1983 Mercedes-benz Sl-class on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Automakers agree to clean up diesels to avoid ban in German cities

BERLIN -- Auto industry officials and politicians in Germany have agreed to clean up diesel vehicles through software updates as part of a rescue plan for avoiding diesel bans in cities, industry and government sources said on Friday. The costs of the rescue plan amount to under 2 billion ($2.33 billion) euros for cars in Germany, with the auto industry agreeing to shoulder the expense of about 100 euros per car, the sources said. After Volkswagen Group confessed to emissions-test cheating in 2015, the entire auto industry has come under scrutiny for producing nitrogen oxide emissions in diesel cars, which are blamed for causing respiratory disease. Audi, a division of Volkswagen Group, said it would update engine software on up to 850,000 diesel cars. The refit of six and eight cylinder engines will be free of charge for all customers, Audi said. The service will also be offered to Porsche- and Volkswagen- branded cars using the same six- and eight-cylinder engines, Audi said. Earlier this week, Porsche's CEO was quoted as saying the brand may abandon diesel engines as its electric cars go to market, and Mercedes announced a plan similar to Audi's, in which it will recall 3 million diesel cars in Germany for a $255 million engine software fix. Diesel cars from all domestic and foreign car brands that conform to the latest emissions standards, Euro-6 and Euro-5, will be updated, the sources said. The plan is set to be presented at the beginning of August. With the software updates, the auto industry is able to cut nitrogen oxide pollution by about 20 percent, the sources said. A committee will be set up to measure the impact of updating diesel cars on individual communities and cities, with a view to averting bans of diesel cars, the sources said. Auto industry executives and German Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt are due to discuss diesel pollution at a summit on Aug. 2. Reporting by Arno SchuetzeRelated Video: Government/Legal Green Audi BMW Mercedes-Benz Porsche Volkswagen Diesel Vehicles dieselgate diesel emissions

Recharge Wrap-up: Toyota FCV Rally Car To Compete, Barra bullish on Chevy Volt

The Toyota FCV will compete in the last stage of the 2014 Japanese Rally Championship. The sport-tuned hydrogen-powered car will tackle the 177-mile Shinshiro Rally on November 1 and 2, emitting no greenhouse gases in the process. The rally course will help prove the safety of the vehicle before it goes on sale in Japan in the next several months. The Toyota FCV, rumored to be called "Mirai" in Japan, will begin sales there before April, according to Toyota, and in the summer in the US and Europe. Read more in the press release below. Carsharing is becoming more popular, and more visible, throughout the world, including the US. According to WardsAuto columnist John McElroy, 18 percent of US drivers have used some sort of carsharing service. Additionally, he says 60 percent of Americans are familiar with Zipcar and Uber. Mercedes' Harald Kroeger says promotions like free parking for carshares in Stuttgart are encouraging growth for Daimler's carsharing service, Car2go. Read more at WardsAuto. Ethanol is being help up by rail transport, according to ethanol producer Green Plains. More and more stations are carrying E15 blend gasoline, but grain producers have complained that crude oil is given higher priority by the rail lines shipping it, which rail companies deny. Union Pacific and BNSF Railway say they are stepping up service to make sure that ethanol can be shipped reliably to customers. Read more at Omaha World-Herald. General Motors "has placed a significant bet [on] the electrification of the automobile," says CEO Mary Barra. In a speech to the Detroit Economic Club this week, she spoke about the Chevrolet Volt, and its importance to GM's future. While Barra admits the Volt's success has been "not everything we wanted," it has provided experience, and shows that EVs have "an important role in the future of GM." The new Volt is more refined, stores more energy, has longer range, uses less fuel and is a big investment for Michigan. She announced that the new Volt's electric drive system will be built in Warren, and that all of its major components will be made in Michigan. "Silicon Valley doesn't have a corner on the market for innovation, creativity and drive," says Barra. "These qualities exist here – in this region – as well." See the speech's highlight video and read more in the transcript below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Mercedes trolls kids with uncrashable toy cars

Kids love crashing toy cars. Adults in the real thing, not so much. That's the angle behind Mercedes' latest ad, crafted to promote the company's latest safety systems. The video clip humorously posits what would happen if Mercedes gave out sets of toy cars with strong magnets in them that would prevent kids from crashing them into each other. Needless to say, the kids depicted are not amused by the endeavor. And neither would we have been when we were that age. But the point is nevertheless made. That point is to highlight the company's Brake Assist System Plus – Benz-speak for an automatic braking system – fitted in the new C-Class (among other models). The technology uses two radar systems – one mounted behind the three-pointed star in the grille and another in the front bumper – to detect other vehicles on the road, and, when necessary, apply the brakes. It'll also flash the brake lights to warn drivers behind. The inclusion of Cross-Traffic Assist applies the same measures at intersections, while Pre-Safe Brake adds pedestrian detection into the mix, as well. The creative campaign is the work of the Jung von Matt/Alster ad agency in Germany. And it strikes us as a clever way to showcase the system – or at very least, it looks better than some of the German automaker's previous attempts from ten years ago. Check it out for yourself in the video above.