A Ford Fusion Energi electric vehicle being recharged at a charging station.Handout / Ford Changes made to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act should help make finding a charging spot a little easier for EV drivers in the province. Because now, parking a car with a regular combustion engine, or even an EV that’s not plugged in, in a designated charging spot could get you a $125 fine. Vehicles must be electric and be actively charging, or they could be hit with the ticket. Leader of the Green Party of Ontario Mike Schreiner told CBC that the bill was proposed after the party learned of the “major issue” that is the lack of charging spots in Ontario. Freeing up those few spots that are available for the cars that need them does seem like a logical step. Schreiner says he also plans to push Progressive Conservatives to add more EV charging infrastructure by incentivizing businesses to install stations. “Having policies in place to put more chargers in government-owned parking lots so that way, as more and more people move to electric vehicles, they have the confidence that they’ll be able to charge those vehicles and get on with their travels,” Schreiner said.The change to the Act marks the first time a private member’s bill by the Green Party has become law. LISTEN: What do you get when you combine a cross-country electric vehicle road trip with a poignant love story? Mary Ann’s Electric Drive, that’s what. In this week’s episode of Plugged In, we chat with Harvey Soicher, a Vancouver man who tragically lost his soul mate 18 months ago but found some semblance of healing by embracing what he calls a ‘pioneer spirit’ to drive his Audi e-tron from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean and back.
Origin: There’s now a $125 fine for parking a gas car in an EV spot in Ontario
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James Ruppert: Rose-tinted specs make it hard to spot a banger
Any car is only worth what someone is prepared to pay for it. So it was good to hear from Damien, who told us of his affection for sports cars from a few decades ago. “I’m a child of the 1980s and my second car was a 1992 Toyota Celica ST with the fabulous 21R engine,” he said. Like most of us, he has had a recent attack of nostalgia and has been rather taken by a dealer-owned ’84 one. Apparently it’s pretty much as new, so there is a stiff £23,500 asking price, reduced from an even more preposterous £25k. Hardly surprising that it has been hanging around for a year, is it? Realistically, Damien sees it at £15,000 maximum, and he’s probably right, although even that was more than he was prepared to pay. Classic car prices, and indeed all used car prices, are hard to predict at the best of times because there are such variable factors. However, this Celica had an automatic gearbox, which is not a major selling point when it comes to a sports car. What we have here is a premium price because of the mileage, which is just under 4000. Otherwise £12,000 would seem to be fair, but it all depends on what the dealer paid and their stand-in value is (including what has been spent on any refurbishment). That explains why the dealer is holding out. Classic cars will always be a special case and, nominally with most used cars a decade or so old, a little book could help you. Sure, there are classic price guides, but there is so much more to it than that: the seller is hoping that the buyer will be so drunk on nostalgia that the actual price becomes academic. Do you want the classic or don’t you? I know about Minis and I saw a Morris-badged van at £12,495 – and, actually, that’s not half bad at all. I could make a commercial case for that, once sign-written. The working Minis were mostly run into the ground, so the survivors are few and this isn’t a silly price. The dealer with that one also had a Ford Escort RS 2000 Custom up for £47,995. To me that seemed like an absurd amount of money. Old Fords don’t do it for me, so that perfectly demonstrates how we all look at classic cars: individually. What is a fortune to some is making a dream come true for others. Damien has nothing to lose by making an offer for his dream Celica. You just never know, they might want to move it on, but that mileage is so marginal, why not duke it out? Someone somewhere will want to buy it. After all, a car is only worth what someone is prepared to pay. What we almost bought this week A great name and a great solution for those summer festivals and race meets when all you want to do is ogle motors, enjoy a barbie and settle down for the night in the car park. Anyway, that was our thinking when we saw this 2005-reg four-wheel-drive eight-seater with powered pop-up roof, electric blinds and automatically folding rear seats. Tales from Ruppert’s garage Here’s a thing. The Flying Pig looked like it had a problem because it leaked coolant. Indeed, a reader sent me a terrifying picture of their Audi Q7, which needed a 20p plastic pipe whose replacement involved the removal of most of the front of the vehicle. I’ll show that when I can find it. So I’m pleased to report that the leak seems to have fixed itself. No Radweld or anything, plus we’ve done a good few 300-mile round trips and the fluid levels stayed normal. Praise be. My daughter, though, can still detect the aroma of wet dog. Reader’s ride David Robertshaw is back, with a rather marvellous 2002 Vauxhall Astra 1.6 estate. He says: “This one came to me in January on 87k miles and looking ready for the scrap yard, with faded paint, running issues and two weeks’ MOT. But it was free! I got it home, gave it a machine polish and saw it was solid and original. The interior looks unused. It failed its MOT on brake lines and a headlight, then I got it through the re-test, gave it a service and traced the poor running to a faulty ECU. A used one was £38 and fitted in a couple of hours. It now runs nicely and has just completed a 250-mile round trip without issue. I quite like the low-down torque of the eight-valve engine – it’s faster than I thought it would be.” Readers’ questions Question: The automatic ’box in my ageing BMW 750iL is playing up. I love the car (it was a company vehicle I bought on retirement) and want it fixed by a competent specialist. Can you recommend one? George Walker, Bristol Answer: It’s risky for us to recommend a business without direct experience, but fortunately there’s an organisation dedicated to encouraging high standards in the automatic transmission industry, and they should be able to help: the Federation of Automatic Transmission Engineers. Visit fedauto.co.uk for details of your nearest qualified repairer. John Evans Question: I’ve seen a 2016/16 Renault Kadjar 1.5 dCi Dynamique Nav with 60k miles for £8995 and a same-age Nissan Qashqai 1.5 dCi Acenta with Tech Pack and 43k miles for £1000 more.
Origin: James Ruppert: Rose-tinted specs make it hard to spot a banger
News Roundup: B.C. woman pulls out machete to defend Costco parking spot
In this file photo, a lot attendant does his best to help park thousands of cars doing last-minute Christmas shopping at Chinook Centre in southwest Calgary.Stuart Dryden / Calgary Sun Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving 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. Vancouver Island’s machete-wielding parking lot bully wanted by police Shoppers brave the cold and packed parking lot at West Edmonton Mall to finish up their Christmas shopping in Edmonton. Jordan Verlage / Edmonton Sun A B.C. woman went full Danny Trejo over a parking spot at a Costco on Vancouver Island last week, threatening a fellow shopper with a machete. Geez, there are plenty of churros in the food court! Chill! The dispute began when a woman pulled into the spot, cutting off a driver who had the right of way. After a brief argument, the spot-stealer reached into her car and withdrew a machete, which she brandished “in a threatening manner,” according to local police. The woman has since been identified and is being sought by police. Smart bids adieu to Canada and the U.S. 2018 Smart Fortwo EQ Cabrio Clayton Seams / Driving Mercedes-Benz Canada has confirmed that Smart will be letting the axe fall on sales of its tiny car in the U.S. and Canada. In a statement, the brand attributes the pull back to “a number of factors, including a declining microcar market in the U.S. and Canada, combined with high homologation costs for a low-volume model.” The Smart car was introduced to the North American market in 2008, but never really managed to take root. By 2017, just 368 Smarts were sold in Canada, followed by just 345 in 2018 when the brand switched to an all-electric model. The clever little car apparently wasn’t smart enough for us. Or was it too smart? We may never know. Why running your gas tank right down to empty is potentially bad for you, your wallet and your car Ever wonder how far you can drive when the fuel needle reaches E? It’s not worth the risk. Handout / Fotolia With gas prices soaring, it’s understandable that we all want to get the most out of each tank. But while seeing just how far you can drive after that empty warning light has come on may seem like a logical way to get the most bang for your buck, it’s actually not. In Lorraine Sommerfeld’s recent column, she explains why letting your tank run on or near empty is silly, financially and mechanically irresponsible, and even dangerous. Things you need to consider before playing a game of chicken with your fuel gauge include but are not limited to: the fact that your car’s fuel pump will last longer if you keep the tank topped up, whether or not you have CAA, whether your car will lose brakes and power steering when the engine cuts from lack of fuel, and whether inclines or declines on the road ahead will make the last dredges of fuel inaccessible to the engine. Virginia man shoots girlfriend and her son after Ford vs Chevrolet argument Ford Mustang GT vs. Chevrolet Camaro SS Nick Tragianis / Driving A Virginia man decided words weren’t getting through to his girlfriend or her adult son during an argument over which brand makes better vehicles: Ford or Chevrolet. So, he pulled out a knife, stabbed her, then pulled out a gun and shot her five times and her son once — from machetes in Canada to guns in the U.S. The two victims were seriously but not critically injured. Then, after barricading himself in his house while police surrounded tried to coax him out, the 56-year-old shooter was eventually arrested and given multiple charges, including possessing a firearm as a felon. Listen, America, you’re going to have to admit one of two things here: either you have a car problem, or a gun problem. I think you know which one it is Here are some basic low-tech mechanical elements automakers still can’t seem to get right You’d think as technology advances, automakers would figure out the simple stuff in our cars — like power window switches and motors. Nick Tragianis / Driving The more things change, the more they stay the same. That’s the sentiment in this week’s Your Corner Wrench column with Brian Turner, who argues that, despite the technical leaps and bounds within the auto industry, there are still a handful of simple things that continue to give drivers and mechanics grief. HVAC blower motor resistors, alternators or generators, and window mechanisms are proof that, even with the future already here, the past hasn’t parted just yet. Here’s hoping Toyota brings the 2.0-litre turbo Supra to Canada 2020 Toyota Supra Derek McNaughton / Driving Emissions files submitted by Toyota suggest that the U.S. (California, specifically) will be receiving the 2.0-litre turbo-four version of the 2020 Supra that has previously only been available in markets overseas. Whether the smaller
Origin: News Roundup: B.C. woman pulls out machete to defend Costco parking spot
Vancouver Island woman whips out machete to defend Costco parking spot
Shoppers brave the cold and packed parking lot at West Edmonton Mall to finish up their Christmas shopping in Edmonton.Jordan Verlage Don’t believe me? Think it’s an observance about a broken love? Nope. For a Vancouver Island woman, it was about being closer to the door when she came out with a two-year supply of toilet paper, or whatever else she went to Costco go buy. It was a classic meet-cute that turned into gunslinger stand-off in the blink of an eye. Two women spied the same empty parking spot at the same time, and did the only understandable thing: one dove in to cut off the first, then they started arguing about it. (Caveat: I don’t get this. Has anyone ever seen someone remove themselves from a spot they’ve already claimed because the other person yelled at them?) So far, the story is pretty standard-issue adult playground hijinx. Until the winner pulled a machete on the loser. What now? Police were called when she brandished the knife in a threatening manner, though I’m not sure how many ways you could hold a machete that wouldn’t make me feel a little threatened, especially in the middle of an acre of asphalt. I’ll admit, this was a headline I couldn’t skip past, but I bet there were parents with kids in the parking lot that day who could have used a little less violent way to prove it’s always a good idea to be a courteous driver, even if you have to walk a few more steps. Take Our
Origin: Vancouver Island woman whips out machete to defend Costco parking spot
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