On Tuesday, Tesla became the first American automaker to go public since 1956, as shares began trading under the ticker TSLA on the Nasdaq. With its most expensive car selling for more than $100k, Tesla is looking to strike a chord with wealthy yet environmentally conscious car buyers. Later this year, Chevrolet hopes its Volt (a price tag about half the size of the Tesla Roadster) will become the first electric car for the masses.
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China, Japan Car Sales Take Off, US Way Down
The new regional automotive sales lines are being drawn, with very different outcomes in Asia and the US. Toyota, even despite its recall issues, had the largest increase in its domestic auto sales in 38 years. Chinese automakers also saw sales increase dramatically. This, of course, while sales in the US were slower last month than they’ve been in about three decades.
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