Soon-to-be S&P 500 stock Tesla has rallied nearly 500% this year.

Its run is not yet over, according to Todd Gordon, founder of TradingAnalysis.com. While the stock may now look expensive, he says the market is pricing in explosive growth for the company and the opportunity for more gains.

"If you look at the forward earnings, we're trading 100 times next year's earnings and granted, that's a lot. Trust me, I understand. But I think what people are missing. I think the pricing mechanism of the market is becoming more efficient. It's hard to put a fundamental valuation and justify what's happening on Tesla now because markets are getting smarter and they're pricing the CEO and the visions of the CEO," Gordon told CNBC's "Trading Nation" on Thursday.

Investors are betting on Tesla's innovations with electric vehicles and CEO Elon Musk's private space exploration company SpaceX, Gordon added. He predicts that SpaceX's satellite coverage and the expansion of 5G could lay way to Tesla's domination of the driverless car market. Proof is in the charts, he said the last two SpaceX launches unleashed gains for Tesla stock.

Gordon's most recent bet on Tesla paid off. He bought the 450 call with Nov. 20 expiration and sold the 500 call in early October, an options spread that netted him $2,600.

Now, Gordon is buying the 550 call and selling the 600 call spread with Jan. 15 expiration, costing $1,300 to potentially make $3,700. A move to $600 implies 20% upside the stock was trading just below $500 on Friday.

Disclosure: Gordon holds Tesla stock outright in his portfolio.

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Tesla stock to rally another 20% as investors bet on Musk, trader says - CNBC

Brand new Tesla Model S cars sit on front of a Tesla showroom on August 2, 2017 in Corte Madera, California. Tesla will report second-quarter earnings today after the closing bell.

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Consumer Reports is no longer recommending Tesla's Model S and is panning the reliability of the new Model Y.

The Consumer Reports' annual Auto Reliability Survey, released Thursday, also dropped a Toyotabrandfrom No. 1 for the first timein 15 years, although the Japaneseautomaker's vehicles maintained high reliability scores overall.

Tesla's Model S had problems with its air suspension and main computer and touchscreen controls, according to Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports. The Model Y had body hardware and paint problems, he said.

Consumer Reports in 2015 ranked the Model S as its top-rated vehicle ever. Now, Fisher said, "We see a variety of problems on that car. It's wavered throughout its life cycle" as Tesla has consistently updated the Model S, which was introduced in 2012.

Typically older models fare better in reliability as companies tend to address problems as the vehicles age, but Tesla has continued to update the cars without much change to their exteriors, including over-the-air, or remote, software updates an emerging trend in the auto industry led by Tesla.

Overall, Tesla ranked second to last in the reliability study. It was down two spots from a year ago due to the issues identified in the Model S and the Model Y, which went on sale earlier this year. The Model Y has "well below average reliability," the publication said.

In a recent, widely reported incident, the glass roof flew off of one owner's brand new Tesla Model Y.

Tesla Model S dual motor all electric sedan on display at Brussels Expo on January 9, 2020 in Brussels, Belgium.

Sjoerd van der Wal | Getty Images

Many of the problems identified by Consumer Reports have been ongoing for Tesla. The company notified owners of older Model S and Model X vehicles that Tesla will some refunds for repairs if the owner previously had to pay out of pocket to fix a problem in their main computers. That problem manifested as a blank touchscreen, and drivers losing access to temperature controls, rear view cameras and other glitches. It was related to memory-device failures in the computer that stores data from the vehicle.

After Tesla sent that notice to owners, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration expanded a safety probe into the issues with the main computers in Model S and Model X vehicles made from 2012 to early 2018. Depending on results of the engineering analysis, the federal probe could prompt a mandatory recall that goes beyond Tesla's warranty adjustment. According to NHTSA documents, approximately 159,000 vehicles may have been effected.

Consumer Reports' Jake Fisher said, "We continue to recommend many reliable EVs such as the Chevrolet Bolt, Nissan Leaf, and Hyundai Kona Electric that have lower operating costs than traditional gas-powered vehicles. The initial problems we are seeing in some of the latest EVs are still covered under warranty and may improve over time. We will continue to monitor the reliability and costs of EVs over the long term as more models hit the market."

Of the 26 brands ranked in the Consumer Reports reliability survey, Japanese automakers fared the best.

For the first time, the Japanese brand Mazda ranked at the top of the nonprofit organization's reliability list. Toyota vehicles ranked second and third. Toyota products had always topped the reliability rankings since the survey began in 2005, Consumer Reports said.

Buick, Honda and Hyundai were No. 4-6 on this year's reliability list. Ford Motor's Lincoln brand, down 11 spots from a year ago, ranked last in the study, behind Tesla.

The survey, which covers the 2000-2020 model years, is based on data collected from owners of more than 300,000 vehicles. The nonprofit then assigns a predicted new-vehicle reliability score to various nameplates based on their amount of reported problems and other measures.

The reliability rating is a key element to Consumer Reports' overall score of a vehicle and whether or not it's "recommended" for consumers. The overall score also includes road-test performance, owner satisfaction survey results, whether a vehicle comes with key safety systems, and results from crash tests, if applicable.

Here are the ratings:

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that this was the first year for the Model Y ranking in the list and the Model S fell in its standing.

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Consumer Reports is no longer recommending Tesla's Model S and is panning the reliability of the new Model Y - CNBC

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TSLA - Tesla Inc Stock quote - CNNMoney.com

New Street Research managing partner Pierre Ferragu provides insight into Teslas profitability, stock and future.

Elon Musk's Teslais way more than just anelectric-car maker,according to Morgan Stanley.

That's why the firm says the stock can continue to climb, building on its 428% advance this year, as it transforms to a software/connected vehicle services provider -- the entry ticket to a much larger business.

To only valueTesla on car sales alone ignores the multiple businesses embedded within the company, and ignores the long term value creation arising from Teslas core strengths, driven by best in class software and ancillary services, wroteanalyst Adam Jonas.

Teslas services business, which includes self-driving, GPS, entertainment options, performance upgrades and more, is expected to grow significantly over the next decade.

Current revenue from services just below $1 billion, or about 1% to 2% of all sales. Jonas believes that business will reach 6% of company sales by 2030, equating to as much as 20% of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciationand amortization, which is a measure of a company's overall financial performance).

Teslas advantage lies in its scale and cost in EVs which will allow the company to undercut its competition in pricing its products and expand its addressable market, according to Jonas.

New services, which will be distributed to users through software upgrades, have the potential to range from increased self-driving capabilities to upgrade content to insurance.

Jonas believes the boost in services revenue will lift shares by 22% from their current level to $540 per share. His previous target was$360.

Shares could reach $1,068 apiece in a bull case scenario. Jonasalso raised his rating to overweight from equal weight.

To reach his price target, Jonas assigns the following sum-of-the-parts valuations to Teslas businesses.

Shares were higher on Wednesday after theS&P Dow Jones Indices announced on Monday that the shares will be added to the S&P 500 on Dec. 21 as part of the indexs rebalancing.

The company in the three months ended Sept. 30 posted its fifth consecutive quarterly profit, helping pave the way for its inclusion.

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Tesla is morphing into more than a car maker - Fox Business

This article comes to us courtesy ofEVANNEX, which makes and sells aftermarket Tesla accessories. The opinions expressed therein are not necessarily our own at InsideEVs, nor have we been paid byEVANNEXto publish these articles. We find the company's perspective as an aftermarket supplier of Tesla accessories interesting and are willing to share its content free of charge. Enjoy!

Posted onEVANNEX on November 20, 2020byIqtidar Ali

Honda recentlybecameanother automaker joining Fiat Chrysler in pooling regulatory credits with Tesla in Europe. European regulations now require an average of 95 grams of CO2emissions per kilometer per car that Honda (and many others) have failed to achieve.

In turn, Honda has to pay up. The beneficiary just happens to be Tesla. Tesla, it turns out, doesn't have to worry about this issue because they're an all-electric automaker and can "sell" credits to Honda and traditional automakers.

This unique situation with Honda has opened another revenue stream for Tesla that's potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars stretching over the next few years. The financial details of the Honda-Tesla credits pooling have not been disclosed yet.

That said, Steven Mark Ryan from the YouTube channelSolving The Money Problemestimatesa ballpark figure of $100M+ per year that Tesla can expect from Honda. TheFiat Chrysler deal is far bigger the automaker has contributed $1.2 billion to Teslaprofits this year.

Also, keep in mind, Honda is ceasing the sale of its diesel-powered vehicles in Europe in 2021 as theyannounced last year. This might lower the number of zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) credits Honda needs to buy each year until the automaker reaches its goal of a fully electric lineup in Europe which, by the way, isset for 2025.

And, according to a Honda USApress-releasefrom August, theJapanese autogiant is aiming to reduce its overall fleet CO2emissions to 50% by the year 2050. It further states, "Electrification is one of the critical technologies we are deploying to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

Steve Westly, an early Tesla investor and former board member of the company,toldCNBC: "Tesla is eating their competitors lunch, and theyre making them pay for it. Thats a pretty cool trick."

Above:Tesla shares can go higher if you believe its more than just a car company, says former Tesla board member (YouTube:CNBC).

Eric Rosenbaum reports inCNBC, "Tesla, unlike traditional automakers, risked it all on making and selling EVs. Meanwhile, traditional car companies are required to pay up, by other means, for the choice of delaying their transition to battery electric [vehicles]."

The last thing a company wants to do is pay their competitor to eat their own lunch, said Simon Mui, deputy director of the clean vehicles & fuels group at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "They wont advertise this, but you can bet that every company, whether GM or Toyota or FCA, does not want to pay Tesla.

"All of these automakers are facing similar standards in the other largest markets, like China and Europe... Automakers are finding themselves in make-or-break moment, either shift to innovate or become irrelevant. Thats why we see the success of Tesla in market value, the NRDC analyst said.

These standards are not going down, air pollution is not reduced as a problem and governments will be ratcheting up standards over time, so one or two EV products will not be enough. They will need to have a wholesale portfolio shift in each and every product line, Mui said.

Garrett Nelson a senior equity analyst at CFRA Research does not begrudge Tesla's success in this area. "Other manufacturers dont have the EV sales Tesla has right now,"he explains.

Analysts complain and the bears question the earnings quality because so much is driven by RECs, said CFRAs Nelson. We view the credits market as operating efficiently and it is separate issue from the lack of predictability in forecasting earnings. Tesla takes all the risk and has many other hurdles to overcome and high fixed costs and it is a capital-intensive business with high barriers to entry, he said.

The big boys, the Fords and GMs, these companies are still kind of far from really getting a good high-selling electric vehicle on the market," Benjamin Leard, an environmental economist and fellow at Resources for the Future told CNBC. "They are far behind Tesla introducing popular, affordable electric vehicles... so Tesla and other companies introducing EVs will really be cashing in" for the foreseeable future.

Iflegacy automakers continue to drag their feet, Leard says, They will have to go to Tesla, and say we really need those credits, and that will bid up prices.

===

Written by:Iqtidar Ali. An earlier version of this article was originallypublished onTesla Oracle.Sources:Bloomberg,CNBC

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Here's How Elon Musk Is 'Eating The Lunch' Of Tesla's Rivals - InsideEVs

Tesla is officially on track to join the S&P 500.

Shares of the electric-auto maker jumped more than 9% in Tuesday trading after S&P Dow Jones Indices announced the company would be added to the major market index, a long-awaited move and a triumph for Tesla bulls.

Some market watchers cheered the validation from a top index provider, while others were laser-focused on how the move could shake up the S&P.

Here's what six of them, including CNBC's Jim Cramer, said of the move:

Dan Ives, managing director at Wedbush Securities, said the electric-vehicle maker's path to profitability just received a vote of confidence:

"I don't view this as a traditional auto company. It's a disruptive technology company on the EV front. And I think that's why if you just look at the numbers, you would not get to a valuation where it is today. ... I think the one thing on this S&P 500 that's important [is] this speaks to profitability. That's why, in our opinion, they got the snub back in early September. So, this is the validation, the feather in the cap for the bulls. But no doubt, right now, [Elon Musk] has the gold touch, of course not just on Tesla but SpaceX."

Joanne Lipman, a distinguished journalism fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study and a CNBC contributor, said Tesla's inclusion spoke volumes to how the market is setting up for the future:

"Just to pull the camera back for a moment, I actually think this is a bigger story than Elon Musk and bigger than Tesla in that what we're really looking at is this confirmation, this declaration, recognition that electric vehicles are our future and that they're finally going mainstream. And you see it with every other automaker that is rushing in to try and compete with Tesla. ... So much of this has to do with the charisma of Elon Musk. ... People are trying to get the next Henry Ford. I actually think a lot about Steve Jobs. I've been around long enough to remember when he left Apple and then came back and a lot of people were scratching their heads about Apple, but the customers who bought those products were just rabid. It was a cult. They loved the charisma of the guy. But I do think that is also the big unknown with Tesla because on the one hand, you've got this charismatic guy with this massive following, but on the other hand, you have to be able to separate the company from the founder and the kind of sometimes crazy things he says. I mean, he just said a couple of weeks ago that they're going to be building 20 million cars a year within a decade. Will they? I mean, that's, like, twice as big, almost, as their largest competitor right now. And ... in March he said that Covid would be down to zero cases in April and, of course, he was just diagnosed with Covid over the weekend. So, that would be kind of the question, of separating the company from the hype and the founder, and how does it do absent that founder."

Cramer, host of CNBC's "Mad Money," said wrapping Tesla into the index effectively might be a challenge for S&P Dow Jones:

"I think they're baffled. I really don't think they know how to handle this. What do you do? You can't have the S&P 500 only have 497 companies, although I have heard people on air sometimes say there are 500 companies in the S&P. Shocker. I don't know what they would do. I mean ... they can't knock out the smalls. It doesn't do anything. When they balance this ... they almost seem to have to make everything smaller."

Aswath Damodaran, a professor of finance at New York University's Stern School of Business sometimes known as the "Dean of Valuation," shared his take on how Tesla's massive market cap would impact the index:

"You can't evade reality, which is when you've got a $400 billion company out there and you call yourself the S&P 500, how long can you hide from not having the company in your index? It was only a matter of time. So, I'm glad it's in there and I think the inclusion in the index by itself is not going to change the game with Tesla. Tesla's always had a story of its own, a life of its own, traders who basically trade based on its future, but I think it is ... about time. I'm glad it's in the index. ... I think that if we think about EV being the market of the future, it's not just Tesla that's going to benefit, to the extent that the other car companies are also making these EVs. You're going to see the market change. What the market seems to be forecasting is in that new market that's out there, Tesla will be the leader, not GM or Ford or Volkswagen. And that's a pretty solid bet at the moment. Whether it pays off in terms of a $400 billion market cap is the big question."

Tiffany McGhee, CEO, partner and co-chief investment officer of institutional client services at Momentum Advisors, saw catalysts on the horizon for Tesla:

"I think its addition to the S&P 500 is very interesting, and I think about what that means for S&P 500 index funds. They're going to have to sell positions to mimic the index. They're going to have to buy Tesla. That whole situation is interesting to me. ... When Tesla makes these really cool announcements, the stock tends to go up. So, I am a long-term investor, but it doesn't mean that I can't get in on little cool things like this."

Ritholtz Wealth Management CEO and co-founder Josh Brown, a regular on CNBC's "Halftime Report," was indifferent on the move as it related to the stock:

"If you're managing money in an index strategy, it's not like the old days where the announcement happens and you have to buy that day. They have time to get into the trade, and they knew that they would have to at some point. So, I wouldn't be surprised if there were some anticipatory trades dating back a couple of months ago when we first thought it was obvious they would have to add the company. So, they punted by a couple of months, the index committee, but ultimately I think everyone knew it was just a matter of time. So, I don't really look at that as a catalyst to want to buy it or sell it."

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Tesla is joining the S&P 500. What Cramer and five others see ahead for the electric-auto maker - CNBC

Tesla will be added to the S&P 500, a milestone that will expand its investor base and put the electric automakerin the same company as heavyweights like Apple, Berkshire Hathaway and Microsoft.

The announcement, made Monday afternoon by the S&P Dow Jones Indices, sent shares 13.7% higher in after-market trading.Tesla will officially join the benchmark index prior to trading December 21, theS&P Dow Jones Indices said in a statement.

When Tesla joins the S&P 500, it will be among the most valuable companies on the benchmark. Its weighting will be so influential that the S&P DJI is mulling whether to add the stock at the full float-adjusted market capitalization weight all at once or in two tranches.

Tesla will be one of the largest weight additions to the S&P 500 in the last decade, and consequently will generate one of the largest funding trades in S&P 500 history, S&P DJI said in a statement. However, Tesla itself is very liquid, and adding the stock at the upcoming December quarterly rebalancing coincides with the expiration of stock options, stock futures, stock-index options, and stock-index futures, which may help facilitate the funding trade.

Joining the S&P 500 has its benefits, as investors that have index-tracked funds will be forced to buy shares. With share prices already popping, that will mean investors will have to sell other stocks to make room for Tesla. Existing investors may, in turn, want to take advantage of that demand and sell. The upshot: The traditionally volatile stock might get a bit more volatile.

The inclusion on the benchmark follows Teslas decision in August to split its shares 5 for 1.

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Tesla gets a spot on the S&P 500 - TechCrunch

Here are the companies making headlines in midday trading:

Shopify Shares of the e-commerce company advanced 3.8% after Jefferies upgraded the stock to a buy rating. "We have a greater appreciation for SHOP's ability to deliver robust growth for the next several years and reach ~$10B of revenue in 2025," the firm wrote in a note to clients. Shares of Shopify have gained more than 145% this year.

L Brands Shares of the parent company of Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works rallied more than 17% after posting blowout quarterly results. The company reported earnings of $1.13 per share, topping estimates of 9 cents per share, according to Refinitiv. Revenue came in at $3.06 billion, higher than the forecast $2.67 billion. Bath & Body Works same-store sales rose 56%.

Tesla Shares of the electric vehicle company jumped more than 2% amid continued momentum after S&P Dow Jones Indices announced on Monday night that Tesla will join the S&P 500 in December. Earlier in the session Tesla hit a new all-time high of $508.61.

Sonos Shares of Sonos surged more than 29% after the company reported stronger-than-expected results for its fiscal fourth quarter. The company reported 15 cents in earnings per share, while analysts surveyed by FactSet expected 2 cents in earnings per share. Revenue came in at $339.8 million, also topping expectations of $298.7 million. Sonos said that its direct-to-consumer revenue was up 67% year over year.

Nasdaq Shares of stock exchange firm rose 1.7% after Nasdaq announced a deal to acquire Verafin, a software company which specializes in preventing financial crimes. The deal is for $2.75 billion in cash and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021, according to the announcement.

Macy's Shares of department store retailer Macy's rose more than 2% despite reporting a same-store sales decline of more than 20% in the third quarter. Macy's posted earnings and revenue that topped analyst expectations. Macy's reported a loss of 19 cents on revenue of $3.99 billion. Wall Street was expecting a loss of 79 cents on revenue of $3.86 billion, according to Refinitiv.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Shares of the television company climbed 5.9% after Sinclair announced a naming rights deal with sports gambling company Bally's for its regional sports networks. The deal will also involve incorporating Bally's content across Sinclair's channels. Shares of Bally's gained more than 20%.

Jack in the Box The restaurant stock rose 4.8% on Thursday after the company beat Wall Street expectations for its fiscal fourth quarter. Jack in the Box reported $255.4 million in revenue, $6.2 million higher than what analysts surveyed by FactSet expected. The company's operating earnings per share also topped estimates, and Jack in the Box said restaurant traffic improved quarter over quarter.

Nuance Communications The health software stock surged 17% on the heels of a better-than-expected report for Nuance's fiscal fourth quarter. The company earned 18 cents per share and $352.9 million in adjusted revenue. Analysts from FactSet were expecting 16 cents per share and $345.9 million in adjusted revenue. Nuance also announced deal to sell off two of its health tech businesses.

GoPro Shares of the high definition camera maker dropped more than 13% after the company said it is planning to raise $100 million through the sale of senior convertible notes due in 2025. GoPro intends to use the proceeds to pay the cost of the capped call transactions as well as general corporate purposes.

CNBC's Yun Li, Maggie Fitzgerald and Pippa Stevens contributed to this story.

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Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Shopify, L Brands, Tesla, GoPro & more - CNBC

Right on cue, here comes a 4bn stock market listing of a young and exciting UK electric vehicle company a mini Tesla, if you wish. Its just the thing for ministers to crow about, you might think: evidence that the UK possesses a few fast-growing tech innovators capable of injecting oomph into the governments loose 10-point sketch for a green revolution.

Theres just one drawback. Arrival, with its head office in London and operations in Oxfordshire, will not be arriving on the London Stock Exchange. It is listing in New York on Nasdaq, via injection into one of those special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, that are all the rage on Wall Street this year.

From Arrivals point of view, you can understand why it chose the US. Teslas gravitational pull is strong. The pool of investors wanting to punt on electric vehicle firms is bigger.

And, since Arrival intends to plant its decentralised microfactories around the world, the international profile that comes with a US listing helps. It adds to the backing Arrival has already received from Korean carmakers Hyundai and Kia.

The appeal of the SPAC model is also easy to explain. This is the structure whereby investors put up capital and then look for a target to buy. Critics deride it as blank cheque investing but the acquired companies in this case, Arrival get speed and, potentially, long-term partners.

Arrival likes the look of the financial backers assembled by Peter Cuneo, a former chief executive of the Marvel Comics company. Now a listing, and $660m (500m) of fresh capital, will be achieved in early 2021 without fuss.

One response is to shrug and say that Arrivals choice of stock market home doesnt matter. The company will keep its headquarters in the UK and sustain its research and development budget, currently 80m-100m a year, here. It can play its part in the green push. Whats the problem?

Its this: a vibrant, buzzy stock market for technology companies is a very useful asset if, like the UK, you need vast quantities of private capital to make your green revolution happen. It draws in investors and expertise and makes the process run more smoothly.

Londons stock market already risked looking leaden-footed on the green tech front but the SPAC factor from the US is new. Purists can decry SPACs as a governance abomination (scrutiny is minimal) but well be less relaxed if US investors use the fast and loose approach to shop around the world, including in the UK, for the most interesting tech firms.

SPACs are possible in the UK indeed, theyve been used. But the structure is clunkier. For starters, deals are regarded as reverse takeovers under Financial Conduct Authoritys listing rules, which slows the process. Third-party investors also dont get the same rights of refusal on a proposed acquisition, which lessens the appeal for them.

There is a potential problem here and the UKs financial establishment seems to sense it. When Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, briefly mentioned a taskforce to reform the UK listings regime during his green gilt speech last week, David Schwimmer, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange Group, leaped on the line. Hes keen for swift action to further enhance Londons reputation as a competitive and innovative place to list and raise capital.

You cant blame him. Arrival is only one company but, with a 4.1bn valuation, it would have been a short hop away from the FTSE 100 index if it had a premium listing in London. So much for the prestige of Footsie status. Instead, a US-style SPAC, seen as faddish only a year ago, got the gig. Its a worry.

Stephen Hester, chief executive of RSA, can count it as a successful innings. His shareholders will be happy with a 7.2bn takeover of the ancient insurer by Intact, of Canada, and Tryg, of Denmark the premium is 50%.

He will land a payday of up to 16m for himself on completion. And, since RSA is infinitely less exciting than post-crash Royal Bank of Scotland, his last outing, the popular prints have had fewer occasions to use that picture of him on horseback.

Whatll he do next? Lady Luck normally comes up with a future for you which isnt the one you expected, he said.

OK, but hes been chief executive of three FTSE 100 companies (the other one was British Land) and is still only 59. A fourth outing possibly never done by anyone before must be a possibility.

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A 4bn UK 'mini Tesla' choosing to list stock in US is worrying - The Guardian

Electric vehicles (EVs), benefiting globally from a push for tighter emissions controls, are facing challenges after a global string of fires from overheating batteries.

Here are some vehicle recalls and investigations facing major EV makers worldwide.

HYUNDAI MOTOR

After 16 Kona EVs caught fire in Korea, Canada and Europe over two years, Hyundai Motor Co is expanding a recall to cover at least 74,000 of its top-selling EVs in South Korea, the United States, Europe and Canada to update its battery management system.

About 23,000 Kona EVs in South Korea have completed the software upgrade, with 800 of them found to have battery defects requiring replacement of affected modules, according to the office of lawmaker Jang Kyung-tae, which was briefed by South Korea's transport ministry.

Hyundai, in a filing to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in October, blamed "internal damage to certain cells of the lithium-ion battery increasing the risk of an electrical short circuit."

(Also read | Hyundai faces lawsuit over Kona EV fires)

The battery maker, LG Chem Ltd denied any cell defects, saying a joint investigation was under way.

GENERAL MOTORS

General Motors Co said last week it was recalling nearly 69,000 Chevrolet Bolt EVs worldwide that pose a fire risk after five reported fires and two minor injuries. Affected vehicles will get battery software updates, limiting charges to 90% of capacity.

In October, NHTSA opened a probe after reviewing reports of three Bolt EVs catching fire under the rear seat while parked. The probe covers 77,842 Bolt EVs from the 2017 through 2020 model years.

LG Chem is the supplier of the batteries.

FORD MOTOR

In September, Ford Motor Co recalled 20,500 Kuga plug-in hybrid EVs in Europe and suspended sales over battery fire concerns. There had been seven fires but no injuries.

Ford offered to replace the entire battery pack, saying the root cause had been identified as a battery-cell contamination issue in its suppliers production process, which could cause "serious consequences."

The Kuga setbacks forced the automaker to pool its fleet with other automakers to avoid a fine. It also delayed its US production of its plug-in electric Escape SUV, which shares the same batteries, to next year.

Samsung SDI is the battery supplier.

BMW

In the United States, Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) said it will recall 4,509 plug-in hybrid EVs, saying debris may have been able to enter battery cells during production at supplier Samsung SDI.

(Also read | Battery fires put BMW and Ford on back foot just as electric vehicles take off)

This could lead to short-circuiting and a "thermal event" which could increase the risk of an injury, BMW said, instructing drivers not to charge their vehicles.

Altogether BMW has recalled some 26,000 plug-in hybrids, mostly in Europe, over the potential battery problems.

A spokesman at Samsung SDI said an investigation is under way about the cause of the fire, declining to elaborate further.

TESLA

NHTSA said last year that it was probing potential defects in certain Tesla Inc Model S and Model X vehicles that could result in non-crash fires in the affected battery packs.

The probe was in response to a petition from an attorney representing plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit filed against the electric car maker last year. They claim Tesla limited the battery range of older vehicles via a software update to avoid a costly recall to fix alleged defective batteries.

Japanese battery manufacturer Panasonic Corp supplies Tesla with battery cells, while Tesla turns them into battery packs.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

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From Hyundai to Tesla and BMW, battery fires turn the heat on electric cars - HT Auto

Well, if you live in the U.S., you don't really need an answer to that question, because you already know the Ford F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle for the past God knows how many years, and you only need to step outside to notice just how many of the cars around you have a bed at the back.

The rest of the world, however, isn't sold on the idea as much. Pickups are seen as work vehicles. Well, not so much at Lease Fetcher, apparently. The British company with a mission to make leasing a car a much more enjoyable (and profitable) experience decided to give pickups a more recreational spin, using their beds to haul sporting and adventure gear instead of work-related stuff.

Well, maybe not so much their beds as their roof racks since these aren't exactly your ordinary full-size pickup trucks. No, in most cases, quite the opposite. The company commissioned an artist to convert five different premium cars into their fictional pickup equivalents, then place them in a setting that will make you want to get out of the house instantly. Glancing over the images, we'd say the graphics wizz did an excellent job on both accounts.

First up is the Audi TTS Coupe, which was turned into a camping master. With a roof-mounted tent and a trailer behind, the small German sports car becomes a snail impersonator, except this one is pretty schnell. Next is the Jaguar I-PACE, the electric crossover from the British manufacturer. Its pickup version reminds us of the Fiat Fullback for some reason, but it's worth pointing out this is fully electric. The Jag is pictured against the gorgeous backdrop of the Lake District in North West England, carrying a pair of mountain bikes. The fact it's stopped in a turn with nobody inside is a bit worrying, but we'll let that slide.

The third conversion is another electric vehicle (the second out of a total of three), one that most would consider the poster boy of the EV movement: the Tesla Model 3. Funnily enough, there actually is a Model 3-based pickup out there owned by a famous YouTuber and it doesn't look that dissimilar to this rendering.

The fourth is based on a MINI Countryman, with the pickup conversion borrowing the split tailgate of the Clubman. It carries a surfboard on a roof rack with the bed probably reserved for the wetsuits needed for a bathe in the cold waters of the English Channel.

Finally, we have the third EV and our personal favorite: the BMW i3. Who knew the German urban runabout would make such a convincing pickup truck? The conversion keeps the suicide door layout and even the rear seats, though there doesn't appear to be too much room left for them to be of any use. The limited range of the i3 was not enough to keep it from reaching the slopes in the German Alps with a set of skis on top, apparently, though leaving it in the cold with nowhere to plug in might not be such a great idea. Good thing these are just renderings and not actual pictures, then.

Continue reading here:

Audi, BMW, Jaguar, MINI, and Tesla Pickups Rendered - the BMW i3 Is Too Good - autoevolution

November 15th, 2020 by Johnna Crider

Tesla just installed a total of 56 of its new V3 superchargers in Firebaugh, California, along Interstate 5, which is the main stretch for West Coast drivers traveling between San Francisco and LA. In a conversation with the Tesla Owners of East Bay account on Twitter, I learned that the Kettleman City supercharger station is around an hour south of the new station and has 40 chargers. Three years ago, it was the biggest Tesla Supercharger station in North America. Teresa Kamakea, one of the members of the Tesla Owners of East Bay, was the very first customer to ever use the brand new supercharger. She told me in an email that both she and her daughter agreed that it was kismet, for sure.

Teresa was thrilled to even run across a V3 supercharger for the first time. Charging at a V3 charger for the first time was like seeing a unicorn to me. I belong to Tesla Owners East Bay, and the club always keeps us up to date on all that is new and exciting in Tesla, so I had been reading a lot of posts about them on our club Facebook page and was hyped up about it. But the first time Id seen a V3 charger was last night at the Kettleman City Supercharger not the new Firebaugh Superchargers.

I stopped there on my way home from helping my elderly father in Southern California. They have clearly labeled all of their 150kW and 250kW chargers and I was freaking excited because I didnt know they had the V3 chargers there they werent there the last time I went through. I got charged to 306 miles on my battery in about 30 minutes while I was walking my dog and then browsing the Tesla gear and using the bathroom myself in the lounge. That was more than enough charge to get me all the way home to Livermore without needing to stop again. That was the first time that Id used the V3 charger.

Teresas story of how she found these new Superchargers seems like something out of a fictitious adventure. Youre running an errand or something and you need to stop for a minute or are suddenly forced to take a detour, and then you find something. Its equivalent to finding a hidden bookstore off to the side in an area you probably wouldnt go in because its never crossed your mind as she said earlier, kismet.

So when I pulled into the brand new Firebaugh location just 60 miles down the road, it was not because I needed a charge. My doggie was acting like she had to go, so I was just pulling off at the first exit that looked safe, Panoche Rd exit. That is when I saw the new Tesla superchargers at Firebaugh, but I didnt know thats what it was. It wasnt on my Supercharger map and I was kinda shocked because in all of my trips Id never seen it before and you cant miss it if youre on 5. I was freakin excited to see from a distance that there were so many chargers and they all had skinny cables!!! Thats how I can tell the V3 from the V2 chargers the size of the cable. Size matters.

I asked Teresa to give me a comparison so we could show how far along Tesla has come with its Supercharging network. Teresas very first Supercharger experience was at the Bakersfield Superchargers. I remember that my screen said it would take 45 minutes to charge enough to get the rest of the way to my dads house in Temecula. That really was not enough time for me to walk my dog, go to the bathroom myself, eat, and visit with the other Tesla owners that I met that were also charging there. I didnt note or calculate how long it took to charge per kW.

She noted that the charging speed has never been a concern, with her pointing out that, obviously, she doesnt want to have to wait hours to charge, but even the older V2 superchargers would still finish charging before she was finished with her break from a long 810 hour drive.

She shared her thoughts about progress with me as well. For me, the progress Ive noticed is in the feel of the supercharger stations. At Bakersfield where I used a Supercharger for the first time, the chargers are a minority on the huge lot in comparison to all of the space that the gas pumps take up. It feels like, well, you can have a little bit of unused space here in the corner of our lot for your chargers. But the Firebaugh Supercharger station like the Kettleman City Supercharger station makes me feel like we belong and we are here to stay.

Ive always thought that if I want to know the exact numbers, it would be easy enough to look that up to calculate the difference and progress from V2 to V3 chargers. For me, the more important progress is in the growth and acceptance of Tesla.

Looking at Teresas photos that she provided for the article, I noticed something. The new V3 supercharger has both a Chevron and a Shell gas station within sight. This is brilliant, and strategic marketing by Tesla. Having a large Supercharging station catty-corner two gas stations off of a major interstate exit should be the norm for Tesla.

Looking at these photos is like seeing the future in front of you while frozen in time. One day, these gas stations will be either closed or converted into something else. As we observe this frozen moment while still in the present, it gives me an incredible sense of awe to be able to note this. One day, we will look back at this article and Teresa will say, I remember when those gas stations were there. Now theres something else.

And that something else will most likely be related to Tesla or electric vehicles.

All photos by Teresa Kamakea used with permission. Featured photo by Teresa and edited by Johnna for artistic effects. The last thing the fossil fuel industry will see before it dies is the red glow of a Tesla Supercharger.

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Tags: California, Firebaugh, Tesla, Tesla supercharger stations, tesla superchargers, Tesla Supercharging, Tesla V3 Supercharging

Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem, and mineral collector, member of the International Gem Society, and a Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to Believe in Good.Tesla is one of many good things to believe in. You can find Johnna on Twitter

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1st Tesla Owner To Use Teslas New, Gigantic V3 Supercharger Station In Firebaugh Shares Her Story - CleanTechnica