1984 Volkswagen Vanagon Gl Standard Passenger Van 3-door Original & Runs Ohio on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla details factory expansion; Ford and SunPower raise money for Sierra Club

Tesla has revealed the details of the upgrade of its Fremont, CA factory. One major change is the addition of a dedicated production space for the dual-motor P85D version of the Model S. Robots will be doing the battery installation on the Model S to save some time, and new export docks allow Tesla to get the cars out the door and on the way to their new owners more quickly. The new robots that move the cars around the factory have been named after X-Men characters, which makes our inner geeks smile. Check out the factory upgrade in the time-lapse video below and read more at Teslarati or at the Tesla Motors Blog. A program in Beijing for privileged registrations for EVs hasn't had much success. Of the 1,424 lottery winners, only about 30 percent went on to register an electric car despite a two-month extension of the deadline to do so. Buyers are likely discouraged by the lack of charging infrastructure, which the city hopes to ameliorate with the addition of 1,000 new charging stations by the end of the year, and by requiring new and renovated developments to set aside parking specifically for EV charging. Read more at Green Car Reports. The UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies suggests that laws designed to protect dealers and consumers are stymieing the adoption of EVs. Laws like the ones certain states have in place that block or otherwise restrict Tesla's direct-to-consumer business model are not helpful for companies that want to introduce new products to the market. They prevent companies from passing on savings to customers for whom they would likely make the difference in a purchasing decision. One possible solution would be to allow exemptions to certain selling restrictions for a certain number of vehicles sold. "This could give automakers the degree of control needed to work out kinks with early customers, develop scalable processes for supporting PEVs, and ensure that effective dealer performance standards are in place before handing the reins over to wholly independent retailers," according to UC Davis ITS. Read more at the UC Davis website. Volkswagen says its environmental program, called "Think Blue. Factory," is meeting the automaker's own sustainability targets. The main purpose of the program is to move toward eco-friendlier carmaking at each of its plants worldwide.

VW looking to MAN up, ditch Mercedes van deal

Unlike the US, the commercial truck market throughout the rest of the world is chocked full of competitors from many different automakers. Since 2006, Volkswagen has had a fullsize van called the Crafter that was a result of a partnership with Daimler AG and based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. This partnership is supposed to last through 2016, but Reuters is reporting that VW might be looking to end its relationship with Daimler and create its own van in cooperation with German truck and bus maker MAN.
The article says that VW AG has more than a 75-percent stake in MAN, which would essentially be keeping the new commercial vehicle in-house. Even if VW bolts, Daimler still has a deal worked out in the commercial truck industry between its subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso and Renault-Nissan to supply the other with different trucks.

Italian investigators search Lambo headquarters in VW probe

Italian investigators searched Lamborghini headquarters on Oct. 15 to look for evidence of managers' involvement in Volkswagen's emissions cheating. VW's main office in Verona was also inspected, according to Reuters. Lamborghini is owned by Volkswagen, and Lambo in turn is listed as the owner of VW Group Italia. Authorities wanted to find out if employees were conscious that the vehicles were skirting emissions rules. "It is one thing if I sell water and pretend it's wine, but if I sell water believing it is wine it's different." Verona chief prosecutor Mario Giulio Schinaia said to Reuters. Italian newspaper Gazetta del Sud reported that several managers in Italy were under investigation for alleged fraud. Prosecutors in Germany have also been rigorously investigating VW, and they recently staged a similar raid on the company's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany. The automaker reportedly turned over documents and other data relating to the software defeat device. Meanwhile, VW's internal investigation has turned up little wrongdoing, though a recent leak suggested otherwise, and at least 30 managers could have known about the defeat device. The automaker has disputed that figure. Volkswagen of America CEO Michael Horn testified before Congress that he believed only a few individuals were involved. The situation hasn't been easy on VW in the US, either. The Department of Justice has also been pursuing an investigation into the automaker. Plus, state attorneys general are filing lawsuits against the company for defrauding customers. VW has until Nov. 20 to explain a repair for the problem to the California Air Resources Board. Related Video: