tesla

Tesla Motors replaces CEO, plans layoff

Updated at 1 p.m. PDT with details from Musk's statement.

Electric-car company Tesla Motors has replaced its CEO and plans to lay off some staff members as part of a corporate review, the company announced Wednesday.

Chairman Elon Musk is now CEO, continuing his activities in product development. Former CEO Ze'ev Drori is now vice chairman of the board and is expected to remain active in Tesla operations, according to a company representative, who did not give a reason for Drori's replacement.

The exact staff percentage of Tesla's forthcoming layoff has not been determined, but … Read more

'60 Minutes' reporting on electric cars this Sunday

Lesley Stahl reports on the race between Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and Detroit auto executives to develop and produce a viable electric car. Check out this clip of Lesley getting a taste of what the Tesla Roadster can do, then check out 60 Minutes: The Race For The Electric Car this Sunday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Dodge EV and Tesla Roadster, separated at birth?

Since yesterday's unveiling of Chrysler's electric vehicle concepts, there have been many parallels drawn between the little electric hot-rod Dodge EV and the electric car that changed our perception of green, the Tesla Roadster. As it turns out, these cars may have more in common than you think.… Read more

Tesla's 'Bluestar' to be all-electric family car

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--Tesla Motors has received many accolades for producing an all-electric luxury sports car. But its long-term plans may hold its most challenging task: making a mass-market electric car.

The company intends to make a "family car" that it hopes will lead to the sale of millions of all-electric vehicles, JB Straubel, Tesla's chief technology officer, said Wednesday. He spoke earlier on a panel on "green transportation" at the EmTech 2008 conference here.

Code-named Bluestar, the car has been part of Tesla's plans for a few years. Tesla Chairman Elon Musk earlier this … Read more

85: Texting worse than drunken driving!

Texting is more dangerous than drunken driving, Mercedes rolls out a hybrid, BMW puts Google search in the dash, and we drive the Porsche Cayenne GTS.

Listen now: Download today's podcast SHOW NOTES

• Texting worse than being drunk when it comes to driving

• Mercedes S400 BlueHybrid

• Clean diesel Jetta TDI good in all 50 states

• RFID driver's licenses in N.Y.

• Google search comes to BMW dashboards

• Cayenne GTS driver's notes

• Pontiac G3 on the way. Oh boy.

Tesla to open plant for Model S electric sedan

Tesla Motors on Wednesday is expected to announce a planned $250 million investment in a facility in San Jose, Calif., to manufacture its Model S all-electric luxury sedan.

The company plans to break ground on the installation next summer and begin to deliver cars in late 2010, a company representative said Tuesday. It has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday to detail the move.

The Tesla Roadster, a $109,000 all-electric sports car which began shipping earlier this year, is made at a Lotus plant in the U.K.

The San Jose operation will house a factory, research, and development … Read more

Green news harvest: Toyota handicaps alt fuels, Pickens Plan skeptics

AltaRock & Weyerhaeuser Sign Engineered Geothermal Exploration Deal - RenewableEnergyWorld.comAltaRock, funded by Google and Kleiner Perkins, is an enhanced geothermal systems company drilling deep into stone to get renewable energy. Toyota Plugs Lithium Ion Batteries, Reluctantly - Greentech MediaA presentation from Toyota exec handicaps the different transportation technologies, including plug-in hybrids, liquid fuels, and hydrogen. Not mentioned is Toyota's rumored plans to use zinc air batteries for plug-ins.

Toyota Releases Sustainability Report 2008, Looks to Liquid Peak - Green Car CongressMore on Toyota's plans to use alternative fuels, as part of its corporate sustainability … Read more

Tesla hires execs as founder reviews Roadster

Silicon Valley-based Tesla Motors, maker of luxury electric cars, is cherry-picking Detroit veterans in its bid to take on the auto giants.

The company on Monday announced that it has hired former Ford Motor financial executive Deepak Ahuja as its chief financial officer.

In another move, Tesla hired Franz von Holzhausen as its design director, according to Darryl Siry, the company's senior vice president of global sales, marketing, and service. Von Holzhausen worked at Mazda, General Motors, and Volkswagen, where he was involved in successful car launches, including that of the New Beetle.

Also, starting in September, Tesla will … Read more

Video: Tesla Roadster's touch-screen interface

You may have heard about the the 6,831 lithium ion batteries that power the all-electric Tesla Roadster. But what about the user interface from the driver's seat?

It turns out that the Roadster has a small touch screen to control battery charging. It provides people with the temperatures of different subsystems, and it gives a read of how the batteries' charge translates into range and performance.

It also lets people schedule the charging for late at night, when rates can be lower because demand on the power grid is lower--a very handy feature.

CNET News sister publication Crave U.K. … Read more