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Recharge Wrap-up: VW CEO mulls battery factory, voters approve $201B in transportation funding

Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Muller says that it would "make sense" for the automaker to begin producing its own batteries. As the company moves toward electrification, Muller says it would be a smart move to build a battery factory. "If more than a quarter of our cars are to be electronic vehicles in the foreseeable future then we are going to need approximately 3 million batteries a year," he says. Volkswagen has agreed to cut 30,000 jobs in its restructuring, while committing to creating 9,000 jobs in Germany through battery manufacturing and mobility services. Read more at Automotive News Europe. Election results show a desire for transportation funding. Earlier this month, voters in 22 states approved ballot measures adding up to $201 billion in funding for transportation projects, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. California passed 15 transportation measures, including one in Los Angeles worth $120 billion for roads, bridges, and transit. The state of Washington secured $54 billion for light rail and buses. Atlanta approved about $4 billion for road and transit projects. Illinois and New Jersey passed measures to prevent the diversion of transportation user fee revenue to other industries. Read more from ITS International. The US Department of Energy (DOE) must hand over confidential documents about Fisker's bankruptcy. A Delaware federal judge ordered the DOE to give the documents – which concern a presentation by Fisker to the DOE in which it falsely claimed to meet milestones set forth in a government loan – to lawyers in a case in which investors claim Fisker lied to them about financial troubles. While the DOE has given over documents already, they were incomplete and heavily redacted. "I understand that such disclosures may have a negative impact on future DOE analyses," says US District Judge Sue Robinson. "but conclude nonetheless that under the circumstances at bar – the public money at stake, the Congressional hearings, and the fact that Fisker Automotive is now a defunct company – the balance of interests favors plaintiffs." Read more at Law360. Related Gallery Volkswagen I.D.

Autoblog Podcast #416

Episode #416 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Brandon Turkus talk about the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata, seeing the 2016 Nissan Maxima in the company's Super Bowl ad, and GMC's potential plans for a Jeep Wrangler fighter. Of course, the podcast starts with what's in the garage and finishes up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #416 Topics 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata first drive 2016 Nissan Maxima previewed in Super Bowl ad GMC mulling Jeep Wrangler fighter In The Autoblog Garage 2015 Hyundai Genesis 5.0L V8 2015 Honda CR-V Long-Term 2015 Volkswagen GTI Hosts: Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, Brandon Turkus Runtime: 01:36:43 Rundown Intro and Garage - 00:00 Maxima – 30:48 Miata – 41:46 GMC/Wrangler – 59:14 Q&A - 01:11:13 Get The Podcast UStream – Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes Podcasts GMC Honda Hyundai Jeep Mazda Nissan Volkswagen vw gti nissan maxima

2014 Volkswagen GTI to start a new hot hatch era in Geneva

The upcoming Geneva Motor Show is going to be stocked with important new production models and sexy concept cars, but hot hatch enthusiasts will undoubtedly see it as the coming out party of the MkVII Volkswagen GTI. And while we've only got European specifications and pricing to go on for now, we can tell from the get-go that the new GTI will be a proper heir to VW's hot hatch legacy.
This seventh-generation GTI is powered by a turbocharged, direct-injection 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which makes 220 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque in base form. For the first time ever, Volkswagen is also offering a performance pack for the GTI as well, which ups the horsepower to 230 (torque remains unchanged). With a slightly lower curb weight to push around - the new base car weighs 2,978 pounds versus 3,034 for the current three-door GTI - 0-62 miles per hour is now achieved in 6.5 seconds, and top speed is 153 mph. (Cars with the performance pack offer 0-62 mph in 6.4 seconds, and a 155-mph top speed.) Buyers my choose between a six-speed manual transmission or an optional six-speed DSG unit.
Visually, the new GTI has obviously adopted the slant-nosed looks of the MkVII Golf, though with plenty of added drama. The exterior is dominated by the 17-inch "Brooklyn" wheels wearing 225-section rubber, and the aggressive front fascia gets black honeycombed inserts in the upper and lower grille sections. At launch, Volkswagen will offer the GTI in three colors: the Pure White seen here, Tornado Red and Black. Tartan patterned seats are of course still an option for the interior, while the GTI-specific steering wheel and shift knob are standard.