2003 Volkswagen Passat Gl Sedan 4-door 1.8l on 2040-cars

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Rimac inks deal to purchase 55% of Bugatti from VW Group

ZAGREB, Croatia — Croatian electric supercar builder Rimac is taking over the iconic French manufacturer Bugatti in a deal that is reported to be worth millions of euros. Rimac said GermanyÂ’s Volkswagen Group, including the Porsche division — which owns a majority stake in Bugatti — plans to create a new joint venture. The new company will be called Bugatti-Rimac. Rimac Automobili announced Monday that it will be combining forces with Bugatti to “create a new automotive and technological powerhouse.” Rimac has progressed in 10 years from a one-man garage startup to a successful company that produces electric supercars. Mate Rimac, who founded the company in 2009, says the venture is an “exciting moment” and calls the combination of the companies “a perfect match for each other.” Porsche will own 45% of Bugatti-Rimac while Rimac Automobili will hold the remaining 55% stake, according to Croatian media reports. Financial details of the deal were not published. Bugattis will continue to be assembled in eastern France, where the company was established in 1909. The vehicles will use engines developed and made in Croatia. “In an industry evolving at ever-increasing speed, flexibility, innovation and sustainability remain at the very core of RimacÂ’s operations," the company said. “Uniting RimacÂ’s technical expertise and lean operations with BugattiÂ’s 110-year heritage of design and engineering prowess represents a fusion of leading automotive minds." Earnings/Financials Green Bugatti Automakers Porsche Volkswagen Green Automakers Electric Supercars

VW Jetta GLI, Peugeot 505 are MotorWeek's 1986 Euro sport sedan alternatives

Video reviews have become a mainstay of automotive journalism, but long before every publication turned on its video cameras and started uploading to YouTube, there was one program that was blazing the trail. That, of course, was MotorWeek, the television car program produced by Maryland Public Television and hosted by the inimitable John Davis. The program first aired back in 1981, and after more than three decades in the business, it's got a considerable archive of old episodes to unearth. In this latest gem recovered from the MotorWeek back catalog, the program pitted two European sports sedans against each other: a Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a Peugeot 505 Turbo. That's right: back in the 1980s, Peugeot was still competing in the US marketplace. The forced-induction 505 may not have been enough to keep the French automaker in American showrooms, but it was enough to stand up against the VW. Which one won MotorWeek's favor? You'll just have to watch the six-minute clip to find out. News Source: MotorWeek via YouTube Volkswagen Peugeot Economy Cars Performance Videos Sedan vw jetta gli

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla details factory expansion; Ford and SunPower raise money for Sierra Club

Tesla has revealed the details of the upgrade of its Fremont, CA factory. One major change is the addition of a dedicated production space for the dual-motor P85D version of the Model S. Robots will be doing the battery installation on the Model S to save some time, and new export docks allow Tesla to get the cars out the door and on the way to their new owners more quickly. The new robots that move the cars around the factory have been named after X-Men characters, which makes our inner geeks smile. Check out the factory upgrade in the time-lapse video below and read more at Teslarati or at the Tesla Motors Blog. A program in Beijing for privileged registrations for EVs hasn't had much success. Of the 1,424 lottery winners, only about 30 percent went on to register an electric car despite a two-month extension of the deadline to do so. Buyers are likely discouraged by the lack of charging infrastructure, which the city hopes to ameliorate with the addition of 1,000 new charging stations by the end of the year, and by requiring new and renovated developments to set aside parking specifically for EV charging. Read more at Green Car Reports. The UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies suggests that laws designed to protect dealers and consumers are stymieing the adoption of EVs. Laws like the ones certain states have in place that block or otherwise restrict Tesla's direct-to-consumer business model are not helpful for companies that want to introduce new products to the market. They prevent companies from passing on savings to customers for whom they would likely make the difference in a purchasing decision. One possible solution would be to allow exemptions to certain selling restrictions for a certain number of vehicles sold. "This could give automakers the degree of control needed to work out kinks with early customers, develop scalable processes for supporting PEVs, and ensure that effective dealer performance standards are in place before handing the reins over to wholly independent retailers," according to UC Davis ITS. Read more at the UC Davis website. Volkswagen says its environmental program, called "Think Blue. Factory," is meeting the automaker's own sustainability targets. The main purpose of the program is to move toward eco-friendlier carmaking at each of its plants worldwide.