2022

2022: Autocrats and oligarchs dug in in Russia (Putin), Belarus (Lukashenko), China (Xi), Iran, Afghanistan (Taliban). Vladimir Putin began a war against Ukraine (24 Feb.) killing tens of thousands, displacing millions and reducing cities to rubble. Australia experienced a cold wet winter, and spring, with floods, particularly in the east. Petrol prices were well over au$2 mid year (due to Putin's war) and domestic energy prices rose steeply with more of the same to come. Covid-19 continued to spread but most countries relaxed all or most restrictions on movement; China began to follow suit later leading to a boom in cases there. Queen Elizabeth II died (8 Sept.). The UK experienced three different Prime Ministers.

31 December 2022 - 15 January 2023: Dakar 2023, Saudi Arabia, [www].

28 December 2022, .uk: "2022 provisionally warmest year on record for UK ... all the ten years recording the highest annual temperature have occurred from 2003 ..." — metoffice [www]. Also see the [bbc].

26 December 2022, Boxing Day: Start of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race.

25 December 2022: Christmas Day.

24 December 2022: Ten months since Russia began its war against Ukraine.

23 December 2022, .au: "Tropical Cyclone Ellie which crossed the coast on Friday [23rd] morning as a Category 1 system has been downgraded to a tropical low. ..." — [bom]. Also see NT [www] roads.

22 December 2022, .usa: "... Arctic air blasts U.S. ..." — W.P. [www], [bbc][24/12] and [abc][25/12].

17 December 2022, .au: "... Murray River heads towards peak [at Renmark]" — [abc], and [24/12].

16 December 2022, .uk: Bonhams Bond Street Sale (auction) [www] including lot 116 a 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400S Coupe, chassis #4256, engine #30421 (sold £1,067,800); lot 134 a 1950 Aston Martin two-litre Sports Drophead Coupe (DB1), chassis #AMC/50/10, engine #EN/49/11 (sold £172,500); lot 138 a 2013 Mercedes-Benz AMG G-63 6x6 crew-cab ute (pickup) with portal axles, chassis #WDCYC7CFIEX211817 (sold £631,000).

15 December 2022, .au: "Truck driver Luke Brooks jailed after killing cyclist Leif Justham in drug-fueled crash on Nullarbor ..." — [abc].

13 December 2022: "For the first time in almost two years, average retail petrol prices in Australia's five largest cities fell in the latest quarter, dropping by 10.3c/l from the June quarter 2022 to 177.7c/l in the September quarter 2022 ..." — accc.gov.au [www]. But see 10 Dec. below.

13 December 2022, .uk: "Cold, some snow in northeast UK, and possibly the southwest. ..." — [metoffice]. "UK braced for more disruption from snow and ice ..." — [bbc].

12 December 2022: "The electrofuels that reduce Amazon's fleet emissions ..." — SAE [www]. It seems that Amazon will use the "low carbon" fuel, "said to reduce greenhouse gases by some 95%", made by "Infinium", to replace diesel in some of its trucks. It is hard to find out what the processes are and what the chemical composition is, but see wikipedia [www].

10 December 2022, .au: Petrol (ULP) is down but diesel is not. "Fuel analyst says motorists being 'held to ransom' as diesel price drop not seen at bowser ..." — [abc].  Diesel terminal gate prices, Fri. 9/12: Perth 188.7c/l, Melb. 192.4c/l, Darwin 193.2c/l, Hobart 197.7c/l — AIP [www]. Melb. diesel price avg $2.21/l, min $2.04/l.

7 December 2022, recall #REC-005585: "Volkswagen Golf 2015 ... Due to a software issue, the front windscreen wipers may fail. In the event of rain this may lead to poor visibility for the driver." — .gov.au [www].

5 December 2022, .au: "A total of 95,080 vehicles were sold in November bringing the year-to-date total to 993,509. ... a 17.9% increase on the same month in 2021. ..." — FCAI [www].

2 December 2022: "Heavy rain leads to early-season flooding in the Kimberley prompting road closures ..." — [abc]. Also see WA [www] roads, "Gibb River Rd between Mt Barnett and Great Northern Hwy ... East Kimberley - Flooding Road closed."

1 December 2022, .au: "Spring rainfall was 112% above average for Australia as a whole, second-wettest on record (behind spring 2010). ... The area-averaged national mean maximum temperature was 0.75°C below average, while the national mean minimum temperature was 0.53°C above average. ..." — [bom].

1 Dec 2022, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 643,195,271, total deaths 6,634,749;  — JHU [www][1/12].

26 November 2022, Sat., .au: Victorian State Election. Labor easily defeated the Lib/NPs (and the Murdoch media), e.g., see the [abc].

25 November 2022, recall #REC-005562: "Tesla Model 3 & Model Y 2022 ... Due to a software error, the tail lamps on one or both sides may not illuminate as intended. ..." — .gov.au [www].

25 November 2022: "Mercedes-Benz to introduce acceleration subscription fee ..." — [bbc]. Also see BMW 15 July below.

23 November 2022: "State of the Climate 2022 - Australia continues to warm, heavy rainfall becomes more intense ... Australia's climate has warmed by an average of 1.47±0.24°C since national records began in 1910. ..." — [2022], [bom].

21 November 2022: "Cold temperatures and gusty winds for south-east Australia as major flooding continues in New South Wales ..." — [bom]. Also see NSW [www] roads.

20 November 2022, .au: "Recreational off-road group turn hand to helping Landcare in Victoria ..." — [abc].

20 November 2022 (#23/23): Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix, Yas Marina.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari], 3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull). That is also the final order of the top three in the F1 Drivers' World Championship. The race was Sebastian Vettel's 299th, and last, Grand Prix. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

20 November 2022: End of UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), 6-18 Nov., Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt [www]. See [abc], [bbc].

18-27 November 2022: LA Auto Show, Los Angeles [www].

15 November 2022, recall #REC-005562: "Tesla Model S & Model X 2017-2020 ... Due to a recently changed software calibration issue, the Electronic Power Assist Steering system (EPAS) may not operate as intended. ..." — .gov.au [www].

15 November 2022: "NSW flood disaster declared largest ever ..." — [abc]. Also see NSW [www], SA [www], Vic [www] roads.

13 November 2022 (#22/23): Brazilian F1 Grand Prix, Interlagos.

Results: 1. George Russell [Mercedes]. 2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), 3. Carlos Sainz [Ferrari]. Mercedes finally seem to have found their mojo. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

12-13 November 2022, .vic: Bendigo Swap Meet, Bendigo Show Grounds [www]. "The Swap Meet 12-13 Nov. 2022 has been cancelled due to the Showgrounds being used to provide accommodation for people affected by the floods."

11-13 November 2022: Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham, uk [www].

11 November 2022, recall #REC-005553: "Volvo Model Year 2022 and 2023 XC60 Recharge and XC90 Recharge ... A software programming error in the Engine Control Module may cause the combustion engine to not restart whilst driving. This condition, with a depleted High Voltage battery, could lead to a loss of motive power. ..." — .gov.au [www].

11 November 2022: "Severe thunderstorms, heavy rain and humid conditions across eastern Australia and major flooding continues across NSW ..." — [bom]. Also see NSW [www] roads.

9 November 2022: RM Sotheby's auction of a 2003 F1 Ferrari F2003-GA, 3-litre V10, chassis #229 (sold chf 14,630,000), which Michael Schumacher raced on his way to his 6th F1 Drivers' World Championship — RM Sotheby's [www]. Part of Sotheby's Luxury Week, Geneva.

8 November 2022, usa: The "mid-term" elections, e.g., [abc][10/11] & [13/11], [bbc] & [10/11], [NYT][9/11], [WP][9/11].

7 November 2022, .au: "RACV's Annual Car Running Costs Survey has revealed Victoria's cheapest car to own and operate is the MG3 Core light Hatch, costing motorists au$734.84 per month. ..." — RACV [www].

6-18 November 2022: UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt [www].

6 November 2022, .uk: London to Brighton Veteran Car Run [www].

3 November 2022: "Major flooding is occurring across much of inland New South Wales and northern Victoria as flood waters continue to cause river levels to rise. ..." — [bom].

2 November 2022: "For Australia as a whole, October [2022] rainfall was the second-highest on record. ... highest on record for large parts of the Murray-Darling Basin in New South Wales and Victoria. ..." — [bom].

1 November 2022: Melbourne Cup, won by 'Gold Trip'. The day was cold (13°C) and wet and snow fell in alpine regions, e.g., 25cm at Mt. Buller.

1 November 2022, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 630,547,617, total deaths 6,590,410;  — JHU [www][1/11].

31 October 2022: "... NSW and Murray-Darling Basin record wettest October on record ..." — [abc].

30 October 2022 (#21/23): Mexican F1 Grand Prix, Hermanos Rodruigez.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes], 3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull). (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)
28 Oct.: "Red Bull: F1 team receive us$7m fine & 10% aero research reduction ..." — [bbc]. This for breaching the 2021 cost cap.

28 October 2022, .au: 'The price of diesel is increasing ... Queensland alone consumes about "two and a half times the amount of diesel as we do unleaded petrol" ... mining[!] ...' — [abc].

27 October 2022, .au: "Federal budget confirms funding to seal the Outback Way ... [runs] from Laverton in Western Australia to Winton in Queensland ... 2,700km ... $740 million was [also] pledged to upgrade the Tanami Road and Central Arnhem Road ..." — [abc]. Also see, "The Government is committing an additional $678 million to seal a further 1,000km of roads on the Outback Way" — .gov.au [www]. We'll see.

25 October 2022: "Three versions of all-new and all-electric [chinese-built, SUV] lifestyle model from Lotus – Eletre, Eletre S and Eletre R. Priced from £89,500 (from €95,990 in Europe), choice of two EV powertrains – 450kW/603hp or 675kW/905hp ..." — Lotus [www].

25 October 2022: ¿Back to the Future with DeLorean?

25 October 2022, .uk: Rishi Sunak became PM of the UK replacing Liz Truss who replaced Boris Johnson on 6 Sept., e.g., [bbc].  And, Mao 2.0, .cn: President Xi Jinping began a third 5-year term (i.e., life) in power, e.g., [www].

24 October 2022, .au: Rain and storms headed for southeast Australia as flooding continues in NSW and Victoria ... Severe Weather Warnings are current for Heavy Rainfall for parts of New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria, while rain has cleared in south-east Queensland. ..." — [bom], and [25th]. Also see NSW [www], Qld [www], SA [www], Vic [www] roads.

24 October 2022: Eight months since Russia invaded Ukraine.

23 October 2022 (#20/23): United States F1 Grand Prix.

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

21 October 2022, .au: "Flooding continues as more rain falls in NSW, Murray River peak yet to come ..." — [abc]. And, "weekend weather [Qld] forecast includes heavy rainfall, severe storms ..." — [2]. Also see NSW [www], Qld [www], Vic [www] roads.

20 October 2022, .au: "WA truck drivers allegedly caught driving on meth, without numberplates in SA ..." — [abc].

18 October 2022: "Rolls-Royce debuts Spectre, the marque's first fully electric motor car ... First customer cars to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2023 ..." — RR [www].

17-23 October 2022: Mondial de l'Auto, the Paris Motor Show [www].

16 October 2022: "Electric Mini production to move from Oxford to China ..." — [bbc].

16 October 2022, .au: Bay to Birdwood, SA [www].

14 October 2022, .au: "Major to record flooding occurring across Victoria, Tasmania and New South Wales ... [Tas.] Major flood warnings are current for Mersey, Meander, North Esk, Macquarie and River Ouse (in Derwent catchment) ... [Vic.] Major flooding is occurring in the Campaspe, Loddon, Ovens, Goulburn, Avoca, King, Broken, Maribyrnong Rivers and Seven and Castles Creeks, with warnings for anticipated major flooding current for the Werribee, Yarra and Barwon Rivers, and Mt Emu Creek. ... [NSW] Towns currently impacted by major flooding include Forbes, Wee Waa, Warren Town, Nanami, Jemalong and Barham. ..." — [bom]. Also see Tas [www], NSW [www], SA [www], Vic [www] roads.

11 October 2022: "Heavy rain forecast for south-east Australia as New South Wales faces ongoing flooding ..." — [bom].

10 October 2022: "An above-average number of tropical cyclones is likely for Australia in 2022-23 ..." — [bom].

9 October 2022: Bonhams Zoute Sale (auction) [www] including lot 136 a 1957 BMW 507 Series I Roadster with factory hardtop, chassis #70019, engine #30429-40028 (sold €2,093,000).

9 October 2022 (#19/23): Japanese F1 Grand Prix, Suzuka.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull); 3. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari]. Vestappen sealed the 2022 F1 Drivers' World Championship. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)
5 Oct.: On the F1 cost cap, "the analysis of the 2021 financial submissions of the Formula 1 teams and the subsequent release of Certificates of Compliance to the Financial Regulations will not take place on Wednesday, 5 October." — FIA [www]. (There has been much speculation about a leading team being over the cap, us$145m 2021 and $140m 2022, $135m 2023.)
10 Oct: "... Oracle Red Bull Racing is considered to be in Procedural and Minor Overspend Breaches of the [2021] Financial Regulations ..." — FIA.

9 October 2022, .au: Bathurst 1000, NSW. 1. Shane van Gisbergen and Garth Tander (Holden); 2. Chaz Mostert and Fabian Coulthard (Holden); 3. Cam Waters and James Moffat (Ford). The last year for a "Holden" to compete. (See the [abc].)

7-9 October 2022: Motorclassica, Royal Exhibition Building, Mebourne [www].

7 October 2022: "Recycling battery materials is vital to the electric-vehicle future, but the way forward faces a host of hurdles. ... — SAE [www].

6 October 2022: 2022 is "is officially Sydney's wettest [year] on record" at 2206.8mm to date; see the [abc] and it is only October.

6-9 October 2022: Melbourne Leisurefest, Sandown Racecourse [www].

3 October 2022, .au: "Significant rain and storms are expected to move over the eastern states from late Tuesday. Showers and thunderstorms will increase, particularly over southern South Australia (including Adelaide), and extend into north-west Victoria and the New South Wales South Coast. ..." — [bom]. And, 4 Oct.: "Substantial rain and storms forecast for most of eastern Australia ...". Also see NSW [www], Qld [www], SA [www], Vic [www] roads.

2 October 2022 (#18/23): Singapore F1 Grand Prix.

Results: 1. Sergio Perez [Red Bull]; 2. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari]; 3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari). The race started with a wet track and six cars failed to finish. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

2 October 2022 (Sun.), .au: Start of daylight saving (ACT, NSW, SA, Tas., Vic.), 2am→3am.

1 October 2022, .au: More on the Optus data breach, [abc], [bbc].

1 October 2022, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 617,586,961, total deaths 6,545,743;  usa: 96,385,048 cases, 1,059,579 deaths;  .uk: 23,893,351 cases, 207,908 deaths; ...  .au: 10,239,653 cases, 15,221 deaths; ...  .nz: 1,785,945 cases, 2,031 deaths  — JHU [www][1/10].

30 September - 1 October 2022 (Fri., Sat.): Deniliquin Ute Muster [www].

29 September 2022, .au: "End of [the temporary] fuel excise discount ..." — [abc].

28 September 2022: An "Aston Martin DB5" stunt car (one of eight) from the 007 movie 'No Time to Die' (2021) sold for £2,922,000 at Christie's Sixty Years of James Bond auction [www]. (There is not a lot of actual Aston Martin in the stunt car.)

26 September 2022: It was reported that a 1904 tractor, an "Ivel agricultural motor", from the 'John & Sue Illingworth Collection of Vintage Tractors & Machinery' sold in WA for au$375,000 by Donington Auctions, e.g., see [abc].

26 September 2022, .uk: "The cost to charge an electric car on a pay-as-you-go basis at a publicly accessible 'rapid' charger has increased by 42% ... to reach an average of 63.29p/kWh ... a driver exclusively using a rapid or ultra-rapid charger on the public network will now pay around 18p^* per mile for electricity ... This compares to 19p per mile for a petrol car and 21p per mile for a diesel one, based on someone driving at an average of 40mpg ..." — RAC [www]. (^*home charging may be half the price.)

25 September 2022 (17/23): Russian F1 Grand Prix, Sochi. Cancelled due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine (24 Feb.).

21 Sept.: With his invasion going badly, President Vladimir Putin announced a "partial mobilization" of 300,000 to bolster the Russian army, e.g., see the [bbc]. 29 Sept.: there were  l o n g  queues at Russia's borders as men tried to flee the call-up.

22 September - 2 October 2022: Melbourne Royal Show [www].

20 September 2022: "The 2023 calendar for the FIA F1 World Championship has been approved ..." — FIA [www]. 24 Grand Prix are scheduled.

20 September 2022, .au: "There is risk of more riverine flooding in NSW over the coming days as a low-pressure system moves across the state. A Flood Watch is current for north-west, central west and south-west inland rivers and some coastal catchments. ..." — [bom]. Also see NSW [www] roads.

19-25 September 2022: Lake Perkolilli Red Dust Revival, WA [www].

19 September 2022, .uk: The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II who died on 8 Sept..

19 September 2022: "Prospectus for IPO of Porsche AG published ..." — Porsche [www].

17 September 2022, .vic, IDV35010: "... Catchments likely to be affected [by flooding] include: Upper Murray and Mitta Mitta Rivers, Ovens and King Rivers (Ovens River), Goulburn River upstream of Lake Eildon ..." — [bom]. Also see the [abc].

16-18 September 2022: Goodwood Revival [www].

14-25 September 2022, .usa: Detroit Auto Show, North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), media 14th, industry 14-15th, charity 16th, public 17-25th [www].

13 September 2022, .au: "La Nina event declared – above average rainfall likely for eastern Australia ..." — [bom].

13 September 2022: "World premiere of Pagani's new Hypercar [the Utopia] in the ... [National Science & Technology Museum, Milan] Museum's Sala del Cenacolo ..." — Pagani [www].

11 September 2022 (#16/23): Italian F1 Grand Prix, Monza.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari]; 3. George Russell [Mercedes]. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

9 September 2022: RM Sotheby's St Moritz auction [www] including lot 111 a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Vantage, chassis #DB5/2217/L, engine #400/2368/V (sold chf 1,130,000); lot 116 a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 Convertible, chassis #DB5C/2111/L, engine #400/2157 (sold chf 2,142,500); chf 1 = £0.90.

8-12 September 2022, .au: Broken Heel Festival, Broken Hill, NSW, "Priscilla Queen Of The Desert inspired festival" [www]. Also see the [abc].

8 September 2022, .uk: Queen Elizabeth II died aged 96; her eldest son therefore became King Charles III. She reigned from 6 February 1952 and saw 15 British Prime Ministers from Winston Churchill (1951-1955) to Liz Truss whom she appointed on Tuesday 6 September, e.g., see [abc]. The funeral was on Monday 19 September.

8 September 2022: "Summer 2022 Europe's hottest on record ... The average temperature over Europe in 2022 was: the highest on record for both August and summer (June-Aug.) by substantial margins of 0.8°C over 2018 for August and 0.4°C over 2021 for summer ..." — copernicus.eu [www].

8 September 2022: "Jeep® brand will introduce four all-electric SUVs in North America and in Europe by 2025 ..." — Stellantis [www].

8 September 2022: "Auto Environmental Guide 2022 ... 1. General Motors, ..., 10. Toyota ..." — Geenpeace [www]. And, "Toyota ranked last among world's top vehicle manufacturers for climate performance ..." — [abc].

7 September 2022, recall #REC-005485: "Lexus NX350h, Lexus NX250, Lexus NX350, Lexus NX350h ... Due to a software issue, the Lane Tracing Assist (LTA) steering feature may not operate as intended. ..." — .gov.au [www].

7 September 2022: "Calls for urgent maintenance as Kimberley drivers slowed to 18kph on Tanami Road ..." — [abc]. Also see "Northern Territory road death rate four times higher than national average ..." — [8/9]. (And see 27 Oct. above.)

4 September 2022 (#15/23): Dutch F1 Grand Prix, Zandvoort.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. George Russell [Mercedes]; 3. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari]. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

3 September 2022: Goodings London Auction [www], including lot 5 a 1956 Porsche 550 Spyder, chassis #550-0079, engine #90163 (sold £2,025,000); lot 18 a 1960 Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta, 2,953cc V12, chassis #2021 GT, engine #1875 GT (sold £7,762,500).

2-3 September 2022: Birdsville Races [www]. Check Qld [www] and SA [www] roads. The first day of the races was washed out by unseasonal rain but races were held on Sat. 3rd and Sun. 4th.

1 September 2022: A new Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS) comes into force: moderate, high, extreme, catastrophic, e.g., see AFAC [www] the [bom] or the [abc].

1 September 2022: "Joint hottest summer on record for England ... four of the five warmest summers on record for England have occurred since 2003, ..." — metoffice.gov.uk [www].

1 September 2022, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 602,885,856, total deaths 6,494,374;  usa: 94,516,167 cases, 1,046,148 deaths;  .uk: 23,737,873 cases, 206,317 deaths; ...  .au: 10,031,149 cases, 13,902 deaths; ...  .nz: 1,747,105 cases, 1,894 deaths  — JHU [www][1/9].  More .au: [www].

31 August - 4 September 2022: Salon Prive, Blenheim Palace, uk [www].

31 August 2022, .uk: Ariel Motor Company released details of its 'Hipercar', 2WD (440kw) or 4WD (880kW), electric drive (150 miles) with a gas-turbine range extender (35kW), Ariel [www].

31 August 2022: "The UN Human Rights Office [OHCHR] today issued an assessment of human rights concerns in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region ..." — OHCHR [www], report [www]. Also see The G [www].

31 August 2022: "BMW Group commences in-house production of fuel cells for BMW iX5 Hydrogen in Munich ... series of BMW iX5 Hydrogen cars that will be entering service around the world from the end of this year for test and demonstration purposes ..." — BMW [www]. #hydrogen #fuelcell

30 August 2022, .au: "... knocked down by an e-scooter and her medical bill was $15,000 ..." — [abc].

28 August 2022 (#14/23): Belgian F1 Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull); 3. Carlos Sainz [Ferrari]. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

August 2022: "Audi enters the premier class of motorsport [F1] [f]rom 2026 ..." — Audi [www].

28 August 2022: "What's the typical income in Australia? ..." — [abc]. The 2019-2020 median taxable income is au$48.4K and the mean au$63.9K; see ato.gov.au [www].

26-28 August 2022: The Classic at Silverstone [www].

26 August 2022: "One million people have died from covid-19 so far this year, the World Health Organization [WHO] has revealed ..." — [abc].

26 August 2022, .au: "The Bureau is expecting a wet spring for most of the eastern half of Australia ... several climate influences including a negative Indian Ocean Dipole event to the west and the chance of a La Nina returning this spring increasing to around 70%. ..." — [bom].

26 August 2022: California will, by 2035, require all new cars sold to produce "Zero Emissions"; see .ca.gov [www].

24 August 2022: Six months since Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 Feb.  (1 Aug.: "Ravil Maganov: Russian Lukoil chief dies in 'fall from hospital window' ..." — [bbc].

21 August 2022: Pebble Beach Concours, USA [www].

20 August 2022: The limited (99) edition Bugatti 'Mistral' roadster (open) is said to be B's last internal combustion engined car — B [www]. (Or maybe there will be a hybrid?)

19 August 2002: "Koenigsegg CC850, a Reimagined Homage to The Record-Shattering CC8S, Unveiled in Monterey ... twin-turbo 5.0-liter V8 ..." — K [www].

20 August 2022 (Sat.) .au: Henley on Todd Regatta [www].

19-21 August 2022, .au: National 4x4 Show Melbourne Showgrounds [www].

19-20 August 2022: Gooding's Pebble Beach auction [www], including lot 33 a 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Atalante (one of just 17) chassis #57523, engine #23S (sold us$10,345,000); lot 188 a 1961 Land-Rover Series IIa station wagon, chassis #144102617 (sold us$100,800).

19-20 August 2022: RM Sotheby's Monterey auction [www] including lot 141 the 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C "Tulipwood" Torpedo by Nieuport-Astra, chassis #11012, engine #320001 (sold us$9,245,000; lot 342 1998 Ferrari F300 3-litre V10 F1 race car, chassis #187 (sold us$6,220,000); lot 355 a 1955 Ferrari 410 Sport Spider by Scaglietti, 4.9-litre V12, chassis #0598 CM, engine #0598 CM; (sold us$22,005,000).

19 August 2022: Bonhams Quail Lodge auction [www], including lot 50 a 1955 Ferrari 250 Europa GT, chassis #0427 GT, engine #0427 GT (sold for us$2,095,000); lot 89 a 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S, chassis #4170, engine #30411 (sold for us$1,957,500).

19 August 2022, .au: "Accelerating Australia's electric vehicle potential ... A discussion paper on the National Electric Vehicle Strategy will shortly be released for wide consultation. ..." — .gov.au [www].

18-21 August 2022: British Motor Show, Farnborough International Exhibition Centre [www].

16 August 2022: "World Motor Sport Council Approves 2026 Formula 1 Power Unit ... increase in the deployment of electrical power to up to 50% and utilise a 100% sustainable fuel. ... V6 [turbocharged] 1.6-litre ... approximately 400kW ... MGUH will be removed ... The ERS [energy recovery] will be increased in power to 350kW ..." — FIA [www]. #F1 #WMSC

16 August 2022, .au: "Climate Driver Update – Wet outlook continues with an increased chance of La Nina developing this spring ... moved from 'La Nina WATCH' to 'La Nina ALERT' ..." — [bom].

12 August 2022: "Earth had its 6th-hottest July and year to date on record ... The July 2022 land and ocean-surface temperature for the globe was 1.57°F (0.87°C) above the 20th-century average of 60.4°F (15.8°C). ..." — NOAA [www].

August 2022: "Antarctic sea ice extent reached its lowest value for July in the 44-year satellite data record, at 7% below average, well below the previous record. ..." — copernicus.eu [www]. (Also see 8 Sept. above.)

8 August 2022, .uk: "More than 100,000 vehicles were stolen last year – as thieves target cars with keyless technology ..." — RAC [www] in news, 8/8.

5 August 2022: "The French government said Friday that it had activated a crisis task force to coordinate efforts to alleviate the impacts of a 'historic' drought exacerbated by a third extreme heatwave of the summer. ..." — eunw.eu [www].

11 August: There was a large wildfire near Bordeaux.

2 August 2022, .au: "Wet outlook continues with a negative Indian Ocean Dipole event underway ..." — [bom]. And, 1 August 2022, .uk: "Driest July in England since 1935 ..." — met. office [www].

1 August 2022, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 577,262,353, total deaths 6,400,126;  usa: 91,316,648 cases, 1,029,926 deaths;  .in: 44,019,811 cases, 526,357 deaths; ...  .uk: 23,515,888 cases, 184,649 deaths; ...  .au: 9,408,261 cases, 11,846 deaths; ...  .nz: 1,622,383 cases, 1,503 deaths  — JHU [www][1/8].   .au: SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 continued to spread; there have been 9,500 deaths in 2022 v. 2,266 in the two+ years before that.

 

31 July 2022 (#13/23): Hungarian F1 Grand Prix, Hungaroring.  28/7: Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin) announced that he would retire from F1 at the end of the 2022 season.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes]. 3. George Russell (Mercedes). Ferrari, 4th and 6th, should have done better. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].) Next race Belgium, 28 Aug. above.

31 July 2022, .au: "Outback in bloom as floodwaters travel hundreds of kilometres into Kati Thanda - Lake Eyre ..." — [abc]. Also see the Lake Eyre Yacht Club [www].

30 July 2022, .au: Singer and musician Archie Roach (8/1/1956-30/7/2022) died. He is especially known for his song 'Took the Children Away' (1990). (Also see [wikip].)

29 July Fri Melb ULP avg au$1.82/l; min $1.62; Diesel avg $2.16; min $2.03; ([Perth] ULP avg $1.79/l, min $1.51; Diesel avg $2.13; min $1.80); oil us$96/b; au$1.00=us$0.70, £0.57, €0.69, ¥93

29 July 2022. .au: "Why is diesel so expensive? Retailers are charging 20c per litre more than they should, fuel watchers say ..." — [abc].
Terminal Gate Prices, Diesel: Perth $1.82; Adelaide $1.84; Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney $1.85; Darwin $1.86; Hobart $1.89. ULP: $1.58 to $1.63. — AIP [www].

29 July 2022: "Bentley Motors today announced ... operating profits of €398 million, up 124% ..." — Bentley [www]. Bwah ha ha.

26-30 July 2022: The War and Peace Revival, Kent, uk [www]. "The War and Peace Show 2022 has been Cancelled. ... next Show: 25th-29th July 2023".

24 July Sun Melb ULP avg au$1.95/l; min $1.74 ([Perth] avg $1.68/l, min $1.59); oil us$95/b

22 July Fri au$1.00=us$0.69, £0.58, €0.68, ¥95

24 July 2022: It is five months since Russia invaded Ukraine.

24 July 2022 (#12/23): French F1 Grand Prix, Paul Ricard.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes]. 3. George Russell (Mercedes). Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) crashed while in the lead on lap 18. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

22-24 July 2022, .au: National 4x4 Outdoors Show Sydney Showgrounds [www].

22 July 2022, covid-19: "NZ has mask mandates and isolation ..." — [abc].  "... [.au] case numbers ..." — [22/7]; "... 80 deaths ..." — [21/7].

21 July 2022, .au: "Caravan industry on notice for poor treatment of consumers ..." — ACCC [www].

20 July 2022, .au: "... action to drive zero emissions vehicle uptake in the ACT ... a new and ambitious target of 80-90% of new light vehicles sales being ZEVs [zero emission] by 2030 ... free vehicle registration and no-interest loans of up to $15,000 ..." — .act.gov.au [www]. Also see the [abc].

18-22 July 2022, .uk: Farnborough International Airshow [www].

18 July Mon Melb ULP avg au$2.13/l; min $1.95 ([Perth] avg $1.86/l, min $1.69); oil us$98/b; au$1.00=us$0.68, £0.57, €0.67, ¥94

18 July 2022: "Heatwave: More evacuations as Mediterranean wildfires spread ..." — [bbc].  And, "The first Red Extreme heat warning issued ... For the first time temperatures of 40°C have been forecast [for the 18th, 19th] in the UK and the Met Office has issued the first ever Red warning for exceptional heat. ..." — met office [www]. (Heathrow recorded 40.2°C in the 19th.)

15 July 2022: "... Options like heated seats are ordered on over 90% of the BMWs sold in the USA. If a vehicle is initially ordered with heated seats, that option will remain fully operational for the life of the vehicle. ..." — BMW [www]. Seems many BMWs are manufactured with the hardware for heated seats built-in but you can pay a subscription(!) to have the option turned on if it was not enabled/included in the purchase price!#@%  Also see the [abc], and Mercedes 25/11 above.

10 July 2022 (#11/23): Austrian F1 Grand Prix, Spielberg.

Results: 1. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari]; 2. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 3. Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes]. Ferrari would probably have finished 1 and 2 but for an engine failure, and fire, in Carlos Sainz's car. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

9 July Sat Melb ULP avg au$2.32/l; min $2.00 ([Perth] avg $1.98/l, min $1.88); oil us$105/b

8 July Sat au$1.00=us$0.68, £0.57, €0.67, ¥93

5 July 2022: "Heavy rain eases over Sydney as natural disaster declared for flooded NSW ..." — [abc]. Check NSW [www] roads.

4 July 2022: Peugeot released details of its 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar LMP1 prototype. Two will compete at the 1,000km of Monza, 10 July, with the "longer-term goal of the 2023 season and its participation in the Le Mans 24 Hours" — Peugeot, Stellantis [www].

4 July Mon Melb ULP avg au$2.20/l; min $2.00 ([Perth] avg $2.07/l, min $1.94); oil us$108/b; au$1.00=us$0.68, £0.56, €0.66, ¥92

3 July 2022: Bonhams Gstaad Sale (auction) [www]. Including lot 122 a 1951 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith Saloon, chassis #LWME1 (sold chf 18,400. Bond's boss, M, was driven to work in an old Rolls Royce Silver Wraith in Ian Fleming's novel 'Dr. No' (1958)); lot 131 a 1951 Bentley mark VI 4¹/₂-litre coupe, chassis #B146MD, engine #BA421 (not sold. Bond bought a "1953 Mark VI" with an "open touring body" in 'Moonraker' (1953)); lot 138 a 1991 Ferrari F40 chassis #ZFFGJ34B000089982, engine #27824 (sold chf 1,955,000). One Swiss franc, chf 1 = us$1.04 = au$1.52.

3 July 2022 (#10/23): British F1 Grand Prix, Silverstone.

Results: 1. Carlos Sainz [Ferrari]; 2. Sergio Perez [Red Bull]; 3. Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes]. There were crashes at the first corner of the first lap with Zhou Guanyu's Alfa Romeo ending up caught between the tyre barrier and the safety fence; the race was red-flagged and there was a restart after an hour. The last ten laps were very exciting with a lot of overtaking. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

2 July 2022, .au: "Sydney braces for heavy rain as parts of the Illawarra exceed July averages in a day ..." — [abc]. Check NSW [www] roads.

2 July 2022, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 548,474,986, total deaths 6,337,805;  usa: 87,821,805 cases, 1,017,817 deaths;  .in: 43,486,326 cases, 525,168 deaths; ...  .uk: 22,941,360 cases, 181,093 deaths; ...  .au: 8,194,909 cases, 9,984 deaths; ...  .nz: 1,358,462 cases, 1,495 deaths  — JHU [www][2/7]. New strains SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 are on the rise.

 

29 June Wed Melb ULP avg au$2.06/l; min $1.98 ([Perth] avg $2.23/l, min $1.93); oil us$112/b; au$1.00=us$0.69, £0.57, €0.66, ¥94

28 June 2022: "The World Experienced a Pandemic - and Initial Vehicle Quality Got Sick ... initial vehicle quality notably declined ... 11% increase in problems per 100 vehicles (PP100) ... Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) more problematic ..." — J. D. Power [www] #reliability.

28 June 2022, .au: The results of the 2021 consus were released; see .abs.gov.au [www], the [abc] and [bbc].

26 June 2022: 100th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb [www].

24-26 June 2022: Tankfest 2022, Tank Museum, Bovington, uk [www].

24 June Fri Melb ULP avg au$2.06/l; min $2.00 ([Perth] avg $2.01/l, min $1.95); oil us$104/b; au$1.00=us$0.69, £0.56, €0.66, ¥93

23-26 June 2022: Goodwood Festival of Speed (FoS) [www].

22 June 2022, .au: "La Nina ends with potential return later in 2022 ... Currently, the IOD is neutral. But all climate model outlooks surveyed suggest a negative IOD is likely to form in the coming months. Rainfall across eastern and southern Australia is typically above average during winter and spring during a negative IOD ..." — [bom].

19 June 2022: "Australians dudded by faulty [Toyota] HiLux, Prado and Fortuner vehicles able to apply for compensation ..." — [abc].

19 June Sun Melb ULP avg au$2.09/l; min $1.80 ([Perth] avg $2.08/l, min $1.89); oil us$110/b

17 June Fri au$1.00=us$0.70, £0.57, €0.67, ¥94

19 June 2022 (#9/23): Canadian F1 Grand Prix, Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Carlos Sainz [Ferrari]; 3. Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes]. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) started from p19 due to penalties from using too many engine parts and finished 5th. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)
16 June 2022: "... the FIA ... has decided that, in the interests of the safety, it is necessary to intervene to require that the teams make the necessary adjustments to reduce or to eliminate [porpoising]. ..." — FIA [www].

16 June 2022: "... The first full electric Ferrari will be unveiled in 2025, as previously announced. ... By 2026, the product offering will be 40% ICE, 60% hybrid and full electric. ..." — Ferrari [www].

15 June 2022, .uk: "... assessment suggests 1,600-1,900km (~30%) of England's shoreline currently designated as a 'Hold-the-Line' policy is likely to see increasing pressure to realign (assuming a rise in Global Mean Surface Temperature of between 2 and 4°C by 2100) with implications for ~120,000-160,000 residential and non-residential properties by the 2050s. ..." — 'Responding to climate change around England's coast – The scale of the transformational challenge', P. Sayers et al, Ocean & Coastal Management, vol.225, pp.106187, [www] or [www]. Also see the [bbc].

14 June Tue Melb ULP avg au$2.15/l; min $1.83 ([Perth] avg $1.89/l, min $1.85); oil us$121/b; au$1.00=us$0.70, £0.57, €0.67, ¥94

13 June 2022, .vic: Queen's Birthday holiday (Monday).

12 June 2022 (#8/23): Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix, Baku.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull); 3. George Russell [Mercedes]. Both Ferraris retired with engine problems. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

11-12 June 2022: The 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans [www]. 1. Sebastien Buemi, Brendon Hartley and Ryo Hirakawa (Toyota GR010) 380 laps, 5,117km, 215.4km/h; 2. Mike Conway, Kamui Kobyashi and Jose Maria Lopez (Toyota GR010) 380 laps; 3. Ryan Briscoe, Franck Mailleux and Richard Westbrook (Glickenhaus 007) 375 laps;

10-13 June 2022, .au: Finke Desert Race [www].

9 June Thu Melb ULP avg au$2.10/l; min $1.83 ([Perth] avg $1.94/l, min $1.85); oil us$122/b; au$1.00=us$0.72, £0.57, €0.67, ¥96

9 June 2022, .uk: "... Average [petrol] price at £1.8073/litre ...: — The G [www].

6 June 2022, .au: "Birdsville cut off from south by rising floodwaters ..." — [abc]. Check Qld [www], SA [www] roads.

6 June 2022, recall #REC-005448: "Hyundai Ioniq 5 (NE) 2021-2022. Due to a software issue with the Shift Control Unit (SCU), the parking pawl (P) may fail. This could result in vehicle moving or rolling away whilst engaged in park position." — .gov.au [www].

5 June 2022: "Mercedes-Benz issues global recall of one million older cars ..." — The G [www].

4 June Sat Melb ULP avg au$1.94/l; min $1.83 ([Perth] avg $2.04/l, min $1.85); oil us$119/b

3 June Fri au$1.00=us$0.73, £0.58, €0.67, ¥94

3 June 2022, .au: "Big weekend of snow ahead with perfect conditions predicted, as ski season starts early in some parts ... A number of ski resorts in the alps are opening earlier than anticipated, including Perisher, Falls Creek, Mount Buller, and Mount Hotham. ..." — [abc].

2-5 June 2022 (Thu.-Sun.), .uk: Four-day bank holiday celebrating the Platinum^* Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, e.g., see [bbc]. (^* 70th of reign.)

1 June 2022: "The new Mercedes-AMG ONE: Formula 1 technology for the road ... one combustion engine and four electric motors, with a top speed capped at 352 km/h ..." — Mercedes [www]. (Includes an F1 1.6 V6 engine and hybrid system.)

1 June 2022, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 529,860,442, total deaths 6,292,188;  usa: 84,169,795 cases, 1,006,964 deaths;  .in: 43,158,087 cases, 524,630 deaths; ...  .uk: 22,486,997 cases, 179,322 deaths; ...  .au: 7,294,437 cases, 8,547 deaths; ...  .nz: 1,168,156 cases, 1,129 deaths  — JHU [www][1/6]. Flu cases increased because there is little immunity in the population due of social-distancing measures over the last two years.

 

31 May 2022: Land-Rover introduced the '130' version of the (2019) Defender – the same wheelbase as the '110' but a longer rear overhang with more room for the third row of seats and some luggage space. See JLR [www].

31 May 2022, .au: A cold spell brought snow to Victoria and NSW, e.g., [abc].

30 May Mon Melb ULP avg au$1.93/l; min $1.81 ([Perth] avg $1.89/l, min $1.83); oil us$115/b; au$1.00=us$0.72, £0.57, €0.67, ¥91

29 May 2022 (#7/23): Monaco F1 Grand Prix. Results: 1. Sergio Perez [Red Bull]; 2. Carlos Sainz [Ferrari]; 3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull). The race started on a wet track behind the safety car. Charles Leclerc (4th, Ferrari) probably would have won but for poor tyre tactics by Ferrari. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

29 May 2022: 106th Indianapolis 500 [www]. 1. Marcus Ericsson (Chip Ganassi); 2. Pato O'Ward (Arrow McLaren); 3. Tony Kanaan (Chip Ganassi).

28 May - 11 June 2022 (Sat.-Sat.), .uk: Isle of Man TT Races [www].

28-29 May 2022: Historic Winton, Vic., .au [www].

26 May 2022: "Alternative fuels, propulsion poised for growth in U.S. [truck] fleets ... BEV ... CNG ... Renewable diesel (RD) ... H ..." — SAE [www].

26 May 2022: "Winter (June to August) rainfall is very likely to be above median for much of Australia, but below median for SW Australia, and W Tasmania. ..." — [bom].

25 May Wed Melb ULP avg au$1.97/l; min $1.85 ([Perth] avg $1.96/l, min $1.83); oil us$110/b; au$1.00=us$0.71, £0.57, €0.66, ¥90

25 May 2022, .au: "Extreme multi-day rainfall and significant flooding affected south-eastern Queensland and eastern New South Wales from 22 Feb. to 9 March 2022. The heavy rainfall began in south-east Queensland and north-east New South Wales during the last week of February, and continued further south into eastern New South Wales in March ... multiple sites recording over 1 metre of rainfall ..." — Special Climate Statement 76, [bom].

24 May 2022: "Stellantis and Samsung SDI to Invest Over $2.5 Billion in Joint Venture for Lithium-Ion Battery Production Plant in [USA] ..." — Stellantis [www].

24 May 2022: Three months since Russia began its war against Ukraine.

22 May 2022 (#6/23): Spanish F1 Grand Prix, Catalunya.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull); 3. George Russell [Mercedes]. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) retired on lap 27 (engine) while leading comfortably. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) who had a puncture on the opening lap recovered from last to 4th but had to slow with a water leak and finished 5th. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

21 May 2022 (Sat.), .au: Federal Election, Scott this-is-coal, bushfire-holiday Morrison and the incumbent Lib./NP sports-rorts, car-porks, secret donations, no anti-corruption watchdog, #metoo, welfare for big business, robodebt, NDIS razor gang, aged-care disaster, it's not a race, it is a race, no RATs Government v. Labor.

See aec.gov.au [www]. House of Reps: Labor 77; Lib/NP 58; Greens 4; Indep 10; other 2.  Senate (40 were decided, 36 continued) totals: Lib/NP 32; Labor 26; Greens 12; other 6.
The incoming government will inherit, "... Commonwealth government's gross debt will be around $963 billion at 30 June 2022. ..." (.gov.au [www] May 2022), high inflation, rising interest rates and, due to the Russia's war in Ukraine, soaring oil, gas, coal and energy prices (& several unreliable coal-fired generators being down, a few more renewables would have helped). Also see [6/6].

20 May Fri Melb ULP avg au$2.03/l; min $1.83 ([Perth] avg $2.04/l, min $1.75); oil us$112/b; au$1.00=us$0.70, £0.56, €0.66, ¥90

20-22 May 2022 (Fri.–Sun.): Concorso d'Elegance, Villa d'Este [www].

20 May 2022: "The Most Valuable Car in the World: The €135M [1955] Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe ..." — RM Sotheby's private sale [www]. One of just two SLR Uhlenhaut coupes.

19 May 2022: "... In May 2022, multiple cases of monkeypox were identified in several non-endemic countries. Studies are currently underway to further understand the epidemiology, sources of infection, and transmission patterns. ..." — WHO [www].

18 May 2022, .au: "Severe weather in the Pilbara [WA] over the past few days has brought record rainfall for the dry season. ... the Northwest Coastal Highway between Nanutarra and Onslow was restricted to high-clearance 4WDs and trucks. ..." — [abc]. Check WA [www] roads.

17 May Tue Melb ULP avg au$2.09/l; min $1.72 ([Perth] avg $1.77/l, min $1.69); oil us$114/b; au$1.00=us$0.70, £0.57, €0.67, ¥91

16 May 2022: As Russia's war against Ukraine continued, "Renault Group signs agreements to sell Renault Russia and its controlling interest in AVTOVAZ [inc. Lada] ..." — Renault [www]. (For one rouble. Also see the [bbc].)

14 May 2022: RM Sotheby's Monaco auction [www] including lot 126 Nigel Mansell's 1991 Williams FW14 F1 race car, chassis #FW14-5 (sold €4,055,000); lot 156 a 1988 Lamborghini LM002 chassis #ZA9L00000JLA12103 (sold €308,750); lot 168 a 1988 Jaguar XJR-9, 6-litre V12, chassis #TWR-J12C-388, engine #00415 (sold €1,917,500).

13 May 2022: Bonhams Les Grande Marques a Monaco auction [www], including lot 118 a 1927 Bugatti T35 B, chassis #4888, engine #127 TC (sold €2,000,000).

12 May 2022: "Freightliner Trucks' new Class 8 electric [semi-trailer-] tractor ... two battery-size options as well as either a single or tandem eAxle. ... 438kWh for tandem and single eAxle configurations or a 291kWh option only for the single-axle truck ... [claimed range] 250km–354km ..." — SAE [www].

12 May Thu Melb ULP avg au$1.88/l; min $1.67 ([Perth] avg $1.78/l, min $1.65); oil us$106/b; au$1.00=us$0.69, £0.56, €0.66, ¥89

11 May 2022, .au: "Widespread rain continues in Queensland with flood warnings and watches current ..." — [bom]. Also see Qld [www] & NSW [www] roads.

11 May 2022, .au: "The Great Barrier Reef's waters warmed early in December 2021, exceeding historical summer maximums ... continued to accumulate heat throughout the summer until early April 2022 ... A total of 719 reefs were surveyed from the air between the Torres Strait and the Capricorn Bunker Group in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Of these, 654 reefs (91%) exhibited some bleaching. ..." — Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) [www].

9 May 2022, recall #REC-005432: "Mercedes-Benz C63 2018. During a previous service, incorrect software was loaded into the vehicle which could impact headlight brightness, traction control, emissions and engine control systems. ..." — .gov.au [www].

8 May 2022 (#5/23): Miami F1 Grand Prix.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari]; 3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari). (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

4 May Wed Melb ULP avg au$1.75/l; min $1.64 ([Perth] avg $1.89/l, min $1.57); oil us$102/b; au$1.00=us$0.71, £0.57, €0.68, ¥93

3 May 2022, .au: Due to high inflation, the RBA raised interest rates (the 'cash rate target') for the first time since 2010 from 0.1% to 0.35%; see the RBA [www]. (Many predict 2% or 3% by the end of 2022.)

1 May 2022, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 513,482,403, total deaths 6,235,415;  usa: 81,349,065 cases, 993,712 deaths;  .in: 43,079,118 cases, 523,843 deaths; ...  .uk: 22,213,972 cases, 175,552 deaths; ...  .au: 5,953,142 cases, 7,250 deaths; ...  .nz: 941,728 cases, 708 deaths  — JHU [www][1/5].  .au: States continued to ease covid-19 restrictions; see NSW [www], SA [www], Vic [www], WA [www].  .cn: Still trying for covid-zero, there was mass testing in Beijing, and Shanghai remained locked down after three weeks.

5 May: "New estimates from the [WHO] show that the full death toll associated directly or indirectly with the covid-19 pandemic (described as 'excess mortality') between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021 was approximately 14.9 million (range 13.3 million to 16.6 million). ..." — WHO [www] and [2].  Also see, "... In India, there were 4.7 million Covid deaths ..." — the [bbc].  14 May: The USA passed one million covid-19 deaths. #covid19

 

30 April - 1 May 2022, .au: Clunes Booktown Festival, Vic., [www].

30 April - 1 May 2022 (Sat.-Sun.): Donington Historic [www].

29 Apr Fri Melb ULP avg au$1.81/l; min $1.64 ([Perth] avg $1.62/l, min $1.55); oil us$105/b; au$1.00=us$0.71, £0.57, €0.68, ¥93

28 April 2022, recall #REC-005411: "Toyota Lexus LX and NX 2021-2022. Due to a software issue, if the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system is turned off, it may not default to the ON setting the next time the vehicle is started. This may result in a loss of vehicle control." — gov.au [www].

26 April 2022, .au: Outback rain marooned travellers [abc]. See roads SA [www], NSW [www].

26 April 2022: Ford began production of an electric F150, e.g., [bbc].

25 April 2022: Nissan is to stop making cars under the 'Datsun' name [bbc].

25 April 2022: Anzac Day.

24 Apr Sun Melb ULP avg au$1.92/l; min $1.52 ([Perth] avg $1.72/l, min $1.53); oil us$102/b

22 Apr Thu au$1.00=us$0.73, £0.56, €0.68, ¥94

24 April 2022 (#4/23): Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix, Imola.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull); 3. Lando Norris [McLaren]. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

April 2022: "Speedcam Anywhere is an AI system that can accurately and verifiably measure vehicle speeds using a mobile phone camera. ..." — speedcamanywhere [www].

15-24 April 2022: New York Auto Show [www].

18 Apr Mon Melb ULP avg au$1.57/l; min $1.48 ([Perth] avg $1.54/l, min $1.44); oil us$107/b;

14 Apr Thu au$1.00=us$0.75, £0.57, €0.68, ¥94

18 April 2022: Easter Monday.

17 April 2022: Easter Sunday.

15 April 2022: Good Friday.

14 April 2022: "The VISION EQXX ... Travelling from Sindelfingen across the Swiss Alps and Northern Italy, to its destination of Cassis on the Cote d'Azur, it effortlessly covered more than 1,000km in everyday traffic, on a single battery charge. ... consumption of only 8.7kWh/100km ..." — Mercedes [www].

13 April 2022: "... we show that [global] warming can be kept just below 2°C if all conditional and unconditional [COP26] pledges are implemented in full and on time. ..." — M. Meinshausen et al, 'Realization of Paris Agreement pledges may limit warming just below 2°C', Nature, vol.604, pp.304-309, [www].

12 April 2022: "The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries has released CO2 emission data for each automotive brand ..." — FCAI [www]. (According to those numbers, Fiat, Mini & Toyota good, and Chrysler, Ferrai & Lamborghini bad for the planet.)

11 April 2022, recall #REC-005403: "[Dodge] RAM 2500 & 3500 2019-2022. Due to a software issue with the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS). The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) may fail without warning. This may result in a loss of vehicle control." — .gov.au [www].

10 April 2022 (#3/23): Australian F1 Grand Prix, Melbourne. (The 2020 and 2021 races were cancelled due to covid-19.)

Results: 1. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari]; 2. Sergio Perez [Red Bull]; 3. George Russell [Mercedes]. Ferrari clearly had the fastest race car although Carlos Sainz beached his on lap two. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) retired from 2nd at about 2/3 distance with an engine problem, and a small fire. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), unlucky with a safety car, finished 4th. The McLarens found some speed, finishing 5th and 6th. Next race 24 April. (Also see the [bbc].)

10 April 2022, .au: PM Scott this-is-coal Morrison called a Federal Election for 21 May.

9 Apr Sat Melb ULP avg au$1.64/l; min $1.56 ([Perth] avg $1.74/l, min $1.55); oil us$98/b;

8 Apr Fri au$1.00=us$0.75, £0.57, €0.69, ¥93

7 April 2022, .nsw: "Flood warnings for minor to major flooding in the Hawkesbury-Nepean and Georges rivers has been issued for the Sydney area with major flooding possible for Menangle, Liverpool and Milperra this afternoon. ..."; see the [bom].

7 April 2022, .au: "... consumer class action ... where 264,170 [Toyota] vehicles supplied in Australia with defective diesel particulate filter (DPF) system – where defect causes range of consequences including emission of foul-smelling white smoke, the display of excessive DPF notifications, and the need to have the vehicle inspected, serviced and repaired ... 542 In short, by reason of the Core Defect, the Relevant Vehicles were worth less at the time of supply than they would have been worth if they were not defective. The conduct in marketing the vehicles as being of acceptable quality was misleading. The individual claim of DCS should succeed. ..." — Federal Court [www].
And, "... Justice Michael Lee found Toyota customers purchased vehicles with defects [diesel particulate filters (DPF)] and as a result, the value of their cars [Hilux, Prado, ...] was reduced by 17.5% on the average retail price, or more than $7,000 per car. ..." — [abc].  (Also see 19 June above.)

4 April 2022: "... The Summary for Policymakers of the IPCC Working Group III report, Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of climate change was approved on April 4 2022, by 195 member governments of the IPCC ..." — [www] IPCC [www].

4 Apr Mon Melb ULP avg au$1.75/l; min $1.62 ([Perth] avg $1.69/l, min $1.57); oil us$99/b; au$1.00=us$0.75, £0.57, €0.68, ¥92

4 April 2022, .au: Some roads were closed in East Gippsland (Vic.) due to flooding, land-slides and fallen trees following heavy rain and strong winds. See Vic. [www] roads.

3 April 2022 (Sun.), .au: End of daylight saving (ACT, NSW, SA, Tas., Vic.), 3am→2am, once.

1 April 2022: Australia will send Bushmaster armoured vehicles to Ukraine to help it in its fight against the Russian invasion — PM, Scott Morrison.

1 April 2022, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 488,163,510, total deaths 6,142,579;  usa: 80,103,665 cases, 980,624 deaths;  .in: 43,024,440 cases, 521,129 deaths; ...  .uk: 21,309,769 cases, 165,997 deaths; ...  .au: 4,562,895 cases, 6,006 deaths; ...  .nz: 674,698 cases, 314 deaths  — JHU [www][1/4].

 

31 March 2022: Five weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine, e.g., the G [www] and [abc].

30 March 2022: "Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil is gaining popularity as a more environmentally friendly option for reducing emissions of diesel ICEs. ... Light-duty OEMs also have begun to approve the use of HVO in their current ICE offerings. Audi recently announced that its diesel V6 production vehicles soon will be capable of running on HVO. The company claims a 70-90% reduction in CO2 emissions on HVO, as well as a 30% higher cetane rating than fossil-based diesel. ..." — SAE [www].

30 Mar Wed Melb ULP avg au$1.89/l; min $1.78 ([Perth] avg $1.97/l, min $1.81); oil us$104/b; au$1.00=us$0.75, £0.57, €0.68, ¥92

30 March 2022, .au: Flooding in SE Qld and in NE NSW, again. See the [bom].

29 March 2022, .au: With an election due in a few weeks, the Lib./Nat. Federal Government brought down a budget that promised many things that could have been done three, six or nine years ago (e.g., see the [abc]). It also contained time-bombs for the next government so maybe the treasurer is not confident about the election result.

29 March 2022: Lotus revealed its forthcoming electric SUV, the 'Eletre' (the type 132) to be made in Wuhan, China. "Target specification" includes 100+kWh, range ~600km, loa 5.1m, w 2.23m (mirrors), h 1.63m, wb 3.02m, — Lotus [www]. (Also see 25 Oct. above.)

27 March - 2 April 2022, .au: The four times postponed (covid-19) Classic Outback Trial [www], fingers crossed.

27 March 2022 (#2/23): Saudi Arabia F1 Grand Prix, Jeddah. On Friday there was a missile attack near the track attributed to Yemen's Houthi rebels. Sebastian Vettel missed a second GP testing positive to covid-19.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari]; 3. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari). (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

25 March 2022: "The FCAI ... has welcomed $20 million in funding [from NSW, Qld, Vic.] to build Australia's first renewable hydrogen refuelling station network ..." — FCAI [www]. It will take more than $20m but it's a start.

25 Mar Fri Melb ULP avg au$2.02/l; min $1.90 ([Perth] avg $2.09/l, min $1.81); oil us$112/b; au$1.00=us$0.75, £0.57, €0.68, ¥91

23-27 March 2022: TechnoClassica, Essen [www].

23 March 2022: As Russia's war against Ukraine approached the four week mark, "Renault industrial activities in Russia are suspended ... Regarding its stake in AVTOVAZ, Renault Group is assessing the available options ..." — Renault Group [www].

22 March 2022, recall #REC-005304: "BMW X3, X4, X5, 2016-2020. A software update issue may lead to an engine failure whilst driving and a red Check Control message "Drive faulty" may also appear." — .gov.au [www].

21 March 2022, .au: "Tropical Cyclone Charlotte has today formed off the north-west coast of Western Australia, approximately 840km north northwest of Exmouth. ..."
And, "The La Nina event behind [the April-June] wetter outlook is likely to finish by late-autumn, with a return to neutral conditions ..." — [bom].

20 Mar Sun Melb ULP avg au$2.12/l; min $1.96 ([Perth] avg $1.97/l, min $1.91); oil us$105/b

18 Mar Fri au$1.00=us$0.74, £0.56, €0.67, ¥88

20 March 2022 (#1/23): Bahrain F1 Grand Prix, Sakhir. Nico Hulkenberg stood in for Sebastian Vettel who had covid-19. In the first real comparison of how teams had coped with the new rules, Ferrari qualified 1 and 3, Red Bull 2 and 4, Mercedes 5 and 9.

Results: 1. Charles Leclerc [Ferrari]; 2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari); 3. Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes]. Leclerc led most of the race. Max Verstappen would have finished 2nd but both Red Bulls broke down in the closing laps. Overtaking seemed to be easier than in 2021. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

2022 Drivers and teams: Valterri Bottas, Guanyu Zhou [Alfa Romeo]; Pierre Gasly, Yuki Tsunoda [Alpha Tauri]; Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon [Alpine]; Lance Stroll, Sebastian Vettel [Aston Martin]; Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz [Ferrari]; Nikita Mazepin, Mick Schumacher [Haas]; Daniel Ricciardo, Lando Norris [McLaren]; Lewis Hamilton, George Russell [Mercedes]; Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez [Red Bull]; Alexander Albon, Nicholas Latifi [Williams].

19 March 2022,.au: The ALP beat the incumbent Libs convincingly in the South Australian state election.

18-20 March 2022, .uk: Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show, NEC, Birmingham [www].

18-20 March 2022, .au: National 4x4 Outdoors Show, Brisbane Showgrounds [www].

17 March 2022: It is clear that Vladimir Putin is prepared to flatten Ukraine and anyone – man, woman or child – in the way in Russia's war against Ukraine, but to achieve what? E.g., the WP [www][17/3], [abc][22/3].

17 March 2022 recall #REC-005077: "Audi Q5 2016-2021. A failure of the central electronic control data network management unit will increase the risk of an accident." — .gov.au [www].

16-20 March 2022 (Wed.-Sun.): The covid-19-postponed (from 3 Feb. & 2 Jun. 2021, & 2 Feb. 2022) Retromobile, Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre, Paris [www].

15 Mar Tue Melb ULP avg au$2.18/l; min $1.91 ([Perth] avg $2.07/l, min $1.89); oil us$103/b; au$1.00=us$0.72, £0.55, €0.65, ¥85

14-20 March 2022 (Mon.-Sun.): Corowa Swim in and Military Vehicle Gathering, the Year of the Jeep and of the RAAF [www].

14 March 2022 (Mon.): Labour Day (Vic.) [www].

12-14 March 2022: Steamfest, Melbourne Steam Traction Engine Club, National Steam Centre [www].

11-14 March 2022 (Fri.-Mon.): Port Fairy Folk Festival [www].

10-12 March 2022: Second F1 pre-season test session, Bahrain. (First GP, Bahrain, on 20/3 above.)

10 March 2022: "Although reported covid-19 deaths between Jan 1, 2020, and Dec 31, 2021, totalled 5.94 million worldwide, we estimate that 18.2 million (95% uncertainty interval 17.1-19.6) people died worldwide because of the covid-19 pandemic ..." — 'Estimating excess mortality due to the covid-19 pandemic: a systematic analysis of covid-19-related mortality, 2020-21', H. Wang et al, The Lancet [www]. Meanwhile covid-19 omicron subvariant 'BA.2' was spreading rapidly.

9 Mar Wed Melb ULP avg au$1.92/l; min $1.78 ([Perth] avg $2.09/l, min $1.69); oil us$124/b; au$1.00=us$0.73, £0.56, €0.67, ¥84

9 March 2022: Day 14 of Russia's war against Ukraine, e.g., The G [www].

8 March 2022: "The European Commission has today proposed an outline of a plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030, starting with gas, in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. ..." — EC [www]. #REPowerEU (The EU gets 40% of its gas from Russia, not such a good idea after all.)

6 March 2022: "Heavy rainfall expected for New South Wales as numerous flood warnings remain in place ..." — [bom].   7 March 2022: Also Qld.

5 March 2022: RM Sotheby's Amelia Island auction [www], including lot 129 a 1994 Bugatti EB110 GT prototype, chassis #ZA9AB01E0NCD39012 (sold us$2,100,000); lot 142 a 1993 Jaguar XJ220 chassis #SAJJEAEX8AX220719 (sold us$687,000); lot 161 a 1934 Packard Twelve Individual Custom Convertible Victoria by Dietrich, chassis#902011, engine #902030 (sold us$4,130,000).

3 March 2022: Bonhams Amelia Island auction [www] including lot 241 the 1955 Geneva Motor Show car, a 1954 Jaguar XK120 SE Coupe, chassis #675360, engine #F2735-8S (sold us$940,000); lot 250 a 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder, chassis #550-0036, engine #90-034 (sold us$4,185,000).

3 March 2022: "Where key minerals used in EVs come from ..." — SAE [www]. And with Russia waging war on Ukraine, Russia features highly for Nickel and Lithium, and Georgia for Manganese, not to mention China for graphite, Lithium and rare earths.

3 Mar Thu Melb ULP avg au$1.96/l; min $1.67 ([Perth] avg $1.82/l, min $1.67); oil us$103/b; au$1.00=us$0.73, £0.54, €0.66, ¥84

3 March 2022, .au: "Very dangerous thunderstorms forecast for south-east Queensland, flood warnings in place ..." and "Severe weather warning issued for New South Wales Central and South coasts, major flood warnings in place ..." — [bom]. Also check Qld [www] and NSW [www] roads.

3 March 2022: On 18 Feb. the WA Gvmt announced that it would open WA's borders to fully vaccinated travellers on 3 March. See WA [www] covid-19. WA had largely kept covid-19 at bay until the omicron strain snuck in.

2 March 2022: "General Assembly resolution demands end to Russian offensive in Ukraine ..." — U.N. [www].

1 March 2022: "... [Planning] 100% of sales in Europe and 50% of sales in the United States to be battery electric vehicles (BEVs) by the end of this decade. ... present the Jeep® brand's first-ever fully electric SUV launching in early 2023 ..." — Stellantis [www].

1 March 2022, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 436,146,761, total deaths 5,953,918;  usa: 79,021,050 cases, 949,780 deaths;  .in: 42,924,130 cases, 513,843 deaths; ...  .uk: 19,020,880 cases, 161,934 deaths; ...  .au: 3,211,078 cases, 5,171 deaths; ...  .nz: 100,823 cases, 56 deaths  — JHU [www][1/3].

 

28 February - 4 March 2022, .au: Lake Gairdner (SA), Speed Week [www]. Cancelled due to "extreme wet weather".

28 February 2022: "Climate change: a threat to human wellbeing and health of the planet. Taking action now can secure our future ... report, 'Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability' ... " — IPCC [www].

28 February 2022: "Lismore flood emergency ... evacuation warning issued for entire NSW Northern Rivers ..." — [abc]. Check the [bom] and NSW [www] roads. Flooding continued in Queensland.

28 February 2022: Russia's war against Ukraine continued, e.g., [abc], [bbc]. The USA, Europe and allies imposed more economic sanctions (but see The G [www][7/3/'22]). The rouble fell 30%. (It was reported that Putin's 82 metre superyacht, 'Graceful', left Hamburg for Russia shortly before the invasion of Ukraine.)

26 February 2022: A 1979 prototype Holden VH Commodore (1981-1984) sold for au$108,000 at Lloyd's auction, e.g., Lloyds [www] and [abc]. A matching numbers 1968 Holden HK GTS Monaro 327 Bathurst Coupe fetched au$330,000.

26 February 2022: "Mandatory mask rules [covid-19] to be eased in Victoria ahead of weekend ..." — [abc][22/2]. See Vic. [www] covid-19.

25 February 2022, .au: There was heavy(!) rain and flooding in S. Qld and a cyclone watch [TC Anika] for the NT and WA. Check the [bom] and Qld [www], NT [www], and WA [www] roads.

25 Feb Fri Melb ULP avg au$1.75/l; min $1.65 ([Perth] avg $1.92/l, min $1.66); oil us$93/b; au$1.00=us$0.72, £0.54, €0.64, ¥83

24-26 February 2022, .vic: Ballarat Swap Meet (sellers 24th+, buyers 25th+) [www].

24 February 2022: Morgan started promoting its new 3-wheeler, the Morgan 'Super 3', the water-cooled, 1.5 litre, 3-cyl engine (by Ford) is all covered up, from £42K; see Morgan [www].

24 February 2022, .au: "March to May (autumn) rainfall is likely to be above median for large parts of Australia. Much of south-western and north-eastern Australia have roughly equal chances of above or below median autumn rainfall. March to May maximum temperatures are likely to be above median for the tropical north, parts of the south-east, and the west coast. ..." — [bom].

23-25 February 2022: First F1 pre-season test session, Barcelona. The 2022 cars have 18-inch wheels (was 13") with low(er) profile tyres and, to improve overtaking, ground-effect floors are back.

23 February 2022, recall #RC2991: "Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van 2018-2020. Due to a software issue, the transmission park [brake] function may not engage as intended. If this occurs it could result in unintended vehicle movements." — .gov.au [www].

22 February 2022: Russian troops moved into eastern Ukraine. Many expect a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. 23/2: Oil, us$92 (WTI), us$97 (Brent).

24 February 2022: It was reported that Russia had attacked strategic targets and Russian forces had invaded Ukraine.

22 Feb Tue Melb ULP avg au$1.73/l; min $1.65 ([Perth] avg $1.70/l, min $1.63); oil us$91/b; au$1.00=us$0.72, £0.53, €0.64, ¥83

20 February 2022 (Sun.): Victorian 4WD Show [www]. 1/'22: Postponed due to covid-19 (omicron strain).

17-27 February 2022: Geneva International Motor Show [www]. (Press 17-18, public 19-27.) 8/10/'21: Postponed to 2023 due to covid-19.

16 February 2022: New "Mercedes-AMG EQE 43 4MATIC and EQE 53 4MATIC+ with battery-electric drive ... EQE 43 4MATIC ... 22.5-19.7 kWh/100 km ..." — Mercedes [www].

16 Feb Wed Melb ULP avg au$1.75/l; min $1.65 ([Perth] avg $1.77/l, min $1.61); oil us$92/b; au$1.00=us$0.72, £0.53, €0.63, ¥83

16 February 2022: "Tailgating is stressful and dangerous. ..." — [abc].

12-21 February 2022: Chicago Auto Show [www].

11 Feb Fri Melb ULP avg au$1.80/l; min $1.65 ([Perth] avg $1.88/l, min $1.61); oil us$90/b; au$1.00=us$0.71, £0.53, €0.63, ¥83

February 2022, usa: "New vehicle estimated real-world CO2 emissions are at a record low [349g/mi] and fuel economy is at a record high [25.4 mpg] ..." — report [www] at EPA [www]. (Data for MY 2020. Note, US mpg.)

8 February 2002: After the floods ... "Damaged rail lines in South Australia set to reopen next week ..." — [abc]. And, the Stuart Highway reopened; see SA [www] roads.

7 February 2022: 'Gender Differences in Self-Estimated Intelligence: Exploring the Male Hubris, Female Humility Problem ...', D. Reilly, D. L. Neumann, G. Andrews, Front. Psychol., [www].

6 Feb Sun Melb ULP avg au$1.86/l; min $1.58 ([Perth] avg $1.66/l, min $1.56); oil us$92/b

4 Feb Fri au$1.00=us$0.72, £0.53, €0.62, ¥82

5 February 2022, wa: "High temperatures, wind fuel Denmark bushfire emergency ..." — [abc]. Check WA [www] fire.

4-20 February 2022: Olympic Winter Games, Beijing, notwithstanding human rights abuses in Tibet, Xinjiang and Hong Kong [www][4/2/'22].  CCP officials threatened athletes against making protests, e.g., WP [www][19/1/'22]. "Some athletes advised to use burner phones in Beijing ..." — Reuters [www][21/1/'22].

3 February 2022: Bonhams Les Grandes Marques du Monde a Paris, auction [www] including lot 265 a 1996 Bugatti EB110 GT coupe, chassis #ZA9AB01E0PCD39050, engine #00050 (sold €1,817,000); lot 290 a 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari coupe chassis #ZFF76ZHB000203343 (sold €2,558,750).

2-6 February 2022 (Wed.-Sun.): The covid-19-postponed (from 3 Feb. and 2 Jun. 2021) Retromobile, Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre, Paris [www].  11/1/'22: Postponed to 16-20 March!

2 February 2022: "Bushfire emergency warnings remain for Martin in Perth Hills and near Kirup in WA's South West ..." — [abc]. Check WA [www] fire.

2 February 2022: RM Sotheby's Paris Auction [www] including lot 129 a Ferrari 250 GT ser.2 Cabriolet, engine #1941GT, engine #1941GT (sold €1,141,250); lot 220 a 1988 Lamborghini LM002 chassis #ZA9L00000JLA12110 (sold €269,375); lot 224 a 2004 Renault R24 F1 V10 race car, chassis #R24-07 (sold €258,125); lot 234 a 1994 Bugatti EB110 GT chassis #ZA9AB01S0RCD39095, engine #0130 (sold €1,805,000).

1 Feb Tue Melb ULP avg au$1.69/l; min $1.51 ([Perth] avg $1.73/l, min $1.55); oil us$88/b

1 February 2022, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 377,781,997, total deaths 5,671,628;  usa: 74,915,801 cases, 886,571 deaths;  .in: 41,302,440 cases, 495,050 deaths; ...  .uk: 17,429,688 cases, 156,279 deaths; ...  .au: 2,571,130 cases, 3,825 deaths; ...  .nz: 16,418 cases, 53 deaths  — JHU [www][1/2]. The omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 continued to spread covid-19 rapidly; 10% of Australians have now had covid-19.

 

31 January 2022, .au: "Streets flooded and rivers rising as monsoon hits the Kimberley [WA] ..." — [abc].  "Remote Queensland communities cut off after rivers flood in Gulf of Carpentaria ..." — [abc].
And, 29 January 2022: "SA's flooded Stuart Highway leaves road-train truckers weighing massive detour to deliver food to NT ..." — [abc].
The Stuart highway and also rail from SA to NT and WA were cut. Check WA [www], SA [www], NT [www], Qld [www] roads.

31 January 2022, recall #REC-005044: "Hyundai Ioniq. Under certain driving condition the vehicle fail-safe mode may be activated. If this occurs the EV ready lamp will flash accompanied with reduced acceleration ..." — .gov.au [www].

29 January 2022, .uk: Changes to the 'Highway Code' came into effect — .gov.uk [www].

28 Jan Fri Melb ULP avg au$1.63/l; min $1.52 ([Perth] avg $1.81/l, min $1.53); oil us$87/b; au$1.00=us$0.70, £0.52, €0.63, ¥81

28 January 2022: "South Australia makes major emergency declaration over storm damage and flooding ..." — [abc]. And "Thunderstorm cluster approaches Melbourne as thousands of Victorians remain without power ..." — [2]. Check the [bom] and SA [www] & Vic [www] roads.

27 January 2022: RM Sotheby's Arizona auction [www] including lot 135 a 1967 Ferrari 330 GTS by Pininfarina, chassis #9805, engine #9805 (sold us$1,957,500); lot 152 a 1931 Duesenberg Model J Tourster by Derham, engine #J-448, chassis #2464 (sold us$3,415,000); lot 159 a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Alloy Gullwing, chassis #198.043.5500332, engine #198.980.5500346 (sold us$6,825,000).

27 January 2022: Bonhams Scottsdale Auction [www] including lot 42 a 1989 Lamborghini Countach '25th Anniversary', 5,167cc V12, vin #ZA9CA05A3KLA12651 (sold us$445,000).

26 January 2022: Australia Day.

21 January 2022: RM Sotheby's Private Sales have a 1991 Jaguar XJR-15, chassis #021, for sale asking £1,450,000 [www].

20 January 2022: "BOM forecasts a desert deluge before rain moves east, all the while the west swelters ..." — [abc].
And, "Torrential rain across western Queensland ..." — [20/1].
Check the [bom] and NT [www], Qld [www] and SA [www] roads.

19 January 2022, recall #REC-005043: "Hyundai Sonata 2014-2016. Due to a software issue with the Smart Junction Box (SJB) the turn signal may activate in the opposite direction from what the driver intended." — .gov.au [www].  Smart?

19 Jan Wed Melb ULP avg au$1.66/l; min $1.53 ([Perth] avg $1.65/l, min $1.47); oil us$85/b; au$1.00=us$0.72, £0.53, €0.63, ¥82

18 January 2022: "Australia records highest daily number [74] of reported covid-19 deaths ..." — [abc].

18 January 2022: Autoflight (.cn) joined the list of hopefuls trying to make flying taxis a practical reality: "airtaxi 'Prosperity I', an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a range of approximately 250km. It can comfortably seat up to three passengers in addition to the pilot. The certification program for this airtaxi will begin this year, with completion expected by 2025. ..." — Autoflight [www]. (250km would be quite a range for electric.)
Other companies have one-man "hover-bikes" in varying stages of development, e.g., the Jetson 1 (.se) [www] is for sale (apparently us$92,000, but sold out until 2023). Also see the [bbc].

15 Jan Sat Melb ULP avg au$1.68/l; min $1.48 ([Perth] avg $1.75/l, min $1.46); oil us$82/b

14 Jan Fri au$1.00=us$0.73, £0.53, €0.63, ¥83

14 January 2022: End of Dakar 2022 (2-14 Jan.).  Bikes: 1. Sam Sunderland (GasGas); Cars: 1. Nasser Al-Attiyah & Matthieu Baumel (Toyota); Trucks: 1. Dmitry Sotnikov, Ruslan Akhmadeev & Ilgiz Akhmetzianov (Kamaz) . . . — [www].

13-16 January 2022, .uk: Autosport International, NEC Birmingham (13-14th trade) [www]. 12/'21: Postponed due to covid-19 (Omicron strain).

13 January 2022, .au: "Onslow in the Pilbara reaches 50.7°C, equalling Australia's hottest day on record ..." — [abc].

13 January 2022, recall REC-005037: "Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2021. Due to a software issue the engine may turn off without warning and it may also prevent the vehicle from being restarted." — .gov.au [www]. (And ditto for Mercedes-Benz S-580 2021.)

12 January 2022, .au: The Government will spend "$3.5 billion" on tanks "(LAND 907 Phase 2) and combat engineering vehicle (LAND 8160 Phase 1) projects. Army will receive up to 75 M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams tanks, 29 M1150 assault breacher vehicles, 17 M1074 joint assault bridge vehicles and an additional six M88A2 armoured recovery vehicles ..." — .gov.au [www].

12 January 2022, .au: "Top Enders brace for wet, windy weather as Ex-Tropical Cyclone Tiffany crosses NT coast ..." — [abc]. Check the [bom] and NT roads [www].

10 January 2022: "... during the covid-19 pandemic, medical masks have been found to increase attractiveness ...results show that faces were considered as most attractive when covered by medical masks and significantly more attractive when occluded with cloth masks than when not occluded. ..." — O. Hies and M. B. Lewis, 'Beyond the beauty of occlusion: medical masks increase facial attractiveness more than other face coverings', Cog. Res.: Principles & Implications, vol.7 [www] #dating #covid19

10 January 2022: "In 2021, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars delivered the highest-ever annual sales results in the marque's 117-year history. The company delivered 5,586 motor cars to clients around the world, up 49% on the same period in 2020. ..." — Rolls-Royce [www]. Bwah ha ha.

9 Jan Sun Melb ULP avg au$1.70/l; min $1.44 ([Perth] avg $1.53/l, min $1.45); oil us$79/b

7 Jan Fri au$1.00=us$0.72, £0.53, €0.63, ¥83

9 January 2022: "Tropical Cyclone Warning issued for Far North Queensland as system intensifies ... tropical low is located in the Coral Sea, ~275km north-east of Cooktown ..." — [bom]. (TC Tiffany (cat.2) crossed the Cape York coast on 10 Jan.)

7 January 2022: "Electric cars are more expensive now, but it is possible to recoup the cost of an EV ..." — [abc]. Possible but not certain. Bear in mind that 60% to 80% of the cost of owning and running a new(ish) car is depreciation. And also see "Lithium batteries' big unanswered question" — [bbc].

6-9 January 2022 (Thu.-Sun): Summernats, Canberra [www].

6 January 2022, .au: "Diesel exhaust fluid AdBlue surges in price, but is it price-gouging or just supply and demand? ..." — [abc].

6 January 2022, .au: "... A total of 1,049,831 vehicles were sold across Australia in 2021, which represents a 14.5% increase on 2020. ... 531,700 SUVs were sold, which is a 16.9% increase on 2020 ..." — FCAI [www].

5 January 2022: "La Nina continues in the tropical Pacific. Climate models suggest [it] will persist until early in the southern hemisphere autumn. ... increases the chance of above average rainfall across much of northern and eastern Australia during summer. ..." — [bom].

4 January 2022: GM revealed the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV online — GM [www].

4 Jan Tue Melb ULP avg au$1.59/l; min $1.42 ([Perth] avg $1.64/l, min $1.41); oil us$76/b; au$1.00=us$0.72, £0.54, €0.64, ¥84

4 January 2022: "Ford is planning to nearly double production capacity of the all-electric F-150 Lightning™ pickup [ute] to 150,000 vehicles per year ..." — Ford [www]. (Deliveries expected from spring 2022, from us$40K.)

3 January 2022: A Mercedes electric concept car the "... EQS 450+ travelled 422 miles on one charge ..." — Daimler [www].

3 January 2022, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 290,112,377, total deaths 5,443,453;  usa: 55,114,057 cases, 826,060 deaths;  .in: 34,889,132 cases, 481,770 deaths; ...  .uk: 13,309,651 cases, 149,324 deaths; ...  .au: 492,563 cases, 2,266 deaths; ...  .nz: 14,308 cases, 51 deaths  — JHU [www][3/1]. The omicron strain of SARS-CoV-2 continued to spread covid-19 rapidly.

2-14 January 2022: Dakar 2022, Saudi Arabia, Ha'il to Jeddah [www]. Audi entered a team of its series-hybrid "car", the 'RS Q e-tron'. Gaussin H2 Racing entered a hydrogen fuel-cell truck; see [www].  30/12/'21: An explosion under a vehicle of team 'Sodicars' (.fr) seriously injured a team member.

1 January 2022: "Cyclone Seth to whip up gale-force winds as it tracks south along Queensland coast ..." — [abc]. (Check the [bom].) The remains of TC Seth brought wet weather to the east coast for several more days. (Check Qld roads [www].)

1 January 2022, .au: National road deaths in 2021: 1,127 (+2.9% on 2020) — BITRE .gov.au [www].  Victorian road deaths in 2021: 237 (+12.3% on 2020) — TAC [www].

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