Audi shows how very futuristic concepts can still be off-road-focused. Tesla wears “Plaid” at the track. And VW shows wall chargers to go with its electric cars. This and more, here at Green Car Reports. 

Tesla announced Wednesday that a Model S set a new track record at California’s WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Turns out the car that did it is a bit more than what you can currently buy from Tesla; its three-motor powertrain, dubbed “Plaid,” is about a year away from production and will be offered on Model S, Model X, and Roadster. 

Audi is showing that all-electric vehicles with autonomous driving modes don’t have to fit into pre-existing formats. Its Frankfurt auto show concept, called AI:Trail, gets trail-ready with a radically different design. 

The Volvo XC40 plug-in hybrid is already heading out for deliveries in the UK. Here in the U.S. it hasn’t yet confirmed it as part of the product plan, but a fully electric version of the XC40 is on the way. 

Volkswagen has revealed a line of wall chargers to go along with its ID electric cars, including the ID 3 shown in production-ready form earlier this week. U.S. availability for these is still unconfirmed. 

Daimler reportedly has an all-electric performance model on the way through its AMG division. But its CEO Ola Källenius is even willing to admit that the Porsche Taycan sets a new performance bar for EVs.

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