Motoring Podcast - News Show
Motoring Podcast
Updated 1 day agoMotoring enthusiasts Alan and Andrew discuss their takes on the week's motoring news in this 45 to 60 minute audio podcast.
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Episodes (327)
Water transport devices - 22 August 2023
FOLLOW UP: CLAIMS WELSH 20MPH WILL CAUSE EMERGENCY SERVICES ISSUES DISPUTEDA Conservative Freedom of Information request has led to accusations that the mandatory 20mph speed limit for urban areas in Wales will impede emergency services ability to fulfil their roles. This is disputed by both the Labour Government and the emergency services. You can read more, by clicking this BBC News link here. FOLLOW UP: CRUISE CUTS TESTING FLEET BY 50%Following a collision with a fire engine, Cruise has agreed to a request that it cut it’s testing fleet by 50% in San Fransisco whilst an investigation takes place. The incident led to a passengers being taken to hospital but then released later. To find out more, click this link to and article from The Guardian. This last seven days have not been great for Cruise, click this Twitter thread to read just some of the issues their cars have had. To read why reducing numbers for testing will have a big impact on Cruise, click this Jack Stilgoe Twitter thread. FOLLOW UP: TESLA IS SUING TWO EX-EMPLOYEES OVER HACKTesla has confirmed that the downloading of 100 gigabytes of data from company servers was an ‘inside job’ and that two ex-employees are being sued. Whilst the individuals involved should be pursued for breaking the law, this does not absolve the company. Huge questions still remain over the culture and attitude to privacy and security. One question to ask is “how could they access so much and so diverse information?”. Click this link, to a Quartz article, for more information. FOLLOW UP: DVLA REMINDER SERVICE CLARIFICATIONAfter we discussed the confusion, over paper reminders from the DVLA, we have been contacted by them. Paper reminders are still available, you must opt out to not receive them. Thank you to the DVLA for clarifying this situation. Click here to check out the information provided by the DVLA over this. TESLA EXECS APPARENTLY KNEW OF AUTOPILOT ISSUESEngineers for Tesla, whilst giving deposition for another civil case following the death of an owner, have stated that executives knew that Autopilot could not detect cross traffic and did nothing to fix it. This will be of interest to the other organisations investigating many issues with Tesla. Click here to read more from The Register. FORD MD TAKES ON UK CHAIR TOOLisa Brankin has added Ford UK Chairperson to her title of Managing Director. She is taking over the position following Tim Slatter’s move to Ford in the US. More can be read on this, by clicking the link here to an AMOnline story. JLR RECRUITING 300 TECHNICIANSAs part of the push to an electrified future, Jaguar Land Rover are recruiting 300 technicians to their factory and development centres across the country. You can lean more
Swansea Blackhole - 15 August 2023
FOLLOW UP: britishvolt saga takes another twistThe buyer for the bankrupt Britishvolt company, Recharge Industries, has failed to make the final payment and is in breach of contract, according to the administrator. Recently we covered the news that the Australian head office was raided by tax officials and police. Click this Autocar Business article to find out more. FOLLOW UP: TESLA RANGE CALCULATIONS EXPLAINEDFollowing the report that Tesla was deliberately misleading owners on the range of their vehicles, Car & Driver investigated how range was calculated in Teslas and compared that to other vehicles. Tesla appear to use a very simple formula which works in a very linear manner and does not adapt to conditions or driving styles. You can find out more, by clicking this link here. FOLLOW UP: LISTENER FEEDBACK Thank you, to Tony Wood, for writing in to us to tell us about the free Android app, called “Petrol Prices” which is available in the Google PlayStore, which uses crowdsourced information to tell you of the cost of fuel in areas of the UK. Tony went on to tell us of his experience of traffic lights changing dependent on whether the car is being driven in excess of the speed limit or not. He confirmed this was done in Spain a decade ago and he thought it was an excellent way to encourage better behaviour on the roads. If you would like to get in touch with us, please feel free to use our contact page, which is linked to here. HOUSE OF LORDS ASKS FOR EVIDENCE ABOUT OUR EV TRANSITIONThe House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee has asked for evidence of a strategy and plan from the Government and wider public on the transition to EVs by the mandated dates. Click here to read the Autocar article but also to find links to the committee’s list of questions and how to respond. CONFUSION OVER DVLA REMINDER SERVICE AND POST OFFICE CONTRACTThank you to Meilyr Williams for sending a Mastodon thread to Andrew about confusion over the changes to the DVLA’s reminder service, for car tax, which you can read by clicking here. Check it out and then go see if you are in the system for reminders or need to get on the list for reminders. Additionally, we also we informed that the DVLA is looking to cancel its contract with Post Office, which will mean there will be no way to use a Post Office for any DVLA related services. Once again, the attack on those who are not on the internet or need to do things in person rears its head. Click this link to read more. CAR INSURANCE PRICES HIT ALL TIME HIGHCar insurance prices hit a record level, according to the industry itself. The blame is being put on the costs of repair increasing at an alarming rate. However, Andrew does have personal and recent experience that shows not all costs are justifiable. You can find out more by clicking this Motoring research article link here. WARNING OVER CAR EMISSION STICKER REQUIREMENTS in europeIf you are...
When MPVs were real MPVs - 8 August 2023
FOLLOW UP: ULEZ SCRAPPAGE SCHEME EXPANDEDThe Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced that the scrappage scheme for the London ULEZ expansion has been altered to now cover all residents of London, unlike previously where only a small number of eligible groups were allowed to apply. Click this BBC News article link to read more. FOLLOW UP: UBER AV FATALITY LEGAL CASE ENDSThe legal case brought against the test operator, Rafaela Vasquez, who was working for Uber in their autonomous vehicle program who was monitoring the system when it hit and killed Elaine Herzberg five years ago, has ended after she pleaded guilty to endangerment. This has resulted in three years probation but avoids any jail time. Of note is that no charges have ever been brought against Uber or anyone else from the company. Rafaela disputes claims she was watching The Voice on her phone, instead stating she was checking the in-company channel on the app Slack, as the Uber had instructed all operatives to do. Click this article link from WIRED to read more on these developments. We also strongly recommend you check out a piece from Ed Niedermeyer, discussing the case and what it means for the industry and us drivers. You can read that by clicking this link here. NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR JULY 2023 The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), have released the registration figures of new cars, for July 2023. Growth continues once again, which is positive news, but it is still over a decade (apart from the previous two years) to find a worse month. EV registration continue to hover around 16%, with diesel continuing to fall. To read more, click this link to the SMMT article. RESEARCHERS JAILBREAK A TESLAWith physical access to a Tesla researchers have managed to access parts of the system that allow them to enable some options and activate them, without handing over their money to the company. As more companies fit all options and then hide them behind extra payments we will likely see a rise in such activities. You can find out more by clicking this TechCrunch article link here. CALIFORNIA DATA PRIVACY AGENCY INVESTIGATES CAR DATACalifornian’s privacy regulator has announced it is investigating the collection and sharing of data by connected cars. This follows some moves in Europe. Click here to learn more, from a MSM news link. 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 - Toyota Land CruiserAlan clarifies the different model sizes of the range, which many in the US could’ve done with understanding when reporting on the reveal of the new Land Cruiser. The looks have been inspired by their historical models but they have managed not to create a pastiche. In the UK we will get the same 2.8 litre diesel until late...
Bobble hats and forests - 1 August 2023
FOLLOW UP: ULEZ EXPANSION GIVEN GO AHEAD The High Court has ruled that the expansion to the ULEZ, as announced by the Mayor of London, is legal and allowed to take place. Five councils had brought the action against the increase in the area covered by the rules on vehicle emissions. You can find out more by clicking this BBC News article link here. ASTON MARTIN GETS NEW BOARD MEMBERFollowing their increased stake in Aston Martin, Geely are now entitled to a seat on the board of the sports car company. Daniel Li, the Geely CEO, has been appointed. Geely are the third largest shareholders, with 17% stake. Click this Automotive News Europe article link, to find out more. CLAIMS OVER TESLA RANGE MANIPULATION An article surfaced from Reuters claiming that Tesla has a secrete team who squash any complaints on the range of their cars, from customers. The claims centre around range exaggeration by the company creating an expectation in customer’s minds and them having to deal with the differences owners found. You can read that piece by clicking the Reuters link here. A well known YouTube EV specialists, Bjørn Nyland, has published a video discussing the article and pointing out areas he does not believe are correct, you can watch that by clicking this link here. BT TO CONVERT CABINETS TO EV CHARGERSBT, the telecoms giant, has announced it will convert on street cabinets to EV chargers once they are decommissioned as areas are serviced by full fibre systems. Starting in Northern Ireland in the autumn, a few cabinets will be converted to enable car charging before the project is rolled out across the UK. The expectation is up to 60,000 cabinets could be eligible for conversion. To find out more, click this edie article link here. SCAREMONGERING OVER MINERAL REQUIREMENTSMuch is said, online, about the need for precious metals and how much of them will be required as we move to electric cars. We are linking you to an article from the Financial Times that discusses this, explaining how we have the supplies but also the reality that some communities will be affected by the increase in mines and manufacturing. Click here 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 - Lexus LMLexus has revealed their new range topping model, a luxury MPV. LM is the acronym for Luxury Mover, aimed at those who are to be transported in comfort that don’t want an SUV or saloon. The car will come with a 2.5 litre petrol hybrid powertrain and an optional extra electric motor. Length is just over five metres and a width slightly under 1.9m. Configuration will be either four or seven seats. Prices start at £89,995, running all the way up to £112,995 for the top of the range Takumi trim. Click here to read more, via an Autocar article....
Facetious and silly - 25 July 2023
TATA BATTERY FACTORY TO BE BUILT IN THE UK Tata, Jaguar Land Rover owners, have finally confirmed thanks to Government help their battery factory will be built in the UK and not Spain. Production is planned to start from 2026, with the aim being to produce 40GWh of batteries when fully operational. These will be sold to the mobility and energy industries. Click this Autocar article link for more. JLR CONFIRM ADRIAN MARDELL AS PERMANENT CEOAdrian Mardell stepped in to fill the void following the departure of Thierry Bolloré several months ago. This was only a temporary appointment, however, Tata has announced that he will take over the role on a permanent basis. You can find out more by clicking this Autocar Business link here. SUPERMARKET FUEL PROFITS MORE THAN DOUBLE The RAC continues to hound the supermarkets over their fuel pricing. They have established that since the start of the Ukrainian war, supermarket’s profit per litre of fuel has doubled as they have not passed savings onto us consumers. More can be read on this, by clicking the link to the Autocar article here. LOTUS TO CUTS JOBSLotus announced an already planned cull of approximately 200 jobs when releasing their financial results. The company is at pains to stress these were not the result of the increased losses of £145.1 million. A consultation is underway regarding the proposal. Click here to find out more, via an Autocar Business link. ALPINE GET A NEW CEOLaurent Rossi is being moved to a Renault Group position as Philippe Krief, ex-Ferrari engineering boss, takes over as CEO. No real explanation has been given for the change. More can be read on this by clicking this article link from Automotive News Europe. CHROME PLATING TO BE BANNEDChrome plating is set to be banned in Europe and the US, for new cars due to the dangers of the process and chemicals involved. This won’t actually make too much difference as very little actual chrome is used in today’s cars. Click this Autocar article link to read more. ANTI FRAUD SERVICE FOR USED CAR ADVERTS AVAILABLE Brego, a vehicle valuation company, has launched the Brego Advert Check to help second hand car buyers establish if an ad is potentially fraudulent. The price, compared to the market expectations, along with searching for the pictures used online and wording, are all utilised to evaluate the legitimacy of the advert. There is a case study in the article linked to from Autocar which you can read by clicking this link. CLEVER SPEED REGULATION IDEAS FROM FRANCEIn France they are trialling some clever ideas to get motorists to slow down that is not all about enforcement but changing behaviour. One idea is a speed detector synched to traffic lights, which is the vehicle is at or below the speed limit...
Wheels are on fire - 18 July 2023
Public Charge Point Regulations announced The Government has announced that it will bring in laws that require a 99% reliability to the charging network, for rapid chargers, as well as live status updates. Furthermore, new chargers over 8kW must have contactless pay reader fitted. Failure to meet the new regulations could result in a £10,000 fine for each unit that does not satisfy the requirements. Click here to read more, from Autocar. RENAULT-GEELY PARTNERSHIP HQ IN UKWe first discussed the Renault-Geely joint venture back in November 2022, but now they have announced their headquarters will be in the UK. All production will occur outside the UK. They are still in talks with Aramco to join. Much misinformation has occurred over this story, click this Twitter thread from Edwin Hayward that unpicks the lies. If you would like to read more about the actual story, click here for the link from BBC News. RENAULT CUTS DEALERSHIP NUMBERS Renault announced that they are cutting their dealership numbers, by approximately 25% by 2025. The do not plan, at this time, to move to the agency model so many competitors find irresistible at the moment. To find out more, click the link here for the AM Online story. NISSAN AGREES INVESTMENT IN RENAULTNissan has finally agreed a figure of investment in Renault. They are investing around €646 million in Ampere, which equates to a stake of less than 10% when it was expected to be 15%. You can read more, by clicking this electrive article link. NISSAN RECALLS 1.4M CARS GLOBALLYNissan is recalling 1.4 million vehicles globally due to a risk of unintended acceleration in their Note, Kicks, Serena, Leaf models. The Note Aura is being recalled in Japan over a headlight issue. This includes the UK. No accidents have resulted in these matters. Click this Jalopnik article link to learn more. VW MANAGEMENT MUSICAL CHAIRS CONTINUESVolkswagen Group continue to play musical chairs for their senior staff. Stefan Weckbach will fill the role of Group Chief Strategist following Gernot Doellner’s move to CEO of Audi, we discussed in the Moved to Tears - July 4 2023 episode. André Stoffels will replace Thomas Sedran as CARIAD Chief Financial Officer. Andreas Lehe will fill the position at Bentley, Peter Bosch’s move to head up CARIAD created. Simon Bracco will add to the responsibilities of his position as Head of Corporate Quality at Audi to replace Michael Neumayer as head of Group Quality, which he held for less than a year. There are more, but you get the gist, lots of changes and all of it internal. You can find out more by clicking this article link from electrive here. PARIS INTRODUCES PARKING CHARGES BASED ON WEIGHT The full details of the changes to parking levies imposed by the city of Paris
Bahami - 11 July 2023
FOLLOW UP: NO CHANGE TO EU TARIFF RULES Following weeks of statements that the UK and EU were discussing the changes to the expected import/export tariffs, it appears that there will be no change to the tariffs for ‘rules of origin’ starting in 2024. The European Commission has rejected a call to postpone until 2027. Click this article link, to learn more, from Electrive. JUNE 2023 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESOnce again registrations are up, year on year. However, they are still well below 2019 levels. Battery electric vehicles grew, for the month, to nearly 18% market share, but year-to-date still sits at a smidgen over 16%. Diesel has dropped, unsurprisingly, whilst PHEVs jumped. Petrol was also down for the month and year-on-year. The SMMT has called on the UK Government to cut VAT from public charging to help encourage more to switch. Click here to read the information from the SMMT. UK STELLANTIS BOSS STEPS DOWN Phil Willcox has announced he is stepping down as the UK boss of Stellantis. He will be replaced by Maria Grazia Davino, who will begin her new position on 1 September, moving from Head of Sales and Marketing for the group. Click the link here, to read more from AM Online. JLR ANNOUNCE NEW UK MANAGING DIRECTORJagual Land Rover has revealed the new Managing Director for the UK, Patrick McGillycuddy, who stepped into the role on a temporary basis, in the wake of Rawdon Glover moving to Jaguar, in March. You can find our more, by clicking this Fleet & Leasing article link, here. 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF TESLA SELF DRIVING CLAIMThis is the tenth consecutive time Elon Musk has claimed that Tesla will achieve Level 4 or 5 automated driving this year. Happy anniversary! Again he has made the claims and again it will not happen. For more, click this article link from The Autopian. SAN Francisco RESIDENTS STOP SELF-DRIVING CARS Local residents, in San Francisco, fed up with the disruption of Waymo and Cruze’s self-driving test fleet being very, very poor at actually driving. The activists make it clear cones are to only be placed on empty cars. Traffic cones are put on the bonnet of cars, which causes the vehicle to stop as the system does not know what to do, but it does not actually damage the car. You can learn more, by clicking this link to a Jalopnik story. CLEVEDON SEA FRONT CYCLE LANE UNDER REVIEWLast year Clevedon council installed a new cycle lane to the sea front. Unusually, they used curving lines to delineate the road from the cycle path, which weave into the normal road area. This has proved controversial. The council has appointed independent experts to review the scheme. Click this BBC News article for more. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via...
Moved To Tears - 4 July 2023
FOLLOW UP: BIDIRECTIONAL CAMERAS CATCH 3200 DRIVERS In the first 15 days of operation, the four bidirectional cameras, installed by Devon and Cornwall councils, has been triggered 3200 times. One camera was activated 120 times a day. Thanks to listener Mark Snow for bringing this to our attention! Click here to read more from the BBC News article. UK CAR INDUSTRY CALLS ON NEXT GOVERNMENT FOR HELPThe SMMT has moved on to calling to the next Government, whoever that is, to help secure the future of the car industry in the UK. They have laid out five pledges it hopes any of our politicians will pick up and run with. Click here, on this link, to learn more of this desperate move in the face of political apathy from all corners. SUPERMARKETS RIP MOTORISTS OFF Supermarkets have been found to have ripped the British motorists off, due to weak competition allowing them to charge 6p per litre more than they should have. One of the recommendations, from the Competitions and Markets Authority, is to force supermarkets to publish live prices in order that we consumers can compare and find the cheapest. There is no guarantee this will be implemented. Click this BBC News article here, to learn more. AUDI SACK CEO MARKUS DUESMANNThe CEO of Audi, Markus Duesmann, has been sacked following very public criticism from VW Group CEO Oliver Blume. Duesmann was brought in by Diess, from BMW. He will be replaced by Gernot Doellner, the current VW Group strategy boss. Whilst Audi’s performance has not got close to the hopes from VW, there is context that shows it is not all his fault. Click this Twitter thread from Matthias Schmidt for context of what he inherited. To read more about the overall story, click this Forbes article link written by Michael Taylor. HYUNDAI AND TOYOTA EV ADS BANNEDAfter a brief spell of being in agreement with the Advertising Standards Authority over dealer price claims, we return to normal service. Toyota and Hyundai adverts for their EVs have been banned because they do not warn people there is only a small number of the very fastest charge points available. On top of that, the complaints stated to achieve the fastest charge there were a number of variables that could thwart the process. You can read more by clicking this article link from The Times. SURVEY SUGGESTS DEMAND FOR EVS BELOW REQUIREMENTS A survey by Auto Retail Bulletin has revealed that current demand for EVs falls below next year’s imposed requirement by the Government of 22%. 60% of respondents state demand is below 15% and a third say it is below 10%. That would mean the car industry paying the UK Government a lot of money. However, most likely there will be a throttling of non compliant model availability, as we have seen previously. For more on this story, click this Auto Retail Network link. HMRC SAYS EV NUMBERS ARE CLIMBING AS DIESEL FALLSIn this week’s...
Snakes Eating Tails - 27 June 2023
FOLLOW UP: ALL CARS WITH THERMAL WINDOW DEVICES OWE COMPENSATION IN EUA German court has ruled any car fitted with a thermal window device is deemed illegal, thus owners can sue the manufacturer unless they can prove there is no negligence on the part of the car company. These devices were permitted by the regulations that the EU brought in, up until July 2022. Click this Autocar article link for more information. FOLLOW UP: GHOSN SUES NISSAN FOR DEFAMATION Carlos Ghosn is suing Nissan, two other companies and twelve individuals for defamation, to the tune of $1 billion, relating to his ejection from Nissan and subsequent imprisonment. You can learn more by clicking this Hagerty article link here. FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT OWNER RAIDED BY POLICEThe owner of Britishvolt, who has yet to pay for the company, has been raided by Australian police, relating to tax matters. The company stresses this is all a misunderstanding and is cooperating fully. Click this BBC News article link here, for more information. For Peter Campbell’s tweet adding more context, click this link. CAR FIRMS WARN OF RULES OF ORIGIN PAINEU car companies have warned of a £3.2 billion hit if an agreement cannot be reached over ‘rules of origin’ as car batteries will fail to meet the criteria imposed on them. For more on this story, click the Motoring Research article link here. NISSAN OUST COO GUPTA In a shock move, by Nissan, their Chief Operating Officer has been forced from the company under mysterious circumstances. No official reason has been given as to why the man who was steadying the ship, making it financially viable once more and even increasing market share has been kicked out. Click here, to read more from the Asia Times. HEATHROW CHARGING POINTS SHUTDOWNHeathrow short term parking EV charging points have shutdown, with no explanation from either Heathrow Airport or PodPoint. There is speculation as to why, which you can read more about from this Autocar article, linked here. Also, we recommend reading the tweet from Tim Oldland, giving realistic reasons why this may have happened and exposing a real issue as more charging points are needed across the country. Click here to see what he explains. BIDIRECTIONAL SPEED CAMERAS INSTALLED IN DEVON AND CORNWALLCertain roads in Devon and Cornwall now have bidirectional speed cameras installed, in further attempts to deal with speeding vehicles. Some are replacements, with others being new installations. To find out more and where they are, click this BBC News article link here. COUNCILS GOING APP ONLY FOR PARKING PAYMENTSOver 20 councils in the UK have moved to parking set ups that will only allow for app based...
Rant Down - 20 June 2023
FOLLOW UP: NHTSA TELLS CAR COMPANIES TO IGNORE RIGHT TO REPAIRIn a stunning move, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has told car companies in the USA to ignore the new Massachusetts right-to-repair law. The claims in the letter cover cyber security risks and malicious actions. Questions were also raised about the author of the letter and their involvement in the long battle by John Deere and the right to repair and how that could be seen as a conflict. Click this Reuters article link for more. For some context on the claims in the NHTAS letter and how they run a little hollow, click this link from Hot Hardware. VW ANNOUNCE ANOTHER NEW STRATEGYVolkswagen CEO, Thomas Schäfer, announced the latest strategy for the brand. They will be prioritising volumes, with sales, cutting some of their models as they focus on “core models”. There is also mention of more cross brand working. You can find out more by clicking this AM Online article link here. That is not the end of the announcements though, VW is dropping the manual gearbox if Euro 7 legislation is implemented as it is now. The claim is that it is needed for emission rules. Click this Autocar article link for more. Also announced, again by Schäfer, was the news that the interiors of Volkswagens will be improved and made simpler. Acknowledging the complaints about the touch-screen only approach, with a return to a more functional design and layout. Click this Autocar article for more. STELLANTIS ENDING ICE ONLY MODELS IN SOME US STATESStellantis are no longer selling ICE only cars in 14 states in the US, in order to meet stricter emission rules. All models are electrified to greater or lesser extent. They announced the move in April. Click this Autopian article link to find out more. TIGHT FINANCES CAUSE OWNERS TO SKIP SERVICINGIn news that should surprise no one, Volkswagen Financial Services surveyed over 2000 owners to find out a third are skipping essential servicing due to the cost of living crisis. This is the latest in a number of such results from many companies reporting the similar news. Click this Autocar article link to read more on this worrying trend. NEW MOTORING OFFENCES SENTENCING GUIDELINES PUBLISHED The Sentencing Council has listed the revised and new sentences for motoring offences, covering dangerous, disqualified, careless and uninsured driving amongst others. Click here to read the list and what the sentence recommendations are, from the Council. INCREASED PARKING CHARGES FOR POLLUTING CARSLambeth Council is introducing increased parking charges for the...
Allegro Fantasies - 13 June 2023
FOLLOW UP: COURT APPROVES MORE AREAS OF ULEZ CONTENTIONThe High Court has approved a further two grounds for contesting the expansion of the London ULEZ, following initial legal efforts in February where only two of five grounds were accepted. There are five councils fighting the expansion which is due to be reviewed on 4 July. To learn more, click here to read the Enfield Dispatch article. ‘NO MOW MAY’ RAISES CONCERNS‘No Mow May’ is a campaign that allows verges to grow, thus enabling plant life to flourish. However, some concerns have been raised as this has led to reduced visibility. PlantLife have helped 300 local authorities to adopt this. Click this Autocar link to learn more. EV SHOULD PAY-PER-MILE SAYS THINK TANKThe Centre for Policy Studies, an organisation with strong links to the Conservatives, has recommended to the Government, that all EVs are charged per mile, to help replace the lost vehicle excise duty venue. They go on to recommend a set amount of free mileage per year, with those in more remote locations allocated more. The rates would also tie into the weight of the vehicle. You can learn more, by clicking the AMOnline article link here. STELLANTIS PROMOTING KEEPING CARS ON THE ROAD LONGERThe average age of cars on the road is twelve years, but Stellantis is suggesting fifteen is easily possible with remanufacturing. This is where cars that have reached the end of life are harvested for parts that can be refurbished and used by others. All of this will help reduce CO2, as a consequence. Click this Autocar Business article to learn more. To watch The Late Brake Show about ‘deproduction’, click this YouTube link. To read the Autocar Business article on ‘deproduction’, click the link here. MERCEDES GETS LEVEL 3 APPROVAL IN CALIFORNIAMercedes-Benz US has gain approval for their Level 3 automated driving system, in California. Called ‘Drive Pilot’ and once engaged, will allow the driver to take their hands from the steering wheel and look away from the road. The driver needs to keep their face to the in-car monitoring camera but can do other things, like play with their phone. All of this will only occur when up to 40mph and when the car is in heavy traffic. Click The Verge article link to learn more. For context as to Andrew’s anger at this being deployed, and the change in tune from Mercedes from only a few months ago when it comes to responsibility, click this LinkedIn post. For even more context, a piece from The Autopian, explaining why Level 3 is a bad idea and inherently flawed,
Rab C Nesbitt - 6 June 2023
FOLLOW UP: VW AND AUDI AGREE DIESELGATE DEAL WITH TEXASVolkswagen and Audi have agreed, in principle, a settlement deal with the State of Texas over breaking environmental laws because of dieselgate. A sum of $85 million will be paid. Click this US News article link for more. FOLLOW UP: EV GRITTER NAMESAfter mentioning looking forward to seeing the EV gritter names on last week’s show, we have had some suggestions. Jouletide Grittings, Salt Watter and DeICEr. Thank you to Nir Kahn for those, they’re wonderful. Feel free to send the chaps your suggestions. MAY 2023 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESMay 2023 New Car Registration figures are up 16.7% on last year, but don’t forget that was quite poor due to supply constraints. The main driver, sorry not sorry, of May’s rise is an increase in Fleet registrations, up nearly 37% on last year. There is also a change at the top of the ‘Most Registered Cars’ chart too. To find out more, click this article link from the SMMT. JAGUAR I-PACE RECALLED IN US OVER FIRE RISKJaguar is recalling over 6,000 I-Pace cars due to the risk of fire, attributed to an issue with the battery pack but the exact reason is still not known. You can read more by clicking this Reuters article link here. JAGUAR LAND ROVER REBRANDINGJaguar Land Rover, as a Group, are rebranding. JLR now has a logo, they have developed a ‘Look Book’, which dictates all aspects of the various brand’s aesthetics from stationary through to what the dealership staff are to wear. There is much optimism for the future but also acknowledgement that aspects need improving. To find out more about the JLR logo and Group, click this Autocar link. For the expected benefits for us customers, with the move to the agency model, click here to read more from Autocar. To read about how the staff “uniform” has gone down with dealerships, click this Auto Retail article link here. If you would like to learn more about how the Discovery brand is seen as an exciting one, from within JLR, click this Autocar link here. REMOTELY OPERATED TAXI SERVICE IN MILTON KEYNESThis week’s Ledge of Fury™ item is brought to you by Fetch, Milton Keynes and regulators that have approved a taxi service that utilised remote operators to drive the car, whilst a safety driver sits in the front seat. Following a whole 1,000 miles of testing this has been approved to run on public roads. Click this BBC News article link here for more. There are a huge number of reasons why this is a bad idea, dangerous and should not be allowed, which are backed up by plenty of research that...
Other Vulnerable Vehicles - 30 May 2023
CAR CRIME DRAMATICALLY RISES2022 saw a rise of 25% in stolen vehicles, on the previous twelve months. Items stolen from vehicles also rose. Figures are expected to be higher as Devon and Cornwall Police could not provide statistics. Relay theft is being cited as part of the problem, but we know, thanks to Ken Tindell and Ian Tabor there is a new way some cars are being stolen, click here to learn more on that technique from Ken. Click this link, from Motoring Research, to read more about the rise in car crime. DEALERSHIP PRICE CLAIMS MISLEADING IN RULINGThe Advertising Standards Agency has ruled that pricing a car for only five days, then reducing that price and then claiming there will be a saving for the consumer is misleading. Marshall Motor Group did this and have been censured by the ASA as a result. Five days does not set any reference for the price, according to the ruling. Click here to read more from AMOnline and the wider implications to the industry. CHARGEPLACE SCOTLAND TO BE PRIVATISEDAs demand for the service and the need to upgrade the network takes its toll on Chargeplace Scotland, the news that it will now be managed by private contractors is not surprising. The Scottish Government has stated it cannot afford to back it anymore. To read more, click this Autocar article here. DEVON OPENS NEW 16 CHARGER EV SITEFor the thousands that invade the South West every holiday there is good news if you drive an EV as a new site has opened to charge at. Buckfastleigh, just off the A38 between Exeter and Plymouth. 16 ultra rapid charge points, including two with extra long bays for bigger vehicles or those towing something are now open to the public. Click this BBC News article to learn more. EV GRITTER LORRY LAUNCHEDEcon Engineering has launched their electric gritter lorry in the UK. But that is not all, thanks to the clever adaptability of their Electric Quick Change Body (E-QCB) system, the lorry can be used for a variety of roles throughout the year. You can find out more, by clicking this electrive.com article link. TESLA DATA LEAK AND ADAS COMPLAINTSA huge data leak, from Tesla - which the company blamed on a disgruntled employee, has revealed two things. First, Tesla will be investigated by data control authorities, as a huge amount of customer and employee information being accessed and taken. Secondly, the data leak also showed that there have been a huge amount of complaints over ‘Autopilot’ and its capabilities. To read more, click this link from The Guardian. POLICE WORK WITH GEORGE’S CAR MEDIA TO PROMOTE SAFETYDevon and Cornwall Police are working with George’s Car Media to promote safe and legal practices for modifying cars. Using TikTok they are reaching a younger audience, which put requests to change an aspect of a Ford Focus the channel uses to show how to modify correctly. You can learn more,
Ben Elton Sketch - 23 May 2023
FOLLOW UP: US LAWMAKERS ATTEMPT AM LOSS U-TURNSenators in the US are banding together to try and create a bill that will force car makers to install the option of AM Radio in all new cars. The claim is that removing it weakens the Government’s ability to issue emergency broadcasts. Click here to read the Autoevolution article. GEELY INCREASES STAKE IN ASTON MARTINAfter several attempts to increase their investment in Aston Martin, that Lance Stroll had rebuffed, Geely announced that it now owns 17% of the brand. This makes them the third largest shareholder. To read more, click this EVO article link here. CALL FOR OVER-70S TO GET MANDATORY EYE CHECKSOlder Drivers Forum, as road safety organisation, has called for all drivers to take a mandatory eye-test as they hit 70 and every three years recurring. This sounds like an eminently sensible idea that we hope will become law. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar link here. CAR INDUSTRY WARNS OF RULES OF ORIGIN IMPACTVauxhall, quickly followed by Ford, brought up the issue of Rules of Origin, where parts and vehicles imported into the UK from Europe, and vice versa, face a 10% surcharge bringing into question the viability of UK car factories. The car industry has urged the Government to renegotiate a deal with Europe to prevent the cost implications. To read more, click this BBC News article discussing Vauxhall’s position. This is an issue that has been known and discussed by a few for some time. Click this Autocar article link, from Jim Holder explaining the issues and consequences. You can read more about the lack of industry strategy, at a Governmental level, how that is hurting the industry and may mean it dies altogether, by clicking this The Guardian link. CALLS FOR GLOUCESTERSHIRE ROADS TO BE DECLARED AN EMERGENCYPaul Hodgkinson, a Gloucestershire County Councillor, has called for the poor state of roads in the county to be declared an emergency. The Highways Department had “30 teams” working to address road repairs. They also stated they met Government targets to fix high safety priorities within one day and other safety issues within 28 days. Click this BBC News article for more information. MERCEDES PINK NOISE DEPLOYED TO SAVE HEARINGThis is not a new thing, as Mercedes-Benz has been adding this to their cars since 2015, however it is amazing. If the car detects it is about to have an incident, pink noise is played through the speakers which causes occupant’s ear drums to close over and prevent loud noises from hurting and disorientating them. Click this Uncrate link here and watch the video for more. NIO UNVEILS GEN 3 BATTERY SWAP STATIONNIO, the Chinese EV...
Sausage Fest - 16 May 2023
FOLLOW UP: LOS ANGLES SUBURB TARGETS STREET TAKEOVER CULTUREFollowing on from the recent news of Australia fining spectators of street takeover events, a Los Angles suburb, Pico Rivera, are introducing similar laws. Spectators up to 500 feet away can be fined up to $2000. Vehicles used in the event can be permanently confiscated. California already has tough rules for such events but this goes further. Click here to read more from The Drive. US AIRBAG RECALL REJECTED BY SUPPLIERARC, the maker of 67 million airbags that the NHTSA has ordered be recalled because a found defect has created “an unreasonable risk of death and injury", has rejected the recommendation. ARC state that the NHTSA’s eight year investigation has failed to show a "systemic or prevalent defect” in the inflators. To learn more, click this BBC News article link here. JAGUAR LAND ROVER SHOWS SIGNS OF FINANCIAL RECOVERYThanks to JLR’s supply chain woes easing slightly, their fourth quarter financial results are much improved on the previous year. Revenue is up 49%, production is up 24%and order books are still holding around 200,000 vehicles. Click this link to Jaguar Land Rover’s own press release on this matter. VW SHAREHOLDERS MEETING ATTACKEDDuring the shareholders meeting for the Volkswagen Group, protesters threw cake at executives and bared their chests as they highlighted the company’s green credentials and working in the Chinese region of Xinjiang, where human rights violations are reported. You can read more by clicking this link to the Raw Story article. TESLA OTA UPDATES EQUATED TO HACKER ATTACKSTesla is having to defend their Over-The-Air (OTA) updates in a court as it is claimed the software changes impacted the performance of the batteries, including making them inoperable. The lawyer for plaintiffs is stating this is equivalent to a hacker attacking a system and is using California's Computer Data Access and Fraud Act and California's Computer Fraud and Abuse Act as the basis for their case. To learn more, click this Autoevolution article link here. For some context on OTA updates for cars and why they are jolly hard to get right, click this article link from Ken Tindell. INDIA PROPOSES BAnning diesels in cities by 2027A committee set up by the Indian Government proposes the ban of diesels from cities and high density urban areas by 2027, but with quite a caveat as it does not include two and three wheeled vehicles as they get a reprieve until 2035. The committee proposing the moves also states that from 2024 new delivery vehicles in urban areas need to be electric, but the country is seriously behind on investment in EV infrastructure. You can read more by clicking this Jalopnik link here. TOYOTA DATA LEAK UNDETECTED FOR A DECADEToyota has confirmed that a misconfigured cloud data bucket has been accessible by anyone since 2013. The company were at pains to clarify that whilst car details have been accessible personally identifiable...
Whispering Bob Harris - 9 May 2023
FOLLOW UP: STADLER TO CONFESS TO ROLE IN DIESELGATEFormer Audio CEO, Rupert Stadler is to confess to his role in dieselgate, after a judge told him to or face a lengthy prison sentence. He will now receive a suspended sentence and pay a fine of €1.1 million. During court case he maintained his innocence and stuck to the claim it was down to engineers that defeat device engines were still sold in Europe after the scandal broke. Click this Automotive News Europe article link to read more. FOLLOW UP: ARRIVAL DEATH SPIRAL CONTINUESArrival released their 6-K Report in the US and it makes for quite the read. They are claiming they do not have enough personnel to sort it out reporting their financials properly so need more time, especially as they are scrambling around trying to raise more funds. They also declare they will report on their financial situation that will cause doubts on them continuing. To read more, click this link to Peter Campell’s Twitter thread on this extraordinary information.NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES APRIL 2023The SMMT has released the New Car Registration Figures for April 2023, which is typically a quiet month coming after the plate change in April. Petrol and BEV market shares increased, with Diesel and PHEV both dropping. You can see more by clicking this link to Tristan Young’s Tweet. Overall, registrations are well down on pre-pandemic levels and even below 2021’s. Significantly, the SMMT is downgrading its forecast for the overall market share of BEVs, citing high energy costs and fears over the charging infrastructure being blamed. However, we feel the continued high inflation and rise in all costs mean people and businesses have less money. Add on top the starting prices of most EVs and it is easy to see a slowdown. To learn more about April’s figures click this article link from SMMT. VW FIRES EXEC TEAM OF CARIADOliver Blume, CEO of VW and head of the supervisory board of CARIAD, has fired three of the executive team leading the software division. Peter Bosch, Head of Production at Bentley will take over. Once again VW demonstrate they do not understand software. Even with the new team being assembled they are making demands on silly timescales and saving money. To read more on this situation, click this electrive article link. ASTON MARTIM BOLSTER MANAGEMENT TEAMAston Martin are appointing Paul Thomas, ex-Rimac, to be Chief BEV Engineer and Vincenzo Regazzoni, ex-Ferrari, to be Chief Industrial Officer. They are intended to help Aston move to an electrified future more smoothly. You can learn more by clicking this link to an Automotive News Europe article. LEVC UNVEILS PLANS FOR NEW MODELSThe London Electric Vehicle Company, maker of the current Black Cab, has revealed plans to expand its offerings. They will be launching a new platform, SOA, which will be the basis of this expansion. They are going large though, the vehicles will be big, think Mercedes Sprinter but much nicer when fitted for passengers but also the commercial van market is being targeted.
Pushing Dieselgate Under The Bus - 2 May 2023
FOLLOW UP: CONTINENTAL EXEC IMPLICATES OTHERS OVER DIESELGATEA Continental manager has admitted their involvement in Dieselgate and implicated that others were involved, to German prosecutors. There are a total of 60 individuals being investigated over various levels of fraud. To read more, click this Automotive News article link here. FOLLOW UP: JLR LOSE C-TYPE COPYRIGHTJaguar Land Rover has lost a copyright infringement case in Sweden where they were taking several defendants to court. In a move that it appears JLR lawyers were not expecting, the defendants claimed that because Jaguar had not done anything to prevent replicas before they had implicitly approved. For more information, click here to read an explanation from Mattias Malmstedt on LinkedIn. GOVERNMENT CONSIDERING GRADUATED DRIVING LICENSESNewly qualified under-25 could be restricted in carrying younger passengers for a set time. This is one of several ideas being considered to try and help reduce road incidents and injuries. This is something that happens across the globe. Click this link to read more from Top Gear. QUEENSLAND PASSES ‘ANTI-HOON’ LAWSIn Queensland, a new law has passed that covers illegal street events, which are quite strict. Spectators could be fined up to $6,000 AUS, drivers could face up to a year in prison and the destruction of their car. Jalopnik has more on this story, which you can read by clicking this link here. ARNOLD CLARK CREATING EV CHARGING NETWORKArnold Clark, the car retail company, has announced they are investing £23 million into a rapid charging network via their dealership sites across the country. Access will be allowed out of hours too, for approved vehicles. They are still working out the details for pricing but have made it clear they do not wish to nickel and dime users. Click this AM Online link to read more. JUST EAT SALES FLEET TO GO EV ONLY BY 2025The corporate sale fleet of Just Eat will be EV only by 2025. That means 175 diesel vehicles will be replaced, which has already begun with the first 12 purchased. You can learn more by clicking this link here, from edie.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 NNCN - ORA SALOONOra has announced their larger saloon, known as the Good Cat in China, will be coming to the UK. This is aimed squarely at the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai Ioniq 6, coming with a range of power outputs as well as both two and four wheel drive. Whilst most details are scant, Ora has confirmed it will have a range of 300 miles. Prices have not been announced but they consider this a flagship vehicle....
Graceness, Spaceness & Paceness - 25 April 2023
JAGUAR LAND ROVER ANNOUNCEMENTSJaguarl Landrover announced that henceforth it would be “brand house” JLR. Many words and an abstract teaser image were used to describe Jaguar’s future. You can learn more form Autocar here.FORMER FORD BOSS JOINS ASTON MARTINFormer Ford of Europe chairman, Steven Armstrong has joined Aston Martin as part of its latest recovery strategy. Autocar has more here.INEOS TO BUILD SMALL ELECTRIC OFF-ROADERIneos is going to expand its model line beyond the Grenadier with a small, electric off-roader being engineered by Magna and expected in 2026. There’s more information here.ASTON MARTIN AND MCLAREN MUST SELL EVSChanges in US Emission rules from 2032 mean that small volume manufacturers will be subject to the same fleet CO2 targets as other manufacturers. Find out more here.EU MOTORIST GIVEN £11,000 ULEZ FINEForeign-registered cars, even if compliant, will be fined on entry to the London ULEZ. Postal delays in sending out penalty notices abroad and then processing by hire and lease firms mean that appeal periods have passed. Find out more about more from The Guardian.DEVON AND CORNWALL POLICE DRONEDevon and Cornwall Police has unveiled it's using a drone to monitor for unsafe driving. More here from the BBC.GLOUCESTERSHIRE COUNCIL TO INSTALL 1,000 CHARGING POINTSGloucestershire Council is getting serious about on-street charging with plans to install 1,000 on-street points across the county. Find out more here.
Only One Survived - 18 April 2023
FOLLOW UP: ALL NEW SMART MOTORWAYS AXEDThe UK Government has given in to populist pressure and scrapped all new Smart Motorway plans. Teh safety benefits are dubious, but no doubt this will result in a reduction in public infrastructure spending. You can read more in this Government press release.NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR MARCH 2023New car registrations in the UK have risen year-on-year for March, with significant gains by EVs and small SUVs. They’re still nowhere near pre-pandemic levels, but supply is easing and demand seems steady. You can read more in this article from SMMT.TESLA WORKERS SHARE CAR-RECORDED IMAGESEx-Employees are alledging significant data and privacy breaches at Tesla regarding in and out of car videos and still imagesbeing shared around employees. More detail in this Guardian article.FIRST HANDS-FREE DRIVING SYSTEM APPROVED FOR UK ROAD USEFord’s BlueCruise system has been approved for use on UK roads. The “hands-off, eyes-on” system is geofenced for motorway use only, but if you have to keep your eyes ont he road, what’s the point? More in this Guardian article.CATERHAM TO MOVE, BUT NOT FARCaterham are moving to anew, purpose-built facility in Dagenham, not far from their existing site, that will allow all parts of the business to be under the same roof while increasing production. More in this AM-Online article.Keyless Car Theft - Stealing Toyota Via Their HeadlightsBritish researchers have unveiled a popular method of vehicle theft via the vehicle’s own internal networks. Much more detail at The Register and on Ken Tindell’s blog.LUNCHTIME READ: Virtual Tour of the Lamborghini MuseumDesign News has shared a virtual tour of the Lamborghini museum for us to peruse from home. Click here to see the slides.LIST OF THE WEEK: The Forgotten Cars of The 1980sAutocar has compiled a list of 41 “forgotten” cars from the 1980s. Some are definitely ore forgotten than others, but it’s an interesting set nonetheless. Click here to see list .Click here to see our video on one of the choices too. AND FINALLY: MAN BUYS HOT WHEELS CAR BUT FORGETS TO POST IT TO SOCIAL MEDIAMajor Gav has his tongue firmly in his cheek this week with this breaking story. Read it here on Petrolblog.
His Hand Over His Mouth - 4 April 2023
FOLLOW UP: EX-AUDI BOSS FACES JAIL IN GERMANYRupert Stadler, the former CEO of Audi has been told the case of fraud against him and others, has been substantiated and therefore could face jail unless he fully confesses. He and three other defendants were charged in 2020. The judge confirmed that there was no proof that one of the engineers was guilty of criminal activity. Click here to read more, from the Automotive News Europe article. FOLLOW UP: PARIS RESIDENTS VOTE TO BAN E-SCOOTERSWith a turnout of just 6%, residents of Paris have voted to ban dockless shared e-scooters. This has cause furious anger from the pro-scooter brigade. Whilst the vote is only advisory the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, insisted she would abide by the result. Click this Move Electric article link to learn more. UK GOVERNMENT ZEV MANDATE CONSULTATION OPENSThe UK Government has opened its zero emission vehicle mandate consultation. They have outlined their proposed implementation of policies that would require zero emission vehicles to be sold. You can read the consultation documentation by clicking this link here. Amongst the plans is to fine car companies if they do not meet targets for zero emission vehicles sold, the year on year changes to limits and how hybrids do not appear to be allowed post 2030 thanks to the new ICE vehicles ban. Click here to read more, from Move Electric. POOR ROAD REPAIRS TO INCUR FINESUtility companies will face fines for poor repairs to works, the Government has announced. Inspection of the work will be £50 and every subsequent inspection being £120. Those who do consistently excellent repairs will then be inspected less. To read more, click this Autocar article link here. SEAT TO BE THE MOBILITY BRAND OF THE VW GROUPIn the latest efforts of the Volkswagen Group in trying to decide what to do with Seat, they announced they would become the mobility brand for the Group. Seat will offer car-sharing and e-scooters. Final plans are yet to be confirmed. You can learn more by clicking this Automotive News Europe article link here. GM ANNOUNCES ANDROID ONLY SOFTWARE IN THEIR CARSGeneral Motors has announced that they will be utilising Android Automotive in their cars, starting with the Blazer EV. As a consequence Apple CarPlay will not be offered to owners. This offers astonishing levels of data to Google, especially if the driver logs into their account on the car. Click here to read an article outlining some of the data Google collects, via this Autoevolution link. This is a ‘brave’ move by GM to cut off a large section of actual or potential customers by excluding their phone of choice. As can be seen by reading this FT article,
Stellantovan Alliance Benz Fordswagen - 28 March 2023
FOLLOW UP: EU REACHES AGREEMENT ON E-FUELS POST 2035After the sudden rejection of the ICE 2035 ban idea, after it was agreed to take it to formal vote, the EU has reached an agreement to amend the proposal to include the allowance of carbon neutral e-fuels to power ICE vehicles after 2035. The details of how this can work are to be established but there is much anger this was allowed. We have several articles to help explain the situation as well as how this was reported during the last few weeks. To read what has been agreed, click this Autocar link here. Automotive News, click the link here, reported this whilst the renegotiations were under way.The outlet Politico reported on the upheaval the sudden stance by Germany and Italy caused. You can read that by clicking this link here. FOLLOW UP: 3G SWITCH OFF RAMIFICATIONSFollowing last week’s request regarding the implications for the 3G switch off in the UK, Ken Tindell did come back. The main impact for vehicles is switching off previous generation emergency call/location services. This has hit a large number of cars in the US, which will be replicated here. Additionally, things like car park ticket machines will stop working and councils are deciding to replace these with apps, but that disadvantages those without smart phones, particularly the elderly, which is unacceptable. Click here to read the StokeOnTrentLive article for an example of this. FOLLOW UP: MERCEDES MUST PAY IF IT USED DEFEAT DEVICESThe European Court of Justice has confirmed that if Mercedes did use defeat devices on their vehicles, which is what is claimed they are when they alter the engine’s emissions at certain ambient temperatures, and the owner has suffered damages, then they are liable for compensation. Mercedes reject such protection to the engine is a defeat device and that even if it is ruled as such owners have suffered no damages. Click here for an Autocar article to learn more. MCLAREN SECURES FURTHER INVESTMENTMcLaren has raised £70 million in investment to allow it to move to an electrified future. This was raised from existing shareholders. Alan adds further context to what seems like constant funding seeking, which makes a lot of sense. Click here to read the Carscoops article on this story. PROPOSAL TO TRIAL 30MPH ON M8 IN GLASGOWA proposal is being put forward to trial and monitor a section of the M8 with a new speed limit of 30mph. The idea is to see what happens to the air quality and if it does improve ask to expand the ULEZ to include the motorway. This is still at a very early stage and not imminent. We also suggest and hope if it does occur there are other factors monitored and logged. To read more, click this link to the Glasgow Evening Times article. LEICESTER EV BUS FLEET GETS A TOP UPFirst Bus has secured even more...
Egregious - 22 March 2023
FOLLOW UP: EMERGENCY EXPERTS CONCERNED WITH LOSS OF AMIn the US, emergency experts have called on car manufacturers to ensure that the AM frequency is available on the infotainment systems of electric cars as this is the only way some people can get vital information, particularly emergency info. The US, Canada and Australia have vast amounts of sparsely populated environments that do not get internet access and phone coverage, hence the vital nature of AM. Click the link here to read more from a Popular Science article. FOLLOW UP: BAC BACKS OFF HYDROGEN powered DEVELOPMENTRecently BAC, the makers of the single seater sports car the Mono, announced that they were developing a hydrogen combustion powered vehicle. However, the short term reduction in hydrogen filling stations, the Government’s stance on alternative fuels and the 2035 ICE ban caveats has allowed BAC to step back from this and concentrate on existing technology. To read more, click this Autocar link here. UK SPRING BUDGET ANNOUNCEMENTThe Chancellor of the Exchequer gave the Spring Budget statement to Parliament, last week. Amongst the document there were some motoring related issues. The now 13-year long “freeze” in fuel duty was continued, the 5p-litre cut from last year has been carried over and more money being provided for repairing potholes. The first article we point you in order to learn more, is from AM Online, which you can read by clicking this link here. The second is from Influence emobility on LinkedIn, which can be read by clicking here. VW HAS RUSSIAN ASSETS FROZENA court in Russia has frozen the assets of Volkswagen, in the country. They had shuttered their plant, at Kaluga, last year but were trying to find a buyer for it. At the same time a license partner, GAZ, is suing them for cancelling their contract last year. Click the Automotive News article link here to read more. RECORD BENTLEY PROFITSA third consecutive record profit year from Bentley, in 2022, helping to boost the Audi Group figures. Revenues jumped 19% with an operating profit of £280 million. By clicking this link to the AM Online article you can read more. JAGUAR ANNOUNCE NEW MD AND RELAUNCHJaguar, after being so quiet for so long, has announced that they have appointed a new Managing Director, Rawdon Glover, replacing the interim boss Philip Koehn. Glover is an internal appointment, having been the MD of JLR since 2018. Additionally, we are told Jaguar will relaunch in 2025, but no details as to what that means for the brand or the direction they will go in. Click this Autocar Business article link, if you would like to learn more. VOLTA TRUCKS GAINS EUROPEAN WHOLE VEHICLE TYPE APPROVALThe Volta Zero has received the important European Whole Vehicle Type...
Pant Wettingly Excited - 14 March 2023
FOLLOW UP: CAMERA MIRROR VIEW ANGLESThank you to Jamie Fretwell, Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK PR& Corporate Communications Manager, who did respond to our unfair public request for more information on the viewing angles of lorries with camera wing mirrors. Click this link to see more via a tweet with a video. Also, he has a thread on safety campaigns across the globe, with this particular beaut from Australia, click here to see more. FOLLOW UP: UK GOVERNMENT CUTS ACTIVE TRAVEL FUNDBuried in with the announcement that HS2 will be ‘paused’, to save costs, the UK Government also stated that it will cut the budget fund for active travel, capping it out at £330 million, instead of the £710 million promised in 2021. Click here to read more, from Sustrans. VW TO OPEN NEW PLANT IN THE USVolkswagen has announced the first investment in North American plants thanks to the US Government’s Inflation Reduction Act. They will be building the Scout brand vehicles at a new factory in South Carolina. As the VW brand is tainted by dieselgate they are using an older US marque to get a bigger share of the market. Volkswagen claim they were always going to open a plant in the US but the incentives of the new act has pushed up that timescale. This is a blow to Europe as it still formulates it’s response to the dual threat of the US and China. Click here to read more from the TechCrunch article.FORD MUSTANG WILL NOT HAVE AM RADIO FREQUENCYThe infotainment system of the Ford Mustang will not come with the AM radio frequency. This has been the case with several EVs but now is taking place in ICE vehicles. AM is being or has already been switched off in many countries in the EU and where it hasn’t there are alternatives, such as DAB. Click here to read the arstechnica article for more. TESLA RECALL AFFECTS THE AV INDUSTRYThe recall of all Tesla vehicles fitted with ‘Full Self-Driving Beta’ software poses a risk to the autonomous vehicle industry, even though this is not self-driving software. Now that the NHTSA is finally doing something about Tesla, the claims it has made and the reality of their vehicles others may well come into the spotlight. As the linked article discusses, from SAE International, Tesla is not the AV industry. Click the link here to read more. HUD TECHNOLOGY TO MAKE HUDS WORSEEnvisics Holographic has developed a Head Up Display (HUD) that adds augmented reality to what the driver sees. Whilst this sounds like a good idea, the point of a HUD is to reduce distractions for the driver, adding more info does the opposite.
Death Angle - 7 March 2023
FOLLOW UP: SAUDI ARAMCO JOINS RENAULT-GEELY VENTURESaudi Aramco has agreed to invest in the Renault-Geely engine join-venture by furthering technological progress with synthetic fuels and hydrogen propulsion. They will take a minority stake in the partnership. Click this Automotive News Europe article link to read more. FOLLOW UP: GERMANY AND ITALY GET COLD FEET OVER ICE BANGermany and Italy are now expressing doubts over the EU’s proposal to ban new ICE and hybrid vehicles from 2035. Italy have said it is a flat no, from them, as they claim industry and consumers will be affected. Germany, however, want some changes, mainly around synthetic fuel use being allowed in new ICE vehicles after 2035. The formal ratification vote has been delayed as a consequence. Click this link here to read more, from Euroactive. NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR FEBRUARY 2023February was a genuinely impressive month, after several that were only good when compared with Covid affected years, with 74,441 new cars registered. The breakdown of ‘what you put in it to make it move’ is continuing along the trends, with BEVs slightly up, PHEVs slightly down and diesel down again. The real surprise is petrol, a big jump there and that is not great in terms of CO2 emissions. Click here for the SMMT article explaining the month’s figures. Click here for Tristan Young’s breakdown of what makes the cars go. ASTON MARTIN FINANCIAL RESULTS ARE NOT ALL BADAston Martin announced a loss of £495 million in 2022, but the last quarter saw an operating profit of £6.6 million. Whilst the losses are not good, there is a glimmer of hope that things are being turned around for the company. Click the link here to read more from The Guardian. TATA EXPANDING UK R&D FACILITYTata, Jaguar Land Rover’s owner has announced they are expanding the workforce of their UK R&D centre at Leamington Spa. They are looking for an extra 350 staff. You can read more by clicking this Autocar Business article link here. JLR OWNER SEEKS GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR UK INVESTMENTTata, the Indian owner of Jaguar Land Rover, is looking for funding assistance from the UK Government in order to build a battery factory in this country, rather than Spain. There are serious question marks over the Government’s commitment to the UK car industry and this is a real test. JLR has already moved some production out of the UK. To read more, click this AM Online article link. VW SAVE THE GTI FESTIVALHaving been famously staged at Wörthersee for many years, the region had decided to no longer approve the festival. Volkswagen, though, has stepped in and will stage the event at Wolfsburg.
Everyday Batteries for Everyday Cars - 28 February 2023
FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT BOUGHT BY RECHARGE INDUSTRIESThe troubled British battery startup has been bought by Australian firm Recharge Industries, but that means a pivot to battery storage and away from automotive - at least for the moment. Click here to read the main BBC story and click here for the thread by Peter Campbell of the Financial Times.STELLANTIS POSTS RECORD PROFITSStellantis has posted record profits while also recording a 41% rise global EV sales. Is this because of supply chain constraints forcing them to focus on building their most profitable models?Click here to read the Autocar story.CITROEN BOSS STEPS DOWNIn a surprise move, Citroen boss Vincent Cobée has left the company.Click here to read the Motor1 story.SONO STYMIES SOLAR SIONGerman solar panel startup Sono has ended its project to produce the Sion solar-augmented EV, instead it’s going to focus on producing solar cells suitable for vehicles through its existing partnerships.Click here to read the Move Electric story.MOBILITY APP SHOWS CO2 COST OF BUSINESS TRAVELA new app can help calculate the total CO2 cost of employee business travel across all modes and can help benchmarking against similar organizations.Click here for the full Autocar story.ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS TO HELP EV MOTORWAY CHARGING National Highways is planning an £8million investment in containerized battery EV chargers for some high demand English service stations with limited electricity supply.Click here for the full Motoring Research story.More funding for Councils to expand ev chargingSome English councils have won a share of £56million to expand their local EV charging networks.Click here for the move Electric Story.Firms greenwashing their products face steep finesNew rules will prevent companies from selling their products and services on claims that may be false or impossible to prove.Click here for the Guardian article.Bentley W12 reaches the end of the line in the BaturBentley’s W12 engine will bow out in 2024 in the limited-production Batur.Click here for the Autocar article.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