Podcasts about smmt

NEW CAR REGISTRATIONS MAY 2025New car registrations rose, year on year, 1.6% thanks to Fleet. BEV registrations rose to 21.8% of the market share, which is growth but still a long way off the mandated amount. The SMMT once again called on Government financial help to encourage more people to buy electric. Click this link here to read more from the SMMT. TFL TO INCREASE LONDON CONGESTION CHARGEFrom 2 January 2026, the rate of the Congestion Charge if being proposed to increase to £18 along with the exemption for zero emission vehicles (ZEV) ending. However, ZEVs will pay a reduced amount that will change over time. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here. For the Autocar article, click here. PIRELLI CAUGHT UP IN ANTI-CHINESE CONNECTIVITY RULESThe US Department of Commerce has finalised their rules on connected vehicle technology and software. They are banning any from Russia and China. This has brought Pirelli's ‘Cyber Tyre' technology into the crosshairs as Sinochem, a Chinese company, has 37% of shares in the manufacturer. To read more, click this Carscoops article link here. BRAZIL SUES BYD OVER WORKER'S CONDITIONSBYD, the Chinese EV maker, is building a plant in Brazil, but has been raided by officials who state they released 220 workers from conditions they likened to slavery. Welfare and financial restrictions were found that contravened the local laws. For more on this story, click here to read a BBC News article. NORTH OF SCOTLAND EV CHARGING CONTRACT SIGNEDEasyGo, an EV charging network, has signed a 20 year contract to install and maintain electric charging points across the north of Scotland. On top of that they will take on the upkeep of 425 existing council charge points. Click this electrive article link here to read more. FASTNED TO OPEN NEW CHARGING HUB IN WEST SCOTLANDFastned will open its fifth charging hub in Scotland, this time at Greenock, which will house four ultra-rapid chargers that can add around 100 miles to a car's range in five minutes. If you wish to read more, click this Electric Drives article link here. MCDONALD'S EV CHARGING PROVISION INCREASESMcDonald's, in partnership with Instavolt, has EV charge points at 250 sites across the UK and Ireland. They do not plan on slowing down either. Fast charging for fast food. Click this Motoring Research article link here, to read more. TFL STUDY SHOWS ROAD INJURY AND DEATH REDUCTION A study by Transport for London (TfL) into rates of serious injury and death on roads with 20mph speed limits has shown a reduction in the numbers. This backs up what...

FOLLOW UP: GERMAN COURT SENTENCES DIESELGATE EXECSOver nine and a half years after dieselgate first hit the news, a court in Germany has sentenced four ex Volkswagen Group executives for their part in the scandal. Two were given prison time, with the others being given suspended sentences. Former Group CEO, Martin Winterkorn, is still awaiting trial after several health issues. Click this article link from DW for more. FOLLOW UP: FRANCE CANS ZFES DUE TO COMPLEXITYFrench politicians voted to end low emission zones, as it was part of a wider proposal to make daily life in France more simple. Alan predicted this would be the case, as he had just bought passes for his cars. Statues are being erected in honour of the man bringing a better life to the ordinary people of France. They will know Alan Bradley's name and they will honour it! To read more, click this Connexion article link here. FOLLOW UP: STELLANTIS GET A NEW CEOAfter months of searching, Stellantis have named the ex-Jeep boss, Antonio Filosa, as the new chief executive officer. Also announced is that the leadership team for the 14 brands of the group will be confirmed next month. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article link here. APRIL UK CAR PRODUCTION THE WORST FOR 73 YEARSApart from 2020, which was hit by Covid lockdowns, April 2025 was the worst for production since 1952. SMMT suggests that the Easter date and reduced export demand is to blame. Obviously, the call went up to demand UK based incentives to encourage more to buy. Click this Autocar article link here, for more. TOYOTA BRINGING GR COROLLA PRODUCTION TO THE UKOn more positive production news, Toyota is bringing GR Corolla production to the UK. Expected production levels are yet to be announced. To read more, click this Autocar article link here. VOLVO CULLING MORE JOBSVolvo has announced big cuts at it's Swedish bases, with 2200 roles to be made redundant. On top of that, a further 800 jobs will go across the global network. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here. VAUXHALL GETS A NEW BOSSSteve Catlin will be returning to Vauxhall, where he started his journey in the automotive journey, via Audi, Seat, VW Group and latterly Volvo UK where he headed up the Financial Services division. To read more, click this Car Dealer article link here. UK EV CHARGER PLANNING REQUIREMENTS REMOVEDLillian Greenwood, the Future Roads Minister, has announced that the requirements of planning permission for private and public chargers is to be removed. The hope is that this will help speed up the installation of chargers across the country. For more on this story,

Welcome back to the Everything EV Podcast from EV Powered, hosted by Matt Allan, George East and Richard Alvin.This week, we're talking about adventurous Renaults, a rugged new Toyota, controversial charging from Mercedes, and the return of small, efficient EVs.Road test round-up:Matt drives 700 miles in the Kia EV3 – how does it hold up over a long haul?George puts the Peugeot E-3008 through its paces and reveals why the small steering wheel finally makes sense.First impressions of the Hyundai Inster, Alfa Junior Elettrica, and Skoda Enyaq from the SMMT test day.Plus: Is Leapmotor's C10 the surprise budget EV of the year?In the news:Renault 4 Savane concept brings 4WD fun to small EVs – and why the Twingo is officially coming to the UK.Toyota BZ4X Touring estate unveiled with up to 376hp – is this the electric wagon we've been waiting for?Mercedes CLA impresses on paper but sparks confusion over fast-charging limitations.Polestar 4 and Volvo EX90 tested – here's why the UX might be more polarising than the powertrain.Special Guest:AA President Edmund King joins George to talk:How a Lotus connection and a Ford Think kick-started his EV journeyWhy the UK government is still a barrier to EV adoptionThe AA's expanding fleet of electric patrol vansWhat needs to change in public charging – and what's already improvingAlso: George is heading to Brussels and Basel for first drives of new Toyota and Peugeot models, and Matt gets reacquainted with an old favourite – the facelifted Genesis GV70.Don't forget to like, follow and subscribe for your weekly dose of EV insight and irreverent commentary.Visit ⁠⁠⁠EV Powered and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠.

APRIL 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESAs expected, the new car registration figures for April 2025, were down following the jump in March prior to the tax changes. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) explained how there was a ten percent drop, year-on-year. However, BEV and PHEV registrations rose, but are not near the levels needed to comply with the ZEV mandate. Once again the SMMT called on the Government to assist the industry and buyers. Click this link to read more, from SMMT. GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR SUNDERLAND BATTERY FACTORYThe planned factory, by AESC, in Sunderland, which will make batteries for Nissan is to receive Government funding. £350 million has been allocated, with an expectation of a thousand well paid jobs, according to the chancellor Rachel Reeves. You can find out more, by clicking this Sunderland Echo article link, here. NISSAN CANCELLING JAPANESE BATTERY FACTORYNissan is not going to build the planned battery factory in Kitakyushu, Japan. This will save the company $1.1 billion, it is reported. If you wish to read more, click this Yahoo Finance article link here. UK - INDIA TRADE AGREEMENT ANNOUNCEDDetails are a bit sketchy, but the UK and Indian Governments announced that they had reached a trade agreement. One beneficiary is the car industry or at least those who produce “high end cars”, whatever they are. Until more information is more forthcoming it is difficult to confirm if it is good or not. Click this Autocar article for more. EU TWEAKS CO2 EMISSION RULES The EU has made changes to the rules for car manufacturers about CO2 emissions. They will now allow brands to average their fleet output over three years rather than annually. If you wish to read more click this Yahoo Finance article link here. FOXCONN AND MITSUBISHI AGREE PRODUCTION DEALFoxconn has announced the first deal to develop and produce a car for a brand. Mitsubishi has agreed to allow them to bring a car to the Australian and New Zealand markets in late 2026. To read more, click this electrive article link here. CONFUSION OVER FRENCH ZEVSThe future of French Clean Air Zones is in doubt as the country's parliament is voting on making daily life more simple. After hearing Alan explain some of the intricacies it is easy to see why people are suggesting it is not the most straightforward thing. Click this Connexion article to read more. VOLTA TRUCKS GOES BANKRUPT AGAINIn late 2023 the Swedish arm of Volta Trucks went into receivership, alas now the UK and Austrian elements have followed suit. This is a sad end to what looked like a promising venture that was let down by relying on technology from a company that themselves went bankrupt. To read more,

Paul and JC sit down with Will Reeves, Commercial Vehicle and Bus, Coach & Minibus Section Manager at SMMT, for an energetic discussion about the upcoming Commercial Vehicle Show 2025. Will shares exciting insights about the show's 25th anniversary celebration, including new vehicle launches, the latest in zero-emission technology, and the event's evolution to meet industry challenges. From the packed conference program to networking opportunities, discover why this year's CV Show is unmissable for anyone interested in commercial vehicle innovation. Attend for FREE: The CV Show 2025 https://www.cvshow.com Will Reeves https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-reeves-3a079627/ SMMT https://www.smmt.co.uk

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES MARCH 2025The March 2025 new car registration figures have been revealed by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). They show an increase that you have to go back to 2019, to find bettered. Electric vehicles, unsurprisingly, increased as buyers tried to avoid the new VED and luxury car tax. Private, on the one hand, had a surprising jump but then not when thinking about the tax changes. This is expected to be a bit of a one off month, with the numbers next month being a lot lower. Click this link to read more, from SMMT's own article. UK GOVERNMENT TINKERS WITH ZEV The UK Government has announced changes to the requirements of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate. These add up to tinkering. Finally, we get a decision on hybrid vehicles post 2030, where they will still be sold. Small manufacturers will be exempt from the requirements. All OEMs will be given more flexibility in achieving the required target rates, with the CO2 credit transfer system remaining in place until 2029. In reality though, as we continue to be in a cost of living crisis and vehicles are too expensive, trying to mandate a market will remain difficult. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here. CAR BRANDS AND TRADE BODY FINED BY CMATen car companies and the SMMT have been fined by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for agreeing to not compete with each other when advertising the amount of recycling that could be achieved with their cars. Additionally, the second charge was for anticompetitive practices when it came to recycling end of life vehicles. Following an admission to this, they are to pay £77 million in fines. In Europe a similar investigation has found 15 brands guilty and they will pay £382.7 million, as a consequence. To find out more, click this Autocar link here. MCLAREN MERGES WITH FORSEVEN TO SECURE FUTUREMcLaren has merged with Forseven, to create McLaren Group Holdings, thereby securing its immediate future. Both entities are owned by CYVN Holdings, which is the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund. Forseven has a raft of vehicles almost ready for production but needed a badge to stick on them. Click the EVO article link here to read more. RENAULT AND NISSAN RESET PARTNERSHIP Renault and Nissan have renegotiated their partnership, following a few tumultuous years. Nissan will no longer contribute to the Ampere project, will rebadge the Twingo city car vehicle and have sold their joint-venture stake in India to Renault. If you would like to learn more, click this electrive article link 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 NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Nissan MicraNissan has revealed the first images of the new Micra, which is a rebadged Renault 5 EV. Once again the company revealed no details or specifications....

⚠️ WEEKEND HEADLINES PODCAST⚠️ Philip and Curtis discuss the big car retailing stories on the Motor Trade Radio podcast, powered by MOTORS.   ✅ Cazoo relaunches as a used car marketplace, we chat to CEO Barry Judge ✅ Used car market steady in March as days to sell improve across all dealer types ✅ 16 OEMs and SMMT fined over vehicle recycling claims ✅ Pre-tax profit fall at Hendy Group for 2023, with 2024 set to turn a loss ✅ Saxton 4×4 posts losses for 2024 as ‘challenging' year sees profits wiped out ✅ Pinewood turns in £8.5m profit and completes its DMS rollout with Lithia UK ✅ And a welcome return to the IMI for industry legend Sarah Sillars     #AllTheChatterThatMatters #automotive

SMMT hits out at 'deeply disappointing' US tariffs which could cost UK jobsMore than 25,000 automotive jobs could be axed as industry feels impact of Trump tariffsBest March for new car registrations since 2019 as EVs soar, latest data showsMotors relaunches Cazoo as its new flagship used car marketplaceFCA says Court of Appeal ruling ‘goes too far' as car finance hearing gets underway

UK in ‘extensive' talks with US on car import tariffs as SMMT brands 25% levy ‘disappointing'Daksh Gupta is back in the motor trade after taking chairman role at car dealer Hendy GroupNissan announces next three electric vehicles in its line-up to be updatedPentagon Motor Group owner sees profits dip despite improved new car salesVolvo boss vows to look after ‘little sister' Polestar – but not at the expense of brand's customersIt's join or get left behind when it comes to Chinese brands, say car dealers

The electrification transition and inflexible EV production quotas are taking a heavy toll on the automotive industry, but buses and commercial vehicles posted their best years since 2008. Will Stirling reports. MTD magazine is unwaveringly positive in its coverage of manufacturing news, but facts are facts: automotive manufacturing is on a downward slide. Combining cars and commercial vehicles (CVs), the UK produced 905,233 units in 2024, -11.8% from 2023, and slipping below the psychologically important one million units mark. Electric vehicles now comprise over one-fifth of all new car registrations, but the EV market contracted by 2.5% to 139,345 units. The bright spots are in the commercial vehicle (CV) and bus markets. Production in the UK rose 4% to 125,649 units, and both buses and CVs have had their best years since 2008. Carmakers face a multitude of challenges to produce both ICE (combustion engine) and EV cars in high volume. Higher energy and material costs, shortage of skilled people and potential tariffs on exports to the US, but the two most significant factors affecting the production of cars are the costly transition to electric and globally softer demand. The government has set onerous targets for the proportion of EVs that car companies make in Britain, from 22% last year to 28% this year – a tall order that experts believe won't happen – and 80% by 2030, after which the ICE car ban kicks in. The problem is that these targets are running ahead of demand. “The targets were set when demand forecasts were much higher; we know there'll be a significant shortfall,” says Professor David Bailey, an automotive business expert at the University of Birmingham. “Car firms are going to struggle to shift that volume of cars without very significant discounting, and therefore losses.” He adds: “Our two biggest producers, Nissan and Jaguar Land Rover, will struggle to meet that kind of stretched targets as they get bigger, so they will potentially be fined, and they may well have to buy credits from Chinese all-EV makers who can hit the target. So what a perverse policy that is – that you're subsidising the Chinese and fining domestic manufacturers.” Electric vehicle production and net zero targets have not been intelligently assessed. The government intends to phase out new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, and although the car industry was invited to consult on this in December 2024, many think the target is too early to hit. “The 2030 ban on ICE policy was plucked out of thin air to try to differentiate the UK from the European Union while signalling to investors that the UK is serious about decarbonisation to encourage investment in the UK. But it hasn't worked – because Brexit has made the UK less competitive and attractive, because of high energy costs, and it hasn't worked because we don't have a proper industrial strategy to support that transition,” David says. The government is now consulting on the industrial strategy, but it should have been firmly embedded in 2025 to help hit the 2030 ICE ban effectively. Stimulate demand; cost of electrification bites Demand for electric vehicles needs to be higher. The government has proposed cheap loans for EVs, but it sounds too complicated for the average car buyer, who wants to know the price, not a complex subsidy and loan. And a VAT break on EVs has been proposed, although this is a pro-tax government. “The government's problem is that it has boxed itself in agreeing to continue the fiscal rules that the Conservatives put in place, which I think was a bad mistake all along, and that has limited their room for manoeuvre. The industry wants a fiscal incentive for EVs, which could either be an upfront discount if you buy one or a VAT reduction on purchases and charging, to stimulate demand,” Bailey says. Demand for vehicles aside, car production volumes are also lower because factories spend millions of pounds and months retooling their lines for EV manufacture, affecting their ability to produce. Internalisation of component manufacturing Some tier one and smaller suppliers to UK automotive have gone, due partly to the complications and costs of Brexit. GKN Automotive moved its Birmingham factory capacity to Poland in 2021/2022. A lot of smaller companies have been cut out of European supply chains post-Brexit, and several auto suppliers have struggled or gone out of business, unable to cope with the export and reimport bureaucracy when some components may cross the English Channel several times before being assembled here. In addition, several big carmakers are internalising the manufacture of key components as these companies aim to be more vertically integrated. “Partly, this is in reaction to the semiconductor crisis where firms were caught out,” says David Bailey. “For example, Jaguar Land Rover will be making its new electric drive train in-house, probably at the i54 plant. Previously, for internal combustion engine cars, JLR would have bought the drives from GKN Driveline, but it is internalising it. We are seeing that shift broadly as well.” A good example is Nissan's partnership with battery company AESC, which supplies directly to Sunderland. This year, Nissan is expected to open a new 360m long, 23x football pitch-sized battery gigafactory in Sunderland. When operational, it will employ over 1,000 people and deliver a sixfold increase in UK electric vehicle battery production. The plant is basically an extension of Nissan's car factory, a tier-one supplier part-owned by Nissan right next door. Pay attention, subbies: Bus bonanza Deliveries of new buses, coaches and minibuses reached a 16-year high in 2024, with 8,390 new units hitting the UK's roads (total buses produced were higher due to healthy exports). Demand rose across the three main segments: minibuses, single-deckers and double-deckers, with minibuses posting 102.5% year-on-year growth. Zero emission is the main story in buses, and the UK is still Europe's biggest zero-emission bus market, with deliveries up by more than a third in 2024. As of 2023, Ballymena-based bus manufacturer Wrightbus reported a turnover of £283.4m, a significant 71% increase from £163.3m in 2022. Despite this, profits in 2023 were negative, probably reflecting the big investment in transitioning to net zero powertrains and new tooling. Wrightbus exemplifies the switch to zero emissions. “Alongside our market-leading EV bus, 95% of all buses produced by Wrightbus in Ballymena are now zero emissions – a marked change on 2019, when 95% of all orders were for diesels,” said Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Wrightbus, when unveiling the new Streetdeck Hydroliner Gen 2.0 hydrogen-powered bus on 20 February. Wrightbus says production will increase to 1,200 this year and then again to 1,400 in 2026 – a record in the company's proud history of bus manufacture. Dozens of suppliers from across the UK and Europe visited the Wrightbus factory in February to hear how the firm's continued growth will act as a shot in the arm for the manufacturing sector, with the expected creation of up to 1,000 new supply chain jobs in the next two years. When will car making recover? Industry body The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders forecasts vehicle production to fall further in 2025 (cars and light vans to 839,000 units in 2025). Still, it adds that while the EV transition is affecting production, this will be temporary. While the volumes of all electrified technology cars were down 20.4% in 2023, with more than £20 billion worth of investment announced in 2023 and a further £3.5 billion in 2024 to support the UK's transition, the decline will be temporary; the SMMT stated in February. Car and light van output will increase to circa 930,000 units by 2027, it says. However, potential tariffs from the US are a real threat (second biggest UK car export market), and the lingering cost of living crisis affects EV sales. “Charging at home overnight is cheap but can be 10 times the cost at some public charging points. Plus there is 20 percent VAT at a charging point, but just five percent at home – so the one third of people who have no ability to charge at home will struggle with the transition,” says David Bailey. And while the Dept for Transport has said it is on track to install the target 300,000 charging points by 2030, many people have range and charging speed anxiety, so much more PR is needed to persuade a cash-strapped, conservative public to go electric.

NEW CAR REGISTRATIONS FEBRUARY 2025The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has published the latest new car registration figures. Once again it is not great news overall, with a 1.0% decrease. However, BEVs are up 42% year-on-year but this is just 6253 extra electric cars. For the first time since October 2023 Private rose, but only marginally as Fleet decreased but is still doing all the heavy lifting. Interestingly Tesla registrations rose 21%. To read more, click this link to SMMT's post. MOTABILITY POSTS BIG LOSSES FOR 2024Motability, the UK's biggest fleet operator, that supplies cars to those who qualify for disability payments, posted a loss of more than £565 million for 2024. This is a huge drop from 2023, when they had profits of £748 million as well as a rise in revenue of 24%. Blame is being put on insurance, servicing and new car costs rising dramatically, with the additional penalty of depreciation being more than expected. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article here. EU TO CHANGE CO2 AIMS AND PUSH FOR FANTASY TECHThe EU has announced the Automotive Action Plan. In their industrial strategy they will be targeting aspects to help the industry on the continent. CO2 targets are due to be relaxed, a push on charging infrastructure, incentives to buy EVs, help with battery raw materials and autonomous driving technology. Click this electrive article link here, to read more. KIA MANAGEMENT PLAYS MUSICAL CHAIRSKia UK is the latest company to play managerial musical chairs, with the head of sales and head of marketing swapping offices. You can read more, by clicking this AMOnline article link here. SELF DRIVING CARS CANNOT BE MADE TO WORKAn article in The Register, covering how academics are able to fool self driving car technology by adding simple stickers to road signs. In the piece they actually make it clear that the current development process will never work. Click this link to read it and understand the issue. 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 NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Volvo ES90Volvo has unveiled their flagship electric saloon. Using a lot of the same stuff as the EX90 SUV, except 800V architecture instead of 400V. Prices are expected to start around £70,000 and run up to £90,000 for the top of the range Ultra spec. Two battery packs are available which give a variety of performances depending on configuration. Range of the smallest set up is expected to be a maximum of around 400 miles. Click this Autocar article to read more. Volkswagen ID.Every1Volkswagen has shown off the concept for their small, affordable electric car. Called the...

The Olympics. The World Cup. The Super Bowl. These competitions bring the world together to back their favorite teams as they compete for the ultimate title. But March Market Cap Madness has an even bigger draw, because you not only get to root for your favorite; you get to compete! Strap in and get your pencils ready, it's go time! Companies discussed: DAVA, DUOL, GXO, UA, JNJ,  SMMT, AX, ROKU, DDOG, IOT, FICO Host: David Gardner Guests: Andy Cross, Matt Argersinger Producer: Rick Engdahl

Catch up with #AllTheChatterThatMatters on the Motor Trade Radio podcast, powered by MOTORS. Headlines this week from AM, Car Dealer and Motor Trade News.   ▶️ Strong used car market should bring cheer to dealers, as SMMT reports 5.5% rise in used car sales in 2024 ▶️ Carmakers are on course to miss ZEV mandate targets by 346,000 units by 2028, according to the latest forecast from Cox Automotive ▶️ Vertu battles margin squeeze as ZEV Mandate shakes car market and group warns of reduced FY profits ▶️ Evans Halshaw confirms fresh wave of dealership closures, as Lithia wields the axe once again ▶️ Suzuki to cut UK dealer network as bosses blame impact of ZEV mandate targets ▶️ Latest senior industry appointments from Jigcar and Omoda/Jaecoo   PLUS this month's [M]enable Moment on the importance of self care from our mental wealth guru Stephen Whitton.   #AllTheChatterThatMatters with your co-hosts Curtis and Philip  

FOLLOW UP: NISSAN HONDA DEAL OVER ALREADYBefore it even really got going, it appears Nissan are to walk away from the deal as Honda are accused of changing the agreement, with a proposal that made Nissan a subsidiary and not equal partner. When you look at the market evaluations of them, you can see why Honda may suggest they are the bigger company. Click this Autocar article link here to read more. FOLLOW UP: VAUXHALL LUTON TO SHUT BY JUNE 2025Stellantis has confirmed that the Vauxhall Luton plant will close by June this year. The announcement of the closure came in November 2024, with this one now being the specific date. Ellesmere Port will continue to operate. For more on this story, click this Autocar article link here. JANUARY 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe Society of Motor Manufacturer and Traders has revealed the new car registration figures for January 2025. They are down over all, but BEVs are at 21% market share. Unfortunately, Private is still down with Fleet doing all the heavy lifting. Many “commentators” have tried to tie in Tesla's drop to the CEO's actions in the US, but this is not the case due to the length of time it takes to get a delivery from order, especially if specific options are wanted. Click this SMMT article link to read more on the state of the market. STELLANTIS RESHUFFLE CONTINUESLinda Jackson, the CEO of Peugeot, will retire as the reshuffling of Stellantis management continues, following the departure of the previous CEO. To read more, including other moves, click this Autocar article link here. MOT CHANGES WORRY INDUSTRYA new change expected to MOTs, where any recalls that have not been completed must be noted as either an advisory or fail, is worrying the industry. The fear is this could overwhelm workshops as there is an estimated 5 million vehicles on the road with recall work to be performed on. If you wish to find out more, click this AMOnline article link here. BID TO STOP GHOST MOTSThe DVSA is taking the next step in using photographic evidence, in a bid to prevent ghost MOTs. These are where a workshop gives an MOT without even seeing the car. Following an initial trial they are now working on honing the process of confirming the car is in the garage and being inspected. Click this article link from the UK Government. ELECTRIC VAN MOT PROBLEMFleet operators are asking for an approved deferral for electric van MOTs as they need to be handled at a commercial vehicle testing station due to their weight. As they fall into the heavy goods vehicle category, they must be tested at one year. However, the Association of Fleet Operators seems to...

FOLLOW UP: VW AND UNIONS AGREE ON CUTSAs a result of the intense negotiations between Volkswagen and the unions, agreement has been reached on cuts that are hoped will create $4 billion in savings. Voluntary redundancies, selling one plant, reducing production lines and repurposing other plants are all measures being taken. Click this Autocar article link, to find out more. You can also click this link here to an AP article explaining other aspects of the steps being taken. FOLLOW UP: HONDA AND NISSAN OFFICIALLY CONFIRM MERGERWe covered the rumours of this a few weeks ago, yet it has still caught many by surprise. Nissan and Honda has announced that they intend to merge in an attempt to fight for an increased market share. We cannot work out what the companies will gain from this as they seem to be effectively identical in terms of products and markets. To find out more, you can click this Autocar article link here. FOLLOW UP: UK GOV STARTS FRESH ZEV MANDATE CONSULTATIONThe new Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, has opened a fresh consultation with stakeholders regarding the zero emission vehicle mandate, as the reality of the economy and the market hit home. SMMT is pushing for financial help for private buyers and pushing the charging industry to do better. The charging industry is in a flap over the potential to slow down the move to EVs. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here. DECEMBER AND 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES SMMT has released the data for December and the entire year, with regards to new car registrations. Surprising no one, or it really shouldn't, BEVs had a bumper month as the fear of fines loomed over brands. Fleet buyers completely propped up the market in 2024. The question of the ZEV mandate and economy, going into 2025, will impact the market heavily. Click this SMMT article link to read more. WHISTLEBLOWER ACCUSES JLR AND TATA OF BLACKLISTINGHazar Denli, who was heading up the chassis design element of VinFast's car for Tata Technologies, raised concerns over parts and quality internally but was ignored. Feeling he had no option he went public, was fired by Tata and subsequently found a new job, via an agency, with JLR. He is claiming that he was blacklisted and unfairly fired by JLR who were told to let him go. To read more, click this BBC News article link here. LOCAL AUTHORITIES GIVEN EXTRA POTHOLE REPAIR FUNDSThe Government has added £500 million to the pothole repair fund and is pushing local councils to get on with sorting the roads. However, to receive the full funding they will need to demonstrate they are tackling the problem to a standard expected. If you would like to read more, click this BBC News article link here. VW CUSTOMER CAR DATA LEAKVolkswagen Group has now fixed a misconfigured cloud storage area that was open to everyone. 800,000 customer's car's data...

Geelong's Climate Cafe meets again this month - "Climate Café launched in Geelong"; "Winter Storm Blankets the East Coast, With Arctic Air on Its Heels"; "Locking up a 77-year-old climate protester is proof of a broken justice system"; "Wind Wars"; "Cost-of-living crisis meets new era of electric cars"; "Biden Bans New Oil and Gas Drilling Along Most U.S. Coasts"; "What Would It Take to Bring Renewable, Reliable Power to Puerto Rico?"; "Polar Vortex' Got You Baffled? Try This Extreme-Weather Guide"; "Global Water Monitor"; "High Heat Is Preferentially Killing the Young, Not the Old, New Research Finds"; "World Water Film Festival Makes a Splash at Columbia Climate School"; "'He was prescient': Jimmy Carter, the environment and the road not taken"; "A new solar project in Brooklyn could offer a model for climate justice"; "UK EV sales reached record highs in 2024, SMMT reveals"; "In 2025, let's make it game on – not game over – for our precious natural world"; "Artefacts from Pacific museums being put at risk"; "UK Electricity Reached a Record 58% From Low-Carbon Sources in 2024"; "All Chicago City Buildings Now Run on Renewable Energy"; "Deep-Sea Mining 101: Everything You Need to Know"; "Arbor Day Foundation to Plant 10 Million Trees to Replace Those Destroyed by Hurricanes Helene and Milton"; "Winter Storm Blair: Millions across North America hit by polar vortex"; "Fuel-hungry utes and SUVs dominate Australian sales, with Corolla the only small car on top 10 list"; "Fully recovering Australia's threatened species would cost 25% of GDP. We can't do it all at once – so let's start here"; "Relentless warming is driving the water cycle to new extremes, the 2024 global water report shows"; "The Renewable Energy Transition Has Residents of a Small Arizona Town on Edge".

FOLLOW UP: RECARO SAVEDSome good news, for a change, as Ricaro, the seat manufacturer, being saved by an Italian parts maker called Proma Group. Unfortunately, many will lose their jobs as production will move to Italy. However, some technical and sales people will remain. You can learn more by clicking this Auotcar link here. FOLLOW UP: ARAMCO BUYS 10% STAKE IN HORSEAramco has finally bought the 10% stake in Horse which Geely and Renault were hoping for, after signing a letter of intent earlier in the year. Click this Yahoo Finance link for more. FOLLOW UP: JUDGE BLOCKS MUSK PAY PACKAGE AGAINThe appeal by Musk, to be awarded a ridiculous $56 billion pay package, has failed. The judge cited that the many arguments Musk's legal team used to change the ruling were full of flaws, anyone of which could have led to dismissing the appeal, let alone all of them together. Tesla will appeal. Again. To learn more, do click this link to a TechCrunch article here. NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR NOVEMBER 2024The November new car registration figures were released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), and they're not great. A 1.9% decline in registrations overall, but BEVs increased again, with over 14,000 extra registrations than for the same month in 2023, amounting to a 25.1% market share for the month. Petrol and diesel fell, as did PHEVs. What will be concerning is that Fleet numbers fell, on top of Private continuing to decline. The SMMT called on the Government to help the industry out as the levels of price cutting and incentives was not sustainable. To read the SMMT post and information, click this link here. AMOnline have an article discussing EV depreciation, which we have discussed many times on this show, that you can read by clicking this link here. For context on why registrations are not increasing at a rate many hoped and expected, click this link to a post about research into the financial well being of UK adults in 2023. TESLA PAUSES CYBERTRUCK PRODUCTIONLast week Tesla paused Cybertruck production, which is on top of reducing hours earlier in the year. They are, for now, back to normal. You can read more, by clicking this Yahoo Finance article link here. OX DELIVERS AFRICAN CONTRACT JOYOX Delivers, which is an electric truck mobility service company, has created a new franchise partner that signed a $163 million agreement to expand their services in Rwanda and some neighbouring countries. Customers can either contract an electric truck including the servicing costs or book space on one of the OX trucks to collect and deliver their products, increasing the reach for businesses. If you want to learn more,

2024 was a mixed year, with some stellar announcements like Tata Group's gigafactory investment offset by the cancellation of Phase 2 of HS2 and a budget black hole to pay for, but an Industrial Strategy may give the industry the long-term stability it needs. This article is by Will Stirling The Chancellor Rachel Reeves received a boost a week before her Autumn Budget when the IMF revised its forecast for UK growth this year to 1.1% (up from 0.7% in July) and 1.5% in 2025 – the biggest upward revision for any advanced country. It's a sign of better things to come, and 2024 was not a banner year in manufacturing, more one defined by steady stability, yet it still notched up a few memorable headlines for British industry. Spiralling costs meant the previous Tory government cancelled Phase 2 of HS2 from Birmingham to Manchester, affecting hundreds of supply chain companies, which the new Labour government partly blamed for the cost overruns. The Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh launched an independent review to ensure lessons will be learned and the costs for HS2 are controlled. The cost of Phase 1, London to Birmingham, is expected to reach £66bn. Covid and the semiconductor-shortage-affected UK automotive sector got a fillip in February when Agratas, the battery division of Tata Group, confirmed a new £4bn battery gigafactory in Somerset. It was a relief for the car sector to see the UK stall on the global league table for gigafactory capacity, a key metric for car plant investment. While carmaking recovered strongly in 2023 after semiconductor supply returned, it is slowing down. By August, the UK had manufactured 522,833 cars, down 8.5% on production at the same point in 2023 when ythe figure was 571,671. Interestingly, year-to-date vehicles for the domestic UK market had increased by 12%, but exports, representing over 84% of all car production, were down 13.6%. The production of electric cars, including hybrids (EVs), fell by 26%. Automotive business group SMMT said this decline is expected to be reversed in the longer term as new models come on stream. Massive manufacturer discounting saved car sales in Europe in September, pushing BEV sales to 56,387 registrations. Siemens opened its new train factory in Goole, Humberside, in October and announced a further £40m in addition to the £200 investment in the Goole Rail Village, which will now bring up to 1,000 new jobs to the region, as well as around 1,700 supply chain job opportunities. In addition to maintaining the bogies from Siemens' 572 trains running in the UK, it will also include new production lines for assembling bogies for new trains, which will be the first for Siemens in the UK. Aerospace is battling delivery rate challenges: after Covid, orders poured in, and the industry is pulling on all levers to find ways to go above ‘Rate 60' into the consistent 80s or even 90 aircraft per month to reduce long delivery times. Ninety commercial aircraft were delivered in August, the highest in that month of the year since 2018. But that's not the whole story. While the global backlog of aircraft on order is 15,651 planes according to the industry group ADS - an extraordinary number - aircraft orders in the year-to-date are two-thirds behind 2023 levels. Perhaps it was a sign that Brexit was the past. The FA appointed Thomas Tuchel as the senior men's coach, causing gossip as the first German coach of the England football team. A week later, Britain and Germany signed a government-described “landmark' defence agreement to boost security, investment, and jobs. German defence giant Rheinmetall will build a new factory in the UK to make barrels for artillery guns, and German marine surveillance aircraft will supply patrols from RAF Lossiemouth. The factory will need British steel and will create 400 jobs. It's the first defence pact with Germany of this scale, although both countries already collaborate on making armoured vehicles, for example. In October, BAE Systems Maritime launched the sixth Astute class submarine, Agamemnon. Attention will soon switch to the multi-billion AUKUS submarine (SSN-A) programme, where the boats will be built in the UK and Australia. Fhaheen Khan, senior economist at Make UK says “Manufacturers this year experienced the most stable period of business conditions in almost a decade, despite still facing higher costs, tight interest rates and skills shortages.” While it could be seen as a year of two halves – the first six months boasting strong production, order books and investment intentions, and the second looking far more mixed due to an inevitable domestic market slowdown –manufacturers remain buoyant in their expectations.” h Accountants and business advisors are expecting more investment in the economy in 2025, following several years where major events and inflation have made business conditions that could be generally described as ‘sh*t'. Fhaheen Khan thinks the new 10-year industrial strategy is an important milestone in achieving economic growth, although some seasoned business leaders will say they have heard it all before. It's hard to remember, but the UK has had at least four official industrial strategies since the 2008/9 recession: in 2009 (Mandelson), 2012 (Vince Cable), 2017 (Greg Clark) and now in 2024. Khan says “It's highly encouraging that advanced manufacturing will be a key sector driving that growth, and the Industrial Strategy Council will help lay the pipework needed to modernise UK industry through the wide adoption of AI, computing, and techniques like 3D printing.” Of particular relevance to MTD readers, the numbers show that industries specialising in producing capital equipment like machinery, electronics and metal fabricators have experienced a positive year. This is due to strong exports to the US and the EU as many Western countries are investing in the kit to modernise their manufacturing – for example, the US's Inflation Reduction Act and, one could say, on the wave of ‘Make America Great Again'. Khan says “These subsectors have much to look forward to in 2025 as economic conditions stabilise further, inflation cools, and interest rates are loosened." The manufacturing technology expo MACH 2024 organisers said visitors were up 6% on the previous show and reported a good vibe. Greg Capp, sales director at EDM machinery firm Sodi-Tech, said: “Footfall has been the best in a long time. On Day One, we had enough enquiries for the next six months.” Overall, investment in manufacturing in 2023 (last full year) is up by 4% on 2022, from £40.24bn to £41.8m, and economists expect this to rise in 2024. Despite the numbers and late positivity, on the ground, some manufacturing machinery vendors and subcontractors report a frustrating year where the anticipated rush of orders failed to materialise. That flat confidence from 2022-2023 seemed to be overspilled into the year's first half. Andrea Wilson at deep hole drilling and boring engineering company Hone-All Precision says “2024 has been a challenging and varied year for most businesses. “Uncertainty and political instability have created conditions that have not been beneficial to business and have created barriers to growth. “The creation of the 10-year Industrial Strategy will hopefully give business and investors the confidence they have been lacking the last few years.” The new industrial strategy focuses on eight sectors: advanced manufacturing, clean energy industries, creative industries, defence, digital and technologies, financial services, life sciences, and professional and business services. High-tech, hard-tech, high-potential companies can benefit hugely from close government support. The top two sectors in the strategy are advanced manufacturing and clean energy industries. “Tokamak Energy does both!” says David Kingham, the executive vice chairman and a co-founder. He says that the company that designs, manufactures and operates a plant for nuclear fusion to generate power aims to accelerate the development of fusion energy, the most valuable technology of the 21st Century. “We were delighted to see the new consultation on the Industrial Strategy. A company like Tokamak Energy, with over 250 employees and global ambitions, can grow rapidly if we have consistent strong backing from the government.” The company has had spectacular success in recent years with the record-breaking ST40 high field compact spherical tokamak – which reached 100 million degrees Celsius plasma ion temperature, the threshold needed for commercial fusion energy. Its high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet development has also set records for magnetic field strength at a temperature of 20,000C. David says: “Our industrial strategy is to pursue fusion energy by assembling consortia around our core technologies to provide the complimentary capabilities necessary for the development and deployment of fusion. This will require major investment by governments and consortium partners, but the prize is the elusive goal of commercial fusion energy. The fastest achievable timeline for fusion is 10 years to a 50MW pilot plant, a goal set by the US Department of Energy milestone-driven fusion development program. “So a bold, consistent industrial strategy from the Government could enable the UK to have its fusion “cake” in the long term and “eat” the economic benefits of the magnet spin-off technology in the short to medium term.” In the supply chain, companies like Hone-All Precision want long-term stability, vision, and potential targeted support through programmes unafraid of ‘picking winners' that have previously blighted attempts to assist the industry within state aid rules. Managing Director Andrea Wilson says “The new Labour government must commit to long term strategic thinking and investment decisions, and the newly formed Industrial Council will hopefully achieve this.” “The council's success will be increased dramatically if it's informed by business leaders, owners, and most importantly, if it includes SME representation. The outcome of these two positive moves will hopefully result in us seeing the confidence and stability we all need to thrive.” Machine tool and machinery suppliers need orders, and for that, their customers need confidence to buy. Adrian Haller, managing director of Bruderer UK, a leading manufacturer of precision high-speed presses says “The UK has a fantastic opportunity in advanced engineering, and we have so many brilliant companies – at all levels of the supply chain – that are prospering despite the lack of a coherent Government strategy to support the sector.” “This isn't tubthumping; this is what we see every day when our sales engineers and installers commission precision high-speed Bruderer presses on shop floors across the country. Imagine what we could do if we had a long-term Industrial Strategy that focuses on our strengths and invests in them? And I don't mean the odd grant here and there. It needs to be substantial and flow down to SMEs – that is the critical bit. For industry to become more efficient, an area to improve is the education of manufacturing engineers about new, ‘smart' technology. Mark Weymouth, MD of PLUS Automation and UK representative for Contrinex and Satron, who runs a popular LinkedIn newsletter says “There's a pervading tendency for engineers to buy and commission what they know and not look at new, better plant and equipment that can raise productivity.” While PLUS Automation is in its fourth year of growth, many food and liquid process manufacturers are not explaining this technology to their site engineers. He says “The UK is about seven years behind mainland Europe in adopting many process technologies.” Although the increase in employers' national insurance payments may dampen this optimism, the indicators are that this new strategy for industry will help businesses, especially those in advanced manufacturing areas.

OCTOBER 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATIONSThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed the new car registration figures, for October 2024. They are not good. For the month of October the market is 6% down on 2023. Even Fleet dropped, for the first time in a long while. One bright spark, no pun intended, is that EV registrations grew to 20.7% market share for the month. This is to be expected as the end of 2024 approaches and so do the fines for not hitting the mandated levels. Click this link to read more, from the SMMT's own article. FOLLOW UP: FINANCE INDUSTRY THROWN INTO TURMOILFollowing a court ruling regarding commission on finance agreements, the industry has been thrown into turmoil as there are questions on what they need to do in order to be compliant. Some companies have halted all offerings for car finance until the situation is clarified. You can find out more, by clicking this AMOnline article link here. MANY MANUFACTURERS REVEAL STRUGGLING RESULTSThe number of brands that are reporting challenging results, after Q3, has grown. There is a real problem for the industry, globally, and it might not get better anytime soon. Expect a lot of management word salads, littered with the likes of “efficiencies” and “cost-cutting” etc. BMW's woes thanks to the ongoing brake recall and huge profit drop, can be read about by clicking this Reuters article link here. To read about Audi's problems, click this Autocar link. Audi plan to cut jobs to help save money, click this Reuters article link here, to find out what that means. Toyota are also hit by problems, with quality issues, safety recalls, plant stoppages and a Chinese market that is proving tough for all but the home grown brands. Click this Yahoo Finance article link to read more. Honda announced a surprise drop in profits, thanks in large part to the ongoing issues in the Chinese market as their economy struggles. Click here to read more from a Yahoo Finance article link. Nissan are not immune to the industry wide slump. They announced the cutting of around 9,000 jobs and dramatically that they are entering “emergency mode” as profits drop 304%. You can read more, from Autocar, by clicking this link here. JLR profits hall 10%, which is being blamed largely on the aluminium supplier issue discussed a few weeks ago,

At the heart of The Prophets' vision are “The 24 Essential Supply Chain Processes.” What are they? Find out, and see the future yourself. Click here Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Auto Supply Chain Prophets podcast. Today, we are taking a break. This episode will air on November 4th, and both Terry and I will be at the QAD Transform conference. So we're very excited to meet with supply chain professionals, IT leaders, and business leaders, and we're going to talk about one of our favorite subjects: transformation.Yes, we will. So stay tuned because we'll be talking about it in future podcast episodes. So take a moment and go back through our back catalog. If you haven't heard the episodes with some of our guests like, Beth Crowley, Chief Resilience Officer and President of the Crowley Group. She talks about why every supply chain needs an army of problem solvers.And then, we move across the pond to the UK. We interviewed John McClellan Grant, the regional engagement manager for SMMT, and we talked about what's happening in the UK auto industry. And then, of course, our one and only Jim Liegghio from AIAG, in episode 64, talks about leading the charge and building tomorrow's supply chain leaders.One of our favorite episodes, way back in episode 54, is Shiv Taylor. We talk about the comeback at Volta Truck. There's a lot in our back catalog. Check it out, and we'll be back with a fresh new episode in two weeks. Until then, take care.Mentioned in this episode:QAD Transform AmericasEpisode with Beth Crowley: Why Every Supply Chain Needs an Army of Problem SolversEpisode with John McLellan-Grant: SMMT's Role in Shaping UK Automotive Supply ChainEpisode with Jim Liegghio: Leading the Charge: Building Tomorrow's Supply Chain LeadersEpisode with Shiv Tailor: Volta Truck's Electrifying Comeback to EV BusinessPlease visit this link to access our complete collection of podcast episodes.

At the heart of The Prophets' vision are “The 24 Essential Supply Chain Processes.” What are they? Find out, and see the future yourself. Click here We're no strangers to challenges in the auto industry, especially when it comes to supply chain management. We've seen it all in the US with our OEMs and Tier One suppliers, but what about across the pond in the UK?In this episode of the Auto Supply Chain Prophets podcast, we bring in John McLellan-Grant from SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) to explore SMMT's role in shaping the future of the UK auto sector and the current state of the industry.SMMT isn't just any trade association; it has been the backbone of the UK's automotive industry since 1902, bringing together nearly 900 members, from OEMs to raw materials suppliers. Their mission? To lead the way in industry transformation and ensure the UK stays competitive in the global auto market.John sheds light on how they tackle issues like post-Brexit labor shortages, the shift to electric vehicles (EVs), and the race toward decarbonization. Whether it's helping companies pivot to sustainable practices or guiding them through regulatory changes, SMMT is at the heart of the UK's automotive transformation.But it's not all smooth sailing. John talks about the growing pains in EV adoption—yes, even in the UK, where some places still struggle to offer enough petrol stations, let alone charging stations. Yet, despite the hurdles, there's progress, from the rise of Gigafactories to bold new energy initiatives aimed at future-proofing the industry.What stands out? The importance of trust and transparency. John believes that open communication between suppliers, OEMs, and the government is key to solving problems faster and smarter. His advice to supply chain leaders? Embrace collaboration like never before—because it's the only way forward in this rapidly evolving landscape.Themes discussed in this episode:The role of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) as a key trade association in the UK automotive sector, including its membership and activitiesThe current state of automotive manufacturing in the UK, highlighting British-owned manufacturers and the sector's overall healthThe industry's focus on sustainability, covering energy use, carbon reduction, and working groups promoting sustainable practices in the supply chainThe importance of collaboration between SMMT and other organizations, like regional automotive alliances and international associationsHow the automotive industry is embracing technology for transformation, especially the shift from internal combustion engines (ICE) to electric vehicles (EVs)SMMT's strategy to support members with electrification challenges, supply chain diversification, and trade relationships after BrexitChallenges in the EV transition, including infrastructure, battery manufacturing, and the need for effective government supportFeatured on this episode: Name: John McLellan-GrantTitle: Regional Engagement Manager, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)About: John McLellan-Grant is the Regional Engagement Manager at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), bringing over 20 years of experience in business development, account management, and procurement across multiple industries. His expertise lies in crafting both short- and long-term strategies that drive sales growth, enhance profitability, and streamline processes. His proven track record in high-level account management across various sectors reflects his commitment...

FOLLOW UP: EU vs Chinese EVsThe European Commission has approved tariffs on Chinese EVs. There are a number of stories behind this:European Commission Approves Tariffs On Chinese EVS - AutocarEU Rejects Chna's Proposal for €30,000 minimum price - electrive.comWhy EU rejected China's compromise on EV tariffs - Automotive News EuropeJLR encourages further talks in plea to avoid EU-China tariff war - AutocarEU-China EV dispute: Beijing retaliates with levy on French brandy - Automotive News EuropeFOLLOW UP: DIESELGATE - Winterkorn's Trial Moved AGainThe trial for ex. Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn, has been delayed due to his current ill health. A new timeline is being planned and will be announced in due course. Click this Automotive News Europe article for more. FOLLOW UP: FIAT 500E PRODUCTION PAUSED FOR LONGERFiat has announced that the current pause in production of the 500e will continue for longer, which the company claims is down to the low demand for EVs. Or is it the reduced demand for the 500e? To read more on this, click here for an Autocar article. SEPTEMBER NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESSMMT has released the new car registration figures for September. The overall figures are still down significantly on the Before Times, pre-Covid. There has been a lot of things said and written about these which require more than surface level analysis that has occurred. EV numbers were once again good. But the SMMT is leaning heavily into calling for Government assistance for Private consumers. Which rather counters all the claims that cost is not a driving factor in the growth of EVs not being as fast and large as many expected and hoped. If you wish to learn more, click this SMMT link here. You can also see more on the industry's calls for help, click this link from The Guardian. SEVERAL COMPANIES ISSUE PROFIT WARNINGS In the past few weeks several car brands have issued warnings on their expected profits. Mercedes, Stellantis, Aston Martin, BMW and Volkswagen for a second time. More can be found on all of that by clicking this Reuters article link here. CARLOS TAVARES TO...

FOLLOW UP: WINTERKORN DIESELGATE TRIAL BEGINSFormer Volkswagen CEO, Martin Winterkorn, is in court, charged with fraud, market manipulation and perjury all connected with the dieselgate scandal. Winterkorn denies all charges. To learn more, click this BBC News article link here. AUGUST 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has released the August 2024 new car registration figures. They are the first month in two years to not grow year on year. BEVs took a market share of nearly 23% in August, but the year to date is still only at 17.2%. Diesel, petrol and PHEV were down, but HEV rose. Private flatlined, but Business and Fleet registrations were down. Calls were renewed for charging VAT equalisation and incentives from the Government for consumer purchases. Click this link to read more, from the SMMT article. Click this link here to read what Robert Forrester, CEO of Vertu Motors, was quoted as saying with regards to the ZEV mandate and state of the market. VW CONSIDERING PLANT CLOSURES TO CUT COSTSVolkswagen have started to think the unthinkable and are considering closing some of their German factories. The German company needs to save billions and this is one of the possible actions being weighed up. Also being looked at is shelving a planned compact electric SUV model. If you wish to read more, click this Autocar article link here. VOLVO LATEST TO MODIFY MODEL PLANSVolvo is the latest manufacturer to announce a modification to their future model plans, thanks to current global market conditions and slower than expected roll out of chargin infrastructure. To find out what they are aiming for, click this AMOnline article link here. POLESTAR ENDS AGENCY MODELPolestar has ended the agency retail model and now allows dealerships to act in a more traditional manner. One of the changes will be the ability to target potential customers and sell to them, rather than the previous “no pressure experience”. To learn more, click this AMOnline article link here. BMW BRAKE RECALL ISSUE PERSISTS AND EXPANDSBMW began a recall due to issues with the Integrated Braking System. This has now been expanded to include the Mini and Rolls Royce brands. On top of that, they are struggling to cope with the scale of the issue due to the numbers involved. Parts are hard to come by and taking far longer than hoped. If you wish to read more, click this Car Dealer article link 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...

FOLLOW UP: MORE CERTIFICATION WOES FOR TOYOTAFollowing on-site inspections, by Japan's transport ministry, more certification violations have been found. A further seven models have been found to have been incorrectly certified, including the RAV4 model, resulting in a call for “drastic reforms” from the government. To learn more, click this link to a Reuters article. JULY 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) released the new car registration figures for July 2024. Overall the figures are up 2.4%, year on year. EVs are up 18.8% for the month but still only a 16.8% market share, year to date. Hybrids and Plug-In Hybrids are also up, with petrol down slightly and diesel a lot. Private registrations are down significantly again, with Fleet being 60% of the market. SMMT call, again, on the Government to do more to incentivise consumers and do more for the infrastructure. Click here to read more, from SMMT. AUDI UK GETS NEW MANAGING DIRECTORAndrew Doyle is leaving Audi UK to become CEO of Peter Warren Automotive, an Australian dealer group. He will be replaced by José Miguel Aparicio who is moving from Audi Spain, taking up the role on 1 October 2024. If you want to learn more, click this AMOnline article link here. UK PUBLIC CHARGING POINTS INCREASE TO 64,632 DEVICESThe UK, as of 1 July 2024, has 64,632 public charging devices available for use. This is an increase of 47% on July 2023 numbers. However, the location of these chargers is uneven across the country. London has the best coverage, with Birmingham second, then it is very patchy across the rest of the country with the north of England particularly poorly served. Click this Autocar article for more. BARCELONA HARNESSING METRO TRAIN ENERGY FOR EVSIn Barcelona, the first charging station that uses regenerated braking energy from metro trains, has opened. Complimenting this are solar panels placed on metro buildings. We like this very clever idea and are now wondering where else energy can be captured from! To read more, click this electrive article link here. FIRST UK EV LORRY CHARGING HUB BEING BUILT IN IMMINGHAMImmingham port is the location for the UK's first HGV EV charging hub, which is due to open in November 2024. This is also the location for a lot of off shore energy being brought into the country, therefore will make it easier to connect the chargers to a source. If you want to learn more, click this Current News article link here. STONEHENGE TUNNEL CANCELLED The proposed tunnel under Stonehenge has been cancelled, along with the Arundel bypass, whilst other road...

UK CAR FACTORIES HALVE CARBON EMISSIONSThe UK car manufacturing industry has managed to cut carbon emissions by half in the past 25 years. On top of which, water use has dropped significantly. This comes from the SMMT's 25th annual Sustainability Report. If you wish to learn more, click this AMOnline link here. JLR SALES INCREASEJLR, in the last quarter, saw their sales to dealers (wholesale) rise for the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. The reason being given is the new body shop opening at Solihull. The Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Defender made up 68% of wholesale numbers. Foreign markets such as China and particularly the US also grew. Click this Autocar article link to read more. They also announced that the Jaguar lineup will be cut down to just one model, due to lack of profitability. Only the F-Pace will be sold by the Jaguar brand until they announce their new models, aimed at the luxury market. If you wish to learn more, click this AMOnline article link here. RENAULT OFFERS EV CONVERSION TO MASTER OWNERSOwners of Master III vans are being offered a conversion to EV, by Renault in France. At a cost of €26,900 + tax the vehicles will have a maximum range of 124 miles. This is significant saving on a new electric van, but with a limited range. To read more about this, click here to go to an electrive article. AUDI MAY CLOSE BRUSSELS PLANTDue to a lack of sales, of the Q8 e-tron, the future of the VW Group plant in Brussels is under consideration, with the ultimate move being to close it and stop selling the model. Whilst Volkswagen Group has just announced it is investing heavily in Rivian, it has financial issue to sort as they and shareholders lower their earning expectation. Click this Reuters article link here to read more. US STUDY QUESTIONS SAFETY CLAIMS OF ADASA study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS), in the United States, has questioned how effective some of the advanced driver assistance systems actually are and if they do mitigate road incident rates. This covers technology which claims to be partial automation, not crash avoidance such as automatic emergency braking. Their conclusion is that partial automation adds nothing when it comes to additional safety. You can ream more, by clicking this link from IIHS here. To read the TechRadar piece associated to this, click here. NEW CAR THEFT ATTACKS HIT HYUNDAI AND OTHERSWith the...

FOLLOW UP: CHINESE BUILT EV TARIFFS COME INTO EFFECTThe interim tariffs, from the EU on Chinese built EVs, has come into effect. Some of these have been tweaked, with Geely's penalty dropping a fraction. The EU also published a document to explain who was hit by what and why. To find out more, click this Reuters link here. SAIC have asked for a special hearing with the EU as it states some of its evidence has been ignored. SAIC are the hardest hit of all companies, with a 37.6% additional cost added to all their vehicles. To read more, click this Reuters article link here. China has imposed stricter control on some rare earth material, which might impact those importing from China. Click this electrive article link here, to read further on this. There are signs that the tariffs are having one intended consequence, with Smart considering building a production plant in Europe. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here. BYD are ahead of all others though, as they announce an agreement to open a factory in Turkey, a deal worth $1 billion. Click this BBC News article link to read more. EUROPEAN GSR2 COME INTO FORCEThe European General Safety Rules 2 (GSR2) have come into force now, with systems such as intelligent speed limiters being fitted to all cars in the EU, including Northern Ireland. This will mean that UK cars will also have them fitted but they are not legally required. If you wish to read more, click this EVO article link here. JUNE 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATIONSJune saw another month of flatline registrations, with a 1.1% increase on 2023. However, BEVs did take a market share of 19% for June, raising it to 17.9% for the year to date. However, Private registrations are dropping, worryingly so, yet again as the market share decreases 15.3% for the month, with it now down 12% for the year to date. A reminder, salary sacrifice is not a private registration, no matter how hard you really wish it was. Click this link from the SMMT to read more. To read the article from Matt Prior explaining who will end up paying for the mandate policy, click this Autocar link here. Autocar also have an Editor's letter for the new UK Government, with recommendations on how they can help the car industry. Click this link to read that. EVS TO PAY LONDON CONGESTION CHARGE IN 2025Since 2020 Transport for London (TfL) have confirmed that EVs will pay the congestion charge from the end of 2025. Apparently, many have discovered this widely known news and are shocked. If you wish to learn more,

FOLLOW UP: JLR SPEEDS UP SECURITY UPDATE FOR OLDER CARSJLR 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. NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES MAY 2024The 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. SAFETY TEST SCANDAL HITS JAPANESE CAR MAKERSToyota, 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. FORD EUROPE BOSS RETURNS TO VW GROUPMartin 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. 20MPH LIMIT IN WALES CUTS INSURANCE CLAIMS 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. INSURANCE COSTS CAUSE YOUNG DRIVERS TO GO WITHOUTA 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. 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 NEW NEW CAR NEWS - BMW 1-seriesBMW 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...

In this episode, we chat with Jamie Parker, the CEO of SMMT Outdoor, who has a rich history in the sports and retail industries, including roles at Nike and Jaybird. Jamie shares insights from his time at Nike, discussing the dynamic and rotational nature of the company that fostered his growth mindset and diverse experience, from finance to product management. He also recounts his journey running Nike's Manchester United business, where he learned valuable lessons in high-traffic retail environments. Jamie discusses the founding of SMMT Outdoor, highlighting his passion for innovation in crowded markets and the brand's mission to enhance the outdoor lifestyle through thoughtful product design.

This month on the podcast, we discuss the latest car news of course and to end it off with my experience of the SMMT Test day last week! Podcast available on all streaming platforms, and make sure you subscribe to us if you're new! Happy listening! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bayley-prickett/support

FOLLOW UP: CAZOO TO ENTER ADMINISTRATIONThe online car retailer has taken the step to announce that it will appoint administrators for its subsidiaries to help protect them from creditor's debt enforcement. Cazoo also stated, to investors, unless it found urgent investment it would fold. You can read more, by clicking this AMOnline article link here. FOLLOW UP: TESLA AUTOPILOT UPDATE INVESTIGATEDThe National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has written to Tesla seeking answers as to why their cars still keep crashing after the update to their driver monitoring system. Tesla has until 1 July 2024 to respond or face potential fines up to $135 million. If you wish to learn more about that, click this article link from The Register. That is not all the news for Tesla though, US prosecutors are investigating the company over potential securities and wire fraud, over the capabilities of its driver assistance technology. This is purely an investigation and does not show any guilt, to be clear. On top of which, any prosecution would have to show a company deliberately inflating the capabilities rather than being optimistic about the future and failing to achieve that. Click this Reuters article for more. FOLLOW UP: JLR OFFERS CONTRIBUTION FOR OWN INSURANCEAs part of the continuing battle to counter the issue of high costs of or even refusal for insurance coverage JLR has now added a £150 per month contribution, if they take out their bespoke version. This will last for three years. To learn more about this story, click this AMOnline article link here. FOLLOW UP: DAIHATSU RESTARTS PRODUCTIONDaihatsu has finally restarted production in all four of its Japanese plants, following the safety test fraud scandal. Changes have been made to production, development the numbers of safety testing staff. If you want to learn more, click this article link from The Japan Times. APRIL 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESNew car registration figures for April 2024 has shown a 1% year on year. Fleet is doing all the lifting as Private registrations drop 17.7% year on year. BEV is up again, but only 15.7%, as petrol declines slightly and diesel drops further. Plug-in hybrid and hybrid share increases. SMMT are calling, once again, for help from the Government in a variety of ways that would encourage private buyers to purchase an electric car. Click here to read more, from the SMMT article. Manufacturers are becoming increasingly vocal on the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate and how unworkable it is currently. With some suggesting they will pull out of the market, throttle combustion engine sales and more. Fleet customers are also being threatened, told they must purchase a certain percentage of EV in their order. To read more on this, click here for an article from The Guardian. If you wish to learn more about

FOLLOW UP: CONTINENTAL FINED $107M FOR DIESELGATEContinental, the automotive parts supplier, has been fined €100 million for its part in the dieselgate scandal. The fine was such due to the full cooperation of the company and changes they have subsequently made to their compliance structures. There are six weeks for Continental to pay the fine. Click this Reuters article for more information. STELLANTIS LASHES OUT AT EV MANDATESCarlos Tavares criticises the current UK EV mandates as “terrible”. He has met with the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, to discuss the situation and suggest alterations that will make it more workable for the industry. We are finding out that you cannot just manufacture demand, when reviewing the monthly SMMT registration figures. You can read more, via a Peter Campbell thread here. For another article, click here to view an Autocar article. LOTUS CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER IS LEAVINGMike Johnson, who is the chief commercial officer of Lotus and the public facing executive for the brand, will be leaving the company after only 18 months in role. He is said to be staying in automotive, but we will have to wait to find out where and when. If you wish to read more on this, click the Autocar article link here. RANSWOMWARE ATTACK IMPACTS STREET LIGHTSA ransomware attack on Leicester City Council has led street lights to “misbehave”. This should cause great concern as more and more systems are linked and accessible remotely. Hopefully, more important and safety critical systems are being looked at across the country so there is not a serious impact from such incidents. Click this BitDefender story link here, to read more.MERCEDES EACTROS 600 CHARGES AT 1MWMercedes-Benz are preparing for the Megawatt Charging System (MCS), that is due to be finalised in 2025, and have successfully charged an eActros 600 prototype at 1MW for the first time. Not details were given on how long the vehicle charged or even how long at 1MW. You can read more, by clicking this electrive article link here. SAMSUNG TEASES FASTER CHARGING LONG LIFE BATTERYAt the 37th Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exposition, in Seoul, Samsung revealed that they will start production of a new electric vehicle batteries that will charge to 80% in nine minutes and some will last 20 years. The plan is for production to start in 2026, but it being fitted to cars in 2029. That's all a little way off, hopefully this isn't like solid state batteries and just far enough ahead for us to forget the last date that was declared. Click this article link from The Register for more. 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...

FOLLOW UP: RENAULT AND VOLVO GROUP PRESENT EV VAN JVFlexis is the name of the joint-venture between Renault, the Volvo Group and transportation company CMA CGM, that will develop EV vans aimed at urban and last mile deliveries. This will fill the gap in both Renault and Volvo's offerings to the commercial vehicle industry. For more information, click this Autocar link here. TOYOTA UPDATES ON CAR THEFTSToyota GB has issues a statement regarding thefts of certain models and a fix that will be fitted by dealerships to affected vehicles. To read more on that, click this link here. Friends of the show Ken Tindell and Ian Tabor found the vulnerability over a year ago. Ken has written a post on LinkedIn that we recommend you read. Particularly the last sentence, which we echo and hope the car industry improves communication with security researchers. Click here to read that piece. MARCH 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has issued the registration figures for March 2024. They are up on 2023 but still significantly down on 2019. Fleet is propping up what growth there is as Private is down again. On top of that, the BEV registrations grew in number but market share dropped causing SMMT to call, once again, on Government assistance for Private buyers. Click here to read the information from SMMT. Also, the chaps want to thank the SMMT for changing the top ten model chart title to Best Models from Best Sellers, which they always grumbled about. INVESTIGATION INTO HEADLIGHT BRIGHTNESSThe RAC has been calling on the Government to do something about the number of complaints regarding dazzling headlights. The response, following a petition to Parliament, is that the Government will seek to investigate the issue and then be in a better position to propose a reaction if it is required. You can read more about this, by clicking this Autocar article link here. AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE SOFTWARE IS HARDDevelopers in Australia has admitted defeat in trying to create software that would help vehicles avoid kangaroos. They state that the animals are too irrational to be able to do the job. If you wish to read more, click this Ars Technica article link here. Meanwhile, Bentley, sounding like they are actually trying to be safety first, announce they will not be pursuing Level 3 automation. They will, instead, release a Level 2 ++ system. The chaps get quite cross about this. Click here to read the Carscoops article. Andrew commented on this issue on LinkedIn, you can read that by clicking this link here. TIME RUNNING OUT ON EV CHARGER GRANTS An excellent article from EV Powered by

FOLLOW UP: RENAULT AND VOLVO TO SHUT EV VAN PROJECTRenault and Volvo will announce that their joint venture for electric vans will shut in early April. There is no detail on why this is. Click here for more information, via the Reuters article link. UK GOVERNMENT PREPARES TRADE SANCTIONS ON CHINESE EVSAt a SMMT conference, the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said that the UK Government could impose sanctions to prevent the market being unfairly in favour of subsidised Chinese electric vehicles. If you wish to learn more, click this AMOnline article link here. HONDA AND NISSAN SIGN MOU FOR EV DEVELOPMENTNissan and Honda have signed a memorandum of understanding, to investigate working together to speed up the development and production of competitive electric vehicles. They acknowledge that they are behind others, especially newer brands that have come to the market, purely focused on EVs. There are no details on what this partnership will entail. You can learn more by clicking this Reuters link here. EU TO ALLOW 60 TONNE LORRIES ON THE ROADSThe EU, has voted to allow ‘mega-trucks', which are a lorry and trailer combination of just over 25m long and a weight up to 60 tonnes, on the roads of the continent. On top of this, the European Commission wants all countries to ensure it is legal for 17 year olds to be able to drive a lorry. Click this European Transport Safety Council article to read more on these insane ideas. POSSIBLE WIRELESS EV CHARGING BREAKTHROUGH Researchers in the US have built a wireless charging system that is 96% efficient and eight to ten times more power dense than existing wireless chargers. The charger had a five inch gap to the vehicle. This is still early days but could mean we are a step closer to the roll out of wireless charging for all. If you wish to learn more, click this InsideEVs article link here. JAGUAR CUTS OFF ACCESS TO SOME SMART CHARGINGJaguar has informed owners of the I-Pace that some chargers will no longer have access to smart charging, thus the charging times cannot be controlled. This does not effect all home chargers though. JLR stated that this was due to security and privacy issues. Click this Autocar article link here to learn more. FISKER AT RISKFisker, the US based EV maker, announced that it is in financial trouble, serious enough to make it public that it may have to go into receivership. The company had previously stated it was in trouble, but this announcement still came as a shock to many. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here. Late yesterday, news came out that the company has paused production, for six weeks, as it gains $150 million extra investment from an exisiting investor. However, there talks are, apparently, underway...

FOLLOW UP: AGENCY MODEL CLARIFICATION Thank you to all who responded to Andrew's request for more information on how the agency model works for car retails. We can now confirm, the query about who carries the financial liability, does in fact lie with the manufacturers now. To see who is moving to this model, click this link to an Auto Retail Network article. FEBRUARY 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESSMMT has released the new car registration figures for February 2024 and they are the best in 20 years! Which caused us to raise an eyebrow or two. Battery electric cars are up, slightly, but still a long way off the 22% required by the Government mandate. Diesel is down slightly, with plug in hybrids also up a touch, but petrol is up again. Fleet is doing all the lifting and this is worrying the industry who renews their calls for help to incentivise the Private side of things. To read more, click this link to the SMMT article and details. POLESTAR SECURES NEW FUNDINGPolestar are plugging the gap left by Volvo stepping back from funding the EV company, thanks to a loan worth £750 million. According to the company, this will allow them to sell 155,000 vehicles and become cash flow even in 2025. If you wish to read more on this story, click this Autocar link here. US INVESTIGATING CHINESE EV DATA COLLECTIONThe US Government announced that it will be investigating Chinese electric vehicles to ascertain how much, what type of and where they send data. However, as there are so few actual brands allowed into the US this does feel part of the ongoing protectionism being demonstrated in North America. You can find out about this by clicking the link here to an electrive article. FISKER FINANCES UNSUSTAINABLE BUT NISSAN MAY HELPFisker announced how they were not confident they could last to the end of 2024, but a couple of days later it was revealed that they are in talks with Nissan over possible investment. This would give the Japanese company access to an electric pick up platform, which they do not have currently. Click this Reuters article for the original story. For details on the possible Nissan rescue, click this link to an Autocar article. THE POSSIBLE APPLE CAR PROJECT IS APPARENTLY SHUT DOWNReports were all over the internet stating that the secret Apple car project, allegedly called Titan, had been cancelled. But as the company has neither confirmed nor denied this, it is hard to tell if it was real or whether they were looking at specific technologies. For more speculation and the liberal use of the “iCar” click this link to an article from The Register. ASTON MARTIN CLOSES LAGONDAAston Martin confirmed that the Lagonda sub brand is officially no more. This surprised us, as we thought it had been killed off a couple of years ago. To learn more and look at...

FOLLOW UP: PARIS VOTES TO CHARGE EXTRA FOR HEAVY CARSJust under six percent of eligible Parisians voted on charging extra for non resident parking permitted heavier vehicles, with 54.6% voting for this. Therefore, internal combustion engined cars (ICE) weighing over 1.6 tonnes and electric vehicles weighing over 2 tonnes, will be charged extra. Click here to read a misleadingly headlined article from The Guardian that is an example of some of the pathetic reporting on this matter. FOLLOW UP: LITHIA TAKEOVER PENDRAGONLithia, the US based firm, has finally taken over the motor retail group, Pendragon. This makes Lithia the second biggest retailer in the UK, ahead of Arnold Clark but behind Sytner. You can read more by clicking this AMOnline article link here. JANUARY 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESSMMT has released the January 2024 new car registration figures. They are up on 2023, but still down on the Before Times. Fleet is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, with Private down once again. Worryingly, in the first month of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, the battery electric vehicle (BEV) share is only 14.7%, well below the 22% required from each manufacturer. Click here to read an interesting article from Tristan Young in Broker News, which hints that the figures could have been even worse. For the SMMT article and detail, click this link here. RENAULT CANCELS IPO FOR EV DIVISION AMPERERenault has confirmed that they will not separate their electric vehicle division, Ampere, and list it on the stock exchange. The reasoning is that the market is “sluggish”, which has also been compounded with a slow down in EV uptake across Europe at the end of the year. The company is adamant that they are cash rich and their ambitions are not dependent on an IPO. If you wish to learn more, click this article link from Reuters here. VW PAUSES IPO OF BATTERY DIVISIONVolkswagen has paused proceeding with listing their battery division, PowerCo, with the EV market slowing in Europe. On top of that, they have not yet decided where their fourth battery factory will be located in Europe. Click this electrive article link to read more on the IPO situation. For the battery factory story, click this InsideEVs article link here. For the Autocar article on the subject of the stock market and EV companies, click this link here. VOLVO TO STOP FUNDING POLESTARAmongst the detail of Volvo's 2023 financial results, they announced that they will be ceasing to continue to fund Polestar and be focusing solely on their own projects. This could lead to Volvo selling their shares or Geely just buying more. They will continue to partner up over...

FOLLOW UP: VW AND GERMAN GOV LOSE ENGINE FIX FIGHTA German environmental group has won its court case against the Volkswagen Group and the German Government for allowing the use of thermal windows in engine emissions, for the last eight years. Whilst the regulator allowed it the court ruled they should not have. You can learn more by clicking this electrive article link here. FOLLOW UP: CMA WINS APPEAL AGAINST BMW AND VWThe Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) has won its appeal relating to forcing BMW and the Volkswagen Group hand over information to enable their investigation into possible anti-competative practices for recycling vehicles. The argument from BMW and VW is that they are based outside of the UK therefore the CMA has no authority. The Court of Appeal ruled they do. For more on this story, click this Reuters article link here. FOLLOW UP: FEEDBACK ON THE CHAT GPT EXPLAINERThank you to everyone who got in touch, following the release of last week's show and the separate video which explained Chat GPT, AI and why it is a bad idea in cars. We are glad it has helped so many of you. If you haven't seen it yet, click this link to our YouTube video here. BRITAIN STICKS TO MONOCHROME NEW CARS IN 2023Topping the chart, once again, we find that grey is the most popular colour for new car registrations. The top three are rounded out with black and white - yawn. Do click this link to SMMT's article on this, as there is one chart that lists the Top 10 colours and how many have been registered in that colour, it is eye opening. EU INVESTIGATORS TO VISIT CHINESE CAR COMPANIESAs part of the EU's investigation into whether China unfairly helps their own manufacturing base, with electric vehicles, they will be visiting several firms at locations in the country to check if information supplied matches. They will not be checking on European set ups. Click this link, from electrive, to read more on this development. EVS IN THE EU WILL NEED A BATTERY PASSPORT FROM 2027A system has been developed that aims to track everything about a vehicle battery, from minerals in the ground to what was last done to it in the car. This comes into force in February 2027. Depending on which group is looking to access the data, different levels of information will be available. You can learn more by clicking this Autocar link here. SUBARU UK GETS A NEW MDCongratulations to Lorraine Bishton on her appointment as the new managing director at Subaru UK. She has previously worked at Ford, JLR and lately at McLaren Special Operations. If you wish to learn more, click this AMOnline link 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

This week the lads talk about headlight dazzling, a luxury Bentley versus a cheap car, and 'morons' who go hooning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

FOLLOW UP: RIFTER NOT BERLINGO, BAD ANDREWDuring the Year of unintended consequences - 19 December 2023 episode, Andrew stated that Alex Grant has an e-Berlingo, which is incorrect. Alex has the more stylish e-Rifter, which shares a lot of the platform but is not the same. Apologies Alex, Andrew has been suitably chastised for his error. FOLLOW UP: WELSH 20MPH LIMIT TO NOW BE ENFORCEDThe Welsh Government has stated that the newly introduced default 20mph speed limit, for built up areas, will be enforced from this month onwards. Depressingly, the article we link to, on the BBC News site which you can read by clicking here, has several quotes making it explicit that in Wales at least, compliance equals safety. Speed cameras will be installed in areas where it is deemed that too many are breaking the limit, rather than where there are accident blackspot as has been the norm. DECEMBER AND FULL YEAR NEW CAR REGISTRATIONSOnce again we note so many have trouble with the difference between new car registrations and sales. They are not the same. The good news is that registrations rose 17.9% on 2022, but still it is way down on the Before Times, approximately 17.5% down. We always need to put these figures into context. A lot of positive fuss was made about the volume of battery electric cars (BEV) which is impressively up, but the percentage of those registered is down for both December and 2023. Some of this may be due to holding back vehicles with 2024 and the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate about to land. More of a concern will be Private registrations that fell 14% for December and 0.1% for the year. Fleet is doing all the heavy lifting now. However, the inevitable calls for incentives and/or subsidies for private buyers has started. Click this link to the SMMT article for more information. SUPERMARKETS STILL RIPPING US OFF ACCORDING TO RACThe RAC brings out its monthly report into fuel prices, once again confirming that supermarkets are holding onto the duty relief the Government intended to be passed onto the public. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more. JLR LAUNCHES BESPOKE INSURANCE FOR RANGE ROVERSFollowing the issues JLR have had around their vehicles and how older models have been targets for thieves, which they appear to have solved for some models, with a £10 million effort we discussed a few weeks ago, they now are offering insurance for those struggling to get cover. Click this Motoring Research article link for more information. AUDI E-TRON RECALLED IN THE USAudi E-Trons built before March 2022 have been recalled in the United States over a fire risk connected to LG Energy Solutions battery packs. The affects nearly 27,000 cars and there is no remedy yet. You can learn more by clicking this link here to a Consumer Reports article.TESLA RECALL OVER FAULTY DOOR RISKTesla is issuing an over-the-air-update to fix the risk of doors opening during an accident, in the United States. Model S and X from 2021 to 2023 are affected by this. If you wish to learn more,

Follow Up - EU and UK Agree to 3-Year Rules of Origin DelayUK and EU politicians have agreed to delay the introduction of EV Rules of Origin by three years—more details in this Autocar story.Follow-Up - Tesla Vs. Nordic Unions - Unions AheadTesla continues to rebuff cooperation with Nordic unions, making life hard for Tesla. The Guardian covers this in more detail in the story linked here.New Car Registration Figures for NovemberUK new car registrations were slightly up in November, but the percentage of EVs is down slightly. Lots more and all of the numbers on the SMMT website.UK Motorists Continue To Be Overcharged For FuelAccording to the RAC, the gap between wholesale and retail road fuel prices has narrowed but is still too broad. More here from Autocar.Euro NCAP States The ObviousEuro NCAP has declared that bigger, heavier SUVs present “safety concerns” to other drivers and pedestrians. Autocar explains more in this article.Sixt Migrates to BYD EVs While Hertz Steps Back From EVSRental company Sixt is swapping Tesla for BYD after concerns about repair costs and residuals. Hertz is dialling back the speed with which it's introducing EVs to its fleet. Jalopnik has more detail in this article.More Government Money For New Motorway Rapid ChargersUKGOV has set aside £70 million to fill the gaps in open-access motorway rapid and ultra-rapid chargers and ensure at least six chargers at each. Autocar has more detail here.EV Charging Companies Continue Evolving To Try To Make MoneyBP Pulse is expanding its rapid charger network, while Podpoint focuses on home and workplace chargers instead.NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Suzuki SwiftSuzuki has unveiled a revised Swift. The outside is a bit rounder, and the interior has fewer buttons. Much more information is available from Autocar.Morgan XP1The Morgan 3-wheeler is a magnificent machine, and Morgan's hard at work on an electric version. CAR magazine has lots more details here.Stellantis Battery Swap StationsStellantis is considering introducing multi-brand battery swap stations, starting with the Fiat 500e in Madrid. Autocar has the full...

Follow Up - Volta Trucks Saved by Venture Existing BackersUK-based Volta Trucks has been saved by a venture capital fund that had previously invested them. There's more about this in the Autocar story linked here.Follow-Up - Welsh Speed Limit Changes Cause ConsternationSome roads in Wales are now subject to many more changes of speed limit than before. This BBC story highlights one extreme example.VW to Cut Jobs In Bid To Increase CompetitivenessThe Volkswagen CEO has claimed that it is “no longer competitive” and will be taking advantage of the “demographic curve” to reduce staff numbers ahead of the previously-announced 2029 date for dismissals. More from Autocar here.£20bm Investment Boost for UK Auto Manufacturing in 2023The SMMT has announced the latest figures for investment in UK manufacturing as well as the government's Advanced Manufacturing Strategy. There's more about this on the SMMT website, linked here.Call for “Euro-Kai Car” for small, urban EVsIn an effort to save the small car, European lobby group ACEA is pitching for legislation to encourage small, urban EVs. You can find out more in the Autocar story linked here.Tuner Fined for Fitting Illegal Exhaust ModsThe DVLA has fined West Yorkshire tuner AET Motorsport for fitting a ”pop-bang” map and removing the catalytic converter from a Fiesta ST. Find out more in this Car article.Geely & NIO sign Strategic Partnership on Battery-Swap TechnologyGeely and NIO have signed a strategic partnership to develop battery standards, swapping technology, network expansion and development, swappable model development, and battery asset management. Big news, and you can read more in Geely's press release here.Induction Charging Road Installed in DetroitAn induction charging test road has been installed in Detroit to test the system's robustness in real-world conditions. Find out more in this article from Jalopnik.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 NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Dacia BigsterDacia has revealed their first model bigger than the Duster, a chunkily-styled 5-seat SUV available as a petrol mild and full hybrid. A competitor for the Ford Kuga and other, the Bigster is slightly larger, but expected to cost under £40,000 when it's introduced tot he UK in 2025. Find out more in this article from Autocar.Dacia DusterAt the same...

FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT STAFF NOT PAID FOR MONTHSRecharge Industries, the company that has bought Britishvolt, although not finalised payment yet, has not paid UK staff for the last four months. Once again, the poor staff let down by management. If you would like to read more, including how much belief employees have in the assurances given, click this BBC News article link here. FOLLOW UP: JLR PARTS ISSUE TO LAST INTO 2024 JLR have confirmed that they are improving the repair parts backlog, they're experiencing. With the steps being made, they anticipate getting back on track in 2024. The issue has been acknowledged by CEO Adrian Mardell. To read more, click this Jalopnik article link here. FOLLOW UP: TESLA NOT FOUND LIABLE FOR MODEL 3 CRASHA jury has decided that Tesla and their Autopilot software are not responsible for the accident that led to the driver's death and passenger injuries, back in 2019. The claim was the software was faulty, there are arguments that how lawyers are pursing such cases is flawed and will ensure they never win such cases. If you want to read more about the case, click this article link from The Register. To find out more about why Michael DeKort thinks the legal cases are destined to fail, click this LinkedIn post link. OCTOBER 2023 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe SMMT published the figures of the new car registrations for October 2023. A big jump in registrations over all, but BEVs only managed to capture 15% market share, which is less than in previous months. Another concern, for the industry, is how reliant they now are on Fleet registrations as Private remained the same as last year. Click here to read more, from the SMMT. SMMT CONNECTED AND AUTOMATED MOBILITY REPORTSticking with the SMMT, they published a report based on KPMG research in to the potential connected and automated mobility aspects of the industry. Whilst a lot of it is incredibly optimistic in terms of potential earnings, impact and job creation, one chart caught Alan's eye regarding which could be the sectors fastest and most likely to become automated and take advantage of connectivity. To learn more, click this link from the SMMT. DRIVERLESS FIFE BUS NOW DRIVEN BY A HUMAN DRIVERThe bus that runs between Ferrytoll Park and Ride near Inverkeithing and Edinburgh Park, which is testing an autonomous driving system now is being fully driven by a human driver. You can read more, by clicking this link to a The Courier article. jLR POSTS RECORD REVENUESIn the last quarter, JLR posted record revenue figures as demand for the Range Rover Sport and Defender was strong. Nice to be able to say something positive about JLR. Click here to read...

CALLS FOR RULES OF ORIGIN AGREEMENT STRENGTHENEDThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has reinforced its call for an agreement to be reached between the EU and UK over rules of origin delay. The SMMT has outlined what the average price increase would be for vehicles coming into or out of the UK and EU. You can read more about the potential impact by clicking this link to an SMMT article. The UK Government has stated that if a satisfactory agreement with the EU cannot be reached over rules of origin it would just make their own rules up. That have not clarified what these would be, nor how they expect them to help UK based companies. Click this Autocar article to read more. CHINA EXPORT TARIFFS APPLIED TO GRAPHITE China will be imposing an export tariff on certain grades of graphite, which is used in the manufacture of electric car batteries. This will mean that homegrown batteries will be cheaper than, those built using the material abroad. To learn more, click this electrive link here. £200M NET ZERO DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMThe UK Government has set aside £200 million of the net zero funding to enable four demonstration projects for the viability of electric HGVs. This is a move to help encourage and demonstrate the positives of moving to the UK haulage industry. In order to read more, click this link here to a Current News article. UK GOVERNMENT URGED TO IMPROVE ROADS OUTSIDE THE SOUTHA report from the National Infrastructure Commission has called on the Government to improve on the amount of money allocated to the Road Investment Strategy being spent on the Midlands and the North of England. Only 22% goes to projects outside the South, which looks bad but there are a few reasons for why this is the case. To read more, click this article link from Autocar. VOLTA TRUCKS ENTERS BANKRUPTCYFollowing supplier Proterra going into administration and an inability to raise more funding, Volta Trucks has entered bankruptcy in Sweden, with it following suite soon in the UK too. Management are trying to find a buyer to take it on as a going concern. Click here to read more, via Autocar. JLR'S HUGE REPAIRS PARTS SHORTAGECar Dealer Magazine has an exclusive report on 10,000 JLR vehicles being affected by the company's huge parts shortage issue. Digging into the problem, it is clear the situation has been made so much worse with a huge consolidation project that combined a number of warehouse facilities into a new single site, changing parts supplier and combining a number of legacy systems into a new one. As Alan, who's day job is just this sort of thing states, “that's courageous”. If you would like to read more, click this link to the original scoop here. ALPINA FOUNDER PASSES AWAYBurkard Bovensiepen, who was the founder of ALPINA, has sadly passed away at the age of 87. He helped create an incredible...

FOLLOW UP: CHINA UNHAPPY AT EU SUBSIDY PROBEIn a move that should surprise no one, China has complained about the process and speed of the EU's investigation into the possibility of state backed subsidies for Chinese EV makers. Click here to read the Reuters article with plenty of quotes from China making it clear there will be ramifications. FOLLOW UP: PENDRAGON SUITERS DOWN TO TWO The Hedin Penske bid for Pendragon has been removed, which leaves two suiters. A report this week has suggested that the AutoNation offer can increased and take it well above the Lithia Motors proposal. If they do, the board of Pendragon are expected to recommend AutoNation. You can read more by clicking this article from AMOnline, here. SEPTEMBER 2023 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES No matter how positive many are trying to be about September's figures, they were dreadful. Overall, whilst better than 2022 and ignoring the Covid years, it was the lowest since before 2007, EVs failed to break 16% again, private EV rates are down 14% and you have to wonder how long fleet registrations can prop up the industry. On top of all of that, the reporting on this has once again been poor. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) inevitably calls on the Government to support private buyers so that more cars can find new homes. Click here to read the SMMT's official post. GOVERNMENT UNVEILS “THE PLAN FOR DRIVERS” DOCUMENTLast week the Transport Secretary revealed a document called “The Plan for Drivers” which is a 30-point plan aimed at helping to make driving less of a chore in the UK. If you would like to learn what the plan exactly entails, click here to read the document from the .GOV site. For a summary, click this Autocar link here. JLR IN TROUBLE WITH ASA The Advertising Standards Authority has banned an advert for the Range Rover Sport SVR from JLR. The ruling cited that the main message was about speed, which contravenes the CAP Code rule 19.4. JLR disagreed, but when the time from 0-60 was the second of two sentences, it is easy to see how the ASA came to the decision it did. You can read more, by clicking this AMOnline link here. POLICE USED VAN TO STOP RUNAWAY CARA man called the police, in order to get them to help him find a way to stop his car that was stuck at 30mph. Eventually, they used a police van, which acted as the brakes, to bring to vehicle to a safe stop. There is no current understanding as to why the accelerator was jammed on. We hope when the reason is found that is reported to all of us. To read about this story, click here for the BBC News version. VOLVO NAMES NEW UK MANAGING DIRECTORNicole Melillo Shaw has been named as the next managing director for Volvo

FOLLOW UP: ZEV MANDATE FINALLY ANNOUNCEDThe Government has finally published the details of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate. As we discussed last week the expected percentage minimums of zero emission vehicles sold per brand have remained from the consultation. However, there is no additional detail from 2030 to 2035 except there being no new internal combustion engines sold from 2035. Click here to read the Autocar article on the story. To read the SMMT's response, click this link here. UK ROAD DEATHS RISE The statistics on road deaths and injuries have been released by the UK Government. Deaths have risen, for the first time since 2017, but overall incidents are slightly down. Remember it is pointless to compare with 2020 and 2021 figures, therefore one needs to look to 2019 for comparison. Also, note that there is a lot of information and it is handed to us in a variety of formats, which you need to make sure you are aware of if reviewing the data. Click this link here to read Autocar's summary. If you would like to review the data, click this Government link here. YEW TREE CONSORTIUM INCREASES ASTON MARTIN STAKE The Lawrence Stroll led consortium, Yew Tree, has increased their stake in Aston Martin, once again. They continue to be the largest single shareholder. In order to learn more, click here to read the Reuters article link. PENDRAGON DEALERSHIP CENTRE OF BIDDING WARA trio of US-based bids have been received by Pendragon, for their company, after revealing record profits for the first six months of the year. There have already been increases in bids and counter offers, therefore this may not end anytime soon. You can learn more by clicking this link here to a Car Dealer Magazine article. PERTH TOYOTA DEALERSHIP CONTRACT REMOVEDStuans, the family owned dealer group, has unceremoniously lost their franchise agreement with Toyota, following no consultation or warning. The sites in Dundee and Perth will now be run by Eastern and Western Motor Group. This one is quite personal for Alan and he goes on to explain how little choice Scottish buyers now get. If you would like to learn more, click this AMOnline article link. VW HIRES EX TESLA AND RIVIAN SOFTWARE ENGINEERVolkswagen has brought in a non-VW employee to their CARIAD software division, in a shock move. Sanjay Lal, has previously worked at both Tesla and Rivian, as part of his 25 year career. He is being tasked with trying to improve the speed and quality of software development at the company. You can read more by clicking this InsideEVs article link here.FLEET DATA SHOWS EV TYRES ARE REPLACED MORE OFTENFleet data, analysed by epyx, indicates that EV tyres...

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR AUGUST 2023For the first time, in a long time, the new car registration overall figure for August is close to those of the before times, being just under seven thousand less than 2019 numbers. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) jumped to a 20.1% market share for the month, unfortunately the year to date is still stuck in the 16s. The SMMT make it very clear they desperately need the Government to reveal what the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate will actually be as, astonishingly, they have not revealed what it will actually entail. Click here to read more about August from this SMMT article link. NEW EV MINIS WILL BE BUILT IN THE UK BMW is investing £600 million in their Oxford and Swindon plants to enable it to build the new Mini Cooper Electric and the Mini Aceman. This secures around 4,000 jobs and does include some financial support from the UK Government. To find out more, you can click this Autocar article link here. CAMBRIDGE CONGESTION CHARGE CANCELLEDThe plans for charging vehicles to drive in and around Cambridge, during peak times, has been shelved. The Lib Dems expressed “concerns” which removed much of the previous support for the scheme. Labour confirmed they too had concerns over certain aspects of the proposals. However, it was acknowledged that something will have to be done. If you wish to find out more, click this BBC News article link here. EV NETWORK AND BP PULSE OPEN UK'S LARGEST CHARGING HUBThe NEC Campus is the location for EV Network and BP Pulse's new charging hub, which is the largest in the UK. There are 16 rapid 300kW chargers and 150 7kW charging points, with provision for some accessible bays in both rapid and fast areas. Click this ZapMap article link to read more. RICHMOND BOROUGH TO INSTALL 525 MORE CHARGE POINTSThe London Borough of Richmond upon Thames has announced it will be installing a further 525 on-street charge points across its area to bring the total up to 945. You can read more from the electrive.com article via this link here. LIVERPOOL HYDROGEN BUS PROJECT SCRAMBLES FOR FUELA flagship hydrogen bus project, based in Liverpool, has not been running as the operator struggles to find a fuel supplier. The hope is for the situation to be solved soon, with the source also being sustainably produced. To learn more, click this link here from Hydrogeninsight. Montpellier is cancelling their hydrogen bus experiment due to the high running costs, when compared to electric buses. Hydrogen has been calculated as six times more expensive that the equivalent electric. Click this Recharge article link to read more. MOZILLA CLAIMS CAR DATA PRIVACY IS APPALLING The Mozilla Foundation has investigated car brands over...

¿Cómo está manejando Londres las emisiones del transporte público y privado para mejorar la contaminación y luchar contra el cambio climático? El informe desde Londres. Cada día, el metro de Londres, el más antiguo del mundo, hace 4 millones de viajes transportando miles de pasajeros. Mientras que sus 9 mil buses rojos, hacen 5 millones de recorridos semanalmente.  Al menos 2,6 millones de carros recorren sus calles modernas e históricas.  Para controlar este nivel de tránsito contaminante, la directora de Transporte de Transport for London, Christina Calderato, explica en RFI que además de inversiones millonarias para el transporte público, se debe cambiar de hábitos.  “A través de la inversión en transporte público y alternativas de viaje, podemos ayudar a las personas a dejar de lado el automóvil. Pero también estamos implementando esquemas como el de cargo por zonas de emisiones ultrabajas, que nos ayuda a garantizar que las personas solo conduzcan los autos más limpios en Londres, si necesitan conducir”, afirma Calderato. Tanto el gobierno británico como el de Londres, están incentivando el uso de automóviles eléctricos. Sin embargo, sus elevados precios y la falta de puntos de carga, son los palos en la rueda.  John Spence, consciente del cambio climático, se cambió a un carro eléctrico, valuado en casi 100.000 dólares. Lo carga en su casa, como si fuera su teléfono celular. Para una carga completa, necesita 8 horas.  “Es un carro precioso, muy silencioso, suave. Tiene un alcance de 354 kilómetros, por lo que lo usamos para viajes de 160 kilómetros o menos. ¿Por qué? “Las instalaciones de carga fuera de la propia casa son obviamente más complejas. Es posible que tengas que hacer fila, necesitas planificar viajes”, explica Spence.  Los carros eléctricos, hechos tanto en Reino Unido como en la Unión Europea, pueden subir un 10 % más de precio, desde enero de 2024, por las reglas de origen, una ley postbrexit.  Este mercado crece en todo el país. El 2.5% de los carros en Londres ya son eléctricos.  Tecnología y puntos de carga, lo pendiente Londres tiene, hasta el momento, 13.373 puntos públicos de carga de carros eléctricos, lo que representa el 31% de todo el país. Estos se conectan como si fuera un celular y se paga con tarjeta de crédito.  Cristina Calderato reconoce la falta de infraestructura en la ciudad que genera incertidumbre entre los usuarios y futuros compradores de esta tecnología.  “No se trata solo, por ejemplo, de tirar dinero a cargadores rápidos. Sabemos que necesitamos tener una combinación: necesitamos cargadores lentos y rápidos, donde las personas puedan cargar. Como los domiciliares puedan cargar en casa”.  Agrega que “necesitamos hubs de alta velocidad, donde sabemos que ha sido un desafío para las personas que tienen carros eléctricos es tener la confianza de que habrá un cargador disponible y que funcionará”.Por su parte, el vocero de la Sociedad de Fabricantes y Comercializadores de Vehículos Británicos, (SMMT), James Boley, explica en RFI por qué este tipo de carro es tan caro, una tecnología muy nueva que empezó a conocerse en 2020.  “Una parte significativa de la producción de un vehículo eléctrico es su batería, que representa entre el 30 y el 45 % del costo de producción de ese vehículo total. Eso es porque las baterías requieren mucha energía para producir y sus precios han aumentado. También requieren materias primas como el litio y el cobalto, cuya oferta no necesariamente está a la altura de la demanda en este momento” Londres y su ambiciosa meta medio ambiental El alcalde de la capital británica, Sadiq Khan, ha prometido que la ciudad tendrá cero emisiones de carbono para 2030. Para cumplirla, tiene que reducir su tráfico actual en un 27%.  Esto significa que un gran porcentaje de los viajes o desplazamientos de quienes, y viven en la ciudad, deben utilizar más la red de transporte público, que incluye el metro, buses, y caminar y montar en bicicleta. El director de transporte de la Unidad de Inteligencia Energética y Climática, Colin Walker, dice que Londres vive una agenda verde.  “Su enorme flota de autobuses se está electrificando con bastante rapidez, al igual que muchos de sus taxis. Se han introducido nuevas líneas de bicicletas, ya que Londres tiene los niveles mucho más altos de rutas para ciclistas que el resto del país. Y la mayor flota de vehículos de cero emisiones de Uber está en Londres”.  Para controlar la polución vehicular, causante de 4.000 muertes prematuras, Londres extenderá desde finales de agosto, el cobro de 16 dólares diarios para los carros altamente contaminantes que se desplacen desde las afueras al centro.  Una medida polémica, en medio de la crisis del costo de vida, que, sin duda, ha mejorado la calidad del aire.  This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/3279340/advertisement

¿Cómo está manejando Londres las emisiones del transporte público y privado para mejorar la contaminación y luchar contra el cambio climático? El informe desde Londres. Cada día, el metro de Londres, el más antiguo del mundo, hace 4 millones de viajes transportando miles de pasajeros. Mientras que sus 9 mil buses rojos, hacen 5 millones de recorridos semanalmente.  Al menos 2,6 millones de carros recorren sus calles modernas e históricas.  Para controlar este nivel de tránsito contaminante, la directora de Transporte de Transport for London, Christina Calderato, explica en RFI que además de inversiones millonarias para el transporte público, se debe cambiar de hábitos.  “A través de la inversión en transporte público y alternativas de viaje, podemos ayudar a las personas a dejar de lado el automóvil. Pero también estamos implementando esquemas como el de cargo por zonas de emisiones ultrabajas, que nos ayuda a garantizar que las personas solo conduzcan los autos más limpios en Londres, si necesitan conducir”, afirma Calderato. Tanto el gobierno británico como el de Londres, están incentivando el uso de automóviles eléctricos. Sin embargo, sus elevados precios y la falta de puntos de carga, son los palos en la rueda.  John Spence, consciente del cambio climático, se cambió a un carro eléctrico, valuado en casi 100.000 dólares. Lo carga en su casa, como si fuera su teléfono celular. Para una carga completa, necesita 8 horas.  “Es un carro precioso, muy silencioso, suave. Tiene un alcance de 354 kilómetros, por lo que lo usamos para viajes de 160 kilómetros o menos. ¿Por qué? “Las instalaciones de carga fuera de la propia casa son obviamente más complejas. Es posible que tengas que hacer fila, necesitas planificar viajes”, explica Spence.  Los carros eléctricos, hechos tanto en Reino Unido como en la Unión Europea, pueden subir un 10 % más de precio, desde enero de 2024, por las reglas de origen, una ley postbrexit.  Este mercado crece en todo el país. El 2.5% de los carros en Londres ya son eléctricos.  Tecnología y puntos de carga, lo pendiente Londres tiene, hasta el momento, 13.373 puntos públicos de carga de carros eléctricos, lo que representa el 31% de todo el país. Estos se conectan como si fuera un celular y se paga con tarjeta de crédito.  Cristina Calderato reconoce la falta de infraestructura en la ciudad que genera incertidumbre entre los usuarios y futuros compradores de esta tecnología.  “No se trata solo, por ejemplo, de tirar dinero a cargadores rápidos. Sabemos que necesitamos tener una combinación: necesitamos cargadores lentos y rápidos, donde las personas puedan cargar. Como los domiciliares puedan cargar en casa”.  Agrega que “necesitamos hubs de alta velocidad, donde sabemos que ha sido un desafío para las personas que tienen carros eléctricos es tener la confianza de que habrá un cargador disponible y que funcionará”.Por su parte, el vocero de la Sociedad de Fabricantes y Comercializadores de Vehículos Británicos, (SMMT), James Boley, explica en RFI por qué este tipo de carro es tan caro, una tecnología muy nueva que empezó a conocerse en 2020.  “Una parte significativa de la producción de un vehículo eléctrico es su batería, que representa entre el 30 y el 45 % del costo de producción de ese vehículo total. Eso es porque las baterías requieren mucha energía para producir y sus precios han aumentado. También requieren materias primas como el litio y el cobalto, cuya oferta no necesariamente está a la altura de la demanda en este momento” Londres y su ambiciosa meta medio ambiental El alcalde de la capital británica, Sadiq Khan, ha prometido que la ciudad tendrá cero emisiones de carbono para 2030. Para cumplirla, tiene que reducir su tráfico actual en un 27%.  Esto significa que un gran porcentaje de los viajes o desplazamientos de quienes, y viven en la ciudad, deben utilizar más la red de transporte público, que incluye el metro, buses, y caminar y montar en bicicleta. El director de transporte de la Unidad de Inteligencia Energética y Climática, Colin Walker, dice que Londres vive una agenda verde.  “Su enorme flota de autobuses se está electrificando con bastante rapidez, al igual que muchos de sus taxis. Se han introducido nuevas líneas de bicicletas, ya que Londres tiene los niveles mucho más altos de rutas para ciclistas que el resto del país. Y la mayor flota de vehículos de cero emisiones de Uber está en Londres”.  Para controlar la polución vehicular, causante de 4.000 muertes prematuras, Londres extenderá desde finales de agosto, el cobro de 16 dólares diarios para los carros altamente contaminantes que se desplacen desde las afueras al centro.  Una medida polémica, en medio de la crisis del costo de vida, que, sin duda, ha mejorado la calidad del aire.  

It's EV News Briefly for Tuesday 7th March. I'll be back as usual at 5pm UK time, that's Midday Eastern, for the full podcast.  Patreon supporters get the episodes as soon as they're ready AND ad free. You can be like them by clicking here. Volvo reported that their Recharge lineup of fully electric and plug-in hybrid cars accounted for 40% of all Volvo cars sold globally in February, with fully electric car sales increasing by 187% and representing 18.7% of total sales. Volkswagen's Scout brand is set to launch an electric 4x4 vehicle in 2026, featuring SUV and pick-up variants, and will be built in South Carolina with a projected production of up to 200,000 per year. Tesla has reduced the prices of their Model S sedan and Model X SUV in the U.S. for the second time this year, with the Model S dropping from $104,990 to $89,990 and the Model X falling from $120,990 to $99,990. Tesla plans to build a Gigafactory Mexico near Monterrey, Nuevo León, with the factory expected to span 4,200 acres, cost around $5 billion to build, and employ 7,000 people directly. Tesla is planning to open a lithium manufacturing plant near Corpus Christi, Texas later this year, with the plant expected to have an annual capacity of 50 gigawatt hours and to create job opportunities in the area. The Texas Department of Transportation is creating EV-friendly lanes on the US 75 highway to promote the usage of electric vehicles for transportation, as part of an electric vehicle infrastructure plan for the state of Texas. Porsche and Ferrari are pushing for an exception to the EU's proposed 2035 ban on new internal combustion engine vehicles for synthetic e-fuels, which are essentially renewable electricity converted into a combustible liquid, and can allow for the continuation of lightweight sports cars with roaring engines. The Porsche 911 GT2 RS is set to become the fastest and most powerful street-legal 911 with a mild-hybrid system. It is expected to debut in 2026, featuring an electric motor and battery pack sourced from Porsche's Le Mans-winning 919 Hybrid. Honda plans to launch 30 EVs globally by 2030, including the Prologue SUV in 2024, affordable EVs in 2027, and two sports cars. The company is also developing a new EV brand, Afeela, with Sony and is considering establishing its charging network. The UK car industry is expecting almost 500,000 new hybrid and electric cars on the roads this year due to increasing production and sales, including a 26.2% YoY increase in new registrations in February. SMMT is calling for the budget to address affordability and access to charging for electric vehicles. BP Pulse opened its largest EV charging hub in the UK, featuring ten 300 kW chargers with a total capacity of 3 MW, capable of charging up to 20 vehicles simultaneously. BP is investing up to £18 billion in EV charging infrastructure and is planning to have "hundreds of additional charging hubs" in the UK by 2030. Hamburg has opened Europe's largest EV-sharing hub, featuring 120 parking spots with charging points. The HVV Switch system has 200 charging points distributed across 16 locations, with plans to expand charging infrastructure to 20 more locations by the end of 2023. Foxconn is aggressively pursuing a 5% share of the global EV market by 2025, offering access to U.S. federal incentives and its Mobility in Harmony EV platform. It has acquired the former GM plant in Ohio and has hired a former Nissan executive to lead its efforts. According to Goldman Sachs, the market for EV outsourcing is expected to reach $36 billion in 2025 and $144 billion in 2030. Foxconn is looking to expand its operations in India by seeking partners to cooperate in areas such as chips and electric vehicles. It has already established factories in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and announced a major investment in Karnataka expected to generate over one lakh jobs. Redwood Materials has been awarded a $2 billion loan from the Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program. The funding will support the construction and expansion of Redwood's new battery materials campus and produce ultra-thin battery-grade copper foil and cathode active materials from new and recycled feedstocks. NIO has opened its first battery swap station in Denmark, bringing its total stations in Europe to twelve, and is considering licensing its battery swap technology to other countries. The station is centrally located, providing access to nearly 390,000 chargers through third-party agreements. Xiaomi is set to begin mass production of its first electric cars in early 2024, after investing over $434 million in research and development. The company has partnered with Super Soco to produce electric motorcycles. Hyundai Mobis has developed Electric Leveling Control technology that can automatically adjust the height of an EV by up to 6 cm depending on the driving environment. The technology uses sensors to determine the optimal ride height and adjusts using an electric hydraulic pump to control it from all four wheels. Oslo has become the "EV capital of the world," with 32% of the city's car fleet being electric. The city has implemented policies to encourage EV adoption, such as free parking and passing through toll roads, as well as making the benefits of EVs more visible to drivers. The city is also aiming to reduce private car use by 20% by 2025 and expand public transportation and public bank of battery containers.