2005 Volkswagen Jetta Tdi Sedan 4-door 1.9l on 2040-cars

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VW close to decision on selling Bugatti to Rimac

FRANKFURT — Electric hypercar maker Rimac Automobili and Volkswagen's supercar brand Bugatti are a good technological fit, Porsche's CEO told German weekly Automobilwoche, fueling hopes that a deal between the two could happen soon. British automotive magazine Car last year reported that Volkswagen was on the verge of selling Bugatti to Rimac Automobili, citing sources. In exchange, Porsche, also owned by Volkswagen, would raise the 15.5% stake it owns in Rimac, founded by Croatian entrepreneur Mate Rimac, Car said. "At the moment there are intense deliberations on how Bugatti can be developed in the best possible way. Rimac could play a role here because the brands are a good technological fit," Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said. "There are various scenarios with different structures. I believe that the issue will be decided by the group in the first half of the year," said Blume, who also sits on the management board of parent Volkswagen. Rimac has developed an electric supercar platform, which he supplies to other carmakers, including Pininfarina. Blume also confirmed higher savings targets for Porsche, saying the carmaker plans to support results by 10 billion euros ($12.1 billion) of cost cuts by 2025, up from 6 billion previously. Related Video:

UAW Falls 87 Votes Short Of Major Victory In South

Just 87 votes at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee separated the United Auto Workers union from what would have been its first successful organization of workers at a foreign automaker in the South. Instead of celebrating a potential watershed moment for labor politics in the region, UAW supporters were left crestfallen by the 712-626 vote against union representation in the election that ended Friday night. The result stunned many labor experts who expected a UAW win because Volkswagen tacitly endorsed the union and even allowed organizers into the Chattanooga factory to make sales pitches. The loss is a major setback for the UAW's effort to make inroads in the growing South, where foreign automakers have 14 assembly plants, eight built in the past decade, said Kristin Dziczek, director of the labor and industry group at the Center for Automotive Research, an industry think tank in Michigan. "If this was going to work anywhere, this is where it was going to work," she said of the Volkswagen vote. Organizing a Southern plant is so crucial to the union that UAW President Bob King told workers in a speech that the union has no long-term future without it. The loss means the union remains largely quarantined with the Detroit Three in the Midwest and Northeast. Many viewed VW as the union's best chance to gain a crucial foothold in the South because other automakers have not been as welcoming as Volkswagen. Labor interests make up half of the supervisory board at VW in Germany, and they questioned why the Chattanooga plant is the company's only major factory worldwide without formal worker representation. VW wanted a German-style "works council" in Chattanooga to give employees a say over working conditions. The company says U.S. law won't allow it without an independent union. In Chattanooga, the union faced stern opposition from Republican politicians who warned that a UAW victory would chase away other automakers who might come to the region. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee was the most vocal opponent, saying that he was told that VW would soon announce plans to build a new SUV in Chattanooga if workers rejected the union. That was later denied by a VW executive, who said the union vote had no bearing on expansion decisions. Other state politicians threatened to cut off state incentives for the plant to expand if the union was approved.

Here are 12 electric pickups in the works

With the unveiling of the GMC Hummer EV, the list of planned electric pickups is expanding. Legacy automakers like Ford and Chevy have theirs coming, as do startups like Tesla, Rivian and Bollinger, as well as some lesser known brands. Here are all the electric pickup trucks we know to be in the works, along with a few that are being discussed or mulled over. GMC Hummer EV The 2022 GMC HUMMER EV is a first-of-its kind supertruck develop View 40 Photos We’ve seen it now, and itÂ’s the business. The GMC Hummer EV comes out swinging with 1,000 horsepower from GMÂ’s new Ultium electric powertrain program, a wealth of off-road features, a removable roof, Super Cruise and the revival of the Hummer name. WeÂ’ll see the first ones on the road next fall. Tesla Cybertruck Tesla Cybertruck at the Petersen Museum View 14 Photos Tesla revealed the Cybertruck last year with, ahem, unique styling, a number of powertrain options and a claimed range of up to 500 miles. It has a compressed paper dash, a ramp for the bed, and “shatterproof” windows. It has already racked up hundreds of thousands of reservations. It will be built in Texas. Rivian R1T 2021 Rivian R1T View 15 Photos EV startup Rivian revealed its R1T electric pickup toward the end of 2018 with a claimed 0-60 time of 3 seconds and a towing capability of 11,000 pounds. Preproduction began in September 2020 at RivianÂ’s factory in Normal, Illinois. Bollinger Motors B2 Bollinger Motors B2 side outdoors View 31 Photos BollingerÂ’s B2 electric pickup is a Class 3 off-roader with retro styling, removable roof panels, and a unique “frunkgate” with a pass-through down the center of the vehicle. It was created with both enthusiasts and workers in mind, with features that can get it to remote places (portal axles, hydro-pneumatic suspension) and to get things done (room for 40 2x4s, equipped with eight 110-volt outlets and one 220-volt outlet). Bollinger also plans to make the B2 Chassis Cab available for fleet customization. Ford F-150 Electric Electric Ford F-150 Towing View 9 Photos WeÂ’ve known this to be in the works since early 2019. Since then, details have trickled out. Back in June, Ford announced its F-150 Electric would be coming within two years. WeÂ’ve seen it pull a million pounds worth of train and trucks, heard it will have more power than any other F-150, and seen its LED-laden front end.