2012 Volvo T5 on 2040-cars

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Which car companies are creating new jobs in America?

Since January, automakers have announced investments totaling $9.5 billion in U.S. plants, creating or retaining more than 12,000 jobs. Some of those companies have yet to announce just how many jobs will be created given their investments, with the location of many of those jobs still to be determined. Specifically, the 4,000-job Toyota-Mazda joint venture plant still hasn't announced its location, with numerous states jockeying for it. Hyundai has plans to invest $1 billion but has not announced a jobs number yet. And likewise Ford is investing $1.2 billion in Michigan without specifying a number of jobs. Volvo this week announced plans to add a second line to its factory under construction in South Carolina, spending another $500 million and adding 2,500 jobs to the 2,000 it was already trying to fill. Then Thursday, Daimler announced a $1 billion expansion to its facility in Tuscaloosa, Ala., to produce EV batteries and electric SUVs, a move that will add 600 jobs to its hiring this year. Above, we've created a handy pie chart showing you which companies have announced new jobs and how many there will be. Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit News Source: Reuters Plants/Manufacturing BMW Chrysler Ford GM Honda Hyundai Mazda Mercedes-Benz Toyota Volvo jobs

Volvo Concept Coupe may see limited production

Despite the impressive production debuts from Porsche and BMW at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show - the 918 Spyder and the i8, respectively - there was one car that captured the attention of the press and the public alike, enough so that we awarded it our overall top pick of the show: the Volvo Concept Coupe. Most concepts never make it to production, but the car's reception has been so positive that Volvo's board of directors is considering to produce it in limited quantities, Auto Bild reports. Italian coachbuilder Bertone could handle the limited production run.
Styled after the classic P1800, the Volvo concept was similar to the new Porsche and BMW in that it was equipped with a high-performance hybrid drivetrain. But Volvo took a different route from there, giving the sleek coupe a turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor at the rear axle. All in, the combo is good for 400 horsepower and 490 pound-feet of torque.
If the Concept Coupe makes it to production, it may not get the trick hybrid drivetrain mentioned above, Motor Athority reports, but a milder plug-in hybrid setup or even just a conventional fuel-burning engine. In any case, it would be a treat if Volvo produced a fully functional, street-legal Concept Coupe, though at that point we're thinking it would be due for a name change.

Volvo and Starbucks to put charging stations at coffee shops

Volvo and Starbucks are joining forces to give electric vehicle owners a more pleasant charging experience. The two companies have announced a plan to install EV charging stations at Starbucks coffee shops across several U.S. states as part of a pilot program to study the project's scalability. About 60 chargers will be installed at 15 Starbucks locations along a 1,350-mile route between Denver and Seattle, which is home to the coffee giant.  Volvo told Autoblog that the chargers will be a mix of ChargePoint DC chargers comprised of Express 250 units, capable of delivering 62.5 kW, and Express Plus units, capable of delivering up to 350 kW. All chargers will have both CHAdeMO and CCS plugs. Placed about 100 miles apart, the charger-equipped Starbucks fall within the range of most EVs, and their relative proximity should limit the amount of advanced planning one would have to do during an EV road trip. The companies plan to offer them to any drivers of electric cars. Charging fees will apply, but Volvo vehicles will get to use them either free of charge or at a discount. The locations of these chargers will show up in ChargePoint's smartphone app, or with an in-dash app on Google-equipped Volvo models. Jokes about latte-sipping Volvo drivers aside, the program opens a world of new opportunities for charging. A Volvo C40 Recharge takes about 40 minutes to replenish its batteries from 20% to 90%. Other electric cars are comparable. A coffee shop is a much more pleasant place to wait that out than a Kroger or Walmart, and as we discovered last week, EV chargers and businesses like Starbucks are banned from interstate rest areas by federal law. Add the availability of wifi and clean-ish bathrooms at most Starbucks locations, and it makes for an ideal pit stop opportunity. Besides, on a long road trip, drivers must replenish their caffeine just as cars must replenish their fuel tanks or batteries. The solution — chargers at coffee shops — is so glaringly obvious, it's a wonder why it's taken so long for a partnership like this to happen.