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KBB: VW diesel prices have dropped 16%

There are a lot of post-scandal theories and metrics concerning Volkswagen's performance during the diesel emissions scandal, although none of them has created a clear picture of where things are headed. Kelley Blue Book has a few more to add to the spreadsheet, though, finding that average auction prices for VW diesels and Internet shoppers perusing them have both gone down in the past four weeks on KBB.com. Auction prices on the site are down an average of 16 percent for VW oil burners, which compares to a decline of 2.9 percent for gas-powered VWs. Shoppers are still on the lookout, though, even if the numbers are slightly reduced. Overall, "new-car shopping activity" for the small-capacity VW diesel offerings is down 2.4 percent, a number held partly in check by searches for the Jetta SportWagen being up by 3.7 percent. Shoppers are looking harder at the Audi A3 diesel, too, its activity up 1.6 percent. The Golf, though, is down 3.7 percent and the Golf SportWagen down 6.2 percent. Shoppers leaving the diesel fold aren't necessarily going for high-mileage options, either, KBB saying that the Ford Fusion and Honda Civic are quick alternatives to the Jetta TDI, while the Mercedes CLA and BMW 2 Series are getting new looks from those interested in the Audi A3 diesel. You can read the full release from KBB below. VOLKSWAGEN DIESEL VEHICLE PRICES DECLINE NEARLY 16 PERCENT, ACCORDING TO KELLEY BLUE BOOK DATA New-Car Shopping Activity Also Impacted by Recent Emissions Issue IRVINE, Calif., October 21, 2015 – Kelley Blue Book www.kbb.com, the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry, today reports that average auction prices, along with new-car shopping activity on KBB.com, for Volkswagen diesel vehicles have declined four weeks after the diesel emissions issue was announced. The average auction price for Volkswagen diesel models dropped by nearly 16 percent since the news broke of the emissions crisis.[1] The average auction price for the brand's gasoline-powered vehicles declined by 2.9 percent.1 On KBB.com, Volkswagen new-car shopping activity for affected TDI models has decreased on average by 2.4 percent. "According to Kelley Blue Book Field Analysts, some auctions are still holding off on selling the affected Volkswagen inventory," said Tim Fleming, analyst for Kelley Blue Book.

BMW, VW partner with ChargePoint for high-speed charging network

To promote their plug-in electric vehicles, a number of electric vehicle makers are working overtime to get a charging infrastructure set up. Tesla is famously setting up a network of Superchargers around the world, and today BMW and VW have announced they are partnering with ChargePoint to install almost 100 DC Fast Chargers up and down the US coasts. Installing additional Level 2 chargers is also part of the plan. The new DC Fast Chargers will offer the SAE Combo connectors, which is available on both the e-Golf and the i3. The fast chargers will have "up to two 50 kW DC Fast chargers, or 24 kW DC Combo Fast chargers," BMW says. They will be installed roughly 50 miles apart between Boston and Washington, DC in the east as well as Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego in the west. The 24-kW DC Fast Chargers will fill up an empty i3 or e-Golf to 80 percent in a half-hour or 3.5-4 hours from the Level 2 cords. Speaking at an announcement ceremony at the Washington Auto Show today, ChargePoint CEO Pasquale Romano said that infrastructure investments like this will get more people to realize that they can use an electric vehicle as their only car, and Jorg Sommer, VP of product marketing and strategy for VW North America, said that it's clear that, "The EV is perfect for the daily driver." BMW, Volkswagen and ChargePoint Join Forces to Create Electric Vehicle Express Charging Corridors on the East and West Coasts. · A goal of nearly 100 DC Fast charging ports will be installed to support long distance and metropolitan electric vehicle travel with the BMW i3, Volkswagen e-Golf and other electric cars, along heavily trafficked corridors on both coasts, supported by Level 2 chargers. · These publicly available charging stations will be added to the existing ChargePoint network and can be easily accessed using a ChargePoint® or ChargeNow card. Washington, D.C., January 22, 2015 – At the 2015 Washington Auto Show, two of the top automakers, BMW of North America and Volkswagen of America, together with ChargePoint, the largest electric vehicle charging network, announced an initiative to create express charging corridors along heavily-traveled routes on the East and West Coasts.

Volkswagen Scirocco GTS set for Shanghai reveal

Though we still can't get one over here, buyers in other markets can get the Scirocco in an array of trim levels. And at the Shanghai Motor Show this month, Volkswagen is introducing another. The new Scirocco GTS slots between the base models and the R performance version. Reviving the spirit of the original introduced more than 30 years ago and picking up where the last model left off, the new GTS splits the Scirocco lineup the way the GTI fits into the Golf range. It even packs the GTI's engine: a 2.0-liter turbo four with 210 hp, mated to either a six-speed manual or DSG. The GTS also packs standard 18-inch (or optional 19-inch wheels), a further departure from the R-Line aero kit and racing stripes running up the top. The interior is similarly upgraded with special trim, a golf-ball shifter (on manual versions) and more. All of this makes the Scirocco an even more tempting proposition – if only we could get our hands on one. Wolfsburg/Shanghai, 16 April 2015 Comeback of a GT icon: World premiere of the 220 PS Scirocco GTS in Shanghai - Exclusive GTS trim with new 18-inch alloy wheels - Scirocco GTS* has a new generation of infotainment equipment on board as standard Ten key facts about the Scirocco GTS*: 1. The new Scirocco GTS makes its debut as a separate and especially sporty GT version 2. 220 PS Scirocco GTS has a top speed of 246 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds 3. Individualised exterior with new 18-inch alloy wheels and optional GTS decor (decor standard in China) 4. Red brake callipers as an identifying feature 5. Exclusive GTS interior with black trim features, red stitching and the legendary golf ball gear knob 6. Included as standard: the "Composition Colour", from the latest generation of infotainment systems 7. Modular infotainment matrix (MIB II) available for all Scirocco models from the end of May 8. The Scirocco GTS can also be ordered with an extremely quick-shifting 6-speed DSG gearbox as an option 9. The spirit of the first Scirocco GTS (which made its debut in 1982) was carried forward into the year 2015 in the new GTS 10. With over a million sold, the Scirocco is one of the most successful sports cars in the world Some cars live for ever because they are constantly reinvented. The Scirocco, a pure-bred European sports car, is one of these cars that is forever young. Presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March 41 years ago, it became an icon of compact German coupes.