We bumped into each other at a BP station, both befuddled in front of two electric car chargers. He wanted to charge a top-up to an app on his smartphone. “Been trying for a while,” he said. “Keeps telling me there’s a problem with charging as a guest.” He said he was in Auckland for the day on business from Tauranga. The stitching on his shirt pocket had … [Read more...] about Atto 3: Confucius and the Tinder trap
Dieselgate gets blame for Euro7 pain
Volkswagen’s Dieselgate scandal is being blamed for what a growing number of carmakers say is an unreasonably hasty move by the European Commission (EC) to impose strict new Euro7 emission regulations. An EC spokesperson told Reuters that the proposed Euro7 emissions tests were important because of "scandals in the past about cheating devices". Euro7 would widen real-driving … [Read more...] about Dieselgate gets blame for Euro7 pain
Carmakers get relief from piston engine ban
The German government has thrashed out a deal with the European Union to allow sales of vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE) to continue past 2035, so long as the vehicles burn carbon neutral “e-fuels.” The EU’s plans to ban sales of new C02-emitting cars from 2035 were well underway before Germany halted progress by demanding an exemption for ICE cars that … [Read more...] about Carmakers get relief from piston engine ban
Nazi deputy’s Mercedes-Benz for sale
A Mercedes-Benz that Nazi leader Adolf Hitler gifted to his deputy Rudolf Hess before the outbreak of World War II is expected to fetch around $NZ3 million at auction in the US next month. The 1934 500 K Offener Tourenwagen, or “open touring car”, is believed to be one of five unrestored examples of 500 K variants in existence. It has been in a private museum in West … [Read more...] about Nazi deputy’s Mercedes-Benz for sale
Amazon satellites for speedy internet
Tech giant Amazon will next year launch an internet service based on low-orbit satellites, a network similar to the Starlink system that in one publicised case helped link a New Zealand community isolated by Cyclone Gabrielle to a global audience. Project Kuiper – named after Dutch-born astronomer Gerard Kuiper – is Amazon’s plan for a constellation of 3236 … [Read more...] about Amazon satellites for speedy internet