Cox Automotive, the automotive consultancy that helps those selling cars, has warned that the last quarter of 2024 will be very difficult for brands and dealers in the UK. They have gone so far as to liken the struggles they foresee as similar to those faced in the economic turmoil of the 2008 financial crash. To read more and get a better understanding of what is facing OEMs, click this Autocar article link here.

Caterham has created a separate business that is focused on the EV side of things. Named Caterham Evo, it has been funded by investors as profits from the main business are not enough for the development. For more on this, click here to read the Autocar article.

Ford has announced it is canning a planned three-row large electric SUV, which will now be a hybrid, will pursue a mid-sized pick-up (that’s mid sized for the US, so think Ranger) and will refuse to launch an EV unless it can be profitable in the first 12 months, according to InsideEVs. This will add costs and delay product launches. Click here to read more.

Louise Haigh, the new Transport Secretary, has stated that councils will decide if roads should be 20mph and if areas should be covered by Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTNs) schemes. However, she did say that the implementation or not, needs to involve the local communities. If you want to read more on this, click this Autocar article link here.

Toyota US has had data stolen and leaked. This data included customer, staff, financial, contracts and credentials. There is speculation that the information has come from a back up server as one date found, on the files, was December 2022. To find out more, click this Bleeping Computer link here.

Mazda unveiled the EZ-6 at a Chinese motor show, originally for that market, but is now coming to Europe with a chance it will be brought to the UK too. The design is the antidote to all the swooshes, slashes and dents that seem to be so very en vogue. Click this Autocar

The London Scrappage Scheme will close next month for residents of all the London Boroughs covered by the ULEZ, but certain groups still have until 2027. You can read more in this story from Autocar.

Just when all other car manufacturers are trying to focus on getting software correct, GM lays off 1,000 across the US. There’s an overview story from The Autopian here and one from CNBC here.

Bad actors are placing QR codes pretending to lead to the relevant payment sites in car parks and on EV charging stations across the UK. Keep an eye out for labels over correct QR codes or, even better, use the appropriate app or type in the URL where physical payment isn’t possible. There’s more detail in this Guardian story.

Leasing companies across Europe claim they’re considering pulling out of the market due to the unpredictability of used EV values as new vehicle prices rise. 60% of new vehicles across the continent have a lease component to their purchase, so are the lease companies getting their sums wrong, or is it something deeper? This Reuters story has more information.

Boston is working with Google to optimise traffic light timings in the centre of the city. Thankfully the outcomes are being sanity checked by a human before implementation. This Boston25 News story tells us more.

It still has a silly name, but the new Vauxhall Grandland comes in both hybrid and EV versions. You can read more in this Autocar article.

Lamborgini has shown its Huaracan successor at Monterey Car Week. It’s a PHEV andfaster, more powerful and heavier than its successor, but every bit as interesting. Just don’t get too distracted by the press photos. There’s much more in this Evo story.

BMW has unveiled its M5 Touring. It’s a hybrid, has 717bhp and 1,630 litres of seats-down boot space. It will set you

The EU has announced the rates for interim tariffs on Chinese made cars coming to the continent. These are surprisingly high, in some cases. The differences per brand is due to the level of cooperation they provided the investigators and what state aid they receive. To read more, click this Politco article link here.

To read another interesting article from Politico, explaining how the EU’s moves are very similar to those China made decades ago, click this link here.

Waymo has updated the software for its autonomous cars, with the hope that it now can spot and avoid obstacles such as telegraph poles. We wait, with bated breath, as to what the next “edge case” might be. If you wish to read more, click this link from The Register.

JLR is allocating £1 million to help counter car thefts in the UK. Some of the money will be used to provide the police with more assistance, the rest will be to pay for a new policing unit, who will gather intelligence on car crime. You can find out more, by clicking this link here to an AMOnline article.

Succumbing to the inevitable, Fisker has announced it has applied for bankruptcy protection, in the US. As our Lunchtime Read last week outlined, the company has been hit by mismanagement from the outset which became increasingly worse as they approached making an actual car. Click here to read more, from Autocar.

MI5 has a job opportunity for a ‘vehicle technician’, where the successful applicant will be expected to perform routine servicing through to rebuilding transmissions. If you wish to learn more, click this Garage Wire article link here.

UEone is operating 18 7kW on-street chargers across the city of Dundee. These chargers, when not in use, sink so that their top is flush with the ground, until activated. The idea is that it frees up the pavement, for users, when not being used. To read more, click this article link from EV Powered.

Surrey Council have installed a pre-fabricated solar powered EV charging station, that will be able to charge up to 12 EVs at seven, 11 or 22kW simultaneously. Similar set ups have been installed at Silverstone and Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. If you wish to read more, click this Current News article link here.

FOLLOW UP: TOYOTA TO CLOSE RUSSIAN PLANT

Toyota has announced that it will permanently shutter their production facility in Russia. They closed temporarily in March, following the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces which led to supply issues. They have not been able to resume production since, nor can they see when the situation may change. For more on this story, click here for the SupplyChainDive article link.

FOLLOW UP: INVESTORS WANT PORSCHE SHARES

The demand for the upcoming Porsche IPO has been described as “robust”, with some claiming all of the shares could be sold multiple times over. The floatation is expected to raise between €18 billion and €19 billion. Which goes to show, we don’t know anything about the game of share. To read more, click the Reuters link here.

PHONE HOLDING DETECTION TRAIL

Devon and Cornwall police will be trailing a new system that uses “AI” to detect if it believes a driver is using a phone, occupants are not wearing seatbelts and the speed the vehicle is moving at. If the software detects laws are being broken the photograph gets passed on to a human to decide if a warning or intention to prosecute letter is warranted. Click here for the BBC News article link.

UBER GOING ALL ELECTRIC BY 2030

Uber has stated that it will be going all electric for it’s fleet, across the US, Canada and Europe, by 2030. They claim to be on track to hit their London 2025 target, for EV-only vehicles in the capital. To see more on this, click the Jalopnik link here for a video on the story.

CANTERBURY E-SCOOTER TRIAL ENDS IN NOVEMBER

Kent County Council has decided not to extend the trial of e-scooters in Canterbury, from the end of November 2022. The Government announced, in the summer, that it is extending the trial until 2024 and existing trials can be extended. The Council’s fear is that accidents will increase, although to date one person has been knocked over by someone using a scooter outside the trial area and on the pavement. Click the Move Electric link here to read more. ——————————————————————————-

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Ford Mustang -

Ford revealed the 2023 Mustang and Dark Horse variant, at the Detroit Motor Show last week. The car will retain the V8 and is using the current car’s base. Whilst it will have the latest infotainment system, it will not get new automated driving tech due to the age of the platform. The likelihood is...

FOLLOW UP: RIVIAN PARTNERING WITH MERCEDES

Rivian are partnering with Mercedes to build large EV vans, at an existing facility somewhere in Central and Eastern Europe. They will base the vehicles on two platforms, one from each company. You can read more about this, by clicking the link to the The Verge article here.

Additionally, Andrew needed to clarify the issues Rivian has with the proposed UK data law changes, from last week’s item. If the new laws come into force, then the UK loses the current data ‘adequacy’ with the EU, meaning the businesses need to deal differently with UK and EU data. This will cause expenses and extra hassle for businesses.

QUESTIONS RAISED OVER PORSCHE IPO

The proposed IPO of Porsche, by Volkswagen, is not as straightforward as some are making out. There is the timing of it, which when one looks at the current global financial projections, seems 'unwise. On top of that, VW’s own internal structures and connections in and out of Porsche could make investors very wary. Of particular note is that no voting rights will be granted any investors. To find out about how complicated this all is, click here for the AMOnline article.

CAZOO EXPANSION U-TURN

Cazoo, the online car retail organisation, is retreating from mainland Europe, to concentrate on it’s UK operations and being at a breakeven point with cash flow, by the end of 2023. The company claims it will save £100 million by closing down its operations in Europe, by the end of 2023. Amazingly that is exactly the amount it claims it will still have in the bank by the end of 2023. For more, click the AMOnline article link here.

TOBIAS MOERS JOINS PIECH AUTOMOTIVE

Following his departure from Aston Martin, Tobias Moers has moved to Pitch Automotive as Chief Technical Officer. He will, apparently, run the company alongside Manfred Fitzgerald, the ex head of Genesis. Click here for the Top Gear article link, to learn more.

BMW PUTS ROUND PEG IN SQUARE HOLES

BMW has unveiled a new battery design, moving away from square ones currently used, to cylinder ones. The company claims these will offer an improvement of range up to 30 percent and potentially a 50 percent saving. Click this Move Electric link here, to find out more.

EV CHARGING SOLAR TREES UNVEILED

Whilst called “solar trees”, they are large umbrella shaped canopies, that have solar panels on them to allow for charging of vehicles and properties. They can also be linked together to create a ‘mini-grid’. To learn more, click this link to the Renewables Now article.

FOLLOW UP: RIVIAN NOT INTERESTED IN UK

According to filings in August, Rivian made it clear that it would not consider the UK as the base for a factory due to the data laws, existing and proposed changes. On the surface, it would appear that Rivian wants to do what it likes with owner’s data and also it naively insists on housing all data in the US, which is not how countries are approaching data creating in their boarders. For more, click this Twitter thread from Vincent Manancourt.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES AUGUST 2022

An increase of 1.2% on last year’s figures is a welcome sight, but it must also be remembered that 2021 was the worst August since 2013. EVs continued to increase their market share, even with constrained supply chains. SMMT has, though, warned of the energy price increases adding to the struggles for the industry. To read more, click the SMMT article here.

BMW BEGINS HYDROGEN FUEL CELL VEHICLE PRODUCTION

BMW are building a small fleet of iX5 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for testing and denonstration, at their Munich plant. BMW has been working with Toyota over this technology. BMW seem to think it has a place for personal mobility, whilst many believe it is best suited to commercial vehicles. To read more, click the AMOnline article link here.

RENAULT HARVESTS USED PARTS FROM OLDER LORRIES

Renault is disassembling old lorries to collect the parts that are still usable. This is all part of the ‘Renaulution’ plan to bring recycling in-house and reduce costs on parts and materials. You can find out more, by clicking this link for the Jalopnik article.

FIRST BUS ORDERS 193 EV BUSES

First Bus has placed a large EV order with Wrightbus, to be fulfilled within the next two years. York, Portsmouth, Leicester, Leeds and Norwich will all be getting these buses. Just under half the money is coming from from the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Area grant. More can be learned by clicking this Move Electric link here.

POLESTAR AND CITROËN SETTLE LOGO DISPUTE

In France, Citroën objected to Polestar selling as they claimed the Swedish company’s logo was too similar to the famous double chevrons and would confuse buyers. Following a lengthy legal battle the two companies settled out of court, with the exact agreement still not known. All very silly. Only the lawyers won, as is usually the case. To read about this, click the CarScoops article link here.

POLICE GAME WAZE TO CONTROL TRAFFIC

Police in Surrey have admitted that they ‘game’ Waze, pretending there are more of them around that is the reality to get people to slow down. Whilst on patrol they...

FOLLOW UP: GENEVA MOTOR SHOW CANCELLED AGAIN

For the fourth year on the trot, the Geneva Motor Show has been cancelled. Therefore, only the Qatar element of the new set up will be held next year. This has caused a lot of discussion about the suitability of the location, due to the country’s track record on human rights. As a note, due to the situation in Qatar, this podcast will not cover any aspect of the show. To read more about the story, click here for the Autocar link.

FOLLOW UP: FORD DELAYING SPANISH INVESTMENT

Ford is now delaying investing in their Valencia plant, following the June announcement, due to a “revised outlook for Europe”. The plant was due to be converted to produce electric vehicles. Ford’s statement is on the back of other manufacturers stating orders are beginning to slow. You can read more about this by clicking this Reuters link here.

FOLLOW UP: STELLANTIS TO PAY US DIESEL EMISSION FINE

FCA, now part of Stellantis, pleaded guilty to diesel emission false representations and have been ordered to pay nearly $300 million, as a consequence. We should note that VW has paid over $30 billion for the same offence. To read more, click the Reuters article link here.

FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT FACTORY ON ‘LIFE-SUPPORT’

The plans for the Britishvolt car battery facility, in Northumberland, are being pared back, currently, as the company looks to minimise cash flow out. There is a new round of funding the company is looking to unlock, but that will not be until next year. This throws doubts up about the ambitious targets the company has announced. More can be found by clicking The Guardian article link here.

TOYOTA TRUCK AFFILIATE FALSIFIED EMISSION DATA

Hino Motors Ltd, has been found to have falsified emission data, going back to 2003 for truck and buses made on behalf of Toyota. This came to light following an internal investigation after initial claims were made that information was incorrect in the past decade. Hino have been cut from Toyota, as a result. By clicking this Reuters link you can read more.

STELLANTIS HALTS PRODUCTION AT PLANTS IN EUROPE

Due to the ongoing issues with parts supply, Stellantis is halting production at their Peugeot, Open and van plants, across Europe. To learn more, click this link to an AMOnline article.

FERRARI BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR RECALL

Ferrari is recalling nearly every car sold since 2005 due to a fault with...

Finally Andrew talks to Alan about the ‘new” Cracked Windscreen Family Hauler. They run through the remit, what was selected and what it’s like to live with it. Listen to them be childish about trim names, discuss storage options and consider the best cornering technique for such vehicles.

Captain Yaris Fanboi had a Toyota GR Yaris for a week and, yes, the inevitable comparison happened. It couldn’t not happen.

In this Special Edition Alan talks about the Toyota GR Yaris while trying to say things other people haven’t said about it in the hundreds of other reviews you’ve read and watched. Comparing and contrasting with his own Yaris GRMN hopefully means that was achieved.

To listen to the GR Yaris Launch Special Edition, click this link here.

Andrew attended the Northern Group of Motoring Writers annual event, which was supported by KIA. They brought a selection of cars from their range for us all to try out. Andrew took four cars out for a spin, listen in as he talks about curry hooks, timelines and surprises.

Thanks to KIA for helping support the day and the Northern Group of Motoring Writers. Thank you to the Group for welcoming Andrew so warmly, we’re sure his “charm” will wear off in time.

It’s been a long time since we drove a diesel SUV for The Motoring Podcast, but Genesis was keen that we tried their best-selling UK model, the handsome, not-quite-a-coupé, GV-70.

Alan drove one to Scotland and back to find out what all the fuss was about.

FOLLOW UP: GREY HACKERS TO DE-SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS

Grey-market hackers are looking to liberate options fitted to BMW cars but not activated from the subscription models being proposed by the manufacturer. You car read more in this article from Vice.

DIESS TO LEAVE VOLKSWAGEN

Herebert Diess is to leave his position as Volkswagen CEO on 1st September and will be replaced by Porsche boss Oliver Blume. Read more in this article from electrive.com.

LONDON ULEZ EXTENSION HAD LESS IMPACT THAN HOPED

This article from the Evening Standard looks at TfL figures showing a much lower impact on air quality than expected whet he London ULEZ zone was extended.

ASTON MARTIN’S NEW OLD LOGO

Aston Martin has updated its logo in a bit to secure younger buyers. We’re not sure how that’s going to work, but you can see old and new in this Autocar article.

AMAZON & RIVIAN ROLL OUT NEW EV DELIVERY VANS

Amazon and Rivian are launching their electric delivery vans in a selection of US cities over the coming months according to this article from Autocar.

FORD DEVELOPS EV CHARGER FOR DISABLED DRIVERS

Ford has developed a prototype EV charging unit that can automatically plug in an EV, meaning disabled drivers don’t have to wrestle with heavy cables. You can read more in this article from Move Electric.

NEW HYDROGEN FUEL CELL FACTORY FOR HERTFORDSHIRE

Johnson Matthey has announced a £80million investment in a new factory at Royston in Hertfordhire to make hydrogen fuel cells for automotive and transport use. There’s more detail in this article from CNBC.

MOKE INTERNATIONAL RECEIVES NEW OWNER

Good news if you’re looking for an electric, MINI-based 4-seater utility/fun car, MOKE International has been bought by EV Technology Group, which is looking to invest more int he company. Find out more from Move Electric here.

DAIMLER LAUNCHES SECOND ELECTRIC TRUCK MODEL

Daimler has launched a second electric model, this time based on its urban-focused Econic model and called the eEconic. You can find out more

FOLLOW UP: VW LOSES TEMP CONTROL ENGINE SOFTWARE RULING

Volkswagen has been told by the EU Court of Justice that utilising software to protect engines outside a temperature range of 15 - 33 Celsius amounted to a defeat device, as below 15 Celsius is a normal temperature across Europe. This will, obviously, open the risk of more consumer class actions being taken against VW and possibly other manufacturers. For more, click the Reuters article here.

ASTON MARTIN SECURE FURTHER FUNDING

Aston Martin has secured £653 million more investment, which it states is only required to service the debt they have accrued. A Saudi Arabian fund, AMG and share issue will ensure that the cash reserves they currently have are deployed on their future development and not paying off their loans. You can learn more, by clicking this PistonHeads link here.

BMW TRIALS OPTIONS SUBSCRIPTIONS

BMW are trialling subscriptions for some options, with the ability to pay for them on a weekly, yearly or the entire time of your ownership of the car. This has caused a bit of controversy, but not all are against the idea. Click this Top Gear link to read about the move.

James Mills wrote a piece for Hagerty, explaining why this has been introduced and why they may not be a bad idea at all. You can read that, by clicking this link here.

Drew Smith, writing on the StudioPhro website, adds a dash of reality and caution to OEMs pursuing options via subscription, that can be read by clicking this link here.

TESLA ORDERED TO REFUND CUSTOMER OVER AUTOPILOT FAULTS

Tesla has been ordered to refund a customer, by a Munich court, due to the problems with the Autopilot function. Following a detailed technical analysis, it was confirmed that the system could not reliably recognise obstacles and changes to the layout of roads and lead to braking being applied unnecessarily. For more, click the Reuters article here.

EV ISOLATOR ISSUE HITTING HOME

Changes to regulations over the installation of home chargers has meant there is an added delay. There must be two visits, with one being the energy provider who needs to fit the new isolator to the properties existing electrical system. Until there is a single visit installation the problem will continue with the owner or fleet operator paying more as they have to use public charging points. To read about this, click the Business Motoring article here.

PORSCHE BUILDS SECOND EFUEL FACILITY

JLR is speeding up the software updates to older models of the Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar brands. These are cars built after 2018. Owners of such cars are urged to get in touch with JLR so their vehicles can be updated. You can learn more by clicking this AMOnline article link here.

The UK’s new car registrations rose just 1.7% year on year. That was thanks to another very strong showing from Fleet. Private declined, whilst Business rose 290 registrations. BEVs also increased, now up to 16.1% market share in 2024. The Ford Puma maintains its position as the most registered car in 2024. Click here to read more on this, from SMMT.

Toyota, Honda, Mazda and Yamaha Motor have all been implicated in a new scandal, this time covering safety testing accreditation. They have been found to have submitted incorrect or manipulated data. Some shipments have been ordered to be paused. On site inspections have occurred at Toyota, Honda and Mazda. Click this Reuters article link to learn about the story. For more on the extra raids, click this link from The Japan Times.

Martin Sander, who was general manager for passenger cars at Ford Europe, has left the company and will join the board of the Volkswagen brand for sales, marketing and after-sales. He was only in position for two years at the American company. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

One insurer, esure, is stating that the drop to a 20mph limit in built-up areas of Wales has caused a 20% reduction in vehicle damage claims. You can read more on this by clicking this link to an article from The Guardian.

A study by IAM RoadSmart has found the number of uninsured young drivers has rocketed in the last few years, mostly blamed on the huge increase in insurance costs. There are calls for Government intervention to reduce the costs. To see some of the eye-watering premiums, click this Autocar article link here.

BMW has revealed the new 1-series and a new model naming guidelines. Gone is the use of ‘i’ for petrol models, as ‘i’ refers to BMW’s electric models. There will also be a new top of the range M135, that’s got less power, is slower but apparently much...

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES JUNE 2022

The June 2022 figures for New Car Registrations has been released by SMMT and they are down nearly a quarter on last year’s figures. Supply shortages are the main culprit, with manufacturers having long lead times to actually get cars into customer’s hands. To read more, click the SMMT article link here. To read Tristan Young’s breakdown of figures by the fuel you put in, click this link here.

FUEL PRICE PROTESTS HIT ROADS

Some roads in England and Wales were hit by ‘go-slow’ protests last week. They were doing so to raise the issue of fuel costs to the Government, urging them to reduce fuel-duty to help. Several protestors were charged by police for driving too slowly on motorways. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a full review into fuel price rises, after declaring the current situation as a “cause for concern” which feels quite understated. To read more about this story, click this Autocar article link.

WALES TO LOWER SPEED LIMITS TO 20MPH IN BUILT-UP AREAS

A blanket reduction in speed limits, across Wales is being proposed with hopes to be first to implement this in the UK, pipping Scotland who are introducing this in 2025. This is a divisive subject, with some complaining about longer travel times, the unnecessariness and causing chaos to travel. Conversely, the safety aspect is highlighted, where we know anyone hit by a car at 20mph is less likely to suffer severe injury. Whilst, no one can question the impact safety benefits, questions have arisen over claims of lowering costs, emissions and general safety. To read the BBC News article, click the link here. To read the Welsh Government’s own document on this, click this link.

LUNAZ EXPANDS PRODUCTION CAPABILITY

Lunaz, the up-cycling electrification company, plan to increase its facility to enable it to cope with the rapid uptick in business. They will plan to get 1100 vehicles through their production system a year. You can learn more about what they do and what the expansion will mean by clicking the Autocar link here.

HONDA KEYLESS ENTRY HACK VULNERABILITY

Honda cars, built between 2012 and 2022, have a vulnerability in them that could allow a naughty person to unlock and remotely start the car. Honda has dismissed the issue but it doesn't appear to have been addressed. Honda haven’t dealt with this very well either, when the researchers brought it to the company’s attention. The solution is tricky and we wonder if it demands an official recall? The other thing to worry about is that the researchers believe other manufacturers are hit by the same flaw. To find out more,

HYUNDAI AND KIA RAIDED IN GERMANY

German officials have raised the offices of Hyundai, Kia and Bosch over the possibility of a defeat device being fitted to their diesel engines. Details are scant so far, and the chaps will be keeping an eye out for any updates. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

EUROPE CONFIRMS 2035 NEW ICE SALE BAN

The EU has voted in favour of banning the sale of new combustion engined cars and vans, from 2035. There is a glimmer of hope though, left for e-fuels, which have been given more time to demonstrate if they can be made both environmentally friendly and economically. To read about the ICE ban, click here for the Reuters article link. To read about e-fuels, click the Autocar link here.

GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES INCIDENT INVESTIGATION BRANCH

The first ever road incident investigation branch has now been formed, by the Government, following a campaign and consultation to create such an organisation. They will independently investigate incidents and use their findings to make recommendations to changes in all aspects of road usage. For more, click the Government’s own link here.

NOTTINGHAM TRIALS WIRELESS TAXI CHARGING

Nottingham Council has secured funding to undertake a trial of wireless charging technology, using taxis, to establish if it is viable. Wireless technology promises a cleaner street, with less visible infrastructure and associated hazards of trying to use and get around. To learn more about this, click the Wireless Charging of Electric Taxis link here.

YORK OPENS FIRST COUNCIL HYPERHUB

York Council has opened the first of four “HyperHubs” which it will run, in the city. They will have a range of chargers and aim to help local residents and visitors. This is part of a scheme to help transition people to electric vehicles. Read more about this, by clicking this MoveElectric link here.

SWARCO SIGNS DEAL WITH CORNWALL COUNCIL

SWARCO will supply and run a number of council charging points, that are to be installed over the next four years. The idea is to improve the infrastructure for Cornwall. To read more, click the ZapMap link here.

NEW HOME CHARGING RULES IN FORCE

The new home charging rules have come into force, but there is still a lot of confusion as to what they mean to consumers. myenergi boss Jordan Brompton helps clarify costs and what they actually mean for us in this article on Transport+Energy,

FOLLOW UP: FORD ENDING FOCUS PRODUCTION

We discussed that Ford was considering the future of the German Saarlouis plant, three weeks ago during Screaming In Your Car episode. That now seems to have been decided, as Ford are investing in their Valencia plant for EV models. After 2025 the Focus will be end, which has caused an obvious conclusion that the German factory will close. For more on this, click the JustAuto article here.

FOLLOW UP: PRIVATE PARKING CODE OF PRACTICE PAUSED

In February this year, the Government proudly announced it was introducing new rules to cap fines, have a transparent and independent appeals system and essentially make parking fairer. Much more quietly, in fact so quietly it was almost silent, they announced that this would be withdrawn after legal action from parking firms. To read more, click this RAC article link.

FOLLOW UP: FLEETS URGED TO SUBMIT EV DATA TO HMRC

Two fleet industry organisations are asking their members to submit information to HMRC so that they can see the effect energy prices are having and suitably compensate in the September changes to rates. More can be read on this matter, by clicking this link to the Autocar article.

NEW SENTENCING LIMITS FOR DRIVERS WHO KILL

The sentencing powers have been changed for those who cause death by dangerous driving and careless driving whilst under the influence of drink and drugs. The new limit will be a life sentence. There will also a new offence of causing serious injury by careless driving, which will have a stiff penalty. For more on this story, click here for the BBC News article.

BRADFORD CLEAN AIR ZONE DATE

Bradford has confirmed that their Cat C + Clean Air Zone (CAZ) will go live from 22 September 2022. This will cover commercial vehicles, busses, mini busses, hackney cabs and private hire vehicles that do not meet the requirements. You can read more about his by clicking on the link to the BVRLA article here.

LOTUS AND BENTLEY TO BUILD SOME CLASSIC EXAMPLES

Lotus Advanced Performance will build bespoke, limited run cars based on 1960s and 70s cars. The newly formed wing of the company will also take over their motorsport interests. With limited details on exactly what is being planned there are some rumours of restomod versions of key cars from the back catalogue of Lotus. For more, click this Autocar link.

Meanwhile, Bentley, buoyed by the success of their Blower Continuation Series, has announced they are producing 12 of their two-time Le Mans winning Speed Six cars. They have already...

UK HOUSEHOLDS GET CLEAN AIR MONITORS

Houses in Tideford, Cornwall, along the A38, are having plug-in air purifiers installed as part of a project to understand how bad the air in that area is, thanks to the traffic. The results will be shared by the local council, with Highways England so they can all understand how much affect the number of vehicles have. To read more, click here for the BBC News article.

EXPERIENCE SCORES FOR CARS

The EPM Advisory Council, a collection of automotive brands and suppliers, has come up with a recommendation that cars are scored on the experience they give drivers and passengers, called the EPM. The Experience Per Mile is supposed to help evaluate how positive the in-car experience has been. Aspects such as remaining connected, how productive one is and entertained will all be given a score. More can be found on this by clicking this Autocar link.

MG HALTS SALES

Due to the rocketing demand for their vehicles and the continued effects of the semi conductor crisis, along with covid issues, MG has paused sales of their EVs in the UK. They anticipate being able to take orders once again soon. For more, click the AMOnline article link here.

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If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

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WRC: SAFARI RALLY THIS WEEK

A reminder to keep an eye out for the DirtFish coverage of the Safari Rally this week, as WRC returns!

BRANDS HATCH BUS SERVICE

Brands Hatch Shuttle Buses will run a service for some major racing events this year, ferrying people from Azalea Drive to the circuit. Hopefully this will make it easier for people to use public transport and get to see some cracking motorsport. For more, click here to read the Brands Hatch article.

MOVE CONFERENCE ROUNDUP:

Alan and Andrew talk about their time at the conference and highlights from what they saw.

BICESTER SCAMBLE

Alan has been busy this week, he went to ANOTHER event over the weekend, the fabulous Scramblers. You can hear him give a quick round up of what he saw.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: NURNBERGER DOES RETURN TO ASTON

Whilst Andrew sits smugly with the knowledge his lucky guess from a few shows ago was right, Miles Nurnberger has returned to Aston Martin following the departure of Tobias Moers as CEO. To learn more, click the Car Design News article link.

PETROL PRICES REACH NEW RECORD

Average petrol and diesel prices have increased, on a daily basis over the last week, to new heights. Consumer groups, as well as those of us who use a car, have called on the Government to do something to help in this extraordinary situation. To read more, click the Autocar story here.

The UK is not alone in being hurt by fuel price rises, the French Government are aiding those who have to travel far due to work or to get to work. For more on this, click The Connexion article link here.

SCOTLAND TO ‘DISCOURAGE CAR USE’

Plans to be unveiled this week, from the governing SNP and Scottish Greens, on the transport side of their net-zero aims will be focused on discouraging car use. Being considered are such actions as charging drivers per mile, only allowing investment in road infrastructure if it meets very tight criteria and encouraging active travel. Click here for the MSM link explaining more.

VOLVO ELECTRIC TIPPERS NOW IN UK

The first electric tipper trucks, in the UK, are already working for Fox Group to work locally from their Leyland base. They each have a 93 mile range, are plated to 27 tonnes and use two electric motors with a two-speed gearbox. Click this Move Electric link to learn more.

FRANCE APPROVES ALLEGED SUPER-PRECISE SPEED CAMERAS

France has approved the use of supposedly super-accurate speed cameras that remove the need to allow a percentage of speed for error. After testing the company who make the cameras unsurprisingly hailed that they’re 100% perfect. Equally unsurprising, motoring groups in France have not reacted well to this. Click on The Connexion link here for more.

APPLE REVEALS NEW CAR PLAY

Apple, at their recent developer conference, revealed their new Apple CarPlay, to much oohing and aahhhing by many. In their presentation they showed what a car with it fitted could look like. They also announced several car companies could use the system, This version goes deeper and allows Apple more access to the car’s systems outside the infotainment screen. For more about this, click the Motoring Research article here.

JLR TO USE WHAT3WORDS NAVIGATION

Jaguar Land Rover will utilise what3words navigation which enables some very misleading and silly reporting. what3words is not as accurate as the developers like to make out, added on to of which JLR will be paying for the privilege of using their “proprietary” system. To learn more about JLR’s move,

FOLLOW UP: EU ADVISOR APPROVES PURSUING DEFEAT DEVICE DAMAGES CLAIMS

An EU court advisor has stated that owners of vehicles fitted with defeat devices should be allowed to pursue damages. This is not a final ruling but very rarely do the judges not follow such advice. This case is against Mercedes-Benz. If this is ruled upon, it will be up to individual countries to calculate damages that align with loss and damages caused by such devices. For more, click the Automotive News story here.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES MAY 2022

The weakest May, in three decades outside of 2020’s lockdown situation, meant that there was a 20.6% drop in registrations. Supply chain issues, including Covid lockdowns and the war in Ukraine are all contributing factors. You can learn more by clicking the SMMT link here.

MERCEDES TO RECALL 1M CARS

Mercedes-Benz is recalling nearly one million cars that could have faulty brakes. Owners of some R-Class, ML and GL models, built between 2004 and 2015, are being advised not to drive their cars until they have been inspected. To read more, click here for the Autocar article link.

HMRC NOT KEEPING PACE WITH ENERGY PRICE RISES

HMRC has now brought in their new mileage rates, which company car drivers can claim, however they do not match the rise in energy prices. They, in fact, do not rise at all, unlike petrol and diesel rates. This has caused much frustration from those who may well be out of pocket as prices continue to rise. More can be read on this, just click here for the Autocar article.

FUEL PRICE SURGE IN MAY

Petrol and diesel prices surged in May, rising on average 10p per litre. The war in Ukraine is being blamed for the 17% increase in wholesale costs. For more, click this Autocar article link.

CARZAM CLOSES DIGITAL DOORS

Carzam, one of the new breed of online only car purchasing sites has gone into voluntary receivership. Unlike Cazoo and Cinch, this entity was created by people from within the car retail industry and therefore thought of as one of the better prospects. For more on this story, click the Car Dealership Magazine link here.

MERCEDES DITCHES MOST B-CLASS VARIANTS

Prior to the facelift of the B-Class, later this year, Mercedes-Benz has cut all but two model options from the range. Only the 200 and 200d, a petrol and diesel respectively, versions will still be available to buy. Trim levels are also, well, trimmed down to now only give four options. More can be found out about this

Super short this week as Andrew was plagued by microphone issues. As a result, there are many more stories here in the notes than were covered in the show.

FOLLOW UP: VW SETTLE UK CONSUMER LITIGATION

Volkswagen has agreed to pay UK consumers £193 million in compensation for fitting defeat devices to their diesel cars. Around 70,000 people will benefit from this payment. To read more, click here for the Automotive Management article.

FOLLOW UP: STELLANTIS REACH PLEA DEAL OVER EMISSIONS PROBE

Stellantis, via their FCA unit, has reached a plea deal with the US Justice Department over a probe into emissions from their vehicles. FCA has pleaded guilty and will pay in the region of $300 million. Three FCA employees are also to be charged. More on this story can be found by clicking this Reuters link here.

JLR LOOKING ABROAD FOR EV PRODUCTION

JLR is in talks over building EV models abroad in Slovakia, which is a blow to UK production. This also raises the issue that there are not enough battery plants in the UK now nor, as some fear, probably in the future, so other manufacturers will look aboard too. To read more, click the Bloomberg link here.

AUTOCAR AND WHATCAR? GET AUTOTRADER ADS

Autotrader will power the used car adverts on Autocar and WhatCar? sites, in a deal announced last Tuesday. Autotrader will now get access to more consumers and Autocar will be able to show readers possible options for the cars they are researching at that moment. You can read more on this by clicking here for the Autocar link.

WASHINGTON TO CHARGE CARS ON WEIGHT

In the first move, of what could be a new way for cities to control the vehicles on their roads, Washington DC is to charge an extra levy on vehicles over 6000lbs (2722 kgs) of $500 per year. There is an extra 1000lb waiver for EVs, apparently to prevent discouragement of adoption. For more, click the Green Car Reports article link here.

REE TO BUILD EUROPEAN EV VANS IN MIDLANDS

The Israeli start up REE is using its base in Warwickshire to build EU electric vehicle units, for commercial, buses and recreational vehicles. The aim is to produce 10,000 vehicles, which equates to 40,000 units as their system is a moor at each wheel. To learn more about their plans, click this MoveElectric article link.

BAC AND VIRITECH HYDROGEN FEASIBILITY STUDY

BAC and Viritech are undertaking a feasibility study of a hydrogen powertrain for sports cars. They are establishing if it is possible to make a Mono with this alternative power source. One of the problems they need to overcome is the potential for extra weight, if it were an electric battery powered...

FOLLOW UP: AN EXPERT RESPONDS - CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Thank you to Tom Lipscomb, from PriestmanGoode who are a design company who's purpose "lies in designing a better, more sustainable. He got in touch with the show, to help us understand what Circular Economy actually is. As explained its one of the key pillars of good design and relates heavily to the way products are made in that individual components should be easily disassembled into their constituent parts.

GERMANY SALES BAN FOR FORD DUE TO COURT ORDER

Ford has been taken to court by Japan's IP Bridge Inc, as their patented technology was being sold in Ford cars without the US car company paying for it, according to the German court. Ford can appeal, but if IP Bridge puts down a €227 million security payment this ruling becomes enforceable. For more on this, click here for the Reuters article link.

LONDON ULEZ EXPANSION CONSULTATION OPENED

London has opened the public consultation regarding the expansion of the ULEZ to cover most of the capital. To set date for any change is 29 August 2023, where a fee of £12.50 would be levied on any car, van or motorcycle that does not meet the requirements. Views are also being sought on introducing road pricing, which previously the Mayor said would not be considered. To learn more about this, click the BusinessCar article link here.

SMART MOTORWAYS GET UPGRADED SAFETY TECH BY SEPTEMBER

By September this year, Smart Motorways will get new safety cameras and radar detection upgrades to improve the network of the already installed sections of digital motorways. More can be read by clicking this link to the Motoring Research article here.

NEW CAR AND TRAILER LEARNING SYLLABUS

The DVLA has released the new training syllabus for car and trailer for drivers wishing to become safer with their vehicle. The rules are still that there is a reduction in the threshold of who should do this though. For more, click the DVLA article link here.

NOISE CAMERA TRIAL BEGINS

A new trial has begun to tackle the plague of noisy road users. This is the next stage in trialling the technology. Those exceeding the 72dB limit, the UK uses, will be fined between £100-£400 for their anti-social behaviour. More can be read about this by clicking the Hagerty link here.

TESLA OPENS CHARGING NETWORKS TO ANY VEHICLE

Tesla has opened 15 of their charging hubs to any EV, in a move that is welcomed by many in the UK. However, they are currently breaking the public charging rules by demanding customers agree to a contract with them, which is what registering with their app is considered by regulators. They have stated that they will open more hubs...

FOLLOW UP: VED PRICES FROM LAST SPECIAL EDITION ERROR

As was kindly pointed out, by Tony Williams, the VED prices for the Toyota Yaris Cross, explained in the last Special Edition, were for the first year only. They change following that. Thank you Tony, for raising the point and the nice way you did it!

GOVERNMENT INVEST £200M IN ZERO-EMISSION LORRY FLEET

The UK Government is investing £200 million to help accelerate the move to zero-emission HGV vehicles. The money will be used to create a demonstrator fleet to help businesses know what is possible for them and their work. To read more, click the MoveElectric story link here.

NEWCASTLE CLEAN AIR ZONE POSTPONED

Newcastle transport chiefs have announced that they are postponing the introduction of the Clean Air Zone (CAZ), which would’ve meant a charge of £50 for lorries, buses and coaches, whilst vans and taxis would pay £12.50 a day if their vehicles did not meet the requirements. Private cars were not included in the proposal, at this time. For more on this, click here to read the Chronicle Live article.

SMART MOTORWAYS GET UPGRADED SAFETY TECH BY SEPTEMBER

By September this year, Smart Motorways will get new safety cameras and radar detection upgrades to improve the network of the already installed sections of digital motorways. More can be read by clicking this link to the Motoring Research article here.

ALISON JONES PROMOTED IN STELLANTIS

Alison Jones will move on from heading up the Stellantis team in the UK, to become senior vice president of circular economy. Whatever that means. Her replacement is Paul Willcox, who is Vauxhall’s managing director. The changes come into effect on 1 June 2022. To learn more, click the Automotive Management article here.

PLYMOUTH INSTALLS 20MPH SPEED CAMERA

Plymouth has installed a 20mph speed camera, along Old Laira Road. During the test period of the camera 23, 500 offences were recorded, with 1,100 in just the first 24 hours. The camera was fully operational as of Monday 16 May, 2022. Click here to read more, on the BBC News website.

TOYOTA CUTS PRODUCTION DUE TO CHINA COVID LOCKDOWN

The ongoing lockdown, in Shanghai, has caused Toyota to cut production thanks to parts not being able to be shipped out of the area to their factories. To learn more about the effects on Toyota, click this BBC News link here.

RENAULT SELLS AVTOVAZ ASSESTS

Renault has managed to extricate itself from Russia by selling their assets to a science institute, apparently for 1 rouble. However, they have retained the option of a six year buy-back option. You can read the Reuters article by

Alan had a Toyota Yaris Cross, a Yaris-based SUV, for a week and gave it possibly the hardest test he could. Does it deserve its “2022 World Urban Car” award? We find out.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has given permission for companies to sell GAP insurance once again, following steps to make it fairer to customers. Those selling the insurance will need to demonstrate they are following the new rules and then they will be allowed to resume their offering. If you wish to learn more, click this AMOnline article link here.

After hearing our damning criticism of their actions over the Car Thing, Spotify have offered refunds to owners of the gadget. No, actually, that isn’t what happened. As they face a lawsuit from owners they have heard the general outcry and are trying to repair some of the reputational damage. Click this TechCrunch article for more information.

The joint-venture between Renault and Geely, for working on ICE and hybrid powertrains, has opened their HQ in London. The plan is for them to supply their own companies, as well as others, with the developed technology. You can read more, by clicking this Reuters article link here.

Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser will be Bentley’s new Chairman and CEO, following the departure of Adrian Hallmark who is moving to Aston Martin. Walliser has been a key part of Porsche’s development of road cars, their racing ambitions and special projects such as the 918 Spyder. He will start his position on 1 July 2024. If you wish to read more, click this EVO article link here.

HMRC has released the new advisory fuel rates, giving ICE a rise but cutting EVs. Even before the cut, the reality of how drivers will be out of pocket if they drive an EV has been repeatedly stated, especially if the driver does not have a home charger. To find out more, click this Business Motoring article link here.

Great Wall, the owners of the Ora EV brand, are closing their headquarters in Munich and will be making 100 employees redundant. This also is a signal that their plans for expansion are on hold. The company claims it will continue to serve markets it has already entered, but now from China. Click this electrive article link to read more.

Geneva motor show organisers have confirmed that the show will not return anytime soon. Citing car company’s lack of interest and outside influences. Seemingly they have forgotten price gouging hotels and outrageous fees to display. But this will be a loss for the public, despite what motoring journalists and PRs might be cheering. To read more on this, click the Autocar article link...

APRIL 2022 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

April 2022 figures are down 15.8% on even last year’s poor results, due mainly to supply issues with continued effects of the chip shortage, the Ukraine War and China’s zero Covid policy that has shut down large amounts of the economic centres of the country. For more information, click here for the SMMT article. To get a bit more detail on the figures, click here for Auto Retail Network’s Tristan Young’s Twitter thread.

TOBIAS MOERS LEAVES ASTON MARTIN

Aston Martin’s CEO, Tobias Moers, is set to leave the company, being replaced by the ex-CEO of Ferrari Amedeo Felisa. This comes not long after Stroll, the owner of Aston, said he wouldn’t be going anywhere. However, rumours had grown increasingly loud that changes were coming. For more on the departure, click the EVO article here. To learn more about his replacement, click this link to the Top Gear article.

LOTUS OPENS NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY AT HETHEL

Lotus has officially opened their new manufacturing facility at Hethel. Called the Chapman Production Centre, this is the latest moves in the £100 million investment in UK Lotus, to equip them for the aims they have as a company. You can read more, by clicking the link here to their own article.

MINI HALTS MANUAL CAR PRODUCTION

Due to the impact of supply chain restraints, MINI has been forced to stop the production of manual cars, for the foreseeable future. Recently, they had to stop all production due to the effects of the war in Ukraine. For more, click here to read the Autocar story.

DEFENDER ADVERTS BANNED

Due to the two viewers complaining about Land Rover adverts, that give the impression that reversing sensors would inform the occupants that a cliff edge was approaching, when they do not warn of an open space, the ads have been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). To read more and wonder why you don’t have that much time on your hands as some, click here for the Car Dealer Magazine article. ——————————————————————————-

We are at the MOVE 2022 Conference at ExCel, London. Alan will be moderating a panel titled "All these EV targets, where's the charging infrastructure?" with Katie Black, head of the UK's Office for Zero-Emission Vehicles; Daniel Tibble, Director of Data Science and Analytics of the connected vehicle data company, Wejo; and Hui Zhang, the Vice President for Europe of EV company, NIO.

More details on the conference can be found by...

Andrew had a Genesis G70 Shooting Brake for a week, to see what the latest company trying to crack the premium market can do. Listen in to explain to Alan what it was like, who the car is really for and how well all the aspects of ownership have been thought through. Less suspense in this one, we are afraid, as Andrew’s enthusiasm is not really kept in check.

SUZUKI AND STELLANTIS DIESELS INVESTIGATED

Prosecutors in Germany, Italy and Hungary are investigating Suzuki, Stellantis and supplier Marelli, over use of defeat devices in Suzuki vehicles. Stellantis are engine suppliers for Suzuki and Marelli are a supplier of engine parts. For more, click the Nikkei Asia article link here.

FEAR OF FINES FOR BOX JUNCTION MISTAKES

With local authorities outside of London, allowed to prosecute those who misuse yellow box junctions from June 2022, the fear that drivers could be mistakenly fined was announced. The RAC said that many are incorrectly painted, laid out, located and even hidden from clear view for those approaching. They have called on the Government to clarify the guidance on yellow box junctions, clarifying their use, design and maintenance once in place. To find out more, click the link here for the Motoring Research article.

MOT TEST COULD BE EVERY TWO YEARS

With a suggestion that has been roundly condemned by nearly everyone who has heard it, the idea to move MOT tests to every other year has not gone down well. To be clear, this is only a suggestion, apparently it will help with the cost of living crisis the UK is currently suffering. For more information, click the Autocar link here.

BMW AND AUDI STOP FREIGHT TRAIN TO CHINA

BMW and Audi have ceased sending cars to China via the rail link from Europe, due to the war in Ukraine. To learn more about that story, click the link to the Reuters article here.

To learn more about the rail link to China, click the link here to Rail Magazine’s article.

VOLTA TRUCKS REVELAS SMALLER LORRIES

New 7.5 tonne and 12 tonne lorries have been unveiled but the electric truck company Votla Trucks. They will follow the 16 tonne lorry, being added to the line up in 2025.The previously announced model is undergoing final preparations before they start customer testing and production later in the year. More on this story can be found by clicking this Move Electric link.

VW AND BP ROLL OUT NEW CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE

BP will be partnering with Volkswagen to install their new rapid chargers that have integrated batteries that mean they can be deployed at low voltage sites, avoiding the need for extra infrastructure to ensure a suitable electrical supply is maintained. They will be starting in Germany and moving across Europe. Click here for the Business Motoring article, to learn more.

GOVERNMENT TO LEGALISE PRIVATE E-SCOOTER USE

Alan took one for Team Motoring Podcast, recently, by going to Barcelona for the European launch of the Toyota Aygo X (pronounced cross). No longer is this part of a joint venture with PSA, but a stand alone product from within the company. Listen to Alan explain this to Andrew, as well as a fascinating interview with Stijn Peters, Senior Project Manager at Toyota, who tells us the lengths they went to for this car to be on the roads today.

FOLLOW UP: FRANCE ISSUES ARREST WARRANT FOR GHOSN

Authorities in France have issued an international arrest warrant for Carlos Ghosn, in connection with £12.6 million payments made to Suhail Bahwan Automobiles, in Oman. The claim is money was funnelled illegally to the company which Ghosn took advantage of to use personally. There are another four other individuals also implicated. To learn more, in yet another twist of this tale, click here for the Autocar article.

UK GOVERNEMENT MAKES AMENDMENTS TO HIGHWAY CODE

The Government has announced changes to the Highway Code, readying it for when we have self driving technology on the public roads. For cars that are classified, by the Minister for Transport, as self driving and in that mode, we will be able to have our “eyes-off” the road. Currently there are no vehicles on the Minister’s list. To read an accurate report on all this, click The Register’s link here. To read the Government’s own release, click here. For The Register’s article on AI and ML, click here.

RIMAC HAS NEW INVESTOR

The owner of Morgan, Investindustrial, has joined Porsche and Hyundai by investing in Rimac. They are pumping €120 million into the company, as they continue to pursue those moving towards the electrified motoring future. Click here for more information via an Autocar article.

GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE CHARGING RELIABILITY LAW

The UK Government is set to introduce a new law, that will require rapid chargers to work as intended 99% of the time. This is all part of their strategy for creating a ‘world leading’ charging infrastructure. They also promise to have 300,000 charge points across the country by 2030, but no indication they are mandated. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

GRIDSERVE OPENS NORWICH CHARGING FORECOURT

Gridserve has opened a new forecourt in Norwich, which is run on 100% renewable energy. There are 36 charging points, with 22 able to run up to 350kW. East Anglia is quite poorly serviced, currently, so this is a welcome addition to the area. For more, click here to read the Move Electric article.

NEW CHARGING POINT RISE 33% IN LAST YEAR

Over the last year there has been a 33% rise in the number of charging points being installed, across the UK. 7,500 were added, taking the total up to 30,290. The Government’s report also highlighted the disparity in spread of devices, with London being much better served than most other areas. Northern Ireland is...

HYUNDAI IONIQ5 WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR

Hyundai has scooped the top prize of the World Car of the Year awards. Added to which it won the World Electric Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year too. They were up against the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Kia EV6. To run through the full list of winners, for all the categories, click here to read the World Car Awards articles and further links. For Autocar’s article, click here.

NCAP SCORES DACIA JOGGER ONE STAR

Euro NCAP revealed their latest round of testing. One car stood out and not for a good reason, the Dacia Jogger, as it was awarded one star. Upon further investigation, a few things came to light which has caused many to start questioning how NCAP goes about things. To see the Jogger’s score, click here for the NCAP link. To see some of Dacia’s response to this, click here for the Autocar article.

This has cause a lot of debate, around the tests, what is included, what will gain scores and by some if NCAP is fit for purpose. One article that delves into the problems, click the CAR article here.

QUALCOMM AND STELLANTIS AGREEMENT

Stallantis announced, how connected cars and software was critical to their plan for profitability in the coming years. They have now backed that up with an announcement of utilising Qualcomm’s software to run all that stuff. For more, click here to read the Reuters article.

NEW PRIVATE CAR RULES NOW IN FORCE

The new rules for private car parks, where a lower limit has been imposed for not paying or overstaying as well as a host of others aspects that make using such places a total joy. To be reminded of these, click the Autocar article here. ——————————————————————————-

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

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WRC: CROATIA THIS WEEK AND SEB IS BACK FOR PORTUGAL

A reminder that Rally Croatia is back this week, after what seems like a very long break. Hopefully, the hybrid gremlins have been chased from the system. DirtFish has complied, what they think, will be the podium result, click here to see their choices.

Today, M-Sport also announced that Sabastien Loeb will return for the team at the Portugal event.

UK GOVERNMENT TO MANDATE SWITCH TO EVS

The UK Government has revealed that it will mandate the transition from ICE to zero emission vehicles. This will start at 22% from 2024 moving up to the full 100% in 2035. The car industry urged caution on this move. To read more, click the Move Electric article here.

Additionally, manufacturers have pressed the Government to define what a hybrid is, during the final phase of transitioning to full zero emission vehicles of 2030 to 2035. For more on this story, click here for the Autocar link.

PORSCHE INVESTS IN SYNTHETIC FUEL MAKER

Further to the existing support to the e-fuel manufacturing facility in Chile, Porsche is taking a 12.5% stake in the company leading this development, HIF. This will cost the company around $75 million but are not alone in their investment, with a total of around $100 million being raised. More can be found by clicking here, for the Autocar story.

GRIDSERVE HAS REPLACED ALL MOTORWAY ECOTRICITY CHARGERS

Ecotricity was the former name of now Electric Highway, who have the monopoly on motorway charging infrastructure. They were bought out by Grid Serve, who have confirmed that all the former chargers are now replaced. This is good news for all of us who’ve had to deal with the previous kit. To see more, click the Driving Electric tweet here.

SCANIA PARTICIPATES IN HYDROGEN PROJECT

Scania, the lorry company, has announced that it will take part in a project focusing on the use of green hydrogen in heavy goods vehicles. There will be 20 fuel cell lorries delivered in 2024, to HyTrucks which is a joint initiative run between Air Liquide and the Port of Rotterdam Authority. You can learn more about the project and what it is hoped will be learned by clicking the Scania press release here.

GENIEPOINT JOINS ZAP-PAY

GeniePoint, the rapid charging network, is the fourth company to join Zap-Map’s Zap-Pay system, that is aiming to be a central point for users to pay for all their charging needs, when on the road. To read more, click the Zap-Map article here.

VAUXHALL CORSA DIESEL IS NO MORE

Vauxhall will no longer sell a diesel engine option, with their very popular supermini. From now on customers will only be able to buy electrified and petrol versions, in the UK. That brings to an end 35 years of diesel within the Corsa and Nova range. To read the Autocar article, click the link here.

THE CARCROWD CAFE IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

FOLLOW UP: SSANGYONG SEEKS NEW OWNER AS DEAL FALLS THROUGH

Ssangyong has started the search for a new owner after the consortium headed by Edison Motors failed to meet a payment deadline. This money was supposed to be made to 95% of creditors and was a condition of the approval of South Korea’s bankruptcy court. For more on this story, click the Autocar article link here.

MARCH 2022 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has published the March new car registration figures. As was to be expected, the figures are down, in fact the worst since 1998, thanks mainly to semi conductor shortages. However, battery electric vehicles had their best ever month, with 39,315 registered. To learn more about the month, click the SMMT link here. To get some more insight into what the figures mean, click here for Auto Retail Network’s Tristan Young’s thread on Twitter.

THOMAS MULLER IS THE NEW JLR ENGINEERING CHIEF

Thomas Muller, who is moving from VW, will take up the reigns of executive director of product engineering for Jaguar Land Rover, replacing Nick Rogers, who left the company at the end of 2021. Muller will be responsible for JLR’s technical development, as well as hardware and software for all future JLR vehicles. More can be found on this, by clicking the link here for the Autocar article.

SCHÄFER AND ZELLMER GET NEW VW GROUP ROLES

Thomas Shäfer will take over as Volkswagen brand COO come 1 July 2022, moving from Skoda. Skoda get a new boss, in the form of Klaus Zellmer who moves from VW passenger cars. To learn more, click the VW press release here.

VW GROUP RECALLS OVER 100,000 PLUG-IN HYBRIDS

Due to a fire risk, with Volkswagen Group plug-in hybrids, over 100,000 are being recalled. To learn more, click the Bauaelectric Auto News article link here.

MAZDA IMPORTS DIRECTLY TO UK

Mazda’s first shipment in Bristol Port has berthed, cutting 10 days from the time cars previously took to arrive on UK shores. Previously, they were brought to Zeebrugge and distributed on. Click here for the Mazda PR article, to learn more.

GOVERNMENT PRODUCES LIFECYCLE ANALYSIS OF UK ROAD VEHICLES

The Government, with the help of Richard Energy and Environment, has produced a comprehensive lifecycle analysis of UK road vehicles. This compares battery electric, hydrogen and ICE vehicles, for their CO2 footprint from their manufacture, through their expected life on the roads and...

Andrew tested out the Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake, for a week. Listen in to him explain his time with VW’s take on the lifestyle estate car. What he thinks of the looks, how he got on with the technology and was the PHEV-ness well done? Once again, he keeps us all in suspense as to exactly what he thinks until right to the end.

NEW PHONE LAWS COME INTO EFFECT

New laws, about the use of mobile phones whilst driving, have come into effect. Effectively, it has become illegal to hold and use your phone except when using it for a contactless payment. Using the phone whilst in a cradle is still permitted in some circumstances, such as the sat nav app. For more on this, click here for the Autocar article.

GOVERNMENT AIMS FOR WORLD BEST CHARGING NETWORK

Transport Minister, Trudy Harrison MP, announced at an SMMT event, that the Government is aiming for the UK to have one of the best EV charging networks in the world. This will be quite a feat as the announced ‘new’ policies and ideas were not binding in anyway, nor was there any new money being made available. To learn more, click the Move Electric article link here.

The Government also announced, this week, they are opening up a consultation on accessibility, for disabled people, at public charging points. More can be found here, on that story.

RENAULT HALTS ACTIVITY IN RUSSIA

Following a backlash to Renault’s announcement that it will reopen it’s Russian factories, there has been a u-turn. Renault is particularly exposed in Russia as it has several plants thanks to ownership of Avtovaz, owning Lada and Russia being an important market for it’s cars. Renault has adjusted it’s financial predictions now. Click here for the link to the Autocar article, to learn more.

POTHOLES COST UK DRIVERS £1.7 BILLION

That UK roads are in a poor state of repair, surprises no one who lives here. What is shocking is the 35% rise in costs for fixing cars due to the pothole epidemic. Last year 59% of those surveyed by KwikFit stated they had hit a pothole in 2021, up from 46%. Only London appeared to have improving roads. To learn more, click the Motoring Research article link here.

BENTLEY ANNOUNCES RECORD FINANCIAL RESULTS

In the last independent results posted by Bentley, they have confirmed that 2021 was a record year. Operating profits were up 1,843% (not a typo), 14,659 Bentleys were delivered and that was a 31% increase on 2020 which was their previous record year! To learn more, click the YesAuto article here.

UK GOVERNMENT AIMING TO END SALE OF NON EV BUSES

By 2032, the UK Government want to halt the sale of non zero emission buses and mini buses. They have opened a consultation on this too. For more, click the Move Electric link here. ——————————————————————————-

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The National Highways and Transport Safety Administration (NHTSA) are investigating further incidents involving Waymo vehicles. The nine extra are focused on stationary or semi-stationary items such as gates, chains and utility poles. If you wish to learn more, click on this TechCrunch link here.

After the huge fuss made on its launch, by Spotify, the Car Thing will be bricked by the company as it moves on from it. This was a device you bought and had to subscribe to Spotify Premium, fitted to your car interior, to allow you to play some tunes and if you could see it enable Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. In 2022 they confirmed they were stopping production, just a couple of months after it going on general sale. Click this Ars Technica article link here, to read more.

The UK Government has gained the royal signature for the Automated Vehicles (AV) Act. This brings into law, for the first time, that car makers will be held responsible for their vehicles if it is being used in autonomous mode and not the driver. You can learn more on this, by clicking this AMOnline link here.

A US congressional investigation has discovered that BMW, Mini, Volkswagen Group and JLR sourced parts from Chinese suppliers that contravened the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, even after they were made aware. VW replaced the parts on the US dockside, before they were allowed to be handed to customers and dealers. To read more, click this article link to The Guardian.

In order to help with the increasing demand for their vehicles in Asia, JLR will be assembling Range Rovers and Range Rover Sports at the Tata Pune plant. Other models have been handled in this way since 2011. Click this article link from Autocar for more.

Fiat Topolinos, their version of the Citroën Ami, have been impounded in Italy after they were found to have the Italian flag on their wings and it was seen as suggesting that the car was made in Italy, rather than Morocco where it is actually made. Click this Top Gear link to read more on this silliness.

BYD unveiled their BD11 double-decker, which it is expected will be seen on the streets of London soon. They will come with a usable battery capacity of 457kWh and a range of up to 400 miles. This is much more than the expected daily mileage of buses. If you want to read more,

ELECTRIC VAN AND LORRY GRANT EXTENDED

The Government has extended their grant scheme for electric vans and lorries, for two more years. Those looking to buy a qualifying vehicle can claim between £5000 and £16000. For more on this, click the MoveElectric article here.

INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY LISTS OIL REDUCTION STEPS

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has outlined ten steps we could take to reduce the amount of oil we need to use. If the ideas were adopted across the globe, the IEA predicts that an amount of oil equivalent to half of Russia’s exports could be saved. To find out more, click here for The Guardian article.

VOLKSWAGEN ANNOUNCED PROFITS JUMP

VW’s operating profits rose, over 2020, 451% on 2020, which to a certain degree is understandable. Whilst their sales revenue and returns on sale rose very slightly they actually sold 8% fewer vehicles. This is another example of companies targeting their higher profile specs and vehicles. For more on this story, click the Autocar article link here.

AUDI GROUP POSTS RECORD PROFITS

Audi is the latest company to say “we sold less but made more money”, with profits from Audi, Lamborghini and Ducati at €53.1 billion and record operating profits. We need to remember Bentley are not included yet as they were only assimilated into the group at the start of this year. To read more about this, click here for the Autocar article.

POLICE TARGETING CATALYTIC CONVERTER THIEVES

A national combined operation by police, in England, has targeted thieves of catalytic converters with over 30 arrests made. Added to this several scrap metal sites were served with forced closures. 38,000 catalytic converters were stolen in 2021. You can read more about this, by clicking the Motoring Research article here.

NISSAN AXES THE GT-R IN EUROPE

After 13 years the axe has finally fallen on the GT-R. The specific reason is stricter noise regulations, for this region, whilst changes to emissions and crash integrity being the official reason for other global markets. To learn more click here for the EVO article telling us the sad tale. ——————————————————————————-

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WRC: CHANGES TO TIME PENALTIES FOR HYBRID FAILURES

The FIA has amended their rule and penalty for teams who miss stages due to a hybrid tech failure, for WRC teams. For the first two rounds each stage absence

Andrew had a Hyundai IONIQ5 on test, for a week. What does the family man make of the multi award winning car from Korea? Listen to him tell Alan about it, the looks, the tech, the tasks that are easier to be actioned via voice control and orientation of volume control icons. Andrew keeps us all in suspense as to his overall verdict until right to the end!

FOLLOW UP: EXPANSION OF LONDON ULEZ ANNOUNCED

Following weeks of rumours Sadiq Khan has announced his plans for cutting congestion and improving air quality, by increasing the ULEZ to cover all of London, which appears to deal with only one part of the problem. To learn more about this story, click here for the YesAuto article.

FOLLOW UP: SONY HONDA JV EXPLAINED

Nick Gibbs, in this linked Autocar article, goes into more detail of what the Honda Sony joint venture probably means. Click the link above to better understand what it means and why it might just work.

FORD ANNOUNCES 7 NEW EVS BY 2024

Ford has announced that it will launch seven new EVs by 2024, comprising of three passenger cars and four light commercial vehicles. Ford has previously promised to be EV only for passenger cars by 2030. By teaming up with VW and using their MEB platform Ford says it will be able to fulfil this push. For more on the story, click the MoveElectric article here.

BMW BUYS ALPINA

BMW has bought the rights to Alpina, who undertake some of the most understated and tasteful tuning services out there. The news was met with much worry that BMW will now over expose the brand and thus take away a lot of that which makes it so special. Click here for the Top Gear piece explaining more.

BMW POSTS BEST PROFITS IN HISTORY

By focusing on high end and most profitable models, BMW posted it’s largest nett profit in history, €12.46 billion, which is up 150% on 2019! Having the anti-trust probe dropped by the EU also helped as they had set aside €1 billion specifically for that. More information can be found at this Autocar link here.

BMW RECALLS 1 MILLION VEHICLES OVER FIRE RISK

BMW is recalling 1.03 million vehicles world wide, due to a risk of a short circuit that could cause a fire in the vehicle. Vehicles built between 2006 and 2013 are involved. To learn more, click this Automotive News link here.

VW INVESTS IN NEW EV FACTORY

Volkswagen is investing in a bespoke facility at Wolfsburg, for their Trinity EV flagship model. The cost is expected to be in the region of €2 billion. For more on this story, click here for the Autocar article.

ASTON MARTIN TO CO-DEVELOP HIGH PERFORMANCE BATTERIES

Britishvolt and Aston Martin are teaming up to produce high performance batteries in time for the car companies first...

FOLLOW UP: GREG KELLY GIVEN SUSPENDED SENTENCE

Greg Kelly, the former Nissan executive who was tricked into flying to Japan, has been found guilty on one of the charges brought against him. His sentence was suspended and he has flown back to the U.S. AS the Asian Times article, linked here, points out the ruling is “flawed”.

FOLLOW UP: FELICITY ACE SINKS WITH VW GROUP CARS ONBOARD

The Felicity Ace, with it’s cargo of VW Group cars, has sunk following the fire onboard. This follows work for a couple of weeks to rescue the ship following the removal of the crew. To find out more, click this Autocar link here.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FEBRUARY 2022

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has released the February 2022 data on new car registrations. The figures are up on the pandemic market but still 25% below the before times. Electric, as well as hybrid and plug-in hybrid registrations rose dramatically. For more on this, click the SMMT article here.

CAR INDUSTRY EFFECTED BY INVASION OF UKRAINE

Following the invasion of Ukraine, by Russian forces, there have been knock on effects to the car industry. Ukraine produces a lot of the wiring looms for vehicles but also many brands have paused selling vehicles in Russia. To find out more, click this Autocar article link.

STELLANTIS LATEST TO ANNOUNCE ALL EV LINE UP IN EUROPE

In this week’s “Company X will go all electric by Y” announcement comes from Stellantis. 2026 is the year all their model launches will be all electric in Europe. For more, click the Autocar article here.

FORD TO SPLIT EV BUSINESS FROM ICE

Ford is creating two companies, one focused purely on EVs and the other dealing with the ICE products. Ford Model E will look after the electric, software and connected car side of things, whilst Ford Blue will focus on ICE vehicle development, cost cutting, simplification and quality. Click this link here to learn more from the Autocar article.

HONDA AND SONY PARTNERSHIP FOR EVS

Honda and Sony are partnering to build electric vehicles. Honda is concentrating on the car side of things, whilst Sony deals with the software of the mobility platform. They plan on releasing their first models in 2025. For more on this story, click the Autocar article here.

REGULATORS CAN BE SUED OVER EMISSION SOFTWARE

KIA WINS CAR OF THE YEAR AWARD

The KIA EV6 has won the prestigious Car of the Year award, which was announced in Geneva but not whilst the motor show was on due to changes with the event. The EV6 is the first KIA to win and it fought off the Renault MeganeE-Tech Electric and the Hyundai IONIQ third. For more on this story, click the Autocar article here.

STELLANTIS EXCEEDS FINANCIAL EXPECTATIONS

Stellantis announced their financial results, for 2021, which exceeded expectations. Their nett profit, operating income and nett revenues far outpaced 2020, which is to be hoped and expected. All of which makes the announcement that they expect their suppliers to shoulder a bigger slice of the costs for EV tech rather hard to swallow. To read about this, click here for the Autocar article.

ASTON MARTIN NARROWS LOSSES

In 2020 Aston Martin loses were £466 million, during 2021 they reduced that figure to £213.8 million. Added to which their revenue was up 79% to £1.1 billion. Aston is hopeful they will deliver between 75 and 90 Valkyries to customers in 2022. The plan is to return to an operating profit in 2022 as well. For more on this, click the YesAuto story here.

RENEWED PORSCHE IPO INTEREST FROM VW GROUP

There is renewed talk of a Porsche IPO, with the VW Group to be in ‘advanced discussions’ regarding the shape this would take. Some or even many, have questioned why this has not happened before. Some have priced Porsche value at €85 billion, which the VW Group could do with as they push further into EV technology. More on this story can be found by clicking here for the YesAuto article.

MORE 50MPH STRETCHES IN WALES

In an effort to tackle pollution, in South Wales, two more sections of roads are being considered for a speed limit of 50mph. This is one option for the next stage in improving the air quality of the region. A public consultation will be undertaken when the full options have been explored. To learn more, click the BBC News article here.

SHEFFIELD CHOSEN FOR BATTERY TECH R&D AND MANUFACTURING

The Ultimate Battery Company (UBC) has picked Sheffield to locate their new research and development and manufacturing facility. They are working on advanced battery technology that will help reduce costs, improve charging capacity and quicker charging times. For further on this story, click the ZapMap article here.

HOME EV CHARGING GRANT RULES CHANGING

The Government will be changing the rules over grants for the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS). If you live in a detached, semi-detached, terraced or bungalow house you will no longer be...

Andrew had a Volvo XC40 Recharge, with the twin motors, on loan for a week. How did he get on? You’ll have to listen to find out. Additionally, you get in-depth discussions on curry hooks and good fonts for driver display information. You cannot say we do not know how to treat you!

SHIP CARRYING VW GROUP CARS ABLAZE

A ship carrying cars from Volkswagen Group companies, is on fire in the Atlantic Ocean. Conflicting reports state where the fire originated but that this has spread to the rest of the ship, including the cargo. Whilst Porsche has confirmed some of it’s vehicles were on board, it is not clear what other cars are involved. For more information, click the Autocar article here.

RENAULT BACK IN PROFITS

After two tough years and burying the hatchet with Nissan, Renault has returned to profit in 2021. In doing so it has achieved some longer term aims well ahead of schedule. Renault do make it clear that the semiconductor crisis is and will continue to hit business in 2022. To learn more, click here for the Autocar article.

NEW FLOATING LOTUS

Lotus has announced it is going to float the company, which got us all excited that there would be another car/boat model but then quickly dashed on what it actually meant. The plan is to put the EV division on the stock exchange, which they are hoping will be valued at £5-6 billion. If there is enough interest from potential investors, they hope to bring this to the stock exchange in Asian, New York our London within 12 to 24 months. For more on this story, click the Autocar article here.

OLA ELECTRIC OPENS UK BASE

The Indian from, Ola Electric, will open an engineering and design facility in Coventry. Over the next five years the company plans to invest £100 million into the West Midlands site. The site will be called Futurefoundry. To learn about this story, click here for the Autocar article.

ECO FRIENDLY TYRES DEVELOPED

Enso, a new UK company, is bringing their tyre technology to market, in order to break up the traditional models. Their tyre is more efficient for the vehicle, but also harder wearing and thus reduces the amount of pollution. More on this can be found by clicking this link to the Autocar article.

HYDROGEN V8 DEVELOPMENT

Toyota and Yamaha are working to gather to develop a hydrogen-fuelled V8. The project is using a Lexus RC F engine and modifying the injectors, heads, intake manifold and other elements, which ends up with a claimed 449bhp at 6800rpm and 398lb ft at 3600rpm that is almost the same as an unmolested engine. You can learn more about this by clicking here for the Autocar article.

CALLS FOR REGULATED PUBLIC EV CHARGING POINTS

SMMT has called on the Government to implement a seven point plan for regulating public EV charging points or risk failing to...

FOLLOW UP: MANCHESTER CAZ “PAUSED’

Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, has announced that the Government has agreed on a delay for the region hitting clean air requirements, until 2026. Burnham has argued that due to the pandemic there is a problem in sourcing the zero emission vehicles needed by commercial and private hire companies. To read more, click the YesAuto article here.

FUEL PRICES CONTINUE TO RISE

A new record average price was hit over the weekend for both petrol and diesel, at £148.02 and £151.57 respectively. Crude oil nearly at $100 per barrel the retailers are quick, as ever, to pass that straight onto drivers. For more depressing information about this story, click here for the Autocar article.

NEW ELECTRICITY RULES TO PREVENT STRAIN ON NETWORK

The Government is introducing new rules, which includes residential EV charging points, that must be able to prioritise charging when demand is lowest or renewable energy production is high. Included in the changes is the need for security and provision of information for users. To find out more, click the YesAuto story here.

TESCO STARTS USING ELECTRIC ONLY LORRIES

The supermarket brand Tesco has started using electric only lorries between two distribution centres in South Wales. The company said whilst the technology is not suitable for long distances yet, they wished to understand how best to utilise it so are trying it now. For more on this, click the BBC News link here.

LOTUS ANNOUNCES NEW DIVISION

Ex-Aston Martin Q boss, Simon Lane, will be the head of Lotus’s new Advanced Performance division, which will be a special projects arm of the company. This is being termed as a ‘blank sheet of paper’ team where they are to create the “most exciting and exclusive Lotus cars”. To learn more about this, click here for the Autocar article.

VOLVO UPGRADING TORSLANDA PLANT

Volvo will be investing around £800 million in their Torsldana site in Sweden, as it steps up efforts to be EV only by 2030. They will be introducing meg-casting, where they combine many separatly created parts with a system that makes it all in one go, such as casting the rear floor plan which currently involves 100 pieces. For additional information on this story, click the Autocar article link here.

KOENIGSEGG FACTORY EXPANSION

Koenigsegg has revealed plans of their factory expansion which will allow them to increase production capacity as well as other aspects of the business. The new four set Gemera hyper-GT will be produced within the factory space but also allow space dedicated to customers. To learn more,

FOLLOW UP: PRIVATE PARKING FINES CAPPED

Private parking fines and the rules surrpounding them are to be tightened up. Read the BBC story here.

JLR REVENUE BOOST IN Q3 2021

JLR’s revenue has ramped up in the third quarter of 2021, and they also have a new EV platform on the way.

ROAD PRICING COULD BE EN ROUTE

A story from Evo magazine says that GPS-based road pricing could be here by 2024.

BORTISHVOLT AND GLENCORE TO OPEN RECYCLING PLANT

Britishvolt and Glencore are to work together to open a new EV battery recycling plant in Kent according to Autocar.

TREASURY URGED TO RECONSIDER UNFAIR TAX

According the YesAuto, the UK Treasury is being urged to address the discrepancy in VAT between home EV charging and public EV charging.

BP ACQUIRES 30% OF OIL COMPANY

BP has acquired a stake in a UK producer of hydrogenated vegetable oil that be used of biofuels. More in the Autocar story here.

UK GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS DECIDING WHAT IT MAY DO ABOUT e-SCOOTERS

The UK Government is considering introducing a new vehicle class for e-scooters according to Autocar.

ROLLS-ROYCE UNVEILS AERO SPIRIT OF ECSTASY

Rolls-Royce has revised the Spirit of Ecstasy to make it more realistic can more aerodynamic in preparation for its EV future.

DAIMLER TRUCK SEES SIGNIFICANT SALES INCREASE IN 2021

Volvo are to offer free minor repairs to Volvo cars, no matter their age, via their dealer network according to Motoring Research.

GOODWOOD FOS TO CELEBRATE “MASTERMINDS OF MOTORSPORT”

Goodwood has announced that the theme of the 2022 Festival of Speed will be “Masterminds of Motorsport”. Find out more, and when the ticket prices will increase, here.

GREY IS THE MOST POPULAR COLOUR

Grey is the most popular colour chosen by British new car buyers for the 4th year in a row. You can read the release from the SMMT here and analysis from Autocar here.

COUNCILS COULD ENFORCE MOVING TRAFFIC OFFENCES FROM JUNE

Councils in England and Wales could be able to follow the examples of London and Cardiff and enforce some traffic offenses from June. They will have some hoops to jump through though. You have read more here.

STREETLIGHTS TO GAIN MORE TECH

Some streetlights could gain additional tech to help aid car to car communication as part of their scheduled refurbishment. More information about this here.

CALLS FOR AUTONOMOUS CAR USERS TO BE USERS, NOT DRIVERS

A report on legal changes required to enable autonomous vehicles in the future has called for four significant law changes. You can read more in the BBC article here.

ALLIANCE OUTLINE LATEST EV PLAN

Renalut-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance has outlined its plans for 35 new EVson 5 platforms across the next few years, but we won’t see them all in Europe. The Autocar story is linked here.

BENTLEY RECEIVES SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT BEYOND 100

Volkswagen Group is investing heavily in 5 new electric Bentley models and refurbishment of the Crewe factory. More here from evo magazine.

ALL CURRENT ROLLS-ROYCE MODELS TO GO ELECTRIC

In an unsurprising move,Rolls-Royce has announced that all their current models will be EVs by 2030. More from Autocar here.

HEALTH WARNING ON FRENCH CARS

The French government plans to mandate that a percentage car adverts is given over to a warning panel promoting alternative transport methods. To find out more, here’s the article from treehugger.com.

DAIMLER TRUCK SEES SIGNIFICANT SALES INCREASE IN 2021

SMMT commercial vehicle registrations figures for 2021 haven’t been released yet, but Daimler, globally, sold 20% more vehicles in 2021 than 2020. You can find out

EU politicians have indicated that they will impose tariffs between 25-30% on Chinese EVs imported to the European Union. This comes after the US raised their tariff level to 105% for Chinese EVs. The move has been expected but the amount was not known. This has brought out divisions within the EU as France and Germany have very different home industries. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

Cruise, the self-driving development company, has agreed to pay the victim of the road incident that involved her being dragged and severely injured by the car, between $8 and $12 million as compensation. Exact details have not been confirmed. Click this Market Watch article link for more.

A US judge has stated that the class-action against Tesla, with regards to pursuing over negligence and fraud based claims. The original claim is, apparently, due to the 2016 video which the actions states falsely advertised what Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) can do. To learn more about this matter, click here for the link to the Jalopnik article.

The UK Government has announced that “causing death or serious injury by dangerous or careless cycling is set to become an offence”, as reported by the BBC News site. This change in the law will also come with a potential punishment of up to 14 years in prison. Click this link to read more.

In the US the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned car manufacturers on their practices over collecting data on their vehicles and occupants. They explain how serious they are by citing several recent cases where they have fined companies for “the illegal collection, use, and disclosure of their personal data." Good. To read more, click this announcement link from the FTC.

Stefanie Wurst, the CEO of Mini, is stepping down and will be replaced by Stefan Richmann, head of BMW Group corporate strategy, on 1 August 2024. There have been no reasons given for this change. Click this Autocar article link for more.

Once more in the US, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) is finally investigating Waymo about its vehicles not obeying traffic laws. The countless videos on social media showing examples of this, must have made them wake up. Waymo have tried to suggest the incidents are statistically insignificant. Zoox is also under investigation. Cruise has announced it will resume testing in Arizona with a safety driver in attendance. To read about Waymo, click this article link from The Register.

For further context, click this link to a piece

Alan had Volkswagen’s most important new car since the Golf for a week. Is the ID.3 People’s Car 2.0 or does its hurried gestation in the light of Dieselgate shine through?

FOLLOW UP: MYTHS ABOUT HIGHWAY CODE CHANGES

Last week the chaps had an article on the changes to the Highway Code as the Lunchtime Read as they are significant and we all need to understand them. Apparently some did not listen to us, with reports from mainstream media outlets not correctly explaining the issues. In case you didn’t read last week’s recommendation then click this article from The Guardian, so you are well informed.

FOLLOW UP: MORE DETAIL ON POSSIBLE LONDON ROAD TRAVEL CHANGES

As Andrew and Alan stated during the article, as they were confused with the change in price, they have found some more detail which helps to explain the possible new rules better. Click here for the Move Electric article.

POLICING LEVELS BLAMED FOR STATIC ROAD DEATH FIGURES

Between 2010 and 2019 the level of road deaths, on British roads, has remained stable, after three decades of reduction. The main blame for this is the level of visible police on our roads. Added to this, Panorama found that roughly 50% of static speed cameras do not work. For more about this story, click the YesAuto article here.

WILLIAMS ADVANCED ENGINEERING BOUGHT

The Australian mining group, Fortescue Metals, has bought Williams Advanced Engineering, the engineering, design and technology offshoot of Williams F1. Fortescue are aiming to become a major company in the industrial transport sector. To learn more, click here for the Autocar article.

BRITISHVOLT SECURES MAJOR FUNDING FOR BATTERY FACTORY

BritishVolt announced that through a combination of private and Government funding they had secured around £1.7 billion for their battery factory planned in the North East, due to open in 2024. For more information, click the article from Autocar here.

LEICESTER LATEST COUNCIL TO TAX COMPANY CAR PARKS

Leicester City Council are set to introduce a parking levy on companies that provide ten or more spaces. The charge is £550 per space, with the money being reinvested into zero emission public transport and active travel schemes for the city. More on this story can be found by clicking here for The Guardian link.

CHRIS BOARDMAN LEADS ACTIVE TRAVEL PUSH

Chris Boardman, the former Olympic cycling hero, is to lead a push to get more people to switch to active travel options, when making journeys. Active Travel England will be evaluating schemes that encourage walking or cycling, including the infrastructure. To learn about this, click...

TOKYO AUTO SALON

Alan and Andrew are rounding up the highlights from the Tokyo Auto Salon 2022, a tuner focused show that is worth paying attention to because a lot of ideas and themes get explored at their most undiluted form, by manufacturers experimenting and trying to wow audiences.

PERFORMANCE CAR HIGHLIGHTS

There is a huge performance car contingent to the show, with the following highlights discussed.

Toyota GR GT3 Concept

Toyota GRMN Yaris

Toyota bZ4X GR Sport

Subaru Solterra STi

Subaru E-RA Concept

Nissan Fairlady Z

Honda Civic TypeR Concept

KEI CAR CONCEPTS

Kei cars are the small vehicles that are tightly regulated to take up minimal space and run with very small engines, that Japan is famous for. Some of the highlights include the following;

Daihatsu Atari Camper Concept

Honda N WGN Picnic Concept

Honda K Climb Concept

Mitsubishi K EV Concept X-Style

JACK IT UP AND SHOVE IT ON KNOBBLIES

Much of the show was either slammed to the ground as though suspensions had just given up or jacked up and shoved on knobblies. We like the second option so have focused on them.

Lexus NX PHEV OffRoad

Honda Fit e:HEV Crossstar Concept

BEST IN SHOW

There are many ‘Best In Shows’ for various classes, we have picked our favourite from the huge number of options.

Best in Show MPV Class

FEEDBACK

As this is the first time we have tried to do this, where we are showing what we discuss (if your player can display the photos), we would like your feedback. We know there are things to improve, but if you could let us know if the efforts we have gone to are okay or not, that would be great.