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Tesla ‘drops’ entry-level Model S. But was it ever going to be available?

The 40kWh version of the Tesla Model S is being dropped by Tesla in the US, but we do wonder if Tesla ever had any intention of delivering it in the first place. Tesla’s big claim ahead of the arrival of the, very impressive, Model S – and a seemingly vital part of the US taxpayer funding Tesla to develop the Model S – was that they would deliver a car that cost under $50k, something the car industry thought impossible. But when the Model S was launched, Tesla did indeed have an entry-level model available with a 4okWh battery that was listed at $58,750 (taking it almost down to the $50k mark after the US taxpayer chipped in the EV bribe) so Elon Musk could, quite reasonably, claim Tesla had delivered.

33% of young take driving 'selfie'

A THIRD a third of young British drivers have taken a "selfie" while at the wheel, according to a survey. Such self-distracting behaviour is worse among young Britons than among any of six other European countries, the survey from the Ford Motor Company showed. While 33% of Britons aged 18-24 confessed to taking a selfie while driving, the figure for Germany was 28%, with France also 28%, Romania, 27%, Italy 26%, Spain 18% and Belgium 17%.

Bentley SUV is go: production to start in 2016

The Bentley SUV has been officially confirmed for production. In announcement by the company today (Tuesday July 23), Bentley will build 3500 SUVs at its Crewe, UK, factory from 2016. First scooped by CAR in August 2011, the yet-to-be-named SUV, codenamed internally as ‘Falcon’, is expected to start from around £140,000.