Ontario Premier Doug Ford, left, and United Conservative Leader Jason Kenney greet supporters on stage an anti-carbon tax rally in Calgary, Friday, Oct. 5, 2018.Jeff McIntosh / The Canadian Press Premier Jason Kenney says Alberta’s carbon tax has about two weeks to live. Kenney says the Carbon Tax Repeal Act is to be introduced during next week’s legislature sitting and will have a proviso to end the tax by the end of the month. By May 30th there will no longer be an Alberta carbon tax, Kenney said Monday at a news conference outlining some of the legislation coming from his new United Conservative government. An end to the tax brought in by the former NDP government will put an estimated $1.4 billion a year back in the pockets of taxpayers, he said. The levy is charged on home heating using fossil fuels and on gasoline at the pumps. Ending the tax would open the door to the federal government imposing its tax, as it has done with four other provinces that wouldn’t bring in their own carbon pricing: Ontario, New Brunswick, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was in Edmonton last Friday, wouldn’t say if his government would immediately charge the federal tax if Alberta ditched its own, but stressed that no province will be exempt. Opposition Leader Rachel Notley said the repeal sets the stage for a made-in-Ottawa, a made-by-Justin-Trudeau carbon plan to be imposed on Albertans. I don’t think it’s wise, the NDP leader said. And we will certainly make the case vigorously that it’s not wise. Getting rid of the carbon tax was a central policy pillar in Kenney’s successful campaign last month to win the election. He defeated Notley’s party, achieving a strong majority. On the campaign trail, Kenney promised to file an immediate court challenge on the constitutionality of the federal carbon tax if he won the election. He promised to file the court papers by April 30; however, his cabinet was not sworn in until that day. In the two weeks since, no challenge has been filed. Kenney said Monday the lawsuit has been delayed and may not be filed at all. He said his government wants to review court decisions in Saskatchewan and Ontario before it decides if it will challenge the federal tax in court. The Saskatchewan Court of Appeal recently ruled in a split decision that the federal tax imposed on provinces without a carbon price of their own is constitutional. The Ontario government is waiting for a decision on its court challenge.
Origin: Alberta premier Jason Kenney says provincial carbon tax will die May 30
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The 2020 Ford Bronco will come with a hybrid option: report
The Ford Bronco Concept from 2004 promised to be slightly smaller and less expensive that the Escape.Ford The 2020 Ford Bronco could possibly be the most anticipated new vehicle of the year, right behind the Toyota Supra and the mid-engine Corvette C8. Well, now we’re learning the buzz-building off-roader will be made available in a hybrid version, to appeal to a wider range of buyers. Ford CEO Jim Hackett himself confirmed the new Bronco will, indeed, have a hybrid version, at an investor presentation early May, tweeted Michael Martinez, a journalist with Automotive News. The Explorer, Aviator and Escape hybrids were just recently announced, and we expect the Bronco will likely use a version of the same system they will use, which means a proprietary 10-speed automatic and electric motor that doesn’t take up much more space than the standard drivetrain. It’s also possible the Bronco will use a version of the upcoming F-150 hybrid platform, but no details about that have been released yet. Hackett confirms the upcoming Bronco SUV will come in a hybrid variant as Ford focuses on electrifying its lineup. Michael Martinez (@MikeMartinez_AN) May 9, 2019 Ford’s staying mum on details, putting out a statement May 9 confirming only we are on track to electrify our most popular vehicles, including launching the all-new Ford Explorer and Ford Escape hybrids this year along with the new F-150 hybrid in 2020. It promised to reveal more news soon, but in the meantime speculation circulating online may help fill in the gaps. Word is the hybrid won’t differ too much from the gasoline version, which means it will still have a short wheelbase, independent front suspension and possibly a live rear axle with coil springs. The hybrid model will likely be made available shortly after the regular gasoline-powered one debuts, so we expect to see it some time in the middle of 2020. Although the Bronco seems to be debuting a lot of forward-thinking technology for a truck, it’s still going to be playing catch-up-ball to the Wrangler, which already has a coil-sprung rear end and will soon also have its own hybrid version, in
Origin: The 2020 Ford Bronco will come with a hybrid option: report
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 C8 Corvette will be revealed in California
Chevrolet announces the next generation Corvette will debut 07.18.19. A camouflaged next generation Corvette travels down 7th Avenue near Times Square Thursday, April 11, 2019 in New York, New York. (Photo by Jennifer Altman for Chevrolet)Chevrolet The C8 Corvette has finally been given a release location to go along with the July 18 date, the extremely anticipated mid-engine revolution will be revealed in California, not at a major auto show. According to MidEngineCorvetteForum, lucky customers have received personal invitations to join media at the reveal which will take place in Orange County, California. On July 18th, 2019, we’ll finally be able to see what has been cooking in Chevrolet’s kitchen for so long, and we are seriously hungry for some mid-engined American burgers I mean sports cars. Chevrolet knows we’re frothing at the mouth, so they’ve released a few appetizers in the form of a sound check in front of the Corvette museum, and an aperitif video. The wonderful sounds are rumoured to be courtesy of the 6.2-litre LT1 V8 found in the current C7 Stingray. We assume that Chevrolet will reveal the base model, which is expected to carry on the Stingray name. While the motor currently makes 455 horsepower in the C7, it is expected to be upgraded to reach 500 horsepower in the C8. Along with the base model, the 5.5-litre DOHC flat-plane crank V8 could make its way to the sports car making 600 horsepower, as well as a twin-turbo version with 800 horsepower, and some of the wilder rumours suggest a 1,000 horsepower hybrid version – just make sure you order the brown seats. We’re guessing that Chevrolet will also stick to tradition with the mid-engined Corvette and offer a removable targa top, as it’s done with pretty much every model in its history, so it makes sense for the vehicle to be revealed in sunny California, the birthplace of American hot rodding. Another tidbit recently revealed on the Corvette Facebook page was its new logo, ditching the chrome border for a sporty, stealthy black border for the crossed flags: Before its California debut, the last C7 will be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson, it will be the final front-engined Corvette
Origin: The C8 Corvette will be revealed in California
Lexus will replace the entry-level CT 200h, but we still won’t get it
The 2019 Lexus UX.Handout Lexus has confirmed that it is developing a new subcompact vehicle to slot in under the UX subcompact crossover in size and under the CT 200h in price. Entry-level, in other words. Autocar spoke with Head of Lexus Europe Pascal Ruch at the 2019 Geneva motor show, confirming that the company is planning an all-new vehicle to replace the CT 200h as the entry-level model for the brand. Sorry, let me clarify: to replace the CT 200h as the entry-level model for markets outside North America. Because Lexus pulled the CT 200h from its North American distribution a couple years ago, meaning the 2017 model year was the last that was sold new in Canada and the U.S. In other markets, the CT 200h will likely remain available through 2021, a full ten years after its 2011 introduction. Which is also when its replacement will probably arrive, in 2021, probably riding on Toyota’s TNGA platform. It’s yet unknown if the new Lexus will retain the hatchback shape of the CT 200h, or go with something more crossover-inspired. Either way, we’re jealous, because, again, we’re not getting it. At least, Lexus hasn’t said we’re getting it, and last we checked we were off the list. Lexus, if you’re listening, we’d love to be proved wrong.
Origin: Lexus will replace the entry-level CT 200h, but we still won’t get it
Will Toyota bring the 2.0-litre turbo Supra to Canada?
2020 Toyota SupraDerek McNaughton / Driving Up until now, the 2020 Toyota Supra has come with a single engine option in North American markets: a 335-horsepower 3.0-litre turbocharged straight-six sourced from BMW, but that could all be changing according to emissions documents filed by the brand. According to Automobile Mag, the 2.0-litre turbo engine that the 2020 Supra receives in other markets is coming to the United States. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has just certified the engine for sale in California, for use in both the Toyota Supra and the BMW Z4 with which it shares a platform. The real question is, will the engine make its way onto Canadian market Supras? “Toyota Canada would be smart to bring in the rumoured 2.0L Turbo version of the new Supra,” says our own Motor Mouth, David Booth, noting that with the current proposed lineup, there would be a huge gap between the bargain-basement 86 and the full-zoot six-cylinder Supra. The 2.0-litre turbo-four that the Supra receives in Japan makes 194 horsepower and 236 lb.-ft. of torque, exactly the same as the BMW Z4. The smaller engine should also command a lower price, just as the Celica/Supra did in the 1980s. Booth adds: “A mid-priced Supra would slot in nicely between those two and give Toyota dealers a full range of sports car offering, which, I have to assume, is their eventual goal. So, yes, look for a Supra four-banger, but not before the top-of-the-line 3.0-litre six makes a splash.” In some markets, the BMW Z4 also comes with a manual transmission when specified with the 2.0-litre turbo, so if Toyota really wanted to light our manual-loving purist hearts on fire they could add that down the road as
Origin: Will Toyota bring the 2.0-litre turbo Supra to Canada?
Mississauga will finally get the 401 expansion it so desperately needs
Winterís first snarl. Snowstorm hammers southern Ontario, leaves Toronto in gridlock. Todays foul weather caused huge delays along the 401.Mark ONeill Widely considered the most congested roadway in North America, an 18-kilometre stretch of the 401 between the Credit River in Mississauga and Regional Road 25 in Milton will be widened. Currently just three lanes in both directions, the new configuration will see the installation of “two 10-lane segments, two 12-lane core collector systems and the median High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes.” In total, much of the roadway will be effectively doubled. Capacity has long been an issue on Highway 401, and the changes should ease commute times as well as assist in the flow of goods across the top of the city. Additionally, rapid residential growth means the present highway is inadequate for those it services anywhere from 118,000 to 175,000 vehicles daily. The $639.8 million contract, which went to Aecon Group Inc, also includes “bridge reconstruction and replacement, structural culvert replacements, drainage and utilities work, as well as ecological restoration.” Another expansion of a 4-kilometre stretch of the 401 between McLaughlin Road to east of the Credit river is currently underway, scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2020. When done, it will have a 12-lane core and collector system instead of the current six lanes. There will be HOV between Mavis Road and Highway
Origin: Mississauga will finally get the 401 expansion it so desperately needs
Toyota will build the Lexus NX in Ontario as of 2022
2019 Lexus NX300 F SportJonathan Yarkony Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) confirmed this week that it will bring production of the North American Lexus NX and NX Hybrid to its Cambridge, Ontario factory in 2022. The NX, which had been previously built in Japan, will join the Lexus RX and Toyota RAV4 already in production at Toyota’s Cambridge and Woodstock facilities, offering some much-needed stability and probably some new positions to the already 8,500 employees that currently work there. Especially after a portion of the RAV4 production was shipped south of the border to Kentucky last year. A 2019 RAV4 model built at Toyota’s Woodstock plant. Peter Bleakney / Driving Toyota hasn’t provided numbers in terms of dollars and jobs, but it will not be insignificant as a new assembly line will need to be added to the Cambridge site. “Our operations and Team Members in Canada have won multiple international awards for plant quality, and continue to play an important role within Toyota’s global production strategy,” said Jim Lentz, CEO for Toyota Motor North America in a press release. “As the compact luxury SUV market continues to grow, building the NX in North America allows us to better serve our customers and dealers.” The investment in the auto sector comes as a welcome chaser following the bitter taste left by GM’s closing of the Oshawa plant and Chrysler’s 1,500-job cuts in Windsor. The NX is slated to enter production at the Cambridge plant early in 2022.
Origin: Toyota will build the Lexus NX in Ontario as of 2022
Mercedes-AMG will switch exclusively to all-wheel drive
2014 E63 AMG S-Model 4MATIC Wagon. Mercedes-AMG plans to switch all of its vehicles to all-wheel drive, according to company boss Tobias Moers. In an interview with Britain’s Autocar, the head of Mercedes’ performance division said that all rear-drive configurations would be eliminated in next-generation models, in favour of powering all four wheels. According to the publication, Moers said that customers are asking for such systems, and when the AMG E-Class was offered with both rear- and all-wheel drive, more than 90 per cent of buyers opted for all-wheel. He said it doesn’t make sense to invest money in developing a separate rear-drive system when all-wheel is a clear preference. In the new E63, which has drift mode that disengages the front driveshafts, “you have a real rear-wheel-drive car, but with four-wheel drive also.” While it’s a popular choice in countries like Canada, where drivers like its stability in bad weather, Moers said that customers in Munich “always ask for four-wheel drive.” The all-wheel configuration is expected to be included in the next generation of the C63, S63, and the AMG GT supercar. Moers said that customers for that flagship model are also asking about all-wheel. Moers also confirmed that Mercedes-AMG will be discontinuing its V12 engines, with the S65 “Final Edition” model being the last to carry one. However, it will still make them for Maybach as required, for vehicles such as the next-generation S-Class. The company may also drop its V8 engines from some of the smaller AMG cars, such as the C-Class. Rather than develop a more powerful version of the company’s 4.0L bi-turbo V8 engine, the company will use electrification to boost power with plug-in hybrid powertrains, especially in the face of tightening European emissions
Origin: Mercedes-AMG will switch exclusively to all-wheel drive
Will the next-gen Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ use a Toyota platform?
2019 Subaru BRZ RaiuHandout / Subaru As vehicular twins, the Subaru BRZ and Toyota 86 are no Olsen sisters, but they’re also no Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger, either. The two coupes have their similarities and they have their differences. At the core of their shared genetics is the platform. Current versions are built upon a modified Impreza platform, but that may be about to change. According to Australian site CarSales, the next-gen 86 and BRZ will ditch their current base and swap in Toyota’s newer TNGA underpinnings. The rumour comes from an anonymous source at Subaru who says that, in order to retain both vehicles’ original rear-wheel-drive layout, the brands will be steering away from the Subaru Global Platform that’s being used for Subaru’s new AWD vehicles and toward the rear-wheel-drive- friendly TNGA option that already supports vehicles like the Highlander, Prius and Camry over in Toyota land. That or they’ll continue to work with what they’ve already got. It’s a very flexible platform, but we make all-wheel-drive vehicles, said the source with regards to the new platform. That’s our forte, all-wheel drive. Subaru’s forte may be AWD, but the BRZ and 86 are all about that rear-wheel-drive — gloriously so, at that. And seeing as the TNGA option would likely be the most affordable and the lightest option, our money is on that.
Origin: Will the next-gen Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ use a Toyota platform?
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