2004 Volkswagen Passat on 2040-cars

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North American production of foreign marques to jump in 2014

Wards Auto has released its North American Light Vehicle Production Forecast for 2014, and the report predicts foreign manufacturers will increase production on the continent some 3.9 percent by 2014. If accurate, that should see 123,000 additional cars, trucks and vans produced in North America, swelling the total number of units produced both by domestic and foreign manufacturers to 16.9 million light vehicles from a projected 15.6 million in 2013. Much of the increase can be attributed to the fact that Toyota intends to produce another car at its Blue Springs, MS plant as well as a new Lexus model at its Georgetown, KY facility in a year's time.
Likewise, Volkswagen intends to move production of a currently imported model to its plant in Puebla, Mexico. Daimler, Honda, Nissan and Mazda also plan to build additional models on North American soil for the first time. Around two-thirds of the new North American manufacturing will take place in Mexico, helping the country soak up a full 20 percent of the content's automotive production for the first time. You can head over to the Wards Auto site for the full report.

VW admits 430,000 2016 models have implausible CO2 ratings

Volkswagen finally explained more details about its CO2 rating scandal in Europe and admitted that 430,046 of the estimated 800,000 affected vehicles with "implausible" figures came from the 2016 model year. They included some from Audi, Seat, Skoda, VW, and VW Commercial Vehicles, according to the automaker's list (as a PDF). The problem mostly impacts diesel engines, but the inventory also shows some gasoline mills. VW will next determine the accurate CO2 emissions for these vehicles, and the German Federal Vehicle and Transport Authority will supervise that process to ensure the data's veracity. The automaker will also launch websites in Europe to let owners enter their model's VIN to check whether it's affected. Because governments there often link vehicle taxes and CO2 production, the company promises to work with regulators in each country to cover any fees that result from the inaccurate figures. VW announced the CO2 scandal earlier in November and estimated the equivalent of $2.2 billion to fix it at the time. A later report claimed that a group of engineers were responsible for fabricating the emissions data. They allegedly couldn't meet reduction goals from Martin Winterkorn, and between 2013 and this spring the workers did things like overinflate the tires during testing to achieve the desired results. VW is also closer to a fix in the diesel emissions scandal. According to an anonymous insider to Bloomberg, the company has a repair for the 1.6-liter engine that's reportedly neither very complex nor expensive. German regulators would still need to approve the solution before it could roll out to owners. Next step in clarifying the CO2 issue Affected Volkswagen Group models of the current model year have been identified Customers being informed via website Discussions with the authorities have begun The Volkswagen Group reports that the vehicles of the 2016 model year affected by the CO2 issue have been identified. There is thus now clarity about the new vehicles of the current model year out in the marketplace. On 3 November 2015, the Group had already reported that irregularities may have arisen in determining the CO2 figures for type approval of around 800,000 vehicles. This was identified during its own currently ongoing investigations and had been made public. The internal investigations into the current vehicles of the 2016 model year provide results for narrowing down the actually affected vehicles with implausible CO2 figures.

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.