Toronto, Ontario — Norway sets an example to the world as a country where gas cars are growing obsolete, a prominent American lawmaker criticizes autopilot’s misleading name for still requiring a human pilot at the wheel, and Halifax rolls out eight new EV chargers this summer. This is the latest in electric and autonomous vehicles.
Electric North
A recent report from the New York Times recognizes Norway for its successful attempt to electrify the automotive sector, having passed a 50 percent EV adoption mark and 80 percent sales in EVs.
At the time, they anticipate gas cars to become obsolete by 2025, a feat that leaves them leagues ahead of the United States, with U.S. President Joe Biden hoping to achieve 50 percent EV sales by the end of the 2020s.
According to Teslarati, Teslas account for 31.1 percent of the Norwegian EV market, while Volkswagen comes in second at 16 percent and Toyota as the third with 7.3 percent.
Read the fine print
Tesla is drawing more flak for the name and marketing of its proprietary Autopilot driving assistance software, with U.S. transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg saying that “I don’t think something should be called Autopilot, when the fine print says you need to have your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times.”
This follows ongoing investigations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration into Tesla’s autopilot system, which may has been linked to more than 30 crashes since 2016.
He stresses that no vehicles for sale today can drive themselves, and that drivers must pay attention in all cases.
Build Local
Halifax is deploying its first eight EV chargers across the municipality this summer, with fees being set and chargers being ready by the end of August according to an article by the CBC.
The sites include Alderney Drive, St. Margaret’s Centre in Upper Tantallon, Cole Harbour Place, Armdale Roundabout, J.D. Shatford Memorial Library in Hubbards, Bedford Park and Ride, Canada Games Centre and Musquodoboit Harbour Library.
According to councillor Tony Mancini, another ten chargers will be added over the next year along with more planned for future years.
At the time of writing, the city’s EV strategy, approved in 2021 recommends building 1,000 EV charging stations over ten years.
