SHINING LIGHT
O COME O COME A-MANUAL
GO SANTA GO
Nissan has ignited the Christmas spirit in Manila by using its Nissan LEAF to light up Ortigas Center ’ s giant Christmas tree . The aim of the display to demonstrate the powerful V2X technology from the world ’ s first mass-produced electric vehicle .
The vehicle-to-everything ( V2X ) technology of the world ’ s first mass market electric vehicle ( EV ) enables bi-directional charging to use energy from the LEAF battery to power home and office , or simply give back energy to the power grid .
“ Nissan and Pasig City share a common vision of a smarter , safer , and more sustainable future , and the adoption of electric vehicles in the country is an important part of this future ,” said President and Managing Director for Nissan in the Philippines Atsushi Najima .
“ We hope that the Nissan LEAF , lighting this Christmas tree in one of the country ’ s foremost business centers , offers a shining symbol of hope and a bright future for Filipinos .”
New Zealand seems to be following the overarching trend that manual transmission is on its way out . That ’ s the word from Kiwi AA Driving School where only 20 per cent of driving lessons conducted are in a manual car .
When comparing the countries top 15 most popular passenger vehicle sales of 2020 so far , it ’ s no surprise that only two - the Suzuki Swift and Vitara - are offering manual transmissions . In 2018 , there were four vehicle models offering a manual variant . So why would you consider manual ?
“ Maintenance on a manual transmission is low , and they ’ re relatively easy to service ,” said NZ car site Driven .
“ Manual transmissions give drivers the ability to take control over their vehicle gearshifts and enjoy the freedom of controlling a ‘ box of gears ’ which can be particularly important for commercial vehicles carrying an extra load or towing on a regular basis ”
A Canadian man donned his Santa Claus costume to break the Guinness World Record for heaviest sleigh pulled – 16.5 tonnes .
Kevin Fast , a Lutheran Minister and seasonal Santa impersonator from Cobourg , Ontario , set his 32nd Guinness record this year by pulling a flatbed truck loaded up with a sleigh , elves and reindeer statues .
“ Getting a Guinness World Record , I rate that as some of the top things in my life ” Fast said .
Could North Pole strength be part of a sustainable fuel alternative for fleets ?
ALL IS BRIGHT
A driver in Burnaby , Canada , has been busted by the cops for attaching Christmas lights to their Tesla via duct tape .
“ Last night a Traffic Section officer stopped this Tesla near Kingsway and McMurray ,” Burnaby RCMP said in a tweet . “ Please don ’ t do this , it can be dangerous if they [ the lights ] fall off in traffic , never mind the distraction .”
30 ISSUE 26 DECEMBER 2020 / WWW . AFMA . ORG . AU