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Better Place EV Battery Swap business goes bust

It seemed like a good idea: take the cost of batteries out of the cost of buying an electric car and instead charge EV owners to use ‘Battery Swap’ stations where depleted batteries could be swapped for fully charged ones in the time it takes to fill an ICE car with petrol. But it’s all gone a bit Pete Tong. Better Place – which partnered with Renault in 2009 to make the battery swap technology viable – has failed to find anyone to add to the $750 million already involved in the project and has filed for bankruptcy.

Volkswagen debuts Jetta TDI Value Edition

There was already a lot to like about the diesel Volkswagen Jetta TDI CleanDiesel, most of it having to do with fewer fillups, and so for 2014 Volkswagen is debuting a new Jetta TDI Value Edition that slices more than $2,000 off the price of entry. And speaking of the price of entry, it is now $22,115 for Volkswagen's smallest diesel sedan in the U.S. Yes, it seems Volkswagen has finally created a car for automotive journalists as well as members of the biodiesel-brewing crowd who are tired of fixing old Mercedes-Benz W123 station wagons from the 1970s, though we probably have the diesel Chevrolet Cruze to thank for the appearance of this particular model.

Mercedes-Benz unveils AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its AMG Vision Gran Turismo concept that will be featured in the upcoming Gran Turismo racing game. The concept features bulbous wheelarches and a long hood stretching back to the pushed-back cabin, designed to emphasize its aerodynamics, while the grille is a reinterpretation of the wide Mercedes-Benz sports car grille with the central star. It also features gullwing doors and side-view cameras, together with racing-inspired elements such as the release catches on the hood and fuel caps positioned on the roof.