Tesla sells electric sportscar in Japan; Fatalities involving teens drop

(The Associated Press)

Tesla selling electric sportscar in Japan
Tesla, the U.S. maker of electric sportscars, opened its first Asian showroom last week in a fashionable Tokyo neighborhood, hoping to woo rich buyers before eventually widening its appeal with cheaper models. Tesla has important connections in Japan: Toyota is a shareholder in the American company, recently investing $50 million in Tesla stock, and Japanese electronics maker Panasonic supplies the cars' batteries. Tesla buyers in Japan are eligible for government-backed rebates of 3.2 million yen ($40,000).

--The Associated Press

(Thinkstock)

Fatalities involving teen drivers drop
Fatal car crashes involving teen drivers fell by about a third over five years, according to a new federal report that credits tougher restrictions on younger drivers. The number of deaths tied to these accidents dropped from about 2,200 in 2004 to 1,400 in 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Experts credit a range of factors, including safer cars with air bags and highway improvements. Another chief reason for the decline, expert say, is that most states have been getting tougher on when teens can drive and when they can carry passengers.

--The Associated Press