Volkswagen is still embroiled in its devastating Dieselgate scandal, but the brand’s latest issue has nothing to do with emissions testing. The automaker has announced the recall of all 2015-2016 model year e-Golfs due to an electrical defect that can result in unexpected shutdowns and crashes. In total, 5,561 vehicles are affected.
Specifically, the fault lies in the battery management system software, which, under certain conditions, can classify electrical current surges as critical threats to battery health. The system can initiate an emergency shutdown in response, which deactivates the drive motor and effectively stalls the vehicle. While this can undoubtedly result in a crash, it is important to note that the power steering, brakes, lights, and airbags are powered by a separate 12V system and are unaffected.
According to the Safety Recall Report filed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the chronology of the issue dates back to 2015. Volkswagen was initially notified of isolated shutdown incidents early in the year, but failures could not be reproduced on internal test vehicles until June. Additional complaints started to pour in toward the end 2015, and in February 2016, the issue was brought to Volkswagen’s product safety committee, who determined there was a sensitivity defect in the system. The Safety Recall Report was filed to NHTSA on March 4.
Volkswagen has notified e-Golf owners of the issue and will upgrade the battery management software free of charge.
To make matters worse, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has has filed a lawsuit against Volkswagen Group of America for deceiving its customers with its “Clean Diesel” advertising campaign. The FTC is seeking a court order that would require the company to compensate those who bought or leased a diesel vehicle from 2008 to late 2015. You can read the official release here.
Volkswagen’s newest EVs in China are making its American and European models look unusually conservative.
With Xpeng’s help, VW has introduced 800-volt charging and advanced urban driving assistance. The new VEGA technology package brings its locally developed vehicle platforms and CEA electronic architecture under one umbrella. Bloomberg reports that Volkswagen intends to update VEGA every three months. Western buyers can find pieces of that package, but not the whole thing in a Volkswagen.
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?