Latest news with #FHC
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Indian delegation for talks at IOC headquarters over hosting 2036 Olympics
New Delhi: A high-level delegation from India will travel to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters in Lausanne to discuss the country's bid for the 2036 Olympics. The eight-member delegation comprising Indian Olympic Association (IOA) officials, led by president PT Usha, and representatives of the Union Sports Ministry and Gujarat government, will meet IOC's Future Host Commission (FHC) on June 30-July 2, it has been learnt. This will be the first 'in-person meeting' of Indian representatives with FHC since the country sent an expression of interest in October for hosting the 2036 Olympics. 'The objective of the visit is to present updates on various areas of preparation related to Gujarat's candidature for hosting the 2036 Olympics and to receive IOC's feedback and guidance,' according to people aware of the development. India has also shown interest in hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games, also in Gujarat, which would prepare the ground for the Olympics project. The same delegation will also visit the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) headquarters in London from June 2-7 to discuss the CWG bid. The team will include IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer, secretary, union sports ministry, Hari Ranjan Rao, Gujarat sports minister, Harsh Sanghavi and Ahmedabad municipal commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani. The delegation is expected to meet next week and prepare presentations for the projects. FHC has already held virtual meetings with IOA on the subject. The visit to Lausanne is part of the continuous dialogue process to discuss India's bid. Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry takes charge as the new IOC president on June 23. Besides India, Indonesia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Germany, South Korea and Hungary have expressed interest in hosting the 2036 Games. As per IOC's host selection process, the FHC, currently headed by former Croatia president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, is the body that begins informal dialogue with aspiring host nations. Once it receives an expression of interest, FHC engages with the interested parties in a 'continuous dialogue' where IOC provides technical support to assess the feasibility of the projects based on the specific needs and long-term development plans. The next step is 'targeted dialogue' with one or more interested parties and formal submission of bids for a specific edition of the Games. The process starts as instructed by the IOC Executive Board following recommendation by the FHC. The final selection of the host city is done by the IOC Session.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
This Startup Wants to Help Automakers Turn EVs Into Hybrids
Although sales figures in key markets like the United States and China indicate that electric vehicle sales are growing, automakers are slowly becoming aware that not all car buyers are exactly buying electric vehicles in droves. According to data from Cox Automotive, about 296,227 EVs were sold in Q1 2025 across a diverse range of manufacturers, showing year-over-year growth of 11.4% last quarter. In comparison, Hyundai alone sold 203,554 vehicles during the same period. But as some manufacturers, like Hyundai, GM, and Volkswagen, slowly catch up to build hybrid versions of their beloved models, a startup backed by the Renault Group, Geely, and the petrochemical giant Aramco has created a product to democratize hybrid technology for automakers seeking a simple plug-and-play solution. During this year's Auto Shanghai show, UK-based Horse Powertrain is set to unveil the Future Hybrid Concept, a compact, modular, all-in-one hybrid powertrain system designed to retrofit electric vehicle platforms as well as combustion-engined cars with a hybrid-electric setup, aiming for the fewest hiccups and development costs possible. The FHC's all-in-one solution largely resembles the hybrid drive system of some hybrid vehicles, consisting of a combustion engine connected to an electric motor and a transmission. The unit itself is designed to bolt up to the subframe and replace the front drive unit of an EV in an east-west (transverse-mounted) orientation. The idea of the FHC is to reduce automakers' spending on development costs for hybrids and allow them to be built side-by-side with existing EVs. The integrated power unit comes with all the necessary electronics for a hybrid powertrain, including a controller, an inverter, a DC-to-DC converter, an onboard charger, and an 800V charging booster for fast charging. With this solution, automakers only need to adapt their desired cars with space for an exhaust system and a gas tank. Nonetheless, Horse says that the FHC powertrain can be powered by various types of fuel, including ethanol flex fuels like E85, M100 methanol, modern synthetic fuel, and good ol' gasoline. The powertrain can also be used as a range extender when connected to an existing EV's high-voltage battery. At the same time, the transmission connected to the FHC can provide power to the front wheels or work together with an electrically powered rear axle for all-wheel drive applications. "Horse Powertrain is focused on solving the biggest problems facing automotive OEMs," its CEO said in a statement. "For over a decade, it looked like Battery Electric Vehicles were the only path to net zero, and OEMs planned accordingly. However, we're now shifting towards a technology-neutral world, with different markets and applications each pursuing their own sustainable mobility journey." "Our Future Hybrid Concept helps OEMs solve this problem. Through our innovation, we can deliver a full hybrid powertrain system that seamlessly integrates onto a Battery Electric Vehicle platform. This compact, integrated powertrain concept allows OEMs to offer powertrain diversity with minimal disruption to the production process and resource expenditure." It is very interesting to see that third parties are developing these one-size-fits-all solutions for hybrid-electric technology as an effective way for OEMs to enter the burgeoning segment with their vehicles. According to the latest sales figures from Honda, more than half of its sales of the Accord, Civic, and CR-V are of the hybrid versions of those cars, a clear sign that this technology is getting fairly mainstream. Horse Powertrain says that it plans to see the first car equipped with the Future Hybrid Concept powertrain as early as 2028. If its proof of concept works exactly as described, we could expect automakers across the industry to adapt this powertrain in some way or form in our favorite cars.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
The Jaguar XK120 Put the Marque on the World Stage. Here's How.
Jaguar's XK120 was a breath of fresh air as Great Britain heaved a sigh of postwar relief, hitting the scene in 1948 as an open two-seat roadster (OTS) whose performance challenged any sports car on the road, regardless of cost. It was soon followed in 1951 by a fixed-head coupe (FHC), and in 1953 by a drop-head coupe (DHC) that offered a more substantial folding canvas top than the elemental roadster. All three model variants wore stunning, curvaceous bodies that were as modern as their engine, the reliability of which equaled its impressive power. The U.S. market was just discovering the allure of European sports cars, as the first MGs came stateside right after the war, brought by servicemen returning home. The nimble British sports cars whetted the appetites of racers, and were just the beginning of the import wave that brought British, German, Italian, and French cars to America. More from Robb Report These 6 Barely Driven Porsche 911s Are Hitting the Auction Block Editor's Letter: Inside Robb Report's 2025 Spring Style Issue Why the Jaguar E-Type May Be Our Automotive Ideal With the Jaguar XK120, the MG's fenders and anemic inline-four-cylinder engine were replaced by an aerodynamic body and a 3.4-liter, twin-cam inline-six with a hefty output of nearly 160 hp. The Special Equipment (SE) package boosted power to almost 180 hp. According to the factory, the XK120 was good for 120 mph, a proud number proclaimed in its model name. By the time production ended in 1954, more than 12,000 examples—all variants included—had been made, making way for the XK140 and, in 1958, the XK150, which was succeeded in 1961 by the iconic E-Type. The task of envisioning the original shape of the XK120, penned in just two weeks by Jaguar Cars cofounder Sir William Lyons, was a challenge not lightly to be undertaken. Which of the three variants is the most attractive—convertible, coupe, or fabric drophead—is a personal affair, with values proving the generally true collector-car adage, 'When the top goes down, the price goes up.' Some credentialed automotive designers might disagree: the FHC is drop-dead gorgeous, and generally gets a 15 percent to 20 percent price reduction into the bargain. Among the many thousands of engines designed since the Benz-Patent Motorwagen in 1885, a select few have become icons: Ferrari's V-12, the Big Threes' V-8s, and Germany's rattling flat-six in the back of a Porsche 911. Jaguar's Le Mans–winning inline-six is certainly among them. Reveling in the sound and sumptuous power of this motor from behind the wheel of an XK120 is a rare treat, and where a bicep workout comes with the price of admission. Properly set up, the first XK is as exciting a driving partner as they come. 'Set up' can include everything from modern tires to a Tremec T5 transmission swap, which exploits the flexibility of the fantastic engine. Collectors pursuing originality needn't worry: parts—original and reproduction—are plentiful, though none are inexpensive. Restoration is a road for the monied faithful, suggesting that buying a great example, already fettled, is the road to XK120 happiness. Values range from $55,000 for coupes in good condition to $150,000-plus for concours roadsters, with any of the 200 aluminum-bodied outliers skewing the numbers upward by at least 20 percent. But the joy of owning an XK120 is not necessarily about chasing points on the show field, rather, about chasing roads behind the wheel of a car that rewards its enthusiast owner with an unbridled driving adventure in the spirit of a bygone of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article.
CBC
21-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Farhi partners with London Community Foundation to pitch empty properties as housing
Social Sharing Three decades after it rose at the corner of Dundas and Richmond Streets, only one tenant now calls London's Market Tower home — a lone mobile phone retailer on the ground floor. Next door, an older 14-storey building has loomed empty over the skyline after its namesake tenant, Royal Bank of Canada, moved out in 2019. A two-storey annex in between is also vacant. All told, it's roughly 28,000 square metres of building space sitting unused in the heart of London at a time when local leaders are grappling with a housing and homelessness crisis. The buildings' owner and a long-time London charity are hoping to change that. Farhi Holdings Corp. (FHC) and London Community Foundation (LCF) say they're working to find one or more non-profits interested in buying the properties and making them affordable housing. "With Farhi, we are aware that he has significant holdings in the downtown area," said Diane Silva, LCF's president and CEO. "With the rise of remote work, and the city launching this plan of converting office units into housing, I think that's where the magic happened, and the concept of us partnering together." The ambitious plan is outlined in a Request for Expressions of Interest document, or REOI, posted online last week by the city, aimed at gauging interest from qualified organizations. Submissions close in mid-March. Three other downtown Farhi properties are also in the proposal, including the former downtown Rexall, the former London Free Press site, and a neighbouring surface parking lot. "This initiative continues in my father's nearly 40-year tradition and legacy of giving back to the community with significant philanthropic initiatives and contributions," said Ben Farhi of FHC. "We recognize the urgent need for affordable housing. We further believe partnering with the right organizations, like LCF and others, is key to delivering meaningful impact to specific sites, and we're proud to work alongside the great people at LCF." In a statement, the city stressed it was not buying or establishing development plans in relation to the properties involved. "The results will be collected and assessed for viability, and if something tangible comes out of the proposals, a subsequent procurement may be issued to solidify partnerships and commitments from the City of London." It comes as London's core commercial vacancy rate hovers around 26 per cent, and as the city works to build 3,000 affordable units by the end of 2026, and 47,000 units overall by 2031. According to the proposal, interested parties would purchase one or more properties from FHC, and obtain funding from LCF to facilitate buying and repurposing them for housing, including affordable units. Funding from LCF would come through its $25 million Social Impact Fund, which provides low-interest loans to fast-track affordable housing projects, LCF's website says. Silva said LCF's interim, friendly financing would allow the non-profits to start developing while they wait for other funding. As part of the proposal, FHC would offer the properties "as a partnership contribution, at a significant discounted price," providing a 10 per cent donation of a property's fair market value for a tax receipt, the REOI says. Further, FHC was willing to offer a "vendor take back" mortgage at 80 per cent loan-to-value of the balance for one year at zero per cent interest, the document said. Appraisals commissioned by FHC describe Market Tower and the former RBC building as shell structures suitable for renovation. Last summer, FHC floated the properties as a potential new city hall location, a proposal council rebuffed in a 10-4 vote. Both are older " Class B" buildings valued, as is, at $19.8 and $26.7 million, respectively, the documents say. The former Free Press building site is valued at nearly $38 million. Applicants would have to commit to at least 30 per cent of units at an affordable rent, the REOI says. It proposes the city provide funding through its Roadmap to 3,000 action plan. Other incentives are available, it says, including an office-to-residential conversion fund. The city is already putting up dollars for two downtown projects, including the former Rexall. FHC sold 166 Dundas St. last year, but Farhi said it had since retaken ownership, with plans to develop 32 units, "finishing what the original group that bought it started." "We've taken it back on ourselves, and we're moving forward," he said. Separately, Farhi said FHC was in the process of three conversion projects in downtown, details of which were not public yet.
Associated Press
04-02-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Food Health Collective Partners with Instacart to Revolutionize Food Is Medicine Programs
/ -- Food Health Collective (FHC), a leader in the Food Is Medicine movement, is proud to announce a new partnership with Instacart (NASDAQ: CART), the leading grocery technology company in North America. This innovative collaboration empowers participants across the country to access a Registered Dietitian-curated grocery shopping experience designed to improve health outcomes and promote autonomy, choice, and dignity. Through this partnership, FHC participants working with Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) will receive a monthly grocery stipend through Instacart Health Fresh Funds to spend at grocers available on Instacart over three months. The stipend can be used on approved, nutrient-dense food items that support chronic condition management and overall wellness, including fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, fish and seafood, yogurt, nuts, seeds and nut butters, and dry beans. Participants can seamlessly shop for these items within the Instacart app, allowing them to select their preferred local retailer and shop for foods that align with their preferences and needs while adhering to their personalized health plans. The program supports individuals facing significant nutrition-related challenges. Among participants receiving this service: • 89% face food insecurity • 20% suffer from malnutrition • 55% have 2+ chronic conditions that can be improved with diet • 20% have English as a second language • 32% reside in historically underserved neighborhoods • 29% were under the age of 40, 46% between 40-59, and 25% were 60 or older Among health plan members who were eligible but unresponsive to outreach efforts, the addition of Fresh Funds boosted program participation and engagement by 20%. 'Partnering with Instacart enables Food Health Collective to take another transformative step in advancing Food Is Medicine programs,' said Maya Rams Murthy, MPH, RDN, CEO of Food Health Collective. 'This collaboration allows us to provide participants with greater access to nutritious foods while maintaining the dignity and autonomy that are central to our mission. Together, we're equipping individuals with the tools they need to reduce chronic conditions and achieve lasting health improvements.' 'Access to nutritious food and expert dietary guidance is key to building healthier communities. Our technology, selection and nationwide reach enable organizations like Food Health Collective to integrate accessible nutritious food into healthcare,' said Sarah Mastrorocco, Vice President and General Manager of Health at Instacart. 'Our tools empower individuals to act on FHC's Registered Dietitian Nutritionists' advice, making it simple to have medically tailored groceries from trusted local retailers delivered directly to their doors.' The Fresh Funds program also integrates directly with Food Health Collective's app (Food Health Rx) where participants can access recipes and culinary educational tools curated by their RDNs. These resources empower participants to make informed dietary choices, enhance their cooking skills, and sustain healthy eating habits long-term. The program is currently available to members of select health insurance plans partnering with FHC, with plans for future expansion. By combining Food Health Collective's evidence-based Medical Nutrition Therapy with Instacart's intuitive online grocery shopping and facilitated delivery, this partnership sets a new standard for leveraging food as a cornerstone of healthcare. About Food Health Collective Founded in 2021 by Krista Yoder, MPH, RDN, PMP, PBA, FAND and Maya Rams Murthy, RD, MPH, Food Health Collective is the leader in the Food Is Medicine movement, providing comprehensive nutrition solutions that integrate Medical Nutrition Therapy, culturally relevant food delivery, and a personalized digital platform. The Founders saw a gap in the healthcare system through many years of experience and noticed healthcare wasn't utilizing the most cost-effective solution to improve health: nutritious food. They also noticed that many approaches failed to involve Registered Dietitians, the true experts in food and nutritional health. With a focus on improving the lives of individuals managing chronic conditions, FHC partners with health plans to provide cost-effective, nutrition-focused interventions that improve outcomes, reduce hospitalizations and promote long-term wellness. For more information, visit About Instacart Instacart, the leading grocery technology company in North America, works with grocers and retailers to transform how people shop. The company partners with more than 1,500 national, regional, and local retail banners to facilitate online shopping, delivery and pickup services from more than 85,000 stores across North America on the Instacart Marketplace. Instacart makes it possible for millions of people to get the groceries they need from the retailers they love, and for approximately 600,000 Instacart shoppers to earn by picking, packing and delivering orders on their own flexible schedule. The Instacart Platform offers retailers a suite of enterprise-grade technology products and services to power their e-commerce experiences, fulfill orders, digitize brick-and-mortar stores, provide advertising services, and glean insights. With Instacart Ads, thousands of CPG brands – from category leaders to emerging brands – partner with the company to connect directly with consumers online, right at the point of purchase. With Instacart Health, the company is providing tools to increase nutrition security, make healthy choices easier for consumers, and expand the role that food can play in improving health outcomes. For more information, visit and to start shopping, visit Maplebear Inc. is the registered corporate name of Instacart. Maya Rams Murthy Legal Disclaimer:
