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Autoblog's Editors' Picks: Our complete list of the best new vehicles
Filed under: Green,Acura,Alfa Romeo,Aston Martin,Audi,Bentley,BMW,Cadillac,Chevrolet,Chrysler,Dodge,Ford,Genesis,GM,GMC,Honda,Hummer,Hyundai,Jeep,Kia,Lamborghini,Land Rover,Lexus,Lincoln,Maybach,Mazda,McLaren,Mercedes-Benz,Nissan,Porsche,RAM,Rolls-Royce,Toyota,Volkswagen,Volvo,Truck,Convertible,Coupe,Crossover,Hatchback,Minivan/Van,SUV,Wagon,Electric,Hybrid,Luxury,Off-Road Vehicles,Performance,Supercars,Sedan,Polestar,Lucid
Autoblog's Editors' Picks: Our complete list of the best new vehicles Autoblog's Editors' Picks: Our complete list of the best new vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 May 2024 08:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsJunkyard Gem: 2007 Audi S8
Filed under: Audi,Automotive History,Luxury,Special and Limited Editions,Performance,Classics,Sedan
Junkyard Gem: 2007 Audi S8 Junkyard Gem: 2007 Audi S8 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 12 May 2024 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsThese are the cars being discontinued for 2024 and beyond
Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing,Audi,Chevrolet,Chrysler,Dodge,Ford,Genesis,Jeep,Maybach,Mazda,McLaren,Mercedes-Benz,Nissan,Subaru
These are the cars being discontinued for 2024 and beyond These are the cars being discontinued for 2024 and beyond originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 9 May 2024 16:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsAudi unveils Dakar-inspired electric mountain bike with Italian power
Filed under: Green,Audi,Electric
Audi unveils Dakar-inspired electric mountain bike with Italian power Audi unveils Dakar-inspired electric mountain bike with Italian power originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 8 May 2024 11:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments2024 Audi Q4 55 E-Tron First Drive: Big mid-year changes yield zesty EV
Filed under: Green,Audi,First Drives,Crossover,SUV,Electric,Luxury
2024 Audi Q4 55 E-Tron First Drive: Big mid-year changes yield zesty EV 2024 Audi Q4 55 E-Tron First Drive: Big mid-year changes yield zesty EV originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 7 May 2024 06:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsAudi Q7 and Q8 get two new PHEV powertrains for European lineup
Filed under: Audi,Crossover,SUV,Future Vehicles,Hybrid,Luxury
Audi Q7 and Q8 get two new PHEV powertrains for European lineup Audi Q7 and Q8 get two new PHEV powertrains for European lineup originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Apr 2024 08:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsAudi teases refreshed RS E-Tron GT
Filed under: Green,Audi,Electric,Future Vehicles,Performance,Sedan
Audi teases refreshed RS E-Tron GT Audi teases refreshed RS E-Tron GT originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Apr 2024 08:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsAudi Q7 Luggage Test: How much fits behind the third row?
Filed under: Audi,Deep Dive,Crossover,SUV,Luxury,Driveway Tests
Audi Q7 Luggage Test: How much fits behind the third row? Audi Q7 Luggage Test: How much fits behind the third row? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Apr 2024 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsIn VW's EV plant in eastern Germany, gas engines are now verboten
Filed under: Green,Plants/Manufacturing,Read This,Audi,Volkswagen,Automotive History,Electric,Classics,Infrastructure
In VW's EV plant in eastern Germany, gas engines are now verboten In VW's EV plant in eastern Germany, gas engines are now verboten originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Apr 2024 09:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments2025 Audi S3 debuts with RS3's Torque Splitter, more power, revised design
Filed under: Audi,Luxury,Performance,Sedan
2025 Audi S3 debuts with RS3's Torque Splitter, more power, revised design 2025 Audi S3 debuts with RS3's Torque Splitter, more power, revised design originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 9 Apr 2024 10:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments50 at 50: Audi celebrates five decades of making small cars
Filed under: Audi,Volkswagen,Automotive History,Hatchback,Classics
50 at 50: Audi celebrates five decades of making small cars 50 at 50: Audi celebrates five decades of making small cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 4 Apr 2024 10:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsRefreshed 2025 Audi Q7 priced close to the outgoing model
Filed under: Audi,Car Buying,SUV,Luxury,Performance
Refreshed 2025 Audi Q7 priced close to the outgoing model Refreshed 2025 Audi Q7 priced close to the outgoing model originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Mar 2024 11:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsAudi R8 is really, totally dead as last car leaves the line in Bollinger Hofe
Filed under: Audi,Coupe,Luxury,Special and Limited Editions,Performance
Audi R8 is really, totally dead as last car leaves the line in Bollinger Hofe Audi R8 is really, totally dead as last car leaves the line in Bollinger Hofe originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Mar 2024 14:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVW, Mobileye to bring new automated tech to series production
Filed under: Audi,Bentley,Lamborghini,Porsche,Technology,Autonomous Vehicles,Future Vehicles
VW, Mobileye to bring new automated tech to series production VW, Mobileye to bring new automated tech to series production originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Mar 2024 09:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsAudi will abandon its powertrain-based naming structure
Filed under: Audi
Audi will abandon its powertrain-based naming structure Audi will abandon its powertrain-based naming structure originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Mar 2024 10:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsAudi Q6 E-Tron Tech Deep Dive: Details about the electric Macan's Audi sibling
Filed under: Green,Audi,Deep Dive,Technology,Crossover,SUV,Electric,Luxury
Audi Q6 E-Tron Tech Deep Dive: Details about the electric Macan's Audi sibling Audi Q6 E-Tron Tech Deep Dive: Details about the electric Macan's Audi sibling originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Mar 2024 14:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments2025 Audi A3 gets a fresh look, customizable headlights
Filed under: Audi,Luxury,Sedan
2025 Audi A3 gets a fresh look, customizable headlights 2025 Audi A3 gets a fresh look, customizable headlights originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Mar 2024 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments2024 Audi Q4 E-Tron gets chassis updates, more power, faster charging
Filed under: Green,Audi,Crossover,SUV,Electric,Luxury
2024 Audi Q4 E-Tron gets chassis updates, more power, faster charging 2024 Audi Q4 E-Tron gets chassis updates, more power, faster charging originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 8 Mar 2024 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsAudi Q6 E-Tron to debut March 18
Filed under: Green,Audi,Crossover,SUV,Electric,Future Vehicles,Luxury,Performance
Audi Q6 E-Tron to debut March 18 Audi Q6 E-Tron to debut March 18 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 7 Mar 2024 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsElectric Audi TT replacement reportedly coming in 5-10 years
Filed under: Green,Audi,Convertible,Coupe,Electric,Performance
Electric Audi TT replacement reportedly coming in 5-10 years Electric Audi TT replacement reportedly coming in 5-10 years originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Feb 2024 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsVW, Audi recall 260,000 cars to address fuel leak and fire risk
Filed under: Recalls,Audi,Volkswagen,Ownership,Safety,Convertible,Crossover,Hatchback,Wagon,Sedan
VW, Audi recall 260,000 cars to address fuel leak and fire risk VW, Audi recall 260,000 cars to address fuel leak and fire risk originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Feb 2024 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsParadoxes
For the past six months or so, I've been using ConsensusDOCS agreement forms wherever I can reasonably do so ---- meaning that I'm using them for projects on which there is not an owner or architect who insists on using AIA documents. I usually represent owners, have used many AIA standard form agreements over the years (with modifications) and continue to use them.
But where there is not a vested interest in staying with AIA forms, I have tried to use ConsensusDOCS, because my twenty-plus years of experience as a construction lawyer has demonstrated that the premise on which they are based is valid --- a collaborative rather than an adversarial relationship among project participants will, without fail, result in more successful projects.
It is distressing, then, to say the least, to read in a recent Engineering News Record (June 29, 2009) that slow pay has now become a huge issue for contractors and subcontractors throughout the construction sector and in all parts of the country. Pay cycles for contractors have stretched from the customary 30 days, to 45 or 60 days. For subcontractors, pay cycles of 90 days are common. In addition, contractors and subs report that retainages are being held beyond any reasonable time frames, and change orders for indisputably changed work are more frequently being withheld by owners.
It is truly paradoxical that while the ConsensusDOCS are being endorsed by many and varied industry participants (including owners, contractors and subcontractors), the reality is that the economic straits in which we exist make it all but impossible to forge the collaborative relationship the documents contemplate and on which they are based. (This entry published by Karen Estelle Carey, a construction attorney and member of Womble Carlyle's construction group.)ConsensusDOCS for Public Contracts? Yes, In South Dakota
It will be interesting to see how quickly South Dakota begins using ConsensusDOCS for public contracts after the February 2009 legislation permitting the use of the "ConsensusDOCS 200 Standard Agreement and General Conditions Between Owner and Contractor." It seems safe to assume that the South Dakota chapter of the AGC will be working hard to encourage the use of this contract form, and indeed, it probably is in use now for some public projects.
Several press releases covering passage of the law permitting the use of ConsensusDOCS 200 hailed the law as revolutionary in showing other states how to have a better and more efficient contracting process (for one such release, click here). This could be true, if the ConsensusDOCS 200 is used pretty much "as is". However, H B 1212, the law that gives permission for the use of the form, also provides that any public corporation can modify or delete any portion of it. As with most other things like this, the devil will be in the details of what changes a given public corporation makes to the form. (Post published by Karen Estelle Carey).
How do you measure damages when a construction blunder saves an owner $200 million?
A recent story out of Las Vegas, covered in the NY Times, poses an interesting question for construction and real estate lawyers ---- what would be the measure of damages for defective construction, the result of which is estimated to save the owner at least $200 million?
The Harmon hotel tower, part of MGM Mirage's acclaimed $9 billion development called the CityCenter, had been designed as a 48-story tower, the upper 20 floors to be luxury condominiums. But recently it was discovered that the rebar installed in the concrete beams in the first 15 stories already constructed had been positioned incorrectly, and could not safely support a 48-story tower. Correcting the problem would involve extensive and very expensive demolition and rebuilding.
So MGM Mirage made the decision to top out the building at 28 stories, and not build out the 200 condo units planned for the upper stories --- resulting in a savings estimated at $200 million. And also not being stuck with a lot of unsold condos in the very soft Las Vegas market. The chairman of MGM Mirage said "It takes pressure off of selling more condominiums; it takes pressure off of occupying more rooms."
The measure of damages for defective construction is normally the cost to repair the defective work. However, if the cost to repair is so enormous relative to the value of the structure that it would constitute economic waste to fix it ("economic waste" is a term of art with varying meanings depending on the facts and circumstances), then the measure of damages is usually the diminution in value of the structure.
Under these facts and circumstances, it appears there is a good argument that demolishing and rebuilding the existing 28 stories correctly would constitute economic waste, and that the appropriate measure of damages is the diminution in value of the hotel tower. But this appears to present a problem. In the absence of any obvious market for condos in Las Vegas these days, has the value of the building really been diminished at all?
It would seem not.
But there is something else to consider. The Harmon will be the closest building to the Strip in the CityCenter, so the shortening of the tower is going to change how the development looks. It seems that a lot of work has become necessary to figure out what the new skyline of the CityCenter should be and to satisfy City government on that score. Maybe that's the way to approach the damages calculation.
To read the articles in the NY Times, click here and here. (This blog was published by Karen Carey, a member of Womble Carlyle's Real Estate Development and Construction Law practice groups.)Employee Free Choice Act Reintroduced; Battle Lines Are Already Drawn
On Tuesday, March 10, George Miller (D-CA), Chairman of the House Education and Labor Reform Committee, introduced the Employee Free Choice Act (H.R. 1409). Asserting that the bill would agive workers the ability to stand up for themselvesa and heralding the effort as a key component of economic recovery, Chairman Miller insisted the EFCA would restore employee rights. Co-sponsor Tom Harkin (D-IA) explained, ajust as the National Labor Relations Act, the 40-hour week and the minimum wage helped to pull us out of the Great Depression and into a period of unprecedented prosperity, so too will the Employee Free Choice Act help reinvigorate our economy.a
The bill, essentially the same as one passed by the House but killed in the Senate two years ago, faces a stiff fight. Although President Obama has pledged his support to the legislation, employer organizations have mobilized a well-coordinated campaign to highlight what they perceive as significant weaknesses in the Act, also countering with their own proposal, the Secret Ballot Protection Act. To make matters even more confusing, on March 11 Joe Sestak (D-PA) proffered yet another alternative, the National Labor Relations Moderation Act (H.R. 1355), which Congressman Sestak describes as a amiddle grounda compromise to preclude a divisive confrontation. As the rhetoric on either side escalates, examination of the key features of EFCA is essential.
To read about the key features of EFCA, continue here.
(This entry was published by Charlie Edwards, a member of the firm's employment law practice group.)Real Estate Developers Ask for a Bailout
The WSJ and the Washington Post report that some of the country's biggest commercial property developers have sought out government assistance as debt comes due.
Although the numbers vary by source, roughly $530 billion in commercial mortgages will be coming due in the next three years, with $160 - $400 billion coming due in 2009. Delinquency rates have begun to rise as rent prices fall and vacancies rise for commercial properties; despite the rise, delinquency rates are still below historic levels (i.e the vast majority of these loans are performing).
The problem is these types of loans are underwritten for five, seven, or 10 years with a balloon payment due at maturity. At maturity the loan is typically refinanced by the property owner. But the credit markets are virtually frozen (in large part because hardly anyone is securitizing commercial mortgages) and little, if any credit is available for refinancing (except for loans being made by HUD, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac).
To address this problem, property owners are asking the Treasury and the Federal Reserve to include the commercial real estate industry in the $200 billion loan program to rescue the consumer debt market, money intended to help investors purchase securities backed by those assets. Property owners hope that including commercial real estate will encourage banks to refinance mortgages coming due because the banks could securitize the mortgages. Some property owners have gone one step further and asked the Treasury to set up a separate fund just for commercial real estate.
The Treasury and Federal Reserve have said they will consider including commercial real estate in the $200 billion loan program.
Unfortunately, including commercial real estate in this loan program may not be enough to save the industry if only $200 billion is available and $160-400 billion in loans are coming due in 2009. Even if the program includes enough money to cover commercial real estate, Lenders may not be able to underwrite the loans; they may not be able to accurately price the assets because of plummeting property values.Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) Releases Online Safety Proposals
The Family Online Safety Institute ("FOSI") released its report Making Wise Choices Online in which it provides a survey of ongoing initiatives to ensure the safety of children using the Internet as well as four policy proposals for the coming Administration to consider. The release coincides with the Second Annual FOSI Conference, held today in Washington, D.C., themed "Safe At Any Speed: Rules, Tools & Public Policies to Keep Kids Safe Online."
Womble Carlyle is pleased to have sponsored the FOSI Conference and to have forged a friendship with this organization.
Click here to learn more about FOSI's Internet safety proposals.Entrepreneur Removes Home From the Power Grid with the Help of LEDs
Eric Taub of the New York Times posted an interesting story this morning about Dean Kamen, the eccentric inventor of the Segway scooter. Mr. Kamen owns a small, three-acre island off the coast of Connecticut where he built his home, and he recently decided to take his entire island off the power grid--that is, produce his own electrical power (in this case through wind and solar).
To do that, Mr. Kamen had to dramatically reduce his power consumption. He accomplished that goal by using LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, to light his home's interior and exterior. Mr. Taub explains that an LED light fixture uses one-fifth to one-tenth of the power of a standard incandescent fixture. As a result of this change, Mr. Kamen was able to reduce energy consumption in the house by 70 percent. As an added benefit, the bulbs will not need to be changed for years.
The downside of this switch is cost. Although the price of LED fixtures are dropping, they are still significantly more expensive than an incandescent fixture. For that reason, it may be years before builders use this technology in spec homes and buildings.
Source: New York TimesInfrastructure Projects In the Obama Administration --- a Bright Spot In An Otherwise Gloomy Future
From the early days of his presidential campaign, President-Elect Obama has emphasized the importance, and priority, of rebuilding our nation's infrastructure. At first, this was not particularly tied to the goal of job creation, or at least that part of the equation was not stressed. But as the economic downturn spiraled out of control in the past months, rebuilding infrastructure became explicitly tied to creating a large number of new jobs.
State and local governments are very much on board with investing in infrastructure, and doing it quickly. At a meeting of the National Governors Association earlier this week in Philadelphia, the governors told Mr. Obama that over $130 billion worth of infrastructure projects have already won regulatory approval and just need funding to "get the shovels in the ground". Thousands of jobs could be created if these projects could get underway.
It seems that the specific types of projects mentioned most frequently are roads, bridges and schools. This is certainly good news for construction companies who are in the business of horizontal construction and manufacturers of road and bridge-building materials. It is also good news for the many construction companies who have long done business with local counties and school boards.
There are other kinds of infrastructure projects that also should be undertaken --- light rail and other forms of mass transit, wide-ranging installation of broadband, and other things that are badly overdue and will help move our country forward. To read more about President-Elect Obama's conversation with the governors about this subject, click here. (This blog entry was published by Karen Carey, a member of Womble Carlyle's construction law and real estate development practice group.)AASHE Conference Highlights Sustainability Agenda, Colleges and Local Governments
The second biennial conference of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) was held at the new Raleigh (NC) Convention Center from November 9-12. The purpose of the conference was to provide a "unique opportunity for every sector of higher education in the United States & Canada to come together to demonstrate how colleges and universities can lead the way to a sustainable future." AASHE lined up host institutions Appalachian State University, Duke University, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with the theme of "working Together for Sustainability -- On Campus and Beyond." Admission also included a tradeshow highlighting sustainable solutions from a range of providers from Cree, Siemens and Duke Energy to Aramark, Ecolab and Johnson Controls.
The stated goals for the AASHE conference were to:
- Advance sustainability practices on campus and beyond through partnerships and collaborations.
- Increase the integration of social responsibility & social justice into mainstream campus sustainability.
- Promote new pathways for elevating sustainability education and student leadership development.
- Magnify the role of campuses as responsible members of communities, both local and global.
- Involve a wider range of participants in advancing sustainability in higher education.
Further conference detail may be found at http://www.aashe.org/conf2008/schedule.php.
As reported in The Chronicle of Higher Education, the closing panel highlighted ways that colleges and other sustainability interests can work with local governments. Speakers included moderator Jim Elder, the director of the Campaign for Environmental Literacy, the clerk of courts from Miami-Dade County Florida, the mayor of Chapel Hill and Debra Rowe, a professor at Oakland Community College. Professor Rowe, "who is famously involved in countless sustainability organizations and efforts, said that many campus career offices donat tell students about the sustainability jobs that city governments will need to fill in the future. Sustainability advocates, she said, should use that potential demand to push sustainability education on campus." (This entry published by Liz Riley, a member of Womble Carlyle's construction and real estate development practice group.)
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