Tag Archives: others

Motorsport

European Union Reaches Agreement on Relaxed Euro 7 Regulations

Several automakers, including Stellantis, Volkswagen, Skoda, and others, have been strongly critical of the upcoming Euro 7 emissions regulations in Europe. Some executives even described them as “useless.” However, there appears to be some hope for those who oppose the new standards. Just recently, European Union ministers have agreed on new and watered-down rules.

After facing opposition from automakers and member countries such as France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, the ministers have decided not to make significant changes to the existing Euro 6 standards for cars and vans. However, there will be stricter regulations for buses and heavy vehicles.

While the decision has been made official, it is not yet final. Spain, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, presented the compromise text that gained the agreement of the Council of the European Union, made up of EU ministers. The final version of the law will need to be discussed and approved by the Council, the European Parliament, and the European Commission.

“We believe that, with this proposal, we have achieved broad support, a balance in the investment costs of the manufacturing brands, and we have improved the environmental benefits derived from this regulation,” commented Spain’s minister for industry, trade, and tourism, Hector Gomez Hernandez.

“The member states’ position is an improvement on the European Commission’s Euro 7 proposal – which was entirely disproportionate, driving high costs for industry and customers, with limited environmental benefits,” added Sigrid de Vries, the director of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. “The Council’s aim to continue the effective Euro 6 tests is sensible. However, compared to what is in place today, Euro 7 is much broader for new cars, vans, and, especially, heavy-duty vehicles, requiring significant engineering and testing efforts.”

Ironically, the automakers in Europe have stated that the initially proposed stricter emissions standards could hinder the adoption of electric vehicles. According to Renault CEO Luca de Meo, Euro 7 in its original form would divert companies’ focus away from investing in EVs. Skoda’s CEO, Klaus Zellmer, also acknowledged that building small cars under the stricter emissions standards could become impossible.

Streaming Devices

The Irritating Amazon Fire TV Stick Feature That You Might Want to Disable

While some Fire TV Stick users don’t mind the sound feedback, others find the constant clicking noise when scrolling through apps or menus bothersome. This annoyance is amplified when navigating the interface quickly or when using Bluetooth headphones. If you prefer to mute navigation sounds on your Fire TV Stick, follow these simple steps:

  1. Using your remote, open the Settings menu on your Fire TV Stick.
  2. Navigate to Display & Sounds.
  3. Select Audio.
  4. Find the Navigation Sounds option and press the Select (middle) button on your remote to disable it.

Once you disable this feature, you will no longer hear any audio feedback when navigating or selecting items on your Fire TV Stick. If you ever wish to enable the sounds again, return to the Navigation Sounds option and press the middle button on your remote to reactivate it.

BMW

Winners of the BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility 2023

Munich: Cristiano Alano, Anke Boysen, Markus Entter, and Thomas Fahnauer have been named the winners of the 12th BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility. The award ceremony took place on 14 September in Munich and recognized employees who are actively involved in volunteering. Each winner received a prize of 10,000 euros for their project.

The BMW Group Award highlights social commitment within the company and encourages others to get involved. Ilka Horstmeier, a member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, expressed pride in the employees who are dedicated to helping others in their free time. Horstmeier emphasized the importance of collective effort, stating that when everyone contributes a little of their time, great achievements can be made.

The award is highly esteemed within the company and fosters connections among volunteers. Over 100 associates participated in this year’s competition, with 11 projects making it to the final round. All finalists received 2,500 euros each for their initiatives.

Here are the four winners of this year’s awards:

Markus Entter works at the BMW Group in Munich and volunteers as a hospice helper at St. Vinzenz Hospiz in Augsburg. He provides assistance and emotional support to those who are seriously ill on their final journey. Entter also helps with practical tasks, such as preparing meals and providing food and drinks to hospice patients.

Cristiano Alano works at BMW Group Plant Araquari in Brazil and advocates for disadvantaged young people in an impoverished district of Joinville. He is involved in an initiative called ASSOCIAÇÃO PROJETO RESGATE, which aims to improve social mobility through education. Alano focuses on character development and teaches young people techniques for resolving social issues.

Anke Boysen works at the BMW Group in Munich and is passionate about training rescue dogs for aid missions. She is a dog handler with the ISAR Germany Foundation and accompanies the rescue dog team on missions worldwide, including recent ones following the earthquake in Turkey. These specially trained dogs help find and save people who are buried in emergencies.

Thomas Fahnauer works at BMW Group Plant Araquari and volunteers with the ONG Esperanca Brasil initiative. He builds simple homes for homeless people using wooden pallets. Fahnauer was inspired by the poor living conditions of homeless individuals in Brazil and reuses wooden pallets, which were previously used as packaging material for ship transportation. This initiative also contributes to climate protection.

The BMW Group has long encouraged social engagement among its employees. In addition to the BMW Group Award for Social Responsibility, the company organizes social days and operates the Social Drive IT platform. These initiatives aim to promote interest in social commitment and provide employees with opportunities to find support for their projects.

Cars, News

Tesla Under Investigation in California for Autopilot Complaints

Tesla is facing a new investigation in California regarding complaints about its Autopilot system. The investigation, conducted by the California Attorney General’s office, includes contacting the driver who filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as well as reaching out to a former Tesla employee who has expressed concerns about Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) in public comments. The duration of the investigation is uncertain, but it is reported to be ongoing, with the driver contacted in the second quarter of this year and the former employee contacted recently.

This is not the first time Tesla has faced such actions in California. The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has been investigating the company’s Autopilot technology for years and accused it of deceptive marketing practices in 2022. Additionally, in January 2023, a senior Tesla engineer alleged in a lawsuit that a promotional video for Autopilot, published in October 2016, was staged. The engineer claimed that the Tesla was not actually driving autonomously but following a pre-programmed route. This testimony was given in relation to a lawsuit filed against Tesla over a fatal car crash in 2018.

News

Watch: Onboard POV Footage Of Davey Todd in the Isle Of Man TT 2023

Just another day in the office for Davey Todd, but a frightful and heart-pounding one for others. Check out this British racer’s run on the Isle of Man TT, aboard his Honda. 

Hear that idle? That is the sound of Davey’s CBR1000RR-R with its 180-degree inline-four pumping out over 200 ponies of power, on some sticky rubber, and just about ready to go tackle the course. Hearing an inline-four engine spool up is still an amazing experience for many, and let’s grace your screens with a show of sights, sounds, and screams. 

Davey Todd races for the Padgett’s Motorcycles Honda team, and the conditions were great on the day of the race, enough for the onboard footage to look clear and for the bike to run at full tilt. 

Posted on the Isle of Man TT’s YouTube channel, in addition to special on-board footage, the channel also has more content for you to digest such as highlights, round-ups, and more. 

It’s interesting to see just how much the rider’s head shifts and moves during these high-speed Isle of Man TT races. TT riders are often touted as the most daring in the world, going in excess of 150 miles per hour and easily averaging over 120 miles per hour per run. 


Graphics



Graphics

The intensity going at that speed will be enough to make most riders slow down and let off the throttle, but these racers are truly a different breed, unleashing everything that their race bikes have to offer, and Davey Todd is no exception. 

The entire video goes on and on for 18 minutes of intense high-speed action, and it is a testament to the training and the planning that Isle of Man TT racers undergo for just about 20 minutes of some of the most intense riding in the world. Death is a common occurrence at these speeds, and many riders have unfortunately lost their lives to this grand spectacle of an event. 

So, that’s that. Check the video out, because it’s a rare glimpse for us, mere mortals, to see what goes on aboard these TT race bikes, or you can enter the TT in the virtual world courtesy of a video game.