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Audi tests new kind of car sharing, lets you buy cars with buddies [w/video]

Car sharing services like ZipCar, Car2Go and others offer people in cities the chance to have a vehicle without dealing with the hassles of parking or maintenance, while also eliminating traffic. However, many individuals are turned off by the idea of splitting a car with an entire metropolis or would prefer to have a specific model at their disposal. For these unsatisfied souls, Audi has a new arrangement in Stockholm, Sweden, called Audi Unite that might be just the ticket. The setup is basically a small-scale car sharing service. Up to five people agree to share any of Audi's models for a year or two – even an R8 if they are so inclined. Each user has a special Bluetooth key fob that identifies them to the vehicle, and a smartphone app allows operators to schedule time with the car. Each person is then billed monthly according to his or her use. Audi thinks it might work best with friends, colleagues or neighbors, but the company can also play matchmaker for clients, if necessary. "In the beginning, our biggest fear was what if two people want to go somewhere at the same time-what happens then?" said Clemens Weisshaar, one of the founders of design firm Kram/Weisshaar that helped develop the idea, to Fast Company. "Interestingly, it never happened." They chose Stockholm because the city was tech-savvy, and there is a tradition of sharing there. Prices for Audi Unite seem fairly reasonable for each user. According to the service's website, if four people use an A3 Sportback for two years with a 20,000-kilometer (12,247-mile) driving limit, they would pay an average of 2,091 Swedish krona ($277) each per month. For an extra 365 krona (about $50) per person each month, they can add a package that includes vehicle pickup and delivery for monthly interior and exterior cleaning, winter tire exchanges and necessary servicing. After Stockholm, Audi plans to try Unite in other Swedish cities before launching the program in additional countries, according to Fast Company. Scroll down to watch a video with more explanation about how the program works and read the automaker's press release about the initiative.

Audi Q8 E-Tron could have 370-mile range

Audi technical boss Ulrich Hackenberg has a huge job ahead of him if he's going to add more electrified models his employer's portfolio. Currently, the German company's electrified offerings amount to just the Q5 Hybrid in the US and the A3 E-Tron in Europe, but British auto mag Autocar is claiming that Hackenberg wants to add a Tesla Model X-rivaling electric version of the company's long-rumored Q8 utility vehicle to the plans. That E-Tron model, said to be a high-riding crossover with coupe-like lines, is expected to be Ingolstadt's CUV flagship, positioned just above the Q7 (pictured above).
Autocar further maintains that Q8 E-Tron will borrow its front- and rear-mounted electric motors (good for around 375 horsepower) from the recently revived R8 E-Tron, and the model could be ready as soon as 2017. This sporty CUV is expected to have a much greater range than the two-door electric sports car, however. Figure on about 370 miles thanks to room for extra batteries.
The still-not-confirmed Q8 range is expected to be offered with gasoline, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains, and will ride on the same platform as the Q7, albeit fitted with sleeker styling. Like all of Audi's upper-end offerings, it will make extensive use of aluminum for the body and chassis to keep weight down.

VW offers to buy back new diesels if bans introduced

By Maria Sheahan FRANKFURT, Germany — Volkswagen will buy back new diesel cars if German cities ban them, it said on Thursday, seeking to reassure potential buyers and stem a plunge in sales of diesel vehicles. Europe's biggest automaker also said it would extend incentives for buyers of new diesel cars. The moves come after a German court ruled last month that cities in the country could ban the most polluting diesel vehicles from their streets. Many German cities exceed European Union limits on atmospheric nitrogen oxide, known to cause respiratory diseases. Fears of bans have led to a plunge in demand for diesel vehicles, which are also key to carmakers' attempts to meet new EU rules on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. While diesel cars are heavily criticized for emitting nitrogen oxide, they spew out less CO2 than gasoline equivalents. Diesel car sales plunged 19 percent in Germany last month. At its core VW brand, Volkswagen said its buyback offer applied to new diesels bought between April 1 and the end of 2018 and would kick in if the city in which the buyer lived or worked banned diesels within three years of the purchase. It said its dealerships would buy back diesel vehicles affected by bans at their current value if their owners at the same time bought a new vehicle that was not affected by cities' driving restrictions. At Czech brand Skoda, the guarantee applies to cars bought between April 1 and the end of June, but will cover bans introduced within four years of the purchase date. At premium brand Audi, the offer only covers leased vehicles. Volkswagen also said it was extending to the end of June incentives for customers trading in older diesels for new ones. Fellow German carmaker BMW said earlier this month it would offer to take back leased vehicles if diesels were banned within 100 kilometers (62 miles) of the operator's home or place of work. There has been a global backlash against diesel-engine cars since Volkswagen admitted in 2015 to cheating U.S. exhaust tests. But Germany's government is seeking to avoid widespread bans on heavily polluting diesel vehicles, which companies say could cut the resale value of up to 15 million vehicles in Europe's biggest car market. In Germany, where motorists expect to drive powerful cars on motorways with no speed limits, any restrictions will be unpopular.