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BMW denies conspiring with rivals on diesel emissions systems
VW isn't the only German automaker reeling from the effects of diesel emissions scandals. BMW is denying Der Spiegel allegations that it not only colluded with Daimler and the Volkswagen Auto Group (including Audi and Porsche) on the designs and prices for AdBlue diesel emissions treatment systems, but fell short of European exhaust standards. While the newspaper claims that BMW's thousand-plus meetings with rivals amounted to a "cartel," BMW insists that the meetings were simply meant to create a Europe-wide infrastructure for AdBlue. It also claims that the technology (which injects urea into the mix to help reduce emissions) meets the latest European requirements, and that it can update the software on older cars to meet that standard.
Porsche installs its first high-speed electric car chargers
Porsche knows that electric vehicles are the future, and it just took a big step to prepare for that future. The performance car brand just opened a new office in Berlin, and the new facility includes the company's first two ultra-fast 800-volt chargers (one is pictured below). They can 'only' charge existing EVs at up to a 150kW charge rate (which is still faster than a 120kW Tesla Supercharger), but they can handle up to 350kW for future cars. For Porsche's upcoming Mission E, that would mean an 80 percent charge in 15 minutes. That's longer than a typical stop at the gas station, but short enough that you don't have to plan your EV trips around charging station visits.
'Forza Motorsport 7' makes the jump to 4K on Xbox One X
It's official: Forza Motorsport is back. Microsoft unveiled the latest iteration of its flagship racing series at E3 2017, and as you'd expect, it's upgraded for the current era with nods to Windows 10, eSports and Project Scorpio -- excuse us, make that the Xbox One X. Turn 10 boss Dan Greenawalt showed off Forza Motorsport 7 running at 4K and 60 frames per second, while also adding dynamic weather effects. Adding feature players have been asking for repeatedly throughout the last few years, rain (but not snow?) can impact your races, with puddles forming on the track dynamically. The unveiling also served as a premiere for an all-new car, the 2018 Porsche 911 GT2 RS. We'll be able to try that car out virtually this week, and so will you -- along with 700 others -- when the game arrives on October 3rd. Interestingly, the YouTube description lists the release date on Xbox One X as "holiday," so it's possible the upgraded version may arrive later. Update: The press release says the game is coming to the Xbox family of devices (plus Windows 10 PCs) on October 3rd, and that Ultimate Edition buyers will have early access starting September 29th.
ICYMI: Bulletproof origami shields and hoverbikes
Today on In Case You Missed It: Finally, the best part of Return of the Jedi is becoming a reality. Hoversurf Inc. is building actual hoverbikes for folks to ride. Well, not right away. It'll be a few years before you can buy one. But at least we can start saving all your nickels and dimes for a time when we can go barreling through the Redwoods like Luke and Leia.
VW to pour $200 million more into an anti-pollution fund
Believe it or not, Volkswagen still isn't done paying for its diesel emissions scandal. Reuters understands that the car maker has agreed to pay over $200 million extra into a US Environmental Protection Agency fund devoted to reducing pollution created by VW's diesel emissions cheating. The company had already agreed to spend $2.7 billion over three years, but the extra money will cover the 80,000 3-liter diesels that violated emissions limits -- previously, it was only accounting for 2-liter vehicles. Barring surprises, the deal could be made official as soon as the 19th.
Car makers plan grid of super-fast EV chargers in Europe
It's all well and good to create electric car charging networks to help you on long drives, but merely having stations isn't enough. What use are abundant chargers if you spend ages waiting for your battery to replenish? Thankfully, at least some big automakers are aware of this. BMW, Daimler, Ford and the Volkswagen Auto Group are forming a joint venture that will install a grid of super-fast EV chargers along major European highways. And we do mean fast -- they could supply up to 350kW of power, or nearly triple the 120kW that Tesla Superchargers offer. So long as your car supported that kind of input, you could be back on the road in several minutes.
Porsche will hire over 1,400 employees to build its electric cars
Porsche first unveiled its electric car, the Mission E, last December as a luxury model fit to compete with Tesla's Model S. 1,000 new jobs would be created to bring the concept vehicle to life, but today they increased the total to more than 1,400, likely to channel good press and move beyond its parent company Volkswagen's emissions scandal.
Regulators reject plan to fix 85,000 diesel Volkswagens
Although Volkswagen has those ambitious plans to launch 30 new electric vehicles in the next 10 years, the German automaker is still on the hook for that $14.7 billion class-action settlement related to the diesel emissions scandal. While VW has already agreed to buy back nearly half a million 2.0L diesel engine vehicles, the California Air Resources Board rejected the company's plan to fix another 85,000 3.0L diesel VWs, Audis and Porsches that are still on the road.
Volkswagen ponders a luxury Uber rival with Porsche cars
Last week, the Volkswagen group dumped $300 million into Gett, a taxi hailing-cum-ride sharing app that's big outside of the US. Now, the company has revealed that it's pondering a rival to Uber Black by offering private drivers access to its higher-end vehicles. Details are scarce since it's a single line reference in a very long press release, but VW says that it's looking at a "special chauffeur service" that features "premium brands, such as Audi and Porsche." What that looks like in reality is anyone's guess, although the idea of getting ferried around in an Audi RS 7 does have some appeal.
Porsche chief is no fan of self-driving cars
Porsche might be embracing electric cars and hybrids, but it's not about to welcome autonomous driving tech with open arms. Company chief Oliver Blume has utterly rejected the prospect of a self-driving Porsche, arguing that its owners are the sort who want to drive themselves. The executive doesn't pull any punches, either -- he says it's about enticing as using a "Rolex for boiling eggs," and adds that an iPhone (or rather, its technology) belongs "in your pocket, not on the street." Tell us how you really feel, Oliver.
Porsche green lights its all-electric Mission E concept
You might have to wait a few years to get behind the wheel of one, but the first all-electric Porsche is happening. The automaker announced that its Mission E, a concept first revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, will go into production. Porsche says that it'll invest 700 million euros (around $762 million) at its main site in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen to help with the project. Among the renovations are a new paint shop and assembly facility alongside an expansion of the engine shop to build the electric motors and a larger body shop. In total, the company expects Mission E production to create 1,000 new jobs.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Tesla Model S recall, and more!
When a problem comes along, you must fix it. This week Tesla noticed a defective seatbelt in one of its Model S sedans, so the automaker immediately issued a recall for all 90,000 vehicles on the road out of "an abundance of caution." In other transportation news, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin beat out Elon Musk's SpaceX in the race to develop a rocket that can return intact from space. Porsche announced plans to offer a hybrid version of one of the most-loved sports cars of all time. We also spotted several outlandish infrastructural hazards: a three-day traffic jam snared drivers in Kenya and a highway suddenly lifted towards the sky and splintered into pieces in California.
VW will reportedly offer cash to cheated diesel car drivers
If you're feeling burned by Volkswagen's decision to cheat on diesel emissions tests, you might get some compensation for your troubles. Sources for The Truth About Cars understand that VW will launch a "TDI Goodwill Program" that compensates diesel car drivers with cash in the form of prepaid cards. In the US, you'd get both a $500 universal card as well as a VW-only card worth $500 to $750. The automaker isn't confirming details just yet, but it tells the New York Times that it's planning an announcement on Monday. Dealers also tell the newspaper that they're aware of a program in the works, although they don't know the specifics. It may not include the expanded range of cars reportedly tainted by the scandal, though, since VW is denying claims that it cheated with some models.
Google denies scooping up your car's data through Android Auto
If you ask Motor Trend, Porsche is leery of supporting Android Auto. The sports car badge supposedly refused to use it due to an agreement that required sending Google tons of data about a vehicle, from its speed to its oil temperature. That would be pretty damning if true -- but it's not, according to the search firm. Google tells The Verge that it doesn't collect any of the information mentioned in MT's Porsche piece, and that you only opt in to sharing things that improve your Android Auto experience, such as hands-free control and navigation.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: new EV concept cars and Napmobiles
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Up until now, Tesla has blazed a trail in the electric vehicle market -- but the major automakers are finally starting to catch up. This past week Porsche unveiled its new Mission E electric car, which packs over 600 horsepower and recharges in 15 minutes flat. Meanwhile, Audi showcased a sleek all-electric SUV to rival the Tesla Model X, and Mercedes-Benz debuted a car that can actually transform at high speeds. Even LA is jumping on the green-car bandwagon -- the city just announced plans to launch the largest electric vehicle fleet in the US. If you prefer pedal-powered transportation, don't miss out on a chance to win a Public V7 bike in our back-to-school giveaway -- it only takes a second to enter!
ICYMI: Internet of balls, telepresence tourists and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-122321{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-122321, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-122321{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-122321").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A new basketball has a tracking chip that can tell the difference between a swish and airball. It also syncs with an app that tracks stats and lets the user know how they're doing. Now even the ultimate staycation lazybums can still tour museums and famous spots around the US with telepresence robots. Here's hoping they don't meet the same fate as HitchBot. And Tesla has some competition from Porsche, as it unveils its concept car for an all electric luxury ride.
'Forza' finally gets some Porsche love
There's been a Porsche-sized hole in the Forza roster for quite awhile, but that changes tomorrow. The German automaker's coming to Forza Horizon 2's open world with 10 models, according to our sister site Autoblog. The pack's $9.99 and comes with a handful of new Bucket List challenges, Rivals events and over a dozen new achievements for the Gamerscore hungry. Rides hit a wide swath of Porsche's history, with the 1970 914/6, 1987 959 all the way up to a 2015 Macan Turbo on offer. Apparently gaming giant Electronic Arts had to sign off on the deal because of its exclusive agreement for Porsche cars to appear in the likes of the Need for Speed and Real Racing franchises. Whether or not that means we'll see any of the German sports cars in the upcoming Forza Motorsport 6 isn't exactly clear but the E3 trade show is only a week away. Update: The Turn10 press release says yes, there will be Porsches in Forza Motorsport 6, and you can check out a live stream showing off the new additions embedded after the break.
Porsche offers to put modern tech in the dash of your classic 911
Older sports cars are great for hitting the open road, but let's face it, they lack the bells and whistles of modern automobiles. Porsche is looking to help, though, with a new version of its Radio Navigation System for those older vehicles. On top of turn-by-turn directions, the Bluetooth unit sorts hands-free calls with ports for playing tunes from an SD card, iPod, USB stick or via an auxiliary cable. So if you have a Porsche 911 up to type 993, or a 4- or 8-cylinder that dates back to 1965, you're in luck. Best of all, this new unit sports the overall look of those classic interiors, rather than a modern faceplate from the likes of Pioneer or Alpine. The automaker has offered to outfit older cars with navigation systems before, but this more robust upgrade costs €1,184 (around $1,342). Unfortunately, US pricing and availability hasn't been announced just yet.
Automakers promise to limit the data they collect from your car (updated)
A modern car is potentially loaded with data: it could be collecting performance stats, where you've been and your internet usage. How do you know that it's not secretly sending that data to advertisers and insurers? You might not have to worry much longer. The Auto Alliance (which includes most major American and German brands) has published a set of privacy principles that will limit both the info these companies collect from your car and dictate how they handle it. If all goes according to plan, the voluntary rules will kick in with the 2017 model year as well as any services that launch in 2016.
Porsche and Mercedes want electric cars that can fight Tesla
German automakers aren't strangers to high-end electric cars, but they've typically focused on supercars instead of sedans -- a problem when Tesla is rapidly encroaching on their business. At last, though, it appears that die Deutschen are gearing up to fight Tesla on its home turf. Manager Magazin has sources claiming that Porsche and Mercedes-Benz are developing all-electric vehicles that would gun directly after the Model S. Details of these new rides are scarce, but they'd reportedly have a range of at least 250 miles. Porsche's car would be a smaller take on the Panamera you see here, while Mercedes has so far committed only to an EV that would compare to its E- or S-class sedans.
