Check out the ANE monthly magazine for October

The latest issue of the Automotive News Europe monthly magazine is ready to view. The new edition looks at why automakers in Europe are betting big on plug-in hybrids.Despite adding a battery and electric motor, a plug-in hybrid preserves most of the usability that consumers know while also allowing the manufacturer to reduce CO2 output by between 50 percent and 80 percent. There are also huge risks for manufacturers relying on plug-in hybrids, especially the potential backlash from environmental groups, city mayors and ruling governments if they decide the cars are not as green as their stated CO2 figures claim. Our cover story looks at the key role plug-in hybrids will play in the coming years.Audi CEO Bram Schot says one of his biggest challenges is determining the right investment balance for the automaker. “How do we split our investments in full-electric cars and plug-in hybrids?” he asked in an interview. We provide that answer and more.Ali Kassai, who is Renault’s executive vice president of product planning and programs, spoke with us about the French automaker’s current and future lineups as well as the next steps in its relationship with Daimler.Frustration is rising over restrictive autonomous driving regulations in Europe, where automakers are still waiting for basic levels of the technology to be approved for sale. Safety, paradoxically, is both hindering and helping the discussion. On the one hand, 1.35 million people around the world die in traffic crashes every year. On the other hand, executives acknowledge that an autonomous car needs to be nearly flawless.

Check out the ANE monthly magazine for October

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