Volkswagen
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Volkswagen has been gung-ho on electric vehicles ever since it was revealed that it used illegal software on diesel vehicles to pass emission tests. The company recently unveiled plans to invest $82.5 billion into electric vehicles over the next five years. So it seems bizarre for Volkswagen's CEO to make this comment at the Geneva Motor Show. “Diesel will see a renaissance in the not-too-distant future because people who drove diesels will realize that it was a very comfortable drive concept. Once the knowledge that diesels are eco-friendly firms up in people’s minds, then for me there’s no reason not to buy one,” said Matthias Mueller. *record scratch* Ye…
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http://www.leftlanenews.com/volkswagen-nms.html Pictures after the jump.
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The workers Volkswagen's Chattanooga assembly plant in Tennessee have made their decision on union representation. On Friday night, retired Tennessee Circuit Court Judge Sam Payne released the results of the three day vote which saw workers say no to UAW representation by a vote of 712 people opposed to 626 people in favor. "On behalf of Volkswagen Group of America, I want to thank all of our Chattanooga production and maintenance employees for their participation in this week's vote. They have spoken, and Volkswagen will respect the decision of the majority," said Frank Fischer, CEO and Chairman of Volkswagen Chattanooga. The decision makes the Chattanooga plant an out…
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We're getting to the point where it is becoming a bad idea mentioning 'could it get any worse' when talking about Volkswagen and the diesel scandal it finds itself embroiled in. Sooner or later, it will get one step worse. Case in point is Volkswagen admitting on Friday that their 3.0L TDI V6 used on a number of their vehicles does violate emission standards. Earlier in November, the EPA and California Air Resources Board (CARB) accused Volkswagen of using a defeat device in a number of vehicles with the 3.0L TDI V6. Volkswagen denied the allegations at the time. But Volkswagen and Audi told EPA and CARB officials this week that yes the 3.0L TDI V6 did violate reg…
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Volkswagen is facing criminal charges over the diesel emission scandal in the U.S. The Wall Street Journal reports that investigators from the U.S. Justice Department have found evidence of criminal wrongdoing. It is unclear what the evidence is. According to sources, federal prosecutors are still trying to figure out what charges should be brought against Volkswagen. Sources go on to say that prosecutors and lawyers from Volkswagen have held preliminary discussions about the case. The two parties are trying to reach a settlement before the end of the year. A matter up for debate is whether the Justice Department will seek a guilty plea or a deferred prosecution agree…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 18, 2013 Volkswagen is planning to shutter all of its naturally-aspirated engines within the next three to four years. This news came from Volkswagen’s executive vice president for group quality, Mark Trahan. “You have to have a turbo these days. We only have one normally aspirated gas engine, and when we go to the next generation vehicle that it’s in, it will be replaced. So three, four years maximum.” That engine is the 3.6L VR6 that is found in the Passat, CC, and Touareg. Source: The Detroit News William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected]…
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Volkswagen's Canadian site has dropped a teaser for the upcoming 2019 Jetta. The single gif reveals a couple of details about the design. One is that the side profile features some sculpting and a character line that possibly runs the whole length of the vehicle. Second is the Jetta's grille is similar to the T-Roc crossover with a pentagonal design. Last month, Volkswagen North America CEO Hinrich Woebcken told journalists that the next-generation Jetta "would have coupe-like form and promises to be "great-looking"." We can't see the coupe-like form in this teaser. At least we won't be waiting too long for the reveal. Volkswagen will show off the 2019 Jetta nex…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 19, 2013 Within the past three years, Audi has shown two different quattro concepts. At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, there was the quattro Concept. Then at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi pulled the covers off the Sport quattro concept. Speaking with Auto Express, Audi's head of design Wolfgang Egger says that the quattro could reach production, but the decision of which one to use is being debated. "With every design concept we do we are thinking about everything becoming reality.” said Egger. “We have done one (designed for MQB platform (quattro concept)) and now we have done the other (on larger MLB pl…
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Audi announced this afternoon that the 3.0L TDI V6 did have a defeat device that allowed the engine to circumvent U.S. clean air laws. In a statement, the German automaker said that it failed to disclose three emission control software functions, also known as auxiliary emissions control devices (AECD) to the various agencies as required by law. One of devices, a 'temperature conditioning of the exhaust‑gas cleaning system' was deemed to be illegal by the EPA as it could detect when it was being tested for emissions and turn on the pollution-control equipment to cut emission levels down. Audi also announced the plan to fix the vehicles that will involve a software…
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Audi has revealed some teaser images for an electric crossover concept that will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. Called the e-tron Quattro, the images show a vehicle having an upright grille, paired with sloping roofline and a tapering rear end. The overall shape of the concept has drag rating of 0.25 cd, the same rating as a Toyota Prius. Power will come from three electric motors - one on the front axle and two on the rear axles. A lithium-ion battery pack sits underneath the passenger compartment. Audi isn't saying how much power the electric motors produce but did say overall range will be over 310 miles. Now this concept is a preview to a produc…
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Volkswagen AG expects starting in 2026 when they roll out their next-generation gas and diesel engines that are currently in development that it will be the end of any new ICE power trains. Michael Jost strategy chief for VW has stated that in some markets already ICE is starting to fad and by 2026 as more EVs enter the market place, the transition will be underway. VW will continue to modify and tweak as needed for markets where there is insufficient charging infrastructure which will carry this last power train line past 2050. For all major markets though, EVs will become the norm. Bloomberg Story
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 9, 2012 The Volkswagen BlueSport roadster, the on and off vehicle could be back on. EVO Magazine spoke with with Uli Hackenberg, the head of engineering with Volkswagen. Hackenberg said he’s been frustrated by the low sales predictions. “dealers are always looking backwards, not forwards… this is particularly the case when a new model is being considered as they don’t have any reference point to guide them, so they look around at the current market and give an estimate based on that,” Hackenberg said. Hakenberg said that the rise of vehicles like the Toyota GT 86 (Scion FR-S) and Subaru BRZ, alongside the u…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 6, 2012 Lamborghini has a very ambitious goal for 2015; lower CO2 emissions by 35% fleet-wide. To achieve this, Lamborghini has introducing start/stop and a cylinder deactivation system on the 2013 Aventador. These two features will cut emissions down by 7%. The company has also revealed that they will use more carbon fiber in the construction of their vehicles to help reduce weight. One option that has been taken off the table for the time being is using a hybrid system. “Due to the size of the cars and due to the weight of the hybridisation it would be impossible for our cars to adopt this current technolog…
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With tougher CAFE standards looming, Audi has got a range of new diesel and hybrid models coming to the US. Next year, Audi has the Q5 crossover and A8 sedan coming with a diesel. However, Audi has put the A6 diesel and Hybrid versions of the A6 and A8 on delay. In the case of the Hybrids, Audi’s US President, Johann De Nysschen told Ward’s Auto that the pushing back the A6 and A8 Hybrids was largely done to “minimize complexity” in the lineup, since there is a Q5 Hybrid coming next year. As for the A6 diesel, no official reason was given. But given the mid-size premium sedan segment in the US is sluggish and most of Audi’s sales gains (14.1% so far in 2011) have been …
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 5, 2012 Audi appears to be looking back at the first-generation TT model for the next-generation TT. Sources tell Autocar that the design of the next-generation TT will take design elements from the first-gen and current TT to help bring back the distinctiveness and impact that first-gen TT had. The next-generation TT will utilize Volkswagen's MQB platform and will have a similar overall size to the current TT but with a wider track. There is also talk of using more aluminum in the TT's structure to help reduce more weight. The next TT will arrive first as a coupe sometime in 2014, with a convertible following …
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A new report alleges that former Volkswagen CEO, Martin Winterkorn knew about the defeat devices two weeks before the official announcement from U.S. regulators. German publication Bild am Sonntag (via Reuters) got their hands on a letter sent on September 4, 2015, to Winterkorn from a manager. The letter said, "In the conversation on 03.09.2015 with the regulator CARB (California Air Resources Board), the defeat device was admitted." Volkswagen's U.S. CEO Michael Horn told a House of Representatives hearing in October that the company came clean about the defeat device on September 3rd. Now this letter could have some serious ramifications for Volkswagen.…
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Back in March, prosecutors in the U.S. filed sealed charges against former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn. But during that same time, Volkswagen's current CEO got a rare safe-passage deal from the U.S. Bloomberg has learned from a couple of sources that the Justice Department has given Herbert Diess a safe-passage deal - basically allows him to travel without the worry of being arrested in connection to the diesel emission scandal. Diess also got a spoken assurance that he would be notified if prosecutors seek to charge him in the diesel emission mess. Being the CEO of a major automaker, Diess needs to travel to various events around the world. By giving him t…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com April 3, 2013 Porsche has unveiled the refreshed 2014 Panamera before its showing at the Shanghai Motor Show later this month and the big news isn't the exterior, its what's underneath the skin. Let's get the minor changes out of the way before we fully dive in. The 2014 Panamera gets minor changes in the exterior with new headlights, a liftgate with a wider rear window, more steeply angled rear window, and a more rounded rear end. Now onto what's under the skin. The 2014 Panamera S and 4S models say farewell to the 4.8L V8 engine and hello to a new 3.0L twin-turbo V6 that produces 420 horsepower and 384 pound-feet o…
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Yesterday, we reported that Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess got a safe-passage deal from the U.S. Justice Department. This type of deal is very unusual and it was speculated that U.S. wasn't planning to charge Diess over the diesel emission scandal, or that he provided some sort of testimony. We might have an answer to how Diess got this deal. German tabloid Bild reports that Diess traveled to the U.S. last week to testify about the diesel emission scandal. Representatives from the FBI and Justice Department were present, as was Larry Thompson, the U.S. monitor appointed last year to oversee reforms at the company. Unfortunately, Bild doesn't mention any sources. R…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 12, 2012 During the first generation cycle of the Porsche Cayenne, the company introduced a high-performance version called the Turbo S. The Turbo S brought forth a 4.5L turbo V8 producing 520 HP. Well, Porsche is doing another Cayenne Turbo S for this generation. The Turbo S uses the same 4.8L turbo V8 from the Cayenne Turbo with some slight modifications. Performance stats are: 520 HP 553 lb-ft of torque 0-60 MPH in 4.2 Seconds Top Speed of 176 MPH Despite all of the performance increases, Porsche says the Turbo S doesn't see a significant change in fuel consumption. The Cayenne Turbo S' exterior …
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It came as a shock to many when Volkswagen admitted that it used illegal software to cheat emission tests with their diesel. But there was one group that wasn't surprised, automakers. Kent Falck, a future product specialist at Volvo said a recent event that many automakers were very suspicious of Volkswagen's emission results with their TDI engines. Falck explained that many were puzzled as to how Volkswagen was able to achieve lower emissions despite using the same suppliers as other automakers. “We have the same suppliers, we have Bosch, we have Denso, we are working with the same partners, so we know this technology doesn’t exist,” said Falck. “I have known tha…
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Volkswagen's diesel emission scandal went deeper this week as the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (known as the KBA) announced on Tuesday that the software Volkswagen uses on their diesel vehicles was deemed illegal. This decision opens up the possibility of lawsuits and penalties against the company, but the extent of this is unknown at this time. As the New York Times states 'it was a turbulent day for the company.' Aside from the KBA announcing the software Volkswagen used was deemed illegal, the company announced monthly sales in the U.S. dropped 25 percent. Volkswagen also announced that 50 employees have stepped forward and provided information about th…
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Despite it being outed only a few days before its reveal, the debut of the Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak concept was quite the surprise at New York. But many of us are wondering the same thing: Why? "We really showed this as a concept without a clear production plan behind it. Our intention [is] to demonstrate that we very seriously look into the American needs. ... Volkswagen wants to be part of this market much more seriously than in the past," said Volkswagen's North American CEO, Hinrich J. Woebcken during a media briefing. Volkswagen's North America office wants to take more control as how the brand is run over the home office. We already saw some inkling of this…
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Volkswagen is looking to limit the damage that has been caused by the diesel emission scandal. According to Automotive News, part of this comes from buying some used TDI model on U.S. dealer lots at pre-crisis prices. Speaking with dealers briefed on the plan, Volkswagen will guarantee the value of used models equipped with 2.0 TDI containing the illegal software sitting on dealer lots. If the vehicles aren't sold within 60 days, Volkswagen will buy them back. In a memo from Volkswagen of America COO Mark McNabb, the program will take three phases. The first phase will have Volkswagen making an inventory of the TDI models to help the company figure out which ones …
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There is finally some good news for owners of the 80,000 vehicles equipped with Volkswagen's 3.0L TDI V6. Today in U.S. Federal Court in San Fransisco, District Court Judge Charles Breyer announced that Volkswagen and the U.S. Government have a reached an agreement on the 3.0L TDI settlement. The AFP in a tweet reports the settlement will total $1 billion. The agreement will see Volkswagen buying back 20.000 models as they cannot be retrofitted with new parts to make them legal. The remaining 60,000 models will be fixed once Volkswagen and U.S. Government agree on one. No matter which option, there will be compensation, although how much is unknown at this time. …
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G. David Felt - Staff Writer Alternative Energy - www.cheersandgears.com VW EV Pikes Peak Racer Tease for 2018 VW attempt to put their Diesel gate behind them was shown today in their press announcement of their return to Pikes Peak racing to set a new world EV auto record on June 24th 2018 in Colorado. This 12.4 mile long drive climbs 4,700 feet to the summit at just over 14,000 feet above sea level. The current record for VW to beat was set last year by Rhys Millen in an EV Prototype at 8 min and 57.118 seconds. VW News Release
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com February 17, 2012 For the past couple of years, the future of the Volkswagen Phaeton was in question. Some said the Phaeton would disappear within a few years, while others said a redesign is in the cards. Now, a decision has been made on the Phaeton’s future. Motor Trend reports that Volkswagen is very interested in keeping the Phaeton alive. "There will be a show car first, then we will build it," a Volkswagen source tells Motor Trend, "The car will be their legacy." Who’s legacy? Most likely the source is talking about Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn and product development head Ulrich Hackenberg. The two have b…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 13, 2012 Just as Porsche is getting ready to begin selling the new Cayenne Diesel here in the states, they announce a more powerful diesel version called the Cayenne S Diesel. The Cayenne S Diesel uses a turbocharged 4.2L V8 with direct injection that produces 382 HP and 850 Nm (627 lb-ft) of torque. Porsche says the V8 diesel is their most powerful diesel engine ever. Its easy to see why when the Cayenne S Diesel posts a 0-60 MPH time of 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 157 MPH. The diesel V8 also has a stop-start system which helps the Cayenne S Diesel fuel economy of 8.3 liters per 100 km on the European cycl…
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Greencar is reporting that VW submitted to EPA and CARB their repair for the 2.0 TDi engines which is pretty much expected to be a software flash. Their story also implies that it is easier in Europe to fix all diesels than here in the US. US Politicians here are stating that due to the need for what is expected to have to be a Urea fix, changes to grill and other hardware components, that VW should be forced to buy back the half a million TDi auto's at fair market price before the news came out and crush them. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100974_volkswagen-proposes-2-0-liter-diesel-fixes-as-crisis-continues The story is a 3 page story with details abo…
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Volkswagen has cleared one hurdle in the form of the 2.0L TDI talks. Now it is working trying to clear the hurdle that is the 3.0L TDI V6. Yesterday in U.S. Federal Court in San Fransisco, Judge Charles Breyer got on update on the talks over the 3.0L TDI V6. Breyer said at the hearing that "substantial progress" is being made between Volkswagen and the U.S. Government. People briefed on the talks tell Reuters that Volkswagen might agree on buying back at least 21,000 older Audi Q7 and Volkswagen Touraeg models and repair the remaining vehicles, but only if regulators agree on the proposed fix. A number of other issues are still undecided such as how much Volksw…
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Volkswagen's reputation has been taking a number of big hits due to the cheating software they used in a number of their diesel models to pass EPA regulations. But a new report says the company is planning to regain the trust of some of their owners. The Truth About Cars learned from a source that Volkswagen will be announcing a program that offers owners of affected TDI models (new and used) to recive a prepaid card. Two cards will be available to owners; the first will be a $500 card that can be used anywhere, while a second card - expected to be around $500 to $750 - can only be used at Volkswagen dealers. Details of this program are expected to be announced th…
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Has it really been a month since Volkswagen and the U.S. Government announced they had reached an agreement over the 2.0L TDI emission scandal? Yes, it has and since then, the two have been hard at work with finalizing the agreement. This week, the two were in Federal Court in San Francisco to give an update. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer said at the brief hearing that the two parties have been making significant progress. The "parties ... have reported that in the month since we last met they have made substantial progress in intensive daily efforts to finalize the agreement, and most importantly are on track to meet the court's deadline," Breyer said. T…
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Porsche Ponders A Return Of The 4-Cylinder William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com September 10, 2011 The last time Porsche offered a 4-Cylinder in any of their vehicles was the 968, which left the US after the 1995 model year. Since then, the smallest engine you could get was a 2.7L, now 2.9L flat-six used in the Boxster and Cayman. Now, Porsche is back at work developing a new four-cylinder engines. Autoweek is reporting that high ranking officials from Porsche’s Weissach research and development center in Germany say the company is hard at work on a new family of horizontally-opposed four-cylinder engines. The engines, expected to come in …
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Yesterday, Volkswagen's supervisory board showed current CEO Matthias Müller the door and announced that Dr. Herbert Diess, the current head of the Volkswagen brand will take his place. This confirms reports earlier this week about a change in leadership. In a statement, Volkswagen said the decision of Müller's departure was “mutual” and will be effective immediately. “Matthias Müller has done outstanding work for the Volkswagen Group. He assumed the chairmanship of the Board of Management in the fall of 2015 when the Company faced the greatest challenge in its history. Not only did he safely navigate Volkswagen through that time; together with his…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com May 4, 2013 Porsche decided to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 911 Turbo by introducing the new 2014 911 Turbo and Turbo S. The new 911 Turbo and Turbo S differentiate themselves from other 911s by having a wider rear end (about 1.1 inches wider than the Carrera 4's rear end), twenty-inch wheels, and a countless number of vents and spoilers on the vehicle. Turbo S models also get full LED headlights, three-stage front spoiler, and a three-way rear wing. Under the hood is a new 3.8L twin-turbocharged flat-six producing 520 (Turbo) or 560 (Turbo S) horsepower. That is paired with a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch ge…
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The last thing Volkswagen wants is another issue on its plate. But this week, the UAW has filed an unfair labor practices charge in Tennessee against the automaker. The filing states that Volkswagen declined to negotiate on a contract with the newly formed collective bargaining unit at the Chattanooga, TN plant. Earlier this month, a group of 152 skilled tradesmen voted at the plant voted on whether or not to form a UAW bargaining unit at the plant. With 71 percent votes saying yes, the unit was formed. At the time, Volkswagen said it would appeal the vote to the National Labor Relations Board. The Wall Street Journal reports that the German automaker hasn't done that…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 26, 2012 The Detroit News reports that Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn said the company expects to build an all-new SUV in the U.S. for the U.S. This confirms a long standing rumor that Volkswagen would build a three-seat crossover for the states. Now, a final decision on whether this goes through or not will take place sometime next year, From what we had know, the three-row crossover will slot between the Tiguan and Touareg and be built at Volkswagen’s plant in Tennessee. No name has been given at this time. Car & Driver says the new three-row crossover will be based on Volkswagen’s new MQB platform (the s…
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Volkswagen has said time and time again they didn't know about the emission cheating until sometime in 2015. But a new report calls this into question. German newspaper Bild am Sonntag (via Reuters) reported over the weekend that an employee known internally as "Winterkorn's fireman" notified senior managers - including Volkswagen's CEO at the time Martin Winterkorn - about the U.S. possibly probing some of VW's diesel vehicles for high emission levels back in May of 2014. The letter came from Volkswagen's product quality and safety department. "It can be assumed that the authorities will investigate VW systems to establish whether Volkswagen has implemented test-…
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Some good news for Volkswagen as the Environmental Protection Agency has approved a fix for a select number of vehicles equipped with the 2.0L TDI. Reuters reports that the fix available for 70,000 vehicles will come in two phases. Right now, vehicles eligible for the fix will get a software update. The following year, Volkswagen will install more software, diesel particulate filter, diesel oxidation catalyst, and NOx catalyst. Now for the bad news, this fix is only available on the 2015 Audi A3, Volkswagen Beetle, Golf, Golf SportWagen, Jetta, and Passat. Volkswagen is still waiting on approval for fixes on the remaining 400,000 vehicles. "With today's approval…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 10, 2013 Audi has revealed the 2015 A3 Cabriolet before its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week. The A3 Cabriolet is Audi's entry-level convertible and becomes the forth member of the A3 family. Using the A3 sedan and not the hatchback as a base, the A3 Cabriolet carries many of the design cues found on modern Audis and is a bit bigger in most dimensions, aside from height. Audi decided not to go with a hardtop and stick with a fabric top. This allows the A3 Cabriolet to raise and lower its roof within eighteen seconds. Powering the A3 Cabriolet are 1.4L TFSI four-cylinder with 140 horsepower,…
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According to the sources, Citi is representing Volkswagen as they shop for a co-investor willing to inject at least $1 billion dollars in Electrify America. This is being shopped among infrastructure groups, electrical companies and other energy companies such as big oil. Volkswagen, Electrify America and Citi have all declined to comment. Yet as various oil companies buy up electrical charging companies and manufactures of charging equipment, Volkswagen is now in the aftermath of their emissions cheating scandal that forced them to spend $2 billion in building out EV charging stations across America from 2017 to 2026 has now looked to join the long term energy supp…
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2012 Volkswagen Passat - Official Pricing Cory Wolfe - CheersandGears.com May 26th, 2011 Today, Volkswagen officially released pricing details on its new 2012 Passat. Set to start below $20,000 before destination charges, it's clear that Volkswagen is taking it's new Americanized entry into the midsize segment seriously. As priced, the new Passat will undercut many of its biggest rivals by a few hundred dollars or fall right in line with the competition. The news alot of people have been eager to hear is where Volkswagen's latest TDi diesel will be priced at. The answer is $25,995 before destination and that includes 17 inch alloy wheels, leatherette …
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Last week, we brought you a report that Audi executives confirmed the existence of the RS3 sedan and said it would be going into production. We also learned some possible details about the new RS such as a new turbocharged five-cylinder engine capable of producing over 400 horsepower and a new front end. This week, a YouTube user called 'Ron Bolton' uploaded a video that was supposedly recorded at this meeting and shows the reveal of the RS3 sedan. The video also confirms some of the details in our previous report such as the turbocharged five-cylinder engine (producing up to 400 horsepower the person in the video says), larger brakes, and new suspension tuning. The vid…
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Last week, we brought you a report that Audi executives confirmed the existence of the RS3 sedan and said it would be going into production. We also learned some possible details about the new RS such as a new turbocharged five-cylinder engine capable of producing over 400 horsepower and a new front end. This week, a YouTube user called 'Ron Bolton' uploaded a video that was supposedly recorded at this meeting and shows the reveal of the RS3 sedan. The video also confirms some of the details in our previous report such as the turbocharged five-cylinder engine (producing up to 400 horsepower the person in the video says), larger brakes, and new suspension tuning. The vid…
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Currently Volkswagen has 588 dealers in the U.S., and sold 256,830 vehicles last year. But coming up in seven years, VW has set a goal of selling 800,000 vehicles in the U.S., and the current number can’t handle that goal. Back in April, head of VW of America Jonathan Browning, said there would be an "evolutionary" increase in dealers for the next couple of years, after which a "radical change" would be necessary. When would this radical change happen? "But by 2014/15 we will have to add dealers across the U.S. to achieve our long-term objectives," said Browning said to Automotive News this week. Browning said he predicts the brand to sell in excess of 300,000 cars th…
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The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a civil suit against Volkswagen today for allegedly violating the Clean Air Act by using illegal cheating devices on nearly 600,000 diesel vehicles. "The United States will pursue all appropriate remedies against Volkswagen to redress the violations of our nation's clean air laws," said Assistant Attorney General John Cruden. A senior official at the Department of Justice tells Reuters the penalties in the lawsuit could cost the German automaker billions of dollars. The official also says the suit doesn't preclude the Justice Department from filing criminal charges against Volkswagen. The suit will be filed in the Easte…
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Volkswagen or VW to the bulk of society launched their e-Mobility site with links to 6 BEVs that are launched or near launch and their largest assembly plant. E-mobility | Volkswagen Newsroom (volkswagen-newsroom.com) What is e-mobility? At a Glance, this is what it is: E-offensive: Volkswagen has launched the world's largest e-offensive. The Group is investing 35 billion euros. Models: By 2030, Volkswagen will have launched about 70 all-electric models across the Group. ID. Family: The newly developed, all-electric model family has started in 2020. Big goals: In 2025, the Volkswagen brand intends to sell…
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China is an expensive place to buy a foreign car thanks to tariffs on imports. This is why many automakers outside of China set up joint-ventures with Chinese ones to avoid them. Porsche is trying another way to make their vehicles less expensive by offering less power. Automotive News Europe reports that the German sports car builder will be offering a 250 horsepower version of the 718 Boxster and Cayman for 600,000 Yuan (about $90,000 at the time of this writing). The 600,000 price tag is "a magical threshold for customers in China," according to Jan Roth, head of the Porsche 718 line. "A lot of the TTs that Audi sells in China, the smaller displacement 1.8-lite…
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William Maley Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com May 16, 2012 When Lamborghini introduced the new Urus at the at the Beijing Motor Show last month, we were wondering what would be powering it. Automotive News had the chance to talk with Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini's Development chief about what could lie under the Urus' hood. Reggiani said that Lamborghini hasn't decided on an engine, but a V8 is a strong possibility. "Such a car needs huge torque at low revolutions rather than high peak power, therefore a V-8 twin-turbo is an interesting possibility," Reggiani said. The engine that could be used is the 4.2L 450 HP V8 unit Audi uses in their RS models. Lamborgh…
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As more manufacturers begin to add more technologies (keyless entry, advanced infotainment system, and online connectivity), the danger of having a vehicle hacked increases. We saw this first-hand last year as two security researchers revealed a number of security holes in FCA's UConnect system that allowed them to access critical vehicle functions such as braking and steering. Now a new research paper reveals 100 million Volkswagen Group vehicles going back to 1995 have a serious security issue that can allow someone to unlock the vehicle without a key. Wired reports a group of researchers at the University of Birmingham and a German engineering firm were able to int…
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By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com January 14, 2013 Audi is making sure to cover both sides of the extreme with A7 lineup. On one end is the A7 diesel that promises performance and very good fuel economy. On the other end is the new 2014 RS7 shown at the Detroit Auto Show today. The RS7 uses a 4.0L twin-turbo V8 producing 560 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. That power is sent through an eight-speed automatic down to Audi's quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. 0-60 MPH takes a blistering 3.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 155 MPH (electronically limited). However, you can opt for the dynamic or dynamic plus package which raises the top s…
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Audi Promises New Models Will Be Put On A Diet William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com September 21, 2011 There is a problem in the automotive industry named fatititus. Essentially cars are getting heavier and heavier due to all equipment that are put into vehicles. But with new fuel standards coming, automakers realize they need to cut the weight out. One automaker, Audi has made the ambitious announcement that every next generation Audi will be lighter than the model it replaces. Speaking with Car & Driver, Audi’s global marketing chief Peter Schwarzenbauer said the next generation Q7 SUV will lose 700 lbs. How will it be done? Using m…
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William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com October 3, 2012 Volkswagen made some big announcements today concerning a new model that will be premiering at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show and pricing for another model. We'll start with the new model first. Volkswagen revealed the new Beetle convertible a month ahead of its official unveiling at the L.A. Auto Show. The soft-top has a similar roofline to the normal Beetle when its up. Want to put the top down, it will only take about ten seconds. Also, Volkswagen engineered a system that will pop two computer-actuated bars behind the rear seat within four milliseconds in the event of a rollover. The engine lineup…
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