Volkswagen: Bus/vanagon Kombi on 2040-cars

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U.S. tariff threat hits European automakers' stocks

FRANKFURT, Germany — A U.S. warning that it may introduce tariffs on foreign auto imports hit shares in German carmakers BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen on Thursday, which together have a more than 90 percent share of North America's premium car market. Washington said on Wednesday it had launched an investigation into whether car and truck imports are a national security issue due to signs they had damaged the U.S. auto industry. That could lead to new U.S. tariffs — up to 25 percent — similar to those imposed on imported steel and aluminum in March. BMW and Daimler shares fell as much as 3.1 percent in early Thursday trading, while Volkswagen's dropped as much as 2.5 percent. "(U.S. President) Donald Trump is obviously not thinking about how to prevent a trade war. Import duties on cars would be a nightmare for the German auto industry and would lead to a massive sales impact," said Thomas Altmann at Frankfurt-based asset manager QC Partners. BMW on Thursday condemned the move to consider tariffs. "The BMW Group is committed to free trade worldwide. Barrier-free access to markets is therefore a key factor not only for our business model, but also for growth welfare and employment throughout the global economy," it said. Daimler, which makes Mercedes-Benz cars, and Volkswagen, which makes upmarket Audis and Porsches, were not immediately available for comment. German carmakers produced 804,000 cars at local factories in the United States and exported 657,000 German-made cars into North America last year, according to German auto industry association VDA. China took pains on Thursday to welcome German firms and investments, with Premier Li Keqiang talking up relations after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. BMW and Mercedes have expanded production capacity in the United States, but BMW, Audi, Volkswagen and Daimler have also invested billions to build new factories in Mexico in the hope of selling locally produced cars into the United States. German carmakers hiked vehicle production in Mexico by 46 percent to 620,000 cars last year, while production levels inside the United States fell by 6 percent to 804,000 cars because of a shift to Mexico, according to the VDA. BMW has its biggest factory worldwide in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and is the largest vehicle exporter among all the carmakers in the United States measured by value of goods exported. More than 70 percent of BMW's U.S.-made cars are exported.

California orders VW Group to fix 15,000 3.0L diesel vehicles

The California Air Resources Board has ordered Volkswagen to come up with a plan for repairing approximately 15,000 cars sold in the state that contain illegal software that may circumvent emissions testing. In a letter sent to Volkswagen Group of America and several company brands, CARB's chief emissions officer says the company has 45 business days to submit a recall plan that will fix affected Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche models equipped with 3.0-liter diesel engines sold in the state since 2009. "We expect full cooperation in this investigation so this issue can be addressed expeditiously and appropriately," wrote Annette Herbert, chief of emissions compliance. The violations first surfaced in a meeting last week between California regulatory officials and Audi executives. In that meeting, Audi admitted certain versions of A6, A7, A8, Q5 and Q7 models contained three previously undisclosed auxiliary emissions control devices. An auxiliary device is not necessarily the same as a defeat device that intentionally cheats on emissions testing, but Audi and other affected brands hadn't disclosed the existence of the AECDs, which is a violation of the state's health and safety code. Had they been disclosed prior to vehicle certification, there's a possibility CARB may have approved use of the devices. In a statement Wednesday, CARB did not elaborate on whether it considered the three devices mere AECDs or defeat devices. When Volkswagen submits its plan to fix the cars, CARB says it must include an assessment of how the repairs will affect fuel economy, performance, drivability, and the safety of each vehicle. The 15,000 cars affected in California are part of roughly 85,000 nationwide which contain the affected 3.0-liter engines. The US Environmental Protection Agency may soon address how it expects Volkswagen to fix the remaining cars. "EPA and CARB are working closely and continue to investigate following the admission by Volkswagen that the issues EPA identified in the November 2nd NOV (Notice of Violations) extend to all 3.0-liter diesel Volkswagen, Audi, and Porsche vehicles," an agency spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday. "EPA will take all appropriate enforcement action." The 3.0-liter developments, of course, come on top of the company's September admission that 482,000 diesels equipped with 2.0-liter engines contain defeat devices that detect emissions testing and alter the cars' performance.

Recharge Wrap-up: Zero takes electric motorcycles to cop expos, Chevy Volt powers dealership's Internet

Zero Motorcycles will be at three law enforcement conferences this month, including COPSWEST Training and Expo, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Law Enforcement Vehicle Test and Emergency Vehicle Product Expo and International Association of Chiefs of Police Expo. Zero will display its recently debuted 2015 line of electric motorcycles at the events including the new FXP, a police-duty version of it FX "Stealthfighter." Zero also offers the MMX, SP and DSP for police and military use. Learn more about the events in the press release below. Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn told European regulators that more stringent emissions standards too soon will be a major problem for automakers. He says that such moves could prove "fatal" for an auto industry that is still working to develop cleaner vehicles. "Every gram of CO2 that we save in our European fleet costs our group almost 100 million euros," says Winterkorn, "100 million that we have to invest in advance, without knowing when these investments pay off." He says that already creating emissions targets beyond those set for 2020 could harm European automakers competing globally. Read more at Automotive News Europe. When a Detroit Chevrolet dealership lost its Internet connection, it turned to one of its Chevy Volts for a temporary fix. After the regular connection at Buff Whelan Chevrolet went down, it plugged in a Volt showroom model equipped with 4G LTE, and used its connection to resume business. The car can handle up to seven connected devices, so the team used a Malibu to connect the rest of its computers. When a customer asked why the Volt was on, the team explained the whole situation, leading to one impressed customer. Read more at Automotive News. Zero Motorcycles To Attend Law Enforcement Conferences 2015 Police and Authority Motorcycles to Appear at IACP SANTA CRUZ, Calif., Oct. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Zero Motorcycles, the global leader in the electric motorcycle industry, announced today that it is attending three leading law enforcement conferences in October: - COPSWEST Training and Expo. October 6-9, 2014. Long Beach, California. - Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Law Enforcement Vehicle Test and Emergency Vehicle Product Expo. October 16, 2014. Fontana, California. - IACP Conference and Expo. October 25-28, 2014. Orlando, Florida. "These events provide a great opportunity to present our patrol motorcycles and accessories.