Audi, Tesla, Porsche, Changan, Mitsubishi, GM, Truck cartel.

Dear readers,

we wish you a successful, happy and healthy 2015! As of today, our newsletter is back delivering the top electric mobility news every workday. We will also provide you the main topics of the Christmas break little by little this week, so that you can keep track.

Kind regards from Berlin,
Peter Schwierz, Editor-in-Chief electrive.com

– Brands + News –

Two Audi EVs announced: The German carmaker will launch an all-electric sports car and an all-electric sports activity vehicle (SAV) with more than 500 km (310 miles) range by 2018, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler told German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ). Furthermore, Stadler confirmed the brand’s plan to issue one plug-in hybrid model each year.
faz.net (in German), electriccarsreport.com, businessinsider.com

Tesla Roadster 3.0: The first Tesla model will be upgraded with a new 70-kWh battery pack. Together with new tyres to reduce rolling resistance and aerodynamic improvements, the company hopes to increase range to more than 400 miles. Appointments for upgrading Roadsters will be taken this spring.
teslamotors.com, transportevolved.com

Porsche recall: The company is calling back 205 vehicles of the 918 Spyder model worldwide in a preemptive move. Porsche claims faulty chassis parts from a certain delivery batch as the reason for the repairs. The problem was detected during in-house quality testing.
electriccarsreport.com, autoblog.com

New EV for China: Chinese carmaker Changan will launch the Eado EV on its home market this month. The all-electric sedan is powered by an electric motor with 88 kW and comes with a range of up to 160 km (100 miles). Starting price is around 200,000 yuan (32,140 dollars) including all subsidies.
carnewschina.com

Outlander PHEV with V2H: In Japan, the plug-in hybrid SUV can now be used to supply electricity to homes. The approval usually granted to all-electric vehicles only has become possible as the Outlander’s engine does not run while the vehicle is connected to a V2H system.
electriccarsreport.com, japancorp.net

GM faces lawsuit: GM is facing a proposed defective automotive class action lawsuit over an alleged defect in the steering system of its Chevrolet Volt which causes the steering wheel to freeze intermittently while driving. The lawsuit claims that GM was aware of the problem, but continued to sell the cars.
bigclassaction.com

Heavy cartel: Top European truckmakers such as Daimler, Iveco, Scania, Volvo and MAN have operated a cartel for 14 years to delay the progress of emissions-reducing technology, the Financial Times reported citing leaked documents in a European Commission investigation.
ft.com, reuters.com