What’s Delaying Tesla Model X Production? Falcon-Wing Doors? Weight? Performance?

Originally published on Gas2. In last week’s quarterly report, Elon Musk admitted that Tesla Model X production might be pushed back. Are the falcon-wing doors holding up the Model X? Or is the extra weight of the Model X and its all-wheel drive system reducing range too much for customer expectations? No doubt, the falcon-wing

What’s Delaying Tesla Model X Production? Falcon-Wing Doors? Weight? Performance? was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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The Oatmeal Woos Tesla Motors, Elon Musk Agrees To Help Build Nikola Tesla Museum

Originally published on Gas2. Yesterday, The Oatmeal creator Matthew Inman made a plea to Elon Musk to help build a museum dedicated to Nikola Tesla…and this morning, Musk responded. In a tweet sent this morning at 6 AM, Musk told Inman  (via Tweet) that he “…would be happy to help.” Woot! Last year Inman launched a

The Oatmeal Woos Tesla Motors, Elon Musk Agrees To Help Build Nikola Tesla Museum was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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BMW i8 Comes With “Supercar Sounds” (VIDEO)

Originally published on Gas2. On paper, the BMW i8 certainly looks like a supercar. But how does a 3-cylinder plug-in hybrid supercar sound? Freakin’ fantastic, as it turns out. While the BMW i8 doesn’t hit dealerships until later in the year, it’s become one of the most anticipated cars of the year. Using a three-cylinder generator paired

BMW i8 Comes With “Supercar Sounds” (VIDEO) was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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Tesla Model S Equipped With Aluminum & Titanium Battery Shield (Free Upgrade Available)

Originally published on Gas2. In response to two road debris-induced road fires that were front page news, Elon Musk announced the Tesla Model S will get a titanium-reinforced underbody shield. That should silence the haters and doubters who thought the Tesla was a firetrap. All new Tesla Model S sedans built after March 6th have been

Tesla Model S Equipped With Aluminum & Titanium Battery Shield (Free Upgrade Available) was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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Brammo Empulse Electric Motorcycle (VIDEO)

Originally published on Gas2. The Brammo Empulse is one badass electric motorcycle, and this cutaway video goes beneath the skin of this electric crotch rocket to show what makes it go. As we covered in our reviews, the Brammo Empulse is no joke on either the streets or the race track. But what makes it all go?

Brammo Empulse Electric Motorcycle (VIDEO) was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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GM Wants To Ban Direct Tesla Sales In Ohio

Originally published on Gas2. In the battle between Tesla Motors and entrenched car dealers, reinforcements have arrived for the status quo in the form of General Motors. With the recent setback in New Jersey, the battlefield has shifted to Ohio, where another proposed ban on direct car sales awaits authorization. According to Automotive News, GM’s Selim

GM Wants To Ban Direct Tesla Sales In Ohio was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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Cadillac ELR Convertible Concept

Originally published on Gas2. Sales of the Cadillac ELR have thus far been disappointing, but perhaps an unofficial convertible conversion can make the luxury hybrid more appealing? Newport Convertible Engineering is well practiced in the air of removing the roof, and they’ve taken their talents to the tarted-up version of the Chevy Volt, at least

Cadillac ELR Convertible Concept was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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Citroen Introduces New Pricing Plans For Millennials


Originally published on Gas2.

Citroen-C4-Cactus

Citroen’s solution to a lack of young buyers is an innovative pay-per-use plan based on mileage, offering access to new cars rather than outright ownership.

The plan is being rolled out in select European countries, and could offer Millennials all the benefits of car ownership without being tied to the vehicle. The plan is being rolled out on the new Citroen C4 Cactus crossover, which is being offered with two types of pricing plans. The traditional flat rate plan costs 199 euros per month for 36 months, and includes insurance, maintenance, and 45,000 kilometers, or about 30,000 miles of driving. Pretty standard stuff here, right? It’s a pretty good deal, wrapping maintenance and insurance up in the cost, but you’re still looking at about $275 a month.

That’s way more than even the most expensive cellphone plan, the payment many automakers want to emulate. You can usually get a brand new phone and a service contract for around $100 a month. While the Cactus comes in at a featherweight 2,100 pounds (!!) and uses a BlueHDi turbodiesel engine to achieve as much as 91 MPG, you’re still shelling out a lot of money for fairly basic transportation. How can automakers compete?

Citroen’s alternative to the traditional payment is a lower cost lease plan they say will save drivers money by changing them based on miles driven, rather than paying for thousands of miles up front. Basically, you pay a low flat monthly rate, and are given X-amount of miles to drive per month. Drive more than your allocated miles, you get charged more. Drive less, pay less. Don’t drive at all? Your only cost is the monthly “membership” fee. but you aren’t charged for any miles you didn’t drive. In fuel-obsessed Europe, every euro that isn’t fed into transportation is a blessing.

Citroen-C4-Cactus-2

Obviously aimed at city dwellers, this plan gives buyers unfettered access to a brand new Citroen at a much lower cost, tied to their driving habits. It’s the same way mobile phone companies have offered users access to the highest-quality phones for little or no cost, and would help avoid large payments for extra miles at the end of a lease. It’s a hybrid car-sharing plan and standard lease agreement, but minus the sharing and balloon payments, the worst parts of either plan.

For automakers, this plan might just be a way to get us Millennials into all of those new cars they’ve spent billions making and marketing.

Source: Automotive News

Citroen Introduces New Pricing Plans For Millennials was originally published on CleanTechnica. To read more from CleanTechnica, join over 50,000 other subscribers: Google+ | Email | Facebook | RSS | Twitter.

Toyota Prius Buyers Hop Into Tesla Model S’s

Originally published on Gas 2. The Toyota Prius has been the perennial best seller for green-minded drivers, but the Tesla Model S is stealing buyers from the Japanese hybrid. Even though many Tesla buyers come from German luxury brands, the Model S is attracting most of its customers from Toyota. As a new brand, Tesla

Toyota Prius Buyers Hop Into Tesla Model S’s was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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