01' Volkswagen Cabrio Glx on 2040-cars

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Recharge Wrap-up: Volkswagen Sustainability Council meets, Zee.Aero flying car spotted?

The Volkswagen Sustainability Council held its inaugural meeting in Berlin. Made up of nine international experts, the council will advise VW and take action on its own as it sees fit. In the meeting, the council decided that in 2017 it will focus on tackling CO2 emissions, planning for post-2025 regulations, and assisting the automaker's "transformation from car manufacturer to mobility services provider," as VW Chairman Matthias Muller puts it. Volkswagen has approved 20 million euros (about $21.75 million) in funding for Sustainability Council projects for its first two years. "We are fully aware of the large transformation that lays ahead Volkswagen Group," says George Kell, Sustainability Council Chair and Founding Director of UN Global Compact. "We were invited to be part of this journey and are very much looking forward on being actively involved in the development of this journey." Read more at Green Car Congress, or from Volkswagen. Honda plans to ramp up its share of hybrids sold in the US. In response to increasingly strict emissions standards, the company wants electrified vehicles (including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery electric, and fuel cell vehicles) to make up two-thirds of Honda and Acura sales in US by 2030. Some analysts are skeptical, though. Christopher Richter of CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets says that dealers are telling Honda they don't want hybrids. "Unless there's a change in what dealers want, I don't think they are going to get there that fast," Richter says. Read more at Automotive News. Witnesses report spotting what could possibly be the Zee.Aero electric aircraft at Hollister Airport in California. Zee.Aero, a startup funded by Google cofounder Larry Page, has a hangar at that airport, where a photo was taken of the aircraft in question. The craft is said to be capable of vertical takeoff and landing and can fit in a one-car garage, earning it the "flying car" moniker. Eyewitness Saul Gomez described the aircraft as "quiet" and "hovering 20, 25 feet off the ground." Read more at Electrek, and watch the interview at Mercury News. Related Gallery 2017 Honda Accord Hybrid: First Drive View 26 Photos News Source: Green Car Congress, Volkswagen, Automotive News, Electrek, Mercury NewsImage Credit: Copyright 2016 Sebastian Blanco / AOL Auto News Green Acura Honda Volkswagen Green Automakers Electric Hybrid recharge wrapup

Volkswagen building budget car family planned for China in 2018

Volkswagen has publicly pondered a low-cost car for China, something akin to Nissan's Datsun revival in Southeast Asia, for at least three years. In 2013 it tapped Chinese partner FAW to help develop an entire budget brand, with plans to have something on the market in 2016 in the 6,000- to 8,000-euro range. About a year ago, VW said it couldn't figure out how to engineer an inexpensive car that didn't run counter to the brand's values, then three weeks later said it had overcome the issues. Reuters now reports that VW CEO Martin Winterkorn told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, "We will bring a budget-car family to market in 2018, with an SUV, saloon and hatchback." Winterkorn didn't offer any other details like who VW would work with to build it - VW has partnerships with both FAW and SAIC, but the announcement will be welcomed by the brand's Chinese outpost. When this adventure started, VW said it was working to create a model that would cost 6,000 to 8,000 euro. That estimate has increased. Winterkorn is now saying the 2018 offerings will come in between 8,000 and 11,000 euro. In a straight euro-to-yuan conversion, that would equate to Chinese pricing of 56,000 to 77,000 yuan. For comparison, the New Polo with a 1.4-liter engine and a manual transmission starts at 85,900 yuan. Perhaps with an eye on the success of the Nissan-Renault sub-brand Dacia in Europe and emerging markets, Winterkorn told Bild, "We will see if this is something of interest for other markets as well." On the opposite end of the price/performance spectrum, Winterkorn also said that VW is working on two new models for Bugatti, one powered by a traditional gasoline engine and another with some sort of hybrid setup. The latter model would reportedly be the higher-performing of the two, though it's not clear whether there would be two vehicle lines or two versions of the same vehicle. As ever, as soon as we know more, so will you.

Volkswagen and Porsche recall Touareg and Cayenne

The Basics: Volkswagen and Porsche will recall about 800,000 units worldwide of the 2011-2016 Touareg and Cayenne, according to Reuters. Of these, there are 88,300 Cayennes and 46,700 Touaregs in the US. The Problem: A securing clip on the brake pedal hinge could be missing. This can cause the pedal pivot pin to move, and "the pedal could lose guidance," according to Volkswagen's statement. Over time, the problem might cause the pedal hinge to fracture, which could make it impossible to activate the brakes. Injuries/Deaths: Porsche's statement says, "this is a purely precautionary measure, as there have been no reports of accidents or injuries as a result of this concern." Volkswagen's statement reports, "no incidents have occurred in the US to date. However, single events have been reported overseas." The Fix: Dealers will inspect the clip and reinstall it if necessary. If you own one: Porsche says it discovered the problem during internal inspections. Related Video: PORSCHE EXAMINES CAYENNE MODELS AS A PREVENTATIVE MEASURE Inspection of pedal hinge clip Atlanta, Georgia. Voluntary safety recall: Porsche is conducting an examination of 409,477 Cayenne models worldwide from model years 2011 to 2016 for a precautionary inspection, of which 88,300 are in the United States and 10,370 are in Canada. The reason for this is a clip may have become dislodged from the pedal bracket. We are implementing a voluntary recall to inspect all Cayenne vehicles built during that period to ensure the clip is present and to re-install it if necessary. The problem was identified during internal inspections and remedied in production. This is a purely precautionary measure, as there have been no reports of accidents or injuries as a result of this concern. ### Volkswagen Statement Volkswagen has notified NHTSA of an upcoming voluntary safety recall affecting approximately 46,700 Volkswagen Touareg vehicles from the 2011-2016 model years. In rare cases, a securing clip at the brake pedal hinge may be missing. If the clip is missing, the pedal pivot pin could start to move and the pedal could lose guidance. If this remains undiscovered, the pedal hinge could fracture after continued operation, allowing the pedal to dislodge. A customer may not be able to properly actuate the brakes with a dislodged brake pedal. A non-functional brake or reduced braking power could result in a crash. No incidents have occurred in the U.S. to date.