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TSLA stock up over 20 points on German clearance of Model S fires and Analyst optimism

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TSLA-German-Adam

Last night after the market closed Tesla disclosed that the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KRAFTFAHRT-BUNDESAMT) cleared Tesla of manufacturer-related defects in the three fires in recent months.  “Therefore, no further measures under the German Product Safety Act [Produktsicherheitsgesetz (ProdSG)] are deemed necessary.”

The assumption on Wall Street is that if the German Motor Transport Authority cleared Tesla, so would the NHTSA. German automotive standards are generally considered more stringent (and efficient) than that of the US.

Analysts jumped on the news and dialed the stock up.  The market responded with a 20 point gain after opening up 6 points and steady growth throughout the day.

Analyst’s words follow:
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Jay Leno rides the Mission electric motorcycle

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Mission seems like the Tesla of motorcycles as president Mark Seeger stops by with his groundbreaking halo product, the limited production RS superbike. Only 40 of these will be assembled by hand in the USA but clearly there is a market for these if things go well.

Perhaps the hardest part? Convincing motorcyclists that they don’t need to be obnoxiously loud. 
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Smug alert: How to own electric like a boss

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2nfd7HrJ60]

In case you are wondering, that Yugo-looking EV is called the Buddy EV. The Norwegian electric vehicle’s range is 25-60 km  (16 to 37 miles) via a 13 kW motor, and has a max speed of 80 km/hr (50 mph) while under 100 inches long.

No wonder the Tesla is doing so well in Norway.

Facebook via InsideEVs
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Tesla to show off Model X at its new Palo Alto store this weekend? (Update: picts/video)

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[tweet https://twitter.com/teslamotors/status/388714187775422464]

You don’t capitalize that ‘X’ by accident. Tesla’s Model X is a crossover/SUV built on the Model S frame with more headroom, gull falcon wing doors in the rear and room for 7 or 8 adults.

Tesla pushed the rollout of the X back to focus on meeting Model S supply but the product is due next year and can be reserved for $5000-$40,000.

Update: We’ve heard that the invite to the store says: “Come by to experience Model S and to see the Model X Design Prototype on display all weekend.”

Update 2: Here’s a picture of the Model X care of Sahas Katta the guy who made the Tesla Glass App.

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Big Gallery at the Merc News.


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After Fire, Tesla adds ‘first responders’ page to help emergency personnel deal with wrecks

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Screen Shot 2013-10-05 at 10.31.14 PM

After the now infamous fire and subsequent explanation, Tesla has made a small addition to its homepage. A ‘First Responders‘ link at the bottom takes folks to a special page with information for those dealing with Tesla in emergency situations. there is some helpful stuff down there in PDF form that wouldn’t hurt to print out and put in your Tesla glove box. 
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Tesla expains Model S fire: Metal object at highway speed put 3-inch hole in battery armor

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From Tesla:

A curved section that fell off a semi-trailer was recovered from the roadway near where the accident occurred and, according to the road crew that was on the scene, appears to be the culprit. The geometry of the object caused a powerful lever action as it went under the car, punching upward and impaling the Model S with a peak force on the order of 25 tons. Only a force of this magnitude would be strong enough to punch a 3 inch diameter hole through the quarter inch armor plate protecting the base of the vehicle.

Interesting that this is written by Elon Musk (with some help likely) and he actually turns the tables at the end:

The nationwide driving statistics make this very clear: there are 150,000 car fires per year according to the National Fire Protection Association, and Americans drive about 3 trillion miles per year according to the Department of Transportation. That equates to 1 vehicle fire for every 20 million miles driven, compared to 1 fire in over 100 million miles for Tesla. This means you are 5 times more likely to experience a fire in a conventional gasoline car than a Tesla! For consumers concerned about fire risk, there should be absolutely zero doubt that it is safer to power a car with a battery than a large tank of highly flammable liquid.— Elon

The post also includes an email from the driver – who is also an investor – who can’t wait to get behind another Tesla shortly (a loaner is on the way).
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