Govt awards almost £40m to EV charging projects There is a focus on urban and residential EV charging Electric vehicle charging is set to benefit from £37 million in funding from the UK Government as part of its Road to Zero strategy. The announcement has been made on the first anniversary of the strategy’s lunch, which looks to remove new petrol and diesel cars from sale in the UK by 2040. The money will be split between 12 projects, which will support innovation in and expansion of the market. The key focuses will include solar-powered EV charging forecourts, underground charging set-ups, and wireless EV systems. Wireless EV charging will receive more than £2 million in funding, with charge point company and network Char.gy set to deploy wireless charging technology on residential streets. This will improve convenience for drivers, but also make the street environment safer, with no cables required at all. Instead, drivers with a wireless charging-enabled EV will be able to park up and charge with no need to plug in. There are very few models on the market that currently offer wireless charging capability, though more are on their way, and it is the sort of system that could be retrofitted to many EVs. Trials will be carried out in Milton Keynes, the London Borough of Redbridge, and Buckinghamshire. Pop-up charge points are set to receive investment too, with units set to be rolled out in Dundee and Plymouth, clearing up street furniture when it’s not needed on residential streets. Funding will also be used to support a renovation project, which will install charge points in car parks to allow for large-scale charging at night. An energy storage and advanced electronics project will be capable of providing ‘semi-rapid’ fast charging using a low power grid connection, minmising the need for expensive substation upgrades. There will also be a project that uses existing Virgin Media infrastructure – physical and online – to deliver widespread, cost-effective EV charging, using high-speed internet connections to share information about charging progress and parking spaces.
Origin: Govt awards almost 40m to EV charging projects
Daniel Ricciardo: one-on-one with F1 star ahead of British GP
Ahead of next weekend’s British Grand Prix at Silverstone, a number of drivers on the grid found themselves together in rather more relaxed circumstances at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It’s one of the few opportunities for today’s Formula 1 giants to drive the older crop of racing models, in the public eye, on a circuit alongside each other. This year, Daniel Ricciardo, fresh into his contract at Renault, had a chance to drive everything (in anger) from the firm’s hardcore new Mégane Trophy-R to the race-winning 2012 Renault-powered E20 F1 car. In between his time at the wheel and being physically mobbed by fans of all ages, Autocar grabbed five minutes with Ricciardo to talk shop. How are you feeling about tackling the hillclimb, in the rain, in a car you’re not that familiar with (the 2012 F1 car)? “It’s actually easier now! I’d probably be more nervous if it was dry as I was going to put pressure on myself – I was tempted to scare myself a bit and go all out, so it’s probably safer this way.” It’s been a less-than-perfect season so far for Renault. Are you now thinking ahead to 2020, or do you have an idea of how to improve things now? “I have not thought one bit about 2020. The season for me still feels like it’s starting – I know we’ve done a lot of races now, but there’s still so much more for me and the team to deliver. To already think next year seems premature. “We’ve definitely got an idea of what we need to be improving; unfortunately, when we tried to address those things with the upgrade in France, it didn’t seem to tackle all of them. We know what we’ve gotta do. Myself and Nico (Hülkenberg) are giving the same feedback on where we feel the car can be stronger and where the weaknesses lie. I think we’ve pinpointed it but executing it is taking a bit of time.” Are you looking forward to Silverstone this weekend? “I really like Silverstone – hopefully it’s not this weather. I don’t think I’ve actually turned a lap in the Renault F1 car in the rain yet. But Silverstone’s cool, I love the atmosphere. It’s a high-speed circuit so you really feel the downforce – that and Suzuki, those are the two tracks where you feel the aero most. And it’s like a festival atmosphere: rain, hail or shine, everyone seems to show up.” This year is your eighth in F1. Are you still in love with the sport despite everything? “Absolutely. Like everything you have your days – especially in the last year (at Red Bull) some days I did hate it – but I do love it I’m still very motivated and optimistic. That hasn’t wavered.” Has there been any thoughts at all about what’s next for you? “I’m just thinking about the now. A few years ago, I thought it would be cool to try some other races, but now I think the more involved I get in F1, the more I want out of it. I’m still yet to achieve ultimately what I want, which is a world title, so I’m going to put all my effort into that and I don’t really want to be sidetracked by anything else. I’m all in on it, and hopefully it works out.” Are you getting involved in the decision-making around the 2021 rule changes? “Us drivers are definitely trying to have an input and I think we are now – the most that we’ve been together in a long time. I think it’s grown the last few years. It used to be quite separated; in the last three years, thanks to the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers’ Association) and all that, it’s got a lot better. “I don’t think it’s gonna turn on its head, but I think we can definitely make some improvements. We all want the same thing, we want to be able to race harder and closer, and hopefully we can find a way.” So you’re happy with the direction Liberty Media is taking? “They’re certainly open-minded – I think that helps. They’re happy to listen to us more than anything. They’re trying to understand the direction as well – it’s all new for them.” What about away from the track. Do you get any time to appreciate motoring and are you still a car nut? “I’m pretty up and down with it. Some weekends off, I love to be far, far removed from racing – I don’t want to see a car. But then other times – I went for a drive last week and it was great. Sometimes I really just want to detach myself from it. “I’ve got a couple of cars but I don’t have a massive collection. I do appreciate cars, and I’m starting to appreciate older cars – I just turned 30 so maybe that’s why.” Have you ever been asked to get involved in your own special edition of a production car? I’m thinking like Vettel and his Infiniti FX… “I guess if the right opportunity came up would be cool. I haven’t really thought about it or had it discussed with me, but if something was put in front of me that I really like, I would definitely be open to
Origin: Daniel Ricciardo: one-on-one with F1 star ahead of British GP
Autocar confidential: Porsche eyes more diverse line-up, Shelby introduces limited-run sports car and more
This week’s snippets of automotive news include DS on why lights are crucial to car design, the continuing popularity of diesel for Land Rover, and where the T-Cross sits in Volkswagen’s revised global line-up. But first, how personalisation means very few Porsches are alike… More personal Porsches on the horizon Porsche produces 25,000 911 and 718 models at its Zuffenhausen factory annually, but with 39 variants and an ever-growing range of customised trim options, plant manager Christian Friedl says that it only produces identical cars “a maximum of two times per year”. The firm is set to introduce even more options, with Friedl claiming it will offer “the most personal car” possible. Illuminating design at DS How important are lights to a car? For DS, design director Thierry Metroz says they’re key to showcasing the brand’s refinement and technology pillars. “I have a specific team working only on lighting,” he said. “We have six exterior designers, and five only for the lighting – it’s so important.” Shelby’s long-awaited second series Shelby has updated its only bespoke model, the 20-year-old Series 1 sports car, to create the Series 2. Available with Ford-based big or small block V8s, just four will be built each year, priced at $350,000 for a carbonfibre body or $850,000 for custom-made aluminium. Diesel not dead at Land Rover Diesel still accounts for 80% of Jaguar Land Rover sales in the UK, says boss Rawdon Glover. “Diesel will continue to be relevant and remains a viable choice for customers,” he added. Volkswagen’s new global flagship SUV The new T-Cross will be a “cornerstone” of the Volkswagen global SUV line-up, says chief operating officer Ralf Brandstätter, with different regional versions to be built in Spain, China and Brazil. Market demands mean the Chinese and South American versions will be
Origin: Autocar confidential: Porsche eyes more diverse line-up, Shelby introduces limited-run sports car and more
James Ruppert: The cars that cost least in maintenance bills
I like it when companies tell us how much cars cost to fix and which ones break down. So thank you to the whocanfixmycar.com people, who have crunched the numbers to reveal which cars cost a bomb to repair and which don’t. In theory, this should be our banger buying guide. The criteria is how much each car costs to maintain at different ages, from brand new to 15 years old, and there’s an average cost for each car per year. Each figure includes servicing, MOT and any unexpected repairs. Well, here’s a favourite of ours, a BMW 5 Series, which sits at the very top of the ‘most expensive cars to fix’ list. There does not seem to be any qualification, but certainly recent-era ones aren’t a cheap fix. Indeed, a Bavarian specialist once told me that the E39 generation was the last truly fixable 5 Series. With that in mind and ignoring the fact that E39s are more than 15 years old now, let’s get ourselves a nice one for just £1500. That will bag you a 2003 520i ES with 120,000 miles. It’s got those nice star alloy wheels and automatic ’box, and being a petrol, I think it will be pretty reliable. The stats, though, say it will cost £585 a year to sort out. You might get away with it, but I’m not so sure about a 2006 530d Sport with 185,000 miles at £1950. It was a dealer part-exchange and even they admitted that it needed some TLC. Not far behind at £557 per year is the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. They look small, cool and unfussy now and a 100,000-mile 2007 C200 Kompressor Sport Edition with a fresh air-con condenser is £2490. Then there is the Volkswagen Passat, with a £543 bill. That’s a surprise because they seem to gobble up huge mileages with not too much bother. Certainly, the estates are wonderful luggers. A 2002 1.8 Turbo SE with 100,000 miles, a proper old-school petrol estate with a full year’s MOT, is just £900. After the Passat, it is more BMWs, with the 1 Series costing £518 to fix and the 3 Series £486. We’re running out of space here and obviously should have been focusing on the five cheapest cars to maintain. A Fiat Punto is at number one (£255) although, in my experience, every single used one needs at least that to struggle through an MOT. After the Fiat comes a Peugeot 206, then a Mercedes A-Class, Citroën C4 and Renault Mégane. Actually, those French cars always seem to need a lot of fettling after the first year of ownership. Maybe, though, it didn’t amount to more than £250. What we take away from this is avoid premium-brand used cars. What we almost bought this week Reliant Scimitar: Some people sell their car because they fancy a change, others because they’re worried it’s about to go pop, but the seller of this 40,000-mile, 1982 X-reg Scimitar 2.8 GTE auto, on which “thousands of pounds” have been lavished, claims he’s selling simply because he’s “unable to get in or out of it any more”. It’ll happen to us one day. Tales from Ruppert’s garage Just in case you wondered, the Baby Shark failed its MOT. The horn didn’t horn. That was it. But that really didn’t matter as it’s remaining in situ at the garage to have rather a lot of other things attended to. Not the least the fact that it is not keen on starting. At least I have a spare Weber carburettor to donate. Also, the fact that 16-year-old tyres passed the MOT should be a concern and I have decided to replace them all at no small damage to my bank balance. Contributions, please, to the usual channels. Reader’s ride Here’s Ross Neil’s latest buy. “It’s a 2012 A8 L 4.2 TDI SE Executive, 61k miles, full service history, £15k from a BMW dealer who took it as a trade-in. “They had already advertised and sold it, but when that customer’s finance fell through, it meant it was hanging about the forecourt longer than they wanted. I stepped in and got, to my mind, a cracking deal. “The alloys need repainting. I used that as a bargaining tool and got £500 off. I traded in my 2006 Jag XJ diesel and got £1800 for that so I’m delighted.” Readers’ questions Question: I’ve been declined motor finance but am convinced lenders are mistaken about my situation. What can I do? Nick Rowntree, via email Answer: Ask the last lender you dealt with which credit reference agency they use. There are three: Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Contact them asking to see your credit history. Ignore their request for payment: it’s a free service. You only pay for extras, if you want them. Check your file for errors or misunderstandings. If you find any, inform the agency and have a note attached explaining why you dispute them. Lenders must take this into account. Finally, don’t make multiple applications because they’ll count against you. John Evans Question: I’m in the happy position of being able to afford a new car but should I buy nearly new instead? Sophie Whittingham, Rickmansworth Answer: Autocar sibling title What Car? recently reported that to drive sales of new cars, dealers are offering discounts
Origin: James Ruppert: The cars that cost least in maintenance bills
How the UK’s top car design college is readying for a new era of cars
The car industry is at a once-in-a-generation crossroads thanks to autonomous driving, electric powertrains and car sharing all battling to shake up the century-old industry. Imagine the challenges facing car designers. In such a context, perhaps it’s no surprise the world-renowned car design course at the Royal College of Art (RCA) is changing fundamentally. In March, the first intake of students to graduate from the new ‘Intelligent Mobility’ course displayed their final-year design projects. Among the 21 projects, there were a handful of swooping dream cars, but the bulk of designs were far from conventional. Instead, there were autonomous pods inspired by art installations, an electric supercar designed to dart through Elon Musk’s Hyperloop tunnels, an amphibious machine to cope with global warming floods and a future Bentley car interior shaped around a relaxation sound system. “Our job is twofold,” says Professor Dale Harrow, director of the Intelligent Mobility Design programme. “To give the students the kind of vocational skills to practise in the work environment, but secondly to balance that by testing students with things they will meet in the future. Things like sustainability, electric cars, autonomous driving, screen-based user interfaces and the move to a service-based ownership model. These are all challenges the students now have to prepare for.” Harrow has been a lecturer in car design at the RCA for two decades, including five years recently as dean of the design school with fashion, research and textiles responsibility. Now he’s returned to his main passion of designing cars, putting the course back on a solid footing with a more healthy balance of funding and creativity, after a few wobbles mid-decade. Reflecting the new direction are staff drawn from a wider context than car makers’ studios. Harrow’s deputy director is Cyril Diels, whose background includes work on driver behaviour and a bilious PhD in car sickness, while acting head of programme Dr Chris Thorpe has an MA in furniture design but is ex-Qinetiq, the defence contractor. Three permanent tutors bring studio experience from Ford, Mercedes, Opel, Volvo and VW. Today, the staff operate out of the same warren-like building in London’s Kensington that the department has occupied for decades, but a significant expansion is coming in 2021/22 with a move to Battersea, where a new studio is being developed alongside existing RCA buildings. Symbolically, new premises will also coincide with a major new trend in car design as Harrow believes brand, which has pushed car design trends for at least 25 years, is losing its influence. “The brand personified by form and shape, visual language and identity, I believe, is on the wane,” he says. “The challenges are the next big stages in autonomy and issues like young people not buying cars.” The RCA transformation has also been fostered by the heads of car maker design studios, who need new skills to maintain their own cutting edge. Many studio chiefs are ex-RCA and retain close links, through sponsoring students and supporting project work. As design moves in a new direction, Harrow says there is special interest from studios for UX (user experience) interface designers, so there’s a new focus on that discipline, taught by visiting lecturer Joe Simpson. One of the aims is to equip designers with the technical knowledge of touchscreens and programming languages so they can work with engineers to make the best of the full-width cabin displays coming to the next generation of electric and autonomous cars. “The danger is technologists push the designs and they end up being highly unusable and frustrating. Designers can demystify the use, just like Apple did in computing,” says Thorpe. Despite the change in focus, Intelligent Mobility remains a postgraduate degree, culminating in an MA, which means most of the students are in their early to mid-twenties. Courses average around 30 students. But a significant change is a cut from 24 months’ study to 15, by reducing holidays. As a result, total costs are down, since students spend less on pricey London digs. For UK students, the fee is £14,500, while overseas students pay £34,000. The recent trend for the bulk of scholars to come from overseas continues, with China, Korea and India well represented. There’s also growing interest from female students, who make up about 10% of the intake. Harrow and Thorpe are also nudging the course into a new, more socially aware direction in which cars are viewed in the context of their built environment and societal use. “In the old days, you put design together with engineering and you got innovation. Dyson is an example of that: how to get a better vacuum cleaner,” says Harrow. “But now you need a social element because design sits between social and engineering. An example would be a successful design solution for London that’s not the same as one for Paris.”
Origin: How the UK’s top car design college is readying for a new era of cars
Waymo gets permission to pick up California passengers with autonomous cars
Autonomous tech company Waymo has been given the go-ahead to begin picking up actual human passengers in California with its self-driving cars. But before you go booking a flight to L.A. to try the next big thing, know that there’s a caveat: the state’s Autonomous Vehicle Passenger Service pilot program only permits Waymo employees and guests to use the self-driving taxis. TechCrunch confirmed the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) gavethe permit to the Alphabet-powered company, granting its employees and their lucky friends and fam to try out the vehicles (limited to the Chrysler Pacifica at the moment, but soon to include the Jaguar I-PACE) within a predetermined area of South Bay near L.A., including the neighbourhoods of Palo Alto, Los Altos Hills, Los Altos, Mountain View and Sunnyvale. “The CPUC allows us to participate in their pilot program, giving Waymo employees the ability to hail our vehicles and bring guests on rides within our South Bay territory,” a Waymo spokesperson told TechCrunch. “This is the next step in our path to eventually expand and offer more Californians opportunities to access our self-driving technology, just as we have gradually done with Waymo One in Metro Phoenix.”Quick refresher: Waymo One was a similar pilot project that launched late last year, offering free autonomous rides to a couple hundred project participants in a one-hundred-mile radius around Phoenix.Waymo is also contractually obligated to keep a human safety driver behind the wheel, both in Phoenix and California, and to offer the service for free. Sweet deal for Waymo staff. Incidentally, does anybody who works there want to be my friend? I’ve been told I make a great
Origin: Waymo gets permission to pick up California passengers with autonomous cars
News Roundup: Boat on highway causes waves of puns, 2020 Shelby GT500 gets priced, and Rivian keeps on poaching
Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam.Here’s what you missed while you were away.A police photo of a boat blocking a Toronto highway has turned into a national caption contestCaption? This boat ended up on #Hwy407 at Dixie Rd tonight. No one hurt. #HappyCanadaDay pic.twitter.com/rDU3sePzJ7 Sgt Kerry Schmidt (@OPP_HSD) July 2, 2019When Ontario police got a call about a boat blocking a lane-and-a-half of traffic on the GTA’s 407 ETR Highway on Canada Day, they knew just what to do: Snap a photo and post it to Twitter, obviously. The OPP’s official Twitter account shipped out a photo of the mid-size motorboat beached in the left lane, calling for the public to caption it. And the public, Driving.ca’s commenters included, did not disappoint. There were a ship-ton of boat puns, some fun Photoshop work, and a few solid references to Gilligan’s Island, which it turns out is still the most relevant piece of nautically-themed pop culture. The 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500’s price tag nears six digitsFord has released pricing for the upcoming Mustang Shelby GT500, the most powerful Mustang ever made. The 2020 Shelby GT500 will go for $94,675 in Canada, which isn’t what the kids would call ‘el cheapo’. However, it’s a lot of car, with “the most torque-dense V8 ever,” according to the brand, good for 625 lb.-ft. of torque alongside 760 horses. Should you care to spend even more on mechanized muscle, Ford is happy to accommodate. There’s the Carbon Fibre Track Package that adds bare carbon-fibre 20-inch wheels and racing tires, a GT4 adjustable wing and more; or, for a little less, the Handling Package with a Gurney flap rear spoiler and front splitters. A hearse driver with a corpse in back argues right to use HOV laneA headline out of Nevada is serving as a reminder to funeral employees that if you’re going to use the HOV lane, your passenger has to have a pulse. When Nevada highway patrol pulled over a Dodge Grand Caravan traveling in the HOV lane with what appeared to be a sole occupant in the vehicle, they were met with an interesting argument by its driver. There was a passenger, the local funeral home employee told the officer—they just weren’t in a seat, rather in a casket in the back. Clever, but not technically legal. The driver was let off with a warning.What do truck nuts really say about a driver? There are many offensive and unnecessary ways to decorate your car, from the classic bumper sticker to gawd-awful accessories like headlight eyelashes, but king among them in terms of outrageousness are the truck testicles, a.k.a. TruckNutz. Now, columnist Lorraine Sommerfeld isn’t a fan of most car decorations, believing decor should be saved for the home, but she’s especially turned off by the dropping sacks that adorn the rear hitch of some of the world’s least discerning driver’s vehicles. So, if you own a set of TruckNutz and have an actual good reason why you feel the need to set them swinging from your F-150 – other than “balls, tee hee” – she wants to hear from you. We all do. Rivian can’t stop, won’t stop poaching employeesThe race to the world’s first long-range electric pickup truck is a hungry one. In an attempt to fight to the top of the pile, EV startup Rivian has been steadily leeching employees from automotive and tech competitors like Tesla, Ford, McLaren and especially Faraday Future. Since last spring, the Michigan-based company has doubled its number of staff, with nearly 50 engineers and other staff coming over from the struggling EV brand Faraday Future, many of whom had been furloughed by the company. The latest big hire made by Rivian, however, was of an Apple employee. Mike Bell, who helped bring the first-gen iPhone to market, will serve as Rivian’s first CTO. The 2019 Mazda MX-5 is the same old Miata we love, only now with more powerFun. That’s the Mazda MX-5 Miata’s modus operandi. Always has been. That’s why, when the previous-gen MX-5 (aka the NC) hit roads with a bigger body and a less powerful engine, some fans were… we won’t say disappointed, but confused. This year, though, Mazda has decided to clear things up with a return to the nimble nature and a boost of 26 horsepower. The 2019 MX-5 Miata once again plays to its strengths with a spirited four-cylinder engine, spot-on chassis and a host of other performance upgrades that make this generation one of the G.O.A.T.s. As reviewer Nick Tragianis notes, “On a tight, serpentine road, the Miata is more of the same, but better.”The 2019 Ford Ranger narrowly misses Top Safety Pick award at IIHS crash testsIt was the darned headlights. Thanks to a “marginal” rating given to the lamps, the 2019 Ford Ranger just missed the Top Safety Pick at this year’s IIHS safety tests. But it still did pretty well, earning a “superior” for front crash prevention, “good” for five
Origin: News Roundup: Boat on highway causes waves of puns, 2020 Shelby GT500 gets priced, and Rivian keeps on poaching
Canada’s 5 best-selling vehicles in the first half of 2019
2018 Honda Civic Si SedanHandout / Hyundai Pickups arent selling at the scarcely believable rate of recent years, but 2019s list of best-selling vehicles continues to be dominated by full-size trucks.Through the first half of 2019, pickup trucks are by no means the only category of vehicle failing to match last years pace. After five consecutive years of record auto sales in Canada, 2018 volume dipped, with a total 10 consecutive months of decline.In 2019, the year began the same way, and after six consecutive months of decreased volume, much of the blame lies at the feet or the tires of passenger cars.Rewind to 2009 and passenger cars accounted for slightly more than half of all new vehicle sales in Canada. The sectors market share has collapsed to barely more than a quarter. In fact, compared with the first half of 2018, passenger car market share is down by three percentage points. The traditionally dominant category now produces roughly one in every four new vehicle sales.Canadas most popular passenger car still holds a firm grip on the No.1 position in the category. A safe bet puts the top car, which is Canadas No.3 vehicle overall, on top of the sales charts for a 22nd consecutive year.Streaks are common among the top sellers. Canadas top-selling line of vehicles will almost certainly end 2019 as the No. 1 vehicle for an 11th consecutive year. Canadas top-selling utility vehicle, meanwhile, appears ever more destined to top that category for a fourth consecutive year.The list of Canadas five best-selling vehicles through the first half of 2019 says a lot about the entire market. For one thing, the quintet accounts for so much of the Canadian markets new vehicle demand 22 percent of it. But it also reflects the popularity of Canadian-made products, a distinct appetite for change, and an obvious predilection for that which is most well-known.With figures from the manufacturers, these are Canadas five most popular vehicles.5. Honda CR-V: 27,581, down 2 percentNot since 2009 has Honda Canada reported anything but CR-V sales improvement. But after a sharp June slowdown in which CR-V volume tumbled 19 percent, CR-V sales are actually down, albeit only slightly, through the first half of 2019.With the fifth-generation CR-V in its third model year and its main rival hot off the press, Honda is under pressure to maintain market share with its No. 2 seller. Its evidently not an easy task, particularly with availability a persistent challenge.4. Toyota RAV4: 31,933, up 20 percentGiven the fact the now-departed fourth-generation Toyota RAV4 probably wasnt Toyotas best effort, that it was rather outdated by the date of departure, and that it still sold progressively more often year after year after year, should we be surprised that a new RAV4 fares even better?Thoroughly revamped and wholeheartedly restyled, the Canadian-built Toyota RAV4 is pulling away from the (also Canadian-built) Honda CR-V in the race to end 2019 as Canadas top-selling utility vehicle. Its a title the RAV4 stole from the Ford Escape in 2016.3. Honda Civic: 32,398, down 9 percentOn track for an eight-year Canadian sales low, the Honda Civics control over the car market nevertheless remains as strong as ever. The Canadian-built Civics 32,398 sales in 2019s first half translates to a staggering 12 percent of all car sales in Canada, on par with a year ago, as the Civics rate of decline matches the overall passenger car sectors slide.The Civics first-half output is greater than what all but a couple of cars will manage by years end. It outsells its nearest rival, the Toyota Corolla, by a 32-percent margin.2. Ram P/U: 46,715, down 4 percentIts not an ideal scenario, the decreased volume produced by Fiat Chryslers top-selling product. Thats particularly true when you consider the newness of the fifth-generation Ram. Moreover, 2019s first-half decline follows a 2018 in which Ram truck sales tumbled 14 percent.Fortunately for FCA, the current pace still puts the Ram on track for an easy No. 2 finish and, quite likely, the lineups sixth-best year on record. It could be much worse. A decade ago, only 31,000 Rams were sold in Canada.1. Ford F-Series: 74,905, up 4 percentThough still some ways off Ford Canadas record 2017 pace, the Ford F-Series ever-present ability for drumming up vast quantities of sales across the country, across a vast price spectrum, and across demographics is a sight to behold.A full eight percent of all vehicles sold in Canada are F-Series pickups. Nearly half of the vehicles sold at Canadas top-selling brand are F-Series pickups, too. Full-size pickup truck demand has slowed somewhat, which serves to shine an even brighter light on 2019s rising F-Series
Origin: Canada’s 5 best-selling vehicles in the first half of 2019
GM truck power brake probe turns into recall
2017 GMC Sierra HDGMC An investigation into deteriorating power braking systems in newer GM trucks and SUVs has turned into a recall affecting over 300,000 vehicles in Canada.More than 150,000 similar trucks are also affected by a second, unrelated recent recall regarding a fire risk posed by a rear window defroster.The power brake recall covers 300,655 vehicles, including model year 2015 through 2017 Cadillac Escalades and Escalade ESVs; Chevrolet Suburbans and Tahoes; GMC Yukons and Yukon XLs; and model year 2014 through 2017 Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierras.In some of these vehicles, the vacuum output assisting the power brakes may begin to fall off, weakening the power brake assist and resulting a harder brake pedal and longer stopping distances. This extra effort required to stop could increase the risk of a collision.General Motors is still working on a fix for affected trucks and SUVs.A second unrelated recall also announced early July covers some 159,240 trucks, specifically model year 2014 through 2018 Chevrolet Silverados and GMC Sierras; and 2014 through 2019 Silverado and Sierra HD heavy-duties.On vehicles from those years equipped with a power sliding rear window, the rear window defroster circuit could overheat, leading to smoke, melting parts or possibly a fire.General Motors is also still working on a fix for that issue, but dealers can remove the rear defroster fuse as a
Origin: GM truck power brake probe turns into recall
Canadian auto sales fall for 16th straight month
In this Monday, April 24, 2017, photo, GM pickup trucks are on display at Quirk Auto Dealers in Manchester, N.H.Charles Krupa / Associated PRess The Canadian auto industry posted its sixteenth consecutive deceleration in sales in June, contracting another 7.2 per cent during the month compared to the same period last year.The latest monthly report from DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. reveals virtually all the top-selling brands such as Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler reporting lower sales.Year-to-date, auto manufacturers saw sales of roughly 980,000, compared to just over one million during the same period last year.Weve been expecting single-digit declines all year and thats exactly what weve been getting. The auto markets have always been cyclical and were clearly in a correction period, says Dennis DesRosiers, president of the Toronto-based consultancy.According to DesRosiers, most vehicles are built to last for around a decade, or about 300,000 kilometres. Most people bought new vehicles in the early part of the cycle and they continue to hold on to it, leaving the market saturated.DesRosiers expects this downward movement to continue this year and possibly into 2020.What is more puzzling is the decline in sales of luxury vehicles a trend DesRosiers has been noting since January. Luxury vehicles are a more reliable segment, and until recently, had been one of the fastest growing since this century. In 2008, luxury cars held 7.1 per cent of the countrys market share, but by 2018, that share had grown to 12.1 per cent.Luxury cars have a shorter lifespan, and a regular turnover with income levels often not deemed an issue for their buyers. Mercedes-Benz saw a 17.7-per-cent drop year-to-date, with contracting Audi just over 20 per cent and BMW falling 6.6 per cent during the period.We wonder if some of that is pretend luxury buyers, people that got into the luxury market but really werent legitimate luxury buyers, said DesRosiers. Now that vehicle is 8 or 9 years old were back down to a more normal situation and they just cant afford to go in.While overall auto sales may be down, the actual ownership of vehicles has never been higher in Canada. According to DesRosiers, in 2000, 17 million, or two-thirds of the population owned a vehicle that figure now stands at 86 per cent, or 28 million.Were becoming very American-like in our ownership habits and the types of vehicles were driving, said DesRosiers. U.S. Department of Transportation data shows that there were 0.77 cars for every person in America in 2016.In terms of individual brands, Ford led the pack once again with 154,203 units sold in Canada this year to date, marginally lower compared to the same period last year. DesRosiers attributes Fords continued dominance in the market to its F-series and the latest edition of the F-150 heavy pickup truck. General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Toyota followed Ford, respectively.Looking at the glass half full, if sales for the remainder of 2019 track along current levels, we will still have one of the better sales years ever in Canada, David Adams, president of industry association Global Automakers of Canada, said in a separate report.The slowdown in Canada is in sharp contrast to auto sales across the border, which rose nearly 2 per cent to 206,083, driven by a 56 per cent jump in FCAs Ram
Origin: Canadian auto sales fall for 16th straight month
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