2004 Volkswagen Passat Glx 4 Motion Sedan 4-door 2.8l on 2040-cars

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VW and partner SAIC start building $2.5B Audi plant in China

BEIJING — Volkswagen AG's China joint venture with SAIC Motor Corp has started building a $2.5 billion new energy vehicle (NEV) plant in Shanghai, which will make VW's luxury Audi brand cars, a possible first for the venture. The new plant is a key step for Audi to diversify production of its cars in the world's largest car market from its long-standing local partner, China FAW Group Corp. This shift has been delayed amid resistance from local dealers. SAIC Volkswagen said the new plant would have an annual capacity to make 300,000 cars and begin production from 2020. Audi sold 481,387 vehicles in China from January to September this year. The announcement comes the same week Tesla secured a Shanghai location for a Gigafactory battery plant to serve the Chinese market. Audi unveiled the plan to bolster ties with SAIC in late 2016. Earlier this year, the Germany luxury carmaker bought a 1 percent stake in the SAIC Volkswagen venture, paving the way for the joint venture to produce and sell Audi cars. Volkswagen currently gets a larger proportion of the proceeds from the 50-50 tie-up with SAIC than from its 40 percent stake in the venture with FAW. SAIC Volkswagen said in a statement on Friday the plant would cost 17 billion yuan ($2.5 billion) and would make VW and Skoda models as well as Audi cars. It will help VW tap China's fast-growing market for NEVs, a category comprising electric battery cars and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles. ($1 = 6.9314 Chinese yuan renminbi) Reporting by Yilei Sun and Adam JourdanRelated Video: Image Credit: Reuters Green Plants/Manufacturing Audi Volkswagen Skoda Electric Hybrid

VW spending $10 million on EV infrastructure, calls on Congress for help

It must be the season of big EV infrastructure announcements. In the last few days, we've heard from Bollore in France, PG&E in California and now VW. The German automaker says it will spend a total of $10 million on electric vehicle charging infrastructure by 2016. That includes the previously announced ChargePoint investment VW made with BMW and work the automaker is doing to get chargers for cars like the e-Golf installed as its dealerships. But Jorg Sommer, Volkswagen of America'sl VP of product marketing and strategy, said today in Washington, DC that automakers need help from the federal, state and local governments to turn electric mobility into a thing. Speaking at the 2015 Electric Drive Congress, Sommer said VW would like the Feds to support fast charging networks in urban areas as well as interstate corridors and that governments should "commit to cleaner fleets by purchasing EVs and PHEVs. This should be a US Government priority," he said. He also suggested that the plug-in vehicle multiplier credits under the EPA's greenhouse gas regulations should be extended beyond the 2021 model year. VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA TO INVEST $10 MILLION IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE BY 2016 Feb 10, 2015 Washington, D.C., February 10, 2015 – Jorg Sommer, vice president, product marketing and strategy, Volkswagen of America, today presented Volkswagen's holistic approach to e-mobility surrounding the launch of the zero-tailpipe emissions 2015 e-Golf, including a $10 million commitment to support electric vehicle infrastructure by 2016. During a presentation delivered at the 2015 Electric Drive Congress in Washington D.C., Sommer stated that Volkswagen believes continued legislative support is needed to reach the next level of electric vehicle adoption. "Automakers have effectively delivered electric vehicles that can satisfy the needs of most American drivers," said Sommer. "In addition to the investment we and other companies and industries are making, we would like to see Federal financing support for establishing fast charging networks in urban areas and interstate corridors. We'd like to see more state and federal organizations commit to cleaner fleets by purchasing EVs and PHEVs. This should be a U.S. Government priority, and federal purchasing guidelines should reflect that by giving fleet purchasers the flexibility they need," Sommer said.

VW boss confirms Subaru-aping Golf Alltrack for US

Subaru needs to watch out, because the Japanese brand with a utilitarian image has a big bull's eye on its back. Not only is Acura considering going 100-percent all-wheel drive in a bid to mimic the successful automaker, Volkswagen has just confirmed that the Golf Alltrack is coming to the US as another competitor for Subaru's popular Outback crossover. Volkswagen Group of America CEO Michael Horn has confirmed the addition of the higher-riding, all-wheel drive version of the Golf SportWagen to Automotive News, indicating that the model will arrive in the US in 2016. "That's what our dealers, our customers, are asking us for," he said to the industry publication. The Golf Alltrack, which debuted at the Paris Motor Show in early October, has an extra 0.75 inches of ride height and protective black cladding all the way around. Its biggest mechanical differentiator from other Golfs is its Haldex all-wheel drive system, a setup that can completely unhook from the rear axle when not needed to save fuel. In Europe, the Alltrack is available with a turbocharged 1.8-liter with 178 horsepower and two diesels offering between 109hp and 182 hp. However, Horn made no mention of likely powertrains for the US. Horn tells Automotive News that all-wheel drive tooling is currently being installed at the Puebla, Mexico, factory where the standard Golf Sportwagen is built. VW might have tipped its hand about this possibility several months ago when press shots of the wagon were released for the US with TDI and 4Motion badges. Horn says he expects even the front-wheel drive version to be a sales hit here, suggesting it may eventually account for 50 percent of the Golf range's volume.