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Volkswagen ends deal with self-driving startup Aurora
Volkswagen is cutting ties with Silicon Valley self-driving startup Aurora after only a year, amidst talks of working with Ford's Argo AI instead. Financial Times reported the news of the split, adding that VW expects to reach a deal with Argo AI this summer. Sources told FT that VW declined to renew its contract with Aurora after a trial run, ending some projects earlier this year.
Walmart has more than 120 ultra-fast EV charging stations in 34 states
Walmart has come a long way since it unveiled plans to add Electrify America chargers to its stores. The big-box retailer now has over 120 of the VW-backed fast EV charging stations across its stores, giving drivers in 34 states a way to top up while they're shopping. There are plans to continue expanding, too. Neither partner said how many more stations were coming, but Reuters sources claimed that 180 more stations were coming before the end of 2019.
VW starts taking deposits for its ID.3 electric hatchback
VW is finally ready to take €1,000 deposits for the production version of its I.D. electric hatchback in 29 European countries. Now called the ID.3, the finished car (which won't come with the colorful camouflage above) is initially available in a loaded, limited-edition "1st" model that includes the mid-tier, 261-mile battery as well as navigation, voice control and large wheels. Pricing will start at "less than €40,000" (about $44,800), but there will also be a 1st Plus variant with additional lighting and design touches as well as a 1st Max with an augmented reality heads-up display and a panoramic glass roof.
VW's eGon is a driveable, educational EV skeleton
How do you illustrate the inner workings of electric cars without resorting to plain cutaway images and videos? If you're VW, you make a rolling skeleton on wheels. The company has unveiled an eGon model that strips the e-Golf down to its inner workings, but remains driveable -- you wouldn't take it on the highway, but you could get a feel for how everything comes together when it's moving. You'll also find QR codes across the car to provide more information about individual components.
VW's ID Roomzz previews a full-size electric SUV due in 2021
Volkswagen's growing electric car lineup will include something for those who like the reassurance of a full-size SUV. The automaker has unveiled an ID Roomzz concept that previews a three-row SUV headed for production in 2021. It's stylistically similar to the smaller Crozz and will muster a comparable 301HP through its dual motors, but the added bulk cuts its range to 280 miles on the WLTP testing cycle and gives it a still-respectable 0-62MPH time of 6.6 seconds. In the concept, though, the interior is everything -- it's designed with self-driving tech in mind.
VW tests self-driving cars on the streets of Hamburg
VW will need to hustle if it's going to make automated driving a practical reality by 2025, and it appears it's moving quickly. The automaker is now testing self-driving versions of the e-Golf in real-world conditions in Hamburg -- the first time its driverless vehicles have roamed a major German city. They're Level 4 vehicles (fully autonomous in most situations) that will putt around a roughly 1.9-mile section of a "digital test bed," but they'll have to contend with urban traffic like anyone else.
VW and its former CEO charged with defrauding investors in diesel scandal
The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that it is charging Volkswagen and its former CEO Martin Winterkorn for defrauding US investors during the company's "Dieselgate" scandal. The agency accused the company and its top executive of issuing more than $13 billion in bonds and securities in the US despite knowing that more than half a million vehicles in the market failed to meet emissions standards.
What to expect from the Geneva Motor Show 2019
The Geneva Motor Show is about to begin and this year the focus will be electrification. From Audi to Volkswagen, the halls of the Palexpo will be filled the future of passenger transportation.
VW turned the Jetta into a brand for young Chinese car-buyers
Many Chinese citizens who live outside a major city center don't own cars, but the country's growing middle class has its sights set on individual ownership. That's a business opportunity for automakers, who already see China as a huge market, and it's why Volkswagen just announced Jetta, a new brand aimed at China's younger customers.
VW may pour $1.7 billion into Ford's self-driving car venture
VW and Ford may be serious about partnering on self-driving cars. Wall Street Journal sources claim VW has tentatively agreed to invest a total of $1.7 billion in Ford's autonomy-focused Argo subsidiary and turn it into an "equally held joint venture." While the exact plans for the partnership weren't mentioned, VW could bring a number of its related efforts to the table, including its Moia mobility service brand as well as Audi's Autonomous Intelligent Driving group.
Volkswagen will use Tesla batteries at its charging stations
Volkswagen announced today that it will be using Tesla Powerpack battery storage units on more than 100 of its Electrify America charging stations in the US, according to Reuters. The battery packs, which will be installed over the course of 2019, will be placed in regions where there is a higher concentration of electric vehicle owners in order to provide power during heavy charging hours. The packs will primarily be placed at charging stations on the west coast.
Volkswagen electrifies the dune buggy
Volkswagen has created a fully electric dune buggy concept, modernizing the Beetle-based roofless vehicles from the '60s and '70s. The automaker based the vehicle on its modular electric drive matrix (MEB) platform, which also serves as the basis for a $23,000 Tesla rival that's reportedly in the works. To stay true to the original dune buggies, Volkswagen designed the car with no fixed roof and conventional doors. It also created the vehicle with open side sills and outfitted it with large wheels and off-road tires.
VW may open its electric car platform to competitors
Volkswagen's bid to widen the reach of its electric car platform might extend well beyond Ford trucks and vans. Company strategy head Michael Jost told Der Tagesspiegel in an interview that the company wanted to make its MEB platform a standard outside of VW Group cars. It was already in "advanced discussions" with some competitors, he added. While he didn't name those brands, Ford is already exploring further team-ups.
Volkswagen will produce its own car batteries and mobile EV chargers
Volkswagen's been trying to claw back its credibility with an ambitious commitment to EVs ever since its $18.2 billion dollar emissions scandal. Its lofty production goals aside, the German manufacturer's latest green move could see it kickstart Europe's car battery industry. In back-to-back announcements, VW said today that it will start building car batteries -- as well as recycling old cells -- and mobile EV charging stations (which are heading to the streets of its hometown of Wolfsburg in the first half of this year). VW is promising to pump $870 million (£754 million) into the venture by 2020.
VW and Ford may work together on EVs and autonomous vehicles
In the latest instance of major automakers teaming up, Volkswagen and Ford will work together on commercial vans and pickups, and they could start selling such vehicles by 2022. The companies are also exploring potential collaboration on electric vehicles, self-driving cars and transportation services.
VW will build its US electric cars in Tennessee
Volkswagen just made a major commitment to electric car production in the US. The company has revealed that it will open its first dedicated EV factory for North America at its existing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Production won't start until 2022, but VW claimed the new plant will create 1,000 jobs. The first vehicle out of the gate will be the ID Crozz SUV, which will go on sale in the country in 2020 -- in other words, those initial models will likely come from outside the country.
VW's mobile quick charging station is a juice pack for your EV
Volkswagen wants to ensure you'll always have enough range to drive an electric car home after a big game or concert. The company has offered a peek at a mobile station whose 360kWh charging capacity and 100kW DC quick charging can top up as many as 15 EVs (including, of course, VW's ID cars) with an average time of 17 minutes. Instead of having to find a dedicated station after an event, you could recharge in the parking lot -- think of it as a battery bank for your car instead of your phone. And if it runs low? The organizers just have to swap it out for a fresh one.
Watch Bugatti test the first 3D-printed brake caliper
Back at the start of 2018, Bugatti revealed that it was working on the first 3D-printed brake caliper. Now that the year is winding to a close, it's finally ready to show the caliper in action. Bugatti has posted a video (below) of a test that simulated braking at speeds as high as 249MPH. As you might imagine, it was quite the show -- the disc alone reached temperatures up to 1,877F, and there were plenty of flames and sparks as the caliper and disc reached their limit.
Volkswagen buys Volvo's connected car service
Volkswagen has made clear its ambition for unified internet services for its vehicles -- earlier this year it announced its partnership with Microsoft to build the Volkswagen Automotive Cloud. Now, it's pushing its agenda further, having acquired a controlling stake in Volvo's WirelessCar service.
VW's I.D. EV will deliver a 300 mile range for the price of a Golf
Volkswagen's Jürgen Stackmann has revealed a few key details about its mass-market I.D. electric car, including the range and how you'll buy one. It'll have a 550 km range by Europe's new WLTP method (345 miles), which equates to around 290 miles using more stringent EPA testing. The I.D. will also cost the same as "a modern Golf diesel," he said, which is between £19,000 and £25,000, ($24,000 to $32,000). According to Top Gear, the lower end of the price range will be for a model with a smaller battery that offers about 206 miles of range.
