In an interesting move, insurance company Allianz has expanded the cover available under its Private Car Insurance policy to include the use by eligible car owners for ridesharing activities. [ + ]

A thought leadership discussion at the upcoming Queensland Mining and Engineering Exhibition (QME) will feature The Hon. Dr Anthony Lynham, Minister for State Development and Natural Resources. [ + ]

There's a new crop of airbag issues for Toyota, this time for its Prius and Lexus models. In Australia, the company has issued a recall on vehicles from the Prius ZVW30 and Lexus CT200h ranges. [ + ]

Concerns raised by NECA and other industry bodies regarding the level of training given to some electrotechnology apprentices recently led to a formal review of training standards at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT). [ + ]

Thin-film solar expert Hanergy Holding Group has launched four full solar-powered vehicles in Beijing at a ceremony dubbed 'Disruptive innovations drive the future'. [ + ]

In case you were in doubt as to how much smartphones rule our lives, a new study reveals that car buyers will not purchase a vehicle that doesn't provide adequate mobile phone connection. The National Road Safety Partnership Program (NRSPP) has published details of the research which shows that other factors including styling, price and fuel economy can't be trumped by an inability to connect. [ + ]

Mobility continues to be an increasingly hot topic, with more than 53,000 unique visitors from 104 countries attending the Mobile World Congress Shanghai in late June. The three-day exhibition and conference featured 550 exhibitors and the conference program attracted over 4000 attendees. [ + ]

Lighting Council Australia (LCA) has welcomed the government's announcement to make lighting a priority focus under the Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) Program. [ + ]

The death of a Tesla Model S driver in Florida earlier this year has sparked a widespread investigation into the vehicle's autopilot system involving the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the US Government and the automaker. [ + ]

The discovery of a new phosphor could lead to cheaper and more efficient fluorescent and LED lighting, according to new research from Europe. [ + ]

Arlec Australia has advised that the company's rechargeable Handheld Worklight 150 Lumen 15 LED product may contain materials that do not comply with the flammability requirements of AS/NZS 60335.1.1 [ + ]

The new WorksSafe Victoria headquarters is being given a substantial green push, thanks to funding from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. [ + ]

ABB will supply energy-efficient, low-voltage power distribution solutions to the new car manufacturing facilities of Renault-Nissan and Daimler in Aguascalientes, Mexico. [ + ]

Details of the proposed make-good by car manufacturer Volkswagen AG have been released. Information relates only to the United States at this stage. [ + ]

The upcoming merger of state-owned electricity distributors Ergon and Energex is having an adverse impact on local Queensland electrical businesses. Regional company Gieger Electrical has notified its workforce that one third of staff will be let go in the face of a reduced workload. [ + ]