Report: Rideshare vehicles’ back seats are dirtier than your toilet

2018 Toyota Corolla iMCosta Mouzouris The back seats of taxis and vehicles booked via rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft are, on average, much ickier than your average toilet seat, according to tests conducted by insurance aggregator website Netquote. The tests focused on three areas: the window buttons; door handles; and seatbelt of three randomly chosen taxis, and three randomly chosen rideshare vehicles, Autoblog reports. They also swabbed the seatbelts, steering wheel and gearshift of three rental cars. These spots were chosen because they are the most-touched points in most cars. The grossness of the results of the test is measured in CFU numbers, which stands for colony-forming units. A typical toilet seat has around 171 CFU per square inch. The amount of germs isn’t actually as big a deal as how bad the individual germ can be; however, the more germs, the greater the possibility one of those pretty bad ones is in the mix. On the scale, the tests showed taxis netted an average CFU of 27,000 per square inch, with the worst offender areas being the seatbelts, followed by the door handles and window buttons. Rental cars are much worse for wear, somehow. The steering wheel and gear lever get the worst of it, with over 1 million CFU per square inch, while the seatbelts remain almost unscathed, with only 403 CFU per square inch. You would think the vehicles would be hosed down after some filthy bum has returned it after 1,000 km, but nope. The rental cars aren’t as bad as the rideshare vehicles, however. With people constantly jumping in and out of them from various venues, it really isn’t a surprise that the seatbelts and window controls scored over 5 million CFU per square inch. Somehow, the door handles remained cleaner at 1,810 CFU per square inch. So maybe next time you ride in an Uber, wear a hazmat suit. That’s the only logical thing to
Origin: Report: Rideshare vehicles’ back seats are dirtier than your toilet

Automakers question B.C.’s plan to phase out gas vehicles by 2040

A Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) at a charging station outletHyundai Big automakers are questioning B.C.’s proposed 2040 ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars, SUVs and light trucks. Japanese automaker Honda said it has been trying to tell the B.C. government that limiting new sales in 2040 to electric and hydrogen vehicles, while discounting gains in fuel-efficiency for future hybrid electric-gas engines, may not be the best way to achieve the province’s pollution reduction goals. “With the way technology is advancing it’s hard to predict, said Honda Canada president Dave Gardner. And that’s what we’re concerned about. At this stage of the game, let’s not pick a winning technology. Let’s just embrace anything that will achieve the overall goals. South Korean-based Hyundai, which is riding high on the successful launch of its new electric Kona SUV, said Ottawa should be regulating vehicle sales and not individual provinces like B.C. But Hyundai Canada president Don Romano also applauded B.C. for at least trying to push the issue. He said the province could become a leader if it mandated that existing gas stations – often owned by oil companies – also install electric and hydrogen fuel chargers, automatically creating a vast new charging network. I would cite to the B.C. government the fact they haven’t done anything with the gas industry, Romano said. If you want to see electric vehicles at 100 per cent at that time, or hydrogen vehicles, you need electric and hydrogen charging stations at every gas station across the province. It just makes sense. Energy Minister Michelle Mungall said B.C. is not considering such a move. Right now the private market is responding to building infrastructure associated with charging, and they are doing that at a fairly rapid pace, said Mungall. In terms of using the policy mechanism of government intervention, at this point I don’t know that that’s necessary. I haven’t even asked that question because the private sector is jumping in that quickly with charging stations. Mungall also said she believes B.C.’s legislation is flexible enough to accommodate Honda’s concerns. B.C.’s electric vehicle legislation is currently being debated in the legislature. In the first quarter of 2019, electric vehicle sales accounted for six per cent of B.C. vehicle sales. There are more than 17,000 zero-emission vehicles currently on B.C. roads. Plug-in hybrids, with batteries and gas engines, will still be allowed after 2040, but B.C. will award auto companies significantly reduced credits for selling them compared to fully electric models. Companies will need to accumulate enough credits to avoid being fined by the government. Hybrids without plug-in capability – currently more common in the marketplace – won’t be allowed for new sales in B.C. after 2040. Mungall said the proposed system rewards the cleanest vehicles with the longest range, and is the most flexible way to approach the issue. Honda Canada’s popular Civic sedan and CR-V SUV are both currently only available in gasoline models. Honda also sells a plug-in hybrid called the Clarity, which starts at $40,100. The next big thing you’ll see from Honda is to gasoline-electric, what you’d call a traditional hybrid engine, said Gardner. Because the traditional gasoline-electric hybrid can reduce or improve fuel economy from 20 to 25 per cent.” It’s not a position shared by Hyundai, which said plug-in hybrids still pollute. B.C. should stick with a zero-emission definition that is fully electric or hydrogen, said Romano. Ultimately, we need to remove combustion engines, he said. Hyundai’s electric Kona is the first electric subcompact SUV in Canada, with a starting price of $44,999. Hyundai says it has a travel range of 415 kilometres on a single charge, meaning it may only need to be charged once a week for some consumers. Kona EVs went on sale in January with 1,854 vehicles sold in February, then increased 197 per cent in March to 2,717 vehicles, and a further 53 per cent in April to 2,348 vehicles. Romano said government electric vehicle subsidies – $5,000 provincially and $5,000 federally – caused a run on demand and Hyundai is sold out of Konas. It’s an anomaly, he said. It doesn’t reflect the sustainable demand we’re going to see over the next couple of years. An EV electric vehicle charging parking spot in a parking lot at UBC, Vancouver, February 20 2019. Gerry Kahrmann / Postmedia Honda cited another trend that B.C.’s legislation fails to account for—mainly the consumer push away from fuel-efficient sedans toward larger SUVs and light trucks, where electrification is more difficult. Passenger cars are now accounting for less than 30 per cent of the marketplace, and we’re not motivating or trying to change the consumers who want bigger more utility vehicles and therefore by their nature are less fuel efficient, said Gardner. Hyundai disagreed, saying its Kona is proof that electric SUVs are possible and
Origin: Automakers question B.C.’s plan to phase out gas vehicles by 2040

EV advocates, critics charged up over B.C. goal of phasing out gas vehicles by 2040

Travis McKeown with his new blue Chevy Bolt in Richmond, BC., May 6, 2019.Nick Procaylo / Postmedia When Travis McKeown considered getting rid of his 2007 Honda Civic recently, the high price of gas and the abundance of government rebates made the idea of switching to an electric vehicle too good to pass up. The 32-year-old IT worker did the math on his daily commute from Surrey to Richmond, the travel range needed for his wife and two young children, the cost of premium gas for his Civic SI, the fact he’d get an HOV sticker for the George Massey Tunnel, the lower maintenance fees and the almost $16,000 in rebates currently available from the provincial, federal and SCRAP-IT programs. In the end, McKeown bought a fully loaded $60,000 Chevrolet Bolt electric, and cut the price down to $44,000 with incentives. He took possession of his high-tech new ride early May 2019, and is pleased at how it all worked out. “If the rebates weren’t there, it wouldn’t make sense,” he said of his purchase. However, McKeown is now facing hassles and more than $4,000 to get a charger installed in his strata townhome due to electrical upgrades. The B.C. government is counting on motorists like McKeown to sort out the details and make the switch from gas to electric vehicles as part of its aggressive target to require all new car, SUV and light-duty trucks sales be zero-emission by 2040. The idea to phase out gas vehicles as part of the NDP’s Clean B.C. climate-change-pollution reduction goal is attracting both criticism and praise as the legislation winds its way through debate at the legislature. Opposition Liberal MLAs have raised concerns about so-called “range anxiety” on the travel distance of electric vehicles, the lack of available charging stations, battery-replacement costs of up to $8,000 exceeding the value of the vehicle, pollution caused from battery recycling, the high cost of retrofitting charging stations into existing strata buildings, and the need in some parts of rural B.C. to continue to use more-powerful gas and diesel-powered heavy-duty trucks. “All of the items of concerns that they listed … they are not reasons to pull back from this type of mandate, and that’s the consensus amongst many jurisdictions,” said Energy Minister Michelle Mungall. “The world is changing and B.C. has the option to stay behind or get on-board and we not only want to get on-board, we want to be leaders.” Interest in electric vehicles in B.C. is among the highest in Canada, and made up four per cent of new, light-duty vehicle sales in 2018. In the first quarter of 2019, sales rose to six per cent. There are more than 17,000 zero-emission vehicles currently on B.C. roads. An EV electric vehicle charging parking spot in a parking lot at UBC, Vancouver, February 20 2019. Gerry Kahrmann / Postmedia The legislation, if passed, will mean that in 2040 automobile manufacturers will face fines if they sell or lease new sedans, SUVs or light-duty trucks (Ford F-150-level equivalents) that run on gas. Regular hybrids also won’t be allowed, but plug-in hybrids and hydrogen-powered vehicles would be exempt. To get there, B.C. proposes to phase in requirements of 10 per cent of vehicle sales to be emissions-free by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030. New gas- or diesel-powered heavy duty vehicles, like Ford F-250s, buses, transport trucks, motorcycles and medium-duty delivery vans, would be exempt and still available for purchase after 2040. Also, used gas-powered vehicles could still be sold at used-car dealerships. Technically, the legislation sets out a complicated “ZEV” unit sales compliance system, similar to California, where automobile manufacturers pick up units depending on the range and emission type of vehicles sold. Penalties for failing to comply or properly report could be as high as $1 million. Opposition Liberals are supporting the legislation, but are still concerned at government dictating what people can buy without a clear plan on how to increase the number of charging stations and handle electricity demands, said critic Peter Milobar. “It’s not going to accomplish anywhere near what the marketing of the government is trying to make it out to be,” he said. Milobar said provincial subsidies of up to $5,000 for a new, eligible battery electric or plug-in hybrid aren’t funded or guaranteed beyond 2019. Ottawa has a $5,000-per-vehicle incentive program funded for three years. “Part of the worry with this bill is — and I think it’s a very valid and real concern — is once you’ve made this a legislative mandate with very high fine structures in place it’s very easy for a government to turn around to the manufactures and say there’s no subsidies, it’s your job to figure out how to make people buy a car they don’t want to buy,” said Milobar. Green Leader Andrew Weaver, who owns an electric Nissan LEAF and just bought an electric Hyundai Kona, refuted the concerns. “Most of the points that were raised by the B.C. Liberals
Origin: EV advocates, critics charged up over B.C. goal of phasing out gas vehicles by 2040

RAC develops mobile charger to deliver EV Boost to electric vehicles

RAC develops mobile charger to deliver ‘EV Boost’ to electric vehicles The EV Boost system can be rolled-out across RAC’s patrol fleet In readiness for the UK’s expected electric vehicle boom, the RAC has developed its EV Boost system – the first lightweight mobile EV-charger capable of giving stranded out-of-charge cars a power boost from one of its standard orange roadside rescue vans. The bespoke solution can be rolled-out to hundreds of patrol vehicles ensuring the RAC can match the scale of demand as electric vehicle ownership grows in the coming years. The first six Ford Transit Custom patrol vans equipped with the new EV generators will take to the roads in June in London, Birmingham and Manchester and will be rolled-out to areas with high call-outs. The charger, which was developed by the RAC’s technical experts in partnership with automotive engineering firm Original Ltd, is capable of delivering a ‘top-up’ roadside charge from a standard Euro 6 diesel RAC patrol van sufficient to get a stranded EV safely to a nearby charge point. The RAC EV Boost charger works with all Type 1 and Type 2 connections ensuring it will charge 99% of electric vehicles on UK roads today. EVs present a particular challenge as many cannot be towed normally and ideally should be transported with all wheels off the ground which usually requires a flat-bed vehicle. So, if an electric car runs out of charge in a busy urban location, such as a red route in London or even just a narrow road, it can’t be towed to the nearest charge point – and is likely to cause traffic jams and frustration. RAC head of roadside rescue innovation Chris Millward said: “Our solution enables our patrols to help stranded EV drivers at the roadside with a power boost, equivalent to a top-up from a fuel can for a petrol or diesel car, to get them on their way again. “With nothing like it on the market the real challenge was to develop a mobile EV-charger system which is compact and light enough to fit into our normal patrol vehicles without compromising on space so we can still carry all the normal parts and tools to help our patrols continue to fix four out of five vehicles at the roadside. “Other solutions that are available require valuable van space to be taken up by heavy portable chargers that negatively affect fuel economy and also need to be recharged after use. Our on-demand solution means that the power is always available when needed. “The number of electric vehicles on the road will grow rapidly in the next few years, in particular we are seeing increased interest and take-up from business and fleet managers, so it is critical that we have an effective mobile power source for these cars in an emergency giving EV-owners complete peace of mind. The new mobile RAC EV Boost charger has also been well received by our manufacturer partners. “We also expect it will help address the anxiety some potential EV buyers have about the current charging infrastructure and vehicle range. The RAC is constantly looking to evolve and invest in technology to meet the changing needs of drivers and their modern vehicles, and this EV-charger fits perfectly with this strategy.” Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder of Zap-Map, the UK’s leading EV charging map, said: “It’s great to see the RAC leading the way and introducing this new mobile EV charging system to its fleet of vans. Whilst the UK public charging network already has over 14,000 public charge points and is growing at a rapid rate, this service will give electric car drivers additional confidence as they plan longer electric journeys.” Erik Fairbairn, Pod Point CEO and Founder, said: “The number of EVs on UK roads is increasing exponentially and it’s great to see the RAC adapting its patrol vehicles accordingly. Range anxiety is a common phenomenon, particularly among those new to EVs, and this mobile charger will help reassure drivers that there is help available in the unlikely event that they do run out of charge.”
Origin: RAC develops mobile charger to deliver EV Boost to electric vehicles

NHTSA investigating 12.3 million vehicles over airbags that don’t deploy

2013 Hyundai SonataHandout / Hyundai DETROIT — U.S. auto safety regulators have expanded an investigation into malfunctioning air bag controls to include 12.3 million vehicles equipped with bags that may not inflate in a crash. The problem could be responsible for as many as eight deaths. Vehicles made by Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, Mitsubishi and FCA from the 2010 through 2019 model years are included in the probe, which was revealed Tuesday in documents posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It involves air bag control units made by ZF-TRW that were installed in the vehicles. The control units can fail in a crash, possibly because of unwanted electrical signals produced by the crash itself that can disable an air bag control circuit housed in the passenger compartment, and the electrical signals can damage the control circuit, according the documents. ZF, a German auto parts maker which acquired TRW Automotive in 2015, said it’s committed to safety and is co-operating with NHTSA and automakers in the investigation. The case is another in a long list of problems with auto industry air bags, including faulty and potentially deadly Takata air bag inflators. At least 24 people have been killed worldwide and more than 200 injured by the Takata inflators, which can explode with too much force and hurl dangerous shrapnel into the passenger cabin. The inflators touched off the largest series of automotive recalls in U.S. history with as many as 70 million inflators to be recalled by the end of next year. About 100 million inflators are to be recalled worldwide. On April 19, NHTSA upgraded the ZF-TRW probe from a preliminary evaluation to an engineering analysis, which is a step closer toward seeking recalls. So far, only Hyundai, Kia, and FCA have issued recalls in the case. Four deaths that may have been caused by the problem were reported in Hyundai and Kia vehicles, and three in FCA vehicles. NHTSA opened an investigation in March of 2017 involving the TRW parts in certain Hyundai and Kia models. The upgrade came after investigators found two recent serious crashes involving 2018 and 2019 Toyota Corollas, in which the airbags didn’t inflate. One person was killed. Toyota said it’s co-operating in the probe, doing its own investigation and will take “any appropriate action.” Jason Levine, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a non-profit consumer group, said the ZF-TRW case shows the auto industry thus far has learned very little from Takata. “A single supplier of an important safety component provided what appears to be a defective part across multiple manufacturers and 12 million cars,” Levine said. “While the first fatality reports emerged three years ago, it has taken a higher body count for more significant action to be taken by NHTSA and most impacted manufacturers remain silent. The industry needs to do better.” NHTSA said it will take “appropriate action” based on the investigation’s findings. In the ZF-TRW investigation documents, NHTSA said that it didn’t find any other cases of electrical interference in Hyundai, Kia or FCA vehicles that used the ZF-TRW system, but were not recalled. Also, the agency has not identified any other cases of electrical interference in other Toyotas including Corollas, since the company started using the ZF-TRW parts in the 2011 model year. In addition, no electrical interference cases have been identified in Honda or Mitsubishi vehicles with the same parts, the agency said. NHTSA will evaluate how susceptible the air bag control units are to electrical signals as well as other factors that could stop air bags from inflating. The agency also “will evaluate whether an unreasonable risk exists that requires further field action.” Last year, Hyundai and Kia recalled nearly 1.1 million vehicles because of the problem, about a year after NHTSA opened its investigation. Kia vehicles covered included 2010 through 2013 Forte, and 2011 through 2013 Optima in the U.S. Also covered are Optima Hybrid and Sedona minivans from 2011 and 2012. Recalled Hyundai vehicles included 2011 through 2013 Sonata, and the 2011 and 2012 Sonata Hybrid. In 2016, Fiat Chrysler recalled about 1.9 million vehicles worldwide including the 2010 Chrysler Sebring, the 2011 through 2014 Chrysler 200, the 2010 through 2012 Dodge Caliber, the 2010 through 2014 Dodge Avenger, the 2010 through 2014 Jeep Patriot and Compass, and the 2012 and 2013 Lancia
Origin: NHTSA investigating 12.3 million vehicles over airbags that don’t deploy

6 cool things you can do with old vehicles

Some vehicles age gracefully and are sent to retirement in a collector’s garage, but most end up in a scrapyard, rusting away or crushed beyond recognition. Then there are other vehicles that go on to live entirely different lives after their transportation duties have been concluded. These vehicles are given an entirely new destiny, one that differs greatly from their original purpose. Read on to discover six cool things that have been done with old vehicles. Vinyl records Earlier this year, Porsche announced it was taking the Michelin tires from its 919 Hybrid Evo that won the LMP1 class at the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans, breaking them down and giving them a new lease on life … as records. Two hundred vinyls were produced from the tires, each containing a 24-minute recording that tells 24 separate stories of Porsche’s best moments at Le Mans. Wine bar View this post on Instagram Kicking the dust off our boots after a weekend of exchanging stories from the road @descendonbend. P: @brooke_weeber A post shared by Union Wine Co. (@unionwinecompany) on Oct 1, 2018 at 5:17pm PDT Oregon’s Union Wine stands out from its competition thanks to Celeste, its 1972 Citroen HY van converted into a roaming watering hole. The bar opens on the passenger side and battery-powered, 12-volt LED lights brighten the interior when in serving mode. Imbibers, park your cars and plan to stay a long while if and when you spot this rig on the road. Last year, Union Wine brought its Citroen to Descend on Bend, one of North America’s largest van meetups in Bend, Ore. Artwork Telecom giant Sprint wanted to raise awareness for Distracted Driving Awareness Month in 2016, so it went to a junkyard, picked out a beat-up yellow VW Beetle, enlisted contemporary artist Rudolf Kohn, and had him transform it into an eerie sculpture called The Last Emoji.’ If you find it unnerving, that means it’s working — the point was to show texting and driving kills. Bookstore A number of avid readers have created bookstores on wheels, but Argentinian artist Raul Lemesoff’s 1979 Ford Falcon conversion is the coolest. First, he transformed the Falcon into a tank. Then, he armoured the outside with 900 books, all of which were free for the taking. Lemesoff was commissioned by 7UP, purveyors of pop, to create this particular Weapon of Mass Instruction” rig. He drove around the streets of Buenos Aires, giving away a paperback to anyone who promised to read it. Coffee Shop View this post on Instagram You can wait your whole life to feel like you finally achieved your purpose. Thing is, if you if you’re doing what you believe in and you’re happy doing it, you’ve already achieved the biggest goal there is. Happy Monday my friends, find something to be grateful for today! ❤️🤙🙏😊🏔☕️🚌 http://www.carabinercoffee.com #carabinercoffee A post shared by Carabiner Coffee Co. (@carabinercoffee) on Jan 7, 2019 at 10:04am PST Erik Gordon hasn’t just turned his 1971 Volkswagen bus into a home, but a business, too. The American entrepreneur runs Carabiner Coffee, a teensy cafe that sells cups of fresh joe out of the side of his rig. Most often you’ll spot the bus in the Boulder, Colo. area, parked at a National Park, in a parking lot of a climbing gym, or at a hiking trailhead. Fish Tank Andy Tate has a love for aquariums — the Brit estimates he’s built around 1,000, as explained on his YouTube channel. But converting an old Nissan Micra into a giant fish tank was a first for the 45-year-old, taking 10 months to complete. Tate gutted the interior, filled every hole with expandable foam, then lined it with fibreglass. Once the space was air-tight, he filled it with water, then added his aquatic friends. The results? The quirkiest garden display on the
Origin: 6 cool things you can do with old vehicles

Canada’s 10 most popular luxury vehicles in 2019’s first quarter – it’s an SUV game

2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC 350ePeter Bleakney / Driving It has not proven to be the kind of start many premium auto brands desired. After years of record-breaking performances, some of the most popular luxury brands kicked off 2019 with a whimper. Granted, auto sales on the whole are falling. After five consecutive record years, 2018 volume dipped marginally. Through 2019’s first three months, total industry volume has declined by more than 4 per cent. Plunging car sales and slowing pickup truck momentum deserve some of the blame, but decreased demand for many of Canada’s favourite premium-badged vehicles plays a significant role, as well. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi – Canada’s three top-selling premium auto brands – combined to lose 3,750 sales in 2019’s first quarter, a year-over-year drop worsened by decreases at Acura, Alfa Romeo, Lincoln, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Maserati. In total, premium brand auto sales are down by nearly 7 per cent. With no manufacturer-supplied monthly reports from Tesla, it’s difficult to obtain firm figures for the Model 3. Based on data from Canada EV Sales, Model 3 demand plummeted following Ontario’s rebate removal, from a high of 1,540 Ontario sales alone to merely 49 in January. For the time being then, there’s no Model 3 on this list of Canada’s 10 top-selling luxury vehicles in 2019’s first-quarter. With sales reports from the Global Automakers of Canada, these are Canada’s luxury leaders so far this year. 10. Infiniti QX60: 1,159, up 41 per cent No vehicle on this list has gone longer without a major redesign than the QX60, which debuted as the JX35 in early 2012. The QX60 has consistently been Canada’s favourite Infiniti despite the fact that it only partially veils its proletarian Pathfinder underpinnings. Yet having never topped 5,000 sales in the past, Infiniti is on track for over 6,100 QX60 sales in 2019. Infiniti’s other utility vehicles combined for a 16-percent uptick in Q1. 9. BMW X1: 1,283, up 2 per cent There’s no shortage of competition for the X1 right inside BMW’s showroom, but X1 sales continue to rise. Including the X1 and its X2 offshoot, sales of BMW’s two smallest utility vehicles are up 28 per cent so far this year. The duo combines to produce more than one-fifth of the brand’s Canadian volume. Gone are the days when BMW’s 3 Series was Canada’s top-selling premium automobile – the 3er only ranks fourth in BMW’s own lineup. 8. Acura RDX: 1,518, down 3 per cent Not likely to remain in the red, the new third-generation Acura RDX is just exiting the transition phase and is likely to soon see positive forward sales momentum. The RDX is hugely important to Acura, which has seen its car sales slow to a trickle (the RDX outsells Acura’s entire car lineup by a wide margin) and suffered meaningful MDX decline, as well. 7. BMW X5: 1,521, up 25 per cent On track for a huge year of more than 8,000 sales, the X5 is the most costly vehicle on this list of best sellers. Pricing begins above $70,000 – none of the others even start above $60,000. Yet the X5 is now producing significantly more sales than similarly sized mainstream SUVs like the Nissan Pathfinder, GMC Acadia, and Subaru Ascent. X5 demand was not slowed by the arrival of the larger X7 in March. BMW Canada reported its first 180 X7 sales while X5 volume jumped 30 per cent to 504 units. 6. Lexus NX: 1,544, down 2 per cent Anyone who thought the NX’s face was too controversial for mainstream success was, evidently, wrong. So common is the NX half a decade into its tenure that its divisive face is now almost normal. Nearly 30,000 NXs have found their way into Canadian driveways since 2014. Even if the current pace of modest decline continues in 2019, Lexus will still likely add over 5,500 more NXs to the tally by year’s end. 5. Lexus RX: 1,635, down 0.2 per cent Perennially a U.S. luxury sales leader, the Lexus RX remains popular in Canada despite a recent loss of momentum. The RX was long Lexus’ most affordable utility vehicle. Now, two nameplates – the NX and new UX – sit beneath the RX. Lexus has nevertheless expanded the RX lineup to include a three-row RX L, and that vehicle could swing the tide in the RX’s favour. March volume, for example, was up 20 per cent. 4. Mercedes-Benz C-Class: 1,640, down 35 per cent There is but one passenger car on this list of Canada’s 10 top-selling luxury vehicles. This is it. You won’t find the BMW 3 Series here, nor the Audi A4. Meanwhile, C-Class sales are plunging along with sales of its traditional rivals. A4 volume is down 40 per cent this year; 3 Series sales are down 38 per cent. The C-Class is outselling both, combined. 3. BMW X3: 1,653, down 14 per cent Although BMW is currently producing over 200 monthly Canadian sales with its specialty utility vehicles – the X2, X4, and X6 – the brand’s first forays into the luxury SUV market remain the most popular. With its X3, now in its third generation, BMW builds Canada’s third-best-selling premium
Origin: Canada’s 10 most popular luxury vehicles in 2019’s first quarter – it’s an SUV game

Canada’s 10 Worst-Selling Vehicles In 2019’s First Quarter

2019 Fiat 500 1957 EditionHandout / Fiat In part due to massive marketing campaigns, many Canadians know the Ford F-Series has been Canada’s best-selling truck line for 53 years, and that the Honda Civic has been Canada’s best-selling car for 21 consecutive years. Fewer will know that the Fiat 500L is on track to end 2019 as Canada’s worst-selling vehicle. Such a statement doesn’t lend itself to a radio jingle or high-energy television commercial. Canada’s most popular vehicles are ascendant. In a declining pickup truck market, F-Series sales are rising, driving Ford’s share of the full-size pickup market beyond 40 per cent. Despite a marginal downturn, the Honda Civic’s share of Canada’s car market is now above 13 per cent, up from 8 per cent a decade ago. Then there’s this group of Canada’s worst-selling vehicles, 13 nameplates that attracted 240 buyers in the first three months of 2019, or roughly the number of Civics sold by Honda Canada every day in March. It’s not just by the standards of Canada’s leading automobiles that these vehicles are embarrassingly uncommon. The Audi Q8, a decidedly premium SUV that is only in its launch phase, is twice as popular as these 13 vehicles combined. Canada’s top-selling premium vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz GLC, has a base price near $50,000, yet it generates 10 times the volume of these worst sellers. All of these worst sellers combined don’t produce as much volume as the Porsche 911, or Kia Stinger, or the $110,300 Lexus LX570. To determine the worst-selling vehicles in Canada in the first quarter of 2019, we narrowed the list of qualified vehicles to include nameplates with base prices under $100,000, excluded vehicles that weren’t on sale at the beginning of 2019, excluded two-seaters, and removed vehicles that had received their official cancellation papers. Vehicles that haven’t found a single buyer are deemed dead in the water, even if only temporarily, and are also given a reprieve. On the whole, these rules eliminate most vehicles that are automatically destined to be low-volume products in Canada. With figures from the Global Automakers of Canada, these are Canada’s 10 worst-selling vehicles in 2019’s first three months. T10. Fiat 500, Volvo S90, Jaguar XF What do a stoic Swede, a forgotten Brit, and a formerly beloved Italian have in common? Their level of Canadian unpopularity is identical, and sufficient to place them on this list of Canada’s worst-selling vehicles in 2019’s first quarter. The Fiat 500 is down 56 per cent, year-over-year, but that tells only a part of the story – Canadians initially snapped up 700+ Cinquecentos per month. The Volvo S90 is lost in a sea of tailgated Volvos – the company’s SUVs and wagons generate 85 per cent of its Canadian sales. The XF is par for the course at Jaguar these days: a sedan that never fared well now struggling to maintain any semblance of desirability in a market gone mad for luxury SUVs. T8. Maserati Ghibli: 29, down 24 per cent The Ghibli was initially Maserati’s route into the mainstream of Canada’s luxury market. While the Quattroporte and GranTurismo stuck to the very high-end clientele, the Ghibli would begin to reach downmarket. Relatively speaking, of course. That job is now the job of an SUV, the Levante. Just as the Ghibli found it a challenge, so too does the Levante. Sales of every Maserati are nosediving in 2019, from the Quattroporte’s 57-percent drop to the 91-percent GranTurismo decline, the Ghibli’s 24-percent decrease, and the Levante’s 25-percent downturn. T8. Jaguar XJ: 29, down 69 per cent Jaguar is now not so different from its Land Rover partner brand. Land Rover produces all of its sales from SUVs. Jaguar, a brand that only launched its first utility vehicle three years ago, is already at 82 per cent. The XJ is Jaguar’s longest-running nameplate and Jaguar’s flagship, but it’s also the brand’s least popular model. It’s part of a Jaguar car lineup that’s lost nearly two-thirds of its volume, year-over-year, in 2019. 7. BMW 6 Series: 27, down 69 per cent To be fair, two of the three 6 Series body styles hit the market with MSRPs well beyond our $100,000 maximum. But the 6 Series Gran Turismo is a sub-$80K car, and a scarcely seen one at that. BMW brought back the 6 moniker in 2012. Despite its challenging design statement, it proved to be a relatively successful venture for such a high-end coupe/cabriolet. BMW Canada averaged nearly 500 annual sales for the first half-decade. 6. Infiniti Q70: 18, up 13 per cent In 2019, it’s not easy to sell an upmarket sedan even if it’s a known entity; a once-beloved premium statement maker such as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class or BMW 5 Series. Imagine then what it’s like to try to sell an Infiniti Q70, a car that’s largely been ignored – and hence unknown – since it operated as the Infiniti M. Fewer than 2,400 have been in Canada sold over the last decade. 5. Lincoln MKT: 16, down 45 per cent The Canadian-built, Ford Flex-related,
Origin: Canada’s 10 Worst-Selling Vehicles In 2019’s First Quarter

Ford CEO tamps down expectations for first autonomous vehicles

Ford promises an autonomous, ride-sharing car by 2021 – but does the public really want it?Ford Too much hype has built up about how soon self-driving cars will hit the road, but they will ultimately change the world, Ford’s CEO said early April. We overestimated the arrival of autonomous vehicles, Jim Hackett said April 9 at a Detroit Economic Club event. While Ford’s first self-driving car is still coming in 2021, its applications will be narrow, what we call geo-fenced,’ because the problem is so complex. Hackett, 63, is engineering an US$11 billion overhaul of Ford, which involves closing factories, cutting thousands of salaried jobs and ditching traditional sedans to focus on high profit sport-utility vehicles and trucks. In addition to shoring up profitability, the drastic moves are borne out of the pressure car companies are under to get autonomous-vehicle technology on the road before rivals inside and outside the auto industry. When we break through, it will change the way your toothpaste is delivered, Hackett said at Ford Field, the football stadium of the Detroit Lions, owned by the family of Executive Chairman Bill Ford. Logistics and ride structures and cities all get redesigned. I won’t be in charge of Ford when this is going on, but I see it clearly. Ford recently earned kudos from President Donald Trump for investing US$900 million to build electric and self-driving cars in Michigan and US$1 billion on two factories in Chicago to build Explorer SUVs. Hackett also is in talks with Volkswagen to jointly develop electric vehicles and driverless cars. The two automakers already have joined forces to build commercial vans and trucks. When we bring this thing to market, it’s going to be really powerful, Hackett said. There’s probably going to be alliance partners that we haven’t announced yet that will make it more certain that we don’t take on all the risks ourselves
Origin: Ford CEO tamps down expectations for first autonomous vehicles