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Next year, the Tesla Model S will hit dealerships across the globe. Then, the crossover Model X will bow, likely followed by a convertible based on the Model S platform. But beyond that, Tesla Motors has taken to the tight-lipped approached. That is, until now.

According to Autocar, Tesla will launch a completely redesigned Roadster in late 2014. This electric Roadster – unlike the one that was still available in limited quantities in August – will not be based on a Lotus platform. Rather, Autocar reports that the Roadster will be based on a "third generation platform," likely a shortened version of the Model S' underpinnings.

It's this third-generation platform that Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk claims will "spawn a range of cars in the next four to five years." And, as Musk says, it will be a "mass-market platform." We like that these cars are becoming real, but we also enjoyed the days when everything was codenamed things like White Star and Blue Star. Remember that?

Here's an electric vehicle perk that might prompt some Chinese consumers to go electric: elimination of Beijing's restrictive license plate lottery.

Officials in Beijing are reportedly discussing a scheme that will allow electric vehicle owners to bypass the city's license plate lottery system. This move would allow owners of electric vehicles to immediately register their rides instead of playing the odds with Beijing's lottery scheme. Last time we checked, the odds of registering a vehicle in Beijing were 23 to 1, meaning that most applicants could not legally drive their vehicles on public roads.

By eliminating the lottery system for electric vehicles, Beijing hopes to encourage the purchase of battery-powered automobiles. And, as we see it, those officials are probably on the right track. Word is Beijing will, until further notice, allow unrestricted purchasing and registering of electric vehicles. So, for those who have missed out on the city's lottery drawings, going electric ensures them that they'll be able to register their own rides for around-town transport.

It's not much, but Americans are using more fuel this year than last year. Numbers released by the American Petroleum Institute show that U.S. petroleum deliveries increased by 2.5 percent in September 2011, compared to September 2010. API chief economist John Felmy – always the economist, that's for sure – released this statement:

The edging up of gasoline demand is consistent with the slightly improving consumer confidence numbers we've seen. The more robust growth in distillate demand reflects somewhat better news in the manufacturing and industrial sectors of our economy.

Meanwhile, U.S. refinery gas production shot up by three percent from September 2010, hitting a record high on a year-to-date basis. Crude oil production was up by 1.2 percent in September 2011, with Alaska upping its output by more than any other state in the U.S.

There seems to be something a brewin' over at Aptera Motors.

Gone is Aptera Motors' former website that displayed info on the automaker's oft-delayed three-wheeled electric 2e. In its place is a lone, non-working homepage with few details aside from this mission statement:

Aptera: The Combination of amazing aerodynamics and advance composites means the coming of a new generation of energy efficient vehicles that will change what we expect from our cars. Keep watching. 2.0 is coming!

We assume 2.0 refers to a site redesign, but nobody will say for sure. Aptera spokesman Marques McCammon simply told Green Car Reports:

All is well in start-up world. Yes, there is something new coming to the web. I would call it a better reflection of how our business is developing. I can't say much more than that at this point. As you can imagine, there is no one more eager to talk about Aptera than I am, but all things in their time.

So, we don't know what it is, but we do know that Aptera 2.0 is coming.

The electric DeLorean DMC-12 is coming 2013, so says Humble, Texas' reborn DeLorean Motor Company. That was the shocking announcement made by DeLorean in mid-October at the DMC Texas Open House.

But what else occurred on that mid-October day? Well, apparently a handful of DeLorean enthusiasts got to test drive DMC's electric prototype. Now, we can't say for certain whether this clip shows DMC's own electric version of the DMC-12 or the work of some shadetree mechanic, but we can say with confidence that DMC's Cameron Wynne (son of Stephen Wynne, owner of DeLorean) is the one who is driving the electric vehicle around the track.

Dubbed the DMCEV-12, DeLorean claims this electric time machine hits 60 miles per hour in a quick 4.9 seconds and warps to a top speed of 125 mph, though we'll have to wait to hear more about total range. Reports suggest the limited-production DMCEV-12 will retail for approximately $100,000.

Hit the jump to check out some shaky in-car video of the electric DeLorean lapping the 3/8-mile track at Houston Motorsports Park.

It's coming in 2010. Scratch that. How about 2011? Oh shucks, that's impossible, too. Let's shoot for 2012. BYD Auto constantly alters the U.S. launch date of the electric e6 crossover. But this latest bit of info should relieve us of reporting further delays.

When BYD announced its U.S. scheme, the automaker claimed retail sales of the e6 electric MPV would start no later than December of 2010. Now, BYD is saying that its primary focus is on fleet sales, particularly of its electric eBus-12.

BYD says the e6 is constantly delayed because the U.S. lacks a sufficient charging infrastructure, even claiming that California doesn't have enough infrastructure. So, why won't we have to report further e6 delays? Because Micheal Austin, BYD's U.S. vice-president, told Bloomberg, "We still have ambitions to jump into the consumer market, but until the infrastructure issue is solved, why would we?" Given that the BYD can now declare the problem "solved" any time it pleases, we expect it not to do so until the e6 is ready.

Volvo vehicles keep occupants safe. That's the message the Swedish automaker has pitched for decades now and that sentiment hasn't changed a bit with the introduction of Volvo's electrified vehicles.

First, Volvo showed us that its electric-only C30 DRIVe fared exceptionally well in crash tests and now the Swedish automaker is putting its V60 Plug-in Hybrid through the same set of tests, including the destructive 70-percent overlap rear impact.

In this test, the V60 Plug-in is struck in the rear by a sled moving at 55 miles per hour. As intended, Volvo's wagon immediately deforms upon impact, but its rear-mounted battery pack remains intact. Sensors fitted to the V60 plug-in immediately cut electrical power if the impact is severe, while a system fitted to the battery vents gas if the pack is breached.

Hit the jump to watch video of the destruction and keep a close eye on the V60's battery (highlighted in green) as it survives the carnage virtually untouched. It's okay to cringe a little at the destruction.

DC quick-charge stations are robust units that promise to recharge plug-in vehicles from zero to 80-percent capacity in less than 30 minutes. While not required for EVs to work, these units make the concept of cross-country-capable electric vehicles believable and long distance electric-only journeys doable.

So, if DC quick-charge stations transform electric vehicles into capable distance cruisers, then it'd be superb to know where these lightning quick chargers will pop up, right? Well, Pike Research says it will be a while before the world is DC quick-charge-ready. The research firm predicts that shipments of DC charging units will grow from less than 3,000 globally in 2011 to more than 115,000 a year by 2017.

But we shouldn't expect to see too many of those DC units here in the U.S. According to Pike, the Asia-Pacific region will lead the world in DC quick-charge installs by a substantial margin. In second place will be Western Europe and down in third place is North America. With less than 20,000 DC quick-charge stations headed here in 2017, discovering one outside of a major city may prove difficult.

We expect a lot of truck-lovin' Texans will welcome the state's latest automotive dealership showplace with little more than a cursory glance. But for Texas' electric vehicle enthusiasts, the opening of a gallery in Houston will likely spark sheer delight.

Tesla Motors has chosen Houston, Texas as the locale for its latest U.S. store location. Setting up a Tesla shop presence in the Lone Star State might seem odd, but Texas is indeed home to a significant chunk of the nation's charging stations. For locals, the Tesla store venue is located in the Houston Galleria shopping center.

The Houston site is Tesla's tenth in the U.S. and is one of numerous Tesla locations scheduled to open in the next several months. The electric automaker is going through a major North American expansion as it gears up for the 2012 Model S launch.

*UPDATE: A Tesla representative wrote to say the following:

The location Tesla just opened in Houston is actually neither a store nor a dealership. We're not legally allowed to sell cars in the state of Texas because there are laws prohibiting manufacturers from selling direct to market. ... You can read more about why this is the case and what the purpose of the store in Texas is in this press release.

The list of awards is starting to pile up for the Nissan Leaf. The Japanese automaker's bookshelf is teaming with awards with titles that read 2011 European Car of the Year award, 2010 Green Car Vision, 2011 World Car of the Year and so on.

Nissan will now have to make room for the 2011 Green Fleet Electric Vehicle of the Year award. That's right, the Leaf was judged the "best performing and most suitable" electric vehicle for fleets in its class. Admittedly, it's one heck of a tiny class. Colin Boyton, GreenFleet manager, describes the attributes that make the Leaf deserving of the award:

With five-door practicality, a generous boot, a high level of spec, and most importantly, a 110-mile range, the Nissan Leaf is the resounding choice this year. Add to that the take-up in fleets, from all over the UK, and it certainly means the Nissan Leaf is now the market leader, and will continue to make in-roads into fleets looking to embrace electric vehicle technology.

110 miles is not impossible, but it sure is optimistic. GreenFleet is a UK-based firm that recognizes excellence in environmental fleet management and green transport. You can find the complete list of 2011 GreenFleet award winners by clicking here.

Despite the UK's £5,000 plug-in vehicle rebate ($7,904 U.S. at today's exchange rate), 2011 will not be the year "the electric car took off," according to The Guardian.

Recently released data shows that sales of plug-in vehicles in the UK have stalled, with only 106 electric vehicles sold there during the third quarter of 2011. That's a significant dip from the 465 plug-in registered in the UK in the first quarter of 2011 and down a bit from the 215 sold in Q2. At the formal launch of the UK's plug-in rebate, former transport secretary, Phillip Hammond, stated:

Government action to support affordable vehicles and more local charging points means we are on the threshold of an exciting green revolution – 2011 could be remembered as the year the electric car took off.

The number of electric vehicles registered in the UK now stands at 1,107, a tiny slice of the area's 28.5 million total vehicles. Some blame high sticker prices for slow sales of plug-ins, while others, including transport minister Norman Baker, say lack of choice is holding electric autos back:

It is nonsense to say the market has sputtered out. The availability of qualifying cars, rather than the public appetite for them is part of the problem. I have every confidence that that will change in the next few months and we will begin to see sales of ultra-low carbon cars improve.

The UK's plug-in rebate scheme is due to be reviewed in January of 2012.

Our buds over at Translogic recently interviewed one of the most influential and passionate individuals of our time, Elon Musk. Translogic spoke with Musk about many things, but this first interview focuses solely on SpaceX (a video about Tesla Motors should be coming soon). If you haven't heard much about Musk's aerospace outfit, it is equally, if not more, innovative than Tesla.

According to Translogic, SpaceX "boldly seeks to make good on the promise of NASA's defunct Space Shuttle program by bringing down the cost of space transportation." If there's one person that we'd be willing to bet would boldly go where no man has gone before, it's Elon Musk, who also has Mars on the brain. Will SpaceX make it there? Who knows, but Musk's extra-planetary attempts should prove fun to watch. Hit the jump to check out Translogic 76: Elon Musk Interview, SpaceX, and don't forget about Translogic's impressive archive of transportation videos.

The SkyActiv plan is moving along as expected. To wit: the next little glimmer of drivetrain electrification that we will see when Mazda debuts its next-generation mid-size Takeri concept at the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show in late November. The car's Kodo design language could be a preview of the next-gen Mazda6, but it's what's under the new sheetmetal that is more interesting.

The Takeri showcases the Japanese automaker's SkyActiv-D clean diesel technology and features i-Stop, Mazda's award-winning stop-start system. In addition, Takeri sports Mazda's next-gen regenerative braking system, which converts kinetic energy to electricity during deceleration. The system works by storing captured energy in capacitors and then using it to power the vehicle's electric equipment. Mazda claims this system reduces engine load, thereby decreasing fuel consumption. Mazda has been clear that i-Stop doesn't do the car any favors on the EPA test in the U.S., and we'll likely have to wait until 2016 to see the technology here.

The Takeri's regenerative braking system is Step Two of Mazda's Building Block Strategy – Step One is i-Stop and Step Three is electric-drive technology. The Takeri concept will hit the stage on November 30. For now, you can check out the images in our high-res gallery and read the full press release after the jump.

The 2012 Fisker Karma is officially rated by the EPA at 52 MPGe and 20 miles per gallon when its battery runs out of juice. In addition, the plug-in boasts 32 miles of electric-only range. Though these numbers can feel disappointing, there's a reason for the Karma's less than stellar EPA numbers. 5,300 reasons, to be exact.

When the Karma pulls onto the scales, the readout of 5,300 pounds is, well, accurate. In fact, the Karma makes the porky 3,755-pound Chevrolet Volt (as weighed by Car And Driver) seem like a true lightweight.

It doesn't matter whether it's the battery or the fuel tank that's providing the power, weight always reduces efficiency. In the end, at $95,900, the Karma is priced in a league all its own, and we doubt that many buyers will think twice about how much more efficient the Karma could have been. This thing's got other reasons for existing, like trying to make "green" stylish.

[This post has been changed since publication.]