Electric Roadster Ready to Roll

(NEWSER) - The electric car is real—at least in prototype form. Tesla Motors yesterday unveiled a working prototype of its much-anticipated Model S, a fully-electric 5-door sedan, the LA Times reports. It’s actually Tesla’s second electric vehicle, but unlike the Roadster, which is produced in London and carries a $109,000 price tag, the Model S is intended as a mass-market vehicle. The first ones hit the road in 2011. More»

Says fires may be caused by electronic problem

(NEWSER) - As the US investigates the Chevy Volt following fiery crash tests , General Motors will lend cars to current owners of the electric vehicles, the Wall Street Journal reports. Meanwhile, the company is working to fix the problem. It believes the fires aren’t caused by overheating chemicals, but rather, that faulty electronics are at issue. One possible solution: stronger battery casings. "I believe in the safety of the Volt," says an exec. "This technology should inspire confidence and pride, not raise doubt and concern." More»

Automakers adopting once-derided Tesla technology

(NEWSER) - When Tesla Motors first tried powering cars with a bundle of laptop batteries, the industry laughed. But now, other automakers are lining up to use the technology. Mercedes plans to produce a new version of its A-Class this fall with two Tesla batteries, each containing about 2,000 individual batteries this fall, Der Spiegel reports, and Toyota has plans to use them as well. Both Toyota and Daimler hold Tesla shares, and are buying the tech straight off the Silicon Valley startup. More»

Fans plunk down big money for place on wait list

(NEWSER) - Electric car enthusiasts are clamoring to reserve a Tesla Model S, even though the much-hyped electric sedan isn't scheduled to roll out of the factory until 2012. More than 2,200 people have plunked down deposits on the car, SiliconValley.com reports, and that’s no small commitment. It costs $5,000 to reserve the regular Model S (expected retail: $49,000), and $40,000 to reserve the “Signature Edition” (expected retail: stratospheric). For perspective, reserving a Nissan Leaf costs about a hundred bucks. More»

Private sector gives electric cars a vote of confidence

(NEWSER) - The Dow may have plunged yesterday, but over on the Nasdaq, things were great for new kid Tesla Motors. In its first day of trading, Tesla's price shot up almost 41% from its $17 offer price, closing at $23.89, after at one point hitting $25, MarketWatch reports. The company's broke founder , Elon Musk, sold 1.4 million shares in the process, pulling in more than $15 million. More»