Volkswagen just can’t catch a break, but at this point, the real question is: does it deserve one?
The automaker’s latest setback comes in the form of news from Germany that the planned recall of its emissions-cheating vehicles has been halted due to an increase in fuel consumption. Automotive News Europe states that the “fix” Volkswagen has been applying to 160,000 of its Passat models has been paused, though the company calls claims of greater fuel consumption “speculation.”
Still, the Volkswagen spokesperson has acknowledged that German authorities are investigating these reports. “We have to guarantee that noise and especially CO2 emissions are exactly the same as before the fix,” said the company representative. The Germany Federal Motor Transport Authority was expected to have its investigation wrapped up by March 27, but it appears the issue required further time. A final “yes” or “no” to VW’s resolution will be announced this week or next.
When the agency does approve the fix, Volkswagen will finish the remainder of Passat models before turning to the Audi A4, A5, and Skoda Superb vehicles that also feature the 2.0-liter diesel motor. There are a total of about 2.5 million vehicles in Germany alone that will need modifications before Volkswagen can address the rest of Europe.
Vehicles with 2.0-liter, 1.6-liter, and 1.2-liter Euro 5 diesel engines used manipulated software. Of these, the 2.0- and 1.2-liter engines will get a software upgrade that only takes about 30 minutes, but the 1.6-liter engine will also require installation of a piece of mesh to regulate air flow. This will increase labor time to about an hour.
As a reminder, in the U.S. where Volkswagen’s problems began, the automaker has until April 21 to find a fix that will address about 600,000 vehicles. For VW, the struggle is obviously managing time constraints and finding a fix that won’t create further issues down the road.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.