2020

2020 in .au began with bushfires that had been burning since spring 2019 and that continued into March 2020. Meanwhile a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was spreading in Wuhan, Hubei, China where Doctors who first raised the alarm were warned by police against spreading rumours. The virus soon reached other countries and the WHO declared the disease (covid-19) a pandemic on 11 March. Many countries placed limits on people moving and meeting, with drastic effects on business, jobs, travel and schooling. There were some mistakes in .au where the Federal Government regulated aged-care system proved to be lethal, NSW mishandled the 'Ruby Princess' affair and Victoria stuffed up hotel quarantine 1.0 but overall cases were relatively low. (See [www].) By 31 December there had been 1,805,002 deaths globally, with 342,312 deaths in the USA where it sometimes appeared as if the Trump administration was trying to spread the disease. Worldwide, covid-19 caused major events to be postponed, cancelled or held without spectators. In motorsport, Lewis Hamilton won his 7th F1 Drivers' World Championship equalling Michael Schumacher's record and setting a new one for Grand Prix wins. He was knighted in the New Year Honours list. China placed tarifs and barriers on certain imports from Australia in reaction to .au banning vendors "subject to extrajudicial directions from a foreign government that conflict with Australian law" from the 5G network (2018), acting against foreign interference, mentioning human rights abuses in Xinjiang (Uighurs), Hong Kong and Tibet and, finally, asking questions about the origins of covid-19.

31 December 2020: The brexit transition year ends. (25/12: The UK and the EU agreed a last minute trade deal. .gov.uk [www].)

29 December 2020: Heavy rain in parts of Queensland. Check roads in Qld [www], also see NT [www] and WA [www].

28 December 2020, covid-19: JHU put total confirmed cases at 80,762,012 world-wide, total deaths at 1,764,317;  usa: 19,131,151 cases, 333,115 deaths;  .uk: 2,295,228 cases, 70,860 deaths;  .au: 28,333 cases, 909 deaths  — [www][28/12].

30 December 2020: "China covid-19: Nearly 500,000^[1] in Wuhan may have had virus, says study^[2] ..." — [bbc].
[1] v. the official figure of only 50,354 cases in Wuhan.
[2] report by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
It was also reported that covid-19 deaths in Russia were three times greater than official figures showed, i.e., 186,000 not 55,265, e.g., [abc].

26 December 2020: The Sydney to Hobart yacht race was cancelled due to a cluster of covid-19 cases in Sydney. 27/12: The Melbourne to Hobart and Melbourne to Devonport races were run.

24 December 2020: "California DMV Grants Nuro First Ever AV Deployment Permit ... will allow our [autonomous delivery] vehicles to operate commercially on California roads in two counties near our headquarters in the Bay Area. ..." — Nuro [www].

21 December 2020: "... Australia's metallurgical coal exports values are forecast to fall sharply to $22 billion in 2020-21, from $34 billion in 2019-20. ... Australia's thermal coal exports are forecast to fall from $20 billion in 2019-20 to $15 billion in 2020-21, and $16 billion in 2021-22 ..." — Resources and Energy Quarterly (Dec.), Office of the Chief Economist, .gov.au [www]. Also see the [abc].

18 December 2020: "Australian 'super seaweed' supplement to reduce cattle gas emissions wins $1m international prize ..." — [abc].

17 December 2020: Tropical Cyclone Yasa (cat.5) hit Fiji causing great damage.

16 December 2020: Bonhams Bond Street Sale (auction) [www] including lot 103 a 1928 Aston Martin 1¹/₂ litre standard sports model, chassis #TS10, engine #ST18 (sold £115,000); lot 118 a 1953 Bentley Continental 4.9-litre Sports Saloon, reg. UXG 147, chassis #BC22A (not sold).

16 December 2020, wa: "Draft and indicative plans open for public comment. Proposed marine parks in the Buccaneer Archipelago and surrounds ..." — dpaw.wa.gov.au [www]. North of Broome and Derby. Sealing the Cape Leveque Road was completed in Nov. 2020.

15 December 2020, .au: There were storms and there was flooding in NE NSW and SE Qld. Check the [bom]. The rain did help to contain bushfires burning since mid October on Fraser Island (K'Gari). (23/12: Four campers were charged over illegal campfires that started the bushfires – abc.)

13 December 2020 (#17): Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, Yas Marina, the last race in the covid-19 affected season.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull); 2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes); 3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes). The first three stayed in that order from start to finish but there was overtaking behind them. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

F1 Drivers World Championship: 1. Lewis Hamilton 347pts; 2. Valtteri Bottas 223pts; 3. Max Verstappen 214pts.  F1 Constructors World Championship: 1. Mercedes 573pts; 2. Red Bull 319pts; 3. McLaren 202pts.

12 December 2020 - 1 December 2021, .au: "Holden Heroes: 1948 to 2017 a retrospective is a showcase of 18 of the most special vehicles from Holden's Heritage Collection on display at the National Motor Museum. ..." — NMM, Birdswood SA [www].

11 December 2020, .au: "Australia's first ever utility-scale vanadium flow battery is set to be installed in ... Neuroodla, near Hawker in South Australia ... The $20.3 million project will co-locate a 2 MW / 8 MWh vanadium flow battery with a 6 MW solar PV array. ..." — ARENA [www].

8 December 2020, covid-19: The UK started vaccinations with the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine which must be kept at -70°C before use. Health workers and the 80+ were first.

9 Dec., usa: 3,105 died of covid-19, that is more than the 2,977 killed in 9/11 (September 11).

8 December 2020: "The former Mercedes-Benz site in Hambach [NE France] will manufacture INEOS's uncompromising 4x4, the Grenadier ... in late 2021 ..." — INEOS Automotive [www]. The site makes, and will continue to make, the Smart EQ Fortwo. It had been previously announced (18 Sept. 2019) that the Grenadier would be built in Wales.

7 December 2020: Uber is to sell its self-driving car unit to Aurora — Aurora [www] (#autonomous).

6 December 2020 (#16): Sakhir F1 Grand Prix, 2nd race at Bahrain in the covid-19 modified calendar. Lewis Hamilton tested positive for covid-19 the day after last week's race and missed the Sakhir GP with George Russell, who normally drives for Williams, standing in for him. Mick Schumacher (21), son of Michael S., signed to race for Haas in 2021.

Results: 1. Sergio Perez (Racing Point); 2. Esteban Ocon (Renault); 3. Sergio Perez (Racing Point). Russell (Q2) got a better start than Valterri Bottas (Q1), led for much of the race and might well have won until a rare Mercedes stuff-up at a pit stop to change tyres dropped both him and Bottas well down the field. Russell recovered to 2nd but then suffered a puncture and finished 9th. A first-lap collision between Perez and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) led to Leclerc and Max Verstappen (Red Bull) crashing out of the race. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

4 December 2020: MY2021 Jeep "Wrangler 4xe boasts 375 horsepower, 470 lb.-ft. of torque and delivers up to 25 miles (17kWh) of pure electric operation ... 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine with two electric motors ..." — FCA [www]. That's one motor generator on the engine and a 2nd motor generator at the front of the transmission replacing the torque converter.

2 December 2020: "Siemens Energy and Porsche, with partners, advance climate-neutral e-fuel development ... World's first integrated commercial plant for producing climate-neutral fuel being built in Chile ... around 130,000 liters of e-fuels will be produced as early as 2022 ... around 550 million liters of e-fuels by 2026 ... wind power ... filtering CO2 out of the air and then combining it with the green hydrogen to form synthetic methanol ... [then] MTG (Methanol To Gasoline) ..." — Porsche [www].

1 December 2020, .au: "The national mean temperature for November was the highest on record for Australia as a whole, at 2.47°C warmer than average (previous record was +2.07°C in 2014). ..." — [bom].

1 December 2020, .au: The first day of summer.

1 December 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 13,234,551 / 151,674 / 264,808; India 9,462,809 / 31,118 / 137,621; Brasil 6,314,740 / 24,468 / 172,833; Russia 2,322,056 / 26,402 / 40,464; ... UK 1,629,661 / 12,330 / 58,448; ... Sweden 243,129 / 0(?) / 6,681; ... Australia 27,904 / 11 / 908; ... S.Korea 34,652 / 451 / 526; ... New Zealand 1,703 / 3 / 25; ... Total 62,844,837 / 453,170 / 1,465,144. — WHO [www][1/12].  JHU put total confirmed cases at 63,182,019 world-wide, total deaths at 1,466,741;  usa: 13,529,961 cases, 267,969 deaths and 200,000 new cases per day — [www][1/12].

29 November 2020 (#22/22): Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix. 25/8: Delayed to 13 Dec. due to covid-19. Instead ...

29 November 2020 (#15): Bahrain F1 Grand Prix (also see 6 Dec.).

Results: 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull); 3. Alexander Albon (Red Bull). Thanks to the safety "halo", Romain Grosjean (Haas) survived a nasty first-lap accident with minor burns when his car penetrated the crash-barrier and burst into flames. Also  see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

28 November 2020, .au: The temperature reached 45.7°C in Mildura.  29th: 48°C in Andamooka SA.

November 2020, .au: Some camp-sites and 4WD tracks are closed in Victoria because of the after-effects of last season's bushfires or because of recent heavy rain. Check with Vic. Parks [www] before heading off.  Over the border,  all "camping in NSW national parks now requires a booking" — NSW Parks [www].

26 November 2020: "December to February rainfall is likely to be above average across most of Australia, except west coast Tasmania. ... La Nina is underway in the tropical Pacific. ..." — [bom].

26 November 2020: "October UK car production down -18.2% [v. Oct. 2019] as sector awaits critical Brexit deal ... 110,179 units leaving factory gates ..." — SMMT [www].

23 November 2020, covid-19: The NSW-Victoria border reopened.

22 November 2020: "Hyundai and INEOS signed a memorandum of understanding to explore together new opportunities in the hydrogen economy ... includes the evaluation of Hyundai's proprietary fuel cell system for the recently announced INEOS Grenadier 4x4 vehicle. ..." — INEOS [www] and Hyundai. Also see 8 Dec. above. (INEOS is a large UK chemicals company. The boss, Jim Ratcliff, is a fan of the (old) Land-Rover Defender and 'INEOS Automotive' is working on a no-frills 4WD, the 'Grenadier', with a remarkable resemblance to that Defender.)

20-29 November 2020: LA Auto Show, Los Angeles [www]. 3/9: Postponed to 21-31 May 2021 due to covid-19.

19 November 2020: GM "Grows Electric Portfolio ... Thirty new global EV launches planned through 2025 ... Forty percent of the company's U.S. entries will be battery electric vehicles by the end of 2025 ..." — GM [www].

18 November 2020, .uk: "Sales of new petrol and diesel cars to end in the UK by 2030. ... Step 1 will see the phase-out date for the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans brought forward to 2030. Step 2 will see all new cars and vans be fully zero emission at the tailpipe from 2035. Between 2030 and 2035, new cars and vans can be sold if they have the capability to drive a significant distance with zero emissions (for example, plug-in hybrids or full hybrids), and this will be defined through consultation. ..." — .gov.uk [www].

15 November 2020 (#21/22): Brazilian F1 Grand Prix. 24/7: Cancelled due to covid-19. Instead (25/8) ...

15 November 2020 (#14): Turkish F1 Grand Prix, Istanbul Park.

Results: 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2. Sergio Perez (Racing Point); 3. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari). Controversially, the track had been resurfaced shortly before the race, and then qualifying and the start were in the wet – slippery always makes for an interesting race. Starting from sixth, Hamilton secured his 7th F1 Drivers' World Championship, equalling Michael Schumacher's record. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

14-15 November 2020: Bendigo Swap Meet [www]. 7/7: Cancelled for 2020; see November 2021.

13-15 November 2020: Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham, uk [www]. 21/9: Online only due to covid-19.

13 November 2020, covid-19: .au: "National Cabinet pledges for all domestic borders except WA to reopen by Christmas ..." — [abc]. South Australia will reopen its border with Victoria by 1 Dec..  usa: 10,546,023 total cases, 140K+ new cases per day, 242,066 total deaths.

13 November 2020: "State of the Climate 2020 shows continued warming and increase in extreme weather events ..." — [www] [bom] and csiro.

10 November 2020: The FIA [www] released a provisional F1 calendar of 23 races for 2021, the first race being the Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne, on 21 March.

10 November 2020: Next year, South Australia will introduce a road user charge for electric vehicles. 13 Nov.: NSW is considering the same. And Victoria. (Governments are worried about the loss of revenue from tax on petrol and diesel.)

9-19 November 2020: UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), Glasgow, UK. 2/4, 28/5: Postponed to 1-12 Nov. 2021 due to covid-19.

8 November 2020, .vic, covid-19: "Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed the 25-kilometre travel limit in Melbourne and the 'ring of steel' separating the city from regional Victoria will be lifted, as part of a widespread relaxation of restrictions in the city. ... The state has had nine consecutive 'double doughnut' days of no new infections or coronavirus deaths, bringing the rolling 14-day average down to just 0.4. ..." — [abc]. See .vic.gov.au [www].

5 November 2020: "Next year, hauliers in Europe will be able to order all-electric versions of Volvo's heavy-duty trucks. ... offer a complete heavy-duty range with electric drivelines starting in Europe in 2021. ..." — Volvo Trucks [www].

5 November 2020: Bentley, "... Confirms move to full electrification - PHEV or BEV only by 2026. By 2030, switching entire model range to battery electric vehicles ..." — Bentley [www].

3-6 November 2020: SEMA Show, Las Vegas [www]. Moved online only (SEMA360) due to covid-19.

3 November 2020 (Tues.): The Melbourne Cup.

3 November 2020 (Tues.): United States Presidential election. Winner: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris (Dem.). Loser: Donald Trump and Mike Pence (Rep.). The President-elect and VP-elect were sworn in on 20th January 2021. Trump proved to be a bad loser, refusing to accept the nation's verdict, tweeting unsubstantiated conspiracy theories, holding up the start of the 'transition' for three weeks, addressing a crowd that rioted and stormed the Capitol Building (6/1/'21), and not attending the winner's inauguration. Popular vote, Biden 81,268,757 : Trump 74,216,722. Electoral college votes, Biden 306 : Trump 232. See the Electoral College [www].

1-7 November 2020, .au: The postponed (from 7-14 Aug.) "2020 Classic Outback Trial, Parkes - Orange - Bathurst [www]. 3/8: re-postponed to 7-13 March 2021.

1 November 2020 (Sun.): London to Brighton Veteran Car Run [www]. 16/10: Cancelled due to covid-19.

1 November 2020 (#20/22): Mexican F1 Grand Prix. 24/7: Cancelled due to covid-19. Instead ...

1 November 2020 (#13): Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix, Imola, Italy.

Results: 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes); 3. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault). Mercedes sealed the F1 constructors' world championship. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

1 November 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 8,952,086 / 99,356 / 228,185; India 8,184,082 / 46,963 / 122,111; Brasil 5,516,658 / 22,282 / 159,477; Russia 1,636,781 / 18,665 / 28,235; ... UK 1,011,664 / 21,915 / 46,555; ... Sweden 124,355 / 0(?) / 5,938; ... Australia 27,590 / 8 / 907; ... S.Korea 26,635 / 124 / 466; ... New Zealand 1,603 / 2 / 25; ... Total 45,942,902 / 473,311 / 1,192,644. — WHO [www][1/11].  JHU put total confirmed cases at 45,930,223 world-wide, total deaths at 1,193,339;  usa: 9,111,013 cases, 230,320 deaths and 80,000 to 100,000 new cases per day — [www][1/11].

31 October 2020 (Sat.): Regents Street Motor Show, London [www]. 17/9: Postponed until 6/11/2021 due to covid-19.

31 October 2020, .au: Severe thunderstorms hit parts of SE Queensland, with hail up to 13cm. See the [bom].

30 October 2020, .au: The report of the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements was published, .gov.au [www].  "Bushfire royal commission recommends national state of emergency, aerial firefighting fleet ..." — [abc].

30 October 2020: Bonhams Golden Age of Motoring Sale '1886-1939', New Bond St., London [www]. (See the London to Brighton, 1 Nov., above.) Including lot 215 a 1929 Bugatti type 40 Grand Sports Tourer, reg. MT 4870, chassis #40764 (sold £310,500); lot 226 a 1932 Fowler 10hp B6 Showman's steam Traction Engine 'The Lion', reg. UB 9763, serial #19782 (sold £911,000); lot 235 a 1917 Woods Dual Power type 44 roadster, chassis #5086, yes that's petrol and electric (not sold).

29 October 2020, .uk: "UK car manufacturing output falls −5.0% in September to 114,732 units – the lowest level for 25 years. ..." — SMMT [www].

28 October 2020 (Wed.), covid-19: vic: "Melbourne will move out of lockdown and into the Third Step. ... 25 km limit [remains] ..." — .vic.gov.au [www]. .au: 27,542 cases, 907 deaths.  usa: Setting new records, 8,770,272 cases, 226,563 deaths.

27 October 2020,.au: "La Nina likely to remain until at least the end of summer 2020-21 ... typically associated with above-average rainfall across most of northern Australia during spring. ..." — [bom].

27 October 2020: British PM, Boris Johnson, urged .au PM, Scott this-is-coal Morrison, to take "bold action to address climate change". [www].

27 October 2020: Aston-Martin and Mercedes-Benz AG reached an agreement for AM to access MB's "hybrid and electric powertrains" and other technology, and to "take Mercedes-Benz AG's holding [in AM from 2.6%] up to a maximum of no more than 20.0%. ..." — MB, AM.

25 October 2020 (#19/22): USA F1 Grand Prix. 24/7: Cancelled due to covid-19. Instead (25/8) ...

25 October 2020 (#12): Portuguese F1 Grand Prix, Portimao.

Results: 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes); 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull). It was Lewis Hamilton's 92nd win, a new record. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

October 2020, .au: Sun Cable's 'Australia-ASEAN Power Link' (AAPL) is a proposal to build a 10-gigawatt, 12,000 hectare [!] solar farm on Newcastle Waters Station (NT) and to supply power to Singapore by a 4,500km under-water cable. See [www]. (As of early 2023 the project looked in doubt; and finally collapsed by 23/1/2023.)

23-24 October 2020: RM Sotheby's auction, the Elkhart Collection, Indiana [www] including lot 1230 a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, chassis #198.040.5500533, engine #198.980.5500546 (sold us$1,495,000); lot 2202 a 1952 Ferrari 225 S Berlinetta, chassis #0164 ED, engine #0164 ED (sold us$2,810,000).

23 October 2020: Britain and Japan signed a free trade agreement, the 'UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement' (CEPA), to take effect after the brexit transition, on 1 Jan. 2021. See [www].

October 2020, usa: Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani starred in Sacha Baron Cohen's new Borat movie.

21 October 2020: "2022 GMC HUMMER EV Edition 1's Outstanding Performance Powered by Ultium ... Three-motor Ultium [electric] Drive system with GM-estimated, best-in-class 1,000 horsepower and combined axle torque of GM-estimated 11,500 lb-ft ..." — GM [www].

19 October 2020, covid-19: vic: Some relaxation of covid-19 travel restrictions in Melbourne as new cases remain low, in particular, "You can now travel up to 25km from your home or permitted workplace within metropolitan Melbourne." See vic.gov.au [www].  .eu: New cases continue to rise across Europe.  .usa: 8,151,973 total, cases, 219,669 deaths.  Globally, 39,885,071 total, 1,112,558 deaths.

18 October 2020, .au: Bathurst 1000. 1. Shane van Gisbergen & Garth Tander (Holden); 2. Cameron Waters & Will Davison (Ford); 3. Chaz Mostert & Warren Luff (Holden). It is the last time that the 'Holden' name will feature on the track.

16-18 October 2020: Goodwood Speedweek [www].

17 October 2020: Bonhams Goodwood Speedweek auction [www], including lot 209 a 1939 Lagonda V12 Drophead Coupe, chassis #14069, reg. 324 XUJ (sold £230,000); lot 277 a 1954 Bentley R-type Continental, chassis #BC27C, reg. MJW 340 (not sold); lot 289 a 1991 Ferrari F40 Berlinetta, chassis #ZFFGJ34B000088446, reg. F4 ODN; (not sold); lot 291 a 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS, chassis #10113, reg. PHJ 224E (sold £1,269,400) and lot 301 a 1964 Aston Martin DB5 chassis #DB5/1436/R, reg. BXA 850B (not sold).

12 October 2020, .au, La Nina: "The Bureau of Meteorology has released its Severe Weather Outlook for October to April, showing an increased risk of flooding for eastern Australia and tropical cyclones in the north, with roughly average potential for heatwaves and severe thunderstorms. ..." — [bom].

11 October 2020 (#18/22): Japanese F1 Grand Prix. 13/6: Cancelled due to covid-19. Instead (25/8) ...

11 October 2020 (#11): Eifel F1 Grand Prix, Nuerburgring, Germany.

Results: 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull); 3. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault). It was Lewis Hamilton's 91st Grand Prix win, equalling Michael Schumacher's record. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

10 October 2020: "The SSC Tuatara has broken the world speed record for 'Fastest Production Car,' accelerating to a top speed of 331.15 mph, and averaging a [2-way] speed of 316.11 mph. ..." — SSC North America [www]. This was done on a closed road near Las Vegas.
Later: "... There was a genuine mistake in how the capturing equipment was setup ... In 2021, the Tuatara reclaimed the world record for SSC, with an average of 282.9 MPH. ..." — SSC 23/7/2021 [www].

9-11 October 2020: Motorclassica, Royal Exhibition Building, Mebourne [www]. 7/7: Cancelled for 2020; see October 2021.

9 October 2020, vic: "Floods across south-west Victoria after average monthly rain falls in two days ..." — [abc].

5 October 2020, .uk: "New car registrations drop −4.4% in weakest ever 'new plate' September ... Just 328,041 cars registered – the lowest September volume recorded since 1999 ... battery electric and plug-in hybrid car [made up] more than one in 10 registrations ..." — SMMT [www].

4 October 2020 (Sun.), .au: Daylight saving starts (2am→3am) in Victoria.

3-4 October 2020: Melbourne Society of Model and Experimental Engineers Exhibition, South Oakleigh [www]. 8/7: Cancelled due to covid-19.

2-3 October 2020 (Fri., Sat.): Deniliquin Ute Muster [www]. 15/7: Cancelled for 2020 due to covid-19; see 1-2 Oct. 2021.

2 October 2020: Honda announced that it would stop supplying engines (Red Bull, Alpha Tauri) to F1 at the end of 2021.

2 October 2020: US President Donald Trump (74) contracted covid-19, e.g., see [www]. He was given oxygen and transported to hospital for treatment (but not with bleach or hydroxychloroquine). Melania Trump also tested positive. US deaths stand at 206,558 — WHO [3/10].

1-4 October 2020: Melbourne Leisurefest, Sandown racecourse (RVs, caravans, camping ...) [www]. Aug: Cancelled due to covid-19.

1 October 2020: "Volvo Cars starts production of fully electric XC40 Recharge ... electric version of the [...] XC40 SUV ... [claimed] range of over 400km ..." — Volvo Cars [www].

1 October 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 7,115,491 / 38,476 / 204,642; India 6,312,584 / 86,821 / 98,678; Brasil 4,777,522 / 32,058 / 142,921; Russia 1,185,231 / 8,945 / 20,891; ... UK 453,268 / 7,108 / 42,143; ... Sweden 92,863 / 397 / 5,893; ... Australia 27,078 / 15 / 886; ... S.Korea 23,889 / 77 / 415; ... New Zealand 1,492 / 12 / 25; ... Total 33,842,281 / 285,764 / 1,010,634. — WHO [www][1/10].  JHU put total confirmed cases at 33,808,562 world-wide, total deaths at 1,010,642 — [www][1/10].  Stories of "long-covid" are emerging, e.g., [www].

30 September 2020, .de: "Ex-Audi boss [Rupert Stadler] stands trial over 'dieselgate' scandal in Germany ..." — [bbc].

30 September 2020: "... predict mass loss of between 8,800 and 35,900 billion tonnes [of ice] over the twenty-first century. ..." — 'Rate of mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet will exceed Holocene values this century', J. P. Briner et al, Nature 586, pp.70-74, [www]. Sell the beach house?

29 September 2020: "Bureau of Meteorology raises La Nina status to active ... typically results in above-average spring rainfall for Australia, particularly across eastern, central and northern regions. ..." — [bom].

29 September 2020, covid-19: World-wide, "Coronavirus death toll hits 1 million. ..." — [abc].

28 September 2020, .eu: "Concerns raised over draft technical specifications for mandatory Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) systems ... three main concerns: • the possibility of vehicle manufacturers installing a system that only alerts drivers when they break the speed limit, rather than assisting them to remain within it via feedback on the accelerator or by limiting engine torque; • the risks of fitting systems that are not accurate enough at correctly identifying the correct speed limit; • the issue of systems that can be deactivated too easily. ..." — European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) [www]. (See 7 July 2024.)

27 September 2020 (#17/22) (#10): Russian F1 Grand Prix.  (10/7: Confirmed for 2020.) The first GP of the season with spectators at the circuit.

Results: 1. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes); 2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull); 3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes). (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

27 September 2020, .au: Bay to Birdwood, SA [www]. This year "will involve antique, veteran, vintage and post-war/early-classic, classic, post-classic and modern vehicles."

25 September 2020, .au: Snow fell in the Otways, Mortlake and Ballarat in Victoria, and the S. Flinders in SA, e.g., see the [abc].

23-26 September 2020, .uk: Salon Prive, Blenheim Palace [www].

23 September 2020, covid-19: JHU put total confirmed cases at 31,444,163 world-wide, total deaths at 967,305 — [www][23/9]. .usa: 6,889,086 confirmed cases, 200,641 deaths – both numbers still greater than for any other country.  Reports are appearing of an increase in stillbirth since covid-19, e.g., Nature, 585, 490-491, [www].  And then, "... coronavirus may cause 'wave' of neurological conditions including Parkinson's disease ..." – [www].

23 September 2020: "Volkswagen revealed its 2021 'ID.4' electric vehicle (EV) on Sept. 23, the brand's first-ever dedicated EV for the U.S. market. ... 250 mile range ... 82kWh ... " — SAE [www].

21 September 2020: Airbus showed concept designs of three hydrogen-powered aircraft – a turbo-fan, a turbo-prop and a blended wing-body – [www]. (Aviation bio-fuels are perhaps more likely any time soon?)

20 September 2020: "Arctic sea ice at minimum extent [3.74 million square km, 15/9] for 2020 ... The 2020 minimum is the second lowest in the nearly 42-year satellite record. ..." — NSIDC [www]. The current record minimum was set in 2012.

20 September 2020 (#16/22): Singapore F1 Grand Prix. 13/6: Cancelled due to covid-19.

19-29 September 2020: The Royal Show, Melbourne [www]. 29/4: Cancelled due to covid-19.

19-20 September 2020: The postponed (from 13-14 June) 24-hours of Le Mans [www]. Results: 1. Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley, Kazuki Nakajima, Toyota TS050 LMP1, 387 laps; 2. Gustavo Menezes, Norman Nato, Bruno Senna, Rebellion R13 LMP1, 382 laps; 3. Mike Conway, Kamul Kobayashi, Jose Maria Lopez, Toyota TS050 LMP1, 381 laps.

19 September 2020, .au: "Record rain has South Australian outback stations rejoicing as SES warns of flash flooding ..." — [abc]. Birdsville, Strzelecki and Oodnadatta tracks partly closed. (Check SA Roads [www].)

17 September 2020: The 30th Ig Nobel Prize winners were announced, and the Medicinal Education prize went to "Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, Boris Johnson of the UK, Narendra Modi of India, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of Mexico, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Donald Trump of the USA, Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow of Turkmenistan, for using the Covid-19 viral pandemic to teach the world that politicians can have a more immediate effect on life and death than scientists and doctors can." — IR [www].

17 September 2020, vic: Residents of regional Victoria experienced an easing of covid-19 restrictions, e.g., [abc]. (Melbourne's stage-4 restrictions were slightly adjusted from the 14th.) See vic.gov.au [www].

16 September 2020: Nissan revealed some details of its next "Z car", "Nissan Z Proto looks to the future, inspired by its past ... V6 twin turbo, 6-speed manual, ..." — [www].

15 September 2020: "Daimler to pay $1.5bn over emissions cheat claims in US ..." — [bbc].

14 September 2020: "FCA [Fiat Chrysler] and Groupe PSA [Peugeot] amend their Combination Agreement to further strengthen Stellantis' opening capital structure ..." — PSA [www]. (Stellantis is the name of the merged entity.)

14 September 2020, brexit: "Only weeks left to save EU and UK auto sectors from €110 billion 'no deal' Brexit disaster ... Without a deal in place by 31 Dec., both sides would be forced to trade under so-called World Trade Organisation (WTO) non-preferential rules, including a 10% tariff on cars and up to 22% on vans and trucks. ..." — SMMT [www].

13 September 2020 (#9): F1 Gran Premio Della Toscana, Mugello, after Monza 6/9 the second Grand Prix in Italy (announced 10/7, below)

Results: 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes); 3. Alexander Albon (Red Bull). There were crashes and the race included two grid restarts. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

11-13 September 2020, (Fri.-Sun.): Goodwood Revival [www]. 29/6: Cancelled for 2020 due to covid-19.

12 September: Bonhams Goodwood Revival auction [www]. (See Speedweek auction, 17 Oct. above.)

11-13 September 2020, .uk: The postponed (from 26-28 June) Tankfest, Bovington [www], but... 7/7: Cancelled for 2020; see June 2021.

11 September 2020, usa: "Oregon wildfires: Half a million people flee [wildfires] ..." — [bbc].

9 September 2020: Land-Rover "Defender Plug-In Hybrid ... Defender P400e ... an electric range of 27 miles ... New six-cylinder Ingenium diesel ..." — JLR [www].

8 September 2020, usa: Bushfires (wildfires) continued in California with 1,848,311 acres burned so far. See Cal Fire [www]. (LA reached a record 49.4°C on the 6th.)

7 September 2020: "Queensland top state for breakdowns of fossil fuel power stations ... the state's gas and coal power stations breaking down the most often despite having the newest and most modern coal power plants in the country. ..." — Aus. Inst. [www].

6 September 2020 (#15/22) (#8): Italian F1 Grand Prix, Monza, start 15.10pm local. 2/6: 8th race in the revised (covid-19) schedule.

Results: 1. Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri); 2. Carlos Sainz (McLaren); 3. Lance Stroll (Racing Point). Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) had been comfortably in the lead but was given a 10s stop and go penalty for stopping to change tyres when pit lane had been closed so that Kevin Magnussen's broken-down Haas could be pushed into the pits. Shortly, Charles Leclerc's (Ferrari) crashed and the race was red flagged so that the car could be removed. Hamilton took his penalty at the end of the 1st lap after the restart and dropped to last place, eventually recovering to 7th. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) retired with an engine problem. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

6 September 2020, covid-19: The Victorian government described future adjustments, from 14 Sept., to Melbourne's stage-4 restrictions on movement; see .vic.gov.au [www]. (Also see the [abc].)

4-6 September 2020: Concours d'Elegance, Hampton Court [www].

4-5 September 2020: Birdsville Races [www]. Cancelled due to covid-19, see 2021.

4 September 2020: "Hydrogen fuel cells ... More than 20 years have passed since hydrogen-fuel-cell electric vehicles (HFCEVs) looked to be the future zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) solution. ..." — SAE [www]. Maybe trucks?

3 September 2020, .au: "... continuing downturn in the automotive industry. A total of 60,986 sales were reported during the month, down 28.8% on August 2019 when 85,633 sales ..." — FCAI [www].

2 September 2020, .au: "Average petrol prices in the June quarter 2020 fell to their lowest level in 21 years in real inflation adjusted terms as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, but gross retail margins remain at record highs. ... [And] every state and territory, except Victoria and the ACT, will soon have a fuel price transparency scheme. ..." — ACCC [www].

1 September 2020, .au: The first day of spring. (Remember that in 2019 there were bushfires in SE Qld from early September and elsewhere soon after.)

1 September 2020, covid-19: "... Contrary to the idea of a trade-off, we see that countries which suffered the most severe economic downturns - like Peru, Spain and the UK - are generally among the countries with the highest COVID-19 death rate. ..." — OurWorldInData [www].  Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 5,936,572 / 37,068 / 182,162; Brasil 3,862,311 / 16,158 / 120,828; Russia 1,000,048 / 4,729 / 17,299; UK 335,877 / 1,406 / 41,501; ... Sweden 84,379 / 421 / 5,808; ... Australia 25,746 / 76 / 652; ... S.Korea 20,182 / 235 / 324; ... New Zealand 1,401 / 14 / 22; ... Total 25,327,098 / 208,215 / 848,255. — WHO [www][1/9].  JHU put total confirmed cases at 25,402,968 world-wide, total deaths at 849,303 — [www][1/9].  .eu: Rising new daily cases across much of Europe.  .usa: 6,028,617 total cases, 183,579 deaths.  .au: Research into vaccines and drugs [abc].

30 August 2020 (#14/22) (#7): Belgian F1 Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps, start 15.10pm local. 2/6: 7th race in the revised (covid-19) schedule.

Results: 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes); 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull). The Renaults of Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon were 4th and 5th. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

30 August 2020 (Sun.): The postponed (from 28 June) 98th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb [www].

28 August - 6 September 2020: The postponed (from 10/4–19/4) New York Auto Show (NYIAS) [www], but... 7/7: Cancelled for 2020 due to covid-19; see April 2021.

27 August 2020, .au: "... The outlook for September to November [spring] indicates a wetter than average three-month period for most of Australia, drier than average for south-west Tasmania, and roughly equal chances of wetter or drier conditions across the west and north of WA. Days are likely to be warmer than average during September to November for Australia's northern tropics, Tasmania, and the southern half of Victoria. ..." — bom [www].

25 August 2020, .au: "... LNG producers need to explain why they are selling gas to domestic users at substantially higher prices than they can get from buyers in international markets ..." — ACCC [www].

23 August 2020: The postponed (from 24 May) 104th Indianapolis 500 [www]. The race was won by Takuma Sato.

22 August 2020, .au: Snow fell as low as 500m in Victoria and NSW, e.g., [abc].

21-23 August 2020, .au: National 4x4 Show, Melbourne Showgrounds [www]. 7/7: Cancelled for 2020; see August 2021.

August 2020: "... the Greenland ice sheet ... record annual [2019] mass loss of 532±58 Gt/y", in 'Return to rapid ice loss in Greenland and record loss in 2019 detected by the GRACE-FO satellites', I. Sasgen et al, Comms. Earth & Env., [www].

20 August 2020, covid-19: JHU put total confirmed cases at 22,325,761 world-wide, total deaths at 786,258 — [www][20/8].
21/8: "Coronavirus pandemic could be over within two years ..." – WHO head, [www].

19-20 August 2020 (Wed-Thu): The postponed (from 10-11 June) London Concours [www].

19 August 2020: "Melbourne freeway crash truck driver ... charged with 33 further offences, including drug trafficking ..." — [abc]. Also see 22 April below.

18 August 2020: 'The Bureau of Meteorology has today raised its El Nino-Southern Oscillation Outlook to La Nina ALERT status ... "It typically also brings cooler and cloudier days, more tropical cyclones, and an earlier onset of the first rains of the wet season across the north," ...' — bom [www].

17 August 2020, .au: "Response to Google open letter ..." — ACCC [www].

16 August 2020: Pebble Beach, Concours d'Elegance [www]. 7/7: Cancelled for 2020 due to covid-19; see August 2021.

16 August 2020 (#6): Spanish F1 Grand Prix, Bercelona. 2/6: 6th race in the revised (covid-19) schedule.

Results: 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull); 3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes). (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

15 August 2020: VJ Day (VP Day), Victory over Japan Day, the 75th anniversary of Japan's surrender ending World War II. A formal ceremony was held on USS Missouri on 2 September. Also see the 75th Anniversary of VE Day 8 May 1945.

15 August 2020 (Sat.): Henley on Todd "Regatta", Alice Springs, NT, .au [www]. 24/3: Cancelled due to covid-19.

14-15 August 2020: RM Sotheby's Monterey auction [www]. Moved online, 14-15 August, due to covid-19. Includes lot 217 a 1989 Lamborghini LM002 4x4, chassis #ZA9LU45A4KLA12141, sold for us$275,000; lot 240 a 2001 Ferrari 550 GT1 Prodrive race car, chassis #ZFFZR49B000108418, sold for us$4,290,000; lot 249 a 1937 Bugatti Type 57C Ventoux, chassis #57584, engine #507 (not sold).

14 August 2020: Bonhams Quail Lodge auction (online) [www], including lot 20 a 2018 Bugatti Chiron #795094 (not sold); lot 37 a 1935 Aston Martin Ulster, coachwork by Bertelli, 1,949cc SOHC I4, chassis #B5/551/U, engine #L48/900/U (not sold); however lot 53 a 1959 Porsche 718 RSK Spyder, chassis #718-031, sold for us$2,232,500.

10 August 2020, covid-19: JHU put total confirmed cases at 19,773,447 world-wide, total deaths at 729,393 — [www][10/8].  .usa: Total cases 5,044,435 and deaths 162,919.

9 August 2020 (#5): 70th Anniversary F1 Grand Prix, Silverstone. 5th race in the revised (covid-19) schedule and the 2nd race at Silverstone; see 2 August below.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull); 2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes). (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

8 August 2020, .au: "Liawenee in Tasmania's Central Highlands breaks record for coldest temperature [-14.2°C] in island state ..." — [abc]. 7/8: There were also snowfalls in SA's Flinders Ranges.

7-14 August 2020, .au: Classic Outback Trial, Parkes - Orange - Bathurst [www]. 1/6: Postponed to 1-7 November 2020 due to covid-19 but then ... 3/8: postponed to 7-13 March 2021.

6 August 2020: the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb 'Little Boy' on Hiroshima during WWII, 6 August 1945.

6 August 2020, recall PRA #2020/18449: "Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific Pty Ltd - Mercedes-Benz X Class MY2018-2019 ... The Active Brake Assist system may mistakenly detect an obstacle and brake suddenly or unexpectedly. ..." — .gov.au [www]. Oh dear.

5 August 2020, recall PRA #2020/18404: "Toyota Prius (ZVW30) Model Years 2014-2015 ... Toyota Corolla Hybrid (ZWE186) Model Years 2015-2018 ... software is designed to put the [hybrid] system into a fail-safe mode if there is an internal component failure. ... In certain situations, such as hard acceleration immediately after a component failure, the hybrid system may shut down ..." — .gov.au [www].

4 August 2020: BP elaborated on plans to go greener including "10-fold increase in low carbon investment by 2030, with up to 8-fold increase by 2025" — BP [www]. The sharemarket liked it.

4 August 2020: "Snow, frost, hail and rain as icy blast sweeps southern Australia ..." — [abc].

2 August 2020 (#13/22): Hungarian F1 Grand Prix. Moved to 19 July below in the revised (covid-19) schedule. Instead . . .

2 August 2020 (#4): British F1 Grand Prix, Silverstone. 4th race in the revised (covid-19) schedule. Also see 9 Aug., above.

Results: 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull); 3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari). 2nd placed Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) had a front-left tyre failure on lap 50/52 which dropped him to 11th and, on the last lap, so did Lewis Hamilton but he managed to hang on for the win. Sergio Perez (Racing Point) tested positive for coronavirus before the race and did not take part. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

2 August 2020, Vic: "Melbourne placed under stage 4 coronavirus [covid-19] lockdown, stage 3 for rest of Victoria as state of disaster declared ..." — [abc]. Includes a curfew from 8pm to 5am in Melbourne effective 2 Aug.  See .vic.gov.au [www].

1-2 August 2020: The postponed (from 9-10 May) Gaydon Land Rover Show [www]. But ... 15/7: Now an "informal gathering" not a "show".

1 August 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 4,456,389 / 67,823 / 151,265; Brasil 2,610,102 / 57,837 / 91,263; Russia 845,443 / 5,462 / 14,058; UK 303,185 / 880 / 46,119; ... Sweden 80,422 / 322 / 5,743; ... Australia 16,905 / 602 / 196; ... S.Korea 14,336 / 31 / 301; ... New Zealand 1,212 / 2 / 22; ... Total 17,396,943 / 289,321 / 675,060. — WHO [www], situation report 194, 1/8.  JHU put total confirmed cases at 17,507,359 world-wide, total deaths at 677,538 — [www][1/8].  .au: New cases in Victoria running at several hundred per day, e.g., [abc].  .usa: There were almost 1.9 million new cases and almost 25,000 deaths in July.  SA vaccine hopes [www].

31 July - 2 August 2020: Silverstone Classic [www]. Cancelled due to covid-19.

30 July 2020: "UK car production down –42.8% in first half as sector sheds more than 11,000 jobs amid coronavirus [covid-19] crisis ..." — SMMT [www].
.de: "Group sales revenue [for the first half of the year] decreases by 23.2% to €96.1 billion. Deliveries down 27.4% ..." — Volkswagen AG [www].
.jp: "... January to June 2020 ... Worldwide sales 3,771,354 (–21.2%) ..." — Toyota [www].

30 July 2020: "Renewables could power most of Australia by 2040, Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) [www] plan shows ..." — [abc].

29 July 2020: "Navistar plans to launch medium-duty electric trucks in early 2021. Its eMV battery-electric prototype with 321kWh battery setup is expected to offer about 250 miles of range ..." — SAE [www].

28 July - 1 August 2020: The War and Peace Revival, Kent, uk [www]. 12/7: Cancelled for 2020 due to covid-19; see 27 July 2021.

28 July 2020: "Nearly three billion animals – mammals, reptiles, birds, and frogs – were killed or displaced by Australia's devastating 2019-20 bushfires. ..." — WWF, wwf.org.au [www].

26 July 2020, covid-19: JHU put total confirmed cases at 15,998,267 world-wide, total deaths at 643,826 — [www][26/7]. .au: Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg says he will draw inspiration from Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. That's so 20^thC, but good for the rich [www].

25 July 2020, .uk: Festival of the Unexceptional [www]. Postponed to 2021.

24 July - 9 August 2020: Olympic Games, Tokyo. 25/3: Postponed to 23 July 2021 due to covid-19.

24 July 2020: The Brazilian, Canadian, Mexican and USA F1 Grand Prix were cancelled due to covid-19 but races at the Nurburgring (.de, 11 Oct.), Portimao (Portugal, 25 Oct.) and Imola (.it, 1 Nov.) were announced, e.g., [bbc]. The season's next race, #4, is at Silverstone, 2 Aug., above.

23 July 2020: "The IC [internal combustion engine] future points to more downsizing, lean mixtures ...SAE's 2020 WCX Digital Summit ... [including] a 3-cylinder with two 4-stroke 'power cylinders' with a total displacement of 1.1L and compression ratio of 13.5:1. There is also an expander cylinder that displaces 1.33L. ..." — SAE [www].

22 July 2020: "Decarbonising the UK's Long-Haul Road Freight at Minimum Economic Cost ... a network of overhead catenary cables along 7,500km of the UK's major road network would electrify approximately 65% of HGV kms, at an estimated cost of £19.3b. ..." — CSRF (Centre for Sustainable Road Freight) [www].

22 July 2020: "Fiat offices raided over diesel emissions fraud claims ..." — [bbc].

21 July 2020, covid-19: JHU put total confirmed cases at 14,703,293 world-wide, total deaths at 609,887 — [www][21/7]. Vic: "The Chief Health Officer recommends that Victorians wear a face mask when leaving home ..." — .vic.gov.au [www][21/7]. "If you live within metropolitan Melbourne or Mitchell Shire, you must wear a face covering [face mask] whenever you leave your home ..." — .vic.gov.au, from 11.59pm Wedn. 22nd, [www].

20-24 July 2020: Farnborough Air Show [www]. 24/3: Cancelled due to covid-19.

19 July 2020 (#12/22): British F1 Grand Prix, Silverstone. Postponed to 2 August in the revised (covid-19) schedule. Instead . . .

19 July 2020 (#3): Hungarian F1 Grand Prix. 3rd race in the revised (covid-19) schedule.

Results: 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull); 3. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes). (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

18 July 2020, Vic: "Big Lizzie, the largest tractor in the world for its time, celebrates a century ..." — [abc].

16 July 2020, covid-19: JHU put total confirmed cases at 13,557,282 world-wide, total deaths at 584,139 — [www][16/7].

15 July 2020, .de: "Tesla's 'Autopilot' misleading, Germany rules ..." — [bbc].

15 July 2020: Nissan introduced the 'Ariya' electric SUV, 2WD 63kWh (≤450km) or 87kWh (≤610km), or 4WD 63kWh (≤430km) or 87kWh (≤580km) on sale (.jp) mid 2021, "around 5 million yen" — Nissan [www].

13 July 2020: Ford unveiled the new 2021 Ford 'Bronco' 4x4 "... 7-speed manual transmission ... 94.75:1 crawl ratio ... [or] 10-speed automatic ... 67.8:1 crawl ratio ... available 35-inch tires ... [from] us$29,995 ... 2-door or 4-door ... live rear axle, indep. front ... 2.7-litre V6 ... 2.4 I4 ..." — Ford [www]. (Also see 24 Aug. 2019.) And note the V8 Jeep Wrangler below.

13 July 2020: Jeep (FCA) unveiled a "6.4-litre V-8 Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept ..." — FCA [www]. It might just have something to do with the new Ford Bronco (above).

12 July 2020 (#2): Steiermark F1 Grand Prix, Austria. 2nd race in the revised (covid-19) schedule and the 2nd race in Austria; see 5 July below.

Results: 1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 2. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes); 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull). (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

11 July 2020, covid-19: .usa: Total cases passed 3.1 million, and new daily cases still rising. JHU put total confirmed cases at 12,498,722 world-wide, total deaths at 560,215 — [www][11/7].

11 July 2020 (Sat.): International Air Day, Yeovilton, Somerset, .uk [www]. 24/3: Cancelled due to covid-19.

10 July 2020: F1 announced two more Grand Prix for the covid-19-affected season, making ten so far: 13 Sept. Gran Premio Della Toscana, Mugello, Italy, and 27 Sept. the Russian Grand Prix, Sochi — the FIA [www].

9-12 July 2020 (Thu.-Sun.): Goodwood Festival of Speed [www]. 29/3: Postponed, tba, due to covid-19, but then . . . 29/6: Cancelled for 2020 due to covid-19.

10 July: Bonhams Festival of Speed auction. (See the FoS above.)

8 July 2020, Vic: "Based on advice of the Chief Health Officer, Stage 3 'Stay at Home' [covid-19] restrictions will be reinstated across metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire from 11:59pm on Wednesday 8 July ..." — .vic.gov.au [www]. (This is expected to last at least six weeks.)

7-9 July 2020: Birdsville Big Red Bash (music) [www]. 10/4: Cancelled due to covid-19; see 6-8 July 2021.

6 July 2020: Ennio Morricone, composer of many film scores, including The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, died, e.g., [abc].

6 July 2020, covid-19: .au: The Victoria–NSW border to close from Tuesday (7th) night due to the number of cases in Melbourne, e.g., [abc]. (Also see 8 July above.)  .es: Spain reimposed restrictions in the NE and the NW. However, research suggests that only 5% of the population has antibodies to the virus and it is thought that "herd immunity" would require 70% to 90% — [bbc].  JHU put total confirmed cases at 11,449,707 world-wide, total deaths at 534,266 — [www][6/7].

5 July 2020 (#11/22): Austrian F1 Grand Prix, start 15.10pm local.

As of early May 2020, F1 was hoping to start the season with two races in Austria, without spectators, the second race on the 12th of July.  And, as of late May, hoping to follow that with a race in Hungary on the 19th of July, then two at Silverstone (UK) in August.  2/6: See the [bbc] and the FIA [www] eight races in Europe to start season. 12/6: The Azerbaijan, Singapore and Japanese GPs cancelled – FIA [www] . . .

5 July 2020 (#1): Austrian F1 Grand Prix.

Results: 1. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes); 2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari); 3. Lando Norris (McLaren). Also see the [bbc] and the FIA [www].

3 July 2020, .au: The 'Silver City Highway' from Broken Hill to Tibooburra is now completely sealed, e.g., [abc].

3 July 2020, .au: Researchers at UNSW have reportedly devised an alloy able to store hydrogen at low cost that could be used in homes or on a larger scale, as an alternative to batteries, to store surplus energy: solar → electricity ↔ hydrogen. Also see H2Store [www].

2 July 2020: Tesla's shares rose taking its value on the stock-market to us$209.47bn, more than that of Toyota.

1 July 2020: "INEOS Automotive today reveals the exterior design of the 'Grenadier' ..." — Ineos [www]. And it looks very much like a clone of the old Land-Rover Defender 4WD.

1 July 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 2,573,393 / 35,757 / 126,573; Brasil 1,368,195 / 24,052 / 58,314; Russia 654,405 / 6,556 / 9,536; UK 312,658 / 689 / 43,730; ... Sweden 68,451 / 784 / 5,333; ... Australia 7,834 / 67 / 104; ... New Zealand 1,178 / 0 / 22; ... Total 10,357,662 / 163,939 / 508,055. — WHO [www], situation report 163, 1/7.  (Note the UK has more deaths per head of population than the USA.)  JHU put total confirmed cases at 10,434,835 world-wide, total deaths at 509,779 — [www][1/7].  .usa: New daily cases continued to rise. .uk: The city of Leicester was locked down. .au: Ten post-code areas in Melbourne were locked down over a burst of cases, e.g., [www]. .cn: And a new strain of flu carried by pigs has been identified — [www].

30 June 2020: Ford unveiled the 2021 Ford F-150 pickup (ute), including a "modest" hybrid option — SAE [www].

29 June 2020, .au: Company H2X reports that it is "a new vehicle producer" with ambitious plans to produce the "Snowy SUV", a hydrogen-fuel-cell/battery-plug-in vehicle with 650km range, from 2022. It also shows plans for a van and a tractor. The company reports locations in Sydney, Indianapolis, Kuala Lumpur and Barcelona. See H2X [www] and the [abc]. It would be nice but . . .   Well, let's hope.  (Also see the [bbc] on hydrogen as a fuel.)

28 June 2020 (#10/22): French F1 Grand Prix. 27/4: Postponed due to covid-19.

28 June 2020: Pikes Peak International Hill Climb [www]. 19/3: Postponed to 30 Aug. due to covid-19.

26-28 June 2020, .uk: Tankfest, Bovington [www]. 24/3: Postponed to 11-13 September due to covid-19.

26 June 2020, covid-19: Globally, 9,608,814 cases, 489,405 deaths; .usa: 2,452,567 cases, 125,796 deaths; .au: 7,559 cases, 104 deaths – JHU. Qantas will cut 6,000 jobs, with international travel not expected to start picking up before mid 2021 or even later. .uk "Britain's NHS Looking Forward To Another Round Of Clapping ..." – TBA [www].

26 June 2020, .au: "Gladstone to lead Queensland's future green hydrogen industry ..." — [abc].

23 June 2020, .au: "South Australian Government commits to sealing part of outback Strzelecki Track ..." — [abc]. This is just a start. The track runs between Lyndhurst and Innaminka in SA.

23 June 2020, .uk: "UK Auto calls for restart support as covid-19 crisis threatens one in six jobs ... More than 6,000 UK automotive job cuts have been announced in June ..." — SMMT [www].

23 June 2020, .uk: "Lawsuit alleges defeat devices in petrol cars ..." — [bbc]. Renaults and Nissans.

22 June 2020 (Mon.), vic, nsw: The delayed (covid-19) start of the Victorian and NSW ski season, with limits. (And very little snow.)

21 June 2020, covid-19: .usa: Daily cases continued to increase in the S. and W.; Trump held an election rally, e.g., The G [www]. .br: Brazil passed 1,000,000 cases and 49,976 deaths, "beaten" only by the usa – JHU. .au: New case in Victoria caused restriction to be tightened, e.g., [abc].

21 June 2020, .au: Winter Solstice, Sunday, 7.43am EAT.

18 June 2020: "... Ford Co-Pilot360(tm) Technology ... driver-assist features - adds and improves offerings including Active Drive Assist, which allows for hands-free driving on more than 100,000 miles of [pre-mapped] divided highways in all 50 states and Canada ..." — Ford [www].

17 June 2020: "... electric exhaust gas turbocharger ... a slim electric motor, measuring about 4cm, which is integrated directly on the charger shaft between the turbine wheel on the exhaust side and the compressor wheel on the fresh air side. ... operated via a 48-volt on-board electrical system. ..." — Daimler (Mercedes) [www].

17 June 2020, .au: It was reported that facial surveillance cameras and software was being trialled in every state, e.g., [abc].

16 June 2020, covid-19: .usa: New daily cases started to rise again – JHU. .cn: There were new cases in Beijing. .au: "SA borders to reopen to travellers from WA, NT and Tasmania ..." — [abc].

15 June 2020, .au: "... 'Australia's wine future: A Climate Atlas' describes short- and long-term trends for Australian wine regions until 2100. The Climate Atlas features indices tailored for individual regions, with a focus on heat accumulation and aridity, and the likelihood of heatwave and frost. The impacts of climate change are being felt around the world ..." — Wine Australia [www], Atlas [www]. Other agricultural producers take note.

15 June 2020, .au: Lake Pamamaroo at Menindee has filled, e.g., [abc].

14 June 2020 (#9/22): Canadian F1 Grand Prix. 8/4: Postponed due to covid-19.

13-20 June 2020: North American International Auto Show, NAIAS, Detroit (public 13-20, press 9-10, industry 10-11, ...) [www]. 2/4: Cancelled due to covid-19, see 19-26 June 2021.

13-14 June 2020: The 24 Hours of Le Mans. 18/3: Postponed to 19-20 September due to covid-19.

13-14 June 2020: Brooklands Festival of Motorsport [www]. 24/3: Postponed due to covid-19.

13 June 2020: "UKTV to reinstate Fawlty Towers episode The Germans ..." — The G [www]. The 'Don't Mention the War' episode was briefly removed from the bbc's 'UKTV' streaming service for a review of offensive language (used to poke fun at old fashioned views held by the Major Gowen character). Also see John Cleese about the [bbc].

11 June 2020: The usa reached 2,000,464 confirmed cases of covid-19, and 112,924 deaths – JHU.  .uk: "UK coronavirus deaths [currently 41,213] could have been cut by half if lockdown came earlier ..." – [abc].

11 June 2020, .au: It was reported that the Plenty Highway, the Tanami, and other unsealed roads in the North are in bad condition [abc].

11 June 2020: "Engineering to beat the battery boundaries ..." — SAE [www] — Triumph Motorcycles, Williams Advanced Engineering, Formula–E, Lotus 'Evija'.

10-11 June 2020 (Wed-Thu): London Concours [www]. 1/4: Postponed to 19-20 Aug.

9 June 2020: "Britain goes coal free [for 2 months] as renewables edge out fossil fuels ..." — [bbc].

8 June 2020 (Mon.): Queen's Birthday (Vic.) [www]. (Note, start of the ski season delayed to 22 June.)

8 June 2020: "New Zealand drops covid-19 restrictions after nation declared 'virus-free' ..." — The G [www]. NZ recorded 1,504 cases, 22 deaths, to date and had no known active cases. Border controls remain in place.

7 June 2020, .au: "Safflower oil ... possible recyclable, biodegradable replacement for petroleum ..." — [abc].

7 June 2020 (#8/22): Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix. 24/3: Postponed due to covid-19, but ... 13/6: Cancelled due to covid-19.

5-8 June 2020 .au: Finke Desert Race [www]. 18/3: Cancelled due to covid-19.

5 June 2020, .au: "Scotty From Marketing Goes Off Script ... Refers To HomeBuilder As HomeBoomer ..." — The Betoota Advocate [www].

5 June 2020, .au: "Ayers Rock Resort [Uluru] says it will accept bookings from August 1 ..." — [abc].

3 June 2020, .au: "... 59,894 vehicles were sold during May 2020. This represents a 35.3% reduction in sales when compared to the May 2019 figure of 92,561 vehicles. ..." — FCAI [www].

1 June 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 1,734,040 / 17,962 / 102,640; Brasil 498,440 / 33,274 / 28,834; Russia 414,878 / 9,035 / 4,855; UK 274,766 / 1,936 / 38,489; ... Sweden 37,542 / 429 / 4,395; ... Australia 7,195 / 10 / 103; ... New Zealand 1,154 / 0 / 22; ... Total 6,057,853 / 122,917 / 371,166. — WHO [www], situation report 133, 1/6.  JHU put total confirmed cases at 6,164,784 world-wide, total deaths at 371,987 — [www][1/6].  .usa: Protests continued over the death of George Floyd at police hands, e.g., [abc].  .uk: Some children back at school, and "As of 9am on 2 June, there have been 4,615,146 tests, with 135,643 tests on 1 June. 277,985 people have tested positive. As of 5pm on 1 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, 39,369 have died ..." — .gov.uk [www].  .ru: Scepticism at Russia's low reported death rate.  .au: More easing of restrictions on movement, e.g., sa.gov.au, vic.gov.au [www].  What happens next?  (Also see 1 July above.)

1 June 2020, .au: The start of winter.

30 May - 12 June 2020 (Sat.-Fri.) .uk: Isle of Man TT Races [www]. 2/4: Cancelled due to covid-19, see 29/5-11/6 2021.

29-31 May 2020: Historic Winton, Vic. [www]. 24/3: Cancelled due to covid-19.

29 May 2020, .au, re the Dismissal of the Whitlam Government: "High Court of Australia. Hocking v Director-General of the National Archives of Australia [2020] HCA 19 ... Case Number: S262/2019 ... The Right Honourable Sir John Kerr held the constitutional office of Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia from 11 July 1974 until 8 December 1977. Throughout that tumultuous period in Australian constitutional and political history, Sir John engaged in 'personal and confidential' correspondence with Her Majesty the Queen. ... [The court] ordered that a writ of mandamus issue to compel the Director-General of the National Archives of Australia to reconsider Professor Hocking's request for access to the deposited correspondence ..." — HCA .gov.au [www].

29 May 2020: "Renault prepares for 15,000 job cuts ..." — [bbc].

28 May 2020: "More than half a century after the last new DB5 left Aston Martin's Newport Pagnell factory, work is again under way on 'the most famous car in the world' 'Job 1' DB5 Goldfinger Continuation car is under construction - the first in a strictly limited run of 25 customer cars ..." — Aston Martin [www]. Dummy bulletproof shield, ejector seat, machine guns, oil-slick system, radar tracer, rams & tyre-slashers(?), real smoke-screen & revolving number plates, but not road legal. A real "Bond car" from Thunderball sold for us$6,385,000 in 2019.

28 May 2020: Nissan "... Intend[s] to close Barcelona plant in Western Europe ... Closure of manufacturing facility in Indonesia ..." — Nissan [www].

28 May 2020, .au: "Winter (June to August) is likely to be wetter than average across most of Australia. ..." — [bom].

27 May 2020, covid-19: JHU put total confirmed cases at 5,594,175 world-wide, total deaths at 350,531 — [www][27/5]. .usa: 100,396 deaths by 28/5.  .uk: "About 7% of people [~4 million] in England have had [SARS-CoV-2] ..." — [29/5], randomised testing for antibodies showed. (The UK had 265,231 confirmed cases, 37,048 deaths as of 27/5 – WHO.)

27 May 2020, F1: "... Following the initial agreement to postpone the 2021 Technical Regulations to 2022 ... [Also] freezing of a large list of components between 2020 and 2021. ... includes the chassis, gearbox, a number of mechanical components and impact structures. A token system has been devised to permit a very limited number of modifications in accordance to the competitors' specific needs. From 2020, limitations to Power Unit upgrades. ... Reduction of the Cost Cap level to $145M for 2021, $140M for 2022 and $135M for 2023-2025, based on a 21-Competition season. ..." — WMSC, FIA [www].

26 May 2020: Aston Martin appointed "Tobias Moers, as Chief Executive Officer ... [currently] Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-AMG GmbH ..." — Aston Martin [www].

25 May 2020, bushfires: The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements started "... holding hearings to gather evidence ..." — .gov.au [www].  "'Black Summer' played out exactly as scientists predicted it would ..." — [abc]. (Also see 30 Oct; above.)

24-25 May 2020: MotorSport at the Palace, Crystal Palace [www]. 24/3: Cancelled due to covid-19.

24 May 2020 (#7/22): Monaco F1 Grand Prix. 20/3: Cancelled due to covid-19.

24 May 2020: 104th Indianapolis 500 [www]. 28/3: Postponed, to 23 Aug(?), due to covid-19.

22 May 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 1,525,186 / 23,310 / 91,527; Russia 326,448 / 8,894 / 3,249; Brasil 291,579 / 19,951 / 18,859; UK 250,912 / 2,615 / 36,042; ... New Zealand 1,154 / 1 / 21; ... Total 4,993,470 / 100,284 / 327,738. — WHO [www], situation report 123, 22/5.  JHU put total confirmed cases at 5,097,944 world-wide, total deaths at 332,425 — [www][22/5].  .usa: "Trump says US topping world virus cases is 'badge of honour' ..." — [20/5] !? 

May 2020: Car manufacturers in Europe and the USA cautiously restarted production, with masks and hand sanitiser in evidence, e.g., Audi [www][29/4], Fiat Chrysler [www][18/5], Ford [www][18/5], Hyundai [www][1/5], Jaguar Land Rover [www][20/5], Toyota [www][4/5].

22 May 2020: Ex tropical cyclone 'Mangga' headed for the west coast of WA, e.g., [abc].

20 May 2020, .eu: "Volkswagen Settles Emissions Charges Against two Managers ..." — NYT [www]. [Herbert Diess, CEO, and Hans Dieter Potsch, chairman.]

19 May 2020, .uk: "The Government has announced the UK's new MFN tariff regime, the UK Global Tariff (UKGT) ... at the end of the [brexit] Transition Period. ... [inc.] a 10% tariff on cars ..." — .gov.uk [www]. (Unless there's a trade-deal that says otherwise.)

19 May 2020: "Elon Musk: Tesla raises cost of 'self-driving' [FSD] cars ..." — [bbc].

19 May 2020, .au: "... out-of-control truck destroys Carrickalinga house ..." — [abc].

19 May 2020, .au: "Darling River reaches River Murray for first time in two years ..." — [abc].  See 5 May below.

17-21 May 2020: The Gibb Challenge, that's bicycles on the Gibb River Road [www]. 1/5: Cancelled due to covid-19.

17 May 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 1,409,452 / 27,090 / 85,860; Russia 281,752 / 9,709 / 2,631; UK 240,165 / 3,450 / 34,466; ... Australia 7,036 / 17 / 98; ... Total 4,525,497 / 100,012 / 307,395. — WHO [www], situation report 118, 17/5.  JHU put total confirmed cases at 4,630,273 world-wide, total deaths at 311,452 — [www][17/5].  15/5: "World agog as Trump flails over pandemic ..." — The G [www].

17 May 2020: Bonhams Aston Martin Sale (auction), including a 2011 Aston Martin One-77 Q-Series Coupe (one of seven), 7.3-litre V12, chassis #SCFGFXXX9BGS17728.  8/4: "Bonhams Motoring Division has announced details of its revised UK motoring sales schedule, and the launch of its Private Sales platform ..." — Bonhams [www].

14 May 2020, .au: "... Warmer winter days for north and east; cooler for southern mainland ..." — [bom].  13th: "Hot dry season ahead for Northern Territory ..." — [abc].

13 May 2020: The BBC released historic "Newsreel footage of the British and European Grand Prix [at Silverstone] on 13 May 1950, designated as the first ever F1 World Championship race." — [bbc]. Emilio Giuseppe (Nino) Farina won in an Alfa Romeo 158 (Alfetta).

12 May 2020, recall PRA #2020/18317: "Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series MY2016-2018 ... Vegetation may accumulate around the vehicle's underbody and exhaust system as a result of driving in dry vegetation environments. ... the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) system's periodic regeneration may cause it to combust. ..." — .gov.au [www].

12 May 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 1,298,287 / 26,642 / 78,652; ... Russia 232,243 / 10,899 / 2,116; ... UK 223,064 / 3,877 / 32,065; ... Sweden 26,670 / 348 / 3,256; ... S. Korea 10,936 / 27 / 258; ... Australia 6,948 / 7 / 97; ... Total 4,088,848 / 82,591 / 283,153. — WHO [www], situation report 113, 12/5.  JHU put total confirmed cases at 4,175,284 world-wide, total deaths at 285,971 — [www][12/5].  Many countries eased restrictions, slightly, e.g., .eu [www]. Will there be bursts of new cases in a month or three?  [Ans: Yes, e.g., see 1 Sept., or 1 Oct., above.]  .usa, #Fauci, Dr Fauci: "the virus will spread if the country opens up too soon. ... the real US death toll is probably higher than the official figure of 80,000. ..." — [www].  "New US coronavirus hotspots appear in Republican heartlands ..." — The G [www].  S.Korea: A cluster of cases from nightclubs.  vic: "Victorians will be able to host up to five visitors in their homes and meet outdoors in groups of ten from Wednesday [13th] ... restaurants and cafes would continue to be restricted to takeaway business only, before all restrictions would be reviewed at the end of the month. ..." — [abc]. See .vic.gov.au [www].

12 May 2020: Toyota Financial Results to March 31 '... Consolidated vehicle sales totaled 8,958,423 units, a decrease of 18,372 units compared to the previous fiscal year. "Due to the spread of COVID-19, net revenues were decreased by 380 billion yen and operating income were decreased by 160 billion yen ..." ...' — Toyota [www].

10 May 2020 (#6/22): Spanish F1 Grand Prix. 20/3: Postponed due to covid-19. 2/6: Race moved to 16 Aug.

9-10 May 2020: Gaydon Land Rover Show [www]. 24/3: Postponed to 1-2 August due to covid-19.

8 May 2020: VE Day, Victory in Europe Day, 75th Anniversary of Germany's unconditional surrender, 8 May 1945, ending World War II in Europe. Also see the 75th Anniversary of VJ Day (VP Day) 15 August 1945.

8 May 2020: The Federal Court ruled that feral horses in the Victoria's Alpine National Park can be culled. See e.g., Vic. Parks [www], [abc].

8 May 2020 (Fri.) .au: "Coronavirus restrictions are due to begin easing, these are the steps to reopening Australia ... state and territory leaders will implement as [when] they see fit, ..." — [abc]. (Victoria's plans to be announced on Mon. 11th.)

7 May 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 1,193,452 / 22,267 / 65,197; ... Sweden 23,918 / 702 / 2,941; ... Total 3,672,238 / 83,465 / 254,045. — WHO [www], situation report 108, 7/5.  JHU put total confirmed cases at 3,751,069 world-wide, total deaths at 263,346 — [www][7/5].  .uk: The UK recorded 30,150 deaths, overtaking Spain and Italy.

7 May 2020, .au: "Royal commission finds Cardinal George Pell should have done more to remove paedophile priest ..." — [abc].  Also see the 'Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse' [www].  And a petition [11/5].

6 May 2020, PRA #2020/18296: "Audi Australia Pty Ltd - Audi A1 MY2011-2016, Audi A3 MY2008-2016 and Audi TT MY2012-2016 ... with 7-speed dual clutch gearbox ..." — .gov.au [www].  Them! See Volkswagen 2 Apr.

5 May 2020, .au: "... In the Darling River, a further 28 gigalitres of water flowed into Menindee Lakes over the past fortnight ... WaterNSW is currently releasing a small volume of water into the lower Darling River - between 200 and 300 megalitres per day. ..." — MDBA [www].

5 May 2020, .uk: "Record −97.3% fall for UK new car market in April as coronavirus shuts showrooms ..." — SMMT [www].  Apr. 2019 : 2020, 161,064 → 4,321.
.au: 'New vehicle sales in the Australian market for ... April 2020 ... "A total of 38,926 sales were recorded for the month. This figure represents a fall of 48.5% over [April 2019] (75,550 sales) ..." ...' — FCAI [www].

May 2020: "... battery-powered vehicles ... make sure your 12-volt battery stays charged and that your high-voltage battery has adequate charge ... If you're storing your battery electric vehicle without plugging it in, Taenaka recommends keeping it at a state of charge between 10% and 80%. Ford hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles are designed to stay above a 10% state of charge during normal operation. ..." — Ford [www].

3 May 2020 (#5/22): Dutch F1 Grand Prix. 20/3: Postponed due to covid-19, and then ... 29/5: Cancelled.

2-3 May 2020: Clunes Booktown Festival, Vic., .au [www]. March: Cancelled due to covid-19 (coronavirus).

2 May 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 1,067,127 / 31,774 / 57,406; ... Sweden 21,520 / 428 / 2,653; ... Total 3,267,184 / 91,977 / 229,971. — WHO [www], situation report 103, 2/5.  JHU put total confirmed cases at 3,127,126 world-wide, total deaths at 213,792 — [www][2/5].  .usa: Steady ~30K new cases per day.  .au: There was some relaxation of restrictions in the NT and Qld (check new cases in two to four weeks).

1-3 May 2020 (Fri.-Sun.): Donington Historic [www]. 24/3: Postponed due to covid-19.

1 May 2020, vic: "April was wetter than average in most of the State, with large parts of northern and central Victoria very much wetter than average. ... Some sites had their highest April daily rainfall on record, including Lancefield and Redesdale which both have more than 100 years of record. ... More snow arrived to the Alpine area at the end of the month, in a wake of a vigorous cold front which brought low temperatures; Mount Buller reported 10-15cm of snow on the 30th." — [bom]. More rain fell in Melbourne Jan.-April than in all of 2019.

30 April 2020 (Thu.): Cold wet weather with snow down to 800m forecast for SE Australia. 

1 May, IDV21037: "A complex multi-centred low pressure system will deepen near Tasmania during Friday, directing a vigorous westerly airflow across Victoria. The low will move away to the southeast later on Saturday. ..." — [bom].
>30cm of snow fell at Dinner Plain, Mt Hotham.

30 April 2020: "UK car production falls −37.6% in March as coronavirus halts automotive manufacturing ..." — SMMT [www].

28 April 2020: China is resisting there being an independent inquiry into the origins of SARS-CoV-2 – as though it fears what may be discovered, e.g., "Federal Government calls Chinese ambassador about comments on trade boycott over coronavirus inquiry ..." — [abc].

(2 May, Lego movie: "... state media releases animated propaganda video mocking US coronavirus response ..." [www] – far more effective.)

(9 May: "In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, China forces out foreign reporters ..." — [www]. What's to hide?)

28 April 2020: "... consolidated earnings for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, may differ by more than 30% from the previous financial forecast announced on Feb. 13, 2020, due to a continued decline in the company's performance resulting from the impact of the covid-19 pandemic ... Nissan may report a consolidated operating profit that is 120 billion to 130 billion yen lower and net income that is 150 billion yen to 160 billion yen lower than the Feb. 13 forecast. ..." — Nissan [www].

28 April 2020: Ford reported a "net loss of us$2.0 billion; adjusted earnings before interest and taxes was negative $632 million, including estimated negative effect of at least $2 billion from coronavirus ..." — Ford [www].

27 April 2020: "... [GM] has suspended the quarterly cash dividend on its common stock, suspended its share repurchase program and has taken other significant austerity measures to preserve near-term available cash. ..." — GM [www].

27 April 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 931,698 / 32,417 / 47,980; ... Sweden 18,640 / 463 / 2,194; ... Total 2,878,196 / 85,530 / 198,668. — WHO [www], situation report 98, 27/4.  JHU put total confirmed cases at 2,968,627 world-wide, total deaths at 206,402 — [www][27/4].  .uk: PM Boris Johnson returned to No. 10.  .au: "Remember the bushfires? ..." — [abc].

26 April 2020, vic: The truck driver in the crash that killed four police officers (22 Apr.) was arrested and charged, e.g., see the [abc].

25 April 2020: Anzac Day.

31/3: Public Commemorations are cancelled due to covid-19; "Australians are encouraged to continue to mark this important national commemorative date by holding their own private commemorations and watching a televised national service from the Australian War Memorial" — dva.gov.au.

23 April 2020: Groupe Renault "sold 672,962 vehicles in the quarter, down −25.9% in a global market down −24.6% ..." — Renault [www].

23 April 2020: 2019 was Europe's warmest year on record — copernicus.eu [www].

22 April 2020, .au: Farmers, right to repair, closing date of 'Purchasers of agricultural machinery survey', "... options available to farmers in the event of problems with machinery, including accessing parts, diagnostic tools and software ..." — ACCC, release #76/20 [www].

22 April 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 776,907 / 25,634 / 37,602; ... Spain 204,178 / 3,968 / 21,282; ... Sweden 15,322 / 545 / 1,765; ... Total 2,470,424 / 73,920 / 168,993. — WHO [www], situation report 93, 22/4.  JHU put total confirmed cases at 2,561,915 world-wide, total deaths at 177,200 — [www][22/4].  .au: It was reported that NZ was aiming to eradicate SARS-CoV-2 completely (see 8 June above) and that Au was aiming to suppress it, e.g., [abc]. 

22 April 2020, .au: "Petrol retailers should reduce their prices in line with falls in international petrol prices ..." — ACCC [www].

22 April 2020: "Jaguar Land Rover is expanding its electrified vehicle line-up with the introduction of its latest plug-in hybrid [PHEV] system ... 1.5-litre three-cylinder plug-in hybrid ... 200PS engine, combined with an 80kW electric motor on the rear axle ... 15kWh battery ... [in the] Evoque and Discovery Sport ..." — Jaguar Land-Rover (JLR) [www].

21 April 2020: US oil prices became negative due to the drop in demand and the filling of storage space, e.g., see the [bbc] and [abc]. On 20/4: WTI Crude Oil us$−37.63/b, Brent us$+25.57/b — oil-price.net. Don't expect petrol prices to turn negative.

21 April 2020: The airline "Virgin Australia goes into voluntary administration ..." — [abc]. Virgin Atlantic was also in trouble.

19 April 2020 (#4/22): Chinese F1 Grand Prix. In doubt due to the coronavirus outbreak. 12/2: Postponed due to the novel coronavirus outbreak in China (covid-19) — FIA. Later cancelled.

17 April 2020: "... we report the simulation-motivated synthesis of ultraporous metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) based on metal trinuclear clusters, namely, NU-1501-M (M=Al or Fe). ..." — 'Balancing volumetric and gravimetric uptake in highly porous materials for clean energy', Science, 368(6488), pp.297-303, [www] Z. Chen et al. (Might be good for storing Hydrogen and Methane compactly and cheaply one day.)

17 April 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 632,781 / 28,711 / 28,221; ... Italy 168,941 / 3,786 / 22,172; ... Total 2,074,529 / 82,967 / 139,378. — WHO [www], situation report 88, 17/4.  JHU put total confirmed cases at 2,152,647 world-wide, total deaths at 143,802 — [www][17/4].  .au: "Australia's coronavirus restrictions will remain until these three things are established ..." — [abc]. (.au at <50 new confirmed cases per day.)  .usa: "President Donald Trump says the US has 'passed the peak' of new coronavirus cases ..." — [bbc]. (The USA is reported to be running at about 30K new confirmed cases per day.)  .uk: "Lockdown restrictions in the UK will continue for 'at least' another three weeks ..." — [bbc].

17 April 2020: "We've never made a successful vaccine for a coronavirus before. This is why it's so difficult ... [a] vaccine was tested with SARS in 2003 and resulted in reinfected lab monkeys having a nasty immune response ..." — [abc].

17 April 2020: "... the period from 2000 to 2018 was the driest 19-year span since the late 1500s and the second driest since 800 CE ..." — 'Large contribution from anthropogenic warming to an emerging North American megadrought', A. P. Williams et al, Science, 368(6488), pp.314-318, [www].

16 April 2020, .au: "Bushfire Royal Commission into Australia's harrowing 'Black Summer' begins ... The Commission will adjourn until next month when the first phase of online hearings will take place." — [abc].  See 'The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements', "Sometimes referred to as the 'Bushfires Royal Commission'" — .gov.au [www]. (Also see 25 May and 30 Oct. above.)

16 April 2020: Ineos Projekt Granadier has prototype 4WDs in testing. The video showed twin live-axles and coil-spring suspension under a chassis — [www].

15 April 2020: "The 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Bergen-Belsen Camp. Today in 1945, with the end of the Second World War in Europe in sight, British soldiers from the 11th Armoured Division liberated the Bergen-Belsen Labour Camp in central Germany. ..." — mod.uk [www].

14 April 2020, .usa" "Donald Trump declared in a White House briefing on Monday that his 'authority is total' when it comes to lockdown rules during the coronavirus [covid-19] pandemic, and he denied that he was weighing firing Dr Anthony Fauci ..." — The G [www] #Fauci. (See 12 Apr. below.)

13 April 2020, vic: "COVID-19 lockdown fines 'eroding public confidence', top cop warns ... In internal communications seen by The Age and issued to police on Monday, Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton urged police to issue fines for only the most blatant and deliberate breaches of the state's lockdown regulations. ..." — The Age [www].

9 April: "... The Premier [Daniel Andrews] has repeatedly told Victorians that the Easter weekend was not an opportunity to go away, but said families going to their holiday homes would not be penalised. ..." — The Age [www].

Clarity is missing and there is no one you can ask for it.

13 April 2020: Easter Monday.  Comedian Tim Brooke-Taylor (The Goodies) died of covid-19, e.g., the [bbc].

12 Apr Sun Melb ULP avg au$1.12/l; min $0.97 ([Perth] avg $0.96/l, min $0.80); oil us$23/b

10 Apr Fri au$1.00=us$0.62, £0.50, €0.57, ¥68

12 April 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 492,881 / 31,606 / 18,516; ... UK 78,995 / 8,719 / 9,875; ... Australia 6,289 / 51 / 57; ... Total 1,696,588 / 85,679 / 105,952. — WHO [www], situation report 83, 12/4.  JHU put total confirmed cases at 1,773,358 world-wide, total deaths at 108,702 — [www].  .usa: 'Fauci says US 'could have saved lives' with earlier action ... "There was a lot of pushback about shutting things down back then." ...' — [bbc]. Will #Fauci be looking for a new job soon?  .uk: PM Boris Johnson was out of intensive care but remained in hospital.

12 April 2020: Sir Stirling Moss OBE (17 Sept. 1929 - 12 April 2020) died "following a long illness".

11 April 2020, .au: "Lower Darling flows reach isolated NSW town of Pooncarie. The first flows down the Lower Darling in 18 months ..." — [abc].

11 April 2020: 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 13 which almost ended in disaster.

10 April 2020: Good Friday.

10-12 April 2020: ARB Eldee Station Easter Festival (NSW) [www]. Presumed cancelled due to covid-19.

10-19 April 2020: New York Auto Show [www]. "Rescheduled" to 28 Aug. due to covid-19 (coronavirus).

10 April 2020: "Opec and Russia agree to cut oil output [10%] in bid to prop up prices ..." — The G [www].

7 April 2020, covid-19: Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 333,811 / 26,493 / 9,559; Spain 135,032 / 4,273 / 13,055; ... Australia 5,844 / 100 / 42; ... Total 1,279,010 / 68,766 / 72,603. — WHO [www], situation report #78, 7/4.  JHU put total confirmed cases at 1,348,628 world-wide — [www].  .uk: PM Boris Johnson was in intensive care.  Vic.: New 'Stay at Home Directions' (No 3) vic.gov.au [www]. Other states may differ.

.au, 'Impacts of covid-19': "... outlines scenario modelling ... increasing ICU capacity to over 7,000 beds ... assumptions ... age / % hospitalised / % ICU : 20-29 / 0.78% / 0.23%; ... 40-49 / 5.1% / 1.5%; ... 60-69 / 15.5% / 4.55%; ... 80+ / 65.9 / 19.4%; in hospital 7.5 days, in ICU 10 days ..." — .gov.au [www], more at [www]. This suggests the health system could withstand, at most, 7,000 in ICU, 20,000 in hospital, and 200,000 cases, at any one time (but it would be nothing like that simple). The population is 25.7 million.

7 April 2020: "Coronavirus: US car insurers refund drivers stuck at home ... a dramatic drop in accident claims as residents stay at home and off the roads. ..." — [bbc].  That is in the USA but road accidents must be down in .au too; there again summer was very bad with bush-fires and hail damage.

5 April 2020 (#3/22): Vietnam F1 Grand Prix. 13/3: Postponed due to covid-19 (coronavirus) — FIA. 17/10: Cancelled.

5 April 2020 (Sun.), .au: Daylight saving ends (3am→2am) in Victoria.

4 April 2020, .uk: Sir Keir Starmer was elected leader of the Labour party, e.g., [bbc].

3 April 2020, .au: New vehicle sales for March 2020 totalled 81,690, down 18% on March 2019. The #1 model Toyota Hilux (3556) held off the #2 Ford Ranger (3108). See the FCAI [www].  6/4, .uk: "UK new car registrations fall −44.4% in March as coronavirus crisis hits market ..." — SMMT [www].  Most car manufacturers world wide have shut down due to covid-19.

3 April 2020, .au: "Avocado farmers call for brunch lovers to smash them at home during coronavirus isolation ..." — [abc]. Also see the book, by Richard Glover.

2 April 2020, covid-19, Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: USA 187,302 / 24,103 / 3,846; Italy 110,574 / 4,782 / 13,157; Spain 102,136 / 7,719 / 9,053; ... China 82,724 / 93 / 3,327; ... UK 29,478 / 4,324 / 2,532; ... Australia 4,976 / 269 / 21; Total 896,450 / 72,839 / 45,526. — WHO [www], situation report 73, 2/4. There is scepticism, including among ex-pat Chinese, of the data from that country. John Hopkins University put the total cases at 1,007,977 world wide, [www].  In .au, "Can I see my parents? What about my partner? Can I ..." — [abc].  And 1/4: 'Donald Trump ... "This is going to be a very, very painful two weeks."' — [bbc]. Try two months or even longer.

2 April 2020, recall PRA #2020/18258: "Volkswagen [various] ... Vehicles fitted with a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox have a fluid leak that can lead to pressure loss ... resulting in loss of drive function. ..." — .gov.au [www].  Ah, those gearboxes. (Also see Audi 6 May.)

2 April 2020, .au: "... for the three months April to June, wetter than average conditions are likely for most of Australia, except for the north and east coasts and southern Tasmania, which have roughly equal chances of wetter or drier conditions. April to June days are likely to be warmer than average across northern and eastern Australia, but cooler across much of the southern mainland. ..." — [bom].

1 April 2020: "Massive difference in Sydney petrol prices as some retailers accused of gouging ... Motorists in the NSW capital are paying between 88 cents and $1.58 a litre. ..." — [abc].  Crude oil, WTI:us$20.50/b, Brent:us$25.83/b. Terminal gate prices ULP Melb. au$0.85/l, Sydney au$0.86/l, Adelaide au$0.85/l, and diesel Melb. au$1.04/l, Sydney au$1.05/l, Adelaide au$1.05/l. At the pump ULP Perth avg au$1.16/l, min au$0.90/l, Melb. avg au$1.30/l, min au$1.03/l, and diesel Perth avg au$1.36/l, min au$1.15/l, Melb. avg au$1.34/l, min au$1.22/l.

1 April 2020: Gooding and Co., Passion of a Lifetime, London auction [www], including lot 008 a 1961 Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato, chassis #DB4GT/0176/R, engine #370/0176/GT; lot 010 a 1934 Bugatti Type 59 Sports, works GP car 1934-35, chassis #57428, engine #5. 20/3: Postponed due to covid-19.

31 March 2020: "Fire season comes to a [official] close in NSW ... 'NSW RFS crews and other agencies have responded to more than 11,400 bush and grass fires that have burnt more than 5.5 million hectares, the equivalent of 6.2% of the state,' Commissioner Fitzsimmons said. ... 'Fires this season have destroyed 2,448 homes; however, the great work of firefighters saw 14,481 homes saved. 'Commissioner Fitzsimmons said that most tragically 25 lives were lost, including those of the three NSW RFS volunteers and three US aerial firefighters. ..." — NSW RFS [www] at [www].

30 March 2020, covid-19: "Victoria has moved to "stage three" coronavirus restrictions ... State and federal officials have said people should only leave the house to go to work or study, to exercise, to get essential food and supplies or medical care. ...: — [abc].  Nationally, the "previous gathering limit of ten people had been cut to two" (weddings 5, funerals 10) – [29/3].  "'We thought the fires were bad': NSW South Coast businesses near breaking points ..." — [30/3].

28 March 2020, covid-19, Total confirmed / new confirmed / total deaths: Italy 86,498 / 5,959 / 9,136; USA 85,228 / 16,894 / 1,243; China 82,240 / 152 / 3,301; ... Spain 64,059 / 7,871 / 4,858; ... UK 14,547 / 2,885 / 759; ... Australia 3,635 / 650 / 14; Total 571,659 / 62,495 / 26,493. — WHO [www], situation report 68, 28/3. Other reports put the USA at more than 104,000 cases (28/3); it is said that gun sales are doing well. Numbers and ratios such as death-rate must be greatly affected by the amount of testing carried out in different countries. Also see John Hopkins University of Medicine [www]. Wuhan China where the pandemic began, partly reopened. Boris Johnson (UK PM) tested positive. In .au, it is said that alcohol sales are doing well. Vic Parks [www] closed "a number of high visitation sites ... some beaches ... [and] all campsites, camping grounds and caravan parks." (Covid-19 is the disease and SARS-CoV-2 is the coronavirus that causes it.)

27-29 March 2020, .au: National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Brisbane Showgrounds [www]. Postponed due to covid-19 (coronavirus). 7/7: Cancelled for 2020; see March 2021.

27-29 March 2020, .uk: Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show, NEC, Birmingham [www]. 18/3: Postponed due to covid-19 (coronavirus).

27 March 2020, .uk: "UK car production steady in February, down −0.8%, as sector braces for coronavirus impact ..." — SMMT [www].

25-29 March 2020: TechnoClassica, Essen [www]. Postponed due to covid-19 (coronavirus).

25 March 2019, covid-19: The USA (51,194 confirmed, 673 dead as of the 25th) is set to become a disaster but ... "US President Donald Trump has said he hopes the US will shake off coronavirus by Easter ..." — [bbc]. (That idea didn't last long.)

24 March 2020, covid-19: World-wide "334,981 total confirmed cases, total 14,642 deaths ... [and as of 23/3] China 81,601 / 3,276; Italy 59,138 / 5,476; USA 31,573 / 402; ... UK 5,687 / 281; ... Australa 1,396 / 7; etc. ..." — WHO [www]. "... It took 67 days from the first reported of Covid-19 to reach 100,000 cases, 11 days for the second 100,000, and just four days for the third 100,000. ..." — [bbc]. Meetings of more than two people were banned in the UK. It became almost certain that the Olympic Games (July) would be postponed until 2021; confirmed.

23 March 2020, .au: "As most Victorian motorists take advantage of lower petrol prices, RACV says diesel vehicle drivers are still being taken for a ride ..." — RACV [www].

23 March 2020: "... already under current carbon intensities of electricity generation, electric cars and heat pumps are less emission intensive than fossil-fuel-based alternatives in 53 world regions, representing 95% of the global transport and heating demand ...", F. Knobloch et al, 'Net emission reductions from electric cars and heat pumps in 59 world regions over time', Nature Sustainability 138 [www]. And, "... The researchers say average 'lifetime' emissions from electric cars are up to 70% lower than petrol cars in countries like Sweden and France (where most electricity comes from renewables and nuclear), and around 30% lower in the UK. ..." — [bbc]. That 30% is a reduction but a rather disappointing one.

22 March 2020 (#2/22): Bahrain F1 Grand Prix. To be run(?) without spectators present due to coronavirus (covid-19) . . . 13/3: Postponed due to covid-19 (coronavirus), ditto Vietnam — FIA [www].

21 March 2020, .au: "The Northern Territory will introduce strict border controls from 4:00pm on March 24 [Tues.] that mean anyone arriving from interstate or overseas will have to self-isolate for 14 days. ..." — [abc]. WA, SA and Qld followed suit. Victoria brough school holidays forward to Tuesday.

20 March 2020, .au: Terminal gate fuel prices, ULP: Melbourne 96c/l, Sydney 97c/l, ... , Hobart $1.03/l, ... .  Diesel: Melbourne $1.06/l, Sydney $1.07/l, ... , Hobart $1.12/l, ... — AIP [www].  So someone is cashing in (see right).  And, "The ACCC will closely monitor retail petrol price movements in Australia in the coming weeks to determine if the recent falls in international crude oil and refined petrol prices are flowing through to consumers. ..." — ACCC [www]. (Also see 1 Apr. above.)

20 March 2020, covid-19: Total deaths in Italy (3,400) passed those in China (3,248). China reported zero new cases. Boris Johnson (Bojo) predicted that the UK could "turn the tide" against the coronavirus in 12 weeks. Jaguar Land-Rover (JLR) shut down its UK factories. Australia blocked arrivals of all non-residents, the AFL season opened to matches played without spectators (& then stopped), and "From midnight on Friday [20th], all 'non-essential' travellers into [Tasmania] will have to go into 14 days' quarantine ..." — [abc].

18 March 2020: The Lightyear (.nl) 'One' (us$165,000) is an electric car (EV) with roof-mounted solar cells to get extra range. "... Total peak output is 1.25kW - enough power to add about 20 miles (32km) of average range per day. 'On a good day, you'll get 45 miles,' said Lex Hoefsloot, chief executive at Lightyear. ..." — SAE [www].

16 March 2020, covid-19, .au: Non-essential meetings of more than 500 people were banned.

15 March 2020 (#1/22): Australian F1 Grand Prix.  Some team members from Haas and McLaren were tested for covid-19 and one of the latter returned positive. 13/3: Cancelled due to covid-19 (coronavirus).

12 March 2020: "Water arrives in the Menindee Lakes ... estimating that Lake Wetherell could see inflows of between 230-260 gigalitres ..." — WaterNSW. (However, the lakes can hold 1,700 gigalitres.)

12 March 2020, covid-19: Donald Trump banned most travel between (mainland!) Europe and the USA. India suspended most visas. The World Health Organisation (WHO) finally (11/3) called covid-19 a 'pandemic' ... 118,000 cases in 114 countries, 4,291 deaths.

10 March 2020, covid-19: Italian authorities placed travel restrictions on the whole country. In the UK: "Health minister Nadine Dorries tests positive ..." — [bbc]. And, "Globally 113,702 confirmed (4125 new), 4012 deaths (203 new) ..." — WHO [www].

9-15 March 2020 (Mon.-Sun.): Corowa Swim in, the Year of the Military Motorcycle [www].

9 March 2020: Crude oil prices fell, a lot, as a price war started between Opec and Russia. Brent fell to us$31.63/b and WTI to us$27.71/b. (See oil @ [bbc].)

9 March 2020 (Mon.): Labour Day (Vic.) [www].

7-9 March 2020: Steamfest, Melbourne Steam Traction Engine Club, National Steam Centre [www].

6-9 March 2020 (Fri.-Mon.): Port Fairy Folk Festival [www].

8 March 2020, covid-19, "Coronavirus: Northern Italy quarantines 16 million people ... Milan ... Venice ..." — [bbc]. Also see the [abc].

6-7 March 2020: RM Sotheby's Amelia Island auction [www] including lot 146 a 2003 Ferrari Enzo, chassis #ZFFCW56A530132654, engine #75379 (sold us$2,782,500); lot 241 a 1938 Bugatti Type 57 Cabriolet by D'Ieteren, chassis #57589, engine #464, body #5219 (sold us$1,655,000).

March 2020, .au: The FCAI reported that total vehicle sales in Feb. 2020 were 79,940, 8.2% down on Feb. 2019, but within that SUV sales rose 5.4% to 39,304.
And in the .uk: "new car market declines −2.9% in February to 79,594 ... battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric cars, with 4,566 joining UK roads but, at just 5.8%, market share remains low. ..." — SMMT [www].

5-15 March 2020: 89th Geneva International Motor Show [www]. 28/2: Cancelled due to covid-19 (coronavirus). Cars that would have been shown include BMW 'Concept i4' electric saloon [www]; Fiat electric '500', 42-kWh battery [www]; Hispano-Suiza (the Spanish one) electric 'Carmen Boulogne'; Koenigsegg 'Jesko Absolut', and 'Gemera' hybrid (2-litre, 3-cyl + 3×electric) 4-seater [www]; Morgan 'Plus Four' [www]; Volvo Polestar 'Precept' electric concept; VW 'Golf GTI' Mk 8.

5 March 2020: Bonhams Amelia Island auction [www] including lot 123 a 1932 Bugatti Type 55 Super Sport Roadster factory coachwork by Jean Bugatti design, chassis #55220, engine #21 (sold us$7,100,000, note, chassis #55221 sold in Paris 6 Feb. below); lot 142 the ex-Commander John "Jack" Rutherford 1952 Jaguar C-Type Sports Racing two-seater, chassis #XKC 014, engine #E-1014-8 (not sold).

5 March 2020: "Regional Australia cops brunt of rainfall from ex-tropical cyclone Esther ..." — [abc]. Melbourne 55mm,

4 March 2020, covid-19: "... There is now a total of 92,943 reported cases of COVID-19 globally, and 3,160 deaths. In the past 24 hours, China reported 120 cases. Most cases continue to be reported from Hubei province. Outside China, 2075 cases were reported in 35 countries. Almost 90% of those cases are from just three^* countries. ..." — WHO [www]. (* Iran, S. Korea, Italy.) And in .au there was panic buying of . . . toilet paper!?

4 March 2020, .au: "... to what extent the risk of these [summer bush-]fires was exacerbated by anthropogenic climate change. ... we find large trends in the Fire Weather Index in the ERA5 reanalysis, and a smaller but significant increase by at least 30% in the models. ..." — WWA, intro [www], and full report [www].

4 March 2020: "... GM's new Ultium batteries ... from 50 to 200kWh ... Most will have 400-volt battery packs and up to 200kW fast-charging capability ... GM's joint venture with LG Chem will drive battery cell costs below $100/kWh. The cells use a proprietary low cobalt chemistry ..." — GM [www].

2 March 2020: Shannons Melbourne Autumn Classic Auction [www], including lot 21 an ex-army 1986 Mercedes-Benz 1700L Unimog 4x4 tray back, chassis #435110 60 123793, engine #535 9 0 0827731 (sold au$21,000); lot 70 a 1928 Delage DMS Sport Tourer, 3182cc I6, 4-speed manual, chassis #27222, engine #1504 (sold au$90,000).

2 March 2020: "... A substantial proportion of the world's sandy coastline is already eroding ... ambient trends in shoreline dynamics, combined with coastal recession driven by sea level rise, could result in the near extinction of almost half of the world's sandy beaches by the end of the century. ...", in 'Sandy coastlines under threat of erosion', M. I. Vousdoukas et al, Nat. Clim. Change, 10, pp.260-263, 2 March 2020 [www]. Apparently many Australian beaches could recede by 100 metres. (Also see 'Climate change risks to Australia's coasts: a first pass national assessment' — .gov.au [www].)

2 March 2020, .au: "[2019-2020] was Australia's second-warmest summer on record, with all three of the mean, maximum, and minimum temperatures the second-warmest on record for the season, each coming in [2nd] behind the record set last year (summer 2018 - 2019). ..." — [bom].
And, "... Summer-starting temperatures – the average 1 December temperature mid 20th century – now arrive two weeks earlier. Summer-ending temperatures – the average on 1 March over 1950-1969 – now arrives two weeks later. ...", in 'Out of Season Expanding summers and shrinking winters in subtropical and temperate Australia' — The Australia Institute [www]. And winters are growing shorter.  (Also see, "Australian summers have become, on average, 31 days longer in Australia's capital cities, and in regional areas that number is even higher, according to a new report. ..." — [abc].)

2 March 2020, .uk: "February 2020 has been the wettest February on record for UK, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the second wettest (behind Feb. 1990) for Scotland. ..." — Met Office [www].  And, "The 2019/2020 winter has been the warmest on record for Europe, with average temperatures 1.4°C above the previous high of 2015/2016. ..." — [bbc].

1 March 2020, .uk: "... flood-hit Wales as Storm Jorge's rains sweep in ..." — The G [www].

29 February 2020: 2020 is a leap year.

28 February 2020: "Uber Air's plans for 1,000-strong Melbourne helicopter fleet revealed ..." — [abc].

28 February 2020, .uk: "New cars emit more climate changing CO2 than old ..." — Which [www].

27 February 2020, .au: "Climate outlook for March to June ... likely to be wetter than average for parts of southern Australia (60-75% chance), while scattered parts of northern Australia are more likely to be drier than average (60-65% chance). Australia's climate has warmed by around 1.4°C since 1910 ..." — [bom].

27 February 2020, covid-19: "... Outbreak at 'decisive point' as WHO urges action ..." — [bbc]. 28th: Risk upgraded to "very high".

27 February 2020: "Rio Tinto joins BHP in pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 ..." — [abc].

27 February 2020, .uk: "West Midlands floods: 'Ten days of difficult conditions' to come ..." — [bbc].

26-28 February 2020: F1 pre-season testing #2, Circuit de Catalunya, e.g., The FIA [www] and [bbc]. (#1 was 19-21 Feb.; 1st GP 15 March.)

26 February 2020, covid-19: "Coronavirus fears grow as more cases found across Europe ... Italy, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and Croatia ..." — The G [www]. Also see the [abc].  And, 24/2: "... As of 6am Geneva time this morning, China has reported a total of 77,362 cases of COVID-19 to WHO, including 2618 deaths. In the past 24 hours, China has reported 416 new confirmed cases, and 150 deaths. ... the fatality rate is between 2% and 4% in Wuhan, and 0.7% outside Wuhan. ..." — Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General [www].

26 February 2020, .uk: The new Land Rover 90 went on sale in the UK, from £40,290. "Commercial derivatives ... later this year priced from £35,000 (+VAT)" — Land Rover [www].

25 February 2020: "Tesla Crash [23/3/2018] Investigation Yields nine NTSB Safety Recommendations ... The NTSB determined the Tesla 'Autopilot' system's limitations, the driver's overreliance on the 'Autopilot' and the driver's distraction - likely from a cell phone game application - caused the crash. The Tesla vehicle's ineffective monitoring of driver engagement was determined to have contributed to the crash. ..." — NTSB [www].

24 February 2020, .au: Tropical Cyclone "Esther [cat.1] has now made landfall between Mornington Island and the NT/Qld border ..." — [bom]. And 3 March: "... The Gibb River Road is shut to all vehicles, and the Great Northern Highway is also closed in both directions from Willare to Halls Creek." — [abc].

22 February 2020, .au: "Queensland's first cyclone of the season predicted to form in the Gulf ..." — [abc].

21-23 February 2020, .uk: Race Retro historic motorsport show, Stoneleigh Park [www].

20 February 2020, .au: "Huge East Gippsland bushfire that burned for three months finally declared 'contained' ... The one major remaining fire still going in Victoria is the Snowy complex fire in the far east of the state which features smouldering fire in several areas including at Bendoc. ..." — [abc], and [2]. Check Vic. [www] emergency warnings, Vic. Roads [www] and Vic. [www] Parks.  ("New commissioners added to lead royal commission into deadly bushfires ..." — [3] but also see 16 Jan. below.)

20-23 February 2020: The London Classic Car Show, Olympia [www].

19-21 February 2020: F1 pre-season testing #1, Circuit de Catalunya, e.g., the FIA [www] and the [bbc]. (Also see 26-28 Feb.)

19 February 2020: The ten F1 teams for 2020; Alfa Romeo (Sauber) - Kimi Raikkonen, Antonio Giovinazzi; Alpha Tauri (was Toro Rosso) - Daniil Kvyat, Pierre Gasly; Ferrari - Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc; Haas - Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen; McLaren - Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris; Mercedes - Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas; Racing Point - Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll; Red Bull - Max Verstappen, Alexander Albon; Renault - Daniel Ricciardo, Esteban Ocon; Williams - George Russell, Nicolas Latifi — the FIA [www].

19 February 2020: "BHP boss weighs thermal coal exit – if the price is right ..." — SMH [www].

18 February 2020, .uk: They're all at, now JLR shows its own "autonomous, electric, connected" thing – pod [www].  And, "Coronavirus: Jaguar Land Rover 'shipping parts [out of China] in suitcases' ..." — [bbc].

17 February 2020, .au: "Dutton Asks For Midnight Oil To Be Classified As A Terrorist Organisation ..." — The Betoota Advocate [www]. Or see The G [www].

17 February 2020, .uk: "Storm Dennis: Further flooding as storm damage continues ..." — [bbc]. It is reported that a record number of flood warnings were issued. Storm Dennis closely followed storm Ciara. More [19/2], and [21/2].

16 February 2020, .au: Victorian 4WD Show, Lardner Park, Vic. [www].

February 2020, .au: "... NEM electricity spot prices averaged $72/MWh, which was 19% lower than Q4 2018, representing the lowest prices since Q4 2016. A key driver of this outcome was increased supply from windfarms, solar farms, and gas-powered generation (GPG), with combined grid-scale wind and solar output increasing by 39% compared to Q4 2018. ..." — AEMO, 'Quarterly Energy Dynamics Q4 2019' [www].

14 February 2020, VW dieselgate, .de: "Class-action suit: Volkswagen offers settlement solution ... A settlement of up to €830 million had previously been reached with the federation [of German Consumer Organisations]. Nonetheless, no binding agreement could be negotiated. The talks broke down as a result of unwarranted demands of the litigation attorneys who sought a flat fee of €50 million to carry out the settlement. ..." — VW [www].

14 February 2020: "Flash flooding, hail and damaging winds hit Melbourne ..." — [abc].  And, "Ex-tropical Cyclone Uesi passes straight over Lord Howe Island [LHI] ..." — [2].  (LHI is 600km east of Port Macquarie.)

13 February 2020: "... NSW Rural Fire Service announced all grass and bushfires had been contained for the first time this fire season. ..." — [abc]. (Check the NSW [www] RFS.)

13 February 2020: Known coronavirus infections headed towards 60,000 and deaths towards 1,400, but many distrust the official Chinese government figures.

11 February 2020: "BP sets ambition for net zero [CO2] by 2050 ... 1. Net zero across BP's operations on an absolute basis by 2050 or sooner. 2. Net zero on carbon in BP's oil and gas production on an absolute basis by 2050 or sooner. 3. 50% cut in the carbon intensity of products BP sells by 2050 or sooner. ..." — BP [www]. (Also see 4 Aug. above.)

11 February 2020: Daimler (Mercedes) 2019 financial results [www]. Net profit fell from €7.6 billion (2018) to €2.7 billion (2019). "... a substantial cash outflow in connection with legal proceedings relating to diesel vehicles. Also, a continued high level of expenses for new products and technologies [electric] had a negative effect. ..."

10 February 2020: The first production SSC (Shelby SC) 'Tuatara', twin turbo 5.9-litre V8, was unveiled at the Philadelphia Auto Show, [www].

10 February 2020, .uk: "Today, the government has confirmed plans to introduce import controls on EU goods at the border after the transition period ends on 31 December 2020. ..." — Cabinet Office and The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, .gov.uk [www].

10 February 2020, .uk: "Storm Ciara: Floods and travel disruption as UK hit by severe gales ..." — [bbc].

9 February 2020, WA: "Tropical Cyclone Damien brings flooding, gale-force winds and storm surges as it tracks inland ..." — [abc]. (Crossed the coast Sat. 8th, cat.3. Later, 11:56am AWST Sun. 9th, cat.1, near Paraburdoo, WA.)  Qld: "Flooding, road closures and evacuations amid heavy rain in Queensland's Darling Downs ..." — [2].  NSW: "South Coast's Currowan bushfire extinguished as torrential rain falls across NSW ..." — [3].

7 February 2020: "First Autonomous Vehicle to Receive US DOT Approved Exemption. Today, the US Department of Transportation (DOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) approved a regulatory exemption for R2, Nuro's second-generation [delivery] vehicle. ... R2 will begin public road testing to prepare for its first deliveries to customers' homes with our partners in Houston, Texas. ..." — Nuro [www]. No human at the controls.

7 February 2020: Dr Li Wenliang, who warned of the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan last December, died of the virus, e.g., The G [www], [bbc].

6 February 2020, .au: "Cyclone Damien set to form off WA coast before possibly hitting Karratha this weekend ..." — [abc].  "A tropical low is expected to develop into a cyclone off the west Kimberley coast today. ..." — [bom].

2pm AWST Fri. 7 Feb.: "category 3, 295km north of Karratha and 300km northwest of Port Hedland ..." – bom.

6 February 2020: Bonhams Les Grandes Marques auction, Paris [www], including lot 268 a 1931 Bugatti type 55 two-seat Supersport, coachwork by Carrosserie Figoni, chassis #55221, engine #26 (sold €4,600,000); lot 303 1965 Volvo L3314-H-T 'Laplander' 4x4 Military Vehicle chassis #3391 (sold €19,550).

5-9 February 2020: Retromobile, Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre, Paris [www].

7 Feb.: Artcurial Motorcars auction, Parc de Versailles, Paris [www], including lot 45 a 1929 Mercedes-Benz 710 SS 27/140/200hp Sport Tourer Carrosserie attributed to Fernandez & Darrin, chassis #36223, engine #72182 (not sold); lot 98 a 1983 Ferrari 126 C3 F1 V6-turbo, chassis #068 (sold €1,438,880).

5 February 2020, .au: "... present the radiocarbon ages of 24 mud wasp nests that were either over or under pigment from 21 anthropomorphic motifs of the Gwion style (previously referred to as 'Bradshaws') from the middle of the relative stylistic sequence. We demonstrate that while one date suggests a minimum age of c.17ka for one motif, most of the dates support a hypothesis that these Gwion paintings were produced in a relatively narrow period around 12,000 years ago." — D. Finch et al, '12,000-Year-old Aboriginal rock art from the Kimberley region, Western Australia', Science Advances, 6(6), eaay3922, 5 Feb. 2020 [www].

5 February 2020: "Heavy rainfall and flash flooding in drought-ravaged parts of NSW ... falls near Cobar, Bourke and Nyngan ..." — [abc].

4 February 2020: "Call for protection of Fitzroy River as Western Australia election [13/3/2021] deadline looms ..." — [abc].

4 February 2020, .uk: "... UK bringing forward end to the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles to 2035, and including hybrids for the first time ..." — .gov.uk [www].  Note, hybrids too.

"It's extremely concerning that government has seemingly moved the goalposts for consumers and industry on such a critical issue ..." — SMMT [www].
5 Feb.: "UK new car market falls −7.3% in January [v. Jan. '19], as sector demands clear plan for 2035 ambition ..." — SMMT.

3 February 2020, .au: "RACV reminds drivers of forgotten road rules ... [e,g.,] There are two types of merging, and who gives way depends on the line marking. The first is when two lanes join and there is no dashed line. In this case, the vehicle at the rear must give way to the vehicle ahead. The second is where the merging vehicle must cross a dashed line, which means the vehicle crossing the dashed line must give way. ..." — RACV [www].

2 February 2020: "GMC will introduce the GMC HUMMER EV, bringing bold design and remarkable capability to the electrified vehicle space ... 1,000 hp, 11,500 lb-ft of torque, 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds ... will be revealed on May 20, 2020 ..." — GMC [www].  "Production of electric pickup trucks will begin in the fall of 2021" — GM 5/2/2020.

1 February 2020, .au: Many bushfires continued to burn, particularly in E. Victoria and S. NSW. Check Vic. [www] and NSW [www] fire and emergency warnings.  "Victoria heatwave settles in for second day as humidity builds, bushfire risk increases ..." — [abc]. (On Friday it reached 44°C at Avalon.)

31 January 2020: It was announced that investors would provide £500m more to Aston Martin, including a consortium lead by Lawrence Stroll which would put in £182m. Given that LS owns the Racing Point F1 team and plans for it to become Aston Martin F1 in 2021, and that Red Bull F1 currently has ties with Aston Martin (including the Valkyrie), there will be musical chairs next year.  (Also see 26 May above.)

31 January 2020, .uk: Brexit deadline, so were 31 October 2019 and 29 March 2019 but this one stuck. The Bill for the UK to leave the EU was passed by Parliament on 22 Jan. The European Parliament approved the UK's exit, 29 Jan. The UK departed the EU at 11pm, 31 January. A transition period runs to the end of 2020. (The UK joined the European Community on 1 Jan. 1973.)

30 January 2020: "UK car output falls ... down −14.2% in 2019 to 1.3m units – the lowest since 2010. ..." — SMMT [www].

30 January 2020: "Statement on the second meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) Emergency Committee regarding the outbreak of novel ["Wuhan"] coronavirus (2019-nCoV) ... the outbreak now meets the criteria for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern ..." — WHO [www].

30 January 2020, .au: Many roads remained closed in East Gippsland, and other areas, due to bushfires or the after-effects of bushfires, including the Princes Highway East of Manorina, see vic-roads [www].

29 January 2020, .au: "Rain record broken near Townsville as a monsoonal low tracks across Queensland's north-west ..." — [abc]. "Canberra 'not out of the woods' from Namadgi bushfire ..." — [abc]. ... & 31 Jan.: "ACT enters state of emergency as Namadgi's Orroral Valley bushfire is upgraded to Watch and Act ..." — [2].

27 January 2020: Seventy-five years ago on "27 January 1945, Soviet troops cautiously entered Auschwitz. ..." — [bbc].

27 January 2020, .uk: "Thirty-eight people have been killed on smart motorways in the last five years ..."— [bbc].

27 January 2020: "Severe Weather Warning for heavy rainfall and damaging winds for people in Gulf Country [Qld] and parts of North West Forecast Districts. ..." — [bom].  "Queensland rain cuts roads and prompts warnings of flash flooding ..." — [abc].

26 January 2020 (Sun.): Australia Day (holiday on Monday 27th).

22 January 2020, .au: "Sky turns orange as massive dust storm blankets southern states ..." — [abc].  And then, "Brown rain falls in Victoria ..." — [23/1].

22 January 2020: "Introducing the Cruise 'Origin'. Self-Driven. All-Electric. Shared. ... Cruise vehicles are purpose-built for self-driving at a dedicated GM manufacturing plant. ... [no] steering wheel, rearview mirror, pedals, ..." — Cruise [www]. Honda has a 5.7% share of Cruise.

21 January 2020: "Both the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are neutral ..." — [bom].
"For the week to 21 January 2020, rainfall was recorded in the W, N, and E of Australia. Little to no rainfall was recorded in South Australia away from the SE, and through Central Australia. ... Rainfall totals in excess of 200mm were recorded in NE New South Wales and SE Queensland, including the highest weekly total of 373mm at Miami Bardon Avenue in the Gold Coast in SE Queensland. ..." — [bom].

20 January 2020: "The richest one per cent of Australians have more than double the wealth of the entire bottom 50 per cent - or more than 12.5 million people - Oxfam has revealed today ahead of the 2020 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. ..." — Oxfam [www]. Surprise?  Also see sales of Rolls Royces, 7 Jan., below.  The World Economic Forum [www] is held at Davos, Switzerland (21-24 Jan. this year).

21 Jan.: "... a rapid and ambitious transition to lower emissions pathways means that a large fraction of proven reserves of fossil fuel cannot be extracted ..., becoming 'stranded assets', with potentially systemic consequences for the financial system ..." — the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) [www].
21 Jan., "Davos: Trump decries climate 'prophets of doom' ..." — [bbc].
22 Jan., Mark Carney, the Bank of England governor — The G [www].
22 Jan., President von der Leyen, "...there is no point in only reducing greenhouse gas emissions at home, if we increase the import of CO2 from abroad. It is not only a climate issue; it is also an issue of fairness. It is a matter of fairness towards our businesses and our workers. We will protect them from unfair competition. One way for doing so is the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. ..." — [www].

20 January 2020, .au: "Honda and Mitsubishi have commenced voluntary recalls for vehicles manufactured between 1996 and 2000 due to a serious safety concern relating to faulty [Takata NADI 5-AT] airbags. ... [M, H & others] offered to buy back affected vehicles at market value. ..." — ACCC [www]. This is the other Takata airbag problem.

NB. "Penalties for allegedly selling or advertising recalled cars with dangerous Takata airbags ..." — ACCC (31/1/'20) [www],

18 January 2020, .au: "One-in-100-year event. Flash flooding hits Gold Coast and Brisbane ..." — [abc].

17-18 January 2020: Gooding & Co. Scottsdale auction [www], including lot 121 a 1948 Tucker 48, 6,200 miles, only 51 built, chassis #1034, engine #33541 (sold us$2,040,000); lot 143 a 1932 Hispano-Suiza J12 Dual Cowl Phaeton, coachwork by Binder, chassis #13016, engine #321025 (sold us$2,425,000).

17 January 2020, .au: "Alpine communities around Mount Buffalo urged to evacuate from bushfire ..." — [abc]. See Vic. [www] emergency warnings.

January 2020: "... Climate Risk Is Investment Risk ..." — Larry Fink, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Blackrock [www].  Blackrock, which invests us$7 trillion, "will no longer invest in companies that generate more than 25% of their revenue from thermal coal production ..." — The G [www].  But, Scott this-is-coal Morrison "backs resources as world's biggest asset manager ditches thermal coal ..." — SMH [www].

17 January 2020: End of Dakar 2020, Saudi Arabia (5-17 Jan.). Bikes, 1. Ricky Brabec (Honda); Quads, 1. Ignacio Casale (Casale Racing); SSV, 1. Casey Currie & Sean Berriman (Can-Am); Cars, 1. Carlos Sainz & Lucas Cruz (Mini Buggy); Trucks, 1. Andrey Karginov, Andrey Mokeev & Igor Leonov (Kamaz) — Dakar [www].

16 January 2020, .au: "We have already had countless bushfire inquiries. What good will it do to have another? ...  57 [inquiries] since 1939 ..." — Kevin Tolhurst, The Conversation [www].

16 January 2020: "Toyota and Joby Aviation ... an aerospace company that is developing and commercializing all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft ... investing $394M in Joby ..." — Toyota [www]. Also see Joby [www].

16 January 2020: Bonhams Scottsdale Auction [www]. Lot 54 a 1951 Ferrari 212 Inter Cabriolet, coachwork by Vignale, chassis #0159E, engine #0159E, sold for us$1,930,000.

15 January 2020: "WMO confirms 2019 as second hottest year on record ... after 2016 ... the annual global temperature in 2019 was 1.1°C warmer than the average for 1850-1900 ..." — WMO {www].

14 January 2020: 'State of the Climate: National (U.S.) Climate Report' for 2019 — National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) [www].

13 January 2020: 2020 F1 Grand Prix race schedule, FIA [www]. (The schedule was upended due to the covid-19 pandemic.)

13 January 2020: Lamborghini delivered 8,205 cars in 2019, up 43%. Of those, 4,962 were Urus SUVs! See Lamborghini [www].

13 January 2020, .au: At 8am Tropical Cyclone 'Claudia' (cat.3) was 530km north of Karratha WA, 490km NW of Port Hedland, and moving WSW. See the [bom].

13 January 2020: "Drought declared for the entirety of NSW, but at least there is some rain forecast ..." — [abc].

11 January 2020: "The truth about Australia's fires" – [www] – "arsonists aren't responsible for many this season."

And, 22 Jan.: "... In NSW, the last decade has seen more than twice the amount of prescribed burning compared to the decade before and in all mapped records of prescribed burning across NSW national parks it's the highest decade. ..." — [www].

10 January 2020, .au: Dangerous bushfires continued to burn in most states; see the NSW [www], SA [www], Tas. [www], Qld [www], Vic. [www] and WA [www] warning and fire services, and the [bom].

10 Jan.: "NSW fire threat to worsen ..." — [abc]. "... East Gippsland and Alpine communities ..." — [2]. But, "Nullarbor highway reopens after being closed for 12 days" — [3].

9-12 January 2020, .uk: Autosport International, NEC Birmingham (9-10th trade) [www].

9 January 2020, recall PRA #2019/18091: "Mazda3 (BP) Model Year 2019 ... The Smart Brake Support (SBS) system may falsely detect an object in front of the vehicle, which may initiate the automatic brake function. ... unexpectedly slow down and stop, increasing the risk of an accident ..." — .gov.au [www].
And, PRA #2019/18090: "Mazda3 (BP) Model Year 2019. ... Due to a software programming fault, the engine may not restart after entering idle stop mode until the vehicle is restarted using the Start/Stop button. ..." — .gov.au [www].

9 January 2020, .au: "Annual climate statement 2019 Australia's warmest year on record, with the annual national mean temperature 1.52°C above average. ... Annual national mean maximum temperature warmest on record (2.09°C above average). ... Australia's driest year on record. Nationally-averaged rainfall 40% below average for the year at 277.6mm. ..." — [bom].  Last year was really hot and dry!

9 Jan.: "Victoria's fire danger increases as people told to leave East Gippsland and Alpine regions ..." — [abc]. See Vic. [www] warnings.

8 January 2020, .au: "Ross Garnaut's climate change prediction is coming true and it's going to cost Australia billions ..." — [abc]. Also see the Garnaut Climate Change Review, 4 July & 5 Sept. 2008, and 7 Feb.–31 May 2011.
"Bushfire emergency warning issued for WA town of Toodyay ..." — [abc].

January 2020: Repsol, the oil company, plans to "be a net zero emissions company by 2050" — Repsol, 2/12/2019 [www].

7 January 2020: "Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has delivered an historic annual sales record in 2019 ... A total of 5,152 cars were delivered to customers in over 50 countries ... an increase of 25% on the previous high set in 2018 ..." — Rolls-Royce [www]. (Also see Davos, 20 Jan., above.)

6 January 2020, .au: Tropical Cyclone 'Blake', the first cyclone for summer 2019-2020, formed off the WA coast north of Broome. See the [bom].

6 January 2020, .au: "Nullarbor evacuation underway after WA fires on Eyre Highway left hundreds stranded ..." — [abc].

6 January 2020, .au: "... [In] year 2019, a total of 1,062,867 new vehicles were recorded as sold, a 7.8% decrease on ... 2018. The 2019 figure ... is the lowest annual sales result reported in VFACTS since 2011. ..." — FCAI [www]. As usual the Toyota Hilux was the #1 seller although the Ford Ranger gave it a run for the money.

6 January 2020, .uk: "... UK new car registrations fall −2.4% in 2019 to 2.3 million units ... petrol cars, up +2.2% ... [diesel] −21.8% ... the UK new car fleet average CO2 rose for a third successive year, by +2.7% to 127.9g/km ..." — SMMT [www].

6 January 2020, .uk: "Nuclear waste removal begins 30 years after power station closure ..." — [bbc]. The power station at Berkeley on the Severn in Gloucestershire was the UK's first commercial nuclear power station. It has two (disused) 'Magnox' reactors and ran from 1962 to 1989.

5-17 January 2020: Dakar 2020, Saudi Arabia(!) [www].

4 January 2020, .au: "Tanami Road on a $235 million path to being sealed ..." — [abc]. The Tanami Road is ~1000km long, from near Alice Springs (NT) to Halls Creek (WA).

4 January 2020: "NSW and Victoria bushfire conditions to worsen ..." — [abc].  There were 'fire weather warnings' for parts of ACT, NSW, SA, Tasmania, Victoria and WA; check the [bom].  (Canberra reached a record 44°C and Penrith, W. Sydney, a record 48.9°C.)

3 January 2020, Vic: "Bushfires prompt Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to declare state of disaster ... It covers a huge part of the state's eastern half, including parts of the East Gippsland shire, Mansfield shire, Wellington shire, Wangaratta rural shire, Towong shire, Alpine shire and the Mount Buller, Mount Hotham, Mount Stirling and Falls Creek Alpine resorts. ..." — [abc].  "The Princes Highway is closed between Orbost and the New South Wales border, due to significant fire activity in East Gippsland. Other major road closures include the Monaro Highway, Great Alpine Road, Bonang Road and Bruthen-Nowa Nowa Road. Avoid all travel in East Gippsland." — vicroads [www].
SA: "Bushfires could break containment lines ..." — [2].
NSW: "The NSW bushfire death toll has risen to 16 ..." — [3].
WA: "Bushfires that have closed major highways on the Nullarbor ..." — [4].

"Australia fires: Smoke turns New Zealand skies 'eerie' yellow ..." — [bbc].

3 January 2020: "Volkswagen in 'Dieselgate' settlement talks with 400,000 German owners ..." — The G [www].

3 January 2020: An American drone strike killed Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran's military, at Baghdad airport in Iraq. (E.g., see [bbc].) President Donald Trump later said that the killing was "to stop a war, not to start one". We'll see how that works.

8 Jan.: Iran fired missiles at US troops in Iraq.

2-5 January 2020 (Thu-Sun): Summernats, Canberra [www].

2 January 2020, .au: "2019 was Australia's hottest and driest year on record ..." — [abc]. See 9 Jan. above.

3 January 2020, .uk: "2019 record temperatures conclude a decade of records ..." — the Met Office [www].

1 January 2020, .au: Dangerous bushfires continued to burn in most states; see the NSW [www], SA [www], Tas. [www], Qld [www], Vic. [www] and WA [www] warning and fire services, and the [bom].

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