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California adapts ZEV mandate with PHEVs for smaller automakers

California is the nation's largest market for zero-emissions vehicles with over 100,000 of them estimated to be on the roads there. The state's goal is to keep that number growing every year. To that end, the California Air Resources Board is now tweaking its rules in a way that might not boost ZEVs but could mean more plug-in hybrids for the Golden State. Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and Volvo asked for an exemption to the state's zero-emissions vehicle mandate last year due to their relatively small development budgets compared to larger automakers. CARB denied their request but did craft a compromise, according to Automotive News. Rather than being required to offer a ZEV in the state, companies with an annual global revenue of less than $40 billion, like those in this group, may instead sell plug-in hybrids to earn ZEV credits. The companies aren't completely off the hook, though. If these plug-in hybrids don't earn enough credits, the corporations must buy them on the market to make up the difference. Automakers with popular electric models like Nissan and Tesla have made a big business through this trading system by selling their surplus to rivals. Tesla alone pocketed $51 million in the first quarter from this part of its business, according to Automotive News. The changes to the regulations also aren't set in stone, yet. CARB is meeting in 2016 and could adjust things further at that time. Related Video: News Source: Automotive News - sub. req. via Hybrid CarsImage Credit: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Government/Legal Green Jaguar Land Rover Mazda Mitsubishi Subaru Volvo Emissions Electric Hybrid California zev credits zero emissions vehicle

Autoblog Minute: New Civic, FCA UAW Agreement, Frankfurt

FCA reaches a tentative agreement with the UAW, Honda reveals the all-new 2016 Civic, and the Frankfurt Motor Show dazzles us again. Autoblog senior editor Greg Migliore reports on the Weekly Recap edition of Autoblog Minute. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] FCA reaches a tentative agreement with the UAW, Honda reveals the all-new 2016 Civic, and the Frankfurt Motor Show dazzles us again. I'm senior editor Greg Migliore and this is your Autoblog Minute Weekly Recap. FCA reached a tentative labor agreement with UAW leadership. The major focus of the new deal reportedly includes: the eventual elimination of the two-tier pay scale [00:00:30] and pooling worker health care. Now that a leadership agreement is in place, the deal will be sent to FCA's rank-and-file. FCA has about 36,000 hourly employees. We got a first look at the interior and exterior of the 10th-generation Civic. Honda expects the new sedan to dominate the C-segment when it hits dealerships later this fall. Civic coupe, five-door hatchback, Si and Type R will all come later. The 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show is in the books and there was a lot of news to get excited about. [00:01:00] Porsche introduced a fully electric concept car in the Mission E. If they make this car, Porsche could give Tesla nightmares. We also saw SUVs from Jaguar and Bentley. There were two beautiful Italian convertibles from Ferrari and Lamborghini. Meanwhile, Mercedes introduced a concept of their own in the IAA - a vehicle that experiments with adaptable aerodynamics. Those are the highlights from the week that was. Be sure to check out my full recap this Saturday. Plus we'll have some added insight on General Motors' deal to [00:01:30] avoid federal prosecution. For Autoblog, I'm Greg Migliore. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals. UAW/Unions Frankfurt Motor Show Bentley Chrysler Ferrari Honda Jaguar Lamborghini Mercedes-Benz Porsche Rolls-Royce Tesla Convertible SUV Concept Cars Electric Supercars Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video porsche mission e concept

Next Jaguar F-Type rumored to get BMW M-sourced 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8

Unless we're discussing the Porsche 911 or Chevrolet Corvette, trying to predict the future of any sports car out there would stump even Miss Cleo. Reportage takes a walking dead theme, as with the next-generation Audi R8. Or it delves a succession of intel from "reliable sources" on every possibility, each one wilder than and incompatible with the last. The newest turn in the rumor cycle for the next-gen Jaguar F-Type says Jaguar's coupe will be fitted with a BMW-sourced 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. The gossip comes courtesy of Georg Kacher writing in Car magazine. It closes the loop Kacher opened in 2016 when, writing in Automobile, he said BMW was hammering out a deal to provide V8 engines for the top-end Jaguar and Land Rover products. The deal would put more money in BMW's pockets for an engine that's expensive to develop but doesn't sell in large numbers, while weaning Jaguar off the thunderous and thirsty Ford-sourced 5.0-liter supercharged V8. We haven't heard anything else about that deal in the meantime. Since Kacher says the next F-Type will come in 2020, it seems the coupe would be the first car in the JLR range to get BMW power — specifically, BMW M Power. The 4.4-liter V8 codenamed S63 by BMW, but supposedly codenamed Project Jennifer inside JLR, makes 560 hp in standard form, or 625 hp in the M division's Competition vehicles. The current F-Type R Coupe puts out 550 hp, the SVR Coupe puts out 575 hp. However, the cloud of F-Type rumors is wide and nebulous. The head of JLR North America said last year that every product launched after 2020 will have some form of electrification, and we haven't heard of any hybrid plans for the 4.4-liter S63 V8. The next BMW M3 is said to get some sort of hybridization, but that sedan uses an inline-six. When Road & Track spoke to Jaguar design head Ian Callum earlier this month at the Paris Motor Show, the mag asked about a hybrid F-Type. Callum said electrification "is not necessarily the plan," adding, "There's not a plan, to be honest with you." He said what he'd like to do is "a mid-engine-style electric car." When Auto Express reported on Callum's wish, the mag called the product "a hybrid mid-engine supercar" with " dreams of taking on the McLaren 570S and Audi R8," using a V6 engine and powertrain components from the I-Pace. As a pure electric or a hybrid vehicle, this could be a way to get a C-X75-inspired sports car on the road, but it's not an F-Type replacement in either soul or price.