Editor’s Note: Related Tickers: Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. (NYSE:CBL), Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), General Motors Company (NYSE:GM), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Toyota Motor Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:TM)
Tesla Supercharging Stations at CBL Malls (DailyFinance)
CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. (NYSE:CBL) today announced the launch of a partnership with Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) to install Tesla Supercharging stations at several CBL Malls across the country. Tesla is building a network of Supercharging stations that will eventually enable Tesla owners to drive coast to coast in their electric vehicles. The initial cooperation will place Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) Superchargers at five CBL Malls to include Gulf Coast Town Center in Fort Myers, FL; The Pavilion at Port Orange in Port Orange, FL; Alamance Crossing in Burlington, NC; CherryVale Mall in Rockford, IL and Imperial Valley in El Centro, CA.
Aston Martin and Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) have reportedly agreed to extend their engine supply contract for another five years. According to the The Sunday Times, the new deal will see the U.S. carmaker supply Aston Martin with V8 and V12 engines made at its Cologne plant in Germany. The deal may also mean Aston Martin will keep the VH platform for at least another five years. Aston Martin’s most important models – the Vantage, DB9 and Vanquish – are all based on derivatives of the VH platform. The news comes not long after reports of Aston Martin being in talks with other engine suppliers, including Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz, which would have supplied components and offer technical assistance.
GM first to sport Siri’s ‘Eyes Free’ feature with the Chevy Sonic and Spark starting next year (9 to 5 Mac)
During its opening keynote at WWDC, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) announced Siri would gain an all-new “Eyes Free” feature as part of iOS 6. After five months of quiet about the feature, General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) announced this morning that it would be the first of nine automakers previously outlined to adopt Eyes Free in its vehicles starting early next year. Of its fleet, the Chevrolet Spark (1LT, 2LT) and Sonic LTZ and RS will be the first. General Motors Company (NYSE:GM) will include the Eyes Free feature on the automobiles, but it still won’t do away with its Chevrolet MyLink info-tainment system. However, if an iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 enters the car running iOS 6, they can connect over Bluetooth with General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)’s MyLink radio feature. From there, they can use the Eyes Free steering wheel button to access information.
Tesla to swap batteries in about 90 seconds (CBS News)
In the latest attempt to calm drivers who worry about how far they can drive their electric cars, Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) plans to build station that will swap run-down batteries for fresh ones. The company says it will take 90 seconds, or less time than it takes to fill the tank with gasoline. The first swapping locations will be built along routes between Los Angeles and San Francisco and, in the East, from Boston to Washington. Each facility will be paired with a free, fast-charging station that can recharge a Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) car in about 30 minutes. But those in a hurry can instead buy a fresh battery pack for $50 to $60 — about the price of 15 gallons of gas.
Ford F-150 Beats Toyota Camry in American-Made Ranking (Bloomberg)
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s F-150 pickup, pacing the biggest gain in U.S. market share among automakers this year, topped a consumer website’s list of most-American made models, replacing Toyota Motor Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:TM)’s Camry sedan. The F-150 snapped a four-year streak for the Camry and earned the No. 1 spot in Cars.com’s 2013 American-Made index, the website said today in an e-mailed statement. The index ranks model lines based on their sales and whether car or truck parts and completed vehicles are built in the U.S. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F)’s F-Series trucks have propelled the biggest U.S. sales increase among major automakers this year, climbing 22 percent through the end of May.
