2008 Volkswagen Eos Komfort Convertible 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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UK auto magazine says this is the best car commercial of all time [w/videos]

There have been many great car commercials over the years, but is it possible to define the best? Well, Ad Week recently took a crack at it by rating the top commercials of the year by looking at their view counts on YouTube, but Auto Express took a more democratic approach by putting the decision to a vote. Just after Thanksgiving, Auto Express came up with a list of the 20 popular commercials, and it tasked its readers with choosing the winner for the best car ad of all time. The winner? Honda's 2003 commercial for its then-new European Accord titled "The Cog."
While the ad never aired in the US, most car people have surely seen the impressive Rube Goldberg-style spot. In fact, the only commercial on this list that we saw on US television was the Volkswagen ad "The Force," but many of the others have become viral videos, including transforming and dancing Citroën C4. Of the 19 other commercials that vied for the title of best ad of all time, only the Ford Puma "Steve McQueen" commercial gave Honda a run for its advertising money.
Scroll down to watch Auto Express' top five commercial in order and to check out a press release, then let us know some of your favorite car commercials in Comments.

VW and Renault end talks to develop affordable EV, sources say

PARIS/BERLIN – Volkswagen has walked away from talks with Renault to jointly develop an affordable electric version of the Twingo subcompact car, three sources familiar with the situation said, in a setback for the EU carmakers' efforts to fend off Chinese rivals. The collapse of negotiations could mean the German carmaker may have to go it alone in developing its own affordable EV. Renault will continue designing its electric Twingo, scheduled to hit the market in 2026. Both had hoped that sharing the work would cut costs that represent a key hurdle for European carmakers in the face of cheaper cars from China. Volkswagen broke off discussions mainly because Renault had wanted to build the car in one of its plants at a time when VW is seeking to fully utilize its European production network, one of the sources said. Ampere, Renault's EV operation overseeing the Twingo program, declined to comment. A spokesperson for Volkswagen also declined to comment on the talks between the companies but said that the German carmaker was still studying its options on cheap EVs. The companies "did not succeed in finding an agreement" after several months of negotiations, one of the sources said. Another source said that an agreement had been very close, but that VW walked away from the talks and has decided to develop its own car. The sources declined to be named because the talks are confidential. VW sources said a decision on the EV plan is expected within weeks. Thomas Schaefer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand, has said he wants to launch a lower-priced EV by 2027. The second source said Renault would continue work on the Twingo without VW, but also remained open to other partners, for instance from the alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi. It is also a blow for Renault CEO Luca de Meo's hopes for greater cooperation between European carmakers against their Chinese competitors, akin to Airbus which has stakeholders and operations across European countries. The VW-Renault tie-up for the Twingo could have formed the "basis" of an Airbus for autos, the second source said. China's automakers, the world's top EV producers, are making fast inroads in the European market, pressuring incumbents like Renault and VW to cut costs and speed up the time it takes to bring a new model to market. European automakers are aiming to produce smaller EVs that sell below 20,000 euros ($21,686) to help them compete with Chinese brands like BYD.

VW, Rivian, Nissan, BMW, Genesis, Audi and Volvo lose EV tax credits starting tomorrow

The U.S. Treasury said Monday that Volkswagen, BMW, Nissan, Rivian, Hyundai and Volvo electric vehicles will lose access to a $7,500 tax credit under new battery sourcing rules. The Treasury said the new requirements effective Tuesday will also cut by half credits for the Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Rear Wheel Drive to $3,750 but other Tesla models will retain the full $7,500 credit. Vehicles losing credits Tuesday are the BMW 330e, BMW X5 xDrive45e, Genesis Electrified GV70, Nissan Leaf , Rivian R1S and R1T, Volkswagen ID.4 as well as the plug-in hybrid electric Audi Q5 TFSI e Quattro and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) electric Volvo S60. The Swedish carmaker is 82%-owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. The rules are aimed at weaning the United States off dependence on China for EV battery supply chains and are part of President Joe Biden's effort to make 50% of U.S. new vehicle sales by 2030 EVs or PHEVs. Hyundai said in a statement it was committed to its long-range EV plans and that it "will utilize key provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act to accelerate the transition to electrification." Rivian declined to comment and the other automakers could not immediately be reached for comment. Treasury also disclosed General Motors electric Chevrolet Bolt and Bolt EUV will qualify for the full $7,500 tax credit. GM said earlier it expected at least some of its EVS would qualify for the $7,500 tax credit under the new rules, including the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq and forthcoming Chevrolet Equinox EV SUV and Blazer EV SUV. Treasury said all GM EVs will qualify. Earlier, Ford Motor and Chrysler-parent Stellantis said most of their electric and PHEV models would see tax credits halved to $3,750 on April 18. Treasury confirmed the automakers' calculations. The rules were announced last month and mandated by Congress in August as part of the $430 billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA requires 50% of the value of battery components be produced or assembled in North America to qualify for $3,750, and 40% of the value of critical minerals sourced from the United States or a free trade partner for a $3,750 credit. The law required vehicles to be assembled in North America to qualify for any tax credits, which in August eliminated nearly 70% of eligible models and on Jan. 1 new price caps and limits on buyers income took effect.