Tesla unveils otherworldly Cybertruck, starting at US$39,900 - Driving

The Tesla Cybertruck has arrived and it is, as promised, very, uh, different than the other pickups currently on the market. 

The brand’s mildly enigmatic CEO Elon Musk introduced the highly enigmatic battery-powered truck at an event in Los Angeles on Thursday evening streamed live online.

He was accompanied on-stage by a merry band of softcore Mad-Max-types dressed all in black, on hand to demonstrate (rather ineffectively at times) the truck’s toughness. 

The biggest news is the sheer audacity of this thing’s design, which, in fairness, Tesla did warn us about, in the form of nods to Blade Runner and a certain underwater James Bond car and straight disclaimers it would alienate many. 

Still, it — it looks like a six-year-old’s interpretation of a future truck. We honestly thought it was a joke when it first drove on stage. Also: pedestrian safety regulations are still a thing, right?

The Cybertruck measures in at smaller than a Ford F-150; comes standard with adaptive air suspension; and allegedly starts at US$39,900 before any EV rebates. It will be available in three range options, measured here in miles: 250+, 300+ or 500+. 

The electric engine will ship the new-age pickup from zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) in a blistering 2.9 seconds in top trim, and provide enough torque to tow 14,000 lbs. This was showcased in a video of the Cybertruck literally running away with an F-150 in a tug-of-war. 

“You want a truck that’s really tough, not fake tough?” quipped Musk. 

A sledgehammer-wielding assistant showcased the toughness of the truck’s stainless steel alloy (the same material used on Tesla’s Starship rocket) by whacking away at a regular truck door, followed by the Cybertruck’s. They also shot the vehicles with a 9mm pistol. You can guess the results. 

But when it came time to demonstrate the durability of the transparent metal glass, the thrown object that was meant to bounce off the passenger window ended up shattering it. And the rear door window, too. 

Musk soldiered on through the reveal with the two shattered windows. 

In related truck news, GM vied for its piece of the electric pickup truck buzz on Tesla’s big day by revealing its e-truck release-date just hours before Elon went live.

GM’s electric pickup will be on sale sometime in late 2021, roughly the same time Tesla estimates its truck will make its first deliveries. However, you can make a US$100 deposit on Tesla’s Cybertruck right now at Tesla.com.

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November 22, 2019 at 12:22PM

Quebec running out of propane as CN strike chokes off supply - Financial Post

Quebec is poised to run out of propane within four days as the ongoing strike at Canadian National Railway chokes off supply, creating an “emergency” situation for hospitals, farms and nursing homes, Premier Francois Legault said.

The province’s dwindling propane reserve, 85 per cent of which is supplied by rail, comes as the work stoppage by 3,200 CN conductors, train and yard workers continues.

Speaking to reporters in Quebec City, Legault urged the federal government to “accelerate negotiations” between the Teamsters union and the company and if necessary, to pass back-to-work legislation ahead of Parliament’s return on Dec. 5.

“What I’m saying is we cannot afford a strike for many days,” Legault said. “So I think we have to be open to a special law. So I am asking the opposition parties in Ottawa to support Mr. Trudeau if we cannot conclude an agreement with the union soon.”

Quebec has already begun rationing its remaining propane reserve of 12 million litres and is trying find trucks to bring more of the fuel into the province, Legault said. Daily usage has been cut to 2.5 million litres from a typical six million litres.

The reserve will go to hospitals and retirement homes first, as well farmers who depend on propane to dry grains and heat facilities.

Talks with CN representatives were ongoing, Teamsters spokesperson Christopher Monette said Thursday afternoon. However “no progress” has been made on any of the union’s concerns about long hours and dangerous working conditions due to fatigue, he said.

Transportation Minister Marc Garneau, who previously urged the parties to continue negotiations, met with ministerial colleagues yesterday to discuss how to further address the issue, the ministry said in an emailed statement.

Petroleum producers, miners, chemical firms and steelmakers are among those who have warned of severe supply-chain disruption and economic damage should the strike carry on.

We have customers asking 'Am I going to have propane to heat my home or to supply the facility I'm running, whether it's a hospital or a water treatment plant?'

Nathalie St-Pierre, CEO, Canadian Propane Association

About 92 per cent of Canada’s propane is extracted from natural gas plants in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. With no pipelines to carry the fuel into Quebec, the province is particularly reliant on rail transportation from supply hubs in the Prairies and in Sarnia, Ont., said Nathalie St-Pierre, chief executive of the Canadian Propane Association.

“We’re very concerned with the stoppage when it comes to the farmers,” she said. “We also have customers calling and asking ‘Am I going to have propane to heat my home or to supply the facility I’m running, whether it’s a hospital or a water treatment plant?’ ”

In a statement, Quebec’s Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources said its distribution partners were working to put trucks on the road to the Sarnia supply point — which is serviced entirely by CN rail lines.

Lineups lasting up to six hours had already been reported at that location, St-Pierre said.

“Quebec has serious issues but Ontario is starting to have some issues, too,” she said.

The propane shortage compounds the challenges facing Quebec and Ontario grain farmers, who are already grappling with the fallout from the CN strike. The labour disruption at the country’s second-largest railroad struck during their most important shipping period and at the tail end of a particularly difficult harvest season. Half of Quebec’s corn crop — estimated at 850,000 acres and worth about $700 million — has yet to be harvested because of heavy snow and wet conditions, said Benoit Legault, general manager for the Grain Producers of Quebec. About 10 per cent of Quebec’s soybean harvest — covering roughly the same acreage and valued at $500 million — also remains in the field.

“If you can’t dry the crops you can’t harvest them,” he said. “You can’t pile up wet corn, so they are leaving it in the field. We’re at a complete standstill.”

In Ontario, 30 per cent of 2.2 million acres of corn remains in the field, along with 10 per cent of the soybean crop, estimated at three million acres, said Markus Haerle, president of the Ontario Grain Farmers.

“There are already major delays loading propane in Sarnia and we’re only a few days into this strike,” he said. “Without propane to run the dryers, the corn and soybeans will spoil in the bins within days. The situation is getting more severe by the hour.”

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November 22, 2019 at 05:32AM

We all lose if Trump signs bills related to Hong Kong into law - South China Morning Post

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1. We all lose if Trump signs bills related to Hong Kong into law  South China Morning Post
2. Pelosi signs Hong Kong bill and sends it to Trump to become law  BNNBloomberg.ca
3. China demands Trump veto pro-Hong Kong bill  Fox Business
4. Hong Kong's crisis is not over — nor are Xi's troubles | TheHill  The Hill
5. Trade war tensions aren’t going away, so why are markets stable?  South China Morning Post
6. View full coverage on Google News

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November 21, 2019 at 09:38PM

Waterloo Brewing loses $2.1 million in social engineering cyberattack - CBC.ca

Waterloo Brewing Ltd. says it has lost $2.1 million in what it calls a social engineering cyberattack.

The Ontario brewery says the incident occurred in early November and involved the impersonation of a creditor employee and fraudulent wire transfer requests.

Waterloo Brewing says it initiated an analysis of all other transaction activity across all of its bank accounts, as well as a review of its internal systems and controls that included its computer networks, after becoming aware of the incident this week.

The brewer says it does not believe that its systems were breached, or that any personal information of its customers is at risk.

The company has notified the appropriate authorities that include police, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada and the United States' Finance Crimes and Enforcement Network.

The company says it is working to recover the money, but made no assurance that it would be successful.

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November 21, 2019 at 09:15PM

CN strike causing 'emergency' shortages in Quebec's propane supply, Legault says - CBC.ca

Quebec's supply of propane will run out within four days, threatening farmers' ability to dry their grain and heat their facilities, if a strike at Canadian National Railway isn't resolved soon, Premier François Legault said Thursday.

Legault described the situation as an "emergency" and called on federal opposition parties to be prepared to support back-to-work legislation.

The Alberta government has also asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to recall Parliament ahead of its scheduled return on Dec. 5 in order to legislate an end to the strike.

While Alberta's concerns involve stalled oil shipments, Legault is worried about Quebec's supply of propane, the vast majority of which is transported by rail from Sarnia, Ont. 

"The strike cannot last," Legault said in an unprompted statement to journalists in Quebec City.  

"Ideally, we hope for an agreement between the union and CN. But we can't rule out the need for a special bill in Ottawa."

Striking CN rail members outside the McLean Rail Yard in North Vancouver on Wednesday. Around 3,200 workers have been on strike since early Tuesday morning. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)

On Wednesday, Quebec government officials began rationing the remaining 12 million litres of propane in the province.

The normal rate of consumption is six million litres per day, Legault said. With rationing, consumption will drop to 2.5 million litres per day. 

He said the province is trying to find enough trucks to transport additional propane by road.

Rationing scheme put in place     

Hospitals and seniors' residences will be prioritized in the rationing scheme, as will farmers, Legault said. Many were hit hard by the early snow and were relying on propane to dry out harvested grain.   

Quebec Health and Social Services spokesperson Marie-Claude Lacasse told Radio-Canada in an email that although provincial health facilities use propane for heating, food preparation and other miscellaneous purposes, they have alternatives in place to deal with the propane shortage. 

But the agricultural sector has been "severely impacted" by the propane rations, said Nathalie St-Pierre, president and CEO of the Canadian Propane Association.

Effectively cutting off propane access is compounding the wet grain issue, she said. 

"Propane plays an important role in Quebec," St-Pierre said. "Propane supplies the fuel for 29 per cent of the activities in the agricultural sector, so it's a very important part of their requirements to deliver."

She added that 85 per cent of propane in Quebec is transported by rail.

William Van Tassel is a grain farmer in Quebec and a representative of the Quebec Grain Growers Association. 

He said he finished harvesting and drying his grain a week ago, but he's spoken with other farmers who are concerned they could lose much of their crops. 

"People are very nervous. Farmers are very nervous," he said.

The Canadian Propane Association is "urgently calling" on the government to meet to make sure Canadians are not left without heating fuels, St-Pierre said. 

"When you depend on an infrastructure so important as the rail," she said, "it's difficult to have a plan B."

Grain Farmers of Ontario is also calling on the federal government to act. 

Chair Markus Haerle says farmers can't face any more challenges this season and already need twice as much propane as they would in a normal year. If farmers don't receive propane, the financial impact will trickle down to what consumers pay, he says.

Legault warns NDP to support special law

Legault said he's been in touch with Trudeau's office, while other members of his government have reached out to federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau.

But Legault also singled out the New Democratic Party in his comments Thursday, suggesting it might be tempted to block back-to-work legislation because of the party's ties to unions.

"I wouldn't want the NDP, or another party, to decide to delay a special bill in order to please a union. You know how it is," Legault said.

Around 3,200 unionized CN workers went on strike early Tuesday. They're asking for improved working conditions, saying their long hours have become a safety concern.

They are also fighting against a lifetime cap on prescription drug coverage.

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November 22, 2019 at 12:48AM

Tesla set to unveil electric pickup truck as it takes on Detroit - The Globe and Mail

Tesla CEO Elon Musk gestures during a conversation at the E3 gaming convention in Los Angeles on June 13, 2019.

Mike Blake/Reuters

Tesla Inc chief executive Elon Musk has talked for years about building an electric pickup truck that would threaten the heart of the Detroit automakers’ profits, and on Thursday he will finally take the wraps off the so-called cyberpunk truck.

Analysts expect the Tesla pickup, which Musk has said would combine the performance of a Porsche 911 sports car with the functionality of Ford Motor Co’s industry-leading F-150 full-size truck, to debut in late 2021 or early 2022 with a starting price of under $50,000.

“Making an electric pickup truck that sells in the same price range as an F-150 and making it profitable will be tough,” said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at Auto Forecast Solutions.

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As Musk pushes to take a bite of Detroit’s profits, Ford and larger rival General Motors Co are gearing up to challenge Tesla more directly with new offerings like the Ford Mustang Mach E electric SUV as well as electric pickups.

Electric pickups and SUVs – the heart of the U.S. market – could help Ford and GM generate the significant EV sales they will need to meet tougher emission standards and EV mandates in California and other states. The Trump administration is moving to roll back those standards, but electric trucks are a hedge if California prevails.

Pricier trucks also offer car makers a better chance to generate profit from their electric battery investments, Fiorani said.

The pickup’s introduction will shift Tesla more toward trucks and SUVs, where Detroit’s automakers get most of their profits. Tesla has so far sold mostly Model S and Model 3 sedans, but also offers the Model X SUV and starting next year the Model Y compact SUV.

Tesla officials declined to comment ahead of the truck’s reveal on Thursday in Los Angeles.

A focus on the high-performance end of the market is only natural given the success of Ford’s 450-horsepower F-150 Raptor truck, which launched in 2009 and whose sales have since risen annually, according to Ford spokesman Mike Levine.

While Ford does not disclose Raptor sales, Levine said annual demand is well above 19,000 vehicles and the No. 2 U.S. automaker has never had to offer incentives on the model, which costs in the high $60,000 range. Ford also offers the more expensive F-150 Limited, its most powerful and luxurious pickup.

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‘ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER’

Demand for full-size electric pickup trucks in the near term may not be huge, however.

Industry tracking firm IHS Markit estimates the electric truck segment – both full- and mid-sized models – will account for about 75,000 sales in 2026, compared with an expected 3 million light trucks overall. The Tesla truck is not part of that estimate given its uncertain timing.

Musk in October described the Tesla pickup as “closer to an armoured personnel carrier from the future.” Deutsche Bank analyst Emmanuel Rosner said such a design carries the risk of not appealing to traditional truck buyers and consigning Tesla’s vehicle to niche status.

Tesla has shown teaser images and Musk promised certain features on Twitter last year, saying it would be similar in size to Ford’s F-150. The Tesla truck will have all-wheel drive with “crazy torque,” a suspension that dynamically adjusts for load and a driving range of up to 500 miles as an option, he said. In March, Musk called it a “cyberpunk truck.”

Ford and GM officials often say they understand pickup buyers better than anyone, but they are not taking chances, with plans to introduce their own electric trucks. Both also will build electric SUVs.

Ford aims to sell an electric F-series in late 2021, sources familiar with the plans said. It also will offer the Mach E next year as part of its plan to invest $11.5 billion by 2022 electrifying its vehicles.

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In April, Ford invested $500 million in startup Rivian, which plans to build its own electric pickup beginning in fall 2020.

GM plans to build a family of premium electric pickup trucks and SUVs, beginning in late 2021 with an electric pickup – possibly under the Hummer brand – followed by a performance variant in 2022 and a GMC truck in 2023, sources have said. It plans to invest $8 billion by 2023 to develop electric and self-driving vehicles.

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November 21, 2019 at 07:35PM

UAW president steps down as GM sues rival over union bribery - CTV News

Tom Krisher, The Associated Press
Published Thursday, November 21, 2019 2:59AM EST

DETROIT -- United Auto Workers President Gary Jones abruptly resigned Wednesday, capping a tumultuous day that saw union leaders move to oust him, and General Motors accusing rival Fiat Chrysler in a lawsuit of bribing union officials to get more favourable contract terms from the UAW.

Jones has notified the union that he would retire, his attorney, Bruce Maffeo of New York, said in an email.

The news of Jones' resignation came shortly after the UAW's International Executive Board filed paperwork to expel him and Regional Director Vance Pearson from the union over allegations raised by a federal investigation into union corruption that has resulted in multiple arrests starting in 2017. The move to oust the two leaders would have brought union trials for both.

Pearson is facing criminal charges while Jones has not been charged but federal agents raided his suburban Detroit home in August.

In the email, Maffeo said Jones decided to step down before learning of the move to oust him.

Jones, who has been a UAW member for 44 years and started as a factory worker, stepped down to let the union focus on its core mission of improving the lives of members and their families, Maffeo said.

Pearson's status with the union was not clear late Wednesday. A message was left seeking comment from his attorney.

Jones' departure came just hours after General Motors filed a racketeering lawsuit against Fiat Chrysler, alleging that its crosstown rival got an unfair business advantage by bribing UAW officials.

The unprecedented lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Detroit, alleges that FCA was involved in racketeering by paying millions in bribes to get concessions and gain advantages in three labour agreements with the union.

The lawsuit alleges that Fiat Chrysler corrupted the bargaining process with the UAW in the 2009, 2011 and 2015 union contracts to gain advantages over General Motors.

"FCA was the clear sponsor of pervasive wrongdoing, paying millions of dollars in bribes to obtain concessions" from the union, GM General Counsel Craig Glidden said. "FCA's manipulation of the collective bargaining process resulted in unfair labour costs and operational advantages for it, causing harm to GM."

In a statement, Fiat Chrysler called the lawsuit "meritless" and said it would defend itself vigorously. It also accused GM of trying to disrupt its proposed merger with French automaker PSA Peugeot as well as ongoing contract talks with the UAW.

"We are astonished by this filing, both its content and its timing," Fiat Chrysler said. "We intend to vigorously defend against this meritless lawsuit and pursue all legal remedies in response to it."

In its complaint, GM accused Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, who died last year, of authorizing bribes worth more than $1.5 million to union officials in a scheme to impose unexpected labour costs on GM. The higher costs were designed to force GM to merge with FCA, which had rejected Marchionne's offer to combine the companies, the lawsuit said.

Erik Gordon, a University of Michigan business and law professor, said one company suing another over bribes to union officials is without precedent. While GM's allegations are believable given what federal prosecutors have already uncovered, it will have the burden of convincing a jury that the scheme actually happened, Gordon said.

In addition to Fiat Chrysler, GM's lawsuit names former FCA labour relations chief Alphons Iacobelli, and former FCA officials Jerome Durden and Michael Brown as defendants. All have pleaded guilty in the federal corruption probe, which has alleged that Fiat Chrysler bribed UAW officials to keep them "fat, dumb and happy."

Authorities have said that payments were made through a training centre jointly run by the company and the UAW. Durden handled the training centre's finances, and Brown helped run the centre.

After leaving Fiat Chrysler, Iacobelli went to GM's labour relations department in 2016. He was suspended after his indictment and fired in December of 2017.

In a separate statement, the UAW said it had multiple safeguards in place to ensure the integrity of its contracts negotiated with Fiat Chrysler, including reviews by local and international union officials.

"We are confident that the terms of those contracts were not affected by Iacobelli's misconduct, nor that of any UAW officials involved in the misuse of joint program funds at FCA," the statement said.

The UAW says it's committed to make whatever changes are needed to make sure misconduct never happens again.

Glidden told reporters that in the three UAW contracts, FCA was able to reduce its labour costs because the union allowed it to hire more temporary and lower-paid workers than GM.

In 2007, the union agreed that new hires would be paid less than longtime workers, setting up a "second-tier" of employees who were paid less. FCA has more second-tier workers than either of its Detroit competitors.

The Center for Auto Research, an industry think-tank , calculated earlier this year that Fiat Chrysler's total labour costs including wages and benefits were about $55 per hour, giving it an $8 per hour benefit over GM and a $6 advantage over Ford.

Glidden said GM is not suing the UAW because it believes that responsibility rests with FCA, which was the "orchestrator" of the conspiracy.

He said GM is seeking substantial damages in the case, but he could not give a specific amount. The lawsuit says GM doesn't seek to reduce wages or benefits of any UAW workers.

Last week, a retired union vice-president and former GM board member became the 13th person to be charged in the federal probe of the union and auto companies.

Joe Ashton is accused of receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks from a contractor who made watches for union members. The 58,000 watches, purchased through the GM-UAW joint training centre, are still in storage five years later.

Last month, the union settled with GM after a 40-day strike, and Ford workers reached an agreement shortly after. Intense talks with Fiat Chrysler began Monday, with the possibility of another strike due in part to union members' distrust of UAW leadership.

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November 21, 2019 at 02:59PM