2010 Audi A6 3.0t Premium Plus on 2040-cars

Auto blog

CARB found another emissions-defeating device, this time from Audi

The California Air Resources Board has discovered another emissions-cheating device on an Audi earlier this summer, reports German newspaper Bild am Sonntag. The device is different from the software found in the VW Group's diesel-powered engines, as it alters the way the cars' automatic transmission shifts. The latest device, according to Bild am Sonntag, measures how far the cars' steering wheel is being turned. If the wheel is turned less than 15 degrees, indicating that the vehicle is being tested in laboratory conditions, a program in cars with certain automatic transmissions changes the way the gearbox shifts. The change in the transmission allows the engine to produce less carbon dioxide than when driving in normal conditions. When the wheel is turned more than 15 degrees, the program automatically turns off, claims Bild am Sonntag. The paper reports that Audi took the software out of its vehicles, which was used in both diesel- and gasoline-powered vehicles in Europe and the US, earlier this May after CARB discovered the program on one of the automaker's older cars. Several engineers that were connected with the emissions-cheating device have already been suspended, reports Bild am Sonntag. As the German newspaper points out, the device, which is fitted to certain Audis with an automatic transmission, is different from the cheat devices found on the automaker's 3.0-liter TDI turbodiesel V6 engine and Volkswagen's 2.0-liter turbodiesel motor, even those were also designed to beat emissions tests. The 3.0-liter engine is found in the Audi Q7, Volkswagen Touareg, and Porsche Cayenne models. Audi didn't immediately respond to our request for a comment. Related Video: News Source: Bild am Sonntag via ReutersImage Credit: Reuters / Michaela Rehle Government/Legal Green Audi Volkswagen Emissions Diesel Vehicles vw diesel scandal

Lego Speed Champions Ferrari F8 Tributo and 1985 Audi Sport Quattro S1 are 25% bigger

During a week when auto manufacturers are at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show debuting real, drivable cars, Lego has debuted two new toy car kits modeled after the 1985 Audi Sport Quattro S1 and the Ferrari F8 Tributo. The new models also show off an improvement to the Lego Speed Champions series: the kits are now 25 percent bigger. Lego is expanding its Speed Champions line of blocky car kits with two high-performance rides with very different purposes from very different times. One is a modern supercar, the other is a classic Group B rally car. The F8 Tributo is an inch high, five inches long, and three inches wide. It wears a clean red color scheme with a black splitter and black diffuser, and the only stickers are the headlights and the badges. The toy design carries over features of the F8 such as the hood and side body scoops, and the tiered taillights. and the rear engine cover. The S1, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary, has a much busier design. The main body of the car is white and yellow with retrolicious yellow body graphics. Black, gray and red striping add to the scheme, and "Audi," "Audi Sport," "Audi Team" and "quattro" stickers are seen on the body, the windshield, the hood and the rear wing. Clustered front rally lights, wheel flares, angular aerodynamic pieces and two sets of wheel designs help make the quattro look as authentic as possible. The car also comes with a miniature racer who can sit in the car and grip the stick shift. Both the Ferrari and the Audi will be released for January 2020. Each model is listed at $19.99, plus tax.

Recharge Wrap-up: BMW i3 carshare, Audi e-gas plant

Elix Wireless has announced its E10K Wireless Charging System. The system is designed for harsh conditions, delivers up to 10 kilowatts and features automatic detection and removal of foreign objects. Its low frequency makes it safe to operate near oil and gas, and in other hazardous environments. The system can charge personal vehicles, as well as electric buses, trucks, mining equipment and heavy duty machinery. Elix has "created an entirely new technology that meets customer demand for fast, safe and reliable charging," says, CEO David Smith. The E10K system uses Elix's Magneto-Dynamic Coupling technology, with rotating permanent magnets in the transmitter and receiver. Read more at Green Car Congress, or in the press release from Elix Wireless. FreeWire Technologies and Siemens are working together on a pilot program for the Mobi Charger. The mobile charging station, which uses second-life EV batteries to charge electric vehicles, will be deployed for a trial at LinkedIn's campus in Mountain View, CA. The Mobi is more flexible than stationary chargers in that it brings the charging to the car, regardless of where it is parked, rather than having to park the EV in a specific spot. It can charge up to five cars per day without putting stress on the grid during peak hours. Read more from Siemens. Audi's e-gas plant in Werlte, Germany helps stabilize the power grid. The plant, which produces synthetic methane using CO2, water and electricity, is able to draw six megawatts of power within five minutes, allowing it to become certified in the electricity balancing market. This helps the grid adapt to the larger load fluctuations that go hand-in-hand with generating renewable energy. It also allows the plant to achieve higher operating times and produce more e-gas each year. Read more in the press release from Audi. The BMW i3 is now available through the DriveNow carsharing service in Germany. DriveNow, which is a joint venture between BMW and car rental company Sixt, has put 100 i3s into service in Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. BMW also says that it supports a shift away from private car ownership in order to improve urban living and mobility, and sees electric carsharing as an important part of that. "We are witnessing the changes our customers and society as a whole are making and we are taking them on board," says BMW's Dr. Bernhard Blattel.