Giving again takes totally different varieties. Maybe it’s volunteering for Habitat for Humanity or serving to to wash up a neighborhood park. For Toyota Research & Development (R&D) Engineers Aaron Atkinson and Scott Smith, giving again seems like robots. FIRST Robotics, to be particular.
The duo every mentor FIRST Robotics groups in Saline, Michigan, and people FIRST Robotics groups occur to be fairly good at it.
Both Atkinson’s FIRST Lego League workforce and Smith’s Middle FIRST Tech Challenge workforce just lately received respective Michigan state titles. While world domination is all the time a plus, the true reward of their volunteering is mentoring the engineers of tomorrow.
With that, see Atkinson and Smith in motion with certainly one of their practices. Watch the video under to see mentoring in motion.
Vauxhall, alongside its sister Stellantis manufacturers, takes dwelling award for Van Manufacturer of the Year on the Great British Fleet Awards 2024
Orders now open for Vauxhall’s new LCV line-up, which features a absolutely electrical model of each mannequin
Vauxhall is the third best-selling LCV producer up to now this 12 months
Vauxhall was the UK’s best-selling electrical van producer in 2023
Vauxhall, alongside its sister manufacturers, has been named Van Manufacturer of the Year on the Great British Fleet Awards 2024. Vauxhall is the third best-selling LCV producer within the UK up to now this 12 months, and led electrical van gross sales in 2023. The Vivaro Electric was additionally the best-selling electrical van within the UK in 2023.
The award comes shortly after Vauxhall revealed its newly-upgraded LCV line-up. The Combo, Movano and Vivaro at the moment are open for orders, with every mannequin receiving new design options, improved know-how and upgraded efficiency on electrical variants. Electric variations of the line-up at the moment are supplied with important listing worth reductions over their predecessors.
John Kendall, Editor, Van Fleet World, mentioned: “In the past year, Stellantis has revised the van ranges for Citroën, Fiat, Peugeot, Vauxhall and Opel. Each model has received a facelift and range has been extended for all electric models. All new vans are now equipped for connectivity from the factory. The largest electric vans now all get the same motor and battery, while there are new transmissions for diesel models. At the same time, Stellantis has formed a new business unit, Pro One to handle LCV sales for all brands. It’s been quite a year.”
James Taylor, Managing Director, Vauxhall, mentioned: “With our new van range now open for orders, we are pleased to be recognised as a leading commercial vehicle manufacturer for the fleet sector. We are proud to be one of the UK’s leading producers of electric vans, with a fully electric version of every model in our line-up, helping British businesses of all sizes make the switch to electric.”
Vauxhall, alongside its sister Stellantis manufacturers, is the one model to fabricate vans in quantity within the UK, with the Combo Electric being produced at Ellesmere Port, the UK’s first EV-only quantity manufacturing facility. The model not too long ago introduced that restricted manufacturing of the Vivaro Electric will start at its Luton plant subsequent Spring, alongside continued manufacturing of ICE vans.
Stellantis takes dwelling award for Van Manufacturer of the Year on the Great British Fleet Awards 2024
Stellantis is the UK’s best-selling van producer thus far this yr
The group additionally leads the UK’s electrical van market
Stellantis is the one OEM producing vans in quantity within the UK
Stellantis has been named Van Manufacturer of the Year on the Great British Fleet Awards 2024.
The award comes shortly after Stellantis revealed its newly-upgraded LCV line-up. Citroën, Peugeot, FIAT Professional and Vauxhall have all up to date their small, medium and enormous vans, with every receiving new designs, improved expertise and upgraded efficiency on electrical variants. The not too long ago up to date van vary is now open for orders.
John Kendall, Editor, Van Fleet World, mentioned: “Merging two vehicle brands is enough of a challenge, but trying to bring five together, while striking a deal to supply vans to another, certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted. In the past year, Stellantis has revised the van ranges for Citroën, Fiat, Peugeot, Vauxhall and Opel. Each model has received a facelift and range has been extended for all electric models. All new vans are now equipped for connectivity from the factory. The largest electric vans now all get the same motor and battery, while there are new transmissions for diesel models. At the same time, Stellantis has formed a new business unit, Pro One to handle LCV sales for all brands. It’s been quite a year.”
Lee Titchner, Director, Stellantis ProOne UK, mentioned: “This award reinforces our status as the UK’s best-selling van manufacturer and highlights the strength of our commercial vehicle range. We are proud to be leading the way in the electrification of LCVs, with all four brands offering an electric variant of every model in their line-ups. We are grateful to the Great British Fleet Awards for recognising our status as a leading provider of practical and affordable vans for our professional customers.”
The manufacturing group’s success is exemplified by its sturdy gross sales efficiency in 2024, which sees it lead the UK van market year-to-date. Stellantis accounts for almost one-in-three (31.24%) vans bought within the UK thus far this yr.*
Stellantis additionally leads the market in electrical van gross sales, with a market share of 44.82% year-to-date. As of March this yr, Peugeot took the crown for the best-selling electrical van model within the UK, with the E-Expert being the UK’s hottest electrical van year-to-date.
Stellantis N.V. (NYSE / MTA / Euronext Paris: STLA) is without doubt one of the world’s main automakers and a mobility supplier. Its storied and iconic manufacturers embody the fervour of their visionary founders and at the moment’s prospects of their revolutionary services and products, together with Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep®, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall, Free2move and Leasys. Powered by our variety, we cleared the path the world strikes – aspiring to turn into the best sustainable mobility tech firm, not the most important, whereas creating added worth for all stakeholders in addition to the communities wherein it operates. For extra info, go to www.stellantis.com.
Less than 4 month to go till the massive GTI celebration takes place, from 26-28 July. For the primary time, the legendary GTI meetup will likely be held at places across the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg, and the theme will likely be Icons Coming Home. All info on advance ticket gross sales can now be discovered on www.volkswagen.de/gtifanfest, with one-day passes costing €19.76 and three-day VIP tickets out there for €119.76. A restricted variety of Experience Tickets are additionally out there, and embody a 150-minute driving expertise in a collection of efficiency Volkswagen fashions on the testing facility in Ehra close to Wolfsburg. More particulars concerning the meet-up will be discovered on the occasion web site, the place info will regularly be up to date. In addition to automotive shows, stage exhibits and membership meets, many extra actions and surprises lay in retailer for GTI and Volkswagen fans and their households. Admission is free for under-18s.
Imelda Labbé, Member of the Volkswagen Board of Management accountable for Sales, Marketing and After Sales, mentioned: “The GTI Fanfest is a party for, and shaped by, fans. It’s all about them, and they make the meet-up what it is – a gathering that’s brimming with passion for the Volkswagen brand and all things four-wheeled.” With anticipation among the many neighborhood at a excessive, organisers expect a crowd of as much as 35,000 folks to attend from everywhere in the world.
The inventive programme of occasions places a particular concentrate on followers’ private needs and realises quite a lot of concepts put ahead by the neighborhood. This consists of, for instance, personalised footwear, with a shoe designer who can be an fanatic developing with a collection of GTI-themed sneakers. Visitors will be capable to purchase these collectors’ gadgets on the occasion or carry their very own sneakers to be customised in individual.
Other pageant highlights embody the presentation of a brand new GTI life-style assortment, a GTI parade via VW’s Wolfsburg manufacturing facility and loads of house owners’ automobiles on show, with followers capable of register their fashions on the occasion.
Elsewhere, GTI variants from throughout all eight generations of the Golf will make an look across the VfL Wolfsburg Bundesliga membership stadium, in addition to GTI variations of the Lupo, Polo and up! will likely be on present at places across the stadium of the VfL Wolfsburg Bundesliga membership. Volkswagen may also give guests a glimpse of the all-electric way forward for the model by showcasing the sporty GTX variations of its ID. household and presenting the ID. GTI Concept.
Influencer JP Performance will exhibit his ‘Super-Golf’ together with the ‘Thunder Bunny’; neighborhood automobiles and particular Volkswagen present automobiles will function; and a cellular engine testing stand will likely be arrange locally automotive park for GTI and R drivers. A DJ and stay music, meals vehicles and the well-known Volkswagen currywurst are additionally on the menu.
Sometimes the worst harm on a automotive is invisible to the bare eye. Sometimes it takes hours of disassembly to search out disaster. That’s precisely the case with this twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 from a 2019 Ford F-150.
The I Do Cars YouTube channel acquired this EcoBoost mill as a core return from a offered engine. There’s no data on what number of miles it is traveled, however every spark plug has a crimson dot on the top, indicating they have not been modified since leaving the manufacturing unit. So it is doubtless this was a low-mileage unit when it was taken from its resting place.
Eric, host of the I Do Cars channel, finds some bizarre stuff inside this engine. It seems like a earlier mechanic used channel locks to show the camshafts, going by the harm that is been executed to them — odd contemplating there is a close by house the place somebody might do that with out harming the steel. Strangely, the timing chain rail has a 2021 date code, that means it is a substitute half. A brand new timing chain is not one thing you’d usually see on a low-mileage engine.
The actual problem reveals itself shortly after the oil pan comes off. Eric finds the crankshaft snapped into two items, resting loosely within the block. The harm was sufficient to break the block and one of many pistons.
Eric suspects there is not a single trigger for this catastrophic failure, however somewhat a handful of smaller issues that added up. A major quantity of carbon on the pistons’ ring lands might be sufficient to trigger diminished engine compression and probably even a misfire. Plus, harm to the camshafts and the changed timing elements present earlier points with this energy plant. The mixture of those issues, along with a flawed crankshaft, might be the explanation this engine failed.
While it is not quite common, crankshaft failures on this engine have occurred earlier than. The video under reveals an identical scenario with a damaged crank in a 2017 F-150.
Sometimes, it’s possible you’ll solely want a smaller chainsaw bar as an alternative of one thing larger that takes up extra room. STIHL affords a a lot smaller pruning noticed that’s nice for getting on the smaller items of particles. The STIHL Battery-Operated Cordless Pruning Saw has a four-inch bar and is handheld, so you may simply seize sticks and branches with one hand whereas working the instrument within the different. It has a runtime of about 25 minutes on one 10.8V battery, which helps to offer the instrument its lightness.
From Northern Tool, this mini-chainsaw comes with a battery, a battery charger, and a case to maintain the instrument protected whereas sitting in your at-home store or on the transfer in your overlanding car. In phrases of critiques, it comes with a 4.7/5 ranking and with largely good critiques about how nice the noticed works. There are some destructive insights, although — largely in regards to the lifetime of the battery, however that is to be anticipated from such a small battery inside a instrument that wants quite a lot of energy to chop by limbs.
+++ Sourour Stanke takes on accountability for Strategy, Services, Media House, Market Communications Europe, China within the Corporate Communication & Public Affairs division of the BMW Group +++
Munich. On 1 February, Sourour Stanke (44) joined the core management crew of Global Corporate Communications, enriching the division together with her huge expertise in communications and PR in addition to her worldwide background.
As head of the central division “Strategy, Services, Media House, Market Communications Europe, China,” she studies on to Maximilian Schöberl, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communication and Public Affairs.
Sourour Stanke has greater than 20 years of management expertise in globally working firms. Since 2017, she held the place of Head of Corporate Communications & Government Affairs at Giesecke+Devrient, the place she led the worldwide communication efforts, political communication, and model administration, thereby considerably shaping the general transformation of the corporate into a worldwide safety tech participant.
The capacity to navigate change, whereas balancing custom and modernity, has additionally outlined her skilled profession in numerous administration positions at famend firms equivalent to Siemens AG and Linde AG.
With her appointment, Ms. Stanke brings new views and strategic approaches, tech-savviness, in addition to precious experience in market assist and the event of revolutionary occasion codecs, to the communication work of the BMW Group.
Does the Maruti offroader have what it takes to go head-to-head with the Mahindra Thar?
An off road-capable SUV isn’t at all times an excellent selection for a household automotive, and but, the Mahindra Thar takes satisfaction of place in lots of properties. For a household SUV, area, practicality, options, and luxury maintain extra significance than efficiency and street presence, and that’s the place the Maruti Jimny enters. This SUV is making an attempt to supply what the Thar doesn’t, however can it tackle the well-established Mahindra Thar to turn out to be your loved ones’s on a regular basis offroader? Let’s discover out.
Looks & Road Presence
Both, the Jimny and the Thar, have a rugged design which distinguishes them from any standard SUV. The flat profiles, chunky wheel arches, excessive floor clearance, massive entrance and rear bumpers and intimidating fascias, offers each of them a muscular look. However, owing to its measurement, the Thar is the one with the dominating street presence whereas the Jimny seems to be like a miniature mannequin or a bigger SUV.
The Jimny has a significant distinction in design, and it is an apparent one. Maruti’s SUV in India is available in a 5-door model, which not solely makes it simpler for the rear passengers to get in, but additionally offers it a extra conventional design.
Talking concerning the wheels, each the Jimny and Thar get fashionable alloy wheels, however the Jimny will get smaller 15-inch alloys, in comparison with the Thar’s 18-inch ones. The Thar additionally will get all-terrain tyres as inventory.
Rugged Cabins
A rugged cabin is a given for any mass-market off-roading SUV, and that’s what you get in each the Jimny and the Thar. But one among them is healthier when it comes to design. Both get an all-black cabin, with a standard dashboard design, however the Jimny’s dashboard seems to be extra fashionable because of the larger touchscreen, sleeker AC vents and fashionable centre console.
However, the Thar will get hints of chrome components within the cabin, across the centre console, on the dashboard and on the doorways, which provides a premium really feel to its interiors.
The entrance seats on each supply ample quantity of area and good underthigh help, and have massive contours which hold you in place. But the cushioning on the Jimny’s seats are on the softer facet in comparison with that of the Thar. Also, because of the increased seat place of the Thar, getting out and in of the seats shouldn’t be simple.
Features & Safety
Here as properly, the Jimny is forward of the Thar. It will get a much bigger 9-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wi-fi Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, automated local weather management, cruise management, automated headlights, electrically adjustable and foldable ORVMs, and a headlight washer.
In phrases of security, Maruti gives it with 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, digital stability program (ESP), hill maintain and descent management, ISOFIX youngster seat anchors, and a rear parking digicam as normal security options.
The Thar, however, will get a smaller 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, guide local weather management, cruise management and washable inside flooring. In phrases of security, whereas it does supply a tyre strain monitoring system (TPMS), it nonetheless comes with twin entrance airbags, and doesn’t supply a rear view digicam. However, it’s the Thar which has been examined by GNCAP and was rated a good 4 stars.
Rear Seat Experience
Here is the place the Thar takes the lead. While the Jimny’s seats are barely extra comfy, the Thar gives extra space for the rear passengers. Both off-roaders are 4-seaters, and solely have area for two passengers within the again. While you do get good quantity of headroom and knee room in each the SUVs, the Thar’s rear seats don’t supply good underthigh help.
However, being a 5-door mannequin, the Jimny gives the comfort of rear doorways, which makes getting out and in simpler for the rear passengers. In the Thar, whereas the rear seats are extra spacious, getting out and in of these seats requires passengers to fold the entrance seats, which takes a toll on the comfort issue.
Practicality
In the practicality part, the lead is taken by the Mahindra Thar. Both entrance doorways have 1-litre bottle holders and area on the perimeters for some small gadgets. In the entrance, it will get some area within the centre console on your telephone or pockets, there’s storage within the armrest and it will get a small glove field.
In the Jimny, whereas there are 4 doorways, none have area for a bottle holder, and solely supply area to maintain small gadgets like paperwork. Just just like the Thar, it will get a small glove field and tray within the centre console. But there aren’t any armrests on the entrance or again, and solely the entrance passengers get cupholders.
Boot Space
While there’s a scarcity of storage choices within the Maruti Jimny, there isn’t any scarcity of area in its boot. It will get a boot loading capability of 219 litres, the place you may simply retailer 2 suitcases and a pair of tender baggage, with area left for smaller gadgets.
On the opposite hand, the Thar will get a smaller boot, the precise figures of which haven’t been revealed by Mahindra, and solely permits you to retailer 2 to three small baggage. That too, when the rear seats should not reclined.
Engine & Performance
Specifications
Maruti Jimny
Mahindra Thar
Engine
1.5-litre petrol
2-litre turbo-petrol
2.2-litre diesel
1.5-litre diesel
Power
105 PS
152 PS
132 PS
118 PS
Torque
134 Nm
Up to 320 Nm
300 Nm
300 Nm
Transmission
5MT/ 4AT
6MT/ 6AT
6MT/ 6AT
6MT
Drivetrain
4WD
4WD/ RWD
4WD
RWD
The Maruti Jimny solely comes with a naturally aspirated petrol engine in a 4-wheel-drive system, with a 5-speed guide and a 4-speed automated transmission. On the opposite hand, the Thar gives 3 totally different engine choices, each petrol and diesel, and provides the choice of each 4-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive setups.
We drove the guide variant of the Jimny, and this engine, whereas not as highly effective because the Thar’s engines, nonetheless delivers sufficient energy each for on a regular basis use and for off-roading. The engine is kind of refined, and when you do really feel some vibration contained in the cabin, the driving expertise makes up for this. Accelerations are acceptable and you may go cruising with ease.
However, the Thar takes its driving expertise even additional. We drove the turbo-petrol Thar with the 6-speed automated, and the distinction in energy was clearly seen. While with the Jimny, you may simply execute overtakes, with the Thar, they turn out to be easy. The acceleration is faster, and so are the gearshifts. You is not going to really feel the dearth of energy on any terrain. We examined the efficiency of the Thar with the turbo-petrol automated powertrain, and it did the 0-100 kmph run in simply 10.21 seconds.
Ride Comfort
In experience consolation, the SUV to take the lead is the Maruti Jimny. Its suspension setup is balanced and absorbs bumps very properly. Even on unhealthy roads, you don’t really feel these jerks contained in the cabin lots, and the tender cushioning of the seats makes the experience comfy. On highways at excessive speeds, it stays steady, and there’s a noticeable physique roll when altering lanes rapidly or taking sharp turns, however that’s a given with such an offroader.
The Thar’s suspension is on the stiffer facet, and that makes driving on unhealthy roads uncomfortable. While it does have all of the capabilities to go off the street, when doing so, you’ll really feel these jerks contained in the cabin. At excessive speeds, it does the identical because the Jimny, it stays steady, and has an affordable quantity of physique roll.
Verdict
Finally, which one among these has what it takes to be an on a regular basis automotive? The reply is the Maruti Jimny. While the Mahindra Thar gives good street presence and higher efficiency, it isn’t as handy appropriately to turn out to be a every day driver. The Jimny gives necessities like rear doorways, fashionable options, a usable boot and a snug experience high quality, which makes it higher for metropolis use. Yes, there’s a compromise in practicality and street presence, but when you may make this compromise, then the Maruti Jimny can simply turn out to be the automotive you employ on a regular basis.
One concern with the Link Wall-Mounted Cabinet is the area it takes up. Depending on what number of slots within the modular system you’ve got, you might want one thing extra space-friendly, just like the Link Tool Organizer Shelf. What we like about this shelf is that its 50-pound capability is unfold out throughout totally different storage choices.
The flat shelf measures 21 inches large by 11 inches deep, so you will have loads of room for odds and ends like additional batteries and instruments that won’t match elsewhere on the modular storage. In addition to the shelf area, you get a skinny properly for issues like drill bit units, in addition to 4 under-mounted energy software slots and a row of cutouts for hand software storage.
As Pro Tool Reviews notes, the highest shelf is massive sufficient for Ryobi’s small fan, a spare battery, and a Ryobi mild, and there are many storage choices throughout for handheld instruments, screws, nails, gloves, and different equipment. Users are particularly constructive in regards to the shelf, with many touting the way it maximizes the usage of the modular area.
Ryobi’s Link Modular Storage System is all about customization and flexibility, and the organizer shelf makes good use of its area by taking on little room in your wall whereas providing loads of storage.
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