Volkswagen Aims For More Electric Cars By 2020 Amid Ongoing Emissions Scandal

Megalith

Megalith

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Is redemption in Volkswagen’s future? The automaker has just confirmed plans to build electric vehicles in North America by 2020 in an attempt to change its soiled reputation. Today also sees the company receiving lawsuits from three states concerning diesel cheating.

Before its emissions scandal even made international headlines last September, VW announced a plan to roll out with 20 electric cars and plug-in hybrids by 2020. They boldly predicted that their new cars will be smartphones on wheels. Tuesday’s confirmation for EVs was relegated to North America, but it didn’t reveal much more. When we asked Volkswagen about the plan in greater detail, our email wasn’t immediately returned. Last month, VW struck a $14.7 billion settlement to remedy its emissions scandal. The company already has its e-Golf hatchback on the road, but ramping up its electric fleet by 2020 would seemingly make strides towards becoming a cleaner brand.
 
I wonder how they are going to cheat with an electric car ... fraudulent range claims based on software determining when range is being tested perhaps? Fraudulent recharge time claims based on software misrepresenting the battery charge level? I'm sure they'll find a way. People with a habit of lying tend to keep doing so.

I'll stick with my Toyota Prius, thanks, until they pry the gas nozzle I occasionally use to fill it out of my (by then) old withered arthritic hands.
 
pcgeekesq said:
I'll stick with my Toyota Prius, thanks, until they pry the gas nozzle I occasionally use to fill it out of my (by then) old withered arthritic hands.
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I'm driving my Toyota Tacoma until one of us dies (hoping it is the Tacoma).
 
pcgeekesq said:
I wonder how they are going to cheat with an electric car ... fraudulent range claims based on software determining when range is being tested perhaps? Fraudulent recharge time claims based on software misrepresenting the battery charge level? I'm sure they'll find a way. People with a habit of lying tend to keep doing so.

I'll stick with my Toyota Prius, thanks, until they pry the gas nozzle I occasionally use to fill it out of my (by then) old withered arthritic hands.
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And I'll stick with my Camry Hybrid, that I can drive for over a month on a single tank of gas, or take a 600+ mile trip on one fill up.
 
BlueFireIce said:
Am I the only one who would still buy one of their diesels?
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I'd love one of their little Turbo Diesel Golfs but they're hard to find at a decent price. Also needs to be standard, won't settle for an automatic.

As it is did settle for a 300 because the price was right, but doubt I'll be in it for long as opposed to my truck I'll keep forever.
 
Cover the hood, roof and trunk with solar panels. It isn't that hard. You are Germans for fucks sake!!!
 
DrLobotomy said:
Cover the hood, roof and trunk with solar panels. It isn't that hard. You are Germans for fucks sake!!!
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You'd at best maybe get 1.5kwh worth of PV cells onto the body of a Golf based on some of the better cells currently available, that and your stuck lugging around a heavy ass inverter (and cooling it as well). We'll get there at some point but not today.
 
Kor said:
You'd at best maybe get 1.5kwh worth of PV cells onto the body of a Golf based on some of the better cells currently available, that and your stuck lugging around a heavy ass inverter (and cooling it as well). We'll get there at some point but not today.
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Event at 100% efficiency, it would be impossible for solar panels to power a car. A Golf engine has an equivalent of a 110 kwh motor in it.
 
Hypergreatthing said:
Event at 100% efficiency, it would be impossible for solar panels to power a car. A Golf engine has an equivalent of a 110 kwh motor in it.
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Some EVs are putting them on cars, but it is not for powering the car, but powering the accessories etc to not be a drain when parked/driving. However I don't think the added cost and HW is really worth it over just adding a bigger battery or going with fuelcells.
 
BlueFireIce said:
Some EVs are putting them on cars, but it is not for powering the car, but powering the accessories etc to not be a drain when parked/driving. However I don't think the added cost and HW is really worth it over just adding a bigger battery or going with fuelcells.
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Meaning it's useless and there for making people feel better.
 
Hypergreatthing said:
Event at 100% efficiency, it would be impossible for solar panels to power a car. A Golf engine has an equivalent of a 110 kwh motor in it.
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It's not useless if the tech can be implemented without adding (much) weight. Like painted on or what have you. My car isn't used most of the day, so if I get an extra mile or two with it just sitting in a lot, that adds up over time. There's also the ability to plug in an electric car to your house, so the panels on the car could supplement the panels on your house..
 
nutzo said:
Yes.
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I'd have never bought a diesel car even before that, not just VW but any. But this shit is blown out of proportion, US regulations are very anti-diesel. The cars that needed cheating to pass tests there were mostly OK in europe. It's not like you cause more pollution by driving the cheating diesel over the gas guzzlers still so common in the US. It's just that they found a quarry to maul, that just happens to be non-us based, which means much of it's revenue doesn't stay within the borders, so severely hurting it doesn't have a big knock on effect for the US economy.
 
Off topic:

Am I the only one who, when seeing a headline saying "such and such by 2020", initially thinks it's sometime in the far future, then realizes it's less than four years away? Cripes almighty time flies.
 
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