2006 Volkswagen Passat 2.0 Turbo on 2040-cars

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Will a Phaeton EV rise from the VW Dieselgate ashes?

The Volkswagen diesel emissions scandal isn't even close to ending, but in a new announcement the automaker says it is working to rehabilitate its battered image a little bit. In a series of pledges, the German company is putting a serious emphasis on future electrification. Headlining this EV onslaught: the next-gen Phaeton will be fully battery powered. VW is still very light on details about its future flagship, and Tesla shouldn't be shaking in its boots yet. The automaker simply promises "a pure electric drive with long-distance capability, connectivity and next-generation assistance systems as well as an emotional design." According to insiders speaking to Autocar, the Phaeton potentially launches in 2020, and it might share a platform and powertrain with the production version of the Audi E-Tron Quattro concept. A new Phaeton was rumored to be nearly ready earlier this year, but the project was reportedly scrapped to cut costs. VW loses money making the current one, and sedan competes against other products, like the Audi A8. Perhaps the company sees this scandal as a perfect opportunity to revaluate the point of the vehicle. While the Phaeton EV will represent the top of VW's future lineup, electrification will appear further down the line, as well. The automaker will create a new platform called the MEB specifically for compact EVs. Promising ranges between 155 and 311 miles, the architecture will be offered across the VW Group brands and on "both passenger cars and light commercial vehicles." This electrification push will likely affect current models, too, thanks to further engineering of the MQB platform. VW wants the vehicles to support longer-range plug-in hybrids, mild hybrids, and EVs with 186 miles of distance. Since the architecture is already on sale, presumably these are the first vehicles to benefit from the new strategy. VOLKSWAGEN BRAND BOARD OF MANAGEMENT TAKES STRATEGIC DECISIONS Accelerated implementation of the efficiency program creates room for reorientation Streamlined processes leverage further cost-saving potential, including cuts in fixed costs Investments to be reduced by 1 billion euros per year compared with planning – combined with prioritization of projects for the future Product decisions formulated New Phaeton will be electric New Modular Electric Toolkit planned Wolfsburg,October 13, 2015 – The newly-formed Volkswagen Brand Board of Management took further strategic decisions at a special meeting. CEO Dr.

Import pickup truck-killing Chicken Tax to be repealed?

After over 50 years, the so-called Chicken Tax may finally be going the way of the dodo. Two pending trade deals with countries in the Pacific Rim and Europe potentially could open the US auto market up to imported trucks, if the measures pass. Although, it still might be a while before you can own that Volkswagen Amarok or Toyota Hilux, if ever. The 25-percent import tariff that the Chicken Tax imposes on foreign trucks essentially makes the things all but impossible to sell one profitably in the US, which lends a distinct advantage to domestic pickups. Both the Trans-Pacific Partnership with 12 counties and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union would finally end the charge. According to Automotive News though, don't expect new pickups to flood the market, at least not immediately. These deals might roll back the tariff gradually over time, and in the case of Japan, it could be as long as 25 years before fully free trade. Furthermore, Thailand, a major truck builder in Asia, isn't currently part of the deal, and any new models here would still need to meet safety and emissions rules, as well. Automotive News gauged the very early intentions of several automakers with foreign-built trucks, and they weren't necessarily champing at the bit to start imports. Toyota thinks the Hilux sits between the Tundra and Tacoma, and Mazda doesn't think the BT-50 fits its image here. Also, VW doesn't necessarily want to bring the Amarok over from Hannover. There is previous precedent for companies at least considering bringing in pickup trucks after the Chicken Tax's demise, though. The Pacific free trade deal could be done as soon as this fall, while the EU one is likely further out, according to Automotive News. Given enough time, the more accessible ports could allow some new trucks to enter the market.

VW outsells GM in China for first time in 8 years

In case you didn't know, Volkswagen is hell-bent on becoming the largest automaker in the world. The German carmaker has inched closer to that goal, having outsold General Motors in China last quarter for the first time in eight years.
Volkswagen's sales in China, its largest marker, increased by 21 percent last quarter to 704,991 units. Those numbers almost tripled GM's third-quarter growth, and were enough to beat out the American automaker's 664,765 sales. GM, however, still leads in year-to-date sales in China by a slim margin of around 77,000 units. The Asian nation also happens to be GM's largest market, and according to the report in Automotive News, China's car market may grow to be larger than the US, Japan and Germany combined in three years' time.
About the news his company was bested in China by VW last quarter, GM CEO Dan Akerson is quoted saying, "It's not whether you're the biggest car manufacturer. It's whether you want to be the most profitable." It should be noted of these figures that GM includes truck figures, yet excludes Hong Kong and Macau from its Chinese sales numbers, while VW does just the opposite. Through September of this year, Volkswagen had 5 of the 10 best selling vehicles in China. GM boasted three of the cars on that list.