When dealing with road rage, nobody wins.Supplied / iStock.com via Getty Images In an odd bit of road rage on the East Coast, a driver is reported to have punched both his own car and a sidewalk curb in a road-rage incident near Halifax on Wednesday. We hope he taught that concrete curb a lesson. According to the police report, cops got a call about a disturbance in the area. A driver had apparently stopped to let a pedestrian cross the street at a marked crosswalk when someone following behind her in a Honda Civic swerved into another lane. He then went on to honk the horn, yell a bunch of nonsense and generally make a needless racket. Could the Civic driver have been embarrassed about being distracted and not seeing the first car stop at a marked crosswalk? Maybe. Not content to let distracted dogs lie, the road-rager pulled his Civic up near the first driver after the latter parked in a residential driveway. The Civic driver then got out of the car and proceeded to punch his own vehicle, causing dents on the hood and roof. He then “punched the air” and, somehow, punched the sidewalk curb. That’s either one very low blow or a mighty high sidewalk. We’ll take this opportunity to remind all hands that road rage is one of the lowest forms of crime, ranking down there with littering and being mean to animals. If someone cuts you off in traffic, take a second to breathe before laying on the horn and offering an extended middle finger. We know it’s hard; there are boneheaded drivers everywhere. Understandably, the cops would like to speak with this guy. He’s described as a 35-year-old Caucasian male with brown hair. Be kind to each other out there,
Origin: Road-raging driver in Halifax punches—his own vehicle
vehicle
Mercedes unveils GLE-based experimental safety vehicle
Mercedes-Benz unveiled the latest in a long line of experimental vehicles in an ongoing project into advanced safety technology. Based on a yet-to-be launched petrol-electric GLE, the ‘ESF 2019’ research project acts as a rolling showcase for new and improved safety functions that Mercedes expects to incorporate on its future models. Among the project’s innovations are those that the German car maker calls “near series” as well as developments that “look well into the future”. The ESF 2019’s developments include a new holistic driver environment that features a retractable steering wheel and pedal box as well as ideas for new airbag installations that Rodolfo Schöneburg, the head of Mercedes vehicle safety, said “take into account the greater interior flexibility offered by autonomous vehicles”. He said: “The great advantage of automating driving functions is that, in the future, fewer accidents will be caused by driver error. However, fully automated and driverless vehicles also come up against physical limits and there will undoubtedly be mixed traffic consisting of automated and non-automated vehicles for many years.” The heavily modified GLE also uses a new interior lighting function incorporated into the driver’s sun visor. It has been developed in response to recent studies that reveal a vitalising light source similar to that of mood lamps can significantly improve driver alertness on long journeys. As part of an update to its existing Pre-Safe belt tensioners, Mercedes has also equipped the ESF 2019 with Pre-Safe Curve, which warns the driver if the entry speed to corners is too high by lightly tightening the seatbelt. A new Pre-Safe Child function preventatively tensions the seatbelt and inflates impact protection elements around the child seat before an impact, reducing the loads acting on the child. This new function is also able to monitor the seat installation and the child’s vital signs. On its outside, the new safety research vehicle features digital surfaces incorporated into the grille, rear window and roof. Developed in a programme that aims to build people’s trust in automated vehicles, these digital surfaces communicate directions and other vital information as well as warn other road users and pedestrians of impending danger, even when parked. Another new development heavily tipped to appear on next year’s all-new S-Class is Mercedes’ Digital Light – a high-definition light source with a resolution of more than two million pixels that is claimed to be dazzle-free. A further future safety function being tested by Mercedes is a small robot that doubles as a warning triangle to secure accident sites or breakdowns. It deploys from the rear and positions itself at the side of the road. An additional warning triangle folds out of the roof. A potentially life-saving innovation is the new Pre-Safe Impulse Rear. It monitors when vehicles are approaching from the rear in a tailback and can autonomously move the ESF 2019 forwards if an impending impact is detected, provided there is the space to do so. The project draws on more than 50 years of accident research. Previous experimental vehicles have previewed functions in current Mercedes models, including the rear seatbelt airbag and active high beam assistant initially incorporated on the ESF
Origin: Mercedes unveils GLE-based experimental safety vehicle
Driving an electric vehicle saves you big bucks: B.C. Hydro survey
A Ford Fusion Energi electric vehicle being recharged at a charging station.Handout / Ford The longer your commute, the more you save by driving an electric vehicle, according to a survey released Friday by B.C. Hydro. The provincial power utility estimates that consumers could save thousands of dollars a year by switching from a vehicle powered by fossil fuels to one powered by electricity. A commuter driving the 80-km round trip from Surrey to Vancouver, for example, would spend $409 a year in an electric Nissan Leaf, according to the survey. Driving a fossil-fuelled Honda Civic would cost an estimated $2,200, or about $1,700 more a year; a Toyota RV4, $2,519, or $2,000 more; and a Ford F-150, $3,779, or $3,200 more. The B.C. Hydro calculations are based on an electric vehicle costing the equivalent of 25 cents a litre in gasoline. Gasbuddy.com on Thursday listed 10 gas stations in Vancouver with per-litre prices ranging from $1.55 to $1.66. “Fuelling costs for an electric vehicle are about 80 per cent less,” said Tanya Fish, a senior media relations adviser for B.C. Hydro. “The more you drive, the more you save on your fuelling costs.” Fish said B.C. Hydro wanted to look at the cost of commuting with an electric vehicle given that gasoline prices are so high in Metro Vancouver. “It’s very topical,” she said. “I think more and more people are exploring the switch to electric vehicles given that they’ll save significantly on fuelling and maintenance.” Fish said B.C. Hydro reported that last April that there were slightly fewer than 9,000 electric vehicles on the road. Now there are about 18,000. By 2030, B.C. Hydro estimates there will be about 350,000 electric vehicles in the province. They will use the equivalent of 1,050 gigawatts hours per year of energy—the same amount of power used by 97,000 homes. “It’s something we’re planning for to ensure we can handle the load on the system,” she said. She said B.C. Hydro plans to add another 23 fast-charging electric vehicle charging stations this year to the existing network of 58. A fast-charge station can charge an electric vehicle to 80 per cent in 30 minutes or less. The province estimates that consumers can choose from among 44 clean energy vehicles in B.C. priced at $33,000 to $50,000, before incentives. The lowest EV starts at about $29,000. Norway expects 50 per cent of new car sales this year will be electric. In March, the country set a new record with electric vehicles comprising 58.4 per cent of all new car
Origin: Driving an electric vehicle saves you big bucks: B.C. Hydro survey
GM will convert Oshawa plant into autonomous vehicle test track
GM Oshawa Assembly signHandout / GM Canada General Motors will invest $170 million converting the Oshawa, Ontario assembly plant it’d intended to close into a parts production facility and autonomous vehicle test track. GM and labour union Unifor announced May 8 their new agreed-upon plans for the plant. The 60-plus-year-old facility will be transitioned into an parts producer for GM and other auto industry clients; the vehicle assembly stations will go away, and be replaced by machines for stamping aftermarket parts. The facility will also act as hub for autonomous vehicle (AV) testing, and its redevelopment will see the construction of an AV test track. GM says 300 jobs will be retained with the potential to grow and generate significant additional jobs in the coming years. Unfortunately most of the roughly 2,600 hourly workers currently employed in Oshawa assembly will still lose their jobs, though there will be opportunities to move to other GM plants in Ontario. Packages will also be offered to employees who are close to retirement. A Job Action Centre will be established in June to help people find jobs outside of GM once the plant closes in December 2019; the centre is jointly supported by GM, Unifor and the Ontario government. GM is also offering financial support for employees looking to retrain for new jobs. “This transformation plan is very significant as it positions Oshawa for a sustainable future, GM Canada president and managing director Travis Hester said. This agreement maximizes the support for our people and their families, and further secures Oshawa as a key in developing vehicles of the future at our new test track.” That new test track will be used specifically to test autonomous vehicle technology, as well as to expand GM’s technical centre capabilities in Ontario. After ongoing protests and even Super Bowl ads fighting the plant’s closure, it seems like Jerry Dias, Unifor National President, is satisfied with this new resolution. “By maintaining a footprint in Oshawa, and keeping the plant intact, we save hundreds of jobs and this gives us the ability to build and create new jobs in the future, Dias said. We are in a much better position than we were five months ago when the plant was
Origin: GM will convert Oshawa plant into autonomous vehicle test track
The biggest Electric Vehicle Show is this weekend – in Montreal
Thirteen. Thousand. Dollars. Since last Wednesday, that’s how much you can get in government rebates for buying a new electric car in Quebec. Want to shop for yours? Good timing: this weekend, Place Bonaventure welcomes the Montreal Electric Vehicle Show’s third edition. Can’t make it? No problem: there’s a repeat in Quebec City at the end of May. Last year, the second edition of the Montreal Electric Vehicle Show drew almost 25,000 people in a weekend. That is no less one-tenth of all the visitors the Montreal International Auto Show generally attracts… in 10 days. And last year, the MEVS – get used to it: that’s what they called the Montreal Electric Vehicle Show – was the scene of 2,000 road tests of electric and plug-in hybrid cars and other electric-powered vehicles of all types. The show would have proposed e-boat rides right in Métropole de Montréal’s biggest pool if the event would have been held at the Stade Olympique, instead of the downtown Place Bonaventure. Yeah, that’s how crazy we are in Quebec. Remember, la Belle Province is the first and still the only one in Canada with an adopted ZEV standard. Since last summer, when Ontario’s Doug Ford government cancelled its electric incentive program, Quebec is back to being the province with the most generous electric rebates, up to $8000 from the provincial level. Add the $5,000 from the federal level since May 1st and that $13,000 slashed off a $41,700 Nissan Leaf or on a $44,800 Chevrolet Bolt gives a nice little jolt. How many wheels do you want: 2, 6 or… none? MEVS, in its third year, opening today (May 3) and going until the end of Sunday (May 5) at Place Bonaventure, is a one-stop shop to learn everything about current electric options, no matter if it powers two, four, six or… no wheels at all. Indeed, beyond the cars we already know, there will be e-motorcycles, e-ATVs, e-karts, e-surf boards, e-buses, e-forklifts… even e-fat-bikes (that one could well become our favourite!). MEVS organizers claim it is the largest EV show in Canada, with 110 exhibitors ranging from solar energy equipment manufacturers to portable battery charger makers, as well as e-insurance and e-financing companies. You don’t want to miss… MEVS also features a bunch of conferences that you don’t want to miss if you are EV-Curious, EV-committed, EV-enthusiast or even EV-uncertain. CAA Quebec, one of the major partners of the event, and if you only have half an hour to sat through a (French…) exposé, you want it to be from Jesse Caron, the automobile expert from the Quebec’s Automotive Association who will Tell it like it is while presenting: EV à la portée de tous: mythe ou réalité? The two other (French, again) conferences you may want to attend are Simon-Pierre Rioux, president of the Association des véhicules électriques du Québec (AVEQ), will go back into a century of EV innovation; and Bruno Marcoux, consultant for e-Racine, will discuss about the pros and cons of buying a used EV (remember that Quebec offers provincial rebates up to $4,000 for those as well). What: Montreal Electric Vehicle Show Where: Place Bonaventure, Montreal, 800 de la Gauchetière Street W. When: Friday, May 3: 1pm – 9pm Saturday, May 4: 10am – 6pm Sunday, May 5: 10am – 5pm General Admission: $15 ($10 for CAA-Quebec members) Parking… free: Electric autonomous buses Kelios will shuttle the visitors for free between the P-10 field of Casino de Montreal and Place
Origin: The biggest Electric Vehicle Show is this weekend – in Montreal
Tesla gets creative with Model 3 pricing to qualify for federal electric vehicle rebates
Tesla’s Model 3 now qualifies for Ottawa’s electric vehicle rebate program.SeongJoon Cho / Bloomberg Tesla has announced that it will be dropping the retail price of its popular Model 3 electric vehicle to $44,999 in Canada, in a move that appears to just barely qualify the car for a $5,000 government incentive for green vehicles. The incentive was announced in the federal budget in March, and starting May 1 car buyers can take advantage of the subsidy. When the subsidy was first announced, it looked as though Tesla vehicles — the most popular electric cars on the market — would fail to qualify because Ottawa would only offer subsidies for vehicles with a price tag of less than $45,000, and in March the Tesla Model 3 was listed for $47,600. But in the past couple months, it appears that Tesla has gotten creative with its vehicle pricing to qualify for the rebate. The company is now selling a Model 3 vehicle with a range of just 150 kilometres, far less than the 386-kilometre range listed for the standard base model. That new ultra-short-range model comes in at $44,999. But the price-tag contortionism doesn’t stop there. The federal program specifies that vehicles with a base price of less than $45,000 qualify, even if they have add-ons of up to $10,000, bringing the total price of the vehicle to $55,000. This means that a standard Tesla Model 3 with a retail price of $53,700 will also qualify for the rebate. The federal government appears to endorse this pricing scheme because the Model 3 is now officially listed among the vehicles that qualify. John Zhang, an analyst with research firm IDC, said that Tesla is going out of its way to convince customers that they absolutely should not buy the 150-kilometre car. “The 150 km range is really just a deterrence that Tesla is trying to create in order to minimize the number customers purchasing these 150-km range Model 3s. Because there needs to be a base model that’s under the $45K mark in order for the higher-priced variant to qualify for the rebate as well, that’s essentially what Tesla did,” Zhang said. “Another piece of evidence that Tesla is deterring customers to buy this model is that you can’t order that specific car online. The order needs to be placed either over the phone or at a Tesla store. So essentially, Tesla wants customers to purchase the higher priced Standard Range Plus model, which has a range of 386 km.” Zhang also said that the 150-km version actually ships with the same battery pack as the 386 km version, and the range is only limited by a software lock, so customers can pay to upgrade their car after purchase. We can’t help but wonder how much that unlocking will cost, and how long it takes before some entrepreneurial software engineers take matters into their own hands with cheaper third-party solutions. Zhang said this isn’t the first time Tesla has engaged in this kind of pricing. “Tesla did this in Germany before in a similar situation. From a policy standpoint, the fact that the rebate was excluding the best-selling electric car in Canada partially defeated the purpose of putting the incentive in the first place, which is to promote/increase EV adoption,” he said. “Now that the base Model 3 is included, it’s levelling the playing field and customers have another choice when making their purchase
Origin: Tesla gets creative with Model 3 pricing to qualify for federal electric vehicle rebates
Ford investing US$500M in electric vehicle startup Rivian
2019 Rivian R1T Electric TruckHandout / Rivian Ford is sinking a half-billion dollars into electric vehicle startup Rivian in a deal that has the companies working together on a new Ford EV based on Rivian underpinnings. Ford will become a minority partner in Rivian, which is based outside of Detroit and recently rolled out a new electric pickup truck and an SUV that will go on sale late next year. In a statement, Ford CEO Jim Hackett says the partnership will bring a fresh approach to Ford’s intelligent and electric vehicles. He also says Rivian will benefit from Ford’s manufacturing expertise and resources. Rivian will remain an independent company, but Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of automotive, will get a seat on the startup’s seven-member board. The deal is still subject to regulatory approval. Rivian has a large engineering and administrative operation in the Detroit suburb of Plymouth Township, Mich., as well as outposts in San Jose and Irvine, Calif., and Surrey, England. The company also is starting manufacturing operations in a 2.6-million square-foot factory in Normal, Ill., that was once used by Mitsubishi. The company’s R1T pickup and R1S SUV are supposed to have more than 400 miles (640 kilometres) of range on a single charge. The five-seat pickup is aimed at the market for off-road capable trucks with outdoorsy features, a market Tesla has not yet entered. A basic truck with smaller 230-mile (370 kilometres) battery pack will start under US$70,000. A truck with the longer-range battery will be around US$90,000. The R1T and R1S will first roll out in the U.S., then to other
Origin: Ford investing US$500M in electric vehicle startup Rivian
The 10 best vehicle interiors for 2019
Genesis G70Genesis Exterior styling makes a vehicle’s first impression, but it’s the interior that really makes or breaks it. It doesn’t matter how good the outside is if you’re not happy with the inside. To that end, auto industry publication WardsAuto recently announced its annual Wards 10 Best Interiors for 2019. The editors looked at 32 nominees (which had to be all-new or updated for 2019, but there’s no price cap) and scored each on design, comfort, ergonomics, materials, fit and finish, and user-friendliness. The Michigan-based company tested U.S. models, which don’t always correspond to Canadian trim levels, so we’ve given you both the Canadian starting price, and the U.S. price for the trim level that Wards tested. In alphabetical order, the top ten are: Bentley Continental GT (CDN starting price $231,800/US tested $276,730) Bentley Continental GT Bentley You expect near-perfection at this price, and the GT delivers. Wards says it takes 100 hours and ten bull hides to create the interior, and it looks it. Also nominated was the Cayenne Turbo, which has a sportier flair, but for plain good looks and coddling luxury, Bentley has this one. Even so, they bear some resemblance in their overall design, no doubt because they’re both part of the Volkswagen Group. BMW M850i (CDN starting price $123,500/US tested $119,295) 2019 BMW M850i xDrive Coupe Handout / BMW The new coupe was nominated along with the BMW 330i and X5, but while those two scored high, the judges thought the M850i “takes the brand’s interiors to another level.” They liked its “ergonomics, brilliant displays, and lightning-fast voice recognition,” along with its leather and metal trim. It is handsome, but I’d have given the crown to nominee Audi A8, with its better-integrated centre screen and smoother, wider-looking dash styling. Genesis G70 (CDN starting price $42,000/US tested $44,895) Genesis G70 Genesis The Genesis hit the list with attention to detail, rear-seat comfort, and that “all this style, quality and content” came in under $45,000. Personal taste being, well, personal, I’ve never been a fan of too much diamond-stitched upholstery; that aside, the G70 earned its spot. Among the also-rans, the Toyota Avalon has a curved centre console topped with a tablet-style touchscreen that looks too clunky, and the Lexus ES 350, while stylish, can’t top the Genesis. Hyundai Santa Fe (CDN starting price $28,999/US tested $39,905) Hyundai Santa Fe Hyundai The Hyundai Palisade and Veloster N were also nominated, but Santa Fe made the final cut for throwing in all kinds of features for the price – Wards noted heated second-row seats, wireless charging, privacy shades, impeccable fit-and-finish, and “the kind of brushed-aluminum sill plates usually found in luxury cars twice the price.” The new Palisade could have easily traded places with it, but what you get for the Santa Fe’s price is impressive. I also like the Subaru Ascent’s interior, and it was nominated, but didn’t make the final cut. Jeep Gladiator (CDN starting price estimated $45,500/US tested $51,245) Jeep Gladiator Jeep The Gladiator shares the new-for-2018 Wrangler’s impressive cabin, but Wards was really wowed with the second row and its fold-up-fold-down seats, locking storage, and removable Bluetooth wireless speaker. The Gladiator easily topped the nominated Ford Ranger, with an interior that gets the job done but lacks the Jeep’s flair. The GMC Sierra Denali made the top 10 in 2014, but only earned a nomination this time around. Lincoln Nautilus (CDN starting price $50,450/US tested $67,630) Lincoln Nautilus Black Label Lincoln Lincoln’s new focus on its interiors earned it a well-deserved spot. Wards tested the Black Label trim and liked the infotainment system’s operation, the diamond-pattern seats, Alcantara headliner, and a console that’s “the visual focal point of the interior.” Arch-rival Cadillac was nominated for its XT4, but its hodgepodge of dash panels is too funky for a luxury brand; the Lexus UX 200 F Sport compact sport-ute has a functional cockpit but it’s a bit too plain. Mercedes-Benz A220 Sedan (CDN starting price $34,990/US tested $51,935) Mercedes-Benz A220 Sedan Mercedes-Benz The A220 is Mercedes-Benz’s entry-level model, but it doesn’t look it. Wards gushed over the first appearance of MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience), which uses artificial intelligence to learn natural speech commands. As did I, the editors also liked the turbine-shaped vents and how the instrument cluster and infotainment system are integrated into a single screen. Other nominated sedans included the Nissan Altima, with a swoopy dash that mimics the front grille; Volkswagen Jetta, with its simple but elegant design; and Honda Insight, which is too busy and has a strange, push-pull button transmission shifter. Nissan Kicks (CDN starting price $17,998/US tested $23,330) Nissan Kicks Nissan The Kicks was the least expensive
Origin: The 10 best vehicle interiors for 2019
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