During Tesla's annual shareholder meeting in northern California yesterday, CEO Elon Musk said he would remain at the helm of the fast-growing electric car maker for another 4-5 years, but he also hinted at something “fairly controversial” with Tesla's patents.
As EV costs keep melting, rumour has it that Musk could be planning an open-source strategy. After all, the man once called the patent system “farcical,” and explained that SpaceX (another venture of his) has no patents “because the Chinese would just use them as a recipe book.”
But why would he do it? The obvious answer is to accelerate the development of EVs, build a stronger supplier chain, and drive costs further down.
It'll be interesting to see what Musk's actual plan is... and how Tesla shareholders will react.
The Avon and Somerset Constabulary has just bolstered its vehicle fleet with a new Ariel Atom 3.5R. Featuring a 350-horsepower 2.0L i-VTEC engine sourced from the Honda Civic Type-R, the car sprints from 0-100 km/h in a mere 2.5 seconds.
Despite its small footprint, the Ariel Atom has been equipped with all the devices and systems traditionally used by British police. It will play a key role in a new driver awareness campaign.
LEGO is sure to draw interest from car enthusiasts with the global release of a MINI Cooper Mk VII package.
The classic green and white model features pivoting doors, hood and rear hatch, as well as fog lights and a detailed engine bay. You can remove the top to admire the tan interior, turn the steering wheel, or move the shifter.
The package includes 1,077 pieces and will go on sale in the U.S. at $99.99 (Canadian pricing may differ). Once assembled, the car stands about 9'' long, 4'' tall, and 5'' wide.
General Motors of Canada today announced a compensation program for Canadians who have lost loved ones or who have suffered serious physical injuries as the result of an ignition switch failure in recently recalled vehicles.
The manufacturer announced a similar program in the U.S.
“We are taking responsibility for what has happened by taking steps to treat these victims and their families with compassion, decency and fairness,” said GM CEO Mary Barra. “We made serious mistakes in the past and as a result we're making significant changes in our company to ensure they never happen again.”
GM expects the program will begin to accept claims on August 1st, 2014. The program will be independently administered by Kenneth Feinberg, who has handled other significant compensation programs in the past.
The all-new 2015 Hyundai Sonata will go on sale across Canada this July starting at a base price of $23,999. Embodying the Korean automaker's “Fluidic Sculpture 2.0” design language, the midsize sedan features many advanced driving aids and standard amenities.
The base Sonata GL uses a 185-horsepower, 2.4L 4-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. LED daytime running lights, air conditioning, a 5” touchscreen, Bluetooth, heated front seats, and a back-up camera all come standard.
Next up, the Sonata GLS ($26,299) adds a blind spot monitoring system, a heated steering wheel and rear seats, push-button start, and reverse parking assist, just to name a few.
Meanwhile, the Sonata Sport ($28,399) boasts 17” alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, and sport seats. The Sport Tech model ($30,199) gets a premium sound system and navigation with an 8” touchscreen.
The even more upscale Sonata Limited ($32,999) includes HID headlights, ventilated front seats, adaptive cruise control, and leather upholstery. If you prefer a sportier alternative, the Sport 2.0T model ($30,999) houses a 2.0L turbocharged engine rated at 245 horsepower, while offering a flat-bottom steering wheel, 18” alloy wheels, and leather-wrapped sport seats.
Finally, the Sonata Sport 2.0T Ultimate ($34,799) combines all the luxurious features of the Limited with the sporty attributes of the Sport 2.0T.
The talk of the day in the paddock of the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal was the rumour that the new, 10-year agreement will be announced tomorrow, Friday.
We know that Francois Dumontier, promoter of the race, and the FOM have been talking for the past two years about a new contract that would cover a 10-year period from 2015 to 2024 and include a new pit complex.
The contract that involves Octane Management, the Formula One Management, the City of Montreal, the provincial and federal governments et Tourisme Montreal is apparently a done deal.
Unfortunately, political instability seriously delayed the talks. During the past 18 months, there have been two provincial elections (and two governments) and the city of Montreal had four different mayors.
Some Montreal medias even claim that a press conference will be held at 11:45 am tomorrow at the track. Stay tuned!
Canada's Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association, aiming to spotlight the country's supplier community and technology capabilities, unveiled an advanced connected vehicle Wednesday at its annual conference in Windsor, Ontario.
Saatchi and Saatchi LA, the longtime advertising agency of record for Toyota Motor Sales USA, has hired Jason Schragger, a former creative executive with Nissan's global marketing team, as its new chief creative officer to oversee work for the...
General Motors CEO Mary Barra will hold a town hall-type meeting with employees on Thursday to share the findings of an internal investigation into why the automaker took so long to recall vehicles with flawed ignition switches.
Mercedes-Benz USA began construction today on a new home for its West Coast operations that will consolidate a vehicle preparation center, a learning and performance center and a regional sales office.
U.S. light-vehicle sales -- led by big gains at Nissan, Toyota, Chrysler and General Motors -- rose 11 percent to 1.6 million in May as a raft of discounts and extended holiday deals drew consumers to showrooms.
Dennis Williams was elected president of the UAW today at its 36th Constitutional Convention. Williams, 61, takes the helm of the United States auto workers union for four years, replacing Bob King, 67, who officially retired at the convention.
We don't normally think of Lexus cars as police vehicles, at least not in the U.S., but that doesn't mean other countries' police forces wouldn't find them compelling for patrol duty.
Subaru factory driver Mark Higgins smashed his own 2011 record lap on the Isle of Man TT road course this week by a stout 30.7 seconds. His weapon of choice was a U.S.-spec
Unifor, which represents Canadian auto workers, will strike at Johnson Controls' Whitby, Ontario, plant if the parts maker doesn't reverse its plan to close the facility in a couple of years.
Ford and Samsung have jointly developed hybrid technologies that could eventually be produced in high volume on non-hybrid vehicles for greater fuel savings.
General Motors plans to release on Thursday morning results from its internal investigation into why it did not recall 2.6 million vehicles with faulty ignition switches for about a decade after problems surfaced.
Citing a "strong consolidated performance" for the fiscal year ended 31 March, 2014, Moody's has held its rating for Tata Motors (TML) stable at Ba3 but cautioned that the current 2014/15 financial year remains "critical for the group with both JLR and the Indian businesses facing challenges".
Woodhouse Auto Family, the owner of Woodhouse Ford in Nebraska, known for its Truck Mountain, said it sustained damage to nearly 4,400 of its vehicles Tuesday night as storms pelted the Midwest with baseball-sized hail.
With the current economy the last thing you need is for your vehicle to break down. Whether your driving a reliable car or a busted up van, insurance you can rely on is a must.
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