The Volvo Group Australia factory in Brisbane will begin producing all-electric trucks in 2027. In preparation, the Queensland state government has issued permits for two battery-electric Volvo heavy trucks to undergo local trials as the models in question exceed Australia’s 2.5-metre width restriction by 2.5cm. Although it may be possible for locally-built electric Volvo trucks … Continue reading Volvo to make electric trucks in QLD
Tickets to the 2023 future:gas refrigerant roadshow are now on sale at futuregas.ac/automotive The automotive section of the tour will kick off in Auckland, NZ, on July 25 and end in Perth, WA, on September 6. A separate tour aimed at the stationary sector and facilitated by VASA will start in Vanuatu on May 11 and … Continue reading Tickets to future:gas 2023 on sale NOW!
Kicking off the 2023 Autocare aftermarket training and networking event in Brisbane this June will be a session titled ‘The Automotive Aftermarket – 2023 And Beyond’ that promises to provide a “fascinating and inspiring overview of global and industry trends, what they mean for your business now and into the future”. The education-led automotive convention … Continue reading Eye on the future at 2023 Autocare event
Volkswagen is bringing an air-conditioning feature previously reserved for the exclusive Porsche Taycan electric car to a more affordable upcoming electric sedan called the ID.7, as well as debuting a feature that Holden introduced to the Commodore years ago. The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is increasingly becoming a major part of … Continue reading VW ID.7 has Porsche-style ‘smart’ air-con
Infra-red heaters, often used for customer comfort in outdoor dining areas during winter, will be help save energy in the cabin of the new Lexus RZ electric SUV that goes on sale in Australia and New Zealand mid-year. Rather than warming the air, the infra-red panels in the RZ heat only solid objects in their … Continue reading Lexus to debut infra-red cabin heating
An informal straw poll of new vehicles on the Australian market suggests that R1234yf is finally becoming more commonplace as vehicle manufacturers begin to send cars here charged with the ultra-low-GWP refrigerant. However, some continue to drag the chain. Continue reading Uptake of R1234yf in cars imported to Australia seemed to accelerate during 2022
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to ban R134a in new vehicles and most HFC refrigerants from road and marine transport refrigeration from 2025. Continue reading United States proposes sweeping HFC bans for automotive and transport refrigeration
Students at UNSW Sydney have claimed a provisional Guinness World Record by designing and building a solar-powered electric car that travelled 1000km on a single charge in under 12 hours. Continue reading Australian-made, solar-powered electric car breaks 1000km record at average of 85km/h
VASA welcomed three new directors to its board during the organisation’s recent annual general meeting. Incoming president Brett Meads, who has been VASA vice president since 2013, succeeds Ian Stangroome. Mark Rowe, an owner of two auto-electrical workshops who joined the VASA board in 2019 and was recently elected to the board of Capricorn, becomes … Continue reading Meet the new VASA board
If racing improves the breed, controversy over the latest W206-generation Mercedes-AMG C63 S and its four-cylinder hybrid drivetrain may be unfounded as it shares plenty of tech with Lewis Hamilton’s company car. A total system output of 500kW and 1020Nm should also help sway those who think this is some kind of fancy Toyota Prius. … Continue reading New Mercedes-AMG C63 S plug-in hybrid is a thermal management masterclass
