Overdrive Podcast Radio Program Week 12 -2020

Overdrive: Angry men cars; New Elantra; Self-loathing cyclist; Mitsubishi ASX; Peugeot 508; Mazda 3

Hello and welcome to Overdrive a program that plays around a bit with cars and transport

• $2m funding to an Australian Electric veh company (1:32)
• 140 countries pledged to eliminate traffic deaths. (2:22)
• Mitsubishi ASX (3:32)
• Stubborn, angry men are more likely to own luxury cars (4:31)
• Diesel Brothers hit with big fine (5:37)
• Motoring Minute – Audi A5 (6:41)
• Hyundai’s new Elantra has a big launch in NY (8:13)
• Motoring Minute – Peugeot 508 (16:54)
• Motoring Minute – Mazda 3 (17:65)
• Quirky news – bicycle shop owner who opposes bicycle priority measures. (19:26)
• Motoring Minute – (25:20)

 

Driverless electric vehicle to be powered with solar rooftop

An Australian startup is developing an autonomous electric vehicle that will utilise a solar roof and lithium ion battery system.

Applied Electric Vehicles Pty Ltd (AEV) is being supported by government to the tune of a $2million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.

AEV’s vehicle will generate up to 60 per cent of its energy requirements from the sun. The use of a smaller battery pack means easier charging from a common 240V wall socket.

The $7.65 million project is in partnership with Japanese company Teijin Limited who is helping to develop the vehicle’s lightweight materials and

140 countries pledged to eliminate traffic deaths – The U.S. did not

Transportation leaders from 140 countries have agreed on an ambitious global target to completely eliminate traffic deaths.

This Stockholm Declaration, aims to reduce traffic fatalities by at least 50 percent over the next ten years, with the goal of eradicating roadway deaths and serious injuries by 2050.

All the countries in attendance endorsed the declaration except the U.S.

In a statement the US dissociate themselves from certain paragraphs that they say “muddle our focus and detract attention from data driven scientific policies and programs that have successfully reduced fatalities on roadways”.

The U.S.’s per-capita road fatality rate is higher than any other member of the OECD and US pedestrian deaths are currently the highest since 1988.

Mitsubishi ASX

So far this year sales of the Mitsubishi ASX small SUV are down from a stellar 2019 growth but they still lead the segment.

The ASX is Mitsubishi’s second bestselling car behind the Triton ute. Like the previous Lancer sedan, this is a relatively quiet achiever.

Base and middle models get a 2.0 litre engine while top spec GSR and Exceed get a 2.4 litre.

The entry-level has a manual and all others have a CVT gearbox.

This new model gets LED headlights, Daylight running lights and fog lights.  It looks good although nearly too busy at the front.

Priced between $24,000 and a bit over $33,000 plus on road costs

Self-centered, stubborn and argumentative men are more likely to own luxury cars, says study

Jan-Erik Lönnqvist, professor of social psychology, at the University of Helsinki says that previous research has confirmed that drivers of expensive cars are more likely to break traffic regulations.

But Prof Lönnqvist approached the question from a different angle by asking whether specific types of people are drawn to high-status cars

The answers were unambiguous: self-centred men who are argumentative, stubborn, disagreeable and unempathetic are much more likely to own a high-status car

It is this conclusion that made the headlines.  But we don’t want to stop good people buying cars that may have well-developed safety features.

One of the more unexpected results was that another personality type is also drawn to high-status cars: the conscientious.

You can find more information at Driven Media or previous programs are available as podcasts on iTunes or Spotify. OR our

Diesel Brothers hit with big fine for tampering with truck emissions

Henry “Heavy D” Sparks and “Diesel Dave” Kiley, better known as the Diesel Brothers through their Discovery Channel program, have been ordered to pay a fine equivalent of more that 1.3 million Australian dollars for illegally modifying the emissions control systems of diesel pickups

The law suit was brought by the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment who say that the modifications performed on the trucks increase their emissions by 10–30 times.

The diesel brothers claimed their efforts reduce the cost of maintenance and improve fuel economy.

There is extensive research about the harmful effect of diesel fumes including the Hasselt University in Belgium, which found that diesel fumes start to harm children in pregnant mothers.

You can find more information at Driven Media or previous programs are available as podcasts on iTunes or Spotify. OR our Facebook site OverdriveCity

Originally broadcast 21 March 2020 across Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (CBAA) and Torque Radio affiliated commercial radio channels.

About David Brown 607 Articles
David’s boyhood passion for motor cars did not immediately lead to a professional role in the motor industry. A qualified Civil Engineer he specialised in traffic engineering and transport planning. What followed were various positions including being seconded to a government think-tank for the planning of transport firstly in Sydney and then for the whole of NSW. After working with the NRMA and as a consultant he moved to being an independent writer and commentator on the broader areas of transport and the more specific areas of the cars we drive. His half hour motoring program “Overdrive” has been described as an “informed, humorous and irreverent look at motoring and transport from Australia and overseas”. It is heard on 22 stations across Australia. He does weekly interviews with several ABC radio stations and is also heard on commercial radio in Sydney. David has written for metropolitan and regional newspapers and has presented regular segments on metropolitan and regional television stations. David is also a contributor for AnyAuto