Japan May Ban Gas, Diesel Vehicle Sales Starting in 2035
Japan may become the next country to ban the sale of vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, joining a growing list that includes both the United Kingdom and Norway, while other nations, such as France, Germany and China, are studying similar restrictions.
Such a move would be in line with the environmental pledge made by new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in October. Shortly after taking office, Suga set Japan on a course to be carbon-neutral on a net basis by 2050.
This ban on gas and diesel-powered vehicles would be a significant one. With a population of about 126 million people, Japan is one of the world’s largest new-vehicle markets, and among the biggest vehicle producers. Its domestic factories rolled out 3.4 million cars and trucks during just the first nine months of this year.
Read the article at The Detroit Bureau.
Survey: Road Rage, Aggressive Driving Hitting Record Numbers
AAA survey finds men are more aggressive behind the wheel
Data gathered by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety confirms the perception that men tend to speed, tailgate, merge dangerously, and make rude gestures or honk at other drivers more than women.
The survey finds that women also admit to some dangerous driving habits, such as running red lights. Overall, younger male and female drivers tend to be more aggressive than older drivers. With everyday stress already compounded by the pandemic and now the holiday season, which can elevate tensions on the road, AAA urges motorists to keep their cool and avoid dangerous driving habits.
J.D. Power Poised to Set New Vision for Automotive Forecasting After Completing ALG Acquisition
Completing its purchase of ALG from TrueCar, Inc., J.D. Power will dramatically broaden its vision of automotive residual value forecasting, especially important as the industry prepares to launch a wave of new electric vehicle (EV) models and pushes toward increased vehicle automation and other emerging technologies.
“As the automotive industry continues to face several technological, environmental and economic factors, the significance of what ALG brings to J.D. Power data and analytics capabilities provides additive value to our clients,” said Dave Habiger, president and CEO, J.D. Power.
Looking to the future, the combination of ALG’s expertise in residual values with J.D. Power’s wide range of data and analytics on market performance values and individual vehicle configurations will become increasingly valuable as the electric vehicle segment continues to grow.
Read the press release at J.D. Power.
European Union Aims to Have 30 Million Electric Cars on the Road by 2030
In a strategy due to be published in the coming week, the European Commission will lay out measures to tackle the quarter of EU greenhouse gas emissions that come from the transport sector.
The EU document estimates Europe will need 3 million public charging points and 1,000 hydrogen fueling stations by 2030 and promises a "roll-out plan with funding opportunities and requirements" next year. Europe currently has about 200,000 charging points.
Next year the EU will propose tighter CO2 emissions standards for cars and vans from 2025, and the draft document says they could be expanded to cover buses. The document also said Europe's high-speed rail traffic should double by 2030 and triple by 2050, while zero-emissions aircraft and ships need to be market-ready by 2035.
Read the article at Autoblog.
This New Feature is About to Make Electric Cars Way Easier to Use
Automakers and suppliers from around the world have agreed to a system - similar to wireless phone charging - that makes it possible to charge electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids without ever actually plugging them into a wall outlet,
The system delivers DC current up to 11 kilowatts at the maximum voltage the vehicle can accept up to 10 inches of space between a pad mounted on the floor to a receiver on the vehicle. Charging efficiency is up to 94%, comparable to wired connections. The SAE is working on higher power levels for future passenger vehicles and heavy-duty applications like mining equipment.
Electric vehicle owners already rave about the convenience of not having to stop for gas in the rain, wind and snow. Imagine how much more they’ll like it when they don’t even have to connect a plug to their vehicles at home.
Read the article at USA Today.
