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Tesla, Chrysler take federal loan payment dispute public

Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to Twitter Thursday to respond to Chrysler's barb that Tesla wasn't the first American automaker to repay the U.S. government for aid. Tesla, which paid off the remaining $451.8 million on its 2010 Department of Energy loan Wednesday, received $465 million under the highly politicized Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing loan program.

Volkswagen E-Bugster

The Volkswagen E-Bugster concept is a show car preview of the upcoming Beetle cabriolet. The E-Bugster is essentially the same Beetle that debuted at the Shanghai Auto Show last year below its beltline but above it a more steeply raked and shallower windscreen determine its new character. This, in combination with the hard top fitted to the show car creates a silhouette 400mm lower than the standard car, giving it a hint of SoCal speedster.

LCV VALUES DEFY POOR CONDITIONS

AN INCREASE in demand for four-wheel drive light commercial vehicles saw LCV values rise during December 2010, according to new figures from British Car Auctions. After reaching a low-point in November, the cold weather inspired a £37, or 0.9 per cent, rise in average LCV values to £4,067. Values were also boosted by a 25 per cent decline in the number of vehicles that came to auction during the month.