Editor’s Note: Related tickers: Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY), CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. (NYSE:CBL)
Tesla Petitions White House for Help with Direct Sales (CNBC)
With some states either banning or considering a ban on vehicles being sold directly by an automaker, Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is petitioning the White House for help in swaying opinion. The electric car company has launched an online petition it plans to send to the White House by the end of next week. The goal: Acquire 100,000 signatures from those who think states should allow automakers to sell vehicles directly to buyers and not be forced to go through a third-party dealer. As of early afternoon Wednesday, more than 15,300 people have signed the online petition. …Right now three states in the United States—Arizona, Texas and Virginia—do not allow automakers to conduct test drives or deliver vehicles to buyers. That means Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) can, and does, show its Model S sedan in galleries in those states but it cannot sell cars in those states.
Tesla Motors Not For Sale Yet, says Elon Musk (GreenOptimistic)
Elon Musk’s list of accomplishments is varied and impressive, including the inception and development of PayPal, which he eventually sold for $1.5 billion in stock. He later founded, and is CEO of, Space Exploration Technologies [SpaceX], which was awarded a $1.6 billion NASA contract to replace the now-retired Space Shuttle program. Elon Musk conceived, and is chairman of the board, of SolarCity Corp (NASDAQ:SCTY), the largest supplier of solar power systems in the US. Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) is another of Elon Musk’s babies, arguably the most successful startup automobile company in the last 50 years here in the US.
Sheer Speculation: Might Google Someday Buy Tesla? (EVWorld)
I’m not going to lie — I’m not a fan of premature speculation. Nonetheless, it’s hard to avoid it when it involves Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), and when it’s started by Bloomberg. So, here’s the (super premature) speculation, why Tesla isn’t going to be sold anytime soon, and why we shouldn’t even be discussing this at this point in time… and should be writing about California high-speed rail or something. The sleuths at Bloomberg (or probably elsewhere first) have noted something interesting about Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)’ now-paid loan agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE). Within the agreement, Tesla could not offer itself up for sale as long as it owed the DOE money.
Tesla Does Deal for Supercharger Stations at Five US Malls (EVWorld)
Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) and CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. (NYSE:CBL) have struck a deal to put Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s fast-charging technology at five malls across the U.S. Five Supercharger points stations will appear at CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. (NYSE:CBL)-owned malls at 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. The mall-sited chargers are the latest step in Tesla’s efforts to build an electric corridoor across the U.S, allowing Model S owners–and owners of Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s future electric vehicles–to embark upon long trips coast-to-coast with little interruption.
NY bill could force Tesla’s exit (IVCPost)
Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), Elon Musk’s electric car manufacturer, stated that the New York’s Assembly has set asie a bill that could potentially shut down its New York business. The lawmakers and the lower chamber of New York’s Assembly failed to make a decision as it adjourned its session late yesterday. The legislators in the Assembly will not be able to reconvene for the processing of the decision until January. The bill’s introduction to the Assembly would halt car manufacturers to market their products directly to consumers. Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) performs the exact transaction mode as stated in the bill. The bill also stipulates that new vehicles bought outside of New York will not be allowed registration.
Tesla takeover turns tenuous given valuation (Chron)
Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), a long-speculated takeover target, just removed a barrier to a deal by paying off a U.S. government loan. The problem for would-be suitors is it’s also become the world’s most expensive carmaker. The loan had contained language limiting Tesla’s ability to sell itself. A purchase probably still isn’t imminent because Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk might not be willing to part with Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) and a buyer would have to pay top dollar for a 10-year-old company that just reported its first quarterly profit. The Palo Alto, California-based manufacturer trades for 816 times estimated 2013 earnings, the highest among automakers valued at more than $5 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Tesla adds battery swapping system (WindsorStar)
Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA), the electric-car maker run by Elon Musk, has a battery swapping system for its Model S sedan that’s faster than charging and ensures the car earns maximum zero-emission vehicle credits in California. Musk and Franz Von Holzhausen, Tesla Motors Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA)’s chief designer, demonstrated the system at the company’s Hawthorne, Calif., design studio. The device removes and replaces the car’s 454 kilogram lithium-ion battery with a fully charged one in just 90 seconds, said Musk, who used it to swap packs in two cars faster than an Audi AG sedan could be refilled with gasoline.
