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CBC
04-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Canadian Tire bidding on Bay assets; slow-charging your EV: CBC's Marketplace Cheat Sheet
Social Sharing Miss something this week? Don't panic. CBC's Marketplace rounds up the consumer and health news you need. Want this in your inbox? Get the Marketplace newsletter every Friday. Canadian Tire is bidding on Hudson's Bay assets, according to sources Her daughter had a passion for HBC's iconic stripes. Now she's been collecting Hudson's Bay items for a decade 1 month ago Duration 3:48 Beleaguered retailer Hudson's Bay has attracted a bid from Canadian Tire, two sources familiar with the sales process say. The sources, who are not being named because they were not authorized to speak about the matter, say the household goods chain has made a bid for some of the faltering department store's intellectual property. Asked whether the company is making a bid, Canadian Tire did not provide a comment. Anyone interested in owning Hudson's Bay assets had until 5 p.m. on Wednesday to make a formal bid as part of the retailer's creditor protection court case. Toronto investment manager Urbana Corp. has made a bid for the company's intellectual property, while billionaire B.C. mall owner Weihong Liu has said she would make a pitch to run some Bay stores. Liu told the Toronto Star Wednesday she had bid on 25 locations. The 355-year-old department store's assets hit the sales block after Hudson's Bay filed for creditor protection earlier this year. It began liquidating its 80 Bay stores and 16 it ran under the Saks brands while it hunted for buyers or investors who would keep the company alive. The company has a wealth of intellectual property including rights to its famed Stripes brand, discount chain Zellers, housewares brand Gluckstein, apparel line Hudson North and its Distinctly Home bed and bath products. Hudson's Bay spokesperson Tiffany Bourré declined to comment on any potential bidders. Adam Zalev, managing director at Bay financial adviser Reflect Advisors, said multiple bids have been made for the company's assets and are now being evaluated. Read more. When Julia McNally decided to buy an EV and started her research, she came across a lot of articles and ads pushing an apparent must-have accessory — a speedy home charger designed specifically for EVs. "Everything was pointing me to Level 2," recalled McNally, director of climate action at Toronto Hydro. She knew that all EVs can do Level 1 slow charging, or "trickle charging," from a regular 120-volt wall outlet, adding about six kilometres of range per hour (except in very cold winter temperatures, which can slow charging speeds). And she already had an outlet of those in her backyard, near the alleyway where she planned to park her new Mini EV. But more than four out of five U.S. EV owners used Level 2 for home-charging in 2023, according to market research firm J.D. Power. Using a higher 240 voltage, often needed for a stove or dryer, Level 2 chargers can add about 30 to 50 kilometres of range per hour and refill a typical EV's entire 400-kilometre range overnight. Meanwhile, Level 3, or DC fast chargers, often installed along major highways, can add 250 kilometres of range per hour (some are even faster) and charge a battery to 80 per cent in 30 minutes. Some experts, such as Daniel Breton, CEO of Electric Mobility Canada, have argued people "really need" Level 2 chargers at home, as it can take days to charge an empty battery to full at Level 1. But most people don't drive the hundreds of kilometres needed to empty their battery each day — and there's a downside to faster charging. "You're adding cost," McNally said — potentially thousands of dollars. from CBC's Emily Chung. Ontario is scaling back species at risk protections, worrying advocates and inviting federal intervention Ontario's government wants to "unleash" its resources with sweeping changes to its laws on protecting species at risk aimed at speeding up environmental approvals. "With President Trump taking direct aim at our economy, it cannot be business as usual," said Ontario Premier Doug Ford while announcing the government's proposed Bill 5, also known as the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, at the Toronto Stock Exchange on April 17. The government has portrayed the current system as slow and cumbersome, driving away resource and development companies from Ontario. But the new bill is raising alarms from environmental groups, who say it could force the federal government to intervene to enforce its own overlapping protections. Here's a look at some of the changes in the bill, which is currently being debated at second reading in the provincial legislature. The new law would remove provincial protections for certain aquatic species and migratory birds that are also protected under the federal Species at Risk Act. "Currently, proponents must get approval under both federal and provincial species legislation, causing unnecessary duplication," said Gary Wheeler, spokesperson for Ontario's Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks. "Under the new legislation, proponents will not need separate provincial approval for activities affecting aquatic species and migratory birds already protected by federal legislation." David Browne, senior vice-president for conservation and policy at Birds Canada, is worried about this move, because he says the federal law was never designed to completely replace the provincial law. The federal government has the power to order the province to protect the critical habitat of an endangered species, according to Brown, but he says it's something Ottawa rarely does, and the preferred approach is to work with Ontario to protect birds and other wildlife. "That tool is there as a backstop, not as, like, the way we want to do this. It's there as a last resort," he said. here. What else is going on? Quebec to impose full ban on cellphones in schools Ban will apply from start to end of school day, including on breaks, starting next fall. Political scientists weigh in on what 2025 election could have looked like. Marketplace needs your help! We want to know your thoughts on composting! Are you a seasoned pro or a newbie looking to get started? Do you make purchasing choices based on whether products can be composted or not? We want to hear from you! marketplace@
CBC
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
Faster isn't always better. Slow-charging EVs could have big benefits
Social Sharing When Julia McNally decided to buy an EV and started her research, she came across a lot of articles and ads pushing an apparent must-have accessory — a speedy home charger designed specifically for EVs. "Everything was pointing me to Level 2," recalled McNally, director of climate action at Toronto Hydro. She knew that all EVs can do Level 1 slow charging, or "trickle charging," from a regular 120-volt wall outlet, adding about six kilometres of range per hour. And she already had one of those in her backyard, near the alleyway where she planned to park her new Mini EV. But more than four out of five U.S. EV owners used Level 2 for home-charging in 2023, according to market research firm J.D. Power. Using a higher 240 voltage, often needed for a stove or dryer, Level 2 chargers can add about 30 to 50 kilometres of range per hour and refill a typical EV's entire 400-kilometre range overnight. Meanwhile, Level 3, or DC fast chargers, often installed along major highways, can add up to 250 kilometres of range per hour and charge a battery to 80 per cent in 30 minutes. Why faster may not be better Some experts, such as Daniel Breton, CEO of Electric Mobility Canada, have argued people "really need" Level 2 chargers at home, as it can take days to charge an empty battery to full at Level 1. But most people don't drive the hundreds of kilometres needed to empty their battery each day — and there's a downside to faster charging. "You're adding cost," McNally said — potentially thousands of dollars. Installing a Level 2 charger requires a licensed electrician, she said. In Toronto, it means consulting with Toronto Hydro and the Electrical Safety Authority. And homeowners often will need to increase the size of their electrical panel, adding additional costs. But it's something more Canadians may be thinking about soon, amid Canada's zero-emission vehicle mandate, requiring that 20 per cent of cars, vans and light trucks sold in Canada be electric, hybrid or hydrogen-powered cars by next year. The goal is to reach 100 per cent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre had vowed to scrap the target if elected, but with a Liberal re-election, the target still stands. WATCH | Can northern power grids handle electric vehicles and heat?: Can northern power grids handle electric vehicles and heat? 5 months ago Duration 2:33 Level 2 charging isn't just more expensive and logistically difficult for individual EV owners. In some Canadian communities, the aging electrical grid may not be able to handle too much Level 2 charging at once. For example, a recent Yukon University study found that if more northerners install Level 2 chargers and electric heating, that could cause problems for transformers — a key piece of equipment in local electricity distribution networks. At the time of the study, published last December, there were only 88 EVs in all of Yukon, and half of them were plug-in hybrids. Blake Shaffer, a University of Calgary associate professor, studied the situation in his community with local utility Enmax. He previously told CBC News that electricity distribution networks would need "significant" upgrades in order for all EV drivers to be able to charge at Level 2. "That's where the real challenge of EVs comes about," he said, noting high costs for both individuals and electric utilities. McNally says Toronto Hydro has adequate capacity for "whatever EVs and heat pumps come at us." She acknowledged, however, that in cases where someone does ask Toronto Hydro for extra capacity "you need to pay for the upgrades." Meanwhile, Level 1 takes advantage of wall outlets that people often already have, including residents of apartments or condo buildings. In colder parts of Canada, many parking spaces have a plug intended for block heaters. (Although tenants may have to negotiate with their landlord to use it for charging.) WATCH | This electric vehicle owner says tenants who pay hydro should be able to plug in: 6 months ago Duration 3:25 Renters might find themselves in uncharted legal territory if their landlord wants to make them pay for charging their electric vehicles — even if electricity is included in their lease. Many people don't need Level 2 at home Living in Toronto, McNally doesn't drive 400 kilometres a day; typically, she only covers 600 kilometres in an entire month. So she knew that Level 1 charging was probably good enough for her needs. That's not unusual — even outside Canada's largest city. Shaffer studied the driving and parking habits of 129 EV drivers in Calgary from December 2021 to December 2022. (While that was during the tail end of the pandemic, Statistics Canada reports very similar commute times in Calgary in 2022 and 2024.) The study found 29 per cent of drivers only ever needed Level 1 charging because they drove very little relative to the time they were parked. Another 53 per cent could use Level 1 most of the time, but might need to visit a public Level 2 or fast charging station up to once per month to top off their battery. WATCH | Canada needs more charging stations to hit EV targets: Canada needs more charging stations to hit EV targets 1 year ago Duration 1:59 The City of Vancouver estimates that the average driver can meet their daily driving needs in under four hours using a Level 1 charger and in about 45 minutes using a Level 2 charger. Either of those is plenty of time if people have a place to park and charge overnight. Level 1 can even work for drivers in rural communities. Rob van Adrichem lives in Prince George, B.C., and got an electric car this past summer. He only has Level 1 charging at home, but tops up at Level 2 chargers at the park or the library in town if he needs to. "I'm finding Level 1 is no problem," he said. "I think people get scared off on Level 2s because they think it's going to be thousands of dollars and I don't know that it's always necessary." Ali Mohazab is co-founder of a startup called Parkizio Technologies that helps people such as apartment dwellers access electricity for charging. He said people thinking about switching to an EV may imagine doing a variation of what they did with their gas car: driving to empty and then going to a gas station and filling the entire tank — something they're forced to do because they don't have a gas pump at their home. Mohazab said that "gas mentality" may not allow people to see that with an EV, "every parking opportunity is a charging opportunity" and it doesn't matter if you charge faster so your battery is full at 1 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. when you leave for work — you can just leave it plugged in overnight. He added, "If you kind of look at your car as a, you know, cell phone with wheels, then it really makes sense." McNally has found that she doesn't even need to charge every day, even at Level 1. "I charge about once a week," she said. "Couldn't be easier." But how can you tell if Level 1 will be enough for you? Level 1 is probably enough for most people, Mohazab says, except those who drive all day for work, such as Uber drivers. McNally suggests this rule of thumb: "If you drive less than 60 kilometres a day, you are probably just fine with the regular plug that is already at your house." She recommends that new EV owners start with Level 1 to keep things cheap and simple. "Start there, see how it works, learn your patterns — and then if you really want Level 2, you can add that cost later."
Korea Herald
14-03-2025
- Automotive
- Korea Herald
Mini Aceman: The all-electric new kid on the block
First EV model blends innovation with iconic brand's timeless appeal BMW Group's premium compact SUV brand Mini has held a unique position in the auto market thanks to its rounded, approachable design paired with go-kart-like driving performance. The new all-electric Mini Aceman, the brand's first dedicated EV model, is poised to expand its dedicated fan base by offering a fresh alternative. The Korea Herald got to take the wheel of the Mini Aceman during the German automaker's launch ceremony for the Mini EV family, which includes the new all-electric Mini Cooper and Mini Countryman, at the BMW Driving Center in Incheon on Thursday. As the new kid on the block, the Mini Aceman's position seemed quite clear: occupying the middle ground between the small Mini Cooper and the larger Mini Countryman. Measuring 4,085 millimeters in length, 1,755 mm in width and 1,515 mm in height, the Mini Aceman boasts a slicker silhouette, with a lower and longer profile than typical SUVs. The polygon headlights, which are a first for the Mini brand, along with a low-set grille with no vertical lines, give a fresh look to the Mini Aceman. The rest of the exterior incorporates elements common to existing Mini vehicles. The interior is simple and neat, as if the designers tried to get rid of all unnecessary buttons on the dashboard. The Mini Aceman features a circular organic light-emitting display for the center console that resembles the round face of a smartwatch, only much bigger. The test drive, which was conducted with the more powerful SE powertrain, covered a 40-kilometer course that traversed highways and country roads. The Mini Aceman SE features an electric motor with a maximum of 218 horsepower and 33.7 kilogram-meters of torque, enabling the electric SUV to reach a speed of 100 kph smoothly and quickly from a standstill. The car had a firm grip of the road even at a very high speed, consistent with the go-kart-like handling of traditional Minis, aided by the brand's low center of gravity. As the Mini Aceman accelerated, the subtle singing of the electric motor recalled the sound of a spaceship at light speed in a sci-fi film. The vehicle handled curves adroitly for a sturdy and stable ride. Loaded with a 54.2 kilowatt-hour battery, the Mini Aceman has a driving range per charge of 312 km according to the Korean standard. It takes about 31 minutes to charge the electric SUV's battery from 10 percent to 80 percent with fast charging. The Mini Aceman starts at 49.7 million won ($34,200) for the E powertrain and 58 million won for the SE powertrain, making it the most affordable option among the three electric Mini models. hwkan@
