Canadian gov’t will charge VW with violating environment law via emissions tests

A staff member cleans the logo of a SUV VW Touareg on display ahead of the annual general meeting of German carmaker Volkswagen, in Berlin on May 3, 2018.Tobias Schwarz / Getty Images The federal government is charging Volkswagen for allegedly importing cars into Canada that company executives knew violated emissions standards.The German automaker faces 58 charges for violating the Canadian Environmental Protection Act for bringing 128,000 cars into Canada with illegal emissions between 2008 and 2015.The company faces another two charges for providing misleading information.Canadas case against Volkswagen comes more than four years after the company admitted to installing software on 11 million cars worldwide to trick emissions-testing equipment into concluding the cars ran more cleanly than they actually did.Volkswagen pleaded guilty to charges in the case in the United States in March 2017 and was fined more than $4.3 billion.The companys first court appearance on the Canadian charges is to take place
Origin: Canadian gov’t will charge VW with violating environment law via emissions tests

Scooter tweet earns Alberta gov’t spokesperson backlash

A wave of backlash compelled an Alberta governmental spokesperson to take down an early November video of her grandfathers mobility scooter, given to him after he lost his license, driving down a residential sidewalk in Calgary.Samantha Peck is the Press Secretary to Albertas Associate Minister of Natural Gas, and in a now-deleted November 1 Twitter post, shared what she thought was an uplifting message about her grandfather, who had lost his drivers license two years ago following a car accident.The loss of his independence had devastated him, she wrote. This week, my dad surprised him with an enclosed electric scooter so he can travel around. No license needed, concluding with a heart emoji.However, the video, apparently shot from the left side of a car driving on the street, received so much backlash she felt compelled to delete it.A barrage of Twitter users took issue with the idea of someone having been determined unfit to drive a motor vehicle instead taking to sidewalks in something that looks very much like a small car. Others noted it might be awkward navigating around other pedestrians for example, wheelchair users in the motorized device, or called out the filming-while-driving in the video.The scooter is built by Toronto company Daymak specifically, it seems to be a Boomerbuggy X. With a top speed of 13 km/h, its hardly quick, but its still about three times faster than walking.At 41 inches wide, its not much wider than a standard wheelchair, but does have features more like a car, including a heater, air conditioning, lights, a horn, turn signals and even a backup camera.However, Twitter users coming to Pecks defense noted Alberta winters get cold really cold and an elderly person might not be able to withstand those conditions in an open scooter. The Boomerbuggy X arguably provides a level of safety in winter other scooters cant.👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼 people’s inability to understand situations without explicitly being spoon fed the context is astounding. https://t.co/B0PEJz5ghx Samantha Peck (@samanthajaypeck) November 4, 2019Others noted the video was taken in the suburbs of Calgary, Alberta, which, having seen snow for two months already, were likely to have been barren of pedestrians anyway.Who do you think is in the right on this issue? It is, really, just a scooter, after all, one designed for sidewalks does it really pose a risk to other users? Or is there an issue with someone unfit to drive cruising toward pedestrians at 13 km/h?Take Our Poll
Origin: Scooter tweet earns Alberta gov’t spokesperson backlash

The U.S. gov’t is auctioning off Burt Reynolds’ customized Trans Am

Some 149 classic cars will be auctioned by federal U.S. Marshals this month in the wake of a court case that saw them seized from the owners of an Eastern California solar panel company. And a few of the lots are real gems that shine brighter than others.DC Solar, run by Jeff and Pauline Carpoff, allegedly scammed billionaire Warren Buffet and others out of US$800 million in a Ponzi scheme, says the courts.The cars were seized in December by the FBI.The most interesting car in the auction is a 1978 Pontiac Trans Am. According to a press release from the U.S. Marshals Service, the vehicle was owned by Burt Reynolds himself as a memento of the car he drove in the movie Smokey and the Bandit. The vehicle only has 3,394 miles on the odometer.From the photos, we can tell the vehicle has been customized with larger aluminum wheels, which strongly suggests this was Burts personal Trans Am, the one modified with a 600-horsepower 8.2-litre V8.If it is indeed the same vehicle, that means when Jeff or Pauline Carpoff bought it at auction, they actually got to shake hands with the Bandit himself. The vehicle was last sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, where it fetched US$275,000. This could be a chance to get yourself a real bargain!Its the largest single car collection weve ever sold, according to Marshals Services Lynzey Donahue. Proceeds from the auction will be held until the court case resolves, and the judge determines where they will
Origin: The U.S. gov’t is auctioning off Burt Reynolds’ customized Trans Am

Govt awards almost 40m to EV charging projects

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

Canadian gov’t outlines EV incentive details, list of 27 eligible models and trims

Charging an electric carGetty The Canadian federal government April 17 released details regarding the incentives it plans to roll out to buyers of zero-emissions vehicles across the country. The incentives, worth either $2,500 and $5,000 depending on the vehicle’s range, will be drawn from a pool of $300 million over three years, Transport Canada said in a release, and apply to a list of new vehicles purchased or leased on or after May 1, 2019. The release also listed new zero-emissions vehicle sales targets for the country of 10 percent of new light-duty vehicle sales by 2025; 30 percent by 2030; and 100 percent by 2040. To be eligible for incentives, a vehicle must have a base-model manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of less than $45,000 for passenger vehicles with six or fewer seats, and less than $55,000 for vehicles with seven or more seats, the ministry explained. For eligible vehicles with six or fewer seats, higher-priced versions (trims) are eligible as long as the final manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $55,000 or less, and for vehicles with seven or more seats, trims with a price up to $60,000 will qualify. Vehicles can still qualify even if delivery, freight and other fees, such as vehicle colour and add-on accessories push the sale price above those limits. That added window makes eligible many more vehicles than critics first assumed when the $45,000-MSRP threshold was first announced. The rebate will be $5,000 for battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell, or longer range plug-in hybrid vehicles with a range of 50 km or better per single charge; and $2,500 for shorter-range plug-in hybrid vehicles with a range under that distance. The list of eligible vehicles currently includes some 27 models and trims, including the Audi A3 e-tron; Chevrolet Bolt and Volt; Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid; Ford Fusion Energi and Focus Electric; Honda Clarity plug-in hybrid; Hyundai Ioniq, Kona and Sonata EVs and hybrids; Kia Niro, Optima and Soul EVs and hybrids; Mini Cooper Countryman plug-in hybrid; Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV; Nissan Leaf Plus; Toyota Prius Prime; VW e-Golf; and smart fortwo. “We are working with Canadians across the country to support practical and affordable solutions to fight climate change, Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, was quoted. The transportation sector is key to Canada’s economy—but it also accounts for a quarter of our emissions. Making sure Canadians have access to options to get where they need to go in a cleaner, cheaper, faster way will protect our environment and grow our economy.” The new federal program will also fund continued expansion of electric vehicle charging stations. The incentive program was rolled out as part of Budget 2019, and is still subject to Parliamentary
Origin: Canadian gov’t outlines EV incentive details, list of 27 eligible models and trims