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Fully Charged rolls into season 3 with VW XL1 and electric Land Rover

It's been some time since last we visited with British actor and electric car proponent Robert Llewellyn and his web-based video series, Fully Charged. The show, now sponsored by Ecotricity, has started rolling out its third season and now has available two episodes featuring a pair of truly unique – and diametrically opposed – vehicles. The first installment starts with some interesting numbers involving the host's Nissan Leaf and its energy consumption over the past 36,000 miles, but soon moves on to the ultra-aero, ultra-expensive Volkswagen XL1. Now, if you've already seen the footage from our own XL1 first drive review, there's not a lot new here except, perhaps, more enthusiasm and a better listen of the two-cylinder diesel kicking in. Still, it's a great reminder of a truly unique vehicle and we enjoyed the segment. The second episode features an electrified Land Rover Defender 110. This is a vehicle you'd more likely see on an African safari than at the local mall. It's not a home-built conversion either, but rather, something the company has put together "for the boffins to create the ideas and see if they work." Boasting a 50-mile range, it's certainly something we like to take on an off-road adventure. Llewellyn is given the chance to do just that, and though the course is somewhat milder than what we might attempt, it does feature a stretch of river and some rough, rutted tracks. You can watch both episodes by scrolling below let us know which vehicle you'd prefer in the comments. This writer is going with the four-wheel-drive. 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. News Source: Fully Charged Green Land Rover Volkswagen Technology Emerging Technologies Electric Videos robert llewellyn fully charged vw xl1

Volkswagen to add 50k jobs by 2018

Volkswagen still has its eyes set on becoming the top global automaker by 2018, and to get there, it's apparently going to need more boots on the ground. Automotive News Europe is reporting that VW is looking to increase its staff by 50,000 over the next five years - an increase of nine percent - which does not include an increase in its US dealer network.
According to the report, a majority of the growth will come from China where the automaker is also looking to double its production capacity in the same time frame. The Volkswagen Group is already expected to rival General Motors for the top sales spot in China this year, and such a rapid expansion in the region could make a good springboard for sales increases in other countries.

2014 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible gets the R-Line treatment

Volkswagen just launched the topless Beetle Convertible at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, but we're already seeing the next step forward in the topless Bug range with this, the R-Line. We'll admit, this treatment falls under the "all show and no go" category, but it's still a pretty potent little cutie.
The R-Line starts with a standard Beetle Turbo Convertible but adds unique 19-inch aluminum wheels on lower-profile tires, LED daytime running lamps and Xenon headlamps. Naturally, there are R-Line badges aplenty both on the interior and exterior, and we must say, the whole package looks pretty darn snazzy.
Pricing has yet to be announced, but when it goes on sale later this year, the hotter convertible will join Volkswagen's growing R-Line portfolio that now includes the CC, Beetle hatch, Tiguan and Touareg.