Tesla Motors news stories on Newser

Mercedes, Toyota Use Laptop Batteries in Electric Cars

Kevin Spak — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 06:22:00 CDT

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...

Orders Roll in for Tesla Model S

Kevin Spak — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 10:44:44 CDT

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,...

Tesla IPO Roars Out of the Gate

Kevin Spak — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:22:44 CDT

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...

Tesla's CEO Is Broke

Kevin Spak — Fri, 28 May 2010 11:59:00 CDT

Elon Musk is a legend in Silicon Valley: His much-buzzed about electric car company, Tesla Motors, is on the verge of a major IPO, and he even had a cameo in Iron Man 2 . There's just one problem. “About four months ago, I ran out of cash,” he wrote in...

Meet Tesla's Fully Electric Car

Kevin Spak — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:45:46 CDT

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...

US Choice: Put Money in Startups or Big Three

Kristina Loew — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 13:42:01 CST

Small upstart Tesla wants to build on the success of its bold electric sports car—the pricey Roadster—by building a tamer sedan for the masses. But to do so, it needs a big infusion of cash from the Obama administration, which is looking to boost clean energy. The situation,...

Electric-Car Makers Want Fed Jolt, Too

Matt Cantor — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 10:51:01 CST

The electric-car industry is facing the same problems as Detroit’s needy giants—plus a few of its own, the Wall Street Journal reports. Like Big Three leaders, electric-car reps have been to Washington seeking government help; struggling industry leader Tesla Motors wants $400 million from the $25 billion energy fund...

Electric Roadster Ready to Roll

Laila Weir — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:00:00 CST

The long-awaited, all-electric Tesla Roadster has passed federal safety tests with flying colors and will finally go into production March 17—albeit with temporary transmissions on the first models, reports DailyTech. The interim transmissions mean the $100,000 Roadster will do zero to 60 in 5.7 seconds, instead of...