1967 Vw Bus Camper on 2040-cars

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Translogic 168: CES 2015 Roundup

Translogic and the yearly CES glorious gadget geekout go together like digital peanut butter and high-def jelly. At this year's show, surrounded by an egg-shaped Mercedes-Benz concept and the re-introduction of, of all things, the Sony Walkman, we had some fun. Between talking with Volkswagen about its new gesture-control tech and flying some video drones, we squeezed in some time to shred on ZBoard's new electric skateboard. The future is now. Follow Translogic on Twitter and Facebook. Click here to subscribe to Translogic in iTunes. Click here to learn more about our host, Jonathon Buckley.

VW TDI ads star four 'salty' ladies and a stinky dog named Tuna

The Kim Kardashian sex tape just keeps on giving: it brought the Three Golden Sisters to our attention, and now Volkswagen has used their comedic, Bronx grandmother schtick to promote its TDI engines. The ads are another round in the fight against the malicious perceptions of diesel – like how they're slow and loud (they aren't), that it's hard to find a station to refill (it isn't), and that they stink (they don't). Tanner Foust makes an appearance in one spot to dispel the notion of sluggishness, and Tuna the Dastardly Dog proves that she (or he?) can outstink a diesel any day. You'll find Tuna in the ad above, the other three ads are below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Recharge Wrap-Up: Tesla, CarCharging and the EPA

Credit Suisse analysts are bullish on Tesla. The group gives the electric car company's stock an "outperform" rating with a target price of $325. For its continued success, Credit Suisse cites the vehicles' superior technology, in turn offering more torque, roominess and reliability. Says analyst Dan Galves said of Tesla's competition with ICEs, "If Tesla can get to cost-parity with Internal Combustion vehicles and still offer $1,400 to $2,500 per year fuel savings to the consumer, it won't be a fair fight." Read more at Yahoo Finance or at Business Insider. In other Tesla news, Tesla Model S owners will be able to unlock and start their car using an iPhone. The Tesla app is adding this functionality soon, perhaps with the update to iOS 8. It's not yet clear how this function will work, but it's one more innovative convenience feature that Model S owners can enjoy. That means drivers will have less to carry in their pockets or purses when they go for a drive. Read more at 9 to 5 Mac. CarCharging Group has remotely lowered the amperage on some of its residential users' Blink charging stations to 24 amps. This will slow down the charging time for affected customers with 6.6-kilowatt charging by about 15 percent. The company cited safety reasons for the move, with concerns about overheating. The amperage reduction is temporary, until CarCharging is able to provide replacement parts for the chargers. Some are concerned about the delayed action, as well as the fact that the reduction was handled without owner permission. Read more at Plugin Cars. Ford is halting test drives and sales of certain C-Max hybrid and Focus models due to a safety concern. Cars made during a single week this month at a Michigan factory may not have enough ball bearings in the steering gear assembly, which could lead to loss of control. None of the affected cars have been sold, Ford says, and about 50 units are currently at dealerships. Just over 600 will need to be recalled. Dealerships have been notified of the problem. Read more at Reuters and the The Detroit News. A new EPA report shows that urban air in the US is becoming less toxic since the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. The report shows a 66-percent reduction in benzene, almost 60 percent reduction in mercury from man-made sources, 84 percent less lead and more.