This 2009 file photo shows a Chevrolet Camaro on General Motors flex line at its Oshawa, Ontario plant.Chevrolet GMs long-running Oshawa, Ontario assembly plant officially ceased vehicle production today, December 18.General Motors of Canada has been building cars in Oshawa since the company’s inception in 1918, though the car assembly plant closed this month was opened in late 1953, when demand for Canadian-built Chevrolets was strong enough to warrant building a second facility.The plants closure was announced November 2018 and was due to the recent restructuring of the company, which will halt vehicle production there.Two of the final products that rolled off its line the Cadillac XTS and Chevrolet Impala were discontinued this year, and GM announced the plant would not be updated for the next generation of vehicles.The closing of the plant leaves 2,300 workers unemployed. Just because the plant is finished making cars, however, doesnt mean its going to be completely abandoned by the automaker.Around 300 workers will remain employed at the plant, as parts-stampers for GM and other suppliers. GM made a commitment to produce quarter panels, trunks, doors and hoods at the plant for the next 10 years. GM has also injected $170 million into the plant to convert it into a test site for autonomous- and connected-vehicle technology. Ground has already been broken on the 55-acre site for a paved testing circuit.Some Oshawa workers are eligible for retirement incentives of up to $150,000 if theyve been working there for more than 30 years, or are of retirement age. They will also receive a $10,000 vehicle voucher. Workers who are less than 50 years old but have 10 years or more experience and will turn 50 within three years will be offered an up-to-$150,000 buyout package, or can opt to be placed on a layoff
Origin: The last truck rolled out of Oshawa, Ontario’s 66-year-old GM plant today
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The mayor of Montreal rode in a steam-powered car 120 years ago today
Today marks a special day in history: 120 years ago, on November 21, 1899, Raymond Prfontaine became the first mayor of Montreal to ride in an automobile.And its likely there wasnt much of Montreals infamous road construction to dodge, because there wasnt really much in the way of roads back then, anyway. Most were dirt, dusty in summer and muddy in winter.He was driven around by Ucal-Henri Dandurand (pictured above in his French-made De Dion-Bouton, sometime between 1903 and 1912), who took him out in a steam-powered Waltham automobile hed bought and had shipped up from Massachusetts.Dandurand claimed his Waltham was the first car in Montreal, although historians say there were at least three automobiles in the city prior to that. But Dandurand, a real estate developer, loved to make headlines, and he took Prfontaine on their historic ride the day the car was delivered.Quebec was actually a hotbed of auto activity in the early days, dating right back to Canadas founding year of 1867. Thats when Henry Seth Taylor, a watchmaker in Stanstead, built a steam-powered carriage that most consider to be Canadas first car.Taylor crashed it at an event he never bothered to put brakes on it and stashed it in a barn. It was found a century later and restored, and is now owned by Ingenium (the former Canadian Science and Technology Museum) in Ottawa.A Quebecer also built what’s thought to be the first gasoline-powered car in Canada. Working in Sherbrooke, George Foote Foss completed his car in the spring of 1897.He only built one Fossmobile, as he called it, but in 1902 he moved to Montreal and started distributing the Crestmobile, built in Cambridge, Massachusetts.Some people think Dandurand made his historic journey with the mayor in a Crestmobile, but thats not so. The Crestmobile was still under development at the time and given George Foote Foss ties to the American car, and its similarity to his Fossmobile, many believe he had a hand in its design.Its not clear if Dandurand bought the Fossmobile, but he was photographed with it. And in Montreal he was also famous for an enormous recreational vehicle he commissioned, which looked like a Pullman railway car and could sleep eleven people. It cracked the floor when it was displayed at the 1913 Montreal Auto Show, and reportedly never left the city because none of the bridges could hold its
Origin: The mayor of Montreal rode in a steam-powered car 120 years ago today
Ferrari to reveal new model later today
Ferrari has confirmed that it will reveal a new model later today in a post on its official Instagram page. An accompanying image reveals little about the new car, but we can see a blurred grey silhouette travelling at speed, reflected in a pair of sunglasses. A video posted to the same account earlier this week features clips of famous Italian landmarks and traffic in urban areas, suggesting that it will be a less performance-focused model than the recently revealed F8 Tributo and SF90 Stradale. One possibility is that the firm will reveal a hardtop coupé variant of its entry-level Portofino sports car, following the unveiling last month of the 812 GTS and F8 Spider convertibles. In that case, we can expect it to retain the grand tourer’s turbocharged 3.9-litre V8, which produces 592bhp and 561lb ft. The new car is likely to offer a slight performance advantage over the drop-top, however, with the loss of a weighty roof mechanism. Full details of the new model will be available later today at
Origin: Ferrari to reveal new model later today
Volkswagen ID 3: electric Nissan Leaf rival to be revealed today
Volkswagen says the ID 3’s name comes from the firm’s internal nomenclature for the compact A-segment, and the new model’s opening of the third major chapter in the brand’s history, after the Beetle and Golf. The title also “signals the potential for expansion” into bigger and smaller models in the future. Volkswagen sales boss Jürgen Stackmann said that the start of ID pre-booking ushered in “the third major chapter of strategic importance in the history of our brand, following the Beetle and the Golf”. He added: “With the ID 3, we are making the electric car fit for mass mobility.” Stackmann said that the ID 3 represented a “major milestone” for Volkswagen, adding: “The world is currently in a process of transformation. Volkswagen is not only part of, but is also shaping, this transformation. “We are pursuing a focused powertrain strategy. Volkswagen has opted consistently for the battery-electric drive system. This is currently the most efficient technology for reducing CO2 emissions and meeting the ambitious CO2 reduction targets. E-mobility will become our lead technology.” The ID range is understood to be planned to run from one to 10, with the numbers replacing the titles given to previously seen concepts: the ID Crozz SUV, Vizzion saloon, Buzz MPV and van and Roomzz luxury SUV. Autocar has also revealed the firm is working on an entry-level ‘people’s car’. Volkswagen says the ID 3 First edition will be priced at under €40,000 (£34,000) in Germany, with customers in the UK required to pay a £750 deposit. UK pricing details have yet to be confirmed, and the pre-booking will only be open for the 30,000 special editions, although those who secure a slot can cancel their order with a full refund. The UK is one of the “key” markets for the car, alongside Norway, Germany, the Netherlands and France. Customers who pre-book an ID 3 will be able to order their cars after it is launched at this year’s Frankfurt motor show in September. Those orders will become binding in April 2020, with customers able to cancel and obtain a full refund until then. The First edition will be offered in a choice of four colours and three versions, all featuring large wheel rims. There will also be three trim levels – First, First Plus and First Max – although only the Plus trim will be offered in the UK. This will feature “extensive” comfort features including voice control, a navigation system, exterior IQ lighting and a bi-colour exterior and interior design. In the markets where it is available, the range-topping Max trim includes a panoramic sunroof and augmented-reality head-up display. Volkswagen also said the ID 3 First edition will be offered with 2000kWh of free charging at public charging points using the firm’s We Charge app, on a European charging network. That includes charge points on the Ionity network, which is expanding into the UK. VW also has a deal with Tesco to install 600 rapid chargers at its supermarkets by 2020, although it is not yet confirmed if access to these would be part of the 2000kWh deal. The ID 3 is 4100mm long, 1800mm wide and 1530mm high, making it 155mm longer, 9mm wider and 77mm higher than the seventh-generation Golf, although the electric powertrain means that it is set to offer substantially more interior space. Stackmann added: “From the outside, the ID 3 will be as large as a Golf. In the interior, it will be as spacious as a medium-sized car.” ID 3 production run will start at Volkswagen’s Zwickau factory near the end of this year. The firm is aiming to deliver more than 100,000 examples in 2020, with 110,000 on average per year afterwards. That is part of VW’s goal to sell more than 10 million electric vehicles in the next 10
Origin: Volkswagen ID 3: electric Nissan Leaf rival to be revealed today
New electric Porsche Taycan to be revealed today
The firm has previously revealed a number of details about the Taycan, including images showing the car’s interior, which takes the brand’s design and technology to a new level. It’s based around up to four digital displays, including a curved, freestanding 16.8in configurable driver’s display – Porsche’s first fully digital instrument binnacle. To the right of that the Taycan features a 10.9in infotainment screen where navigation, music and connectivity functions are handled. To the right of that – uniquely for Porsche – is an optional screen of the same size for the passenger. It can’t control driving functions, but allows them to programme the sat-nav and media features independently. Finally, there’s an 8.4in portrait layout screen on the centre console, set at an angle with a touch trackpad below to help control the upper screen. Unlike the upper two touchscreens it offers haptic feedback to improve usability on the move. Over-the-air updates – traditionally a big draw for Tesla buyers – are also possible in the Taycan. Buyers will also receive a free six month subscription to Apple Music, with Apple CarPlay integration also included. Android Auto functionality is not available, however. Despite the distinctly high-tech approach, classic Porsche features such as the dash-top analogue clock still feature. Porsche has been building up to the launch by releasing snippets of information about the Taycan. A pre-production version of the machine recently completed 2128 miles in a 24-hour endurance test run at the Nardò high-speed test track in Italy. Porsche claims that, in temperatures of up to 32deg C, the electric performance saloon averaged speeds of between 121 and 134mph. Minimal stops were made, with the Taycan only pausing for driver changes and battery top-ups. The Taycan’s battery size is yet to be confirmed, but it’s said to offer around 270 miles of range on the WLTP test cycle. In order to maximise mileage, the test car was charged using Porsche’s 800V ultra-fast chargers, capable of delivering 249 miles of range in 15 minutes. The machine will be the first mainstream production car built using 800V technology, allowing for the use of fast-charging stations. The car made its public dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in lightly disguised form, driven by ex-Formula 1 driver Mark Webber. The Taycan has previously been previewed with official camouflaged images (below) and has also been spotted testing numerous times in prototype guise. The Taycan’s styling is heavily influenced by the original Mission E concept, which was designed by Porsche’s former head of exterior design Mitja Borkert, now head of design at Lamborghini. Details include a retractable rear spoiler, advanced regenerative braking system and Tesla-style retracting door handles. The Taycan is the first in an extended line-up of electric models being developed in a programme budgeted to cost up to £5.3 billion through to the end of 2022. It marks a radical departure from Porsche’s traditional line-up, bringing zero-emissions running together with the promise of what the new car’s lead engineer, Stefan Weckbach, describes as a “typical Porsche driving experience”. When it goes on sale in the UK, the Taycan will be positioned between the £55,965 Cayenne SUV and £67,898 Panamera five-door coupé in a move that will set the scene for the introduction of other new electric Porsches, including a mid-engined sports car in the mould of the existing 718 and an electric Macan. Porsche UK boss Marcus Eckermann told Autocar earlier this year that the Taycan is “the beginning of a new era” for Porsche, and is attracting many conquest customers. “We have a lot of interest in the car – and a lot of new customers. Based on the expressions of interest, there are more new people to the brand than existing customers.” While he declined to give expected sales figures, the Taycan’s share of the line-up is set to be considerably higher than the overall EV market share in the UK, which is below 1%. Porsche has previously said it expects to produce 25,000 Taycans worldwide annually, which is about 10% of its current sales. In the UK last year, Porsche sold 12,500 cars, so we can expect at least 1250 sales of the Taycan per year. The Taycan will be offered in two bodystyles, with the standard saloon planned for right-hand-drive delivery in Britain in early 2020 and a higher-riding estate-cum-crossover model, previewed by the Mission E Cross Turismo concept, arriving in showrooms in 2022. Taycan rivals include Tesla Model S Among the key rivals for the new Porsche is the Tesla Model S, which was used as an initial benchmark during the early phases of the Taycan’s development. However, Weckbach acknowledges the model will also compete against a host of other upcoming electric offerings, including the E-tron GT from sister brand Audi and the Mercedes-Benz EQS. Taking full advantage of the packaging advantages
Origin: New electric Porsche Taycan to be revealed today
Lotus Evija: electric hypercar to be revealed later today
Lotus will reveal its groundbreaking all-electric Evija hypercar later today. It will be shown at an exclusive event in Central London this evening, barely a few months after Autocar first revealed the project. Pronounced “eh-vi-ya”, meaning ‘the living one’, or ‘first in existence’, the Evija is shaping up to be the most ambitious car in the firm’s history. Lotus recently confirmed for the first time exactly how many examples will be produced. 130 are planned to be made available to own, up from previous estimates after “several hundred potential owners came forward to express their interest in the new car”. It will be built in Norfolk alongside the rest of the maker’s range. The Evija will be Lotus’s first all-new production car since 2008. Lotus also claims it will be the first fully electric hypercar built and to go on sale from a British manufacturer. A preview image has been released showing a side profile of the new car, and Autocar was recently given an exclusive walk-around of a full-size clay model at the firm’s Hethel base. The model’s previous Type 130 moniker was a reference to a number of innovative models that have appeared throughout the Norfolk brand’s 71-year history, beginning with the Type 14 Elite in 1957 – claimed to be the world’s first composite monocoque production car. The most recent, the Type 111 (the world’s first aluminium and bonded extrusion construction road car) became the Elise. As the official picture suggests, the Evija is low and wide. Lotus design director Russell Carr, who showed the model to Autocar, says it is a similar length to the existing Evora – which is 4.4 metres long – but will sit closer to the ground and be nearly two metres wide. It uses a carbonfibre structure and will be built in Hethel away from the company’s main production line. The cabin is tightly proportioned and adopts the teardrop form familiar from hypercars like the Ford GT40, to better allow airflow to pass around it. The most impressive feature is one that isn’t hinted at by the official rendering – two substantial air tunnels in the rear bodywork which have the tail light elements integrated around their exists. It’s a detail that Carr says has been inspired by the venturi tunnels of LMP sports prototype racing cars. The battery pack will be positioned entirely behind the passenger compartment, with drive sent to all four wheels. No other details are forthcoming at the moment, beyond the fact – as previously reported – that the powertrain is being developed by Williams Advanced Engineering, making this a collaboration between two of the most famous names in Formula 1 history. Lotus boss Phil Popham promises an “entirely appropriate” level of performance for the Evija’s target market and what will be a seven figure pricetag. The total system output is tipped to exceed 1000bhp. It is also set to offer a range of more than 250 miles. Both the battery pack and the pushrod-operated rear suspension will be visible beneath a transparent cover, with Carr saying the plan is for the huge aero tunnels to also incorporate lighting elements. The rear licence plate surround will be removable to help improve performance when the car is used on track. Downforce will be generated from a substantial underbody diffuser and there will also be moveable wing elements and a drag-reducing DRS system. Inside the cabin will feature plenty of carbonfibre and a digital instrument pack, but will also have conventional switchgear rather than a touchscreen interface. “You want to be able to find things without taking your eyes off the road in a car like this,” Carr said. Carr also claimed there will be more room and shoulder space than in a Ford GT or Aston Martin Valkyrie, with moveable seats rather than moveable pedals. “We’re trying to get the balance between prestige and luxury right,” Carr said, “but also to make clear that it’s a very high performance car. We don’t want people to think it’s a stripped-out track day monster, it will be much more practical than that. But equally we don’t want to make a Bugatti either, it has to be a Lotus.” Other neat details include a camera rear view system which will use deployable pods that motor out of the scissor-opening doors, and which relay images onto display screens. It’s a very similar system to the one the forthcoming McLaren Speedtail will have. “We were frustrated when we saw those,” Carr admits, “we’d been working on them for some
Origin: Lotus Evija: electric hypercar to be revealed later today
Lorraine Explains: What’s cooking in your car today?
June 2019. Officially the hottest June ever. In the world. In Northern California, thousands of mussels cooked in their shells — on the beach. Roads buckled in North Dakota. Europe is bracing for temperatures expected to hit 38 C in coming days.But it doesn’t have to be anywhere near that hot for you to risk many things that are in your car. Even on a non-record-setting day, there are dangerous and costly mistakes you can make by leaving things in your parked vehicles.You would never leave your child, your pet or your grandma in a parked car in summer. We don’t need to go there in this piece. Don’t leave any living creature for even ten minutes — don’t. But what about other things, especially things we haul around with us the rest of the year? You might be surprised to know there isn’t much that high heat can’t wreck. About the hottest your car can get is 82 C (180 F). It doesn’t take long, however, and in just the first hour, temps can soar. I locked myself in a hot car to test it. Outside was a lovely, breezy 26-C (79-F) day, but within an hour, it was 52 C (126 F) inside that car. You’ve probably noticed there are times you can’t even touch your steering wheel when your car has been sitting in the summer. Hard plastic dashboards, centre consoles and seats also store heat and radiate it back into the cabin, where it can’t escape. So many surfaces absorbing heat, so many contributing to the escalating temperature inside. So here’s what you shouldn’t leave in your car. Basically, preheat your oven to 170 degrees, and then decide what would be OK in there for several
Origin: Lorraine Explains: What’s cooking in your car today?
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