1971 Volkswagen Baja Bug on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen officially grants access to UAW in Tennessee

An audit at the Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga, TN has revealed that at least 45 percent of the facility's workers support unionization, leading the German company to grant access rights to the United Auto Workers. This is a tremendous step in the UAW's long-running and at times contentious pursuit of the workforce at Chattanooga. With this latest move, "local leadership is ready to move forward with additional conversations with the company," the union said in a statement obtained by The Detroit News. "As a starting point, UAW Local 42 will take advantage of the company's offer to establish bi-weekly meetings with Volkswagen Human Resources and the Volkswagen Chattanooga Executive Committee." The News reports that UAW Secretary-Treasurer Gary Casteel, shown above speaking at the Chattanooga plant last summer, claimed these meetings "will remind Human Resources and the Chattanooga Executive Committee of the mutually agreed-upon commitments that were made by Volkswagen and the UAW last spring in Germany. Among those commitments: Volkswagen will recognize the UAW as the representative of our members. We believe Volkswagen made this commitment in good faith and we believe the company will honor this commitment." It's important to note that despite Casteel's remarks, this is not a collective-bargaining agreement, Harley Shaiken, a labor professor at University of California, Berkeley, told The News. "But it is a step in the direction of recognition, which ultimately could lead to collective bargaining. This is not the end point," Shaiken said. "We don't know what's next. We're in unchartered territory."

Last VW bus ever made arrives at final destination

A Brazilian politician tried to save it, unsuccessfully, so the final Last Edition Volkswagen Type 2 Kombi was produced on December 20, 2013 and now resides in a vintage museum at Volkswagen's Commercial Vehicles HQ in Hanover, Germany.
The Volkswagen Microbus was built for 56 years, starting in September 1957. Brazil was the last country still assembling it, but new safety regulations in the country requiring airbags and ABS on all cars spelled the end. When that politician introduced a bill that would pardon only the 'Bus from a death sentence, it couldn't garner the required number of votes for passage. The South American country takes the Kombi production title, though, with 1.5 million of the 3.5 million total made in the home of Copacabana beach and the girl from Ipanema.
The VW Bus is dead. Now perhaps we can turn our attentions to the still-not-totally-settled matter of the Bulli...

Here are 12 electric pickups in the works

With the unveiling of the GMC Hummer EV, the list of planned electric pickups is expanding. Legacy automakers like Ford and Chevy have theirs coming, as do startups like Tesla, Rivian and Bollinger, as well as some lesser known brands. Here are all the electric pickup trucks we know to be in the works, along with a few that are being discussed or mulled over. GMC Hummer EV The 2022 GMC HUMMER EV is a first-of-its kind supertruck develop View 40 Photos We’ve seen it now, and itÂ’s the business. The GMC Hummer EV comes out swinging with 1,000 horsepower from GMÂ’s new Ultium electric powertrain program, a wealth of off-road features, a removable roof, Super Cruise and the revival of the Hummer name. WeÂ’ll see the first ones on the road next fall. Tesla Cybertruck Tesla Cybertruck at the Petersen Museum View 14 Photos Tesla revealed the Cybertruck last year with, ahem, unique styling, a number of powertrain options and a claimed range of up to 500 miles. It has a compressed paper dash, a ramp for the bed, and “shatterproof” windows. It has already racked up hundreds of thousands of reservations. It will be built in Texas. Rivian R1T 2021 Rivian R1T View 15 Photos EV startup Rivian revealed its R1T electric pickup toward the end of 2018 with a claimed 0-60 time of 3 seconds and a towing capability of 11,000 pounds. Preproduction began in September 2020 at RivianÂ’s factory in Normal, Illinois. Bollinger Motors B2 Bollinger Motors B2 side outdoors View 31 Photos BollingerÂ’s B2 electric pickup is a Class 3 off-roader with retro styling, removable roof panels, and a unique “frunkgate” with a pass-through down the center of the vehicle. It was created with both enthusiasts and workers in mind, with features that can get it to remote places (portal axles, hydro-pneumatic suspension) and to get things done (room for 40 2x4s, equipped with eight 110-volt outlets and one 220-volt outlet). Bollinger also plans to make the B2 Chassis Cab available for fleet customization. Ford F-150 Electric Electric Ford F-150 Towing View 9 Photos WeÂ’ve known this to be in the works since early 2019. Since then, details have trickled out. Back in June, Ford announced its F-150 Electric would be coming within two years. WeÂ’ve seen it pull a million pounds worth of train and trucks, heard it will have more power than any other F-150, and seen its LED-laden front end.