GM has announced a new EV charging infrastructure initiative to install up to 40,000 Level 2 EV chargers across the United States and Canada.
According to the ambitious “Dealer Community Charging Program,” GM and its dealers will work together to expand access to charging in local communities, including in underserved, rural and urban areas where EV charging access is often limited.
Involving dealers in this program is a logical approach seeing as nearly 90 percent of the US population lives within 10 miles (16 km) of a GM dealership, according to the automaker.
GM will be giving each of its EV dealers up to 10 Ultium Level 2 destination charging stations and will be working with them to deploy the chargers at key locations throughout their local communities.
Those will include workplaces, multi-unit dwellings, sports and entertainment venues and college and universities, among others. It’s worth knowing that these charging stations will be available to all EV customers, not just those who purchase an electric vehicle from GM.
Additionally, GM will help dealers apply for incentives and other funding and access to programs to speed up the deployment of local EV charging.
In addition to the EV charging initiative, GM also says that its new line of three Ultium-branded Level 2 smart charging stations will be available for purchase through dealerships and online. The goal is to provide more home or commercial charging options and thus help make EV charging more widespread.
All three are Energy Star Certified, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and feature dynamic load balancing. They can be upgraded over time through over-the-air updates with automatic download capabilities.
The premium models include a customizable touchscreen and an embedded camera, allowing customers to set their charging schedule, view charging habits and historical charging sessions stats, and receive readouts of charger status through the GM brand mobile apps.
The first Ultium Chargers will ship early next year, and customers will be able to roll the price into their GM Financial lease or financial contracts.
TORONTO – Cineplex Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year ago as it was hit by a fine for deceptive marketing practices imposed by the Competition Tribunal.
The movie theatre company says it lost $24.7 million or 39 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $29.7 million or 40 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
The results in the most recent quarter included a $39.2-million provision related to the Competition Tribunal decision, which Cineplex is appealing.
The Competition Bureau accused the company of misleading theatregoers by not immediately presenting them with the full price of a movie ticket when they purchased seats online, a view the company has rejected.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $395.6 million, down from $414.5 million in the same quarter last year, while theatre attendance totalled 13.3 million for the quarter compared with nearly 15.7 million a year earlier.
Box office revenue per patron in the quarter climbed to $13.19 compared with $12 in the same quarter last year, while concession revenue per patron amounted to $9.85, up from $8.44 a year ago.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Restaurant Brands International Inc. reported net income of US$357 million for its third quarter, down from US$364 million in the same quarter last year.
The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says its profit amounted to 79 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with 79 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the parent company of Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, totalled US$2.29 billion, up from US$1.84 billion in the same quarter last year.
Consolidated comparable sales were up 0.3 per cent.
On an adjusted basis, Restaurant Brands says it earned 93 cents US per diluted share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 90 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents US per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Fortis Inc. reported a third-quarter profit of $420 million, up from $394 million in the same quarter last year.
The electric and gas utility says the profit amounted to 85 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from 81 cents per share a year earlier.
Fortis says the increase was driven by rate base growth across its utilities, and strong earnings in Arizona largely reflecting new customer rates at Tucson Electric Power.
Revenue in the quarter totalled $2.77 billion, up from $2.72 billion in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Fortis says it earned 85 cents per share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 84 cents per share in the third quarter of 2023.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 82 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
