A cross-section of a steering wheel showing the airbag.Handout / Mercedes-Benz Takata, the parts supplier behind the largest auto recall ever, told U.S. safety regulators another 1.4 million vehicles need to be repaired over a defect linked to the death of a BMW driver and two other injuries in overseas markets.Components Takata supplied to five of the worlds biggest car manufacturers may absorb moisture that could either cause air bags to rupture or under-inflate, according to a notice on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrations website.The recall involves parts produced from 1995 through 1999 and sold to BMW, Audi, Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi.BMW issued three recalls covering roughly 116,000 U.S. vehicles containing the parts and recommended roughly 8,000 of those should not be driven until theyre fixed, the NHTSA said in a statement. The luxury-car maker is aware of one fatality and one injury in Australia linked to the faulty air-bag inflators, plus another injury in Cyprus, according to filings with the agency. The company told the NHTSA in November it hadnt received reports of similar incidents in the U.S. The callbacks and fatality disclosed Wednesday are the latest twist in a years-long saga that landed Takata in bankruptcy two years ago. The Japanese manufacturer supplied tens of millions of defective air-bag inflators for years that were prone to exploding in a crash and injuring or killing car occupants by spraying metal shards. Takata pleaded guilty as part of a US$1-billion settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over its handling of the issue.Takata was purchased in April 2018 by a unit of Chinas Ningbo Joyson Electronic Corp., and the combined unit was renamed Joyson Safety Systems.Past Takata recalls were blamed on its use of ammonium nitrate as a propellant to inflate air bags in the event of a crash. For its latest safety campaign, the company is citing a manufacturing issue that affected inflators containing a non-azide propellant.The parts maker said it produced and sold 4.45 million of the inflators globally during the time period covered by the recall. According to Takatas safety recall report to the NHTSA, the number of inflators it produced for vehicles sold in the U.S. was substantially smaller but is not precisely known at this time. Because of the age of the potentially affected vehicles, only a portion remain in service, the company said.BMW is the only carmaker to have issued vehicle recalls in the U.S. over the inflators so far.Honda is trying to understand which models are affected and cant say how many vehicles are impacted, a spokeswoman for the company said. A Mitsubishi spokesman said the company is identifying the models and countries involved, though the NHTSA said only the Mitsubishi Montero is affected in the U.S.Toyota is investigating the issue and working with the NHTSA and Joyson, a spokeswoman for the automaker said. Joyson representatives couldnt immediately be reached for comment. Audis U.S. unit is cooperating with NHTSA and investigating whether some its U.S. vehicles from model years 1997 through 1999 are affected, a spokeswoman said by
Origin: BMW driver death sees Takata recall another 1.4 million airbags
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4,000-hp Thor24 custom truck hammers for US$12 million in Saudi Arabia
What has twenty-four cylinders, weighs 32,000 pounds and was outlandish enough to command US$12 million in a country where moneys no object for many of its residents?If you think the answer is this Thor24 crew cab semi built by stunt pilot and boat racer Mike Harrah, youd be absolutely right.Over the span of seven years and about US$7 million, Harrah constructed one of the most extreme vehicles let alone truck tractors ever to ply the face of this earth. The power developed by 1,704 cubic inches of displacement comes from a brace of two 12-cylinder Detroit diesel engines, arranged neatly like ducks in a row.There are a dozen 871 superchargers arranged above the blocks to push the beast to create a blistering 3,974 horsepower. It also packs a nitrous boost, allowing the 32,000-pound truck to crest 200 km/h. A quartet of 12-foot drag chutes help to reel in all that speed.Harrahs vision began with a Peterbilt 359 crew cab semi, a truck stretched to 44 feet in length to accommodate his plans. Once the frame was completed, most parts on the bottom side were replaced with chrome-plated or polished aluminum bits. From a visual standpoint, its a good wager there is nothing else in the world like Thor24. As if to put the exclamation point home, flames adorn Thors flanks because of course they do.A bidder at the Global Auto Salon auction, hosted by Worldwide Auctioneers in Riyadh this past weekend, paid a reported US$12 million for this 44-foot-long brute. Keeping in spirit with other custom big rigs, an auxiliary power unit is onboard. The unit is what else? a Hawker jet engine. Your author was on the ground at the Riyadh show, where Bugattis were as common as Corollas. In that context, perhaps Thor24 doesnt seem so outrageous after all. But make no mistake back here in a world that loosely approximates reality, Thor24 is a wonderfully brutish machine that has more road presence than a fleet of Jensen Interceptors.Well have more car stories from Saudi Arabia in the days ahead, including the tale of a man who bought a brace of heavily-patinad 57 Chevys and plans to take them on a 1,600-km road trip. Until then, enjoy these snaps of what is surely the wildest semi in
Origin: 4,000-hp Thor24 custom truck hammers for US$12 million in Saudi Arabia
20$ million are dropped in the Canadian city where our first electric cars rolled
Last Friday, Quebecs Minister of Economy and Innovation, Pierre Fitzgibbon, fought Highway 15s busy traffic heading north to St. Jerome, bringing with him $20 million in much needed funding and subsidies.He stopped off first at a conglomerate of seven Quebec companies specializing in heavy electric vehicles, namely the commercial EV platform developed by Compagnie Électrique Lion and underlying its St.-Jerome-built electric school buses (sold mostly to California).The $7.9-million provincial contribution should help materialize projects like electric ambulances, dump trucks and firetrucks, which together could reduce greenhouse gas emissions totaling nearly 3 million tons of CO2 over a horizon of ten years, reads the press release.While that news garnered the most headlines, the real deal, was the non-profit connecting those companies, the beneficiary of the largest portion $12.7 million of governmental aid: L’Institut du Véhicule Innovant (The Innovative Vehicle Institute, or IVI). St. Jerome: Where “modern” EVs were first testedThanks to IVI, Ville de Saint-Jérome has been a hot-bed of EV development for more than 20 years. In the beginning, it was all about electric cars remember in 1996, Tesla wasnt even a gleam in Elons eye and the garage-laboratoire, then named CEVEQ (Centre d’expertise du véhicule électrique du Québec), was something of a global pioneer.It made Laurentians capital the first Canadian city inundated with zero-emission cars. An electric Citron Berlingo was used by municipal administration; local police drove an electrified Peugeot 106. And the corporation helped develop and commercialize the St. Jerome-assembled ZENN, a Zero Emission No Noise low-speed two-seater. (If you dont remember the ZENN, its because it barely sold 500 units from 2006 to 2010, mainly Stateside.)At that time, we were a voice in the wilderness, says IVIs executive director, Franois Adam. Then, around 2010, electric passenger cars took off with the likes of Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt. Since 2015, the Institute has focused on electrifying heavy-duty vehicles, industrial equipment and even autonomous machinerie.More square feet — for crazier ideasSo, yes, Quebec has a specialized think tank bringing to life all kinds of strange vehicles for clients who want to reduce their carbon footprint. Theres the MadVac, from Longueuils Exprolink, an electric garbage collector currently cleaning up New Yorks Central Park; the Manufacture Adria, from Rouyn-Noranda, a piece of specialized electric mining equipment. IVI helped with the Lion electric school bus mentioned above, as well as electric motorcycles and boats.In the last five years, IVI worked with 120 companies from all over La Belle Province, generating more than $12 million of retombées, says its executive director. While initiating those commercial and industrial energy efficiency solutions, its also been training future technicians IVIs a collegiate center of technology transfer, affiliated with Cégep de Saint-Jérôme.But until now, IVIs 30 employees were spread out between the downtown college and a business park, its current garage-laboratoire so small only one project can be tackled at a time. Theres no room in this 100-square-meter laboratory to welcome any other innovation en devenir.Thats about to change, with the $12.7 million issued by Quebecs Infrastructures for Research and Innovation. The money, plus some land granted by the city of St. Jerome and another $1.3 million from IVIs own pockets, will help erect a new 2,712-square-meter building uniting the firms employees under one roof, while adding a much-needed bigger prototyping room.The new pavilion should be ready early 2022. We have so many interesting projects but with our current limited space, were always on the brake, says Adam. With this new facility, not only will we add 10 haute technologie jobs, but well quadruple our laboratory
Origin: 20$ million are dropped in the Canadian city where our first electric cars rolled
Hypercars seized from politician net CDN$35.9 million at auction
A picture taken on September 28, 2019 at the Bonmont Abbey in Cheserex, western Switzerland shows a 2010 Bugatti Veyron EB 16.4 Coupe model car (R) and a 2011 Aston Martin One-77 Coupe model car during an auction preview by sales house Bonhams of sport cars belonging to the son of the Equatorial Guineas President.Fabrice Coffrini / Getty Not all politicians find themselves busy moving the levers of power and arguing with their opposition party. Some, like the vice-president of Equatorial Guinea, spend their time collecting a fleet of hypercars.Trouble is, at least in this instance, they were all confiscated by Swiss authorities three years ago after a money-laundering investigation.Yesterday, London-based Bonhams auctioned them all. Obey the law, kids, or you might lose your toys.On the block were some of the rarest pieces of metal ever to dent the worlds racetracks and roadways. An extraordinary convertible version of the already-rare Lamborghini Veneno, in white-on-tan Dubai spec, sold for a gob-smacking $11,049,911 including buyers premium. Interested in a one-of-six Koenigsegg One:1 with only 597 km on the clock? You would have had to bring $6,138,839 to walk away with the example at this auction. A 2011 Aston Martin One-77, number 35 of 77 built, went under the hammer for just over $2 million.The list goes on, reading like a whos-who of exotic machinery. A Ferrari Enzo, the sheeps-head-ugly super car from 2003, withdrew $4,143,716 from the bank account of a person who is presumably not blessed with the gift of sight.Despite having covered just 21 km in its sixteen years on this planet, records show it recently underwent a service costing $105,393.26, meaning it cost about five thousand dollars a kilometre to operate, not counting other maintenance and the initial purchase price. Your authors Dodge Charger is not as spendy. If it simply was a yellow Ferrari the buyer wanted, they should have held out for the 2015 LaFerrari that was also at this auction. It sold for a hair under $3 million, meaning the Enzo buyer could have saved $1.1 million and a trip to the eye doctor. Compared to the Enzo, though, the LaFerrari was admittedly a high-mileage car, with 894 km under its stylish Italian loafers.Cops in Geneva seized the fleet from an airport cargo area 2016 after criminal proceedings were opened against Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, the son of the central African nations leader. Earlier this year, Swiss prosecutors said they closed a money-laundering investigation against Obiang, citing an arrangement to fund programs in Equatorial Guinea with proceeds from the sale of these
Origin: Hypercars seized from politician net CDN$35.9 million at auction
GM expands Sierra, Silverado brake-issue recall to 3.4 million trucks in U.S.
2016 Chevrolet Silverado Under pressure from the U.S. federal government, General Motors is recalling roughly 3.46 million big pickup trucks and SUVs Stateside to fix a brake problem.The roughly 300,000 trucks affected in Canada were already recalled this past summer.The recall covers the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups from the 2014 through 2018 model years.Also included are the Cadillac Escalade from 2015 to 2017, and the GMC Yukon and Chevy Suburban and Tahoe from 2015 through 2018.GM says that as it ages, the pump in the power-assist brakes can put out less vacuum power than needed, increasing stopping distance and the risk of a crash.The recall comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating the problem in November of last year.Dealers will recalibrate the electronic brake control module at no cost to customers. Owners were to be notified starting Sept. 6.NHTSA, the U.S. governments road safety agency, began investigating the problem last year after getting 111 complaints from owners of poor brake performance. At the time the agency had nine reports of crashes that had caused two injuries.GM says the problems occur rarely and mostly at low speeds like driving in parking lots. Even with the problem, the brakes continue to function and exceed the requirements of the appropriate federal motor vehicle safety standard, GM spokesman Dan Flores said.The vacuum pump is lubricated with engine oil that flows through a filter screen. In some of the trucks, oil sludge or other debris can clog the screen, reducing oil flow and causing the pumps vacuum output to drop, Flores said.The trucks, he said, have a secondary power brake assist system which works when there are problems with the main system, but it is limited at lower speeds. The reprogramming will activate the secondary system faster.GM isnt replacing the pumps because pump failures are rare and already are covered by an extended warranty, Flores said. This remedy will improve brake performance in any situation where brake vacuum drops, he
Origin: GM expands Sierra, Silverado brake-issue recall to 3.4 million trucks in U.S.
VW to pay US$97 million, restate mileage on U.S. gas-powered cars
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 Volkswagen will revise fuel economy labels on several gasoline-powered models and pay US$96.5 million to drivers after an investigation discovered software that could optimize efficiency during government tests but not during real-world driving.A joint investigation between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board discovered the automaker had equipped roughly 1 million vehicles with transmission software that causes gear shifts during EPA prescribed test conditions in a way that sometimes optimizes fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions during the test, but not under normal driving conditions, the agency said in a statement.In 2015, the company admitted to rigging diesel vehicles to cheat on U.S. emissions tests. After putting aside some US$32 billion to settle lawsuits and pay damages, the automaker faces further claims from disgruntled investors and customers tied to that scandal.The most recent investigation found that transmission software reduced the fuel economy on about 98,000 gasoline-powered vehicles by 1 mile per gallon, according to the EPA. Volkswagen will forfeit emissions credits for the under-reporting, the agency said.Affected models are several sedans and SUVs from model years 2013 through 2017 sold by Volkswagen in U.S. under the VW, Audi, Porsche and Bentley brands. Separately, VW said it would reimburse drivers of the vehicles with faulty mileage ratings as part of a US$96.5 million settlement with private plaintiffs, the company said Friday. The company will pay customers US$5.40 to US$24.30 for each month of owning or leasing vehicle, the company said.Volkswagen is committed to providing customers with transparent fuel economy data for our vehicles, in line with U.S. labeling requirements, Pietro Zollino, a spokesman for Volkswagen Group of America, said in a
Origin: VW to pay US$97 million, restate mileage on U.S. gas-powered cars
Ontario writes off $445 million in old Chrysler debt from bailout
Fiat Chrysler, Ford and GM all saw steady gains in Canadian auto sales through September. Ontario has written off $445 million as uncollectable debt from Chrysler, following the 2009 automaker bailout. The federal and provincial governments loaned billions to Chrysler to rescue the company and save thousands of jobs during the recession.Ottawa wrote off $2.6 billion last year that it wouldnt collect from Chrysler, and a spokeswoman for Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips says once that happened, the province had no legal recourse to recover outstanding money.Ontario loaned the company nearly $1 billion but it since restructured the new company FCA Canada (Fiat Chrysler) says it repaid all of its loan, with interest, six years ahead of schedule.But the other part of the former company, Old Carco, has been in bankruptcy since then and its debt is unrecoverable.The $445 million Ontario write-off forms the bulk of the governments annual write-off of $607 million for last
Origin: Ontario writes off $445 million in old Chrysler debt from bailout
Chevrolet auctions off last front-engined Corvette for US$2.7 million
The last front-engined Chevrolet Corvette crossing the auction block at Barrett-Jackson on June 28, 2019Barrett-Jackson The next-generation C8 Corvette has finally been confirmed by Chevrolet to be mid-engined, ending a 65-year tradition of the front-engined sports car.This also means the C7 Corvette will be the last generation to have the engine in the front, something Chevrolet celebrated this past week when it auctioned off the final one built for a whopping US$2.7 million.The car itself is an all-black Z06 with no distinguishing characteristics.That is to say, it will be an all-black Z06 the car hasnt been built yet, of course, and the one that crossed the stage at the Barrett-Jackson Northeast auction June 28 was just a placeholder.All proceeds from that sale are going to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which pays off mortgages for the families of firefighters killed in the line of duty and builds mortgage-free, accessible smart homes for injured service members. The last front-engined Chevrolet Corvette crossing the auction block at Barrett-Jackson on June 28, 2019 Barrett-Jackson The foundation is named after Stephen Siller, a New York City firefighter who was killed during the tower collapse on 9/11. Chevrolet has been a supporter of the foundation for many years, and most recently sold the first production 2019 ZR1 at auction to benefit it, to the tune of US$925,000.The C8 Corvette has been teased to the press since man first walked on land, but its finally going to be unveiled for real on July 18th.It was initially thought Chevrolet might sell the C7 Corvette alongside the new C8, but of course this news disproves that
Origin: Chevrolet auctions off last front-engined Corvette for US$2.7 million
GM invests US$150 million to increase heavy-duty pickup production
General Motors is investing millions into expanding its pickup truck capacity, the second time in two months that it’s put major cash into its truck plants. It will invest US$150 million into Flint Assembly in Michigan to increase production of the all-new Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickup trucks, which started shipping to dealers earlier this week. The money will be used to enhance the conveyor system and tooling. The expansion will be completed in the first half of 2020. Last month, GM announced it’s expanding production capacity of its light-duty Silverado and Sierra trucks in Fort Wayne, Indiana, “in response to strong customer demand.” The automaker has invested more than US$1.6 billion into Flint since 2013, expanding its capacity by about 40,000 vehicles annually. Opened in 1947, Flint Assembly has three production shifts. It added 1,000 new jobs this year, and employs more than 5,000 workers. GM said the Flint and Fort Wayne investments are its most recent in its growing truck, SUV, and crossover business. It previously announced investments at three plants in Ohio, two in Michigan, and in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Its Canadian assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario, which makes the final versions of the last-generation pickups currently sold alongside the all-new trucks, will close later this
Origin: GM invests US$150 million to increase heavy-duty pickup production
EV battery projects awarded share of 23 million
EV battery projects awarded share of £23 million The latest round of Faraday Battery Challenge funding has been announced The government has announced which projects have been awarded a share of £23 million in funding from the Faraday Battery Challenge to develop batteries for electric vehicles. Companies leading the projects range from small designers to large automotive manufacturers, with the aim being to bring together the car industry and academia to make the UK one of the world’s leading R&D centres for EVs. Winners include mining consultancy firm Wardell Armstrong, which will work with experts at the Natural History Museum and mining firm Cornish Lithium to lead a new study looking to develop a UK supply of lithium, helping to meet the massive demand expected from the transition to electric vehicles. Also awarded funding are a Jaguar Land Rover-led project to maximise battery performance while maintaining safety, and a study looking into the use of artificial intelligence in battery manufacturing, led by materials technology company Granta Design. This £23 million investment forms part of the total £274 million that will be awarded to groups across the UK through the Faraday Battery Challenge, part of the government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF). Faraday Battery Challenge Director Tony Harper said: “Across the three rounds of funding competitions we have now awarded a total of £82.6 million to 63 projects. This is a massive investment in business-led battery R&D in the UK, supporting innovative technologies and helping to build a UK supply chain that can compete on the global stage.”
Origin: EV battery projects awarded share of 23 million
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