A fire started by a spontaneously erupting Ford F-150 burned down a nearby warehouse full of millions of dollars of vintage Porsche parts and cars in California last week. The warehouse belonged to Benton Performance, a tuning shop specializing in vintage Porsches in Anaheim, California. According to Road Track, owner John Benton says he watched the fire grow on security footage, spreading from the 2016 Ford pickup to a diesel pickup which also exploded, sending flaming fuel onto a lumberyard next door and eventually igniting the warehouse.Inside, racks of Porsche racing seats went up in flames, along with stacks of highly flammable magnesium wheels, and boxes and crates of purposefully back-stocked parts including engine blocks, heads and more from 911s, 912s and 356s. The fire also took a museum-ready 912E and one of Benton’s personal cars — damages are estimated at over US$3 million in total. But in an interview with Road Track, Benton sounded almost as motivated by the fire as he did devastated. “The shop is open, but we’re a wounded beast,” Benton told the magazine. “You watch a Godzilla movie and he’s kicking everybody’s ass, but then he just gets totally fried — well that’s where we’re at right now.” “We’re trying to get back to the point where Godzilla emerges from the ocean again and just lays down the law.”The crew might be a bit cramped in the recently constricted working space, but Benton says they’ll continue to build and tune. Hopefully his insurers cut him a big fat cheque and Benton Performance gets resurrected better and stronger than ever.
Origin: California tuner loses US$3M in classic Porsche cars and parts in fire
California
GM, Toyota and Chrysler side with Trump in emissions battle with California
US President Donald Trump leaves after speaking at the Major Cities Chiefs Association and Major County Sheriffs Association Winter Meeting in Washington, DC, February 8, 2017.Getty General Motors, Toyota and Fiat Chrysler plan to back President Donald Trump in a contentious battle with California officials over automobile emissions rules, splitting with major rivals including Ford.GM, Toyota and several other automakers plan to intervene on the administrations behalf in a lawsuit filed by environmental groups challenging the U.S. Department of Transportations rule stripping California of its ability to regulate tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions.The move was announced Monday by John Bozzella, a spokesman for the companies siding with the administration, who call themselves the Coalition for Sustainable Automotive Regulation.California and more than 20 other states have filed suit to block the administration’s plan to revoke the state’s powers, a legal battle that threatens to tie up the critical industry standards in litigation for years with an uncertain outcome. With our industry facing the possibility of multiple overlapping and inconsistent standards that drive up costs and penalize consumers, we had an obligation to intervene, said Bozzella, who is also chief executive officer of the Association of Global Automakers, an industry trade group. The decision to intervene in the lawsuit is about how the standard should be applied, not what the standard should be.The Trump administration last year proposed to dramatically ease federal automobile greenhouse gas emission and fuel economy standards that had previously been coordinated with California. California officials rebuffed and vowed to continue to enforcing their more stringent standards, which are in place through 2025.The move by GM and the other companies breaks with Ford, Honda, BMW and Volkswagen, which in July agreed to meet tougher emissions targets set by California. The automakers siding with the administration were harshly criticized by some Democrats, environmental organizations and California regulators.Mary Nichols, chairman of the California Air Resources Board, said in a statement that the state regulator was disappointed in automakers hiding behind the Trump administrations skirts and its assault on public health.Most automakers have urged officials in Washington and Sacramento for more than a year to compromise, but no deal materialized after limited talks broke down earlier this year.Still, Bozzella said he held out hope for a middle ground. We can still reach an agreement that is supported by all the parties, he
Origin: GM, Toyota and Chrysler side with Trump in emissions battle with California
Trump administration sues California over its emissions deal with Quebec
Traffic jam in Los Angeles at sunsetGetty The Trump administration is suing California and its all our fault (although were not saying sorry). The lawsuit against the state, filed on Wednesday, is over an agreement California made with Quebec in 2013, to link the two governments via a cap-and-trade emissions-trading program.The U.S. federal government has been fighting with California over its environmental strategies for some time, and in this latest skirmish, said its because the agreement violates the U.S. Constitution, which doesnt allow states to enter into treaties or pacts with foreign governments.The state of California has veered outside of its proper constitutional lane to enter into an international emissions agreement, said Jeffrey Bossert Clark, Assistant Attorney General of the U.S. Justice Departments Environment and Natural Resources Division.The power to enter into such agreements is reserved to the federal government, which must be able to speak with one voice in the area of U.S. foreign policy. Californias unlawful cap-and-trade agreement with Quebec undermines the Presidents ability to negotiate competitive agreements with other nations, as the President sees fit, Clark said. Under the cap-and-trade system, companies that emit large amounts of greenhouse gas must purchase credits in relation to their pollution output. In Quebec, automakers are required to sell a specified number of zero-emission vehicles. If they do not meet the minimum, they must purchase credits, either from the provincial government or from other automakers with extras to sell.Unique among the U.S. states, California has the ability to set its own emissions standards that can be more stringent than the federal standards. This dates back to the 1970s, when the state was granted a waiver so it could clean up its smog.Other states can choose to follow either the federal regulations, or those of California which doesnt seem to make Trump, who has traditionally favoured businesses over environmental concerns, very happy.Quebec premier Franois Legault said he would prefer that California remain in the agreement, but that the program will continue in the province even if the state leaves. He also said other states have shown interest in being part of the program.California governor Gavin Newsom said Trump going after a five-year-old program is about a political vendetta against California, and that this latest attack shows that the White House has its head in the sand when the comes to climate change, and serves no purpose other than continued political
Origin: Trump administration sues California over its emissions deal with Quebec
Anti-trust probe opened into automakers that sided with California over Trump
President Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Tupelo Regional Airport, November 26, 2018 in Tupelo, Mississippi.Drew Angerer / Getty Images The Trump administration has launched a multi-pronged legal assault on an agreement California struck with four carmakers in defiance of the presidents plan to ease national standards on tailpipe emissions.Lawyers from the Transportation Department and Environmental Protection Agency on Friday sent a letter to Californias top air-pollution regulator, urging the state to abandon its pact with the automakers and warning that actions to carry out the agreement appear to be unlawful and invalid.Separately, the Justice Department has opened an antitrust probe into the deal, in which four automakers agreed on compromise tailpipe emissions requirements with California. The administration is also preparing to formally strip Californias authority to set auto efficiency regulations that are tougher than the federal governments, according to people familiar with the matter.The actions amount to a significant escalation of the conflict between the Trump administration and Sacramento over environmental protections. It comes as automakers have urged the administration to moderate its rollback of emissions levels, arguing that a battle with California over the states regulatory powers would leave the industry with uncertainty over the critical standards for years.Automakers want to avoid splitting the market with two different standards a federal mileage requirement in most states versus more stringent rules in more than a dozen states that adhere to Californias standards and account for more than a third of U.S. auto sales.After talks with California and the Trump administration faltered, the California Air Resources Board announced in July an accord with the Ford, Honda, BMW and Volkswagen on tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions regulations.The carmakers had agreed with Californias clean-air regulator to boost the fuel efficiency of autos sold in the U.S through 2026, defying a Trump administration proposal to ease mileage requirements enacted during the Obama administration.Ford and Honda said they would cooperate with the Justice Department, while VW said it was in regular contact with U.S. authorities on a number of matters. BMW of North America said it looked forward to responding to the Department of Justice to explain the planned CARB framework agreement and its benefits to consumers and the environment.In one of the letters seen by Bloomberg, the Justice Department wrote it was concerned that the California agreement may violate federal antitrust laws, noting that the department hadnt reached any conclusions on the matter. The department proposed a meeting to gather additional information about the emissions agreement and communications between the companies about the pact.In the letter sent to CARB on Friday, lawyers for the EPA and DOT said that Californias plans overstep the states authority by intruding on the federal governments power to set fuel economy and tailpipe emission standards.We recognize Californias disagreements with the federal governments policy proposals in this area, but those policy disagreements cannot justify CARBs pursuit of a regulatory approach that would violate federal law, they said.California officials insisted they wouldnt be cowed. California stands up to bullies and will keep fighting for stronger clean car protections that protect the health and safety of our children and families, Governor Gavin Newsom said in an emailed
Origin: Anti-trust probe opened into automakers that sided with California over Trump
Watch: New 2020 Corvette already wrecked in California
That was quick. Not even a month after Chevrolet pulled the wraps off its mid-engined 2020 C8 Corvette, a driver has managed to wad one up on a Californian road.In what certainly seems to be the first public crash of a new Corvette, multiple social media sources point to an Elkhart Lake Blue example colliding on a windy strip with an oncoming vehicle.We hope all hands walked away from the wreck.This video from YouTube gives us our best look at the mishap. After rolling by a grey GMC Yukon XL, which could be part of GMs response team, the biffed C8 heaves into view. Its clear the drivers side corner took the brunt of the impact, explaining why the IIHS likes to put vehicles through a small-overlap test.Both airbags have popped, giving us hope the safety systems worked as designed and the occupants are okay. Its flashing hazard lights tell us the electrical system or at least parts of it still functioned after the crash, perhaps an unintended benefit of all the Expensive Bits now being placed behind the driver.A last-gen Ford Ranger and newer Chevrolet Equinox were also tagged in the fray, with the latter taking the worst of this exchange. Most of the Chevys drivers side rear suspension has vanished and the side curtain airbags have also deployed, while the Ranger suffered drivers side front damage. Again, heres to all occupants emerging unscathed.Gearhead and car writer Jason Cammisa provides some extra context via his Instagram account. View this post on Instagram Wrecked C8 Corvette! That didnt take long. 😢 Friend of a friend happened upon this scene. Dunno who did what but theres also a Chevy Equinox there with a lot of rear suspension components ripped off, sitting on top of a guardrail. 🤦🏻♂️ The C8 looks like it’s missing its front-left corner. We can speculate forever. But the only thing thats important is that everyone got to walk away. Hope thats the case. #Chevrolet #Chevy #Corvette #C8 #CorvetteC8 #C8Corvette #crash #wreck #WreckedC8 #CrashedC8 #C8Crash #carcrash #carcrashes #wreckedcar A post shared by Jason Cammisa (@jasoncammisa) on Aug 11, 2019 at 1:19pm PDTWhile its always easy to play armchair vehicle-CSI, it doesnt take much of an imagination to suggest what happened in this instance. It is possible the C8 took the right-hand California curve too wide, connecting with the Equinox as it was headed around the same curve in the opposite direction. The Ranger, behind the Chevy, would have had nowhere to go.Be safe out there,
Origin: Watch: New 2020 Corvette already wrecked in California
EPA balks at automakers’ fuel economy pact with California
A measuring hose for emissions inspections in diesel engines sticks in the exhaust tube of a Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI diesel car at a garage in Frankfurt an der Oder, eastern Germany, on October 1, 2015. Four major automakers reached a compromise with Californias clean-air regulator to boost fuel efficiency, a move the Trump administration dismissed as a PR stunt that wouldnt affect its plans to ease mileage requirements enacted during the Obama administration.The joint agreement with Honda, Ford, Volkswagen and BMW amounts to a rebuke of the Trump administrations 2018 proposal that recommended capping mileage requirements at a 37 mile-per-gallon fleet average starting in 2020, instead of eventually rising to 47 mpg.That plan also proposed stripping California of its authority to regulate carbon emissions from vehicle tailpipes.The compromise with California gives participating automakers some relief starting in model year 2022 by easing the pace of annual efficiency gains currently required under the California Air Resources Boards regulations on tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions, and extends the program by one year through 2026. Automakers will also receive additional compliance credits for selling electric vehicles under the plan, among other revisions, the states air pollution regulator said.The Trump administration is hell bent on rolling them back. They are in complete denialism about climate change, Californias Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom told reporters on a media call. Regardless of what the Trump administration determines in the next few weeks, we are moving forward and we reserve our right to litigate.California is in talks with additional automakers that are expected to join the pact as well, Mary Nichols, chairman of the states Air Resources Board, said on the call.In a joint statement, the automakers said the pact with California will provide our companies much-needed regulatory certainty by allowing us to meet both federal and state requirements with a single national fleet, avoiding a patchwork of regulations while continuing to ensure meaningful greenhouse gas emissions reductions.The pact comes as the Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are working to finalize their 2018 proposal after discussions with California officials broke down earlier this year.Todays announcement from CARB has no impact on EPAs regulation of greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act, Michael Abboud, an EPA spokesman, said in an email. This voluntary framework is a PR stunt that does nothing to further the one national standard that will provide certainty and relief for American consumers.In the statement, NHTSA said work continues on a final rule with which all companies must comply. Automakers for months have urged the Trump administration to moderate its rollback, fearing a lengthy legal battle over Californias regulatory powers would throw the critical standards into uncertainty for years. Those efforts have had little sway so far on the White House, which rejected a plea by 17 carmakers last month to work out a compromise with California.The companies also want to avoid a split market with federal mileage requirements in most states and more stringent rules in more than a dozen states that adhere to Californias standards. The states that follow California standards account for more than a third of all U.S. auto sales.General Motors, which did not sign the pact with California, said in a statement its focus remains on working with all parties on a solution that would involve a 50-state solution and a national electric vehicle
Origin: EPA balks at automakers’ fuel economy pact with California
County in California makes it almost illegal to repair your car at home
An example of a home garage.Stanley Munn Residents of Sacramento County may be in a bit of a bind the next time they elect to take on a car repair in their own garage. At issue are the countys zoning codes, some of which are worded with a vagueness that would make a politician proud.First expounded upon at the Grassroots Motorsports forum and brought into the mainstream consciousness by the gearheads at Jalopnik, the lawmakers have cleaved the activity of auto repair into two buckets: minor and major.Minor automotive repair is listed as including brake part replacement, minor tune-ups, change of oil and filter, repair of flat tires, lubrication and other similar operations.Major repairs are considered anything outside that scope, plus body or painting work of vehicles or vehicle parts. This is presumably meant to ward off neer-do-wells from setting up a chop shop or paint booth in their backyard.Heres the sticky part, though. The zoning law goes on to state it is unlawful to engage in even minor repair under the following circumstances:If using tools not normally found in a residence; When conducted on vehicles registered to persons not currently residing on the lot or parcel; Conducted outside a fully enclosed garage and resulting in any vehicle being inoperable for a period in excess of twenty-four hours. Number one on that list has a few people up in arms. What constitutes tools not normally found in a residence? Is it a welder? Air tools? Torque wrench? All of those reside in your authors suburban garage and see weekly use.The code goes on to say that The chemicals involved in major automobile repair can pollute our neighborhoods and endanger the health and wellbeing of our residents. Fair enough, as no one would want a person pouring motor oil or gallons of DuPont Hot Hues down the sewer drain.But its easy to see how haphazard enforcement of this code can get out of hand, especially when it goes on to say that this kind of activity increases vehicle traffic and the visual impact can negatively impact property values. Until the long arm of The Man comes knocking on my garage door, Ill continue giving my tools a
Origin: County in California makes it almost illegal to repair your car at home
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
Canada and California join up on vehicle emissions standards
A worker inserts a probe into the tailpipe of a car while performing an emissions test Canada has signed an agreement with California to tackle vehicle-borne pollution even as that state battles President Trump in the courts over tailpipe emissions.Catherine McKenna, Canadas Minister of Environment and Climate Change, signed a new cooperation agreement for cleaner transportation with Mary Nicols, chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB).Uniquely among the U.S. states, California has the ability to set its own vehicle emissions standards, an authority dating back to the 1960s when it fought the smog that blanketed Los Angeles.Other states can choose to follow them, or to follow federal standards, which are not as stringent. Currently, fourteen states follow California regulations, along with the District of Columbia.The agreement is a commitment for Canada and California to work together on their respective regulations, in an effort to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) pollutants coming from vehicles.The Canadian governments goal is for all light-duty vehicles sold in the country to be 100-per-cent zero-emission by 2040. With Canadas current regulations, 2025 model-year light-duty vehicles will burn up to 50 per cent less fuel, and emit 50 per cent less greenhouse gases, than vehicles built in 2008.California requires that automakers have zero-emission vehicles as a growing proportion of their sales, with the goal of 5 million zero-emission vehicles by 2030. One in ten new vehicles sold in California is a plug-in car, and the state accounts for half of all plug-in hybrid cars sold in the United States.The two will also share information on cleaner fuels. Canada is developing a Clean Fuel Standard intended to cut 30 million tonnes of emissions in 2030, the equivalent of retiring 7 million vehicles.California is currently suing the U.S. federal government, after Trump said last summer that the state would no longer be allowed to set its own standards. Trump is also trying to roll back federal standards set under Barack Obama in 2012, which require vehicles to improve in fuel efficiency each year through 2025. Canada aligned with the United States on Obamas stricter 2012 regulations, but is now reviewing that commitment in light of Trumps attempt to scrap the rules.In a statement, the David Suzuki Foundation, based in Vancouver, said that joining with jurisdictions like California in maintaining strong regulations is the right direction for Canada and puts the U.S. federal government, which is trying to weaken standards, on the wrong page.But the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) said that aligning with a single state runs counter to the benefits of a single national standard with the United States. It said that while the Canadian new-car sector is committed to fuel economy improvements, Any movement away from a harmonized approach will hinder choice and increase costs for Canadian
Origin: Canada and California join up on vehicle emissions standards
Hot rodder resurrects toasted Chevy as middle finger to California wildfire
In October of 2017, a terrible and destructive wildfire ripped through Northern California, destroying everything in its path. Some 22 lives were lost, as well as hundreds of homes. It’s currently been marked the second-most-destructive wildfire in California’s history, after the Camp Fire of 2018. Many vehicles were also lost in the fire, and with California being the mecca of hot rodding, we can gather that a lot of passionate people lost their projects. But not Steve Johnson of Santa Rosa. When Mother Nature tried to take his hot rod, he clenched it right back from her. According to Jonny Mill of WheelWell, Johnson’s ride is a 1956 Chevrolet 210, a classic hot rod done up in gasser style with a solid front axle and massive tires in the back. During the Tubbs fire, Johnson’s shop fell victim to the flames, as did his classic Chevelle, his Corvette, all his tools, his house, and even his Hot Wheels collection. The 210 was also caught in the blaze and almost didn’t make it, but Johnson thought ahead and put the vehicle in his driveway, hoping the fire wouldn’t be able to reach out and touch it. Johnson’s since took what was left of the gasser, and revived it. The panels are all burned to a crisp and no paint remains; the windshield is duct-taped in because the rubber seats all melted; and there’s nothing left in the interior but a shifter, a steering wheel and some pedals. To get the car going again, Johnson installed a new engine, new fuel lines and some new tires. That’s it. He even re-used the old supercharger. Without a doubt, the coolest part of the car is the melted turn signals, which became a puddle of orange goo on the bumper. Good on you Steve Johnson, you are what makes hot rodding
Origin: Hot rodder resurrects toasted Chevy as middle finger to California wildfire
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