Three high-ranking Tesla Motors employees were killed in a private plane crash east of Palo Alto, CA today. After taking off in thick fog, the twin-engine Cessna 310 clipped power lines and crashed into the residential neighborhood at 7:55 this morning. No one on the ground was injured.

What does this mean for the green automaker? Having just closed a deal on a nearly half-billion dollar loan and preparing to go public in the near future, all systems looked to be go at Tesla until now. It looks like none of the victims we C-Suite employees (CEO, CMO etc), so the IPO should go off as planned. But, how will a company that bills itself as green defend its use of fuel-gluttonous private planes? Only time will tell.

For the record, we LOVE Tesla Motors and everything they’re trying to do. Our thoughts go out to the victims, their families and the entire Tesla operation.

Okay, we were wrong. But, what do you expect from a two-bit hack blogging regurgitated articles from his garage while drunk and calling it auto journalism, anyway? Why the self-deprecation and angst you ask. Well, last month we reported that Porsche had no plans for a hybrid vehicle. And, you know what? We said thank fucking goodness. But today, Jalopnik reports that Porsche plans to reveal a hybrid 911 at Geneva. Besides making Discover Hybrid Cars look the fool, a hybrid 911 is an abomination. Sorry Ferdinand…

This image is spreading like wildfire across the blogosphere. And, it looks to be a trifecta of the greenest proportions—Tesla Roadster (full electric), Toyota Prius (hybrid) and a Volkswagen Golf (diesel). Only one question remains, was it the Toyota’s faulty brakes, accelerator or headlights that caused this catastrophe?

Source: Jalopnik

Things are looking good over at Tesla Motors. After securing a nearly half-billion dollar low-cost loan from the federal Energy Department, the electric car maker can move forward with plans for its new manufacturing plant.

The new facility is set to produce the Tesla S, a less sporty, more affordable everyday electric car. Along with the creation of about 1600 jobs for the beleaguered auto industry, the federal loan will also be a boon for the local economy in Palo Alto, CA.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk hopes to be churning out 20,000 S models by the end of 2013. Slated to have a sticker price of about $50K after a federal tax credit, expect to see the first round of Tesla S models hitting the streets in the next 2 years.

Source: Detroit News