2023

17-26 November 2023: LA Auto Show, Los Angeles [www].

11-12 November 2023: Bendigo Swap Meet [www].

10-12 November 2023: Classic Motor Show, NEC, Birmingham, uk [www].

5 November 2023 (Sun.): London to Brighton Veteran Car Run [www].

4 November 2023 (Sat.): Regents Street Motor Show, London [www].

31 October - 3 November 2023: SEMA show, Las Vegas [www].

22-29 October 2023: World Solar Challenge Darwin-Adelaide [www].

22 October 2023, .au: Bay to Birdwood, SA [www].

8-9 October 2023: Bonhams Zoute Sale auction [www].

8 October 2023, .au: Bathurst 1000, NSW.

6-8 October 2023: Motorclassica, Royal Exhibition Building, Mebourne [www].

5-14 October 2023: Geneva International Motor Show [www].

1 October 2023, Sun., .au: Daylight saving time begins where applicable (ACT, NSW, SA, Tas., Vic.) 2am→3am.

29-30 October 2023 (Fri., Sat.): Deniliqin Ute Muster [www].

24 September 2023 (#17/23): Japanese F1 Grand Prix, Suzuka.

21 September - 1 October 2023: The Royal Show, Melbourne [www].

17 September 2023 (#16/23): Singapore F1 Grand Prix, Marina Bay.

13-24 September 2023: North American International Auto Show (NAIAS, Detroit) [www] (13th media, 14th industry, 15 charirt, 16-24 public).

8-10 September 2023: Goodwood Revival [www].

3 September 2023 (#15/23): Italian F1 Grand Prix, Monza.

1-2 September 2019, .au: Birdsville Races [www].

30 August - 2 September 2023, .uk: Salon Prive, Blenheim Palace [www].

27 August 2023 (#14/23): Dutch F1 Grand Prix, Zandvoort.

25-27 July 2023: Silverstone Festival [www].

20 August 2023: Pebble Beach, Concours d'Elegance [www].

18-19 August 2023: Gooding's Pebble Beach auction [www].
18 August 2023: Bonhams Quail Auction [www].

19 August 2023 (Sat.): Henley on Todd "Regatta", Alice Springs, NT, .au [www].

18-20 August 2023, .au: National 4x4 Show Melbourne Showgrounds [www].

17-20 August 2023, .uk: British Motor Show, Farnborough [www].

30 July 2023 (#13/23): Belgian F1 Grand Prix, Spa-Francorchamps.

25-29 July 2023: The War and Peace Revival, Kent, uk [www].

23 July 2023 (#12/23): Hungarian F1 Grand Prix.

14-16 July 2023, .au: National 4x4 Show Sydney Showground [www].

13-16 July 2023: Goodwood Festival of Speed [www].

14-15 July 2023: Bonhams Goodwood Festival of Speed auction [www].

9 July 2023 (#11/23): British F1 Grand Prix, Silverstone.

4-6 July 2023: Birdsville Big Red Bash Music Festival [www].

2 July 2023 (#10/23): Austrian F1 Grand Prix.

25 June 2023: Pikes Peak International Hill Climb [www].

23-25 June 2023: Tankfest 2023, Tank Museum, Bovington, uk [www].

19-25 June 2023, .fr: Paris Air Show [www].

18 June 2023 (#9/23): Canadian F1 Grand Prix.

12 June 2023, Monday: King's birthday (NSW, SA, Tas., Vic.).

10-11 June 2023: The 91st 24 Hours of Le Mans [www], also the centenary of the race, and the 'Hypercar' class appears.

9 June 2023: Sotheby's Le Mans auction [www].

9-12 June 2019 .au: Finke Desert Race [www].

4 June 2023 (#8/23): Spanish F1 Grand Prix.

1 June 2023, .au: The start of winter.

29 May - 10 June 2023 (Mon.-Sat.), .uk: Isle of Man TT Races [www].

28 May 2023 (#7/23): Monaco F1 Grand Prix.

28 May 2023 (Sun.): 107th Indianapolis 500 [www].

27-28 May 2023: Historic Winton, Vic., .au [www].

21 May 2023 (#6/23): Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix.

20 May 2023: RM Sotheby's Villa Erba auction (.it) [www].

19-21 May 2023 (Fri.–Sun.): Concorso d'Elegance, Villa d'Este [www].

12-19 May 2023: The Gibb Challenge, WA, [www] – the Gibb River road by bicycle!

8 May 2023: recall #REC-005670: "Peugeot 3008, 508 ..., 2021-2022. Due to a software program error, the Battery Management System software may cause the high voltage battery to overheat and/or emit smoke." — .gov.au [www].

8 May 2023, .au: The [bom] reported snow down to 700m. "Cold front delivers snow, hail to large parts of Australia with more cold weather to come ..." — [abc].

7 May 2023 (#5/23): Miami F1 Grand Prix.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull); 3. Fernando Alonso [Aston Martin]. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

6 May 2023, .uk: Coronation of King Charles III. (And a bank holiday on Monday, 8th.)

2 May 2023, .au: "Police officer becomes victim of crime in Kimberley [WA], cuts holiday plans short ..." — [abc].

2 May 2023: "Daimler launches new EV truck brand [Rizon] for U.S. market ... initially will offer three cabover model variants, the e18L, e16L and the e16M, ... the Class 4 and 5 BEVs range from 15,995 to 17,995 lbs. in GVW ... Expected driving range is 110-160 miles (177-257 km) for 124-kWh 'L' models with three battery packs ..." — SAE [www].

1 May 2023: It was estimated that India's population (1,425,775,850) passed that of China e.g., [bbc].)

1 May 2023, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 764,474,387, total deaths 6,915,286 — WHO [www]. And on 5 May The WHO offered the view that "COVID-19 is now an established and ongoing health issue which no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC)." Note "established and ongoing", e.g., in .au there are still 25,000 to 30,000 new confirmed cases of covid-19 per week and about 100 deaths per week (see [abc]) – four or five times the national road toll. (Also see [www].)

30 April 2023 (#4/23): Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix. In a new format, a 17-lap sprint race on Saturday had no effect on the grid positions for Sunday's GP. In the sprint race: 1. Sergio Perez 8pts [Red Bull]; 2. Charles Leclerc 7pts [Ferrari]; 3. Max Verstappen 6pts (Red Bull); and in the GP...

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

29-30 April 2023 (Sat., Sun.): Donington Historic [www].

29 April 2023: "ExxonMobil reports record first-quarter profits of $11.4bn ..." — [bbc].

26 April 2023: "... more than 10 million electric cars [14%] were sold worldwide in 2022 ... set to increase further to 18% [of car sales] this year ..." — IEA [www]. 27/4: Also see, "... less than 4% in Australia ..." — [abc].

25 April 2023: "Nikola producing battery-electric trucks, fuel-cell EVs coming ... Nikola's FCEV has five 700-bar (10,150psi) hydrogen tanks for a total of 70kg (154 lbs.) of usable hydrogen. The net power output is up to 200kW (268hp). ..." — SAE [www].

25 April 2023 (Tues.), .au: Anzac Day.

24 April 2023: 14 months since Russia invaded Ukraine.

22 April 2023: "Australian stage and screen icon Barry Humphries [Dame Edna Everage, Sir Les Patterson, ...] has died aged 89 ..." — [abc]. Also see Miriam Margolyes [23/4].

19 May 2023, .au: Father Bob Maguire died. He did much good. E.g., see the [abc].

17 April 2023: "... from 1971 to 2020. This is equivalent to a heating rate (i.e., the EEI) of 0.48±0.1Wm^-2. ... Over the most recent period (2006-2020), the EEI amounts to 0.76±0.2Wm^-2 ...", in 'Heat stored in the Earth system 1960-2020: where does the energy go?', K. von Schuckmann et al, Copernicus, Earth Sys. Sci. Data, 15(4), pp 1675-1709, 2023 [www]. That is, recently the oceans are warming up more quickly than they were.

17 April 2023: "ACCC calls for united front as scammers steal over $3bn from Australians ..." — ACCC #36/23 [www] (including a new report).

16 April 2023: Chinese F1 Grand Prix. 12/'22: Cancelled due to covid-19 restriction.

14 April 2023, .uk: "Ford launches hands-free driving on UK motorways ..." — [bbc]. This is at the SAE's 'level 2' partial automation. 'BlueCruise' has been available in N. America since 2021; see 14 April 2021.

13 April 2023, .au: "Severe Tropical Cyclone Ilsa is now at category 5 intensity. It will cross the coast between Port Hedland and Wallal Downs [WA] later tonight or early on Friday [14th] morning. ..." — [bom]. Also see the [abc], "... there had been extreme wind gusts of up to 274kph ..." [14/4] , and WA [www], NT [www] & SA [www] roads.

12-16 April 2023: TechnoClassica, Essen [www].

11 April 2023: "Medium-duty electric trucks dominate at NTEA [www] show ... Mack MD Electric ... Blue Arc Crew Cab ... Isuzu N-Series EV ... Hino M5e and L6e EVs ..." — SAE [www].

10 April 2023: "Cold snap sweeping the east coast of Australia expected to linger ..." — [abc]. There was snow in the alps.
And, "The tropical low developing slowly off the Kimberley coast [WA] is expected to reach tropical cyclone strength during Tuesday [11th] afternoon or evening. Severe coastal impact likely late in the week. ..." — [bom]. And 11/4: TC Ilsa declared, expected to cross the coast between Port Hedland and Broome on the 13th or 14th.

10 April 2023: Easter Monday.

  9 April 2023: Easter Sunday.

  7 April 2023: Good Friday

7-16 April 2023: New York Auto Show [www].

2 April 2023 (#3/23): Australian F1 Grand Prix.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Lewis Hamilton [Mercedes]; 3. Fernando Alonso [Aston Martin]. It was a race of many incidents. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

2 April 2023, Sun., .au: Daylight saving time ends where applicable (ACT, NSW, SA, Tas., Vic.) 3am→2am.

30 March 2023, .au: "For April to June, below median rainfall is likely to very likely (60% to greater than 80% chance) for the majority of Australia [and] maximum temperatures are very likely (greater than 80% chance) to be warmer than median for most of Australia. ..." — [bom].

29 March 2023: "New cars sold in EU must be zero-emission from 2035 ... The EU will say how sales of e-fuel-only cars can continue later this year. ..." — [bbc]. Also see 15 Feb. below.

26 March 2023, .au: Booleroo Rally, Steam and Traction Engine Preservation Society, Booleroo Centre, SA 5482 [www]. (Also see museums.)

25-26 March 2023, .au: Clunes Book Town Festival [www] Vic..

25 March 2023, .au: "International factors kept diesel prices significantly higher than petrol prices ... Quarterly average retail petrol prices in the five largest cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth) were 182.7cpl, an increase of 5.0cpl from the September quarter 2022. Average retail diesel prices were 222.9cpl in the quarter, more than 40.0cpl higher than average petrol prices. ... due to the higher international refined diesel prices since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. ..." — ACCC [www].

24-26 March 2023, .uk: Practical Classics Classic Car & Restoration Show, NEC, Birmingham [www].

March 2023, .au: The FCAI [www] released a report on Zero and Low Emission Vehicles [www] including sales figures for 2022, Electric: Tesla Model 3 10,877, Model Y 8,727, ...; PHEV: MG HS 1,554, Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross 926, ...; Hybrid: Toyota RAV4 hybrid 26,547, Corolla hybrid 17,585, .... Just over one million vehicles were sold in 2022 – see 5 Jan. below.

20 March 2023: 6th Assessment Report, "Urgent climate action can secure a liveable future for all ..." — IPCC [www] and other reports [www]. Also see the [bbc].

19 March 2023 (#2/23): Saudi Arabian F1 Grand Prix.

Results: 1. Sergio Perez [Red Bull]; 2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull); 3. Fernando Alonso [Aston Martin]. The Mercedes were 4th and 5th. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

17-19 March 2023, .au: National 4x4 Outdoors Show Brisbane Showgrounds [www].

15 March 2023, .au: "Flooding emergency leaves north-west Queensland evacuees stranded far from home ..." — [abc]. Also see Qld [www] roads.

14 March 2023: "Australian nuclear submarine program to cost up to $368b [over 30 years] as AUKUS details unveiled in the US ..." — [abc]. Should that be "at least" rather than "up to"?

13-19 March 2023, .au: Corowa Swim In, 'Year of the Heavy Metal and Military Kit,' [www].

13 March 2023:i, .au: "Right to repair changes floated as frustrated farmers count cost of harvest delays ..." — [abc]. The situation with private cars improved with the 'The Competition and Consumer Amendment (Motor Vehicle Service and Repair Information Sharing Scheme) Bill 2021' – see 18 June 2021 – and farmers want the same or similar for farm machinery.

13 March 2023: "Saudi Arabia oil giant Aramco records historic $US161 billion profit ..." — [abc].

13 March 2023 (Mon.): Labour Day, Vic..

11-13 March 2023: Steamfest, National Steam Centre, Scoresby, Melbourne, Vic. [www].

10-13 March 2023 (Fri-Mon): Port Fairy Folk Festival [www].

9 March 2013, .uk: "Snow and travel delays expected as Arctic blast hits UK ..." — [bbc].

9 March 2013, .au: "Unprecedented flooding sparks evacuations in north-west Queensland, Gulf of Carpentaria ..." — [abc]. Also see Qld [www] roads.

9 March 2023, .au: "2023 'Drive' Car of the Year revealed ..." — The Age [www]. It was a 'ute' for the first time, and not the Toyota Hilux but rather the Ford Ranger (made in Thailand).

8 March 2023: "Tesla's FSD recall impacts AV industry. The automaker's recall of its Full Self Driving Beta leaves a significant dent in automated driving's credibility. ..." — SAE [www].

6 March 2023, .au: "Hyzon Motors unveiled today its heavy rigid truck platform, an Australian locally designed and built hydrogen fuel cell electric truck. ..." — RACV [www].

5 March 2023 (#1/23): Bahrain F1 Grand Prix.

Results: 1. Max Verstappen [Red Bull]; 2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull); 3. Fernando Alonso [Aston Martin]. Over winter it seems that Red Bull have maintained their superiority from 2022, Aston-Martin have improved, Ferrari and Mercedes have trodden water and McLaren has gone backwards. (Also see the FIA [www] and the [bbc].)

3 March 2023, .au: Terminal gate prices, ULP $1.71/l (Perth) to $1.78/l (Hobart), diesel $1.78/l (Perth) to $1.86/l (Hobart) — AIP [www]. (Diesel has been seen, at the pump, slightly cheaper than ULP, very occasionally.)

2-5 March 2023 (Thurs.-Sun.): Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance Amelia Island FL US [www].

4 March 2023: RM Sotheby's Amelia Island auction [www] including lot 120 a 1965 Aston Martin DB5, chassis #DB5/2270/L, engine #400/2321 (sold us$1,352,500); lot 135 a 1931 Duesenberg Model J 'Disappearing Top' Convertible Coupe by Murphy, chassis #2414, engine #J-395J (sold us$4,295,000); lot 149 a 1934 Tatra T77, chassis #23014 (sold us$390,000).

2-3 March 2023: Goodings Amelia Island Auction [www], including lot 22 a 1953 Ferrari 250 MM Spider (open) ser.2, 2,953cc V12, chassis #0274MM, engine #0274MM (sold us$3,525,000); lot 25 a 1990 Ferrari F40 (US spec.), chassis #ZFFMN34A0L0086620 (sold us$3,085,000); lot 118 a 1937 Cord 812/S Cabriolet 'Sportsman', chassis #31950F, engine #FC3008 (sold us$412,000).

2 March 2023: Bonhams Amelia Island Auction [www], including lot 174 a 1959 Lister-Jaguar Sports racing two-seater, chassis #BHL 125, 3,781cc I6 (sold us$775,000).

2 March 2023: "A dry autumn forecast for most of Australia ..." — [bom].

1 March 2023, .de: "The new [2nd gen.] Volkswagen ID.3" [www] "16.0-15.3kWh/100km" — VW.

1 March 2023: "Electric ute arrives in Australia ..." — [abc]. The LDV (.cn) eT60 is a dual-cab 2WD ute with a claimed 330km range, au$92,990.

28 February - 5 March 2023, .au: Airshow 2023, Avalon, Geelong, Vic., public 3-5 March [www].

28 February 2023, .au: "Two people dead, truck driver arrested after collision on Wimmera Highway ..." — [abc].

26 February 2023: British & European Motoring show, Caribbean Park, Ferntree Gully Road, Melb., Vic., .au [www].

24-26 February 2023, .uk: Race Retro historic motorsport show, Stoneleigh Park [www].

24th: Silverstone Auctions, [www] including lot 429 a 1998 Subaru Impreza 22B STi, chassis #GC806949 (sold £140,625); lot 447 a 2016 Land Rover 90 TDCi Heritage Hardtop, chassis #SALLDWNP7GA487792, engine #1511170823929DT224, one of 400, less than 30 miles from new (sold £90,000); lot 496 a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12, chassis #SCEDT26T1BD003707, engine #3387 (not sold).

24-25 February 2023: Ballarat Swap Meet [www]. But, 11/2022: "... due to a range of factors, the Board of the Rotary Ballarat Swap Meet Incorporated sadly advises that the 2023 Swap Meet has been cancelled ...".

24 February 2023: One year since Russia invaded Ukraine.

23-25 February 2023: F1 pre-season testing, Bahrain (only test period). (First GP Bahrain 5th March.)
Drivers and teams for the 2023 F1 season: Valterri Bottas, Guanyu Zhou [Alfa Romeo]; Nyck de Vries, Yuki Tsunoda [Alpha Tauri]; Esteban Ocon, Pierre Gasly [Alpine]; Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso [Aston Martin]; Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz [Ferrari]; Kevin Magnusson, Nico Hulkenberg, [Haas]; Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris [McLaren]; Lewis Hamilton, George Russell [Mercedes]; Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez [Red Bull]; Alexander Albon, Logan Sargeant [Williams]. Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Haas use Ferrari engines; Aston-Martin, McLaren, Mercedes and Williams use Mercedes engines; Alpha Tauri and Red Bull use Red-Bull/Honda engines; Alpine uses Renault engines.

23 February 2023, .vic: "... Watch and Act message is being issued for Flowerdale, Strath Creek, Break O'Day. ... The grassfire at Spring Valley Rd, Flowerdale has spread to nearby bushland and forest, where it has been burning for several days and is not yet under control. ..." — Vic. [www] fire 10.14am 23/2.

22 February 2023, world water speed record: "... Ken Warby, the fastest man on water [317mph, 510.2kph], dies aged 84 ..." — [abc].

19 February 2023 (Sun.), .au: Victorian 4WD Show, Lardner Park, Victoria 3821 [www].

19 February 2023 (Sun.): Historic Commercial Vehicle Display Day, Yarra Glen racecourse, Vic., HCVC [www].

17 February 2023: "Heat continues across southern, eastern and western Australia as monsoonal weather impacts the tropical north ..." — [bom].

17 February 2022: H2 Green Steel plans to produce 5 million tonnes of steel p.a. by 2030, at Boden, Northern Sweden, using "green" hydrogen produced by electricity from hydro-power and wind-farms to "reduce" iron ore, [www]. Steel making accounts for about 7% of our CO₂ emissions. The World Steel Association [www] reports that 1,832 million tonnes of steel were produced in 2022. Also see, "The race across Europe to build green steel plants ..." — [bbc].

15 February 2023: "Kia, Hyundai offer fix after TikTok car theft trend ..." — [bbc].

15 February 2023: "EU lawmakers approve effective 2035 ban on new fossil fuel cars ... also set a 55% cut in CO2 emissions for new cars sold from 2030 versus 2021 levels ..." — Reuters [www].
And 14/2: "... by 2030, we require that [trucks] emit 45% less compared to 2019, in 2035 this will have to be 65% less, and in 2040 it will be 90% less than in 2019. ..." — EU [www].
But 4/3: Germany and Italy wanted internal combustion cars running on CO2-neutral 'e-fuels' to be allowed; a final vote was delayed.
And 29/3: Passed, with e-fuels allowed.

14 February 2023: "Antarctic sea ice extent sets a new record low ... 1.91 million square kilometers [v.] 1.92 million square kilometers Feb. 2022 ... only the second year [it] has fallen below 2 million square kilometers" — NSIDC [www].

12 February 2023, .au: "Evacuations at Montrose, north-west of Brisbane, as 50 bushfires burn across Queensland after scorching day ..." — [abc].

13 February 2023: "[Ex-]Cyclone Gabrielle lashes Auckland [NZ] ..." — [abc], and [18/2].

12 February 2023, .uk: "Why are BP, Shell, and other oil giants making so much money right now? ..." — [bbc]. It's thanks to Putin's war against Ukraine.

8 February 2023, .au: "Australia's national mean temperature was 0.50°C warmer than the 1961-1990 average, making 2022 the equal-22nd-warmest year on record. ... Nationally-averaged rainfall was 26% above the 1961-1990 average at 587.8mm, which makes 2022 the ninth-wettest year on record for Australia. ..." — 'Annual climate statement 2022' [bom].

8 February 2023: "Australian Brumby Alliance loses Supreme Court case to stop culling [of feral horses] in Victoria's Alpine National Park ..." — [abc].

6 February 2023: "... Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance today announced new initiatives ... new half-ton pick-up ... in Argentina ... two common accessible A segment Electric Vehicles ... [in Europe from] Renault Captur and Clio to develop 2 new vehicles with the next-gen ASX and Colt ..." — Nissan [www] and Renault [www].

3 February 2023: "... six manufacturers have registered as Power Unit Suppliers for the 2026-2030 seasons of the FIA Formula One World Championship onwards. These are: Alpine Racing, Audi, Ferrari S.p.A. Honda Racing Corporation, Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains Ltd., Red Bull Ford ..." — FIA [www]. So, Ford will return to F1. ¿And Honda who are currently working with Red Bull?

3 February 2023, .au: "... 84,873 vehicles [sold in Jan.] 2023, which represents a 11.9% increase on the same period in 2022. ... Sales of battery electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles accounted for 12.28% (10,426) with battery electric vehicles representing 5.71% (4,852). ..." — FCAI [www]. (Also see 5 Jan. below.)

3 February 2023, .au: "Cold snap for southeast Australia, heatwave conditions continue for eastern Queensland and storms across the north of the country. ... There was snow overnight in the Alpine areas of NSW and Victoria, and snow showers will likely continue in these areas today. ..." — [bom]. Also see the [abc].

2 February 2023, .vic: "Summer snow to bring lowest February temperatures in 18 years ..." — [abc].

1-5 February 2023: Retromobile, Paris [www].

1-2 February 2023: Bonhams Les Grandes Marques du Monde a Paris (auction) [www], including lot 554 a 1948 Talbot-Lago T26 Grand Sport Coupe 'Chambas', chassis #110105, engine #105 (sold €2,185,000); lot 563 a 2015 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6, chassis #WDB4632721X228584 (sold €621,000); lot 641 a 1934 Citroen Kegresse P17E military half-track, chassis #10629 (sold €34,500).
Bonhams also announced that Mario Andretti's 1978 F1 Lotus type 79, 79/4, would be auctioned at Bonhams' "inaugural sale at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix this coming November."

1 February 2023: RM Sotheby's Paris auction [www], including lot 138 a 1964 Aston Martin DB5, chassis #DB5/1849/L, engine #400/1821 (sold €747,500); lot 146 a 2003 Ferrari Enzo chassis #ZFFCZ56B000128786, engine #73369 (sold €4,055,000); lot 184 a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT/L Berlinetta Lusso by Scaglietti, chassis #4735, engine #4735 (sold €1,535,000).

1 February 2023, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 670,689,072, total deaths 6,832,807;  .usa 102,345,548, 1,108,472; .uk 24,507,298, 218,028; .au 11,295,446, 18,615; — JHU [www][1/2]. The case fatality rate is still hovering around roughly 1%, with variations, much like the start of the pandemic nearly three years ago, although cases may be more under-reported than deaths? .au: About 3,500 new cases per day and 50 deaths per day.

30 January 2023: "After several months of constructive discussions with Renault Group, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd today announced that, subject to the approval of its board of directors, it has reached an important milestone in its discussions with Renault Group on defining new foundations for their partnership. ..." — Nissan [www]. Also see 6 Feb.

30 January 2023: "... Ford is significantly increasing production of the Mustang Mach-E ... [and] reduc[ing] prices across the board ..." — Ford [www]. (Tesla reduced prices 14 Jan.)

27 January 2023: "Gas supply outlook improves but shortfall still possible ..." — ACCC [www].

27 January 2023, .usa: "Prototyping agreements awarded for Common Tactical Truck program ... the Army announced four Other Transaction Authority agreements to Mack Defense, Navistar Defense, Oshkosh Defense, and the American Rheinmetall Vehicles/GM Defense team totaling us$24.25 million. The contractors will provide three prototypes of each variant for the Common Tactical Truck, or CTT, family of vehicles. The prototypes will represent their offering for the M915 Line Haul Tractor and M1088 Medium Tractor; Palletized Load System (PLS); and Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT). ..." — .army.mil [www].

26 January 2023: Australia Day.

26 January 2023: "The voices missing in the panic about Alice Springs ..." — [abc], [2/2]. #NT #crime

24 January 2023 recall #REC-005607: "Santa Fe, Kona N (OS), i30N Sedan (CN7) & Sonata N-Line (DN8) 2020-2022 ... Due to a programming issue, the 'fail-safe' driving mode may not respond as intended when certain transmission faults are detected. Under certain driving conditions the vehicle fail-safe mode may activate resulting in reduced acceleration followed by a loss of motive power." — .gov.au [www].

24 January 2023: Eleven months since Russia invaded Ukraine.

23 January 2023: "Sun Cable demise shows renewable energy mega projects 'really hard' ... — [abc]. (One might think that powering Darwin, rather than Singapore, would have been a safer bet.)

22 January 2023 (Sun.): Arizona Concours d'Elegance, Scottsdale [www].

27 January 2023: Bonhams Scottsdale Auction [www] including lot 140 a 1912 Simplex 50hp 5 Passenger Torpedo Tourer, coachwork by JM Quinby and Company, purchased new by Harold Vanderbilt for Eleonora Sears (sold us$4,845,000); lot 152 a 1953 Siata 208S Spider, coachwork by Motto, chassis #BS518, engine #BS078 (sold us$1,572,500); lot 170 a 1989 Aston Martin Lagonda Series IV Saloon, vin SCFDL01S6KTL13615, engine #V/858/3615/LFA (sold $47,040).

26 January 2023: RM Sotheby's Arizona Auction [www] including lot 108 a 2002 Mercedes-Benz G 500, chassis #WDCYR49E72X131705, (sold us$100,800); lot 141 a 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari, chassis #ZFF76ZFA2E0207435 (sold $4,075,000); lot 189 a 1970 Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser, chassis #FJ4-092465, engine #F-331937 (sold $64,960).

20 January 2023, .au: 'Direct injection of hydrogen main [90%] fuel and diesel pilot fuel in a retrofitted single-cylinder compression ignition engine,' X. Liu et al, Int. J. of Hydrogen Energy, 47(84), pp.35864-35876, [www] 5/10/2022;  also see the [bbc].

19 January 2023, .uk: 'ZeroAvia' demonstrated a "19-seat Dornier 228 twin-engine aircraft" with a "hydrogen-electric powertrain on the left wing of the aircraft". It was "fuelled using compressed gaseous hydrogen" — ZeroAvia [www].

17 January 2023, .au: "University of Queensland researchers have found a way to more efficiently convert sugarcane into a building block of aviation fuel and other products. ... isobutanol from a renewable resource could be used to make fuels, plastics, rubbers and food additives. ..." — UQ [www]. See [doi:10.1002/chem.202203140].

17 January 2023: "Exactly 70 years after the Corvette debuted ... Chevrolet has returned to introduce the first-ever electrified Corvette with all-wheel-drive and a powerful 6.2L LT2 Small Block V-8, the 2024 E-Ray. ..." — GM [www]. That is, there is an electric motor for the front wheels with a 1.9kWh battery.

16 January 2023, .vic: The committal hearing of Greg Lynn over the alleged murders of Carol Clay and Russell Hill in the Wonnangatta valley, 20 March 2020, began, e.g., [abc], [18/1]. 25/1: Lynn was committed to stand trial, [25/1].

15 January 2023: Finish of Dakar 2023, Saudi Arabia, [www]. (Started 31 Dec. 2022.) Results: bikes 1. Kevin Benavides (KTM); cars 1. Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel (Toyota); quad 1. Alexandre Giroud (Yamaha); trucks 1. Janus van Kasteren, Darek Rodewald and Marcel Snijders (Iveco).

14 January 2023: "Tesla cuts prices by up to a fifth to boost demand ... the company's share price [fell] more than 65% over [2022] as a whole ..." — [bbc].

13 January 2023: Projections by Exxon and ExxonMobil [1970 on] "forecast warming that is consistent with subsequent observations. ... accurately predicted when human-caused global warming would first be detected, and reasonably estimated the 'carbon budget' for holding warming below 2°C. [But] the company's public statements about climate science contradicted its own scientific data." — G. Supran et al, Science, vol.379, no.6628 [doi:10.1126/science.abk0063].

13 January 2023, .au: "Rain and storms increasing in Queensland, heatwave conditions expected for southern Australia and fires continue in Western Australia ..." — [bom]. Also check Qld [www] roads.
And .uk: "Heavy rain causes floods and travel chaos across UK ..." — [bbc].

13 January 2023: Mazda "unveiled the Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV, a plug-in hybrid model that uses a rotary engine as a generator, at the Brussels Motor Show ... 85km battery [range] ... 17.8kWh lithium ion battery and a 50L [petrol] tank ..." — Mazda [www]. The battery covers most daily commutes and the range-extender ICE covers long trips.

12-15 January 2023, .uk: Autosport International, NEC, Birmingham (12-13 trade only) [www].

12 January 2023, .au: "Models indicate La Nina to ease in early 2023 ..." — [bom].

6 January 2023, .uk: "... petrol fell by 8.4p last month to 151.06p/l ... Diesel came down by 9.4p to 173.97p/l ..." — RAC [www].

6 January 2023: "Australia's national mean temperature was 0.50°C warmer than the 1961-1990 average, making 2022 the equal-22nd-warmest year on record ... Rainfall was very much above average for the south-eastern quarter of the mainland ..." — [bom]. Also see 8 Feb. above.

5-8 January 2023: Consumer Electronics Show (& media 3rd & 4th) Las Vegas [www]. BMW showed the i Vision Dee electric concept saloon and Stellantis (Dodge) a concept Ram 150 EV battery electric pickup truck (ute).

5 January 2023: "Flooding impacts continue in Western Australia as Ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie moves to the southern Kimberley region ..." — [bom]. Also check WA [www] roads.
And, "For Australia as a whole, December [2022] rainfall was 33% above average. ..." — [bom].

5 January 2023, .au: "... A total of 1,081,429 vehicles were delivered during an unusual year when demand exceeded supply. Toyota was the top selling car brand with 21.4% of the market while the top selling vehicle was the Toyota Hi-Lux (64,391). SUVs and light commercials accounted for 76.8% of sales and comprise eight of the top 10 vehicles. Battery electric vehicles accounted for 3.1% of sales ..." — FCAI [www].

3 January 2023: "Why do people tailgate? A psychologist explains ..." — [abc]. Also see 'Preliminary evidence of the efficacy of the Reducing Aggressive Driving (RAD) program', A. N. Stephens et al, J. of Safety Research, vol.82, pp.438-449, Sept. 2022, [www].

3 January 2023, .au: "Flooding inundates homes in Fitzroy Crossing [WA], central Kimberley as river hits highest level on record ..." — [abc]. And, "Ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie lies between Broome and Fitzroy Crossing and is expected to slowly track west to be centred just east of Broome by Wednesday morning. ..." — [bom]. Also check WA [www] roads.
2 January 2023, .au: "Menindee [NSW] residents on flood alert as Darling River continues to rise ..." — [abc]. Also check NSW [www] roads.

1 Jan 2023, covid-19: Worldwide total confirmed cases 660,401,092, total deaths 6,690,189;  — JHU [www][1/1]. China stoped releasing data, probably embarrassed by the surge in cases; a number of countries (.uk, .usa, .fr, .au, ...) introduced covid-19 testing requirements for travellers from China.

January 2023, .au, National road deaths in 2022: "... During the 12 months ended December 2022, there were 1,187 road deaths. This is an increase of 5.1% from the 12-month period ending December 2021 ..." — bitre.gov.au [www].

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