Bloomberg Volkswagen, Europe’s biggest automaker, plans to launch its first pure-electric car in China next year as Beijing steps up pressure on the industry to promote alternatives to gasoline. The announcement on Tuesday comes on the eve of the Shanghai auto show, which showcases industry efforts to create electric models with consumer appeal. General Motors Co.’s Buick unit and …

  Bloomberg Ten years after Steve Jobs held up the original iPhone to a gushing San Francisco crowd, Apple Inc. is planning its most extensive iPhone lineup to date. Apple is preparing three iPhones for launch as soon as this fall, including upgraded versions of the current two iPhone models and a new top-of-the-line handset with an overhauled look, according …

  Bloomberg Despite a lack of big consumer deals, and Berlin losing out to London as the European hub of venture capital, German investors have notched an up-tick in deals over the first quarter and are on the hunt for software startups. Venture capital firms invested $467 million across 87 equity deals in German-based startups in the first quarter, according …