Business
US Honda Issues “Do Not Drive” Advisory for 2001 to 2003 Models
Honda and the United States government advise owners of approximately 8,200 older vehicles not to drive them until dangerous air bag inflators are replaced.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a “Do Not Drive” advisory on Friday for 2001-2003 vehicles equipped with Takata inflators, which have a high risk of exploding and hurling shrapnel in a crash.
According to the safety agency, the risk to drivers and passengers is severe because the so-called “Alpha” inflators have a 50% chance of exploding in a crash. If the inflators rupture, they can launch shrapnel into the driver’s face, potentially killing or injuring them.
According to the agency, the Honda and Acura vehicles were previously recalled, but records show that repairs were not performed on the affected vehicles. Honda has already replaced 99% of the potentially dangerous inflators.
The 2001 and 2002 Honda Accord and Civic, the 2002 Honda CR-V and Odyssey SUVs, the 2003 Honda Pilot, the 2002 and 2003 Acura 3.2 TL, and the 2003 Acura 3.2 CL are all affected.
Owners can find out if their vehicles are covered by visiting https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls and entering their 17-digit vehicle identification number.
“These inflators are two decades old and have a 50% chance of rupturing in even a minor crash,” said NHTSA Acting Administrator Ann Carlson. “Don’t risk your life or the life of someone you care about; schedule your free repair today before it’s too late.”
Takata created a small explosion with ammonium nitrate to inflate airbags in a crash. However, the chemical can become more volatile over time when exposed to moisture in the air and repeated high temperatures. The explosion has the potential to rupture a metal canister and launch shrapnel into the passenger compartment.
The exploding airbags have killed at least 33 people worldwide since 2009, including 24 in the United States.
Most of the deaths and approximately 400 injuries occurred in the United States but also in Australia and Malaysia.
Honda has contacted owners over 18 million times via mail notices, emails, phone calls, and even home visits. According to the company, repairs are free, and replacement parts are available. It provides free towing and loaner vehicles as needed.
The possibility of a dangerous malfunction prompted the largest series of auto recalls in US history, with at least 67 million Takata inflators being recalled. According to the US government, millions of homes have not been repaired. Globally, approximately 100 million inflators have been recalled. Takata Corp. of Japan declared bankruptcy due to the exploding airbags.
Honda had by far the most vehicles with Takata inflators.
Honda Airbags in Thailand
Meanwhile, drivers in Thailand are being urged to check the airbags in their vehicles after three people were killed and another seriously injured as a result of Takata Corporation’s faulty airbags.
The problem with Takata airbags, manufactured by the now-defunct Japanese automotive parts company, dates back to 2008 and has resulted in the recall of over 100 million vehicles worldwide.
To date, at least 27 deaths have been linked to faulty airbags.
Takata initially denied a problem with its airbags before admitting that the ammonium nitrate used during manufacturing caused too much pressure, causing the bags to explode.
If the airbag’s inflator ruptures in a crash, metal shards from its housing system can be sprayed throughout the passenger cabin.
Takata was forced to pay over US$850 million in compensation to various car manufacturers and declared bankruptcy in 2017.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Smith Srisont, chief of the forensic laboratory in the Department of Pathology, stated in October that there are currently three cases in Thailand linked to Takata airbag failure, two of which resulted in fatalities and the other in serious and life-changing injuries.
According to Dr. Smith, autopsies on the two deceased confirmed that their deaths were caused by being struck by parts of the airbags. The third case involves metal fragments from an airbag flying into the victim’s jaw and face, causing them to lose sight and hearing in their right ear.
Takata airbags are used in over 1.7 million Thai vehicles from eight manufacturers, including Honda, BMW, Nissan, Toyota, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Chevrolet, and Ford.
Chevrolet (2007-2015), BMW (1998-2018), Ford (1998-2014), Honda (1998-2014), Mazda (2004-2014), Mitsubishi (2005-2015), Nissan (2000-2014), and Toyota are among the vehicles affected (2001-2014).
The Thai Automotive Industry Association recently disclosed that it had recalled vehicles with the problem since 2009. According to a recent survey, over 680,000 Thai cars are still thought to have deadly Takata airbags.
Meanwhile, the Thailand Consumers Council has warned automakers to recall vehicles equipped with airbags.
According to the Thailand Consumers Council, drivers can find out if their vehicle has Takata airbags by visiting www.checkairbag.com or calling the Department of Land Transport’s hotline at 1584.
Drivers can also contact their respective car manufacturer’s call center.
Any replacement airbags are provided at no cost.
Business
Subsidies for Electric Vehicles Cut as Consumer Interest Fades
Pressure is building on Canada’s electric vehicle manufacturers, and several are rethinking their stance on E.V.s in favor of plug-in hybrids. Automobile manufacturers are now bracing themselves for an even more challenging era in the Canadian market for electric vehicles (E.V.s).
President Kristian Aquilina of General Motors Canada claims that support and expectations are misaligned because the Canadian government is reducing subsidies for electric vehicles while trying to phase out gas-powered cars.
Manufacturers find pushing for an all-electric future in Canada increasingly difficult due to fewer consumer financial incentives and increasingly strict sales targets.
With subsidies totaling up to C$12,000 (about $8,500), Canadian consumers may save a tonne of money on electric automobiles. The federal government offers a rebate of up to $5,000 Canadian, and the provinces of Quebec and British Columbia provide further incentives of up to $7,000 and $4,000, respectively.
Ontario, which eliminated rebates in 2018, had the lowest market share for electric vehicles compared to Quebec and British Columbia, two regions that offered bigger incentives and thereby drove E.V. adoption in Canada.
Although this backing is dwindling, the province of Quebec has now declared that all subsidies will end in 2027. In June, the British Columbia government restricted incentives to a smaller subset of E.V. purchasers for “available funding” and higher-than-expected E.V. sales growth.
These reductions indicate a larger pattern: provincial governments reevaluate the sustainability of taxpayer-financed incentives for E.V.s as budget deficits widen.
With lofty goals to cut pollution from gas-powered cars and increase sales of electric vehicles, the Canadian government has reduced subsidies for these vehicles. Electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles will be mandatory for all new light-duty vehicle sales in Canada by 2035.
To meet our intermediate goals, 20% of new sales must be electric vehicles (E.V.s) by 2026 and 60% by 2030. Car companies are already under a lot of pressure due to dwindling incentives and increasing demands, and the clock is ticking faster by the second.
In addition, these rules impose new forms of responsibility. Automakers that do not reach their provincial sales targets may be subject to financial fines imposed by provinces such as British Columbia.
Canadian manufacturers are already under financial pressure from federal compliance credit system standards, which they must meet or face deficits. This system gives them credit for electric vehicle sales and infrastructure improvements, but it’s not without its challenges.
“The timing is not necessarily lining up very well, in that the purchase incentive support comes off just as mandates and regulations start to bite,” GMC Canada President Kristian Aquilina told Bloomberg. “It must make a difference.
Therefore, we must consider that. Despite the cutbacks, Aquilina argued that the government’s investment in enhancing the charging infrastructure could benefit E.V. sales.
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Business
Chewy Slides After Filing Shows 3rd-Biggest Shareholder, ‘Roaring Kitty,’ Sold His Stake
Washington — Chewy shares fell about 2% overnight Wednesday after a regulatory filing showed that Roaring Kitty, a meme stock trader, sold his interest in the online pet retailer.
According to a beneficial ownership document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday, Roaring Kitty, whose legal name is Keith Gill, sold all his Chewy shares, totaling 6.6% of the company.
Chewy Slides After Filing Shows Third-Biggest Shareholder, ‘Roaring Kitty,’ Sold His Stake
Plantation, Florida-based Chewy dropped 1.9% after hours to $26.19 per share.
Gill, an investor at the core of the meme stock craze, bought more than 9 million shares of Chewy in July, making him the company’s third-largest stakeholder.
Gill built a name for himself in 2021 by rallying ordinary investors around GameStop. At the time, the video game shop was fighting to stay in business, and major Wall Street hedge funds and investors were betting against it or shorting the stock. But Gill and those who agreed with him altered GameStop’s direction by purchasing thousands of shares despite practically all acknowledged criteria indicating that the firm was in deep peril.
Chewy Slides After Filing Shows Third-Biggest Shareholder, ‘Roaring Kitty,’ Sold His Stake
That triggered what is known as a “short squeeze,” in which large investors who had bet on GameStop were obliged to buy its swiftly increasing stock to offset significant losses.
Gill has expressed confidence in GameStop Chairman and CEO Ryan Cohen’s ability to revamp the company following his success at Chewy. Cohen cofounded Chewy in 2011 and stepped down as CEO in 2018.
SOURCE | AP
Business
Canada CBC News CEO Catherine Tait Recalled to Parliamentary Committee
Canada CBC News reports that MPs have voted to recall CBC CEO Catherine Tait to a Commons committee for questioning, only a week after her last appearance, over the awarding of $18 million in bonuses to Canada CBC news executives.
The Conservatives, the Bloc Québécois, and the NDP joined forces to re-invite Ms. Tait, her successor Marie-Philippe Bouchard, and Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge to appear before the Commons Heritage Committee.
Ms. Tait, who will relinquish her position as CEO and president of CBC/Radio Canada in January, addressed the committee last week. The House of Commons has passed a motion recalling her before the conclusion of her term, and she is now subject to an additional two hours of interrogation, which includes inquiries regarding bonuses.
MPs also resolved to summon Quebec broadcasting executive Marie-Philippe Bouchard, appointed as the new chief of CBC/Radio-Canada last week, to appear before she begins her new job following a House of Commons chamber debate.
Catherine Tait Exit Package
Catherine Tait rejected the Conservatives’ requests to deny an exit package, including bonuses, when she departed the position in January during last week’s committee hearing.
She also defended the award of $18.4 million in incentives to 1,194 staff members for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, which concluded in March, following the broadcaster’s achievement of performance indicators.
Kevin Waugh, a Conservative committee member who introduced the motion, stated that his party aimed to ensure Ms. Tait was “accountable to taxpayers” before her departure in January.
He informed The Globe and Mail that “Canadians are dissatisfied with the bonuses” and that Catherine Tait‘s exit package, which will not be disclosed, is a cause for concern.
“I am apprehensive that she has not received her bonuses in over two years, and that the Minister of Heritage or Privy Council will lavish her with bonuses when she departs in January,” he stated.
The Liberals opposed a portion of the motion that claimed that “the Liberal threat to cut funding” had resulted in the elimination of hundreds of jobs at CBC/Radio-Canada.
Defunding CBC News Canada
The Heritage Minister informed The Globe that the claim was “hypocritical,” as the Conservatives intended to completely defund CBC.
“The Conservatives’ actions today are a clear example of hypocrisy.” Ms. St-Onge stated that performance bonuses increased by 65% during the Harper Conservatives’ tenure, while CBC News Atlantic Canada experienced substantial budget cutbacks.
“As a government, we do not require any lessons from a party that has pledged to reduce the funding of CBC/Radio-Canada and the 8,000 jobs associated with it during its campaign.”
During the Tuesday debate, NDP MP Niki Ashton stated that her party endorses the “banning of executive bonuses” at CBC News Atlantic Canada but is opposed to “the Conservatives’ full frontal attack” on the broadcaster.
She stated, “We require a robust public broadcaster, but not one that distributes executive bonuses and eliminates positions.”
If the Conservatives establish the next government, they intend to deprive the CBC of public funding while maintaining French services.
Catherine Tait defended CBC and rebuffed MPs’ assaults during last week’s committee hearing. “It is evident that the members of this committee are making a concerted effort to discredit the organization and vilify me,” she stated.
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