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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

Audi Self-Driving Car Gets First Permit In California

Computer-driven cars have been testing their skills on California roads for more than four years - but until now, the Department of Motor Vehicles wasn't sure just how many were rolling around. That changed Tuesday, when the agency issued testing permits that allowed three companies to dispatch 29 vehicles onto freeways and into neighborhoods - with a human behind the wheel in case the onboard computers make a bad decision. The German automaker Audi was first in the state to receive a self-driving car permit and already has plans to test drive an autonomous A7 around the Bay Area, according to the Los Angeles Times. These may be the cars of the future, but for now they represent a tiny fraction of California's approximately 32 million registered vehicles. Google's souped-up Lexus SUVs are the biggest fleet, with 25 vehicles. Mercedes and Volkswagen have two vehicles each, said Bernard Soriano, the DMV official overseeing the state's "autonomous vehicle" regulation-writing process. A "handful" of other companies are applying for permits, he said. The permits formally regulate testing that already was underway. Google alone is closing in on 1 million miles. The technology giant has bet heavily on the vehicles, which navigate using sophisticated sensors and detailed maps. Finally, government rules are catching up. In 2012, the California Legislature directed the DMV to regulate the emerging technology. Rules that the agency first proposed in January went into effect Tuesday. Among them: - Test drivers must have a sparkling driving record, complete a training regimen and enroll in a program that informs their employer if they get in an accident or are busted for driving under the influence off hours. - Companies must report to the state how many times their vehicles unexpectedly disengage from self-driving mode, whether due to a failure of the technology or because the human driver takes over in an emergency. They also must have insurance or other coverage to pay for property or personal injury claims of up to $5 million. California passed its law after Nevada and Florida and before Michigan. The federal government has not acted, and national regulations appear to be years away. It's impossible to know the total number of self-driving cars being tested on public roads because, unlike California and Nevada, Michigan does not require special permits to test self-driving cars on public roads.

Audi reveals Prologue Allroad concept ahead of Shanghai

Audi kicked off the Prologue series of design studies with the coupe concept unveiled in LA, then followed up with the Prologue Avant wagon at the Geneva show. Now, we're seeing the third iteration in the form of the Prologue Allroad concept. Set to be unveiled next week at the 2015 Shanghai Motor Show, the Prologue Allroad picks up where the previous two left off, but takes it in a more rugged direction. At 16.8 feet, it's longer than both of the previous concepts, and stretches out to the same length as a standard-wheelbase A8. It also rides three inches higher than the Prologue Avant concept. Not only is it larger than the preceding showcars, it's also more powerful. Under the hood sits a hybrid powertrain that pairs a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 to an electric motor integrated into eight-speed automatic transmission. Together they produce a whopping 738 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, driven to all four wheels to send the concept to 62 miles per hour in a scant 3.5 seconds – all the while returning a claimed equivalent of 98 miles per gallon. If that's not the best of both worlds, we don't know what is. Plus, the car packs an inductive charging system that Audi says it's developing for production. Massive 20-inch brake discs keep that performance in check, sitting inside 22-inch wheels, all mounted to an adaptive air suspension and four-wheel adaptive steering. Other exterior features include door lock sensors integrated into the window frame, Matrix laser headlights and LED taillights. Inside it's all angular yet elegant, swathed in dark blue, beige and brown. Display screens abound, stretching across the dashboard with a deployable OLED infotainment display in the center console. There's another OLED screen for the passengers in the pair of rear seats, who can also dock OLED tablets in the front seatbacks. A pop-up "sound spoiler" promises to envelop the cabin in music, and there's inductive charging for mobile devices as well. Together with its conceptual stablemates, the Prologue Allroad concept points towards a stylish and technologically advanced future for Ingolstadt, and we're looking forward to seeing this show car transition into production as the next A6 Allroad. In the meantime, you can scope out all the details in the press release below and view the concept from every angle, inside and out, in the slideshow above.