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Hot Wheels' 2022 Green Speed cars bring EVs to small scale

With more and more EVs hitting the market, it was only a matter of time before the new breed of cars would find representation in diecast form. For 2022, Hot Wheels is coming out with a new Green Speed series that puts the spotlight on a diverse lineup of electric cars. The five-car series features a fun mix of EVs from different manufacturers and in a wide range of styles. Some are completely bone stock. For a traditional luxury sedan, there's a Lucid Air in silver, complete with glass (or in this case, clear plastic) canopy. For fans of Teutonic 4-door "coupes" there's the Audi RS e-Tron GT in Daytona Gray. Ticking the truck box is a Hummer EV in a yellow that can only be described as a throwback to the H3. But because this is Hot Wheels, there are "hot-rodded" variants in the lineup as well. Rather than just a regular Nissan Leaf, they've elected to cast the carbon fiber-bodied NISMO RC 2.0 race car. Likewise with Ford, instead of the standard Mustang Mach-E, they've gone with the Mustang Mach-E 1400 drift car. This isn't the first time Hot Wheels has put out a Green Speed series. The line debuted in 2016 but reflected the limited EV choices in the real car market at the time. The only non-fantasy cars in the series were a first-gen Tesla Roadster, a Tesla Model S, and Chevy Volt. Hot Wheels revisited the line again in 2019, this time adding a Tesla Model 3 and a Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo. Hot Wheels also makes other mini EVs that don't fall into this specific line of models. If you want to collect 'em all, there's the second-generation Tesla Roadster concept, Cybertruck, Jaguar I-Pace, Pininfarina Battista, Porsche Taycan, and a Volkswagen ID R. Similarly, Matchbox has released a version of the Tesla Roadster with sustainable packaging to boot. If you must have an old school gasoline burner, Hot Wheels has plenty of options for you too, like, say, this snazzy FJ60 Toyota Land Cruiser. The 2022 Hot Wheels Green Speed series should be on shelves at your local retailers now. Related Video:

Audi kicks off A3 celebrity-fest marketing campaign with Dues

Audi is desperate to appeal to young people with its new 2015 A3 sedan. It's planning launch parties around the country to present the new model to these younger buyers, and its latest tactic is a series of videos starring celebrities the company considers trailblazers to further captivate youthful buyers.
The advertising campaign starts with a spot titled Dues starring comedian Ricky Gervais, chef David Chang, photo journalist Lynsey Addario, comedian Kristen Schaal, boxer Claressa Shields, artist collective Cyrcle, and church choir Voices of Destiny. It's being followed up with seven, minute-long online documentaries called Uncompromised Portraits about the folks featured in the new ad. Audi believes that they are all trailblazers who have forged their own way, and it's all supposed to fit with the A3's slogan of "Stay Uncompromised."
Dues will play during the NCAA March Madness tournament. Audi is also running two, 30-second commercials during the games to highlight the sedan's technology and two, 15-second ads to promote its Quattro all-wheel-drive system.

VW may move production because of Russia's cutoff of natural gas

Volkswagen AG is exploring ways to counter a shortage in natural gas, including shifting production around its network of global facilities, signaling how the energy crisis unleashed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens to upend EuropeÂ’s industrial landscape. Volkswagen, EuropeÂ’s biggest carmaker, said Thursday that reallocating some of its production was one of the options available in the medium term if gas shortages last much beyond this winter. The company has major factories in Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which are among European countries most reliant on Russian gas, as well as facilities in southern Europe that source energy from elsewhere. “As mid-term alternatives, we are focusing on greater localization, relocation of manufacturing capacity, or technical alternatives, similar to what is already common practice in the context of challenges related to semiconductor shortages and other recent supply chain disruptions,” Geng Wu, VolkswagenÂ’s head of purchasing, said in a statement.  RussiaÂ’s decision to throttle gas supplies to Europe has raised concerns that Germany might be forced to ration its fuel. Recent news that gas storage levels hit 90% ahead of schedule has soothed fears of acute shortages this winter, but Germany faces a challenge in replenishing depleted reserves next summer without contributions from Russia. Southwestern Europe or coastal zones of northern Europe, both of which have better access to seaborne liquefied natural gas cargoes, could be the beneficiaries of any production shift, a Volkswagen spokesman said by phone. The Volkswagen group already operates car factories in Portugal, Spain and Belgium, countries that host LNG terminals. Labor hurdles To be sure, any major production shift away from EuropeÂ’s biggest economy would face significant hurdles. VW has some 295,000 employees in Germany and worker representatives account for around half the companyÂ’s 20-member supervisory board. Any shift in production would likely involve a limited number of vehicles rather than wholesale factory shutdowns. While gas supplies for VWÂ’s plants are currently secured, the company has identified potential savings at its European sites to cut gas consumption by a “mid-double-digit percentage,” said Michael Heinemann, managing director of VWÂ’s power-plant unit. Still, the carmaker said it was concerned about the effect high gas prices could have on its suppliers.