manager-magazin.de: Mr Ingenlath, with Polestar Volvo is building up its own electric car brand. Unlike VW with its ID models or Mercedes with its EQ family, you do not create a completely new brand, but with Polestar, you are modifying a former tuning and performance company for the electric car brand. Why so complicated? Thomas… Continue reading Volvo wants to chase away Tesla customers: “We had to make a radical break with the past”
Tag: VW
At the premiere of the first electric car Taycan: Porsche under power
Porsche The cockpit in the new Taycan: Porsche today presents its first electric car At the same time on three continents Porsche today his first pure electric model before: the Taycan. The diesel scandal Porsche has not left its mark, the VW subsidiary has put everything on the map, invested billions in electromobility and sustainability… Continue reading At the premiere of the first electric car Taycan: Porsche under power
LEVC Appoints Andrea Bakes as Communications Director
Tuesday, 3rd September 2019 With immediate effect, LEVC is delighted to announce the appointment of Andrea Baker as Communications Director, responsible for PR, Marketing Communications and Product Marketing, reporting to CEO Joerg Hofmann. With more than 20 years of communications experience in the automotive industry, Andrea joins LEVC from Bentley Motors where she has led… Continue reading LEVC Appoints Andrea Bakes as Communications Director
Larry Thompson: US inspector sees after diesel scandal no more violations at VW
Larry Thompson and Hiltrud Werner in August 2018 The US monitor should look Volkswagen on the finger, so that failures as in the diesel scandal four years ago can not be repeated. (Photo: AP) Wolfsburg The of the US Justice for the processing of the diesel scandal used minder Larry Thompson joined in the second… Continue reading Larry Thompson: US inspector sees after diesel scandal no more violations at VW
Eastern Europe: Czech Republic wants to cooperate with possible VW plant in Turkey
VW “The Czech Republic is an important manufacturer of car parts … We are in a leading position and would certainly like to cooperate,” said Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis. (Photo: AP) Istanbul Volkswagen According to Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, plans a large investment in the Turkey, The head of government said this on… Continue reading Eastern Europe: Czech Republic wants to cooperate with possible VW plant in Turkey
Lamborghini’s first hybrid supercar is the 819HP Sián
Even Lamborghini can’t resist the pressure to electrify its lineup, although it’s definitely not following a conventional route. The Italian automaker has introduced the Sián (“flash” or “lightning” in Bolognese dialect), its first hybrid car, and the emphasis here is on raw performance over eco-friendliness. The coupe mates a 785HP V12 engine with a 34HP… Continue reading Lamborghini’s first hybrid supercar is the 819HP Sián
German carmaker Audi misses deadlines for engine software updates: reports
BERLIN, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) — Volkswagen subsidiary Audi has missed several deadlines and even failed to “submit all necessary paperwork” for most of the affected diesel cars, the German business newspaper and broadcaster Bayerische Rundfunk reported on Tuesday.
Citing from a government response to a parliamentary inquire by Germany's Green Party, Handelsblatt and Bayerische Rundfunk reported that Audi was considerably behind schedule in removing software manipulations of Euro 6 and Euro 5 diesel vehicles.
According to the reports, Audi failed to provide application documents for many of Audi's car models and necessary software updates could not be approved by the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA).
Audi's A8 luxury sedan with a 4.2-liter Euro 6 engine is also affected. The KBA had ordered a recalled of the car about two years ago, after the Environmental Action Germany (DUH) had found the highest nitrogen oxide values it ever measured for a Euro 6 vehicle.
Ger..
VW paying drivers $97M for overstating fuel economy, must forfeit emissions credits
In the shadow of the diesel scandal, and just before the official reveal of its first mass-market electric car next week, Volkswagen is facing yet another public reprimand: It’s being ordered by the EPA to revise its fuel economy estimates applying to about 98,000 vehicles.
And in a separate settlement coinciding with the Friday announcement (pending court approval), VW will pay drivers a total of $97 million—ranging from $5,40 to $24.30 for each month the affected vehicle is owned or leased.
2014 Porsche Cayenne Platinum Edition
The issue, over a software routine that shifted the transmission in a more efficient manner than normal when it was being run in an emissions test, affects some of the most exclusive and expensive gasoline-powered vehicles in the Volkswagen Group, including 2013-2016 Bentley Continental GT and Flying Spur models, the 2013-2016 Porsche Cayenne, as well as 2013-2016 Audi models that include the 4.0-liter V-8 or 6.3-liter W-12 engines. It also includes the 2013-2014 Volkswagen Touareg (VR6) and all-wheel-drive (4Motion) versions of the 2017 Tiguan crossover.
For under-reporting the numbers, VW is also being required by the EPA to forfeit its emission credits earned for federal light-vehicle greenhouse-gas standards, as it has understated greenhouse-gas emissions by about 220,000 metric tons. It works out to be about 1 mile per gallon across the affected vehicles.
The issue, as described by the EPA, sounds awfully familiar: “This software causes the transmission to shift gears during the EPA-prescribed emissions test in a manner that sometimes optimizes fuel economy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions during the test, but not under normal driving conditions.”
In Volkswagen’s diesel scandal, “defeat device” engine software controls were using a set of variables to determine when a vehicle was being run in an emissions test; in some situations when it wasn’t, the software allowed relaxed emissions controls permitting many times higher NOx emissions.
2014 Volkswagen Touareg R-Line
The new round of ordered adjustments don’t have anything to do with diesel. And owners of the affected vehicles should note that the they're well within allowed emissions in either of its modes of transmission operation.
The EPA is working with the Department of Energy to update values for the affected vehicles at FuelEconomy.gov, and changes will be made by September 6, 2019.
See below for the chart of adjustments by model, as published by the U.S. EPA:
Brand
MY
Model
Engine
Transmission
Old Label Values
New Label Values
Combined
City
Highway
Combined
City
Highway
Audi
2013
A8L
6.3L W12
Auto(S8)
16
13
21
15
13
20
S8
4.0L V8 TSI
Auto(S8)
19
15
26
18
15
26
Audi
2014
A8L
6.3L W12
Auto(S8)
16
13
21
15
13
20
RS7
4.0L V8 TSI
Auto(S8)
19
16
27
19
15
27
S8
4.0L V8 TSI
Auto(S8)
19
15
26
18
15
26
Audi
2015
A8L
4.0L
Auto(S8)
22
18
29
21
18
29
A8L
6.3L W12
Auto(S8)
17
14
22
16
13
22
RS7
4.0L
Auto(S8)
18
15
25
18
14
25
S8
4.0L
Auto(S8)
20
17
27
20
16
27
Audi
2016
A8L
6.3L W12
Auto(S8)
17
14
22
16
13
22
RS7
4.0L
Auto(S8)
18
15
25
18
14
25
S8
4.0L
Auto(S8)
19
15
25
18
15
25
Bentley
2013
Continental GT
4.0L
Auto(S8)
18
15
24
18
14
24
Continental GTC
4.0L
Auto(S8)
17
14
24
17
13
24
Bentley
2014
Continental GT
4.0L
Auto(S8)
18
15
24
18
14
24
Continental GTC
4.0L
Auto(S8)
17
14
24
17
14
23
Flying Spur
6.0L W12
Auto(S8)
15
12
20
14
12
20
Bentley
2015 – 2016
Continental GT
4.0L
Auto(S8)
19
15
25
18
15
25
Continental GT Convertible
4.0L
Auto(S8)
17
14
24
16
13
23
Flying Spur
4.0L
Auto(S8)
17
14
24
17
13
24
6.0L W12
Auto(S8)
15
12
20
14
12
20
Bentley
2017
Continental GT
4.0L
Auto(S8)
19
15
25
18
15
25
Continental GT Convertible
4.0L
Auto(S8)
17
14
24
16
13
23
Porsche
2013
Cayenne
3.6
Auto(S8)
19
17
23
19
16
23
Cayenne GTS
4.8
Auto(S8)
17
15
21
16
14
20
Cayenne S
4.8
Auto(S8)
18
16
22
18
15
22
Cayenne Turbo
4.8
Auto(S8)
17
15
22
17
14
21
Porsche
2014
Cayenne
3.6
Auto(S8)
20
17
23
19
17
23
Cayenne GTS
4.8
Auto(S8)
17
15
21
16
14
20
Cayenne S
4.8
Auto(S8)
18
16
22
18
15
22
Cayenne Turbo
4.8
Auto(S8)
17
15
22
17
14
21
Cayenne Turbo S
4.8
Auto(S8)
16
14
20
15
13
20
Porsche
2015
Cayenne S
3.6
Auto(S8)
20
17
24
19
16
24
Porsche
2016
Cayenne
3.6
Auto(S8)
21
19
24
20
17
24
Cayenne GTS
3.6
Auto(S8)
19
16
23
18
16
23
Cayenne S
3.6
Auto(S8)
20
17
24
19
16
24
Cayenne Turbo S
4.8
Auto(S8)
17
14
21
16
14
21
Volkswagen
2013 – 2014
Touareg
3.6L VR6 FSI
Auto(S8)
19
17
23
19
16
23
Volkswagen
2017
Tiguan 4MOTION
2.0L TFSI
Auto(S6)
21
20
24
21
20
23
Volkswagen do Brasil develops its first vehicle for the international market
Original Article
Aptera return, Polestar factory, Bollinger progress, Tesla insurance: The Week in Reverse
What ingredient for electric-car batteries is currently in a state of oversupply?
And which electric-vehicle brand from the past dusted off the mothballs and claimed a 1,000-mile range?
This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending August 30, 2019.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk (r.) and Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong in Shanghai July 10, 2018
On Friday we brought you some reassuring news about Tesla. It has gained a purchase tax exemption on all of its vehicles—although it could still be facing some tariff trouble over the Model S, Model X, and others that it might import from the U.S.
That was just some of the news we brought you this week from China, the world’s largest vehicle market (and EV market). Nio, which has planned to enter the U.S., is offering free battery swapping in its home market. And Polestar, the electrified performance brand related to Volvo, is asserting more independence by ramping up its own factory in China.
Polestar 1 production at plant in Chengdu, China
Meanwhile back in the U.S., Polestar will be considered a standalone automaker for federal EV tax credit eligibility. And we looked ahead about a month to October 1, when GM—with all of its brands counted together—will be faced with another drop in the amount buyers of eligible vehicles like the Chevy Bolt EV can claim.
In California, the biggest electric-car market in the U.S., Tesla launched a new insurance product—although it doesn’t appear to be quite as data-driven as Elon Musk suggested several months ago.
Design for new Aptera electric car, Aug 2019
Before Tesla was taken all that seriously, a completely different electric-vehicle idea was gaining traction. Ten years later, Aptera is returning with essentially that same idea, but with modern battery tech and a range of up to 1,000 miles.
Lincoln is seeking to bolster its demographics by making the most luxurious model in its Aviator SUV lineup a robust plug-in hybrid—albeit a sort of placeholder in the lineup. Meanwhile the closely related Ford Explorer Hybrid, which skips the plug-in range, has been rated at up to 28 mpg, according to the EPA
2020 Ford Explorer hybrid
Also later in the week we considered several future vehicles, through the spy shots of our partner site, Motor Authority. A Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid could take some of the brand’s experience with the Prius Prime and expand it to one of the most popular vehicle segments. And the Volkswagen ID 4X—the ID Crozz as we knew it as a concept—could also arrive in that same popular size class as the RAV4.
With the Frankfurt auto show just a couple weeks away, several more concept-car teasers gave us some glimpses of the future. An Audi AI:Trail concept could show how autonomous driving and off-roading could coexist, while Lexus might finally enter the electric vehicle fold with an urban EV.
Bollinger motors preparing B1 and B2 prototypes – August 2019
Bollinger Motors isn’t headed for mass production, hasn’t gone with outside investors, and isn’t aiming to make passenger vehicles. It is planning to show the production-intent prototypes of its B1 electric SUV and B2 electric pickup at an event in Michigan September 26.
Battery suppliers are facing an unexpected glut of lithium, although other problematic materials like nickel and cobalt will likely keep battery prices from falling any faster than already anticipated.
And on the subject of battery suppliers—and coming back full-circle to China—we started the week off with the news that Tesla has chosen LG Chem to be its primary supplier for vehicle production in China.