Has the Zoe finally reached its full potential? 1, with 229 units. The remaining podium seats were for the Nissan Leaf (Second) and BMW i3 (Third), both of them benefiting from sales pushes by their respective brands in December, an aspect that local importers finally seem to have dedicated themselves to do. 5, meaning that fleet/company managers are finally adhering to the substantial company incentives. In the manufacturers ranking, Nissan (19%) recovered just in time to win its third manufacturers title (2010, 2011 & 2015), reaching Renault (Best Seller in 2012, 2013 & 2014) as the brand with most trophies here. Renault also took the profit from a great December to reach Second Place (18% share and 238 units), dropping Mitsubishi (18% and 235 units) to Third Place. If we combine regular hybrid sales with plug-ins, only the Auris Hybrid and Yaris Hybrid, both from Toyota, are outselling plug-ins. If the Auris seems out of reach for the moment, the Yaris Hybrid might see its second place in danger, especially if Renault starts to market the Zoe in a serious fashion.
The all-new e-Golf is Volkswagen’s first fully-electric vehicle and operates solely on an efficient 24.2 kWh lithium-ion battery. It produces zero tailpipe emissions, and requires zero trips to the pump. The Volkswagen e-Golf will initially be provided to the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Laboratory (VAIL), located on the Stanford campus, to offer researchers the opportunity to evaluate the vehicle and inspire new research themes. Beginning in 2015, the e-Golf will be used for a one-year research project focused on advancing the driver experience and understanding of e-mobility to help drivers feel more confident and empowered driving an electric vehicle. With the goal of helping drivers maximize EV benefits and reduce energy usage, researchers from Stanford will work with the ERL to study driver behavior and provide real-time feedback on behaviors that waste energy. In addition to the vehicle loan, Volkswagen Group of America will join the Stanford University CDR Industry Affiliates Program. Membership further expands Volkswagen’s research collaboration with Stanford and provides dedicated students and academic resource support to help advance the electric vehicle study, as well as other engineering design research initiatives.
1.7 million donation. Since 2009, VAIL has conducted numerous breakthrough research projects in several areas including autonomous transportation, vehicle dynamics, safety, and environmental performance. In addition to funding, VWGoA continues to provide resources, vehicles, technical expertise and access to the ERL for Stanford researchers actively collaborating on various automotive and technology projects. Volkswagen Group of America’s Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL) located in Belmont, California represents the company’s applied research and development initiatives in North America. With a focus on advanced technology, the ERL’s mission is to develop innovations for future generations of vehicles with the goal of transferring technologies from many industries into the automotive domain. The ERL was established in August 1998 with three employees and today has grown to become the Volkswagen Group’s largest research facility outside of Germany employing approximately 140 engineers, social scientists, researchers, and product designers. Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. VWGoA operates a manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee and houses the U.S. Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Volkswagen, as well as VW Credit, Inc. Founded in 1955, the company's headquarters are in Herndon, Va.; VWGoA brings vehicles to the U.S. The company has approximately 6,000 employees in the United States and sells its vehicles through a network of approximately 1,000 dealers.
Announced as a new model for 1980 the Volkswagen Jetta has captivated the car buying public for 28 years. The Jetta, named by Volkswagen after the Jet Stream, is the sedan version of Volkswagen's innovative compact the Golf. The Jetta, developed for the North American market, is an upscale model with nicer interior trim, a trunk, and a slightly higher price than the Golf. Since its debut as a new model, the Jetta has evolved five times, each generation growing in size, power, and prestige. The Jetta is available in two, four, and five door (the Jetta wagon) variations. The first-generation Jetta, called the A1 and produced from 1980 through 1984, stormed onto the North American market in 1980. It was available as a two-door coupe and four-door sedan. This first Jetta styled by ItalDesign was a marvelously boxy. A standard four-cylinder engine producing 78 horsepower powered the A1 Jetta.
The Jetta's power plant was updated to a higher torque producing 1.7-liter four-cylinder in 1981. A diesel version of the engine was offered. The second generation, and longest running generation of the car, was produced from 1985 through 1992. The A2 was offered as a coupe or a sedan. The A2 Jetta saw a number of exterior, interior, engine, and safety upgrades. A 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine producing originally 100 horsepower and later 105 horsepower powered the base models of the A2. The 1990 Jetta GLI was muscled up with a 2.0-liter, DOHC, 16 valve four-cylinder engine that produced 134 horsepower and firmly established the Jetta GLI as a serious performance contender. The A3 Jetta debuted for the North American market in 1993. This sexy boxy design was done by Volkswagen in-house and was only offered as a sedan. The A3 Jetta was produced through 1998. This generation of the Jetta produced more trim variations, 13, then any other generation of the car. The A3 Jetta had three power plants offered. The base was 2.0-liter inline four cylinder producing 115 horsepower. The Jetta diesel, TDI, was a 1.9-liter diesel engine rated at 90 horsepower.
