Published on YouTube: 2022 Mercedes-Benz E450 4Matic Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mercedes-Benz E450 4Matic Review, Pricing, and Specs
Specifications 2022 Mercedes-Benz E450 4Matic VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon BASE PRICE (C/D EST) $68000 ...
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Published on YouTube: 2022 Mercedes-Benz CLS450 4Matic Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mercedes-Benz CLS450 4Matic Review, Pricing, and Specs
Specifications 2022 Mercedes-Benz CLS450 4Matic VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan ESTIMATED PRICE AS TESTED: ...
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yiq6u_E_Z6c

Published on YouTube: 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 Review, Pricing, and Specs
Specifications 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, front- or all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon BASE PRICE (C/D EST) ...
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZJQYq3Wir4

Fiat 500X Gets Canvas Top No One Asked For, but It’s Kind of Cool

The Yacht Club Capri special edition model features a cloth sunroof, satin trim, a wood dashboard, and a bougie $34,100 price.

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2022 Porsche Panamera

Review, Pricing, and Specs

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BMW Concept XM Showcases Big Grilles, Bigger Power, Coming Next Year

Ok, fine, BMW has just said in no uncertain terms with the revealing of the Concept XM. If you don’t like our big grilles, that’s too bad. Because instead of just going tall, the XM goes wide, too. Combined with barely visible headlamps, the front end of the XM is almost entirely grille opening. Then again, when you are a 740 hp PHEV and the most powerful production M car ever, you need a lot of airflow.

The Concept XM is our first look at a model that will see production late next year. The XM will be the first M exclusive model since the M1 coupe of the late 1970s and it marks 50 years since the founding of BMW M, both of which mean that the automaker is not messing around.

A V8 engine, not specified but likely a version of BMW’s current 4.4L turbo M-mill, will be paired with an electric motor and enough battery for an 80 km (WLTP) range. The pair will produce 740 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque, enough to make this the most powerful production M cars by an impressive 114 hp over the current champ, the M5 CS.

The styling will, no doubt, be contentious, but BMW has insisted that customers like its aggressive new noses, and the automaker says this is our first look at the face of the new luxury-class models BMW plans to reveal starting next year. It’s enough to make you miss the LED searchlights perched just above the windshield in the roof. From the rear, it’s more restrained, resembling the back of the iX electric crossover but trading that model’s boring bumper for one that has plenty of space for four large tailpipes to take care of the soundtrack. From the side, well, don’t expect great visibility (especially for rear-seat passengers) and we’ll leave it at that.

Inside, the concept has two very different themes for the front and rear. The front seats are finished in a vintage-look brown leather with carbon and copper finishes. The curved screen display wraps around the driver to create a more cockpit-like feel. The trio of centre air vents is meant to look like the M logo, and other M-specific accents and design elements are scattered around the space.

Aquamarine rear seats in a diamond stitch that serves to brighten the colours highlight what BMW is calling the M Lounge of the rear seat. Rich colours and a deeply recessed rear bench are intended to be a place to relax. The seating is velvet for a unique appearance. Only the fixed headrests are leather and are meant to support like a traditional M Sport seat. The carpet is deep-pile and gets a diamond pattern like the seatbacks.

The Concept XM was more about style than M-ness, but since it is intended to preview a very rare M-only model, expect serious performance credentials that go beyond the horsepower. 23-inch wheels, for example, leave loads of room for some very large brakes. Expect more details about that side of the vehicle as it gets closer to production, set for BMW’s plant in South Carolina late next year.

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Published on YouTube: 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS Review, Pricing, and Specs
Specifications 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS Vehicle Type: rear- or front- and rear-motor, rear- or all-wheel-drive, 4- or 5-passenger, 4-door sedan PRICE (C/D ...
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Kia's X-Pro Off-Road Trim May Expand to Sorento and Telluride

A Telluride X-Line is likely on the way, too, per recent Trademark filings.

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2022 Honda Civic Si

Review, Pricing, and Specs

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2400-HP Hennessey Six-Wheel-Drive Electric Hyper-GT Is Coming

John Hennessey says the plan is to create the fastest ever four-seater from rest to 200 mph—one with more horsepower than the Rimac Nevera and the Lotus Evija.

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All About Snowboard Roof Racks

Car owners can have their automobiles fitted with roof racks to make them more versatile when transporting luggage and equipment.

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Customize Your Car With a Plasti Dip Kit

Looking for an inexpensive way to give your old car a facelift?

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Your Guide to the Top Clutch Bleeder Kits

While a manual transmission vehicle has distinct pleasures, it also comes with distinct challenges.

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Your Guide to Dual Double DIN

Many factory double DIN systems today are outdated and don't include the latest technologies.

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Brighten the Road With a LED 7443 Bulb

An LED 7443 bulb is a good way to improve the brightness of your lights.

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2022 Honda Civic Si Evolves but Remains a Driver's Car

Better-looking inside and out and a bit more refined, the Civic Si has matured slightly without sacrificing its eager handling and fun character.

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Top Reviewed Car Paint Strippers

If you need to remove paint from your vehicle, then you need a good car paint stripper.

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All About Remote Starters for Toyota Tacoma

Remote car starters are among the most recent automotive developments of the 21st century.

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Your Guide to Projector Lights for Cars

Perfecting a good lighting system for motor vehicles has been in the works for decades, and today, the projector headlight housing system is gaining popularity over the reflector design.

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Your Guide to Toyota Highlander Remote Start Systems

A Toyota Highlander remote start system is one of the tools you can use to improve your driving experience.

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Your Guide to Push Start Kits

Car owners that live in places with extreme weather know how terrible it can be to sit in a car surrounded by snow waiting for it to heat up or to sweat in a sauna waiting for your A/C to cool down.

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2022 Mazda CX-5 Pricing and Specs Announced, Turbo Gets a Power Bump

Starting at $27,125, the updated CX-5 comes in 2.5 S and 2.5 Turbo configurations and the turbo engine now makes 256 hp.

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Roofnest Reveals Tough Aluminum Car-Top Tent, the Condor Overland

The new Overland is the aluminum foil to its plastic kin in the Roofnest lineup, and it looks good atop a Jeep Gladiator or other truck or SUV.

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Published on YouTube: 2022 Mercedes-AMG GLC43 / GLC63 / GLC63 S Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mercedes-AMG GLC43 / GLC63 / GLC63 S Review, Pricing, and Specs
Specifications 2022 Mercedes-AMG GLC63 VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback PRICE AS TESTED: $91150 (base ...
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Published on YouTube: 2022 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic Review, Pricing, and Specs
Specifications 2022 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 4Matic VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan PRICE AS TESTED $53190 ...
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGITR1mPwtg

750-HP BMW XM Concept Previews an Insane Performance SUV Flagship

The plug-in-hybrid XM will arrive at the end of next year and is the first stand-alone M model since the 1970s-era M1 sports car.

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2022 BMW XM

What We Know So Far

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2023 Genesis G90 Revealed Looking Like a True Flagship Sedan

The model that officially launched the Genesis brand is now entering a new generation and should be available in the U.S. sometime in 2022.

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Published on YouTube: 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL-Class Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mercedes-AMG SL-Class Review, Pricing, and Specs
Overview With a legacy that stretches back all the way to the original 300SL Gullwing, the 2022 Mercedes-AMG SL-class is an automotive icon. Recent ...
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Published on YouTube: 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQG Review, Pricing, and Specs

2024 Mercedes-Benz EQG Review, Pricing, and Specs
Overview Over several decades the Mercedes-Benz G-class built a reputation as an all-conquering off-roader before becoming a six-figure status symbol for ...
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V5mczcnX7o

Ken Block's Daughter, 14, Drag-Races His 1400-HP Hoonicorn on YouTube

Hoonicorn vs. the World is back for Season Two with a twist.

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Weekly News Roundup: All-New Niro and Ranger, Hellcats Can’t Outrun Progress, More

Kia has revealed the second generation of its electrified Niro crossover. With styling borrowed from the HabaNiro concept of 2019 and featuring Audi-like rear side blades and U-shaped LEDs on the nose. Materials inside include fabrics made from eucalyptus leaves and the doors are painted with a lower-emissions paint that is free from benzene, toluene, and xylene. The model will be offered starting next year with hybrid, PHEV, and EV powertrains, much like the current version of the Niro. Styling inside is more conventionally Kia, offering large screens linked through a common bezel as well as a two-spoke steering wheel.

Mazda’s CX-3 subcompact crossover, gone from the U.S. market and expected to have disappeared here as well, continues for 2022. The CX-3 will arrive at dealers next month and will see new standard features as well as more colour choices, starting from $21,800. Rain-sensing wipers and auto headlights are added to the standard equipment list. All models also offer a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The GX model will continue to be offered with a six-speed manual or six-speed auto, both front-drive only, with GS and up automatic-only and offering all-wheel drive.

Ford in Australia revealed the next-generation Ranger pickup. While this is an international reveal, we expect a very similar version of the truck here for 2023, including the new styling that blends Maverick and F-150 into an appealing midsize package. Ford says an upgraded chassis allows for better ride and handling as well as more capability. Inside, it will have Sync 4 infotainment on an available extra-large screen. Longer and wider, the new chassis is designed to accommodate both a new diesel V6 – don’t expect that here – and “helps future-proof the Ranger for other propulsion technologies.” That means electrification and do expect that here.

Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis has said that if you want a Hellcat V8 from the brand, your time is running out. “I will have this car, this platform, this powertrain as we know it through the end of ’23,” he told Motor Authority, addressing the current Charger and Challenger and that supercharged V8. “There’s two more years to buy a Hellcat, then it’s history.” Starting in 2024, Dodge plans to (along with the rest of Stellantis) move on with new platforms, new cars, and electrification. A concept version of that 2024 electric muscle car is expected to be revealed early next year with two more new model reveals set for 2022.

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1134248_dodge-boss-hellcats-dead-after-2023-drivable-2024-electric-muscle-car-concept-coming-in-2022

Cadillac’s first EV, the Lyriq, is getting closer to production. The automaker says its engineers have completed what it calls the “80 per cent validation drive.” This marks the point where GM has finished the main engineering and is now “fine-tuning Lyriq’s touchpoints,” said executive chief engineer Jamie Brewer. It’s time to iron out the details of the 2023 Lyriq, set to start production next spring and launch with a Debut Edition complete with 100.4 kWh battery pack and rear-wheel drive with 340 hp and a 483 km range.

 

The post Weekly News Roundup: All-New Niro and Ranger, Hellcats Can’t Outrun Progress, More appeared first on WHEELS.ca.

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Base Camp: 2022 Chevrolet Malibu

Every week, wheels.ca selects a new vehicle and takes a good look at its entry-level trim. If we find it worthy of your consideration, we’ll let you know. If not, we’ll recommend one – or the required options – that earns a passing grade.

As they used to say in the golden era of television: “Do not adjust your sets.” Despite the majority of consumers (nearly three out of four in Canada) preferring to plunk down their hard-earned Loonies on a truck or SUV, Chevrolet does indeed still make the four-door Malibu sedan. It isn’t offered with the same array of powertrains it once was, nor in as many flavours, but there is still a base model – and that’s the one in which we are interested today.

Call it a bit of obscure trivia for your next socially distant pub quiz.

These days, the base Chevy Malibu LS is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 160 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque funneled to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission. Yes, General Motors has a CVT in its corporate cupboard. We will permit you to draw your own conclusion about why it is largely limited to a slow-selling sedan. It is worth noting that, unlike other turbocharged vehicles equipped with a CVT, maximum torque doesn’t come online until 2,500 r.p.m. – and stays there for just 500 revs. Most small-displacement turbos make their peak torque much earlier than that and manage to hang onto it for a wider range of engine speed.

Nevertheless, upgrading a Malibu to the 2.0-litre turbo with 250 horses (and peak torque between 2,000 – 5,000 r.p.m.) costs a stupefying $38,198, so we’ll stick with the $25,598 LS trim. Sixteen-inch aluminum wheels arguably look better than sad-sack steelies, and the typical features like power side mirrors and automatic headlamps are present. Every colour, including the extra-cost choices, are on the greyscale instead of visible light so we may as well stick with the $0 Silver Ice Metallic shown here. Hey, at least you’re unlikely to attract attention from cops at speed or thieves while parked – if you want an invisible car, this is as close as it gets. And, yes, those are flat black side mirrors in true base model fashion.

Economies of scale, the Base Camp’s best friend, mean that even this cheapest of Malibu sedans get the same infotainment screen as equipped on GM trucks and SUV costing double or triple the price. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto work wirelessly, so go ahead and stream music from your phone without having to dig it out of your pocket. The system is also capable of providing wi-fi to passengers, though that is an extra monthly cost for data. Cloth front seats are manual but at least they adjust six ways, and the steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake.

A remote start system is included, as are keyless entry and keyless start, meaning you can keep your keys in the same pocket as your phone as mentioned earlier. Since this is 2021 and not 1991, features like cruise control and air conditioning are standard equipment. Just don’t expect newfangled gear like radar-guided cruise control. An optional package costing $1,670 adds automatic emergency braking and lane keeping among other similar kit.

What We’d Choose

If you’re hell-bent on getting a Malibu, spend the extra $900 and get an RS trim. While the powertrain is identical to the LS, this model does add some exterior jewelry in addition to better wheels and a natty decklid spoiler. Its steering wheel gains a leather wrap and the driver’s seat is appended with power movement. It would be silly not to upgrade, especially since the RS also unlocks decent paint colours like Cherry Red Tintcoat.

The price delta between this Malibu and some of its competitors is worth noting, checking in at approximatly $2,000 less than the least expensive Hyundai Sonata and some $8,000 less than the base Accord. Still, it’s always worth shopping around to make sure one is buying a vehicle containing a level of features with which they are happy. As your grade-school teacher probably said at some point, it’s a good idea to do your homework.

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Racing Roundup: F1, NASCAR not particularly welcoming

Some observers, me among them, have suggested there are several North American drivers ready for Formula One. They are IndyCar driver Colton Herta and NASCAR superstar Kyle Larson. I’m particularly bullish on Larson; others think Herta is the cat’s meow and who am I to argue?

Larson reportedly will attend an F1 race either this week in Saudi Arabia or the following weekend in Abu Dhabi. Maybe both. He’s going as a guest of owner Gene Haas and the Haas F1 team and this is because Tony Stewart, who’s Haas’s partner in NASCAR Cup racing, has been promoting Larson as “the best race driver I’ve ever seen.” For Stewart to say that is high praise indeed because he’s watched and raced against the very best of the modern generation of drivers.

Now, cast your mind back to the first paragraph when I said Herta and Larson were ready for F1. I stand by this but, on reflection, I don’t think it would be a good idea. Why? Because regardless how good one or the other may be, they wouldn’t be allowed to succeed. No “outsider” can expect to go into any modern racing series and beat the regulars right off the bat. It just won’t happen.

Let’s take Michael Andretti, for example. In 1993, he signed a contract to race for McLaren and by the third race he’d realized he’d made a horrible mistake. You see, Formula One is an Old Boys’ Club and you have to pay your dues and climb the ladder their way or they’ll just bring you down. Whether they like to admit it or not, this is the way it is in NASCAR, too.

Once upon a time, racing cars – even the ones at the top of the heap, like the F1 and Indy cars – were simple machines. Drivers could race by the seat of their pants. If there was a problem, they could pit and tell the chief mechanic what was the matter and how to fix it.  Not any more. Now the cars are computers programmed by aeronautical engineers and a “3” setting instead of a “2” can mean the difference between the car going like a rocket or stumbling like a pig.

So Michael arrives in Europe as this big-shot CART driver from the U.S., son of world champion Mario (the name did it for him, plus he was born in Italy) and he finds out that McLaren has three cars – one for him and one for his teammate, Ayrton Senna, plus a spare – and all are set up for Senna. It was impossible for Michael to race the car the way Senna did. Early in his short F1 career, Michael was left on the grid when the lights went out. Nobody told him how to arm the anti-stall technology and guess what happened? Sports Illustrated sent a reporter to Europe to do a story and he wrote a hatchet job, not about Michael but about his first wife who liked to wear dresses and pantsuits made up to look like checkered flags. After nine races of this kind of nonsense – I wrote a column in the Globe and Mail as a result of an interview I had about this with Mario at the Molson Indy – Michael said he would do one more race and then retire from F1. Ron Dennis told the boys on the team to knock it off and set up the car the way Michael liked to drive it and he finished third in the Italian Grand Prix. But that was only because he was leaving.

There is no doubt Michael Andretti was sabotaged. Larson and Herta would have to fight the same battles.

Now, before anybody says, “Whoa, what about Jacques Villeneuve?” there were two things at play there. No. 1, his name was magic because of his father. No. 2, Bernie Ecclestone knew F1 needed a star. Nigel Mansell had retired and F1 didn’t have anybody to take his place. Yes, there were lots of good drivers but nobody with charisma and talent rolled into one. Bernie made a deal with Frank Williams to hire Jacques, who nearly won his first race and the world championship in his first year. Jacques had talent but Williams was the dominant team in F1 then and it was a perfect combination.

And then there was Scott Speed. Who was Scott Speed? Nobody heard of him before and nobody has heard of him since, so he doesn’t count.

Speaking of NASCAR – which we weren’t, but I said we would because they don’t cotton to strangers there, either – we have the strange story of Danica Patrick. She won a race in IndyCar and was getting lots more attention than any of the NASCAR drivers of the day so NASCAR, naturally, wanted her. They built her up to be a female Richard Petty. In her first race, she won the pole at Daytona (which was the reverse of sabotage; translation – she got help) and finished eighth in the race when she went from second coming out of Turn 4 to being overwhelmed by the oval-track plate racers charging from behind.

But then the boys in the shop said, ‘Okay, the bosses have had their fun; time to put this broad in her place.” And they killed her. I have several years of media releases from her team and the pattern was unmistakeable: she would qualify around 20^th and the race would start, and she would sink like a stone. Every race, the release would say, shortly after the start, “Driver complaining of handling.” Over the course of the race, the crew would “work to improve the handling” and she would wind up back between 15^th and 20^th, which was pretty much where she started. It happened all the time, at just about every race.

I know the other drivers didn’t like her. Matt Kenseth, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch – everyone I asked used the same phrase: “marketing machine,” as in “She’s a marketing machine,” but not much else. Petty even went so far as to say that the only way she’d win a NASCAR Cup race was if “everybody else stayed home,” as if racers like Tony Kanaan and Helio Castroneves and the rest of the IndyCar drivers she beat that time in Japan were nothing more than chopped liver.

So enjoy the Paddock Club in F1, Mr. Larson, and imagine what it would be like to drive on that circuit. You too, Mr. Herta. And then both of you stay home and wow the crowds on this side off the ocean. Trust me, you don’t need the aggravation.

MORE RACING NEWS 

Sir Frank Williams, one of the original F1 team owners, along with Bernie Ecclestone, Eddie Jordan, Enzo Ferrari, Ron Dennis and one or two others, died Sunday at age 79. An amazing man, he spent the last 35 years of his life in a wheelchair after an accident on the way to the airport in the south of France (the same area where Princess Grace of Monaco crashed to her death). A hand-to-mouth racer in the 1960s, he came into some money when he sold his team to Canadian Walter Wolf but wasn’t really successful again until he joined the legendary Patrick Head to form Williams Grand Prix Engineering. The rest is history. For a full obituary, please click here.

Remembering Sir Frank Williams, 1942-2021 | RACER

Toronto’s Nicholas Latifi, who drives for Williams F1, which has since been sold to Dorilton Capital, Tweeted: “RIP, Sir Frank Williams. Such sad news. A huge loss for our sport and our team. It’s been an honour to represent your name on the world stage and we will continue to push hard to take the team back up the grid.”

Paul B. Cooke of Oakville, who was vice-president of ASN Canada and Clerk of the Course of the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, knew Sir Frank for many years. He emailed the following to me Sunday evening:

“I met Sir Frank in 1969 when he came to Mosport (now Canadian Tire Motorsport Park) with the late driver, Piers Courage. Frank was operating on a shoestring.  There was himself, a mechanic whose name I do not recall and his driver, Piers Courage.  A well-used Brabham F1 car, a driver, a mechanic and not much in the way of tools, let alone spare parts.

“As the event unfolded, they had a lot of car problems (mission-disabling) and sought help from the organizers who suggested that they get hold of me. We arranged transport back to our shop in Scarborough and spent the evening and through the night fixing a variety of ailments. The next day, Piers qualified P10 but failed to finish the race because of a fuel leak. I remember Frank then as a consummate professional, respectful of everyone and appreciative of assistance.

“Fast forward to a Montreal F1 event a few years after Frank’s severe car accident which left him confined to a wheelchair. I was Clerk of the Course.  Frank’s driver had broken a rule and the team was notified.  Frank asked to see the Clerk of the Course and it was agreed.  Frank was carried in his wheelchair by two assistants, whose forearms were bigger than my thighs, up the six flights of stairs to Race Control.  He sat with me discussing his plight, eventually accepting that the team was in the wrong. As he was leaving with his helpers, he quipped that we should install an elevator to which I replied that it was in the plans but in the meantime, his drivers best behave.  He laughed as we shook hands.  Again, a perfect gentleman.

“Frank was a role model in Formula 1, He is gone but the differences he made are permanent. Well played, Frank.  RIP.”

A passing of note took place last week with the death of Thomas (Garnet) Williamson. A fan of fine boats and auto racing, he supported the supermodified career of his son Kenny and sponsored other cars raced by the likes of Warren Coniam. Among those who attended a reception was now-retired racer Gary Morton (left, above, with Ken Williamson). While Ken is out of the sport (he’s an executive of Walmart with responsibility for stores in Pennsylvania and – lucky stiff – a resident of Mechanicsburg, home of Williams Grove Speedway), Gary prepares supers and sprint cars for Dave McKnight Jr. of Brampton. Garnet was a character, however. Once we were in Winchester, Ind., for a race there (Gary said the place reeked of history) but got rained out. I took Garnet into Indianapolis for dinner at what I consider the greatest steakhouse in the world, St. Elmo’s. “The steak is good, but I know a better place,” said Garnet. So we got back to Toronto and he took me to the Tom Jones steakhouse beside the King Edward Hotel downtown. Pretty good, too. Another time, we flew to Phoenix to go racing. As I was want to do in those days, I fell instantly in love with one of the air hostesses. “I’ll get her phone number for you,” Garnet said, which he did. After a few more pops, we landed but not before Garnet had set the date for our wedding and settled on the names of our first two children. What a guy. RIP.

I never thought it would happen, but Tony Stewart got married on the weekend. Top fuel driver Leah Pritchett was the bride. The photo at the bottom of this column was taken by Marco Andretti. I wonder if our James Hinchcliffe was there? The Mayor is tight with both Tony and Marco.

I can’t believe I am reporting this, either. Kyle Larson, who won the NASCAR Cup championship as well as about 100 sprint car races this year, could only finish fourth in the 98-lap Turkey Night Grand Prix for USAC National Midgets, held this year at Ventura Speedway in California. California driver Logan Seavey was the winner. Of note: the front row for the feature was made up of two women. Kaylee Bryson was on pole and Taylor Reime was second fastest, Bryson eventually finished fifth behind Larson and Reimer came home eighth in the 28-car field.

Finally, REV TV (which I can’t get; thanks Rogers) will be airing live coverage for CSN Collision Centre’s Hope for the Holidays charity auction from the Hagerty Garage and Social facility. Live coverage will begin Tuesday Nov. 30^th at 8 p.m. ET on both REV TV and online at HOPEFORTHEHOLIDAYS.ca. Building off last year’s success of raising more than $95,000 for Make-A-Wish Canada, this year’s event will be hosted by IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe. The online auction is open to the public for bidding for one week and will feature amazing items including electronics, unique experiences, destination packages, and sports memorabilia.

“REV TV is delighted to be able to work with CSN Collision Centres on such a worthy and humbling charity like Make-A-Wish Canada,” said Mike Garrow, president of REV TV. “We look forward to an exciting and memorable night that will help raise funds for wish children and their families.”

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Cyber Monday Sales on Must-Have Automotive Products

Take advantage of these big discounts on car gear from the comfort of your couch.

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Published on YouTube: 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Review, Pricing, and Specs
Overview With a complete redesign in store for the 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-class, the entry-luxury car segment is in for a shakeup. The C-class has long served ...
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Porsche Expanding Paint to Sample Choices to over 160 Colors

The new colors are available on every model in Porsche's lineup, including the Cayenne SUV, and Porsche plans to expand the number of painted-to-order vehicles it builds.

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Published on YouTube: 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB Review, Pricing, and Specs

2023 Mercedes-Benz EQB Review, Pricing, and Specs
Overview As Mercedes-Benz gears up to roll out a comprehensive lineup of electric vehicles, the boxy EQB—based on the gasoline-powered GLB-class ...
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Nissan Shows Future EV Concepts Including a Cute Pickup Truck

Ambitious electric-vehicle plans also call for solid-state batteries by 2028 and for EVs to make up 40 percent of U.S. sales by 2030.

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Comparison Test: 2022 Hyundai Veloster N vs. Subaru BRZ vs. Toyota GR86 vs. VW GTI

Gauging the goodness of budget-minded hot rods from Hyundai, Subaru, Toyota, and Volkswagen.

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WayRay Holograktor Electric Concept Brings 3D Augmented Reality to the Car

Swiss concept makes the head-up display even better with holographic displays of everything from anime characters to . . . inevitably . . . ads.

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Driver’s licences are no longer a rite of passage

Michael Pihach grew up in St. Catharines, where you needed a car to get around. Like most teenagers at the time, he thought about getting his driver’s licence, but he was busy fast-tracking through high school—taking extra classes at night and in the summer—and left for university when he turned 17.

“So I left home younger than most people. And in the process of that, I just never ended up getting my licence,” said Pihach. Instead, he went to University of Toronto Mississauga, a satellite campus of U of T, that was “just as suburban as St. Catharines.” But by 18, he had moved to Toronto.

“And because I was in the city for many, many years after that, it just never dawned on me that I should get a licence,” said Pihach, who now works as a travel writer. “However, when I was in my late 20s, I decided that I should, just for the sake of having it. So I went to drivers’ school, learned how to drive a car, did the test and got my G1. And that’s when the momentum ended. I literally just let the G1 expire.”

The main reason for getting his G1? So he’d have an ID to get into clubs. “I don’t go to clubs anymore,” he said.

“Now that I’m 37 there’s absolutely no reason for me to have that identification because I don’t get carded.”

Beyond that, a lot has changed since he was a teenager, like the emergence of ride-hailing services. He also used to cycle to work, before the pandemic, but now works from home.

“In the long run, having an Uber ride here and there is much cheaper than paying insurance, parking and repairs and everything else that comes with owning and driving a car,” he said.

“So when those [ride-hailing] programs came along, I was even less inclined to get my licence.”

Getting a driver’s licence doesn’t appear to be the rite of passage it once used to be—and there are several reasons for this.

Mohsen Alavi is a PhD student at York University’s faculty of environment and urban change and a co-researcher on the StudentMoveTO project, led by Professor Roger Keil. The project is supported by 10 colleges and universities and four government and community organizations, aimed at generating insights that will help to improve the transportation experiences of post-secondary students in the GTHA.

In fall 2019, StudentMoveTO conducted a large-scale survey of more than 18,500 students at 10 post-secondary institutions across the GTHA. More than 22 per cent of survey respondents said they didn’t have a driver’s licence. And of those who did, not all of them own a car or drive regularly.

Alavi can relate. He lives in Newmarket, and he used to take the bus — but waiting 40 minutes at a bus stop in wintertime when it’s below zero isn’t ideal.

“At first I didn’t want to have a car,” he said, “but car dependency forced me to have a driver’s licence and have a car.”

The group’s research also found that 65 per cent of students who have a driver’s licence don’t own a car, and of those, just 15 per cent indicated they would buy a car in the future.

The three main reasons for not having a licence were:

• Good access to public transit services (83 per cent)
• Costs associated with driving and owning a car (66 per cent)
• Negative impacts of driving on the environment (50 per cent)

Some of the anonymized student responses they received as part of the study included: “I prefer walking as much as I can,” “I don’t want to be stuck in traffic jams,” and “I just didn’t want to have the financial burdens of car ownership on top of all the other costs of being a student.”

“There’s a correlation between having a job and having a driver’s licence,” said Alavi. Living downtown with better access to public transit was also more likely to reduce car dependency.

It’s too early to say how the COVID-19 pandemic may have pushed more people to get their driver’s licence or buy a car.

For Pihach, because of the pandemic, he’s been subletting his apartment in Toronto to help out his mom in St. Catharines.

“I found myself as a 37-year-old man back in St. Catharines, without a licence. And it became very clear to me that, wow, you really can’t do much here without a car,” he said.

“There’s even a car at my disposal—my mom won a car in a raffle five, six years ago … so there’s an extra car there sitting for me to use.”

But he plans to move back to Toronto shortly, so he doesn’t see a need to start driving just yet.

“It’s not that I’m lazy. I just have no interest,” he said.

However, Pihach does see a day when he may start driving again: if he ever has children, or if he ends up leaving Toronto permanently.

“I wouldn’t rule it out completely. But I’d want to have a really nice car.”

Celebrities who don’t drive

Cardi B: The American rapper often shows off her fleet of luxury vehicles on Instagram, including a Fiat 124 Spider. But she doesn’t actually drive them, since she doesn’t have her driver’s licence.

Mariah Carey: The songstress has quite a collection of cars, including a custom pink Porsche Cayenne. And while apparently she has a driver’s licence, she chooses not to drive—and why bother, when you have a personal driver to chauffeur you around?

Ricky Gervais: The British comedian was reportedly asked to host “Top Gear” a few years back, but alas, he turned down the gig—because he doesn’t have a driver’s licence. Though he has appeared in an Audi A3 commercial (as a passenger, of course).

Jennifer Lopez: The triple-threat performer does have a driver’s licence, but it’s mainly for ID purposes — not for driving. This is despite the fact former fiancée Alex Rodriguez gifted her with a red 911 Carrera GTS Porsche for her 50^th birthday.

The late Charlie Watts: The former drummer extraordinaire of the Rolling Stones, who passed away this year at the age of 80, never got his driver’s licence. He owned several classic and exotic cars, but never drove them — he spent most of his life on a tour bus.

 

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Tired of shoveling? High-tech snow clearing makes it easier than ever

One of the worst parts of winter is the shovel. Keeping your driveway clear of snow is essential, and essentially unchanged in decades. Step outside with a shovel and get to digging. It’s a great way to end up with a sore back at best or a heart attack at worst, but what else are you going to do? We’ve got some tips on how to keep your driveway clear with less work using the latest in driveway technology.

Like to keep it affordable and old-school? The classic metal shovel is still effective but an ergonomic bent handle is a modern addition that is intended to make shovelling easier on your cold body. Newer shovels also have a second handle mounted low on the main handle, letting you use both arms to get a grip and do the heavy lifting with less strain.

The snowblower is another time-tested way to clear your driveway. A two-stage gas snowblower makes quick work of even hip-deep snow thanks to an auger that chops up the snow (stage one) and then pushes it into the impeller (stage 2) that launches it across the yard.

Having yet another gas engine needing maintenance and fuel can be a hassle. Electric snowblowers options are limited and many models have trouble clearing more than a flurry from a walkway. However, thanks to modern lithium-ion battery technology you can get a serious electric snowblower. Full-size two-stage models can clear a typical suburban driveway on a single charge. A great example is the EGO POWER+ 2-Stage Snow Blower. The same batteries that allow near-silent snow clearing in the winter can then be used to power mowers, blowers, and other lawncare equipment the rest of the year.

If you really want to make your snowblower high-tech, a company called Snowbot is readying a Roomba meets snowblower called the Snowbot S1. It’s still in beta testing, but the manufacturer says it will use lidar sensors and positioning beacons to clean your driveway autonomously. You can also control it from inside your home using a Playstation-like controller if that’s more your style.

Traditional road salt helps to keep snow and ice from building up on your driveway — at least for the few centimetres of snowfall — but why not upgrade to the same modern technology highway roadcrews have? See the brine trucks that coat roads with salt in liquid form ahead of a storm? Bare Ground KlearWay lets you coat your driveway with a de-icer and apply it throughout a storm to make sure you don’t need to shovel. The liquid de-icer comes in a bag-in-box and is hooked up to an AC-powered pump and an attachment that looks like a lawn sprinkler.

Controlled manually or from your smartphone, the sprinkler can cover up to 93 square metres of driveway and keep it clear from snow falling at up to five centimetres per hour. The company offers a wide range of de-icing solutions, including fluids that are claimed non-toxic and safe for pets and plants, as well as safe for concrete. A 20-litre box of the solution can melt as much snow and ice as 250 pounds of salt.

For the ultimate in snow removal, you need to be ready to shovel out the cash instead. Radiant floor heating systems use either a system of pipes that channel warm liquid through (or under) your driveway or an electrically heated grid that does the same. While using a boiler or electricity to heat the outdoors is convenient, it does have some issues.

You’ll probably need a new driveway, for one. It’s possible to place the system under or on top of your existing driveway, but it’s not often feasible and it is certainly not easy. This is going to be an expensive project. Ripping up and repaving your driveway isn’t cheap, nor is the new boiler you’ll need and the radiant heating grid that needs to be installed. Lastly, energy costs to heat up the outdoors, especially in the colder parts of Canada, will be high both in dollars and in impact on the environment. The heat is only needed on days when snow is expected, but if that is enough days to make you want a heated driveway, it’s enough days to be expensive.

What’s the best way to clear your driveway? That’s going to depend on your budget and your ability to shovel. Our preferred method is the old-fashioned sleigh shovel, but all of that manual labour might not be for you, and there’s nothing wrong with picking one of the other methods we’ve listed. Of course, if you don’t want to worry about it at all, there’s always an app for that. Or the tried-and-true method of offering the neighbour kid $20 to do it for you. That might be $50 now, with inflation.

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Famous Gordon Lightfoot song about a Rolls-Royce was never recorded

We are four weeks away from Christmas, which is good in one way ’cause ‘tis the season, and not so good in the automotive and racing world because hardly anything is going on anywhere except in the Middle East, where there are still two Grand Prix races on the calendar.

So I’m going to write today about a national treasure, Gordon Lightfoot. Tonight, he will wrap up a three-night stand marking the reopening of Massey Hall. I promise, though, that there will be an automotive reference, or two, to make this column legal to appear in Wheels.

I first saw Lightfoot at the Mariposa Folk Festival in his hometown of Orillia, Ont. He was singing duets with his pal Terry Whelan and they were on a program with folk-music greats like Ian & Sylvia, Mary Jane and Winston Young, Ed McCurdy, Oscar Brand, The Travellers and others.

I had a job on the Orillia Packet & Times, a daily that went out of business a few years ago, and in late spring or early summer of 1963 Lightfoot came into the office and I interviewed him. He was as class an act then as he is now. He’d been to music school in Los Angeles, went to the U.K. where he had a short-lived TV show, and was back in Canada appearing on CBC shows like “Singalong Jubilee.” He was starting to write songs and had great ambition.

I never got to know him, per se, but he recognized me for a while afterward. It was a thrill to go see him sing at Steele’s Tavern or some other downtown Toronto night club and have him stop by my table on the way out to say hello. I loved to hear him sing the late Hamilton Camp’s “Pride of Man.” In fact, the last time I saw Lightfoot up close and personal was a night in 1965 when Camp was playing a club called the Gate of Cleve on Dupont Street and I was sitting right at the back. A hand tapped my shoulder, suggesting I move out of the way so more people could get in, and I turned to look right into the face of Gordon Lightfoot. He tapped my shoulder again and said, “Hey, how’re ya doin’?”

“I’m on the Globe now,” I said.

“I’ll look for your stuff,” he said.

And that was that.

But like millions of Canadians, I followed his career as if he was my next-door neighbour. He was writing wonderful stuff but drinking pretty heavily and I remember being shocked one time while reading an article on him in Maclean’s (or maybe it was Saturday Night) in which he said he put away 40 ounces of vodka a day. But it didn’t seem to slow him down and he kept churning out the hits and singing in the clubs and in concert.

One of the songs that audiences loved, which he never recorded, was called “Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud Talkin’ Blues.” His biographer, Nicholas Jennings, wrote a blog a few years ago about the song and how it came to be.

Lightfoot, according to Jennings, has had several marriages. He liked to party with Ian Tyson (the booze wrecked Ian’s marriage to Sylvia Fricker/Tyson too) and according to Jennings, we owe the song to Lightfoot’s rockabilly buddy Ronnie Hawkins, who kept drinking but stayed married.

After moving from Arkansas to Toronto, Hawkins was soon very successful and very wealthy. He wandered into a Rolls-Royce dealership on Bay Street and was ignored by a snooty salesman. Hawkins, who was wearing cowboy boots, a buckskin jacket and had long hair and a cowboy hat, suggested the logo “R-R” stood for rock ‘n’ roll and that he wanted the car. Eventually, after being rebuffed several times, he left the dealership, went to his bank, withdrew $18,500 cash and went back and bought the car.

Now the reason I took you all on this trip down Memory Lane is because I have a suggestion. A very worthy suggestion.

The arena where the Leafs and Raptors play started life as the Air Canada Centre, or ACC. Now it’s Rogers Arena. Skydome became Rogers Centre. I know Rogers have used their properties for advertising purposes but my point is that it is not really that big a deal for building names to be changed.

Massey Hall has been “Massey” Hall forever. True, it was paid for by a foundation fronted by Hart Massey of Massey-Harris (later to become Massey-Ferguson) but it is now operated by a public corporation that also manages Roy Thomson Hall. Of all the performers who have appeared there over the years, the one who stands out is Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot has performed nearly 165 concerts there and was the last artist to appear before its most recent renovation. As we all know, he was the artist who reopened it on Thursday night.

If you go out on the street and ask the first 10 people you meet to tell you, “Who is Massey?” I would wager that none of those 10 people would know. For that very reason, it’s time the place got a new name. I can’t think of anything better than Gordon Lightfoot Hall, can you?

I’ll tell you this: ask those same 10 people about Gordon Lightfoot and first, they’d know who you were talking about and, second, they would probably be able to rattle off a half dozen of his most famous songs.

Gordon Lightfoot Hall. Let‘s do it.

Norris McDonald, a past Wheels editor in chief, covers the Canadian automotive and global racing scene for the Star. He is a member of the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame.  nmcdonald@thestar.ca or follow him on Twitter @NorrisMcDonald2.

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How much data does your car collect on you?

This data can be gathered from the car’s on-board computer and collected using purpose-built devices or at a dealership’s service department. Because it requires specialized equipment to access, this type of data has historically been relatively protected.

But as cars become increasingly connected – whether through Wi-Fi connections, smartphone tethering, or even connections to the cloud for real-time computing and over-the-air updates – this game is changing dramatically. Our cars know and store much more about us than they ever have before: our names, home addresses, where we’ve been, where we’re going, and possibly even personal financial information.

In some ways, this shift is both valuable and necessary. A car with an active real-time data connection can incorporate more autonomous driving features, which need to make constant calculations about the vehicle’s surrounding environment to keep its occupants safe. On top of that, there’s the matter of convenience. For example, many people would be happy to have their cars store their credit card information and automatically pay for their morning cups of coffee at the drive-thru. The Mercedes-Benz MBUX infotainment system has been capable of over-the-air updates since its launch in 2018 and has since added functionality such as locating available parking spaces and playing quiz games.

On the other hand, the price of this advancement is that our personal information becomes highly vulnerable, and the technology required to adequately protect it has not been keeping up, according to AJ Khan, CEO of Vehiqilla, Inc., and industry leader in automotive cybersecurity.

“If you look at the state of cybersecurity right now in vehicles, there is a lot of work to be done,” Khan said. “The good news is we know that that work needs to be done, but I think a lot of effort needs to be there.”

Dr. Benjamin Fung, associate professor of information studies at McGill University, says the key difference with the data collected today is that it allows for inferences to be made about drivers and their lifestyles. This is not only personally identifying, but also has the potential to be highly lucrative and valuable.

“As a (car) manufacturer, if I know that you were browsing some TVs two days ago on the web and now you’re near a Best Buy where there’s a promotion, I may push this ad to your screen,” Fung said. “From the raw data, they can make those inferences on behaviour. In fact, it’s quite obvious.”

More critically, informed consent is lacking for these types of data collection. Dr. Rajen Akalu, assistant professor of business law with Ontario Tech University, completed a study in 2019 in which he developed a proposed privacy code for connected vehicles. In doing so, he concluded that automakers currently gather consent from their customers in an overarching, take-it-or-leave-it style, often rolling together critical functions such as using location data for roadside assistance alongside other forms intended for behaviour analysis or monetization.

“What (current privacy legislation) tends to do is cause companies through their lawyers to draft boilerplate, standard privacy statements that are ostensibly about protecting privacy but are really more about defending the company against non-compliance,” Akalu said. “There is a certain value in keeping things vague. It allows for plausible deniability.”

For Mercedes-Benz’s part, the automaker updates its terms and conditions whenever new updates are being pushed that require new use of end user data, according to Mike Dosenbach, vice-president of cloud and connectivity for Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America.

“We know that the safe and responsible handling of data is the basis for the acceptance of connected driving,” Dosenbach said.

Another concern yet to be addressed, Khan says, is the issue of how privacy laws change between jurisdictions. A car crossing international borders or even individual state lines in the U.S. could have its data subject to different degrees of legislative protection without its occupants’ knowledge.

“Canada has very stringent privacy laws, while in other places, especially the U.S., the privacy laws are more specific to a state,” Khan said. “Your data becomes susceptible to potential malicious attackers, depending on the state.”

At this juncture in this technology’s development, Khan says that providing education and transparency to consumers is critical for building trust. He suggests that a solution such a rating system – along the lines of the safety ratings provided by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the United States, for example – could help consumers clearly understand how well a given car is equipped to protect their personal information.

Until such solutions become more commonplace, he says the most important thing a driver can do is to ask plenty of questions, both of automakers and dealerships, about what types of data are being collected and how the information will be used and stored.

“Right now, consumers don’t go and ask (about) the cybersecurity features of their vehicles,” Khan said. “Ultimately, it’s the consumers who will be affected from a cyber breach. I think the consumers need to be educated on this point.”

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Published on YouTube: 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE Review, Pricing, and Specs

2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE Review, Pricing, and Specs
Overview Think of the all-electric 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE sedan as a smaller, albeit similarly distinctive, version of the Mercedes EQS. Both models basically ...
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Would You Rather: BMW M4 Competition or Ford Mustang Mach-E GT?

If you're looking for around 500 horsepower, all-wheel-drive and 0-60 mph in less than four seconds, here are two very different approaches.

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Published on YouTube: 2022 Mercedes-AMG GT63 S

2022 Mercedes-AMG GT63 S
Specifications 2022 Mercedes-AMG GT63 S VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, rear-/all-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 4-door hatchback PRICE AS TESTED $189360 ...
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx7Ol9vnvpk

Published on YouTube: 2022 Mercedes-AMG GLB35 4Matic Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mercedes-AMG GLB35 4Matic Review, Pricing, and Specs
Specifications 2022 Mercedes-AMG GLB35 4Matic Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon PRICE Base/As Tested: ...
via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Wewbh8fyuk

BMW Brings Back Classic Logo, Historic Colors for M Division's 50th Anniversary

BMW digs into the archives for a new old motorsport logo, and it can be ordered on new BMW M cars after January 2022.

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'The Big Book of Tiny Cars' Celebrates the Smallest Automobiles

Microcars, Japanese Kei cars, and just plain minuscule cars throughout history are highlighted.

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Published on YouTube: 2022 Mercedes-AMG GLA45 Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mercedes-AMG GLA45 Review, Pricing, and Specs
Specifications 2022 Mercedes-AMG GLA45 VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback BASE PRICE (C/D EST) $55000 ...
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Watch the $2 Million Rimac Nevera Slide Around in the Mud

This Nevera is set to be crashed into a wall for U.S. crash test safety testing, so CEO Mate Rimac decided to have a bit of fun with it first.

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Published on YouTube: 2022 Mercedes-AMG E53 AMG Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mercedes-AMG E53 AMG Review, Pricing, and Specs
Specifications 2022 Mercedes-AMG E53 4Matic+ Coupe Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 2-door coupe PRICE $77300 ENGINE ...
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'Tis the Season for Car Bows

When just giving someone a car isn't special enough, put a giant bow on it. From Lexus's marketing department to Saturday Night Live, a brief look at the history of the car bow.

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Published on YouTube: 2022 Mercedes-AMG CLA35 Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mercedes-AMG CLA35 Review, Pricing, and Specs
2022 Mercedes-AMG CLA35 VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan PRICE AS TESTED $66340 (base price: $47895) ...
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Next Gen Race Car Set to Reshape NASCAR Cup Series

Debuting for the 2022 season, the Next Gen car will be a paradigm shift at the sport's highest level.

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Comparison Test: 2021 Ford Bronco vs. 2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited

Ford's reimagined Bronco confronts Jeep's iconic Wrangler in a battle of playthings that go anywhere, from city streets to dirt trails.

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Published on YouTube: 2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mazda MX-5 Miata Review, Pricing, and Specs
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door convertible PRICE AS TESTED: $34980 (base price: $30510) ENGINE TYPE: DOHC ...
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This Rugged Vintage Off-Roader Is Actually a Volvo, and It's for Sale

A most unusual Volvo restomod is coming to Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale auction in January.

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Published on YouTube: 2022 Mazda MX-30 Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mazda MX-30 Review, Pricing, and Specs
2022 Mazda MX-30 Vehicle Type: front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback PRICE Base, $34645; Premium Plus, $37655 POWERTRAIN ...
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How We'd Spec It: 2022 718 Cayman GT4 RS, Porsche's Newest Track Weapon

We design five different versions of Porsche's latest track star, the hardcore 718 Cayman GT4 RS, which borrows a 4.0-liter flat-six from the 911 GT3.

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Published on YouTube: 2022 Mazda CX-9 Review, Pricing, and Specs

2022 Mazda CX-9 Review, Pricing, and Specs
2022 Mazda CX-9 Signature AWD VEHICLE TYPE front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 6-passenger, 4-door wagon PRICE AS TESTED $47560 (base price: $47160) ...
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Porsche Could Be Planning a Bigger SUV: Report

Automotive News, citing a dealer meeting, said a new flagship SUV could be coming above the current Cayenne.

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2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Limits Power during Hard Acceleration

The 5001-pound crossover reaches 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, but quickly runs out of steam and is actually slower to 110 mph than a non-GT model.

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2023 Kia Niro

What We Know So Far

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2022 Kia Niro

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2022 Nissan Pathfinder

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2022 Jeep Grand Cherokee

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Using an EV as a backup power generator for your home might soon be possible in Ontario

Electric vehicle owners in Ontario may one day be able to use the electricity in their EVs instead of loud diesel or gas generators to provide emergency power during blackouts. They could potentially also sell back the energy in their cars to the grid when needed. Both are key areas of focus for new pilot projects announced this week by Ontario’s electricity grid operator and partners that include Toronto Hydro and Ontario Hydro.

Three projects announced this week will test the bi-directional power capabilities of current EVs and the grid, all partially funded by the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) of Ontario, with their announcement in Toronto also attended by Ontario’s recently appointed Minister of Energy, Todd Smith.

The first project is with Hydro One Networks and Peak Power, which will use up to 10 privately owned Nissan Leafs to test what is needed technically to support owners using their cars as a backup power source during power outages. It will also study what type of financial incentives will convince EV owners to provide backup power for other users, and therefore the grid.

A second pilot program with solar specialist Sky Energy and engineering firm Hero Energy will study EVs, energy storage, and solar panels to further examine how consumers with potentially more power to offer the grid could do it securely, in part using blockchain technology. York University and Volta Research are other partners in the program, which has already produced an app that can help drivers choose when and how much power to provide the grid – if any.

The third program is with local utilities in Toronto and Waterloo, Ontario, and will test a secure digital app that helps EV drivers see the current demands on the grid, and potentially price an incentive to EV drivers not to charge their vehicles for a few hours. Drivers could also be actively further paid to provide some of the charge currently in their vehicle back to the grid.

It all adds up to $2.7 million in program funding from IESO ($1.1 million) and the associated partners.

“An EV charged in Ontario produces roughly three percent of emissions of a gas-fueled car,” said IESO’s Carla Nell, vice president of corporate relations and innovation at the announcement near Peak Power chargers in downtown Toronto. “We know that Ontario consumers are buying EVs, and expected to increase 10-fold – so we have to support electrification.”

If these types of programs sound familiar, it may be because utilities in Ontario have been testing such vehicle to grid (V2G) technologies soon after affordable EVs became available in the fall of 2011. One such program was run by PowerStream, now called Alectra, and headed by Neetika Sathe, who is now Alectra’s vice president of its Green Energy and Technology (GRE&T) Centre in Guelph.

The difference between now and those tests in the mid-2010s is that the upcoming wave of EV sales can be clearly seen on the horizon.

“We can see the tsunami now,” she said, noting that cost parity between EVs and gas vehicles is likely four or five years away – without government incentives, she stressed. “Now it’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when – and that when has received much more clarity on it.”

Sathe sees a benefit in studying all these types of bi-directional power-flowing scenarios, but notes that they are future scenarios for years in the future, especially since bi-directional charging equipment – and the vehicles with this capability – are pricey, and largely still not here. What she believes is much closer is the ability to automatically communicate what the grid needs with EV drivers, and how they could possibly help. For a price, of course.

“If I can set up a system that says ‘oh, the grid is stressed, can you not charge for the next two hours? And here’s what we’ll offer to you for that,’ that’s closer to low hanging fruit,” she said, noting that Alectra is currently testing out such systems. “Think of it the same way as offering your car for Uber, or a room on AirBnB.”

The post Using an EV as a backup power generator for your home might soon be possible in Ontario appeared first on WHEELS.ca.

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