Tesla CEO Elon Musk Receives 2010 Automotive Executive of the Year Innovator Award

February 17, 2010 The 2010 Automotive Executive of the Year Innovator Award is sponsored by DNV Certification and is presented to Elon Musk, Chairman, Product and CEO of

Tesla Motors, in recognition of his technology leadership and innovation, as well as his enlightened vision for the automotive industry’s future. Based in California's Silicon Valley, Tesla Motors is the only automaker selling electric vehicles that are both highway-capable cars and in serial production, and the company has been credited with pushing the entire automotive industry toward EVs.

Since 1964, the Automotive Executive of the Year Award has recognized excellence in industry leadership. Past recipients include Jim O’Sullivan, Carroll Shelby (Lifetime Achievement Award), Bill Ford, Jr., Dieter Zetsche, Henry Ford II, Bob Lutz, Nobuhiko Kawamoto, Carlos Ghosn, and Lee Iacocca. The Innovator Award is specially presented to a leader exhibiting dynamic impact on the industry’s technological potential.

“Elon Musk is a man who came from humble beginnings to accomplish the extraordinary,” says Robert Djurovic, executive director of the Automotive Executive of the Year Award program, and director of automotive services North America, DNV Business Assurance US. “We are thrilled to present him with our Innovator Award, and see him as someone who has not only already accomplished so much in his young life, but also, as one to watch for future technology breakthroughs.”

"This award is a tremendous honor, in particular because the nomination comes from my respected peers and colleagues," Musk said. "It demonstrates not only the influence that a relatively small startup can have on the global auto industry, but also the speed with which other car companies and suppliers are joining Tesla in the electric vehicle revolution."

The Automotive Executive of the Year Award nominating committee includes industry media, analysts and automotive supplier CEOs.

Elon co-founded Tesla and continues to oversee the company's product strategy -- including the design, engineering and manufacturing of more affordable electric vehicles for mainstream consumers. As Chairman and Product Architect, he helped design the ground-breaking Tesla Roadster, for which he won an Index and a Global Green award, the latter presented by Mikhail Gorbachev.

That Car Crash Was No Accident

Des Plaines, IL, May 4, 2010 The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) warned today that criminals are targeting innocent drivers with increasingly bold schemes aimed at defrauding insurance companies out of millions of dollars.

“Across the country we’re seeing an alarming number of what we call staged accidents,” said Joe Wehrle, NICB president and chief executive officer. “These are crashes that are made to

look like accidents, but in reality are carefully orchestrated scenarios aimed at collecting medical and vehicle damage payments from insurers. The simple truth is they are expensive and dangerous. We are working with our member insurance companies and law enforcement partners to put the people that commit these crimes behind bars.”

Wehrle noted recent investigations in California, Florida and New York that have uncovered staged accident rings and led to the arrest of doctors, chiropractors, lawyers and others who participated in these schemes in return for their share of the lucrative payments from insurance claims.

Unless someone becomes suspicious, many of these staged accidents go undetected. So the NICB has created a series of videos demonstrating some of the most common types of staged accidents. They are available at www.nicb.org.

“We want motorists to be aware of these schemes and to know what to look for in case they are targeted and become a victim of a staged accident,” said Wehrle. “We also think these videos will help insurance company personnel and law enforcement be on the alert for these kinds of crashes and be willing to give them a closer look to determine if fraud was involved. Insurance companies want to pay legitimate claims in a timely fashion, but no one wants the crooks to cash in at the expense of honest policyholders.”

NICB recommends the following actions to avoid being a victim of a staged accident:

Avoid tailgating to ensure there’s plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you in case they suddenly hit the brakes.
Even if damage is minimal, call the police to an accident scene and obtain a police report with the officer’s name. This makes it harder for the criminal to intentionally damage the car later and try to collect a larger claim against your insurance policy.

Use your cell phone camera or carry a disposable camera in your car to document any damage and take photos to verify the number of passengers in other vehicles.
Avoid “runners” and “cappers” — people who suddenly appear at an accident scene and try to direct you to doctors and attorneys. They are usually part of the criminal scheme.

Steer clear of tow trucks that arrive on the scene without anyone having called for service. These are often cappers for body shops.
Be wary of medical providers who insist you file a personal injury claim after an accident, especially if you are not hurt.

Wheego Electric Cars Appoints Foreign Affairs EV as Palm Beach Dealer

Atlanta, Georgia February 8, 2010 -- Wheego Electric Cars manufacturer of all-electric vehicles, today announced it

has signed Foreign Affairs EV at Foreign Affairs Auto as its dealer with exclusive rights to sell the Wheego Electric Car product line in Palm Beach, Broward, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties in Florida.

Wheego President Jeff Boyd believes Foreign Affairs is a perfect fit for the Wheego brand. "Foreign Affairs has established a 28 year reputation for top quality automotive sales and service in West Palm Beach," says Boyd. "They have dedicated a separate division of the company, Foreign Affairs EV, to their business. With extensive experience in this field, Foreign Affairs EV has been converting hybrid cars to 100% plug-in electric cars for Floridians throughout the state.

We are confident that customers visiting Foreign Affairs will be extremely impressed with the knowledge, experience and attention to detail exhibited by this company. This isn't a dealership dabbling with Electric Vehicles; they are experts, and are committed to the success of environmentally responsible vehicles."

Foreign Affairs is a 28 year old family-run company in the heart of West Palm Beach. They will showcase the Wheego Whip with a test-drive event at their dealership on Saturday, February 20th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EV Division Manager Jonathan Ortiz invites the public to attend the test-drive event. "The Wheego Whip responds to the demand for a very high-quality, yet affordable electric automobile. We are excited to represent the Wheego brand in South Florida, and we know our customers will be pleasantly surprised by the quality, , performance, and features of this car."

The Wheego Whip LSV (Low-Speed Vehicle) runs on sealed lead-acid batteries and qualifies for a 10% Federal Tax Credit in 2010. With a sticker price of $18,995, the Wheego Whip LSV net price is just over $17,000.