tesla

Tesla Motors recalls electric Roadster

Tesla Motors has launched a safety recall covering all 345 Tesla Roadsters manufactured before April 22.

Tesla says it will make house calls to inspect the rear, inner hub flange bolts on several Roadsters after one owner reported uncharacteristic handling. After a root-cause analysis, Tesla determined that the rear, inner hub flange bolts on a small percentage of Roadster vehicles were improperly torqued during assembly by Lotus, the contract manufacturer of the Roadster chassis. Lotus is conducting a similar recall on some Lotus Elise and Exige vehicles.

No accidents have been reported as a result of this manufacturing issue, which … Read more

Taking the Dodge Circuit prototype electric sports car for a spin

Autoblog Green takes the Dodge Circuit prototype electric sportscar for a spin through downtown Detroit. Chrysler's John Myers says the says the company is developing "several" electric vehicles, but didn't reveal any details.

119: Hydrogen is back. Can it catch up with Hybrids and EVs?

Obama talks GM, but leaves out the "B" word. Hydrogen is back this week; will it stay? And the new version of Microsoft SYNC is out; we'll tell you what it does and if your Ford can get it. Plus, a ride in a hotted-up Lexus.

Listen now: Download today's podcast SHOW NOTES

• CNET Video: Cooley drives the Lexus IS350

• Hydrogen Road Tour 2009

• Check here to upgrade SYNC in your FoMoCo vehicle

• Antuan gets a first look at the Lexus IS C ragtop

• HCCI engines explained

Buzz Out Loud 977: You can't point north on ecstasy

But you can point north if you wear a belt of a dozen or so magnets all the time. We'll explain. Also Palm Pre is coming for $200 and we have some rumored next-generation specs. Oh and about 300 car stories, 'cause you know. Cooley is on the show.

Listen now: Download today's podcast Subscribe now: iTunes (audio) | iTunes (video) | RSS (audio) | RSS (video) EPISODE 977

Palm Pre to arrive June 6 for $200 http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10244423-1.html

Next-gen iPhone specs, launch date revealed? http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/05/next-gen-iphone-specs-launch-date-revealed/

Biz Stone on Twitter: … Read more

Tech makeover for the Tesla Roadster

We just completed one of the most interesting installations that we've done in awhile. The owner of this brand-new Tesla roadster is a client of the Al & Ed's Autosound location in West Hollywood. The vehicle was in serious need of some mobile audio goodies, and also an update to the interior and some of the trim. The store has done a number of his vehicles over the years, and when he showed up in this all-electric roadster, nobody knew that there were some challenges ahead.

The Tesla is an all-electric roadster capable of 0-to-60 mph times in … Read more

Daimler grabs Tesla stake in electric-car push

German automotive giant Daimler has invested in electric-car company Tesla Motors and plans to use Tesla's battery packs in its Smart electric car due later this year.

At a Tuesday press conference held at the Daimler museum in Stuttgart, Germany, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Daimler management board member Thomas Weber said the contract between the two companies calls for joint collaboration on the Smart electric car and future models.

Daimler has invested a "double-digit million-dollar sum" to acquire about a 10 percent stake in California-based Tesla, Weber said.

"We are about to combine the best … Read more

You, too, can rock a singing tesla coil

If you've never seen a singing tesla coil, an 8-foot-tall mash of circuitry and electronics that matches firing lightning bolts to the beat of DJ music, you are seriously missing out.

These days, your best bet might be to catch Austin, Texas, troupe Arc Attack as it plays events like the anime festival Metro Con in Florida. Or, if you happen to be in Abu Dhabi, you might be able to see the group do its electric best there.

If you can't hop an A380 to the United Arab Emirates, however, you can still get your singing tesla … Read more

There's an electric car in your future

Change tends to come slowly in the automotive industry, but the pace of electric car development has picked up fast. Major automakers are promising electric cars for sale to the public by 2011 and earlier. Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Ford are all moving ahead, forcing other automakers to get on the ball.

Current battery technology makes a range of 100 miles the magic number to hit, so this first batch of modern electric cars may struggle to gain wide acceptance. But as people find the cost of ownership to be far less than their old gas guzzlers, the popularity of these … Read more

When Dave met Elon...and his Tesla Model S

Tesla Motors' Elon Musk has a friend in David Letterman.

Musk, the CEO and product architect of electric car maker Tesla Motors, was a guest on the "Late Show with David Letterman" Wednesday night. Also making an appearance on the set was the prototype Model S electric sedan, which made its first trip to New York this week.

But even though Musk and the Model S were the main event (well, after actress Jennifer Garner), Letterman did most of the talking. Actually, "complaining" might be a better word.

Letterman is frustrated, downright irritated, that electric motors, … Read more