2006 Audi A4 Quattro 2.0 Turbo Sedan Awd B7 on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Nissan e-NV200 Workspace, Audi Shared Fleet pilot in NC

Nissan has collaborated with Studio Hardie to create the e-NV200 Workspace mobile office. The one-off electric van includes a desk space, touchscreen PC, pop-up coffee machine, Wi-Fi, wireless charging, mini fridge, pull-out rear deck, and app-controlled lighting. The e-NV200 Workspace allows freedom to work to work in a variety of places while avoiding the high rent of city center office space. It also eliminates the added cost and time of traveling to work. There's even a storage mount inside the van for a folding bike to facilitate for when you want to leave the office behind. Check it out in the video above, and read more from Nissan. Audi is launching a pilot program of its on-demand Shared Fleet service in Durham, North Carolina. With Audi Shared Fleet set to debut around the country next year, the pilot program will be housed at the American Underground technology incubator in Durham for this initial trial. Users will be able to book and unlock the fleet's 2017 A4 sedans using the Audi Shared Fleet app. The program will help Audi refine the service ahead of its nationwide launch. Learn more from Audi. The Illinois Solar Energy Association (ISEA) is raffling off a Tesla Model S as part of a fundraiser. In its Green Your Ride contest, the ISEA will pick a winner from 2,500 tickets sold at $100 apiece (or four for $300). If the winner doesn't need a car, or doesn't want to pay the associated taxes and fees, they can opt instead for $60,000 cash. Second and third prize winners get a Tesla Model S for Kids by Radio Flyer, or $500. If less than 2,000 tickets are sold, the winner takes half the raffle proceeds, while the ISEA will use the rest in its mission to promote solar power. Read more at ValueWalk.

Which will Dieselgate hurt more, Volkswagen or US diesels?

The most damning response to the news Volkswagen skirted emissions regulations for its diesel models may have actually come from the Los Angeles Times. On Saturday, the Times published an editorial titled "Did Volkswagen cheat?" The answer was undoubtedly yes. When you can't drive down Santa Monica Boulevard without seeing an average of one VW TDI per block, the following words are pretty striking: "... Americans should be outraged at the company's cynical and deliberate efforts to violate one of this country's most important environmental laws." VW has successfully cultivated a strong, environmentally conscious reputation for its TDI Clean Diesel technology, especially in states where emissions are strictly controlled. A statement like that is like blood all over the opinion section of the Sunday paper. The effect on VW's business, even Germany's financial health, was already felt Monday when the company's shares plummeted 23 percent in morning trading. The statement on Sunday from VW CEO Dr. Martin Winterkorn says "trust" three times. That probably wasn't enough in nine sentences. Writers over the weekend have compared VW's crisis to one at General Motors 30 years ago, when it was the largest seller of diesel-powered passenger cars until warranty claims over an inadequate design and ill-informed technicians effectively pulled the plug on the technology at GM. In a sense, VW is in the same boat as GM because it has fired a huge blow into its own reputation and that of diesels in passenger cars. And just as automakers like Jaguar Land Rover, BMW and, ironically, GM, were getting comfortable with it again in the US. VW of America was already knee-deep in its other problems this year. Its core Jetta and Passat models are aging and it needs to wait more than a year for competitive SUVs that American buyers want. The TDIs were the only continuous bright spot in the line and on the sales charts. Even as fuel prices fell and buyers shunned hybrids, VW managed to succeed with diesels and show that Americans actually care about and accept the technology again. Fervent TDI supporters might actually lobby for that maximum $18 billion fine to VW. I've personally convinced a number of people to look at a TDI instead of a hybrid. Perhaps not so much for stop-and-go traffic, but I know buyers who liked the idea that a TDI drove like a normal car and wasn't packed with batteries.

2016 Audi S6

Minutes after spending time in the refreshed 2016 Audi A6 in Germany, we were tossed the keys to its enthusiast-tuned sibling, the Audi S6. In similar manner to its lesser brethren, the S6 has also been updated for the 2016 model year with a new look, a boost in power and additional technology.
Its aggressive demeanor is heralded by a redesigned signature single-frame grille, resculpted bumpers (front and rear) and new lights on both ends - the Matrix LED headlamps fitted to our European test car are impressive, but the US DOT has ensure that we won't see them (pun intended) for now. The cabin appointments have gone even further upscale, and the enhanced MMI infotainment system now runs more fluidly thanks to a faster NVIDIA graphics chip. The primary instrument cluster, facing the operator, has been redesigned to offer its own duplicate display to ease the driver's workload.
Under the hood, the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter TFSI V8 is bumped to 450 horsepower (a gain of 30), while torque remains the same at 406 pound-feet. The standard gearbox is Audi's seven-speed S-tronic dual-clutch unit, sending power to all four wheels through the automaker's rear-biased Quattro permanent all-wheel-drive system.