VW Finally Reintroduces Buttons for Real in a Car That’s Not Available for Purchase: TDS

      Volkswagen ID 3 Neo interior.

      Volkswagen

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      Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.

      TDS compiles all the major auto industry headlines from the morning into one concise read, allowing you to quickly catch up and move on with your day. Each entry includes a link for those who want more detailed information. However, we can’t provide coffee, so you’ll need to grab your own cup.

      Happy Wednesday, here’s what’s going on.

      🔊 The latest episode of The Drivecast, The Drive’s new weekly podcast, will be available later today. Be sure to check it out on The Drive, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

      ☝️ Volkswagen has unveiled its new ID 3 Neo electric vehicle. Although it won’t be available in the U.S., it showcases VW’s response to customer feedback, featuring a dashboard that eliminates nearly all capacitive touch controls and sliders in favor of real, physical buttons.

      💸 In other news regarding VW, the end of ID 4 production at the company’s Tennessee facility, in favor of the new Atlas, is anticipated to impact its earnings in the first quarter, as reported by Reuters citing a management call.

      🚐 Honda is recalling approximately 440,000 Odyssey minivans from model years 2017 to 2022 due to side airbags that may deploy at unintended times, such as when driving over potholes or speed bumps. Owners will need to bring their vehicles in for servicing, which entails installing new software that cannot be downloaded over the air.

      😇 BMW informed Australia’s CarSales that it will consider introducing new “brand shapers” (meaning enthusiast or flagship models) only after fully revitalizing its core lineup.

      🔌 Ionna, the North American EV charging network established as a joint venture among eight automakers, has announced a deal to install 350 charging stations at Circle K locations. The company is also persisting in its efforts to popularize the term “rechargery,” which is quite unfortunate.

      🔋 Chinese battery leader CATL has announced a new collaboration with SAIC-GM-Wuling to introduce 10-minute charging technology in competition with BYD, according to Electrek.

      💷 A brand-new, V8-powered Jensen Interceptor known as the Interceptor GTX, produced by Jensen International Automotive, a firm that specializes in restoring the classic models from the British company, is set to debut this spring, reports Autocar.

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