Archive for the ‘Tesla’ Category

Buying a vehicle from a smaller manufacturer or from one that uses advanced technology can come with a special set of headaches -- especially on the maintenance front. They're not typically the sort of cars you can schlep down to Pet Boys on your lunch hour; they require the attentions of a specialist. To address such concerns, Tesla has announced a new house-call service that sends technicians right to your door. Of course, those Tesla Rangers, as they're called, don't come free, charging $1 per round-trip mile from the nearest service center. And FYI, there are currently four service centers in the U.S., on the East and West Coasts. So,...

No, it's not just because there are too many hybrids in the carpool lane.

New hybrid owners have already been denied those coveted yellow carpool stickers for some time but those with the stickers continue to enjoy driving solo in the carpool lane—for another 15 months, that is.

California's program for single-occupant carpool lane use stickers has been much loved by hybrid drivers, along with the automakers and dealerships that sell hybrids. And in some localities like around the San Francisco Bay or on the 405 in Los Angeles it's hard to miss the constant stream of yellow stickers in the left lane.

But the program has been maligned by...

A couple of weeks ago, Fisker gleefully announced fuel efficiency stats for its upcoming extended-range Karma sedan (67 mpg, though the math is a little fuzzy).  Now the upstart automaker has another reason to celebrate: the U.S. Department of Energy has awarded Fisker a $529 million low-interest loan, which will help the company develop the $87,000 Karma and the upcoming Nina, a lower-priced sedan that will ring in around $45,000.

Roughly $169 million of Fisker's loan will be applied toward development of the Fisker Karma. Those funds will go toward the design of tools, equipment for manufacturing, and coordination of materials from U.S....