Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has confirmed several details of the production Model X crossover, which will arrive on the market with the same ‘falcon’ doors as the prototypes.

Speaking during a series of town-hall meetings in Europe, the executive noted that the double-hinged doors will utilize sensors to control the opening sequence and prevent them from hitting nearby objects.

“If you can fit your Model X between two other cars, the doors will open,” he said.

The crossover will have the same wheelbase as the Model S, while the overall length will be within 5 cm. Its drag coefficient will not be much worse than the sedan, resulting in an efficiency loss of just 10 percent despite the significantly taller profile and slightly heavier weight.

The Model X will only be available in an all-wheel-drive configuration, though Musk claims the company has achieved a “breakthrough” by eliminating the efficiency loss of mechanical AWD systems.

The company expects to begin volume production of the Model X by the end of the first quarter next year.

BMW has announced that its laser-headlight technology has entered volume production. The ‘Laserlight’ will be available as an upgrade option for the company’s i8 plug-in hybrid.

The next-generation technology is illuminated by three blue lasers in each headlight. The beams are combined and reflected through a lens with a fluorescent phosphorous filter, creating a white light with a spectrum that is said to be similar to daylight.

The Laserlight high-beams are claimed to provide an effective range of up to 600 meters, doubling the illumination range of the i8′s basic LED-based high beam. Despite the additional brightness, the lasers are said to bring a 30-percent efficiency gain compared to the already power-sipping LEDs.

“Due to their highly intensive and virtually ideal beam properties, laser diodes render the overall system even more efficient,” BMW notes. “In conjunction with the camera-aided digital high-beam assistant, dazzling of oncoming traffic or vehicles ahead is reliably eliminated.”

Longevity is expected to be similar to LEDs, beyond 10,000 hours and likely exceeding the life of the car. The laser system also should eliminate the color-shift problems of many aging HID bulbs.

BMW claims it will be the first to offer such technology on a production vehicle, adding the option to the i8 sometime this fall, however competitors have already announced similar plans. Audi will utilize laser technology on its R18 e-tron Quattro race car, however the company has yet to announce a timeframe for availability in production vehicles.

It is unclear if next-generation headlight technology from any company will make it to the US market in the near future, as the NHTSA has yet to formally approve lasers for such applications.

In the final stretch ahead of the UAW’s vote at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga facility, Tennessee legislators have threatened to kill the company’s tax incentives if the plant becomes unionized.

“Should the workers at Volkswagen choose to be represented by the United Auto Workers, then I believe any additional incentives from the citizens of the State of Tennessee for expansion or otherwise will have a very tough time passing the Tennessee Senate,” said State Senator Bo Watson, in a statement published by the The Chattanoogan.

The Republican legislators and anti-union groups contend that VW is secretly colluding with the UAW to unionize the plant. The company has officially maintained a neutral position, however, acknowledging a role for unions but declining to voluntarily accept UAW representation without an employee vote.

“I do not see the members of the Senate having a positive view of Volkswagen because of the manner in which this campaign has been conducted,” Watson added.

VW and the UAW have established a legal agreement outlining the election process and following steps. If the workers vote to unionize, VW has outlined details of a German-style works council that will serve many of the same functions as a traditional union.

“Our works councils are key to our success and productivity,” said Frank Fischer, chairman and CEO of Volkswagen Chattanooga, in a statement published by the Detroit Free Press. “It is a model that helped make Volkswagen the second largest car company in the world.”

The first rendering of the Koenigsegg’s latest hypercar has been released ahead of its Geneva Auto Show unveiling next month.

The Koenigsegg Agera One:1 is named for its unparalleled power-to-weight ratio. Each one of its 1,400 hp will need to move just one kilogram, or about 2.2 pounds. The actual curb weight of the car is more like 1,340 kg, or 2,954 pounds, but that’s because the 1:1 ratio accounts for the weight of an average-sized driver as well.

Visually, it is differentiated from the Agera S and Agera R by an enormous rear wing. Supports for the spoiler begin not on the trailing edge of the deck but buttressed against the sloping roofline.

According to Koenigsegg, the top speed will, in theory, be 280 mph, but it may be limited by tire technology. The Swedish company has also promised that the One:1 will be the world’s quickest car, with a 0-400 kph (248.5 mph) in approximately 20 seconds. For reference, a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport takes 45 seconds to hit 400.

Earlier reports said Koenigsegg would produce only six units of the One:1, but according to the Wall Street Journal, that number has been upped substantially to 100.

One last lap of the Chicago Auto Show reveals a movie car that deserves mention. What looks like a black Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is in fact a film tie-in with the next chapter in the Captain America franchise.

At first glance it looks like S.H.I.E.L.D. has traded in its Acura TLs and MDXes for Corvettes, but there are far greater forces at play: namely, product placement. The Black Widow Corvette Stingray will play a star part in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Its role is to be sat in and driven by Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, whom General Motors was took great pains to point out in its press release would not be making an appearance at the Windy City soiree. Chevy will, however, distribute a limited edition comic book.

The black C7 appears to have no modifications, unlike the matte black Acuras with their flashing lights and bull bars from 2011′s Captain America: The First Avenger. Still, the Stingray’s 6.2-liter V8 makes 455 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque, which is nothing to sneeze at.

Fans will get to see more of the car on the silver screen when Captain America: The Winter Soldier opens April 4.

Renault has published a teaser sketch that previews the next generation of its mid-size Trafic van.

Marking the nameplate’s third generation in 33 years, the next Trafic will gain a bolder design that will borrow styling cues from recently-introduced Renault products such as the redesigned Megane and the Captur crossover. Several body styles will be offered including two wheelbase lengths, two roof heights, a passenger-carrying model with room for up to nine passengers and a chassis-cab.

Mechanically, the next Trafic will be offered with a turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine available in several power tunes. Most models will come standard with a start/stop system, and a plug-in hybrid variant is expected to join the lineup later in the production run in order to help Renault comply with strict CO2 emissions that will come into effect across Europe before the end of the decade.

Renault will likely eschew the auto show circuit and unveil the third-gen Trafic online in a matter of month. When it goes on sale, the Trafic will square off against the Toyota ProAce, the Volkswagen Transporter and the cargo-hauling variant of the Mercedes-Benz V-Class.

GM sibling

General Motors’ Germany-based Opel division will get its own variant of the Renault Trafic dubbed Vivaro. The two vans will be similar inside and out save for the front fascia and the Opel variant might get brand-specific engines.

At the time of writing GM is not planning on selling the van in the United States under the Chevrolet and GMC monikers.

Suzuki has announced it will travel to the 84th annual Geneva Motor Show to unveil the European-spec variant the city car designed to replace the Alto. The hatchback is dubbed Celerio in key global markets such as India but it will undoubtedly adopt a different name on the Old Continent.

Stretching 141 inches long, 62 inches wide and 61 inches tall, the Celerio features sharp, simple front end with a two-slat radiator grille, a bulged hood and angular headlights. Out back, an upright hatch frees improves visibility and maximizes cargo space.

Suzuki has not put any effort into masking the Celerio’s entry-level positioning and the base models features a minimalist dashboard crafted from a selection of hard plastics. The instrument cluster is limited to two analog gauges and a host of warning lights, while well-equipped models benefit from a multi-function steering wheel and faux-wood trim on the center console.

The tiny Celerio offers seating for up to four passengers, and the rear seats fold flat when extra cargo is needed.

Official technical details are not available but power is expected to come from a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that sends 68 horsepower and 66 lb-ft. of torque to the front wheels via either a manual or an automatic gearbox. A frugal diesel engine might be added to the lineup later in the production run.

Full details about Suzuki’s next city car will be available in the days leading up to the Geneva show.