Oprah’s New Tesla, Model X Price, BMW i8 Sales Up 2233%… (Clean Transport Highlights)

Here’s some more clean transport fun. In this daily share, we’ve got Tesla stories (of course), some other EV stories, bike & pedestrian stories, and a BRT story. Enjoy! (As always, click the subheadings to read the full titles.)

Oprah Buys A Tesla Model S

Shit’s getting real now (as they say) — Oprah just bought a Tesla freakin’ Model S. Yep, the media godmother of the United States, and one of the most influential people in the world, just joined the Tesla mamba train….

Test driving my new Tesla with dealer Dan. Love it!! https://t.co/LHLroJ6Acl

— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) September 1, 2015

Tesla Model X Price, & Model 3 Plan — Elon Musk Has To Inform Lame Media

As I wrote two days ago, a top-of-the-line Signature Model X P90D all tricked out costs about the same as a top-of-the-line Model S P90D all tricked out. But when the $143,750 total leaked, some in the mainstream media took that to mean that the Model X was waaaay more expensive than the Model S. (Whoops… unless their aim was to smear Tesla and scare people away from electric cars.)…

BMW i8 US Sales Up 2233% (August US EV Sales Report)

Well, let’s be honest, August was a lame sales month for electric car lovers. There are clear reasons for this. Historically, the two highest-selling electric cars in the US have been the Nissan LEAF and the Chevy Volt. The 2nd-generation Chevy Volt, much improved and even a little cheaper, is just hitting the market, and many buyers have surely been waiting for it. Nissan has remained rather silent about it its 2016 model but has indicated it will be bringing a long-range electric car to market before long. We also gathered word that it will be offering a 110-mile battery option in the 2016 LEAF, for an extra cost, of course (the current model only offers an 84-mile battery). So, it seems very likely buyers are holding off for the long-range electric Nissan or at least the 2016 LEAF… or even the Tesla Model 3 now that it is closer….

Tesla Is Most Searched Car Company In China & Norway

Well, it comes as no surprise that Tesla* is the most popular car company in Norway, a country where~¼ of new car sales are now electric car sales, and many of those Teslas. But China?…

280-Mile Electric Concept From Peugeot

Peugeot very certainly did not make my top 10 list of the car manufacturers most leading the way into an electric future, but a day later, it dropped a big announcement (which many will certainly dub “vaporware”). The announcement, as the title already told you, is a fully electric concept car with 450 kilometers (280 miles) of range on a single charge. That’s a lot, even in the EU testing scheme….

What’s Really Going On Over at Blue Indy?

Blue Indy is one of those projects that seems like it was made to have Gas 2’s praises heaped upon it. For the unfamiliar, Blue Indy is a ride-sharing scheme, which is good for cities, city-dwellers, and the planet. More importantly, though, it’s the only way you get to drive around in a Pininfarina-designed Bollore EV, which is a weird little electric car that you can’t buy. All great stuff, in other words — but is Blue Indy too good to be true?…

BMW i Ventures Invests In ZIRX

In the age of automated lane change, adaptive cruise control, autobrake, autosteer, and autopark, we may well forget that humans can be hired to drive our cars too. ZIRX is a startup that puts a person behind your wheel to park your car for you in busy cities. Of course, it still relies on a mobile app and your smartphone or tablet….

Edison Electron One With Graphene Battery Coming In 2016?

CNN Money reports that Sunvault Energy and Edison Power Company have joined forces to produce an electric supercar featuring 4 electric motors, 1,000 lb-ft of torque, and a ground-breaking “graphene integrated hydrogen fuel cell” that can recharge in just 5 minutes. Oh, and the car will be here in the Spring of 2016. By my lightning-like calculations, that is less than 8 months from now. Really……

Fisker Karma Owners Can ‘Code’ Their Cars To Add Features Too

Thanks to modern computer controls, it’s possible to change the behavior and functionality of a car without ever turning a wrench. Software modifications can help owners alter their cars’ performance in ways the manufacturers never intended. Recently, it came to light that BMW i3 REx owners were “coding” their cars, adding features not available from the factory. Now it seems that Fisker Karma owners can do something similar with their cars….

How The Model X Seats Will Work, Based On Conjecture Over At The TeslaMotorsClub Forum. Confused? So Is Everyone Else. (SLIDESHOW)

From Amsterdam to Beijing: The Global Evolution of Bike Share

In 1965, Amsterdam implemented what is now considered the first bike share system in history. Known as Witte Fietsen (“White Bikes” in English), the program collected bicycles, painted them white, and simply placed them on the streets for public use. However, without any payment system or dedicated locks, many of the bicycles were quickly damaged and stolen, bringing the project to a halt. While Witte Fietsen’s implementation seemed like a failure, the project was an important first step for bike share….

Indianapolis Brings Street Life Downtown With a Flurry of Quick Changes

Indianapolis is building public support for a major street redesign the same way DIYers and tactical urbanists do: by testing out temporary changes….

A Wonderfully Clear Explanation of How Road Diets Work

A road diet is a great way for cities to reclaim some of the excess street space they’ve dedicated to cars—generally preserving traffic flows while improving safety and expanding mobility to other modes. But just as food dieters have Atkins, South Beach, vegan, and any number of options, road diets come in many flavors, too. Urban planner and Walkable City author Jeff Speck, in collaboration with graphic artist Spencer Boomhower, takes us on a tour of four types of street diets in a deliciously clear new video series. Here’s a taste….

BRT Hits 400 Corridors and Systems Worldwide

Last week, bus rapid transit (BRT) reached a global milestone, as the number of mapped BRT corridors and systems in BRTData.org’s database broke 400. As an online resource, BRTData compiles and tracks the development and progress of BRT projects globally. Additionally, the tool allows users to access data on infrastructure, performance, fleets, and road safety—equipping decision makers with the information they need to support local mobility solutions….