Jeremy Clarkson pondering run for Parliament?

Jeremy Clarkson, the outspoken host of Top Gear, may be pondering a run at the UK's Parliament, according to a tweet he posted over the weekend. Of course, the note, which has now been retweeted over 4,400 times, comes from a man whose penchant for hyperbole is legendary, so take this musing with the usual grain of salt. There's been no further mention of his political aspirations since the original tweet went up, leading us to assume that it was just idle banter.

Even so, Clarkson has no issue being controversial, but it's where he's apparently thinking of running that's adding fuel to the fire – Doncaster North. Located in southern Yorkshire, the area is currently represented by the leader of the liberal Labour Party, Ed Miliband, according to The Independent. Were Clarkson to depose Miliband, it'd be like Nancy Pelosi losing her seat in Congress to an ornery Jay Leno.

Clarkson's bluntness and utter disregard for decorum - he once called former prime minister Gordon Brown a "one-eyed Scottish idiot" and has a habit of routinely insulting other countries - run counter to what we normally think of when it comes to British politics. But the 53-year-old presenter has never been quiet about his political views, both on Top Gear and in his regular newspaper columns. And as we've shown before, he's quite popular in the UK, having at least one petition started for him to assume the position of Prime Minister. British friends, would you vote for Clarkson as your MP? Let us know in Comments.

I'm thinking I might stand in the next election as an independent for Doncaster North, which is where I'm from. Thoughts?

- Jeremy Clarkson (@JeremyClarkson) September 14, 2013

View the original article here

Tesla staring down California dealer ad probe request

Months after the confusing announcement of Tesla's lease-like financing program, the electric vehicle maker could face an advertisement probe that has been requested by the California New Car Dealers Association, Automotive News reports, which claims that consumers are being mislead by advertised monthly payments that are lower than what most people would experience.

The ordeal can be traced back to April 2, when Tesla made an announcement specifying tiered monthly payments for the three versions of the Model S assuming a 66-month term. But then Tesla revised the numbers upward overnight because, it claimed, it meant to say it offered a 63-month finance term, not a 66-month term. The automaker also claimed that factoring in the "true cost of ownership" of a Model S compared to a conventional fuel-burning car could drive monthly costs to below $500.

In May, it added an available finance term of 72 months, which, factoring in only gasoline savings, the company said could lower monthly payments to $580. But the underlying issue at hand is that the means which can potentially lower monthly payments from $1,000+ dollars (depending on the model) to under $600 can't be realized by the majority of Americans, the CNCDA says.

Tesla provides an online calculator that does the payment math for you. It takes into account the $7,500 federal incentive and $2,500 California incentive (state incentives differ) for EVs, what your time is worth, how much time and money are saved away from the gas station, shortened commuting time with carpool lane access (in participating states), and even business tax benefits. But the "packed external incentives," as the dealer association calls them, don't apply to everybody. Most people can't realize monthly payments below $500 unless they have the right mix of true-cost-of-ownership deductions. CNCDA also claims that only 20-percent of Americans can claim the full $7,500 federal incentive, which is based on findings by the Congressional Budget Office, according to Automotive News.

Brian Maas, president of the dealer association, sees Tesla's advertisement strategy in this way: "It's misleading. If you checked every box on their true cost of ownership series of inquiries, they claim you can get a Model S for $114 a month, which is lower than the cheapest [new] car available in the United States, the Nissan Versa - which would cost you, with a lease deal, about $139 a month," Automotive News reports.

View the original article here

Nevada now allowing motorcycles to run red lights legally

As of next Tuesday, October 1, motorcyclists, cyclists, moped and tri-wheel riders in Nevada will be legally allowed to run red lights under one condition: there is no other traffic around, and they have waited at the light through two red-light cycles. When light sensors under the road don't detect a two-wheeled vehicle it can leave a rider sitting a light until a car shows up, or the rider will need to dismount and press the "Walk" button to get the light to change. The law was passed in order to provide a more expedient way to deal with the situation.

Nevada isn't the first state to consider and pass such a law. In fact, it's about the tenth state to either have such a law on the books or to be considering it, since Illinois has done it, and so have Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Tennessee and Nebraska.

Unlike some of those other cases, the Nevada police don't appear to be against it but they have said it will be difficult to enforce the two red-light-cycle rule. You can watch the news segment from KSNV on the new law in the video below.

View the original article here

UAW tactics called into question at VW's TN plant

The United Auto Workers is in hot water with some of the very workers it is trying to unionize at Volkswagen's Chattanooga assembly plant. According to The Tennessean, eight Volkswagen factory workers have filed complaints against the UAW with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming the union "misled or coerced" them into formally asking for union representation.

The UAW has instituted a major push at the Chattanooga plant to represent the 2,500 hourly laborers that build the VW Passat by using what's called a card-check process. The tactic is opposed by the National Right to Work Legal Defense foundation, the group representing the workers. The card-check process demands that a company recognize a union that obtains the signatures of more than half its workforce, according to The Tennessean. This tactic is in contrast to the more traditional route, which sees employees vote on union representation.

The workers filing the complaint claim that the UAW told them the cards merely called for a secret ballot, rather than an outright demand for union representation. Workers also allege that the UAW has made it overly difficult to reclaim their signed cards, some of which were signed so long ago that they have been rendered invalid. Although the cards can force a company's hand, federal law still allows the company to ask for a secret ballot before yielding to unionized workers.

View the original article here

GM files patent for 7-speed DCT, is it headed for Corvette?

Although a report last year indicated that the seventh-gen Chevrolet Corvette could be getting an eight-speed automatic transmission, it looks like General Motors might have some other plans in mind. General Motors recently filed a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office for a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and CorvetteForum.com makes the obvious guess that this performance-enhancing gearbox could find its way a future version of Chevy's performance coupe.

The drawing above comes directly from the patent filing, and while the gearbox will almost certainly be used in more than just one model, it would be a welcomed replacement for the six-speed automatic currently found in the 2014 Corvette. The idea of a DCT in the already-impressive C7 Stingray definitely makes the rivalry between the Corvette and the Porsche 911 a little more intriguing.

View the original article here

Consumer Reports joins lawsuit against DOT over backup cameras

Consumer Reports' Consumers Union has joined in a lawsuit filed by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Kids and Cars, Greg Gulbransen, M.D., and Susan Auriemma against the US Department of Transportation, over the department's failure to implement a rule mandating backup cameras in new cars and trucks.

As part of 2008's Cameraon Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act, the DOT was ordered, by law, to come up with rear-visibility standards for new vehicles. In 2010, the DOT proposed mandating backup cameras, but since that proposal, the effort has stalled, with the original 2011 deadline pushed back multiple times. The current due date for a ruling is now 2015. Greg Gulbransen, one of the plaintiffs, who ran over and killed his two-year-old son, Cameron, told Consumer Reports, "It's mindboggling that two more children like Cameron are killed every week, yet the administration is content to postpone doing anything about it. This isn't some technical abstraction, it's about actual people being injured and killed."

The suit seeks to force the DOT to issue an immediate ruling that can be implemented before the 2015 deadline, which according to Consumers Union, would prevent up to 95 to 112 deaths per year.

View the original article here

DoJ fines Japanese parts firms $740M in massive automotive price-fixing scandal

Nine Japanese suppliers have pleaded guilty in US court over charges of price fixing in the automotive parts industry, resulting in the Department of Justice doling out a total of $740 million of fines, according to a report from Bloomberg. The scandal, which has resulted in General Motors, Ford, Toyota and Chrysler spending up to $5 billion on inflated parts and driving up prices on 25 million vehicles has sent the DoJ hustling into investigations. "The conduct this investigation uncovered involved more than a dozen separate conspiracies aimed at the U.S. economy," Attorney General Eric Holder (pictured above) said during yesterday's press conference.

As the investigation stands, the DoJ has issued $1.6 billion in fines against 20 companies and 21 individual executives, with 17 of the execs headed to prison. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Scott Hammond said, "The breadth of the conspiracies brought to light today are as egregious as they are pervasive. They involve more than a dozen separate conspiracies operating independently but all sharing in common that they targeted US automotive manufacturers."

Big-name suppliers indicted in the investigation include Mitsubishi Electric, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Hitachi Automotive and Mitsuba Corporation. A list of fines and other corporations named in the investigation is available at Bloomberg.

View the original article here

Google Earth helps sheriff's department find stolen car [w/video]

A stolen-vehicle case opened back in March was recently solved with the help of a property owner using Google Earth, a virtual globe and mapping service similar to Google Maps, ABC News reports. The man, who remains anonymous, found the stolen GMC Yukon while he was surveying his property in George County, Mississippi, using the map service and, judging by the top-down satellite image, thought he found a "shooting house" on his hunting grounds.

When he drove out to the suspicious structure, he realized it actually was a sport utility vehicle wedged in thick brush about 70 yards from the nearest road, so he called the police.

Law enforcement officers had arrested a female suspect in the case earlier based on eyewitness accounts, but didn't prosecute her because the stolen SUV hadn't been found. Ben Brown, a lieutenant detective with the George County Sheriff's Department, says that he ran the plates and confirmed the SUV was the stolen vehicle the department had been looking for.

"Now that we have the truck, we can pursue the prosecution," Brown says.

Watch the video below for the full story (followed by an interesting piece on the iPhone's fingerprint recognition system), and remember: Google is watching you...

View the original article here

Treasury sells more GM stock, stake now at 7.3%

The US Treasury's sale of General Motors stock continues, with the unloading of more than 110 million shares between May 9 and September 13 netting the government agency $3.82 billion and reducing its stake in GM to 7.3 percent, Reuters reports. The Treasury also confirmed that it now holds 101-million shares, which are on track to be sold by March 2014.

Those remaining shares are currently worth $3.7 billion, with GM stock closing at $36.71 per share as of yesterday. That means Treasury is on track to lose $10 billion from the bailout, which is far less than earlier estimates of more than $20 billion. But to recoup the full amount, it was reported in July that GM stock would need to be worth over $95 per share – it's presently trading around $37.50. Supporters of the bailout note that the bailout was meant to save jobs and stabilize the wider economy, a consequence of which is that Washington – and taxpayers – probably won't break even.

The US government originally took a 60.8 percent stake in GM valued at $49.5 billion as part of the 2009 bailout, and has since that time, it has been reducing its stake in the company with the goal of selling all of its GM stock and recouping as much of the bailout money as possible. The selloff started when the automaker went public in 2010.

In December, the Treasury announced it would sell its remaining GM stock over the next 12 to 15 months. At the time, it held roughly 500-million shares, 200m of which were bought back by General Motors before 2013 at a negotiated price of $27.50 per share. In February, it reduced its stake in GM to 19 percent with the sale of 17.2-million shares. In July, the Treasury announced that it had sold more shares, totaling $876.9 million, which reduced the government's stake in GM by 23-26-million shares to around 135-137-million shares. Between then and September 13, the Treasury sold another 34-36 million shares to land at the current number of 101 million, or a stake of 7.3 percent.

Treasury Assistant Secretary Timothy Massad said in a statement: "We remain on track to complete our exit from GM by early next year at a cost far less than originally projected," Reuters reports.

View the original article here

AU Gold Coast turns away Top Gear taping, fears noisy cars

For all of its negatives and controversy, let's get one thing clear - the BBC's Top Gear has quite possibly the largest viewing audience of any TV show on the planet, an estimated 350 million people in 170 of the 190-odd countries on the map.

Which makes it rather odd that Australia's capital of tourism, the Gold Coast, an area renowned for its beaches and surfing, would reject the kind of global publicity that comes with a Top Gear episode filming. But that's just what the Gold Coast City Council did in a move that Paul Morris, head of the Holden Driving Center, called "bureaucracy gone mad."

According to Perth Now, Jeremy Clarkson was set to drive the Xbox One-sponsored Holden Commodore V8 Supercar at the Holden Driving Center in Norwell, about 27 miles outside the city center and in an area that mainly consists of sugar cane farmers. Still, the Driving Center needed to apply for a relaxation of its noise restrictions, which the Gold Coast City Council blocked, claiming the one-day notice wasn't enough time to get approval. Devil's advocate here, but who expects any city government to move that quickly, regardless of who or what it's for?

With the filming happening further inland in Warwick now, Morris has taken the opportunity to verbally lambast the City Council over its decision, telling Perth Now, "We are talking about the world's biggest TV show and the council, which is always banging on about how the Gold Coast is open for business, can't even facilitate it. Clarkson was going to drive the car himself. It's bureaucracy gone mad. The pen-pushers are strangling this town with red tape." Speaking of the noise issue, Morris added, "The guy cutting cane next door makes more noise with his harvester than the V8 car."

For what it's worth, the Gold Coast Deputy Mayor, Donna Gates, told the Aussie publication, "I'm disappointed in any opportunity like this that we miss. Top Gear obviously has a really big viewing audience and it would have been great promotion for the city."

View the original article here

NHTSA: More than 1/3 of kids killed in car crashes weren't in car seats or wearing belts

NHTSA Finds More Than a Third of Children Killed in Crashes Were Not in Car Seats or Wearing Seat Belts

WASHINGTON, Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than a third of children under age 13 who died in passenger vehicle crashes in 2011 were not in car seats or wearing seat belts. To help eliminate these deaths, and as part of Child Passenger Safety Week, NHTSA is highlighting the important safety benefits associated with the proper use of car seats, booster seats, and seat belts.

"Safety is our top priority, particularly when it comes to protecting our children – who are our most vulnerable passengers," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. "Parents and caregivers can be the first line of defense by ensuring their children are correctly secured in the right seat for their size and age, and by buckling up themselves."

Motor vehicle crashes remain a leading cause of death for children. In 2011, almost two children under the age of 13 were killed and 338 were injured every day while riding in cars, SUVs, pickups and vans. Of the children killed, the percentage of unrestrained fatalities, with no car seat or seat belt, varied by vehicle type, with greater percentages of unrestrained fatalities occurring in larger vehicles: SUVs (55 percent), pick-ups (43 percent), vans (40 percent), and cars (24 percent).

"Regardless of the size of the vehicle, the age of the child or the length of the trip, children should always be properly restrained in a car seat, booster or seat belt," said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. "Car seats, when correctly installed and used, provide proven life-saving and injury-reducing benefits for child passengers."

From 1975 through 2011, NHTSA estimates that approximately 10,000 lives were saved by child restraints for children under the age of 5 in passenger vehicles, with more than 260 lives saved in 2011 alone.

NHTSA offers parents and caregivers the following safety tips:

-Determine if your child is in the right seat for his or her age and size;
-Read the instructions and labels that come with your child's car seat and read the vehicle owner's manual for important information on installing the seat in your particular vehicle;
-Go to your local car seat inspection station to have your seat checked by a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician;
-Use the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) restraint system or seat belt to install your car seat and use the top tether to secure forward-facing car seats;
-Register your car seat and booster seat at SaferCar.gov so you will be informed if there is a safety recall on your model; and
-Always wear your seat belt to set a good example. Unbuckled drivers are more likely to have unrestrained children in the car.
-Child Passenger Safety Week is September 15 through September 21, with the final day of the week (Sept. 21) recognized as National Seat Check Saturday. Throughout the week, at more than 600 events in 45 states across the country, certified child passenger safety technicians will inspect car seats and show parents and caregivers how to correctly install and use them. In most cases, this service is free of charge.

Parents and caregivers can visit SaferCar.gov/TheRightSeat to determine if your child is in the right seat for his or her age and size and to locate a car seat check event in your area.

Additional information on child passenger safety can be found in NHTSA's latest issue of SAFETY 1N NUM3ERS, an online monthly newsletter on hot topics in auto safety – including problem identification, people at risk and recommended practices and solutions to mitigate injury and death on our nation's roadways.
=========
General Motors
Study: 1 in 4 Parents Drive with Children Unsecured in Vehicle
New Safe Kids Worldwide report made possible by a $2 million GM Foundation grant

DETROIT – One in four parents and caregivers responding to a Safe Kids Worldwide survey said they have driven without making sure their children are safely secured in vehicles.

The report, funded as part of a $2 million grant from the General Motors Foundation, is based on a national online survey of 1,002 parents and caregivers of children ages 10 and under. It reveals that one in four parents admit to having driven without their child buckled up in a car seat or booster seat.

Safe Kids released "Buckle Up: Every Ride, Every Time," today as part of National Child Passenger Safety Week, which began Sunday and continues through September 21.
"As kids grow up, it can be easy to forget the importance of taking time to buckle up, especially on a quick or overnight trip," said Mike Robinson, GM vice president of Sustainability and Global Regulatory Affairs, and a GM Foundation board member. "Unfortunately, exceptions can lead to tragedies. The research findings underscore the importance of remaining vigilant about buckling up throughout a child's lifetime. There is no reason important enough to take the risk."

About Safe Kids Worldwide
Safe Kids Worldwide is a global network of organizations dedicated to providing parents and caregivers with practical and proven resources to protect kids from unintentional injuries, the number one cause of death to children in the United States. Throughout the world, almost one million children die of an injury each year, and almost all of these tragedies are preventable. Safe Kids works with an extensive network of more than 600 coalitions in the United States and in 23 countries to reduce traffic injuries, drownings, falls, burns, poisonings and more. Since 1988, Safe Kids has helped reduce the U.S. childhood death rate from unintentional injury by 55 percent. Working together, we can do much more for kids everywhere. Join our effort at safekids.org.

About General Motors Foundation
Since its inception in 1976, the GM Foundation has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to American charities, educational organizations and to disaster relief efforts worldwide. The GM Foundation focuses on supporting Education, Health and Human Services, Environment and Energy and Community Development initiatives, mainly in the communities where GM operates. Funding of the GM Foundation comes solely from GM. The last contribution to the GM Foundation was made in 2001. For more information, visit www.gm.com/gmfoundation.

View the original article here

Saudi cleric under fire after saying women risk hurting ovaries if they drive

In Saudi Arabia, where only men can earn a driver's license, a conservative cleric is drawing criticism for saying that women risk damaging their ovaries and bearing children with clinical problems if they drive, The Guardian reports.

The cleric, Sheikh Saleh bin Saad al-Lohaidan, made the comments in an interview following a recent campaign by women opposing the ban on female drivers. Lohaidan reportedly says women involved with the campaign, whose website was blocked in the kingdom, should put "reason ahead of their hearts, emotions and passions" – and not drive.

The opposition campaign called for female drivers to defy the ban and drive cars in a protest on October 26. According to the report, the ban on women drivers isn't actually a law, but only men are allowed to obtain driver's licenses. The country was preparing to lift the ban five years ago, but that plan didn't pan out.

Lohaidan explains the reasoning behind the ban as such: "If a woman drives a car, not out of pure necessity, that could have negative physiological impacts as functional and physiological medical studies show that it automatically affects the ovaries and pushes the pelvis upward," The Guardian reports. No specific medical studies were cited for explanation.

View the original article here

Colorado cop jokingly tickets Blackhawk helicopter

Upon stumbling on a Blackhawk helicopter illegally parked in the street, this officer did the only thing he could: he wrote the pilot a ticket. It seems the pilot had "Parked in a no-parking zone" and had "Parked facing the wrong way." A double whammy, then.

Looks like at least one police officer in Colorado has a sense of humor, even in the face of disastrous conditions – if you look closely, you'll see that no section codes for the violation are listed, and there's no court date. In other words, it was just a joke, and a good one at that.

Check out the original post from Reddit for all the assorted commentary for a good laugh or two.

View the original article here

Hyundai, BMW in plant talks with Mexican officials

BMW and Hyundai may be joining the rush for the border that has already seen Nissan, Honda and Mazda begin factory construction in Mexico, while Ford and General Motors have both made significant investments in their Mexican facilities. BMW's interest in Mexico has been apparent for some time, and while we'd heard grumblings about Hyundai's move into Latin America some time ago, the last we heard about it was in 2009.

This new move, reported by Bloomberg, doesn't get specific on which models will be produced south of the Rio Grande, and as neither automakers' spokespeople responded to the business site's request for statements, all we really have to go on are the statements of Mexico's Economy Minister, Ildefonso Guajardo: "I cannot talk for them, but I think that starting 2014 we'll have new announcements. At least for one." Which manufacturer that will be remains anyone's guess, although judging by all the recent scuttlebutt that's been going around, the smart money seems to be on BMW. We'll stay with this one.

View the original article here

Audi pushing DOT to allow its sequential LED turn signals [w/videos]

Still in the process of trying to get its trick LED Matrix Beam headlights legalized in the US, Audi is now trying to get its front and rear sequential LED turn signals approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Just like its auto-dimming headlights, the sequentially illuminating turn signals don't meet NHTSA's Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108.

The problem, according to Automotive News, is that the individual lighting elements are too small to meet current US safety regulations. The rule states that each lamp should be 22 square centimeters (8.6 square inches) and the whole lighted combined area must be 50 square centimeters (19.6 square inches). In the individual sequence, Audi's lights are much smaller than that. As for the Ford Mustang, which has had sequential turn signals since 2010, this system is legal since the first lens is large enough to meet the required size, so the other two lights really aren't even necessary.

It sounds like it could be some time before we see these turn signals on Audis in the US, which is a shame because in addition to their styling bebefuts, we think they're more effective at signaling the vehicle's intended direction of travel, and they do a better job of grabbing the eye. Scroll down to watch a pair of videos showing the headlights in action on the redesigned A8/S8 as well as the recently updated R8.

View the original article here

Autoblog Podcast #351

Dave Sullivan from AutoPacific, Chrysler IPO, Jeep Cherokee delays, diesel vs. dybrid, selling cars to Gen Y, Mike Kojima on the MotoIQ supercharged Scion FR-S

Episode #351 of the Autoblog podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth is joined by two guests; Dave Sullivan from AutoPacific to talk about the Chrysler IPO, more Jeep Cherokee delays, diesels versus hybrids and selling cars to Generation Y, all informed by Dave's perspective as an analyst. Dan also spoke with Mike Kojima from MotoIQ about their supercharged Scion FR-S project car. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. You can follow along after the jump with our Q&A. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #351:

Topics:

In the Autoblog Garage: Hosts: Dan Roth
Guests: David Sullivan, Mike Kojima

Runtime: 02:07:23 Get the podcast:
[UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10PM Eastern at UStream
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes
[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly

Feedback:
Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com

Review the show in iTunes

View the original article here

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #351 LIVE!

We're set to record Autoblog Podcast #351 tonight, and we'll be joined by AutoPacific analyst David Sullivan. You can check out the topics below, drop us your questions and comments via our Q&A module and don't forget to subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so. To take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.

Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #351

[RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator
Can't see the EventBox? Click Here.

Voices Heard Media

View the original article here

Land Rover driver caught on video mowing down NYC motorcyclists [UPDATE]

Video has emerged of an altercation between the driver of a Land Rover Range Rover Sport and a large group of motorcyclists. The incident, which occurred yesterday afternoon in New York City, looks to have been started when the Land Rover driver bumped one of the motorcyclists (it's difficult to tell from the video whose fault this was). The incident momentarily brought traffic to a standstill, but escalated anew when the SUV driver ran down a number of riders while attempting to leave the scene.

According to Britain's Daily Mail Online, the driver of the Land Rover told police he feared for his safety after being engulfed by the pack of slow-moving bikers. With his wife and young daughter in the vehicle, the driver attempted to flee, and his panicked escape attempt took out some of the bikers in the process. After catching up to him, the bikers tried to open the driver's door before he fled again. In a subsequent encounter, the Land Rover driver became snarled in traffic, providing a moment for one angry motorcyclist to smash the driver's window with his helmet. The video footage then ends.

According to the report, the NYPD says that the only reported injuries were to the driver of the Range Rover, despite the YouTube caption of the video claiming there was one fatality.

The helmet-mounted video can be viewed below. Be warned, the video is rather disturbing and might not be suitable for everyone. Take a look below to watch the footage, then have your say in Comments.

UPDATE: Subsequent reports indicate police say that a number of bikers beat up the Land Rover driver, causing black eyes, lacerations and injuries to his face and body. He was treated and released from Columbia University Medical Center. Police continue to investigate the incident.

View the original article here

Semi-autonomous Nissan Leaf certified for road use in Japan [w/video]

Nissan LEAF with Advanced Driver Assist Gets Japan License for Road Test

-First time a vehicle featuring Advanced Driver Assist System will be tested on Japanese roads
-Real-world testing critical as Nissan pushes ahead with development of revolutionary Autonomous Drive to meet 2020 vision

YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn today took delivery of Japan's first license plate for a car equipped with highly advanced driver assist systems. It clears the way for a Nissan LEAF equipped with the technology to be tested on the public roads in Japan for the first time. The research program will accelerate the development of technologies fundamental to Autonomous Drive. The systems are designed to allow the driver to manually take over control at any time.

The license plate includes the number 2020, which reflects Nissan's goal to be ready with multiple, commercially viable Autonomous Drive vehicles by the year 2020.

"This is an ordinary license plate for an extraordinary vehicle," said Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn. "A month ago we revealed to the world our 2020 Autonomous Drive target. Road testing of the underlying technologies is critical to maintaining our leadership position and we are grateful to the Government of Japan for its support."

The Nissan LEAF to be tested is capable of a number of functions, including:
-Lane keeping
-Automatic Exit
-Automatic lane change
-Automatic overtaking slower or stopped vehicles
-Automatic deceleration behind congestion on freeways
-Automatic stopping at red lights

Nissan is developing Autonomous Drive as it works to achieve virtually zero fatalities in accidents involving its vehicles. The goal stands alongside zero emissions as a key pillar of Nissan's research and development. Autonomous Drive is an extension of the Nissan Safety Shield, which monitors a 360-degree view around vehicles for risks, gives warnings to the driver, and automatically intervenes if necessary. Work is already underway to build a dedicated Autonomous Drive proving ground in Nissan's facility in Oppama, Japan.

Nissan Executive Vice President for Research and Development, Mitsuhiko Yamashita, said: "The realization of the Autonomous Drive system is one of our greatest goals, because Zero Fatalities stands alongside Zero Emissions as major objective of Nissan's R&D. Through public road testing, we will further develop the safety, efficiency and reliability of our technology."

About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with approximately 236,000 employees globally, Nissan sold more than 4.9 million vehicles and generated revenue of 9.6 trillion yen (USD 116.16 billion) in fiscal 2012. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of over 60 models under the Nissan and Infiniti brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history.

View the original article here

Ford taken to task by gov't for Chicken Tax end-around [UPDATE]

Ford is in a bit of a pickle for importing and selling Turkey-built Transit Connect cargo vans as passenger vehicles in the US, then converting them to commercial-vehicle specification stateside in an effort to bypass a 25-percent tax imposed on vehicles imported for commercial use. Automakers are required to pay a 2.5-percent tax on imported passenger vehicles.

The Blue Oval got into trouble for this in a January ruling in which U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials asked Ford to stop the practice of importing the Transit Connect vehicles with passenger seats, then removing and shredding them. Now Automotive News reports that Ford is appealing the ruling. The 25-percent "Chicken Tax," as the tariff is often called, is 50 years old and was enacted as a response to a German tariff on chickens.

Like Ford, Mercede-Benz bypasses the higher tariff, but it does so in a different manner. According to Mercedes Product and Technology Communications Manager Christian Bokich, it partially disassembles Sprinter cargo vans before shipping them to the US, which includes removing the front axle, the engine (which is stamped with the vehicle identification number (VIN) and shipped separately) and "other pieces," then rebuilds them at a plant in South Carolina.

But the ruling against Ford's strategy states that it "serves no manufacturing or commercial purpose" and is there to "manipulate the tariff schedule," Automotive News reports. As Ford's appeal goes through, it is importing the Transit Connect and paying the higher tax, hoping for a favorable outcome and planning to build the next-generation Transit Connect, which it plans to launch before the end of the year, in Spain.

At the same time, Ford is lobbying the government to keep Japanese automakers paying the 25-percent tax on commercial vehicles, but that's because other non-tariff economic barriers make it extremely difficult to import vehicles to Japan.

UPDATE: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated: "Like Ford, Chrysler bypasses the higher tariff, but it does so in a different manner. It partially disassembles Sprinter cargo vans before shipping them to the US, then rebuilds them at a plant in South Carolina." Though Chrysler previously engaged in this practice when it was part of DaimlerChrysler, the Fiat-owned automaker no longer sells Sprinter cargo vans. The text has since been corrected.

View the original article here