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Translogic 164: Driving the fuel cell vehicles of the 2014 LA Auto Show

The LA Auto Show is known for its environmentally friendly vehicle debuts. At last year's show, hydrogen fuel cell concepts from Honda and Toyota joined a lease-ready Hyundai Tucson FCEV to cast a green hue over the convention center. This year, automakers took us a step closer to a fuel cell future by offering drives of their hydrogen-electric hybrids. Translogic host Jonathon Buckley takes a ride in the Toyota Mirai, which is headed for production in 2016. He follows that with a spin in the Volkswagen Passat HyMotion and the Audi A7 Sportback h-tron quattro concept. Which of these fuel cell vehicles holds the most promise? Tune in to find out. Follow Translogic on Twitter and Facebook. Click here to subscribe to Translogic in iTunes. Click here to learn more about our host, Jonathon Buckley. LA Auto Show Audi Toyota Volkswagen Electric Translogic Videos la 2014 toyota mirai

2023 CES Editors' Picks

Over the past few years, it has become more and more clear that the Consumer Electronics Show is a car show. And this year that reality is more clear than ever. Not only did established automakers show off seriously important vehicles, but a traditional electronics company brought a car that gives an idea of its intents (with the help of establishment car company). With so many car reveals, we had to rank our favorites. Our picks for this show are entirely electric. Or at least, they are on paper, since many are concepts. Considering the name of the show, it would be a little strange if they weren't. In fact, not only are many of our favorites concepts, they all are save for one. See how they shook out below. VW ID7 camo View 28 Photos 5. Volkswagen ID.7 "The ID.7 definitely got lost in the crowd at CES. That it was camouflaged definitely didn't help, even if that camo was electroluminescent (BMW trumped it big time with its color-changing Dee). Nevertheless, this is a close-to-production hatchback-ed sedan, not unlike today's Arteon, with an extra-long wheelbase courtesy its EV architecture. It should be a solid answer to the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6, and even if people obviously prefer SUVs now, VW says there is still a market for sedans. I know I'd probably prefer one." –Senior Editor, West Coast and Reviews, James Riswick Peugeot Inception concept View 12 Photos 4. Peugeot Inception "It's not often that show debuts surprise us. While Peugeot teased the Inception ahead of CES, its unveiling seemed almost incidental. But just look at this thing; it's like an electric French Mustang with someplace important to be. I don't buy into the stupid 'It's not a wheel!' thing that Peugeot CEO Linda Jackson described as providing a video-game-like drive experience, but that bit of silliness aside, this is a really promising design study. Give us more of these and fewer tall boxes, please." –Associate Editor Byron Hurd Afeela prototype from Sony Honda Mobility View 11 Photos 3. Afeela by Sony Honda “Ever since Sony showed off an impressively put-together concept car at CES a few years ago, IÂ’ve been anticipating the companyÂ’s next move. Apparently, that next move is “Afeela.” No, I donÂ’t love the name. The specs from SonyÂ’s original concept car give me hope that this prototype sportback (itÂ’s a hatchback!) will be fun to drive, though.

Volkswagen reportedly to name Matthias Muller CEO

Porsche chief executive officer Matthias Muller is expected to be named CEO of Volkswagen AG, the Wall Street Journal and other sources reported Thursday morning. Muller, 62, has led Porsche since Oct. 1, 2010, and jumpstarted the sports-car brand's expansion around the world. He replaces Martin Winkerkorn, who stepped down Wednesday amid the company's worsening diesel scandal. At least three more executives are also expected to be fired, including Volkswagen's US chief and the heads of Audi and Porsche research and development. Both brands are divisions of VW. A US spokesman wouldn't confirm the reports. An official announcement is expected at VW's board meeting on Friday. Muller's ascension caps a stunning week of turmoil for Volkswagen, which manipulated software to make its diesel-powered vehicles appear cleaner during testing that they are in real-world driving. The charges were revealed last week by the EPA, which cited the work of researchers at West Virginia University. About 482,000 vehicles are affected in the United States, which will be subject to recall, and VW estimates about 11 million of its vehicles around the world have the rigged software. The well-regarded Muller was viewed as a front-runner for the job even before Winterkorn stepped down. Before helming Porsche, he oversaw all vehicle projects globally for VW from 2007-2010. Previously, he was in charge of the Audi and Lamborghini product lines, and earlier in his career was responsible for the Audi A3 program in the 1990s. He joined Audi in 1977. He's trained as a toolmaker and studied information technology in Munich. His last name is sometimes spelled Mueller in English. Muller faces immediate challenges as he takes over VW's sprawling 78-year-old industrial empire, including recalls and regulatory actions around the world. In the US alone, the company faces a fine of up to $18 billion. VW, an industrial symbol of Germany, is also far larger than any unit Muller has run in his career. While Porsche sold 189,849 vehicles in 2014 globally, it's one of many VW brands. Collectively they sold 5.04 million vehicles through the first six months of this year, making Volkswagen the world's largest automaker. Related Video: