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UAW Falls 87 Votes Short Of Major Victory In South

Just 87 votes at the Volkswagen plant in Tennessee separated the United Auto Workers union from what would have been its first successful organization of workers at a foreign automaker in the South. Instead of celebrating a potential watershed moment for labor politics in the region, UAW supporters were left crestfallen by the 712-626 vote against union representation in the election that ended Friday night. The result stunned many labor experts who expected a UAW win because Volkswagen tacitly endorsed the union and even allowed organizers into the Chattanooga factory to make sales pitches. The loss is a major setback for the UAW's effort to make inroads in the growing South, where foreign automakers have 14 assembly plants, eight built in the past decade, said Kristin Dziczek, director of the labor and industry group at the Center for Automotive Research, an industry think tank in Michigan. "If this was going to work anywhere, this is where it was going to work," she said of the Volkswagen vote. Organizing a Southern plant is so crucial to the union that UAW President Bob King told workers in a speech that the union has no long-term future without it. The loss means the union remains largely quarantined with the Detroit Three in the Midwest and Northeast. Many viewed VW as the union's best chance to gain a crucial foothold in the South because other automakers have not been as welcoming as Volkswagen. Labor interests make up half of the supervisory board at VW in Germany, and they questioned why the Chattanooga plant is the company's only major factory worldwide without formal worker representation. VW wanted a German-style "works council" in Chattanooga to give employees a say over working conditions. The company says U.S. law won't allow it without an independent union. In Chattanooga, the union faced stern opposition from Republican politicians who warned that a UAW victory would chase away other automakers who might come to the region. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee was the most vocal opponent, saying that he was told that VW would soon announce plans to build a new SUV in Chattanooga if workers rejected the union. That was later denied by a VW executive, who said the union vote had no bearing on expansion decisions. Other state politicians threatened to cut off state incentives for the plant to expand if the union was approved.

Volkswagen completes design work on new EV platform

Volkswagen has completed the design work for its modular, MEB platform that's geared specifically for electric-vehicle production, Automotive News Europe says, citing comments Volkswagen development head Frank Welsch made at CES in Las Vegas last week. Additionally, VW's Skoda and Seat divisions may use that platform for their own plug-in vehicle models. VW's Audi division is also considering employing the platform, though adoption by Volkswagen's Porsche unit is unlikely. VW expects to start selling its first model specifically designed as an EV (i.e., not converted from existing conventional models such as the Golf and Up!) by 2020. Welsch added that the MEB platform may be used as a base for updated electrified versions of Golf, Tiguan, and Passat. Meanwhile, Skoda will debut as many as five plug-in models by 2025. Europe's largest automaker is looking to further distance itself from the 2015 scandal that involved software that cheats diesel-emissions testing efforts and has cost the company more than $15 billion in US settlements alone. All told, VW and its divisions expect to debut as many as 30 plug-in vehicle models within the next decade. Volkswagen unveiled its I.D. concept vehicle, which is based on the MEB platform and looks somewhat like the BMW i3 electric-vehicle model, at last year's Paris Motor Show. VW said at the time that the vehicle could go as far as 373 miles on a single charge. Additionally, VW will show off an electric SUV concept model at this year's Shanghai Auto Show, and is unveiling a microbus version of the I.D. concept at the Detroit Auto Show this month. Related Video: Featured Gallery Volkswagen I.D. Concept: Paris 2016 View 16 Photos News Source: Automotive News Europe-sub.req. Green Volkswagen SEAT Skoda Green Automakers Electric Hybrid meb

Recharge Wrap-up: VW Golf TDI wins green car award, DC buses might go electric

The 2015 Volkswagen Golf TDI has won the award for 2014 Northwest Green Car or the Year. The distinction comes from the Northwest Automotive Press Association during its Drive Revolution event in Portland. Co-chairman of the event, Jeff Zurschmeide, says, "Volkswagen has led the diesel passenger car market for years, and the Golf TDI proves that they're likely to stay on top for a while." The 2015 Golf TDI has 10 more horsepower than the outgoing model, while improving fuel economy thanks to a new engine. It also has a base price $3,000 lower than the 2014 Golf TDI. Read more in the press release below. The BMW i8 gets its laser high-beam headlights from lighting company Osram. The laser lights use half the energy of their LED counterparts, according to BMW, which is important when one is trying to get every last bit of range out of the car's battery. The laser high beams can also reach about twice as far as LED lighting. Because of their brightness, they won't be available on cars sold in the US. In laser-equipped i8s, the laser high beams will not work below 60 kilometers per hour, nor when other lights are detected in front of the vehicle. Head to Automotive News Europe to read more. Renault has delivered a fleet of 30 Kangoo ZEs to Uruguay's government-owned power company, UTE. The electric fleet will allow the company to reduce its CO2 emissions by 36 metric tons, says Renault. 84 percent of Uruguay's electricity comes from renewable sources, with a goal of 90 percent on the horizon. Uruguay aims to get a third of its electricity from wind farms by 2016, meaning these Kangoo ZEs will be powered in no small part by renewable energy. For Renault, "This order is a further sign of the interest in the region for electric vehicles," according to Denis Barbier, Renault's senior vice president, citing previous deliveries in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Colombia. Read more in the press release at Renault's website. Washington DC's "Circulator" bus routes may go electric. Some of the diesel buses, which were first put to work in 2003, are nearing the end of their life cycle, and DC sees an opportunity to make the switch to something a little greener. "Electric has not been a viable option in previous procurements, but now it is," says Will Handsfield, Georgetown Business Improvement District's transportation director. Handsfield is concerned about air quality, and says he also appreciates the long-term stability of electric rates compared to diesel.