American start-up Fisker has announced a partnership with Electrify America that will give drivers of its 2020 Ocean SUV access to “the largest open fast charging network” in the US. Fisker claims that Electrify America’s 350kW rapid chargers, which are compatible with all mainstream electric vehicles (EVs), are capable of delivering more than 200 miles of range in as little as 30 minutes. The network is currently under development, with plans to be operating in 45 of the 50 states by December 2021. The announcement comes as the company gears up to unwrap the futuristic Tesla Model Y rival at the CES exhibition in Las Vegas on 4 January 2020. The Ocean will be offered primarily to customers through a leasing programme, with prices starting from $379 (£295) per month, after a deposit of $2999 (£2335), for the cheapest of the five trim levels. Prospective customers can pay a fully refundable $250 (£194) deposit now via Fisker’s smartphone app to secure a reservation. Fisker says it will sell a “very limited” number of Oceans outright at the request of several global customers. The California-based company claims its first series production car is “the world’s most sustainable vehicle”, with recycled, vegan and other natural products used throughout. A full-length solar roof is said to offer 1000 additional zero-emissions miles per year, while recycled fishing nets, t-shirts, bottles and tyres feature throughout the interior and exterior to lessen the model’s well-to-wheel carbon footprint. The Ocean is also claimed to offer “the highest five-star safety rating”, with Fisker drawing attention to the prominent side impact protection beams. It’s unclear, however, whether the SUV has yet been tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which conducts crash tests in the US. The Ocean rides high and has modern, utilitarian styling. Flared wheel arches hint at its performance potential, while narrow headlights and chrome detailing are a nod to the 2018 Fisker Emotion concept. It features what the firm calls “captivating design touches that have been traditionally reserved for supercars in the past”. Prominent styling details include a front-mounted radar in place of a grille, a large front air intake, flared wheel arches and a futuristic headlight design. Fisker has also confirmed that the side indicators double as charging indicators, turning green when the battery is full. Also featured is a targa-style removable roof section which Fisker says offers the open-air benefits of a convertible “without compromising the rugged and safe structural integrity of an SUV”. The battery is claimed to provide a range of up to 300 miles. The Ocean will be available in four-wheel drive form, with an electric motor mounted on each axle. Fisker also claims that the SUV’s interior will offer class-leading space, a large head-up display and an intelligent user interface. The company is also at work on developing solid-state battery technology, which it says would allow future vehicles to gain 500 miles worth of charge in as little as one minute. Fisker Inc. was formed in 2016, succeeding the bankrupted Fisker Automotive company that launched the Karma range-extender luxury saloon – now re-engineered and on sale as the Karma Revero GT – in
Origin: 2020 Fisker Ocean can gain 200 miles of range in 30 minutes
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Vancouver driver has McLaren impounded 10 minutes after buying it
In what is surely one of the shortest terms of vehicle ownership in Canadian history, a driver in British Columbia had their brand-new McLaren 600LT impounded just minutes after driving it off the lot June 17.According to police reports, the 39-year-old gearhead picked up his supercar in West Vancouver and quickly caned it up to 161 km/h in a 90-km/h zone.The ever-vigilant constabulary nabbed him on Highway 1 and impounded the car.While the officer was conducting the investigation, the driver allegedly stated that they had just left the dealership after purchasing the vehicle, 10 minutes prior, West Vancouver police said in a news release.Price tags on the 600LT can easily crest a quarter-million in this country. It was towed away from the scene and impounded for seven days. In a statement, cops said the driver was ticketed $368 or about 0.1 per cent of the cars value for excessive speeding.Heres a thought: should the cost of tickets be proportional to the value of ones car? After all, a $368 receipt from the gendarmes is about 5.25 per cent the worth of your authors own Dodge Charger. If the miscreant in that McLaren had to pay the same percentage, it would work out to somewhere north of $13,000. Would that be any more of a deterrent to deep-pocketed scofflaws?Thats a deep well of debate best left for another day. For now, know that theres one less McLaren 600LT on Vancouver roads at least for the next week. Stay safe out there,
Origin: Vancouver driver has McLaren impounded 10 minutes after buying it
Commute times up to an average 42 minutes one-way in Toronto
In this file photo, vehicles makes their way into and out of downtown Toronto along the Gardiner Expressway in Toronto.Nathan Denette / The Canadian Press Regardless of how Toronto-area residents get to and from work each day, in some parts of the city, commute times are only getting worse.A recent Forum Research poll commissioned by the Toronto Star found workers spent, on average, 42 minutes each way to get to work. While that’s an improvement for some over a similar poll taken in 2013, for others it only seems to get worse. The average works out to an increase of 8 per cent.The City of Toronto, East York and Scarborough all saw a slight decrease in the amount of time residents of those areas spent en route to their jobs each day, but those in North York report a 21-per-cent spike to 45 minutes, and in Etobicoke/York, it’s an additional 31 per cent, now up to 46 minutes.Commuting times are often measured for those driving in from outlying areas, and represent clogged highways at peak times. This poll is indicative of the fact that just getting around Toronto itself is resulting in many of its residents spending up to an hour and a half each day getting to and from work.Public transit accounted for the longest commute times, at 52 minutes. The shortest times were enjoyed by those who cycled to work, at 31 minutes; or who walked, at just 22 minutes. While motorists clocked in somewhere in the middle at 40 minutes, nearly 60 per cent of those polled, regardless of the mode of transportation, said these long commutes reduce their quality of life. Those aged 18 to 34 are faced with the brunt of the increases, likely because they are more consistently users of public transit.Some 58 per cent of those polled said more transit was the answer to reducing congestion; while 17 per cent wanted more roads built. Nine per cent admit they just dont know what the answer
Origin: Commute times up to an average 42 minutes one-way in Toronto
Tracy Morgan’s Bugatti scraped by Honda minutes after he takes delivery
Tracy Morgans Bugatti Veyron in a fender-bender with a Honda CR-VTwitter @J_MOSK Tracy Morgan’s $2-million Bugatti Veyron was hit by a Honda CR-V at a ritzy intersection in New York City just an hour after he purchased the vehicle. The comedian’s new buy was of a used vehicle technically, but, unfortunately for the Honda driver, it wasn’t just some daily driver—this was a Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport convertible, according to Page Six. “He bought it today. That style with the top down is usually over two million dollars. Those kinds of cars are very rare and to get any year is special.” Those are the words of Frank Pica, a sales consultant at Manhattan Motorcars where Tracy bought the vehicle second-hand. “When I got the phone call, I said, ‘That’s Tracy’s car?’ I couldn’t believe it. That was its maiden voyage.” Tracy Morgan bought a Brand new Bugatti in NYC today someone in a Honda sideswiped it minutes later. pic.twitter.com/twGSOC0POq TheHipHopGuru (@thhguru) June 5, 2019 The woman in the Honda CR-V was reportedly playing on her phone and tried to make a right turn from the left lane. Many people blamed the Honda driver, whose vehicle wore New Jersey plates. She didn’t recognize the actor when she exited the car, but almost everybody else on the street did. The damage was not extensive and Morgan walked away unhurt, although he did spend a few minutes in an ambulance to make sure he was OK before leaving in another car. Thanks for any concern but I am totally fine. My NEW CAR? We shall see. Love you all. Tracy Morgan (@TracyMorgan) June 4, 2019 “She ran into him. She was on her phone,” said one of the witnesses. “He said he got it literally an hour ago and he paid $2 million for it, and it’s pretty scraped up. It still had a dealer tag,” added another. According to the police, the woman driving the Honda was not
Origin: Tracy Morgan’s Bugatti scraped by Honda minutes after he takes delivery
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