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Audi-only rental car company expands

With the lines and occasional hassle, getting a rental car after a long flight can be daunting, even if you already have a reservation. Now, a company called Silvercar is trying to inject some luxury and modern, high-tech features into the process to make it less of a chore. The business recently expanded to O'Hare International Airport to offer visitors to Chicago a fleet exclusively comprised of silver Audi A4s. Silvercar is based in Austin, TX, and is being run by Luke Schneider, a former chief technology officer at ZipCar. He told Crain's Chicago Business that the rental industry "hasn't innovated in 30 to 40 years." Silvercar's big innovation is in the booking process. Like ordering practically anything today, it's all done through a smartphone app. Customers then scan a QR code on the Audi's windshield to get going. At the end of the rental, the bill is emailed to you. Prices start around $59 a day on weekends and $89 during the week, according to Crain's. Because they're all A4s with GPS and Wi-Fi, everyone gets the same car. In the world of ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft, rental cars might seem passe, but according to Crain's, the rental market at O'Hare alone amounts to over $300 million a year. Silvercar's location there isn't at the actual airport, though. Instead, a shuttle picks up customers to take them to the company's site nearby. The business is working on a national rollout to 10 airports by the end of June, including major locations like LAX and Denver. Related Video: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.

VW may move production because of Russia's cutoff of natural gas

Volkswagen AG is exploring ways to counter a shortage in natural gas, including shifting production around its network of global facilities, signaling how the energy crisis unleashed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens to upend EuropeÂ’s industrial landscape. Volkswagen, EuropeÂ’s biggest carmaker, said Thursday that reallocating some of its production was one of the options available in the medium term if gas shortages last much beyond this winter. The company has major factories in Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which are among European countries most reliant on Russian gas, as well as facilities in southern Europe that source energy from elsewhere. “As mid-term alternatives, we are focusing on greater localization, relocation of manufacturing capacity, or technical alternatives, similar to what is already common practice in the context of challenges related to semiconductor shortages and other recent supply chain disruptions,” Geng Wu, VolkswagenÂ’s head of purchasing, said in a statement.  RussiaÂ’s decision to throttle gas supplies to Europe has raised concerns that Germany might be forced to ration its fuel. Recent news that gas storage levels hit 90% ahead of schedule has soothed fears of acute shortages this winter, but Germany faces a challenge in replenishing depleted reserves next summer without contributions from Russia. Southwestern Europe or coastal zones of northern Europe, both of which have better access to seaborne liquefied natural gas cargoes, could be the beneficiaries of any production shift, a Volkswagen spokesman said by phone. The Volkswagen group already operates car factories in Portugal, Spain and Belgium, countries that host LNG terminals. Labor hurdles To be sure, any major production shift away from EuropeÂ’s biggest economy would face significant hurdles. VW has some 295,000 employees in Germany and worker representatives account for around half the companyÂ’s 20-member supervisory board. Any shift in production would likely involve a limited number of vehicles rather than wholesale factory shutdowns. While gas supplies for VWÂ’s plants are currently secured, the company has identified potential savings at its European sites to cut gas consumption by a “mid-double-digit percentage,” said Michael Heinemann, managing director of VWÂ’s power-plant unit. Still, the carmaker said it was concerned about the effect high gas prices could have on its suppliers.

Recharge Wrap-up: Audi 'Plugging In' video, Citroen e-Mehari rumors

Audi is sponsoring the Newport Folk Festival with its "Plugging In" campaign. In celebration of the event, a video shows the history of the festival, and how plugging in the electric guitar changed music, similar to the way plugging in an electric vehicle changes the way we think about transportation. The video is focuses entirely on music, but at the end, we get the (ahem) plug from Audi: "Audi A3 Sportback e-tron — Plugging In Across America." Watch it above. The first image from Tesla's Firmware 7.0 update has made its way online. The photo shows what appears to be Tesla's new Autopilot feature. The view of the display also suggests that beta testing is happening on main roads between San Francisco and Tesla's home in the tech hub of Silicon Valley. See the photo and read more at Teslarati. The IRS has published a notice regarding its tax code overseeing the treatment of biodiesel credits. It says that, among other things, claimants must reduce their income tax deduction by the amount of the credits given for alternative fuel used or sold during a given quarter in 2014. Biodiesel producers and blenders were eligible for a tax credit of $1.00 per gallon. Read the notice from the IRS, or learn more from Biofuels Digest. Rumors suggest that Citroen will unveil a concept EV based on the C4 Cactus and classic Mehari at the Frankfurt Motor Show. L'Automobile Magazine is reporting that the French automaker has registered the name "e-Mehari," leading to speculation — and even a goofy rendering — from L'Automobile. There has been no official acknowledgement of the e-Mehari from Citroen, so let's not get too excited yet (especially you, Mr. Ewing). Read more from Technologic Vehicles, or in the (Google-translated) post from L'Automobile Magazine. Related Gallery 2015 Citroen C4 Cactus View 32 Photos News Source: YouTube: Newport Folk Festival, Teslarati, Biofuels Digest, IRS, Technologic Vehicles, L'Automobile Magazine Government/Legal Green Marketing/Advertising Rumormill Audi Tesla Citroen Alternative Fuels Biodiesel Concept Cars Electric Videos recharge wrapup