1968 Volkswagen Beetle Base 1.5l on 2040-cars

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VW's Winterkorn to stick around through at least 2018

Volkswagen may yet to have found a new chairman, but it's not about to get rid of its chief executive any time soon. The German automaker has announced its intention to renew Martin Winterkorn's contract through the end of 2018. That is, assuming that the Supervisory Board heeds the recommendation of its own Executive Committee when the full 20-member board meets on September 25. 68-year-old Winterkorn joined the Volkswagen Group back in 1993 after a decade and a half at Bosch. He was named head of Audi in 2002, and chairman of the Board of Management (effectively the chief executive officer) of the entire Volkswagen Group in 2007. Just a few months ago he faced off against Ferdinand Piech – chairman of the company's supervisory board and grandson of Ferdinand Porsche – that resulted in Winterkorn's victory and Piech's resignation. The executive committee's endorsement, then, is effectively a vote of confidence in Winterkorn's leadership. It still leaves unresolved the question of who will ultimately take over as chairman to succeed Piech. Winterkorn was touted for a potential promotion, but if the supervisory board renews his contract – currently set to expire next year – he'll be staying right where he is and a new chairman will need to be found. The chair is currently filled on an interim basis by Berthold Huber, former head of the union that was instrumental in Piech's ousting. Wolfsburg, 02 September 2015 Resolution of the Executive Committee of the Volkswagen AG Supervisory Board The Executive Committee of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG unanimously agreed a resolution for submission to the Supervisory Board at its meeting on September 25, 2015 under which a new contract as Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG for a term until December 31, 2018 should be concluded with Professor Dr. Martin Winterkorn. "Together with Professor Martin Winterkorn at the helm we will continue on our successful path of recent years and systematically implement the goals of Strategy 2018", Berthold Huber, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG, said.

VW using other manufacturing locations as leverage in battle with TN [w/video]

We've reached a new step in the ongoing drama at Volkswagen's factory in Chattanooga, TN. The United Auto Workers recently dropped its opposition to the union vote and agreed that it wouldn't hold another ballot for at least a year. Now, the new question becomes where VW is going to build its forthcoming midsize SUV.
Earlier, it had been considered all but certain that the SUV, likely a production version of the CrossBlue concept (pictured above), would be built in Tennessee. However, it seems the Chattanooga factory might have competition to produce it. In emails obtained by The Detroit News, VW's lawyer wrote to the Tennessee economic development department in January saying, "While we understand there are some 'non-deal' issues that are causing a delay in the TN solution, VW has been successful in reaching agreement on terms at the alternative locations."
As previously reported, the state of Tennessee allegedly offered VW about $300 million in incentives to build the vehicle there and create an estimated 1,350 jobs, but it later rescinded the deal. Newly leaked documents from NewsChannel 5 (WTVF-TV) in Nashville allegedly show just how close that offer was to being completed. It appears that VW actually sent the government the first draft of a memorandum of understanding agreeing to the incentives, but the state removed the offer in late January.

Recharge Wrap-up: New Mitsubishi Evo PHEV, Amsterdam buses go all electric by 2025

Mitsubishi hopes to launch a new vehicle badged as the Evo based on the Concept XR-PHEV II. Mitsubishi President and COO Tetsuro Aikawa tells Autocar the new vehicle will share characteristics with the outgoing Lancer Evolution loved by enthusiasts, but will feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain in the body of a compact crossover. "In Japanese, when you pronounce 'Oh,' it means 'king,'" says Aikawa. "So we would like to launch this type of car, featuring EV and PHEV technology, which is the ultimate of its kind. 'EV' for electric vehicle, 'O' for king - Evo." The Mitsu boss also envisions the four-wheel-drive Evo to be "light and fast - something performance-oriented." Read more at Autocar, or at Hybrid Cars. Amsterdam aims to have all its buses running on electric power by 2025. Within two years, the city will have 40 electric buses in operation, and will phase out the rest of the diesel fleet in the following years. "This project means we are saying goodbye to symbolic behavior and pilot projects," says transport alderman Abdeluheb Choho. "We have decided to just do it, not to experiment with five buses." Read more at Clean Technica. BMW and General Motors are both listed in the top five US organizations generating and using green energy onsite. In an EPA list, BMW's Spartanburg, South Carolina manufacturing facility is number four, with credit going to its use of landfill gas. In 2013, 69,383,477 kWh - or 37 percent of its total usage - came from green energy. GM's Fort Wayne Assembly was number five, with 43 percent of its power coming from methane from a nearby landfill. Volkwsagen also made the Top 30 list, at number 15, for its Chattanooga assembly plant's use of solar power. See the EPA's full list, and read more at Green Car Congress. Volkswagen will release its 2014 sustainability report on Twitter on Monday, May 4. It will be the first step in using the social medium to distribute information on economic, environmental and social sustainability to a larger audience. The report will include a section called "Electrifying China with a tailor-made efficiency strategy," which focuses on reducing CO2 emissions through the use of electric vehicles. Volkswagen has already begun releasing highlights from its report on its Twitter account with the hashtag #VWCSR. Read more in the press release below and, of course, on Twitter next week.