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VW confirms three-row Tiguan to be built in Mexico

Volkswagen has been toying with the idea of a three-row crossover for some time – as evidenced by the CrossBlue concept in 2013 and the Magellan concept way back in 2002. But now the German automaker is bringing it to fruition, and it's doing so right in our back yard (or across the fence, anyway). In its latest announcement, VW confirmed recent reports that it will build a new three-row Tiguan at its plant in Puebla, Mexico. It will be made alongside the Golf and Jetta at the company's largest assembly plant outside of Germany, after a billion-dollar expansion program that will encompass nearly a million more square feet of space and employ some 2,000 workers. Once production of the new Tiguan comes on full steam in 2017, the plant will be pumping out 500 of them every day to be delivered in the Americas, but also exported to markets overseas (save for China and Europe). At that point, VW will be producing 90 percent of its products for North America locally. Of course this won't be the first time Volkswagen will be producing a Tiguan. The current model was introduced in 2007 and underwent a facelift in 2011, but includes only two rows of seating and is imported to North America from factories overseas. VOLKSWAGEN DE MEXICO TO PRODUCE THE NEW THREE-ROW TIGUAN IN ITS PUEBLA ASSEMBLY PLANT Mar 9, 2015 - Investment of $1 billion at Puebla plant - US-CEO Michael Horn: Localization key to safeguard our competitive position - Start of production end of 2016 Puebla/Herndon, March 9, 2015 – Volkswagen de Mexico announced today that a three-row version of the Tiguan will be produced at its plant in Puebla, Mexico. The car will be launched to the markets in 2017. The company will invest $1 billion for the expansion and modernization of its production facilities at the Puebla plant, as well as tooling to produce auto parts at suppliers. Volkswagen de Mexico's strategy of technological upgrading, which started with the production of the new Golf on the Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) platform, goes to the next step with the new Tiguan. "Localization has become key to safeguarding our competitive position on the global market and manufacturing the Tiguan in Mexico will bring production closer to the U.S.-market," said Michael Horn, president and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America. "It is another proof point that Volkswagen is committed to further growth in the U.S. and North American markets.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla truck's close call, Tesla age discrimination suit

A semi with a trailer full of Teslas has a close call on the highway in this video. With a half-dozen electric vehicles in tow, the truck has to swerve onto the shoulder as a commuter bus nearly hits it after crossing multiple lanes. An example of human error, this near miss is the type of thing Tesla would like to prevent by advancing and widely deploying autonomous vehicle technology. Watch the heavy-duty mishap in the video above, and read more at Teslarati. A former Tesla engineer is suing the automaker for age discrimination. 69-year-old Thomas Flessner, who was fired from his Materials Engineer position in February, says he "was isolated due to his age and routinely chastised for completing projects slower than his coworkers." The suit claims younger engineers working at a similar pace were not subject to the same criticism. Flessner encountered further problems after taking time off for surgery, when a supervisor told him, "these guys are gunning for you." Read more from Fusion. Audi has placed orders with Ballard as part of Volkswagen Group's HyMotion fuel cell technology program. Audi has taken over responsibility for Volkswagen's program to develop its next-generation fuel cell stack. Ballard is providing engineering services to the automaker until at least March 2019. "Our HyMotion team of engineers and scientists are collaborating closely with Audi's experts and together we are on-track with respect to key technical and financial goals set for the current year," says Ballard VP of Technology and Product Development, Dr. Kevin Colbow. Read more at Yahoo Finance. Car2go has reached 2 million members worldwide. The world's largest car sharing service has 800,000 members in North America, 1.1 million in Europe, and 100,000 in Chongqing, China. Car2go claims 43 percent year-over-year growth, with a trip taken by a member every 1.5 seconds. "The rise of car sharing can be attributed to a changing paradigm of demographics, social preference shifts towards usage of vehicles instead of ownership, and technology that enables the seamless short term rental of vehicles," says Frost & Sullivan Principal Mobility Analyst Martyn Briggs. Read more from Car2go. Related Gallery Volkswagen Golf SportWagen and Passat HyMotion News Source: Teslarati, YouTube: Rumble Viral, Fusion, Yahoo Finance via Electrek Government/Legal Green Audi Tesla Volkswagen Alternative Fuels Transportation Alternatives Electric Hydrogen Cars Videos recharge wrapup

Recall on VW diesels begins in January, Mueller claims

A recall on Volkswagen's diesel vehicles with cheating software has been inevitable since the scandal first came to light, but there has been little official word on a timeframe for the fix. The automaker's new CEO Matthias Muller has finally put a tentative date on repairs, though. "If all goes according to plan, we can start the recall in January. All the cars should be fixed by the end of 2016," Muller said to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Reuters reports. While this plan affects Europe, the timing for repairs in the US could be slightly different. The Environmental Protection Agency needs to test the fix first here to make sure that it brings the vehicles in line with emissions regulations. Before the scandal came to light publicly, VW already tried a software update, but the California Air Resources Board still found NOx levels to be too high. Some experts have speculated that whatever the automaker comes up with this time could affect performance and fuel economy. To make lemonade out of these very sour lemons, Muller is trying to position the scandal as a chance to change. "This crisis gives us an opportunity to overhaul Volkswagen's structures," the CEO said, according to Reuters. "We want to make the company slimmer, more decentralized and give the brands more responsibility." Still, the effects are definitely being felt inside the automaker. When addressing employees recently, Muller admitted the necessity of cutbacks and the likelihood of setting aside even more money to pay for international fines and settlements. "What isn't absolutely vital will be canceled or delayed," he said. Related Video: