tesla

AUSTIN, Texas--If you wanted to see tesla coils rocking out, Dorkbot was the place to be Saturday evening at the South by Southwest (SXSW) conference here.

The local art collective Arc Attack had its singing tesla coils turned up loud and it put on several demonstrations of its machines at this celebration of "people doing strange things with electricity."

The highlight of the group's show was either a rendition of the "Dr. Who" theme or perhaps the Imperial march music from "Star Wars" (see video below--and give it a few seconds to get … Read more

Tesla Motors has begun offering its Roadster electric vehicle for the Canadian highway, the company announced Wednesday.

Tesla said in a statement that driving a Tesla Roadster in Canada can be thought of as even more kind to the environment than in other places since the bulk of the country's electricity is generated from renewable resources.

"An EV recharged from the current Canadian grid, on average, would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 85 percent compared to an equivalent gasoline-powered vehicle. In hydro-dominant British Columbia, Quebec, and Manitoba, the reduction would be an impressive 98 percent," said … Read more

Tesla Motors announced on Thursday that the Department of Energy was given the green light to disperse $350 million in loans over the next few months to help the all-electric automaker build a new manufacturing plant in San Jose, Calif.

Company chairman Elon Musk applied for the loans when the company was unable to secure private funding, stalling development of the new facility and casting even more doubt upon the ambitious start-up carmaker.

The announcement should help quell the death knell rumors spawned from recent mass layoffs, canceled orders for its $109,000 electric sports car, and delayed plans to build the Model S sedan. … Read more

Updated at 11:45 am PT with more details on DOE loan application.

Electric luxury car company Tesla Motors is on target to be profitable and to demonstrate a "street-drivable" prototype of its next car next month: the Model S sedan.

CEO Elon Musk sent out a detailed update to subscribers of its monthly newsletter, boasting about a backlog of orders for its Tesla Roadster sports car and assuring company watchers that the company is on sound financial footing.

"We remain on track with our cost reductions and production ramp, so it appears highly likely that Tesla … Read more

Updated at 1:35 p.m. PT with corrected information on the supply arrangement and additional details.

Tesla Motors has signed a deal to supply power train components to Daimler for an electric version of the German auto giant's Smart mini-car, called the Electric Smart EV, which is expected to be available within two years.

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, announced the deal at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Tuesday. On Sunday, Tesla unveiled a higher-end Sport version of its Tesla Roadster electric sports car.

Tesla will supply the battery pack and on-board charger … Read more

For all you well-heeled auto fanatics, there is good news: Tesla Motors has made a faster car.

The luxury electric carmaker on Sunday lifted the curtain on the Tesla Roadster Sport at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Tesla said it has begun taking orders for the $128,500 sportscar, which will be available in late June.

The Roadster Sport has a bit more zip off the line than the original rocket-like Roadster, Tesla's first electric car favored by tech tycoons and Hollywood types.

The Sport accelerates from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.7 … Read more

Tesla Motors, a start-up focused on high-performance electric cars, appears to be in a bit of trouble.

Although Tesla just raised an additional $40 million, it is asking for $400 million in low-interest loans from the federal government as part of the $25 billion loan package to the auto industry.

Yeah, I know that Tesla is working on cool electric technology for high-performance cars that could help our country ease its heroin-like addiction to foreign oil. That said, are the Valley-based VCs and big-wigs who back Tesla really serious?

Tesla may be a technological marvel and it is located in … Read more

While millions of Americans watch the saga of the Big Three automakers pleading the federal government for a bailout, the finances of tiny electric car start-ups are coming under the microscope.

The Irish Independent newspaper on Sunday reported--incorrectly--that Irish utility Electricity Supply Board (ESB) invested in all-electric luxury car make Tesla Motors.

A representative from ESB on Monday said that ESB's clean-tech fund put a bit less than $20 million into a fund run by Tesla investor Vantage Point Venture Partners. ESB's money has not gone directly into Tesla, but ESB is backing other clean-tech companies including … Read more

Every automotive journalist who drives a Tesla comes away impressed with the car's power, and I can say the same after taking the car out on a quick drive near the company's Menlo Park, Calif., Tesla store (they don't call it a showroom or dealership).

In Performance mode, the car exhibits powerful and smooth torque, even at speed. I had this little open top roadster at 65 mph on the freeway, then mashed the accelerator (don't call it a gas pedal) and got another powerful push in the back that sent the car quickly up to 90. The Tesla's push is unique among sports cars though. Where a high-stepper such as the BMW M3 makes you feel a kick in the back with every gear shift, the Tesla delivers a strong, steady push when you put your foot down on the pedal.

The Tesla I drove featured "Powertrain 1.5," eliminating the two-speed gearbox from the previous model. Yes, Tesla patterns itself after tech companies, so the power train gets a version designation, although the cars themselves still go by a model year.

In this Tesla, as in other electric cars I've driven, the operation is dead simple: Move the shifter from Neutral to Drive, and you're moving forward. Push the accelerator if you want to go faster and hit the brakes if you want to stop. The only real difference, besides the fact that the Tesla goes a lot faster than other electric cars, is that taking your foot off the accelerator at speeds less than 40 mph makes the car slow down as if you were applying light pressure on the brakes. That is the regenerative power train in operation, using the car's momentum to generate electricity for the battery pack. The Tesla also has regenerative brakes, but you don't need to use them much, adding the side-benefit of very infrequent brake maintenance. … Read more