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.

Range Rover Evoque production starts

The First Production Range Rover Evoque rolls out at Halewood You could be forgiven for thinking that the Range Rover Evoque was already in production. But you’d be wrong. The apparent plethora of Evoques which have turned up at every car event of 2011 – and a fair few non-car events too – are all pre-production models, built by Land Rover to promote their forthcoming baby Range Rover.

VW Jetta (2011) first official pictures

This is the new, US-spec Volkswagen Jetta, and it’s part of VW’s plans to triple its annual sales in America to 800,000 units by 2018. And to help its cause, the VW Jetta no longer shares any body panels with the Golf, so the bold claim being made is that this new model is ‘just as independent as a CC or a Tiguan’. There are indeed strong family ties, and underneath the new Jetta is ultimately a Mk6 Golf.