also benefited – to the tune of $12 million – from its work on the Mercedes B-Class EV program and drivetrain shipments for the Toyota RAV4 EV.

"I don't want to be overconfident. I do think we'll be profitable in Q2, and subsequent quarters, too."

Perhaps the most interesting piece of the financial puzzle came in a prediction in the investor letter, and we quote, "... we expect to be slightly profitable (excluding only non-cash option and warrant-related expenses) in Q1 2013." Later, during the call, Musk expanded on that point saying that the only thing that could stop Q1 profitability is a "force majeure" event, like an earthquake. He is "cautiously optimistic" about Q2, but is waiting to see how things develop before he makes as bold a claim as he is with the Q1 prediction saying, "I don't want to be overconfident. I do think we'll be profitable in Q2, and subsequent quarters, too."

You can read the investor letter and financial results for yourselves below. We'll have more from the analyst call, including information on leasing in North America and a snazzy new "awesome red" color for the Model S soon.

News Source: Tesla

Image Credit: Copyright 2013 Drew Phillips / AOL

Hyundai, Kia delaying and updating new Sonata, Optima Hybrids?

Posted Feb 20th 2013 3:31PM

Kia Optima Hybrid - front three-quarter view

Given the recent debacle regarding overstated fuel-economy estimates from Hyundai and Kia, we wouldn't blame the companies for being a little gun-shy about new vehicle releases. That just might be the case for the 2013 Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima Hybrids.

With the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not including those two models under its 2013 model-year list (it only lists the 2012 versions and 2013's gas-only versions), Hybrid Cars is wondering if the two companies aren't pushing back their debuts for some late tweaks. At the moment, only the 2012 Optima Hybrid shows up on Kia's website, and the same goes for the Sonata Hybrid. A Hyundai representative told Hybrid Cars that the 2013 Sonata Hybrid is being redesigned in Korea, with announcements possibly coming in the next month or two. Neither Hyundai nor Kia responded to requests for comment from AutoblogGreen.

It would seem to make sense that Hyundai and Kia are takign some extra time readying their 2013 model-year hybrids. In late 2012, Hyundai and Kia had to drop fuel-economy estimates on many of its 2012 and 2013 model-year vehicles after reporting inaccurate mileage estimates. The companies agreed to give money back to about 900,000 vehicle owners, with the amounts varying based on the MPG adjustment to their models and the owners' odometer readings. In all, the companies set aside about $412 million for refunds. Both the 2012 Sonata and Optima Hybrids are now rated at 36 miles per gallon combined.

News Source: Copyright 2013 AOL, Hybrid Cars

Word of China's Geely leading bids for Fisker draws criticism from senator

Posted Feb 20th 2013 2:01PM

2012 Fisker Karma at speed

Money isn't the only problem Fisker Automotive has with making more Karma plug-in hybrids (see: battery supply), but the California startup may soon have the cash to help resume production of its $100,000 plug-in luxury sedan. Zhejiang Geely Holding Group has the edge in taking a majority stake in the troubled automaker, according to two confidential insider sources close to Fisker.

Fisker executives have been holding meetings in China with Geely, owner of Sweden's Volvo, and with state-owned Dongfeng Motor Group Co. The two offers reportedly received by Fisker within the last three weeks were worth between $200 million to $300 million, and both would give a majority stake to the new investor, the sources told Fox Business. The companies involved have declined to comment.

While both Chinese companies are interested, Geely is "more serious" and "passionate" about Fisker and its technology, one of the sources said. The company is also able to move more quickly than Dongfeng, which is hampered by the multi-layered decision-making structure within its Chinese-government ownership. Southern California-based Fisker is under a tight deadline to find a suitor, which certainly favors Geely, the source said.

"Most of all, with Geely we're dealing with one decision maker," the individual said, referring to its charismatic founder and chairman, Li Shufu. Geely's leader is considered an important player in the transaction and has experience from his role in Geely's acquisition of Volvo from Ford Motor Company in 2010. Geely has also sent a team of engineers to Anaheim, CA, to evaluate Fisker and its technology, the sources said.

The deal would theoretically give Fisker the funds to start building its second and more affordable model, the Atlantic plug-in hybrid, which is expected to start at around $55,000 and could become Fisker's high-volume vehicle. It's been about seven months since production stopped on Fisker's only vehicle, the Karma, but Fisker's CEO said recently that it will be starting up again soon.

As with the A123 sale before it (which did go to the Chinese company Wanxiang), the potential Fisker deal is getting some political criticism. US Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) told Bloomberg, "Like A123, this looks like another example of taxpayer dollars going to a failed experiment. Technology developed with American taxpayer subsidies should not be sold off to China."

News Source: Fox Business

Image Credit: 2013 AOL / Fisker

DOE's RANGE grant is $20m for a $30,000, 240-mile EV

Posted Feb 20th 2013 11:51AM



Proving once again that brevity isn't its strength, the US Department of Energy (DOE) put out its version of a request for proposals that will involve doling out $20 million to help create a plug-in vehicle that competes with gas-powered cars.

Under a program called the "Robust Affordable Next Generation EV-Storage (RANGE)," the DOE will give out grants ranging from $250,000 to $10 million in an attempt to push the auto industry to a sweet spot of sorts: a $30,000 electric vehicle that can go 240 miles on a single charge. You can check out the DOE's 55-page manifesto here. "The program goal is to enable a 3X increase in electric vehicle range (from ~80 to ~240 miles per charge) with a simultaneous price reduction of > 1/3 (to ~ $30,000)," the statement says. "If successful, these vehicles will provide near cost and range parity to gasoline-powered ICE vehicles." Since 2009, the DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has spent about $770 million on 285 projects.

As an example for 2012 numbers, the DOE compares a Nissan Leaf EV to a Nissan Versa and thus estimates that the payback period for an EV, taking into account the higher new-car price and lower refueling costs, is about seven years, inclusive of government subsidies. The deadline for submissions is March 21.

News Source: US Department of Energy via Plug In Cars

McLaren P1 to get 903 HP from "Twin Power" hybrid

Posted Feb 20th 2013 10:44AM

McLaren P1 Hybrid Drivetrain cutaway image

McLaren P1 - running with camouflage - front three-quarter viewMcLaren has dropped official power figures for the company's upcoming P1. The new hypercar will come packing 903 horsepower and 663 pound-feet of torque from the combination of a 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine and an electric motor. That's right: this sucker is a hybrid. The internal combustion engine features a few tweaks to improve cooling, and McLaren says the block uses a special casting to incorporate the motor. As a result, the P1 features a boost system that can serve up an instantaneous 176.5 horsepower dumped straight to the seven-speed dual clutch transmission. The driver can summon up that grunt on command by pressing the steering-wheel-mounted Instant Power Assist System button.

What's more, McLaren has figured out a way to use the electric motor to improve shift times. The P1 applies instant negative torque with each shift, dropping engine speed quickly and precisely for the upshift. Engineers have also incorporated additional technology from the company's Formula One efforts, including a Drag Reduction System. Push a button on the steering wheel and the rear wing shifts to reduce drag by 23 percent, providing the sensation of a boost in power. Check out the full press release below for more information on what is shaping up to be an incredible piece of technology.
Related GalleryMcLaren P1
McLaren P1 McLaren P1 McLaren P1 McLaren P1 McLaren P1

News Source: McLaren

Rapid-charge li-ion battery project seeking crowdfunding, promises 100% charge in 16 minutes

Posted Feb 20th 2013 9:58AM



Inventor Elliott Small and the Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered how to rapid charge lithium ion batteries without overheating them. Using the new technology, off-the-shelf li-ion batteries used in cell phones, laptop computers and electric vehicles could have their charging time reduced from hours to minutes without burning out.

That's the promise anyway, and it's the result an exclusive license between Georgia Tech and Small, a Harvard graduate and founder of Potential Difference, Inc. Small is seeking crowdfunding through the Indiegogo platform to take the project to the next level. With 35 days to go, only $1,105 out of the needed $50,000 has been raised. Georgia Tech was so impressed with the EV conversion that they offered an exclusive license for two rapid battery charging patents, Small says in the project's grainy video (see it below).

The technology allows for fast charging existing li-ion batteries rather than having to wait for the development of new battery technology, the company's press release says. Ordinary batteries have been subjected to this new rapid charging technology are staying well below the maximum charging temperatures recommended by battery manufacturers. Apparently, they've been able to reach a 70 percent state of charge in 10 minutes, 80 percent in 12 minutes and 100 percent in 16 minutes. That's way faster than normal, and Potential Difference says the results, "might be improved with further development." The upshot? "Charging an electric vehicle with speeds closer to gasoline refueling speeds the growth of the electric vehicle industry," according to the press release.

Crowdfunding is a tough hill to climb, as has been experienced by other experimental projects. Last year, the "Frankencar" project, which wanted to build an EV that could go 200 miles per charge and recharge in 45 minutes, and the Paxterra Photon S3 "self-sustaining electric vehicle," failed to raise anything near the needed funds.

News Source: Indie GoGo

BMW starts Apple-like "Genius" program to explain tech

Posted Feb 20th 2013 9:15AM

BMW dealer through the glass

Even workaday cars are so capable now that even most auto scribes don't truly find out about a car's limits until a professional driver shows them what they are. It's the same with a vehicle's suite of features and the technology inside – there's so much of it that most people will have no idea what their cars can offer them. BMW is the latest company to make a personal effort to change that, introducing "young, tech-savvy employees" to dealerships as part of its "BMW Genius Everywhere" initiative.

Having no part in the actual sale of a vehicle, a BMW Genius is present on the showroom floor only to answer questions about the company's products and their features. If the customer decides to buy, he is transferred to a salesperson. A pilot program in the UK proved its effectiveness, it will now be rolled out across Europe and then come to the United States toward the end of this year in time for the launch of the i3. Details are still being worked out, but each BMW dealer will have at least one Genius.

For assistance that doesn't require visiting the auto mall, BMW is also putting vehicle and feature tutorials on its US website to "make our knowledge about our brand more interesting and more accessible to the consumer." They will appear online sometime in the latter half of the year, and will also be bundled into iPhone and iPad apps.

Rinspeed bringing microMAX swarm car to Geneva

Posted Feb 20th 2013 8:30AM



A few months ago Switzerland's relentless tinkerer Rinspeed clued us into the coming of the microMAX, its latest vision of the evolution of personal and public transport. The company has unleashed all the details and a refined set of images of the "swarm intelligence" rolling cubicle before its reveal at the Geneva Motor Show.

The microMAX is both a vehicle and a system of transportation like a city bus or subway system. An app allows members of the network to call for a ride. After entering their destinations, Harman's "urbanSWARM" cloud-based software gets the network of microMAX vehicles speaking to one another to find the best route to serve driver, current and future passengers, and allows the electric concept to dip a wheel into use as a taxi, as part of car-sharing and carpool services, and pure public transport.

An "invitingly modern interior" with a "homey lounge" atmosphere should repel unsavory associations with mass mobility. The maximum of three passengers taking their places in upright seats will have room for a shopping cart or stroller, wireless internet access, refrigerator and coffee maker and near-field communications.

The extensive press release below doesn't omit a single detail nor any one of the many partners involved in creating the microMAX. Grab a cup of coffee and dig in.
Related GalleryRinspeed microMAX
Rinspeed microMAX Rinspeed microMAX Rinspeed microMAX Rinspeed microMAX Rinspeed microMAX Rinspeed microMAX Rinspeed microMAX Rinspeed microMAX

News Source: Rinspeed

Is free charging for EVs actually a hindrance, long term?

Posted Feb 19th 2013 7:51PM

evse

The days of free public charging for electric vehicles may soon be coming to an end, despite there being a lot of it out there right now, whether solar powered or as an incentive deal when buying the EV. Plug In Car's European correspondent Laurent Masson, though, is looking ahead and is making the argument that free electricity will actually hinder growth of charging networks. Instead, he writes, utilities and charging station providers need to become more like *shudder* oil companies.

With a small number of EVs on the road, free public charging at restaurants or hotels is a perk for attracting customers, and the corded parking spots are not costing the property owner that much. It would be totally different if there were millions of EVs out there roaming for electrons.

For example, Tesla Motors is offering Model S owners free fast charging at its Supercharger network. Masson says that Tesla could be giving away $5,000 of free electricity per Model S based on rates in the area he lives, if it drove 100,000 miles solely on Supercharger power (not a likely scenario). Masson assumes the Model S would consume 300 watt hours per mile, which would make for 30,000 kilowatt hours after 100,000 miles. If a lot of the Model S electric car get sold, how long can Tesla afford to give away electricity? How long can anyone? The answer is that sooner or later, there needs to be sales and profit involved, somehow, Masson argues.

So, more private investors are needed to expand public charging networks as EV sales numbers grow. Pat Romano, CEO of EV-charging station maker Coulomb Technologies, said that EV owners are willing to pay somewhere around $1 an hour for charging, and think that $2 an hour is "expensive." In the US, most EVs are charged for a rate of about 3.3 kilowatts per hour, and that much energy usually costs about 50 cents. The days of free charging are coming to an end, but so far, EV owners expect to see the fee stay at a low level.

News Source: Plug In Cars

Image Credit: Ecstatic Mark - C.C. License 2.0

Dongfeng Fengshen E30 electric vehicle coming to China next year?

Posted Feb 19th 2013 6:25PM



While China's third-largest automotive group, Donfeng Motors, had been gearing up to produce mass quantities of electric cars by early 2012, the reality has been more of a hodgepodge of decisions. There's been a joint venture with Nissan to build a rebadged Nissan Leaf for the China market (pictured), though it seems only a small number of them have been produced so far. There may be a $350-million acquisition bid by Dongfeng for Fisker Automotive. There are also plans to start production of the Dongfeng Fengshen E30 EV – but not until next year.

The Fengshen E30 EV is a small electric city car that debuted as the Donfeng EJo2 at the Shanghai Auto Show in 2011. It became the Dongfeng EV1 in early 2012 and was shown at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2012 as the Fengshen E30. There's also a stretched version called the Fengshen E30L The Fengshen comes equipped with a 10.5-kilowatt electric motor, can reach a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour (about 50 miles per hour) and a range of 110 to 180 kilometers (about 68 to 112 miles) from a single charge.

The Fengshen E30 EV will be competing directly with the Roewe E50 EV that was launched in the Chinese market in November of last year. The price of the E30 EV is yet to be known, but the Roewe E50 is priced at 134,900 yuan (about $21,600 US) after 100,000 yuan in government subsidies. The E30 is slightly smaller than the Rowe E50, and it's likely to cost slightly less.

That assumes Dongfeng Motors actually does start manufacturing the Fengshen E30 EV. Dongfeng has a lot of experience rebadging other vehicles for the Chinese market, so perhaps the Chinese "Leaf" – officially called the Donfeng Nissan Venucia D50 – could provide the access point for mass producing EVs in that market by 2015?

News Source: CarNewsChina

Image Credit: Newspress

New York Times admits Tesla Model S writer didn't use "good judgment"

Posted Feb 19th 2013 5:02PM

tesla model s owners road trip

And, lo, in the case of John Broder vs. Elon Musk, The New York Times is admitting defeat. A little bit. Sort of.

"Musk is at fault, too, for using the car's driving logs "in the most damaging (and sometimes quite misleading) ways possible."

Yesterday, the NYT's public editor, Margaret Sullivan, wrote the official Times response to the very public dispute between the newspaper's reporter, John Broder – who wrote a story about how a Tesla Model S failed him on a trip up the east coast – and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who called that original story a fake and then dumped a bunch of data from the car's log to show why he used that word. Editor Sullivan admits the drive "did not go well." In the aftermath, she says she tried to look at the facts in an unbiased fashion, eventually determining that Broder was not precise enough at times and did "not especially" use "good judgment along the way." Musk is at fault, too, she says, for using the car's driving logs "in the most damaging (and sometimes quite misleading) ways possible, as he defended his vehicle's reputation." Sullivan also says she believes Broder, "took on the test drive in good faith, and told the story as he experienced it" even as he "left himself open to valid criticism by taking what seem to be casual and imprecise notes along the journey."

This whole story, of course, is really about the fact that electric vehicles suffer a drop in range in cold weather, which matters more than in normal cars since there is less range to begin with (not to mention it takes longer to refuel an EV's energy reserves than it does its liquid-fueled counterparts). There are a number of factors in play, but Tesla has said range drop in the Model S is about 10 percent (which, interestingly enough, is about the same as what vehicles powered by gasoline engines suffer in such weather).

Interestingly enough, a 10-percent efficiency drop is about the same as what ICE vehicles suffer.

Consumer Reports has an interesting article up about learning how to adjust to cold-weather changes in its Model S, including a tale similar to Broder's about running the car down to the "charge now" warning screen, but the institute managed to make it to their destination. CR writes, "To its credit, the Model S delivered 176 miles from a full charge in cold weather – considerably more than any other EV on the planet. While it was in line with what the car predicted, it proved well short of the rated 240 miles the car promised when I started, let alone the 265 estimated by the EPA or the 300 touted by Tesla."

Meanwhile, over in take-a-step-back-ville, Grist suggests that the entire public dispute is a "sideshow" and that:

It is probably true that electric cars will never be able to replace gas cars, if the cars themselves – the widgets – are the only thing we replace. The entire system was designed and built around ICE cars. Turns out it's difficult to build a luxurious, two-ton armored tank that can travel 300 miles on a quick-charging battery pack. The problem, however, is not merely that our cars consume too much oil. It's that our transportation system consumes too much oil. A better system won't merely involve better cars, it will involve driving less, telecommuting more, using more public transportation, sharing cars, making cars smarter, and building more and better electrical infrastructure.

This story is far from over, even though the facts and he-said/he-said nature of the situation seem to be solidifying. Late tomorrow, Tesla will hold its quarterly earnings call, and we're going to bet this incident will come up. One interesting tidbit we learned in a preview article of that call is that Musk earns only $33,000 a year from his part-time CEO role at Tesla (he splits his time between Tesla and SpaceX). No one ever said changing the way the world drives was going to be easy... or instantly profitable.

New Nissan Note with 65 mpg* coming to Geneva in diesel, gas versions

Posted Feb 19th 2013 2:42PM

Nissan Note

Yes, the Nissan Note looks a lot like a Honda Fit. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's get to the details of the new B-segment model from the Japanese automaker, which will start selling the note in Europe this fall.

Nissan will unveil the Note at the Geneva Motor Show next month and will bring some higher-end features to the economy car. Blind-spot warning systems, lane-departure sensors and a multi-camera "helicopter view" parking assistant will all be part of the package, as well a stop-start idling system. Nissan says much of the Note's development work was done in the UK and Spain. The new Note has not yet been priced.

As for fuel economy the Note's base 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine will get about 50 miles per gallon, while a higher-end gas motor will bump that figure by about 10 percent. Nissan will also offer the note in a 1.5-liter turbodiesel engine that will get about 65 miles per gallon on Europe's lenient test cycle. Check out Nissan's press release below.
Related GalleryNissan Note
Nissan Note Nissan Note Nissan Note Nissan Note Nissan Note Nissan Note Nissan Note Nissan Note

News Source: Nissan Europe

Biofuel RIN fraud not a problem, says RINAlliance

Posted Feb 19th 2013 12:11PM



If you know what renewable identification numbers (RIN) fraud is, and want to avoid it you a.) are most likely involved in biofuel production or an oil company and b.) might want to hire an auditor. That's the advice from RINAlliance, which has made a strategic partnership with EcoEngineers to make sure RIN fraud stops happening.

Oil companies like Sunoco buy RINs from biofuel producers to earn credits to meet the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). RINs are used to track each gallon of a biofuel as part of the federal rule. There's been so much fraud in these deals that The US Environmental Protection Agency recently released proposed rules to deal with potential RIN fraud as part of the 2013 RFS.

There is a need for audits and accountability in the marketplace. The biodiesel industry saw several distressing – and mysterious – episodes last year. Jeffrey David Gunselman, former CEO of Absolut Fuels, was arrested for pilfering more than $50 million in fake RIN credits without producing any of the biodiesel. Rodney Hailey, who headed Clean Green Fuel LLC, alledgedly made $9.1 million selling renewable fuel credits that were not delivered.

The strangest one of all involved biodiesel train shipments between Canada and the US by CN Rail that were never unloaded. The shipping company appeared to have made $2.6 million in Canadian dollars for the effort. Two US biodiesel companies were listed as customers – HeroBX and Northern Biodiesel – and neither responded to media inquiries. A Canadian company, Bioversal Trading Inc., is being investigated by the Canada Border Services Agency on allegations of false statements to avoid duties in shipping biodiesel to Romania and Italy.

News Source: Domestic Fuel

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