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Autoblog Minute: VW CEO Winterkorn out, rebuilding begins

Martin Winterkorn steps down as CEO of Volkswagen. Autoblog's Eddie Sabatini reports on this edition of Autoblog Minute, with commentary from Autoblog's Editor-in-Chief, Mike Austin. Show full video transcript text [00:00:00] Dr. Martin Winterkorn steps down as CEO of Volkswagen. I'm Eddie Sabatini and this is your Autoblog Minute. Dr. Winterkorn resigns in the wake of the VW emissions scandal. In a statement released to the press Dr. Winterkorn had this to say: "I am shocked by the events of the past few days. Above all, I am stunned that misconduct on such a scale was possible in the Volkswagen Group... [00:00:30] I am doing this in the interests of the company even though I am not aware of any wrongdoing on my part..." For more on what Winterkorn's resignation means for Volkswagen and the industry at large we go to Autoblog's Editor-in-chief, Mike Austin: [00:01:00] [Mike Austin Interview] The investigation into Volkswagen is ongoing and Autoblog will continue to cover the story as it develops. [00:01:30] For Autoblog, I'm Eddie Sabatini. Autoblog Minute is a short-form video news series reporting on all things automotive. Each segment offers a quick and clear picture of what's happening in the automotive industry from the perspective of Autoblog's expert editorial staff, auto executives, and industry professionals.

New safety and connected features help distinguish VW's lineup

Volkswagen may have wrested the title of world's largest carmaker away from Toyota this week, but the company still has some work to do in the United States. Despite its worldwide dominance, Volkswagen's American sales have languished. Unlike its red-hot Audi brand, mainstream Volkswagen sales have been afflicted by an assortment of maladies. An aging lineup, a reputation for mechanical gremlins and a lack of a competitive crossover vehicle have all hurt. In the US, the brand's cars claim only two percent of the overall market. As we reported earlier today, Volkswagen took steps this week to upgrade some broader aspects of its weaknesses here. At its Electronics Research Laboratory in Silicon Valley, the company announced it would make several advanced safety features and connectivity options available throughout the bulk of its lineup. Features that have long been available on its premium Audi cars will spread to its more economical offerings. In one big way, they will overstep their premium siblings. Volkswagen said Apple CarPlay, Android Auto (pictured below) and MirrorLink will all be available on a revamped infotainment system. Cars equipped with the new Car-Net-branded systems are arriving in showrooms now. Only last month, Hyundai became the first to offer CarPlay, debuting the smartphone-projection system in its 2015 Sonata. Chevy, Honda, and now Volkswagen, have quickly followed suit. On the safety-minded side, features like adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, autonomous emergency braking, park steering assist and automatic post-collision braking will be optional equipment on most of the brand's 2016 model-year cars. Previously, the features had only been available on the Touareg SUV. They're now available on most Golf variants, the CC, Jetta, Sportwagen and some Beetles. Though the Passat sedan is one of the company's most competitive cars, it was curiously absent from the announcements, though an update could come later this year. While the advanced safety equipment is a boon for motorists increasingly interested in the technology, Volkswagen also added some basic safety tech that's long been available in mainstream competitors' cars, adding features like blind-spot monitoring and lane-departure warning. One of the big differences consumers might note is the cost of the driver-assistance systems.

Recharge Wrap-up: Toyota Prius airbag recall, Peugeot launches eU01s e-bike

Toyota is recalling 7,600 Prius vehicles for an airbag issue. Certain examples of the 2016 Prius could have malfunctioning inflators that could cause the passenger side airbags to deploy accidentally. There are no known injuries from the faulty airbags, but Toyota says, "This has been observed when the vehicle is parked and unoccupied for a period of time." Toyota also says this issue is unrelated to the massive recall of airbags supplied by Takata. The automaker will contact affected owners to arrange free repairs. Read more at Automotive News. Peugeot is adding another e-bike to its portfolio with the eU01s. What sets this electrically assisted bicycle apart from both regular bikes and other pedelecs is its ability to propel the bike to 28 mph under electric power. It comes with either a 400- or 500-Wh lithium-ion battery, providing 47 or 59 miles of range, respectively. It also offers an optional on-board computer with its 4.3-inch screen, through which riders can customize the electric assistance, get directions, receive sports coaching, and connect their smartphone. Earlier this year, Peugeot also launched its e-Kick scooter and folding eF01 e-bike. Read more at Green Car Congress. BYD is expanding its manufacturing facility in the US. In the second of three phases for the plant, BYD is adding onto its factory in Lancaster, California, where it currently builds electric buses. The Chinese company plans to triple the number of employees, up from the current 400, as it expands the facility by 40,000 square feet. BYD plans to build medium- and heavy-duty trucks at the plant, but declined to comment on whether it has plans to build light-duty vehicles there. Read more at Automotive News. The German states of Hesse and Baden-Wuerttemberg are suing Volkswagen over the Dieselgate scandal. The states are joining other investors seeking damages over losses incurred because of the automaker's emissions cheat device. Hesse Finance Minister Thomas Schaefer said the scandal cost the state about $4.4 million in stock losses, while Baden-Wuerttemberg likely lost closer to $450,000. Bavaria said earlier that it would sue Volkswagen on behalf of its pension fund for civil servants, which lost around $780,000. Read more from Automotive News Europe.