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Northvolt, a Swedish battery maker, has planned a ‘gigafactory’ in the region, which protesters have called an ‘ecocidal disgrace’ When the Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt announced plans to build a multibillion-dollar ‘gigafactory’ in Quebec , the proposal was heralded as a win for Canada’s ambitions to become a global green energy powerhouse – and lauded as an environmentally sensitive project which would minimize harmful emissions. Four months later, however, protestors are describing the sprawling plant an “ecocidal disgrace”, and driving steel bars and nails into trees, to prevent the company from clearcutting forests and destroying wetlands ahead of construction. Continue reading...

Company pledged to reform its culture and ‘failure of leadership’ after self-driving car dragged pedestrian GM’s Cruise self-driving car unit on Thursday revealed US Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission probes stemming from an October collision in which one of its autonomous vehicles dragged a pedestrian who had been struck by another vehicle. Cruise reported the government investigations in a blog post in which the company also vowed to reform its culture stemming from a “failure of leadership” around the incident. The blog post did not disclose the status of the victim, who was dragged 20ft by the vehicle, nor the scope of the justice department and SEC probes. Continue reading...

Bigger cars more likely to kill people, release more toxic gas and are outgrowing design of cities New cars in the EU and UK have grown 1cm wider every two years, the Guardian can reveal, driven by large luxury SUVs whose sales show no sign of slowing. “It’s unrelenting,” said James Nix, an analyst at the Transport and Environment (T&E) campaign group and author of the report. “Spurred on by sales of the largest SUVs, vehicles are getting wider every year.” Continue reading...

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts Why are cars designed to be capable of going much faster than the speed limit? (Don’t tell me they’re made with the Autobahn in mind.) Andy Crosby, north Wales Send new questions to nq@theguardian.com . Continue reading...

Freezing temperatures across central US have cut electric vehicles’ range and left drivers facing long waits at charging stations For nearly a week, frigid temperatures from Chicago to northern Texas have made life painful for electric-vehicle owners, with reduced driving range and hours of waiting at charging stations. In Oak Brook, Illinois, near Chicago, on Monday, television reporters found Teslas that were running out of juice while in long lines for plugs at a Supercharger station. The temperature hit a low of -9F (-23C). Continue reading...

Jeremy Hunt has an almost religious belief that the invisible hand of the market works – even when it punches Britons Motorists are expected this year to benefit from an electric car price war – one driven not by the market but by governments in Britain and China. For the first time, the UK has required 22% of new cars sold in 2024 to be electric and, thanks to Beijing’s generous subsidies, cut-price Chinese cars will help meet the demand. There is a trade-off. While Britons can access affordable green motoring, China potentially hoovers up manufacturing prowess and jobs. Conservative politicians seem relaxed about sending such work and technology abroad. Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, made the case against protectionism at Davos, a policy he has often criticised . He trusts the invisible hand of the market even when it punches Britons in the gut, such as the blow felt today in south Wales. Tata Steel’s Port Talbot blast furnaces will close with the loss of thousands of jobs, inste...

Company sought arrest warrant for Keith ‘Keef’ Leech after he allegedly posted links to confidential documents on social media in defiance of court order Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails , free app or daily news podcast Tesla has been criticised by an Australian federal court judge for seeking a “draconian” order for an arrest warrant against a man who allegedly posted confidential internal documents from the electric car maker on social media sites in defiance of a court order. Keith “Keef” Leech was ordered by the court on 8 January to delete all records he held of any documents obtained from the Tesla whistleblower Lukasz Krupski related to Tesla cars. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup Continue reading...