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Satirist Bill Maher devoted a segment of his Friday night HBO show to the scandal involving 11 million Volkswagen and Audi cars produced in 2009-15 with "clean-diesel" engines rigged to hide that they pollute far more than the law allows. A Volkswagen Beetle with the TDI "clean-diesel" engine. By VICTOR E. SASSON EDITOR Comedian Bill Maher invoked Germany's Nazi past and the Holocaust in reviewing what he said were old Volkswagen print ads. The first ad identified "Volkswagen [as] the first name in clouds of poison gas."  That's an apparent reference to the Zyklon B gas the Nazis used to kill millions of Jews, Gypsies and other undesirable during World War II. Another said, "We call it the Rabbit because we can't stop screwing you." See the segment from "Real Time with Bill Maher" by clicking on the following link: Skit on Volkswagen diesel scandal

An Audi TV ad for the A3 e-tron mocks the Toyota Prius, the world's best-selling gas-electric hybrid; people who grow their own food and use solar panels on their homes, and anyone who enjoys peace and quiet over the sound of screeching tires.  By VICTOR E. SASSON EDITOR Speeding, screeching tires and a lurid slide are a contradiction in a plug-in hybrid car that is supposed to save gas and be easy on the environment. But that's the theme of a new TV ad for the Audi A3 e-tron, the first plug-in hybrid from the luxury performance subsidiary of Volkswagen, the giant German automaker. Especially puzzling is how the commercial ends: "Plug in and take names." The owner had just thrown the speeding red hybrid into a slide so he could back into his driveway -- the only way Audi's irresponsible advertising agency could show him plugging in the car (the socket is in the grille). The man then looks at one of his shocked neighbors and nods his head as if to say, Take that. S...

  Volkswagen and Audi TDI models, above and below, are equipped with software the automaker installed to cheat U.S. emissions testing. By VICTOR E. SASSON EDITOR The potential recall of Volkwagens and Audis with illegal diesel engines that pollute far more than allowed has grown to 11 million worldwide. The automaker announced today that 11 million of its deisel cars were equipped with software that was used to cheat on emissions tests, according to The New York Times. "The overwhelming majority are probably in Europe, where the company dominates the market and accounts for more than one of every cars sold," The Times reported. The German automaker is setting aside the equivalent of half a year's profit -- 6.5 billion euros or about $7.3 billion -- to cover the cost of fixing the cars, paying fines and defending itself against civil lawsuits "from angry customers," the paper said. Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered Volkswagen to recall almost...

Despite cheap gas, unsold Hyundais fill a dealer's lot near the ShopRite in Paramus, N.J., above and below. The dealer also has started renting spaces in another lot under the supermarket for more unsold cars. In November 2014, Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia agreed to pay a combined $300 million as part of a settlement for overstating vehicle fuel-economy standards on 1.2 million cars -- in what is the largest penalty ever for a violation of the Clean Air Act. No fines have been announced in the new case against Volkswagen. By VICTOR E. SASSON EDITOR Now, here is really shocking car news: Volkswagen, the German auto-making giant, deliberately installed software designed to conceal its diesel engine's emission of the pollutant nitrogen oxide, which contributes to the creation of ozone and smog. "The pollutants are linked to a range of health problems, including asthma attacks, other respiratory diseases and premature death," according to The New York Times. On Frida...

DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH: Audi and Porsche showed all-electric concept cars at the Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany, above and below, but production models wouldn't go on sale until 2020 -- that's five long years from now. OH MY ACHING BACK: The low-slung Porsche concept looks like it is aimed at the young and limber. And the 300-mile range would be of limited value to older drivers, who need frequent bathroom breaks. By VICTOR E. SASSON EDITOR We're all familiar with the phrase, "Start your engines." But Tom Voelk, a contributor to The New York Times, really stretches the meaning of "start" in his story from the Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany on Monday. After noting Tesla Motors has had the market for "high-end electric cars" to itself since the Model S went on sale in 2012, Voelk claims: "But that is changing as other automakers start to introduce their own models [italics added]." Really?  The story is silent on new production mode...

Plugging in my Tesla Model S at home every night has become routine. I've programmed charging to start at 3 a.m., even though my New Jersey utility doesn't have lower, off-peak rates for residential customers like me. Solar panels on my roof mean charging the Model S costs me nothing. By VICTOR E. SASSON EDITOR The all-electric 2016 Nissan Leaf will offer two batteries yielding ranges of 84 miles and 107 miles. The 2016 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid comes with an Achilles heel as standard equipment:  It still uses gasoline, fouling the air and aggravating climate change. Major domestic and foreign automakers, especially the Germans, struggle to catch up more than three years after California-based Tesla Motors unveiled the Model S, a luxurious all-electric four-door hatchback with a range of 200-plus miles. The next, best hope is Chevrolet's pure-electric Bolt concept, which is promised with a range of over 200 miles. News reports say the Bolt will go into production in October...