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Recharge Wrap-up: Audi 'Plugging In' video, Citroen e-Mehari rumors

Audi is sponsoring the Newport Folk Festival with its "Plugging In" campaign. In celebration of the event, a video shows the history of the festival, and how plugging in the electric guitar changed music, similar to the way plugging in an electric vehicle changes the way we think about transportation. The video is focuses entirely on music, but at the end, we get the (ahem) plug from Audi: "Audi A3 Sportback e-tron — Plugging In Across America." Watch it above. The first image from Tesla's Firmware 7.0 update has made its way online. The photo shows what appears to be Tesla's new Autopilot feature. The view of the display also suggests that beta testing is happening on main roads between San Francisco and Tesla's home in the tech hub of Silicon Valley. See the photo and read more at Teslarati. The IRS has published a notice regarding its tax code overseeing the treatment of biodiesel credits. It says that, among other things, claimants must reduce their income tax deduction by the amount of the credits given for alternative fuel used or sold during a given quarter in 2014. Biodiesel producers and blenders were eligible for a tax credit of $1.00 per gallon. Read the notice from the IRS, or learn more from Biofuels Digest. Rumors suggest that Citroen will unveil a concept EV based on the C4 Cactus and classic Mehari at the Frankfurt Motor Show. L'Automobile Magazine is reporting that the French automaker has registered the name "e-Mehari," leading to speculation — and even a goofy rendering — from L'Automobile. There has been no official acknowledgement of the e-Mehari from Citroen, so let's not get too excited yet (especially you, Mr. Ewing). Read more from Technologic Vehicles, or in the (Google-translated) post from L'Automobile Magazine. Related Gallery 2015 Citroen C4 Cactus View 32 Photos News Source: YouTube: Newport Folk Festival, Teslarati, Biofuels Digest, IRS, Technologic Vehicles, L'Automobile Magazine Government/Legal Green Marketing/Advertising Rumormill Audi Tesla Citroen Alternative Fuels Biodiesel Concept Cars Electric Videos recharge wrapup

Audi gets into tablet market with Android-powered Smart Display

Relatively small in newsworthiness compared with laser-equipped hybrids and all-new cockpit concepts, Audi has also announced a branded, Android-powered tablet called Smart Display at CES this week.
Audi has partnered with Google for its in-car computing software for years now, so it's hardly surprising to hear that its first foray into the world of tablets runs a Google OS (which one is still unclear), and has Android guts. Sorry, iPad users. The 10.2-inch tablet wears a lovely aluminum chassis that seems right in line with Audi's typical industrial design, and is packed with Nvidia's Tegra T40 processor.
Smart Display is meant to highlight the upcoming cleverness of Audi's newly announced in-car LTE connectivity (by way of continued partnership with AT&T). Users can, in theory, access the Google Play store while on the go, and then download and fiddle with Android-based apps until their very hearts are content. By "users" we mean "passengers" here, and so does Audi, though we're not exactly sure if there are measures in place to keep a driver from tableting while driving.

Audi A3-based people mover in the works

We have yet another announcement of yet another new Audi, including yet another obligatory quote from Audi research and development chief Wolfgang Dürheimer that there's room for it in the Audi range. On the sidelines of reports about the diesel-hybrid sports car, derived from the R18 endurance racer, there have been remarks about a possible MPV. Now Auto Express reports that said MPV "is on the way" and will be based on the A3 Sportback.
Previous speculation has posited either a six- or seven-seat people carrier; if the AE report is to be believed then five seats is the number that's been settled on. Planned to rest on a stretched version of the A3 platform, its wheelbase would be nearly eight inches longer than that of the A3 Sportback and it would compete against the Mercedes-Benz B-Class and the production version of the BMW Concept Active Tourer.
Audi is not going to dally about it, either, with a concept said to be ready for debut next year. Should it come, it would mean the A3 range comes pretty close to hitting for the cycle.