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Tesla planning car to take on Nissan LEAF – and maybe sell out to Apple

Elon Musk is buoyed by the success of the Tesla S and the seemingly inexorable rise in Tesla’s stock which has allowed Tesla to repay its government loans way ahead of schedule. Now Musk has been getting adventurous in an interview with Bloomberg where he’s stated that the next plan for Tesla is to build a smaller, more affordable electric car that can take on the Nissan LEAF. Musk plans to stay in control of Tesla until plans for a news small EV are complete, and said: With the Model S, you have a compelling car that’s too expensive for most people.

Ford justifies its Vignale sub-brand (video)

The Ford Mondeo Vignale (pictured). Ford’s first Vignale-badged car Earlier this month, as the Frankfurt Motor Show approached, Ford revealed that it’s going back to a sales tactic they created in the 1970s – badge-engineering their cars with a coachbuilders name to create an upmarket sub-brand. Last time Ford played this game we had almost 30 years for the Ford Ghia, a range of Ford’s mainstream models that had all the toys as standard to try and create an appealing high-end option for buyers.

Fiat partners with Politecnico di Milano for new Masters course

Fiat Group Automobiles and the Politecnico di Milano Industrial Design, Arts, Communication and Fashion Department (INDACO) will join efforts in managing a Master in Transportation & Automobile Design course. The first classes are set to begin in October 2008. The course is aimed at forming new car designers, focusing on the development of their creativity, in an innovative way.