1998 Volkswagen Beetle Tdi Hatchback 2-door 1.9l on 2040-cars

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Move over Nissan Leaf, VW E-Golf is the new sales champ in Europe

Western European sales of the Volkswagen e-Golf electric vehicle got just extra charged up, and not just with electricity. For the first two months of the year, the VW EV overtook longstanding EV leader Nissan Leaf in terms of sales on the Continent, Aid Newsletter says. In fact, the e-Golf's 2,150 units sold in Western Europe through February was 400 more than what the Leaf managed. Norway was the key country here. With lots of EV incentives, the Leaf (not to mention the Tesla Model S) have always sold well there, but Volkswagen, through a big advertising push, moved more than three times as many e-Golfs in Norway as Nissan did the Leaf. It's sure a far cry from the US, where the Leaf remains the best-selling electric vehicle. Through February, Nissan moved 2,268 Leaf vehicles in the US, compared to 311 e-Golfs sold here. March sales didn't do much to change the balance, with 195 e-Golfs sold versus 1,817 Leafs. The e-Golf, which retails for about $36,000 in the States, gets an EPA-rated 116 miles per gallon equivalent, barely edging out the Leaf's 114 MPGe rating. The e-Golf can also go 83 miles on a single charge. Our review of the e-Golf is available here. Featured Gallery 2015 Volkswagen e-Golf: Review View 29 Photos News Source: Aid Newsletter Green Volkswagen ev sales e-golf

What's big at the Chicago show | Autoblog Podcast #503

On this week's podcast, Mike Austin and David Gluckman discuss the big debuts at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show. They also recap what they've all been driving lately, and the episode wraps up with Spend My Money buying advice to help you, our dear listeners. And there's an awful Dad Joke thrown in there for you to find. The rundown is below. Remember, if you have a car-related question you'd like us to answer or you want buying advice of your very own, send a message or a voice memo to podcast at autoblog dot com. (If you record audio of a question with your phone and get it to us, you could hear your very own voice on the podcast. Neat, right?) And if you have other questions or comments, please send those too. Autoblog Podcast #503 The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics and stories we mention Jaguar XE Volkswagen Golf R Toyota Highlander Hybrid Chicago Auto Show coverage Used cars! Rundown Intro - 00:00 What we're driving - 01:46 Chicago show preview - 22:58 Spend My Money - 35:36 Total Duration: 52:48 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Feedback Email – Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show on iTunes Podcasts Chicago Auto Show Chevrolet Dodge Jaguar Toyota Volkswagen Truck Hatchback SUV Performance Sedan ford expedition jaguar xe volkswagen golf r 2017 Chicago Auto Show

Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes also under diesel emissions scrutiny

The controversy over Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal isn't limited to the US. In Europe, where diesel engines are far more popular, the issue is shining a harsh light on the NEDC emissions test. As already known, the evaluation does a poor job of reflecting real-world production of NOx, and it appears a significant number of automakers are affected. The Guardian in the UK has been reporting on real-world test results from a company called Emissions Analytics. After the latest round of checks, vehicles from Mercedes-Benz, Honda, Mazda and Mitsubishi were found to generate far more NOx than they should. The newspaper also published similar results for Renault, Nissan, Hyundai, Fiat, Volvo, Jeep, Citroen, VW, and Audi. On average, the figures are about four times over the limit of producing the pollutant. Unlike VW and its defeat device, these automakers aren't actually breaking the rules. The vehicles perform up to the NEDC lab test for emissions, but those results simply aren't translated to the street. "The VW issue in the US was purely the trigger which threw light on a slightly different problem in the EU - widespread legal over-emissions," Nick Molden from Emissions Analytics said to The Guardian. A big fight to decide the future of this issue appears to be on the horizon. Automakers claim that they can't meet the next round of tightening emissions regulations and are asking for compromises. Although, spokespeople for Mercedes and Honda told The Guardian that the brands would be in favor of the stricter rules. Meanwhile, some European governments began backtracking their support of diesels well before this scandal came to light. The added scrutiny certain hasn't helped the future of the oil-burner. Related Video: