Within the category of zero-emissions options, the hydrogen fuel cell is constantly being eclipsed by electric power. But Hyundai at least thinks it’s worth some attention. The South Korean company’s Nexo SUV recently drove 484 miles (779 km) across France, setting a new world record for the longest distance traveled in a hydrogen-powered vehicle on a single tank. Hyundai chose Bertrand Piccard – Swiss psychiatrist, balloonist and president of the environmental foundation Solar Impulse – to take the wheel of the Nexo. As a champion of zero-emissions travel, Piccard has already circumnavigated the globe in a hot air balloon and a solar-powered plane. “With this adventure, we have proven that with clean technologies, we no longer need revolutionary experimental prototypes to break records,” Piccard said. “Everyone can now do it with standard zero-emission vehicles. A new era in performance is beginning, for the benefit of environmental protection.”The drive took Piccard – along with some famous passengers including government officials and European royalty like H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and the Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg – along a tour of Northeastern France, allegedly purifying about as much air as 23 adults breathe in a day and keeping the approximately 111.2 kg of carbon dioxide a gas-powered vehicle would’ve emitted over that distance out of the atmosphere.The Hyundai Nexo also made news earlier this year for its stellar performance in the IIHS crash tests, where it not only didn’t erupt into a fiery ball, but also scored a Top Safety Pick+ award on top of multiple “Good” and “Acceptable” ratings for its safety setups.LISTEN: Electric vehicle clubs have been around for decades, and up until just recently their memberships consisted of backyard tinkerers converting gas-powered vehicles to electric vehicles. Now that most global automakers are producing EVs, where does that leave these clubs? In this week’s episode of Plugged In we talk with Bruce Stout of the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association about that and much more. Plugged In is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.Is the player not working? Click
Origin: Hyundai Nexo sets hydrogen fuel-cell long-distance record
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News Roundup: Schwarzenegger sets teenage activist up with Tesla, Chevy unveils C8 convertible and more
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.When Arnold met GretaWhen Arnold Schwarzenegger was introduced to 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg at a European environmental summit earlier this year, he was thoroughly impressed. (Join the club, Arnold.) And then, when he learned she’d be making a North American tour, he offered to set his new friend up with one of the greenest ways to get around: a Tesla Model 3. Thunberg travelled to Montreal to participate in the climate strike along with approximately 500,000 others, and is continuing on to other events elsewhere in North America. 70-year-old B.C. driver given ticket for having cell phone in cup holderWhere do you keep your cell phone when you’re driving? Obviously, it’s illegal to hold it in your hand and use it – that’s distracted driving – but one senior citizen in B.C. was shocked to receive a ticket this week for having her smartphone charging in a cup holder. Randi Kramer, who’s had a clean driving record for the last 50 years or so, was issued a $368 ticket for distracted driving, despite not being distracted by her phone at all. Kramer plans to fight the ticket and her story has already got the attention of a local lawyer. The new C8 convertible arrives with folding hardtopThe 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray was unveiled this week, and unlike the initial C8 launch that nearly broke the internet earlier this summer, there’s not so much to report on. The new model will be available with a folding hardtop only, and be powered by the same plant as the coupe: a 6.2-litre 490-horsepower V8. Chevy chose to reveal the convertible at the Kennedy Space Center’s Rocket Garden in Orlando, Florida as a nod to all the astronauts who’ve driven ‘Vettes over the years. The 2020 Corvette convertible will start at $78,998 when it arrives in Canada next spring. Watch Tesla owners damage their cars using the new Smart Summon featureA new software update downloaded into Teslas around the world last weekend, teaching the electric vehicles a highly anticipated new trick. Smart Summon automatically pilots empty cars across parking lots or driveways to their drivers, who summon them with the press of a button on an app. But despite the word “Smart” being right there in the name, and Tesla officially reminding driver they “are still responsible for (their) car and must monitor it and its surroundings at all times,” the new feature has occasionally hit a few snags. Or, more accurately, other vehicles and garage doors. Check out some of the Smart Summon fails caught on camera and already making the rounds online. Russian YouTuber tests how many spokes your car wheel actually needsHow many spokes is enough spokes? Sure, all of them would be ideal, but when push came to shove, how many could you still drive with? Like, if you literally pushed and shoved (or cut) the spokes off the wheels, like this Russian YouTuber did, how far would you get? Turns out, pretty far! The Garage 54 YouTube channel, which is dedicated to these kind of automotive “torture tests,” fits an old car with a bunch of tires with a varying number of the alloy spokes removed, and basically drives around on them until they break. The language dubbing is bearable, but the video itself is highly
Origin: News Roundup: Schwarzenegger sets teenage activist up with Tesla, Chevy unveils C8 convertible and more
Schwarzenegger sets Greta Thunberg up with Tesla Model 3 to Montreal
Tesla Model 3Tesla Climate activist and scolder of world leaders Greta Thunberg will be travelling to various North American events this month including one in Montreal in a Tesla Model 3, courtesy of none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger.The actor-turned-politician apparently made the offer after learning of her travel plans in Canada and the States during this leg of her climate crusade.While your author and many others associate Terminator and Predator movies with the former California governor, Schwarzenegger has lately been using his influence as a call to action on environmental issues. This friendship between Schwarzenegger and Thunberg may seem random, but the two have been on the same climate page for ages. The muscle-bound actor said he was starstruck after meeting the young activist earlier this year at an environmental summit in Vienna. Given his willingness to help her with her efforts right now on this side of the pond, its safe to say the sixteen-year-old made quite an impression on him.Schwarzenegger isnt new to the electric car scene, having had a Hummer H1 converted to electric power by an outfit called Kreisel Electric. Those of us with long memories will recall the actor was one of the first (if not the first) to take delivery of a civilian Humvee when they were released to the general public back in the 1990s. An electric conversion, then, ties the mans then-and-now interests together very well.After taking the world to task in a speech delivered at the UN last week, Thunberg continued to Montreal where she lead an estimated 500,000 people on that days climate strike. These events, held around the world, are intended to highlight climate change and spur people into taking real
Origin: Schwarzenegger sets Greta Thunberg up with Tesla Model 3 to Montreal
VW IDR sets new Nurburgring EV record
VW ID.R sets new Nurburgring EV record The electric prototype took more than 40 seconds off the previous time Volkswagen’s ID.R has set a new electric lap-record at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, setting a time of 6:05.336 around the famous circuit. The lap, set by Romain Dumas in the all-electric racer, beat the previous record by more than 40 seconds. As one of the most challenging circuits in the world, the Nürburgring runs for almost 13 miles and features 73 turns. To take on the challenge of a new electric lap record, VW had to redesign certain parts of the car, which last year set hill climb records at Pikes Peak (outright) and Goodwood (electric). Fewer climbs and longer straights meant that the aerodynamics had to evolve, and powertrain elements needed to be tested to see whether they could deal with long periods of full power. The 500 kW electric racing car took the electric record from NIO’s EP9, set by Peter Dumbreck in 2017, and completed the lap with an average speed of 206.96 km/h (128.6mph). The ID.R is seen as a flagship for VW’s forthcoming ID. all-electric range of cars, with development on electric powertrain components and other elements going both ways – from race team to road-car engineers, and vice versa. Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Group, s aid: “The Nordschleife of the Nürburgring is not only the world’s most demanding race track, it is also the ultimate test for production vehicles. The ID.R has mastered this challenge with great distinction and has completed the fastest emission-free lap of all time. “As further proof of its impressive performance capabilities, Volkswagen’s e-mobility can now proudly call itself ‘Nürburgring-approved’. I congratulate the team from Volkswagen Motorsport and driver Romain Dumas on the third record for the ID.R”
Origin: VW IDR sets new Nurburgring EV record
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