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Automakers score 8 out of top 20 most-watched ads on YouTube [w/videos]

Who would have ever thought there'd be a day where people are able to skip television commercials only to go to websites to watch them later? Such is the joy of a DVR and YouTube. AdWeek tabulated the 20 most-watched ads on YouTube, and found that nine were car-related including eight coming from automakers.
Volkswagen continued its Star Wars theme with two ads in the top 20, including the highest-ranking car commercial The Bark Side spot at number three with almost 18 million views, which doesn't even have a single car in it. Some of our favorites are from Chrysler with Clint Eastwood in It's Halftime in America and House Arrest with Charlie Sheen for the Fiat 500 Abarth. Chevrolet, Honda, Audi and Toyota were the other automakers in the top 20, but we'd be remiss if we didn't at least mention one of the coolest ads on the list, the Hot Wheels corkscrew jump.
Of all the car videos, only the Fiat ad wasn't played during a Super Bowl. Check out all eight videos - in order - after the jump. Nike took the top spot with its My Time is Now ad that has been seen online more than 20 million times with Pepsi's Uncle Drew posted up in the runner-up; some of the other videos include four Old Spice commercials and an ad in which Snoop Dogg is pedaling Hot Pockets.

Volkswagen might cut 40 models across brands to save cash

Volkswagen once set out to pass Toyota and General Motors and become the largest automaker in the world. Following months of fallout from the diesel emissions scandal, the manufacturer is rumored to be dropping around 40 models from its company-wide lineup. According to German business and finance publication Handelsblatt, the Volkswagen Group is looking to slim down and remove a number of low-volume vehicles from various lineups. The company currently sells around 340 models across brands that include Audi, Lamborghini, and Bentley. Volkswagen is refusing to comment, but Handelsblatt claims to have sources within the company. Last week, Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Muller announced a new strategy for the company that includes a major focus on electric vehicles and new technology services. During his announcement, Muller said the company would be cutting a number of models, but at the time no numbers, models, or brands were discussed. Despite comments to the contrary, rumors have persisted since late last year that Volkswagen was looking to sell commercial truck and bus manufacturer MAN. Volkswagen owns truck and bus manufacturer Scania, so even if it dropped MAN, the company would still have a foothold within the bus and truck market. There is also talk of the company selling Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, which Volkswagen acquired via Audi in 2012. The company's image has taken a huge hit in the wake of the diesel scandal. Volkswagen has set aside cash in order to pay fines and may be looking to sell these several subsidiaries and cut low-volume models in order offset the costs. Despite the scandal, the company led worldwide sales in the first quarter of 2016. The same was true in 2015, but sales tanked at the end of the year following the diesel revelations. Related Video: Rumormill Audi Bentley Volkswagen Ducati

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla details factory expansion; Ford and SunPower raise money for Sierra Club

Tesla has revealed the details of the upgrade of its Fremont, CA factory. One major change is the addition of a dedicated production space for the dual-motor P85D version of the Model S. Robots will be doing the battery installation on the Model S to save some time, and new export docks allow Tesla to get the cars out the door and on the way to their new owners more quickly. The new robots that move the cars around the factory have been named after X-Men characters, which makes our inner geeks smile. Check out the factory upgrade in the time-lapse video below and read more at Teslarati or at the Tesla Motors Blog. A program in Beijing for privileged registrations for EVs hasn't had much success. Of the 1,424 lottery winners, only about 30 percent went on to register an electric car despite a two-month extension of the deadline to do so. Buyers are likely discouraged by the lack of charging infrastructure, which the city hopes to ameliorate with the addition of 1,000 new charging stations by the end of the year, and by requiring new and renovated developments to set aside parking specifically for EV charging. Read more at Green Car Reports. The UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies suggests that laws designed to protect dealers and consumers are stymieing the adoption of EVs. Laws like the ones certain states have in place that block or otherwise restrict Tesla's direct-to-consumer business model are not helpful for companies that want to introduce new products to the market. They prevent companies from passing on savings to customers for whom they would likely make the difference in a purchasing decision. One possible solution would be to allow exemptions to certain selling restrictions for a certain number of vehicles sold. "This could give automakers the degree of control needed to work out kinks with early customers, develop scalable processes for supporting PEVs, and ensure that effective dealer performance standards are in place before handing the reins over to wholly independent retailers," according to UC Davis ITS. Read more at the UC Davis website. Volkswagen says its environmental program, called "Think Blue. Factory," is meeting the automaker's own sustainability targets. The main purpose of the program is to move toward eco-friendlier carmaking at each of its plants worldwide.