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Recharge Wrap-up: Mercedes gets F1 efficiency, EV charging in Vermont, VW e-Golf to use Bosch

Efficiency equals performance, especially in the case of Formula 1 racing. The Mercedes AMC Petronas team points to several key efficiency technologies it uses to get the most out of its cars. And if their utter dominance so far this season is testament to this relationship, perhaps we should pay attention. Mercedes highlights hybrid tech, turbocharging, aerodynamics, lightweight construction, tribology (both in making internal components and lubricants more slippery) and simulation as crucial to getting around the track faster than anyone else. These just happen to be some of the same things that make the cars we drive on public roads more fuel-efficient. Learn more in the press release below. It's a good read. Brammo, maker of sweet electric motorcycles, is teaming up with TEAM Industries to make drivetrains for electric vehicles. TEAM, which specializes in drivetrain technology, will also become an investor in Brammo as part of the partnership. "The electric vehicle market is a growth market," says TEAM CEO and President David Ricke, "and TEAM and Brammo will be providing a wide range of solutions for OEM manufacturers." Read more over at EV World. Vermont celebrated the installation of a new EV charging station as part of a Green Energy Corridor between Boston and Montreal. When finished, drivers will be able to make the whole trip in an EV with access to charging along the way. For $5, customers can charge their vehicle in about 30 minutes at the Red Hen Baking Company in Middlesex. There are currently only about 700 EVs on the road in Vermont. The state has a goal to get 90 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2050, and getting more EVs on the road is crucial to that mission. Vermont hopes that expanding the charging infrastructure will convince more people to go electric. Read more at Vermont Public Radio's website. For it's new e-Golf, Volkswagen will use Bosch chargers for home installation and ChargePoint stations at its dealerships. Bosch will have various 240-volt options for the home, and will also provide installation. e-Golf customers will also get a free ChargePoint membership, and will have access to the company's network of charging stations worldwide. The 2015 e-Golf goes on sale in the US later this year. Read more in the press release below. Synergies between F1 and Road Car Development: Efficiency equals performance In Formula 1 Racing, performance is everything.

VW XL1 priced at $169,000 in UK, only 30 will be sold there

Volkswagen has announced the pricing of its XL1 diesel plug-in hybrid for the UK, according to Car magazine. The small, uber-efficient two-seater will start at GBP98,515, or roughly $168,930 at current exchange rates. Additionally, only 30 units of the XL1 will be sold throughout the UK, giving it a rareness appropriate for its lofty price. It's nice to finally be able to stop speculating about the XL1's price. Even as recently as the first XL1 delivery in Germany, we were still mostly in the dark concerning the cost of the slippery VW. But is the price worth it, especially considering that the much sportier BMW i8 can be had for just a bit more (GBP99,895, or $171,460, in the UK)? Car seems to think so, noting that the XL1 is an eco and technology pioneer, and saying that its cost of ownership is "merely the price of progress." Plus, that includes the bragging rights of owning the world's most fuel-efficient car. The XL1's two-cylinder turbo-diesel engine displaces just eight-tenths of a liter and produces 47 horsepower. The internal combustion engine operates alongside a 26-horsepower electric motor powered by a 5.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Despite its 2.64-gallon fuel tank, the XL1 has a maximum driving range of over 700 miles thanks to a 261-mpg rating (based on the European cycle). Unfortunately, we won't be able to do any bladder-busting, nonstop Chicago to DC road trips any time soon, as VW has no plans to bring the XL1 to North America - not that one would relish the experience of dicing it up with America's massive trucks and SUVs. If you want to drive one, you'll have to go to Europe, and you'd better have a very large piggy bank you're prepared to break open.

Volkswagen says goodbye to Eos, Routan in 2015 updates

Usually automakers announce changes to their lineup individually on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis, but sometimes it all comes at once – especially when the changes are ones we either expected or might not otherwise notice. That's the path Volkswagen has gone with changes to its US lineup for 2015. The biggest change is what we already knew: that the new Golf arrives for the 2015 model year, bringing with it the new GTI, Golf R, e-Golf and Golf SportWagen (to replace the previous Jetta wagon). But there are some new details as well. For starters, Volkswagen has finally confirmed that both the Eos and the Routan – both long rumored to be on their way out – will be exiting this year. The Eos hardtop convertible, pictured above, will linger for one last year, its Sport trim replaced by a new Final Edition with 18-inch wheels, two-tone leather interior and enhanced equipment. Meanwhile the Routan, which hasn't actually been built in over a year, is finally dead, as VW confirms it has dropped the Chrysler-built minivan from its lineup for 2015 altogether. The German automaker has also confirmed that the Touareg is getting a facelift early in the new year, which we expect will closely follow the revisions revealed a few months ago ahead of the Beijing Motor Show. Finally VW has announced an upgrade to its 2.0-liter TDI. Fitted to the Golf, Jetta, Passat and Beetle, the updated diesel gets 10 more horsepower with output now up to 150 hp and 236 pound-feet of torque. Scope out the full list of announcements in the press release below. MODEL YEAR 2015: NEW GOLF FAMILY, REDESIGNED JETTA, AND NEW TDI® CLEAN DIESEL ENGINE HEAD THE CHANGES Jul 22, 2014 In a busy year, Volkswagen will also add a new Golf SportWagen, an all-new Golf R, a redesigned Touareg SUV, and the company's first U.S.-market EV, the e-Golf - All-new Golf is bigger, lighter, and more fuel-efficient than the previous model, seats five, and has a larger trunk than any midsize sedan - New Golf GTI has 210-horsepower engine, with improved fuel efficiency and performance - e-Golf is Volkswagen's first full Battery Electric Vehicle for sale in the U.S.