Tesla Sues the BBC and Top Gear for Libel Against the Roadster

Tesla Motors announced yesterday that it has sued BBC's Top Gear TV show for “libel and malicious falsehood.” The American automaker’s action refers to a Top Gear episode aired on December 14 2008, when Jeremy Clarkson tested the Tesla Roadster.

According to Tesla, the show “contained lies and misinformation about the Roadster's performance, behavior and reliability.” Tesla Motors considers the breakdowns of the Roadster that allegedly occurred during the Top Gear episode were “staged” and that the statements made during the show are untrue.

More specifically, Tesla claims Top Gear misrepresented that:

1. The Roadster ran out of charge and had to be pushed into the Top Gear hangar by 4 men.
2. The Roadster’s true range is only 55 miles per charge (not 211).
3. One Roadster’s motor overheated and was completely immobilized as a result.
4. The other Roadster’s brakes were broken, rendering the car undriveable.
5. That neither of the two Roadsters provided to Top Gear was available for test driving due to these problems.

Read more »

Tesla Roadster Starts 3,000-Kilometer Tour in Australia

The "Oz Goes Electric" tour is an event staged by Tesla Motors with the aim of allowing fans from Australia's eastern coast to get a closer look at the electric-powered sports car. Starting from March 16, the Tesla Roadster will journey 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles), which is the longest roadtrip ever to be undertaken by an EV in Australia, according to the company.

Read more »

Meet the Artega SE, Germany’s Answer to the Tesla Roadster

The world of electric sports cars may soon welcome a new member; the Artega SE. Revealed in pre-production form at the Geneva, the ‘electrified’ version of the Artega GT is powered by two electric motors mounted on the rear axle that develop a combined output of 280 kW or 380HP. Each motor operates independently from one another and drives one of the rear wheels.

Read more »