Volkswagen Archives - Tennessee Star

Northam Awards $9.4 Million from Volkswagen Lawsuit Funds to Electrify Diesel Fleets at IAD, Fairfax County, and Amherst County

May 13, 2021May 12, 2021 Eric Burk

Governor Ralph Northam awarded $9.4 million to fund electrification of government-owned vehicle fleets for Dulles International Airport, Fairfax County, and Amherst County. The funds are part of the Clean Air Communities Program (CACP) and is funded by the Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Trust (VEMT). Along with the $9.4 million awards, Northam announced a second round of funding, an additional $20 million, to electrify school buses.

Governor Ralph Northam Signs Major New Clean Car Standards Bill

March 21, 2021March 20, 2021 Eric Burk

Governor Ralph Northam announced newly-signed legislation Friday that will require approximately eight percent of model year 2025 vehicles sold in Virginia to be zero-emissions vehicles. HB 1965, introduced by Delegate Lamont Bagby (D-Henrico), adds Virginia to the list of states following California’s vehicle emissions standards, which are stricter than the federal standards Virginia currently follows.

Volkswagen of Chattanooga Neglected Conditions it Agreed to Follow for Corporate Welfare

January 8, 2020January 9, 2020 Chris Butler

Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TDEC) officials had to remind Volkswagen of Chattanooga officials that they were past due on certain reports they agreed to file in exchange for corporate welfare.

Volkswagen of Chattanooga Reportedly Does Not Pay School Property Taxes

July 13, 2019July 12, 2019 Chris Butler

Government officials have reportedly given Volkswagen of Chattanooga a mind-boggling and generous incentives package, so much so it does not even have to pay school property taxes. This, according to Helen Burns Sharp, founder of the Chattanooga-based Accountability for Taxpayer Money. According to ATM’s website, members of the group…

Volkswagen Chattanooga Workers Vote No on United Auto Workers

June 16, 2019June 15, 2019 Chris Butler

Southern Momentum, a grassroots group of Volkswagen Chattanooga workers who oppose the United Auto Workers, has released a statement concerning the results of the election at the facility. Workers rejected the UAW this week by a vote of 833 to 776. “We could not be more excited about the outcome…

Experts Say UAW Treats Volkswagen Chattanooga as Adversary

June 15, 2019June 14, 2019 Chris Butler

Southern Momentum, a grassroots group of Volkswagen Chattanooga workers who oppose the United Auto Workers, this week responded after Automotive News reported the UAW is “disputing whether the automaker is maintaining its neutrality.” This, according to a press release the group put out this week. “Here we go again,” said Maury Nicely,…

Key Figure Trying to Get UAW to Come to Volkswagen Chattanooga Reportedly Had to Settle Slander Suit

June 7, 2019June 6, 2019 Chris Butler

One of the primary people fighting for the United Auto Workers to set up shop at Volkswagen Chattanooga reportedly had to settle a slander suit for his part in a nasty mudslinging campaign in Michigan. This, according to this week’s Washington Free Beacon. Joe DiSano, a Michigan political consultant,…

Volkswagen Chattanooga Employee Releases Testimonial Against the UAW

May 30, 2019May 29, 2019 Chris Butler

This week, Southern Momentum, a grassroots group of Volkswagen Chattanooga workers who oppose the United Auto Workers, released the first in a series of worker testimonial videos regarding the upcoming election at the facility. “It’s time for the attacks to stop,” says Carol Gruber, a team leader at Volkswagen…

Volkswagen’s Chattanooga Workers Speak Out Against UAW

May 27, 2019May 26, 2019 Chris Butler

A grassroots group of Volkswagen Chattanooga workers who oppose the United Auto Workers spoke out this week against the union’s efforts to set up shop at their factory. The group, Southern Momentum, released the following statement in response to an advertisement paid for by the Center for VW Facts…

United Auto Workers Step Up Efforts at Volkswagen Chattanooga

May 23, 2019May 22, 2019 Chris Butler

The United Auto Workers are renewing their efforts to set up shop at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant, and this time they’re seeking outside help. When asked about this, a spokesman for the Virginia-based National Right to Work Foundation said “the scandal-ridden union bosses at the UAW really have no shame…

Fight to Stop UAW at Volkswagen Chattanooga Plant Gets Underway

April 29, 2019April 28, 2019 Chris Butler

A plan is underway to fight efforts to unionize the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga. Paydayreport.com this week profiled Rick Berman, reportedly an anti-union lawyer from New York, tasked with defeating the United Auto Workers’ efforts to unionize at Volkswagen-Chattanooga. The stakes, according to the website, are high. “A win…

Volkswagen Hires Retired Sen. Corker’s Former Chief of Staff Womack to Handle Lobbying

March 31, 2019March 30, 2019 Jason M. Reynolds

Volkswagen hired Bob Corker’s former chief of staff, Todd Womack, to do lobbying on trade matters, proving that working as a public servant can pay off. Womack made the announcement Friday on Twitter: “Excited to be working with @VW.” He is president and CEO of Bridge Public Affairs, a lobbying…

US Regulators Charge Volkswagen, Ex-CEO With Defrauding Investors

March 16, 2019March 15, 2019 Admin

U.S. regulators charged Volkswagen and former CEO Martin Winterkorn with defrauding investors during its massive diesel emissions scandal. The charges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission come two years after the German automaker settled with the U.S. over criminal and civil charges, as the company tries to distance itself…

Electric Cars Fizzle in Cold Weather, Even as Tennessee Tries to Prop Up Industry

February 18, 2019February 17, 2019 Chris Butler

Even as Tennessee government officials have a history of trying to prop up the electric car industry, members of the American Automobile Association say cold weather dramatically saps how well electric cars work. This, according to a new article on Foxbusiness.com “The data released Thursday found 20-degree weather can temporarily…

Tennessee Investments in Electric Cars Don’t Seem to Have the Best Track Record

February 3, 2019February 2, 2019 Chris Butler

Some research shows manufacturers of electric cars wouldn’t make a tidy profit in a pure free market system because, at least right now, there isn’t enough demand for that product. So that’s why government gets involved. Tennessee officials have done a lot this decade to help subsidize and promote electric…

Volkswagen Reportedly Demanded Things from Tennessee Officials Before Announcing Chattanooga Electric Car Plant

February 2, 2019February 1, 2019 Chris Butler

Tennessee officials reportedly made concessions to Volkswagen to get the company to construct a new electric vehicle plant in Chattanooga, according to The Chattanooga Times Free Press. But, as the paper went on to say, state residents may not yet see a list of those concessions, which are apparently financial.…

Detroit Auto Show, and Industry, Prepare for Transition

January 15, 2019January 14, 2019 Admin

The auto industry gathered in Detroit on Sunday, on the eve of the last winter edition of North America’s premiere auto show, as carmakers grapple with a contracting market and uncertainty in the year ahead. Concerns over the health of the global economy and a US-China trade war loomed over…

Volkswagen to Funnel $800 Million into Chattanooga Plant to Build Electric Vehicles as President Trump Pressures German Companies to Invest in America

January 15, 2019January 14, 2019 Jason M. Reynolds

Volkswagen will spend $800 million to expand its Chattanooga factory to become the German company’s North American hub for manufacturing electric vehicles, and the Scenic City may want to thank President Donald Trump. VW CEO Dr. Herbert Diess made the announcement at a presentation at the Detroit Auto Show Monday, TechCrunch…

Tennessee Officials Gave Volkswagen Huge Subsidies, Report Says

September 4, 2018September 4, 2018 Chris Butler

The state of Tennessee has thus far given Volkswagen $818.8 million in corporate subsidies, going back several years. Nissan, meanwhile, got $536.7 million. DowDuPont received $486.7 million in subsidies. These are among the latest updates from Good Jobs First, a Washington, D.C.-based policy resource center that monitors corporate subsidies nationwide.…

Steve Gill Commentary: Crony Capitalism Drives the Haslam Gas Tax Plan

April 10, 2017July 17, 2018 Steve Gill

The Haslam Administration is doling out over $113 million in tax CUTS to some of Tennessee’s largest corporations to justify over $350 million in tax INCREASES on working Tennesseans. According to the Times Free Press, just 24 large manufacturing companies will each receive tax breaks of over a million…

Volkswagen Apologizes, Pleads Guilty to $4.3 Billion Diesel Emissions Fraud Scheme

March 11, 2017August 1, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

“A federal judge in Detroit on Friday accepted a guilty plea from Volkswagen on three federal charges connected to the automaker’s diesel emissions scandal,” the Detroit Free Press reported: However, Judge Sean Cox said he wanted more time to review the terms of a proposed settlement agreement of $4.3 billion,…