General Motors has announced that its new CEO, Mary Barra, is expected to receive $14.4 million in total compensation for 2014.

The figure marks a 60-percent jump over the compensation received by her predecessor, Dan Akerson, and appears to refute accusations of gender discrimination, though it is unclear if public criticism influenced the board’s decision over final terms.

The company released the compensation numbers early in an attempt to “correct misinterpretations created by comparisons that used only a portion of Barra’s overall compensation,” according to a statement quoted by the Detroit News.

“As a new CEO, Mary’s total compensation is in line with her peer group and properly weighted so that most is at-risk,” said GM chairman Tim Solso. “The company’s performance will ultimately determine how much she is paid.”

During the end of Akerson’s reign, GM had faced limits over executive pay as part of the company’s bailout agreement with the US Treasury. The government has since sold its shares, putting full control over executive pay back into the hands of the company’s board.

As the first female chief executive of a major automaker, Barra has taken the lead as GM continues to adapt its operations to new market conditions following the 2008 industry crisis. Sales have remained relatively strong in the US and China, though GM’s European units have continued to post losses.

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.”