David Booth behind the wheel of Jaguars I-Pace E-Trophy race car.Handout / Jaguar Opinionated. Knowledgeable. Irascible.Unflappable. Veteran Canadian automotive journalist and Drivings very own David Booth is all that, and more.Hes also been in the drivers seat for three decades of electric vehicle innovation and development. As such, he has a unique and well-informed perspective on the ongoing EV revolution one that Driving readers know all too well from his weekly, must-read Motor Mouth columns.In this weeks episode of Plugged In, we ask him about the future of EVs, how plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cells fit into that landscape, and of course, his favourite subject to rant about: Tesla.Plugged In is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.
Origin: Plugged In Podcast: Talking EVs, fuel cells, and Tesla with Motor Mouth
fuel
New Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle makes public debut
Toyota’s dramatic new Mirai Concept, which previews the second-generation version of its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, has been shown in public for the first time at the Tokyo motor show. A production version of the car will go on sale in late 2020. The new hydrogen-powered concept is described as “a final-stage development model of the second-generation Mirai” and Toyota promises a major step forward in fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) technology. It claims the new model offers a 30% increase in driving range over the current model, which has a range of just over 300 miles, along with improved driving performance. The new Mirai Concept is built on Toyota’s latest TNGA platform and features dramatic new styling, including a revamped front with a bold grille and a sweeping, coupé-esque rear. Toyota claims increased body rigidity and a lower centre of gravity than the original Mirai. The concept measures 4935mm long and 1885mm wide, with a wheelbase of 2920mm. It sits on 20in wheels and retains the four-door saloon layout of the original Mirai, which was launched in 2014. The interior has also been reworked. It features a 12.3in central touchscreen and a digital instrument display, with many of the controls moved to the centre of the dashboard. Notably, the Mirai now has five seats instead of the original’s four, which, Toyota says, has been enabled by a reworking of the hydrogen fuel cell configuration. Aside from the claimed increase in range, Toyota has not given specific details of development work done on the fuel cell powertrain. But it says the system, including the fuel cell stack, has been entirely redesigned and offers increased hydrogen storage. It also claims the work on the system ensures a smoother, linear response, along with improved
Origin: New Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle makes public debut
New Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle to go on sale in 2020
Toyota has revealed a dramatic new Mirai Concept, which previews the second-generation version of its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. A production version of the car will go on sale in late 2020 it was revealed on the eve of the Tokyo motor show. The new hydrogen-powered concept is described as “a final-stage development model of the second-generation Mirai” and Toyota promises a major step forward in fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) technology. It claims the new model offers a 30% increase in driving range over the current model, which has a range of just over 300 miles, along with improved driving performance. The new Mirai Concept is built on Toyota’s latest TNGA platform and features dramatic new styling, including a revamped front with a bold grille and a sweeping, coupé-esque rear. Toyota claims increased body rigidity and a lower centre of gravity than the original Mirai. The concept measures 4935mm long and 1885mm wide, with a wheelbase of 2920mm. It sits on 20in wheels and retains the four-door saloon layout of the original Mirai, which was launched in 2014. The interior has also been reworked. It features a 12.3in central touchscreen and a digital instrument display, with many of the controls moved to the centre of the dashboard. Notably, the Mirai now has five seats instead of the original’s four, which, Toyota says, has been enabled by a reworking of the hydrogen fuel cell configuration. Aside from the claimed increase in range, Toyota has not given specific details of development work done on the fuel cell powertrain. But it says the system, including the fuel cell stack, has been entirely redesigned and offers increased hydrogen storage. It also claims the work on the system ensures a smoother, linear response, along with improved
Origin: New Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle to go on sale in 2020
Toyota unveils new Mirai Concept fuel cell vehicle
Toyota has revealed a dramatic new Mirai Concept, which previews the second-generation version of its hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, ahead of this year’s Tokyo motor show. The new hydrogen-powered machine is described as “a final-stage development model of the second-generation Mirai” and Toyota promises a major step forward in fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) technology. It claims the new model offers a 30% increase in driving range over the current model, which has a range of just over 300 miles, along with improved driving performance. The new Mirai Concept is built on Toyota’s latest TNGA platform and features dramatic new styling, including a revamped front with a bold grille and a sweeping, coupé-esque rear. Toyota claims increased body rigidity and a lower centre of gravity than the original Mirai. The concept measures 4935mm long and 1885mm wide, with a wheelbase of 2920mm. It sits on 20in wheels and retains the four-door saloon layout of the original Mirai, which was launched in 2014. The interior has also been reworked. It features a 12.3in central touchscreen and a digital instrument display, with many of the controls moved to the centre of the dashboard. Notably, the Mirai now has five seats instead of the original’s four, which, Toyota says, has been enabled by a reworking of the hydrogen fuel cell configuration. Aside from the claimed increase in range, Toyota has not given specific details of development work done on the fuel cell powertrain. But it says the system, including the fuel cell stack, has been entirely redesigned and offers increased hydrogen storage. It also claims the work on the system ensures a smoother, linear response, along with improved
Origin: Toyota unveils new Mirai Concept fuel cell vehicle
Alfa Romeo recalling Stelvio, Giulia over optimistic fuel gauges
2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia QuadrifoglioDerek McNaughton / Driving Alfa Romeo is recalling almost new 22,000 Stelvio crossovers and Giulia sedans, including 935 in Canada, because the fuel gauges could indicate theres more gas tank in the tank than there really is.Model year 2018 and 2019 cars and trucks are affected, specifically more than 11,000 Giulia sedans and more than 10,000 Stelvio SUVs in the U.S. Fewer than 1,000 cars are affected in Canada.Affected vehicles may suddenly stall when they run out of gasoline unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a crash. Italian owners of the cars and trucks found this out firsthand, and its how Alfa Romeo first learned of the issue, in fact.Faulty software in the vehicles means the fuel gauge may display one or two notches higher than actual; the issue is much more likely to show up if the car is parked for more than 30 minutes on a steep hill with a fuel tank filled between a half and three-quarters.When parked that long at an incline of more than 10 percent, the software will read the fuel level, assume the tank has been refilled, and re-calibrate itself incorrectly.Affected vehicles will have new software installed starting September
Origin: Alfa Romeo recalling Stelvio, Giulia over optimistic fuel gauges
Under the skin: The difference between regular and super unleaded fuel
When you pull into your local filling station, chances are there will be two types of petrol on offer: the cheaper premium grade and pricier super unleaded. So what’s your poison? Go for the super just because it sounds like a good idea, or be thrifty and stick with the premium? The most significant difference between the two is the research octane rating (RON) of the petrol. The octane rating tells you how resistant the fuel is to detonation, known as knocking or pinking. In a petrol engine, petrol is mixed with air, then it’s compressed and ignited by a spark. When that happens, the mixture burns outwards from the point of ignition like a grassland fire (but faster). The burn should be smooth and controlled, but if the mixture is compressed too much, random pockets of the mixture spontaneously detonate too early. It’s audible and can make a sound like dried lentils being poured into a tin can, or a diesel-like knocking noise. A key way of increasing a petrol engine’s performance is by raising the compression ratio, or in a turbocharged engine increasing the boost – or both. Either one increases pressure inside the combustion chamber when the fuel ignites. In older engines, the threshold at which detonation became a threat had to be carefully managed by engine designers and tuners, especially when turbos came along. Then back in 1982, Saab’s engine genius, Per Gillibrand (known as ‘Mr Turbo’), dreamed up Automatic Performance Control. APC listened for the onset of knock by using a microphone attached to the cylinder block – a knock sensor – and monitoring boost pressure and engine revs. Today petrol engines use similar anti-knock systems, but thanks to much faster processors in engine computers they can also use algorithms to predict when knock will occur. Naturally aspirated engines delay the point at which combustion is triggered (retarding the ignition) if knock threatens, all of which brings us back to the question of whether you need to fork out the extra dosh for super unleaded. The answer is, there’s only one real reason to and that is because your car has a high-performance engine or the handbook explicitly says you should use it. Using fuel of a higher octane than your engine needs or can benefit from won’t hurt it, only your wallet. The difference between premium and super unleaded these days is a maximum of two points (97 octane versus 99) and the chance of a modern engine being damaged by the lower of the two is nil. However, the engineers calibrating higher-performance engines and chasing the best performance numbers are likely to have done so using the highest-octane pump fuel available. The higher octane allows the engine to use a higher boost pressure and more aggressive settings to pump out a little more power. With the lower octane, it may back off those settings a tad to stay below the knock threshold. Whether you can notice the difference subjectively, though, is down to how attuned you are to your car. Worst case scenario Extreme cases of detonation can badly damage an engine. This cylinder head from a very highly tuned competition engine looks like it has been nibbled by rats. Rest easy, though, because there’s no chance of anything like this happening to a production car by choosing premium petrol over super unleaded at your local
Origin: Under the skin: The difference between regular and super unleaded fuel
2020 GMC Sierra, Silverado 1500 diesel tops segment in highway fuel economy ratings
2020 Chevrolet Silverado Diesel In the never-ending Detroit truck wars, manufacturers are looking for any and all advantages with which to beat their competition over the head like a coked-up wrestler towing, payload ratings, and most recently, fuel economy.For 2020, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra duo are available with a snazzy new 3.0-litre inline-six diesel engine lashed to a 10-speed automatic transmission. This option allows the truck to cut back on its drinking, with the EPA awarding the powertrain an estimated 7.1 L/100 kilometres (33 miles per gallon) highway fuel economy for rear-wheel drive models. If youre keeping track at home, the other two diesel-powered pickups in the half-ton segment the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 are rated at 30 and 27 mpg on the highway cycle, respectively. In a market where manufacturers go to great lengths to eke out a single mpg over their rival, GMs accomplishment is remarkable.With 277 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque on tap, the 3.0L Duramax is the first diesel engine offered in a GM half-ton since 1997. It has an aluminium block, active thermal management to heat critical components more quickly, and an automatic start/stop system. Working in concert with the 10-speed automatic, this power team is one of six in the lineup for 2020. Truck fans of the brand are spoiled for choice. Having sampled the Silverady 1500 Duramax about a month ago, we came away impressed with its drivetrain, providing plenty of shove without clattering like the diesels of old. In terms of price, expect to pay roughly the same premium for the Duramax as one would for the 6.2L V8 in comparison to the 5.3L V8.To be clear, the press bumf specifies the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado as receiving this plaudit, but theres no reason to imagine its GMC twin wont earn the same rating. City economy is pegged at 10.2 L/100 kilometres, or 23 mpg. Models with 44 drivelines are rated at 29 mpg highway and 23 city.While the Silverado outsells the Sierra by a wide margin in the U.S., the Sierra actually outsold the Silverado in Canada last year by about 1,000 units. Expect these Duramax half-tons to show up on dealer lots later this
Origin: 2020 GMC Sierra, Silverado 1500 diesel tops segment in highway fuel economy ratings
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
Ford sued for allegedly falsifying fuel economy ratings on F-150 trucks
Canadian auto sales were very strong through March, thanks to strong performers like the Ford F-150 – which itself saw sales increase 37 per cent. A lawsuit against Ford alleging the automaker falsified F-150 fuel economy tests is seeking US$1.2 billion in damages, The Detroit Free Press reports.The class action lawsuit was filed by Seattle law firm Hagens Berman on behalf of truck consumers and claims drivers of the truck could be paying up to US$2,000 extra in fuel over the vehicles lifetime as a result of the apparently falsified economy tests.The lawsuit estimates the lifespan of an F-150 is 150,000 miles (240,000 km).We did the math and based this lawsuit on our own independent research. Fords fuel economy promises are all smoke and mirrors, said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman.Fords lies about the F-150 are masking the truth: Consumers are paying far more for these trucks than meets the eye. Over the lifetime of the vehicle, we believe F-150 owners are paying more than $2,000 more for fuel.The lawsuit is based on anonymous complaints about the way Ford estimates road load, which the EPA defines as the force imparted on a vehicle while driving at a constant speed over a smooth level surface from sources such as tire rolling resistance, driveline losses, and aerodynamic drag. This estimation is what the EPA uses to calculate fuel mileage.F-150 truck mileage has been overstated 15 per cent for highway mileage; and 10 per cent for city mileage, according to the lawsuit, via inaccurate drag and resistance figures (meant) to boost the vehicles EPA mileage ratings.The automaker has not been served the filing yet, and Ford spokesman T.R. Reid says what was announced today appears to be similar to two other filings by the same law firm in the same court. Id ask you not to confuse claims with merit.The lawsuit could expand to include other Ford
Origin: Ford sued for allegedly falsifying fuel economy ratings on F-150 trucks
News Roundup: Corvette buyers press cancel, Canada’s terrible fuel economy and the great drive-thru phone debate
2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1Derek McNaughton 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. Corvette buyers are cancelling orders as hype for new-gen model builds The mid-engine Corvette is finally coming. Handout / Chevrolet With the promise of drastic changes in the upcoming Corvette, Chevrolet dealers are struggling to move stock of 2018 models. We’ve entered the calm before the mid-engine storm, and the numbers prove it. In 2018, dealers sold 44 per cent fewer Corvettes than they did in 2015, and reports of customers cancelling orders for 2019 models are coming in. Seems like people don’t want the last of the front-engined Corvettes when they could have the first of the mids if they wait just a bit longer. Guess how many manual transmission cars Toyota actually sells 2019 Toyota 86 Clayton Seams / Driving Car writers love to lament the decline of the manual transmission, but it’s not that automakers don’t care about the enthusiasts, it’s that they know what sells. Carbuzz got the inside scoop about manual sales at a dinner meeting with a Toyota exec, reporting that even in the 86, one of the brand’s sportiest models, only one-third of buyers chose the manual transmission over the six-speed automatic. In the also pretty sporty Corolla hatchback, those numbers fall to 15 per cent. If any of these automatic transmission supports is on our staff, we hereby pledge to root them out and address the situation appropriately. Canadian cars get terrible fuel economy: report When it comes to fuel economy, Canada is basically the worst in the world. According to a new report by the International Energy Agency, vehicles on Canadian roads are bigger, heavier and guzzle more gas on average than those of any other country. Some of the factors contributing to this environmentally unfriendly statistic include North America’s enduring belief that bigger is better, lax fuel economy standards, and low fuel prices relative to the rest of the world. Click here to learn more about how our nation’s vehicles stack up against those of other countries. Police warn BC driver for using cell phone in McDonald’s drive-thru Vehicles in two separate drive-up lanes place orders at a McDonald’s drive-thru location January 17, 2006 in Rosemont, Illinois. Tim Boyle / Getty Images Is it distracted driving if you’re using your cell phone while in a McDonald’s drive-thru? News 1130 reports that a driver on his phone in a McDonald’s drive-thru was issued a warning by a B.C. police officer, so it would appear the answer to that question is yes, technically. The reminder from officials that driveways and drive-thrus are considered part of the roadway and therefore subject to its laws has prompted our Judgy-Pants columnist Lorraine Sommerfeld to explore the moral grey area and ask the logical follow-up questions, like “how are you supposed to use an app to pay for your food if you can’t have your phone out?” It’s a first-rate first-world problem and we need your input—answer the poll in the link above. Montreal’s war on cars heats up amid driver frustration over Mount Royal Closure Cars cross Mount Royal in Montreal Thursday May 2, 2019. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette Water-cooler talk in Montreal remains focused on one thing: traffic. For the last several years the city has been the site of a massive infrastructure update, rendering over 600 km of roads temporarily off limits. One particularly contentious route closure was that of the Camillien-Houde Way. Automotive journalist and Montreal resident Benjamin Hunting makes no bones about it: the Valerie Plante government’s Mount Royal closure frustrated everyone and served no one. And according to new information compiled by the OPCM, the majority of some 13,000 citizens share his views. We take the 2019 Mustang Shelby GT350 to the track The 2019 Mustang Shelby GT 350 has arrived, and Driving’s managing editor Jonathan Yarkony drew the long straw and earned the right to be the first of our squad to spend some considerable time with his hands on the rambunctious pony’s reins, including for a few laps of the M1 Concourse racetrack in Detroit. Live vicariously through him in our First Drive review. With aerodynamic upgrades, and a healthy 526 horsepower and 429 lb-ft. of torque on tap, it’s easily the most track-ready Mustang to date. New science suggests rideshare back seats are bacterial cesspools Man’s hand in rubber protective glove with finger pointing to dirty textile back seat. Car’s interior problem and solution. Cleaning concept. Next time you book an Uber or Lyft, you might want to bring some hand sanitizer, because apparently the back seats of the popular ridesharing vehicles are legitimately more bacteria-ridden than your toilet. Tests
Origin: News Roundup: Corvette buyers press cancel, Canada’s terrible fuel economy and the great drive-thru phone debate
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