Monday, 4 January 2016

The Feds are Suing Volkswagen for Violating the Clean Air Act

The Feds are Suing Volkswagen for Violating the Clean Air Act

The Feds are Suing Volkswagen for Violating the Clean Air Act

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The U.S. Justice Department has filed a civil lawsuit against Volkswagen for its diesel scandal.

The government is alleging that Volkswagen violated the Clean Air Act by installing illegal devices that impaired emission control systems in nearly 600,000 vehicles. The allegations in the lawsuit could result in billions of dollars in fines with the Justice Department accusing the German automaker of four counts of violating the U.S. Clean Air Act, including tampering with the emissions control system and failing to report violations.

The lawsuit is being filed in the Eastern District of Michigan before it is transferred to Northern California, where class-action lawsuits against Volkswagen are currently pending.

SEE ALSO: Volkswagen Gets European Approval for Diesel Fix

Since Volkswagen admitted to cheating on EPA diesel emissions tests last September, the Justice Department has been investigating Volkswagen for misleading U.S. consumers and regulators. The civil lawsuit does not preclude the Justice Department from also pursuing criminal charges against the automaker.

"The United States will pursue all appropriate remedies against Volkswagen to redress the violations of our nation's clean air laws," said Assistant Attorney General John Cruden of the environment and natural resources division at the Justice Department.

[Source: CNBC]

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Optimus Prime, Bumblebee Crossing the Auction Block

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Two of the most iconic Autobots from the Transformers movie franchise are heading to the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Optimus Prime and Bumblebee from Transformers 4: Age of Extinction will head to the highest bidders later this month. Unfortunately neither vehicles will actually transform, but they are fully functioning vehicles. Optimus Prime features a mirror-finished custom aluminum bumper with matching aluminum wheels, tanks and storage boxes. The massive stunt truck also sports dark tinted windows, glowing lights and a custom grille capped with a silver and red Autobots emblem.

SEE ALSO: Acura to Auction Off the First New NSX at Barrett-Jackson

Arguably more interesting to the regular car collector is the 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Resto-Mod that played the Bumblebee character in the most recent Transformers movie. This particular Camaro has been occupying its time as part of Michael Bay's personal collection after starring on the big screen. It's a running, driving car that has been retrofitted with a modern, fuel-injected V8 engine mated to an overdrive manual transmission.

Along with the massive, one-off carbon fiber flares, the Bumblebee Camaro rolls on custom three-piece wheels wrapped with extra wide Nitto tires. There's a yellow and black theme throughout the vehicle, highlighted by the RideTech "TigerCage" roll bar and custom engine covers under the hood.

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Ford, FCA to Both Offer Apple CarPlay, Android Auto

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Two more major American automotive brands have confirmed that they will offer both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 

Both Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) have announced that their infotainment systems will be able to run the smartphone-based software from Apple and Google which allows users to access many of their smartphone functions through the dashboard integrated touchscreen.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be offered in all 2017 Ford vehicles fit with SYNC 3, while owners of 2016 model year Ford vehicles will be able to add both systems retroactively at the end of the year. Another new addition to SYNC 3 is 4G LTE, which will give owners remote access to their vehicles to setup things like remote start or to check in on fuel status. The 2017 Escape will be the first Ford vehicle with the updated SYNC 3 system.

SEE ALSO: Toyota Continues to Shun Apple CarPlay, Android Auto

New apps that make use of Ford's new connectivity include a AAA app which can show local fuel prices and traffic, an app called Eventseeker which looks for local events such as concerts and Concur, an app that logs your driving data for business purposes.

FCA is gearing up to show the fourth generation of its Uconnect system at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, which will include both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The company didn't offer a specific timeline, simply saying that in 2016 "select others within the global portfolio will include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto."

A concept version of FCA's updated Uconnect system will also be shown off this week, including features like predictive technology, which aims to learn the driver's habits and the cater their driving experience to their likes and dislikes.

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GM Confirms Chevrolet Bolt Availability by Late 2016

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General Motors officially confirmed its 200-plus-mile range Chevrolet Bolt EV will be available before the end of this year.

"The all-electric 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV will be available late 2016," said the only bit of detail in an e-mail prior to this week's pre-production Bolt revelation at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Prior to this definitive statement, suggestions had been that the Bolt could be in dealers by December 2016, and this word seals the deal.

SEE ALSO: 2017 Chevy Bolt EV Revealed in Spy Photos

First though, plans are on Wednesday at 1 p.m. Pacific time for GM CEO Mary Barra to make the Bolt the focal point of tech advancements the company is globally developing.

Whether the Bolt will get a staged roll-out as the Volt has in California and other states following its emissions rules, or nationwide has not been said. The Bolt is however to be a 50-state car.

GM says based on its internal testing, the Bolt will have "more than 200 miles range at an affordable price" – believed around $37,500 before available incentives.

This story originally appeared on HybridCars.com

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Average Price For Gas in 2015 was $2.40 Per Gallon

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Americans paid an average of $2.40 per gallon for gasoline in 2015, the lowest average since 2009. 

The lowest national average fuel price was $1.998 per gallon on December 21, while the most expensive day to buy fuel, which sold for an average $2.804 a gallon, was June 15. Diesel sold for an average of $2.71 a gallon in 2015, also the lowest average since 2009.

Those residing in California paid the highest average for fuel in 2015, with the price sitting at $3.16 per gallon. Hawaii, Alaska, Nevada, Washington and Oregon paid the most for gas in 2015 after California.

SEE ALSO: US Average Fuel Economy Continues to Fall

If you're looking for cheap gasoline, moving to South Carolina might be a smart move. That State had an average fuel price of $2.10 per gallon in 2015, while Mississippi, Alabama, Tenessee and Louisiana all follow as the cheapest places to buy fuel.

Currently, gasoline is selling for less than $2 a gallon in 71 percent of U.S. gas stations and AAA thinks that prices will continue to fall. The firm is predicting that the 2016 average will sit between $2.25 and $2.45 per gallon. There is currently a glut of crude oil around the world which is outpacing demand, causing prices to fall.

The drop in gas prices has been fuelling truck and SUV sales, evidenced by the falling national fuel economy average.

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Bentley Offers Stone Veneer Interior Trim

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A new material is available in Bentley's bespoke luxury cars: stone. 

Through Bentley's Mulliner bespoke division, customers can now order stone veneers made from slate and quartzite. Bentley sources the stone from quarries in Rajastahn and Andhra Pradesh, India. Each section of stone is cured using glass fibre and a bespoke resin before it is shaped and hand finished back at the Mulliner coach building headquarters in Crewe, England.

The veneer surfaces is just 0.1mm thick, making them extremely light and allowing the grain and pattern in the stone to be clearly visible.

SEE ALSO: Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 Could be an All-Electric Sports Car

"Bentley is the established expert in the handcrafting of wood and leather, and now we are exploring new, fine and rare materials to offer even more bespoke tailoring and choice to our customers," said Geoff Dowding, director of Mulliner operation.  "Stone veneers are another first for Bentley – but only the beginning of what we plan to do with this luxurious and unique material."

The stone finish can be had on the Continental and Flying Spur in four different colors: Galaxy, Autumn White, Terra Red and Copper.

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