We all know that many of the things we do for fun aren’t necessarily good for us, including our love of cars. While vehicle electrification and alternative fuel development has made large strides, many feel the emission regulation needs to be far stricter than they have been, and that is just what the world leaders at this year’s G7 summit agreed to do.
In their latest meeting, world leaders from seven countries — Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom — as well as representatives from the European Union, declared they will use their influence to move away from fossil fuels by the end of the century.
Yes, that’s a while from now, but the summit declaration states that the group supports the goal of reducing emissions by as much as 70 percent in 2050.
Putting aside the need to secure a better future for generations to come, more personal concerns are that the effects of climate change are already rearing their ugly heads. Changing things soon should help mitigate the impact we’ve made. Furthermore, the G7 plans to influence the economy that give incentive to lean toward cleaner energy sources. Hitting that 2050 goal will mean that within the next 10 to 20 years, we’ll already start seeing changes.
All the petrol heads stockpiling fuel barrels for the bleak, combustion-free future, there’s some news that should put your mind at ease. While the G7 leaders certainly have influence, none of what they say are binding laws, so gas-powered cars aren’t going to be illegal anytime soon.
That being said, fossil fuel power has always had its days numbered, just like the fuel sources that preceded it, like coal. Take comfort in the fact that, after many of us have shuffled off, cars will still live on, and so will the love of driving, regardless of whats under the hood.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.