VW Group
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As any experienced journalist knows, you hear lots of good stuff in the corridors and private conversations of any large industry event where media are present. That applies to auto shows too. Which is how we came to hear an intriguing rumor about the possible production direction of the next-generation Volkswagen Beetle. DON'T MISS: VW ID: more details of all-electric concept car at Paris Motor Show Our source for this story knows who he is, but out of professional courtesy, we've kept his name out of this article. Here's the background. At the Paris Motor Show media preview that wrapped up...
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What advice would you give a friend with a VW diesel? Our poll results
It's the question on hundreds of thousands of VW diesel owners' minds: what should I do? Should I simply sell the car back to Volkswagen, now that I know what amount I'm likely to be offered, or should I wait to find out what any modifications might entail? An article we did three weeks ago looking...
John Voelcker -
CA regulator to start testing VW TDI diesel modifications for all versions
The California Air Resources Board will test proposed modifications for Volkswagen 2.0-liter TDI models.
Stephen Edelstein -
VW diesel deception known by highest execs, lawsuits say
Every scandal comes down to a set of related questions: who knew what, and when did they know it? Thus far, in the VW diesel emission scandal, those questions remain unanswered. A report from an independent inquiry into the entire chain of events, commissioned by VW Group and conducted by law firm...
John Voelcker -
VW diesel plan gets preliminary approval, but buyback offers won't start yet
As expected, a federal district-court judge gave preliminary approval yesterday to a plan for Volkswagen to buy back or modify hundreds of thousands of 2.0-liter diesel vehicles sold from 2009 through 2015. The cars, sold by VW and Audi, contained "defeat device" software that kept their emissions...
John Voelcker -
VW likely to build electric cars in North America by 2020: executive
Volkswagen may build an electric car in North America beginning in 2020.
Stephen Edelstein -
Volkswagen reportedly hopes to sell 1 million electric cars within the next decade.
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Fix for Audi, VW, Porsche V-6 diesels closer to approval: report
Last November, the EPA announced that nearly 100,000 cars and SUVs fitted with VW Group's 3-liter V-6 diesel engines violated the Clean Air Act. The agency said at the time that their emissions were up to nine times the legal limit in some circumstances. While that's better than the figure of "up...
John Voelcker -
How VW's 3-liter diesel cheat worked; fate unclear for V-6 TDI vehicles
After last month's announcement of a plan that could pull hundreds of thousands of illegally polluting VW Group diesel cars off the road, one out of every six TDI owners is still in limbo. That's because the plan covers only the 482,000 cars equipped with Volkswagen's 2.0-liter 4-cylinder...
Aaron Cole -
VW diesel fallout: hot-selling Porsche Macans finally certified by EPA
The 2017 Porsche Macan was held up due to a lengthy emissions-certification process.
Stephen Edelstein -
VW dealers' reparations talks with company: no deal so far
Volkswagen dealers met with executives at the recent National Automobile Dealers Association convention.
Stephen Edelstein -
VW diesel emissions scandal: what you need to know in 10 questions (updated)
Friday, March 18th, will mark six months since the news that Volkswagen deliberately circumvented U.S. EPA emissions laws on so-called "clean diesel" models sold from 2009 through 2015. That news hit the automotive world like a bombshell, and led to consequences for VW Group that are still...
John Voelcker -
German automakers are both famously opaque in their management and remarkably leaky about their future product plans. And in the wake of the Volkswagen diesel emission scandal, now in its sixth month, VW Group has been turned upside down, shaken, and stirred. But will the changes be enough to break the company's historic arrogance and top-down culture, and ensure that such a thing can't happen again? DON'T MISS: What Ordinary Germans Think About VW's Diesel Emission Scandal That's a question that's quietly discussed among industry analysts and automotive journalists. While it's one that can...
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What Ordinary Germans Think About VW’s Diesel Emission Scandal
The revelation last fall that Volkswagen had intentionally covered up the true emission levels of several diesel-powered cars, including some sold under premium brands Audi and Porsche, came as a shock to many--not least those of us in the media. The ongoing scandal affects millions of vehicles...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Volkswagen, EPA Unlikely To Settle Before End Of March: Report
Five months after it first hit the press, U.S. owners of 580,000 diesel vehicles with Volkswagen TDI engines are no closer to knowing how or when their cars will be modified than they were in mid-September. And if a report last week by the Reuters news service is accurate, they have at least...
John Voelcker -
Next Volkswagen e-Golf To Have At Least 200 Miles Of Range
When it launched in fall 2014, the Volkswagen e-Golf electric car all but duplicated the Nissan Leaf in range and efficiency: 83 miles and 116 MPGe against the Leaf's 84-mile and 114-MPGe ratings. Since then, the Leaf has gotten an upgrade to 107 miles, and an increase is en route for the e-Golf as...
John Voelcker -
Bentley To Be Fourth VW Group Brand To Offer Electric Car
If an electric Audi is good, then an electric Audi plus an electric Volkswagen plus an electric Porsche plus an electric Bentley must be better, yes? At least, that would seem to be the thinking at VW Group, which over the last six months has announced plans for the first three brands to launch...
John Voelcker -
VW Submits V-6 Diesel-Update Plan For Audi, Porsche, VW Models
Volkswagen submitted proposed modifications for 3.0-liter V-6 TDI models this week.
Stephen Edelstein -
Another week brings more new stories on the diesel-emission cheating scandal that threatens to dig Volkswagen deeper into a ditch of its own making. Following reports in German newspapers late last week suggesting that the "defeat device" software was an "open secret" in VW's engine group, the company bit back yesterday. VW Group CEO Matthias Müller told reporters at a reception that the sources for the Sueddeutsche Zeitung report "have no idea about the whole matter." DON'T MISS: VW Diesel Cheating An 'Open Secret' In Engine Group: Report Müller's statement, as reported by Reuters...
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VW CEO Müller: Automotive Future Must Not Be Left To Silicon Valley
Like many automakers, Volkswagen Group has had a research facility in Silicon Valley for many years. In 2011, Its Electronics Research Laboratory--first launched in 1998--tripled its size and moved northward from Palo Alto to Belmont. It now has almost 100 people. But new VW Group CEO Matthias...
John Voelcker -
VW Diesel Cheating An 'Open Secret' In Engine Group: Report
A German newspaper has reported that the use of "defeat device" software to cheat on U.S. emissions laws was widespread knowledge within the diesel-engine group at Volkswagen headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. And, it said, one whistleblower involved in the deception had alerted a senior manager...
John Voelcker -
VW Appoints New Electric-Car Leader From Supplier Continental
Volkswagen hired a Continental executive to oversee its new electric-car development group.
Stephen Edelstein -
VW Buybacks, Payments For Hard-To-Fix Diesels Will Cost Billions
Hundreds of thousands of diesel-VW owners are waiting to find out how their cars will be updated to meet emissions standards, once modifications are approved by regulators. And Volkswagen Group has clearly been tarnished by the emission-cheating scandal, which affects 11 million cars worldwide. But...
John Voelcker -
Volkswagen Proposes 2.0-Liter Diesel Fixes As Crisis Continues
Being a Volkswagen executive these days may be one of the more thankless jobs in the auto industry. Among groups including car buyers, business travelers, and environmental advocates, the first association with the brand now is often now "diesel emission scandal.” But differing customer...
John Voelcker