2012 Audi A7 Prestige on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Recharge Wrap-up: Audi Q5 EV built in Mexico, Tesla's $1.26B expansion

Audi will build an electric version of its Q5 in Mexico, according to anonymous sources close to the matter. Audi plans to shift all Q5 manufacturing to its $1.3 billion factory in San Jose Chiapa, which is set to open this fall. Initially, the company will build internal-combustion Q5s at the plant, with an electric version to be introduced in the near future. One source tells Automotive News Europe that Audi is currently training personnel ahead of the facility's opening. The Q5 is currently built in Ingolstadt, Germany, with some being assembled in China and India for sale in those markets. Read more from Automotive News Europe. Tesla is applying for $106 million in tax breaks as it expands its Fremont factory to the tune of $1.26 billion. The expansion comes as the electric automaker looks to accelerate production in order to meet demand for the upcoming Model 3 sedan, and the buildout will include a new production line dedicated to the model. Tesla plans to ramp up production to 500,000 units a year in 2018, though Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the Fremont factory could potentially build a million cars annually. Read more at Electrek. Formula E is partnering with the sports charity StreetGames to help bring sports opportunities to disadvantaged communities. DS Virgin Racing driver Sam Bird, who is currently in third place in the 2015/2016 season's driver standings, will head to his hometown to join Roehampton FC for a soccer tournament on June 27. "If I hadn't been a racing driver, I'd like to think I could have had a career as a professional footballer," Bird says, "so I might be able to give them a few hints and tips on ball control as well as explaining car control!" StreetGames will also be represented at the London ePrix with sports activities for attendees. Read more from Formula E. Related Video: Featured Gallery Tesla Model 3 View 18 Photos Related Gallery 2014 Audi Q5 TDI View 28 Photos News Source: Automotive News Europe, Electrek, Formula E Government/Legal Green Motorsports Plants/Manufacturing Audi Tesla Green Automakers Electric recharge wrapup

Volkswagen decides to keep Lamborghini and Ducati, transfers Bentley to Audi

Investors in the market for a high-end Italian manufacturer that peddles performance will need to keep looking. Volkswagen announced it will hang on to Lamborghini and Ducati in the foreseeable future. Executives in Wolfsburg, Germany, are making far-reaching changes to the Volkswagen Group to reboot it with a big focus on technology. Credible rumors claimed that the people in charge of the carmaker wanted to carve out Lamborghini — which owns Ducati — and ultimately list it, or at least a chunk of it, on the stock market in order to fast-track the group's electrification strategy. Going electric is expensive, so selling Lamborghini would have helped fund the expansion, and high-octane supercars don't easily go hand-in-hand with zero-emissions cars. "Volkswagen needs to change from a collection of valuable brands and fascinating combustion-engine products that thrill customers with superb engineering to a digital company that reliably operates millions of mobility devices worldwide," summed up Herbert Diess, the group's boss, during a September 2020 meeting. His team ultimately decided not to fully divest both brands. It's too early to tell whether part of Lamborghini will be listed on the stock market, as some insiders have suggested, or if those plans are off the table, too. Changes are coming to Bentley as well. While it's not being spun off either, it will fall under the Audi umbrella starting on March 1, 2021. Volkswagen explained linking the two companies will "allow for synergies to be achieved as part of the electrification strategy of the two premium brands," a statement which suggests they will share a growing number of components during the 2020s. Unverified rumors claim that Bentley will notably get its own version of an ultra-luxurious electric SUV code-named Landjet that Audi is currently developing. We've reached out to Bentley for more details, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Bugatti's future wasn't mentioned in the release; unconfirmed reports suggest it will be traded for a stake in Croatian start-up Rimac. Volkswagen's supervisory board also reaffirmed its support for Diess, who was appointed CEO in 2018 and who has played a significant role in the company's transformation. Finally, the board approved the development of what a statement refers to a future leading electric vehicle sold by the Volkswagen brand that will be developed and manufactured in Wolfsburg.

Audi denies McLaren purchase report

BERLIN — Early Monday morning, Audi denied reports that the company was closing a deal to purchase McLaren, leaning on a previous statement saying that the company is continuously looking at different ideas for cooperation and saying that the rumor of a completed purchase was "wholly inaccurate." "As part of our strategic considerations, we are constantly looking at various cooperation ideas," an Audi spokesperson said in response to an earlier Autocar report that indicated a deal to purchase the supercar manufacturer was in the works to help the company secure a Formula 1 team. The report cited a source who said Audi had taken over the British sportscar maker.  "McLarenÂ’s technology strategy has always involved ongoing discussions and collaboration with relevant partners and suppliers, including other carmakers, however, there has been no change in the ownership structure of the McLaren Group," Audi said.  McLaren later joined Audi in denying the story, using a statement saying, "McLaren Group is aware of a news media report stating it has been sold to Audi. This is wholly inaccurate and McLaren is seeking to have the story removed. McLaren's technology strategy has always involved ongoing discussions and collaboration with relevant partners and suppliers, including other carmakers, however, there has been no change in the ownership structure of the McLaren Group," the spokesperson said. Audi said to Reuters it was "looking at various cooperation ideas" but neither confirmed nor denied whether it was in discussion with McLaren about a possible sale. McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt announced in October that he would be step down after eight years leading the financially troubled company, which is now searching for a successor.  This article contains reporting by Reuters.