All Electric Tesla sports car dealership opens in Los Angeles CA

See YouTube video of Tesla versus 500HP Viper


While still not in serial production – only four production cars have been built – and plagued by problems with the original transmission – Tesla has opened its first factory store on May 1, 2008

The Tesla is powered by some 7,000 laptop batteries if you can believe it and is plenty quick off the line. Their Web site claims that it accelerates from 0-60 in 3.9 seconds (see YouTube video below), while obtaining a range of 220 miles per charge at a per mile cost of just 2 cents.



A video posted on YouTube depicts a race between a 500 horse powered Dodge Viper and the battery-powered Tesla. In the quarter mile, the Tesla beats the Viper by a significant margin. The commentators on the video acknowledge that in a longer race, the Viper will beat the Tesla, but that is an impressive performance for a vehicle powered by laptop batteries.

Check out the video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pm6gD6r3-cw&feature=related.

Want to get on the waiting list? Tesla’s Web site quotes a $109,000 base price, but production is already spoken for. To get on the waiting list, you will have to put up $60,000.




Tesla Roadster: learning lessons from the EV1

With advances in battery, software, and semiconductor technology, electric cars can now perform as well, or better, than conventional cars, said Musk during an interview. Asked about the EV1, General Motors' electric car that was summarily shut down, Musk said the car's short life was likely not the result of a conspiracy between car manufacturers and oil companies. Instead, he said, the car probably failed because of big-company inertia.



Tesla Roadster: a battery on wheels

The Tesla Roadster is essentially a battery on wheels. Much of the company's design work revolved around developing a lithium-ion battery pack to power the car. The battery cells come from a third-party provider, but Tesla has wrapped it into a battery pack that can deliver energy rapidly for the car's acceleration.



Check out the CHEVY VOLT electric concept.

See other ELECTRIC CARS.

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Ford's recovery gaining traction

Against all odds, Alan Mulally pushes cultural change on all fronts to move carmaker to profitability

Thank God.

Like an itiot, I've held on to some Ford stock that I bought in 2003 for about $10 a share. I still think the company will take off again which is why I'm holding, but so far it's been 5 freakin' years in purgatory!

The share price might bump to $8 on this news woohoo.

In the year and a half that he has been at the helm, Ford chief executive Alan Mulally has downsized Ford's North American operations and negotiated a game-changing contract with the United Auto Workers, notes the Detroit News. He is selling off what he calls "non-core assets" like Jaguar and Land Rover and has mortgaged much of what is left to secure what he calls "the largest home loan in history" to pay for it all. He has assembled a global leadership team, outlined his vision for integrating Ford's global operations and is leading a cultural transformation that is shattering the old ways of doing business at Ford.


I wonder how much Ford stock Mulally owns.
It has to be disclosed somewhere.

There is a growing sense of optimism in Dearborn. There are the impressive quality gains the automaker has achieved, despite one of the most painful downsizings in its 104-year history. There are the customers Ford is reclaiming in key markets like California, and the new products it is preparing to launch later this year.

Ford insiders also point to the smaller victories being won at every level of the company: a few dollars shaved from the cost of a new truck by using common components, a few days cut from the development time of a new crossover by virtual manufacturing analysis, a few million saved by new work rules approved by union members at an assembly plant.

The financial reports Ford releases April 24 will likely reveal the company's sixth consecutive year-over-year improvement.

Wall Street has taken notice. Ford's rising share price has given the automaker a market capitalization far larger than its cross-town rival, General Motors, and Ford watchers increasingly give the company credit for unloading brands and crafting more creative deals with the UAW than its competition.

Mr. Mulally's insistence on teamwork is only part of what is driving this new spirit of cooperation at the top. Ford executives may believe in his turnaround plan, but they also know it is likely the last chance Ford has to get it right.

AFI

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Does this car make me look fat?

How do I look? Chevy builds 'fitting room' at dealership

The world’s first drive-in fitting room that lets car buyers check out what they look like in their car before they commit to purchase has just been opened, according to an article in Motor Trend magazine.

Despite three out of every four drivers in England saying their car is a status symbol – wanting other drivers to view it as a reflection of the owner’s personality and success – 95 percent admit they have no idea what they actually look like behind the wheel.

Until now.

A Chevrolet dealer in London has created a drive-in "fitting room", a curtained room where buyers can "try on" a car by driving it on to a turntable surrounded by three giant mirrors.



A remote-control handset can rotate the turntable through 360 degrees view of what they actually look like in their vehicles.

Susan Kalair of Chevrolet said: "We’re excited to be the first car brand to introduce a drive-in fitting room. It’s such a simple idea but with 95 percent of drivers saying they have no idea what they look like in their car, we think it could prove a drive-away hit."



(Does that mean that the old guys with toupee's might finally know that it still looks like a toupee even though they are driving a Vette?)
AFI


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AUTOMOTIVE NEWS - with a twist

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Unusual “ride-share” program experiment in Washington DC

I don't have a huge respect for GM but this is pretty brilliant.

Unusual “ride-share” program in Washington DC provides a steady source of new test riders.

“Slugging” in Washington is a system of ride sharing so that cars can meet the three occupant requirement for using HOV lanes. Randomness of passengers provided an easy way to get a lot of feedback on the new Malibu - and maybe get some word-of-mouth buzz as well.


HOV Lanes

Cars offering rides and passengers looking for a ride (Slugs) meet at predetermined locations inside and outside the city. The driver announces his or her destination and the first person in line for that destination hops in for the ride. In the evening the process is reversed.

A couple of interns working at Chevrolet’s Northeast Regional office came up with the idea to use the system to obtain first-hand consumer reactions to the Malibu. For five weeks after the Washington DC Auto Show, regional employees joined the Slug vehicle lines in the morning and afternoon, offering complete strangers rides in the new Malibu.

Approximately 800 informal test rides were completed during the five-week program. Slug riders offer an interesting base from which to solicit reaction to the newly redesigned and highly touted Malibu. Because the Slug system is so random, riders get to experience just about every type and model of automobile, truck and whatever else makes its way into a Slug line.


2008 Chevrolet Malibu - a born rental car?

Their opinions could be more valuable than the average person met at a dealership. They certainly provide a much wider basis of comparison when it comes to the ride experience in different cars

According to a report in the Washington Times, John Konkel, Chevrolet’s marketing manager for the region says that the feedback has been very positive. According to Konkel, the riders were very impressed with the OnStar turn-by-turn navigation system and that the vehicle had a 110-volt outlet for their portable electronics.


A GM Executive Manager comments. Stay tuned.

Slugging has existed in the DC area since the early 70s. More information can be found at www.slug-lines.com.

DealersEdge Daily Headlines

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GM prepared to take loss on Volt

As much as I like to tease the electric car makers, the Chevy Volt is slightly impressive (it just looks so cool). Good luck GM!


Carmaker to stick with plug-in through initial sales; admits mistake in early hybrid strategy.

David Shepardson and Eric Morath / The Detroit News

General Motors Corp. could some day sell more than 500,000 Chevrolet Volts annually worldwide, but the company is preparing to lose money "for years" on the range-extended electric vehicle, Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said Wednesday.


This car is so cool.

While speaking to a group of Volt fanatics at the New York International Auto Show, Lutz said it was a mistake that GM didn't beat Toyota Motor Corp. to market with hybrid vehicles even though the Detroit automaker had electric vehicle technology dating back to the 1960s.

He said GM won't make that error again, even if it means losing money on initial Volt sales.

"We won't make a dime on this car for years, and the board is OK with that," he said. GM was hesitant to go to market with hybrids a decade ago because he said the automaker was likely to lose $250 million a year selling such vehicles.

Lutz said being late to the market with hybrids has cost GM billions in sales because it lost its image of having superior technology.

GM's initial estimates of 60,000 to 100,000 annual Volt sales could grow five-fold, Lutz said, adding that the car is a "game changer" on par with the Ford Model T.

More than 100 Volt fans accepted GM's invitation to attend the New York show and meet executives.

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Electric cars start to gain some traction as dealerships sprout up

Alternative car dealers sell alternative power

Ecomotion is not a typical car dealership, reports the New York Times. First, there is the coffee shop just inside the front door. Second, the cars in the showroom are small and shaped a little funny. Some have only three wheels; one is available in a zebra print. All are powered by electric motors.

Ecomotion opened last September and has so far sold about 125 automobiles, including some used hybrids that are kept in a separate showroom. Ecomotion has become one of the top-selling electric vehicle dealerships in the country, selling cars from Zap and Myers Motors.


the ZENN 500 - Powerwheels for a grown-up?

There are now dozens of dealerships in the country selling electric vehicles, including those made by Zap, the Zenn Motor Company and Myers. Many dealerships sell models from several companies.

“Dealerships are what we need more than anything right now,” said Alex Campbell, a Zap spokesman. He said there were about 50 independent dealerships that sell its car, with the majority on the West Coast.


Don't laugh at me please - ZAP Automotive Marketing USA

Though there are E.V. dealerships around the country, many are taking advantage of the West Coast’s fusion of car culture and green sensibilities.

Alternative power once had the alternative lifestyle image of hippie owners driving odd vehicles. Many dealers said that buyers were now people concerned about the environment or Hollywood types looking for eco-cachet.

For celebrities looking to make a statement, Tesla promises that its E.V. sports car will hit the streets sometime this year. The first Tesla dealership is scheduled to open in Los Angeles, possibly in April.


The Tesla Roadster: Very cool - I want one!

Buying a car from an E.V. dealership is similar to buying from a traditional dealer. Many dealerships offer test drives and financing, and service the cars they sell. But there are also differences — they could actually try to talk you out of buying the car.

The dealers said they needed to make sure the car is right for the buyer. The sales staff has to explain that driving a limited number of miles at a limited speed is feasible for most people, but not for everyone. Drivers with highway, hilly or long commutes should buy something else.



The Myers NMG electric car. (this picture might become my icon on some automotive forum. Hmmmm maybe).

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Selling Jaguar won’t end Ford's ties to luxury brands

Technology agreement will tie Ford to brands for several years

DealersEdge Daily Headlines

Ford is widely expected to sell its Jaguar and Land Rover brands to India's Tata Group, but the terms under discussion could keep the U.S. automaker linked to the brands for years to come, according to an analysis in the Wall Street Journal.



The deal between Ford and Tata could come as soon as next week, according to a United Kingdom labor official at a union representing Jaguar and Land Rover workers. People familiar with the matter said the timing was likely but cautioned the talks remain fluid. Tata is expected to pay more than $2 billion for the luxury brands and related facilities and technology.

Ford plans to sell its entire stake in the brands. But Tata signaled to British labor leaders last week that, under the deal, it intends to continue using engines and other parts currently built in Ford-owned plants in the U.K. Tata could continue to get the engines from Ford for the next five years, and perhaps longer, one person familiar with the negotiations said.

Tata faces challenges as it seeks to become a player in the global auto industry, particularly in the luxury arena. Purchasing Jaguar and Land Rover will give the company technological know-how and luxury-car expertise. But it can't afford to stumble over technical issues, making relationships with Ford and existing suppliers important.



A Ford spokesman declined to comment beyond saying executives "expect to have a deal early this year."



A Tata Motors spokesman said that only leather from non-holy cows would be used in the Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles.

"Nobody foresees any major problems now; everything is pretty much done," said Roger Maddison, a national officer for the British union Unite, which represents about 16,000 workers at Jaguar and Land Rover. He said a memorandum of understanding between Tata and Ford could be signed as soon as March 5 or 6.

Ford acquired Jaguar for $2.5 billion in 1989 and Land Rover for $2.75 billion in 2000.

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