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)
Special Edition - Citroën Berlingo Longterm Review
Finally Andrew talks to Alan about the ‘new” Cracked Windscreen Family Hauler. They run through the remit, what was selected and what it’s like to live with it. Listen to them be childish about trim names, discuss storage options and consider the best cornering technique for such vehicles.
Special Edition - Toyota GR Yaris Review
Captain Yaris Fanboi had a Toyota GR Yaris for a week and, yes, the inevitable comparison happened. It couldn’t not happen.In this Special Edition Alan talks about the Toyota GR Yaris while trying to say things other people haven’t said about it in the hundreds of other reviews you’ve read and watched. Comparing and contrasting with his own Yaris GRMN hopefully means that was achieved.To listen to the GR Yaris Launch Special Edition, click this link here.
Special Edition - KIA Drive Day
Andrew attended the Northern Group of Motoring Writers annual event, which was supported by KIA. They brought a selection of cars from their range for us all to try out. Andrew took four cars out for a spin, listen in as he talks about curry hooks, timelines and surprises. Thanks to KIA for helping support the day and the Northern Group of Motoring Writers. Thank you to the Group for welcoming Andrew so warmly, we’re sure his “charm” will wear off in time.
Special Edition - Genesis GV70 Review
It’s been a long time since we drove a diesel SUV for The Motoring Podcast, but Genesis was keen that we tried their best-selling UK model, the handsome, not-quite-a-coupé, GV-70. Alan drove one to Scotland and back to find out what all the fuss was about.
No Name Yet - 26 July 2022
FOLLOW UP: GREY HACKERS TO DE-SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONSGrey-market hackers are looking to liberate options fitted to BMW cars but not activated from the subscription models being proposed by the manufacturer. You car read more in this article from Vice.DIESS TO LEAVE VOLKSWAGENHerebert Diess is to leave his position as Volkswagen CEO on 1st September and will be replaced by Porsche boss Oliver Blume. Read more in this article from electrive.com.LONDON ULEZ EXTENSION HAD LESS IMPACT THAN HOPEDThis article from the Evening Standard looks at TfL figures showing a much lower impact on air quality than expected whet he London ULEZ zone was extended.ASTON MARTIN’S NEW OLD LOGOAston Martin has updated its logo in a bit to secure younger buyers. We’re not sure how that’s going to work, but you can see old and new in this Autocar article.AMAZON & RIVIAN ROLL OUT NEW EV DELIVERY VANSAmazon and Rivian are launching their electric delivery vans in a selection of US cities over the coming months according to this article from Autocar.FORD DEVELOPS EV CHARGER FOR DISABLED DRIVERSFord has developed a prototype EV charging unit that can automatically plug in an EV, meaning disabled drivers don’t have to wrestle with heavy cables. You can read more in this article from Move Electric.NEW HYDROGEN FUEL CELL FACTORY FOR HERTFORDSHIREJohnson Matthey has announced a £80million investment in a new factory at Royston in Hertfordhire to make hydrogen fuel cells for automotive and transport use. There’s more detail in this article from CNBC.MOKE INTERNATIONAL RECEIVES NEW OWNERGood news if you’re looking for an electric, MINI-based 4-seater utility/fun car, MOKE International has been bought by EV Technology Group, which is looking to invest more int he company. Find out more from Move Electric here.DAIMLER LAUNCHES SECOND ELECTRIC TRUCK MODELDaimler has launched a second electric model, this time based on its urban-focused Econic model and called the eEconic. You can find out more
Look At Me Grown Up - 19 July 2022
FOLLOW UP: VW LOSES TEMP CONTROL ENGINE SOFTWARE RULINGVolkswagen has been told by the EU Court of Justice that utilising software to protect engines outside a temperature range of 15 - 33 Celsius amounted to a defeat device, as below 15 Celsius is a normal temperature across Europe. This will, obviously, open the risk of more consumer class actions being taken against VW and possibly other manufacturers. For more, click the Reuters article here. ASTON MARTIN SECURE FURTHER FUNDINGAston Martin has secured £653 million more investment, which it states is only required to service the debt they have accrued. A Saudi Arabian fund, AMG and share issue will ensure that the cash reserves they currently have are deployed on their future development and not paying off their loans. You can learn more, by clicking this PistonHeads link here. BMW TRIALS OPTIONS SUBSCRIPTIONSBMW are trialling subscriptions for some options, with the ability to pay for them on a weekly, yearly or the entire time of your ownership of the car. This has caused a bit of controversy, but not all are against the idea. Click this Top Gear link to read about the move. James Mills wrote a piece for Hagerty, explaining why this has been introduced and why they may not be a bad idea at all. You can read that, by clicking this link here. Drew Smith, writing on the StudioPhro website, adds a dash of reality and caution to OEMs pursuing options via subscription, that can be read by clicking this link here. TESLA ORDERED TO REFUND CUSTOMER OVER AUTOPILOT FAULTSTesla has been ordered to refund a customer, by a Munich court, due to the problems with the Autopilot function. Following a detailed technical analysis, it was confirmed that the system could not reliably recognise obstacles and changes to the layout of roads and lead to braking being applied unnecessarily. For more, click the Reuters article here. EV ISOLATOR ISSUE HITTING HOMEChanges to regulations over the installation of home chargers has meant there is an added delay. There must be two visits, with one being the energy provider who needs to fit the new isolator to the properties existing electrical system. Until there is a single visit installation the problem will continue with the owner or fleet operator paying more as they have to use public charging points. To read about this, click the Business Motoring article here. PORSCHE BUILDS SECOND EFUEL FACILITY
Yeehaw Mother Lovers - 12 July 2022
NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES JUNE 2022The June 2022 figures for New Car Registrations has been released by SMMT and they are down nearly a quarter on last year’s figures. Supply shortages are the main culprit, with manufacturers having long lead times to actually get cars into customer’s hands. To read more, click the SMMT article link here. To read Tristan Young’s breakdown of figures by the fuel you put in, click this link here. FUEL PRICE PROTESTS HIT ROADSSome roads in England and Wales were hit by ‘go-slow’ protests last week. They were doing so to raise the issue of fuel costs to the Government, urging them to reduce fuel-duty to help. Several protestors were charged by police for driving too slowly on motorways. To read more, click the Autocar article here. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a full review into fuel price rises, after declaring the current situation as a “cause for concern” which feels quite understated. To read more about this story, click this Autocar article link. WALES TO LOWER SPEED LIMITS TO 20MPH IN BUILT-UP AREASA blanket reduction in speed limits, across Wales is being proposed with hopes to be first to implement this in the UK, pipping Scotland who are introducing this in 2025. This is a divisive subject, with some complaining about longer travel times, the unnecessariness and causing chaos to travel. Conversely, the safety aspect is highlighted, where we know anyone hit by a car at 20mph is less likely to suffer severe injury. Whilst, no one can question the impact safety benefits, questions have arisen over claims of lowering costs, emissions and general safety. To read the BBC News article, click the link here. To read the Welsh Government’s own document on this, click this link. LUNAZ EXPANDS PRODUCTION CAPABILITYLunaz, the up-cycling electrification company, plan to increase its facility to enable it to cope with the rapid uptick in business. They will plan to get 1100 vehicles through their production system a year. You can learn more about what they do and what the expansion will mean by clicking the Autocar link here. HONDA KEYLESS ENTRY HACK VULNERABILITY Honda cars, built between 2012 and 2022, have a vulnerability in them that could allow a naughty person to unlock and remotely start the car. Honda has dismissed the issue but it doesn't appear to have been addressed. Honda haven’t dealt with this very well either, when the researchers brought it to the company’s attention. The solution is tricky and we wonder if it demands an official recall? The other thing to worry about is that the researchers believe other manufacturers are hit by the same flaw. To find out more,
Unobtanium - 5 July 2022
HYUNDAI AND KIA RAIDED IN GERMANYGerman officials have raised the offices of Hyundai, Kia and Bosch over the possibility of a defeat device being fitted to their diesel engines. Details are scant so far, and the chaps will be keeping an eye out for any updates. To read more, click the Autocar article here. EUROPE CONFIRMS 2035 NEW ICE SALE BANThe EU has voted in favour of banning the sale of new combustion engined cars and vans, from 2035. There is a glimmer of hope though, left for e-fuels, which have been given more time to demonstrate if they can be made both environmentally friendly and economically. To read about the ICE ban, click here for the Reuters article link. To read about e-fuels, click the Autocar link here. GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES INCIDENT INVESTIGATION BRANCHThe first ever road incident investigation branch has now been formed, by the Government, following a campaign and consultation to create such an organisation. They will independently investigate incidents and use their findings to make recommendations to changes in all aspects of road usage. For more, click the Government’s own link here. NOTTINGHAM TRIALS WIRELESS TAXI CHARGINGNottingham Council has secured funding to undertake a trial of wireless charging technology, using taxis, to establish if it is viable. Wireless technology promises a cleaner street, with less visible infrastructure and associated hazards of trying to use and get around. To learn more about this, click the Wireless Charging of Electric Taxis link here. YORK OPENS FIRST COUNCIL HYPERHUB York Council has opened the first of four “HyperHubs” which it will run, in the city. They will have a range of chargers and aim to help local residents and visitors. This is part of a scheme to help transition people to electric vehicles. Read more about this, by clicking this MoveElectric link here. SWARCO SIGNS DEAL WITH CORNWALL COUNCILSWARCO will supply and run a number of council charging points, that are to be installed over the next four years. The idea is to improve the infrastructure for Cornwall. To read more, click the ZapMap link here. NEW HOME CHARGING RULES IN FORCEThe new home charging rules have come into force, but there is still a lot of confusion as to what they mean to consumers. myenergi boss Jordan Brompton helps clarify costs and what they actually mean for us in this article on Transport+Energy,
Enhance An Older Body - 28 June 2022
FOLLOW UP: FORD ENDING FOCUS PRODUCTIONWe discussed that Ford was considering the future of the German Saarlouis plant, three weeks ago during Screaming In Your Car episode. That now seems to have been decided, as Ford are investing in their Valencia plant for EV models. After 2025 the Focus will be end, which has caused an obvious conclusion that the German factory will close. For more on this, click the JustAuto article here. FOLLOW UP: PRIVATE PARKING CODE OF PRACTICE PAUSEDIn February this year, the Government proudly announced it was introducing new rules to cap fines, have a transparent and independent appeals system and essentially make parking fairer. Much more quietly, in fact so quietly it was almost silent, they announced that this would be withdrawn after legal action from parking firms. To read more, click this RAC article link. FOLLOW UP: FLEETS URGED TO SUBMIT EV DATA TO HMRCTwo fleet industry organisations are asking their members to submit information to HMRC so that they can see the effect energy prices are having and suitably compensate in the September changes to rates. More can be read on this matter, by clicking this link to the Autocar article. NEW SENTENCING LIMITS FOR DRIVERS WHO KILLThe sentencing powers have been changed for those who cause death by dangerous driving and careless driving whilst under the influence of drink and drugs. The new limit will be a life sentence. There will also a new offence of causing serious injury by careless driving, which will have a stiff penalty. For more on this story, click here for the BBC News article. BRADFORD CLEAN AIR ZONE DATE Bradford has confirmed that their Cat C + Clean Air Zone (CAZ) will go live from 22 September 2022. This will cover commercial vehicles, busses, mini busses, hackney cabs and private hire vehicles that do not meet the requirements. You can read more about his by clicking on the link to the BVRLA article here. LOTUS AND BENTLEY TO BUILD SOME CLASSIC EXAMPLESLotus Advanced Performance will build bespoke, limited run cars based on 1960s and 70s cars. The newly formed wing of the company will also take over their motorsport interests. With limited details on exactly what is being planned there are some rumours of restomod versions of key cars from the back catalogue of Lotus. For more, click this Autocar link. Meanwhile, Bentley, buoyed by the success of their Blower Continuation Series, has announced they are producing 12 of their two-time Le Mans winning Speed Six cars. They have already...
Consultant Created Toss - 20 June 2022
UK HOUSEHOLDS GET CLEAN AIR MONITORSHouses in Tideford, Cornwall, along the A38, are having plug-in air purifiers installed as part of a project to understand how bad the air in that area is, thanks to the traffic. The results will be shared by the local council, with Highways England so they can all understand how much affect the number of vehicles have. To read more, click here for the BBC News article. EXPERIENCE SCORES FOR CARSThe EPM Advisory Council, a collection of automotive brands and suppliers, has come up with a recommendation that cars are scored on the experience they give drivers and passengers, called the EPM. The Experience Per Mile is supposed to help evaluate how positive the in-car experience has been. Aspects such as remaining connected, how productive one is and entertained will all be given a score. More can be found on this by clicking this Autocar link. MG HALTS SALESDue to the rocketing demand for their vehicles and the continued effects of the semi conductor crisis, along with covid issues, MG has paused sales of their EVs in the UK. They anticipate being able to take orders once again soon. For more, click the AMOnline article link here. ——————————————————————————-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——————————————————————————-WRC: SAFARI RALLY THIS WEEKA reminder to keep an eye out for the DirtFish coverage of the Safari Rally this week, as WRC returns! BRANDS HATCH BUS SERVICEBrands Hatch Shuttle Buses will run a service for some major racing events this year, ferrying people from Azalea Drive to the circuit. Hopefully this will make it easier for people to use public transport and get to see some cracking motorsport. For more, click here to read the Brands Hatch article. MOVE CONFERENCE ROUNDUP:Alan and Andrew talk about their time at the conference and highlights from what they saw. BICESTER SCAMBLEAlan has been busy this week, he went to ANOTHER event over the weekend, the fabulous Scramblers. You can hear him give a quick round up of what he saw. DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: NURNBERGER DOES RETURN TO ASTONWhilst Andrew sits smugly with the knowledge his lucky guess from a few shows ago was right, Miles Nurnberger has returned to Aston Martin following the departure of Tobias Moers as CEO. To learn more, click the Car Design News article link.
Windows Follow You Around The Room - 13 June 2022
PETROL PRICES REACH NEW RECORDAverage petrol and diesel prices have increased, on a daily basis over the last week, to new heights. Consumer groups, as well as those of us who use a car, have called on the Government to do something to help in this extraordinary situation. To read more, click the Autocar story here. The UK is not alone in being hurt by fuel price rises, the French Government are aiding those who have to travel far due to work or to get to work. For more on this, click The Connexion article link here. SCOTLAND TO ‘DISCOURAGE CAR USE’Plans to be unveiled this week, from the governing SNP and Scottish Greens, on the transport side of their net-zero aims will be focused on discouraging car use. Being considered are such actions as charging drivers per mile, only allowing investment in road infrastructure if it meets very tight criteria and encouraging active travel. Click here for the MSM link explaining more. VOLVO ELECTRIC TIPPERS NOW IN UKThe first electric tipper trucks, in the UK, are already working for Fox Group to work locally from their Leyland base. They each have a 93 mile range, are plated to 27 tonnes and use two electric motors with a two-speed gearbox. Click this Move Electric link to learn more. FRANCE APPROVES ALLEGED SUPER-PRECISE SPEED CAMERASFrance has approved the use of supposedly super-accurate speed cameras that remove the need to allow a percentage of speed for error. After testing the company who make the cameras unsurprisingly hailed that they’re 100% perfect. Equally unsurprising, motoring groups in France have not reacted well to this. Click on The Connexion link here for more. APPLE REVEALS NEW CAR PLAYApple, at their recent developer conference, revealed their new Apple CarPlay, to much oohing and aahhhing by many. In their presentation they showed what a car with it fitted could look like. They also announced several car companies could use the system, This version goes deeper and allows Apple more access to the car’s systems outside the infotainment screen. For more about this, click the Motoring Research article here. JLR TO USE WHAT3WORDS NAVIGATIONJaguar Land Rover will utilise what3words navigation which enables some very misleading and silly reporting. what3words is not as accurate as the developers like to make out, added on to of which JLR will be paying for the privilege of using their “proprietary” system. To learn more about JLR’s move,
Screaming In Your Car - 7 June 2022
FOLLOW UP: EU ADVISOR APPROVES PURSUING DEFEAT DEVICE DAMAGES CLAIMSAn EU court advisor has stated that owners of vehicles fitted with defeat devices should be allowed to pursue damages. This is not a final ruling but very rarely do the judges not follow such advice. This case is against Mercedes-Benz. If this is ruled upon, it will be up to individual countries to calculate damages that align with loss and damages caused by such devices. For more, click the Automotive News story here. NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES MAY 2022The weakest May, in three decades outside of 2020’s lockdown situation, meant that there was a 20.6% drop in registrations. Supply chain issues, including Covid lockdowns and the war in Ukraine are all contributing factors. You can learn more by clicking the SMMT link here. MERCEDES TO RECALL 1M CARS Mercedes-Benz is recalling nearly one million cars that could have faulty brakes. Owners of some R-Class, ML and GL models, built between 2004 and 2015, are being advised not to drive their cars until they have been inspected. To read more, click here for the Autocar article link. HMRC NOT KEEPING PACE WITH ENERGY PRICE RISESHMRC has now brought in their new mileage rates, which company car drivers can claim, however they do not match the rise in energy prices. They, in fact, do not rise at all, unlike petrol and diesel rates. This has caused much frustration from those who may well be out of pocket as prices continue to rise. More can be read on this, just click here for the Autocar article. FUEL PRICE SURGE IN MAYPetrol and diesel prices surged in May, rising on average 10p per litre. The war in Ukraine is being blamed for the 17% increase in wholesale costs. For more, click this Autocar article link. CARZAM CLOSES DIGITAL DOORSCarzam, one of the new breed of online only car purchasing sites has gone into voluntary receivership. Unlike Cazoo and Cinch, this entity was created by people from within the car retail industry and therefore thought of as one of the better prospects. For more on this story, click the Car Dealership Magazine link here. MERCEDES DITCHES MOST B-CLASS VARIANTSPrior to the facelift of the B-Class, later this year, Mercedes-Benz has cut all but two model options from the range. Only the 200 and 200d, a petrol and diesel respectively, versions will still be available to buy. Trim levels are also, well, trimmed down to now only give four options. More can be found out about this
Minissima - 31 May 2022
Super short this week as Andrew was plagued by microphone issues. As a result, there are many more stories here in the notes than were covered in the show.FOLLOW UP: VW SETTLE UK CONSUMER LITIGATIONVolkswagen has agreed to pay UK consumers £193 million in compensation for fitting defeat devices to their diesel cars. Around 70,000 people will benefit from this payment. To read more, click here for the Automotive Management article. FOLLOW UP: STELLANTIS REACH PLEA DEAL OVER EMISSIONS PROBEStellantis, via their FCA unit, has reached a plea deal with the US Justice Department over a probe into emissions from their vehicles. FCA has pleaded guilty and will pay in the region of $300 million. Three FCA employees are also to be charged. More on this story can be found by clicking this Reuters link here. JLR LOOKING ABROAD FOR EV PRODUCTIONJLR is in talks over building EV models abroad in Slovakia, which is a blow to UK production. This also raises the issue that there are not enough battery plants in the UK now nor, as some fear, probably in the future, so other manufacturers will look aboard too. To read more, click the Bloomberg link here. AUTOCAR AND WHATCAR? GET AUTOTRADER ADSAutotrader will power the used car adverts on Autocar and WhatCar? sites, in a deal announced last Tuesday. Autotrader will now get access to more consumers and Autocar will be able to show readers possible options for the cars they are researching at that moment. You can read more on this by clicking here for the Autocar link. WASHINGTON TO CHARGE CARS ON WEIGHTIn the first move, of what could be a new way for cities to control the vehicles on their roads, Washington DC is to charge an extra levy on vehicles over 6000lbs (2722 kgs) of $500 per year. There is an extra 1000lb waiver for EVs, apparently to prevent discouragement of adoption. For more, click the Green Car Reports article link here. REE TO BUILD EUROPEAN EV VANS IN MIDLANDSThe Israeli start up REE is using its base in Warwickshire to build EU electric vehicle units, for commercial, buses and recreational vehicles. The aim is to produce 10,000 vehicles, which equates to 40,000 units as their system is a moor at each wheel. To learn more about their plans, click this MoveElectric article link. BAC AND VIRITECH HYDROGEN FEASIBILITY STUDYBAC and Viritech are undertaking a feasibility study of a hydrogen powertrain for sports cars. They are establishing if it is possible to make a Mono with this alternative power source. One of the problems they need to overcome is the potential for extra weight, if it were an electric battery powered...
Here We Go - 23 May 2022
FOLLOW UP: AN EXPERT RESPONDS - CIRCULAR ECONOMYThank you to Tom Lipscomb, from PriestmanGoode who are a design company who's purpose "lies in designing a better, more sustainable. He got in touch with the show, to help us understand what Circular Economy actually is. As explained its one of the key pillars of good design and relates heavily to the way products are made in that individual components should be easily disassembled into their constituent parts. GERMANY SALES BAN FOR FORD DUE TO COURT ORDERFord has been taken to court by Japan's IP Bridge Inc, as their patented technology was being sold in Ford cars without the US car company paying for it, according to the German court. Ford can appeal, but if IP Bridge puts down a €227 million security payment this ruling becomes enforceable. For more on this, click here for the Reuters article link. LONDON ULEZ EXPANSION CONSULTATION OPENEDLondon has opened the public consultation regarding the expansion of the ULEZ to cover most of the capital. To set date for any change is 29 August 2023, where a fee of £12.50 would be levied on any car, van or motorcycle that does not meet the requirements. Views are also being sought on introducing road pricing, which previously the Mayor said would not be considered. To learn more about this, click the BusinessCar article link here. SMART MOTORWAYS GET UPGRADED SAFETY TECH BY SEPTEMBERBy September this year, Smart Motorways will get new safety cameras and radar detection upgrades to improve the network of the already installed sections of digital motorways. More can be read by clicking this link to the Motoring Research article here. NEW CAR AND TRAILER LEARNING SYLLABUSThe DVLA has released the new training syllabus for car and trailer for drivers wishing to become safer with their vehicle. The rules are still that there is a reduction in the threshold of who should do this though. For more, click the DVLA article link here. NOISE CAMERA TRIAL BEGINSA new trial has begun to tackle the plague of noisy road users. This is the next stage in trialling the technology. Those exceeding the 72dB limit, the UK uses, will be fined between £100-£400 for their anti-social behaviour. More can be read about this by clicking the Hagerty link here. TESLA OPENS CHARGING NETWORKS TO ANY VEHICLETesla has opened 15 of their charging hubs to any EV, in a move that is welcomed by many in the UK. However, they are currently breaking the public charging rules by demanding customers agree to a contract with them, which is what registering with their app is considered by regulators. They have stated that they will open more hubs...
Not Bullied - 17 May 2022
FOLLOW UP: VED PRICES FROM LAST SPECIAL EDITION ERRORAs was kindly pointed out, by Tony Williams, the VED prices for the Toyota Yaris Cross, explained in the last Special Edition, were for the first year only. They change following that. Thank you Tony, for raising the point and the nice way you did it! GOVERNMENT INVEST £200M IN ZERO-EMISSION LORRY FLEETThe UK Government is investing £200 million to help accelerate the move to zero-emission HGV vehicles. The money will be used to create a demonstrator fleet to help businesses know what is possible for them and their work. To read more, click the MoveElectric story link here. NEWCASTLE CLEAN AIR ZONE POSTPONEDNewcastle transport chiefs have announced that they are postponing the introduction of the Clean Air Zone (CAZ), which would’ve meant a charge of £50 for lorries, buses and coaches, whilst vans and taxis would pay £12.50 a day if their vehicles did not meet the requirements. Private cars were not included in the proposal, at this time. For more on this, click here to read the Chronicle Live article. SMART MOTORWAYS GET UPGRADED SAFETY TECH BY SEPTEMBERBy September this year, Smart Motorways will get new safety cameras and radar detection upgrades to improve the network of the already installed sections of digital motorways. More can be read by clicking this link to the Motoring Research article here. ALISON JONES PROMOTED IN STELLANTISAlison Jones will move on from heading up the Stellantis team in the UK, to become senior vice president of circular economy. Whatever that means. Her replacement is Paul Willcox, who is Vauxhall’s managing director. The changes come into effect on 1 June 2022. To learn more, click the Automotive Management article here. PLYMOUTH INSTALLS 20MPH SPEED CAMERAPlymouth has installed a 20mph speed camera, along Old Laira Road. During the test period of the camera 23, 500 offences were recorded, with 1,100 in just the first 24 hours. The camera was fully operational as of Monday 16 May, 2022. Click here to read more, on the BBC News website. TOYOTA CUTS PRODUCTION DUE TO CHINA COVID LOCKDOWNThe ongoing lockdown, in Shanghai, has caused Toyota to cut production thanks to parts not being able to be shipped out of the area to their factories. To learn more about the effects on Toyota, click this BBC News link here. RENAULT SELLS AVTOVAZ ASSESTSRenault has managed to extricate itself from Russia by selling their assets to a science institute, apparently for 1 rouble. However, they have retained the option of a six year buy-back option. You can read the Reuters article by
Special Edition - Toyota Yaris Cross Review
Alan had a Toyota Yaris Cross, a Yaris-based SUV, for a week and gave it possibly the hardest test he could. Does it deserve its “2022 World Urban Car” award? We find out.
Such A Cop Out - 9 May 2022
APRIL 2022 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESApril 2022 figures are down 15.8% on even last year’s poor results, due mainly to supply issues with continued effects of the chip shortage, the Ukraine War and China’s zero Covid policy that has shut down large amounts of the economic centres of the country. For more information, click here for the SMMT article. To get a bit more detail on the figures, click here for Auto Retail Network’s Tristan Young’s Twitter thread. TOBIAS MOERS LEAVES ASTON MARTINAston Martin’s CEO, Tobias Moers, is set to leave the company, being replaced by the ex-CEO of Ferrari Amedeo Felisa. This comes not long after Stroll, the owner of Aston, said he wouldn’t be going anywhere. However, rumours had grown increasingly loud that changes were coming. For more on the departure, click the EVO article here. To learn more about his replacement, click this link to the Top Gear article. LOTUS OPENS NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY AT HETHELLotus has officially opened their new manufacturing facility at Hethel. Called the Chapman Production Centre, this is the latest moves in the £100 million investment in UK Lotus, to equip them for the aims they have as a company. You can read more, by clicking the link here to their own article. MINI HALTS MANUAL CAR PRODUCTIONDue to the impact of supply chain restraints, MINI has been forced to stop the production of manual cars, for the foreseeable future. Recently, they had to stop all production due to the effects of the war in Ukraine. For more, click here to read the Autocar story. DEFENDER ADVERTS BANNEDDue to the two viewers complaining about Land Rover adverts, that give the impression that reversing sensors would inform the occupants that a cliff edge was approaching, when they do not warn of an open space, the ads have been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). To read more and wonder why you don’t have that much time on your hands as some, click here for the Car Dealer Magazine article. ——————————————————————————-We are at the MOVE 2022 Conference at ExCel, London. Alan will be moderating a panel titled "All these EV targets, where's the charging infrastructure?" with Katie Black, head of the UK's Office for Zero-Emission Vehicles; Daniel Tibble, Director of Data Science and Analytics of the connected vehicle data company, Wejo; and Hui Zhang, the Vice President for Europe of EV company, NIO. More details on the conference can be found by...
Special Edition - Genesis G70 Shooting Brake Review
Andrew had a Genesis G70 Shooting Brake for a week, to see what the latest company trying to crack the premium market can do. Listen in to explain to Alan what it was like, who the car is really for and how well all the aspects of ownership have been thought through. Less suspense in this one, we are afraid, as Andrew’s enthusiasm is not really kept in check.
Tasty Little Mouthful - 3 May 2022
SUZUKI AND STELLANTIS DIESELS INVESTIGATEDProsecutors in Germany, Italy and Hungary are investigating Suzuki, Stellantis and supplier Marelli, over use of defeat devices in Suzuki vehicles. Stellantis are engine suppliers for Suzuki and Marelli are a supplier of engine parts. For more, click the Nikkei Asia article link here. FEAR OF FINES FOR BOX JUNCTION MISTAKESWith local authorities outside of London, allowed to prosecute those who misuse yellow box junctions from June 2022, the fear that drivers could be mistakenly fined was announced. The RAC said that many are incorrectly painted, laid out, located and even hidden from clear view for those approaching. They have called on the Government to clarify the guidance on yellow box junctions, clarifying their use, design and maintenance once in place. To find out more, click the link here for the Motoring Research article. MOT TEST COULD BE EVERY TWO YEARSWith a suggestion that has been roundly condemned by nearly everyone who has heard it, the idea to move MOT tests to every other year has not gone down well. To be clear, this is only a suggestion, apparently it will help with the cost of living crisis the UK is currently suffering. For more information, click the Autocar link here. BMW AND AUDI STOP FREIGHT TRAIN TO CHINABMW and Audi have ceased sending cars to China via the rail link from Europe, due to the war in Ukraine. To learn more about that story, click the link to the Reuters article here.To learn more about the rail link to China, click the link here to Rail Magazine’s article. VOLTA TRUCKS REVELAS SMALLER LORRIESNew 7.5 tonne and 12 tonne lorries have been unveiled but the electric truck company Votla Trucks. They will follow the 16 tonne lorry, being added to the line up in 2025.The previously announced model is undergoing final preparations before they start customer testing and production later in the year. More on this story can be found by clicking this Move Electric link. VW AND BP ROLL OUT NEW CHARGING INFRASTRUCTUREBP will be partnering with Volkswagen to install their new rapid chargers that have integrated batteries that mean they can be deployed at low voltage sites, avoiding the need for extra infrastructure to ensure a suitable electrical supply is maintained. They will be starting in Germany and moving across Europe. Click here for the Business Motoring article, to learn more. GOVERNMENT TO LEGALISE PRIVATE E-SCOOTER USE
Special Edition - Toyota Aygo X Launch
Alan took one for Team Motoring Podcast, recently, by going to Barcelona for the European launch of the Toyota Aygo X (pronounced cross). No longer is this part of a joint venture with PSA, but a stand alone product from within the company. Listen to Alan explain this to Andrew, as well as a fascinating interview with Stijn Peters, Senior Project Manager at Toyota, who tells us the lengths they went to for this car to be on the roads today.
Bounce Back - 25 April 2022
FOLLOW UP: FRANCE ISSUES ARREST WARRANT FOR GHOSNAuthorities in France have issued an international arrest warrant for Carlos Ghosn, in connection with £12.6 million payments made to Suhail Bahwan Automobiles, in Oman. The claim is money was funnelled illegally to the company which Ghosn took advantage of to use personally. There are another four other individuals also implicated. To learn more, in yet another twist of this tale, click here for the Autocar article. UK GOVERNEMENT MAKES AMENDMENTS TO HIGHWAY CODEThe Government has announced changes to the Highway Code, readying it for when we have self driving technology on the public roads. For cars that are classified, by the Minister for Transport, as self driving and in that mode, we will be able to have our “eyes-off” the road. Currently there are no vehicles on the Minister’s list. To read an accurate report on all this, click The Register’s link here. To read the Government’s own release, click here. For The Register’s article on AI and ML, click here.RIMAC HAS NEW INVESTORThe owner of Morgan, Investindustrial, has joined Porsche and Hyundai by investing in Rimac. They are pumping €120 million into the company, as they continue to pursue those moving towards the electrified motoring future. Click here for more information via an Autocar article. GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE CHARGING RELIABILITY LAWThe UK Government is set to introduce a new law, that will require rapid chargers to work as intended 99% of the time. This is all part of their strategy for creating a ‘world leading’ charging infrastructure. They also promise to have 300,000 charge points across the country by 2030, but no indication they are mandated. To read more, click the Autocar article here. GRIDSERVE OPENS NORWICH CHARGING FORECOURTGridserve has opened a new forecourt in Norwich, which is run on 100% renewable energy. There are 36 charging points, with 22 able to run up to 350kW. East Anglia is quite poorly serviced, currently, so this is a welcome addition to the area. For more, click here to read the Move Electric article. NEW CHARGING POINT RISE 33% IN LAST YEAROver the last year there has been a 33% rise in the number of charging points being installed, across the UK. 7,500 were added, taking the total up to 30,290. The Government’s report also highlighted the disparity in spread of devices, with London being much better served than most other areas. Northern Ireland is...
Fantastic For Insomnia - 19 April 2022
HYUNDAI IONIQ5 WORLD CAR OF THE YEARHyundai has scooped the top prize of the World Car of the Year awards. Added to which it won the World Electric Car of the Year and World Car Design of the Year too. They were up against the Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Kia EV6. To run through the full list of winners, for all the categories, click here to read the World Car Awards articles and further links. For Autocar’s article, click here. NCAP SCORES DACIA JOGGER ONE STAREuro NCAP revealed their latest round of testing. One car stood out and not for a good reason, the Dacia Jogger, as it was awarded one star. Upon further investigation, a few things came to light which has caused many to start questioning how NCAP goes about things. To see the Jogger’s score, click here for the NCAP link. To see some of Dacia’s response to this, click here for the Autocar article. This has cause a lot of debate, around the tests, what is included, what will gain scores and by some if NCAP is fit for purpose. One article that delves into the problems, click the CAR article here. QUALCOMM AND STELLANTIS AGREEMENTStallantis announced, how connected cars and software was critical to their plan for profitability in the coming years. They have now backed that up with an announcement of utilising Qualcomm’s software to run all that stuff. For more, click here to read the Reuters article. NEW PRIVATE CAR RULES NOW IN FORCEThe new rules for private car parks, where a lower limit has been imposed for not paying or overstaying as well as a host of others aspects that make using such places a total joy. To be reminded of these, click the Autocar article here. ——————————————————————————-If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST——————————————————————————-WRC: CROATIA THIS WEEK AND SEB IS BACK FOR PORTUGALA reminder that Rally Croatia is back this week, after what seems like a very long break. Hopefully, the hybrid gremlins have been chased from the system. DirtFish has complied, what they think, will be the podium result, click here to see their choices. Today, M-Sport also announced that Sabastien Loeb will return for the team at the Portugal event.
Part Potty Trained - 12 April 2022
UK GOVERNMENT TO MANDATE SWITCH TO EVSThe UK Government has revealed that it will mandate the transition from ICE to zero emission vehicles. This will start at 22% from 2024 moving up to the full 100% in 2035. The car industry urged caution on this move. To read more, click the Move Electric article here. Additionally, manufacturers have pressed the Government to define what a hybrid is, during the final phase of transitioning to full zero emission vehicles of 2030 to 2035. For more on this story, click here for the Autocar link.PORSCHE INVESTS IN SYNTHETIC FUEL MAKERFurther to the existing support to the e-fuel manufacturing facility in Chile, Porsche is taking a 12.5% stake in the company leading this development, HIF. This will cost the company around $75 million but are not alone in their investment, with a total of around $100 million being raised. More can be found by clicking here, for the Autocar story. GRIDSERVE HAS REPLACED ALL MOTORWAY ECOTRICITY CHARGERSEcotricity was the former name of now Electric Highway, who have the monopoly on motorway charging infrastructure. They were bought out by Grid Serve, who have confirmed that all the former chargers are now replaced. This is good news for all of us who’ve had to deal with the previous kit. To see more, click the Driving Electric tweet here. SCANIA PARTICIPATES IN HYDROGEN PROJECT Scania, the lorry company, has announced that it will take part in a project focusing on the use of green hydrogen in heavy goods vehicles. There will be 20 fuel cell lorries delivered in 2024, to HyTrucks which is a joint initiative run between Air Liquide and the Port of Rotterdam Authority. You can learn more about the project and what it is hoped will be learned by clicking the Scania press release here. GENIEPOINT JOINS ZAP-PAYGeniePoint, the rapid charging network, is the fourth company to join Zap-Map’s Zap-Pay system, that is aiming to be a central point for users to pay for all their charging needs, when on the road. To read more, click the Zap-Map article here. VAUXHALL CORSA DIESEL IS NO MORE Vauxhall will no longer sell a diesel engine option, with their very popular supermini. From now on customers will only be able to buy electrified and petrol versions, in the UK. That brings to an end 35 years of diesel within the Corsa and Nova range. To read the Autocar article, click the link here. THE CARCROWD CAFE IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Anarchic Assemblies - 5 April 2022
FOLLOW UP: SSANGYONG SEEKS NEW OWNER AS DEAL FALLS THROUGHSsangyong has started the search for a new owner after the consortium headed by Edison Motors failed to meet a payment deadline. This money was supposed to be made to 95% of creditors and was a condition of the approval of South Korea’s bankruptcy court. For more on this story, click the Autocar article link here. MARCH 2022 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has published the March new car registration figures. As was to be expected, the figures are down, in fact the worst since 1998, thanks mainly to semi conductor shortages. However, battery electric vehicles had their best ever month, with 39,315 registered. To learn more about the month, click the SMMT link here. To get some more insight into what the figures mean, click here for Auto Retail Network’s Tristan Young’s thread on Twitter. THOMAS MULLER IS THE NEW JLR ENGINEERING CHIEFThomas Muller, who is moving from VW, will take up the reigns of executive director of product engineering for Jaguar Land Rover, replacing Nick Rogers, who left the company at the end of 2021. Muller will be responsible for JLR’s technical development, as well as hardware and software for all future JLR vehicles. More can be found on this, by clicking the link here for the Autocar article. SCHÄFER AND ZELLMER GET NEW VW GROUP ROLESThomas Shäfer will take over as Volkswagen brand COO come 1 July 2022, moving from Skoda. Skoda get a new boss, in the form of Klaus Zellmer who moves from VW passenger cars. To learn more, click the VW press release here. VW GROUP RECALLS OVER 100,000 PLUG-IN HYBRIDSDue to a fire risk, with Volkswagen Group plug-in hybrids, over 100,000 are being recalled. To learn more, click the Bauaelectric Auto News article link here. MAZDA IMPORTS DIRECTLY TO UK Mazda’s first shipment in Bristol Port has berthed, cutting 10 days from the time cars previously took to arrive on UK shores. Previously, they were brought to Zeebrugge and distributed on. Click here for the Mazda PR article, to learn more. GOVERNMENT PRODUCES LIFECYCLE ANALYSIS OF UK ROAD VEHICLESThe Government, with the help of Richard Energy and Environment, has produced a comprehensive lifecycle analysis of UK road vehicles. This compares battery electric, hydrogen and ICE vehicles, for their CO2 footprint from their manufacture, through their expected life on the roads and...
Special Edition - Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake Review
Andrew tested out the Volkswagen Arteon Shooting Brake, for a week. Listen in to him explain his time with VW’s take on the lifestyle estate car. What he thinks of the looks, how he got on with the technology and was the PHEV-ness well done? Once again, he keeps us all in suspense as to exactly what he thinks until right to the end.