2014 Volkswagen Jetta Tdi on 2040-cars

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2015 VW e-Golf coming to ZEV states for $35,445* this November

Is $6,465 too much to get someone thinking about buying a Nissan Leaf to opt for the Volkswagen e-Golf instead? That's the price difference between the current EV sales champion, which now starts at $28,980, and the just-announced price for the e-Golf, which will sell for $35,445 in the US when it arrives in about ten states (basically, the ZEV states that follow California's lead in zero-emission vehicle rules) this November and will qualify for the federal tax credit of up to $7,500. VW says that the extra money will get you "the most versatile electric vehicle in its class." There is only one trim line, the SEL Premium, which will be the first VW in the US with all-LED headlights. The car's powertrain numbers pretty much match the Nissan Leaf, though. The e-Golf has a 24.2-kWh lithium-ion battery (the Leaf has a 24-kWh pack) and a 115-hp, 199-pound foot electric motor (107 hp,187 lb-ft in the Leaf). The e-Golf's official EPA numbers are not yet available, but VW says it will have an "average range between 70 and 90 miles." The Leaf has an official EPA range of 84 miles. The e-Golf has a better onboard charger – 7.2 kW vs. 3.6 or 6.6, depending on your Leaf's options – and has SAE Combo fast charging capability as standard. VW is also working with 3Degrees to offset all of the emissions "created from production, distribution and charging of the e-Golf for up to approximately 36,000 miles of driving." VW also announced prices for its lightly facelifted 2015 Jetta today. The base model, the 2.0-liter S with a manual transmission, starts at $17,325 while the top-of-the-line model, the Hybrid SEL Premium, will set you back at least $31,670. The lowest-cost TDI is the S manual, which starts at $21,640 and features VW's new 2.0-liter diesel four. A new limited-edition 1.8 Sport model with a firmer suspension, tinted taillamps and rear spoiler starts at $20,895. All VW prices listed exclude VW's *$820 destination charge and you can find all the details on trim lines in the press releases below.

Tanner Foust and Scott Speed get VW internships

Tanner Foust and Scott Speed both already have quite impressive motorsport resumes. The former is a rallycross and drifting champ, and the latter counts two years in Formula One with Toro Rosso among his accomplishments. Still, it's never too late for a career change. In a humorous new ad for Volkswagen, the professional racers take on the duties of summer interns at a dealership. The commercial is timed with the kickoff of the 2015 Global Rallycross Championship season in Fort Lauderdale, FL, on May 30 and 31. Speed and Foust are both racing in Beetle GRCs for the Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team. This year's Bug is even more potent than last year, though. It now packs a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine to produce 553 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque, versus the previous 1.6-liter turbo four with to 544 hp and 387 lb-ft. The racer can reportedly hit 60 miles per hour in just two seconds thanks in part to low gearing and all-wheel drive. One of the Andretti team Beetles might look a little different, too. Foust is sticking with his Rockstar Energy Drink sponsorship, but Speed gets an animalistic livery for Shark Week to celebrate the annual event from the Discovery Channel. Check out both of the cars in the gallery below or the ad in the video above. SCOTT SPEED TO RACE SHARK WEEK THEMED BEETLE GRC IN RED BULL GLOBAL RALLYCROSS SEASON OPENER Scott Speed and Tanner Foust will contest the Red Bull Global Rallycross Championship in Beetle GRCs, starting this weekend in Fort Lauderdale Herndon, VA — The Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross team begins its second full season of racing this weekend in Ft. Lauderdale. The team will again be battling with two Beetle GRC race cars, which debuted in the closing races of 2014. As Volkswagen enters its fourth consecutive year as a presenting sponsor of Discovery Channel's SHARK WEEK, Scott Speed will concurrently begin the Red Bull Global Rallycross season behind the wheel of the No. 41 SHARK WEEK Volkswagen Beetle GRC, wrapped for SHARK WEEK, which begins on July 5th. "My father raced with No. 41 in karts when I was younger so it's pretty special to me," said Speed. "I have only had the option to choose the No. 41 twice in my career and was able to win championships each time. Hopefully it continues to bring me luck in 2015!" New this year, the team has chosen to change the engine specification from the Beetle GRC race cars that ran in 2014.

Recharge Wrap Up: VW's Last Mile Surfer, Apple's BMW i3

Volkswagen has unveiled its Last Mile Surfer. This little electric scooter – it folds up small enough to fit in the trunk and weighs just 24 pounds – will go on sale next year for around 1,000 euros ($1,100 US), according to VW chairman Martin Winterkorn, as reported by Autocar. Of course, we're wondering why you'd need to pay that much money to avoid walking a mile, but maybe we just haven't walked that far in an interested buyer's shoes. See more at Autocar. Did Apple want to use the BMW i3 as the basis for its own electric car? That's the word from the German magazine Manager, which says that Apple and BMW were talking about using the i3 shell for the plug-in iCar (or whatever) started last fall but are no longer actively taking place, but the two organizations have not totally closed off communication. Read more at Manager or at Green Car Reports. BMW is continuing its efforts to connect your car to your phone in interesting ways with the new EnLighten app. The idea here is to let your phone act as a bridge between alerts about traffic signals and the car, so that notifications can be displayed in the dash instead of on your phone. That should keep more eyes on the road and let drivers minimize those races to the next red light, which will save fuel. At least, it will do so in cities that broadcast that sort of signal information. Read more in the press release below. Traffic City Info Makes Driving in Cities Easier than Ever Woodcliff Lake, N.J. – July 27, 2015... The BMW Group announced today that it is the first manufacturer to bring the EnLighten App, by Connected Signals, into the car. Drivers of BMW Vehicles with iOS Devices will be able to see traffic signal data on the vehicle's display in real time. The EnLighten app makes driving in cities easier by helping the driver anticipate traffic signal changes, which can increase safety and help save fuel by avoiding unnecessary acceleration. The EnLighten app shows the current status of the traffic light in front of the car in real time as well as a countdown to when the signal will change. Based on the current vehicle position, as well as its speed, the EnLighten app offers a recommendation about whether or not to stop for the traffic light or proceed through. An audio alert notifies the driver about a pending change in the signal they are approaching.