Episodes
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FOLLOW UP: ANOTHER ROUGH WEEK FOR VW
Volkswagen are continuing to endure more challenges. Workers were on strike last week, with the threat of more in the new year as unions and management continue to talk but appear no closer to agreement. You can click this HTAutos article link to learn more.
Meanwhile, VW’s CFO Arno Antilitz, stated that factories must get more efficient. Which is code for cut costs. Unless they haven’t bothered to optimise efficiency up to now. Click this MSM article link here, to read further.
To round out the Volkswagen news, they are being sued in Brazil for treating farm workers, on a farm they owned, like slaves. This is a historical claim, which it is claimed took place between 1974 and 1986. If you want to find out more, click this MSM article link here.
CRUISE AV PROJECT CANCELLED BY GMGeneral Motors has announced that it is ceasing to fund Cruise and will fold elements of the company, including technology, into GM. The news has shocked some, including staff, but that is not surprising considering how poor reporting has been and how the industry has used PR and legal moves to obfuscate reality. You can read more on this, by clicking this link from TechCrunch here.
Honda will be saving roughly $100 million per year, as they will no longer need to pay a licensing fee for the Origin vehicles that never made it to service. Click this Nikkei Asia article link here, for more.
For some extra context, click these two links to John Berry posts on Bluesky. Link one can be found here. For the second, click here.
CYVN HOLDINGS AGREES TO BUY MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVEThe Abu Dhabi based investment group, CYVN Holdings, has agreed with Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, to purchase McLaren Automotive. They already have invested in Gordon Murray Technologies, Forseven and NIO. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar link here.
MUSK TRIES TO INFLUENCE UK GOVERNMENT POLICYThe BBC has see attempts by Musk and Tesla to change the UK’s zero emission vehicle mandate by pushing for ICE drivers to be charged more, if they buy a petrol or diesel car. If you wish for your blood pressure to be raised, click this BBC News article link here.
AMAZON AUTOS ROLLS OUT TO 48 CITIES IN THE USAmazon Autos is now rolling out to 48 cities, in the US, where you can use their platform to view, order, pay and arrange to collect your Hyundai. More locations are...
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FOLLOW UP: RECARO SAVED
Some 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,
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Missing episodes?
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FOLLOW UP: PRICES FOR LONDON TUNNEL TOLLS REVEALED
Transport for London (TfL) has announced the prices, including how there will be peak and non peak prices, for using the new Silvertown tunnel and the Blackwall tunnel. £4.00 for peak use of either, dropping to £1.50 in off-peak, which requires signing up to the auto-pay TfL system. if you wish to find out more, click this link here to an article from The Standard.
CARLOS TAVARES RESIGNS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECTCarlos Tavares surprised all by resigning as CEO of Stellantis, with immediate effect over the weekend. Reports indicate there was a growing rift between the board, shareholders and the vision Tavares had, following the reduction in expected dividend. The company will appoint a successor in early 2025. Click this Autocar article to read more.
STELLANTIS TO CLOSE LUTON VAN FACTORYStellantis announced, that they would be closing the Luton van factory, whilst blaming the UK Government and the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, for this only weeks after saying they were not going to be hurt by the ZEV to investors. 1,100 people will be losing their jobs.
We have a link to an Autocar article explaining the situation, click here to read that.
For some context, including how the company has operated, click this post from Nick Gibbs.
More context is provided by The Guardian, which you can read by clicking this link here.
TRANSPORT SECRETARY RESIGNSThe Transport Secretary, Louise Haig, has resigned over an incident with police in 2013. This has caused concern in the industry as she had just been talking to leaders about the ZEV mandate and possible changes to it. Click this Autocar article link here for more.
UK GOVERNMENT TO REVISE ZEV MANDATEFollowing extensive lobbying by the car industry, the UK Government is looking at how it can revise the zero emission vehicle mandate, in the light of the current market reality. The language, from the Government, has switched to putting the blame on the previous incumbents, whilst hoping we all forget they pledged to ‘bring back the 2030 ban’ that was never a thing in the first place. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.
ASTON MARTIN ISSUES ANOTHER PROFITS WARNINGFor the second time in quick succession, Aston Martin has issued a warning on its profits. China and supply chain issues are being blamed. On top of which, the company is seeking to raise more money. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.
VW LEAVES CONTROVERSIAL CHINESE PLANTVolkswagen has...
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FOLLOW UP: £30B POTENTIAL FALLOUT FROM FINANCE RULING
After the surprise Court of Appeal’s ruling, that not only must commission for brokers must be explicitly made clear, including the rate they receive, the potential fall out could be up to £30 billion. Even Martin Lewis, the consumer campaigner, has said the ruling appears to be going much further than expected. Click this AMOnline article link here, to read more.
FOLLOW UP: INEOS TO RESTART PRODUCTIONFollowing the collapse of their seat supplier, Ineos has been hit by a halt to production. They now say they will restart in January. This will be a relief as an expansion into China and Mexico was about to take place when they were hit by the issue. If you want to learn more, click here for a link to an Autocar article.
JAGUAR REIMAGINING BEGINSUnless you lived under a rock, and had no contact with any person or the internet, then you will know that Jaguar produced their first glimpse at the reimagining of the brand.
This has caused the internet to lose its mind, in various ways. Some through confusion, some because ‘change is bad’, some because their firmly held beliefs are being challenged, some because they just want to dunk on anything.
We have compiled some links below that explain what Jaguar have done as well as more thoughtful pieces trying to explain aspects of the information.
The Jaguar rebranding article from Autocar, click here.
For CarDealer’s explanation of the launch event, click here.
Creative Bloq discuss what the logos and visuals are meant to represent, click here to read that.
Rory Sutherland has a discussion about the rebrand, from an advertising professional’s perspective, click this Spectator TV YouTube link.
Mostly About Driving’s take on the more technical aspects of the branding can be read by clicking this link here.
To read comments regarding the hateful reactions to the rebrand, click this link to a Driven article.
Seemingly Jaguar have been caught off guard by the reaction, click this BBC News article link where they are asking for people to hold off and wait in judgement.
FORD TO LAY OFF 4000 WORKERS IN EUROPE AND UKFord has announced a restructuring of its European business, by making 4000 workers redundant, including 800 in the UK. We have mentioned how bad their figures have been for new car registrations, over the last few months. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar link here.
NISSAN APPEALS TO THE UK GOV FOR HELP OVER... -
UK GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATES NEW EMISSIONS CONCERN
The Department for Transport (DfT) is investigating claims that 47 car models emissions are not the same as the official test figures, with the accusation that they are manipulating the emissions. The DfT is attempting to establish if a defeat device is being used. You can learn more, by clicking this FleetWorld article link here.
RIVIAN AND VW SIGN PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTAfter announcing they would partner up, Rivian and Volkswagen have signed the partnership agreement. This will include extra investment from VW, taking the full price up to $5.8 billion. Click this EV Powered article link to read 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 SUPPORT THE PODCAST
NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Caterham Seven CSR TwentyCaterham bring us the most “luxurious” and pricey Seven variant yet, with a price tag of a smidgen under £80,000. Celebrating 20 years of the CSR chasis, which allowed for those of us on the slightly larger side of things to be more comfortable, this bespoke model will come with features, fittings and materials not available elsewhere. Click this EVO article link to read more.
Toyota KayoibakoToyota showed off an electric van that truley is a multipurpose vehicle. They have imagined it as an urban centric vehicle providing transport for people, being a mobile retail area, a coffee shop and more. Not content with that, the outdoor activities market get a version too, which added chunky tyres and obligitory stuck on elements. Both look fab, we want both and we want them now. But they have been cleverly thought out too. You can see more, by clicking this Yanko Design article link here.
Old Car Dead News: Jaguar F-Pace ends global sales in 2026If you remember, Alan asked why the wording of the end of UK sales of the F-Pace was so specific. We now know that the rest of the globe will no longer be able to buy one from 2026. Click this Autocar article link here, which clears up the issue.
LUNCHTIME READ: IT’S ALL A BIT MUCHDo you too feel that modern supercars are all a bit much? Let alone hypercars and even hyper hatches are becoming too extreme for UK roads. Well, you are not alone, check out this link from Mr Jalco’s Mostly About Driving to possibly find an answer to it all.
LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP GEAR - TOP 9 VIRAL CAR ADVERTSWe are increasingly struggling to find good List of the Week article to share with you. If you find one, please do send it our way and if its good enough we’ll put it on the show!
Top Gear have nine adverts for you to check out, which are bound to bring back memories. Do you agree with Alan, on his choice and/or his comments about Andrew, and what about Andrew’s choice? Let us...
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Andrew was invited, by Hyundai UK, to try out the new Santa Fe, their large hybrid SUV. What has changed? How have they executed those changes? Will it be successful?
Listen to the Alan and Andrew discuss the first impressions of the car, following the amount of driving they crammed in.
To find out more from Hyundai, about the Santa Fe, click this link to their website here.
If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST
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OCTOBER 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATIONS
The 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,
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Andrew was invited, by Volkswagen UK, to sample a selection of the revised Golf, as part of the 50th Anniversary of the model. We hear what VW has achieved in that time, Alan asks if he’s speaking to the real Andrew and the chaps ask how does one benchmark the benchmark?
Listen to the Alan and Andrew discuss the first impressions of the cars, following his short time with each of the models.
To find out more from Volkswagen, about the Golf hatch, click this link to their website here.
For the estate, click this VW 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
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FOLLOW UP: EU CHINA TARIFFS UPDATE
On the 31 October, the EU tariffs for China made EVs went live. Click this electrive article link here to read more.
This has caused SAIC to take the European Commission to court over the amount it has been charged. You can read more via this electrive article link here.
China, it is claimed, has instructed home grown EV makers to not build plants in the EU to get around the extra charges. Once again, electrive have an article link here for you.
Additionally, they now want to know the lifecycle of rare earth minerals in Western supply chains. Check out this link to a China Digital Times link here.
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.
FOLLOW UP: AUDI TO CLOSE BRUSSELS PLANT IN 2025As listeners will be aware, Audi plans to close their Belgium plant in early 2025. However, they have been unable to find a suitable buyer to take on the property and run it. To learn more about this, click the electrive article link here.
LABOUR’S FIRST UK BUDGETLabour has revealed their first budget, since being voted into power. Fuel duty and the extra relief, is staying in place. However, there are big changes for VED rates, Benefit in Kind (BiK) thresholds, classification for double cab pickups and more. Click this AMOnline article link here to read more.
For more on fuel duty and first year VED rates, click this Autocar article link here.
To read about the BiK changes, click here for an Autocar article.
If you wish to learn more about the changes to taxation for double-cab pickups, click this link from Professional Pickup.
VW GROUP PROFITS DOWN €3billionVolkswagen Group profits plunge €3 billion in the latest financial report. The VW brand itself is causing heavy drag thanks to an operating margin of just 2%. The information comes out at a key time when the company is...
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Andrew was invited, by Kia UK, to try out the refreshed Picanto and new Sorento. Book ending the ICE and hybrid model range, the city car Picanto and large SUV Sorento show how the company caters to many different needs.
Listen to the Alan and Andrew discuss the first impressions of the cars, following his short time with each of the models.
To find out more from Kia on the Picanto, click this link to their website here.
If you want to discover more about the Sorento, click this link to the Kia website here.
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FOLLOW UP: VW CONSIDERS RADICAL COST SAVING PLANS
Information has come out as to the extent that Volkswagen Group are considering how to save the $4 billion they state they need to. This includes closing up to three German plants, reducing wages, reducing bonuses and more. Unions have reacted angrily whilst VW has not commented on the claims. To find out more, click this Reuters link here.
FOLLOW UP: JLR STILL HAVING REPAIR ISSUESA year ago the CEO of JLR, Adrian Mardell, apologised for how long it was taking to repair their customer’s vehicles. This situation is still not resolved. Problems with their supply chain, which not all are their fault, as well as the supply hub they switched to has meant that around 10,000 customer cars are off the road. Click this Autocar article to read more.
RADFORD MOTORS FILES FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCYThe car company co-founded by Jenson Button, Ant Antsted and Dan Bednarski, to build a low volume supercar based on a modern interpretation of the Lotus Type 62, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US. This is a debt restructuring move and does not mean the company is folding. There are also two court cases being brought against Ansted and Bednarski over financial matters related to the company. In order to find out more, click this Road & Track article link here.
CHINA DEPORTS VW EXEC OVER DRUG ALLEGATIONSChina has deported a senior Volkswagen executive, Jochen Sengphiehl, over claims he failed a recreational drug test. He was held by authorities for 10 days before the action was taken. Many questions come from this, is it real or China flexing? You can read more, by clicking this Reuters article link here.
RIVIAN AND BOSCH TAKE EACH OTHER TO COURTBosch has sued Rivian for breach of contract, which caused Rivian to counter sue. Rivian cancelled their contract for electric drivetrains from the supplier as they will use their own in-house developed ones. Bosch are, understandably, unhappy at the loss of business, whilst Rivian state that this issue is why they did not deliver as many cars as expected previously. Click this electrive link to find out more.
NEW PHEV BATTERY GIVES CLAIMED 249 MILE RANGECATL has released information on a plug-in hybrid battery, that gives a claimed electric only range of 249 miles. This has the chaps confused. Why is it PHEV only? Sounds almost too good to be true, but is it? What are Alan and Andrew missing? You can read more on this, by clicking this Autocar article link here.
STELLANTIS TO ROAD TEST SOLID STATE BATTERIES IN 2026Stellantis are the latest company to announce when they will be road testing their solid state batteries. Using a fleet of Dodge Charger Daytonas, for some reason, they will be trying them out on the roads in 2026. To read more on this, including the list of others who have claimed they will have...
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In this episode, Alan talks about taking a short break from his holiday/vacation, driving around the southeast of the USA to visit Porsche North America in Atlanta, Georgia, touring the impressive facility, and driving a 911 GTS and a Boxster GTS back-to-back on track.
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FOLLOW UP: TESLA STILL HIT BY SWEDISH STRIKES
In Sweden, the strikes by various workers from a variety of industries that serve parts of Tesla’s business has expanded to include the union Vision. Those that work on the Tesla Supercharger network will no longer service, repair or run maintenance on the charging stations. To learn more, click this Automotive News Europe article link here.
STELLANTIS TO SHAKE UP UK BUSINESSCarlos Tavares, the CEO of Stellantis and wielder of the big hammer affectionately named “cuts”, has said there will be an announcement in the next few weeks for the “correction” they will be making to the UK business. In recent months the company has threatened the UK Government, as seems to be their Plan A in all countries, with closing production plants. The main bugbear is the ZEV mandate and, in the company’s eyes, a lack of financial support from the Government. Click this Autocar article to read more.
STELLANTIS UK GET A NEW MD AFTER SURPRISE EXITMario Gazia Davino has made the shock move of leaving the company with immediate effect. Peugeot UK’s new director has been promoted to run the UK operation for Stellantis, and also Peugeot until a successor can be found. There is a lot of upheaval and changes of personnel within the company, both in the UK and Europe, in recent times. If you wish to read more on this, click here for an article from Auto Retail Network.
VW FINANCE HIT WITH FINE BY UK REGULATORVolkswagen Financial Service, one of the largest car finance operators in the UK, has been fined for failing to fairly treat customers in financial distress. The time period in question is January 2017 and July 2023 and covers around 110,000 customers. On top of the £5.4 million fine, the company has agreed to pay compensation in the order of £21.5 million to customers who suffered harm. In order to find out more, click this AMOnline article link here.
JLR APPOINTS NEW SALES DIRECTORJLR has appointed Angela Shepherd, as the group’s new sales director to help it transition to the luxury market. JLR are trying to move to a hybrid dealer and agency model. Click this AMOnline article link to learn more.
VOLVO SHAKE UP MANAGEMENT STRUCTUREIn an attempt to create a company that is “designed to increase simplicity, speed and collaboration and reduce complexity by flattening our structure”. The most senior person to be impacted by this is the Chief Commercial Officer and deputy to the CEO, Björn Annwal. To read more on this matter, click here for an electrive article link.
MASERATI UK APPOINTS NEW BOSSPeter Charters has left Maserati with immediate effect and has been replaced by Mariangela Del Vecchio. She will also be looking after Scandinavian operations. You can read more,
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FOLLOW UP: EU vs Chinese EVs
The 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 Europe
FOLLOW 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 WARNINGSIn 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: GHOSN ORDERED TO RETURN YATCH
Carlos Ghosn has lost his appeal over the ruling that he must return his luxury yacht and repay approximately $32 million, to Nissan. This could prove tricky as he is in Lebanon and due to geopolitical issues, it may be tricky to send someone to go pick it up. To learn more, click this article link from The Autopian.
JLR INVESTS £500M IN HALEWOOD PLANTIn order to build hybrid vehicles and prepare for their electric future, JLR are updating the Halewood plant to the tune of £500 million. They will also be able to build combustion engined vehicles at the same facility. Click this article link to The Guardian.
NISSAN BUYS MORE SHARES BACK FROM RENAULTNissan is buying another 5% of shares back from Renault as the Rebel Alliance continues to dissolve. Estimated to be worth around $551 million which will help Renault’s finances. If you wish to learn more, click this article link from Automotive News Europe.
UK GOVERNMENT HAS NO PLANS FOR PAY-PER-MILE CHARGE YETIn a surprise move, the UK Government has confirmed that it will not be announcing a pay-per-mile charging scheme, which many expected as a replacement for fuel duty and VED. That is not to say it isn’t going to happen at some stage. Click here to read more from Top Gear.
KIA DEALER PORTAL VULNERABILITY FOUNDSecurity researchers found a flaw in the Kia dealer portal which allowed them to take remote control of vehicles, find their location, examine details of customers and more using only the license plate information. This was reported to Kia who have fixed the issue and confirm no one maliciously accessed their systems via this method. To read more on this, click here for the Bleeping Computer article.
LUXURY VEHICLES STILL GETTING TO RUSSIASky News has followed up an earlier investigation and found that luxury vehicles, including those from British manufacturers, are finding their way to Russian customers via other countries. We are not sure what the car brands can do to prevent this, as it is not from them directly. If you want to see what is going on, click this link here to read more.
POLESTAR ANNOUNCE INFOSYS AS SOFTWARE PARTNERPolestar is going to partner up with Infosys, the Indian IT giant, for their infotainment, driver assistance and connected services software. We REALLY hope Polestar has the people to check and tripple check the software that is produced. We are not confident this will be a good move. You can read more by clicking this article link from The Register.
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
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Alan is on his own this week, and there's no Follow-Up.
This week, though, the European motor industry warns that it will miss CO2 targets because of falling EV sales, the US proposes to ban Chinese and Russian connected car tech, and MAN and E.ON club together to open their first joint-venture truck charging site, while Shell does something similar in the UK. Gordon Murray Group won £ 11 million in UK government funding for developing a new lightweight platform, and Porsche patented a 6-stroke engine cycle.
New New Car News includes the Lotus Theory 1 concept, the Renault Estafette concept, and the Ineos Grenadier, where seats are a concept.
Points of Interest includes with a Lunchtime Read by Nir Kahn, and a list of 20 very angry cars. The And Finally this week is the latest from c90adventures on YouTube.
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FOLLOW UP: BWM DOWNGRADES OUTLOOK
On the back of the news that the BMW brake recall has expanded, which we covered last week, BMW has announced that they have cut their projected outlook for 2024 due to the costs incurred by the issue of the Continental supplied part. On top of that, reports are now surfacing that they were first informed of the issue in June 2022. To read more, click this link to an AMOnline story.
TOYOTA SOLID STATE BATTERY PLANS APPROVEDToyota has announced that it will begin production of solid state batteries in 2026, with mass production to begin in 2030. Have they actually cracked? If you wish to read more, click this InsideEVs article link here.
MERCEDES AND SUPPLIER DEVELOPING SOLID STATE BATTERYMercedes-Benz and Factorial have announced plans that they are developing a solid state battery, but with no confirmation on a date when these might come to market or be fitted to cars. Click here to read more, via a Reuters article link.
MG TO SELL SOLID STATE BATTERY CAR IN 2025Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), the company that owns MG amongst other brands, has announced that it will reveal their solid state battery in the second quarter of 2025. They then expect to start selling cars fitted with them by the end of the same year. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.
TOYOTA REDUCES EV TARGETSToyota is the latest car maker to lower their production targets for electric cars. They are moving from 1.5 million to 1 million EVs produced, in 2026. Whilst that looks dramatic, it is not as dramatic as the jump from now. If you want to read more, click this electrive article link here.
VOLVO SUBSCRIPTION BUSINESS TO ENDVolvo has announced that it will be shutting down their car subscription offering. The system covered all costs except insurance and fuel. Whilst this has not worked for Volvo, or not well enough, others in the industry still think it is a viable business model and something consumers want. To find out more, click this AMOnline article link here.
FORD PATENTS COME TO LIGHTFord has submitted patents that are invasive of personal space and information to just a bit silly. We have to remember that patents often don’t make it to market and we can hope some of those unearthed don’t. One is to use in-cabin microphones to monitor conversations, combined with predicting the trip intention and historical data to “serve” you adverts, both visually and through the speakers. Yep, we’re more than appalled at that, just like you. Click this link from The Record, to read more on this.
The other one that raised an eyebrow, is for ‘Smart Vehicle Holograms’ that will, apparently, do a whole host of things from project security guards and dogs patrolling around a car, to
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FOLLOW UP: WINTERKORN DIESELGATE TRIAL BEGINS
Former 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 FIGURESThe 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.
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RAC RECOMMENDS DITCHING FUEL DUTY CUT
The RAC, who have long been highlighting how fuel retailers are not passing on the fuel duty cut to consumers, have recommended to the Government that they remove this in the upcoming Budget. Their argument is that drivers are not seeing the benefit and companies are only lining their pockets. To read more on this, click the link here to a BBC News article.
HACKNEY PROPOSAL FOR MOTORCYCLE PARKING CHALLENGEDA legal challenge has been filled against Hackney Council after their proposal to impose a parking fee at the same rate as a car, for residents. The council expects the move to reduce motorcycle commuting by 70%, in the face of evidence that it is better to shift from a car to a motorcycle. To help this challenge succeed a crowdfunding campaign is in operation. Click this link to a Motorcycle Action Group page for more.
HYUNDAI UPDATES MODEL PLANSHyundai is the latest company to announce a revision to their model and powertrain plans, in the face of market conditions. They will expand their hybrid offerings, including adding a range-extender. These moves, it hopes, will counter the fears that markets have about making the switch to fully electric vehicles. If you want to read more, click this AMOnline article link here.
LOTUS SLASHES SALES FORECASTLotus, blaming tariffs on Chinese built EVs, has slashed its sales forecast from 55,000 vehicles to just 12,000. With next year being down from 76,000 to 30,000. In the first half of 2024 Lotus sold 4873 cars globally. Whilst this is a record, it is no where near where it needed to be if 55,000 were to be sold. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.
NEW CEO FOR POLESTARThomas Ingenlath has resigned as CEO of Polestar, he will be replaced by ex-Opel-Vauxhall boss Michael Lohscheller. Lohscheller, recently, was the CEO of Vinfast and president of Nikola Motors. You can read more about this, by clicking this Autocar article link here.
HMRC CUTS EV MILEAGE RATESHMRC has announced that they are cutting the Advisory Fuel Rates (AFRs) for EVs, reducing it to 7ppm, from 8ppm. There are, as a result, calls to change how this is done because it does not actually cover the costs of business users, especially if they do not have a home charger. Click this FleetNews article link for more.
LEX AUTOLEASE PROFITS PLUNGE £400MLex Autolease, the business leasing company, has announced a drop in pre-tax profits of £400 million, in the face of increased revenues. A large portion of this is attributed to the fall in EV residuals at rates far more than anticipated. As we have said on the show, there are consequences which will impact both new and second hand markets. Click...
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WARNING ISSUED FOR UK NEW CAR MARKET
Cox Automotive, the automotive consultancy that helps those selling cars, has warned that the last quarter of 2024 will be very difficult for brands and dealers in the UK. They have gone so far as to liken the struggles they foresee as similar to those faced in the economic turmoil of the 2008 financial crash. To read more and get a better understanding of what is facing OEMs, click this Autocar article link here.
CATERHAM SEPARATES EV BUSINESSCaterham has created a separate business that is focused on the EV side of things. Named Caterham Evo, it has been funded by investors as profits from the main business are not enough for the development. For more on this, click here to read the Autocar article.
FORD REVISING EV PLANSFord has announced it is canning a planned three-row large electric SUV, which will now be a hybrid, will pursue a mid-sized pick-up (that’s mid sized for the US, so think Ranger) and will refuse to launch an EV unless it can be profitable in the first 12 months, according to InsideEVs. This will add costs and delay product launches. Click here to read more.
COUNCILS TO DECIDE ON SPEED LIMITS AND LTNSLouise Haigh, the new Transport Secretary, has stated that councils will decide if roads should be 20mph and if areas should be covered by Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTNs) schemes. However, she did say that the implementation or not, needs to involve the local communities. If you want to read more on this, click this Autocar article link here.
TOYOTA US DATA STOLENToyota US has had data stolen and leaked. This data included customer, staff, financial, contracts and credentials. There is speculation that the information has come from a back up server as one date found, on the files, was December 2022. To find out more, click this Bleeping Computer link here.
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
As discussed in the show, there is a new way to play podcasts on non-Apple devices as they have brought the Podcast app to web browsers. Click this Podnews link to find out how to install and use it on your device. Thank you to James Cridland, the editor at Podnews, for making it easy to help more people listen to podcasts (and hopefully ours) with that guide.NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Mazda EZ-6Mazda unveiled the EZ-6 at a Chinese motor show, originally for that market, but is now coming to Europe with a chance it will be brought to the UK too. The design is the antidote to all the swooshes, slashes and dents that seem to be so very en vogue. Click this Autocar
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