VW is pushing expansion overseas is Europe hurts

FRANKFURT, Sept 11 Reuters)-Volkswagen takes more steps to the their business activities reinforce the pinch of increasingly like the German carmaker feels stability demand in ailing European markets.

VW, about 60 percent of the Group sold vehicles outside their European homeland, is in China and already adding Mexico to capacity.

Production group Chairman Michael power of the Reuters news agency at the Frankfurt motor show on Wednesday, which also plans production in fast-growing Southeast Asian markets, setting up one of the few remaining gaps in its huge global factory network, VW from 102 facilities close.

"Certainly an active role in the region will we will in the next few years," said power, who sits eight-Member Board of Directors on VW, in an interview. "We are currently very active on the way in these countries."

Europe's largest carmaker a first 200 million euros ($265,33 million) this year investment to build a car plant in Indonesia known can give, a Minister in the Indonesian Government has in the past month, citing the location of Cikampek, West Java.

Power rejected an opinion on which country VW would finally get and said decisions on brands and products were not taken yet.

Automobile manufacturers around the world rely on emerging markets for long in the midst of a crisis recession-hit Europe, where pending sales on a low two decades are.

The Wolfsburg multi-brand Automotive Group, which is still missing a vehicle assembly plant in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Group of countries, has a goal to overtake Toyota and General Motors that not no later than 2018 become the world's largest automaker.

The ASEAN group consists of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam.

Separately, the German giant is considering to expand a start of commercial vehicles in the United States in the future as part of steps to his namesake core brand No. 2-car market in the world.

Commercial pickup trucks and vans like VW Caddy type model "certainly represents opportunity" for the United States, Jonathan Browning, CEO of VW US business of Reuters news agency, in a separate interview, referring to the success of the Ford Transit Connect van.

"There are preliminary discussions (with VW Wolfsburg-based management) but no definite plans at the moment," Browning said.

VW wants to boost its presence in the United States, until 2018, when it aims to snatch viewed 800,000 VW brand and 200,000 Audi brand sales the global sales Crown.

Yet Browning made it clear that rather than in addition to VW focus on best use of the potential of the band boosting models such as the compact Jetta sedan, Passat mid-size sedan and the compact SUV Tiguan would now offers in the United States, for the company.

"The immediate future is the best we have the vehicles plus CrossBlue B-SUV,", said Browning, a seven-seater concept car VW on the Shanghai Auto Show this year presented.

"The European market fully back his former strength may take years", said Stefan Bratzel, head of the center of automotive management think tank in the vicinity of Cologne. "Overseas (car) markets will account for a large part of future growth."

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Tesla plans cross-country expansion of superchargers

Paul A. Eisenstein Detroit Bureau may 30, 2013 at 6:06 PM ET
Elon Musk, Tesla's founder says the Superchargers that he intends in the United States, shipping would deliver a fee of up to three hours. Each charge injection would take about 20 minutes.

Battery car motor hopes startup Tesla, a quick-charging "compressor" reach all U.S. drivers — and most of those in Canada – in the next few years put something, the so-called "range anxiety" could eliminate that so far a factor in the limited sales of connector-based "vehicles, such as Tesla model S."

The roll-out of the Tesla compressor network now twice as fast as originally scheduled, come with over twice as many of them are created according to the manufacturer, founder CEO Elon Musk. Quickly recharge the system will also be updated to the survey by almost half compared to the first Chargers now in place, reduce, musk said.

"It pretty much means to mainstream customers, car to drive your (battery), wherever you go... want in an instant," said musk. "So (it is) very important, access to a wider audience" for battery-electric vehicles such as the Tesla model S sedan, which went on sale last summer.

There are a small number of Tesla Superchargers in operation, especially along the West Coast. There are some along the East Coast, the travellers in the busy corridor between Washington, D.C. and Boston.

Tesla says that he is planning to triple the number of compressors up to end of June. A Tesla statement said that six months 'most of the major areas of the Metro in the United States and Canada"in the range of a compressor. Someone driving from Los Angeles to New York to allow only Tesla Superchargers with end of 2013.

Finally, musk, said during a telephone conference media there are "several hundred" Superchargers, the not only highways, but also scenic routes. He said that would allow a tourist exploration of the coast of California, to drive the length of the State on busy Interstate 5 or a leisurely ride along the coasts of US-101 or CA-1 circuits.

Tesla is not the only company that the extension of the fast charging systems, which many advocates as vital for the growing demand for plug-in vehicles to see. EVgo sets Texas based on a number of its fast charging stations in California, Texas and along the East Coast.

One difference is that a Tesla model S owners optional Compressor package (standard of manufacturer's most expensive model) has bought, could insert free of charge. On a cross-border journey of Tesla officials said savings could amount to hundreds of dollars compared to what would be issued to a gas-powered vehicle.

Slow loading times - and the limited availability of public stations - has seen as one of the biggest drawbacks compared to the resulting battery-automotive industry. Depending on the type of unit, a model S in a home or conventional system everywhere could be charged three hours to almost a day. Depending on the version of the sedan the compressor provide up to three hours of driving range in less than 20 minutes, musk promised.

This is a significant improvement over the first Superchargers. They are to be programmed while Tesla their performance from 90 to 120 kilowatts of ups. The systems offer direct DC, while conventional Chargers lower and use alternating current.

Concerns have been raised that so-called stage III charge could reduce the life of a battery pack. The manufacturer also fears the battery moved this year reduce with the announcement of a new "no-fault" battery pack warranty.

To a more environmentally-friendly spin on the announcement, musk revealed that Tesla hopes to position solar chargers on as many as possible of the compressor stations as possible. In fact, as most owners expect charge over the weekend, Tesla, believes that the current through the Chargers "will add more energy than the cars consume," with some of solar generated electricity once again into the regional power grid pumped.

Ultimately about a Tesla should compressor range model S owners all 80 to 100 miles, said musk. Most are probably between urban centres - where conventional chargers are more common.

Experienced require some of the first compressor so much that S owners in line had to wait model. Tesla is said to have more bays available going forward, a minimum of four points, plug into any system, more where demand is higher.

For his part, musk said, he intended, "A road trip I have at school," this time taking his family from Silicon Valley to New York City, relying on the advanced compressor network repeat soon.

Each new compressor station is expected to be around $150,000, he said, costs the price about double, where solar power is used. Tesla's offer last stock - expected to be approximately $1.1 billion--helps to increase foot the Bill. The manufacturer uses the fresh capital infusion, her Department of US energy pay off loans.

While the enhanced availability of rapid Chargers to improve the attractiveness of the battery power, observers point out that the juicy price premium for battery power remains a disadvantage. Manufacturer displayed, but in this matter, as also to work. Honda, for example, is cut by almost a third of the rent for its new fit EV and a price cut for the Nissan leaf this year recorded an increase.

Copyright © 2009-2013, the Detroit Bureau

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