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Recharge Wrap-up: Fiat 500X EV spotted? Senators request biodiesel increase

A group of 32 senators is asking the EPA to approve increased biodiesel volumes in the Renewable Fuel Standard. Delays in approving the RFS for 2014 forward is causing problems for the fuel produces affected by the law. "EPA's delays are endangering our industry," says Imperium Renewables CEO John Plaza. "Biofuel facilities around the nation are sitting idle, workers are being laid off, and some producers have been forced out of business entirely." Producers feel the EPA is underestimating domestic biodiesel production, and are concerned about importing fuel from Argentina. Read more in the press release below. Fiat Chrysler will help Israel develop a natural gas vehicle. The automaker, along with Iveco and Magneti Marelli, signed a memorandum of understanding with Israel's Prime Minister's Office as part of the Israel Fuel Choices Initiative. They are also considering extended research and development relationship with Israeli companies for alternative fuels and smart mobility. Israel seeks to become a hub for alternative fuel technology. Read more at Hybrid Cars. Spy photos suggest Fiat might build an electric 500X as a compliance car for California. The photos, sent by a reader to Green Car Reports, show a camouflaged Fiat 500X that appears to lack a tailpipe, suggesting it could be an EV. It was photographed on its way to Chrysler's SRT Engineering Center, which builds specialized, low-volume vehicles. The gas-powered 500X debuted in North America at the Los Angeles Auto Show last fall, so camouflage seems a bit unusual at this point if it's just a standard powertrain. It's possible the car could be sold mainly in California to comply with the state's zero-emissions requirements for automakers. Read more and see the photos at Green Car Reports. 32 U.S. Senators urge EPA to approve increased biodiesel volumes Imperium Renewables applauds Senators' action SEATTLE, Feb. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A bipartisan group of 32 U.S. senators, including Washington state's Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, is calling on the Environmental Protection Agency to move quickly in approving strong biodiesel volumes under the nation's Renewable Fuel Standards. The senators expressed concern about the agency's delays in implementing the RFS standards for 2014, 2015 and 2016, noting that the delays have created tremendous uncertainty for the U.S.

Chrysler to reveal next minivan at 2016 Detroit Auto Show

All eyes in the industry are presently fixed on this year's Detroit Auto Show, but over at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, they're already looking towards next year's show. That's when the Italian-American automaker says it'll unveil the next Chrysler minivan. The announcement, made on the FCA Corporate Twitter feed, promises that the next Pentastar minivan will debut in January 2016, which (along with the hashtag NAIAS) suggests the next-generation family hauler will debut at the Detroit show next year. Auburn Hills is expected to replace the current Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan with two all-new models: one keeping the minivan form, and the other shifting into more of a crossover. Just which nameplate gets the new form factor, and which will debut at Cobo next year, we don't know. Odds are good that it'll be the minivan not the CUV, though. Chrysler's minivan has been a winning business for the Detroit automaker, pioneering the segment, outselling the competition and marketing around the world under more brands and nameplates than just about anything else in the industry. The vehicle has been sold as the Dodge Caravan, Chrysler Town & Country, Chrysler Voyager, Plymouth Voyager, Lancia Voyager, Ram Cargo Van and Volkswagen Routan, to say nothing of long-wheelbase Grand versions of many of the aforementioned nameplates. News Source: FCA via Twitter Detroit Auto Show Chrysler Dodge Minivan/Van Detroit 2016 Detroit Auto Show chrysler town and country dodge grand caravan dodge caravan

Fiat Chrysler begins Magneti Marelli spinoff

MILAN — Fiat Chrysler has kicked off its planned spinoff of parts maker Magneti Marelli, which will be registered in the Netherlands and listed on the Milan stock exchange, a document outlining initial plans and seen by Reuters showed. The spinoff is part of a plan by FCA Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne to "purify" the Italian-American carmaker's portfolio and to unlock value at Magneti Marelli similar to his earlier spinoff of Ferrari. Analysts say Magneti Marelli could be worth between 3.6 billion and 5 billion euros ($4.2 billion to $5.8 billion). It sits within FCA's components unit alongside robotics specialist Comau and castings firm Teksid. FCA has created a separate entity called MM Srl, the document showed, into which it will fold Magneti Marelli's electronics and electro-mechanical operations related to racing motorbikes and racing cars, as well as 14 other holdings in various companies around the world, including Germany, Slovakia, Mexico and South Africa. MM will be incorporated into a Dutch holding company via a cross-border merger, it added. FCA declined to comment. The move follows a similar procedure adopted by FCA for the spinoff and listing of Ferrari as well as of trucks and tractor maker CNH Industrial, both registered in the Netherlands and listed in Milan. The Dutch holding company would allow Marchionne, known for his success in extracting shareholder value through this strategy, to introduce a loyalty share scheme to reward long-term investors through multiple voting rights, as was the case with CNH and Ferrari. That would tighten the grip of FCA's controlling shareholder Exor, the Agnelli family's investment holding company, on the parts maker. Magneti Marelli, which employs around 43,000 people and operates in 19 countries, is a diversified components supplier specialized in lighting, powertrain and electronics. The Magneti Marelli separation is expected to be completed by the end of this year or early 2019, FCA has said. FCA's advisers initially looked at a possible initial public offering for the business to raise cash to cut FCA's debt, but the Agnelli family — FCA's main shareholder — was put off by low industry valuations and did not want its stake in Magneti Marelli to be diluted, three sources close to the matter told Reuters in March. Magneti Marelli has often been touted as a takeover target, and FCA has fielded interest from various rivals and private equity firms over the years.