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    • Easycare: The importance of benchmarking your reinsurance performance
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Christiaan Hetzner

Former Automotive News Europe reporter covering the German market

[email protected]

See All Staff Page
Recent Stories
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VW takes a page from Tesla on batteries

In its goal to eclipse the world's dominant electric vehicle manufacturer, Volkswagen appears to embrace "if you can't beat them, join them."

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VW to unveil 7-seat ID6 electric utility at Shanghai show

The ID 6 X and ID 6 Cross, each built by one of VW's Chinese joint ventures, are expected to play a crucial role in the world's biggest market as rivals to the Tesla Model X.

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VW teases electric flagship showing a sleek four-door fastback

VW says the production car will play a crucial role in bringing highly automated driving to the mass-market.

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Daimler's decision to prioritize Europe for Mercedes EVs led to the automaker failing to achieve fuel economy targets in the two key markets.

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Mercedes doubles electric-only driving range of new C-Class plug-in hybrid

Plug-in drivetrains will be relevant for many years to come because of their substantially longer electric range, said Ola Kallenius, CEO of Mercedes parent Daimler.

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Mercedes recasts C-Class as sportier S-Class

The C-Class borrows heavily from the brand's flagship sedan, including a revamped cockpit and the latest version of the MBUX infotainment system complete with over-the-air software updates.

U.S. was left ‘not aware' of ex-VW exec's early release

Oliver Schmidt was paroled last week by a German court, less than halfway through his seven-year sentence from the U.S. for his part in Volkswagen's global emissions scandal.

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With EQA, Mercedes challenges Tesla, VW in compact EV segment

The small utility vehicle, aimed at young, urban customers, is being launched as the EQA 250 with a range of 265 miles under the WLTP test standard. Output is rated at 140 kilowatts or 188 hp. Additional variants including all-wheel-drive models with higher output and longer ranges will follow.

Future vs. fear played out in VW drama

CEO Herbert Diess survived a high-stakes drama about his future last week. A set of competing facts explains the conflict.

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VW expects midsize EV to end range anxiety

The vehicle, which is codenamed the Aero-B, will be based on the ID Vizzion concept car. It's expected to go on sale by 2023.

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VW targets Tesla with long-range EV battery technology

The solution, which is being developed with the U.S.-based startup QuantumScape, uses solid electrolytes and lithium metal that the partners claim creates a denser, safer cell. If it can be industrialized at scale, the two companies could collaborate on a 20 gigawatt-hour factory.

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Crossovers claim another victim: Passat

Volkswagen plans to drop the Passat sedan from its lineup in the U.S. and Europe, according to company sources.

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VW fixes software glitches in key ID3 electric hatchback

The ID3 is a key launch for VW in Europe because it's the first of a new generation of affordable, long-range electric cars based on its MEB architecture.

VW will ax Passat sedan in U.S., Europe, sources say

Amid a steady, broad consumer shift away from cars, VW is dropping the midsize sedan to focus on EVs and utility vehicles, sources familiar with the brand's future product plans said.

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Why Chinese battery maker picked Germany for European production

The news that Svolt will build a factory in Germany is a huge boost for the German state of Saarland, which suffered a blow when Ford said it would end production of the C-Max at its factory there.

  • Load More
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      • (Discontinued Brands)
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      • Future Product Pipeline
      • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
        • NISSAN: 2023 Z
        • MITSUBISHI: 2022 Outlander
        • NISSAN: 2022 Pathfinder and 2022 Frontier
        • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
        • KIA: 2021 K5
        • LEXUS: 2021 IS
        • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
        • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
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      • Gentex
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      • Ricardo: Dave Shemmans
      • Ricardo: Marques McCammon
      • Salty
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    • Publishing Partners
      • Allstate: Compliance standards are changing. Here’s what you need to know.
      • Allstate: The ABCs of maximum F&I effectiveness
      • Ally All Ears Podcast Episode | The next evolution in virtual F&I
      • Ally All Ears Podcast | How F&I is driving dealership profits
      • Ally All Ears Podcast | building customer loyalty during challenging times
      • Ally All Ears Podcast | reducing friction in the purchase process
      • Ally: All Ears Podcast | Building trust to attract and retain customers
      • Ally: All Ears Podcast | Staying competitive with vehicle acquisition
      • Ally: All Ears Podcast | Used Car Bubble
      • Ally: All Ears Podcast | practices you may incorporate into your F&I department
      • Amazon Ads: Marketing tips for electric cars and alternative-fuel auto advertisers
      • Big Ass Fans: Reducing risk and productivity loss with Big Ass Fans & evaporative coolers
      • Capgemini: Unlocking the next turn in the mobility roadmap
      • Champ: The history of titling and the cost of human error
      • Cox: Automation and the future of automotive retail
      • Cox: Transformation toward eCommerce in automotive retailing
      • Cox: Transforming F&I for Automotive eCommerce
      • Deloitte: ACCELERATING DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION
      • Easycare: Reinventing the service contract for EVs
      • Easycare: The importance of benchmarking your reinsurance performance
      • Effectv: Why “Customer Lifetime Value” Should Be the Auto Advertising Buzz Word for 2023
      • Experian, GroundfTruth and Spectrum Reach: Dealership marketing: Navigating automotive advertising in a post-pandemic world
      • Experian: Evolving identity beyond the “who” to enable the “how”
      • Experian: Three steps to adapting to constant change in automotive marketing
      • HAIG: BUY-SELL Q&A | Valuing dealerships In uncertain times
      • Haig Partners: Buy-Sell Q&A: Where the Automotive M&A Market is heading
      • Haig: Buy-Sell Q&A | Navigating partial dealership sales
      • Haig: Buy-Sell Q&A: Future-proofing your dealership
      • Haig: Buy-Sell Q&A: What is the value of an M&A advisor?
      • JM&A Group, Easycare, Assurant: Unlocking new opportunities in F&I with digital retailing
      • Kerrigan Advisors: Interview with Baxter Auto Group
      • Kerrigan Advisors: Interview with Hitchcock Automotive
      • OEC: How to understand what customers are saying when they’re not saying it
      • PACE: Electrification Technology: Once the supply chain gets over the shock, EVs offer opportunities
      • Pace Program Navigating advanced driver-assistance systems
      • Phone Ninjas: 5 Reasons you need to use phone scripts for your dealership
      • REYNOLDS & REYNOLDS: Creating great retail customer experiences
      • REYNOLDS AND REYNOLDS: Are you ready for the FTC Safeguard Rule changes? Take this quiz to find out
      • Rey and Rey: Automation and the future of automotive retail
      • Siemens: The impact of vehicle electrification and connectivity on electrical system design
      • Spectrum Reach: Playing to win: How automotive dealers can capitalize on sports marketing
      • Swiss Re: Insurers and car manufacturers: how to unlock the potential of true collaboration
      • Text2Drive: Digital retailing meets the service department
      • Trimble: The future of autonomous vehicles speeds ahead
      • Truist: Capitalize on the changing structure of auto retailing
      • Truist: Prepare now for the next era of automotive retailing
      • Urban Science: Promoting dealer-consumer alignment across continued industry evolution
      • Walbridge: Video | Walbridge Chairman on how automotive companies are navigating the electrification boom
      • Western Digital: To Meet Consumer Demand, Automakers Must Double Down on Agile Development
      • Wipro: How to address safety and security for software-defined vehicles
      • Wipro: How today’s tech decisions drive tomorrow’s sales
      • Wipro: Software Helps Address the Affordability Challenge
      • Wipro: The Promise of Software-Defined Vehicles and the Cloud Car Ecosystem
      • Wipro: Video | Wipro CTO on how OEM's are leveraging software-defined vehicle technology
      • Notarize: What to expect for the future of auto sales
      • Seagate: Unlocking value from connected-car data
      • Amazon Web Services: AI-powered supply chain decision-making
      • Epic Games: Five ways in-car designs will change in the next five years
      • Haig Partners: How are dealerships being valued today?
      • Haig Partners: Dealership consolidation trends
      • Haig Partners: Dealership valuation trends
      • Haig Partners: Dealership succession planning
      • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
      • Google: How a century-old brand is transforming the auto industry
      • Car Wars: Is a Rise in Service Leading to Poor Customer Satisfaction?
      • Solera | DealerSocket: Four real-time integrations that can save your dealership time
      • Solera | DealerSocket: Time for a new pre-owned pricing tactic
      • Kerrigan Advisors: Blue Sky Update Q4 2021
      • Qualcomm: Trading multi-year design cycles for on-demand features and experiences
      • Twitter: EV adoption is happening...in an unexpected place
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