When you’ve got a vehicle that’s as hyped as Tesla‘s Model S, you need to keep interest alive, especially if you’re pushing the boundaries of automotive technology and looking to recoup at least some of your investment.

The all-electric Model S, which aims to deliver a 0-60 mph time of around 5.6 seconds, a top speed of 125 mph and a range of up to 300 miles, has witnessed a long gestation period, though Tesla says it plans to have the car, which will be built at the old NUMMI plant in Freemont, California, on sale by this summer.

In the meantime, in order to try and keep the Model S the hot topic of conversation, Tesla has released this video, in which designer Franz von Holhausen and sales supremo George Blankenship discuss the merits of the all-electric, high performance sedan.

Tesla says the car will have a base retail price of $57,400 (before tax credits) and will come with a choice of three different battery systems  (40 kw/h for a 160 mile range, 60 kw/h for 230 miles and the 85 kw/h 300 mile range topper), plus four different trim levels, Model S, Model S Performance, Signature and Signature Performance (the latter three including such features as air suspension and Nappa leather trimmed interiors).

Whether or not the Tesla Model S will actually live up to the hype remains to be seen, nonetheless, the company is doing what it can to ensure that when the first cars are eventually delivered, they don’t end up suffering from the DeLorean syndrome.

Click here to watch the Tesla Model S video.

[Source: 2012: The Year of Model S from Tesla Motors on Vimeo.]

It’s true. Whereas many of us in North America and Western Europe particularly, are finding it tough to embrace EVs; preferring Hybrids when it comes to green motoring, in China, the opposite is true.

The world’s largest auto market is experiencing growing pains, namely heft increases in air pollution and congestion over the last three decades. As a result, in an attempt to combat the problem, the Chinese government has introduced fairly significant incentives for those consumers that purchase a car that doesn’t run purely on gasoline or diesel.

Last year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, some 2,713 Hybrids were sold in China, out of a total of some 14.5 million cars and trucks. Yet EV sales were around double the Hybrid total; 5,655 units to be exact.

Although that number is still very small, it’s a sign that Chinese consumers are clearly showing a preference for EVs over hybrids and could predict future mobility trends in the country.

In fact, analysts at Pike Research believe that the Asia-Pacific region, driven largely by China, will become number one in sales for EVs, outpacing demand in the US. Projections for 2017 estimate a total 617,000 EVs will be sold in that part of world, which is more than double the number expected in America.

And as for the reason why, it’s largely believed that Asian preference for EVs over Hybrids is driven by the fact that in many households, electric mopeds and scooters are already common, making the step toward electric four-wheeled vehicles a fairly logical one. This contrasts sharply with the Western world where limited range and charging times are seen as a reduction in mobility, especially after decades of relying on internal combustion engines for personal transportation.

After a half a decade of build-up, sales of the Chevrolet Volt are not going as planned. With a targeted goal of moving 10,000 units in its first full year on sale GM moved 7,671, leading to speculation that the American auto giant won’t be able to meet its lofty forecast for 60,000 sales in 2012.

Further casting doubt upon the success of the Volt is the fact that the rival Nissan Leaf (a fully electric vehicle), met its 10,000 unit sales target, despite the fact that (as GM’s Volt commercials accurately point out), the Volt is better suited to the needs of vastly more American consumers.

With a now-resolved crisis over the cars that could catch fire, GM is facing another roadblock, it’s dealers. According to a new report by Automotive News, Chevy dealers across the country are rejecting mass-allocations of Volts. In New York City GM offered 104 Volts to its 14 local dealers last month. Dealers only took 31.

Even dealers that have had no problem selling their Volt inventory in the past are now being cautions. Brett Hedrick, of Hedrick’s Chevrolet in Clovis, Calif., said he’s turned down offers by GM the past two months.

The news of low dealer orders has been confirmed by GM PR rep Rob Peterson, citing the misinformation surrounding the car’s recent safety concerns. Still, according to GM North America President Mark Reuss, supply, rather than demand, is the automaker’s biggest problem.

[Source: Automotive News]

Coda Automotive, known for their upcoming sedan electric vehicle, has expanded their business by announcing a new venture called Coda Energy. The spinoff business unit will specialize in building stationary energy storage systems.

All the knowledge gained by Coda while designing and developing lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles has lead them directly into the grid storage energy world, which has become quite common amongst battery manufacturers. Both A123 Systems and BYD have been known to design systems for both industries, helping to curb production costs while bringing scalability to their operations. Nissan and General Motors have also announced their intentions to repurpose used EV batteries for grid storage.

Coda Automotive is expected to have their sedan EV on the market sometime soon in California, offering a 150-mile range vehicle for under $40,000 and a 125-mile range vehicle for around $37,250 – both prices before a $7,500 federal tax credit and state incentives. Either way, we are continually impressed by the number of projects that are out there, to store energy.

[Source: CNet]

After every auto show there’s normally a lull in new product news as media and PR folks alike decompress. That won’t be the case with this year’s Chicago Auto Show, however, with the reveal of electric car maker Tesla’s new crossover the day after the Chi-town press day.

The reveal won’t be anywhere near Chicago either with Tesla announcing yesterday it would reveal the new Model X at its Design Studio in California. The new model is expected to sit on a modified version of the same platform used for the Model S electric luxury sedan and make use of similar powertrains.

Tesla recently announced pricing for the Model S, which will start at 49,900 after a federal tax rebate. The top Signature package will retail for $69,900 after tax incentives and will deliver a 300 mile range plus a 0-60 time of just 4.4 seconds.

The fuel wars are heating up as automakers search for new ways to squeeze more mileage out of their cars. While some might take this chance to preach doom and gloom for future cars, Chrysler-Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne isn’t ready to call the Road Warrior just yet.

Some companies are turning to electric vehicles, others to extended-range hybrids. Yet another school of thought is turning to diesel engines to meet mounting expectations for fuel consumption. In the face of what seems like a trembling industry, unsure of what the next revolution will be, Marchionne stands strong.

“I believe in our industry’s ability to find solutions. Even with traditional combustion engines, we have only skimmed the surface of the ability to squeeze out higher fuel efficiency levels, allowing us to extract much more power out of smaller displacements,” Marchionne said during an appearance at the Automotive News World Congress.

For the time being, he is determined that diesel engines will remain reserved for larger cars, like the Jeep Grand Cherokee (pictured above), which Chrysler will begin assembling in Detroit early next year. Diesel engines, despite their shrinking stigma, are still a minority consideration in the overall U.S. market. We really like some of the small car diesel variants to pop up recently. For example, Mazda will offer a diesel version of their Mazda6 sedan in 2013, as will Chevrolet with the Cruze.

Despite that, Marchionne is hanging onto the gasoline engine and hoping cars like their recently unveiled Dodge Dart will tackle the small car market and capture young consumer imaginations. Critics of his stubborn resolve might want to hold their opinions for now, considering the about face Marchionne championed since 2009, taking Chrysler from near-ruin to respectable territory.

“Fiat and Chrysler come from two different pasts, but they have something very strong in common,” said Marchionne. “Both have been to hell and back.”

GALLERY: 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel

[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

It’s not intended for production, but rather showcases just what possibilities are out there when it comes to Volkswagen‘s best loved car. The new 2012 Beetle is proving that interest in the iconic Bug is still strong, so given the current trend towards EVs, why not have some fun and make a sporty, zero emissions concept out of it.

Although not a true roadster (the roof is fixed), the E-Bugster lends a feeling of fun and intimacy due to its two-seat cabin, cropped windshield and swoopy roof, which does actually look like a removable hardtop.

As it’s name suggests, the E-Bugster relies on pure electric power for motivation, in this case an 85 kW (114 hp) electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack. Projected range is over 100 miles according to VW, while three charging options are available.

Level 1 operates off a standard household 120-volt system, Level 2, off 240 volts and Level 3 is a quick charge setup. For the latter, VW says that around 80 percent of battery capacity can be restored in 30 minutes. Inside VW has fitted EV specific gauges to monitor charge and and driving range, as well as the intensity of battery power generation.

The electric drive system in the E-Bugster, dubbed Blue-e-Motion by Volkswagen, will probably pop again in the near future, as it’s slated to be fitted in an upcoming version of the bread and butter Golf Hatchback. And who knows, depending on its success in the marketplace, perhaps we’ll see another E-Bugster a few years from now, one you’ll be able to actually lease or buy.

GALLERY: Volkswagen E-Bugster Concept

5. 2012 Mazda3 Skyactiv

What’s the best car of 2012? Who knows. Is a Porsche GT3 RS 4.0 better than a Ferrari 458 Italia? What about the Scion FR-S? Or a Prius Plug-in Hybrid? The past year has seen the launch of numerous excellent vehicles, including some we really didn’t expect to be any good. That said, we’ve put together our list of the top five surprisingly good cars of 2012, starting with the updated Mazda3.

We thoroughly enjoyed the new 3 (read our 2012 Mazda3 review here), something that’s not at all surprising at first. What is more of a shock is that it was Mazda’s new Skyactiv model, designed primarily for fuel economy, and that it managed to deliver in that department while sticking true to the brand’s Zoom-Zoom slogan.

Adding to our reasons for placing this car on our list of surprisingly good cars is the technology behind it. At both a preview event and the actual drive, Mazda gave us a deep-dive into the engineering solutions behind its new SkyActiv technologies, rethinking every aspect of the engine and transmission for this updated model. When Ford sold off its shares in Mazda recently many skeptics proclaimed that in this new era a smaller company like Mazda couldn’t possibly hope to be competitive without a large partner like, say, Toyota. But Mazda has proved them wrong, not only competing, but perhaps delivering the the only 40 mpg car that’s actually fun to drive.

The new year is rapidly approaching and with it a host of new vehicles begging to be driven are sitting in dealer lots waiting to wow shoppers. When it comes to new cars, those shoppers often expect more for less as new models hit the showroom, but that wont be the case for electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf (pictured above).

Next year the government is removing three of the four subsidies available to consumers as incentives to adopt the new technology. The fourth, and arguably most important, will remain in the coming year. A total of $8,500 in tax incentives will get the ax as the ball drops in Times Square, which represents more than half of the total $16,000 in incentives offered this year. Consumers buying EVs next year won’t enjoy this year’s $1,000 maximum to install a home charging station, $2,500 maximum for two- or three-wheeled EVs with 2.5-kWh batteries or larger and the $4,000 maximum for converting either a hybrid to plug-in or a regular ICE to EV power.

People purchasing EVs will still be eligible to receive up to $7,500 in tax credits for buying a new plug-in vehicle, though the subsidy depends on the size of the battery in the vehicle. These incentives are meant to boost the number of EVs sold and will be phased out on a per-manufacturer basis once the individual automakers sell more than 200,000 plug-ins.

It might be good to act before the new year if you’ve been planning on cashing in with those incentives, but don’t worry about losing out on the $7,500 credit that will remain. The 200,000 vehicle figure isn’t likely to be hit any time soon thanks to low selection and relatively high prices for EVs with or without bonuses.

[Source: AutoBlog]

10. Fiat Returns to America

As another calendar year draws to a close it’s time to take a look back at the top 10 biggest stories of the year in the auto industry. It’s been a busy 12 months, starting all the way back in March when the Fiat 500 officially went on sale, marking the return of the brand to America. The last time an Italian car was sold here that didn’t cost six figures (or close to it) was 27 years ago. Since then, Fiat has introduced the 500C convertible model and most recently the Fiat 500 Abarth, aimed at enthusiasts.

The jury is still out on the Fiat brand’s success in North America, although the first year has failed to live up to expectations, with Fiat predicting sales of 50,000 units, while according to automotive data firm GoodCarBadCar only 17,444 have been sold in the first 11 months of the year (add 5,000 more if you include Canada). Some of this may be the result of Fiat’s marketing initiative with several ads featuring Jenifer Lopez, which the Fiat faithful rejected and many believe cost the brand boss Laura Souve her job. Getting the Fiat dealer network up and running also proved a challenge.

With more models coming, and Alfa Romeo set to return in 2013, Fiat is here to say. More importantly, perhaps, is the Fiat connection to Chrysler – a company it saved from bankruptcy and which it is now slowly rebuilding back into a profitable automaker.