Motoring Podcast

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FOLLOW UP: QUESTION FROM LAST LIVESTREAMWith last week’s livestream round up of Recharging Round Britain, we missed one question out. We fix that now. To listen to the audio version of the livestream, click this link here.

To watch the livestream, click this YouTube link here.

FOLLOW UP: ASTON MARTIN IN FIGHT WITH CREDITORSMore details have come to light with the plans Aston Martin have to restructure their debt. Part of the deal would involve the company selling the non-automotive intellectual rights to Authentic Brands, which is part owned by HPS Investment Partners who are to provide the funding for the car company. Creditors are unhappy at this and have warned of legal action if this goes through. Click this Reuters article link here to read more.

JULY 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESJuly 2026 was much better than last year, with 156,571 vehicles registered. BEVs continued to do well, with a monthly market share of 27.5%, yet year to date remains at 25.3%, some way off the 33% the mandate demands - although there are ways around that figure. Mike Hawes, SMMT’s Chief Executive, issues a very strong statement aimed at both the industry and the Government about the mandate levels and how some are choosing to tackle the requirements. You can read that and all the details by clicking this SMMT article link here.

RIVIAN Q2 FINANCIAL RESULTSRivian’s financial results from the second quarter of the year show a reduction in the loss made, thanks to VW’s custom. However, it should be noted they are the largest shareholder too and have serious financial issues themselves. The US EV company has upgraded expected deliveries for the year, despite their government’s u-turn on EVs. Click this electrive article link here to read more.

JLR ANNOUNCE NEW DISCOVERY BOSSJLR have filled in the missing executive piece to their House of Brands, erm, brands. Adam Constable will head up the Discovery brand, as well as the newly formed Freelander brand that is in partnership with Chery. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

BMW IN-CAR AD CREATES HUGE BACKLASHThere has been a huge backlash for BMW after it added an advert for the latest Spiderman movie, when it promised just a few years ago it would never do this due to the car being a “private place”. Anyone could have and should have known this was a really bad idea. To read more on this, click this electrive article link here.

CAR PARKING RULE ELICITS BIG REACTIONNorth Berwick is a lovely small town in Scotland that is the battlefield for a war between someone or may be some people and the council who have started new parking restrictions and rules following a consultation where they ignored the majority which was negative to the proposals. Since doing so parking meters have been routinely put out of action by the use of expanding spray foam and superglue. To read more, click this link to a Wall Street Journal article that might or might not work (sorry about that, its the best we could find).

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 PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Renault MeganeRenault are in the process of updating their range with the latest battery and in-car technology they have. The Megane is the latest to be announced. Excepted to have a maximum range up to 310 miles and with the full UK subsidy, cost less than £30,000 it should attract buyers. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

BYD Ti7BYD are coming for your large, boxy SUV of choice with the Ti7. Size wise it is larger than the Defender 110 but smaller than the 130. Technical specifications are impressive for the hybrid vehicle. Prices are to start from $47,995. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

Donkervort P24 RSDonkervort’s latest sports car, the P24 RS, is coming to the UK and it will be in right-hand drive too. Costing from £302,400 this lightweight car packs a serious punch. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: MATT WEAVER IS THE NEW NISSAN DESIGN CHIEFMatt Weaver, who is responsible for the Juke and Qashqai designs, will be leaving his post in Europe of senior design director, to take up the role of global head of design for the Japanese company. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READs: vamos a la playa parts 7 & 8We are completionists here, and thus we bring you the final two parts to the Driven to Write series on beach cars. Part 7 is all about Japanese takes on the thorny problem of what’s the best way to get to the beach. Whilst Part 8 covers cars that didn’t make any other lists due to being the only option from countries. Click here for Part 7.

For Part 8, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST CARS FROM COMPANIES THAT NO LONGER EXISTAutocar has compiled a long list of the best cars from companies that we don’t have any more. Do you agree with the choices made? What would you pick? Click this link here to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: MOTORING ART - VELASORClassic & Sports Car provide the link this week to Ramón Cubiró and the astonishingly excellent team he has compiled at Velasor who make slot cars based around 1920s racing cars. The attention to detail and quality of the models needs to be seen to be believed. Click this link here to see more, including at the bottom of the article a link to the Velasor website.

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We completed the Recharging Round Britain road-trip on the 18 July 2026, after six days trying to, sort of, replicate the EV trip we undertook a decade ago. This is the audio from our livestream where we summarised what we got up to this time.

Hear why we did this in the first place, the route, the charging, the car, the calculated costs and how we got on with our I-Spy book!

CHARGING SPONSORThanks to our charging sponsor, GRIDSERVE, They have an EV charging network that spans almost the whole of the UK.

While you can just turn up and pay with a debit card or their app, you can also get 25% off charging rates at all 200 of their locations with GRIDSERVE Plus.

GRIDSERVE Plus costs just £7.99/month and can be cancelled at any time, much like many gym memberships, and as well as the discounted charging, there are many other seasonal membership benefits such as EV heathchecks while you charge, pet portraits, and similar.

Many people take out Gridserve Plus for a month at a time to cover a holiday or seasonal travel.

There's more information at gridserve.com/membership/

VEHICLE SPONSORThank you to Hyundai, who once again have loaned us an electric vehicle enabling us to travel around as much of Britain as we can in six days. This time, we are using an Inster 02. To find out more on the Inster, you can listen to Alan’s time with one during the UK launch of the car, by clicking this link here.

To see more about the car, from Hyundai themselves, click this link here.

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

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FOLLOW UP: VW RESULTS FOR H1 OF 2026 ARE BADThe headline figures for Volkswagen Group’s first half of 2026 financial results make for grim reading. There is a 11.6% drop in profits, despite revenue almost matching 2025. China was a big disappointment, but should not have been a surprise. Company claims cost savings are working already and the plans, which we are yet to know the full details, will accelerate the benefits to the company. Click this Autocar article link here, for more.

Part of the plans to reduce costs, that we have heard about, include shedding jobs. Anything between 100,000 and 140,000 has been rumoured, but they are only rumours to date. Additionally, a cull of their car line ups, plus reducing the model variants which will reduce the crossover, between brands, and complexity. Click this Autocar article link, to find out more.

However, the job cuts, in particular, are going to be a difficult thing to sell to workers. Already there have been protests at some plants, against any reduction in the workforce. To get an idea of what the management board are up against, click this electrive article link here.

To understand how big an issue, just the employee numbers side of things is, click this Carscoops article link here and begin to understand the scale of the problem.

PORSCHE APPEAR TO TURN AROUND FINANCIAL RESULTS IN H1Considering where Porsche were last year, their financial results for the first half of 2026 are remarkably good. In explaining the turn around, a lot is made of how they have prioritised less volume but more profit per vehicle. The sales of 911s is held up as a very good thing. CEO Michael Leiters will unveil the full plan in October. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

BMW SEEKS MORE JOB CUTSBMW are another company that has announced their first half yearly results for 2026. Profits fell by 29.4%, with margins being squeezed down two percentage points to 6.5%. Reports suggest the company is seeking to cut the workforce by around 8,000, hopefully through severance packages. Most of the jobs will go in Germany and be office based roles. If you wish to find out more, click this electrive article link here.

STELLANTIS RESULTS IMPROVE BUT NOT IN EUROPEStellantis announced improved financial results, thanks to the US market that enabled a profit of £37.3bn. Europe, results were flat, which was part of the reason this was the only region to post a negative income margin of - 0.6%. For more on this, click this link here to read a Motor Trader article.

JLR UK GETS A NEW BOSSJLR has announced that Cian O’Brien will become the managing director of JLR UK, as Patrick McGillycuddy will move to the head of the Defender brand. O’Brien is stepping up from the market and business operations director role he took on towards the beginning of the year. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

MARIA GRAZIA DAVINO JOINS FORD EUROPEMario Grazio Davino, former managing director for BYD Europe, will be joining Ford Europe on 1 October 2026 to become vice president of sales. She will be responsible for all commercial operations, which includes retail, the dealer network and distribution. Click this Motor Trader article link here, for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Bentley TorcalBentley has revealed some of the details about their first EV SUV, the Torcal, which will be shown off fully at the end of September. One of the issues their engineers have been tackling is how to match the emotion the sound of a V8 gives the driver and passengers, they think they have the solution. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here and find the video, plus more details about the car.

Xpeng X9The X9 is a luxury MPV, aimed at moving the wealthy around in supreme comfort. Targeting the likes of the Lexus LM, the X9 undercuts the Japanese offering by twenty odd thousand pounds. To learn more, click this EV Powered article link here.

Amble OneFrom the pen of the designer who brought us the Audi R8 and the Apple Watch, Julian Hoenig in collaboration with Michael Tropper, the One is a quadracycle that will have a range of 62 miles and be capable of a top speed of 40 mph. The looks are similar but much improved on the Mini Moke and think of it doing a similar job but with off-road capability too. We like this a lot. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: HIGH FIDELITYHagerty are the supplier of the recommended read this week, as Brendan McAleer tells us all about the fascinating history of Yamaha. How they came about and then moved from making musical instruments, to motorbikes and things such as the Lexus LFA engine. Click this link here to find out more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 15 QUIRKY JAPANESE CARS OF THE 1990SClassic & Sports Car provide the list we are running through, this week. All about interesting Japanese cars from the 90s. Do you agree with the choices made by Alan and Andrew? Click this link to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: GO BACK TO THE FUTUREWe are pointing you towards a new Auto Diktak video, as this time he has the BMW i8 under the microscope. This podcast is a huge fan of the i8 and this video does not disappoint. Click this link to see the YouTube film and enjoy.

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FOLLOW UP: COURT MAINLY RULES IN FAVOUR OF OEMS IN UK DIESELGATE TRIALA UK judge has found mostly in favour of car manufacturers in the claims against them regarding defeat devices being fitted to cars between 2012 and 2017. The judge’s decision is based on her decision that a defeat device needs to be deliberately installed to create a different driving operation if it senses it is in test conditions, but this has not been proven to be the case. If you wish to learn more, click this article link here, from The Law Society Gazette.

UK GOVERNMENT CONFIRMS PAY-PER-MILE FOR EVS AND PHEVSFollowing the public consultation, the Government has announced that it will introduce a pay-per mile scheme, named eVED, for electric and plug-in hybrid cars, from April 2028. As a result of feedback they have tweaked how the proposal will work. Vehicles under three years old will not have to undertake an additional check to the mileage prior to their age requiring an MOT. A picture of the odometer and an estimation of next years mileage will be sent by the driver. Drivers can opt-in to send the Government the vehicle’s mileage data directly via the connected systems on-board, if they wish. This is not mandatory. To learn more, click this electrive article link here.

PORSCHE FINDS A NEW PRODUCTION CHIEFPorsche has announced that Christian Friedl will take over as Production Chief, from Albrecht Reimold. Reimold is stepping down at the end of August. If you wish to read more, click this electrive article link here.

ASTON MARTIN SHAREHOLDERS FORM CO-OPMore than 50% of the largest shareholders in Aston Martin have formed a cooperative to insure themselves against any new debt deal that would leave them taking disproportionate losses. During this time, the company has restructured its debt financing, with the revolving credit facility and some of the Yew Tree financing being paid off. Financial results are due to be announced on 29 July 2026. For more on this click this link from Zetik, here. To read about the debt restructuring, click this Morning Start link here.

FORD AND GEELY SIGN EUROPEAN DEALFord and Geely has agreed to a new joint-venture that will run the Blue Oval’s Valencia facility, eventually producing two Ford SUVs and two Geely SUVs. Ford will bring a European Bronco inspired car and develop another C-Segment SUV with Geely. The Chinese company will be building two electric SUVs in the same facilities. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

CARWOW RUNS AD CAMPAIGN USING ANPR TO TRACK YOUCarwow is using ANPR in a UK-wide advertising campaign, encouraging owners of cars the company is targeting to sell to them through their system. Does that step over the line into tracking far too much? Does it contravene the ICO’s rules on using ANPR? Click this Motor Trade News article link to read about the plan from Carwow.

Click this link to the ICO’s own page on fair use of ANPR data and camera systems.

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 PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Range Rover GTJLR has revealed a new model line for the Range Rover brand, the GT. The claim is it sits between a grand tourer and an SUV. The images issued appear to show the typical bluff Range Rover range front end, with a coupe style rear. Either this is a brilliant move to capture buyers who’ve lost out due to Porsche leaving or many years too late. The interior is really leaning into ‘minamilist’, with a very thin screen directly on top of the dash in front of the driver and a huge screen slapped in the middle, quite low down. Prices and specifications are yet to be revealed. Click this Autocar article link, for more.

Dacia StrikerDacia has revealed their latest model, the Striker. The overall design concept, jacked-up estate, is reminiscent of the Subaru Outback. Prices will start at a smidgen under £25,000, when launched in the UK, but the full price and specifications are yet to be released. Click this Motoring Research article link, for more.

VW ID CrossVolkswagen has shown off images of their latest ID model, the Cross. Using the same MEB+ platform as the ID Polo, this will go up against the Ford Puma and Renault 4. There will be a variety of motors and battery packs offered, which will give ranges varying from 196 to 271 miles. Prices are expected to start around £25,000. Click this Autocar article link, for more.

LUNCHTIME WATCHES: FOTU 2026Last weekend was the 2026 Festival of the Unexceptional, from Hagerty. A much loved car gathering, where the common cars from yesteryear gather and everyone enjoys their trip down memory lane. For those of us who couldn’t attend, thankfully YouTube has many videos showing off the wonderful event. We have but a tiny fraction of what is out there, do go search for more and spread some love to all those who make content for us to enjoy.

To watch I Drive a Classic, click on this link to see what caught Steph’s eye.

To watch Furious Driving, click on this link to see what caught his eye.

To watch Jon Coupland Cars, click on this link as he watched the cars enter the show.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 23 COLOURS WITH GREAT NAMESClassic & Sports Car have a list about some of the best named colours that you could have specified for your car. Do you agree with Andrew’s choice? What would you like to have, adorning your car just so you could tell people the name of it? Click this link to check out your options.

AND FINALLY: TECH BROS MAKE A BUS. AGAIN.In an ever increasing number times the tech bros design a transport ‘solution’ it turns out we already have that solution, but perhaps it hasn’t been maximised to exploit the customers enough. This time, Uber have designed ‘the bus’, albeit named the ‘Uber Shuttle’ that runs from Logan Airport, in the US, on a fixed route with dedicated stops. Click this YouTube link to then join in pointing and laughing and the ridiculousness of these companies.

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DAY 6Today, Saturday 18 July 2026, we continued with Day 6 of Recharging Round Britain the final leg, where we are trying to, as closely as we can, recreate the route we undertook nearly a decade ago. Hear how we got on yesterday to the final destination of Fort William and today as we travelled from Fort William, via Bothwell services, Tebay services, Killington Lakes services, Blackpool and the end of the road near Preston.

CHARGING SPONSORThanks to our charging sponsor, GRIDSERVE, They have an EV charging network that spans almost the whole of the UK.

While you can just turn up and pay with a debit card or their app, you can also get 25% off charging rates at all 200 of their locations with GRIDSERVE Plus.

Many people take out Gridserve Plus for a month at a time to cover a holiday or seasonal travel.

There's more information at gridserve.com/membership/

To see more about the car, from Hyundai themselves, click this link here.

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

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DAY 5Today, Friday 17 July 2026, we continued with Day 5 of Recharging Round Britain, where we are trying to, as closely as we can, recreate the route we undertook nearly a decade ago. Hear how we got on today as we travelled from Inverness, via Wick, John o’Groats, Tongue, Lairg, Ullapool and hopefully ending up at Fort William.

CHARGING SPONSORThanks to our charging sponsor, GRIDSERVE, They have an EV charging network that spans almost the whole of the UK.

While you can just turn up and pay with a debit card or their app, you can also get 25% off charging rates at all 200 of their locations with GRIDSERVE Plus.

Many people take out Gridserve Plus for a month at a time to cover a holiday or seasonal travel.

There's more information at gridserve.com/membership/

To see more about the car, from Hyundai themselves, click this link here.

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

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DAY 4Today, Thursday 16 July 2026, we continued with Day 4 of Recharging Round Britain, and we returned to trying to, as closely as we can, recreate the route we undertook nearly a decade ago. Hear how we got on today as we travelled from Washington, via Kinross, Perth, Aberdeen to eventually arrive at Inverness.

CHARGING SPONSORThanks to our charging sponsor, GRIDSERVE, They have an EV charging network that spans almost the whole of the UK.

While you can just turn up and pay with a debit card or their app, you can also get 25% off charging rates at all 200 of their locations with GRIDSERVE Plus.

Many people take out Gridserve Plus for a month at a time to cover a holiday or seasonal travel.

There's more information at gridserve.com/membership/

To see more about the car, from Hyundai themselves, click this link here.

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

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DAY 3Today, Wednesday 15 July 2026, we continued with Day 3 of Recharging Round Britain, and this is where we do not try as closely as we can to recreate the route we undertook nearly a decade ago. Hear how we got on today as we travelled from Folkestone, via Toddington, Tibshelf services, Markham Vale, Wetherby to our hotel in Washington.

CHARGING SPONSORThanks to our charging sponsor, GRIDSERVE, They have an EV charging network that spans almost the whole of the UK.

While you can just turn up and pay with a debit card or their app, you can also get 25% off charging rates at all 200 of their locations with GRIDSERVE Plus.

Many people take out Gridserve Plus for a month at a time to cover a holiday or seasonal travel.

There's more information at gridserve.com/membership/

To see more about the car, from Hyundai themselves, click this link here.

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

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DAY 2Today, Tuesday July 2026, we continued with Day 2 of Recharging Round Britain, where we try as closely as we can to recreate the route we undertook nearly a decade ago. Hear how we got on today as we travelled from Bodmin, via Falmouth, Exeter, Southampton, Cobham Services eventually to our hotel in Folkestone.

CHARGING SPONSORThanks to our charging sponsor, GRIDSERVE, They have an EV charging network that spans almost the whole of the UK.

While you can just turn up and pay with a debit card or their app, you can also get 25% off charging rates at all 200 of their locations with GRIDSERVE Plus.

Many people take out Gridserve Plus for a month at a time to cover a holiday or seasonal travel.

There's more information at gridserve.com/membership/

To see more about the car, from Hyundai themselves, click this link here.

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

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DAY 1Today, Monday 13 July 2026, we began Recharging Round Britain, where we try as closely as we can to recreate the route we undertook nearly a decade ago. Hear our daily updates as we find out what has changed, if anything, to the infrastructure, electric car technology and if its easier or not to do this harebrained adventure.

CHARGING SPONSORThanks to our charging sponsor, GRIDSERVE, They have an EV charging network that spans almost the whole of the UK.

While you can just turn up and pay with a debit card or their app, you can also get 25% off charging rates at all 200 of their locations with GRIDSERVE Plus.

Many people take out Gridserve Plus for a month at a time to cover a holiday or seasonal travel.

There's more information at gridserve.com/membership/

To see more about the car, from Hyundai themselves, click this link here.

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

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FOLLOW UP: MOTOR FINANCE COMPENSATION SCHEME PAUSEDIn what should be a surprise to no one following the story, thanks to the legal challenges of the Financial Conduct Authority’s proposed compensation scheme for customers who were impacted by illegal practices by those who arranged their finance, that this has now been partially paused. Companies are to proceed with claims as far as they can before hitting the areas under review, as well as tell those where their claim has failed. If you wish to learn more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

JUNE 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESJune 2026 recorded the most registrations since the pandemic hit. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) rose to a market share of 30% for the month, but still only 25% year to date. There was also a jump in private registrations. The Top 10 most registered models has some surprising cars, especially with the claimed number of Tesla’s. The SMMT took the opportunity to highlight the difference between the mandate level and what the market is currently sitting at, for zero emission vehicles. For more on this, click the SMMT article link here.

SKYWELL IMPORTER SHUTS DOORSThe UK importer for the Chinese brand Skywell, has suddenly closed their doors Innovation Automotive told all staff they were redundant on 30 June. This leaves a lot of unanswered questions regarding warranties, the future of the brand in the UK and repairs. Click this Autocar article link here, for more.

Additionally, this also hits vans from DFSK as Innovation Automotive have failed to find a company to take over the warranty cover, parts ordering and repairs. To learn more about that, click this article link from Professional Van.

BMW UK & IRELAND FIND A NEW BOSSBMW UK and Ireland has announced their new CEO, Neil Fiorentinos. He will take over the position 1 September 2026, following David George’s departure in January. To read more on this, click this Motor Trader article link here.

TESLA BATTERY TRAILERS KEEP GETTING STOLENThere has been 11 recorded incidents where trailers filled with Tesla batteries have been stolen from their Nevada battery factory. Some of the stolen Powerwalls have been recovered and all disabled by the company, remotely. More can be found out about this, by clicking this InsideEVs article link here.

INSTAVOLT BUYS GENIEPOINTIn buying GeniePoint, Instavolt is the first public EV charging network to have over 1,000 UK sites. The company intends to upgrade the acquired locations and hardware. You can read more, by clicking this article link from Instavolt here.

VW AND BOSCH AUTOMATED DRIVING DEVELOPMENT ENDSVolkswagen, CARIAD and Bosch have reached the end of their project that was to develop SAE Level 2 and Level 3 automated driving systems. VW had to issue a press release to make it clear the project finished as expected and it wasn’t anything else. For more on this, click this electrive article link here.

To read about the project from Volkswagen, click this 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 PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -BMW X5The fifth generation BMW X5 has been revealed, leaning into the Neue Klasse design language. There will eventually be a petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, electric and hydrogen version of this model. Initially the ICE versions will be built, starting this year, with a price around the £80,000 mark, whilst the electrified versions will cost more. Click this Autocar article link for more.

Geely EX2Geely is bringing their third model to the UK, later this summer, with the EX2. This car is aimed squarely at the likes of the Renault 5. Depending on battery pack selected you will get, according to Chinese testing which is different from WLTP, 193 or 255 miles - expect these to be less under WLTP testing. No further details are available regarding the specifications or prices, at this time. Click this Autocar article link for more.

SGT Automobili 5S-SGTSGT Automobili has created a tribute to the DTM styled Alfa Romeo 155, using the underpinnings of an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. The Alfa engine has been tuned to provide, in normal Stradale trim, 612bhp, but if you want the track focused Trofeo model there is 740bhp. Weight has been stripped out too, with the Stradale coming in at 1590kg and the Trofeo ending up at 1490kg. The company is at pains to say this is not a restomod or replica, but how such a car could look today. Click this Autocar article link for more.

LUNCHTIME READS: VAMOS A LA PLAYA PARTS 5 & 6Once again you need to grab your towels and wind breakers as we look at the cars best suited to rushing to the beach in, from Brazil and North America, thanks to Driven to Write. And once again there is an eclectic mix of solutions to the problem of how to get to the beach. Click this link here for Part Five. To see Part Six, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 20 WEIRD AND WONDERFUL FIAT CONCEPTSFiat have a long history of fabulous concepts, Classic & Sports Car has compiled a list of their favourite 20 of them. Click this link here to see your options and thus if you agree with the choices made by the chaps.

AND FINALLY: TINY BUT ENDURINGDiecast Endurance ran a MkII Ford GT40 for as long as it could go before breaking, continuously. They livestreamed the five days, one hour, 10 minutes, and 42 seconds endurance effort, utilising a belt sander to enable propulsion. Click this article from The Drive to see more, including a link to the video showing what happened.

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FOLLOW UP: UK GOVERNMENT CANS CAR PARK SOLAR CANOPIESAfter reviewing a consultation on new outdoor large car parks should be required to fit solar panel canopies the Government has decided to shelve the idea. Costs and differing site conditions were used as excuses, in the responses, to the concept. To read more, click this East Anglia Bylines article link here.

VW NOW CONSIDERING 100,000 JOB LOSSESAccording to reports, Volkswagen Group is now considering doubling the job losses to around 100,000 and the shutting down of four German plants. Additionally they are considering spinning off the Volkswagen brand and the components division. If you wish to read more, click this Yahoo!News article link here.

PORSCHE’S NEW STRATEGY EXPLAINEDThe CEO of Porsche, Michael Leiters has outlined the company’s new strategy to investors, whilst asking for patience. Called Strategy 2035 it is hoped it will dramatically improve their fortunes as right now their profit margin is 1.1 percent. The strategy is targeting customers, cars to be offered and costs. For more on this story, click this CarScoops article link here.

POLESTAR BANNED FROM SELLING CARS IN THE USPolestar has been banned from selling cars in the US, despite having a factory in country, due to the Connected Vehicle Rule which restricts Chinese (and Russian) linked hardware and software. It must be remembered that recently Volvo, their sister company, was granted a waiver of this rule. To read more, click this Auotcar article link here.

FERRARI LOSE AND FIND NEW HEAD OF MARKETINGChief Marketing and Commercial Officer, Enrico Galliera, has left Ferrari after 16 years. He is to be replaced by Massimiliano Di Silvestre. This has occurred a few weeks after the launch of the Luce, which cause quite the stir. Click this Yahoo!Finance article link here for more.

FORD REHIRING SOME ENGINEERS FIRED FOR AI THAT HAS FAILEDFord have had to eat some humble pie as it has rehired some 350 engineers it made redundant and replaced with AI. This has not worked out as the company has found the software failed. The company isn’t retreating from its use, but instead is getting the engineers to train it. You can read more, by clicking this Futurism article link here.

BMW OTA UPDATE BATTERY WARNINGBMW has told owners that they do not need to worry about a 12v battery warning, which has occurred to i3 and i4s following an over the air (OTA) update. The company stated that there is nothing wrong with the battery. To find out more, click this CarScoops 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 PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Morgan Midsummer CoupeThe collaboration between Morgan and Pininafarina has produced more lovely work, this time in the form of the Midsummer Coupe. There is now a hard top version to compliment the roadster which we covered previously. Only nine will be built. Click this Motoring Research article link here, for more.

Skoda PeaqSkoda has released the specifications for their second largest vehicle, the Peaq. An electric SUV, with the capability of seating seven, there are a couple of battery options and drive configurations, as we have come to expect from the VW Group. Prices start at £51,980 and as you move up through the trim levels, tops out at initially £58,280. Click this Top Gear article link here for the full details.

Shell Triple 10 ChallengeShell has revealed a proof of concept, called the Triple 10 Challenge. They are aiming for 10km/kWh, a total lifecycle CO2 footprint of 10 tonnes and a maximum 10 minute recharge time. Click this CarScoops article link here to learn more.

LUNCHTIME READS: AUDI 80 AT 60We are recommending a Nathan Chadwick article, on Hagerty, for your reading pleasure this week. He dives into the history of the 80 and how important the model was through a variety of iterations. Click this link here to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 116 YEARS OF ALFA ROMEOIt started as an art project, where Juanma Tastzien drew 31 Alfa Romeo models from their 116 year history. You can see five by clicking this link here, but we strongly recommend you sign up to his Creating Lightly newsletter because a) it is very good and enjoyable and b) you see the other 26 cars.

AND FINALLY: LAP OF LE MANS IN 1956For the And Finally, we are pointing you towards a YouTube video that is the film of Mike Hawthorn taking a D-Type Jaguar around Le Mans in 1956, with a camera strapped to the car and he is commentating as he is driving it. Utterly wonderful. Click this link here to see how it was, back then.

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UK GOVERNMENT IN TALKS WITH NISSAN OVER SUNDERLANDOnce again the UK Government is in talks with Nissan about helping the company to secure the future of the Sunderland plant. At least they are demanding commitments to future production at the site in return for financial aide. Negotiations are still ongoing. If you wish to read more, click this Yahoo!Finance article link here.

STELLANTIS TO BUILD FOR JLR IN THE USStellantis has reached an agreement with JLR to build their vehicles in the US. These will be from the Defender brand. Additionally both companies plan to share technology and car development with each other. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

JLR EXPLAINS NEXT ‘REIMAGINE’ PHASECombined with the Stellantis announcement, JLR also explained the next stage of their Reimagine strategy. They are aiming for £1.7 billion in savings, which they are calling Enterprise Missions, targeting material costs, warranty expenses and fixed costs. For more on this story, click this Autocar Professional article link here.

EU NOTICES PHEV TARIFFS LOOPHOLEWhilst the EU has imposed tariffs on Chinese built EVs it seemed to forget they also sell plug-in hybrids. That is set to change as the European Commission intends to slap tariffs on PHEVs akin to the various levels imposed on individual Chinese brands for EVs, albeit at lower levels. Click this electrive article link here, to read more.

UK GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES NEW AV CONSULTATIONThe Department for Transport has launched a new consultation about safety principles for automated vehicles. The draft principles in themselves are good and should be implemented. This will mean no AV will be on our roads as none can satisfy them all. Additionally, there were three principles that they chose to exclude, be able to drive without human monitoring, cyber resilience and explainability. These have to be included. Click this link to see the statement from the Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood MP announcing this matter.

YET ANOTHER WAYMO RECALL FOR BASIC DRIVING ISSUEWaymo has recalled nearly 4,000 vehicles as it tries to update their software to stop them driving into freeway construction zones. To prevent any further issues until they can find and deploy a solution, freeway driving is being restricted. To read more, click this link from The Register 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 PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -BMW i3BMW has revealed the details and specifications of the ‘First Edition’ and 50 xDrive i3s and they are impressive. Prices start at £53,005, with the ‘First Edition’ starting at £57,905. The car has a range of 563 miles, thanks to 108.7kW battery, front and rear electric motors which provide 463bhp, 476lb ft of torques enabling a 0-62mph time of 4.7 seconds. The design is based on the Neue Klasse design language. Click this Top Gear article link for more.

Rolls Royce SpectreRolls Royce has upgraded the Spectre as it comes out in its ‘Series II’ form, with an extended range and a cut to charging times. There is also more power, especially if you have a Black Badge edition and activate ‘Spirited’ mode. Prices start from £300,000 but in reality, after personalisation, the costs are usually much, much higher. Click this Autocar article link here, for more.

Peugeot E-208 GTIPeugeot are brining back the GTI, but this time it is electric. Leaning on their history, there will be plenty of visual reminders of their past glories, whilst underneath much engineering is taking place to move this apart from the standard E-208. Prices start at £34,995 and it will have a maximum range of 217 miles but expect closer to 160-170 in the real world. Click this EV Powered article link here, for more.

LUNCHTIME READS: VAMOS A LA PLAYA PARTS 3 & 4Parts 3 and 4 are now out, from Driven To Write, on the theme of beach cars. You will learn about Italian offerings in the first link, which you can get to by clicking here. Then you will find out what Germany used to get their towels to the beach first, by clicking this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 1996 - A GOLDEN YEAR FOR NEW SPORTS CARSAntony Ingram once again has produced another cracking list for Hagerty. He selects a few of the more choice sports cars that you could’ve bought new in 1996. Click this link to view your options and see if you agree with Alan’s choice.

AND FINALLY: MOTORING ART BY VAL BIROVal Biro was prompted to start writing about his adventures in a 1926 Austin Heavy 12-4 Clifton tourer by those who heard him recount his stories. He did so, as children’s books that many of you listeners have probably read when you were younger. But the art work is what we are focusing on as that helped make the words more vivid. Click this Classic & Sports Car article link here, to learn more.

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FOLLOW UP: MOTOR FINANCE PAYOUTS DELAYED UNTIL 2027As suspected, following appeals against the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) ruling and redress scheme, the FCA has announced that payouts will be delayed until 2027, if it goes ahead at all. The appeals have argued for the scheme to be quashed due to the claim that the rules governing it are illegal. For more in this, click the link here for a MotorTrader article.

FOLLOW UP: INDUSTRY CALLS ON THE EU AND UK TO REACH NEW BREXIT DEALIndustry bodies for both the UK and European car manufacturers have called on both governments to reach a new ‘Rules of Origin’ deal that will allow for tariff free importing and exporting of cars and parts made in either area. This runs out at the end of this year. If you want to find out more, click this electrive article link here.

REPORTS THAT GOVERNMENT TO REDUCE MANDATE LEVELSOver the weekend news broke on the rumour that the Government is set to reduce the required zero emission vehicle mandate level to 50% for 2030, instead of the 80% it is currently at. This is just a couple of weeks after the latest Carbon Budget claimed it would be at 95% and recently that they would not begin a review into levels until next year. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

GOVERNMENT BEGINS REVIEW OF PUBLIC CHARGING COSTSAfter promising to do so, in the 2025 Budget, the Government has finally commenced the review into public EV charging costs. All are aware of the disparity between home and public charging prices and with more buying EVs who have no access to home charging the penalties can make the financial case for sticking with ICE. The review is looking at why the costs are what they are, how they might move between now and 2030 and what can be done to reduce them. The report into all this is expected in the autumn of this year. Click this EV Powered article link here to read more.

AION LATEST CHINESE BRAND TO OPEN SHOWROOMS IN THE UKAion has opened a number of UK showrooms, in a first for the Chinese GAC Group. This brand is positioned as ‘upper-mainstream’ by GAC and will be selling the Aion V, an electric SUV, initially. This will be followed by the Aion UT hatchback, later in the year. To see where they are now based, click this EV Powered article link here.

NEW DATA PRIVACY SERVICE LAUNCHEDEngenius has launched their Engineius DataClear service, with the help of Privacy4Cars. This will delete in-car personal data from the vehicle, with a report to providing a paper trail to confirm it has taken place. Not only does this help customers but also complies with GDPR requirements. For more on this, click this MotorTrader 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 PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Audi Q7Audi has revealed the third generation of their large SUV, the Q7. This will come with either five, six or seven seats and has a fresh new look both outside and in. There will be only one engine available, a new 3.0 litre V6 diesel, but in two flavours. Full details on the performance and power capabilities is yet to be confirmed. The interior is brought in line with other recently released models. Prices and full specifications are expected in the next month. Click this Autocar article link for more.

Boreham Ford Escort RSBoreham Motorworks has revealed what they are calling a ‘continumod’ in the form of a Ford Escort RS. Costing from £345,000 (in the UK) this is a completely new car that takes inspiration from the Mk1 Escort. Their Ten-K engine is a 2.2 litre petrol, which produces 326bhp and 155lb ft of the torques. There will also be the option to have a re-engineered Twin Cam that the original used in period. Only 150 will be built. Click this Autocar article link for more.

BYD Dolphin G DM-iBYD has revealed the first plug-in hybrid supermini, with their Dophin G DM-i. With a maximum range of 649 miles and an electric only range of an impressive 65 miles, this car puts to shame many which cost more and are bigger. It will come with a 1.5 litre petrol engine and a 120kW electric motor. Prices are yet to be revealed and deliveries expected to start in the autumn. Click this EV Powered article link for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: BUSSO V6We are recommending a Hagerty article for your reading pleasure this week. Nathan Chadwick writes all about the fabulous Alfa Romeo Busso V6. You’ll find out about the history of this evocative engine. Click this link to read all about it.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 2001 STARS NOW ELIGIBLE FOR THE FOTUAntony Ingram highlights just some of the 2001 cars that are now eligible to be entered into the Festival of the Unexceptional. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? Click the link here to check out your options.

AND FINALLY: SWEDISH HITMAN KILLED IN LIMERICK ROAD INCIDENTA Swedish contract killer was killed in a road collision after his driver accomplice was attempting to turn the car around after going the wrong way. This sounds like the plot from a low budget thriller, but is what happened last week. Click this Irish Times article link to read more.

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MAY 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATIONSMay’s registrations were the highest, for the month, since 2019. BEVs also were up, as is to be expected, with a monthly market share of 27.3%. The UK Government released the seventh Carbon Budget with an expectation that zero emission vans and cars will be 95% of all new registrations by 2030 - which bears no reflection with reality. For more, click this link to the SMMT article, here.

FORD OUTLINE EUROPEAN PLANFord Europe has revealed their plan to turn around their fortunes, with five new models in the next four years thanks to collaborations with Renault and Geely. The Bronco name will be used to create a global sub brand for the company, with one SUV being inspired by the US based version. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

MUNRO LOOKS TO EXPAND PRODUCTIONMunro’s new CEO, Avinash Rugoobur, and CFO, Tim Holbrow, has announced very ambitious targets for the company. Rugoobur previously worked as head of strategy at Cruise and also for Arrival, where Holbrow also worked. The plan is for a new manufacturing facility in the UK enabling them to up the production numbers, whilst providing vehicles their commercial customers specifically need and want. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

WESTFIELD SPORTSCARS COMPANY BOUGHTWestfield entered liquidation back in April, but has now been bought by a Driving-Fun.com, who is a European trackday company and owner of Circuit Meppen, in Germany. A new production facility will be built at Meppen, with plans for a series of new models, for both the road and track. Click this EVO article link here, for more.

CHERY TO BUILD CARS AT NISSan’S SUNDERLAND PLANTNissan and Chery have agreed a deal that will mean the Chinese company is building their vehicles at Sunderland from 2027. This is a non-binding agreement but few other details have been revealed. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

SAIC TO BUILD MGS IN SPAINSAIC has decided that their European production facility will be in built in Spain. Costing around €200 million the factory will have a capacity of up to 120,000 vehicles. For more information on this story, click this MotorTrader 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 PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Audi NuvolariAudi has revealed the Nuvolari, their fastest ever production car, with a design language that we first saw on the Concept C. This is the Germany company’s version of the Lamborghini Temerario. Powered by a hybrid V8, producing 987bhp, getting from 0-62mph in 2.6 seconds and up to 124mph in 6.8 seconds, finally topping out at 217mph. Click this Autocar article link here, for much more.

Bentley Flying SpurBentley has face lifted the Flying Spur. For the first time since 1962 their four door saloon comes with only single main lights either side of the grille and not twin. Production starts in September this year. Click this Top Gear article link to read more.

Fiat GrizzlyFiat has shown off the design of the Grizzly, which tops out the Panda range, using the same platform as the Citroën C3 Aircross and Vauxhall Frontera. There are two body styles, a boxy SUV and a coupe-style SUV. The idea is to expand the Fiat brand into segments it has not had any vehicles in recently. Click this Autocar article link here, for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: VAMOS A LA PLAYA - PARTS ONE AND TWODriven to Write provides our recommendations for more long form pieces, this week. Bruno V dives into the history of the beach car and the various fabulous options and versions from a variety of manufacturers.

To read Part One, click this link here.

Click here to read Part Two.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST EVER SHOOTING BRAKESAutocar provide the slideshow we are pointing you towards, this week, all about shooting brakes (and some estates). Lots of very good choices for you to check out, which you can do by clicking this link here.

AND FINALLY: HOT WHEELS LEGENDS TOUR RETURNS FOR 2026The Hot Wheels Legends Tour returns for 2026 and entries are now open. The UK part of the World Tour will be at CarFest, held at Silverstone on 29 August 2026. Entries must be in by 3 July 2026. Click this Motoring Research article link to see all about it and what’s happened in past tours.

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We held our second Live Question and Answer session on YouTube, where you the listener supplied the topics you wanted to hear us discuss. We enjoyed it so much and so it seems did you that we wanted to do it again. Do remember, this is the audio of that conversation, as a result the audio has not been edited for content in order for our real reactions to be heard.

We hope you enjoy it and do let us know your feedback, what can we do to improve it, do you want this to be a regular thing, all respectful comments will be considered.

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

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OXFORD STILL WON’T GO ELECTRIC FOR MINIBMW is still reluctant to actually convert the Oxford Mini plant to enable their electric cars to be built. Thanks to Brexit, from the 1 January 2027, the UK is expected to be hit by the EU’s Rules of Origin after being delayed for three years. Additionally, production costs are increasing at the UK facility. For more on this, click here to read an electrive article.

ASTON MARTIN GET A NEW CCOAndrea Baldi is the new Chief Commercial Officer of Aston Martin Lagonda Limited. He was previously working for Lamborghini. To read more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

MILEAGE ALLOWANCE INCREASEDIf you use your car for work and claim on the mileage driven, then there is some good news as the Government has increased the amount for the first 10,000 miles to 55p. This is backdated to the start of April 2026 too. You can read more by clicking this Money Saving Expert article link here.

TOYOTA SLOW DOWN ELECTRIC ONLY DEVELOPMENTToyota are pausing the development of their electric saloon, based on the concept LF-ZC, which was revealed at the end of 2023. The vehicle was to herald the introduction of many new technologies to the production of their cars, such as gigacasting, solid-state batteries and production lines where the vehicles moved themselves. For more on this item, click this link to an electrive article.

MERCEDES COULD BE BANNED FROM US SALESA proposed US bill, the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026, if brought into law could ban Mercedes-Benz from building and selling their cars in the US due to the largest shareholder being Chinese and are a foreign adversary Government in the US’s eyes. If you wish to find out more, click this link from The Autopian here.

GRIDSERVE NOW SERVE MOTO LYMMGridserve have announced that they have opened an ‘Electric Super Hub’ at the M6 services at Motor Lymm. There are 24 ultra-rapid charging bays, with a potential for 400kW charging. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

UK CLASSIC BMW OWNERS REJOICEBMW is trialling its Classic Partner Program, in the UK, at four dealerships. This gives manufacturer-approved support for classic BMWs that includes sales, servicing and body repairs. There is no news on if this will be expanded in the future. For more on this, click this link here to a Classic & Sports Car article.

On Thursday 4 June at 20:00 BST, we will be going live with a Q&A on our YouTube channel. We need your help though, send us your automotive and motoring related question you would like to hear us answer. To send one in use our Contact Page, linked to here, and put “Q&A” in the Subject Line so it does not get lost in all the spam, or any other way you can send a question to us.NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Lotus EmiraLotus has announced that they will be ditching the EV Emira and replacing the powertrain of the combustion engine versions with a V6 hybrid from Horse Powertrain. This will give 536bhp and 516lb ft of torque, more details will be released at a later date. Click this EVO article link here to read more.

Genesis GV60 MagmaGenesis has revealed more information about the GV60 Magma version, that goes on sale next month. Prices start at £75,915 and that gets you an electric SUV with 641bhp, 583lb ft of torque, resulting in a 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 164mph from a car with a range up to 311 miles. Click this EV Powered article link to read more.

Ferrari F355 restomodSome don’t like the looks, some don’t see the point of this as the F355 isn’t that old, yet some think both. This will not be cheap as you need to find a F355 before paying roughly £600,000 depending on your exact taste. Click this Hagerty link here for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE GENIUS OF BRUNO SACCOPeople look at Mercedes-Benz cars from a certain period of time with great fondness, thanks to how well Sacco designed. His philisophy was that Mercedes’s should look good even when they’re old. Click this link from Hagerty, to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 120 YEARS OF LANCIAClassic & Sports Car provide the slideshow for you to check out and run through. Do you agree with either of the chaps? Click this link here, then go through the options to see what you would pick.

AND FINALLY: HAS HOT WHEELS GOT LEGO LICKEDThanks to an expired patent other companies are trying to get a slice of the ‘click bricks together', market. The Mattel Brick Shop currently has seven models available to build at home. Click this Design News article link here.

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FOLLOW UP: MOTABILITY PAUSES BLACK BOX USEMotability has announced that it will be pausing the ‘Drive Smart’ scheme that included fitting a black box to cars owned by those under the age of 30 leasing a car from them. Unfortunately they are not cancelling it but will amend it and try again. This discriminates against disabled drivers rather than helping them be more independent and live as active a life as possible. Click this article link here, from Disability News Service, for more.

FOLLOW UP: THE TREASURY REJECTED MINISTERIAL CALL TO DROP PUBLIC CHARGING VAT RATEThe Treasury Department stood firm in the face of calls, by ministers, to drop the VAT rate for public EV chargers to 5%. HMRC is appealing the tax tribunal that agreed it should be cut due to their own criterial making it clear it should not be charged at 20%. To read more, click this article link from Europe Says.

GOVERNMENT EXTENDS FUEL DUTY CUTLast week the Government announced that it will be extending the fuel duty cut to the end of the year, thanks to the idiocy in the Middle East. Whilst this sounds like it should help people, there are lots of evidence that shows those who need such help the most are disproportionately affected in times like these meaning they stop driving. For personal car usage this helps only the wealthy, however in the wider transportation ecosystem this will help to keep some costs down and not add to the impact the crisis is already having. For more on the news item, click this article link from Transport News.

STELLANTIS AND DONGFENG SIGN EUROPEAN DEALStellantis and Dongfeng have signed another deal, this time for the Chinese firm to build their cars in European factories with spare capacity. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

There is also a link to a Top Gear article here, that goes into detail about if Stellantis’s new plan is in fact new, that we think you might find interesting.

HAS KIA AND NISSAN FIXED THEIR VULNERABILITIES IN 2 YEARSTwo years ago, security researcher Neiko Rivera, found some shocking API vulnerabilities in Kia and Nissan apps that allows easy access to vehicles he did not own. He has now followed that up, to see if improvements have been made, some have but mostly not and there’s new ones that are easily exploited and should wake the industry up (especially if combined with last week’s story about the MyAudi app). Click this YouTube link to his talk explaining what he has done and found.

On Thursday 4 June at 20:00 BST, we will be going live with a Q&A on our YouTube channel. We need your help though, send us your automotive and motoring related question you would like to hear us answer. To send one in use our Contact Page, linked to here, and put “Q&A” in the Subject Line so it does not get lost in all the spam, or any other way you can send a question to us.NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Ferrari LuceThe internet erupted this week following Ferrari revealing their first EV, the Luce. Designed by Jony Ive and Marc Newson, the finished product has caused quite the stir. The chaps discuss this and wonder what about it makes it a Ferrari. Click this EVO article link to read more.

Mercedes-AMG GTLast week Mercedes-AMG revealed their electric four door car, which also garnered a lot of attention, most of it negative. There is some impressive sounding tech dotted around the car, but that does require one to want to see beyond the looks, which is a big ask. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

Skoda EpiqNow for something more reflective of what people want at a price that can be afforded, the Skoda Epiq. From £24,090, this is the smallest electric SUV the brand offers. Expect typically VW Group interior with Skoda touches and decent exterior looks. Click this Motoring Research article link to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: IN DEFENCE OF LIGHTNESSFriend of the show, Nir Kahn, has written an interesting piece on predominately defence vehicles but the trap many fall into with fixating on one aspect and ignoring others meaning opportunities go begging to make a better product. To read more, click this LinkedIn article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 21 CHARMING ROVER SALOONSThis week Andrew takes a major psychological step forward and agrees to have a list that covers Rover. He has refrained for all this time because the worst car he has ever owned was a Rover and it has left deep, deep scars. Check out the Classic & Sports Car article link and see which you would have.

AND FINALLY: ARTIST JAMES STEVENSJames takes classic and iconic moments in motorsport and others, but removes the background giving that moment even more pop and power. Check out this Classic & Sports Car article link to see more, including a link to his website. Wonderful work.

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FOLLOW UP: CUSTOMERS ARE NOT GETTING MG3 SEAT FIXEuroNCAP has called on customers with MG3s to get the free fix to their seats, following the failure under testing in September 2025. A front crash test exposed the issue with one side of the driver’s seat moving forward 111.5mm, mid impact. MG has an approved solution. For more on this story, click this Carscoops article link here.

JLR FINANCIAL RESULTSJLR posted a loss of £244 million, for the last financial year. The company was impacted by the cyber attack, tariffs, a dwindling Chinese market for Western cars and the transition of Jaguar. The company has also stated that it will be seeking to cut around £1.7 million in costs over the next two years. You can read more by clicking this Autocar article link here.

JAGUAR NAME THEIR FIRST NEW CAR OF REBRANDJaguar has named the electric GT due to be launched this year, the Type 01. Apparently, this ties into their heritage, for example the D-Type and E-Type. If you wish to read more, including the incredibly incisive comment from Hyfrith, click this Autocar article link here.

ASTON MARTIN SOUGHT MORE NEW FINANCINGAston Martin had to seek more emergency funding, just two weeks ago, as it received £50 million from the consortium led by Lawrence Stroll. This is the eighth time they have had to do so, since the company launched it’s IPO in 2018. Click this Carscoops article link here for more.

STELLANTIS AND DONGFENG SIGN CHINA DEALStellantis has signed a deal with Dongfeng to build two new Peugeot and two new Jeep vehicles in China, for the local market as well as export. This is the first step on the company’s new strategy of building partnerships in markets to help expand globally. For more on this, click the Autocar article link here.

XPENG IN TALKS WITH VW OVER BUYING EUROPEAN FACTORYXpeng is the latest Chinese brand to seek to buy a European factory from a local market manufacturer, this time via Volkswagen. The two companies already work with each other, as VW is using Xpeng’s software-defined platform for their Chinese market vehicles. To read more about this story, click this EV Powered article link here.

RULES BENT FOR SOME EV VANSThe Government has changed rules for EV vans plated to 4.25 tonnes, which aligns the requirements for running them to those of a 3.5 tonne vehicle. This removes the need for a yearly MOT, the use of tachographs by drivers and more. You can find out more, by clicking this Professional Van article link here.

AUDI USE UNIQUE IDENTIFIER FOR APP THAT ALL CAN SEEThe myAudi app and service has been found to be using the VIN of cars as the unique identifier for authorisation purposes. This means anyone who can read the VIN, which is displayed for all to see, can gain access to that vehicle via the app and mobile service. There are more issues as well, but CARIAD has addressed some of them. However, they have not acknowledged the work of the researcher or paid them a bounty which is unacceptable behaviour from a company like the Volkswagen Group. You can read more, by clicking Andrea Pierini’s blog post on what he found 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 PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Volkswagen ID Polo GTIVW has revealed the ID Polo GTI, including specifications. Recognisable as a Polo this will come with 52kWh battery, giving 223bhp via a single motor, meaning a 0-62mph time of 6.8 seconds and topping out at 109mph. The price is expected to start around £33,500. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Volkswagen ID BuzzVW are updating the ID Buzz in line with the rest of their range in terms of the interior, infotainment and the return of physical buttons. Additionally, one pedal driving is now possible. The battery and drivetrain specifications remain the same. Click this EV Powered article link here to read more.

Renault 4 Plein Sud and JP4x4 conceptYou get an extra bonus this week as there were two announcements from Renault, for their 4. One you will be able to buy, whilst the other is a cool concept. Apologies for Andrew murdering the pronunciation of Plein Sud, but ignoring that it is essentially a full length canvas sunroof harking back to the time when manufacturers made such things. Looks great and will add some fun to the ownership. Click this Motoring Research article link here for more.

The JP4x4 concept is a sort of beach buggy pick-up mashup. Looks fun and cool and it is great to see a brand experimenting like this, especially considering the market conditions at this time. Click this Motoring Research article link for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: RENAISSANCE MANFor a change our recommendation to you is not an adventure or something whimsical but an interview with the new European head of design for Stellantis, Gilles Vidal. He talks at about the challenges that Stellantis have and how he hopes to help shape their future. We have, particularly in the last few weeks, discussed the company and how it can drag itself out of the mire it is in, therefore we thought it would be interesting for you to read what one of the most important people they have think they can. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 CARS THAT ARE 60 IN 2026Once again we bring you a slideshow that might cause you to refuse to believe in the passage of time, as Classic & Sports Car has 25 cars that hit 60 years old this year. Click the link here to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: CRAZY NEW YORK FIREFIGHTER RACINGIn New York there is a competition for firefighters that includes a sort of drag racing car and tasks by the firefighters clinging onto the side and back of these crazy looking vehicles. It has to be seen to be believed. Click this link here from The Autopian for more.

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FOLLOW UP: FCA WARNS PAYOUT SCHEME MAY FOLDThe Financial Conduct Authority has warned that there will be a delay of unknown time frame and even the potential for the finance mis-selling scheme to be cancelled, thanks to the appeals lodged. For more information on this, click this Autocar article link here.

APRIL 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESApril 2026 had the most registrations, since 2019. All except diesel market share went up, with BEV being the most impressive and ending up with an April market share of 26.2% meaning it is at 23.1% for the year so far. Once again Fleet is doing a lot of heavy lifting, although Private rose taking the year to date up to 40.1%. You can find out more, by clicking this SMMT article link here.

HONDA AUTOMOTIVE UK GETS A NEW BOSSMichael Doyle replaces Rebecca Adamson, who moves to head up Customer Engagement for Honda Motor Europe. Doyle is coming from Honda Motor Southern Africa, where he was Vice President. Click this MotorTrader article link here, for more.

NISSAN TO MERGE SUNDERLAND PRODUCTION LINESNissan is consolidating production lines into one over the next year, at their Sunderland facility. This will apparently not lead to any job losses at the site. Production numbers in 2025 was nearly half that of 2019. For more on this story, click this link to read an electrive article.

PORSCHE COST CUTTING BEGINSPorsche has announced it will close three subsidiary companies with 500 jobs going as a consequence. Cellforce Group, battery tech; Porsche eBike, electric drives for bicycles; and Cetitec GmbH, software for data communications are to be shut down. The company will now “refocus on its core business”. If you want to read more, click this Yahoo!Finance article link here.

FORD SELLING PART OF SPANISH PLANT TO GEELYFord is looking to sell part of their Valencia plant to Geely, which currently only makes the Kuga. This would be Geely’s first European production based. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

VW IS RIVIAN’S LARGEST SHAREHOLDERThe Volkswagen Group has upped its stake in Rivian from 8.6% to 15.9%, making it the largest single investor in the company. This moves Amazon to second. Rivian has been hitting the milestones the original deal required, which has meant they have received $3 billion from the German company since the announcement of the investment. You can read more, by clicking this TechCrunch 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 PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Nissan X-TrailNissan revealed their new X-Trail, a few weeks back. The company is aiming at the likes of the Skoda Kodiaq, Kia Sorento and Peugeot 5008 with this vehicle. No technical specifications have been revealed. Click this Autocar article link to see more.

Lexus TZLexus has released images of the TZ, an electric six seat SUV aimed at the Volvo EX90. The vehicle is based on the RZ platform and will have an 96kWh battery enabling a range of up to 330 miles in perfect conditions. The TZ is coming to the UK in 2027 but there are no details as to the price or final specifications. Click this Autocar article link, for more.

Morgan Supersport 400Morgan has revealed the Supersport 400 which takes the Supersport and makes its more. The retuned B58 twin-turbo straight-six engine will produce 402bhp, bringing down the 0-62 to 3.6 seconds which is 0.2 seconds quicker than the normal version. On the road price starts at £138,883.00. Click this EVO article link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: HOW CAR DEALERSHIPS SCAM AMERICALongtime listeners will have heard Alan bemoan how awful American car dealerships and the business model are. He has explained how the price is never the price you first see. But to show how really bad it is we are recommending a Wendover Productions video explaining just how dreadful they are, click this YouTube link to see more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: GREAT PEOPLE’S CARSAutocar have a large slideshow dedicated the cars that helped bring mobility to the world. Do you agree with the choices made? What would you pick? Click this link here to see what options you have to select from.

AND FINALLY: TIME TO ASK THE DANES TO GO FRENCHA British Engineer, Dave Collins, has created a Lego copy of the Renault 5 Turbo 3E and submitted it to Lego to be considered for making into a model the company sells. Submitted on the 15 April this has already received 8,199 votes (at the time of recording). Click this Top Gear article to read more.

To go see the page on Lego Ideas and vote, click this link here.

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FOLLOW UP: MORE APPEAL AGAINST FCA RULINGFollowing the deadline passing for appealing against the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) plans for compensation following the car finance industry breaking the law, there are now three lenders fighting back. Mercedes-Benz Financial Services join VW Financial Servcices and CA Auto Finance. The companies have declined to clarify to the public why they have made the move. To find out more, click this link from MoneySavingExpert.

TOYOTA SUPPLIERS HIT BY IRAN CRISISToyota has announced that their suppliers have already begun to state they are feeling the effect of the Iran crisis with warnings that parts will not be delivered at the time expected. Toyota and their suppliers have already downgraded their expectations on 2026 production numbers. Click this CBT News article link here for more.

LAMBORGHINI GETS A NEW CTOFermín Soneira is leaving heading up of AUDI, the Chinese only off-shoot of Audi, to take up the role as Chief Technology Officer for Lamborghini. Fred Schulze will replace Soneira. For more on this story, click the electrive article link here.

EV CHARGING GRID VULNERABILITY DEMONSTRATEDAt BlackHat Asia, a large cybersecurity and research conference, the vulnerable nature of EV charging networks and shared e-bikes was demonstrated. Companies are being accused of putting customer convenience ahead of security. One possible scenario is the ability to remotely disable an entire city’s EV charging network. You can learn more by clicking this link, from The Register, here.

MG TO BUILD CARS IN SPAINMG has chosen Spain as the location for their European car factory, over Hungary. By doing this they should avoid any tariffs or agreed minimum price requirements that are to apply with cars coming to Europe from China. Click this EVPowered article link here, to read more.

HONGQI IN TALKS WITH STELLANTIS ABOUT SPANISH FACTORYThe Chinese car maker, Hongqi, is in discussions with Stellantis about using capacity at their Spanish factory to build their cars in Europe, also taking advantage of avoiding extra financial penalties. Both parties are tight lipped on the matter. If you wish to find out more, click this Carscoops article link here.

AUDI RECALLING 96,000 CARS WORLDWIDEAudi is recalling 96,180 e-tron quattros and Q8 e-trons, due to a potential brake issue. The fault is a lose screw that may prevent full braking ability in cars built from the 2 February 2018 until 11 June 2024. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Freelander 8JRL and Chery have revealed their first concept from their joint-venture for the Freelander brand. Unsurprisingly, this is an electric SUV with a hint or two of the original Freelander and some of the JLR back catalogue. Initially this will be launched in China but then to other international markets, including the UK. We don’t really know much about the specs or what the final look will be. Click this Autocar article link to learn more.

For information on timings of the Freelander hitting markets outside of China, click this EV Powered article link here.

BMW 7 SeriesBMW have given the 7 Series a facelift. Specs have improved with a longer range possible. The interior has also had a spruce up. For more on this, click this Autocar link here.

Old Car Dead News: GWM Ora 03The car formally known as the GWM Ora Funky Cat is no longer going to be sold in the UK. Never a big seller, whether it was the looks or name that put people off. GWM is reviewing their strategy in the UK and are looking to bring more offerings here. Click this electrive article link here for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: COMPETING CARS FROM THE SAME DESIGNERNot big enough to be a List of the Week it is still a fab article to have a read through and check out some designer’s work where they competed against their own designs. Click here to read the Hagerty article.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 23 SPACE INSPIRED CAR NAMESClassic & Sports Car provide the slideshow this week, all around the theme of space related car names. Click this link here to see if you agree with the choices made on the show. Thank you to listener, Damien Scully for sending the link our way, very much appreciated.

AND FINALLY: HOW TO DRIVE IN JAPAN FROM THE MIDLANDSThe racing game Forza Horizon 6 is about to launch on the Xbox and PC, with Playstation following later in the year. This iteration is set on the roads of Japan and include a lot of JDM cars. In a collaboration with the British Motor Museum there will be a Horizon Festival on 23 May 2026 on site, where there will be live music, food trucks, gaming vans (to try out the game) and drifting demonstrations. Click this Motoring Research article to find out more, including how to book your tickets.

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Alan was invited to the BYD Sealion DM-i launch. In this episode he tells us all about his first impressions of the car as well as give us some background on the company.

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

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FOLLOW UP: APPEAL AGAINST FCA RULINGConsumer Voice, a consumer group, is to appeal against the FCA car finance miss-selling redress scheme. Their argument is that the way the compensation has been calculated does not reflect the real world and those affected will not be paid what they are actually owed. To find out more on this matter, click this Motor Trader article link here.

FOLLOW UP: APPEAL AGAINST VAT RULING FOR PUBLIC CHARGERSHMRC has decided it will appeal against the tribunal ruling that found that VAT on public chargers should have a VAT rate the same as those who can charge their EVs at home. Apparently the specific definition of “a month” and “premises” is the focal point of their case. Once again the Government manages to miss an open goal by announcing that they are dropping the VAT rate. For more on this, click the EV Powered link here.

CROSS-PAVEMENT CHARGING MADE EASIERThe Government has announced that they will be brining in rules that will make the installation cross-pavement charging gullies permitted development, meaning residents no longer have to seek planning permission for them. This will speed up and cut costs for households. Click this EV Powered article link here to read more.

Additionally, following a Freedom of Information request from Vauxhall, which councils already allow cross-pavement charging gullies to be fitted and how they go about that has been established. Only four out of ten do permit, with some giving financial aid and others have a fee of £1000 for the work to be completed. Click this Motoring Research article link for more.

AT LEAST ONE EUROPEAN OEM PREDICTED TO DISAPPEARA survey of used car dealers has found that six out of ten believe a European car brand will cease to exist within ten years. On top of that, nearly fifty percent believe that Japanese and Korean car makers are under the same pressure from Chinese companies. The transition to electrification and cheaper products from China are cited as the major reasons. If you want to read more on this, click here for a Motor Trader article link.

PORSCHE SELLS OFF BUGATTI RIMAC SHARESPorsche is selling their 21 percent stake in the Rimac Group, enabling them to focus on their “core business”. Rumours have been swirling about tensions between the two companies for over a year now. The venture capital group, HOF Capital, are buying the shares. Click this electrive article link here, to read more.

FOUR YEAR HIGH FOR SPEEDING FINES22 out of 24 police authorities have responded to a Freedom of Information request, confirming that they have had an increase in the number of speeding penalties from 2024 to 2025. London was, by far, the area with the most and double that of West Yorkshire in second. If you want to find out more, click this Motoring Research article link here.

RIVERSIMPLE DROPS OWN DESIGNED CARRiversimple has, with a group of other companies, been awarded £1.7 million to develop a vehicle for the Zero Emission Lightweight Long Range (ZELLOR) project. The aim of this is to produce a vehicle that has zero emissions, is light weight and a com,es with a 400-mile range. They will be converting two Audi A2s to demonstrate the technology that is being developed. You can read more by clicking this FuelCellWorks 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 PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Mercedes-Benz C-ClassMercedes has revealed the looks and specifications for the new electric C-Class. Coming with 800v hardware, enabling quicker charging where conditions allow, a 94.5kWh battery pack and at launch the dual motor 400 4Matic powertrain. Combined this will produce 483bhp and 590lb ft of the torques, which enables a 0-62mph time of 4.1 seconds. Range is significantly down on the recently revealed BMW i3, with a 472 miles maximum. Prices are indicated to start below £60,000. The interior can come with the very silly full width screen, lots of mood lighting which also includes being in the panoramic roof. Click this Autocar article to learn more.

Smart FourtwoSmart are brining back the Fourtwo, although it will be known as the #2. Full details will not be known until October, during the Paris Motor Show, but what has been revealed is a maximum range up to 186 miles and a 10-80% charging potential of 20 minutes. The brand is aiming for a more premium product. Click this Autocar article to learn more.

Farizon V7EFarizon has launched a new compact electric van, called the V7E. This will be priced from £28,000 on the road (that is without VAT and any Government grant). There will be two battery options, 50.23kWh and 67.67kWh, which have a claimed maximum range of 149 miles and 204 miles, repectivley. The company is pushing the value for moeny aspects of this vehicle. Click this Proffessional Van article link to learn more.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE BMW 02 SERIESParanjay Dutt, via Hagerty, brings you our recommendation to read over your sandwiches. He is discussing the BMW 02 Series, the one that lead to the 3-Series. We have linked to both articles Paranjay has written as they are both excellent and linked. Click here for Part One. To read Part Two, click here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: WINGSAutocar are back providing the slideshow for you to check out, this time all about rear spoilers. They have selected some of the most memorable for you to choose from. Click this link to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: MODEL PARKINGDo you have a lot of Hot Wheels sized model cars taking up space in your house? Are you at a loss to know how to store and display them? Fear not, Fun-Tech Labs has a solution, the Parksible, the world’s first smart die-cast model car park. This is a model sized version of the automated parking lots that move the car to the correct space without human intevention. Yes, really! This is currently a Kickstarter campaign. Click this Design News article link here to read more and see a video.

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We held our first ever live Question and Answer session, where you the listener supplied the topics you wanted to hear us discuss. This is the audio of that conversation, as a result the audio has not been edited for content in order for our real reactions to be heard.

We hope you enjoy it and do let us know your feedback, what can we do to improve it, do you want this to be a regular thing, all respectful comments will be considered.

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FOLLOW UP: EU INDUSTRIAL ACCELERATOR ACT THREAT TO UKWe last covered this story on the episode Its talcum powder - 10 March 2026, but more have noticed the huge threat the ‘Made in Europe’ element is to the UK automotive industry. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has become increasingly vocal in its warnings. As it stands cars and parts made in the UK would not receive the incentives those made in the EU would. To read more, click this EV Powered article link here.

AUTOCAR GREAT WOMEN 2026Autocar held their Great Women 2026 event last week, where the winners were announced for a variety of categories showcasing the breadth and depth of the talent, quality and excellence that is brought to the automotive world. Lisa Brankin, Managing Director and Chair of Ford UK & Ireland, won the overall award. Click this link here, to find out more about the event. Then click this link here, to see all the categories, nominees and winners.

CUSTOMERS CAN TAKE ARNOLD CLARK TO COURTArnold Clark suffered a cyber attack in 2022 that resulted in customer data being available to anyone on the internet. The company has tried to argue that it should not face a claim in a Scottish court as they were already doing so in England. The highest court in Scotland rejected this argument as people had bought their cars in Scotland and this case was not connected to England. You can find out more, by clicking this Yahoo!News article link here.

STELLANTIS TO END CAR PRODUCTION AT POISSY FACTORYStellantis has announced that it will be winding down car production at it’s Poissy factory, in France, from 2028. Once this is completed the site will still make parts for other Group sites. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

VW WRITES-DOWN $500M IN US BUSINESSVolkswagen has had to write-down $500 million due to the cancellation of the production of the ID.4 at their Chattanooga factory, in the US. This comes after pausing the production line when the US Government cancelled the previous administration’s EV subsidies, causing sales to plummet. If you wish to find out more, click this article link from electrive, here.

NISSAN SEEKING PRODUCTION PARTNER FOR SUNDERLANDNissan’s Sunderland plant is running at about 50% capacity currently and is seeking to sub-let that spare capacity to another brand. Discussions are ongoing with Chery and Dongfeng. For more on this, click the link here to an electrive article.

STELLANTIS PARTNER WITH MICROSOFTStellantis has partnered with Microsoft, who will be providing their software and AI to allegedly assist the group in becoming more efficient and better, as well as offering customers supposed improvements to their car ownership. You can read more by clicking this CarScoops article link here.

On Thursday 23 April at 20:00 BST, we will be going live with a Q&A on our YouTube channel. We need your help though, send us your automotive and motoring related question you would like to hear us answer. To send one in use our Contact Page, linked to here, and put “Q&A” in the Subject Line so it does not get lost in all the spam.NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Nissan JukeNissan shocked everyone with the reveal of their radical looking next generation Juke, which will be all electric. Taking its cues from the Hyper Punk concept of last year, this is a stylised vehicles with lots of sharp angles to the bodywork. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Volkswagen ID.3 NeoThe VW ID.3 is being updated once again and this time it also partially gets a name, Neo. The exterior is recognisably close to the previous version but the interior gets upgrades, including adding buttons to the dash and steering wheel. Materials will also be of higher quality and better feel. Click this Autocar article for more.

Denza Z9 GTDenza is a new to the UK brand from BYD and they are bringing a £100,000 performance EV. Technical specs include an 122kWh battery pack and triple electric motors producing 1140bhp, enabling a 0-62mph time of 2.7 seconds. The car will get access to BYD’s Flash charging network once it is up and running. Click this Autocar article for more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: KEMEL CURIC WILL LEAD MCLAREN’S DESIGNKemel Curic has been announced as the new head of design at McLaren. He joins at a time when the brand is trying to reinvent itself. He leaves Ford, more specifically Lincoln, where he was working. You can read more by clicking this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: RUSTIVAL 2026To help yours and our FOMO, if you didn’t get to it, we are linking to four videos about Rustival 2026. We have picked the three channels that helped organise the event and one more, but do search YouTube for Rustival 2026 and spread some love to those who aren’t linked below.

Click this link here for Steph’s I Drive a Classic channel’s video.

To see what Furious Driving’s video is like, click this link here.

HubNut produced a slightly different video, giving us a peak at what it takes to put on the event. Click this link here to see that.

Click this link here for Jon Coupland’s take on the day.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HERE ARE OUR NINE FAVOURITE OFF-ROAD ESTATESTop Gear, once again, has a cracking list for you to check out. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? Which of the nine would you pick? Click this link here to see what the options are.

AND FINALLY: COME FEEL THE NOISEThis week we effectively give you another Lunchtime Watch, with Mr Patina beginning the restoration process of a classic Renault 4. Do sit back, relax and enjoy some ASMR restoration. Click this link to watch.

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NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR MARCH 2026SMMT has revealed the new car registration figures for March 2026. Unsurprisingly, EVs have had their best month yet, in the UK. Unfortunately, the market share is far from the 33% required by the Government. Lots of people and organisations were erroneously using the term “sales” when we only have figures for registrations. The SMMT once again called on the Government to review the ZEV mandate targets, adding the Iran war and it’s knock on effects to the usual, valid, points. Click this link here, from the SMMT, to read more.

TATA RECEIVES MORE GOVERNMENT MONEYThe UK Government is investing £380 million in Tata’s battery factory, being built near Bridgewater in Somerset. The company states that once opened it will employ 4,000 staff on site. The money is coming from the Automotive Transformation Fund. Additionally a Devon based battery recycling facility and low-emission brake manufacturer have also been awarded money from the fund. Click this Autocar link to find out more.

STELLANTIS EUROPE TO STOP FIGHTING ITSELFGiles Vidal, who is the head of design for Stellantis, gave a frank interview with Autocar after he has spent a few months reacquainting himself with the brand following his time at Renault. His main point was that the group’s brands will be making cars that are distinct from each other, despite the shared underpinnings and restrictions that brings. Music to the ears of us, here at the Motoring Podcast! To read more, click the link here.

BYD TO INSTALL CHARGING NETWORKBYD will be installing 300 chargers with a maximum capacity of 1500kW, making them the fastest in the UK. BYD claims that this can enable five minute charging of of 10% to 70% for their new 123kWh battery. These sites will be open to all car brands and will be run under the name ‘Flash’. As ever though, what a charger is capable of and what the grid can provide are often two different things, in the UK. For more on this story, click this Autocar article link here.

UK’S LARGEST EHGV CHARGING HUBFleete (no, that’s not a spelling mistake), has opened the largest UK eHGV charging hub. Located at the Port of Tilbury , it has 16 ultra-rapid chargers enabling up to 16 eHGVs to charge at the same time. The company plans to open a 26 bay facility near Birmingham too. Click this EV Powered article link here to read more.

On Thursday 23 April at 20:00 BST, we will be going live with a Q&A on our YouTube channel. We need your help though, send us your automotive and motoring related question you would like to hear us answer. To send one in use our Contact Page, linked to here, and put “Q&A” in the Subject Line so it does not get lost in all the spam.NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Honda Super-NHonda has revealed a small EV, with up to 199 miles range and a price starting under £20,000 which will be coming to the UK this summer. Their previous foray into the small EV market was the Honda-E that was expensive for what it offered, although did look great. The Super-N seems to have addressed that, nearly 200 miles range for under £20,000 sounds great, hopefully real world use backs that up. Click this Motoring Research article link here, for more.

Cupra RavalCupra has unveiled their Renault 5 rival, the Raval. Starting price for the Core trim, will be just under £23,000, whilst offering around 185 maximum range. Moving up through the specs increases the prices and capabilities as the V1 and V2 levels can be fitted with a 52kWh battery enabling up to 280 miles maximum range. Top of the range aims to take on the Alpine A290, with an approximately £37,000 price tag and a drop in range to around 250 miles. Click this Autocar article link, for more.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVAs we stated a few weeks ago, Mitsubishi is bringing back the Outlander PHEV when they return to the UK market. The price will start at £46,995, but full technical specs are yet to be released. Information that EV Powered has managed to gleam includes an expected EV-only range around 53 miles, with an overall of about 500 miles. Does it bring anything new enough to the market to attract buyer? Time will tell. Click this EV Powered link, for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: ESTATE OF THE MARKETS.V. Robinson, on Driven to Write, discusses affordable estate cars or the lack of them, more to the point. As he owns one himself he explains how he keeps an eye out, essentially for what he might replace his Octavia with. Pickings are thing. Click this link to read through his thoughts on what is out there now and also to become a little sad at the state of the market.

LIST OF THE WEEK: PERFORMANCE VS PRACTICALITYTom Ford has compiled another special list for Top Gear, that we are recommending to you. Often we are shown concepts that are either all about the performance or practicality. Very rarely does these cross over. Click the link here to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: THE FUTURE FROM BACK IN 1982Antony Ingram, writing for Hagerty, explains all about the fascinating British Leyland ECV 3, which was an experimental design that incorporates a lot of what we expect in cars today, but were very futuristic in 1982. Click this link to find out more and learn a little about British Leyland and innovation.

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FOLLOW UP: NTSB REPORTS ON FATAL BLUECRUISE INCIDENTSThe National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has published their report on two fatal incidents that involved Ford’s BlueCruise semi-automated driving system, that allows for ‘hands off eyes on’ driving. Some blame is being put on the driver’s “over-reliance” in the systems, but also it is made clear the company and regulations played a part. if you wish to read more on the findings, click this CNN article link here.

However, the findings fail to discuss the inherent flaw in the system that has been documented from as far back as April 1948, when it comes to humans supervising automated systems. Click this Sage Journals link to N H Mackworth’s research examining this issue.

MOTABILITY DRIVERS SINGLED OUT AGAINThanks to the victimisation of those using the Motability scheme, originating from a far-right ‘think-tank’, all drivers under 30 and those newly entering the scheme will have to have black boxes fitted. These boxes will record their journeys and from the binary inputs of those drivers they will be ‘judged’ on how well they drive. This is despicable because the technology cannot judge because it is only using the binary inputs on braking, accelerating and steering with absolutely no knowledge of the environment or anything occurring around the vehicle. For more on this story, click this article link here from The Canary.

NEW MOT RULES FOR 2026There are new MOT rules, for the UK, in 2026. Most of the onus is on the garages themselves, but you should be aware of them. The Government is asking for the centres to do more but is keeping the price cap where it is. To find out what the changes are, click this link to a MotorCheck article link here.

LUCID COMING TO THE UK IN 2027Lucid is bringing their next to be revealed car, the Cosmos, to the UK in 2027. This will be an electric SUV which is aiming at the likes of the BMW iX3 and Volvo EX60. There are no images yet, nor any technical details. Click this Autocar article link here to find out more.

SCOUT LAUNCH IN THE US PUT BACK TO 2028The launch of Scout, in the US, by Volkswagen is being delayed until 2028. Thanks to the change in Governmental policy the company is reportedly re-engineering the cars to take range extender technology when they were to be EV only. For more on this story, click this electrive article link here.

STELLANTIS RECALLS 44,000 UK CARSAround 44,000 Stellantis cars, fitted with the 1.2 litre petrol engined mild hybrid, are being recalled in the UK due to a potential fire risk. The vehicles were built between 2023 and 2026. To find out if you car or the car of friends and family is covered, click this Autocar article link, which breaks down how many from the individual brands.

On Thursday 23 April at 20:00 BST, we will be going live with a Q&A on our YouTube channel. We need your help though, send us your automotive and motoring related question you would like to hear us answer. To send one in use our Contact Page, linked to here, and put “Q&A” in the Subject Line so it does not get lost in all the spam.NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Kia EV2Kia has announced the EV2 prices, ahead of them going on sale later this year. There is some complication to all this as there is a First Edition option, which will be, yes you guessed it, the launch edition but that starts at £26,995 and has a 42kWh battery and 198 miles range. However, the entry to the range, available later, is the Air trim which will get a 61kWh battery and 281maximum range. Click this Motoring Research article link here, to run through the trim levels and see if one meets your needs.

For the link to the Special Edition about Kia at Milan Design week, click here.

Leapmotor A05Leapmotor is expected to be bringing the A05 to the UK later this year. The car is aimed at the VW ID.3 and is expected to be priced around £25,000. Unfortunately, the external looks leave a lot to be desired. Click this Autocar article link for more.

Seat and Cupra Ateca sales endSeat and Cupra are ending the sale of the Ateca. Originally launched a decade ago, this SUV is now not seen as worth updating in its current guise. Click this Auotcar link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE ISUZUS JUST GET US THEREHagerty and John Voelcker are our recommendations to you this week. John explains why he and friends take their old Isuzus on a long road trip and how the car is just the ‘vehicle’ (pun intended, for a change) for friends to get together in a shared joy. Click this link here to read more and maybe you too will be inspired to do something similar.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 20 ALFA ROMEO CARS NEVER MADEClassic & Sports Car has a list of 20 Alfa Romeos that were never made, for you to peruse and chose from. Do you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choices? Click this link here to see your options.

AND FINALLY: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE RENAULT 21We refused to believe that the Citroën Saxo is 30 years old, recently. As did some of you. Another car that we cannot believe is the age it is, is the Renault 21. Once a common sight on UK roads, time has not been kind but when a company decides one platform/layout is not enough, it is easy to see why. Click this Hagerty article link here for more.

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FOLLOW UP: FCA CONFIRM FINANCE MIS-SELLING REDRESSThe Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has confirmed the details for the redress scheme, following finance mis-selling to car buyers. Less people will be eligible to claim, as somehow they have deemed that dealer direct to manufacturer finance was not liable to the same issues as was found to be open to abuse. However, the average payout will be higher than expected, at £829. For more on this, click the Autocar article link here.

JLR FIND A NEW STRATEGY CHIEFTata exec, Balaje Rajan, has become the chief strategy officer for JLR. This move indicates a tighter alignment with between the companies. We can expect more platform sharing plus electrification and software development being closer aligned. You can read more about this, by click the Autocar India article link here.

JLR HALTS PRODUCTION AT SOLIHULLJLR has halted production at the Solihull plant, due to a problem with their supply chain, specifically one supplier. We do not know who the supplier is, nor what the part is. This pausing of production dovetails into a planned shutdown over the Easter period. Click this Business Maters article link here, to read more.

£1B FROM THE GOVERNMENT TO HELP E-LORRIES AND E-VANSThe UK Government rolled out two initiatives to help the transition to zero emission lorries and vans. First is the Zero Emissions Truck and Van Grant, with the second being the Depot Charging Scheme. The aim is to assist with two of the major blocks for companies switching, costs to buy and lack of infrastructure. For more details, click this EV Powered article link here.

AFEELA CANCELLED BY HONDA AND SONYThe joint-venture between Honda and Sony, called Afeela, has been cancelled following Honda’s decision to can their 0 Series EVs. This is no real surprise as the project was going to use a lot of the 0 Series technology and platform. If you wish to read more, click this Top Gear article link here.

VW TO RECALL NEARLY 100,000 EVS WORLD WIDEThe German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has stated that the VW Group must recall 94,031 ID.3, ID.4, ID.5, ID.Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo, plus Cupra Born vehicles, globally, built between 7 February 2022 and 23 August 2024. The vehicle batteries do not meet the agreed specification and might produce reduced driving range as well as there being a risk of fire. Click this electrive article link for more information.

BRING A TRAILER COMING TO THE UKThe US auction site, Bring a Trailer, is coming to the UK. Last year the company $1.7 billion in sales and now sees this as the right time to bring their way of doing things to the UK classics market. For more on this story, click this link to a Motoring Research 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 CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Dacia StrikerDacia has revealed what we are told is an estate, but it is not, its a crossover. Going up against the likes of the Skoda Octavia, it is aligned with the Bigster. Details are very thin on the ground, including what the interior looks like. Click this Autocar article to see more about this handsome looking car.

Jeep Easter Safari ConceptsThat time of year has rolled around again where Jeep go off on an Easter Safari, in Moab Desert, with their tricked out cars. Always a treat to see what they have come up with, this year is no different. Click this Carscoops article to see more.

Mika MinoThe Miko Mino is designed with the core philosophy of small and light. A collaboration between friend of the show Nir Kahn and Robin Hall, they are pursuing this core axiom with lazer focus. To find out more about this idea, click here for an EV Powered exclusive article.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE AUTOMOBILE AS AN APPLIANCEDriven to Write provide the article we are recommending you read whilst enjoying your lunch this week. Often it is said, on this show, how cars are becoming appliances to most, but what if that idea was the basis for a concept that was explored? Find out more, by clicking this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE 20 GREATEST WEDGESWe all like concept cars, but one way to make them much cooler is for one to be wedge shaped. Well, Top Gear are not content with that, how about 20 wedge shaped concept cars? Click this link to check out your options.

AND FINALLY: HOW DIRTY IS THE A1?Listener’s discretion is needed with this week’s recommendation. Auto Shenanigins is asking the question many of us have wondered, why are there so many adult stores on the A1? Click this YouTube link to find out.

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FOLLOW UP: MCGOVERN OFFICIALLY LEAVING JLRFollowing an ‘is he/isn’t he’ saga which started back at the beginning of December 2025, Gerry McGovern is officially leaving JLR at the end of March 2026. He will be starting his own consultancy. Details are almost non-existent outside of that. Click this Autocar article for the story.

AUDI MAKES £2.9 BILLION PROFITAs expected, more brands from within the Volkswagen Group have been announcing their financial results for 2025. Audi, despite it being a difficult year, managed to make a £2.9 billion profit, from a revenue of £56.6 billion. This was all done whilst fewer overall vehicles were delivered. To read more, click this Autocar article.

BENTLEY TO CUT JOBSBentley had a difficult 2026 and as a result are going to shed 150 jobs. Some are open positions they won't fill but the rest will come from office based roles. Additionally they have had to tweak their product plans partly due to Porsche postponing their platform development. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

ROLLS ROYCE NOT GOING 100% EV FROM 2030Rolls Royce has announced that it will no longer be producing EVs exclusively, from 2030. They state that customer wishes mean that they will still offer internal combustion engine options. For more on this, click this link here to take you an EV Powered article.

THATCHAM SPLITS FROM EURONCAPThatcham, after 22 years in partnership, are splitting from EuroNCAP and developing their own systems for testing car safety systems. They mention real world safety quite a bit and also how they believe the technology should not be intrusive and annoying. Time will tell if they can deliver on this. Click this link here to read more from Autocar.

EU RELAXES CO2 RULES FOR LORRIESThe EU has listened to lorry manufacturers and softened the requirements of their fleets, in terms of CO2 emissions. Whilst the fixed jumps, from the interim targets at 2025, 2030 and 2040 still stand, the intervening years will not have moving requirements. This means, if a brand manages to exceed the target they can carry over that extra to the next year, thus companies are rewarded for pushing. If you want to find out more, click this electrive article link here.

LYTEN BUYS MORE OF NORTHVOLTLyten, a US based company, has continued to purchase operations from the collapsed Northvolt electric car battery and recycling company, this time they have bought the Swedish battery recycling facility at Skellefteå. For more about this story, click this electrive article link here.

FRESH ZEBRA FUNDING MADE AVAILABLEThe Government has announced a new raft of funding for the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) to a total of £73.2 million. There are 10 areas across England that will receive money to help pay for infrastructure and electric buses. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

FIRST YEAR ZEV MANADATE REPORTThe UK Government has finally published their report on compliance with the car and van zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate for 2024. No brand has been fined as all reached the required minimums through a combination of registration numbers and purchasing credits from others who had exceeded the requirements. Click this electrive article link here for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -BMW i3After much teasing BMW has finally taken the wraps off their i3 electric saloon. Boasting an astonishing range of up to 559 miles, with looks, both inside and out, that have divided opinion but cannot be trusted as we have only been given heavily rendered images so far. Further details are to be announced later, including the price. Click this Motoring Research article link here for more.

DS No7The latest Stellantis brand to utilise the mid sized SUV platform is DS, being the premium one of the group they will be charging a suitable price, above their sister brands. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

KGM Musso EVKGM are bringing their first electric pickup to the UK from May 2026. With four wheel drive and payload capacity of 690kgs, the vehicle will have a maximum range of 240 miles. This is the fourth four wheel drive pickup for the UK market and it will be competitively priced at £42, 495 (inclusive of VAT and £2,500 Plug0In Van Grant). Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: INSIDE GM’S DECISION TO HELP RESTORE A RARE EV1 FOR THE FIRST TIME EVERGM have seemed like a company embaressed by their pioneering EV1 which was available to the public on a strict leasing deal for two years in the later 1990s, with many examples having been destroyed and recycled. However, one person has managed to legally get hold of a damaged EV1 and is in the process of restoring it. GM heard and instead of deploying a fleet of lawyers to stop this their President heard and has ordered the company to help. Click this article link here from The Drive to find out more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: FORGOTTEN CARS OF THE 1990SAutocar are where we are sending you this week. They have a slideshow dedicated to cars you might well have forgotten, if you are not Alan. Do you agree with chaps choices? Click this link here to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: WALKING AROUND AND POINTING AT THINGSThis week we are recommending you click this HubNut YouTube video link to check out their interesting spots from the NEC Restoration Show. As ever, this is a lovely, relaxed film that will allow all of us who missed out to experience the sights and sounds of last weekend.

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SMMT URGES GOVERNMENT TO REVIEW ZEV MANDATEDuring the SMMT Electrified event, held last week, the call went out for an urgent review of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate, as the reality is far below the assumptions that went into the amount of registrations demanded each year. Government representative immediately poured cold water on that hope, though. A review will not begin until 2027. For more on this story, click this EV Powered article link here.

NEW RENAULT STRATEGY ANNOUNCEDRenault Group’s new strategy will be called Futuready. Using the previous as the basis they will now launch 36 new models by 2030. These will be split across European and global markets. The three brands will continue to exploit what they do well and what customers expect from them. Additionally, a lot of talk is about technology and their partnership with Google. Click this Autocar article here, for more.

SEAT AND CUPRA 2025 SALES ARE IMPRESSIVESeat and Cupra had very impressive sales figures for 2025, but that did not translate to much of a profit thanks to tariffs and capex investment costs. Tariffs were imposed by the EU on Chinese made EVs, this hit the Tavascan as the company chose to not pass the costs onto customers. They are also investing in a new battery factory, developing new models and updating existing. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

VW GROUP ANNOUNCE MORE HUGE COST CUTSAfter a very rough 2025, the Volkswagen Group has posted an operating profit of 2.8%, which equates to €8.9 billion in revenue. The company announced there would be a new (or is it?) cost cutting drive, which will include up to 50,000 job loses. The aim is for cost savings around €6 billion per year by 2030. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

HONDA SCRAPS NEW EV MODELSHonda has cancelled the launch of the 0 Series Saloon and SUV. They make it explicitly clear they are blaming the United States change in policy when it comes to EVs. They expect the write-down will cost them between £1.6 and £2.7 billion, this year, with more to come in 2026-27. Additionally, their products in other markets are not meeting customer requirements. You can find out further information by clicking this Autocar article link here.

STELLANTIS TO ADD MORE ELECTRIC VANS TO ELLESMERE PORTStellantis are to add more electric van production to their Ellesmere Port. The company is investing £50 million to add a new assembly line to the factory. The electric variant of the Vauxhall/Opel Vivaro will take up the newly created capacity. For more, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Jaecoo 8In May Jaecoo will be selling the 8, their range topping SUV, in the UK. Prices will start at £45,500 for the PHEV. That is a £10,000 jump over the 7 PHEV, but it does not offer a third row of seats. Click this Autocar article to find out all the details.

Caterham Seven HWM EditionHWM is the dealership that Caterham is tied closely to but also was a racing team with their own car that Sir Sterling Moss won his first F1 race in. The latest Seven plays homage to them for this, with cars painted in the HWM Green, also the grille in the nose cone harks back to team. Click this EVO article link to learn all the details.

Mercedes-Benz VLEMercedes has revealed the VLE, an electric V-Class sized vehicle that is hoped will bring it new customers. Externally it has the very prominent grille and the rear looks like its been taken from a Hyundai Inonq 9. Inside the press pics show an interior that is festooned with more light strips than a Twitch streamers setup. Click this Autocar article link to find out all the details, including an impressive claimed range.

LUNCHTIME READ: TOWER OF POWERTop Gear are where we are pointing your attention this week. Ollie Marriage brings to life his adventure with Mark Riccioni as they drove in Georgia. The writing is wonderful and the pictures are stunning, hopefully this encourages you to plan a trip, but maybe one less “tricky”. Click the link here to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: SEVEN BRILLIANT AND PERFECTLY FORMED TINY CONCEPT CARSWe stick with Top Gear as the outlet to visit, this time for seven tiny but wonderful concept cars. Do you agree with Andrew’s choice? Click this link here to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: CARS AND FILMSJesús Predencio is a graphic designer who has created some wonderful, striking art involving cars, with his most famous project probably being Cars and Films. Click this Classic & Sports Car article to find out more. Additionally, at the bottom of the piece are several links to Jesús’s work which you must check out.

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FOLLOW UP: EU INDUSTRIAL ACCELERATOR ACT REVEALEDThe EU Commission has unveiled the draft Industrial Accelerator Act, which is aimed at making Europe a powerhouse and self contained when it comes to green energy related industries, including automotive. To read more about the proposals, click this electrive article link here.

By the fact that so much of the act is pointed inwards to EU countries, this has caused fear in the UK automotive industry that they will be penalised thanks to the idiocy of Brexit. Nissan has declared if there is not agreement on UK built cars then it will close Sunderland. Click this Autocar article for more.

FEBRUARY 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESSMMT released the new car registration figures for February 2026 and there was a surprising number of vehicles registered, with this being the best February since 2004. BEV market share is no where near where it needs to be as it sits at 22%, lower than last year, with the mandate requirement of 33%. SMMT called on the Government to urgently look at the mandate in the face of market reality. You can learn more, by clicking this SMMT article link here.

TRIBUNAL SHOWS PUBLIC CHARGING VAT SHOULD BE 5%In a tax tribunal, Deloitte proved how the public charging VAT rate should only be 5%, using HMRC’s own rules. The use, by an individual, of no more than 1000kWh over a month is classified as “personal use”. To go over this, using public charging, would be very difficult in a EV. To find out more, click this EV Powered article link here.

TESLA EU CO2 POOL USERS DECLINEThe EU allows car companies to buy and sell CO2 credits so that companies can avoid hefty fines for not meeting average fleet levels. Tesla has benefited hugely from this, however that is now changing as Toyota and Stellantis leave their pool. If you wish to read more, click this electrive article link here.

SUZUKI BUYS SOLID-STATE BATTERY FIRMSuzuki has bought Kanadevia, a company that has been developing solid-state batteries for 20 years. This is a great move by one of the smaller Japanese brands and if batteries can be made affordable at scale, this will help them be competitive or even steal a march on others. Click this electrive article link here, to read more.

WRIGHTBUS SELLS 31 EBUSES TO THE ISLE OF WHITEWrightbus is providing 31 double decker electric buses for use on the Isle of White. Using funding from a combination of local and central government schemes, they will help move the islands public transport to being a cleaner service. You can read more by clicking this electrive article link here.

ELECQ HIT BY CYBER ATTACKELECQ, a Chinese home and business smart charger company, has been hacked with customer details being accessed. They operate in the UK and Europe and have informed data protection organisations. The company state that their chargers and systems are working and are protected. For more on this story, click the link here from The Register.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Genesis GV60 MagmaGenesis has revealed their first performance car that we can buy, with the very orange GV60 Magma. Sharing a lot of the underpinnings with the Hyundai Ioniq 5N expect similar levels of go and stop. Click this EV Powered article link to read more.

GM Specialty Vehicles UK launchedGM Specialty Vehicles UK will be importing the large and “luxury” models from the General Motors stables. Think along the lines of the Suburban, Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Silverado. The cars will be left hand drive but all requirements to be UK legal will be undertaken by dealership Clive Sutton. Click this Motoring Research article link for more.

Lamborghini Lanzador killed offBefore the Lanzandor even made it to market, it has been killed off. The official statement is that it is due to a lack of customer demand for such a vehicle. But it was to share the underpinnings from Porsche but they canned their development meaning Lamborghini would not have anything to make the car from. Click this Motoring Research article to learn more.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE GREAT DISGRACEHagerty supply the article we are recommending that you read this week, thanks to Jim Magill for suggesting it! The piece discusses the shocking state of our roads and how that has impacted people’s desire to drive. Click the link here to read it for yourself.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 OF THE COOLEST MID-ENGINED CONCEPT CARS THAT NEVER MADE PRODUCTIONTop Gear is where we are pointing you to for the List of the Week. And boy, is it a CRACKER! Check out 25 concept cars and try to pick on from this wonderful list. Click here to get overwhelmed by the options!

AND FINALLY: CAR SONGSaturday Night Live has produced a song that shows the wider population have had enough with silly and dangerous door handles. Click this YouTube link to see for yourself.

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FOLLOW UP: FIRST FLEXIS MODELS CONFIRMATIONThanks to Phil Huff, from Professional Van, who heard our plea for facts about the Flexis electric van models we can bring you a link from one of his sites that confirms which vans Renault will be bringing. The first three will be the Trafic, Estafette and Geolette E-Tech. Click this link to read more from Professional Van.

HUGE LOSS FOR STELLANTIS IN 2025Stellantis making a loss should not surprise anyone but maybe the scale of it might. The company posted their first loss since forming in 2021, of $26.3 billion. Much of this is due to the write-down they undertook in changing product plans. The new leadership team say that steps they have taken are positive showing signs, with cash being freed up. If you want to find our more, click this Yahoo!Finance article link here.

ASTON MARTIN TO REDUCE WORKFORCE2025 was another tough year for Aston Martin, with profits falling by 36%. Tariffs are taking much of the blame for the drop. To counter this, the company has said it is looking to reduce the workforce by 20%, similar to the cut of 170 jobs this time last year. For more on this story, click this Autocar article link here.

TESLA SUES CALIFORNIA OVER RULINGTesla has removed all mention of “Autopilot” from advertising material, following a ruling by the California Department of Motor Vehicles that it was deceptive marketing. This prevented them being banned from selling cars for 30 days, however, they have now sued the DMV to get this overturned. To read more, click this Yahoo!Finance article link here.

UK GOV TRACKED PHONE USERS TO SEE IF THEY HAD AN EVThe Department for Transport (DfT) asked O2 to monitor their network users to try and establish if they were EV users and if so what were their habits and routines. O2 also supplies the network for Tesco Mobile and Sky Mobile. After two years the study was ended with the conclusion being this type of data was not sufficient to conclude if someone was an EV owner or not. For more on this, click this Yahoo!News article link here.

HOME EV CHARGER GRANT EXTENDEDThe UK Government has extended the Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant another year and increased the amount to £500. Those without driveways, including renters and businesses can apply for the grant to help with the installation of charge points. This amount apparently covers nearly half the average cost of installation. Click this Autocar article 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 PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -UK Car of the Year 2026 WinnerCongratulations to Renault as the 5 E-Tech wins the overall prize of UK Car of the Year 2026. 20 of the 33 judges chose the car as their pick. You can read all about it by clicking this UK Driver link and going to pages 22-23. Once you’ve finished do check out the rest of the digital magazine, which is the official UK Car of the Year publication!

Lepas L8New to the UK, Lepas has confirmed their first model here will be the L8. Expected to rival the likes of the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4 with the expectation being they will beat them on price. Details are thin on the ground as the company will announce them “in the coming weeks”. Click this Autocar article to learn more.

Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio QuadrifoglioIn a new segment titled Old Cars Undead News, we have to talk about the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio that the brand are bringing back to the UK. The successors were supposed to be full EVs but Stellantis, like many, is finding that customer uptake is not at the pace anticipated, or in the case of the US the Government has flipped it’s requirements. Whilst re-engineering takes place to allow for hybrid powertrains to be fitted to the upcoming models the pure combustion engined versions will go back on sale into 2027. Click this Autocar article for more.

Honda Civic recallHonda Civics built between 2017 an 2022 are being recalled in the UK due to an issue that could lead to a wheel falling off the vehicle whilst being driven. 46, 152 cars are covered in the UK, with more being affected abroad. Click this Autocar article for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: JELLY MOULD THEORYOur recommendation is from Hagerty and Alex Wakefield, discussing the idea that all cars look the same. Whilst its easy to say that they do, is that true? Click this link to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THESE ARE THE 50 GREATEST CARS OF THE 1980SGet yourself a huge hit of nostalgia, if you are of a certain age, as Top Gear bring what they think are the greatest 50 cars from the 80s. Do you agree with Andrew and Alan’s choices? Click this link to see what you could select.

AND FINALLY: TOUR OF JLR CLASSICSThe Goodwood & Racing YouTube channel visit the JLR Classic division to find out their ethos, what they do and have a peak at some of the vehicles they have. Click this link to enjoy.

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FOLLOW UP: JUDGE UPHOLDS HUGE AWARD AGAINST TESLAIn August 2025 a jury awarded a payout against Tesla of $243 million, for their partial responsibility in a fatal crash where Autopilot was in use. Tesla appealed this but that has been rejected. The expectation is they will appeal again. To read more, click this article link from TechCrunch.

EU TO BRING IN RULES BENEFITTING EUROPEAN BUILT EVSThe European Union (EU) is working on legislation that would push for any state subsidies or incentives to be tied to EVs being made in Europe. The likelihood is that a vehicle will have to contain parts, excepting the battery, that have been 70% made in the EU. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

The news has caused concern in the UK, as this would mean cars made here would not meet the criteria for state incentives. You can read about this by clicking the link here from Modern Diplomacy.

RENAULT TAKES FULL CONTROL OF FLEXISRenault has now taken full control of the electric light commercial vehicle company it created a joint-venture with Volvo Group and CMA CGM to form. Renault has agreed to buy out the 55% that the two other partners held, but the Volvo Group will remain a ‘strategic partner’. For more on this story, click this electrive link here.

AUDI GETS A NEW CTOGeoffrey Bouquot is leaving Audi and his role as Chief Technology Officer, after only a year. He will be replaced by Rouven Mohr, who is Lamborghini’s CTO, to become Head of Technical Development. The wording of the electrive article is quite interesting, you can see more for yourself by clicking this link here.

STAGECOACH BRINGS MORE EBUSES TO DEVONStagecoach is bringing 110 electric buses to Devon, working on routes from Tobay, Barnstable and Exeter. Let’s hope they have measured the road widths and checked this time! To read more, click this electrive article link here.

TFL AWARD RAPID CHARGER CONTRACTTotalEnergies has been awarded the contract for installing 43 rapid charge points across London. These will be a mix of 100 and 200kW power. You can find out more by clicking this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Omoda 5 SHS-SOmoda are bringing a hybrid version of the 5 model to the UK, from March 2026. Called the 5 SHS-S, which stands for “Super Hybrid System - Hybrid”. Priced at £25,740 this undercuts the Nissan Qasqai by around £5,000. The company makes it clear the electric capability of this is to aid economy and efficiency. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

Audi RS5The old RS4 is now the RS5 due to the change in naming conventions from Audi. That’s not the only new thing, the car is a plug-in hybrid too, bringing 630bhp to help propel the 2,370kg vehicle from 0-62 in 3.6 seconds. All this can be yours, starting from £89,400. Click this Autocar article to find out more about the technical details, including the size of the exhausts.

Bertone RunaboutFive decades after the Runabout concept was first shown off Bertone are finally making this a real car. Prices start at £400,000 and underneath is a Lotus Exige, which is an impressive base to mount the utterly gorgeous body on top. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: ANDREAS MINDT TAKES VW GROUP ROLEAndreas Mindt has been promoted from leading the Volkswagen brand design team to overseeing the Group’s design future. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: RENAULT 5 - THEN AND NOWSiôn Hudson, of the Morsels and Motors You Tube channel, has a video running through the history of the Renault 5, from the original to the new EV version of today. Fabulous video with great insight into the design cue that have made it through or that we thought were always there! Click the link here to watch.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST MOTORING EVENTS FOR CAR ENTHUSIASTS IN 2026Motoring Research has compiled a list of the high profile motoring related events you can attend during 2026. With the weather and everything else being so grim and unrelenting, we all need something to look forward to. Click this link here and work out which one you are going to attend later in the year.

AND FINALLY: IDEAS FOR PLANNING A ROAD TRIPContinuing on the theme of looking forward to escaping from reality for a little while, we are suggesting you read a Hagerty article with five ways in which you could plan a road trip. Click this link here and once again, get planning!

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FOLLOW UP: OX DELIVERS ENTERS LIQUIDATIONObviously on the day we published last week’s episode the news came out that OX Delivers had failed to find the funding it needed and has entered recievership. Thanks to listener Suzie Richards for sending the article link confirming this. You can read more, by clicking this link from The Business Desk here.

FORD POSTS ANOTHER BIG LOSSFord has announced their financial results for 2025, with $8.2 billion in losses. A large portion of this being a write-down in the final quarter after the US changed their national policy on electric vehicles. The results for the final quarter of 2025 was a $11.1 billion loss. Adding to the gloom, BYD outsold Ford on the global market. To read more, click this Auotcar article link here.

STELLANTIS BRINGING BACK DIESELSStellantis are bringing back some diesel models, in Europe, following their pivot from an electrified centric future. They have added Peugeot 308, Opel Astra and DS 4 options, on top of which Opel Combo Van, Citroën Berliongo and Peugeot Rifter. To read more on this, click the electrive article link here.

BMW RECALL ANNOUNCEDBMW is recalling 575,000 cars, globally, due to starter motor issue that could result in a fire. In the UK 24,732 cars are affected by this recall, with BMW stating that the car is not to be left unattended if the engine is running. Click this Autocar article link here to find out which cars are involved.

BE.EV EXPANDS THROUGH ACQUISITIONBe.EV, the UK public charging network, has expanded by aquiring the UK arm of the European charging network Mer. By doing so, they have added 450 sites, with 1600 charge bays. For more on this, click the electrive link here.

HARROW TO INSTALL 500 CHARGE POINTS IN BOROUGHOnce again the neglected South East is getting some charge points, this time in the London Borough of Harrow. 500 on-street charge points are to be installed char.gy and the project will be completed by October 2026. Click this electrive article link to read more.

KENT TO INSTALL 10,000 ON-STREET CHARGERSMore good news for the South East, as the disparity of charge points compared to the rest of the country will hopefully be one step closer to being rectified as Kent County Council announce that 10,000 on-street chargers are to be installed across the county dependent on demand and suitability. You can read more, by clicking this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Mazda 6eMazda has now released details for the UK version of the electric 6e, coming in the summer. Priced from £38,995, it will be rear wheel drive and is in fastback form. Maximum range is 348 miles and if you can find a suitable charger 10-80% charging can happen in 24 minutes. Unfortunately, Mazda have followed the current trend for ditching physical switches, which is a disappointment. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

BYD Atto 3BYD has updated their Atto 3 SUV, by moving the electric motor to the rear and increasing the battery capacity to 74.8 kWh that increases the range up to 317 miles. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

Volvo P1800ES restomodNiels van Roij has created a new division, for his design company, called Autoforma, which will build restomod designs. Their first is one based on the Volvo PS1800ES. Adding a T5 Volvo engine helps boost the appeal of the car. Click this Motoring Research article link here, to read more.

To visit the Autoforma website, click this link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: FROM PARIS TO TOKYOThe recommendation this week is about how a chap took an ancient Peugeot 104 from Paris to China. This is a fabulous read and reminds us all how much the car does enable us to do. To read more, click this Top Gear article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 carS that are 40 in 2026Classic & Sports Car provide the article we are referring to this week. For some of us, this may be a case of utter depression or having to live with total denial that some of these cars are 40 years. Click the link here to see your options for which one upsets you the most!

AND FINALLY: FUSION ARTRemaining with Classic & Sports Car, we are suggesting you should check out this article about artist John A Frye, who blends his skills as an illustrator and industrial designer to produce work that blends different types of vehicles to produce cars with a retro futuristic vibe. All brilliant stuff. Click this article link, to read more.

To visit John’s own website, click this link.

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JANUARY 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESNew car registrations rose 3.4% compared to January 2025. In what is typically a slow month, BEVs rose in total numbers but lost market share compared to a year ago. The industry is not confident it will meet the mandate target of 33% for 2026, when it comes to zero emission vehicles. The calls for the Government to re-evaluate the ZEV mandate grow in volume and validity. Click this article link, from SMMT, to read more.

STELLANTIS WRITES-DOWN €22 BILLIONOn Friday, last week, Stellantis shocked the markets by announcing that they had written down €22 billion in a pivot from their EV focus. They have made the move as buyer interest is less than previous assumptions stated. You can read more, by clicking this Yahoo! Finance article link here.

Also announced was the news that the company are selling their 49% stake in NextStar Energy to LG Energy Solution. NextStar Energy was a joint venture between the two companies where Canada’s first large battery factory was to be built. If you want to find out more, click this Yahoo! Finance article link here.

Automotive Cells (ACC), which is backed by Stellantis, has stated that the planned battery factories in Italy and Germany will no longer be built. They have been on pause for some time. Click this Yahoo! Finance article link here, to read more.

JLR 2025 Q4 RESULTS ANNOUNCEDThere is little shock that JLR announced a loss for the final three months of 2025, thanks to the fallout from the cyber attack. The company suffered a £310 million loss, with revenues down 39%. The cost of the attack has risen to £260 million. If you wish to learn more, click this EVO article link here.

TOYOTA GETS A NEW CEOToyota announced that they have appointed Kenta Kon, currently the Chief Financial Officer, as the new CEO from 1 April 2026. Koji Sato, who has only been in the role for three years, will move to the role of Vice-Chairman and Chief Industrial Officer. Details are yet to be made clear as to why this change is happening. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

OX DELIVERS IN RISK OF LIQUIDATIONOx Delivers is the company that makes the OX, a low-cost flat pack electric truck, stated that they will go into liquidation on 5 February 2026 unless urgent investment can be found. There is no news on whether this has actually happened or not. A franchise, OX Rwanda, will continue to operate. Click this Autocar article link for more.

EZO CHARGERS ROLLING OUT TO NORTHERN SCOTLANDEZO has started their project of doubling the charging infrastructure of north and north-east Scotland. Initial steps are converting 177 ChargePlace Scotland chargers to the EZO network. These are the first steps of a 20 year contract, awarded via the Scottish Government’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund. To read more on this story, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Lepas brand coming to the UKChery are adding to their stable of brands in the UK by bringing Lepas to join Jaecoo, Omoda and Chery UK. Using the same platforms they intend to bring crossovers with combustion, hybrid and battery electric powertrains. Click this Motor Trader article link for more.

Kia Niro updatedKia has updated the Niro, with the ‘Opposites United’ design language, meaning it will align with the rest of the range. The interior also gets the latest layout and technology. Powertrains will continue to be hybrid, PHEV and EV. Prices and technology details will be announced next month. Click this Autocar article link, for more.

Ferrari Luce interiorFerrari has shown off some of the interior of their new EV, called the Luce. This has been designed by the Jony Ive’s company. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: FOTUGRAPHYAntony Ingram has written this week’s recommendation, explaining how to take better photographs of your car. This is especially helpful for anyone who wishes to submit their application to be part of the Festival of the Unexceptional Concours de l’Ordinaire. Click the link here to see more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE FINEST MID-ENGINED MARVELSAutocar, once again, supplies the slideshow for you to check out, this week covering mid engned cars. Do you agree with the chap’s choices? Click this link to read more.

AND FINALLY: WALK THE RAC RALLYAuto Shenanigans walks part of the RAC Rally, in Wales, whilst reminiscing about Colin Mcrae. Click this YouTube link here to see what the stages look like now.

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FOLLOW UP: MORE DRAMA FOR RECALLED EX30 OWNERSVolvo is now telling owners not to leave their Extended Range and Twin Motor models unattended when charging indoors or undercover. This is additional to informing them not to charge past 70%. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

NORTHERN IRELAND BRINGS IN GRADUATED LICENSESCome October 1 if you live in Northern Ireland and are a newly licensed driver under the age of 24, you will only be allowed to carry one passenger aged between 14 and 20 for the first six months after passing. This is a first for the UK, with the British Government stating they have no plans to do similar. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

AMPERE TO BE REINTEGRATED INTO RENAULT GROUPAmpere, which is the electric and software division is to be reintegrated into the Renault Group after being split off three years ago. Renault fully own the company anyway, after releasing Nissan and Mitsubishi from their obligations to it. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

VW GROUP CANCELS US FACTORYOliver Blume, VW Group CEO, has stated that they cannot afford to build the planned Audi plant in the US with the planned tariffs. He said that negotiations have not been fruitful and as a result the costs of the tariffs has been in the region of €2.1 billion making large investments unfeasible. To read more on this, click the link here to a Yahoo! Finance story.

ELECTRIC FREIGHTWAY OPENS EHGV CHARGING HUBSElectric Freightway, part of Gridserve, has opened their first HGV charging hubs, at Extra Baldock and Moto Exeter. Baldock has six and Exeter four dedicated charging bays. They intend to open another five sites. You can find out more by clicking this electrive link here.

CHERY TO OPEN EUROPEAN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE HQChery, the Chinese vehicle manufacturer, are going to open their European commercial vehicle HQ in Halewood, England. Details of the time frame and the exact location are yet to be confirmed. This will be where their R&D departments are located. Click this Autocar link for more.

Additionally, there are reports of Chinese car companies looking to use the spare capacity of UK factories to build their vehicles, including Chery utilising it’s joint venture partner JLR’s facilities. For more on this, click this Autocar article link here.

ELECTRIC BUSES TOO BIG FOR SOME DEVON ROUTESStagecoach has stopped using electric buses on Park Road and Hartop Road, in Torquay, due to being too large to safely operate. It is not all bad news for the South West, as the company is bringing electric buses to Torbay. You can read more on this story, by clicking this electrive article link here.

ALL POST-2020 VOLVO CARS TO GET LATEST UI UPDATEVolvo will roll out an over the air update to all of its post 2020 cars that will give them the latest generation UI. Click this Autocar article link, to read more.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES BLINDLY FOLLOW SIGN INSTRUCTIONSResearchers have demonstrated that autonomous vehicles and drones, using embodied AI, are easily tricked by taking a sign instruction over the actual conditions and environment. Work is ongoing to come up with solutions to this problem. To find out ore, click this article link from The Register.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Hyundai Ioniq 6 NHyundai are going give a second electric model the N treatment, this time the Ioniq 6. Sharing the same architecture as the 5N we can expect similar power and range. This time however, the car will be a super saloon. Prices start below £70,000 too. Click this EV Powered article link here.

UK Car of the Year 2026 category winnersAndrew was unable to be on the show last week because he was at the driving day for the UK Car of the Year awards. The category winners have been announced and from that list the 33 judges will cast their vote for the car they deem the best. The overall winner will be announced on 26 February 2026. To see the list of category winners, click this Motoring Research article link here.

You can also read the latest edition of UK Driver, the UK Car of the Year publication by clicking this link here.

Tesla axe the Model S and X and lose their Director of Vehicle Operations and EngineeringFinally Tesla has called time on the Model S and X. The Model S is arguably one of the most important cars of the 21st century. But they are both long in the tooth and the company is turning its focus on humanoid robots and their self driving vehicle. Click this Autocar link to read more on this.

Benjamin Bate, the Director of Vehicle Operations and Engineering is leaving the company after eight years. He is apparently also leaving the automotive industry. Click this electrive article to read more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: PORSCHE GAIN A DESIGNERPorsche has announced that Tobias Sühlmann will be taking up the position of head of design that is being vacated by Michael Mauer who is leaving the company after 21 years. This will mean that now McLaren are on the hunt for a new designer. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: SPARK MOMENTS - PART 2Hagerty bring the second part of two articles written by Charlotte Vowden, who has spoken to enthusiasts to find out how they got into the classic car scene and how to inspire the next generation of drivers to join. This is a wonderful piece which we strongly recommend you read and share or take on board some of the suggestions and see if we can all encourage more to become interested in the classic car scene. Click this link to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 24 TOTALLY CHARMING CARSAutocar are not lying with the headline to this week’s list. Do you agree with the chap’s choices? What would you select above all the others? Click the link here to check out your options.

AND FINALLY: LANDS END TO JOHN O’GROATS THE OLD WAYThank you, to Daniel Puddicombe, for sharing this article with us. Click this link to a Telegraph piece where Ralph Messenger explains how he travelled the length of the country in his Austin 12/4 to raise money for the Motor Neuron Disease Charity.

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GERMANY REINTRODUCES EV CAR GRANTThe German Government has reintroduced their electric car grant that is between €1500 and €6000. Criteria for eligibility include the vehicle’s size, buyer’s earnings and family size. To find out more, click this EV Powered article link here.

RENAULT BECOMES EUROPE’S NO.2 CAR COMPANYRenault Group became the No.2 car maker in Europe after a jump in sales. By doing so they overtook Toyota. They increased their sales by 7.4%, which includes light commercial vehicles. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

BYD INCREASED BATTERY WARRANTYBYD, the Chinese EV maker, has increased the warranty for their batteries to 155,000 miles. This increases from the previous 93,000 miles but still remains at eight years. To learn more, click this Motoring Research article link here.

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES £85M TO LOW CARBON PROGRAMMESIn the 2026/27 budget, from the Scottish Government, they announce that they will be allocating £85 million to ‘low carbon programmes’, with vague language about expanding public charging and support for low emission vehicles. The details, currently, are scant and it would be unwise to get too excited until knowing more. More can be found by clicking this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Volvo EX60Volvo has unveiled their new electric SUV, the mid sized EX60. Boasting a ‘game-changing’ new platform and ‘radical in-car technology’. With a range of up to 503 miles, prices start at £56,850 and rise to £70,360. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

Leapmotor B05Leapmotor has finally revealed the interior of their B05 hatchback, at the recent Brussels Motor Show. Following the trend of a minimalist space, there are virtually no physical buttons to be seen. A maximum range of 285 miles is better than the Astra Electric but much less than the VW ID.3 and Kia EV4. The brand is hoping the price will sway buyers as it is expected to start below £30,000. Exact prices and availability timings are yet to be announced. Click this EV Powered article for more.

Encor S1The Encor S1 is a restomod based on the Lotus Esprit Mk1. See, restomods don’t just need to be 911s! It comes with a carbon fibre body, a 400bhp V8 and will set you back at least £500,000. It looks fantastic. Click this EVO article link here, to see more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: ALRIGHT, WHICH RICH DIPSH*TS COMMISSIONED THESE ROLLS-ROYCESWe are sharing a wonderful article from Victoria Scott, where the bespoke configurations of Rolls-Royce cars from the last year, are evaluated. Not holding back, as you will see, this is well worth your time. Click this link here to the article.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TINY BUT MIGHTYHagerty, once again, brings a list that we think you will enjoy running through, being all about kei sports cars. As ever, whilst there will be a few that you do expect, there are others which are not the usual suspects. Click this link here to check out the options.

AND FINALLY: HOT WHEELS BRICK SHOPHot Wheels has launched a Brick Shop Speed Series. These are cars you build yourself from plastic pieces that snap together. Sound familiar? However, these do closely resemble the real thing, unlike some we have seen. Click this PetrolBlog article link here to see more.

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UK LOVES A GREY CARThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has released the details about the colours we selected in 2025 for new cars that were registered. Once again, claiming the top spot, grey won out. Black was second and blue rounded out the top three. To find out more, click this SMMT article link here.

HONDA LIGHT UP THEIR NEW LOGOHonda has revealed their new ‘H’ logo that will adorn their electric and hybrid vehicles from 2027 onwards. This is a flat, stylised letter H that will be illuminated from behind. Click this Motor Trader article link here, to read more.

MERCEDES PAUSE THEIR LEVEL 3 DRIVING SYSTEMMercedes-Benz are to pause the sale of their Level 3 automated driving system, which under certain circumstances allowed the driver to have their hands off the steering wheel and be looking away from the road. They will only be fitting Level 2 driver assistance systems to cars that previously had the L3 option. If you wish to find out more, click this electrive article link here.

TESLA FSD TO BE SUBSCRIPTION ONLYTesla has announced that customers in the US will no longer be able to purchase the Full Self Driving driver assistance system outright, from the middle of February 2026. But, it can still be added to suitable cars for a subscription. To read more, click this electrive link here.

UK GOVERNMENT INCREASES FUND FOR EHGV GRANTSThe UK Government is adding £18 million to the fund for electric HGV purchase grant. The amount is tiered dependent on the size of the lorry, with up to £120,000 available to help buy HGVs up over 26 tonnes. You can find out further information by clicking this electrive article link here.

SOUTH EAST GET EVEN MORE EV CHARGERSCharging company Zest will be installing over 200 charging points in the Lewisham Council controlled area. Good to hear the South East is getting even more chargers - but more seriously, we need more and we need all the country to be well provided for. Click this electrive article link here for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Mercedes-Benz CLA wins European COTY52 years after the German brand last won a European COTY award, they do so with their latest CLA. Second place, the Skoda Elroq, was 100 points behind. To find out more about the CLA and the European COTY awards, click this Motoring Research article link here.

Skoda PeaqSkoda has revealed the name for their new seven seat electric SUV will be Peaq (pronounced “peak”). Very little else is know, although it is based on the 2022 concept the Vision S7. Click this EV Powered article link here to find out more.

Geely Galaxy CruiserGeely are bringing a rival for the Defender and G-Class to the UK. Based on the concept we saw last year at the Singapore Motor Show it will be based on the Lotus Eletre PHEV. Click this Autocar article link here to find out more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: EVO COTY 2025 AWARDEVO has released the film of their Car of the Year award, for 2025. This year they chose the roads in the South of France to spend a week trying to work out which was their favourite car of the year. Oh, the humanity! Click this YouTube link here to watch the video.

LIST OF THE WEEK: EARLY 90S SUPERSALOONS TO MAKE YOU SWOONHagerty brings us a list about early 1990s super saloons in which to get lost reminiscing about. Do you agree with Andrew’s choice? Click this link here to check out the options.

AND FINALLY: ANDREW RITTER ARTISTWe are recommending an older Classic and Sports Car article about the artist Andrew Ritter and his cartoon style motoring related images. Fabulous work you need to check out, if you haven’t heard of him. Click here to see more.

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FOLLOW UP: UK GOVERNMENT MULLS DRIVING SAFETY CHANGESThe UK Government first mentioned it was looking at some of the rules relating to road safety, back in the summer of 2025, but now has published its Road Safety Strategy which gives more information on proposals aimed at making our roads safer. Aspects being covered at young and elderly drivers, giving councils more powers to change speed limits, technology that is fitted to cars and more. To read this story, click the Autocar article link here. If you wish to visit the Government’s page with a link to the strategy and the five consultations, click this link here.

FOLLOW UP: GEELY TAKES ZEEKR OFF THE STOCK MARKETAs discussed a few months ago, Geely has taken Zeekr back to being a private company and off the stock market. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

FOllow up: jlr cyberattack hit payroll infoDuring the cyberattack on JLR’s systems, information from payroll was accessed. The company has warned staff to be careful of potential phishing and fraud. Click this article link from The Register, to read more.

DECEMBER AND 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES2025 saw registrations creep over 2 million for the first time since 2019. Battery electric vehicles made another solid gain in December, but it was not enough on its own to get to the Government’s mandated level for the year. SMMT made it clear that the discounts the industry is funding cannot continue, especially when the financial pressures are mounting and the introduction of taxes aimed specifically at EV owners could cause some buyers to look elsewhere. If you want to read more, click this SMMT article link here.

GMA LOSES A CEO BUT GAINS £90M INVESTMENTGordon Murray Automotive’s (GMA) CEO, Phil Lee, has left the company. However, Halo Cars Group has invested £90 million and had two of their officers added to the board. The company said the money will help them push forward with the model plans they have. Click this EVO article link here, for more.

FORD FORCED TO TAKE A FINANCIAL HITOutside of the EU, Ford is changing plans when it comes to EVs. They are taking a £14.5 billion hit, as a result. The company says this is a “customer-driven change” but equally, the changes in policy by the US Government has had a big impact on the adoption of EVs. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

MERCEDES FINANCE SERVICES MAKES A BIG LOSSMercedes-Benz Financial Services UK made a loss of £365 million, in 2025. The main reason is setting aside £424 million to their finance mis-selling compensation fund. You can find out more, by clicking this Business Matters Magazine article link here.

TESLA CANCELS CATHODE MATERIAL CONTRACTTesla has effectively cancelled a contract with L&F, a South Korean battery manufacturer, who were to supply up to $2.9 billion worth of cathode material. The contract is now worth $7000. Click this electrive article link to find out more.

CHINA HAS NEW EV ENERGY CONSUMPTION RULESChina has introduced, as of 1 January 2026, new rules regarding the consumption of energy by electric vehicles. These are graded depending on the weight of the vehicle. They are the first country to do so. More on this, can be found via this electrive link here.

THOUSANDS INCORRECTLY CHARGED WITH SPEEDINGThanks to a faulty software update, thousands of UK drivers have been charged with speeding incorrectly. Those who have been fined will be reimbursed and points removed from their license. Police are not using the system until they are satisfied that it is working correctly. To find out more, click this Yahoo! News article link here.

BMW SOFTWARE FAULT HITS X3 STEERINGBMW steering software on some US-based X3s has a fault that causes the steering wheel and front wheels to move without any input from the driver whilst stationary. Owners can either download an OTA update or take the vehicle to their local dealer for it to be fixed. Click this Carscoops article link here.

VOLVO TO RECALL SOME EX30SVolvo is in the process of setting up a recall for UK owners of EX30 Single Motor Extended Range vehicles, due to the risk of fire. There is a problem with the battery pack on this specific model that could ultimately lead to a fire. Until the recall is organised, Volvo has asked that the cars are not charged beyond 70%. You can read more on this, by clicking this EV Powered 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 PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS -Alpine A390The French sports car company are coming out with a 2.1 tonne electric SUV, called the A390. There will be three trim levels on launch and various maximum ranges dependent on where the model sits in those levels. Prices are starting at £61,390. To read more about the vehicle, click this electrive article link here.

Kia K4 SportswagonKia are adding an estate to their K4 hatchback model, to take on the likes of the Skoda Octavia and Peugeot 308 SW. The car is expected to have the same powertrain options and a slight increase to the price. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Mitsubishi to return to the UKMitsubishi is returning to the UK with the latest Outlander PHEV and L200 pickup. The company left the market in 2021 but returns this coming summer. The main question will be can it compete in an increasingly competitive sector? If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: INGENLATH RETURNS TO VOLVOThomas Ingenlath is returning to Volvo, to be the chief design officer, after a stint as CEO of Polestar. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: WAGENER LEAVES MERCEDESGordon Wagener is leaving Mercedes-Benz after 28 years at the company. He has been the Chief Design Officer for the last nine years, with his role being filled by Bastian Baudy, the head of design at Mercedes-AMG. For more on this story, click the EVO link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: DRIVING THE TATA NANOAntony Ingram learns more about the Tata Nano thanks to Siôn Hudson and Jim Magill. Click this Hagerty link here, to find out how the car came to be and what it is like to drive.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 OF THE BEST BADLY DRIVEN CARS ON UK ROADSPetrolblog supplies the first list for you to peruse, in 2026, thanks to Major Gav having to drive an awful lot of miles recently. Do you agree with Alan’s choice or do you have strong feelings about another car? Let him know! Click here to check out all the options!

AND FINALLY: THE ALFAThis is a wonderful short film that really gets across how special a car can be to someone or a family due to more than just looks. Do watch this as it is really very special. Click this YouTube link here to see more.

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Earlier in the year, Alan was invited down to the south coast to sample the then-new Hyundai Inster electric B-segment hatchback. Food was eaten, a hotel room was slept in, and an Inster was driven to the end of Portland Bill on a surprisingly long, comprehensive test route.

In this Special Edition, Alan shares his thoughts on the Inster.

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The 2025 Tokyo Mobility Show took place between 30 October and 9 November 2025. We sat down to run through some of the exhibits that caught our eye. Some of what is discussed is out of this world, whilst others are very much for only one person at a time.

To see more about the Honda Super-one Prototype, click this Carscoops link here.

For more on the BYD Racco, click this Top Gear link here.

To join the chaps in their adoration of the Daihatsu Kayoibako K, click this Carscoops link here.

You can see more about the Toyota Land Cruiser FJ, by clicking this Carscoop link here.

Click this Top Gear link here, to read more about the Subaru STi Concept.

To see more of the very attractive Mazda Vision X Coupe, click this Top Gear link here.

The Lexus LS Concept take luxury MPV to the next stage, you can see more by clicking this Carscoops link here.

Toyota revealed concepts that considered mobility needs of a variety of people, click this Carscoops link to see their vision for handling children. Then for those with restricted mobility, click this link to a Parametric Architecture article.

Toyota had a busy show, they also presented a vehicle platform that would allow the owner to add just the elements required for their needs. Click this Autocar article link here to see more about this clever and fascinating idea.

Honda explored their full catalogue of companies to show off what they are or potentially are capable of. Click this link here for the HondaJet Elite II. To see more about Honda’s reusable rocket, click this link here.

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Earlier in the year Andrew was invited, by Kia, to attend the Milan Design Week and their Eclipse of Perceptions exhibition. In this they showed off the Concept EV2, the PV5 electric van in passenger form and the PV5 WKNDR concept.

You can hear about all three and listen to the designers involved as they tell you more about the vehicles and ideas behind them. Do note, that the interview took place at the exhibition, therefore the sound quality is different.

Special thanks to Kia and their photographer for supplying the majority of the photos you see. The copywrite to the images lies with Kia and the Motoring Podcast, dependent on who took them, they cannot be reproduced without permission.

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FOLLOW UP: JLR SILENCE BRIEFLY BROKEN10 days after the story first came to light that Gerry McGovern, the design chief of JLR, had unceremoniously left the company, they state that isn’t the case and nothing else. No further details, no explanation, nothing. Instead of clearing things up, this has only caused more confusion. Click this Autoevolution article link here to read more.

FOLLOW UP: CRIT’AIR STICKERS STILL NEEDED IN FRANCEDue to the chaotic nature of French politics, currently, the proposed legislation that would have removed clean air zones from the country’s cities has not been passed into law. Therefore, we are warning all that intend to visit the country in the next few months to make sure they have the appropriate stickers and paperwork. If you wish to read more, click this link from The Connexion.

FORD SIGNS DEAL WITH RENAULT Ford has signed a deal with Renault that will mean the Blue Oval will be gaining the small electric car platform from the French firm. This will allow them to create more affordable EVs following how badly their larger electric SUVs are doing in the marketplace. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

BMW GETS A NEW CEOBMW has announced that they have chosen their production expert, Milan Nedeljković, to take over departing Oliver Zipse’s role as CEO. The change will officially take place on 14 May 2026. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

MERCEDES-AMG GETS A NEW CEO Mercedes-AMG has announced Stefan Weckbach will be taking over the role of CEO after leaving Porsche, where he headed up the Taycan product line. To read further about this, click this Autocar link here.

ITALDESIGN SOLD TO A LITTLE KNOWN US FIRMAudi has sold their stake in ItalDesign to a US firm that most will not have heard of, named UST. It is difficult to understand, via their website, exactly what it is they do too. Lamborghini retains their shares. Click this Carscoops article link here, to read more about this story.

EU MOVES ON 2035 ICE BAN REQUIREMENTSFollowing hard lobbying from both nations and the automotive industry the EU is proposing some tweaks to the legislation regarding 2035 ICE bans. To read the first rumblings of this matter, click here for an electrive article link.

To find out the apparent shift in the EU’s position, click this Autocar link here.

RENAULT HITS THE BRAKES ON MOBILIZE PROJECTSRenault has halted most projects that are part of the Mobilize division, with the rest being reduced in scope and size. For more on this, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Vauxhall AstraThe Vauxhall Astra is getting an update, with the external visuals being brought in line with the rest of the range. Additionally a slightly larger battery pack is being fitted which will result in up to an extra 22 miles of range. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

Lexus LFA conceptBased on the same ‘core technologies’ as the Toyota GR GT, we discussed last week, Lexus has revealed their LFA concept. This is an all electric two-seater coupe. Details are still scant and the vehicle is clearly more of a real concept than production ready one. Click this Top Gear article link to read more.

Citroën ELO concept:Citroën has revealed, once again, a small, clever concept that showcases many useful and interesting aspects that would make this MPV a real treat for families and the likes. Unfortunately it won’t get built but to see more about it, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: GERRY MCGOVERN WAS A LARGER THAN LIFE CHARACTER AT JLRFriend of the show, Matteo Licata, has written a wonderfully balance piece on Hagerty’s website all about JLR’s design chief Gerry McGovern. As the situation is as clear as mud, this is well worth your time in reading it. Click this link here to see more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: BEST CHEAP CLASSIC CARS TO BUY IN 2026Honest John has provided the list for you to choose from, this week. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? Don’t forget to let us know. To read more, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: GYMKHANA 2025 TIMES 2There is a new Gymkhana set in Australia and powered by a restomod Subaru Brat. Not only that, but we are recommending you watch this video first, to warm you up, from the Mighty Car Mods channel, as they appear in the Hoonigan video too. Click here to see that.

To watch the full Hoonigan video, click this link here.

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FOLLOW UP: MOTOR FINANCE CLAIMS TO RESTARTThe Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is restarting finance mis-selling claims on 31 May 2026, which is earlier than previously announced. The FCA states this should be enough time for companies to ready their compensation schemes. You can find out more, by clicking this Motor Trade article link here.

NOVEMBER 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe SMMT has released the new car registration figures for November 2025. The overall market dropped 1.6%, year on year. Battery electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid numbers all rose, with petrol and diesel dropping. Fleet once again is the major market, at 61% of all registrations, whilst Private and Business make up the rest. Click this link to see more, from SMMT.

VAUXHALL LOSE THEIR MD Steve Catlin has left his role as managing director of Vauxhall, after only eight months in charge. Citing “personal reasons”, his seat will be taken over by Stellantis UK managing director Eurig Druce. If you wish to find out more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

ZIPCAR PAUSES UK OPERATIONS DUE TO LOSSESZipcar, a car sharing company operating in the UK but is US based, is pausing all operations in this country due to £11.7 million loss in 2024. Blaming charging costs, insurance and larger than expected depreciation the company has opened a consultation with employees. Additionally, from 2 January 2026 EVs will be liable for the Congestion Charge in central London. To read more, click this Autocar article here.

BEE NETWORK SPEEDS UP EV FLEET SIZETransport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is investing £65 million to enable more of the bus fleet to be electric as well as move the train-tram development for one particular corridor. If you would like to find out more, click this Sustainable Bus article link here.

ROYAL MAIL GAINS ELECTRIC HGVS FOR MIDLANDS AND NORTH WESTRoyal Mail is going to use electric HGVs at their North West and Midlands hubs, delivering between the hubs and mail centres. They will be utilising eight vehicles which will replace diesel versions. You can read more, by clicking this edie article link here.

NEW ‘WOMEN IN AUTOMOTIVE’ JOURNAL LAUNCHEDRygor Group, a car retail company, has launched a ‘Women in Automotive’ journal, to help inspire, inform and empower women and girls where they hopefully pursue a career in the automotive world. Women from across the company, as well as partners such as Ben, The Automotive Charity and Motor Trader, have had their advice published. If you want to find out more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Mercedes-Benz GLBMercedes has released information about their new GLB SUV that will come with the option of EV or hybrid petrol powertrains. Utilising the MMA compact cars architecture, even though it is a seven seat vehicle. Prices are expected to be around £41,000 for the hybrid and around £50,000 for the EV. Click this Autocar article link to find out more.

Toyota GR GTToyota surprised us all with the unveiling of ‘a race car for the road’, which they back up by also showing off an FIA GT3 spec version. Power comes from a new V8 combined with a hybrid powertrain that will give a boost rather than any electric only running. This large two seater coupe’s design is all about function rather than form. Click this EVO article link here for more information.

Hyundai Crater conceptHyundai revealed a rugged off-road concept, from their XRT range, at the LA Mobility Show. This is a small SUV that is designed for adventure and looks great. There is no indication as to how much will make it to future models but we’d love to see this in production. Click this Top Gear article link for more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: GERRY MCGOVERN LEAVES JLRLast week shocking reports started to swirl around the internet, that Gerry McGovern had been unceremoniously kicked out of JLR. A week later we are none the wiser as to what has actually gone on and why. The silence is a worry as it is allowing the rumour mill to come up with a variety of possible stories. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: UNFINISHEDNew to us outlet, Alloy, is where we are linking you to this week as Tim Stevens discusses how what he saw previously in software and gaming is being mirrored by software in cars and this is not a good thing. To read our recommendation, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 10 MISUNDERSTOOD CLASSICSHagerty provides the thought provoking list, this week. Possibly challenging you to reconsider your opinion on ten classics. Click this link here to see your options.

AND FINALLY: AUTO DIDAKT MERCEDES SL REVIEWAuto Didakt reviews the Mercedes-Benz SL (R129). Always an enjoyable and educational event, click this YouTube link to enjoy.

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UK AUTUMN BUDGET ANNOUNCED The UK Government finally announced the autumn Budget, after weeks of leaks and rumours. There was some motoring related aspects, most notable being from 2028 new electric and plug-in hybrid car drivers will have to pay-per-mile which is additional to previously announced measures. How this is to be run has yet to be decided, with a consultation being conducted in early 2026.

More money is being allocated the Electric Car Grant, increasing the pot by a further £1.3 billion.

Additionally, the luxury car tax will increase, only for EVs, to £50,000, following a lot of lobbying by industry.

Click this EV Powered article link here, to read more.

MOTABILITY FORCED TO REMOVE PREMIUM CARS FROM SCHEMEThanks to a dishonest and disgusting campaign, that attacked those with extra mobility needs, Motability has been forced to removed premium brand vehicles from their scheme before the Government caved to such abhorrent pressure and pushed to remove nice things from a segment of society. There are many reasons, both factual and moral, why this did not need to happen. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

NCAP TO REVISE ADAS TESTING As this show has stated many times, along with others in the automotive media, the current raft of ADAS safety systems are not fit for use on public roads. NCAP has announced they are revising the testing standards and procedures for them. After admitting they are not good enough, by the way they will now be tested, NCAP is finally doing something. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

SOUTHEND-ON-SEA GETS BIG CHARGER BOOSTEV charging company Zest has been selected to install 3,000 public charging points across the city. This will be a mix of on-street chargers in lamp posts, as well as fast and rapid charging stations. If you want to read more, click this electrive article link here.

NORTH LINCOLNSHIRE GETS SOME NEW CHARGERSBeliev has been chosen to install up to 470 fast and rapid chargers across the region, over the coming years. Very limited details have been revealed, such as some of the charging stations will be fitted to some ‘key’ car parks. To learn more, click this electrive article link here.

GOVERNMENT DECIDES PHYSICS DOESN’T APPLY TO E-VANSThe UK Government, following hard lobbying by fleet operators who didn’t pay attention to details, is going to reclassify electric vans in a way that removes them from being classified as HGVs, even though they are overweight. One of the key elements of doing this will be not requiring a first year MOT. In the same week as it was shown that a quarter of all vans fail their first MOT. For more on the reclassification of e-vans, click this electrive article link here.

To learn about one aspect that makes this a very dumb idea, click this Motoring Research article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Dacia JoggerDacia are updating the seven seat, affordable family car for only £25 more than the outgoing version. The revisions include external and internal design features, plus revised technology to match the rest of the range. Click this Top Gear article link here to read more.

Renault Traffic E-TechRenault has shown the world their new electric van, the Traffic E-Tech. With ranges from nearly 217 miles all the way up to 278, there is flexibility across trims. There will be a two tonne towing weight and a load capacity of 1.25 tonnes. 15-80% charging is expected to be 20 minutes if the right charger and environmental conditions are met. Click this EV Powered article link here to read more.

Genesis Magma GT ConceptGenesis wants to go GT racing, or more specifically set up the ability to enable customer racing, which they announced with the Magma GT Concept. They will need to build 200 road going versions to be eligible to join GT racing series. This is not the final design as that is still being worked on but will largely remain the same when finally revealed. Click this Top Gear article link to read more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: PROJECT BINKY EPISODE 42The ongoing and lengthy project run by Richard Brunning and Nik Blackhurst, turning a rusty old Mini into a monster version of itself continues with the latest video. Episode 42 sees them tackle more jobs on the interior. Click this YouTube link to see more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 31 TIMES HONDA GOT IT RIGHTOnce again Classic & Sports Car provides the list we are recommending you lose some time to by checking out some of the best Honda cars. Do you agree with the chap’s choices? What would you pick, if you could have any from the list? Click this link here to see your options.

AND FINALLY: RENAULT AUCTIONS OFF THE VAULTOn December 7 2025, Renault will be selling off a huge number of cars from their vault. These include models, concepts and motor racing vehicles. Think of this as a second List of the Week. There are some stunning and evocative cars to check out. To see more, click this Carscoops article link which has a number of slideshows embedded in it.

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One last solo show from Alan before Andrew returns and regular service resumes.

This week, we have a follow-up on the Dutch/Chinese Chip Wars and the prices of the new Nissan Leaf.

New news includes management changes at Gordon Murray Group, VW’s Chief Strategist making an exit, Hyundai opening a new testing centre in Germany, Bollinger Motors shutting up shop, and Wrightbus covering EV buses into, err, EV buses.

New Car News includes the MG S6 EV, the Jeep Recon, and the crazy-powerful Porsche Cayenne Electric.

In Points of Interest we look at the moments people become interested in “automotive stuff”, we have a list of 20 affordable coachbuilt cars, and we round off with a look at the Hot Wheels Legands finalists.

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It’s another solo show from Alan this week, and it starts with a follow-up on JLR’s financial situation following the recent cyber attack. New news this week involves Stellantis cancelling contracts to EV raw materials, the possibility that TVR will twitch back to life, calls for the government to support used EV values for fleets, while one fleet provider is trying to make them more attractive through a salary sacrifice scheme. Meanwhile, one EV charging provider is installing ANPR to combat ICE-ing at its chargers. Lastly, Amazon has ordered a lot of electric HGVs for its UK operations.

New New Car News covers the Bentley Continental GT Supersports, Maserati and Alfa twinning-up, and Mitsubishi Motors in a proposed return to the UK market.

Points of Interest include part 3 of the Citroen DS story, and a list of 10 winter-friendly modern classics.

And Finally, we see if Ed March can finish his ridiculous mini-JEEP adventure.

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It’s a solo show from Alan this week, and starts with lots of Follow Up. The FCA has extended the motor finance redress consultation, the UK car industry shows UKGov the high price of ending ECOS, and China has made an exception for some Nexperia chips.

New News this week includes New Car Registration Figures for October, profit analysis for Bentley and Lamborghini, a new boss at Caterham, and cybersecurity gaps in Chinese buses.

New New Car News looks at the just-unveiled Renault Twingo, some likely fleet favourites from BYD and a lot of shiny stuff at SEMA.

Points of Interest bring us Jim and Siôn’s epic charity adventure, and some lovely models from Autocar. We end up on a steamy story of an And Finally.

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FOLLOW UP: MATT WINDLE OFFICIALLY LEAVES LOTUSBack in August we said that Matt Windle had resigned as Lotus Europe CEO, but actually he was on a ‘leave of absence’. However, he has now officially announced that he has left Lotus after eight and a half years with the company. You can read more, including the challenges facing the sports car maker, by clicking this EVO article link here.

VW GROUP PROFITS PLUNGEVolkswagen Group has announced their financial results for the first nine months of 2025 and they are bad. With a 58% drop in profits, described as “unsustainable” by the company, at €5.4 billion and a pre-tax profit margin of 2.3%. The usual reasons were given, Chinese market drop, tariffs and the slowdown in electrified transition with Porsche’s write-down also being mentioned. To fix this they will be ensuring their cost cutting measures really take effect. Click this Autocar article for more.

MERCEDES-BENZ PROFITS PLUNGEMercedes-Benz’s third quarter profits fell by 30.8%, surprisingly this was better than analysts expected. The company said the results were in line with their adjusted projection, from earlier in the year. To find out more click this Yahoo!Finance article link here.

POLESTAR AT RISK OF STOCK MARKET DE-LISTINGPolestar are running the risk of being de-listed from the Nasdaq stock market due to their share price falling below the accepted minimum requirement. Their share price is below one dollar and they have until 29 April to get it above the threshold or will be removed from the index. Click this Carscoops article link here for more.

UK ELECTRIC MOTOR START UP PARTNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENTAdvanced Electric Machines, a UK based start up that is developing electric motors without using rare earths, has announced a partnership with a significant automotive supplier. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

FRANCE OPENS INDUCTIVE CHARGING ROADLocated near Angervilliers, close to Paris, a stretch of motorway has been adapted to provide inductive charging to vehicles travelling along the road. The section is 1.5 kilometres long. For more on this, click this link here to read an electrive article.

NEW FRENCH GOVERNMENT BACKED EV SCHEME POPULARThe French Government has reopened their EV leasing scheme aimed at less well off households. In the space of four weeks it has reached over 41,500 applications and will be closed once it hits 50,000. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

EV DRIVER TRACKER YEAR 1The Department for Transport commissioned an investigation into the habits of UK electric vehicle drivers to find out what the reality is. The first of these reports has been published and it is illuminating. Also the tone and direction of the narrative around the ‘discourse’ is made clear due to who is an EV driver and their circumstances. Additionally, some of the claims made by many turn out to not be reflected in the data collated. Everyone involved in discussing EVs needs to read and fully understand the information as it can help the transition to zero emission vehicles but only if all concerned start being honest and open. Click this link here to read the findings.

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 - Honda PreludeIn the last week, the embargoes of driving the new Honda Prelude have lifted. This is a two door coupe based on the Civic, which enters the market at a strange time. We applaud that it is not yet another SUV but are curious who this is for. Irrespective of that we hope it finds an audience and is successful. Click this Autocar review to learn more.

Smart #5Smart are bringing their largest vehicle to date, the #5, to the UK starting at a fraction under £40,000. This electric SUV is going up against the likes of the Skoda Enyaq and Hyundai Ioniq 5. There are a host of trims and powertrain options all the way up to a Brabus version that tops the range. Click this EV Powered article to learn more.

Seat Ibiza and AronaSeat are facelifting the Ibiza and Arona, now that the VW Group realise the brand adds to the bottom line in a positive way. Once again the Spanish company is doing a lot with so little and these will continue to be popular models. Click this Top Gear article link here to find out more.

LUNCHTIME READ: LA DÉESSE - BEYOND THE MYTH - EPISODE TWOFollowing on from last week, your recommended reading this week is, again, from Driven to Write. This is the second part of Patrick le Quément series on the Citroën DS and it’s history. Click the link here to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 26 TIMES MAZDA GOT IT RIGHTClassic & Sports Car has compiled a slideshow with 26 wonderful examples from the Japanese company’s back catalogue. Do you agree with the choices? What would you pick instead, if not? Click this link to view the options.

AND FINALLY: DON’T SHELVE THAT IDEAStu Bird brings you a video about the Citroën Visa parcelshelf that is actually quite clever. Do click the YouTube link here to learn more and be entertained.

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FOLLOW UP: IMPACT OF JLR SHUTDOWNProfessor David Bailey has written up a piece on Blogs from the Blackstuff following a report from the Cyber Monitoring Centre (CMC), which outlines the cost of the JLR shutdown and it is large. The estimated cost is in the region of £1.9 billion but could be as high as £2.1 billion. Over 5,000 businesses were affected. The CMC hopes businesses, the Government and insurers to learn lessons. To read more, click this article link here.

NEW CHIP CRISIS LOOMINGAnother week and another example of how crucial China is to making things. This time there is a spat between Dutch and the Chinese Governments over the chip maker Nexperia after the Chinese CEO was removed and the European country took control of the company. They supply a lot of the car industry, particularly the electric car making segment. China has restricted exports of their chips, which means the company cannot guarantee reliable supply. For more on this story, click this link to an electrive article here.

PORSCHE PROFITS PLUMMET AGAINPorsche has released their financial results for the last quarter and they are, once again, poor. They had an operating loss of €966 million, with return on sales for the year dropping to just 0.2% after being 14.1% the year before. Click this Piston Heads article link here, for more.

FORD EUROPE FINDS A NEW BOSSFord Europe are to get a new president, Jim Baumbick, who moves from global head of product development and head of advanced product development. He takes the reigns on 1 November 2025. The role has been vacant for some time. If you want to read more, click this electrive article link here.

UK GOVERNMENT HELP TOYOTA BUILD A CARToyota is receiving £15 million investment from the UK Government to explore the feasibility of bringing their FT-Me Concept to market. Think IQ size and it being a quadracycle, with the idea of it being used in high density urban areas. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

WAYMO SELF-DRIVING CARS TO TEST IN LONDONWaymo is bringing some of their autonomous vehicles to London, to take part in a Government backed trial. They will join Uber, in the spring. For more on this story, click this Autocar link.

For some context, here is a link to a Bluesky thread that demonstrates had bad Waymo is at autonomous driving (and it is the least worst at it!).

LORDS PUSH FOR ACCESSIBILITY AT EV CHARGERSThe House of Lords has backed an amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, that would make accessibility standards legally binding for EV chargers if approved in the House of Commons. Click this link from EV Powered 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 - Geely EX5Geely, the parent company of Volvo, Polestar and Lotus, is coming to the UK with it’s own vehicles. They start with the EX5, an electric SUV. They will be offering incredible discounts from the outset to entice buyers. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

Chery Tiggo 9Chery is bringing a new PHEV with seven seats and up to 91 miles of electric only range, all for £43,105. There will be a 1.5 litre petrol engine mated to their ‘Super Hybrid’ system, to give 422bhp, which seems excessive for a family car. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

BYD Atto 2 DM-i Super HybridThe first compact PHEV for the UK market will arrive in 2026, from BYD. Whilst information is scant, the claims are about 56 miles of electric only range and a total range up to around 633 miles. The company hopes to temp buyers with the fact it is the only PHEV in this segment. Click this EV Powered link for more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: ALEXANDRE MALVAL JOINS RENAULTAlexandre Malval is joining Renault as vice president of design, for the brand. He moves from Mercedes-Benz, where he was the head of the International Design Centre. To find out more, click this Car Design News article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: LA DÉESSE - BEYOND THE MYTHYour recommended reading this week is from Driven to Write. Patrick le Quément is bringing part one of a series on the Citroën DS and it’s history. As ever the writing is fantastic and so are the accompanying images that dot the piece. Click here to read this wonderful piece.

LIST OF THE WEEK: SAME CAR DIFFERENT NAMEWe return to Autocar and they bring a slideshow about cars that were sold by different manufacturers. Do you agree with the choices? What would you pick? Click here to see what is on offer.

AND FINALLY: THE CANNOLI-BALL RUN 2025Jim and Siôn from AlsoDriven are o going to undertake a mad caper whilst raising money for MIND charity. Click this YouTube video link to see more, including how to donate if you are able to!

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FOLLOW UP: UK DIESELGATE TRIAL BEGINSA trial has begun in the UK High Court to decide if some manufacturers used software to pass emission tests but then acted differently outside of test conditions. The brands all deny the charge. To read more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

FOLLOW UP: JLR RESTARTS ALL PRODUCTION LINESJLR has now started the last of their production lines following the chaos from the cyber attack at the start of September. Halewood was the last facility to get back up. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

PORSCHE FINDS A NEW BOSSFollowing the announcement that Oliver Blume would relinquish his role as CEO of Porsche the company has been searching for a replacement. Ex-McLaren CEO Michael Leiters returns to the brand to lead it, allowing Blume to focus on his Volkswagen Group role. You can learn more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

TOYOTA GB FINDS A NEW BOSSToyota GB has announced that Luigi Ksawery Lucá will be the new prsident and managing director of the company, as Scott Thompson will be returning to Toyota Australia. Lucá starts in the role from 1 January 2026. For more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

CARDIFF PARKING PLANCardiff Council has announced how they will be revamping parking within the city. Unfortunately, nearly all of the reporting on the matter has been shockingly bad thanks to equating weight with size. There are no restrictions to the size of a car, being introduced only the weight. Cars over 2400kg revenue weight (gross weight) will face a surcharge for a parking permit. This includes EVs. However, they plan to phase in a reduced weight for the surcharge, of 2000kg revenue weight that will exempt EVs. Do residents actually know what cars will be charged extra? In all likelihood they are going to be surprised, especially when the reduced limit comes into force. To read one of the better articles out there on this story, click this Motoring Research link here.

To read the Cardiff City Council parking plan, click this link here.

QUICK FIRE CATCH UP ON EV RELATED NEWSTo read about the new funds for Cornish Lithium, click this electrive article link here.

To read about Duracell entering the ultra-rapid charging network space, click this electrive article link here.

To read about Blink Charging being engaged in a West Yorkshire charging infrastructure project, click this electrive article link here.

To read about Openreach’s deal with myenergi for staff home chargers, click this link here from EV Powered.

To read about Compleo leaving the UK charging market, click this electrive link here.

To read about BP Pulse and Moto installing lorry chargers at motorway services, click this electrive article link here.

To read about E.ON testing a booking system for charging EV lorries, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Cupra Formentor updateCupra is going to fit the same engine from the Audi RS3 into their Formentor, boosting power and performance but also the price. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

Alfa Romeo TonaleAlfa is already updating the Tonale, increasing the width of the track, changing the grille and powertrain options. Will this help boost sales? Time will tell. To find out more, click this Top Gear article link here.

VW ID.4 and ID.5 eligible for ECGVolkswagen has gained approval for Level 2 of the Electric Car Grant (ECG), enabling it to take advantage of a £1500 from the UK Government, for some versions of the ID.4 and ID.5. Click this Motor Trader article link here to find out the details.

LUNCHTIME READ: WHEN PERFORMANCE MAGAZINE CLOSED TWO WRITERS AND A SUBARU KEPT DRIVINGThis week’s recommended read is a light hearted piece about when Performance Magazine closed and EVO came into being, thanks to Richard Porter’s imagination. Click this EVO link here to put a smile on your face.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HERE ARE NINE OF THE BEST CLASSIC CAR INTERIORSThis week we have a Top Gear list to chose from, all about the best car interior. Do you agree with Andrew’s choice or would you go for something else. Click this link to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: HOW TO BE A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN AND KINDThe Autopian has the article that rounds the show out with a heartwarming story of a cardboard manufacturing magnate who used some of his wealth to help others by overpaying for their cars when they were in need. He’s now putting all those cars up for auction. Click this link to read more.

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FOLLOW UP: FCA FINANCIAL REDRESS CONSULTATIONFollowing the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that some forms of historical car financing was illegal the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has opened a consultation into how those effected should be compensated. Some from within industry are unhappy at what is being covered and the potential exposure in terms of repayments. To find out more, click this article link here from Broker News.

STELLANTIS MANAGEMENT AND PLAN CHANGESStellantis are getting a new European boss, with Emanuele Capellano taking over from Jean-Philippe Emperato, who takes the reigns at Maserati. This is the latest move by the new CEO of the group, Antonio Felosa, as he continues to shape the company in a way he feels will bring success. Click this Autocar article for more.

Talking of shaping the company, in the US Stellantis announce a huge investment of over £10 billion to help the North American brands bring new models to market including, it is being suggested, V8 power plants. Click this Carcoops article link here to find out more.

ASTON MARTIN PROFIT WARNINGAston Martin gave a warning to investors that it will not hit the target of profitability by the end of 2025, as hoped. Blame is being laid at the feet of weak demand and delays to the Valhalla hypercar. Adding further pain is that they share several suppliers with JLR who have been dealing with the knock on effect of the cyberattack. If you wish to read more, click this Business Matters article link here.

MUNRO GETS FURTHER INVESTMENTMunro, the Scottish off-road EV start up, has secured a further £2 million funding from an existing and other investors. This will enable them to expand their production facilities and create up to 300 new jobs as they aim for an annual production capacity of 5000 vehicles by 2031. To read more about this success story, click the EV Powered link here.

CHINA RESTRICTS RARE EARTH EXPORTS AGAINChina is reminding the world exactly how much power it has, in terms of controlling global manufacturing, by adding more restrictions to some rare earths that are used across industries, including automotive. You can find out more, by clicking this Chatham House article link here.

To read the latest from Ed Conway, about rare earths, click this Substack link here.

JEEP OTA UPDATE BRICKS CARSAnother week and another story of an Over the Air (OTA) update having unintended consequences on cars and their owners. This time Jeep issued an update last week that has put some cars in ‘limp home mode’, whilst others have been bricked. Once more, much of the car industry does not seem to get software and how much harm doing it badly reflects back on manufacturers. Click this link from The Autopian to read more.

2024 UK ROAD SAFETY STATISTICSThe UK Government has published the 2024 Road Safety Statistics report, which have a slight percentage reduction but are effectively a flat line on the last 14 odd years.

To be noted this year is a change from how incidents are reported by police as no longer are Contributing Factors (CF) used but instead Road Safety Factors (RSF). There are six groups and new coding within each group and the changes are strange, some might say over stretching their remit. One example is the group “Speed”, this has six codes, of which only two have anything to do with speed and should be classed elsewhere. Additionally, most police forces are yet to use RSF in reporting, if they report at all.

When dissecting the figures, you will not be surprised that following the recoding “Speed” is scored the most. They have even changed last year’s report to reflect this new way of doing things, and “Speed” is now the number one factor when it was fifth or sixth in the old system.

To read the annual report, click this Department for Transport link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - ‘Affordable’ TeslasTesla has revealed images and details of their ‘affordable’ Model Y and Model 3s. Essentially they have stripped them of much and yet only shaved around $5000 off the price. You can find out more by clicking this link from The Autopian.

Dacia Spring refreshDacia has refreshed the driving dynamics and power for the Spring, which retaining the 140 WLTP mile range. Prices are expected to remain the same. This should mean it outperforms the Leapmotor T03, which is their only competator at the price point. Click this link from Autocar for more.

Aston Martin DB12 S Good job Aston Martin said the DB12 S was new as its really hard to tell the difference these days. But they have fettled with lots of handling and chassis settings to improve the handling and control of the car. Power is up too. Click this EVO article link here to play spot the difference.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: CATALYTIC CONVERTERS ARE SIMPLETechnology Connections YouTube channel has started a new series focusing on the engine side of cars, with the first video explaining catalytic converters and how they work. Thanks to a great presentation style you’ll enjoy learning all about them. Click this link here to watch.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 34 TIMES JAPANESE MARQUES GOT IT RIGHTClassic & Sports Car provides yet another list for you to enjoy, this time 34 of the big hitters from Japan. Click this link here to try and pick just one from those suggested, we found that a very hard task.

AND FINALLY: SUBARU SVX 30 YEARS ONWe are effectively giving you a Lunchtime Read as the And Finally, thanks to Jon Burgess fighting off the internet telling him “facts” and “the truth” about a car he himself actually owns. This is a great read about a wonderful car, click this Hagerty link here to read all about it.

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FOLLOW UP: JLR WOES STILL CONTINUE BUT MORE PROGRESSJLR continues to battle the effects of the cyber attack that caused them to shut all systems on 1 September, 2025. They are still waiting on signed approval of the Government guarantee for 80% of the loan they are seeking. In the meantime, they are going to inject up to £500 million into their first tier suppliers to help them after no payments for over a month. Click this Business Matters article link here, to read more.

The phased restarting of factory operations is expected to begin on 8 October, 2025 (day of publication of this episode). Click the link here, to find out the latest update from Autocar’s coverage.

SEPTEMBER 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATIONSThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has released the new car registration figures, for September 2025. This is the best September since 2020, with BEVs taking a market share, for the month of 23.3%, whilst petrol still remains the most popular fuel. Fleet sector did most of the heavy lifting, being 55.7% of registrations. Private dropped to 41.9%, although the actual number did increase on 2024. There are new models in the Top Models list. Suggestions are that the Government’s Electric Car Grant (ECG) is having a positive effect on this. But don’t forget, the way the ECG is set up means it is possible to abuse the system, not that we are saying this has happened. To read more, click this article link from SMMT.

RENAULT PLANNING TO ASK FOR VOLUNTARY REDUNDANCIESUnder the name “Arrow”, Renault will be implementing cost saving initiatives such as asking for voluntary redundancies from non production roles, to the tune of 3,000. The final plan is still being worked on and is expected by the end of the year. For more on this story, click this Yahoo!Finance article link here.

RENAULT AND DACIA CUSTOMER DATA HACKED IN THE UKRenault and Dacia UK customers have had their data accessed by hackers, who go into a supplier’s system. Customers are being warned to be careful of scams and attempts to defraud them as a result. You can read more on this, by clicking the link here to an article from The Register.

EV CHARGING COMPANY HACKEDDigital Charging Solutions (DCS), a German based company, has admitted to being hacked. This does affect some UK drivers, as Kia customers have been warned to be vigilant. Click this article link from The Register, to read more.

NEARLY ALL CHARGER OPERATORS FAIL RELIABILITY OBJECTIVESThe Public Charge Point Regulations mandate that charger operators must ensure their chargers are operational 99% of the time. Only 4% meet this requirement. Lots of blame being thrown around as to why. To learn more, click this EV Powered article link here.

PUBLIC CHARGING STRUGGLING FOR PROFITABILITYThe public vehicle charging network has released information to try and show how the business is struggling for profitability. For example, standing charges for a ‘typical’ hub have increased from £99 to £8600 per year, according to Osprey. On top of which, the VAT rate is 15% higher than for home charging. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Dacia Hipster conceptDacia has revealed a concept car, called the Hipster, which explores what a European derived kei-car type vehicle could be. Lots of effort has gone into weight saving, modularity and keeping costs down. Really quite a fascinating study especially around pushing consumers into thinking about what they exactly need. Click this Autocar link here, to see more.

Lamborghini Manifesto conceptLamborghini has shown off their latest concept which explores what future vehicles could look like from the brand. There are very obvious queues from their heritage and this is unmistakably a Lambo, but there are also some interesting aspects that could prove exciting if they are utilised in future cars. Click this EVO link here, to see more.

WhatCar? reliability survey 2025 WhatCar? has published their annual reliability survey, where they canvass members of the public to fill out a questionnaire on cars up to five years old and then score the results. The Nissan Juke gets the most stick, but Nissan are questioning the results. Brand wise MG is worst with Nissan and Fiat making up the bottom three. At the other end of the scale Honda will be happiest, with Mini and Suzuki rounding out the top three. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE ATOMIC AGESteve Cropley and Matt Prior bring us the history of the British success story, Ariel. Profitable from the very first car, they have continued to evolve and grow, with plans for expanding production now financed. To read more on this wonderful story, click this Autocar article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 35 TIMES MERCEDES-BENZ GOT IT RIGHTClassic & Sports Car provide another fabulous list for us to recommend to you, this time all about Mercedes-Benz. Run through some of the highlights of their back catalogue, by clicking this article link here.

AND FINALLY: BREAKING THE HOT WHEELS LAWPetrolblog are the hosts of this week’s And Finally. Read about the shocking story of a person who buys a Hot Wheels car and doesn’t post it on social media! Tongue firmly in cheek many of you may feel a bit seen, it has to be said. Click this link to read all about this shocking turn of events.

This gives us the opportunity to let you know, in case you missed it, that Club Petrolblog has relaunched. You should check out this link here to see what it is all about and how you can obtain your membership by supporting a creator who brings a lot of fun to the car corner of the internet.

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FOLLOW UP: JLR WOES STILL CONTINUE BUT SOME PROGRESSWhilst JLR is still battling against the hack that caused them to shut all their systems down on the 2 September, there is some positive progress. The company has started a phased process of turning back on some systems and they expect to begin limited car production later this week. On top of that, the Government has guaranteed 80% of a loan the company is seeking to take out to help cover the costs resulting from the shutdown. To find out the latest, click this Autocar article link here.

Link to Professor David Bailey’s piece explaining about the loan JLR has taken out and the UK Government has guaranteed a portion of, can be clicked here.

VW GROUP PAUSING EV PRODUCTIONDue to a lower demand than anticipated, the Volkswagen Group is pausing EV production in several factories. The factories in Zwickau and Emden in Germany, as well as Tennessee in the US, will pause production of various electric models in the coming weeks. Tariffs are also impacting the finances of the company which is already struggling to cut costs. Click this InsideEVs article link here to read more.

STELLANTIS PAUSING PRODUCTION ACROSS EUROPEStellantis is another company that is pausing their car production facilities due to cost savings, lacklustre sales figures and the impact of the tariffs. Pomigliano factory, in Italy, is currently not making the Fiat Panda and Alfar Romeo Tonale. The Poissy site, in France, will pause production for the middle of October. On top of that facilities in Poland, Spain and Germany are also expected to follow suit. If you want to find out more, click this Carscoops article link here.

BENTLEY TO FOLLOW PORSCHE AND KEEP ICE IN LINEUPIn what should be no surprise to anyone, Bentley will be keeping combustion engine powertrain options in their cars contrary to the previous ‘Beyond100’ plan, just as Porsche has announced. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

BOSCH CUTS JOBSBosch is cutting up to 13,000 jobs on top of the previously announced 9,000. This is a result of trying to save €2.5 billion. Of note, Bosch is the world’s largest automotive supplier. For more on this story, click the link here to an electrive article.

FRANCE REVIEWING NISSAN SUPPLIER PAYMENTSThe French Government has asked to see Nissan’s payments to suppliers. There is no indication as to why this has occurred nor is there a suggestion Nissan has done anything wrong. In France companies have to pay invoices within 60 days. Click this Yahoo!Finance article to read more.

CHANGES IN MERCEDES MANAGEMENTCTO Markus Schäffer is leaving Mercedes-Benz, after 30 years service. Jörg Burzer will move from head of production, quality and supply chain management to replace him. That means Michael Schiebe will move on from being in charge of Mercedes-AMG to take up Burzer’s old role. A new head of Mercedes-AMG is to be announced later. To read more, click this Autocar link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Kia StonicKia are updating their small Crossover, the Stonic. Design changes bring it bang up to date with the ‘Opposites United’ design language. Interestingly, there will be a manual option. Powertrains offered will both use a 1.0l three-cylinder petrol engine, with one only using that and the other mating it to a mild hybrid. No confirmation on prices yet, but expect it to be a bit more than the existing which starts at 22,085. Click this Autocar article link for more.

TypeH Citroën e-Relay H Van Citroën, thanks to TypeH, are offering to H Van-like the e-Relay, where they retrofy the outside of the electric Relay van. Probably quite niche but fun that they do it nonetheless. To find out more, click this Motoring Research article link here.

GMA Le Mans GTR and S1 LMGordon Murray Automotive has shown off two special cars inspired by the McLaren F1 GTR LM, the Le Mans GTR and S1 LM. All have been sold and only a very small number are being made. Which is a shame as they are great looking, particularly the S1 LM. But they are not all show and no go, as they are fitted with V12s. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: RADWOOD 2025 RECAPAt the end of August, there was the 2025 RADwood meet up, where people celebrate the 80s and 90s through the medium of cars. Many also don period dress for the full affect. Click this link here, from Hagerty to catch up on what happened and who won what!

LIST OF THE WEEK: 32 TIMES FIAT GOT IT RIGHTClassic & Sports Car provide a fabulous list with Fiat’s back catalogue to pick from. Obviously there are some usual suspects, but also some you may not know. Click this link here to check out what options there are.

AND FINALLY: SNAPSHOT OF HISTORYPhotographer Philip Butler has captured 226 garages and service stations, across the country, to document the design and architecture these buildings have before they are lost. Click this link here to visit his site and also find a link in the article taking you a page where you can buy this wonderful book for a very reasonable price.

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FOLLOW UP: JLR WOES STILL CONTINUEJLR have put back their proposed production restart from 24 September to 1 October as they continue to try and deal with the hack on their systems where the effects became apparent on 1 September. What has only started to be appreciated is the knock-on effect the closures have had on suppliers to the company. Staff have been told to apply for Universal Credit, due to stopped wages, and many are calling on a furlough scheme to be instigated by the Government.

To read more about the ongoing issues for JLR, click this Autocar article link here.

To gain an understanding of the affects down the supply chain, click this article link from The Record.

CITROËN ISSUES NEW NO-DRIVE WARNINGCitroën UK has issued a new no-drive warning, covering the C3, ë-C3, C3 Aircross and ë-C3Aircross, due to potential brake failure. This no-drive notice is on top of the other two the company is already dealing with. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

PORSCHE DELAY EV MOVE GIVING VW GROUP $6BN PROFIT HITPorsche has announced that they are delaying their move to EVs as had been expected. The Panamera and Cayenne will have ICE and hybrid options into 2030, rather than going all electric. Likewise the new 718 models. The projected hit to Volkswagen Group profits is a smidgen under $6 billion, following this move. You can read more by clicking this Yahoo! Finance article link here.

NISSAN SHRINKS LONDON DESIGN STUDIO AND CLOSES OTHERSNissan cost cutting efforts have been turned to the design studios across the globe. Those in California and Brazil will be shut, with the Paddington studio expected to lose some staff numbers too. Click this Autocar article link here.

FORD CUTS JOBS IN GERMANYDue to much weaker than expected sales of the Explorer and Capri, Ford has announced that it is cutting up to 1,000 jobs at their Cologne factory. This is on top of the previous 2,900 jobs that went at the end of 2024.If you wish to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

TOM MATANO HAS PASSED AWAYTom Matano was the designer of the first two generations of the Mazda MX-5 and has sadly passed away on 20 September 2025, aged 76. He had a long career where he worked for GM, BMW and then onto Mazda. To learn more about him and his career, click this Classic & Sports Car article link here.

BUFFETT SELLS ENTIRE BYD STAKEWarren Buffett, the renowned investor, has sold his entire stake in the Chinese EV maker BYD. This is the first time since 2008 that Berkshire Hathaway did not hold any stock in the company. Click this article link from Fortune for more information.

TOYOTA AE86 ENGINE BLOCKS BEING BUILT AGAINToyota is building the parts for engine blocks of the classic AE86, as they become the latest brand to help classic car owners use factory made parts. We applaud such moves and hope other companies look back at their heritage and offer to help drivers in a similar way. You can find out more, by clicking this EVO article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Hyundai Ioniq BJ/3 ConceptWe apologise for missing out, in last week’s review of the Munich Motor Show, one of the few interesting cars by omitting the Hyundai Ioniq BJ/3 Concept. This could be a preview to how the company designs smaller electric vehicles. Regardless, we think it looks great. Click this Autocar article link and go to Slide 7, to see more

Kia K4Kia has revealed the K4 an ICE and hybrid powered hatchback to rival the likes of the Golf. The car’s dimensions mean it straddles the line between C and D segments, although this should be to the benefit of those on the inside. Good to see brands still looking to bring us cars and not just SUVs. Click this Motoring Research link here to read more.

Eccentrica Diablo Pacchetto TitanoAs we continue to try and lift the mood of the first half of the show, we bring you this wonderful restomod from Eccentrica, a Lamborghini Diablo refresh. Rest assured though, it does have a V12 as well as a lovely looking interior. Click this Motoring Research article link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: CHINA IS SENDING ITS WORLD-BEATING AUTO INDUSTRY INTO A TAILSPINReuters bring a very lengthy article explaining the rise of China’s EV industry and how they have been successful but now are hurting themselves. This will go some way to illuminate why more and more brands are looking overseas for market share. To read more, click the article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 24 MEMORABLE MICHELOTTI CLASSICSGiovanni Michelotti produced a wide variety of vehicles for the likes of Triumph, Alfa Romeo, Ferrari and Leyland buses. Click this link here from Classic & Sports Car, to see what options you have when it comes to picking your favourite.

AND FINALLY: MAZDA PATENT IS A GASMazda has patented an engine that will separate hydrogen from petrol to burn the hydrogen but not the carbon. However, the engine can still burn carbon if the process isn’t extracting enough hydrogen to run the combustion side of things. Can they make it? Will it save the internal combustion engine? Time will tell. To read more, click this CarBuzz article link here.

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FOLLOW UP: JLR WOES CONTINUEAs expected, there is no quick resolution to their IT woes, following the hack reported on 1 September, 2025. Also, again as expected, they have confirmed that data has been accessed including personal data. However, we do not know who’s data that is. Reports suggest the company is losing around £5 million per day, thanks to the global shutdown. As a result there are increasing calls for the Government to step in and support the JLR. To read more about the situation, click this Autocar article link here.

SHOCKING FAIL FOR MG3 DURING EURONCAP TESTSDuring the latest round of EuroNCAP tests the MG3 driver’s seat, when in the frontal offset crash test, twisted upon impact due to the latching mechanism failing. MG has confirmed that this has now been rectified but cars bought before August 2025 will not get the fix. Added to this is that the driver’s airbag was only sufficient for an “adequate” rating. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

EU AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY SUMMITEU politicians and the continent’s car manufacturers have met to discuss the state of the industry and the future. The EU is sticking by its 2035 ICE ban but is open to a new car category, for small efficient vehicles, similar to the Japanese kei car. For more on this story, click this electrive article link here.

VW ID.GOLF TO BE DELAYEDThe woes for Volkswagen continue as news comes out that they are delaying the launch of the ID.Golf and ID.Roc, as well as seeking a partner for their battery subsidiary PowerCo. The ID.Golf had previously been delayed from 2028 to 2029, but now 2030 is the target. You can read more, by clicking this article link here from electrive.

BMW INSTALLS CHARGERS IN NATIONAL PARKSBMW has spent the last three years helping to install 135 charge points in the UK’s National Parks, costing the company around £1 million. On top of that BMW helped fund projects within individual parks. Click this Motoring Research article to read more.

ALEXANDER DENNIS OFFERS RETROFIT EV POWERTRAINSAlexander Dennis, the bus manufacturer, is offering a service where they replace older diesel powertrains with new electric ones. This will save some costs for operators the full cost of a new electric bus. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Munich Motor ShowThe Munich Motor Show was last week, we run through a summary of what happened and what caught our eye, for good and for bad. Click this Motoring Research article link for more.

Additionally, Autodidakt has a video out, from the show, which you can watch by clicking here.

LUNCHTIME READ: WHY CAR JOURNALISTS SHOULD GO SHOPPINGMark Smyth has written an excellent piece on LinkedIn about the trials and tribulations he experienced when trying to help his Wife buy a car. Click this link to read that.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 33 OF ALFA ROMEO’S GREATEST HITS AND MISSESA trip through Alfa’s past efforts is always a nice thing to do, even if some of those shown are not the greatest of cars. Click this Top Gear link to see what options you have to pick from.

AND FINALLY: SHOULD ‘T’ PLATES BE USED BY VISITORS TO SCOTLANDA campaign has started in Scotland, pushing for visitors from Scotland who normally drive on the other side of the road to fit ‘T’ plates to their car to indicate this. There has been a sharp rise in accidents due to, what is described as, “inexperience of driving on the left”. The idea is this would help warn other road users that caution is required near such marked cars. Click this STV News article link for more.

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NEW CAR REGISTRATIONS AUGUST 2025August registration figures are down on 2024. Typically a quiet month prior to the number plate change in September, it was still a disappointment. We also do not know how much of an effect the mishandling of the ECG approval list had on the overall numbers. BEVs took a 26.5% market share. There are also some returning models to the Top Models list and a newcomer. To read more, click this link from the SMMT.

JLR HIT BY CYBER ATTACKJLR have been hit by a cyber attack that has halted all sales, aftersales and production work. The group claiming responsibility are the ones who hit M&S and others on the UK highstreet. The company has employed specialists to help address the problem but communication has been limited as to what has happened and what is going on. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

PORSCHE CHANGES TACK ON BATTERIESDue to recent financial performances and market conditions Porsche has reviewed their high performance battery projects and decided to shut some down. They have a battery subsidiary called CellforceGroup which they are reorganising and CellForce will become a small R&D company focusing on developing batteries. This will result in approximately 200 jobs going. For more on this, click the link here from electrive.

ZOOPLA TO SHOW PUBLIC EV CHARGER LOCATIONSOccasionally there are stories you hear and think “why hasn’t that been done before” and this is one. Zoopla, in partnership with Vauxhall, are adding whether a listed house has a home charger and if not, the location of nearby public chargers. This is a great initiative. Click this Autocar link 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 - Kia EV5Kia has revealed the specifications and pricing of the EV5, prior to going on sale later this year. Looks wise, it is very similar to the EV9 but smaller and without the third row of seats. Pitched against the Skoda Enyac and Renault Scenic. Kit will be comprehensive, especially as you move up the trim levels and it come with up to 329 WLTP miles. Expect to see these everywhere. Click this EVPowered to find out more.

Audi Concept CAhead of the IAA Munich show Audi revealed their Concept C, inspired by the TT but is not to be seen as a replacement for one. The design is similarly executed that of the Jaguar 00 concept. Design chief Massimo Frascella claimed that this is virtually the production ready design, although we have to wait until 2027 before that is shown. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

Porsche culls the 718Linked to the Porsche battery story and the Audi Concept C story, Porsche announced that the 718 models will end production. Partly this is due to recent cyber security rules which the car cannot meet. There was supposed to be the electric replacement but many issues have hit that project, and like the Concept C, will not be ready until 2027. Click this EVO article link to read more.

To listen to the Special Edition where Alan got time with some Porsches, click this link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: FRANKLY WE DON’T TALK ABOUT THE PEUGEOT 309 ENOUGHFor this week’s recommended reading, we return to PetrolBlog as MajorGav talks about the Peugeot 309. This is a wonderful piece which reminds us all of how good and important a car it was, even though it was in the shadow of more illustrious siblings. Click this link here to read on.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE LARGEST CAR MUSEUM IN THE WORLDAutocar provide the slideshow we are sharing with you this week. See what the options are from this wonderful French museum, by clicking this link here.

To listen to the Special Edition where Alan visited the same museum, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: MINI JEEP ADVENTURES CONTINUEEd March continues his crazy adventure of taking a Chinese mini jeep, which he has only ‘slightly’ modified to help him try to get Area 51. Click this YouTube link here to continue the amazing journey.

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FOLLOW UP: ECG TWEAK AND FIRST BAND 1 CARS ANNOUNCEDThe Government has tightened the loophole where if one vehicle in the range is eligible for the Electric Car Grant (ECG) then all others with the same powertrain configuration are, no matter their price. This has been capped at £42,000. Click this Autocar story link here, to read more.

Additionally, the Government has announced the first two cars to be eligible for Band 1 of the grant and thus the full £3750. The Ford Puma Gen-E and the E-Tournio Courier. Click this Motor Trader article to read more.

LOTUS CUTS MORE STAFFIn the continued troubling news from Lotus there is the announcement that they are cutting another 550 jobs in the UK, roughly 40%. This follows another poor first half to the year, as sales dropped 42%. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

DACIA LOSE A CEO BUT FIND ANOTHERDenis Le Vot has decided to leave as head of Dacia, with Katrin Adt taking over the reigns. This is one of several changes in Renault Group management. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

STELLANTIS SHELVES LEVEL 3 AUTONOMOUS DEVELOPMENTStellantis has pulled the plug on deploying their SAE Level 3 autonomous driving system. In February they were saying it was ready to be rolled out. No reasons have been given but the reality of how expensive it is to developing such systems and the flawed path chosen must be part of the reason. To read more, click this Yahoo! Finance article link here.

BATTERY RECYCLING CONSORTIUM RAISES £8.1MA consortium, made up of JLR, LiBatt Recycling, WMG at Warwick University and Mint Innovation has secured £8.1 million investment for their battery recycling plans. They intend to perfect recovering lithium, cobalt and nickel from end of life EV batteries. Click this electrive article link here to read more.

TESLAMATE SERVERS OPEN TO ALLTeslaMate is a self-hosted data logger for Tesla owners that records all the data that is sent out by the car. A security researcher has discovered he could access thousands of these self-hosted servers and get all the information from the vehicles. To read more, click this link from TechCrunch here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Changan Deepal S07Changan are one of the biggest Chinese car makers, but you’ve probably not heard of them. You will now as they’re coming to the UK, with the Deepal S07, a similar size to the Skoda Enyaq or VW ID.4. Prices start at £39,990, with up to 295 WLTP mile range. Also of note is that they are owned by the Chinese Government. If you wish to learn more, click this Auotcar link here.

Subaru E-OutbackSubaru revealed the Trailseeker in the US and we were told it is coming to the UK. It is, but they have changed the name to E-Outback. Using Solterra underpinnings, this has been developed by Subaru and uses around 70% Subaru parts too. It will come with four-wheel drive, up to 279 WLTP miles thanks to a 74.7kWh battery pack. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Lamborghini FenomenoLamborghini has taken the wraps off their latest insane vehicle, the Fenomeno. Based on the positively sluggish Revuelto, in comparison, it has upped the power, the speed and well everything. As it should as it costs £3 million. But you can’t have one as 29 of the 30 have been sold and the remaining one is heading off to the Lamborghini museum. If you want to read more and you should, click this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: RUSTIVAL 2025The 2025 Rustival event took place last weekend and it looked brilliant. We are recommending three videos, one each from the organising trio, to watch and catch up on what happened. You might also see Alan’s car.

For Hubnut’s video, click this link.

For I Drive a Classic’s video, click this link.

For FuriousDriving’s video, click this link.

Then make a note to get tickets for next year’s event!

LIST OF THE WEEK: 13 OF THE STRANGEST CONCEPT CARS YOU’VE PROBABLY NEVER SEENThis week we recommend a great list from Top Gear as they bring us some of the more out there concepts of recentish years. Whilst only 13 long they are all good. Don’t forget to tell the chaps what you would pick. Click the link here to see the options.

AND FINALLY: HOT WHEELS LEGENDS TOUR UK WINNERThis year’s UK winner of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour has been announced and it is a heavily modified E-21 BMW 3-Series. Do click this Motoring Research article link here, to read more and gawp at what has been achieved.

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GOVERNMENT CUTS RESTORATION RED TAPEFollowing a long campaign from the Historic and Classic Vehicles Alliance and other similar associations, the Government has simplified the red tape around modifying and restoring vehicles. Notifications can be sent to DVLA for ‘significant structural modifications’ and the vehicle can retain the original license plate number and Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). This is a big step forward. Click this Hagerty article link here to find out more.

ARIEL DOUBLING PRODUCTION CAPACITY WITH NEW FACTORYAriel, the Somerset based specialist performance vehicle manufacturer, have agreed a deal to buy more land that will allow them to double their production capability. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

HMRC RAISES EV MILEAGE CLAIM RATEAfter lots of complaints were raised over the last announcement of the rate business mileage for electric cars could be claimed back at, HMRC has revised them. Now there are two tiers, home charging and public charging. However, the rates still aren’t great and frankly totally inadequate if you charge via the public network. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

PLUG-IN VAN AND LORRY GRANT EXTENDEDThe UK Government has extended the plug-in grant for van and lorries, until “at least 2027”. However, the money is coming out of the £650 million we were told was for the Electric Car Grant (ECG), which turns out to also be improving the charging infrastructure across the country. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

DO NOT HOON YOUR EV FOR MORE BATTERY LIFEA recent study has been misreported, according to Aviloo, battery experts. Many read the results to mean one must be very heavy with the right foot to extend the battery lift of one’s EV. That is not the case. You can find out more by clicking this Carscoops article link here.

TESLA DOES HAVE TO FACE CLASS-ACTION OVER SELF-DRIVING CLAIMSA recent hearing, in front of a judge, between those trying to pursue Tesla in a class-action over mis-selling their self-driving system that has yet to make it to market even though they have taken money from people for it, has resulted in permission being granted to pursue the company. If you want to read more, click this Reuters article link here.

To read Ed Niedermeyer’s coverage of the hearing, click this link to his Bluesky post.

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 - BYD Atto 2BYD has revealed details of their Atto 2, a C segment electric SUV. Priced aggressively, at £30,850, it will win fans on that front along. A totally inoffensive design won’t cause people to flock to the brand but equally is not polarising. Click this Autocar article link here to find out more.

DS No4DS’s bestselling model to date has been the 4. Hoping to capitalise on this the company has revealed specifications for the new No4, as it is called. There are a variety of powertrains and trim levels. To find out all about this car, click this link to an Autocar article.

VW announce new car blitz. Again.Volkswagen has announced, once again, that it is bringing a raft of new cars to market in the next few years. We get to see the production ready ID.2 shortly, at the Munich car show, with some others also being shown for the first time. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE MYTH OF THE LONE GENIUS CAR DESIGNERAs a society we have this ideal that there are individual designers who create some of the world’s most famous and fantastic productions, art and buildings. This is, of course, not true. Matteo Licata explains how this is not true in the car world too. Click this Hagerty article link here, for more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DEUTSCHES MUSEUMPossible Germany’s finest car museum, the Deutsches Museum has a host of fabulous vehicles to gawp over. Autocar has share a slideshow with just a few of them. Don’t forget to tell the chaps if you agree with their choices. Click this link here to view your options.

To see the Goliath GP 700 Sport from Weird Car of the Day, that Alan mentioned, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: HOW MUCH FOR A BEETLE?To round out the show we share a story about a Beetle project from back in the 1960s, where an American car dealer paid an eye watering amount of money to create the best limo Beetle. It recently sold at the Monterey Car Week auction. Click this link here, from The Autopian to read more.

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FOLLOW UP: GOVERNMENT CONFIRM ECG ELIGIBLE CARSThe UK Government has released the list of car models that are eligible for the Electric Car Grant (ECG). There are a few surprises, including how no cars meet the Band 1 £3750 grant requirements. Click this link here, from EV Powered, to read more.

To see Nick Gibb’s Bluesky post, adding context to the question of how the Nissan Ayria was eligible, click this link here.

For the UK Government’s official list of eligible car models, click this link here.

FOLLOW UP: CITROËN ADDS MODELS TO ‘STOP-DRIVE’ RECALLCitroën has now added new models to the previous ‘stop-drive’ order over faulty airbags. Car Dealer is reporting that before this around 120,000 vehicles were affected by the issue. Now that the C4 and DS4, built between 2010 and 2011, plus the DS5 built between 2010 and 2013 there is just a fraction under 10,000 additional vehicles. Citroën was already receiving a backlash on the perceived slowness in addressing the problem, this will not help. If you wish to learn more, click this Car Dealer article link here.

ROAD SAFETY CONSULTATION LAUNCHEDThe UK Government has launched a road safety consultation, with a number of issues being given prominent place. For example, once drivers reach 70, they will have to have formal eye tests every three years to show they are fit to drive. Drivers with non seat belt wearing passengers will receive points on their license. There are more besides. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

UNSAFE ROAD VEHICLE NUMBERS RISE IN UKIn 2024, nearly 50% more vehicles that were found to be unsafe than the previous year. Tyres were the biggest issue but defective brakes too an alarming jump with 1190 drivers charged last year compared to 181 in 2023. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LONGBOW ADD MANAGEMENT HEAVYWEIGHTS TO BOARDLongbow, the electric sports car start up, has announced that Mike Flewitt, Michael van der Sande and Dan Balmer are now on the advisory board. Flewitt was CEO of McLaren, van der Sande was at Alpine and Balmer was the boss of Lotus Europe. They will help the company as it works to bring a £65,000 lightweight two seater electric sports car out in 2027. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

JLR THREATEN RIDICULOUS LEGAL ACTIONJLR sent a ‘cease and desist’ letter to the Rail Delivery Group, who run the National Rail website, due to them using the phrase “ranger and rover” to refer to ranger tickets and rover tickets. The car company decided that you are all too stupid to work out a rail company was not referring to a Range Rover. You will now only ever see the words if they are as follows, “ranger tickets and rover tickets”. If you wish to learn more, click this link to a piece in The Telegraph.

HYUNDAI TO CHARGE YOU TO SECURE YOUR CARHyundai UK is now charging UK customers £49 to secure their cars from a known vulnerability. Unbelievable, but actually true. Click this link here, from The Register, to find out 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 - Ford plans for the futureFord has revealed the plans for their electric future, which goes from production to cars. They are going to shake up the way the make cars, which will allow them to make more affordable EVs. Models that will be brought out, from the new universal platform, include a mid-sized double-cab pickup, a hatchback, crossover, van and three row SUV. Ford admits this is a gamble, though. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Kia simplifies model rangeKia UK has simplified their model range, as the Ceed is axed. Additionally they have slimmed down the Picanto range to one engine choice, whilst the Xceed gets a new range topping version. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

Stellantis recall due to fire riskStellantis is recalling 24 models, totalling just over 72,000 cars, due to loose nuts on fuel pipes that can lead to increased fuel consumption, with an ultimate risk of fire in the engine bay. Affected cars were built between 2023 and 2025 that have the 1.2 litre petrol engine. Click this Yahoo! News article link to check out the models involved.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: KAI LANGER HEADS TO XIAOMIKia Langer, who was head of BMW i design has joined Xiaomi. Very few details have been revealed, including exactly what he will be doing. Click this electrive article link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: CRIME DRIVEN TECHNOLOGY AND THE MOTOR BANDITIn the inter-war period, the UK was gripped with fear about criminals using motor cars to enable them to commit crime. The reality was this happened significantly less than was imagined. A classic in the genre of ‘technology is bad’ and ‘society being whipped up by the media’. Fascinating read on how the police did have to adapt to this new threat. Click this link here to read more from The Journal of Historic Criminology.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST DASHBOARDS OF THE 70S AND 80SIf you think car makers have only recently taken to messing up interiors by being over complicated or oversimplified, think again. Here we are recommending you run through the slideshow provided by Autocar to see some of the more spectacular dashboards from the 70s and 80s. Click here to view your options.

AND FINALLY: A TINY HOME ON WHEELSToyota has a small people carrier that you can add to and configure the interior to replicate a lounge, a bedroom or an office. You can buy modular furniture to help transform the inside to match your requirements. Find out more, by clicking this Carscoops article link here.

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JULY 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATIONSNew car registrations fall, year-on-year, in July 2025 by 5%. Whilst the electric car grant is now available, which models are eligible and at what rate remains to be seen. This has had a knock on effect with registrations of EVs raising slower than expected. BEVs and PHEVs increased but all other powertrains declined. To read more, click this article linked from the SMMT, here.

JLR PROFIT PLUNGE IN FIRST HALF OF 2025Mainly thanks to the tariff farcical situation, JLR saw profits in the second quarter of 2025, plunge by half. Whilst the UK has negotiated a deal that has been implemented, the EU’s one is not yet on stream, thus the Defender is still paying the price. Adding to their woes is the self inflicted issue of warranty costs, but outside of their control is volatile foreign exchange rates. if you wish to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LOTUS LOSE ONE CEO AND FIND ANOTHERMatt Windle has left Lotus, either of his own volition or was pushed, depending on who you listen to. The company has appointed Mao Jingbo, current president of China operations, to oversea the UK and European sector. This is the fourth head of the company in two years, with Windle lasting just four months. Click this Autocar article to learn more.

ASTEMO INVESTS IN BOLTON SITEAstemo is investing £100 million at a site in Bolton, which will be staffed by 200 employees, to produce components for the next generation of EVs. They have received Government backing for this move. To find out more, click this article link from The Manufacturer.

NISSAN OPENS TRUCK CHARGING HUBNissan has opened a truck charging hub on it’s production site, in Sunderland. This is open to the public, but they will also charge up electric cab units that they use for their own purposes locally. You can learn more, from this link here to a an electrive 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 CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Honda CivicHonda is updating the Civic, but you’ll have to be good to spot the differences, according to Motoring Research. Tweaks to the looks and the interior are the order of the day. Hybrid powertrain remains the same, as do the three trim levels. Prices start at £33,795. Click here to read more.

Nissan MicraPrices and specs have been confirmed by Nissan for the new Micra. Order books open on 1 September and the starting price matches that of the Renault 5, which this is a rebadge of. The three trim levels are Engage, Advanced and Evolve. Prices start at £22,995. Click this Motoring Research article to read more.

VW to end the TouaregVolkswagen are to end production of the Touareg in 2026 and there is to be no replacement. The company feel the role will be fulfilled by the cheaper Tayron that they released recently. Additionally, the ID5 is also being pulled from sale, in 2027. Click this Autocar article link for more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: ERCOLE SPADA PASSES AWAYErcole Spada passed away on 3 August 2025. His might not be a name that many know, however, his work is knows. From cars such as the Aston Martin DB4 GT Zagato to Alfa Romeo Junior Z to the BMW E34 5-Series, we have all seen his work. To find out more about the man and his work, click this Octane article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST SMALL CARS EVER MADEAutocar has our recommended options for picking your favourite from many, when it comes to small cars. There are some questions about if all are exactly “the best” but nevertheless you have many to select from. Click here to check out what you could decide is the best.

AND FINALLY: IT’S BEHIND YOUU-Haul is a famous American rental company, that allows you to hire vans of various sizes and trailers. Alan explains all to us unenlightened heathens outside of the US of A. However, they’ve developed and built a new trailer, one that will allow a lot more to be towed across the continent. Click here to read more, from Car and Driver.

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FOLLOW UP: CAR FINANCE CLAIMSThe Supreme Court has ruled on car finance claims follow last years shock appeal decision that could have meant that lenders were liable for billions in compensation for mis-selling car finance schemes.

The court has ruled that dealers do not have to work solely for the benefit of customers, which covers most claims, however if the commission rate is excessive then there is a possibility of a claim.

What wasn’t covered in this is claims where the dealer and lender could increase the interest on their PCP or HP deal without telling the customer. Anyone who signed up to this is still able to claim. To read all about this complicated matter, click this link here from MoneySavingExpert.

FOLLOW UP: RENAULT GROUP ANNOUNCE NEW CEOJust over a week after the interim CEO was announced, Renault Group have found their new permanent CEO, Francois Provost. He has been at the company for 23 years, with his latest position being head of procurement, partnerships and public affairs. Click this Autocar article link to learn more.

JLR LOSE ONE CEO AND FIND ANOTHERAdrian Mardell is to retire from JLR, after 35 years at the company. The surprise news came out last week and by Monday the company announced his replacement, PB Balaji, who is the chief financial officer of Tata Motors. If you want to read more, click this Autocar link here.

STELLANTIS MAKE A BIG LOSSFirst half year results are in for Stellantis and it is brutal. They have made a loss of £2 billion pre-tax. Tariffs are being blamed for a lot of it, but also a slow uptake on their B-segment offerings. The new CEO, Antonio Filosa, has said he will make tough decisions to help turn results around. To find out more, click this Autocar link here.

PORSCHE TAKES PROFITS HITPorsche’s operating profits dropped €2 billion in the first half of 2025. Once again tariffs are being blamed, but also they continue to lose market share in China. The company is looking at ways to save money, on top of the job cuts it has previously announced. You can read more on this, by clicking an Autocar article link here.

HELSINKI REPORTS NO FATALITIES ON ITS ROAD NETWORK IN A YEARHelsinki has not had a road traffic fatality, for over a year. Reasons for this excellent news are a combination of improved infrastructure, all road users working together, reduced speed limits, improved public transport and targeted police efforts. To find out more, click this yle article link here.

TESLA FOUND PARTIALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR FATAL CRASHA jury has found Tesla partially liable for a fatal accident that also caused life changing injuries to a passenger of a struck vehicle, after Autopilot was engaged. The driver of the Tesla vehicle claims he thought the driver assistance system would handle things whilst he retrieved his dropped phone. Tesla is to appeal the ruling. You can read more by clicking this article link from The Register.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Vauxhall Mokka GSEVauxhall has upgraded the performance and handling of the Mokka, with a hot-ish GSE version of their small SUV. This should be quick, not just in a straight line, but in the bends too. Click this EVO article link to learn more.

Jaecoo 5Jaecoo is bringing the 5 to the UK very soon. This is the smaller sibling to the popular 7, with the same design cues, ie. takes a lot of ‘inspiration’ from Range Rover models. Prices will start at £24,505. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

Cadillac to return to the UKCadillac is to return to the UK soon, with two models. The first will be the Lyric SUV and most likely the Optiq SUV, both being electric. Other models were being discussed at GM head office. Click this Autocar article for more details.

LUNCHTIME READ: PEUGEOT’S BRILLIANT TORSION BAR REAR AXLEWe return to recommending articles after two weeks of videos, with a wonderful piece from Hagerty about Peugeot’s torsion bar rear axle. You get to learn the history of development and where it ended up. Superb nerdery abounds! Do enjoy. Click here to read all about it.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE STRANGEST CAR PUBLICITY PHOTOS EVER PUBLISHEDAutocar provides a slide show of some classics of the genre “what on earth was marketing thinking?”, when it comes to cars and promotional pics. You must click this link here, as some of these have to be seen to be believed. Do you agree with the chap’s choices or do you have a favourite, let them know.

AND FINALLY: PETROL & PRIDE MEETINGThe first Petrol & Pride meeting took place at the British Motor Museum recently, where LGBTQ+ petrolheads and their allies, gathered to celebrate their love of cars. This is a brilliant idea and we hope it continues for many year. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

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FOLLOW UP: ELECTRIC CAR GRANT FALLOUT CONTINUESAs more details are revealed and more people begin to understand all of the ramifications of the UK Government’s Electric Car Grant. Firstly, the list of car eligible for the two tiers of payments will be confirmed on 11 August 2025. The scheme went live on 16 July 2025. Click here to read an Autocar article on this.

Secondly, car companies can self-register cars for the scheme and as the rules include Fleet registrations, this opens up the ability for abuse. Whilst these cars contributed to the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate, now tax payer’s money will be used to support car companies to be compliant. Click this link here to read more on that from Autocar.

There are some suggesting that the overall scheme will have little affect, as was discussed on the show last week. Indicata, a motoring related data firm, has calculated that the grant will affect only 5.8% or 14.4% of new car registrations, dependent on which tier is sought. They also have used information from Italy’s attempt as a similar scheme that made a small impact. On top of all that they highlight the danger of dramatic depreciation for newly bought vehicles and those outside of the eligibility of the scheme. Click this link to read more from a Motor Trader article.

Some manufacturers are forging ahead and offering discounts on their cars at the same rate as the lower tier of the grant. The likes of Alfa Romeo, GWM, Hyundai, Leapmotor, MG and Volvo have already made their move. Click this AutoTrader article for more.

Another issued raised was that the scheme ignores the used market. The Independent Motor Dealers Association (IMDA) has called for a £1000 grant for used EVs. Click this Motor Trader article link here to read more.

FOLLOW UP: EMPLOYEE CAR OWNERSHIP SCHEMES IN CROSSHAIRSThe UK Government first brought up, what it felt, was the unfair practice of Employee Car Ownership Schemes back in the autumn. This is where a member of staff gets a new car, for a short period of time and then moves onto a new car, whilst paying a much reduced contribution that anyone outside of the scheme would. Proposed legislation will mean anyone taking advantage of such a scheme will be taxed as though that was a company car. To read more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

VW PROFIT DROPS 29% YEAR ON YEARVW financial results for the first half of 2025 show a drop of 29%, with a big hit in Q2 thanks to the US tariffs. Both the profit and revenue was down on market expectations. If you want to find out more, click this Yahoo! Finance article link here.

GEELY GROUP WELCOMES BACK FAMILIAR FACESLotus Group has appointed Jim Rowan, ex-CEO of Volvo, to their board. You can read more about that by clicking this Consumer Warranty Solutions page here.

Additionally, Thomas Ingenlath, ex-CEO of Polestar, is now a design advisor for the entire Geely Group. If you wish to learn more, click this Electric Vehicles article link here.

JLR PUSHES BACK LAUNCH OF ELECTRIC RANGE ROVERJLR is reported to have pushed back the launch of the electric Range Rover, for further development and due to a lack of demand from consumers. Suggestions are this will impact other models lined up for launch. JLR issued a statement that stated “we will launch our new models at the right time”. To read further about this, click here for an Autocar article on the story.

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 - Chery Tiggo 7The second of two SUVs Chery is bringing to the UK, is the Tiggo 7. Aimed at the likes of the MG HS and Dacia Bigster, this will come with both a petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrain options. With the PHEV, the maximum electric only range is 56 miles. Prices are expected to start from £24,995 for the petrol and £29,995 for the PHEV. Both those prices undercut competition. You can read more, including the trim levels, by clicking this link from Autocar.

Subaru UnchartedSubaru has revealed the latest tie-in with Toyota, the Uncharted. This is based on the C-HR+ with off-road abilities. Additionally, Subaru are clear to state they have re-engineered the steering and suspension setups to enable a “sporty and nimble character”. Pricing hasn’t been confirmed but is expected to start at under £40,000. Click this Autocar link for more.

Kia EV4 FastbackKia has revealed more details, including pricing, for the EV4 Fastback, which is expected in the UK from the autumn. Starting at £40,895, the lowest trim level is the GT Line, rising up to GT-Line S and a £45, 385 price tag. Click this EV Powered article link to learn more about what you can get for the money.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: GILLES VIDAL LEAVES RENAULTGilles Vidal is leaving Renault, who he joined in from Peugeot in 2020, to become head of design for Stellantis Europe. He has overseen a resurgance in Renault’s design and is the second big loss for the company following the departure of Luca de Meo recently. If you want to read more, click this link to an Autocar article.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: JEREMY OFFER LEAVES VOLVOJeremy Offer is resigning from Volvo thanks to the newly implemented ban on working from home. Offer was commuting between the UK, where his family is based, and Sweden. Nick Gronenthal, who leads automotive design for Volvo, is the interim design chief. You can read more by clicking this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXCEPTIONAL 2025Festival of the Unexceptional took place last weekend and we could not attend so are having to live vicariously through other people’s content. This week we recommend two videos to watch.

The first is Steph, from I Drive a Classic channel, who takes us around the show to see what caught her eye. Click here to see that.

The second is Jon Coupland’s video, which you can see by clicking here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FOTUContinuing on a theme, the list of the week is a selection of the cars attending the Festival of the Unexceptional 2025, that caught the eye of Sam Phillips of Autocar. Do you agree with the choices? Click here to see what options there are.

AND FINALLY: MODEL MANLast week the sad news came that Shunsaku Tamiya had died. He is created with helping to spread the love of finely detailed model cars, amongst other things, across the globe. Whilst now Tamiya are a byword for radio controlled models, they started in a much more humble beginning. Click this Hagerty article link to learn more about the man’s life and how he shaped the company.

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FOLLOW UP: UK GOV ANNOUNCES ELECTRIC CAR GRANTFollowing months and months of calling on the UK Government to help private registrations with financial aid, the motor industry has got what it wants. Sort of. The Electric Car Grant has been announced that will be up to £3,750 off the price of a new car that is listed at under £37,000 plus other criteria, including how clean the grid is where the car was built. That last point effectively cuts out Chinese EVs due to their CO2 intensive energy supplies.

The grant is active now, with OEMs and dealerships claiming the money back following registration. Added to which, it applies to all buyers and not just private, as was called for. Many within the industry have expressed their disappointment in the scheme, especially how it has ignored the second hand market plus the knock on effect this will have to depreciation. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

To read about the expected impact on Asian built cars, click this EVfleetworld article link here.

FOLLOW UP: RENAULT GROUP APPOINT INTERIM CEODuncan Minto has taken over the interim CEO position at Renault Group, following Luca de Meo’s exit. Minto was appointed chief financial officer in March. The search for a new CEO continues. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

CHINA THROTTLES BATTERY MATERIAL EXPORTSChina is once again reminding the world who controls almost all of the supply chain when it comes to electric cars. This time they have, due to being now classed as security relevant, implemented an immediate export restriction on battery material preparation technology, ie. stuff that goes into making battery cathodes used in electric cars and energy storage. No reason has been really given for the sudden move. You can find out more by clicking this electrive article link here.

JLR CUTS JOBS AS SALES DROPJLR has announced it is seeking voluntary redundancies from management positions, following the last quarter’s drop in sales. The company said it expects no more than 500 roles to go. The reason for reduced sales is being mainly put at the feet of the US tariff mess. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

GEELY BUYS ZEEKERGeely has acquired the final 37.2% of Zeeker shares, that were listed on the New York Stock Exchange only last year. This will cost the Chinese company around $2.4 billion. Suggestions are this has happened due to the geopolitical outlook and adding them to the group enables greater cost savings thanks to increasing the economy of scale benefits when purchasing parts. You can read more by clicking this electrive article link here.

UK GOVERNMENT OPENS AV TAXI CONSULTATIONThe UK Government is asking for our feedback on rolling out autonomous taxi and bus services. They are going to do it, be under no illusion, but we might be able to influence just how that looks, in terms of the information these companies must supply. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

To go straight to the Government webpage to access the proposed rules and the consultation questions, click this link here.

HISTORIC WELSH SITES GET EV CHARGERSEvolt has installed electric car chargers at nine historic sites across Wales. This will help to fill in some of the gaps in the public charging infrastructure across the country. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

UK GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES EV FLEET INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTAt the same time they were unveiling the Electric Car Grant, the UK Government was also starting the Depot Charging Scheme, where they will pay up to 75% of the costs to set up and install charge points for fleet companies. The scheme will only last until November though, so be quick! You can read more, by clicking this electrive article link here.

STELLANTIS PULLS HYDROGEN PROJECTSStellantis has shelved projects that were connected with hydrogen power for light commercial vehicles. Citing a lack of infrastructure and the high costs of hydrogen as reasons behind the move. Hydrogen industry has failed to learn the lessons of what Tesla did to bring so much confidence for EV owners. Click this Autocar article link here to find out more.

MERCEDES TO ALLOW IN-CAR CAMERA USE WHILST DRIVINGMercedes-Benz is not only adding Microsoft’s Teams to their app store but enabling the use of the in-car camera for calls, on those models that have the facility. Whilst drivers will be able to use the app and have video calls whilst driving, the screen will not show the feeds from other attendees of the call. In a world where there is a mountain of research showing how dangerous hands free calls are, for impairing drivers cognitive ability, this seems utterly insane. If you want to read more, click this link to an article from The Verge.

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 - Chery Tiggo 8 Super HybridThe first of two SUVs Chery is bringing to the UK, is the Tiggo 8 Super Hybrid, capable of a claimed maximum range of 745 miles from one full tank and one full charge. Prices and UK specs are yet to be announced, but in the meantime you can read more by clicking this link from Top Gear.

Hyundai Ioniq 9Hyundai has revealed UK prices and specifications for their flagship car, the Ioniq 9. Based on the same underpinnings as the Kia EV9, this is a large, luxury electric SUV. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Ariel Atom 4RRTo celebrate 25 years of the Atom (how many years?!?) Ariel has taken a Civic Type R engine and made it, well, more, so that this is the most powerful and quickest Atom the company has produced. Click this article link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: MONOBOX SPECIALAuto Didakt has taken a dive into monoboxes, with the help of the Renault Twingo Mk1 and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class Mk1. Click this YouTube link here to see the excellent video.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 OLD CAR FEATURES WE MISSAntony Ingram and Hagerty supply this week’s list, which is all about features we miss on modern cars. Excellent list, thanks to Antony’s choices and his research. Click here to see more and don’t forget to tell us if you agree with Andrew’s choice.

AND FINALLY: YESTERDAY’S WORLDWe are recommending an old snippet from Tomorrow’s World, in the 1980s, that talks about in-car CD players and how remarkable they actually are when you think about it. Click here to see the YouTube video that takes you back in time.

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FOLLOW UP: MORE OEMS INVESTIGATED FOR DEFEAT DEVICESThe Times is reporting that more brands are now being brought into the Department for Transport (DfT) investigation into the use of defeat devices. This is where they pass the emissions testing regime but are set up to a different output when used on the public roads. Now there are 72 models from 27 brands being looked at. Click this article link to read more.

LEVC TO CUT JOBS IN COVENTRYLEVC is to cut 180 jobs at it’s Coventry facility due to an increasingly difficult business conditions. The site is already running well below capacity, apparently. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

CHERY IS COMING TO THE UKChery, the owner of Jaecoo and Omada, is coming to the UK with it’s own vehicles later in the year. They chose to announce this with two vehicles at Goodwood’s Festival of Speed. To read more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

MUNRO TO EXPANDMunro, the Scottish EV maker who focuses on rugged commercial type vehicles, is planning to expand their operation following the appointment of a new chairman, Avinash Rugoobur. Following a period of testing the company expects to fulfil the order book that currently have. You can find out more, by clicking this EV Powered article link here.

CAR THEFT DATAThe Loop Agency has investigated car theft data and decided to present it as number sold divided by the number stolen. This then gives a different perspective on the DVLA’s information, penalising smaller selling vehicles. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

FRANCE TRIAL IN-ROAD CHARGING SYSTEMOn a short section of the A10 near Paris, in-road electric vehicle charging infrastructure is being installed ahead of a trial due to begin in September for charging your EV as you drive, via inductive charging. To find out more, click this EV Powered article link here.

FRAUD CHARGES FOR RUNAWAY CAR DRIVERIn March 2024 the driver of a Jaguar I-Pace called the police to claim his car could not decelerate, this led to an incident that covered the M58, M57 and M62 in Lancashire and Merseyside. After being brought to a stop the police and JLR forensically investigated the car, which has resulted with the individual being charged with two counts of fraud, causing a public nuisance and dangerous driving. Click this EV Powered 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 Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Fiat 500 HybridAfter 17 years, the Fiat 500 petrol platform is being retired as a new mild hybrid version will be sold, based on the 500e underpinnings. Further updates will occur to the exterior, to enable cooling to the engine and the interior. Click this Autocar article to find out more.

Aston Martin Vantage SAston Martin bring back the S model, for the Vantage. Along with the badge comes oodles of power and tweaks to the chassis and suspension set up to enable drivers to take advantage of the upgrade to the engine. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

Bentley EX 15 ConceptBentley has revealed the EX 15, a raised up two-door coupe that is apparently an urban SUV. The company says it is a hint at the direction future models will go, in terms of looks. Click this Autocar article link here to see more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED HIGHLIGHTSWe have compiled the list below, of the Goodwood Festival of Speed highlights, they’ve published on their YouTube channel. This should cover your lunches for a week!

Click here for Thursday’s highlights.

Click here for Friday’s highlights.

Click here for Saturday’s highlights.

Click here for Sunday’s highlights.

Click here for Sunday’s Rally Stage livestream.

Click here for the Hillclimb Shoot Out final.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE FINEST MID-ENGINED MARVELSAutocar has come up with a huge and cracking list of mid-engined cars for you to check out. Agree with Alan and Andrew? Click here to see what options you have.

AND FINALLY: WHEEL OF FORTUNEHagerty provide a short list of classic wheels, which is too short to be a List of the Week, but is equally too good to not share with you. Click here to read more and take a trip down memory lane.

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JUNE 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has published the registration figures for new cars, that took place in June 2025. There is good news, as overall numbers rose, year-on-year. Not only that, but BEVs had a market share of 24.8% as uptake continues. To read more, click this article link from SMMT.

MCLAREN CONTINUES TO CHANGE LEADERSHIP TEAMMcLaren has appointed for Ferrari CEO, Luca Cordero Di Montezemolo, as a director. Presumably he is bringing a wealth of knowledge on how to run a successful performance car brand. If you want to find out more, click this EVO article link here.

GEELY IS COMING TO THE UKGeely will be launching their own cars in the UK, starting with the EX5 a mid sized SUV. Sales are expected to begin towards the end of 2025. You can read more, by clicking this MotorTrader article link here.

RENAULT HIT BY NISSAN STAKERenault Group has reported a €9.5bn loss on their stake in Nissan. This is due to a combination of them reducing their share of the Japanese company and Nissan’s share price dropping by nearly 40% over the last year. Click this Financial Times article link to read more.

FERRARI LOSE TRADEMARK CASEFerrari claimed that an energy drink logo would cause confusion with consumers as they think they’ll be buying a Ferrari energy drink, thanks to the use of prancing horses. A Malaysian High Court has thrown the case out, however. The “Wee Power” logo can continue to be two prancing horse over a ‘W’. Click this link, from Free Malaysia Today, 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 - Kia EV4Kia has revealed details about the EV4, which is due for sale in the UK in the autumn of 2025. Priced from £34,695, having a 58.3kWh battery pack that gives a max range of 273 miles as a hatch. There will be a saloon option too. For £37,695, you get a 81.4kWh battery pack that has a max range of 388 miles. Click this Autocar article link, to read more.

Kia SportageKia are updating their most popular model, the Sportage. Externally the looks will now be in line with other refreshed models. Click this Autocar article link here, to find out more including prices.

Stellantis recallStellantis has issued a recall on their 1.5 BlueHDi diesel engine, built between 2017 and 2023, due to potential camshaft chain issues. Click this Bermuda Broadcast News article link for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: COMO CAR WEEKHagerty attended the Como Car Week, and we’re not jealous at all, no, nope, not us. Anyway, they have a great article explaining what went on that is accompanied by some fabulous pictures. Click this link here to see more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TREASURES OF THE TOYOTA MUSEUMAutocar has a great slideshow for this week’s list, as they take us inside the Toyota museum. Slightly unexpectedly, it is not all about Toyotas, there are plenty of cars from other brands to see too. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? Click this link to check out your options.

AND FINALLY: TV’S PAUL COWLAND’S OWN CAR COLLECTION PT 1TV’s Paul Cowland has released the first of three videos where he explores his own eclectic car collection. Click this YouTube link here to see more and do enjoy!

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UK CAR PRODUCTION DROPS AGAINUK car production dropped the lowest since 1949, bar the lockdown year of 2020. That is the second record breaking (and not the good type) month on the trot. The US tariff jump is being largely blamed for this. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

NISSAN CONFIRMS UK JOB CUTSNissan has announced that around 250 employees are taking voluntary redundancy in Sunderland, as the car company looks to cut costs. This is all part of the dramatic steps the Japanese company is actioning due to their financial woes. If you wish to read more, click this Top Gear article link here.

Adding to the bleak picture Nissan is painting, leaked documents show the company approaching suppliers to request a delay in paying them. The reasoning is claimed to be a freeing up of cash. The request is voluntary, but would be two to three months delay for invoices being paid. You can read more, by clicking this Reuters article link here.

LOTUS MAY OR MAY NOT CLOSE UK PRODUCTIONLate last week Autocar was told that Lotus was planning to move production, from the UK, as it explored the possibility of building cars in the US thanks to the tariffs. However, on Monday, the company issued a statement refuting the possibility of shutting down the Hethel factory. The UK Government has pledged to discuss the matter with Lotus to safeguard British jobs. Click this Autocar link here to read more.

CAR MAKERS GO COLD ON APPLE CARPLAY ULTRASome of the companies that had agreed to work with Apple and integrate Apple CarPlay Ultra into their vehicles, are now stepping back from those commitments. Regular CarPlay will still be available but allowing access to data that enables the display on the driver's binnacle was too much for them. To learn more, click this MacRumours article link here.

GM CLASS ACTION TO BE SPLIT UPGeneral Motors won a ruling that will cause the class action against them, regarding defective transmissions, is to be split up into smaller cases due to the wide variety of vehicles involved. The case is not going away and it is only a reprieve as this will be sent back to the regional judge to decide which owners will be clumped together. If you want to read more, click this Reuters article link here.

INTEL RETREATS FROM THE AUTOMOTIVE SECTORIntel is closing down its automotive business and laying off the majority of people who worked on it. Intel is having to restructure due to business competition and struggles. Click this article link here, from The Register 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 - Mercedes-AMG Concept GT XXMercedes-AMG has revealed an electric performance car they are promising will stir our emotions. There will be a simulated sound of a V8 as well as pretend gear changes. To read more about this, click the link here to an Autocar article.

Porsche 911 Carrera Reimagined by SingerMuch to Alan’s “joy”, Singer has shown off their latest restomod of a Porsche 964. Prices are on the “oh, how much?” end of the scale and have utilised help from Red Bull Advanced Technologies and Cosworth. For more on this, click this EVO article link here.

Cadillac CELESTIQCadillac has delivered its first CELESTIQ. This is a hand made electric luxury car, aiming at the Bentley and Rolls Royce markets. Prices start at just over $300,000 and can be personalised in a myriad of ways.Click this GM News article link for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: THREE IS A MAGIC NUMBERDriven to Write provides our recommendation, for your reading pleasure this week. Eóin Doyle tells us all about BMW and their first 3-Series. As ever, a wonderful history lesson into a car that has been so important to the company. Click this link here to read all about it.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 OF RENAULT’S GREATEST PERFORMANCE HITSWe turn, once again, to Autocar as they provide a slideshow of performance Renaults. Don’t forget to tell us if you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choice. Click this link here to check out the options.

AND FINALLY: TAKE YOUR HOTEL WITH YOUFancy going off on a big adventure, into areas of the world that are a touch more inaccessible than you usually visit, but also want to take around 20 of your closest mates? No problem, Rotel Tours can help you! We link you to an article from The Autopian, that explains the history of Rotel Tours and the various vehicles they have used, including their latest which is are six wheeled Mercedes Actross based expedition vehicles. Click here to read more.

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FOLLOW UP: US UK TRADE DEAL IS ACTUALLY REALFollowing our confusion, last week, on what had actually been signed, it appears that the US and UK have indeed signed an actual, real trade deal. This means that for up to 100,000 cars exported to the US, there will only be an additional 10% tariff added, instead of 25%. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

NO RETURN TO 30MPH LIMIT IN DENBIGHSHIREOne county in Wales has canvassed local residents to see if any of the roads that have been changed from 30 to 20mph limit, should be changed back to the original speed. Only people outside of specific areas, travelling through, have asked for a return to the higher speed and have not been considered. As a result, no roads are going back. You can read more, by clicking this BBC News article link here.

DEALER TO PAY FOR INFOTAINMENT REPLACEMENT SHOCKA ruling by the Motor Ombudsman has stated that a dealer must pay for the full replacement costs of a broken infotainment system as it was deemed unsatisfactory quality. This was all under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The shock is that the dealer is being held responsible and not the manufacturer, however, the contract is with the dealer and customer, not the customer and manufacturer. If you want to learn more, click this lawgistics article link, here.

NEW STELLANTIS PARTS DISTRIBUTION HUB IN THE UKEllesmere Port is the location of the new Stellantis parts distribution hub, which has just opened. This site will feed 19 regional parts hubs across the country and Ireland. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

AMAZON AND STELLANTIS SOFTWARE COLLABORATION ENDSStellantis and Amazon have shelved the software collaboration that was first announced in January 2022 and meant to be behind the SmartCockpit system. If you wish to learn more, click this Yahoo Finance article link here.

OLD NISSAN LEAF BATTERIES GET SECOND LIFE IN ROMERome Airport is using old Nissan Leaf batteries as part of a system that reduces the pull on the electrical energy network, making them more self contained. Nissan predicts the batteries will have a life of at least seven years. Click this EV Powered article to learn 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 - VW Golf GTI Edition 50Volkswagen are getting ahead of the game, with announcing how they will celebrate the Golf GTI’s 50th anniversary. There will be a special edition, with 321bhp, giving a 0-62mph of 5.5 seconds an a limited top speed of 168mph. There is also some fettling to the chassis and suspension set ups to help deliver improved driving dynamics. Prices are expected to start around £45,000. Click this Autocar article link, to read more.

Caterham 310 EncoreCaterham is saying goodbye to the Ford 1.6 litre engine via a 25 vehicle special run of the 310, called the Encore. There are a number of improvements to the oily bits which allow the car to get to 62mph in just 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 127mph. Additionally there are funky colour and livery options that will mean you not miss them. Click this EVO article link to read more.

Toyota Land Cruiser CommercialToyota are brining a commercial version of the Land Cruiser which will mean no back seats and acres of room, plus a mighty towing capacity. You will be able to order one from 1 August 2025 and deliveries begin in September. Prices start at £52,729.17. You can find out more, by clicking this article link from The Mud Life.

Citroën DS3 and C3 stop driving orderCitroën has issues a ‘stop driving immediately’ order to owners of Mk1 DS3 and Mk2 C3 owners, for cars built between 2009 - 2019, due to potential risk from a Takata airbag misfiring, following a fatality in France. This is connected with the recall issued in December 2024 for the same issue. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: WELCOME TO PANDELLERIAThanks to Jim Magill for posting about the island of Pantelleria, which has the highest density of Fiat Pandas. Sitting in the Mediterranean Sea, between Tunisia and Sicily, the locals have adopted the Panda as the car to do all the things. Click this YouTube link to a Fiat video that shows you more about this marvellous place.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 19 INTERESTING FRENCH LUXURY BARGESAutocar has provided a list of potential luxury French cars for you to select your favourite from. And this will be a tough choice. Agree with Alan and Andrew? Let us know. Click here to see the options.

AND FINALLY: SECRET STASHWe return to the topic of Porsche’s secret stash of cars, which thanks to our seeming obsession, is less secret! We are suggesting you try the following two links as Tom Ford walks around the facility discussing the various cars for Top Gear.

Click this link here, for the concept cars and prototypes.

For the road going cars, click this link here.

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SUDDEN RENAULT CEO DEPARTUREOver the weekend there was surprise from Renault Group, as Luca de Meo announced he would be leaving the company on 15 July to become CEO of French luxury group Kering. To find out more, click this Yahoo Finance article link here.

£15.6BN FOR TRANSPORT IN GOVERNMENT SPENDING REVIEWThe UK Government has announced their spending review, where £15.6 billion is being allocated for transport projects, of which £1.4 billion is for the uptake of electric vehicles. More money is set aside for other connected projects such as training and upskilling young people. Click this Motor Trader article link here to read more.

MINISTERS TO CHOOSE WHO CAN ACCESS US UK TRADE DEALWith the US and UK having negotiated the details of the previous agreement of areas they would discuss, the proposal of 100,000 UK built cars being exported to America, annually, at an additional tariff of 10% looks set to come into force. However, who from these shores can access that is yet to be decided. Car Dealer Magazine is suggesting that Government ministers are to work that out. If you want to read more, click this article link here.

VOLVO REVEALS ADAPTIVE SEAT BELTVolvo has shown off a new seat belt, which has been designed to react to the individual wearing it and the environment around the car. There will be a host of sensors which relay specific information to allow different tension strengths, in the event of an collision, depending on the size and weight of the occupant. On top of which there will be over-the-air updates that Volvo says it will use to improve the technology. To learn more, click this Top Gear article link here.

BELIEV TO EXPAND EV CHARGER NETWORKBeliev has announced that, thanks to public and private funding, it will expand the public EV charging network helping to try to achieve the 300,000 charger target by 2030. They will be helping on-street charging needs as well as rural areas that have been overlooked up to now. You can find out more, by clicking this EV Powered article link here.

UBER AND WAYVE TO BRING DRIVERLESS CARS TO LONDONUber and Wayve will be trialling a taxi service in London come the spring of 2026. Wayve claims it uses AI to pilot vehicles and only last month Uber was complaining that they could not meet the requirements to launch driverless vehicles in the UK. A reminder that AI cannot meet the requirements of safety critical software. For more on this, click here on a Top Gear article 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 - VW Polo Edition 50Volkswagen are celebrating the Polo’s 50th birthday with a special edition, the Edition 50. There are a host of features included in this limited run model for a price of £26,350. Click this Motoring Research article to read more.

Honda Civic Type R Ultimate EditionHonda are ending the sale of the Type R in Europe and the UK due to regulatory pressures. However, they are signing it off with a limited run of the Ultimate Edition. Just 10 are coming to these shores. No news on the price but expect it to be more than the current £48,900. Click this Autocar article link for more.

Pogea Project R107German company Pogea has shown off their Project R107, a restomod SL, and it looks fab. A showcase for the level of detail and individuality they can offer the well heeled and discerning customer. Price is very much POA, mind you. Click this Evo article link to see more.

LUNCHTIME READ: DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGERPatrick Fuller, writing in Autocar, explains the media landscape of the 1990s. This was a formative time for many of us as we got new magazines and a change in how things were done. Click this article link to take a history lesson.

LIST OF THE WEEK: WHAT DAD DROVEHagerty, thanks to Antony Ingram, has provided the list of the week. Here are 10 examples of what typical Dad’s used to drive. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? Let us know. Click here to see your options.

AND FINALLY: ADVENTURES IN CUP HOLDER DESIGNThe humble cup holder may seem like a simple thing to add to a car but that is not the case. You can read about how much effort goes into trying to add something that as many people as possible will be happy with, by clicking this DesignNews article link here.

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NEW CAR REGISTRATIONS MAY 2025New car registrations rose, year on year, 1.6% thanks to Fleet. BEV registrations rose to 21.8% of the market share, which is growth but still a long way off the mandated amount. The SMMT once again called on Government financial help to encourage more people to buy electric. Click this link here to read more from the SMMT.

TFL TO INCREASE LONDON CONGESTION CHARGEFrom 2 January 2026, the rate of the Congestion Charge if being proposed to increase to £18 along with the exemption for zero emission vehicles (ZEV) ending. However, ZEVs will pay a reduced amount that will change over time. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here. For the Autocar article, click here.

PIRELLI CAUGHT UP IN ANTI-CHINESE CONNECTIVITY RULESThe US Department of Commerce has finalised their rules on connected vehicle technology and software. They are banning any from Russia and China. This has brought Pirelli’s ‘Cyber Tyre’ technology into the crosshairs as Sinochem, a Chinese company, has 37% of shares in the manufacturer. To read more, click this Carscoops article link here.

BRAZIL SUES BYD OVER WORKER'S CONDITIONSBYD, the Chinese EV maker, is building a plant in Brazil, but has been raided by officials who state they released 220 workers from conditions they likened to slavery. Welfare and financial restrictions were found that contravened the local laws. For more on this story, click here to read a BBC News article.

NORTH OF SCOTLAND EV CHARGING CONTRACT SIGNEDEasyGo, an EV charging network, has signed a 20 year contract to install and maintain electric charging points across the north of Scotland. On top of that they will take on the upkeep of 425 existing council charge points. Click this electrive article link here to read more.

FASTNED TO OPEN NEW CHARGING HUB IN WEST SCOTLANDFastned will open its fifth charging hub in Scotland, this time at Greenock, which will house four ultra-rapid chargers that can add around 100 miles to a car’s range in five minutes. If you wish to read more, click this Electric Drives article link here.

MCDONALD’S EV CHARGING PROVISION INCREASESMcDonald’s, in partnership with Instavolt, has EV charge points at 250 sites across the UK and Ireland. They do not plan on slowing down either. Fast charging for fast food. Click this Motoring Research article link here, to read more.

TFL STUDY SHOWS ROAD INJURY AND DEATH REDUCTION A study by Transport for London (TfL) into rates of serious injury and death on roads with 20mph speed limits has shown a reduction in the numbers. This backs up what is already known about how much a maximum speed of 20mph is better for vulnerable road users, if there is an incident. To read further on this, click the ETSC article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - BYD Seal 06BYD are bringing the PHEV version of the Seal to the UK, depending on spec it can have up to 50 miles of electric only running, according to WLTP testing. Additionally, we will get both the saloon and estate versions. Prices are yet to be revealed. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

Lotus EmiraLotus is updating the Emira. With changes so small we feel only the most nerdy of tread shufflers will notice the difference. However, anything that improves and already impressive vehicle is a good thing. Click this Autocar article link, to read more.

Get Lost Project SafariGet Lost, a UK start up, has taken a Lotus Elise S1 and reimagined it in a way not many would think to go. They have made a safari rally version, with raised ride height, flared arches, big knobbly tyres and spot lights on the front. We applaud the team for what they have made and would love to have a go in one. Click this Autocar article link to read more and see the fabulous machine.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE FAMILY CAR REIMAGINED (PARTS 1 & 2)Daniel O’Callaghan, has written about the Renault 16 in two Driven to Write articles. In these he explains the history and philosophy of the car and its origin. Fascinating stuff, which we heartily recommend you check out, by clicking this link here, for Part One.

For Part Two, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HERE’S TO THINKING DIFFERENTLYHagerty has provided the list we are recommending to you to check out, this week. The Top 10 designs by William Towns. There are a couple of the usual suspects, but there are also some more obscure vehicles which are very interesting in their own right. Click the list here and see if you agree with Andrew’s selection.

AND FINALLY: NEW FUEL COST ESTIMATORA former colleague of Alan’s, Filip Ruminski, has produced an app and API for fuel cost estimating called Journey Cost and is especially helpful for road trips. This is a lovely bit of clean design with some excellent functionality, plus some lovely little touches which help it stand out. Click this link here to read Filip’s LinkedIn post about it all.

Click this link here to go straight to the web app.

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FOLLOW UP: GERMAN COURT SENTENCES DIESELGATE EXECSOver nine and a half years after dieselgate first hit the news, a court in Germany has sentenced four ex Volkswagen Group executives for their part in the scandal. Two were given prison time, with the others being given suspended sentences. Former Group CEO, Martin Winterkorn, is still awaiting trial after several health issues. Click this article link from DW for more.

FOLLOW UP: FRANCE CANS ZFES DUE TO COMPLEXITYFrench politicians voted to end low emission zones, as it was part of a wider proposal to make daily life in France more simple. Alan predicted this would be the case, as he had just bought passes for his cars. Statues are being erected in honour of the man bringing a better life to the ordinary people of France. They will know Alan Bradley’s name and they will honour it! To read more, click this Connexion article link here.

FOLLOW UP: STELLANTIS GET A NEW CEOAfter months of searching, Stellantis have named the ex-Jeep boss, Antonio Filosa, as the new chief executive officer. Also announced is that the leadership team for the 14 brands of the group will be confirmed next month. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

APRIL UK CAR PRODUCTION THE WORST FOR 73 YEARSApart from 2020, which was hit by Covid lockdowns, April 2025 was the worst for production since 1952. SMMT suggests that the Easter date and reduced export demand is to blame. Obviously, the call went up to demand UK based incentives to encourage more to buy. Click this Autocar article link here, for more.

TOYOTA BRINGING GR COROLLA PRODUCTION TO THE UKOn more positive production news, Toyota is bringing GR Corolla production to the UK. Expected production levels are yet to be announced. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

VOLVO CULLING MORE JOBSVolvo has announced big cuts at it’s Swedish bases, with 2200 roles to be made redundant. On top of that, a further 800 jobs will go across the global network. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

VAUXHALL GETS A NEW BOSSSteve Catlin will be returning to Vauxhall, where he started his journey in the automotive journey, via Audi, Seat, VW Group and latterly Volvo UK where he headed up the Financial Services division. To read more, click this Car Dealer article link here.

UK EV CHARGER PLANNING REQUIREMENTS REMOVEDLillian Greenwood, the Future Roads Minister, has announced that the requirements of planning permission for private and public chargers is to be removed. The hope is that this will help speed up the installation of chargers across the country. For more on this story, click this link to an EV Powered story.

PORSCHE REMOVE CERTAIN TAYCANS FROM SALE IN THE UKLate last week Porsche issued a bulletin to UK dealers, to remove certain second hand Taycans from sale. This is believed to be as a result of the DVSA making a request due to an issue with battery monitoring and the risk of a short circuit and ultimately a fire. Click this Car Dealer article link here to find out 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 - Alpine A390Alpine has revealed their inevitable SUV, the A390, a SUV coupe with lots of talk about being driver focused, as you would expect from the brand. They are using a tri-motor layout to give, what the company explains, is the feeling of lightness as two are at the back and one at the front. Prices are expected to start around £60,000. Click here to read more, including the specs, via an Autocar article link.

Genesis Electrified G80Genesis will be bringing their updated and electric G80 to the UK this month. Big battery, lots of power, quick, refined and capable of up to 323 miles. On top of which, it is longer, so everyone inside will enjoy even more room. Click this Top Gear article link for more.

Fiat Grande Panda 4x4Fiat has shown off their concept for a 4x4 Grande Panda. Harking back to the original and adding elements that one regularly sees if searching the internet, such as a roof rack, spot lights and steel wheels. Yet to be officially confirmed for production, it is expected to make showrooms at some time. Click this Autocar link for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: MARCELLO GANDINI HONOURED AT ITALY’S POLITECNICO DI TORINOThis is over a year old, but is the acceptance speech from Marcello Gandini following the award of an honourary degree. You hear about his path to designing some of the most special cars ever, who helped him, his thoughts on how to design and use of technology. A wonderful speech from a very special person. Click this Magneto link here to read.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE SMALLEST CARS EVER MADE BY EVERY MAJOR CAR MAKERAutocar, once again, is the provider of the List of the Week, with the smallest cars from each car maker. Some you will know, some you might not due to being local market only. Do you agree with the choices made by the chaps? Do let them know. You can check out the options, by clicking this link here.

AND FINALLY: SECRET BMWSEVO has an article on a book about the BMWs we never have seen, as they were created to help bring the models we did get to see and buy. Fascinating pictures and stories about things that have been secret up to now. Click this link to see more.

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SCOTTISH JUDGES ALLOW RENAULT NISSAN CASE TO PROCEEDFollowing an appeal to block the case, by Nissan, the Inner House of the Court of Session has concluded that the ‘dieselgate’ class-action can proceed against the Japanese company and Renault. The claim is that the brands fitted defeat devices in their vehicles and 8,500 people are stating they suffered loss as a result. Click this article link from The Standard to read more.

GOVERNMENT PARKING APP TRIAL PROVES SUCCESSFULTrials, by the UK Government, have resulted in three of the largest parking payment firms agreeing to use one single app. RingGo, JustPark and PayByPhone will enable drivers to pay for parking at the sites run by them, via the National Parking Platform. If you wish to read more, click this Autocar link here.

FREIGHT HUB EV CHARGERS FOR LORRIESMaritime Transport will have EV lorry chargers at three site by the end of the month. Tilbury, Doncaster and Wakefield are the first to enable the use of electric lorries, with a further nine following before the end of the year. To read more, click this article link here from Current News.

DISABLED DRIVERS LEFT BEHIND BY PUBLIC CHARGING NETWORK The Public Accounts Committee, has published a report to Parliament, that highlights and criticises the public charging network roll-out’s failure of installations when it comes to disabled drivers. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

‘CHARGE UP CHANGE’ CAMPAIGN LAUNCHEDEVA England, an organisation that states it is the voice of EV drivers to aid in policy creation. They have created an online tool that allows you to write to your local MP to help highlight issues facing the switch over to EVs. Click this MotorTrader article link here to read more.

For the link to the EVA England Charge Up Change page, click this link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Nissan MicraNissan has revealed the next generation Micra and it will be electric. This is a reworked Renault 5. Apparently it is aimed at the European market and is trying to shed the previous generation’s reputation of being for older drivers. To find out the specifications and more details, click this Autocar link here.

Toyota RAV4Toyota has tweaked the looks of the new RAV4, making it more boxy but also improved the technology side of things. Additionally, in the UK, we will only be able to buy the PHEV version. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

Fiat TRISFiat Professional has revealed its first electric three wheel vehicle, called the TRIS. Aimed at last mile delivery work, it has a 90km range and comes in three styles - picl-up, flatbed and chassis-cabin. At first this will be sold in the Middle East and Africa. If you wish to read more, click this electrive article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: IF YOU CARE ABOUT CAR CULTURE DON’T BE A JERK ALL THE TIMEMatt Hardigree writes about how people being idiots in cars is potentially speeding up the demise of cars as it gives more weight to those who want them banned. He also introduces a new principle that sounds good. Click this article link from The Autopian to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE CARS THAT ARE CULTSAutocar has produced a slideshow of cars that are famous for being cult classics and a couple more they think need adding to such a list in the future. Do you agree with the decisions the chaps made? Let us know. Click here to view your options.

AND FINALLY: GARAGE RENAISSANCEFabris Photography has created a series that is recreating the famous Renaissance paintings, using a garage and the staff as subjects. This really is a work of art, do click this link back to the site to see all the fabulous images.

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FOLLOW UP: COUNCIL FORCED TO REPAY PARKING CHARGESAs the And Finally of our episode Nice Weave - 22 April 2025 we discussed the story of citizen campaigner, Zoë Bread, who uses TikTok to highlight typically fun issues but this time it was about how misleading the parking signs were on Collier Street in Manchester. She was fined and dug into the issue as she mistakenly paid at a private machine, thanks to the confusing signage. As a result of this and the attention it drew, she and others will be refunded. Click this BBC News article link here, for more.

NISSAN CUTTING MORE JOBSNissan is cutting up to 20,000 jobs across its global footprint, previously the number was 9,000. On top of this plants will be shut, additional to the announced proposed battery factory. Great effort is being put into making operations more efficient, particularly from engineering and the supply chain. If you wish to read more, click this electrive article link here.

Additionally, Nissan said it would be happy to integrate the Chinese state-owned Dongfeng into it’s global production capabilities. To read more, click this BBC News article link here.

EXCELLENT FINANCIAL RESULTS FROM JLRJLR has revealed pre tax profits of £2.5 billion for the last financial year. This took place whilst sales in Jaguar cars and the Discovery dropped, showing how important the Defender and Range Rover brands are to the organisation. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

POLESTAR GROWTH IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2025Polestar are suggesting that some of the help that has enabled them to have a 76% increase in sales and 84% in revenue is partly down to abandoning the agency sales model. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link, here.

HYUNDAI TO BUILD CARS IN SAUDI ARABIA Hyundai has announced it will begin producing cars in Saudi Arabia, from late 2026. They are the second brand to be situated in the King Salman Automotive Cluster, part of the King Abdullah Economic City near Jeddah. The expectation is for them to build 50,000 cars a year. Click this Autocar article link here, for more.

CITROËN GETS A NEW BOSSCitroën’s new CEO will be Xavier Chardon, who is currently the head of VW France. He takes over from Thierry Koskas on 2 June 2025. Before working for VW back in 2012 he was at Citroën. To read more on this, click here for the Autocar article link.

ASTON MARTIN REVEAL CAR PLAY ULTRA INTEGRATIONAfter announcing their new Car Play back in mid 2022, Apple has partnered with Aston Martin, bringing us the first brand to integrate into their cars. Click this Motoring Research article link here to see more.

Drew Smith has an interesting thread on Bluesky, discussing this, click here to read that.

For additional context, here is a link to a Looking Out newsletter piece by Drew with several links mentioned that add layers of nuance to it all, click here to read the first one.

To read the second piece, click this link here.

To read the third one, click this link here.

GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION FOR CAR PARK SOLAR CANOPIESThe UK Government has opened a consultation on mandating new outdoor car parks must install solar panel canopies. The scope of the consultation includes the size, type and ownership of car parks to be included. For more on this, click this Yahoo Finance article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Toyota bZ4X TouringToyota has revealed their version of the Subaru Trailseeker, we discussed a few weeks ago. Larger than the bZ4X SUV, this is being portrayed as a electric estate. For more information, click this Autocar link here.

Volkswagen ID.3VW are updating the ID.3. Again. A revised front end, to bring it more in line with other cars of the range and a much improved interior is promised. There is also a presumption that the powertrain and tech side of things will be improved. You ca read more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

Denza Z9 GTDenza, a premium brand under the BYD group, is bringing the Z9 GT to the UK at some point. This is aimed at the likes of the Porsche Taycan, with looks similar to a Panamera. In China these boast astonishing power outputs, 0-62mph times and ranges but we have yet to be told more details. Click this Top Gear article link here, for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: WHY JAGUAR’S REBRAND FAILED AND WHAT IT CAN TEACH USWhilst most of the dust has settled following Jaguar’s marketing splash to announce how they were changing as a brand, news has come out that the company is no longer using the marketing firm Accenture Song. Apparently, the contract has come to an end, naturally. Click this Creative Bloom article link to read about how marketing professionals viewed the campaign.

If you, like the chaps, were confused as to why Accenture had anything to do with marketing, click this Marketing-Interactive link, that Drew Smith shared, which helps to explain more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST FRENCH CARS EVERDo you like French cars? Do you like the best? You are in luck then, as Autocar’s slideshow this week has the best French cars ever and some of them were even made in large numbers too! Do you agree with the choices Alan and Andrew made? Click this link here to view your options.

AND FINALLY: SEATS TOO BIG FOR AMERICAVolkswagen are having to recall the ID.Buzz in the US, for a very strange reason, the seats are too big! We are prodding fun, a bit, but the real concern is due to their size some may thing they can seat three instead of the two that are catered for with seatbelts. To read more, click this link from The Autopian, here.

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APRIL 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESAs expected, the new car registration figures for April 2025, were down following the jump in March prior to the tax changes. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) explained how there was a ten percent drop, year-on-year. However, BEV and PHEV registrations rose, but are not near the levels needed to comply with the ZEV mandate. Once again the SMMT called on the Government to assist the industry and buyers. Click this link to read more, from SMMT.

GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR SUNDERLAND BATTERY FACTORYThe planned factory, by AESC, in Sunderland, which will make batteries for Nissan is to receive Government funding. £350 million has been allocated, with an expectation of a thousand well paid jobs, according to the chancellor Rachel Reeves. You can find out more, by clicking this Sunderland Echo article link, here.

NISSAN CANCELLING JAPANESE BATTERY FACTORYNissan is not going to build the planned battery factory in Kitakyushu, Japan. This will save the company $1.1 billion, it is reported. If you wish to read more, click this Yahoo Finance article link here.

UK - INDIA TRADE AGREEMENT ANNOUNCEDDetails are a bit sketchy, but the UK and Indian Governments announced that they had reached a trade agreement. One beneficiary is the car industry or at least those who produce “high end cars”, whatever they are. Until more information is more forthcoming it is difficult to confirm if it is good or not. Click this Autocar article for more.

EU TWEAKS CO2 EMISSION RULES The EU has made changes to the rules for car manufacturers about CO2 emissions. They will now allow brands to average their fleet output over three years rather than annually. If you wish to read more click this Yahoo Finance article link here.

FOXCONN AND MITSUBISHI AGREE PRODUCTION DEALFoxconn has announced the first deal to develop and produce a car for a brand. Mitsubishi has agreed to allow them to bring a car to the Australian and New Zealand markets in late 2026. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

CONFUSION OVER FRENCH ZEVSThe future of French Clean Air Zones is in doubt as the country’s parliament is voting on making daily life more simple. After hearing Alan explain some of the intricacies it is easy to see why people are suggesting it is not the most straightforward thing. Click this Connexion article to read more.

VOLTA TRUCKS GOES BANKRUPT AGAINIn late 2023 the Swedish arm of Volta Trucks went into receivership, alas now the UK and Austrian elements have followed suit. This is a sad end to what looked like a promising venture that was let down by relying on technology from a company that themselves went bankrupt. To read more, click this article link here from electrive.

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 - Jeep CompassThe latest variant of the Stellantis Medium Architecture platform is the jeep Compass, a mid sized SUV with extra off-road capability over sister cars such as the Citroën Aircross and Vauxhall Grandland. A mix of powertrain offerings is topped out by an EV with a maximum range up to 404 miles. Click this Autocar link to read more.

Volvo XC70Volvo are brining back the XC70, in the form of a range extender with an EV-only maximum capacity of 124 miles. At the moment this is only for the Chinese market, but they are not saying it won’t be sold globally. Click this Autocar link here.

Mika MinoMika are a company that sell a funky electric beach buggy, but have now revealed images of the Mino, an all electric quadracycle with a top speed around 56 mph and a maximum range up to 160 miles. Friend of the show, Nir Kahn, is behind the design. Click this Wallpaper article to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: MICRO MACHINESTop Gear go to Japan, this time to find out more about the museum dedicated to the country’s micro machines. Smaller than kei cars these fabulous creations are discussed. Do click the link here, to read more and see the wonderful pictures.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 1990S COUPÉ ICONSSticking with last week’s selection of the decade, the chaps move onto coupés and they do not agree with each other’s choices. At all. Click this Hagerty link here, to read more and see what is being suggested.

AND FINALLY: CAREFUL WHERE YOU PARKMark Lucas parked his electric van in a vehicle stacker car park on Rathbone Square, in London. Due to a fault in the mechanism he couldn’t get it back for over two years. Click this Autopian link to read more about this ridiculous situation.

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STELLANTIS WILL NOT PUBLISH PROFIT FORECASTStellantis has decided not to publish their profit forecast, stating that the tariffs cause far too much uncertainty for the financial year ahead. Their financial results for the first quarter of 2025 continued to disappoint, with a 14% drop in revenue and a 9% drop in vehicle shipments. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

40% DROP IN PROFITS FOR VW Volkswagen’s financial results for the first quarter of 2025 are in and are not great. They did make a profit but it is down 40% on last year, being £1.9 billion with a 1.4% rise in sales. They stated that the increased number of EVs being bought had impacted them due to the much reduced profit margin in electric vehicles. Click this Autocar article to learn more.

IMPROVED ASTON MARTIN PERFORMANCE DESPITE LOSSAston Martin announced a pre tax loss of £76.9 million, for the first quarter of 2025, which is significantly down from last year’s £138.8 million. Revenue was also down, 13%, to £233.9 million, showing how the cost cutting efforts were working for the company. You can learn more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

DROP IN REVENUE FOR VOLVOVolvo too were announcing their financial results for the first quarter of 2025 and they were down. Deliveries, earnings and revue are all down. Interim CEO Håkan Samuelsson announced cost cutting measures across their global network. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

PORSCHE IN-HOUSE BATTERY PRODUCTION PLANS CHANGE Porsche are not going to expand their in-house battery production, as was originally planned. Instead that money will go to software and other products, as they claim the slow uptake in EVs is to blame. This all comes as they announce a further dramatic drop in China sales, down 42% for the first quarter, and an expected drop in revenue and profits for the company overall. You can learn more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

MCLAREN GETS A NEW BOSSFollowing the merger of McLaren and Forseven, Michael Leiters has stepped down with immediate affect. Forseven’s boss Nick Collins, who coincidentally was named CEO of McLaren Group Holdings - the new overarching company that encompass McLaren and Forseven. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

SKODA OPENS ONLINE SHOWROOM WITH AMAZONYou will soon be able to research and peruse your next Skoda via Amazon, in the UK. On top of which you can book your test drive before visiting a Skoda showroom and buying, if you so wish, from the car company directly. If you want to learn more, click this Top Gear article link for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Citroën C5 AircrossCitroën has shown off the new C5 Aircross, using the same Stellantis Medium platform as the Peugeot 3008 and Vauxhall Grandland. This will be their flagship model. Visually there are some attractive elements and the interior looks a good mix of interesting materials and finishes. There will be a multitude of powertrains, including an electric version. Prices, for the hybrid are expected around £35,000 with a rise to about £40,000 for the EV. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Renault Trafic, Estafette and Goelette electric vansRenault has revealed actual examples of their electric vans, rather than renders. With an EV Trafic, where you can expect a lot of versatility in its configuration and use. The Estafette is a European version of the Rivian vans Amazon uses in the US, where the parcel delivery function has been thought through extensively. Finally the Goelette is a Trafic cab, with a huge list of possible combinations and types of rear body. You can read more, by clicking this article link from Professional Van.

Isuzu D-Max EVIsuzu, at the Commercial Vehicle Show, recently showed their electric only pickup, with a really decent towing and load capacity, the same capability as the ICE version, in terms of off road ability and a range up to 163 miles. That may not sound much, to a car owner, but to the intended end user that should easily meet their needs. To find out more, click this Professional Pickup article link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: HOW DOES PETROL GET TO YOUR CARAutoShenanigins has produced an excellent video that shuld be part of the chemestry sylabus, explaining how we in the UK get petrol up to the point of putting it in our cars. Click this YouTube link to watch.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 1990S NON-GERMAN SALOONSA shorter than what we have recently shared list, this week, but looking at the title you will understand why. What were the options, in the 1990s if you didn’t or weren’t allowed on the company car list, to have something German? Do you agree with Andrew’s choice? What would you have? Click this Hagerty link to find out more.

AND FINALLY: DRIVING AROUND THE COAST OF BRITAIN IN A LAND ROVERDerek Hernaman took his Series 1 Land Rover, put an 80 year old caravan on the back of it, and drove around the coast of Britain. Took him a little while and he was escorted back on the last leg with 50 other Land Rovers, as he also raised £12,000 for charity. What a lovely trip to undertake. Click this BBC News article link here, for more.

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FOLLOW UP: EU IS NOT BANNING CARBON FIBREThanks to listener, Alexander Aucken, we now know that the EU is not banning carbon fibre. Last week the material was removed from the draft proposal after information supplied by the car industry and conflicting research which, in the end, could not show it was a hazardous material. Click this excellent piece from Michael Taylor, to learn more.

NISSAN GB GETS a new boss James Taylor has been appointed the managing director of Nissan GB, following his departure from Vauxhall. He replaces Diana Torres, who has been in charge for the last year. You can read more, by clicking this article link from Motor Trader.

PLANS TO INCREASE DRIVING LICENSE TEST AVAILABILITYIn some parts of the UK a learner driver may have to wait up to six months to get a driving test appointments. The Government is hoping to add up to 10,000 slots per month with additional testers and reintroduction of overtime payments. There are administrative changes happening as well. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

CHAIRMAN WANTS TOYOTA TO BUY SUPPLIERAkio Toyoda, the Chairman of Toyota Motor Corp., has proposed buying Toyota Industries Corp., a supplier of the car company. However, the price suggested is much higher than current market value. The deal is at the very early stage and may not come to any fruition. If you wish to learn more, click this Yahoo! Finance article here.

ARNOLD CLARK GETS A NEW BOSS Russell Borrie is taking over the role as Chief Executive Officer for Arnold Clark Automobiles, following the departure of Eddie Hawthorne who led the company for 27 years. To read more, click this CarDealer article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Volvo S90Volvo has updated and refreshed the S90, which will not be coming to the UK. External touches include design cues that we have seen on the XC90 and XC60, internally there is the new touchscreen and more refinement. The EV only range of the PHEV has increased to 50 miles. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Subaru OutbackSubaru revealed the new Outback at the New York Motor Show and it is a full SUV now. With cues to the Forester from the late 90s and early 2000s, the Outback has got bigger, with a more blunt front end. Internally there are upgrades to the displays, infotainment system and a return of physical controls for climate control. Click this Carscoops article link, to read more.

Slate TruckAn EV start up, backed by Jeff Bezos, has revealed their first vehicle an all electric small pick up truck. Based in the US, the vehicle can be bought for around $20,000 with US Government incentives. A stripped back vehicle, with no touchscreen inside (you use your own phone) and wind up windows, for example. Questions remain about the business model and if the car will come to market. You can see more by clicking this EVPowered article link here.

Thanks to listener Jamie Stokes, we discuss how the UK has a need for such a vehicle.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: THE 1976 SAFARI RALLYThanks to the YouTube algorithm actually suggesting something worthwhile, we bring you a video that covers the Safari Rally from 1976. Be warned, Mitsubishi commissioned this therefore they do feature quite a bit, but it is a fascinating film showing how it used to be and how much of an adventure it was. Click this link here to watch for yourself.

LIST OF THE WEEK: SECRET TREASURES OF THE OFFICIAL PORSCHE VAULTAutocar are the supplier of this week’s list, for you to peruse. See the hidden cars no one usually sees, from test mules, to prototypes, to race cars, this place has lots to check out. Click here to see what you can select your favourite from.

AND FINALLY: ROVING REPORTER AT THE NEW YORK MOTOR SHOWListener Matthew Tyson kindly went and found the Subaru Outback at the New York Motor Show, following Alan’s request. But he didn’t stop with just photos of that! Below are a bunch of links to some of the weird, the wonderful, the sublime and new vehicles he found whilst mooching around. Do check them out!

4Runner Surf Concept

Selection of Toyotas and predicting the future

Toyota Land Cruiser Rox Concept

Genesis Hypercar / IMSA GTP

Hyundai IONIQ 5N Pikes Peak

Dodge Charger Daytona

Fiat making an appearance

Subaru Outback Wilderness and Trailseeker

Kia WKNDR

Mustangs

Broncos

Overlanding options if your pockets are deep

Corollas

RWB Porsches

Tastefully modded Buick

Modded Batmobile

Mercedes 300SL

BMW E30s

More BMW E30s

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MORE CHANGES FOR LOTUSGeely has announced a restructuring of Lotus to bring the two companies, Lotus UK and Lotus Technology, into one entity. Lotus Technology will buy Geely’s 51% share in Lotus UK. The hope is to make the brand more sustainable and competitive in the current market. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article here.

CARBON FIBRE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHT The EU is looking into carbon fibre, in connection with their ‘end-of-life’ rules, as it currently does not meet the requirements. Due to the energy required to make it and how it is very problematic if recycling is attempted, it is likely to be added to the banned or restricted list. This will be a problem for the car industry. Click this Top Gear article to read more.

To listen to the Bcomp Special Edition, where they explain more about what they do, click this link here.

UK MILITARY REALISES CARS CAN BE TRACKEDThe latest episode of “oh gosh, new cars are full of sensors” from the UK, finds that specific bases have banned Chinese EVs from being brought onto site or near some buildings. On top of which, officials have been instructed to not discuss sensitive information whilst inside such cars. To learn more, click this article link from The i Paper.

NYBOLT RAISES INVESTMENTNybolt, who showed off a reworked Lotus Elise that was charged from 10-80% in under five minutes, last year has raised more money through external investment. Whilst we are all interested in the vehicle application, their core business is energy storage which has seen a jump in interest in. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article here.

CHINA CLAMPS DOWN ON DRIVER ASSISTANCE ADVERTS Following the fatal accident involving a Xiamo SU7, which returned control to the driver just before impact, China has revised rules on driver assistance and autonomous driving technologies. Ads are banned from using “smart driving” and “autonomous driving”. OTA updates cannot be sent to existing cars without approval, public beta testing is banned, remote parking and summon features are banned and driver monitoring cannot be switched off. Click this article link from CarNewsChina for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Mercedes-Benz G-Class ‘Stronger than the 1980s’Mercedes has revealed a special edition of the G-Class which evokes the original G Wagon of the very late 1970s and 80s. Styled with touches of the first models but with up to date technology and engines this will only cost from £152,815. To see more, including gingercators, click this Autocar article here.

Subaru TrailseekerAt the New York Motor Show, Subaru showed us all their new electric car, the Trailseeker. An electric version of the current Outlander (not the new one, that’s a whole different story!), therefore a raised up estate. With 260 miles range, a 0-62mph time of 4.4 seconds thanks to 375bhp. Details of when it will come to Europe and the price are yet to be revealed. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Genesis X Gran Equator ConceptRemaining with the New York Motor Show, Genesis revealed their luxury SUV concept, the X Gran Equator. A long bonneted, typically different looking SUV, with many stating how elegant it looks. If you wish to learn more, click this article link from The Autopian.

LUNCHTIME READ: PAST GLORIESThis week we bring you not one, but two article links from Driven to Write, as Daniel O’Callaghan brings us the history of attractive and desirable Fiats. As ever, there is a history lesson punctuated with some glorious photographs helping remind us all of some of the beauties that Fiat have made.

To read Part One, click this link.

Once you’ve finished that, click here for Part Two.

LIST OF THE WEEK: INTERESTING CARS FROM RÉTROMOBILENot content with one segment giving you two links, we have two lists for you to peruse. There is some cross over of the cars at Rétromobile 2025, as one might expect, but the cars are so glorious that we believe you will forgive us.

Click here for the first link, from Autocar.

The second link can be clicked here, from Classic & Sports Car.

AND FINALLY: USING YOUR LOAFA woman in Manchester has taken to TikTok to get the attention of the council following receiving a fine, thanks to buying a parking ticket but from the wrong machine. Nothing unusual in that, you might be thinking, however she appears in her videos from behind a slice of bread. Click this BBC News article link to see how she has got a council to address a problem.

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LOTUS CUTS MORE JOBSFollowing the announcement in November last year, Lotus are cutting a further 270 jobs in the UK. The proposal is claimed to be to “enhance competitiveness”. The jobs will be lost from the Hethel production facility and not the other two sites in the UK. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

ASTON MARTIN RESTRUCTURING FINANCES Lance Stroll is looking to increase his stake in Aston Martin, taking it to 35%. At the same time, the company is selling shares in the F1 team, to help raise further cash. You can read more, by clicking this Yahoo! Finance article here.

STELLANTIS ENDS LEAPMOTOR PRODUCTION IN POLANDStellantis has suddenly and without explanation, ended production of the Leapmotor T03 in Poland. The company had already backtracked on opening a second Polish production facility, back in November 2024. If you wish to find out more, click this electrive article link here.

AMPERE GETS NEW CEOLuca de Meo has handed over the running of Ampere to Josep Maria Recasens, who was the Chief Operations Officer. Ampere is the electric vehicle and software development spin off from Renault. de Meo was CEO of Ampere whilst being CEO of the Groupe Renault. Click this electrive article link to read more.

LUCID WINS NIKOLA FACTORY AUCTION The bankruptcy auction of Nikola’s assets has enabled Lucid Motors to buy the production facility in Arizona. You can find out more, by clicking this TechCrunch article here.

6000 NEW PUBLIC CHARGERS FOR BRIGHTONChar.gy and Brighton and Hove city have penned a deal that means 6,000 new public on-street chargers will be installed. Char.gy takes advantage of utilising the greenest/cheapest grid production, with different costs depending on when you charge. You can read more, by clicking this EV Powered article here.

GM AND CRUISE SUED BY INVESTORSInvestors have sued GM and Cruise, claiming that the companies overstated the capability and state of their autonomous project. The lawsuit contends that GM also asserted that the AV division was key to the financial performance of the company, with the company claiming $50 billion profits were expected by 2030. If you wish to find out more, click this GM Authority link here.

HCVA LAUNCHES CAREERS HUBThe Historic and Classics Vehicle Alliance (HCVA), has launched a careers hub that will allow for a central point that will highlight job opportunities in the industry. To learn more, click this Hagerty article link here.

For a direct link to the careers hub, click here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Audi A5 PHEVAudi has revealed the specifications for their A5 PHEV, which will come with a maximum electric only range of 67 miles. The electric motor will be paired up with the 2.0 litre petrol engine, giving a combined 295bhp. The saloon prices start at £48,950, with the estate reaching £60,520. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

Isuzu Dragon MaxFor the Bangkok Motor Show, Isuzu created the Dragon Max, a restomod version of their third gen TFR space cab pick up. It looks ace. More of this please. Click this Top Gear article link to see more.

Easter 2025 Jeep SafariThe annual Jeep Safari is upon us and once more we get to see some brilliant ideas from the company. Click here to see the link from CarScoops, which not only has lots of photos but videos for each of the models.

LUNCHTIME READ: 50 YEARS OF THE MERCEDES-BENZ 450 SELThe 450 SEL 6.9 brought astonishing performance and power to the top of the Mercedes-Benz range 50 years ago. The technical challenges and solutions, though, are very impressive. Click this link, from Hagerty, to read what went into creating this famous car.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE INTERESTING, WILD AND OFTEN OBSCURE TREASURES OF THE SAAB MUSEUMSaab, a car company we still mourn the loss of, does have a museum. Thanks to Trollhättan, Saab AB (a defence company) and the Wallenberg Memorial Trust the car collection has been kept together. Click this Autocar link to see some of the special cars that make up this special museum.

AND FINALLY: CARS HELPING PLANESMotor Trend has an article explaining all the times cars have worked with planes, to the benefit of planes and us. Click this link here to read more.

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NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES MARCH 2025The March 2025 new car registration figures have been revealed by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). They show an increase that you have to go back to 2019, to find bettered. Electric vehicles, unsurprisingly, increased as buyers tried to avoid the new VED and luxury car tax. Private, on the one hand, had a surprising jump but then not when thinking about the tax changes. This is expected to be a bit of a one off month, with the numbers next month being a lot lower. Click this link to read more, from SMMT’s own article.

UK GOVERNMENT TINKERS WITH ZEV The UK Government has announced changes to the requirements of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate. These add up to tinkering. Finally, we get a decision on hybrid vehicles post 2030, where they will still be sold. Small manufacturers will be exempt from the requirements. All OEMs will be given more flexibility in achieving the required target rates, with the CO2 credit transfer system remaining in place until 2029. In reality though, as we continue to be in a cost of living crisis and vehicles are too expensive, trying to mandate a market will remain difficult. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

CAR BRANDS AND TRADE BODY FINED BY CMATen car companies and the SMMT have been fined by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for agreeing to not compete with each other when advertising the amount of recycling that could be achieved with their cars. Additionally, the second charge was for anticompetitive practices when it came to recycling end of life vehicles. Following an admission to this, they are to pay £77 million in fines. In Europe a similar investigation has found 15 brands guilty and they will pay £382.7 million, as a consequence. To find out more, click this Autocar link here.

MCLAREN MERGES WITH FORSEVEN TO SECURE FUTUREMcLaren has merged with Forseven, to create McLaren Group Holdings, thereby securing its immediate future. Both entities are owned by CYVN Holdings, which is the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund. Forseven has a raft of vehicles almost ready for production but needed a badge to stick on them. Click the EVO article link here to read more.

RENAULT AND NISSAN RESET PARTNERSHIP Renault and Nissan have renegotiated their partnership, following a few tumultuous years. Nissan will no longer contribute to the Ampere project, will rebadge the Twingo city car vehicle and have sold their joint-venture stake in India to Renault. If you would like to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Nissan MicraNissan has revealed the first images of the new Micra, which is a rebadged Renault 5 EV. Once again the company revealed no details or specifications. This caused the chaps to discuss the Leaf and ask why it was coming back. Click this Autocar article link to learn more about the Micra.

Longbow Speedster and RoadsterLongbow is a UK EV sports car start up that showed off their images of how they envisage their coupe and roofless lightweight EV sports cars will look. Without the context of technical specifications we are promised rapid 0-62mph times, as well as a range that is surprisingly long considering the aimed weight of the car. Will it ever be made, we doubt it, but if it is, that would be cool. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

New New Van News: Mercedes-Benz eVitoMercedes has almost doubled the range of the eVito, which will boast a maximum of 298 miles, beating all the competition on that metric. Will be very interesting to see what the real world figures are, when used by customers, and what the price will be. Click this Top Gear article link to find out more.

LUNCHTIME READ AND WATCH: 50 YEARS AGO GM BUILT THE MOTORHOME OF THE FUTUREGm created the GM Motorhome and it was groundbreaking at the time, whilst still innovative today. You can read more by clicking this article link, from The Autopian, here.

To watch the restoration project, as Alan recommended, click this YouTube link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 30 SHOW STOPPING CLASSIC CARS FROM RÉTROMOBILE 2025We are bringing you a list, that we are confident you will struggle to pick just one car from. We did! Click the Classic & Sports Car link here, to see what options you have.

AND FINALLY: ADDING A STICKER TO SAVE A RECALLThink of this as a bonus Lunchtime Read as The Autopian recounts the story of Ford saving themselves the largest recall in history, by sending a sticker to customers. Click this link here, to find out more.

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FOLLOW UP: SUNDERLAND NISSAN FUTURE SECUREFrançois Bailly, who is head of planning for Nissan, in Europe, has stated that the Sunderland plant’s future is “very safe” as they reveal images of the next Leaf and Juke EVs to be built there. However, the Qashqai EV is being delayed for market uncertainty reasons. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

US TO IMPOSE 25% TARIFFS ON IMPORTED CARS AND PARTSPresident Trump has announced tariffs on imported cars and parts, of 25%. This will increase the price of cars, to US consumers. This will also hit US based manufacturers, when the market is already struggling. Click this Autocar article to read more about the implications.

Sam Lowe, who writes about EU and UK trade policy, has looked into the announcement and has explained some of the nuance that might be lost in the mainstream coverage. Click here to read his Substack post.

Meanwhile, the UK Government is in “intense” negotiations with the US over these moves, hoping to avoid being hit. To read more, click this Autocar article link.

UK SPRING STATEMENT REACTIONThe car industry has reacted to the UK Government’s spring statement, and it is not happy. Seemingly, when the leaks made it clear they were going to remove benefits from those most in need, some in automotive land thought that there would be financial incentives for wealthy private buyers to get new shiny cars or for incoming taxes to be postponed. If you wish to read more, click this article link from Motor Trader.

UK VEHICLE EXCISE DUTY CHANGES COME INTO FORCEThe UK Government’s changes to Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) came into affect on 1 April 2025. There is an inflationary increase to all levels, but additionally some cars previously exempt from VED as well as the Expensive Car Supplement, will now be covered. This includes electric cars and those first registered back in 2017. On top of all that there are changes to the van excise duty and pick ups. To find out more, click this article link from Ayvens, which explains all the issues well.

JIM ROWAN LEAVES VOLVO Jim Rowan, the Volvo CEO for the last three years after moving from Dyson, has left the company with immediate effect. His replacement is the former CEO, Håkan Samuelsson, on a two year interim basis. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

WAYNE GRIFFITHS LEAVES SEAT AND CUPRAMore changes to the heads of brands, this time, the surprise announcement that Wayne Griffiths is leaving the Seat and Cupra brands. He has managed to keep Seat relevant, in the face of the VW Group’s inability to work out what to do with it, and brought Cupra from nothing into a rapidly expanding brand. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

INSTAVOLT OPENS NEW CHARGING HUBInstavolt has opened a new charging hub, near Winchester, not far from junction 9 of the M3. This is their largest site to date as well as being powered completley by 100% renewable energy. They use a mix of solar, renewable grid energy and battery storage. You can find out more, by clicking this EV Powered article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Nissan LeafNissan has revealed the first images of the new Leaf, which has morphed into a SUV. There are no technical details yet, but the company claims it will have 372 miles or real world range. The full launch is later this year. Click this link to read more, from Autocar.

Smart #5Smart has shown off their largest car to date, the #5. According to Autocar the dimensions mean it is a similar size to the Peugeot 5008 SUV. Using the same underpinnings of the #1 and #3, it will have a 800V architecture.Range is expected to a maximum of 366 miles and prices are predicted to start around £40,000 when deliveries begin in October. Click this link to read more.

Aston Martin Vanquish VolanteAston Martin has revealed the Vanquish Volante, a 214mph V12 soft top. Coming with 824bhp the convertible is 95kgs heavier thanks to stiffening of the chassis and suspension, as well as the folding roof mechanism. Prices have not been announced but it is expected to be a smidgen more than the coupé version, which starts at £334,000. If you wish to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: AUTOMAKERS ARE BEGINNING TO REALISE YOU’RE FED UP WITH OVERCOMPLICATED CAR TECHThe Autopian bring us all a sliver of hope that car makers are waking up to the fact that most of us do not like in-car tech they are foisting on us. Interestingly, this is thanks to reviewing a RAM heavy duty pick up. Click this link here to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST CARS OF THE 1990SOnce again we invite you, via a list, to wallow in nostalgia and escape the grim reality of life, at the moment. Again we visit the 1990s, with Autocar offering many options from which to pick. Do you agree with Andrew and Alan’s choices? Click here to see what you can find.

AND FINALLY: WHERE UTILITARIAN IS COOLAgain, we link to an Autocar article for this recommendation, a visit to the Mercedes Unimog museum. Have a look at the many and varied tasks these cool machines have and continue to help with. Click the link here for the fun!

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FOLLOW UP: RECALL FAILURE HIGHLIGHTEDAuto Data Solutions (ADS), data analysts, have reported on their Freedom of Information request regarding how many cars and vans have been repaired following manufacturer recalls. Between 2018 and 2023 announced recalls, 3.2 million vehicles are still to be fixed. ADS suspects the number is actually higher. Click this Motor Trade News article link for more.

COUNCILS TOLD TO REPORT POTHOLE REPAIRSThe UK Government has stated that, from 30 June 2025, local councils must report back to them the number of potholes they have repaired in order to continue to receive highways funding. To read more, click this article from Autocar.

EMPLOYEE CAR OWNERSHIP SCHEME TO ENDThe UK Government is expected to close what it believes is a loophole, with ending the Employee Car Ownership Scheme (ECOS). This allows the employee of a manufacturer or dealership to buy a brand new car at a large discount, pay very little to no interest and hand it back after six months, whilst getting another. As the employee “buys” the car it isn’t covered by benefit-in-kind requirements. To read more and find out the impact this might have, click this Autocar article link here.

BYD HAS NO UK FACTORY PLANSBYD has made it clear that it will not open a factory in the UK, due to what it says are the limitations of the manufacturing base, including a lack of workers. They will be building a factory in Hungary though. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

AUDI TO CUT 7,500 JOBS TO SAVE CASHAudi is the latest OEM to announce a huge cost cutting initiative that will include the loss of jobs. To save $1 billion a year, they will cut 7,500 jobs by 2029. Click this Autocar article link, to read more.

ARNOLD CLARK EXPANDING CHARGING NETWORKArnold Clark has announced they are investing a further £30 million to expand their rapid EV charging network by doubling in size. Following their original announcement, nearly two years ago, they have installed 240 charge points to date. To learn more, click this electrive article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Renault 5 Turbo 3ERenault has shown off their electric hyper hatch. The 5 Turbo 3E is due to arrive in 2027 and will have 533bhp. Only 1980 examples will be built, which is the year the original 5 Turbo came out. Maximum range is expected to be around 250 miles however, it is not clear how much this is reduced by enthusiastic driving. No price has been announced. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

Renault 5 E-Tech Roland-GarrosRenault also gave us information on a much more attainable model, the Roland-Garros. With a max range up to 252 miles, it comes with a 52kWh battery pack and a 150bhp electric motor. There will be a variety of design touches to highlight the connection with the French Open tennis championship. Prices start at £29, 995. Click this Motoring Research article to read more.

Toyota bZ4XToyota has updated the technology and looks of the bZ4X, their first full EV. The looks are now in line with the rest of the range, whilst the tech upgrades should mean for a better ownership experience. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: CARS THAT MADE THE 90S Join us on a trip down memory lane, if you are old enough as we recommend watching a video about what made the cars from the 1990s so special. Click this Influx YouTube link to watch.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 10 ROAD GOING RALLY CARSContinuing, well -ish, the theme from the previous recommendation, we have a list from Hagerty of their selection of the best road going rally cars. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? If not, what would you have picked, let us know. Click this link here to view your options.

AND FINALLY: DRINKING GAME RETURNS HARDTo those that play along with the Motoring Podcast’s drinking game, this is going to be one item that may well send you blind. In the 1970s and 80s, Toyota brochures in France actually came with a record that could play in the brochure and explain things to prospective owners. Click this link to read more from the Autopian and we can all be happy for Alan.

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FOLLOW UP: NISSAN LEADERSHIP CHANGESThe turmoil at Nissan continues, as CEO Makoto Uchida announces he will resign and Ivan Espinosa, the chief planning officer, will step up into the vacated role. That is the fourth CEO in six years. Click this AMOnline article link to read more.

FORD INJECTS $4.8 BILLION INTO EUROPEAN OPERATIONSFord has been forced to help the European division, a separate company, by investing up to $4.8 billion, as debts reach $5.8 billion. Unions are very fearful that the company will go bankrupt. If you wish to learn more, click this Reuters article link here.

FIAT UK MAKE MANAGEMENT CHANGESAh, the carousel that is Stellantis management positions, in the UK. This time Fiat are making changes, with a new head of sales and a new head of marketing. Neil Heilbron will be heading up the sales function and Victoria Hatfield in charge of marketing. You can read more, by clicking this AMOnline article link here.

MIDLANDS CHARGER NETWORK TO EXPAND BY 16,00013 local authorities have been allocated up to £40 million, via a Government grant, to install a further 16,000 charge points across the Midlands region. Apparently, this more than doubles the provision. To find out more, click this EV Powered link here.

MOTO INSTALLING 300 HGV CHARGERSMoto, the motorway service station operators has announced that they will be installing 300 eHGV charge points across the UK in the next five years. Click this EV Powered article link here, for more.

M56 TO GET NEW SERVICE STATIONThe M56, near Tatton, will get a new service station in the mould of the one at Tebay, following approval of the planning permission. There will be a farm shop, 100 bed hotel and the usual provisions one would expect. If you wish to learn more, click this Manchester Evening News article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Mercedes CLAMercedes has taken the wraps off the new CLA, a four door saloon, which will come in electric and hybrid forms. The EV has a claimed maximum range of up to 495 miles, with Mercedes making the further claim that it will do 421 if driven just on the motorway. Hybrids are supposed to give us diesel like mpg figures. Click this Autocar article link to learn more.

Toyota C-HR+Toyota has revealed the C-HR+, an electric SUV that sits below the bZ4X in the range, but hoped to be a huge seller for them. With a maximum claimed range of 373 miles and a price which is expected to start from around £38,000 it will be up against the likes of the Volvo EC30, BMW iX2 and Mini Countryman. Click this Autocar story link for more.

Morgan SupersportMorgan has unveiled the Supersport, their most advanced car to date with a host of engineering and design work to make a modern car which is still linked to their heritage. Price is starting from just over £100,000. To read more, including an interview with the head of design, Jonathan Wells, click this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: FRANCE’S MANOIR DE L’AUTOMOBILE MUSEUM IS MIND BLOWINGHagerty provide the link to this week’s recommended reading, with an article about the Manoir de l’Automobile museum. A stunning example of how and what to house for the visitor’s pleasure. Click this link here to read more and maybe add to your trip agenda.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 30 CARS THAT ARE 50 IN 2025A couple weeks ago, we helped to make you feel old with a list of cars that in no way many could be 25 years old. Well, thanks to Classic & Sports Car we have doubled the age. 50 year old cars are on the menu, which some are more believable but still. Click this link to see what options there are.

AND FINALLY: TEMPORARY DELAYAuto Shenanigans has visited the longest running temporary traffic lights in England. They’ve only been in place for 10 years. Click this YouTube link to see more.

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NEW CAR REGISTRATIONS FEBRUARY 2025The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has published the latest new car registration figures. Once again it is not great news overall, with a 1.0% decrease. However, BEVs are up 42% year-on-year but this is just 6253 extra electric cars. For the first time since October 2023 Private rose, but only marginally as Fleet decreased but is still doing all the heavy lifting. Interestingly Tesla registrations rose 21%. To read more, click this link to SMMT’s post.

MOTABILITY POSTS BIG LOSSES FOR 2024Motability, the UK’s biggest fleet operator, that supplies cars to those who qualify for disability payments, posted a loss of more than £565 million for 2024. This is a huge drop from 2023, when they had profits of £748 million as well as a rise in revenue of 24%. Blame is being put on insurance, servicing and new car costs rising dramatically, with the additional penalty of depreciation being more than expected. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article here.

EU TO CHANGE CO2 AIMS AND PUSH FOR FANTASY TECHThe EU has announced the Automotive Action Plan. In their industrial strategy they will be targeting aspects to help the industry on the continent. CO2 targets are due to be relaxed, a push on charging infrastructure, incentives to buy EVs, help with battery raw materials and autonomous driving technology. Click this electrive article link here, to read more.

KIA MANAGEMENT PLAYS MUSICAL CHAIRSKia UK is the latest company to play managerial musical chairs, with the head of sales and head of marketing swapping offices. You can read more, by clicking this AMOnline article link here.

SELF DRIVING CARS CANNOT BE MADE TO WORKAn article in The Register, covering how academics are able to fool self driving car technology by adding simple stickers to road signs. In the piece they actually make it clear that the current development process will never work. Click this link to read it and understand the issue.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Volvo ES90Volvo has unveiled their flagship electric saloon. Using a lot of the same stuff as the EX90 SUV, except 800V architecture instead of 400V. Prices are expected to start around £70,000 and run up to £90,000 for the top of the range Ultra spec. Two battery packs are available which give a variety of performances depending on configuration. Range of the smallest set up is expected to be a maximum of around 400 miles. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Volkswagen ID.Every1Volkswagen has shown off the concept for their small, affordable electric car. Called the ID.Every1, the claim is the production car will look very much like this. Expected to have a maximum range of around 155 miles, costing around €20,000. The design is reminiscent of the Up! and is very simple, as cost is a key factor for VW with this car. You can read more, by clicking this Top Gear article here.

Volkswagen reintroducing buttons Not only do VW treat us to a cute affordable car but also deciding we can have buttons again, for key controls. Volkswagen are saying this is due to customer feedback, hoping we all forget EuroNCAP are changing their scoring to ensure we do not have only touch screen interfaces. Click this Autocar article to read more.

UK Car of the Year 2025 - Kia EV3Kia has won the overall UK Car of the Year award with their EV3, following in the footsteps or should that be tyre treads, of last year when the EV9 won. As a reminder, Andrew is one of the 30-odd judges for these awards. Click this link here to read more from the UK Car of the Year awards site.

LUNCHTIME READ: JAG MAN MUST DIEAs the dust has settled a bit, after the reveal of New Jaguar, we are sharing an article from Esquire, that discusses how the brand decided to move on from its past and the aims it has for the future. Whether they are successful, only time will tell. To read more, click here for the link.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 22 CARS POWERED BY BRITISH V8 ENGINESClassic & Sports Car provide, once more, the list of cars for you to select from. This time, which is the one with a British V8 you’d like to have the most. Click here to see more.

AND FINALLY: RUSTIVAL 2025Hubnut, has announced Rustival is returning in 2025. The date is 30 August and it will be located at the British Motor Museum at Gaydon. Click here to see more and sort your tickets.

To wet your appetite, here are the host’s reviews of Rustival 2, from last year.

Click Hubnut’s video link here.

To see Steph from I Drive A Classic, click here.

And for Furious Driving’s take on the last show, click here.

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FOLLOW UP: A CORRECTIONLast week, during the discussion on the Kia PV5 Andrew moved onto a matter that was tangentially related as it concerned the coverage of the Government announcing the extension of the plug-in grant for electric vans.

However, in how he moved to that and the editing after, Andrew inadvertently gave the impression he was attacking the Professional Van outlet and their writers. That was not the intention and we apologise for how that segment came out. It has been removed.

ASTON MARTIN CUTS JOBS IN COST SAVINGS PUSHAston Martin has cut 170 jobs as it looks to cut costs following a disappointing 2023. Hit by supply chain issues production was down and therefore so were deliveries to customers. The company is aiming for £25 million savings annually. To read more, click this link to a BBC News article.

STELLANTIS PROFITS FALL 70%Stellantis has released information on their 2024 performance and it is bad. Net profits fell 70% on those of 2023. With an operating income down 80% for just the US market alone. Whilst in Europe it fell 63%. Much of the blame is put on an ageing line up, with much of the hope resting on the new cars coming out. If you wish to read more, click this AMOnline article link here.

NISSAN CANCELS NIGHT SHIFT AT SUNDERLAND PLANTNissan has announced that it is cancelling one of the night shifts at the Sunderland plant, as it looks to save costs globally. Click this BBC News article link here, for more.

SKODA TO SLASH WORKFORCE BY 15%Skoda is the latest brand to announce it is reducing it’s workforce. 15% of the 41,000 employed positions will go through natural fluctuations, the company stated. For more information on this, click the link here for a Yahoo!Finance article.

PORSCHE REPLACES BOARD MEMBERSPorsche has decided the fault of increased costs and sales falling, is due to the chief financial and the marketing and sales directors. They have been now replaced, with Jochen Breckner now in charge of finance and IT, whilst Matthias Becker will be heading up sales and marketing. To read more on this, click the Autocar link here.

ITALIAN REGULATORS INVESTIGATE MISLEADING EV INFORMATIONThe Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) and the Italian financial police (Guardia di Finanza) are investigating BYD, Stellantis, Tesla and the VW Group over claims of misleading information regarding their electric vehicles. Driving range, battery degradation and warranty information are all being questioned. If you want to learn more, click this CarScoops article link here.

LIVERPOOL TO GET 58 ELECTRIC DOUBLE DECKERSLiverpool City Region Combined Authority has ordered 58 electric double deckers, from Alexander Dennis.The Department for Transport’s Zero-Emission Bus Regional Areas fund (ZEBRA 2) is partially helping to fund the purchase. Click this electrive article link 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 - Kia EV2Kia, at the EV event in Spain, previewed the next electric car due to come out after the EV4, the EV2. This is around the same size as the Renault 4 and 5, as well as Vauxhall Corsa, but will be a SUV. Once again, details are scant from the Korean company, yet the price is expected to be around €30,000. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Kia EV4 After last week’s tease, Kia filled in the gaps with details emerging at the same Spanish event as previously mentioned. Prices are expected to start at €37,000 and the maximum range will be 391 miles. There will be a variety of battery packs and thus capabilities, which differ between the saloon and hatchback. Click this Autocar article link to learn more.

Kia PV5 Again, at the same event mentioned, Kia detailed the specifications and performance of their first foray into electric commercial vehicles. Cargo wise, it should be able to swallow two Euro pallets, however, weight is limited to a maximum of 850kgs for the load. To find out more information, do click this link to a Professional Van article.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: ASTON MARTIN’S NEW CEO PLANS TO BE THE FIRST TO MAKE IT SUSTAINABLY PROFITABLEOur recommendation this week is a fascinating interview with Adrian Hallmark, the CEO of Aston Martin. He explains why he took the job and the belief in the mission. This appears to be quite an honest interview too, with his passion and ideas coming across. Time will tell if he is successful, but it seems, from this distance, the best plan the company has had for decades. Click this link to read more from the Robb Report.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 CARS THAT ARE 25 IN 2025Classic & Sports Car provide our recommended list for you, this week. You may not like it though, as there is a very good chance at making you feel old. Do you agree with the chap’s selections? Let us know your pick. Click here to view what options you have.

AND FINALLY: BMW’S PASTBMW has created an online museum for their past models. What an amazing thing it is too. So much information and easy to navigate. Click this link to their website and say goodbye to many hours!

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FOLLOW UP: DAZZLING HEADLIGHT RESEARCH RESULTSThe College of Optometrists, working with the RAC, has conducted research into if headlight dazzle is a problem. The results from the first research suggest there is, particularly for under 35s and those not in SUVs. If you wish to find out more, click this article link from the College here.

FOLLOW UP: AUTOPIAN THINKS APPLE SHOULD BUY NISSANMatt Hardigree makes the case, in The Autopian, as to why Apple should buy Nissan. He does however admit that he’s not using logic. Click this link to read more, if you so wish.

RENAULT SHARES BATTERY SUPPRESSION SYSTEM WITH INDUSTRYRenault has developed a system to allow for EV and hybrid battery fires to be put out quicker than is currently possible. An access port has been added to the battery pack which will be opened by the pressure of a fire hose, enabling water to get directly into the battery cells and cover them with water. Renault has named this the Fireman Access system and is sharing it with the entire car industry. To read more on this excellent move by Renault, click this Autocar article here.

BMW PAUSES INVESTMENT IN OXFORD EV PLANTBMW has paused the planned £600 million investment in the Mini Oxford plant that would enable EVs to be made there. They have cited “multiple uncertainties facing the automotive industry" and not taken up a £60 million grant from the UK Government, as a result. If you want to read more, click this BBC News article link here.

BRAKE DUST PARTICULATE TOXICITYResearch from the University of Southampton has suggested that brake dust particulates, when the brakes have copper as part of their construction, is more damaging than diesel vehicle emissions. Removing copper from the brakes drops this. Click this Top Gear article link to read more.

FAKE SPEAKERS IN SOME CHINESE VOLVOSCustomers in China have discovered that some of them have fake Bowers and Wilkins speakers fitted, as the displayed names are Bowers and VVilkins. Not only that but the drive selector is not as advertised by Volvo. This is embarrassing, to say the least. To find out more, click this Ars Technica article link here.

TESLA AUTOPILOT RULED DEFECTIVE IN GERMANYA German court has agreed with a Tesla owner and ruled that the company’s Autopilot was defective, due to phantom braking issues. Either the owner is to be fully compensated or have their Model 3 replaced with a car that has non defective Autopilot. You can read further on this, by clicking the link here to a CarScoops 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 CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Kia EV4 Kia has revealed the Cupra Born, VW ID.3 rival the EV4. Coming in both hatchback and saloon shape but not fastback which is destined for other markets. Details on powertrain and battery options are yet to be revealed, but the expectation is 58kW or 81kW battery packs and front or four-wheel drive. Range should therefore be around the 350 miles maximum. The car will be launched later this year. Click this Autocar article link for more.

Kia PV5 The first of Kia’s commercial vehicles has been revealed, the PV5. Details, as with the EV4, are yet to be revealed however it will initially come as a panel van, called the Cargo Van and passenger vehicle, named the Passenger Van. You can find out more by clicking this Professional Van article link here.

Peugeot 504 BreakPeugeot’s in-house design team have reimagined the classic 504 and produced there distinct versions. One being inspired by Pikes Peaks hillclimb. A second drift capable version. Finally, a homage to the French rap group 113 who drove one onto stage at the French music awards in 2000. To see more, click this Wallpaper article link here.

Mazda 2 axedMazda is cutting the ICE and mild hybrid versions of the 2 from its range in the UK. You can still buy a rebadged Toyota Yaris Hybrid, called the Mazda 2 Hybrid. Click this Autocar article to read more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: FROM CANADA TO ARGENTINAFollow a young couple as they modify a Toyota Chinook and drive from Canada to Argentina. We love an adventure and this video shows some of the experiences they shared in taking such a fabulous journey. Thanks in large part to a car. Click this YouTube link to watch.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 OF RENAULT’S GREATEST PERFORMANCE HITSAutocar give us 25 options for your favourite fast Renault. Do you agree with the choices? What would you pick? Do let us know. Click here to see what you can select from.

AND FINALLY: MOTORING ART - OLGUN KORDALClassic & Sports Car interview Olgun Kordal about his work and use of vivid and bold coloured backgrounds in his images. There are a stunning set of pictures to view, which you can by clicking this link here.

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FOLLOW UP: COURTS REFUSE GOVERNMENT REQUESTThe UK’s Supreme Court has blocked the Government’s attempt to reduce the compensation due to those sold finance for their car purchase. The fear was it would stop or reduce car loan availability. We now wait until April to find out the final ruling. Click this BBC News article to read more.

ASTON MARTIN GIVEN DEADLINE TO BE FIXEDAdrian Hallmark, the new CEO of Aston Martin, has outlined that the company must be “going in the right direction’, in terms of towards profitability in the next 12-18 months. Aston will not be following a volume model, but one where they maximise the profitability from each vehicle. If you wish to learn more, click this CarScoops link here.

For the more bizarre ideas from Aston Martin, you can click this Top Gear article link to read further.

NISSAN CANNOT GUARANTEE SUNDERLAND FUTUREAs the fall out of the collapsed merger continues to rain down, one step Nissan is taking is to continue it’s global cost saving exercise. Unfortunately, that means the Sunderland facility is under threat as three international plants are earmarked for closure. This is a step up on November’s original announcement, where only job losses were thought to be enough. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

PORSCHE TO REDUCE WORKFORCEAnother car company not immune from the issues of the industry, Porsche has announced that it will be reducing the workforce by around 1900 staff. The expectation is this will be achieved by natural retirement and turnover. Some reports suggest 1500 positions will also go for temporary staff. This is the latest in a number of announcements from Porsche that show just how badly hit they are. Click this electrive article link to learn more.

NEW UK CAR PARK GUIDANCE ANNOUNCEDOn Monday 17 February new guidance came into affect, from the new organisation, the Private Parking Scrutiny and Advice Panel (PPSAP). They have brought in a rule that offers greater protection to those struggling to pay upon arrival at a car park, if they are privately run and use ANPR or CCTV to enforce and monitor parking. To read more on this, click here for an article link from Motoring Research.

CONIGITAL GOES INTO LIQUIDATIONConigital, once heralded as beacon in the UK autonomous vehicle world has called in a liquidator as it voluntarily folds. This is after the company claimed to have raised £500 million from a private equity group. However, the UK Tech News outlet was suspicious of this and published an article back in June 2024 questioning the validity of this claim. Click this article link to read about that. Then, click here, to read about the latest situation.

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 - Subaru Forester Subaru has released the details of the new Forester which is coming to the UK, from late Spring 2025. Revised looks, both inside and out, with power coming from a mild hybrid powertrain combined with their 2.0 litre boxer four petrol engine. Prices start at £38,995 for the entry level Limited model, rising, for the range-topping Touring version to£42,995. Click this link to read more from PistonHeads.

Modena MA-01 A restomod that isn’t a butchers 911, well knock us down with a feather. Instead, Modena has decided to bring their interpretation of the Maserati Biturbo and Shamal. This is a very good thing. Okay then, so it is a touch pricey at around £500,000 but that does include the donor car! Click this Evo link here to see these lovely looking cars.

Renault 5 GTL A classic Renault 5 GTL has been converted to electric power, giving a range of 50 miles, and updating of some aspects of the vehicle. There is a retro styled digital dash, which came from a company using ‘software code-free approach’ and no, we don’t know what that means either. Not that we care, in this case, as it looks very cool. Click this Top Gear article link to see more.

LUNCHTIME READ: SKYLINE OR SIMILARAntony Ingram went to Japan recently-ish and he chose to hire cars to help him get around. What a brilliant idea! He has written up his experience for Hagerty and click this link to read more. Fabulous.

LIST OF THE WEEK: CARS THAT ENDED PRODUCTION IN 2024As there has been too much nice stuff in the second half of the show, here is a list thanks to Evo, which has all the cars that went out of production in 2024. Do you agree with the choice of what will be missed the most? Click the link here to see what options there are.

AND FINALLY: YOU WILL NEED YOUR BIG COATTop Gear went to the wonderful F.A.T. Ice Race, at Zell am See and they took a lot of gorgeous photos. Click this link, which will bring a smile to your face, which is the whole point of the And Finally section.

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FOLLOW UP: NISSAN HONDA DEAL OVER ALREADYBefore it even really got going, it appears Nissan are to walk away from the deal as Honda are accused of changing the agreement, with a proposal that made Nissan a subsidiary and not equal partner. When you look at the market evaluations of them, you can see why Honda may suggest they are the bigger company. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

FOLLOW UP: VAUXHALL LUTON TO SHUT BY JUNE 2025Stellantis has confirmed that the Vauxhall Luton plant will close by June this year. The announcement of the closure came in November 2024, with this one now being the specific date. Ellesmere Port will continue to operate. For more on this story, click this Autocar article link here.

JANUARY 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe Society of Motor Manufacturer and Traders has revealed the new car registration figures for January 2025. They are down over all, but BEVs are at 21% market share. Unfortunately, Private is still down with Fleet doing all the heavy lifting. Many “commentators” have tried to tie in Tesla’s drop to the CEO’s actions in the US, but this is not the case due to the length of time it takes to get a delivery from order, especially if specific options are wanted. Click this SMMT article link to read more on the state of the market.

STELLANTIS RESHUFFLE CONTINUESLinda Jackson, the CEO of Peugeot, will retire as the reshuffling of Stellantis management continues, following the departure of the previous CEO. To read more, including other moves, click this Autocar article link here.

MOT CHANGES WORRY INDUSTRYA new change expected to MOTs, where any recalls that have not been completed must be noted as either an advisory or fail, is worrying the industry. The fear is this could overwhelm workshops as there is an estimated 5 million vehicles on the road with recall work to be performed on. If you wish to find out more, click this AMOnline article link here.

BID TO STOP GHOST MOTSThe DVSA is taking the next step in using photographic evidence, in a bid to prevent ghost MOTs. These are where a workshop gives an MOT without even seeing the car. Following an initial trial they are now working on honing the process of confirming the car is in the garage and being inspected. Click this article link from the UK Government.

ELECTRIC VAN MOT PROBLEMFleet operators are asking for an approved deferral for electric van MOTs as they need to be handled at a commercial vehicle testing station due to their weight. As they fall into the heavy goods vehicle category, they must be tested at one year. However, the Association of Fleet Operators seems to think that the rules need not apply because they’re electric, as somehow physics doesn’t apply when its an EV. Click this Motoring Research article link for more.

UK GOVERNMENT FINDS CARS SEND LOTS OF DATAAccording to reports in the media, the UK Government has warned some employees to be careful when inside their or Government issued cars as what is said could be sent to a foreign Government. Of particular concern are Chinese vehicles. They will be really shocked when they learn what all modern cars can do. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

SNAKE PASS UNDER THREATDerbyshire County Council has called on the Government for help in maintaining the Snake Pass. The threat is that they will not be able to afford to repair the route, which is seeing an increasing number of landslides and damage. You can find out more, by clicking this BBC News article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Arctic Trucks’s Land Cruiser 250Arctic Truck has sprinkled their magic on the new Land Cruiser. They have raised and widened the vehicle, added chunky tyres and a wide body kit. These will be available later in 2025. To see more, click this Hagerty article link here.

Audi naming change. Again. Audi has, once again, changed how it will name its models. No longer will the the odd numbers for ICE and hybrid versions and the even numbers for EVs. This is as a result of “feedback” from customers and dealers. Click this Autocar article link here for more information.

LUNCHTIME READ: SEATTLE TO SARATOGA SPRINGSFor our recommendation this week we are going on a road trip across America. In some 2CVs. Yep. Really. Follow this amazing journey via this link to the article on Citroënvie.

LIST OF THE WEEK: BELLISIMA! FIVE FABULOUS FIATS OF THE 1990SHagerty supplies this week’s list to select from. It may be small but it is mighty, as someone once almost wrote. The best Fiat’s of the 1990s. Do you agree with the choice? What would you pick? Do let the chaps know. Click here to check out the options.

AND FINALLY: FINES, THE FINAL FRONTIERA lady from Long Island, USA, used to have a license plate with the same alphanumeric ID as the Enterprise from Star Trek. That sounds quite cool, except people are buying novelty plates from online stores and fitting them. Even though she handed back the plates four years ago, she is getting fines and citations for driving offences. To find out more, click this Gizmodo article link here.

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FOLLOW UP: MERCEDES JOINS EU TARIFF LAWSUITBefore we had even managed to publish last week’s show, Mercedes-Benz had joined the lawsuit against the EU over Chinese made EV tariffs. Click this Bloomberg article link to learn more.

US PAUSES TARIFFS ON CANADA, MEXICO AND CHINA GOODSThe US has paused imposing 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, as well as a 10% tariff on Chinese made goods. Even though this has not gone through, the chaps explain the consequences should they come to pass, on the US car manufacturing industry, dealerships and buyers. To find out more, click this electrive article link here.

UK GOV INVESTS IN CHARGING AND MININGThe UK Government is investing £65 million in Connected Kerb, who provide on street parking charging solutions. On top of this, £28 million is being invested in Cornish Metals, who mine minerals for EV batteries, solar panels and more besides. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

JLR PROFITS DROP DUE TO CHANGE OF DOMINANT MARKETJLR’s most dominant market is now the US, instead of China. With a weak pound against the dollar, the two factors have reduced the year-on-year profit for the company. Another impact was warranty costs. However, they did take in a record revenue, along with an improved profit margin. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

MOST RECALLED CARS OF 2024Once again the annual list of shame comes out, where the car brands that were recalled the most in Europe has been published. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

PROPOSED ASTON MARTIN MUSEUM CANCELLEDA proposed Aston Martin museum, in Newport Pagnell, have been cancelled due to the costs of the project. The Aston Martin Heritage Trust could not find a commercial partner for the museum. If you want to learn more, click this BBC News article link here.

HALF OF YOUNG PASSENGERS KILLED IN UK WORE NO SEATBELTThe shocking statistics from the Department for Transport show that 43% of young people who are killed in vehicle incidents are not wearing a seatbelt. To read more about this horrifying data, click this ETSC article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Fiat Grande PandaFiat has revealed the full specs and prices for the Grande Panda. It will undercut the sister car from Citroën, the eC3, with a price of £20,975. The 44kWh battery has a maximum range of 199 miles and is able to charge at up to 100kW. There is also a petrol hybrid version. Fiat is making the Panda a model range all of its own, with a new model coming out in the next two years. Click this Autocar article link for more.

BMW iXBMW has given the iX a facelift.Cost a mere £74,400 for the entry level, but if you want a maximum of 426 miles you need to pony up £92,200. There is a range of trims, battery packs and power outputs, all to suit the wealthy buyer who needs such a car. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

Flexis vansFlexis, the joint venture between Renault, Volvo Trucks and the French logistics company CMA CGM, has revealed their first three electric vans. We will have to wait a few years before they appear on our streets, as the end of the decade is the expected timeline. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

Genesis ends ICE sales in UKGenesis has announced that it will not be selling pure internal combustion engined vehicles in the UK, for the foreseeable future. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Lexus removes LS from sale in UKLexus is removing the LS saloon from its UK line up. Whilst homologation and legislation are being blamed the fact they have sold just 39 since the start of 2020 has probably made that an easy decision. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HISTORY OF LANCASTER (FORTON) SERVICESThis week we recommend reading about one of the most iconic service stations in the UK, Lancaster (Forton), positioned on the M6 between Preston and Lancaster. Click this link to a Motorway Services Online article here, to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP GEAR’S TOP 9 - CARS WITH DODGY WOOD TRIMThanks to listener Dan Hall, that sent us this list, from Top Gear and their Top 9 cars with dodgy wood trim. Oh boy, are there some crackers too! Click this link to be amazed and horrified.

AND FINALLY: A FILM THAT BROKE THE RULESFifty years ago the original Gone in Sixty Seconds came out and it was unlike anything previously. This article from Hagerty tells the story of the film and the man who made it happen. Click this link to read more.

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FOLLOW UP: GOVERNMENT INTERVENES OVER FINANCE SCANDALThe Chancellor of the Exchequer has written to the Supreme Court to ask them to not penalise car dealers and finance companies too much, for breaking common law. To read more, click this AMOnline article link here. For more context on how we are at this point, click this link here, from The Conversation.

FOLLOW UP: WESTERN AND CHINESE EV MAKERS TAKE EU TO COURTBMW and Tesla has joined with BYD, SAIC and Geely to challenge the tariffs imposed on EVs made in China that are brought to Europe. They are arguing that the rates imposed are unfair. If you wish to read further on this, click this AMOnline link here.

FOLLOW UP: NHTSA BLUECRUISE INVESTIGATION SHOCKSThe investigation into Ford’s hands-off eyes-on driving system, called BlueCruise, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US, has found that the system does not detect stationary vehicles when the car is going over 62mph. This has been implemented to try and prevent false positives being sensed and thus “phantom braking”. Click this Autoevolution article link for more.

FOLLOW UP: GOVERNMENT BACKS GREATER MANCHESTER PLANSThe UK Government has assessed and approved the proposed plans from Greater Manchester, to reduce the amount of nitrogen dioxide in the air. This will take place without the need to charge drivers for a Clean Air Zone, as so many other cities have chosen. If you would like to learn more, click this article link from BBC News, here.

VW GROUP DITCHES AGENCY MODEL FOR EVSIn the UK, the Volkswagen Group will end its use of the agency model, where they sell directly to customers, for their electric vehicles. They are the latest in a number of companies to make this move. Click this Auto Retail Agenda article to read more.

SUBARU HACKEDEthical hackers found a vulnerability in Subaru’s StarLink connected service that allowed them to access incredible amounts of data and even control some functions of cars remotely. This has now been patched and we have only found out after the fix was deployed by Subaru. If you want to learn more, click this link to Sam Curry’s post detailing what he did and found.

WAYMO HACKEDJane Manchun Wong, a security researcher, found a hidden element of the Waymo app that allowed her to change what the top dome, on the roof of their vehicles, displayed. Waymo have now closed this off to ‘normal users’. If you want to learn more, click this TechCrunch article link here.

MANY THINGS HACKEDPwn2Own Automotive 2025 took place over three days last week and found 49 unknown vulnerabilities in software for head units and EV chargers, including Tesla’s own wall charger. On top of which, some known vulnerabilities were exploited again as companies has not fixed them since being alerted to them previously. To learn more, click this BleepingComputer article link here.

JLR INVESTS IN BESPOKE OFFERINGSJLR is investing £65 million in Castle Bromwich and Nitra, Slovakia plants, to enable them to offer more bespoke paint options to customers. The company states more Range Rover owners are requesting more personalised options. Click this BBC News article link here, for more.

JLR INVESTS IN RARE EARTH RECYCLING COMPANYCyclic Materials, a Canadian company that plans to commercially recycle rare earth material from magnets in electric motors, wind turbines, MRI devices and electronic scrap, according to electrive.com. To read more, click this article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Dacia BigsterDacia has revealed their largest SUV, a chunky C-segment vehicle that undercuts the competition with the entire range being under £30,000. There are a couple of trim levels and several powertrain options. To read more, click this Motoring Research article link here.

GWM Ora 03’s new entry level modelGWM Ora has announced a new entry level model for the 03, with a price reduction of £7000, bringing it to £24,995. This will be called the Pure and comes with a range up to 194 miles and much of the kit the Pure+ (which is being retired) did. There will also be a range topping GT, which will be from £32,995 and have more aggressive styling and technology. Click this Autocar article to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: LET’S HOPE ELON MUSK DOESN’T TAKE EVS WITH HIMInsideEVs has a piece about the potential for the move to EVs, in the US, to be dealt a significant blow thanks to how the CEO of Tesla is behaving. In the United States the EV industry and adoption is hinged on Tesla, from the visible brand to charging infrastructure, without the company there will be, at best, a stalling and at worst a collapse. If you want to read more, click this article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: SHOOT FROM THE HIPHagerty is the provider of this week’s list, with it suggesting the 11 coolest shooting brakes, even though some are not technically shooting brakes but estates. Glossing over that, there are some fabulous options for you to pick from, click here to see what they are.

AND FINALLY: GUILTY PLEASUREPetrolBlog has a series called Guilty Pleasures, where Major Gav shares a car that is a bit of a guilty pleasure. We have chosen to share the Suzuki X-90 as your starter into the series. Do check out the rest of the series on the website. Click here to read about this mad car.

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FOLLOW UP: BT ENDS EV CHARGER PILOTAfter converting just a single junction box to enable EV charging, BT has pulled the plug on their project. Originally touted as having a potential to convert up to 90,000 cabinets, the company is focusing on improving wifi provision for EV chargers. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

FOLLOW UP: FTC SUES JOHN DEERE OVER REPAIR MONOPOLYIn the US, the Federal Trade Commission along with Illinois and Minnesota, have taken John Deere to court over claims of a monopoly on repair to their equipment. The claims explain how due to only John Deere being able to fix farm machinery their is a loss of earnings as the farmers have to wait for a technician. This has potential knock on for the motoring industry. Click this 404 Media article link, to read more.

EV POWERTRAIN FACTORY TO BE BUILT IN SUNDERLANDA company owned by Nissan, Jatco, will build a factory in Sunderland that will produce the car company’s next generation EV powertrains. The UK Government is investing £50 million in the project. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article here.

STELLANTIS UK MANAGEMENT CHANGESStellantis UK have made changes to their management team, again. This time Nicola Dobson will head up Peugeot. Giuseppe Cava will be the MD for Fiat, Fiat Professional and Abarth. Damien Dally will lead the Leapmotor brand. Nick Richards will be the director of pre-owned vehicles. Tom Ray is in charge of business-to-business for all brands. To learn more, click this AMOnline link here.

FTC BANS GM FROM PASSING DRIVER DATA ONFor the next five years, GM is banned from passing driver data onto consumer reporting agencies, in the United States. Additionally, they must make it clear what data they do collect and give people choice over if it is collected and used. Click this article from the Federal Trade Commission for more details.

HINO SETTLES US EMISSION BATTLEIn the United States, the Toyota subsidiary Hino, has settled with regulators an emission scandal involving their diesel engines. Fined $1.6 billion, plead guilty and banned from importing their engines to the country for five years. Amazing what happens to non-US companies, compared to their own. Click this BBC News article link for more.

CANOO FILES FOR BANKRUPTCYThe EV startup, Canoo, has filed for bankruptcy after it failed to find further funding. To find out more, click this TechCrunch article here.

CHARGE CAR HAS BEEN BOUGHTThe collapsed EV restomod company, Charge Car, has been bought and resurrected, by a consortium who plan to follow through on the program of building electric Mustangs. If you wish to read more, click this Autocar link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - KGM ActyonKGM has revealed details of their new SUV, the Actyon. Aimed at the likes of the Skoda Kodiaq and Honda CR-V, it will initially come with a 1.5 litre turbo petrol engine producing 161bhp. Prices are expected to start from £31,995. Click this Autocar article to learn more.

Toyota Urban CruiserThe Urban Cruiser name returns, on a new electric SUV from Toyota. Due to arrive later this year, with a rumoured price over £30,000. This is very similar to the eVitara we covered recently. Click this Top Gear article link to read more.

BYD Atto 2BYD is launching the Atto 2 SUV in Europe. Sitting between the Dolphin and Atto 3, in their range. Rivals are expected to be the likes of the Vauxhall Frontera and Renault 4. Range, for the 45.1kWh battery, is expected to be around 194 miles. Prices are thought to be around the mid £20,000s, in line with the competition. Click this Autocar article to read more.

DS plansDS has bold plans. No, you don’t seem to understand, we really do mean BOLD. Not content with not competing with Mercedes, BMW and Audi they now are aiming higher and looking to challenge the likes of Bentley. They seem to like the thinking from Jaguar and are following suit, although we have to wait for the rebrand and adverts. Click this Autocar article to read more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: WILL THE MINI JEEP MAKE IT TO AREA 51? EP.3The third instalment of the insane journey by Ed March and a mini Jeep he has modified, to Area 51. Hope you like snow and tank tracks! Click this YouTube link to watch this brilliant video.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HOW TO ESCAPE YOUR CAR IF THE ELECTRONIC DOOR HANDLE FAILSConsumer Reports has listed all the ways to get out of cars that have electronic door handles, if they fail. There is a lack of consistency in how brands enable you to use and override, let alone where it is located. Click this article link to read more on this dangerous and stupid door handle evolution.

AND FINALLY: VISIT POTHOLE LANDThe enterprising residents of a village near Wrexham have decided to try and cash in on the state of their roads by setting up a tourist attraction called Pothole Land. Once again, people using humour to point out the ridiculous state of the UK’s infrastructure. And no, AI won’t make a difference. Click this BBC News article to read more.

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DFT CLAIMS NO FINES FOR ZEV MANDATE IN 2024The Department for Transport has stated it is confident no car maker will be hit with fines, for failing to meet the requirements of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate of 2024, due to the many different ways a brand can be compliant. If you want to read more, click this AMOnline link here.

JLR STATE GEAR SELECTOR SETUP STAYS FOLLOWING TRAGEDYA coroner has urged JLR to change their gear selector system by including an “intermediary step” to engage the drive as required. A tragic accident occurred when the driver of an electric Jaguar relied on feel to pick correctly but ultimately failed, which led to the death of a child. JLR, whilst expressing sympathy over the incident, stated they comply with all legal requirements. You can learn more, by clicking this BBC News link here.

ROLLS ROYCE INVESTS £300M IN NEW PRODUCTION CAPACITYRolls Royce will be upgrading their Goodwood production facility, with a £300 million investment, ahead of a second electric model reveal. More important, perhaps, than the second ev model, is that this will allow even more personalisation of cars being sold. To read more on this, click the link here to an Autocar article.

TESLA BEATS FORD TO MOST RECALLED BRAND IN 2024In the US, Tesla has taken the dubious crown of the brand with the most recalls, from Ford in 2024. The latest is 700,000 for tyre pressure sensors not working as hoped. That brings the total of 15 recalls. Click this San Antonio Express News article link for more.

TESLA DRIVER ASSISTANCE COMPUTERS FAILINGThe computers controlling Tesla’s ‘Self Driving’ ADAS system are failing. This is causing serious issues, including disabling other aspects and technology in cars. Getting replacements is tricky and there is a long lead time due to how the company likes to do business. If you want to read more, click this Jalopnik article link here.

WAYMO TAXI GOES IN CIRCLES TRAPPING OCCUPANTA Waymo in Arizona, trapped an occupant whilst circling the airport car park, which he could not stop or get help. The man nearly missed his flight as it took so long to rectify the situation. You can see more, by clicking this BBC News article link here.

DRIVERLESS SCOTTISH BUS ROUTE SHUT DOWNThe much heralded driverless bus project, set up with Stagecoach, called CAVForth, has shut down 18 months after beginning. The claim is a lack of passengers. To read about this, click this link to an article from The Scotsman.

AFTER 23 YEARS A ROAD UPGRADE IS SET TO FINISHA project, started in 2002, to upgrade the A465 Heads of the Valleys is set to be finished. Seemingly an example of how not to do things, the team has finally overcome all the issues which will enable communities to be easily linked to the rest of the country and no longer ‘cut off’. Click this BBC News article to see the details of this enormous project, the mess and the hope for the future.

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 - Mazda 6eMazda will be bringing their electric saloon, which is known as the EZ-6 in China, to the UK under the 6 name. As we said when we covered EZ-6, it is a very good looking car and importantly it IS a car and not a SUV. 300-345 mile range, depending on spec, this is expected to be priced from just under £40,000 when it arrives in 2026. Click this Autocar article link for more.

Afeela 1The Sony Honda collaboration is due to produce a car, under the brand name Afeela. The Afeela 1 is another (nice to say that) electric saloon. You’d better really want one and have really deep pockets as prices will start at the merest sliver under $90,000. Question is, will anyone want a bland looking EV that offers nothing the market already gets and usually for a lot cheaper? You can see more by clicking this Top Gear article link here.

Honda 0 Saloon and 0 SUVAlso at CES, Honda revealed their Series 0 cars, the Saloon 0 and SUV 0. We’ve seen, for so many years now, an iteration of the Saloon 0 design, whilst the SUV seems to be influenced by Polestar’s 3. The chaps fail to be excited by either and perhaps are indicative of how far behind Japanese companies are. Even now. Click this Autocar article to read more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: EVO CAR OF THE YEAR 2024That time of the year has come around again, the EVO Car of the Year video is now out. Watch as the team show off the contenders and pick their ultimate car of 2024. Click this YouTube link to watch the fabulous film.

CONFIGURATOR OF THE WEEK: ROLLS ROYCE SPECTREWe return to fantasy shopping, with the Rolls Royce Spectre configurator. Click this link to have a go your self.

To see Alan’s choices, click this link here.

To see Andrew’s selections, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: BODY KITSLiberty Walk, the company that likes to bolt on an arch extension, has revealed one kit that is not that, the Silhouette Works GT Lamborghini Miura. It looks good too. However, if you do miss the exposed rivets look, they also have a new MX-5 kit that will warm your cockles. Click this Hagerty link to read more.

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FOLLOW UP: VW AND UNIONS AGREE ON CUTSAs a result of the intense negotiations between Volkswagen and the unions, agreement has been reached on cuts that are hoped will create $4 billion in savings. Voluntary redundancies, selling one plant, reducing production lines and repurposing other plants are all measures being taken. Click this Autocar article link, to find out more. You can also click this link here to an AP article explaining other aspects of the steps being taken.

FOLLOW UP: HONDA AND NISSAN OFFICIALLY CONFIRM MERGERWe covered the rumours of this a few weeks ago, yet it has still caught many by surprise. Nissan and Honda has announced that they intend to merge in an attempt to fight for an increased market share. We cannot work out what the companies will gain from this as they seem to be effectively identical in terms of products and markets. To find out more, you can click this Autocar article link here.

FOLLOW UP: UK GOV STARTS FRESH ZEV MANDATE CONSULTATIONThe new Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, has opened a fresh consultation with stakeholders regarding the zero emission vehicle mandate, as the reality of the economy and the market hit home. SMMT is pushing for financial help for private buyers and pushing the charging industry to do better. The charging industry is in a flap over the potential to slow down the move to EVs. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

DECEMBER AND 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES SMMT has released the data for December and the entire year, with regards to new car registrations. Surprising no one, or it really shouldn’t, BEVs had a bumper month as the fear of fines loomed over brands. Fleet buyers completely propped up the market in 2024. The question of the ZEV mandate and economy, going into 2025, will impact the market heavily. Click this SMMT article link to read more.

WHISTLEBLOWER ACCUSES JLR AND TATA OF BLACKLISTINGHazar Denli, who was heading up the chassis design element of VinFast’s car for Tata Technologies, raised concerns over parts and quality internally but was ignored. Feeling he had no option he went public, was fired by Tata and subsequently found a new job, via an agency, with JLR. He is claiming that he was blacklisted and unfairly fired by JLR who were told to let him go. To read more, click this BBC News article link here.

LOCAL AUTHORITIES GIVEN EXTRA POTHOLE REPAIR FUNDSThe Government has added £500 million to the pothole repair fund and is pushing local councils to get on with sorting the roads. However, to receive the full funding they will need to demonstrate they are tackling the problem to a standard expected. If you would like to read more, click this BBC News article link here.

VW CUSTOMER CAR DATA LEAKVolkswagen Group has now fixed a misconfigured cloud storage area that was open to everyone. 800,000 customer’s car’s data was accessible by anyone, including location history, battery charge level and car status, amongst others. Politicians, security service personnel and high profile owners are thought to be hit in Germany and elsewhere in the world. Trust is a fragile thing, which the car industry keeps destroying. Click this Carscoops article link for more.

US DIGITAL LICENSE PLATES JAILBROKENIn a couple of states in the US, you can purchase or pay a hefty subscription for a digital license plate. Apparently this has many advantages over normal ones, but we can’t see any unless you can jailbreak them and put someone else’s details on it and have them pay your road tolls and more. Which is exactly what has happened. To learn more about this daft product, click here for a Wired article 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 - Nio to launch in the UK in early 2025Nio, the Chinese EV maker, will be launching early 2025 in the UK market, with the L60 SUV coupe. This is a direct competitor to the Tesla Model Y. Expected to be around £40,000 it will undercut the Model Y on price. In order to find out more, click here for the link to an Autocar article.

GWM Ora to rebrand GWM Ora will now be known as GWM, in the UK, as it expands the brands it will be bringing to this market. Adding to the Ora 03 (formerly the Funky Cat) they will launch the Haval Jolion Pro Hybrid SUV in early 2025. Click this AMOnline article link for more.

Nio bringing budget brand Firefly to EuropeNio will be bringing it’s budget brand, Firefly, to Europe in 2025 with their small EV hatchback. Visually it is astonishingly similar to the Honda-e. No news on whether it will be brought to the UK yet. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

Arnold Clark the exclusive Corvette dealer for Glasgow and the North of EnglandCorvette are coming to the UK, with right hand drive versions of their latest sports cars. Arnold Clark is the dealer for their Glasgow and North of England sites. If you want to find out more, click this AMOnline article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW AN ARMOURED CAMARO AND A SPECIAL FORCES OFFICER KEPT CIVILIANS ALIVE IN WAR-TORN BOSNIAThis is the remarkable story of the special forces officer who modified a Camaro and went unarmed into conflict areas to bring humanitarian relief for civilians caught in the horrific civil war of Bosnia. To read about his heroism and more, click this Hagerty article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: EVO CAR OF THE YEAR - EVERY WINNERWe have managed to source a list for you to select from this week and it is a cracker. All of the winners of the EVO Car of the Year awards. There are some brands who feature more heavily than others, but click this link here to see if you agree with the choices made by the chaps.

AND FINALLY: RICH NEW YORKERS LEARN ABOUT WALKINGNew York is the first city in the US to introduce congestion pricing, thus catching up to most of the rest of the world. However, the shock has reverberated around many who live and work there. They’ve been introduced to a new concept called “walking” as a way to avoid paying the charge. Click this Jalopnik article link to see one man’s reaction to this news.

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FOLLOW UP: ANOTHER ROUGH WEEK FOR VWVolkswagen are continuing to endure more challenges. Workers were on strike last week, with the threat of more in the new year as unions and management continue to talk but appear no closer to agreement. You can click this HTAutos article link to learn more.

Meanwhile, VW’s CFO Arno Antilitz, stated that factories must get more efficient. Which is code for cut costs. Unless they haven’t bothered to optimise efficiency up to now. Click this MSM article link here, to read further.

To round out the Volkswagen news, they are being sued in Brazil for treating farm workers, on a farm they owned, like slaves. This is a historical claim, which it is claimed took place between 1974 and 1986. If you want to find out more, click this MSM article link here.

CRUISE AV PROJECT CANCELLED BY GMGeneral Motors has announced that it is ceasing to fund Cruise and will fold elements of the company, including technology, into GM. The news has shocked some, including staff, but that is not surprising considering how poor reporting has been and how the industry has used PR and legal moves to obfuscate reality. You can read more on this, by clicking this link from TechCrunch here.

Honda will be saving roughly $100 million per year, as they will no longer need to pay a licensing fee for the Origin vehicles that never made it to service. Click this Nikkei Asia article link here, for more.

For some extra context, click these two links to John Berry posts on Bluesky. Link one can be found here. For the second, click here.

CYVN HOLDINGS AGREES TO BUY MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVEThe Abu Dhabi based investment group, CYVN Holdings, has agreed with Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, to purchase McLaren Automotive. They already have invested in Gordon Murray Technologies, Forseven and NIO. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar link here.

MUSK TRIES TO INFLUENCE UK GOVERNMENT POLICY The BBC has see attempts by Musk and Tesla to change the UK’s zero emission vehicle mandate by pushing for ICE drivers to be charged more, if they buy a petrol or diesel car. If you wish for your blood pressure to be raised, click this BBC News article link here.

AMAZON AUTOS ROLLS OUT TO 48 CITIES IN THE USAmazon Autos is now rolling out to 48 cities, in the US, where you can use their platform to view, order, pay and arrange to collect your Hyundai. More locations are expected to added as time goes on. Key element to this, is knowing exactly what you’ll be paying without low moves by a dealer suddenly adding a cost, out of the blue. Click this Amazon article link to learn 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 This week we talked about how to add Apple Podcasts service, to your Android homescreen, following a revised article from James Cridland and Podnews. If you use Android or know someone who does and are struggling to find a likeable player you can try it. Click this link here to see more. NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Renault 5 Turbo 3ERenault has announced that they will be reviving another back catalogue car, just after telling us they would only be looking to the future with their vehicles. They will be bringing to production an electric 5 Turbo, with 500bhp and promises of breathtaking performance. Makes us wonder what the point of Alpine is. What was that? The price? Apparently in excess of £100,000. Click this Autocar article for more.

Aston Martin Valhalla Aston Martin has confirmed the plug in hybrid, Valhalla, will be in production, finally, next year. With a starting price of only £850,000, this 1064bhp will take on the likes of the Ferrari SF90. There will be a maximum of 999 vehicle built and the company expects most of them to go through their personalisation program which will make the price jump significantly. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Farizon SupervanGeely will be bringing a competitor to the EV van market, in the form of the Farizon SV (for Supervan). Price is expected to be less than that for the Ford E-Transit and Vivaro Electric. Range, from the largest battery that will initially be available, is a maximum of 225 miles. Click this Autocar link to learn more.

Toyota Urban CruiserToyota are bringing back the Urban Cruiser name. This time it will adorn the Japanese car maker’s version of the Suzuki e-Vitara that was jointly developed by the two companies, although the project was led by Suzuki. For more information on the car, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE BRIXMIS OPEL SENATOR WAS THE RIDE OF REAL SECRET AGENTS DURING THE COLD WARDuring the Cold War, British agents would go and poke around areas of East Germany in modified Opel Senators. This Hagerty article tells you all about it, click here to read a fascinating story.

CONFIGURATOR OF THE WEEK: BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT MULLINERThis week we have chosen to play with Bentley’s configurator and specifically the one for the Continental GT Mulliner. Unfortunately, we cannot establish just how eye-wateringly expensive our vehicles would be but we do have the links below to play along at home to, as well as check out Alan and Andrew’s choices.

Click here to go to the blank configurator.

For Alan’s choices, click this link here.

For Andrew’s choices, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: VW HONOURS DECADES OLD IMPORT PROGRAMVolkswagen US had a program where people could order a US spec car, have it delivered to Europe, drive it around and then have it shipped back to the United States for the owner. One such participant never made it home, until very nearly forty years later, where VW honoured their part of the deal even though it has been shut for decades. Click here to see more, from Volkswagen’s own press release. Well done all involved.

AND FINALLY FINALLY: SUMMER IN THE TETONSYouTuber Jonny Roams, has a short two minute video that is a beautifully shot teaser to longer film, about his time in the Teton mountains over the summer in his overland 944. Have a couple of minutes of calm and peace, whilst thinking about the adventures you’ll have next year in your car. It is nearly time again. Click here to watch the video.

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FOLLOW UP: RECARO SAVEDSome good news, for a change, as Ricaro, the seat manufacturer, being saved by an Italian parts maker called Proma Group. Unfortunately, many will lose their jobs as production will move to Italy. However, some technical and sales people will remain. You can learn more by clicking this Auotcar link here.

FOLLOW UP: ARAMCO BUYS 10% STAKE IN HORSEAramco has finally bought the 10% stake in Horse which Geely and Renault were hoping for, after signing a letter of intent earlier in the year. Click this Yahoo Finance link for more.

FOLLOW UP: JUDGE BLOCKS MUSK PAY PACKAGE AGAINThe appeal by Musk, to be awarded a ridiculous $56 billion pay package, has failed. The judge cited that the many arguments Musk’s legal team used to change the ruling were full of flaws, anyone of which could have led to dismissing the appeal, let alone all of them together. Tesla will appeal. Again. To learn more, do click this link to a TechCrunch article here.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR NOVEMBER 2024The November new car registration figures were released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), and they’re not great. A 1.9% decline in registrations overall, but BEVs increased again, with over 14,000 extra registrations than for the same month in 2023, amounting to a 25.1% market share for the month. Petrol and diesel fell, as did PHEVs. What will be concerning is that Fleet numbers fell, on top of Private continuing to decline. The SMMT called on the Government to help the industry out as the levels of price cutting and incentives was not sustainable.

To read the SMMT post and information, click this link here.

AMOnline have an article discussing EV depreciation, which we have discussed many times on this show, that you can read by clicking this link here.

For context on why registrations are not increasing at a rate many hoped and expected, click this link to a post about research into the financial well being of UK adults in 2023.

TESLA PAUSES CYBERTRUCK PRODUCTIONLast week Tesla paused Cybertruck production, which is on top of reducing hours earlier in the year. They are, for now, back to normal. You can read more, by clicking this Yahoo Finance article link here.

OX DELIVERS AFRICAN CONTRACT JOYOX Delivers, which is an electric truck mobility service company, has created a new franchise partner that signed a $163 million agreement to expand their services in Rwanda and some neighbouring countries. Customers can either contract an electric truck including the servicing costs or book space on one of the OX trucks to collect and deliver their products, increasing the reach for businesses. If you want to learn more, click this EV Powered link here.

NEW RURAL WALES EV CAR CLUB LAUNCHEDTrydaiNi, a community owned car club, has expanded operations to cover parts of mid Wales (apologies to all Welsh speakers for Andrew’s pronunciations). People can apply to join, once approved are able to book a car to use. We applaud this sort of initiative. We need more of this, as well as improved public transport services. Click this link here to learn 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 - Ford Puma Gen-EFord have finally announced a car they should have, when they ended the Fiesta and Focus, an electric Puma. Starting price is just under £30,000 and the specs seem pretty good. If you want to find out more, click this Motoring Research article link here.

Cupra TerramarCupra are brining a new SUV to market, with a variety of powertrain train options, from internal combustion engine, to hybrid to plug in hybrid. Power output is also varied. Click this Motoring Research article link to find out more.

Lamborghini TemerarioLamborghini has revealed the details of their V8 hybrid supercar, the Temerario. Heaps of power, hugely fast, very Lamborghini. You can read more, by clicking this Motoring Research article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: VIN DIESEL IS RIGHTThe Autopian discusses the highbrow Fast and Furious movie series, agreeing with Vin Diesel’s assertion that when it was about car races and the likes it was much better. Alan puts forward his suggestion for the best of the series, whilst Andrew admits to not watching more than half an hour of the first one before never returning.

And do check out the podcast Automovie, who the chaps refer to by clicking this link to their website here.

CONFIGURATOR OF THE WEEK: PORSCHE E-MACANThanks to a suggestion from listener Jamie Stokes, when we asked what we could replace the List of the Week as it becomes increasingly more difficult to find ones good enough to include, we now have the Confirgurator of the Week. We bring you the Porsche e-Macan to start this off.

Click here to go to the blank configurator.

For Alan’s choices, click this link here.

For Andrew’s choices, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: PHOTOGRAPHER’S TOKYO CAR SPOTSThe Tokyo based photographer, Alfie Goodrich, has captured random cars on his walks around the city and compiled some of them into a small gallery for us to enjoy. Click this link to his website to see more and then check out what other excellent work he does by mooching around the rest of the site.

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FOLLOW UP: PRICES FOR LONDON TUNNEL TOLLS REVEALEDTransport for London (TfL) has announced the prices, including how there will be peak and non peak prices, for using the new Silvertown tunnel and the Blackwall tunnel. £4.00 for peak use of either, dropping to £1.50 in off-peak, which requires signing up to the auto-pay TfL system. if you wish to find out more, click this link here to an article from The Standard.

CARLOS TAVARES RESIGNS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECTCarlos Tavares surprised all by resigning as CEO of Stellantis, with immediate effect over the weekend. Reports indicate there was a growing rift between the board, shareholders and the vision Tavares had, following the reduction in expected dividend. The company will appoint a successor in early 2025. Click this Autocar article to read more.

STELLANTIS TO CLOSE LUTON VAN FACTORYStellantis announced, that they would be closing the Luton van factory, whilst blaming the UK Government and the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, for this only weeks after saying they were not going to be hurt by the ZEV to investors. 1,100 people will be losing their jobs.

We have a link to an Autocar article explaining the situation, click here to read that.

For some context, including how the company has operated, click this post from Nick Gibbs.

More context is provided by The Guardian, which you can read by clicking this link here.

TRANSPORT SECRETARY RESIGNSThe Transport Secretary, Louise Haig, has resigned over an incident with police in 2013. This has caused concern in the industry as she had just been talking to leaders about the ZEV mandate and possible changes to it. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

UK GOVERNMENT TO REVISE ZEV MANDATEFollowing extensive lobbying by the car industry, the UK Government is looking at how it can revise the zero emission vehicle mandate, in the light of the current market reality. The language, from the Government, has switched to putting the blame on the previous incumbents, whilst hoping we all forget they pledged to ‘bring back the 2030 ban’ that was never a thing in the first place. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

ASTON MARTIN ISSUES ANOTHER PROFITS WARNINGFor the second time in quick succession, Aston Martin has issued a warning on its profits. China and supply chain issues are being blamed. On top of which, the company is seeking to raise more money. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

VW LEAVES CONTROVERSIAL CHINESE PLANTVolkswagen has confirmed it has sold it’s factory in Xijiang, which is an area linked to forced labour practices. VW, following several investigations, never found evidence of such in their plant. However, they have been lobbied for some time over this issue. You can read more, by clicking this Yahoo article link here.

VOLKSWAGEN REVIEWS UK AGENCY SALES PLANVW is undertaking a "review of its sales model", in the UK. They intend to complete this by March 2025. The German company are the latest to consider pausing their plans as the current market conditions remain tough. Click this AMOnline article link for more.

SCOTLAND CONSIDERS REDUCING SOME RURAL SPEED LIMITSTransport Scotland is proposing a cut to certain road’s speed limits. However, it also recommends increasing the speed of HGVs. Deaths on Scottish roads fell last year, with speed being linked to roughly one in five road incidents. A reminder, that compliance is not the same as safety. Click this BBC News article link here, for more information.

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 - Follow Up: DS 8 will be called No8DS, even before fully revealing their new flagship model, that we discussed last week, has changed the name and confirmed a rethink of their interiors. Now the DS 8 is to be known as the No8. Click this Autocar article for more.

Jaguar Type 00 Concept We finally get to look at a car, from Jaguar, but don’t get too excited as its only a concept. But at least there’s something to show for the years they’ve been working on this. How much will make the road cars? Maybe the overall shape and dimensions, but not much else in all likelihood. Some have pointed out the similarities to other concept cars, such as the recent Lancia Aurelia GT. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here. Also, here is a link to a Top Gear video. Now we wait once more, this time for something real.

Jaecoo 7The latest Chinese brand to come to the UK is bringing, what is claimed to be a premium quality vehicle for around £30,000. They are aiming at a broad range of competitors, such as the Kia Sportage and Range Rover Evoque. It will come in petrol and petrol plug-in hybrid forms and a variety of off-road technology. Click this Autocar article to find out more, including the pronunciation guide.

Toyota GR Supra Toyota is sending the GR Supra into retirement, with one last ultra rare track focused version. More power, more wings, more roll cage, just a lot more of more. Only 300 examples will be made. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: FRENCH DESIGN DESERVES BETTER THAN THE CITROËN SM TRIBUTEMatteo Licata has written for Hagerty, a piece on the SM Tribute we were not very kind about, a few weeks ago. However, he brings a design perspective to his argument. To read this recommendation, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 37 GLORIOUS PICTURES OF 37 GLORIOUS JAGUARSAs Jaguar has done such a great job of being in the limelight over the last couple of weeks, Autocar has brought us a slideshow of some of their past glories. Click this link here to check out if you agree with Alan’s choice.

AND FINALLY: HOT WHEELS LEGENDS TOUR 2024 OVERALL WINNERThe overall Hot Wheels Legends Tour 2024 winner has been announced. Check out this link, from Design News, to see a video on the event and find out who and what won, overall.

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FOLLOW UP: £30B POTENTIAL FALLOUT FROM FINANCE RULINGAfter the surprise Court of Appeal’s ruling, that not only must commission for brokers must be explicitly made clear, including the rate they receive, the potential fall out could be up to £30 billion. Even Martin Lewis, the consumer campaigner, has said the ruling appears to be going much further than expected. Click this AMOnline article link here, to read more.

FOLLOW UP: INEOS TO RESTART PRODUCTIONFollowing the collapse of their seat supplier, Ineos has been hit by a halt to production. They now say they will restart in January. This will be a relief as an expansion into China and Mexico was about to take place when they were hit by the issue. If you want to learn more, click here for a link to an Autocar article.

JAGUAR REIMAGINING BEGINSUnless you lived under a rock, and had no contact with any person or the internet, then you will know that Jaguar produced their first glimpse at the reimagining of the brand.

This has caused the internet to lose its mind, in various ways. Some through confusion, some because ‘change is bad’, some because their firmly held beliefs are being challenged, some because they just want to dunk on anything.

We have compiled some links below that explain what Jaguar have done as well as more thoughtful pieces trying to explain aspects of the information.

The Jaguar rebranding article from Autocar, click here.

For CarDealer’s explanation of the launch event, click here.

Creative Bloq discuss what the logos and visuals are meant to represent, click here to read that.

Rory Sutherland has a discussion about the rebrand, from an advertising professional’s perspective, click this Spectator TV YouTube link.

Mostly About Driving’s take on the more technical aspects of the branding can be read by clicking this link here.

To read comments regarding the hateful reactions to the rebrand, click this link to a Driven article.

Seemingly Jaguar have been caught off guard by the reaction, click this BBC News article link where they are asking for people to hold off and wait in judgement.

FORD TO LAY OFF 4000 WORKERS IN EUROPE AND UKFord has announced a restructuring of its European business, by making 4000 workers redundant, including 800 in the UK. We have mentioned how bad their figures have been for new car registrations, over the last few months. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

NISSAN APPEALS TO THE UK GOV FOR HELP OVER ZEV MANDATE Nissan, who’s dire situation we discussed a couple of weeks ago, is asking for help from the UK Government, with the zero emission vehicle mandate. As their sales drop they are struggling to hit the targets laid out. If you want to learn more, click this article link from The Japan Times.

LOTUS PULLS BACK FROM EV ONLY 2028 DATELotus will introduce hybrid powertrains to some of their cars, in an attempt to increase sales. This also means that the plan to be EV only by 2028 is being pushed back towards 2030. Click this Autocar article for more information.

TESLA AND RIVIAN CONCLUDE TRADE SECRETS LEGAL FIGHTTesla has announced that they have reached a ‘conditional’ agreement with Rivian with regards to claims that staff were poached and trade secrets were handed over. To read more about this story, click this TechCrunch link here.

HONDA TRIALLING SOLID STATE BATTERY PRODUCTION LINEIn another, what is hoped by Honda, step towards production ready solid state batteries for EVs they are creating a trial production line. This is to help them work through issues that they cannot see in the making of the batteries at scale. In the meantime, they are still working on making solid state batteries a viable ‘thing’ for electric vehicles. If you want to learn more, click this SAE International article link here.

NORTHVOLT FILES FOR BANKRUPTCYNorthvolts has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as the effects of BMW pulling their huge contract hit. The hope is that the restructuring of their debt will allow them to be a viable business moving forward. On top of this, the CEO Peter Carlsson, has resigned. Click this article link from The Guardian for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Hyundai Ioniq 9Hyundai has taken the wraps off their range topping EV, the Ioniq 9. Similar in dimensions to the sister brand Kia EV9, this is a big car. They have high aspirations for where they want it to sit in the market. Prices are expected to start in the low £60,000 but end up at a smidgen under £80,000 for the top of the model range. Click here to read about the details, from an Autocar article.

DS 8 DS has shown us their new range topper, although it is heavily disguised in pictures. Apparently taking inspiration from the DS Tribute concept we were not fans of a few weeks ago. Technology wise, claims are of 466 miles range, thanks to help from active aerodynamics. There are also claims about drag coefficient numbers, which are like a red rag to bull with Alan. Click this Auotcar link here, to read more.

Renault 5Renault has finally revealed full specifications and prices, for the very cool looking Renault 5 EV. Starting at £22,995 it undercuts some rivals. Prices go up as you move through the range but also technology improves, such as range. You can learn more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW THE BMW E36 3-SERIES CAME TO BEHagerty has published a fascinating article explaining how the BMW E36 3-Series, which was filling some awfully popular shoes of the E30 version, happened. Hear from someone who was part of the team that brought the car to market. To read about this story, click here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: LONGEST LASTING CARS TO REACH 250,000 MILESA US-based list, of vehicles that have made it over 250,000 miles and more. Do you agre with the choices made or would you pick something else? Let us know. Click here to check out the options, from iSeeCars.

AND FINALLY: BEAR NECESSITIES OF INSURANCEAn owner has tried to claim a bear got into their Rolls Royce and damaged the interior. The company was suspicious and investigated, including reviewing the supplied video evidence. Turns out, if you wear a bear suit and use garden tools to replicate an animal attack, this can be worked out. Click this link here to an article from The Autopian, to read more.

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UK GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATES NEW EMISSIONS CONCERNThe Department for Transport (DfT) is investigating claims that 47 car models emissions are not the same as the official test figures, with the accusation that they are manipulating the emissions. The DfT is attempting to establish if a defeat device is being used. You can learn more, by clicking this FleetWorld article link here.

RIVIAN AND VW SIGN PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTAfter announcing they would partner up, Rivian and Volkswagen have signed the partnership agreement. This will include extra investment from VW, taking the full price up to $5.8 billion. Click this EV Powered article link to read more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Caterham Seven CSR TwentyCaterham bring us the most “luxurious” and pricey Seven variant yet, with a price tag of a smidgen under £80,000. Celebrating 20 years of the CSR chasis, which allowed for those of us on the slightly larger side of things to be more comfortable, this bespoke model will come with features, fittings and materials not available elsewhere. Click this EVO article link to read more.

Toyota KayoibakoToyota showed off an electric van that truley is a multipurpose vehicle. They have imagined it as an urban centric vehicle providing transport for people, being a mobile retail area, a coffee shop and more. Not content with that, the outdoor activities market get a version too, which added chunky tyres and obligitory stuck on elements. Both look fab, we want both and we want them now. But they have been cleverly thought out too. You can see more, by clicking this Yanko Design article link here.

Old Car Dead News: Jaguar F-Pace ends global sales in 2026If you remember, Alan asked why the wording of the end of UK sales of the F-Pace was so specific. We now know that the rest of the globe will no longer be able to buy one from 2026. Click this Autocar article link here, which clears up the issue.

LUNCHTIME READ: IT’S ALL A BIT MUCHDo you too feel that modern supercars are all a bit much? Let alone hypercars and even hyper hatches are becoming too extreme for UK roads. Well, you are not alone, check out this link from Mr Jalco’s Mostly About Driving to possibly find an answer to it all.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP GEAR - TOP 9 VIRAL CAR ADVERTSWe are increasingly struggling to find good List of the Week article to share with you. If you find one, please do send it our way and if its good enough we’ll put it on the show!

Top Gear have nine adverts for you to check out, which are bound to bring back memories. Do you agree with Alan, on his choice and/or his comments about Andrew, and what about Andrew’s choice? Let us know. Click here to see what is on offer.

AND FINALLY: THE JOY OF RATSA neuroscientist found that rats could drive. Not only that, it appears to be bringing them joy, which they even have begun to anticipate. This all has lots of implications for us humans. Click this link from The Conversation. Alan reminds everyone why the podcast is called what it is too.

VW UK GET A NEW MDVolkswagen UK will have a new managing director, in Damien O’Sullivan, following the request by Alex Smith to leave the company. O’Sullivan moves from Audi Ireland. If you wish to learn more, click this article link from AMOnline.

HYUNDAI GET A NEW GLOBAL CEOHyundai announced that Jose Muñoz will be the new global CEO of the brand, as Jaehoon Chang is promoted to vice chair. Muñoz has been heading up Europe, the US, India, the Middle East and Africa. To read more, click this Autocar link here.

XPENG TO LAUNCH IN THE UK Xpeng will be launching in the UK, by bringing their G6 electric SUV coupe early 2025. More models are due to follow. You can learn about their plans, by clicking this AM Online article link here.

LEAPMOTORS OUTLINES UK PLANSLeapmotors are being brought to the UK, by Stellantis. They will be in 50 dealerships by the end of 2024. Offering their city EV, the T03 that frightens Alan, and an EV SUV, the C10. Expect prices to be very competitive. AM Online has more, which you can read by clicking this link here.

SIXTH RECALL FOR THE CYBERTRUCK THIS YEARTesla has announced the sixth recall for the Cybertruck, this year. Which is an astonishing feat. This time, some vehicle’s drive inverter could manfunction meaning a loss of drive. Click this TechCrunch article link to read more.

TESLA HAS WORST FATALITY RATE FOR OCCUPANTSA study in the United States has found that Tesla has the worst fatality rate for occupants of its cars, narrowly beating Kia and Buick. A Top 3 of shame there. To read about the research and results, click this Road&Track article link here.

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Andrew was invited, by Hyundai UK, to try out the new Santa Fe, their large hybrid SUV. What has changed? How have they executed those changes? Will it be successful?

Listen to the Alan and Andrew discuss the first impressions of the car, following the amount of driving they crammed in.

To find out more from Hyundai, about the Santa Fe, click this link to their website here.

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

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OCTOBER 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATIONSThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed the new car registration figures, for October 2024. They are not good. For the month of October the market is 6% down on 2023. Even Fleet dropped, for the first time in a long while. One bright spark, no pun intended, is that EV registrations grew to 20.7% market share for the month. This is to be expected as the end of 2024 approaches and so do the fines for not hitting the mandated levels. Click this link to read more, from the SMMT’s own article.

FOLLOW UP: FINANCE INDUSTRY THROWN INTO TURMOILFollowing a court ruling regarding commission on finance agreements, the industry has been thrown into turmoil as there are questions on what they need to do in order to be compliant. Some companies have halted all offerings for car finance until the situation is clarified. You can find out more, by clicking this AMOnline article link here.

MANY MANUFACTURERS REVEAL STRUGGLING RESULTSThe number of brands that are reporting challenging results, after Q3, has grown. There is a real problem for the industry, globally, and it might not get better anytime soon. Expect a lot of management word salads, littered with the likes of “efficiencies” and “cost-cutting” etc.

BMW’s woes thanks to the ongoing brake recall and huge profit drop, can be read about by clicking this Reuters article link here.

To read about Audi’s problems, click this Autocar link. Audi plan to cut jobs to help save money, click this Reuters article link here, to find out what that means.

Toyota are also hit by problems, with quality issues, safety recalls, plant stoppages and a Chinese market that is proving tough for all but the home grown brands. Click this Yahoo Finance article link to read more.

Honda announced a surprise drop in profits, thanks in large part to the ongoing issues in the Chinese market as their economy struggles. Click here to read more from a Yahoo Finance article link.

Nissan are not immune to the industry wide slump. They announced the cutting of around 9,000 jobs and dramatically that they are entering “emergency mode” as profits drop 304%. You can read more, from Autocar, by clicking this link here.

JLR profits hall 10%, which is being blamed largely on the aluminium supplier issue discussed a few weeks ago, click this Liverpool Business News article link for more.

Lotus are far from immune to the problems the industry are suffering from, as they announce they will be shedding around 200 jobs at their Hethel site, ahead of the Lotus Technologies (Chinese sister brand that brought out the Emeya and Eletra EVs) financial results announcement later in the month. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Rivian, the EV maker who recently signed a deal with VW Group, lost just over $39,000 per car sold in the last quarter. You can read more, by clicking this article link from The Autopian.

For context and more information about what is going on, click this article link from The Autopian, which discusses Nissan, Audi and Stellantis, but from a mainly US perspective.

HEADLIGHT GLARE BEING RESEARCHED Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) are beginning an investigation into the complaints over modern headlight glare. They will set up monitoring devices to establish if the anecdotal reports are valid and if so, what is causing the issue. If you wish to learn more, click this BBC News article link here.

FISKER CLAIM NORTH KOREAN AGENT STOLE THEIR MONEY Fisker, who is being investigated by the SEC in the United States over their collapse into bankruptcy, has made the claim that they lost $6 million due to a hired remote member of staff, who turned out to be a North Korean agent that funnelled the money to the regime’s missile projects. They are not the only car maker to be targeted. Click this Torque News article link to learn more. Thank you, to Damien Scully for sending us this fascinating item!

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 - Suzuki eVitaraSuzuki has revealed their first own developed EV, the eVitara. They have chosen to use a familiar name, which will come with two batteries. The larger giving an estimated 250 mile range. The vehicle is expected to sell from just under £35,000 in the UK. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Bentley ‘Urban SUV’Bentley announced that their first EV, which is due in 2026, that will be the world’s first “true luxury urban SUV”, whatever that is. With little other details the chaps are left to speculate about “urban SUV” and “true luxury”. They also stated that their EV only goal has been pushed back to 2035. If you want to hear more, click this Autocar article link here.

Kia EV9 ADVNTR and PV5 WKNDRAt the US customisers show, SEMA, Kia unveiled two rugged, go anyway variants on their EV car and van the EV9 and PV5. They have been suitable raised up, had chunky tyres added and a number of off-road adventure accessories fitted. They look great. But the PV5 is what caught the attention of the chaps the most. We are now hoping that the PV5 becomes a people carrier. Click this EV Powered link to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: SWORDS AND PLOUGHSHARESFriend of the show, Nir Kahn, tells us a bit about his history, his philosophy for future vehicles and what he is going to be working on next. Very much worth your time in reading this LinedIn piece from him, which can be accessed by clicking here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: EPIC STARS OF THE SEMA SHOW 2024We are increasingly struggling to find good List of the Week article to share with you. If you find one, please do send it our way and if its good enough we’ll put it on the show!

Autocar have another slideshow for you to run through, this time with a selection of vehicles from SEMA. Do you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choices? Click this link to find out.

AND FINALLY: TACO BELL COMING TO A MOTORWAY NEAR YOUTaco Bell is expanding their footprint in the UK by opening at five locations on the UK’s motorway network. Click this link to a Motorway Services article, listing each of the places you can get Mexican food from soon.

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Andrew was invited, by Volkswagen UK, to sample a selection of the revised Golf, as part of the 50th Anniversary of the model. We hear what VW has achieved in that time, Alan asks if he’s speaking to the real Andrew and the chaps ask how does one benchmark the benchmark?

Listen to the Alan and Andrew discuss the first impressions of the cars, following his short time with each of the models.

To find out more from Volkswagen, about the Golf hatch, click this link to their website here.

For the estate, click this VW link here.

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

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FOLLOW UP: EU CHINA TARIFFS UPDATEOn the 31 October, the EU tariffs for China made EVs went live. Click this electrive article link here to read more.

This has caused SAIC to take the European Commission to court over the amount it has been charged. You can read more via this electrive article link here.

China, it is claimed, has instructed home grown EV makers to not build plants in the EU to get around the extra charges. Once again, electrive have an article link here for you.

Additionally, they now want to know the lifecycle of rare earth minerals in Western supply chains. Check out this link to a China Digital Times link here.

FOLLOW UP: AUDI TO CLOSE BRUSSELS PLANT IN 2025As listeners will be aware, Audi plans to close their Belgium plant in early 2025. However, they have been unable to find a suitable buyer to take on the property and run it. To learn more about this, click the electrive article link here.

LABOUR’S FIRST UK BUDGET Labour has revealed their first budget, since being voted into power. Fuel duty and the extra relief, is staying in place. However, there are big changes for VED rates, Benefit in Kind (BiK) thresholds, classification for double cab pickups and more. Click this AMOnline article link here to read more.

For more on fuel duty and first year VED rates, click this Autocar article link here.

To read about the BiK changes, click here for an Autocar article.

If you wish to learn more about the changes to taxation for double-cab pickups, click this link from Professional Pickup.

VW GROUP PROFITS DOWN €3billion Volkswagen Group profits plunge €3 billion in the latest financial report. The VW brand itself is causing heavy drag thanks to an operating margin of just 2%. The information comes out at a key time when the company is negotiating the future with the unions. Click this Autocar article to read about the financial situation.

For more context, we give you this article link from InsideEVs that you can click here. However, they are underplaying why Germany doesn’t want tariffs on Chinese made EVs.

STELLANTIS SALES DROP IN EUROPE AND THE USStellantis have reported on their sales figures for Europe and the United States. The numbers are not good. There is a drop for both markets, although the company is trying to gloss over this publicly. Click this AMOnline article link to read more.

For context of the struggles the group has in the US, click this link from The Autopian.

MARIA GRAZIA DAVINO TO LEAD BYD EUROPEAN EXPANSIONAs Alan correctly predicted, we quickly found out where Maria Grazia Davino has moved to after her sudden departure from heading up Stellantis’s efforts in the UK. She will lead the expansion in Europe that BYD is planning. You can read more, by clicking this AMOnline link here.

ITALY IS DUE TO CUT SUPPORT FOR AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRYThe Italian Government has outlined plans to remove €4.6 billion in aid to the automotive industry, as it allocates it to other matters. Stellantis, who have been busy fighting with the Government, will be a big loser if this is the case. Click this Reuters article link to read more.

MCLAREN OWNER POTENTIALLY SELLING The owner of McLaren Group, Mumtalakat the Bahrain sovereign wealth fund, is “exploring” the possibility of selling off the company as it has reached a non binding agreement with CYVN Holdings who have invested in Gordon Murray Technologies, Foreseven and Nio. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

ROYAL MAIL FINALLY AGREES ON WHICH EV VANS TO BUYRoyal Mail has announced, finally, which electric Peugeot vans it will purchase. They will be taking 1,100 e-Partners and 1000 e-Experts. To read more, click this link to an electrive 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 NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Hyundai InitiumHyundai has show us their latest vision for a hydrogen powered SUV, most likely a strong indication of what the new Nexo will look like. And that is, a bit Ioniq 5 and a bit Pontiac Aztek. To see for yourself, click this Autocar link here.

Ian Callum Jaguar C-X75Ian Callum has added technology and style to create another road legal Jaguar C-X75, this time in a gorgeous sage green colour. Apparently there has been some debate on whether it is a good looking supercar or boring. Judge for yourself. Click this Autocar link for more.

Old Car Dead News: Jaguar F-Pace pulled from sale in the UKJaguar will now not sell any new cars in the UK until 2026. This will, according to the brand’s MD, give them time to “reset”. We worry they will be irrelevant by the time the come back. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: COMPLEX AUDIOBOOKS ARE MORE DANGEROUS FOR DRIVERSA study has concluded that complex audiobooks cause too much distraction for drivers, as they exert a lot of mental effort to take in and understand what is being said. However, there is a balance, as too little stimulation causes drivers to mentally switch off. Click here to read more, from The Autopian, and access the direct link to the study.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST SELLING AMERICAN CARS OF ALL TIMEWe are increasingly struggling to find good List of the Week article to share with you. If you find one, please do send it our way and if its good enough we’ll put it on the show!

Check out what Autocar have listed as the best selling US cars of all time. Do you agree with the choices the chaps made? Don’t forget to tell us. Click this link to see more.

AND FINALLY: GR YARIS SAND SCORCHER INSPIRED LIVERYCollecting Cars, the auction site, has teamed up with Tamiya to create a Sand Scorcher livery which you can buy the RC car with. But not only that, they have wrapped a real GR Yaris in the same livery. Click this Hagerty article link here to read more.

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Andrew was invited, by Kia UK, to try out the refreshed Picanto and new Sorento. Book ending the ICE and hybrid model range, the city car Picanto and large SUV Sorento show how the company caters to many different needs.

Listen to the Alan and Andrew discuss the first impressions of the cars, following his short time with each of the models.

To find out more from Kia on the Picanto, click this link to their website here.

If you want to discover more about the Sorento, click this link to the Kia website here.

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FOLLOW UP: VW CONSIDERS RADICAL COST SAVING PLANSInformation has come out as to the extent that Volkswagen Group are considering how to save the $4 billion they state they need to. This includes closing up to three German plants, reducing wages, reducing bonuses and more. Unions have reacted angrily whilst VW has not commented on the claims. To find out more, click this Reuters link here.

FOLLOW UP: JLR STILL HAVING REPAIR ISSUESA year ago the CEO of JLR, Adrian Mardell, apologised for how long it was taking to repair their customer’s vehicles. This situation is still not resolved. Problems with their supply chain, which not all are their fault, as well as the supply hub they switched to has meant that around 10,000 customer cars are off the road. Click this Autocar article to read more.

RADFORD MOTORS FILES FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCYThe car company co-founded by Jenson Button, Ant Antsted and Dan Bednarski, to build a low volume supercar based on a modern interpretation of the Lotus Type 62, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US. This is a debt restructuring move and does not mean the company is folding. There are also two court cases being brought against Ansted and Bednarski over financial matters related to the company. In order to find out more, click this Road & Track article link here.

CHINA DEPORTS VW EXEC OVER DRUG ALLEGATIONSChina has deported a senior Volkswagen executive, Jochen Sengphiehl, over claims he failed a recreational drug test. He was held by authorities for 10 days before the action was taken. Many questions come from this, is it real or China flexing? You can read more, by clicking this Reuters article link here.

RIVIAN AND BOSCH TAKE EACH OTHER TO COURT Bosch has sued Rivian for breach of contract, which caused Rivian to counter sue. Rivian cancelled their contract for electric drivetrains from the supplier as they will use their own in-house developed ones. Bosch are, understandably, unhappy at the loss of business, whilst Rivian state that this issue is why they did not deliver as many cars as expected previously. Click this electrive link to find out more.

NEW PHEV BATTERY GIVES CLAIMED 249 MILE RANGECATL has released information on a plug-in hybrid battery, that gives a claimed electric only range of 249 miles. This has the chaps confused. Why is it PHEV only? Sounds almost too good to be true, but is it? What are Alan and Andrew missing? You can read more on this, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

STELLANTIS TO ROAD TEST SOLID STATE BATTERIES IN 2026Stellantis are the latest company to announce when they will be road testing their solid state batteries. Using a fleet of Dodge Charger Daytonas, for some reason, they will be trying them out on the roads in 2026. To read more on this, including the list of others who have claimed they will have solid state batteries in cars, click this Autocar article link here.

HYUNDAI AND TOYOTA MOTORSPORT FESTIVALHyundai and Toyota have teamed up to hold their own motorsport festival in South Korea. What a brilliant idea! Click this Motoring Research article link to find out more.

This week we are asking, if you can, please go support Alex Robbins, a friend of the show, who is raising money for Mission Motorsport. You will have heard us talk about this wonderful charity before and Alex is being insane enough to walk from their HQ to Anglesey Circuit in time for the annual Race of Remembrance. Only about 250 miles! CLICK THIS LINK HERE TO GO TO THE JUST GIVING PAGE.NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Scout Traveller and TerraScout, the US brand owned by VW, has revealed their two initial models. This has caused excitement in their home country, whilst less so outside, which is reflected in Alan and Andrew’s takes.

You can read more, by clicking this DigitalTrends article link here.

InsideEVs also has an in depth article on the vehicles, which you can read by clicking here.

To run through the sales plans, click this article link from The Autopian here.

Morgan Plus SixMorgan has revealed their run out version of the Plus Six, as production comes to an end. Only 30 examples of the car, which starts at £96, 995, will be sold. Click this EVO article to learn more.

LUNCHTIME watch: EPISODE 39 OF PROJECT BINKYBad Obsession Motorsport have released a new episode of Project Binky, the heavily modified Mini. In this one we get to see Nick and Rich transform themselves into electrical engineers. Click this YouTube link to watch another fabulous episode from the lunatics.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST CARS FROM DEAD CAR COMPANIESAutocar have compiled another slideshow, this time about the best cars from dead car companies. There are some to be expected but also some excellent other options too. Do you agree with the picks the chaps made? Do tell us what you would want from all on offer. Click this link to see more.

AND FINALLY: CARS AND TRUCKS AND THINGS THAT GO HITS 50Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Richard Scarry book, Cars and Trucks and Things That Go, a new edition has been published. You can click this link to Kottke to read more and access the huge Yale Review which is almost a Lunchtime Read on its own.

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In this episode, Alan talks about taking a short break from his holiday/vacation, driving around the southeast of the USA to visit Porsche North America in Atlanta, Georgia, touring the impressive facility, and driving a 911 GTS and a Boxster GTS back-to-back on track.

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FOLLOW UP: TESLA STILL HIT BY SWEDISH STRIKESIn Sweden, the strikes by various workers from a variety of industries that serve parts of Tesla’s business has expanded to include the union Vision. Those that work on the Tesla Supercharger network will no longer service, repair or run maintenance on the charging stations. To learn more, click this Automotive News Europe article link here.

STELLANTIS TO SHAKE UP UK BUSINESSCarlos Tavares, the CEO of Stellantis and wielder of the big hammer affectionately named “cuts”, has said there will be an announcement in the next few weeks for the “correction” they will be making to the UK business. In recent months the company has threatened the UK Government, as seems to be their Plan A in all countries, with closing production plants. The main bugbear is the ZEV mandate and, in the company’s eyes, a lack of financial support from the Government. Click this Autocar article to read more.

STELLANTIS UK GET A NEW MD AFTER SURPRISE EXITMario Gazia Davino has made the shock move of leaving the company with immediate effect. Peugeot UK’s new director has been promoted to run the UK operation for Stellantis, and also Peugeot until a successor can be found. There is a lot of upheaval and changes of personnel within the company, both in the UK and Europe, in recent times. If you wish to read more on this, click here for an article from Auto Retail Network.

VW FINANCE HIT WITH FINE BY UK REGULATORVolkswagen Financial Service, one of the largest car finance operators in the UK, has been fined for failing to fairly treat customers in financial distress. The time period in question is January 2017 and July 2023 and covers around 110,000 customers. On top of the £5.4 million fine, the company has agreed to pay compensation in the order of £21.5 million to customers who suffered harm. In order to find out more, click this AMOnline article link here.

JLR APPOINTS NEW SALES DIRECTOR JLR has appointed Angela Shepherd, as the group’s new sales director to help it transition to the luxury market. JLR are trying to move to a hybrid dealer and agency model. Click this AMOnline article link to learn more.

VOLVO SHAKE UP MANAGEMENT STRUCTUREIn an attempt to create a company that is “designed to increase simplicity, speed and collaboration and reduce complexity by flattening our structure”. The most senior person to be impacted by this is the Chief Commercial Officer and deputy to the CEO, Björn Annwal. To read more on this matter, click here for an electrive article link.

MASERATI UK APPOINTS NEW BOSSPeter Charters has left Maserati with immediate effect and has been replaced by Mariangela Del Vecchio. She will also be looking after Scandinavian operations. You can read more, by clicking this AMOnline article link here.

MORGAN CEO STEPS DOWNMorgan Motor Company’s CEO, Massimo Fumarola, is to leave the company and be replaced by the chief technical officer, Matthew Hole. Click this Autocar article link to learn more.

TELSA driver assistance system INVESTIGATEd. AGAINThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation in to the driver assistance system from Tesla, Full Self Driving Beta. There are concerns that it is unable to detect objects in some weather conditions, such as bright sunshine or fog. Click this BBC News article link here, for more.

This week we are asking, if you can, please go support Alex Robbins, a friend of the show, who is raising money for Mission Motorsport. You will have heard us talk about this wonderful charity before and Alex is being insane enough to walk from their HQ to Anglesey Circuit in time for the annual Race of Remembrance. Only about 250 miles! CLICK THIS LINK HERE TO GO TO THE JUST GIVING PAGE.NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Paris Motor ShowWe round up the Paris Motor Show, with Andrew being a bit ‘meh’, overall and Alan feeling a bit more positive about what was shown to us.

Click this Autocar link to read more.

LUNCHTIME watch: WAS TESLA’S “WE ROBOT” PRESENTATION JUST HOT AIR?Matteo Licata, writing for Hagerty, dissects the Tesla “We Robot” event. He’s much more polite that the chaps are, as we all not so much saw behind the curtain but question if there was a curtain at all to peak behind. Click this link to read that article.

To watch the latest Looking Out: The Podcast episode, click this YouTube link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: GREATEST SUPERCARS NEVER MADEAutocar being us another slideshow, this time covering cars we all wanted but never made it to production for one reason or another. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? Don’t forget to tell him what you would have from the many options. Click here to see what is on offer.

AND FINALLY: WHEN FORZA ADDS YOUR CAR TO THE GAMEThe Drive brings us an article on what happens and what it feels like when the Xbox racing game, Forza Motorsport decide to add your car to the game. Click this link here to read about that.

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FOLLOW UP: EU vs Chinese EVsThe European Commission has approved tariffs on Chinese EVs. There are a number of stories behind this:

European Commission Approves Tariffs On Chinese EVS - Autocar
EU Rejects Chna’s Proposal for €30,000 minimum price - electrive.com
Why EU rejected China's compromise on EV tariffs - Automotive News Europe
JLR encourages further talks in plea to avoid EU-China tariff war - Autocar
EU-China EV dispute: Beijing retaliates with levy on French brandy - Automotive News Europe

FOLLOW UP: DIESELGATE - Winterkorn’s Trial Moved AGainThe trial for ex. Volkswagen Group CEO Martin Winterkorn, has been delayed due to his current ill health. A new timeline is being planned and will be announced in due course. Click this Automotive News Europe article for more.

FOLLOW UP: FIAT 500E PRODUCTION PAUSED FOR LONGERFiat has announced that the current pause in production of the 500e will continue for longer, which the company claims is down to the low demand for EVs. Or is it the reduced demand for the 500e? To read more on this, click here for an Autocar article.

SEPTEMBER NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESSMMT has released the new car registration figures for September. The overall figures are still down significantly on the Before Times, pre-Covid. There has been a lot of things said and written about these which require more than surface level analysis that has occurred. EV numbers were once again good.

But the SMMT is leaning heavily into calling for Government assistance for Private consumers. Which rather counters all the claims that cost is not a driving factor in the growth of EVs not being as fast and large as many expected and hoped. If you wish to learn more, click this SMMT link here. You can also see more on the industry’s calls for help, click this link from The Guardian.

SEVERAL COMPANIES ISSUE PROFIT WARNINGS In the past few weeks several car brands have issued warnings on their expected profits. Mercedes, Stellantis, Aston Martin, BMW and Volkswagen for a second time. More can be found on all of that by clicking this Reuters article link here.

CARLOS TAVARES TO STEP DOWN IN 2026Carlos Tavares, the CEO of Stellantis with a penchant for cutting costs, is set to step down from the company in 2026. The job of finding a successor has begun. Also, it was announced that all brand futures would be considered and confirmed on two to three years, which leaves it a job for the new boss. The rest of the management structure is also going to be ‘shaken up’. For further reading, click this Autocar article link here.

STELLANTIS GET SPANISH MONEY FOR BATTERY FACTORYThe Spanish Government has given Stellantis and CATL a grant to build their battery factory in the country. Stellantis has yet to decide if they will build their next EV in Spain, but this may help. Click this Automotive News Europe article link here.

NORTHVOLT SUBSIDIARY PLACED IN RECEIVERSHIPNorthvolt, the Swedish car battery maker, has put the subsidiary Ett Expansion AB into receivership following the cancellation of the expansion project they were controlling. To read more, click this Automotive News Europe article link here.

BREMBO BUYS SUSPENSION SPECIALISTBrembo, the brake maker, has agreed to buy Ohlins Racing for $405 million. This does seem like a sensible amalgamation as the parts are close to each other on the car. Click this Reuters article link to read more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Kia electric PrideKia has revealed a retro mod or adaptation of a 1996 Pride being fitted with an EV drivetrain. What a fun thing to have done! Click this Autocar article link for more.

Vauxhall’s electric Astra and Corsa get price cutsVauxhall has announced that they are cutting the price of electric Corsa and Astra models. In the announcement, the perception of the brand and the costs of their EV was discussed (again popping the nonsense about how price isn’t a stumbling block for EV adoption). Click this Autocar link to see what the reductions are.

Caterham Project V to use Yamaha powertrainCaterham has announced that they have partnered up with Yamaha to produce the electric powertrain for the Project V due out in the “coming years’. You can read more by clicking this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME watch: rustival 2 reportThanks to Ian, at HubNut, we are recommending his report on the second Rustival event where all cars are welcome. Continuing the vibe of everyone just enjoying cars and not being snobs we are treated to over an hour of this wonderful event. There are others on YouTube who have covered this, which you should go seek out, after clicking and watching this link here.

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FOLLOW UP: GHOSN ORDERED TO RETURN YATCH Carlos Ghosn has lost his appeal over the ruling that he must return his luxury yacht and repay approximately $32 million, to Nissan. This could prove tricky as he is in Lebanon and due to geopolitical issues, it may be tricky to send someone to go pick it up. To learn more, click this article link from The Autopian.

JLR INVESTS £500M IN HALEWOOD PLANTIn order to build hybrid vehicles and prepare for their electric future, JLR are updating the Halewood plant to the tune of £500 million. They will also be able to build combustion engined vehicles at the same facility. Click this article link to The Guardian.

NISSAN BUYS MORE SHARES BACK FROM RENAULTNissan is buying another 5% of shares back from Renault as the Rebel Alliance continues to dissolve. Estimated to be worth around $551 million which will help Renault’s finances. If you wish to learn more, click this article link from Automotive News Europe.

UK GOVERNMENT HAS NO PLANS FOR PAY-PER-MILE CHARGE YETIn a surprise move, the UK Government has confirmed that it will not be announcing a pay-per-mile charging scheme, which many expected as a replacement for fuel duty and VED. That is not to say it isn’t going to happen at some stage. Click here to read more from Top Gear.

KIA DEALER PORTAL VULNERABILITY FOUNDSecurity researchers found a flaw in the Kia dealer portal which allowed them to take remote control of vehicles, find their location, examine details of customers and more using only the license plate information. This was reported to Kia who have fixed the issue and confirm no one maliciously accessed their systems via this method. To read more on this, click here for the Bleeping Computer article.

LUXURY VEHICLES STILL GETTING TO RUSSIASky News has followed up an earlier investigation and found that luxury vehicles, including those from British manufacturers, are finding their way to Russian customers via other countries. We are not sure what the car brands can do to prevent this, as it is not from them directly. If you want to see what is going on, click this link here to read more.

POLESTAR ANNOUNCE INFOSYS AS SOFTWARE PARTNERPolestar is going to partner up with Infosys, the Indian IT giant, for their infotainment, driver assistance and connected services software. We REALLY hope Polestar has the people to check and tripple check the software that is produced. We are not confident this will be a good move. You can read more by clicking this article link from The Register.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Leapmotor T03Leapmotor, the joint venture between Stellantis and Leapmotor International, will start selling their T03 in Europe soon. An electric city car, with a combined WLTP range up to 165 miles but costing around £16,000, will be an attractive proposition to a select number of buyers. To learn more about the car, click this Autocar link here.

Kia OTA update for the EV9Kia has announced that there will be an over-the-air (OTA) update for the EV9, which will allow the driver to switch off the notification of the speed limit warning system, via a steering wheel button press. Click this Twitter link to read more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: BRUNO SACCO PASSES AWAYOver the weekend, the motoring world received the sad news that legendary Mercedes-Benz designer Bruno Sacco had passed away. What a legacy, designing the cars that were peak Merc. Click this Top Gear article link to read about him and his work.

LUNCHTIME READ: EXPERIMENTAL CREATIVITYHagerty brings us the story behind the Californian design studio for Nissan. Click this link here, for a mammoth read and fascinating retelling of what happened and why.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE 39 BEST CAR MOVIES EVER MADEFor once, it is a movie buff who created this list, therefore it is about good movies with cars, and not as we might all have done listed good movies only about cars. Do you agree with the choices made? What is your number one from the list? Do let us know. Click here to check out your options.

AND FINALLY: IT IS CHILD’S PLAY FOR ONE COMPANYAutocar chat to the head of design at Hot Wheels to find out what it takes to make toy cars that grab the attention and imagination. You can read about it by clicking this link here.

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Alan is on his own this week, and there's no Follow-Up.

This week, though, the European motor industry warns that it will miss CO2 targets because of falling EV sales, the US proposes to ban Chinese and Russian connected car tech, and MAN and E.ON club together to open their first joint-venture truck charging site, while Shell does something similar in the UK. Gordon Murray Group won £ 11 million in UK government funding for developing a new lightweight platform, and Porsche patented a 6-stroke engine cycle.

New New Car News includes the Lotus Theory 1 concept, the Renault Estafette concept, and the Ineos Grenadier, where seats are a concept.

Points of Interest includes with a Lunchtime Read by Nir Kahn, and a list of 20 very angry cars. The And Finally this week is the latest from c90adventures on YouTube.

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FOLLOW UP: BWM DOWNGRADES OUTLOOKOn the back of the news that the BMW brake recall has expanded, which we covered last week, BMW has announced that they have cut their projected outlook for 2024 due to the costs incurred by the issue of the Continental supplied part. On top of that, reports are now surfacing that they were first informed of the issue in June 2022. To read more, click this link to an AMOnline story.

TOYOTA SOLID STATE BATTERY PLANS APPROVED Toyota has announced that it will begin production of solid state batteries in 2026, with mass production to begin in 2030. Have they actually cracked? If you wish to read more, click this InsideEVs article link here.

MERCEDES AND SUPPLIER DEVELOPING SOLID STATE BATTERYMercedes-Benz and Factorial have announced plans that they are developing a solid state battery, but with no confirmation on a date when these might come to market or be fitted to cars. Click here to read more, via a Reuters article link.

MG TO SELL SOLID STATE BATTERY CAR IN 2025Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), the company that owns MG amongst other brands, has announced that it will reveal their solid state battery in the second quarter of 2025. They then expect to start selling cars fitted with them by the end of the same year. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

TOYOTA REDUCES EV TARGETSToyota is the latest car maker to lower their production targets for electric cars. They are moving from 1.5 million to 1 million EVs produced, in 2026. Whilst that looks dramatic, it is not as dramatic as the jump from now. If you want to read more, click this electrive article link here.

VOLVO SUBSCRIPTION BUSINESS TO ENDVolvo has announced that it will be shutting down their car subscription offering. The system covered all costs except insurance and fuel. Whilst this has not worked for Volvo, or not well enough, others in the industry still think it is a viable business model and something consumers want. To find out more, click this AMOnline article link here.

FORD PATENTS COME TO LIGHTFord has submitted patents that are invasive of personal space and information to just a bit silly. We have to remember that patents often don’t make it to market and we can hope some of those unearthed don’t. One is to use in-cabin microphones to monitor conversations, combined with predicting the trip intention and historical data to “serve” you adverts, both visually and through the speakers. Yep, we’re more than appalled at that, just like you. Click this link from The Record, to read more on this.

The other one that raised an eyebrow, is for ‘Smart Vehicle Holograms’ that will, apparently, do a whole host of things from project security guards and dogs patrolling around a car, to showing a restaurant menu and assisting with valet parking. You can learn more and also question the sanity of some Ford employees, by clicking this Top Gear article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Audi Q5Audi have shown off the latest Q5, an ICE SUV fitted with a mild hybrid powertrain to help. There’s a myriad of engine options from the base model up to the range topping SQ5. THe interior and exterior are being refreshed to match the rest of the model range. Improvements to handling and power output can be expected. UK specs and prices are yet to be announced. Click this EVO article link to read more.

DS SM TributeDS has reimagined the legendary Citroën SM with the SM Tribute concept. Oh boy. What a mess. Things are not helped that they have it photographed next to the original. Inside is the usual concept look of floating, semi transparent materials, rectangular steering wheels and digital displays. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

Ariel Nomad 2 EVAriel has shown off a near production ready version of the electric Nomad. Astonishingly light, for an EV at only 896kg, the car is expected to be on sale from 2026. No confirmation of what the range will be, but considering the technical specifications and the nature of the vehicle, do not expect continent devouring milage. To learn more, click here for an Autocar article.

Fiat 500e production pausedFiat has announced that it has paused the production of the 500e, due to a slowing down in demand. They expect this to only last one month and Stellantis say they are not alone in being affected. The car is constrained with a limited range, that is beaten by cars of a similar price and even cheaper. Click this Autocar article link for more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: CHANGES IN THE BMW GROUPAlpina are getting a new head of design, the ex-Polestar designer, Maximilian Missoni. Does this mean Alpina will have their own cars? We wait with bated breath! Click this Autocar link to read more.

Meanwhile, BMW’s design boss moves to Rolls Royce. Domagoj Dukec is taking over from Anders Warming as he moves to a new group role. To find out all the changes in the design teams, click this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ AND WATCH: RADWOOD UK 2024RADWood Uk 2024 took place recently and whilst we could not get there, we are bringing you some of the coverage. Hagerty provide the reading element, which you can check out by clicking this link here.

Meanwhile, Furious Driving YouTube channel supplies the watching part, as he has a lovely video out showing some of the cars at the show. Click here to watch that.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ITALIAN CARSA short list to select from that has been the case lately, as Goodwood Road & Racing suggest ten options. Do you agree with Alan and his choice? Do let us know after you click this link to review what you could pick from.

We promise Alan is not getting paid to promote this video from HubNut he just really, really likes it. But as he’s mentioned it AGAIN, here is the link you can click to go see what has made him gush so much about Ian’s work.

AND FINALLY: WHAT IS AN EXTINCTION LEVEL CAMPER?Learn what an extinction level camper is and how wonderfully designed and thought out the one The Autopian took into the woods to give the bears a great big surprise - should be noted no bears were actually surprised or harmed in the writing of the fabulous article. Click here to read more.

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FOLLOW UP: WINTERKORN DIESELGATE TRIAL BEGINSFormer Volkswagen CEO, Martin Winterkorn, is in court, charged with fraud, market manipulation and perjury all connected with the dieselgate scandal. Winterkorn denies all charges. To learn more, click this BBC News article link here.

AUGUST 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has released the August 2024 new car registration figures. They are the first month in two years to not grow year on year. BEVs took a market share of nearly 23% in August, but the year to date is still only at 17.2%. Diesel, petrol and PHEV were down, but HEV rose. Private flatlined, but Business and Fleet registrations were down. Calls were renewed for charging VAT equalisation and incentives from the Government for consumer purchases. Click this link to read more, from the SMMT article.

Click this link here to read what Robert Forrester, CEO of Vertu Motors, was quoted as saying with regards to the ZEV mandate and state of the market.

VW CONSIDERING PLANT CLOSURES TO CUT COSTSVolkswagen have started to think the unthinkable and are considering closing some of their German factories. The German company needs to save billions and this is one of the possible actions being weighed up. Also being looked at is shelving a planned compact electric SUV model. If you wish to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

VOLVO LATEST TO MODIFY MODEL PLANSVolvo is the latest manufacturer to announce a modification to their future model plans, thanks to current global market conditions and slower than expected roll out of chargin infrastructure. To find out what they are aiming for, click this AMOnline article link here.

POLESTAR ENDS AGENCY MODELPolestar has ended the agency retail model and now allows dealerships to act in a more traditional manner. One of the changes will be the ability to target potential customers and sell to them, rather than the previous “no pressure experience”. To learn more, click this AMOnline article link here.

BMW BRAKE RECALL ISSUE PERSISTS AND EXPANDSBMW began a recall due to issues with the Integrated Braking System. This has now been expanded to include the Mini and Rolls Royce brands. On top of that, they are struggling to cope with the scale of the issue due to the numbers involved. Parts are hard to come by and taking far longer than hoped. If you wish to read more, click this Car Dealer article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST As discussed in the show, there is a new way to play podcasts on non-Apple devices as they have brought the Podcast app to web browsers. Click this Podnews link to find out how to install and use it on your device. Thank you to James Cridland, the editor at Podnews, for making it easy to help more people listen to podcasts (and hopefully ours) with that guide. NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Volvo XC90Volvo has revealed the refreshed range topping XC90 model, as it adjusts future model and powertrain plans.There will be a mix of hybrid powertrains, including a plug-in. They have also taken steps to upgrade the comfort, materials used and the infotainment screen. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

Aston Martin VanquishAston Martin has shown off the new Vanquish. Fitted with a twin-turbo V12 824bhp engine, this is their most powerful ICE only vehicle. Prices start from £300,000. If you want to see more, click this Autocar link here.

Renault 17 conceptRenault are continuing their series where they work with a designer to reimagine a car from their history. This time the 17 coupe gets the treatment and very nice treatment it is. Especially if one likes brown. To read more about this, click here for the link to an Autocar article.

Prodrive EvolvProdrive and design agency Astheimer, have collaborated to create an electric last-mile delivery vehicle, called the Evolv. With a price of £25,000, a range up to 100 miles and a carrying capacity of 300kgs, this could be one option for companies who drop off in urban areas. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: MOVING PICTURESDriven to Write, once again, brings our recommendation for your pleasure, this week. A combination of reminding about and celebrating the pursuit of quality automotive content. Also there is a wonderful video on the Porsche 928 that is well worth your viewing time.

As Andrew and Alan say, if you like anyone’s content tell them, like or favourite it, share it and if you can support it financially. Or we will be all swept away in the flood of drivel.

Click here to read the Lunchtime Read.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE GREATEST SMALL CARS EVER MADEAutocar once again bring us another excellent list to pick from, although there is some stretching of the definitions of “greatest” and “small”. However, do you agree with Andrew and Alan’s choices? Don’t forget to let them know. To check out the options, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: PEKING TO PARIS RALLY WIN FOR VINTAGE BENTLEYA 1928 Bentley 4 1/2 Le Mans has won the Peking to Paris Rally. What a wonderful thing to have been a part of. Click this Octane link here to read more about the amazing feat and look at some glorious pictures of some of the cars that took part.

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RAC RECOMMENDS DITCHING FUEL DUTY CUTThe RAC, who have long been highlighting how fuel retailers are not passing on the fuel duty cut to consumers, have recommended to the Government that they remove this in the upcoming Budget. Their argument is that drivers are not seeing the benefit and companies are only lining their pockets. To read more on this, click the link here to a BBC News article.

HACKNEY PROPOSAL FOR MOTORCYCLE PARKING CHALLENGED A legal challenge has been filled against Hackney Council after their proposal to impose a parking fee at the same rate as a car, for residents. The council expects the move to reduce motorcycle commuting by 70%, in the face of evidence that it is better to shift from a car to a motorcycle. To help this challenge succeed a crowdfunding campaign is in operation. Click this link to a Motorcycle Action Group page for more.

HYUNDAI UPDATES MODEL PLANSHyundai is the latest company to announce a revision to their model and powertrain plans, in the face of market conditions. They will expand their hybrid offerings, including adding a range-extender. These moves, it hopes, will counter the fears that markets have about making the switch to fully electric vehicles. If you want to read more, click this AMOnline article link here.

LOTUS SLASHES SALES FORECASTLotus, blaming tariffs on Chinese built EVs, has slashed its sales forecast from 55,000 vehicles to just 12,000. With next year being down from 76,000 to 30,000. In the first half of 2024 Lotus sold 4873 cars globally. Whilst this is a record, it is no where near where it needed to be if 55,000 were to be sold. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

NEW CEO FOR POLESTARThomas Ingenlath has resigned as CEO of Polestar, he will be replaced by ex-Opel-Vauxhall boss Michael Lohscheller. Lohscheller, recently, was the CEO of Vinfast and president of Nikola Motors. You can read more about this, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

HMRC CUTS EV MILEAGE RATESHMRC has announced that they are cutting the Advisory Fuel Rates (AFRs) for EVs, reducing it to 7ppm, from 8ppm. There are, as a result, calls to change how this is done because it does not actually cover the costs of business users, especially if they do not have a home charger. Click this FleetNews article link for more.

LEX AUTOLEASE PROFITS PLUNGE £400MLex Autolease, the business leasing company, has announced a drop in pre-tax profits of £400 million, in the face of increased revenues. A large portion of this is attributed to the fall in EV residuals at rates far more than anticipated. As we have said on the show, there are consequences which will impact both new and second hand markets. Click this AMOnline article link to read more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST As discussed in the show, there is a new way to play podcasts on non-Apple devices as they have brought the Podcast app to web browsers. Click this Podnews link to find out how to install and use it on your device. Thank you to James Cridland, the editor at Podnews, for making it easy to help more people listen to podcasts (and hopefully ours) with that guide. NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Citroën C5 AircrossCitroën are rationalising their model range, as a result the saloon C5 X will be removed from sale and the new C5 Aircross will be the range topper. Based on the Stellantis Medium Platform it will come with a variety of powertrain options, from full EV to hybrid. To read more on this, including Alan’s favourite quote, click this Autocar article link here.

Hyundai N Vision 74Hyundai announced there will be a limited production run of the N Vision 74 hydrogen coupe inspired by the Giorgetto Giugiaro Pony Coupe concept first shown in 1974. As ever, the only issue will be finding a fuelling station, if any come to the UK. For more on this story, click the link here to a Top Gear article.

Kingsley DefenderKingsley, renowned for the tasteful and superb restomods based on Series 1 Range Rovers has now taken on the original Defender. The D90 and D110 can be wonderfully updated with all manner of finishes, thanks to a starting price of £168,000. Click this Motoring Research article link to read more and find the Kingsley configurator link.

Hyundai online car hub on Amazon UKHyundai are bringing their Amazon car hub to the UK. This will allow prospective buyers the opportunity to learn more about the cars, specify their preferred model and options and book a test drive. They will need to visit a dealership to finalise any purchase though. If you want to read more about that, click this Motoring Research article link here.

POINTS OF INTEREST: ALAN DROVE A CARIn a change to our normal running order, we bring you a little adventure that Jim from AlsoDriven took Alan on, as they drove around Boston and Manhattan in a Smart Crossblade. If you wish to know what that was all about, click this YouTube link to see more.

AND FINALLY: JEN ORPIN’S ARTClassic & Sports Car brings us the art of Jen Orpin, a Manchester based painter who’s paintings are of roads and bridges and the likes. All of them are wonderful. Do click this link to see more, as well as links to her Etsy store and site.

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

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

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

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

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

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST As discussed in the show, there is a new way to play podcasts on non-Apple devices as they have brought the Podcast app to web browsers. Click this Podnews link to find out how to install and use it on your device. Thank you to James Cridland, the editor at Podnews, for making it easy to help more people listen to podcasts (and hopefully ours) with that guide.NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Mazda EZ-6Mazda unveiled the EZ-6 at a Chinese motor show, originally for that market, but is now coming to Europe with a chance it will be brought to the UK too. The design is the antidote to all the swooshes, slashes and dents that seem to be so very en vogue. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

Dongfeng Nammi BoxThis car could come to Europe and is one of those that Dongfeng wish to build at the plant they say they’re going to open in Italy. B segment hatch, which takes visual cues from many others in the sector as well as the ‘no button’ interior typical of the Chinese market. Costing £19, 615 in China that price will be more due to tariffs. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

OLD CAR DEAD NEWSFiat 500 and Abarth 595After 17 years (yes, that long) Fiat call time on the 500 and Abarth 595, in the UK. Click this Autocar link to read more on this decision.

Fiat PandaFiat are not done culling their lineup, the Panda will also be removed from sale in the UK despite the CEO saying there will be a ramping up of production due to local Italian increase in sales. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

Genesis G70 and GV80Genesis are ceasing sales, in the UK, of the 3-series rival G70 and X5 competitor GV80. Both have not sold many recently and as the company moves to an electrified future the decision was probably easy to make. To find out more about this, click here for an Autocar article.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: PHILIP RÖMERS TO HEAD POLESTAR DESIGNPhilip Römers will take over the role as head of Polestar design after Maximilian Missoni leaves the company. Römers is credited with the seventh generation Golf, the outgoing Audi A6 and the Audi e-tron. Click this link here to read more, from Autocar.

LUNCHTIME READ: 20,000 MILES SOUTHHagerty brings us the story of Helen and Frank Schreider who took an amphibious Jeep across the world on numerous amazing adventures. This is exactly the sort of tale we always want to share with you, in this spot, as it is not just about the vehicle but what people dreamt up to do with it. To read more and see other links to check out, click here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THESE ARE THE BEST CITIES FOR CAR CULTUREWhilst this is a US centric list, we do recommend checking it out and seeing if you agree with Andrew’s choice. Click here to see what options Japolnik provided.

Don’t forget, if you see a good possible suggestion for this segment, do send it to the show to check out!

AND FINALLY: DESKTOP WIND TUNNELA kickstarter campaign was launched to help bring to reality a desktop wind tunnel, in three sizes, which you can use to see the properties of various sized model and toy vehicles. These aren’t just functional either, they have been designed to look good too. Click this Hagerty link here, to see more.

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This week, Alan's solo as everyone else had cleared off on a launch jolly.

He starts with the end of London Scrappage Scheme next month,talks about how GM is laying off about 1,000 software engineers, wants of fake QR codes being used in car parks and EV charging points, looks at the threat to Europe's lease model for new cars and investigates Boston's use of AI to drive traffic light behaviour.

New New Car News looks at the new Vauxhall Grandland, the incredible Lamborghini Temerario and the much-hypes BMW M5 Touring.

Points of Interest this week takes us to Vermont with Maria Von-Trapp, the List of The Week covers controversial Mercedes, And Finally Alan takes a look at a dystopian New York Art Project.

As always, we really hope you enjoy the show. Feel free to send us feedback via our website or social media handles. If you do like the show, maybe suggest it to others who you think will, too. We are very grateful for all the support you give us. Thank you!

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FOLLOW UP: CHINA SAYS EU TARIFFS ON EVS BREAK WTO RULESChina has said the tariffs imposed by the EU on Chinese made electric cars break the World Trade Organisation’s rules. On top of which the claim is the findings from the initial report and ruling are factually incorrect too. There is no confirmation that they have lodged legal proceedings with the WTO yet, but they state they reserve the right to do so. Click this Reuters article link to read more.

JLR INCREASES SPENDING DUE TO EV TRANSITION ISSUESJLR has stated that it is increasing its five year investment plan spending by another £3 billion, as the transition to an EV market is not happening as quickly as many would like. They feel they are having to develop ICE and hybrid platforms alongside the electric only, as a result. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

On top of that news, Jaguar announced it will reveal its EV concept in December with no cars being delivered before 2026. To read more on that, click this Autocar link here.

LAMBORGHINI POSTS BEST HALF-YEAR RESULTSLamborghini delivered 5558 vehicles, resulting in a 14.1% increase in profits of £387 million. This is helped by an increase of 28.2% of car prices. At this current rate they will deliver more cars than they did in their record breaking year, 2023. You can read more about this, by clicking here for an Autocar link.

VW TO CONCENTRATE ON COST CUTTINGVolkswagen Group has announced that it will be pushing their cost cutting program in the second half of the year as it looks to increase margins. CARIAD is one focus, according to CEO Blume. Constraining production would also be further enacted. Click this Reuters article link to read more.

PROPOSED EU BATTERY REGULATION CHANGES CAUSE ANGERThe German car industry is up in arms about proposed changes to the EV battery regulations, for 2027. The idea is to grade a battery on a country’s energy production mix, which will impact Germany that are more carbon intensive after shutting all their nuclear plants. France, is in favour of the rule change, unsurprisingly when one looks at their energy production mix. To find out more, click this electrive article link here.

CHINESE EV MAKER HIPHI FILES FOR BANKRUPTCYTo manage to go bankrupt, as a Chinese EV maker with plans to export across the globe, considering the amount of assistance the Government will give its home grown companies, takes quite the effort, but HiPhi have managed it. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

FORD WORKERS TO GO ON STRIKE OVER CHANGES TO PAY The Unite union is claiming that Ford want to change the pay conditions of some workers to be only performance related. On top of that they state that a reduction in sickness payment is being proposed. 1200 workers plus 100 managerial staff are due to take industrial action as a result. Click this Autocar article link to learn more.

ANDROID AUTOMOTIVE INFOTAINMENT CAN BE EASILY HACKEDDuring DefCon, the annual cyber security researchers conference in Las Vegas, one speaker explained how easy it was to hack the infotainment system of cars utilising the Android Automotive OS. As we have said on the show many times, consumer technology has no place in a safety critical system. If you wish to learn more, click this link from Cybernews.

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 - VW Golf R Audi has unveiled the A6 fastback and estate. As the numbering is even this is an EV. With a range of up to 466 miles, it beats rival cars from BMW and Mercedes. The Avant is the best looking version, but that cuts the maximum potential range by 19 miles. Expected to cost similar to rivals, it should start around the £68,000. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

Ineos Arcane WorksIneos has realised there isn’t the market they anticipated in the ‘hose down the interior’ niche and have announced a personalisation division, called Arcane Works. They will tweak aspects of their cars to their customer’s hearts content, which the company hopes will bring in more profits. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link to learn more.

Fiat adds integrated charger cableFiat is adding a fitted 7kW capable charging cable to the Grande Panda. They believe this will help owners and also avoid the faff of using slower chargers where you need to bring your own cable. Click this Autocar link to read more.

Peugeot 508 axedPeugeot is removing the 508 from sale in the UK, at the end of the year. Blame is being put on the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate as well as poor sales. This is a shame as the 508 is one of the few good looking saloons and estates on offer to buyers. If you want to read more about this, click the Autocar link here.

Maserati Quattroporte and Levante removed from saleMaserati are culling their delicious sounding V8 which also means the Quattroporte and Levante will cease to be in the model line up. They will be going with their V6 and electrified products now. Should you wish to read more, click this link here thanks to Autocar.

LUNCHTIME READ: THIS TOYOTA MEGA CRUISER IS YOUR TICKET TO MIDDLE EARTHHagerty explains what the Toyota Mega Cruiser is and has an example specifically discussed in this linked article, click here to read more. To be clear, to all who play the Alan Drinking Game, this is not part of the rules as he was forced to talk about it, although we could make a strong case for his comment about the engine meaning all good will was used up, you decide.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE WEIRD & WONDERFUL DELIGHTS OF THE ISLE OF MAN MOTOR MUSEUMAutocar have a cracking slideshow for us all to run through, showing us some of the special cars the Isle of Man Motor Museum has in it’s collection. Do you agree with the choices made? What would you select? Do let us know after checking this link to see your options.

AND FINALLY: HIDDEN DESTINATIONS FOR HOLIDAY FUNJeep and Ordnance Survey have teamed up to give us all 100 hidden destinations that are at the end of a good driving route for those wanting some family holiday fun. Click this Motoring Research article link for more.

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FOLLOW UP: MORE CERTIFICATION WOES FOR TOYOTAFollowing on-site inspections, by Japan’s transport ministry, more certification violations have been found. A further seven models have been found to have been incorrectly certified, including the RAV4 model, resulting in a call for “drastic reforms” from the government. To learn more, click this link to a Reuters article.

JULY 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) released the new car registration figures for July 2024. Overall the figures are up 2.4%, year on year. EVs are up 18.8% for the month but still only a 16.8% market share, year to date. Hybrids and Plug-In Hybrids are also up, with petrol down slightly and diesel a lot. Private registrations are down significantly again, with Fleet being 60% of the market. SMMT call, again, on the Government to do more to incentivise consumers and do more for the infrastructure. Click here to read more, from SMMT.

AUDI UK GETS NEW MANAGING DIRECTORAndrew Doyle is leaving Audi UK to become CEO of Peter Warren Automotive, an Australian dealer group. He will be replaced by José Miguel Aparicio who is moving from Audi Spain, taking up the role on 1 October 2024. If you want to learn more, click this AMOnline article link here.

UK PUBLIC CHARGING POINTS INCREASE TO 64,632 DEVICESThe UK, as of 1 July 2024, has 64,632 public charging devices available for use. This is an increase of 47% on July 2023 numbers. However, the location of these chargers is uneven across the country. London has the best coverage, with Birmingham second, then it is very patchy across the rest of the country with the north of England particularly poorly served. Click this Autocar article for more.

BARCELONA HARNESSING METRO TRAIN ENERGY FOR EVSIn Barcelona, the first charging station that uses regenerated braking energy from metro trains, has opened. Complimenting this are solar panels placed on metro buildings. We like this very clever idea and are now wondering where else energy can be captured from! To read more, click this electrive article link here.

FIRST UK EV LORRY CHARGING HUB BEING BUILT IN IMMINGHAMImmingham port is the location for the UK’s first HGV EV charging hub, which is due to open in November 2024. This is also the location for a lot of off shore energy being brought into the country, therefore will make it easier to connect the chargers to a source. If you want to learn more, click this Current News article link here.

STONEHENGE TUNNEL CANCELLED The proposed tunnel under Stonehenge has been cancelled, along with the Arundel bypass, whilst other road and transport plans are under review, as the new UK Government tries to manage their finances. We will have to wait until 30 October, to find out the full extent of cuts. You can read further on this, by clicking an Autocar link here.

RECARO AUTOMOTIVE FILES FOR BANKRUPTCYRecaro Automotive, the makers of car seats, has filed for voluntary redundancy after a customer pulled a major contract. There is no confirmation as to which company that was, but they do work with VW, BMW and Ford, amongst others. Click this Autocar article link to learn more. Also, for further context, click this article link from The Drive.

TESLA RECALLS 1.85M CARS DUE TO BONNET PROBLEMTesla is recalling 1.85 million cars due to a risk of the bonnet opening unexpectedly. The problem is being put down to a part fitted to 2021-24 Model 3, S and X models, plus 2020-24 Model Y cars. Click this Reuters article 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 - Audi A6 Audi has unveiled the A6 fastback and estate. As the numbering is even this is an EV. With a range of up to 466 miles, it beats rival cars from BMW and Mercedes. The Avant is the best looking version, but that cuts the maximum potential range by 19 miles. Expected to cost similar to rivals, it should start around the £68,000. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: BLINDED BY THE LIGHTBear with us, on this recommendation, as a lengthy article about louvres doesn’t sound promising but we assure you it is a cracking read. Included in the Driven to Write piece are some fabulous photographs too. Click here to learn more than you thought you needed to know on the subject.

LIST OF THE WEEK: BIG SELLING CARS VANISHING FROM OUR ROADSAutocar, once again, provide a slideshow for us to recommend to you, this time about popular cars from the 1980s and 90s which are disappearing. As ever, do let the chaps know if you agree with their choices and if not, what you would pick instead. Click this link here to see the options.

AND FINALLY: CYBERTRUCK TROLLED IN FORTNITETo get a glimpse into just how badly received the Cybertruck is by non-car people, look at the reaction in Fortnite to the car being included as a collaboration and foisted on players. If a Cybertruck is found in the battle royale style game, players put aside killing each other, band together until the player with the vehicle is eliminated. Even members of the development team and game owners have expressed their dislike for this collaboration. Click this IGN article link to read more.

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NEW ICE ONLY CAR SALE BAN TO BE 2030 IN UKThe Department for Transport has stated that they will ‘provide clarity’ by announcing that new internal combustion petrol and diesel only cars will be banned from sale in 2030. Further details will be issued in ‘due course’. Questions are being raised over vans, which are not mentioned. To read more, click this FleetNews article link here.

STELLANTIS PROFITS HALVEDStellantis revealed their first half financial results and they were bruising. A reduction in sales and that they are going through a big model refresh, across their brands, contributed to this. CEO Carlos Tavares has announced he would be reviewing all brands and threatened to close down those that are not profitable. He also stated that the UK’s zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate was damaging the company and unfair it did not take into account that they built such vehicles in the country.

Click here to read about the profit issues via this Autocar link.

To read more about the UK and how that has proved tricky for the company, click this AMOnline article link.

If you wish to consider which brand or brands may go, click this Autopian link as they run through those under the Stellantis group.

FORD POSTS SMALLER THAN EXPECT PROFITSFord also announced their financial results for the last quarter, which did not meet the expectation of many. They put the less than hoped for numbers down to the huge expense of repairing vehicles under warranty. On top of that the Ford model e division, for electric vehicles, operating loss was another $1.1 billion. Click this Reuters article for more information on this.

Click this Jalopnik article to read more about the warranty costs for Ford.

SOME WELSH ROADS WILL REVERT TO 30MPHThe Welsh Government has announced that it has put aside £5 million for some roads to be returned to a 30mph limit where councils think the new law was inappropriately applied. This is following “feedback”. If you wish to read more on this, click the Wales Online article link here.

NEW SPANISH CAMERA CATCHES SPEEDERSA new camera system, to be rolled out across Spain, detects if a vehicle bakes heavily before a speed camera and accelerate quickly after. Any vehicles spotted doing so can result in a €600 fine and 6 pints being added to the driver’s license. The cameras will be fitted anything up to one kilometre either side of the traditional speed camera. To read about this, click the article link here from The Mayor.

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 - Kia EV3 Pricing and specifications for the EV3 have now been released by Kia UK. Starting at £32,995 which will have a maximum range of 267 miles, at Air trim level. Prices top out at £43,895 for the GT-Line S (fitted with a heat pump) but that gives you a max range of 322 miles. But for the most range you will want the Air with the 81.4kWh battery pack, resulting in a claim of 347 miles, costing £35,995. The order books open on Thursday 1 August. Click this Autocar article link for more.

Cupra Formentor and LeonCupra has updated the Forementor and Leon, bringing the interiors up to date with VW Group stablemates. Additionally there are new plug-in hybrid powertrains, revised chassis and external designs to incorporate the ‘shark-nose’ fronts. The Leon starts at £31,090, with the Forementor starting price being ££33,450. However, if you would prefer the First Edition versions be prepared to pay £45,850 for the Leon and £51,790 for the Forementor. For more information, click this EVO link here.

Mitsubishi to join the Honda-Nissan allianceMitsubishi is set to join the Honda-Nissan EV alliance. The expectation is for them to license the new software platform created and possibly fill in model gaps of the other two. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ AND WATCH: THE FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXCEPTIONALWhilst trying to avoid all the arguing and moaning, regarding Hagerty’s Festival of the Unexceptional, we want to enjoy what happened on the day, the cars that were there and the people who’ve shared their experiences with all of us. Firstly, we link to Hagerty’s own post about the Concours de l’Ordinaire and wider event, with an original 1982 Toyota Hilux taking the overall prize, click here to read all about that.

There are a huge number of excellent videos on YouTube, about this year’s event, which we have no hope of suggesting to you. But, to wet your appetite, we have three links for you to try before you go searching for other creators offerings. And do go searching for them. Support all who make stuff for our entertainment and enjoyment.

Steph from I Drive a Classic - click here.

Furious Driving - click here.

Jon Coupland Cars - click here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 13 BRITISH CARS FLOORED BY FLAWSAs we are looking back in time, during Points of Interest, we have a selection of cars, thanks to Autocar, that were hampered by very real flaws. There is, you’ll be pleased to hear, no Allegro in sight - we do have a rule about that sort of thing. Click here and see if you agree with Dan’s choice. Don’t forget to let us know your selection.

Oh, and for anyone interested in racing online with others, on Forza Motorsport, click this link here to DARL’s (Distinctly Average Racing League) Discord channel.

AND FINALLY: IMBERBUS TIME APPROACHINGOn Saturday 17 August the annual ImberBus will run, taking a double decker bus through a closed off military firing range on Salisbury Plain. Running every 15 minutes the buses will cover the route with the ticket fee going to charity. Certainly one for the bus and burnt out wreck aficionados. Click this link from Ian Visits to read more.

To read up about Imber, here is the link to the Wikipedia article.

DANIEL PUDDICOMBE CONTACT DETAILSTo contact him via Twitter - click this link

To contact him via LinkedIn - click this link

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NEW CTO FOR RENAULT GROUPPhilippe Krief will become the chief technical officer for the Renault Group on 1 September 2024, taking over the role from Gilles Le Borgne. Krief will continue his role at Alpine. To learn more, click this YahooFinance link here.

NEW EU TYRE RULES COME INTO FORCENew rules for tyres, from the EU, mean that they will need to have the same wet braking standards new as when they have 1.6mm tread left. This will increase safety and also it is hoped will mean drivers do not swap to newer tyres before they need to. The idea might mean that production CO2 emissions will be cut by up to 35 million tons. There is no confirmation the rules will be adopted in the UK. Click this EVO article link to read more.

LIDL TO ENABLE EV CHARGING PAYMENTS VIA LOYALTY APPLidl is the first UK supermarket to allow for EV charging payments to be made via their loyalty app. They have approximately 370 charging points across the country. If you want to learn more, click this link from EV Powered.

ARRIVAL BUYS 51 VOLVO ELECTRIC BUSES FOR LONDONServicing just two routes Arrival will add 51 new electric Volvo double decker buses for Transport for London. To be fitted with the biggest battery capacity these will help improve air quality along the routes. You can read more by clicking this electrive article link here.

TVR FACTORY NO SHOW TO COST WELSH TAXPAYERS MILLIONSDue to TVR Automotive not using a site earmarked for their factory, in South Wales, the Government of the principality could be out of pocket to the tune of nearly five million pounds. TVR are now looking to located somewhere in Hampshire. Click this AMOnline article link to read about this story.

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 - Audi A5Audi have revealed their new replacement for the A4 saloon and Avants. Now named the A5, due to a change in their policy, this will be longer and wider than the previous model. Additionally the interior is heavily revamped with liberal use of screens. Powertrains will be petrol, diesel, mild hybrid and a PHEV. A S5 is also coming. Click this EVO link to read more.

Renault Traffic E-TechRenault has revealed details of their mid sized van, the Traffic, in EV guise. A maximum range of 186 miles, with an ability to fully charge in about an hour on a 50kW DC charger. The vehicle can carry a maximum of 1222kgs. Prices star at £34,500 plus VAT. You can read more by clicking this EV Powered link here.

VW postponed ID.Golf launchOnly a week or so after the announcement of the new platform (SSP) and the ID.Golf, Volkswagen have had to confirm that the car will now be delayed until 2029. Software is believed to be one major issue and it is unclear if the partnership with Rivian muddies the development waters even more. If you wish to read more, click this electrive article link here.

Ford’s EV only European plans ‘to ambitious’Ford have stated that their push to be all-electric, in Europe, by 2030 was too ambitious. They cite customer’s behaviour are an indication that the market is not ready for such a rapid shift. Other OEMs have also expressed concerns over timetables previously announced. Click this Autocar link to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE BATTLE FOR CONTROL OF THE DASHBOARDWe recommend this slightly older article, from Car & Driver, that goes into the background of who is trying to get their technology and software in infotainments and binnacles. Whilst there are some updates needed to the story, if does an excellent job of outlining the issues and players involved. To read, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: CRAZIEST CONCEPT CARS EVER MADEAutocar bring us another slideshow, where we have 55 options for a concept car that grabs your attention more than the others. Let the chaps know your choice and if you agree with Andrew’s. Click here to see the options.

AND FINALLY: SNAPSHOTS IN TIMEThe Guardian brings us snippets from the new book A Time a Place, which shows us the European Car of the Year from each of the last 60 years combined with a building of the same age. A fabulous project that shows a wonderful level of creativity. Click here to read more.

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UK CAR FACTORIES HALVE CARBON EMISSIONSThe UK car manufacturing industry has managed to cut carbon emissions by half in the past 25 years. On top of which, water use has dropped significantly. This comes from the SMMT’s 25th annual Sustainability Report. If you wish to learn more, click this AMOnline link here.

JLR SALES INCREASEJLR, in the last quarter, saw their sales to dealers (wholesale) rise for the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. The reason being given is the new body shop opening at Solihull. The Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Defender made up 68% of wholesale numbers. Foreign markets such as China and particularly the US also grew. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

They also announced that the Jaguar lineup will be cut down to just one model, due to lack of profitability. Only the F-Pace will be sold by the Jaguar brand until they announce their new models, aimed at the luxury market. If you wish to learn more, click this AMOnline article link here.

RENAULT OFFERS EV CONVERSION TO MASTER OWNERSOwners of Master III vans are being offered a conversion to EV, by Renault in France. At a cost of €26,900 + tax the vehicles will have a maximum range of 124 miles. This is significant saving on a new electric van, but with a limited range. To read more about this, click here to go to an electrive article.

AUDI MAY CLOSE BRUSSELS PLANTDue to a lack of sales, of the Q8 e-tron, the future of the VW Group plant in Brussels is under consideration, with the ultimate move being to close it and stop selling the model. Whilst Volkswagen Group has just announced it is investing heavily in Rivian, it has financial issue to sort as they and shareholders lower their earning expectation. Click this Reuters article link here to read more.

US STUDY QUESTIONS SAFETY CLAIMS OF ADASA study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS), in the United States, has questioned how effective some of the advanced driver assistance systems actually are and if they do mitigate road incident rates. This covers technology which claims to be partial automation, not crash avoidance such as automatic emergency braking. Their conclusion is that partial automation adds nothing when it comes to additional safety. You can ream more, by clicking this link from IIHS here. To read the TechRadar piece associated to this, click here.

NEW CAR THEFT ATTACKS HIT HYUNDAI AND OTHERSWith the use of an emulator, thieves can trick a car into thinking the key is near enough to allow access and starting of the car. This has hit the Hyundai Group with several models from their range being targeted. The device is made to look like a Nintendo Game Boy and can cost between €16,000 - €30,000. Vehicles that are claimed to be susceptible, apart from the Hyundai Group, include Mitsubishi, Renault, Mercedes and Nissan. To read more, click this article link from InsideEVs. For more context click this link to a post from Dr Ken German on LinkedIn.

BLACKWALL AND SILVERTOWN TUNNELS TO GET TOLLSTransport for London has announced that they will be imposing tolls on both the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels in 2025. The claim is the prices, which change for peak and non-peak, will reduce congestion. If you wish to find out more, click this link from The Guardian here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Ford CapriTo much wailing and gnashing of internet teeth, Ford unveiled the new Capri. Based on the VW MEB platform, they have created a SUV coupe version of the Explorer. Maximum range comes at either 390 or 370 miles, depending on spec. Likewise, 0-62mph time is 6.4 or 5.3 seconds. Prices are expected to start from £47,000. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

Due to the reaction Keith WR Jones has written this thread on Twitter, that is worth read. Click here.

Graham King also wrote a thread on Twitter that is also worth a read. Click here.

MG HS PHEVThe HS is the biggest car MG offer and has now been refreshed. Powertrains include petrol and plug-in hybrid. The PHEV coming with a maximum EV range of 75 miles. Prices range from £24,995 to £31,495. The vehicle is longer, with a lower roof and larger boot. Click this Autocar link to read more.

Evoluto 355A UK startup, called Evoluto Automobili, has created a restomod Ferrari 355. They have brought in Ian Callum to help sharpen the looks and the V8 has been reworked to be more reliable. The car is also lighter, stronger and stiffer thanks to the use of carbon fibre and manufacturing techniques. Prices and specifications are yet to be fully revealed. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Lexus reduces EV and hybrid pricesLexus is cutting the price of some of its range by as much as £7,100. The UX 300e now starts from £40,795. Prices are also cut on RZ 450e, hybrid NX 450h+ and RX 450h+ models. Only the LBX remains the same. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: IAN CAMERON On Monday the motoring world was shocked at the news of the death of Ian Cameron, at his home in Germany after he was attacked by an intruder. He was Rolls Royce’s design chief, who created the Phantom in 2003. He retired in 2014. He has led a fascinating and illustrious career, which you can learn more about by clicking this Autocar link here. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

LUNCHTIME READ: CONCEPT CARS MON AMOUR! SIMPLEXITY IN MOTIONWe turn to Driven to Write and Patrick le Quément, former SVP of design at Renault, to tell the story of the Ellypse, a 2002 concept car. This is a fascinating peak into the design philosophy behind the car, as well as how these things come to be at a car company. To read this and enjoy all the photos, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 10 PROTOTYPES AT THE LE MANS MUSEUMTop Gear have created a list of what they think are the best prototype racing cars at the Le Mans museum. Do you agree with the choice made? Click this link to check out what is on offer.

AND FINALLY: FOTU SCHEDULE REVEALEDFestival of the Unexceptional has released the timetable for the day. Taking place on 27 July 2024, the gates open at 07:30 and the event closes at 19:00. In between, there is a LOT going on. To find out what is happening, click this link to a Hagerty article here.

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FOLLOW UP: CHINESE BUILT EV TARIFFS COME INTO EFFECTThe interim tariffs, from the EU on Chinese built EVs, has come into effect. Some of these have been tweaked, with Geely’s penalty dropping a fraction. The EU also published a document to explain who was hit by what and why. To find out more, click this Reuters link here.

SAIC have asked for a special hearing with the EU as it states some of its evidence has been ignored. SAIC are the hardest hit of all companies, with a 37.6% additional cost added to all their vehicles. To read more, click this Reuters article link here.

China has imposed stricter control on some rare earth material, which might impact those importing from China. Click this electrive article link here, to read further on this.

There are signs that the tariffs are having one intended consequence, with Smart considering building a production plant in Europe. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here. BYD are ahead of all others though, as they announce an agreement to open a factory in Turkey, a deal worth $1 billion. Click this BBC News article link to read more.

EUROPEAN GSR2 COME INTO FORCEThe European General Safety Rules 2 (GSR2) have come into force now, with systems such as intelligent speed limiters being fitted to all cars in the EU, including Northern Ireland. This will mean that UK cars will also have them fitted but they are not legally required. If you wish to read more, click this EVO article link here.

JUNE 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATIONSJune saw another month of flatline registrations, with a 1.1% increase on 2023. However, BEVs did take a market share of 19% for June, raising it to 17.9% for the year to date. However, Private registrations are dropping, worryingly so, yet again as the market share decreases 15.3% for the month, with it now down 12% for the year to date. A reminder, salary sacrifice is not a private registration, no matter how hard you really wish it was. Click this link from the SMMT to read more.

To read the article from Matt Prior explaining who will end up paying for the mandate policy, click this Autocar link here.

Autocar also have an Editor’s letter for the new UK Government, with recommendations on how they can help the car industry. Click this link to read that.

EVS TO PAY LONDON CONGESTION CHARGE IN 2025Since 2020 Transport for London (TfL) have confirmed that EVs will pay the congestion charge from the end of 2025. Apparently, many have discovered this widely known news and are shocked. If you wish to learn more, click this EV Powered article link here.

GM FINED IN US FOR FAILING EMISSION TESTSBetween 2012 and 2018 some GM models produces around 10% more emissions than were declared. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in the US, has fined the car maker $146 million as a result. GM still state they have done nothing wrong. To read about this story, click this Jalopnik link here.

CHARGE CARS GOES INTO RECEIVERSHIPThe Arrival spinoff, which was to use their batteries and technology in restomoded EV Mustangs, has gone into receivership with all employees being made redundant. There are claims the company had models built and were due to deliver to customers. If you wish to read more on this story, click this Autocar article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Honda PreludeHonda are bringing the Prelude back to the UK, this time with a hybrid powertrain. Honda acknowledge that there are a lot of SUVs out there but they also like sporty cars. This will be a two door coupe based heavily on the Civic platform. To read more about this good news, click the Autocar link here.

Defender OctaThe Defender brand has decided their model needs an injection of ridiculous power. 626bhp, 4.4 litre V8 derived from BMW, will be inserted into 110 sized cars with only 1070 being built. The claim is it will be as good on the road as it is off the road. Interesting, as it is a large SUV that comes with off-road heritage. In order to find out more, click this Autocar link here.

Nybolt EVNybolt now have made their concept a working prototype to demonstrate their battery technology, which is quite astonishing. Designed by Julian Thompson, there is a clear likeness to the Mk 1 Elise, with similar front end and shape. The technology developed by Nybolt will allow the 35kW battery pack to be charged from 10-80% in 4 minutes 37sec if plugged into a 350kW charger. Also, it will have a maximum range up to 155 miles, according to WLTP. To read more on this very interesting development, click this EVO link here.

New U license for AustraliaAustralia is to introduce a new driving license, named the U-class license, that is for those who wish to drive vehicles with a gross mass up to 4.5 tonnes and a power-to-weight ratio of 370bhp per tonne or more. This does not include buses and motorcycles. Essentially it is a counter to all of the ridiculously powerful EVs and hypercars that technically anyone could buy and drive on the public roads. To pass you must take an online course, which we are not sure does enough but it is a step and may also either be adopted by other countries but also cause a pause for thought by the OEMs. Click this Driving Masters article link here, to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW BAD ARE MODERN CAR INTERFACES?EVO enlist the help of a commercial pilot to try and navigate a modern car’s interface and give feedback. It is quite enlightening and hopefully manufacturers and legislators start to pay attention to all this, as it is a topic this show often speaks about. To read, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: SLEEPERSAutocar have another slideshow that we are sharing with you, this time cars that are genuinely rapid but did not need to shout about it, sleepers. Do you agree with the choice made? What would you pick? Click here to check out the options.

AND FINALLY: HOW DO YOU SAY TAXI WITH A GGenesis are taking over the Ring Taxi duties, from BMW as they no longer have their cars hurtling around the track making passengers terrified or sick. The Genesis Track Taxi programme is open for business. They will be using the G70 3.3T car to enable mere mortals to experience the Nordschleife with an expert driver. To find out more, click this Motoring Research article link here.

Here is the link to Daniel Achterhuis visiting the Nurburgring video, click here.

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FOLLOW UP: ARAMCO FINALLY AGREE TO HORSE STAKEThe joint-venture between Geely and Renault, for engine technology, called Horse, has finally managed to get Aramco on board as the third partner. They are expected to take a 10% share in the company. To read more, click this link to a Reuters article here.

VW THROWS $1B LIFELINE TO RIVIANVolkswagen and Rivian announced a partnership, with VW investing $1 billion initially into the US EV start up. The German company has stated it wants access to the battery technology and full software stack Rivian has developed. A further $4 billion could come from Volkswagen if certain criteria are met. This helps Rivian survive a little longer, but raises big questions about CARIAD. Click this Tech Crunch article link for more.

Click this Christiaan Hetzner Twitter thread for more about CARIAD and why the deal brings it’s existence into question.

If you would like to read more about Rivian’s ambitions, click this autoevolution article link here.

STELLANTIS THREATEN TO CLOSE UK MANUFACTURINGStellantis’s UK managing director has stated that they will make a decision in “less than a year”. They want help from the UK Government, including incentives for private buyers to encourage more EVs to be bought. On top of that, more is demanded for businesses to encourage them to buy more EV vans. To read more, click this article link from The Guardian.

RENAULT UK GET A NEW MDRenault UK has announced that Guillame Sicard will take up a new post in Renault France, with Adam Wood becoming the managing director on 1 October 2024, as well as the country manager for Renault Group. Click this AMOnline article link to read more.

PEUGEOT UK GET A NEW BOSSAs Adam Wood has resigned from his position as managing director of Peugeot UK and moved to Renault UK, Eurig Druce who was vice president of Stellantis Sales. To read more, click this AMOnline article link here.

NEW CAR PARK INDUSTRY CODE OF PRACTICEThe car parking industry, in an attempt to avoid direct intervention by the UK Government, has announced a number of new standards they will work to from the autumn. However, the whole industry does not need to be compliant until December 2026. Motoring groups have stated how little this does to change the situation. You can read more by clicking this BBC News article link here.

SUGGESTION ON DEALING WITH CAR WEIGHT INCREASEA group of academics have highlighted the problems of vehicles, particularly SUVs, becoming heavier. They have also proposed how this can be turned around. Click this link to read what the issues are and their suggestions on remedying it.

In a stroke of astonishing coincidence, Autocar has produced an article showing how much weight cars have put on recently, 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 - Hyundai InsterHyundai are bringing a city car sized EV to the UK. With a maximum range of 211 miles, this will seat four and cost from £22,000. This is good news that we get more options in the sub £30k EV market! Cute looking with design touches of other models, including the Kona and Ioniq 5, this is based on a South Korean car. Click this link to an Autocar article to read more.

Bentley Continental GT SpeedNow we can all see what the car will look like that is to house the new V8 plug-in hybrid powertrain we have previously discussed. And what we see is good. The Speed will cost from £236,600 in the UK. To read more about the car and all the new features, click this Motoring Research article link here.

BMW M5BMW have unveiled the new M5, which comes with a hybrid powertrain, enabling 50 miles on electric power alone. However, this does come with the penalty of extra weight, which in turn means the car is slower but we doubt one would notice on the roads. Priced from £111,405, it will come with a 4.4 litre V8 that has a plug in hybrid system allowing for 42 miles of electric only driving. If you wish to learn more, click this article link from EVO.

Volkswagen Golf RThe new Golf R has been revealed. With the next Golf being an EV, this will be the last ICE version. Tweaks have been made to the interior, in line with the rest of the range, making it more user friendly. Work has also gone on the dynamics of the car. You can find out from by clicking this EVO article link here.

Suzuki removing four models from saleAs the UK Government’s ZEV mandate bites, Suzuki has been forced to remove from sale, the Swift Sport, Ignis, Swace and Jimny van. They will bring out their first pure EV, named the eVX, in 2025. Much discussion could be had abut Governments forcing markets, as an earlier item with Stellantis is linked. Click this AMOnline article to read more.

Volvo EX30Volvo has refunded some owners of the EX30 after they had reached the end of their patience with the bug ridden software which has affected the car since before launch. To find out how badly this has gone for Volvo, click this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: THE RISE OF HIGH TECH FARMINGWe are recommending a video that goes through the history of John Deere and how it has moved from a plough manufacturer to a high tech company. It is an interesting history lesson and cautionary tale for consumers, especially as car companies are trying to do the same thing. Click here for the YouTube link to the Wendover Productions video.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST SELLING CARS OF 2023 IN THE WORLDAutocar once again are the source for an excellent list, that allows no room for subjectiveness. This time, its the best sellers in the world. Most will be expected but it is always interesting seeing what other markets get and buy. To check out the list, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: WHICH CAR HAS THE MOST CUPHOLDERSThe Autopian get down and nerdy about cup and beverage holders when trying to establish which car has the most. Reminds us of the quote that US cars are mobile cupholders. To read this wonderful article, click this link here.

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FOLLOW UP: EU AND CHINA AGREE TO TALKThe EU and China have agreed, following a call over the weekend, to start a consultation into the issues around Chinese made battery electric vehicles. China wants the tariffs halted during this time but the EU has rejected this. Click here, to read more from Politico.

DR FINED FOR CLAIMING CARS ARE MADE IN ITALYStellantis is not the only company getting into trouble, whether real or manufactured, over if their cars are made in Italy or not. DR Automobiles is to be fined €6 million, following an EU anti-trust probe, finding the cars are originally made in China but finished off in Italy. DR will be appealing the decision. To read more, click this Autocar article here.

BMW CANCELS NORTHVOLT BATTERY CONTRACTBMW announced that it is cancelling a $2 billion battery cell contract with Swedish firm Northvolt, as it could not meet the timescales agreed in 2020. In the statement they went on to say they’d both agreed to focus on the next-generation battery cell work. If you wish to learn more, click this Reuters article link here.

GOVERNMENT CONSIDERING ADDING ADAS CHECKS TO MOTThe UK Government is beginning to investigate if driver assistance technology (ADAS) should be added to MOT checks. Also, if it should, then how to test them. This is complicated topic as some aspects are to be mandated as fitted where previously they have not been. The Government has admitted it is difficult to know how many cars are fitted with exactly what, partly thanks to the different names each OEM gives the technology. Click this AMOnline article link to learn more.

WRIGHTBUS TO MAKE DIESEL BUSES EVSWrightbus has unveiled a new service, called NewPower, where it converts diesel buses into electric ones. The price starts at £200,000, which is a lot less than a new electric bus. You can find out more, by clicking this electrive article link here.

NEW CATERHAM FACTORY INCREASES CAPABILITIESCaterham has opened its new factory, which gives it 50% more capacity. The CEO, Bob Laishley, says this means they will not need to turn customers away. A new maximum of 750 cars can b built annually, thanks to an increase in build stations. To read more, click this 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 NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Volvo V60 and V90Volvo is reintroducing the V60 and V90 estates to the UK new car market, following an increase in demand. The V60 will come with hybrid and PHEV options, whilst the V90 will only be a PHEV. Prices are yet to be announced. This time, we had all better go out and buy them or they will go away again. Click this Autocar article to read more.

BMW X3The fourth generation X3 has been revealed. It is wider and longer, with a new interior and the current design language for the exterior. Powertrains will be diesel, petrol and PHEV. Prices start at £46,800 and top out at £64,990. If you wish to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

Bugatti Tourbillon20 years after they gave us the Veyron, Bugatti reveal the Tourbillon a £3.2 million, 276mph hyper-car. The engine is a V16, which will rev up to 9000rpm. The car is more aerodynamic than previous models, with an eye on cooling the engine and acting as aero at all speeds. Only 250 cars will be built. You can find out more, by clicking this link to an Autocar article here.

Genesis GV60 MagmaGenesis has confirmed that the hot GV60, called the Magma, will be coming to the UK with a price tag expected to be in the region of £100,000. The car shares the same platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5N. Click this Autocar article link here, to learn more.

JLR brings back the Freelander nameFurthering their close ties, JLR and Chery have announced that the Freelander name will be brought back. This will be an electrified only brand, built and sold in China initially. Plans do include exporting world wide at a later date. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: RISE AND FALL OF TURIN’S DESIGN FIRMSMatteo Licata brings us yet another history lesson about the Italian automotive industry, this time with a focus on the design companies of Turin. Click this Hagerty link to read the wonderful, if depressing, explanation of how those famous design studios ended up where they are now.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE 60 MOST BEAUTIFUL CARS EVER MADEAutocar bring us a slideshow of what they call the most beautiful cars ever made, which is stretching it somewhat with quite a few of those featured. Regardless of that, do you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choices? Let us know what you would pick. Click here to see the options.

AND FINALLY: PETROLBLOG ELECTION MANIFESTOGavin Big-Surname has launched the Petrolblog Manifesto that are sensible policies for a happier Britain, as Prince George said in the historical documentary Blackadder. We struggle to argue with anyone of the promises made. Click here to read them yourself.

As an extra bonus, there is a new video from Petrolblog to check out too, click this YouTube link here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 - Fiat Grande PandaFiat has revealed the Grande Panda, which is larger than the current model. Sharing the same platform, technology and many of the body panels of the Citroën C3, this chunky small SUV will come in EV, hybrid and ICE configurations. Click this Autocar link here, to find out more.

Smart #5Sized very similarly to the Peugeot 5008, this five seat SUV will have a range topping 637bhp, enabling the large vehicle to get from 0-62mph in less than three seconds, it is expected. We fail to see why anyone would need to do so, but there you go. Originally pencilled in to come to the UK at £35,000, we will have to wait and see if that remains the same after the EU moves on tariffs. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

Alpine A290Pitched as the gateway car to the brand, Alpine have taken the covers off the A290, a reengineered Renault 5. It is wider, lighter and wears more aggressive bodywork than the car it is based on. The warm hatch is to start at around £36,000. For those wanting to learn more, click this Autocar link here.

JLR to partner with Chery on platformsA month after denying that they will be using Chery platforms on their new models, JLR confirm that they, in fact, will be doing so. The Chinese company will supply one modular platform for ICE and hybrid vehicles and another for EVs. Click this electrive article link to read more.

Volvo recalls the EX30 over software glitchVolvo is recalling the EX30 due to a software glitch that puts the central control screen into test mode. This is particularly troublesome for owners as operating the cars is very dependent on this interface. Volvo are contacting owners and state this can be fixed with an over-the-air update. If you wish to learn more, please click this EV Powered article link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: CHAN PARK HEADS UP SKODA INTERIORSChan Park will replace Peter Olah as the head of interiors at Skoda. He moves from Nio to this post, having also previously worked for the likes of Pininfarina and Audi. Olah will lead Skoda’s On Design Identity strategy. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: LACK OF REAL ENTHUSIASTS IS HURTING THE CAR INDUSTRYThe Autopian bing us a conversation with Bob Lutz at the Classic Car Club Manhattan, where he runs through his career and gives his opinions on the current state of the industry. Illuminating stuff from a man who is a titan of the car world. Click this link here to read and watch more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 22 CARS THAT ARE 25 IN 2024Classic & Sports Car brings us a selection of cars from 25 years ago to run through. Do you agree with the chap’s choices? Let us know what you would have from the options provided. Click here to see what you can choose from.

AND FINALLY: TOUR CITROËN CONSERVATOIRE BEFORE IS CLOSESIan Seabrook eventually makes it to and from Paris, as he had to visit the Citroën Conservatoire before it is shut by Stellantis. Click here to watch the Top 10 video first.

Once you’ve done that, click here to watch the 29 minute walk around.

After you have watched these and enjoyed them, share them far and wide. Don’t forget to support independent content creators who bring us all wonderful writing, videos, audio and more. They need us and we need them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - BMW 1-seriesBMW has revealed the new 1-series and a new model naming guidelines. Gone is the use of ‘i’ for petrol models, as ‘i’ refers to BMW’s electric models. There will also be a new top of the range M135, that’s got less power, is slower but apparently much better dynamically. If you wish to learn more, click this EVO article link here.

The Joy of Specs explains all about BMW’s badge naming history and why the ‘i’ is going on some models, click this link to read more.

Cadillac OptiqCadillac is coming back to the UK, starting with their mid-sized SUV the Optiq. Aimed at the Audi Q4 e-tron and BMW iX3. The company claims it has a sporty nature and is targeting younger buyers. No details when it comes to price yet. Click this link from EV Powered to read more.

Mercedes PureSpeedAt the Monaco Grand Prix, Mercedes revealed the concept called PureSpeed. This is a stripped out AMG SL roadster that has been changed in looks. No windscreen, a F1-inspired ‘Halo’ device and the first of the bespoke ‘Mythos’ range from the company. You can read and see more by clicking this link to a Motoring Research article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: FISKER’S COLLAPSEAs Fisker, the EV maker, continues on its death spiral, TechCrunch spoke to people about how it has got to this point. The story is astonishing. Click this link to read how not to do it.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE CAR DESIGNS OF CHRIS BANGLERun through the ‘highlights’ of Chris Bangle’s career and see which one you like the most. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? Do let the chaps know. Click this Autocar slideshow link to see more.

AND FINALLY: C90 ADVENTURES RETURNS WITH MORE MADNESSEd March returns with another adventure in his toy motorised jeep. This time he makes modifications and plans something a bit more, well, adventurous. Click this YouTube link to go watch the first video of his latest hijinks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Citroën e-C3Citroën has released details on the new C3, including the electric version. The EV will be initially offered with a maximum 199 mile range, at £21,990. A smaller battery will be offered in due course with less range and thus a cheaper car. With all of the information now available, this car is a compelling proposition, addressing many issues we have highlighted on this show. Click this Autocar article link for more.

Porsche 911The new Porsche 911 has been revealed, including the GTS, which will get a hybridised flat-six engine delivering more power but costing a good deal more. Talking of costs, colour tax is very much a real and expensive thing with the new 911. To learn more about the 911 and GTS, click this EVO article link here.

To read about the colour tax, click this Jalopnik link here.

BMW 3 SeriesBMW have refreshed the 3 Series, both inside and apparently outside. Of note is that the M3 will only be available with X-Drive. Additionally, BMW have removed the option of a diesel engine, but have an improved PHEV offering. To learn more about 3 Series, including the new paint options, click this Motoring Research article link here.

For details on the M3, click this EVO link here.

Jeep WagoneerJeep are going to be bringing the electric Wagoneer to the UK, arriving early in 2025. Seemingly aimed at the Model Y, due to a lack of other competition, it is $70,000 in the US with a 300 mile range and 592bhp. Click this Autocar article link to find out more.

LUNCHTIME READ: CONCEPT CARS MON AMOUR! VELSATISThank you to Driven to Write, for this week’s recommendation, explaining the development of the VelSatis concept car, including a host of incredibly 90s French car PR photos. The quarry one is a particular delight of the genre. Click here to read more, including the design team and extra information about the project.

LIST OF THE WEEK: BIY - 10 GREAT CLASSIC KIT CARSAndrew takes a trip down memory lane as Alan picks his choice of the kit car he’d like to have from the options available. Do you agree with him? Don’t forget to tell the chaps what you would have. Click here to read what Hagerty has selected.

AND FINALLY: HOT WHEELS LEGENDS UK TOUR 2024 The Hot Wheels Legends UK Tour is about to get into full swing again. If you have an exciting and interesting car that you think would be a perfect fit as a model car, do click this link to the official site to find out more. We cannot wait to see what cars make it to the final!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Kia EV3Kia unveiled their latest electric car, the EV3. Styled similarly to the EV9, this car is a little shorter but wider than that the Niro. The aim is for the price to come in just under £30,000 and have maximum ranges of 255 to 373 miles depending on powertrain configuration. Click this Autocar article link for more information.

BMW Concept SkytopBMW showed off the Concept Skytop, a two seater luxury grand tourer. Based on an 8 Series, this homage is purely for the Concorso d'Eleganza at Lake Como as have many recent concepts from BMW. To see more, click this Top Gear article link here. To see what Alan was discussing, click this BMW Blog article link here.

Lamborghini engine replacementLamborghini is replacing its V10 with a V8 hybrid engine, which we presume is the same base as the one Bentley will be using. Expected to produce 789bhp and 538lb of the torques it will be no slouch after the Italian engineers breathe their magic on it and that’s before the hybrid power is added. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

JLR to use new battery softwareJLR has partnered up with Fortescue to take advantage of their clever battery monitoring software that will hopefully help improve battery life, accuracy of range and efficiency. If you wish to learn more about this, click the link here to an Autocar article.

LUNCHTIME READ: 46 CAR COMPANY NAMES AND THEIR ORIGINS Hagerty have updated an article about where the names for 46 car companies came from. This is not the typical article as it is very well researched and written. Click here to read and enjoy.

LIST OF THE WEEK: MOST VALUABLE CARS SOLD AT AUCTIONAutocar provide our recommended list, this week. Have fun wading through the many, many Ferrari options, as well as several other brands. Do you agree with the choices made? Let us know! Click here to check out what has been sold and for how much.

AND FINALLY: FORD’S CLASSIC CAR COLLECTIONTom Ford, for Top Gear, spends time with the classic Ford collection and the man who looks after all the vehicles. Click this link to see more and find the video link for you to enjoy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

For further context, click this link to a piece from Appercetive by Sam, which gives some insider information on how badly these vehicles and systems are actually doing. However, we would stress that we do not agree with the author’s take on how AVs will be ‘a thing’ as he does.

More context, is an article from The Verge. Do read this as this highlights several important issues the industry has tried to gloss over or hope would go away or that no one would notice, but the public has and it has recorded it. Click here to read more.

And final link to extra context is a research paper into those who believe that autonomous vehicles should and will be on our roads. Now we have a new term, ‘Pod Man’. Click here for the link to the paper on Taylor & Francis Online.

RENAULT ABANDONS AV CARS FOR BUSESRenault has announced it is not pursuing autonomous cars, for the time being, but instead will develop autonomous buses. We are not sure how they have come to the conclusion that it will be different considering they need to work in the same domains. Whilst raising your eyebrow, click this link to read more from Autocar.

EU BRINGS IN STRICTER CO2 RULES FOR LORRIESThe European Council has agreed to stricter CO2 rules for lorries, following consensus by EU countries recently. All city buses must be emission free from 2035 and nearly all new lorries will need to be by 2040. If you wish to learn more, click this link to the electrive article here.

TEVVA APPLIES FOR ADMINISTRATORSTevva Motors is a UK-based electric lorry company. They have a 7.5t model which Royal Mail and Travis Perkins have expressed interest in buying. Tevva failed to merge six months ago, with a Canadian company, and have called in administrators to give them protection whilst they seek more investment. Click this electrive link for more.

KONECT COULD HERALD MORE EV CHARGERS AT FORECOURTSKonect, from Gilbarco Veeder-Root, is a turn-key EV charging solution aimed at fuel forecourts. They will handle all of the payments, maintenance and customer service for the charge points, whilst the site focuses on selling sandwiches and more, which is where the profit lies for them already. If you wish to learn more, click this article link from Forecourt Trader.

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 - Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio Super SportAlfa Romeo is building 450 Super Sport versions of the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio. These will all black versions, with areas either darkened or actually black to give it a unique look. Prices are £82,815 for the Giulia and £91,835 for the Stelvio. Click this EVO article link for more.

Seat LeonThe car company, who we thought up until recently was being quietly shuttered by the VW Group is now back and needs to update their models. Here the Leon is getting a spruce up. New power trains, including a PHEV, as well as tech being thrown at the interior to bring it up to date. You can learn more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

Morgan MidsummerMorgan and Pininfarina have collaborated to bring us a roadster called the Midsummer. This made the internet go weak at the knees when revealed. What a gorgeous car. Only 50 models will be made and they’re already sold. Unfortunately, not to us. To gaze on longingly, click this Autocar article link here.

Stellantis to launch Leapmotor vehicles in EuropeLeapmotor, a Chinese EV maker that Stellantis recently invested heavily in, will bring a 165 mile supermini, a mid-sized SUV and a new vehicle out each year up to 2028.The supermini will be available from September in Europe and the UK. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

Eight year warranties from PeugeotPeugeot are extending their Allure Care warranty scheme to all their EVs and with that bring an eight year/100,000 mile guarantee. Remember that all EV batteries are legally obliged to have an eight year warranty in the UK already, but Peugeot are now covering the rest of the car - although check the small print! Click this electrive article link for more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: T. JON MAYER JOINS BENTLEYT. Jon Mayer is leaving Volvo, where he was the head of exterior design, to become the head of design operations at Bentley. He will be joining his former colleague, Robin Page who is the Design Director at the Crewe based company. You can learn more, by clicking this Car Design News article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: TRIBUTE TO LA FERTÉ-VIDAME Drew Smith and Joe Simpson shared a piece, via their Looking Out newsletter, about the Stellantis design studio, La Ferté-Vidame, which the company has put up for sale. You can read about the history of the site and what has occurred as well as some of the other assets that the car group has decided to ditch. To read this, click this link to the LINGES/Auto article here.

To see more from Looking Out as well as how to sign up for their excellent newsletter, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: RETRO RIDES AT GOODWOODAutocar attended the Retro Rides event at Goodwood, a couple of weeks ago, and bring us a selection of cars from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s to tickle our collective fancies. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? What would you like to take home? Do let us know. To check out the options, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: DIPLOMATIC CONGESTION CHARGE BILLTransport for London (TfL) and the UK Government consider London’s congestion charge a service. Diplomats from across the globe consider it a tax. Those that do think it is a tax refuse to pay. The amounts owed, since 2003, are becoming really rather large. Click this link to open a PDF to see why TfL are taking many to the International Court of Justice and how much who owes!

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FOLLOW UP: CAZOO TO ENTER ADMINSTRATIONThe online car retailer has taken the step to announce that it will appoint administrators for its subsidiaries to help protect them from creditor’s debt enforcement. Cazoo also stated, to investors, unless it found urgent investment it would fold. You can read more, by clicking this AMOnline article link here.

FOLLOW UP: TESLA AUTOPILOT UPDATE INVESTIGATEDThe National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has written to Tesla seeking answers as to why their cars still keep crashing after the update to their driver monitoring system. Tesla has until 1 July 2024 to respond or face potential fines up to $135 million. If you wish to learn more about that, click this article link from The Register.

That is not all the news for Tesla though, US prosecutors are investigating the company over potential securities and wire fraud, over the capabilities of its driver assistance technology. This is purely an investigation and does not show any guilt, to be clear. On top of which, any prosecution would have to show a company deliberately inflating the capabilities rather than being optimistic about the future and failing to achieve that. Click this Reuters article for more.

FOLLOW UP: JLR OFFERS CONTRIBUTION FOR OWN INSURANCEAs part of the continuing battle to counter the issue of high costs of or even refusal for insurance coverage JLR has now added a £150 per month contribution, if they take out their bespoke version. This will last for three years. To learn more about this story, click this AMOnline article link here.

FOLLOW UP: DAIHATSU RESTARTS PRODUCTIONDaihatsu has finally restarted production in all four of its Japanese plants, following the safety test fraud scandal. Changes have been made to production, development the numbers of safety testing staff. If you want to learn more, click this article link from The Japan Times.

APRIL 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESNew car registration figures for April 2024 has shown a 1% year on year. Fleet is doing all the lifting as Private registrations drop 17.7% year on year. BEV is up again, but only 15.7%, as petrol declines slightly and diesel drops further. Plug-in hybrid and hybrid share increases. SMMT are calling, once again, for help from the Government in a variety of ways that would encourage private buyers to purchase an electric car. Click here to read more, from the SMMT article.

Manufacturers are becoming increasingly vocal on the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate and how unworkable it is currently. With some suggesting they will pull out of the market, throttle combustion engine sales and more. Fleet customers are also being threatened, told they must purchase a certain percentage of EV in their order. To read more on this, click here for an article from The Guardian. If you wish to learn more about fleet issues, click this Fleet News article.

JLR PROFITS THE BEST SINCE 2015JLR generated a revenue of £29 billion in 2023. Which has helped them reduce their debt from £3 billion to £700 million. There is still a backlog on their order books, but they are increasing production rates. If you wish to read more, click this Autocar article link.

INSURANCE COSTS QUERIED BY CUSTOMERSThe Guardian has an article about the cost insurance companies are charged when a vehicle is in an accident. This echoes Andrew’s experience when his car was hit and the insurers decided to charge £13,000 to hire a SUV for four weeks. Hopefully soon, a regulator will step in and start investigating if the rocketing insurance costs are justifiable or not. Click this link to read more.

GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION FOR CLASSIC CARSThe UK Government has launched an consultation into modernising the DVLA treatment of classic cars, their modifications and more. The rules have not been updated since the 1980s and technology has changed a lot. We’ve seen some EV conversions be rejected because of how much it modified the car, is that right? Well, we all have a chance to make our voices heard. Click here to read more on this from Top Gear.

Click here to access the consultation directly.

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 - Mandatory speed limiters for UK carsFrom 7 July 2024 cars sold in the UK must come with a number of “safety” features that the EU General Safety Regulations 2 demand. One of which is a speed limiter. The claims are it uses GPS and/or sign recognition systems to understand what speed the car can legally do. Long time listeners will have heard both the chaps discuss how bad these are at doing that. Click this link to an EVO article to learn more.

Bentley replaces W12 engineBentley is replacing the W12 engine with a V8 plug-in hybrid, offering up to 740bhp and a 50 mile electric only capability, when fully charged. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link.

JLR replaces enginesJLR is undertaking a mid life refresh of the Defender, including trim and engines. The engines are changing to come in line with Euro 6e requirements, which means other models in their range will be altered likewise. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

Hyundai considering subscription for optionsHyundai is openly talking about adding subscriptions to its offerings. Becoming aware that exponential growth of cars is not sustainable, they are looking at other ways to generate income. They are not alone, as we have covered on this show. However, they also talk about adding stuff to older cars, without any detail as to what or how. Click this Autocar link to read more.

VW to ditch GTX badgeVolkswagen are going to introduce GTI and R badged versions of their electric vehicles, meaning that the GTX badge will be retired. If you wish to read more about this, click the link here to an Autocar story.

LUNCHTIME READ: FERRARI’S THROWBACK 12CILINDRILast week the chaps were rather underwhelmed by the Ferrari 12Cilindri. However, for Hagerty, friend of the show Matteo Licata has written about how good it is and how impressive the design is. As we like to share opinions, even ones that don’t agree with us, we are sharing this article with you. Click here to read a more positive take.

LIST OF THE WEEK: STAT CARS OF TOP GEAR’S TUNNEL RUNTop Gear decided to thrash a number of really loud cars in the Catesby Tunnel to see which was the most impressive, in terms of noise. First we have a link to the idea and cars behind the mad plan, which you can read by clicking here. Then to see the TopGear Top Trumps for each, click this link. Do you agree with the selection? Let us know.

AND FINALLY: THE FIRST RENAULT SAFRANEThe Joy of Specs sight tells us where the Renault Safrane first came from. Wonderful bit of history, from Keith WR Jones, which you can read by clicking this link here.

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FOLLOW UP: EU WARNS OVER LACK OF COOPERATION WITH PROBEThe EU has accused BYD, Geely and SAIC of not providing enough detail for their investigation. Due to this, apparent, lack of cooperation the tariffs that will be imposed are going to be higher than they might have been. The timing of this is important as the Chinese President is visiting Europe imminently. Click this article link from Politico for more.

FOLLOW UP: MORE TESLA CUTSTesla is reported to be cancelling the ‘ground-breaking’ “gigacasting” plans, which were to start with an underbody made in a single metal sheet. There were many in the industry who were questioning if this could be made possible and if there were consequences to doing so, outside of manufacturing. The news is on the back of a tumultuous time for the company following the announcement of cuts to the workforce. If you wish to read more, click this link to an InsideEVs article.

FOLLOW UP: FIRST BY CABINET CONVERTED TO EV CHARGEREast Lothian is the location for the first BT cabinet to be converted to enable EV charging. The pilot will allow local residents to use it for free until the end of May. You can learn more by clicking this EV Powered article link here.

AUTOCAR GREAT WOMEN AWARDS 2024 WINNERSAutocar have held the celebratory event for their Great Women Awards 2024, with Lisa Brankin, the Chair and managing director, Ford of Britain and Ireland winning the overall accolade. Congratulations to all those nominated and who won their categories. You can read through the article telling all about the event by clicking this link here.

FRENCH CAR INDUSTRY GIVEN NEW TARGET BY GOVERNMENTThe French car industry has reached an agreement with their Government to increase EV sales fourfold by 2027. They have also been instructed to produce two million electric and hybrid vehicles annually, by the end of the decade. If you wish to read more, click this link from Reuters.

PARTS BEING STOLEN FROM VEHICLESVolkswagen owners are the latest to be hit by selective thefts of car parts, rather than the entire car, as technology, the cost of living crisis and safety regulations all drive up costs. In this instance, the radar sensors which are incorporated into the front grille badge, have been taken. This is an ongoing issue and has hit many car companies. Click this article from The Guardian, to read more.

ELECTRIC CAR MISINFORMATION CONSEQUENCESAn electric car owner, who was visiting the Liverpool hospital Alder Hey, was asked to park in one of the outside spaces as the multi-storey car park was having improvements made to the sprinkler system and during that time EVs were not allowed to use that specific area. This is all fine, but the reasoning was due to EVs ‘spontaneously combusting’ which is untrue but a consequence of all the misinformation posted by the media and individuals. All those who talk about cars need to do better, need to combat untruthful info, no matter who from. You can read more, by clicking this BBC News article here.

GOOGLE MAPS ADDING EV CHARGING INFORMATIONGoogle Maps are going to add electric vehicle charging information in a new update. This will include data such as the availability, type of charger and allow for filtering of searches. This is a welcome addition but adds competition to the likes of ZapMap and A Better Route Planner. If you wish to find out more, click this EV Powered article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Renault SymbiozRenault has found a gap in their offerings and has promptly shoved a car into that niche. Missing was a Qashqai-sized model, bigger than the Captur but smaller than the Austral. Begs the question as to what is the point the Scenic, though. Relatively lightweight the claims on efficiency are high, as well as this being a practical and competitively priced vehicle that will do a job for families. Click this Autocar article link for more.

Ferrari 12CilindriThe replacement to the 812 Superfast has been unveiled. Appearances are that of what AI might produce if the prompt “what would a Daytona look like today” was used. Lots of power, performance and a hefty price tag. As Alan reminds us all, wait till we see proper photos or one for ourselves before slamming the looks. If you wish to read more on this, click here for an EVO article.

TWR SupercatTalking of cars that might have come from an AI prompt, the TWR Supercat has been shown. A wide-bodied XJS restomod, costing £225,000 and limited to a run of just 88 examples. This car too created quite a stir on social media, with most of it being negative. Judge for yourself, by clicking this EVO article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HAGERTY’S RADWOOD INDEXHagerty has created an index of value for 50 of the most iconic Radwood era cars. There are a lot of amazing choices to pick from, which you can check out here at this link. Let us know if you agreed with the options picked and what you would have.

*Yes, we realise we are not in the normal order and no, we have no idea how it happened

LUNCHTIME READ: IN MINIATURE - THE 4X4 MODELS OF ROBERT GUNNRobert Gunn creates amazing model vehicles at 1:10 scale, by custom building everything by hand using materials he find and buys. They are truly glorious creations that you need to see and read about. Click this Hagerty link to be as stunned as we were.

AND FINALLY: THE NEW WOLRD OF VOLVO OPENSThe new World of Volvo has opened in Gothenburg, Sweden. But this is no ordinary building with some cars and lorries in it. There will be the historical examples for all to view, with an ever evolving display of current and future technologies and advancements by Volvo and Volvo Group. Additionally this is a space for events, meetings and much more. If you wish to read more, click this Hagerty article link here.

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FOLLOW UP: CONTINENTAL FINED $107M FOR DIESELGATEContinental, the automotive parts supplier, has been fined €100 million for its part in the dieselgate scandal. The fine was such due to the full cooperation of the company and changes they have subsequently made to their compliance structures. There are six weeks for Continental to pay the fine. Click this Reuters article for more information.

STELLANTIS LASHES OUT AT EV MANDATESCarlos Tavares criticises the current UK EV mandates as “terrible”. He has met with the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, to discuss the situation and suggest alterations that will make it more workable for the industry. We are finding out that you cannot just manufacture demand, when reviewing the monthly SMMT registration figures. You can read more, via a Peter Campbell thread here. For another article, click here to view an Autocar article.

LOTUS CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER IS LEAVINGMike Johnson, who is the chief commercial officer of Lotus and the public facing executive for the brand, will be leaving the company after only 18 months in role. He is said to be staying in automotive, but we will have to wait to find out where and when. If you wish to read more on this, click the Autocar article link here.

RANSWOMWARE ATTACK IMPACTS STREET LIGHTSA ransomware attack on Leicester City Council has led street lights to “misbehave”. This should cause great concern as more and more systems are linked and accessible remotely. Hopefully, more important and safety critical systems are being looked at across the country so there is not a serious impact from such incidents. Click this BitDefender story link here, to read more.

MERCEDES EACTROS 600 CHARGES AT 1MWMercedes-Benz are preparing for the Megawatt Charging System (MCS), that is due to be finalised in 2025, and have successfully charged an eActros 600 prototype at 1MW for the first time. Not details were given on how long the vehicle charged or even how long at 1MW. You can read more, by clicking this electrive article link here.

VW WORKERS IN US VOTE TO UNIONISEFor the first time, the US car workers union, UAW, has been voted for by workers in Tennessee at a Volkswagen plant. The south of America has attracted manufacturing plants due to previous anti union sentiments, but this seems to be changing. You can find out more, by clicking this article link from The Autopian.

SAMSUNG TEASES FASTER CHARGING LONG LIFE BATTERYAt the 37th Electric Vehicle Symposium & Exposition, in Seoul, Samsung revealed that they will start production of a new electric vehicle batteries that will charge to 80% in nine minutes and some will last 20 years. The plan is for production to start in 2026, but it being fitted to cars in 2029. That’s all a little way off, hopefully this isn’t like solid state batteries and just far enough ahead for us to forget the last date that was declared. Click this article link from The Register for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Vauxhall GrandlandVauxhall have redesigned their range topping SUV, the Grandland, making it bigger thanks to the STLA Medium platform. There will be a mild hybrid, a PHEV and full EV versions. The maximum potential range will be 435 miles, for the top EV spec. If you wish to learn more including estimates for prices, click this Autocar link here.

Mercedes-Benz G-Class electricMercedes have created an electric version of the long running G-Class model. Visually it is almost identical to the recent refresh, but has been apparently redesigned to increase aero efficiency. There are four electric motors, one for each wheel, to enable it to have excellent off road ability too. Maximum estimate of range is 292 miles. No confirmation of pricing has been revealed. Click this Autocar link to learn more.

Lamborghini Urus SELamborghini have electrified the Urus, with the SE being a PHEV. That equates to 800hp and a maximum estimated electric only range of 37 miles. The looks have been tweaked to increase aero efficiency. Prices have been guessed to be above £209,000. You can read more, by clicking this Motoring Research article link, here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: KABAN JOINS SAICJozef Kaban has been revealed as the vice president of design for SAIC, the Chinese car company that owns MG. He was last at VW until the shake up of the design team early last year. If you want to find out more, click this link to a Car Design News article.

LUNCHTIME READ: ESTATE CAR EUPHEMISMSKeith WR Jones has a new site, The Joy of Specs, on which he has written about estate cars and how they have been named over the years. Click this link to enjoy this week’s recommendation.

LIST OF THE WEEK: FORGOTTEN CARS OF THE 1980SThe options to pick from this week are US cars that have been forgotten. This includes models we will know but were renamed for that market. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? Let us know and if not what you would pick instead. Click this Autocar link to check out the options.

AND FINALLY: ITS GRIPPED ITS SORTED LET’S OFFROADIn honour of Alan finishing his Land Cruiser RC, we are rounding out the show with a compilation of the best radio controlled rock crawlers. Click this YouTube link to enjoy the video.

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FOLLOW UP: WALES TO CHANGE SOME ROADS BACK TO 30MPHKen Skates, the Welsh Government Transport Secretary, has announced that some of the road limits recently changed from 30mph to 20mph, will now revert back to the original limit. This is an acknowledgement that the implementation of the reduced road speeds has not been as carefully executed as should have occured. If you wish to learn more about this story, click this BBC News article link here.

UK GOVERNMENT RULES OUT GRANTS FOR EVSThe UK Government has reiterated that it will not be providing incentives for private buyers seeking an EV. This follows calls from the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee’s Electric Vehicles report, which recommended several actions. Click this Autocar article link, to read more.

BIT OF A WEEK FOR TESLATesla have decided to step up to the plate of not having the best week imaginable. Firstly, they announced the sacking of over 10% of the global workforce, as one step to deal with their declining sales. You can learn more about that, by clicking this Reuters article link here.

Secondly, the company has quickly recalled all Cybertrucks following the news that the accelerator pedal cover can become loose and potentially cause the pedal to be jammed down. We applaud Tesla for quickly reacting to this news, though. To read more, click this article link from The Verge.

Finally, the company announced a new raft of price cuts to it’s models. Reminding all fleet operators why they will not be buying Teslas in the future, where dependency on value is a must. Click this article link from The Guardian for more.

JLR 2023 SALES UPNow that JLR can get its hands on parts, once again, it has increased its sales in 2023 by 22%. Much of that was from the Defender, Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. However, there is also good news for Jaguar as its sales are up too. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

JLR UNVEILS ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTIONJLR, in partnership with Alley Energy, has revealed their portable Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) which incorporates used PHEV batteries from Range Rovers and Range Rover Sports. Click this press release from JLR to learn more, including how they propose to use it.

VW IN COURT OVER ID NAMEA former supplier to Volkswagen, Identytec, has given up trying to reach an agreement on VW’s use of the name ‘ID’ and is taking the car company to court. Identytec were using the trademarked name for years before Volkswagen moved to trademark it for their cars. Click this article link from electrive 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 - Citroën C3 AircrossCintroën has revealed their new C3 Aircross SUV that will come in electric and hybrid variants. Using the design language first shown to us via the Oli concept. This utilises the ‘smart car’ Stellantis platform, as well as sharing various body panels with other brands across the group. Click this Top Gear article link to read more.

Vauxhall FronteraTalking of sharing panels, the Frontera is back for Vauxhall. This time using the ‘smart car’ platform and some panels that the C3 Aircross also uses. As with the C3, it will come as electric and hybrid.Expect to see it everywhere a Vauxhall dealership is based, soon. You can read more by clicking this link to an Autocar article, here.

Mazda CX-80 Mazda reveal their new range topping, 7-seat SUV, the CX-80. With an excellent towing capacity it will compete with the Volvo XC-90 and Kia Sorento. As a consequence there will be a diesel engine option. If this appeals and you wish to learn more, click here for an article from Autocar.

LEVC L380The makers of the London Cab reveal their first ‘car’ for the UK market, a luxury MPV labelled the L380. There will be various seating configurations and it will be a electric powered vehicle. Another entry to the luxury MPV market. Click this article link to learn more, from AMOnline.

Audi S3Audi say they have freshened up the new S3, but that is really hard to tell from the pictures. More power, more tech, the interior has been revamped (yes, we can spot that in the pictures). You can read more by clicking this link to an EVO article.

Dacia to offer 7-year warrantiesDacia has announced that it is now offering 7 year warranties on their cars, including used ones, as long as they meet the criteria. This is a good thing and we hope more manufacturers start increasing their warranty time and mileage limits. If you wish to find out more, click this link to an Autocar article.

LUNCHTIME READ: WHAT CAR DESIGNERS DROVE TO IMPRESSThe Autopian has this week’s recommendation. Find out what designers brought to a car meet to impress each other. Click here to read the piece.

LIST OF THE WEEK: STYLISH COUPES OF THE RADWOOD ERAThank you, to Antony Ingram and Hagerty, for providing a worthy list after we have struggled in recent weeks. Now is your chance to pick the coupe of choice from the 90s and there are some excellent options. Don’t forget to let the chaps know what you’d go for, after you click this link to see for yourself.

AND FINALLY: EXPLOSIVE SLS DOORS IN ACTIONEver wondered how you would get out of an overturned SLS? Wonder no more, here is a video demonstrating how Mercedes thought about that issue and their solution. Click this link to watch the YouTube video.

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FOLLOW UP: BYD HELPED BY CHINESE GOVERNMENTA report is claiming that BYD has received $3.7 billion, in funding from the Chinese Government, to help it to reach its dominating position. This is all part of the EU’s investigation into whether companies from the country have an unfair advantage thanks to state aid. Click this Yahoo Finance article link for more information.

FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT SITE TO BE SOLD BY COUNCILThe site of the ill-fated Britishvolt battery factory is to be sold by the local council, to a company that wishes to create a data centre, after the new ‘owners’ Recharge Industries, have still failed to pay the monies owning. If you wish to learn more, click this BBC News article link here.

WLTP DOES NOT REFLECT REAL WORLD USE REPORT FINDSTwo reports from the European Court of Auditors have shown that the testing regime, WLTP, results, do not come close to real-world usage on the public roads. Other conclusions have also been inferred by the investigation, however we would urge caution as not enough detail has been provided in how the data was calculated and if that was correct or even valid. But, there are now calls for the system to change, once again, at a time when the car industry is under enormous pressure from multiple vectors. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

2023 LOSSES FOR LOTUSLotus announced losses for 2023, of £594 million. Whilst this does sound a lot and quite scary, we must all remember the transformation that is undergoing the company right now. They are fundamentally changing how they do things and the cars they produce in an incredibly short period of time. For more detail, click this Autocar article link here.

BIT OF A WEEK FOR STELLANTISStellantis, and in particular their CEO Carlos Taveres, had quite the last seven or so days. First off there was the public spat about the Italian Government trying to cosy up to foreign car companies, to encourage more manufacturing jobs in the country, which Taveres warned over such moves. You can read more, by clicking this link to a Reuters article.

That’s not all though, Taveres then had to fend off questions over which brand or brands the Stellantis Group were going to ditch. He refuted these claims as “fake news”. Click this Autocar article link for more.

You’ll have to wait till New New Car News for the third piece of Stellantis news.

VW INVESTING MORE IN CHINAVolkswagen has announced that it will be investing $2.7 billion in a Chinese manufacturing site. This is quite odd, as only recently the “roof is on fire” speech from their CEO and huge cost-cutting efforts across the group. On top of which, there is ever increasing growth over concerns about workers rights and the likes at current and partner production facilities within China. If you want to read more, click this Reuters article link here.

STRICTER CO2 RULES FOR EU LORRIES AND BUSESThe EU has agreed to implement stricter rules on CO2 emissions, for lorries and buses. There are some exemptions. Click this electrive article link for more.

FUNDING FOR ELECTRIFYING LONDON BUSESA part public and private financing scheme has created a fund of £100 million, to help electrify the buses of London. This includes the infrastructure and buses themselves. To find out more, click this Engineering and Technology Magazine link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Alfa Romeo Milano, erm, Junior, yes JuniorThe third headache of the week for Stellantis was the row about the name for the new Alfa Romeo SUV. Launched under the name of Milano, an Italian member of parliament falsely claimed it couldn’t be named such as it wasn’t built there. Alfa confirmed they didn’t want a fight and have changed it to Junior.

This is another platform share within Stellantis, to keep costs down. Click this Autocar article link to find out the details.

Kia SorentoKia have updated their large SUV, the Sorento. A favourite of the towing fraternity, it will come with powertrains to ensure they are kept happy. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

Morgan Plus Four Morgan have updated the Plus Four and minimised the design following the changes required in 2020 when they utilised a new platform. Click this link to an Autocar article, to find out what has changed and how good it looks in green!

Rimac to supply batteries to BMWRimac will supply the next generation of cars, from BMW, with their latest battery technology, that takes advantage of round cells. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Lexus goes electrified onlyThe ICE only LC and RC F are being removed from sale, by Lexus. As we mourn the loss we encourage you to click this Autocar link here to find out more.

LUNCHTIME READ: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ROADSIDE DINERBBC News has an article about the timeline of Little Chef, a once stalwart of UK roads helping to refresh and refill hungry travellers, that disappeared some years ago. To read more about this icon of the road, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 24 AMAZING MOMENTS FROM GOODWOOD MEMBERS’ MEETINGWe are giving you two videos to check out and select you favourite clip from the 2024 Goodwood Members’ Meeting. First up, click this link here for the 13 Wildest Moments. For the 11 best moments of Sunday, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: PRIUS PHEV RACING SERIESIn South Korea a new racing series is about to begin, this one being a one-make series for the new Toyota Prius PHEV. You can learn more by clicking this link to an article from The Autopian, here.

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FOLLOW UP: RENAULT AND VOLVO GROUP PRESENT EV VAN JVFlexis is the name of the joint-venture between Renault, the Volvo Group and transportation company CMA CGM, that will develop EV vans aimed at urban and last mile deliveries. This will fill the gap in both Renault and Volvo’s offerings to the commercial vehicle industry. For more information, click this Autocar link here.

TOYOTA UPDATES ON CAR THEFTSToyota GB has issues a statement regarding thefts of certain models and a fix that will be fitted by dealerships to affected vehicles. To read more on that, click this link here.

Friends of the show Ken Tindell and Ian Tabor found the vulnerability over a year ago. Ken has written a post on LinkedIn that we recommend you read. Particularly the last sentence, which we echo and hope the car industry improves communication with security researchers. Click here to read that piece.

MARCH 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has issued the registration figures for March 2024. They are up on 2023 but still significantly down on 2019. Fleet is propping up what growth there is as Private is down again. On top of that, the BEV registrations grew in number but market share dropped causing SMMT to call, once again, on Government assistance for Private buyers. Click here to read the information from SMMT.

Also, the chaps want to thank the SMMT for changing the top ten model chart title to Best Models from Best Sellers, which they always grumbled about.

INVESTIGATION INTO HEADLIGHT BRIGHTNESSThe RAC has been calling on the Government to do something about the number of complaints regarding dazzling headlights. The response, following a petition to Parliament, is that the Government will seek to investigate the issue and then be in a better position to propose a reaction if it is required. You can read more about this, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE SOFTWARE IS HARDDevelopers in Australia has admitted defeat in trying to create software that would help vehicles avoid kangaroos. They state that the animals are too irrational to be able to do the job. If you wish to read more, click this Ars Technica article link here.

Meanwhile, Bentley, sounding like they are actually trying to be safety first, announce they will not be pursuing Level 3 automation. They will, instead, release a Level 2 ++ system. The chaps get quite cross about this. Click here to read the Carscoops article.

Andrew commented on this issue on LinkedIn, you can read that by clicking this link here.

TIME RUNNING OUT ON EV CHARGER GRANTS An excellent article from EV Powered by Matt Allen breaks down all of the available grants for those looking to add EV chargers to their house, street, business or school. Included are links to the various Government pages to find out more and apply. Has to be noted that the funding ends in April 2025 so we need to move quickly to take advantage. Click this link to read more.

RIMAC ENERGY ARE CREATING MORE JOBS IN UKRimac Energy, who are part of the Rimac Technology group, have expanded their UK operations and will be adding 70 more jobs to their Oxfordshire site. They focus on static batteries that provide energy storage. This is a great way to reduce the pull on the grid and reduce the pressure on the entire system. If you wish to read more, click this link to an EV Powered article.

OSPREY CHARGING HITS NEW RECORDThe EV charging company Osprey Charging has announced they have installed their 1000th rapid charger. This is great news and hopefully the speed at which they have been working continues. Click this EV Powered article link here, to read more.

ARONLINE FINDS NEW HOMEAROnline, the home of information on the British motor industry including historical, has found a new home with the Great British Car Journey museum. They will be handling the backend and administration side of things, allowing founder and editor Keith Adams, to focus on the content. To ream more on this story, click this link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Renault CapturRenault have revamped the Captur, giving it the new corporate face as well as tweak the rear. The company claims this will be more driver focused and nicer to drive. There will be a mix of hybrid and petrol powertrains. Prices start at £22,000 for the ICE version and £29,000 for the hybrid variant. Click this Autocar link to read more.

Vauxhall Mokka Electric GriffinVauxhall have removed £7,000 of cost to the entry price of the Mokka range with the special edition Griffin. However, like with the Corsa, they have not skimped on the specifications. Only the battery appears to be a bit compromised, with an estimated range of 205 miles. If you wish to learn more, click this Top Gear link here.

Last Smart Four-Two Made The last Smart Fourtwo has come off the production line at the Hambach factory, with Geely taking over all Smart vehicle builds. The company is looking for a partner to help develop the next generation platform for the Fourtwo. To learn more about this, click the link here to an electrive article.

What Tesla needed to do if it really wanted to make the Model 2Chris Miller, on Twitter, has a thread outlining the challenges for Tesla with the plans for the Model 2 and why they ended up coming to naught. Fascinating read, do click here to run through it yourself.

LUNCHTIME READ: MOTORING ART - ERICH STRENGERErich Strenger produced some truly fascinating posters for Porsche motorsport events between the 50s and 80s, which you can see and read about by clicking this link here thanks to Classic & Sports Car.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST AND WORST ECLIPSESThe chaps really struggled to find a List of the Week for the show and the best they could do was something related to the solar eclipse, the best and worst Mitsubishi Eclipses. Click here to run through the options that Jalopnik provide. If you spot any good lists, do send them Alan and Andrew’s way!

AND FINALLY: THE MUPPETS MOST WANTEDYes the tiny car in Muppets Most Wanted actually worked. The Autopian explains its history, how they squeezed two adults and a huge bird puppet in it and more. Click here to see the insanity and silliness for yourself.

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FOLLOW UP: LUCID RAISES $1B FROM SAUDI ARABIATHe luxury EV maker, Lucid, has received a further $1 billion in investment, from the Saudi Arabian sovereign fund, Public Investment Fund. They also increased the number of vehicles they expect to produce in 2024 compared to 2023, still only 9,000 cars though. If you wish to learn more, click this link to a Reuters article.

FOLLOW UP: CANOO BUYS UP ARRIVAL EQUIPMENTThe bones of Arrival are being picked over as the administration team try to recoup as much money as possible by selling the assets off. Canoo has swooped in and bought a lot of equipment at bargain prices. Click this electrive article link to read more.

JLR NAME THREE BRAND DIRECTORSJLR has named three new directors to head up the brands in the UK. Alan Nicholson takes the helm of Range Rover. Leonie Raistrick will be in charge of Defender and Discovery. Whilst Santino Pietrosanti will be brand director of Jaguar. Don’t forget to click this link, from AMOnline, to see even the directors are having to follow the dress code.

FCA QUESTIONS INSURANCE WRITE-OFF VALUATIONSThe Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has expressed its concern that insurers are not correctly valuing vehicles that have been written off or stolen. Taking from customers both top and bottom, nice. They has stated they will take steps and do have powers to do so if the industry doesn’t sort itself out. Click this AMOnline article link to read more.

For the article explaining the issue with Gap Insurance, click this AMOnline link here.

CAMPAIGN TO REGULATE THE CAR RETAIL INDUSTRY Due to a “volume” of complaints, mainly around second hand car dealers and repair operations, the calls on the Government to regulate the car retail industry are getting louder. Recommendation includes a certification process, with minimum industry standards met. To read more, click this AMOnline article link here.

RESEARCH INTO BARRIERS TO EV TAKE UPResearch, on behalf of Transport for the North, has been published with a list of factors that are putting people off making the switch to electric vehicles. This is not a hit piece or anti-EV, but a list of real concerns from real people. A very interesting read. If you wish to learn more, click this TransportXtra article link here.

CONSULTATION OVER HYDROGEN FARM AND PLANT MACHINERYThe Department for Transport has opened a consultation on permitting hydrogen farm and plant machinery on the roads. To learn more, including the link to the consultation, click this Fleet News article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Ford ExplorerFollowing an aborted launch, last year, Ford are now putting the electric SUV called Explorer on sale. Compliant batteries are now fitted. This is a handsome vehicle with impressive theoretical specifications and pricing. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

Toyota GR YarisA refreshed GR Yaris is about to be offered to the lucky few-ish. Thanks to inflation the price has jumped quite a bit, with tweaks to the engine, suspension and handling. Biggest shock is the dash with is visually challenging, but Toyota is claiming its now better and driver focused. To read more, click this Autocar link here.

Mercedes-Benz G-Class The G-Class keep on being updated! This time Mercedes fit touchscreens and a hybrid powertrain. On top of that is a new camera which will allow for a ‘transparent bonnet’ view. You can find out more details and specifications by clicking this Autocar link here.

Genesis Neolun conceptApparently previewing the look of the range topping EV, Genesis revealed the Neolun concept. Based on the same platform as the EV9, this is a large SUV which has a fabulous interior and technology fitted. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

Genesis Magma performance brandNot content with luxury, Genesis will now also do performance. Welcome to the Magma brand. They will launch a GV60 Magma edition, but others were also revealed. Click this electrive article link here, for more.

Nissan revised business planNissan has announced a revised business plan, called the Arc. They will be refreshing a bunch of existing models and bringing some new ones to market. They also discuss aspects of the business they should have, frankly, been doing long before now. The chaps are less than impressed. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

Ford agency model u-turnFord has announced that it will not be moving to the agency retail model in Europe, as planned, thanks to market conditions changing. Clearly don’t want the financial risk of holding all the stock themselves. You can read more on this story by clicking this Autocar article link here.

Lamborghini’s new logoLamborghini is the latest company to reveal a new, flat, logo. This will more easily enable them to light it up from behind and retain detail. Click this Autocar link to chuckle at some of the corporate speak on what the changes mean.

LUNCHTIME READ: ASTON MARTIN TOUCH-SCREEN INDUCED ANGER METRICDesigners at Aston Martin have created a metric to log how annoyed they are, or not, at using controls inside the car and especially around touchscreens. You can read this article by clicking the link here from The Drive.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE GREATEST CARS BY PININFARINAThere are 37 slides to try and select just one of Pininfarina’s cars as your favourite. An incredibly difficult task. Do let the chaps know if you agree with them and what you picked. Click here to see the options from Autocar.

AND FINALLY: IN PRAISE OF PUSHBUTTONSDrew Smith, from the Looking Out podcast, has written about how the impending changes to physical controls, if a 5-star EuroNCAP rating is wanted, is a actually an opportunity. Will the car industry grasp it? Click this Car Design News article link to read about how physical interaction changes our feelings for a ‘thing’.

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FOLLOW UP: RENAULT VOLVO JV FOR EV VANS IS ONLast week we discussed the Reuters article that stated Renault and Volvo will announce that their joint venture for electric vans will shut in early April. This turns out not to be the case. Thanks to Renault sources we can confirm the JV is still very much on. Click this article link from AMOnline to read more.

FOLLOW UP: FISKER TALKS WITH NISSAN BREAK DOWNThe electric car company Fisker, has had their shares suspended following a huge drop in price after news that talks with Nissan had ended. The terms for the extra funding from an existing investor were dependent also on these talks continuing. The expectation is for the company to announce bankruptcy very soon. You can read more by clicking this article link from TechCrunch.

FOLLOW UP: ASTON MARTIN NAME BENTLEY BOSS AS NEW CEOAston Martin name their next CEO, the boss of Bentley Adrian Hallmark. He has left the Crewe manufacturer with immediate effect and will start at Aston by the 1 October 2024. This will allow Amedeo Felisa to finally enjoy the retirement he was in before Stroll dragged him back into the automotive world. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

FOLLOW UP: MCLAREN OWNED BY BAHRAIN STATE FUNDThe Bahrain sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat has converted shares from one form into ordinary shares thus taking the total shares in McLaren to 100%. This will make it easier for them to find a buyer, float the company on the stock market or create partnerships. For more to this story, click this Autocar link here.

FOLLOW UP: INVESTIGATION INTO CAR FINANCE EXPEDITED The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced that the investigation into car financing practices between 2007 and 2021 will be expedited. However, this is dependent on the companies involved providing the information. The FCA hopes to state the next stages of this by September 2024. If you would like to read more, click this Motor Finance Online article link here.

To check out the MoneySavingExpert help guide to see if you are eligible to claim, click this link here.

FOLLOW UP: LUTON AIRPORT CAR PARK FIRE DUE TO DIESEL VEHICLEA joint report from Bedfordshire Fire and Police services has been released, with the fact that the fire was due to a faulty diesel vehicle and had nothing to do with any electric, hybrid or plug-in hybrid vehicle. Click this BBC News article link to read more.

LUNAZ GROUP CEASES ALL OPERATIONSLunaz Group, which under two different companies, retrofits classic cars and commercial vehicles, with electric powertrains, has called in the receivers as it “restructures”. All staff have been let go with immediate effect. You can read more by clicking this electrive article link here.

POTHOLE FUND IS NOT RING-FENCEDThe Government’s latest pot hole fund was not ring-fenced, unlike the previous one, therefore councils across England have been using that money for other services that they feel are more of a priority. To find out more, click this Autocar article via the link here.

HOME EV CHARGE GRANT EXPANDED IN SCOPEThe Government has announced that the home charging EV grant will be expanded to include residents without off street parking or even an EV, but there is no extra money. Click this Autocar link here to read further on this story.

ADAS SAFETY IMPACT CALCULATED FAR LOWER THAN PROMISEDThe VVT university in Finland has calculated the positive effect in reducing collisions and injuries of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in Europe by 2030. The EU’s aim is for a 50% reduction however the figures, which used the market penetration of the systems being fitted, combined with incident figures where the various systems might be deployed, show at best a 5.4% reduction with AEB. This does not take into account the technology actually working as hoped either. Click this Nordic Road and Transport Research article link here.

EU TO PERMIT HANDS-OFF EYES-ON DRIVER ASSISTANCEBehind closed doors and exemption was granted for Ford’s BlueCruise and BMW’s driver assistance technology that allows hands-off eyes-on operation. We take the time to remind all why this is a dreadful idea. You can read more by clicking this European Transport Safety Council article link here.

RESEARCHERS SPOOF CURRENT AND NEXT GEN LIDARTo round out all the good news for driver assistance and autonomous vehicles, we end the first part discussing how current and next gen LIDAR, the radar systems used currently with ADAS and autonomous vehicles being tested, can be spoofed and fooled. Wonderful. Click this article link from UC Irvine for more information.

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 - Peugeot e-5008Peugeot has revealed their next generation seven seater SUV, the e-5008, in electric only form, along with a mild hybrid and following a plug-in hybrid version. Compromises have been made to accompany the powertrains, with luggage space reducing. However, it is still quite close in dimensions, to the current version. Prices for the EV are expected to start at just under £50,000, which will make it the cheapest seven seater on the market. Click this Autocar article for more.

Callum eVitaCallum Design and Motability have worked together to produce an EV designed specifically for wheelchair users. Do click this link, from Autocar, to check out more details, as the thought which has gone into this is excellent. As you wold expect.

Seat back from the dead After a stonking 2023, Seat has revived faith in the brand, from within the VW Group, meaning it will be given money to help it develop new models moving forward. Yep, we’re just as confused as you are. Who knows, maybe by next week this will all change? Click this Autocar article link to find out what the current plans are.

Bentley delays moving to EVsBentley are going to delay their first EV model until 2026, as it focuses on hybrids in the short term. We all need to remember that their market is not necessarily one that is rushing to electric only. On top of which, they are waiting on the Audi developed platform that has suffered from delays. To read more, click this Autocar link.

LUNCHTIME READ: MITSUBISHI FUSO CONCEPTS WERE FANTASTIC, FUTURISTIC AND FORGOTTEN HAULERSMitsubishi Fuso, in the 1980s, created some wonderful concept lorries with a host of clever design nuggets that are evident in today’s heavy goods vehicles. Click this Hagerty article link here to learn more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 WEIRDEST HOMOLOGATION SPECIALS EVERThe list of cars we have to pick from is wonderful, but so to are the stories behind them. Come for the pictures, stay for the words! Do not forget to tell the chaps if you agree with their choices or what you would have instead. Click this CarThrottle link here.

AND FINALLY: WHAT DOES A RENAULT SAFRANE SOUND LIKEPetrolBlog has a video, letting us sample some of the voice notifications from the Renault Safrane, which are wonderful. Click this link to their article to find out more.

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FOLLOW UP: RENAULT AND VOLVO TO SHUT EV VAN PROJECTRenault and Volvo will announce that their joint venture for electric vans will shut in early April. There is no detail on why this is. Click here for more information, via the Reuters article link.

UK GOVERNMENT PREPARES TRADE SANCTIONS ON CHINESE EVSAt a SMMT conference, the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said that the UK Government could impose sanctions to prevent the market being unfairly in favour of subsidised Chinese electric vehicles. If you wish to learn more, click this AMOnline article link here.

HONDA AND NISSAN SIGN MOU FOR EV DEVELOPMENTNissan and Honda have signed a memorandum of understanding, to investigate working together to speed up the development and production of competitive electric vehicles. They acknowledge that they are behind others, especially newer brands that have come to the market, purely focused on EVs. There are no details on what this partnership will entail. You can learn more by clicking this Reuters link here.

EU TO ALLOW 60 TONNE LORRIES ON THE ROADSThe EU, has voted to allow ‘mega-trucks’, which are a lorry and trailer combination of just over 25m long and a weight up to 60 tonnes, on the roads of the continent. On top of this, the European Commission wants all countries to ensure it is legal for 17 year olds to be able to drive a lorry. Click this European Transport Safety Council article to read more on these insane ideas.

POSSIBLE WIRELESS EV CHARGING BREAKTHROUGH Researchers in the US have built a wireless charging system that is 96% efficient and eight to ten times more power dense than existing wireless chargers. The charger had a five inch gap to the vehicle. This is still early days but could mean we are a step closer to the roll out of wireless charging for all. If you wish to learn more, click this InsideEVs article link here.

JAGUAR CUTS OFF ACCESS TO SOME SMART CHARGINGJaguar has informed owners of the I-Pace that some chargers will no longer have access to smart charging, thus the charging times cannot be controlled. This does not effect all home chargers though. JLR stated that this was due to security and privacy issues. Click this Autocar article link here to learn more.

FISKER AT RISKFisker, the US based EV maker, announced that it is in financial trouble, serious enough to make it public that it may have to go into receivership. The company had previously stated it was in trouble, but this announcement still came as a shock to many. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

Late yesterday, news came out that the company has paused production, for six weeks, as it gains $150 million extra investment from an exisiting investor. However, there talks are, apparently, underway with a major car company about a bailout, still rumoured to be Nissan. Click this Autocar 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 Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Skoda EpiqSkoda revealed images of their sub £25,000 small electric SUV, the Epig. Marketed as an urban SUV, it is to share the ID.2 platform. Boot space is a respectable 490 litres, considering the overall size. Range is expected to be a maximum of about an impressive 249 miles, with charging time, via an optimal 125kW charger, for the 10-80% charged as low as 20 minutes - conditions allowing. You can learn more, via this Autocar article link here.

Porsche Taycan Turbo GTPorsche, in a flex to other EV brands with ideas to speed and sportiness, have opened the order books for the Taycan Turbo GT. Starting at £186,300 you could opt for the no cost option of the Weissach Package, which removes stuff from your car to make it a bit quicker. WLTP range for the GT is a maximum of 345 miles, so this is not just all about the speed. If you wish to read more, click this article link from Motoring Research.

Maserati Grecale Folgore Maserati reveal their competitor to the Porsche Macan EV and Audi Q6 E-tron. Prices start at £109,905, with a maximum range of 311 miles, charging from 20-80% in a bit less than thirty minutes. This is the first of six new EVs to come from the brand by the end of 2025. Click here to read more, via an Autocar article link.

UK Car of the Year Winner - Kia EV9The Kia EV9 was the overall winner of the UK Car of the Year 2024 competition. 30 independent judges’s votes were tallied with the large Korean SUV coming out on top, ahead of the Hyundai IONIQ 6 in second and the Volvo EX30 in third. You can read more from the official UK Car of the Year article, linked here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: MARCELLO GANDINI HAS PASSED AWAYOne of the most prolific and influential car designers of all time, Marcello Gandini, has passed away at the age of 85. He has been responsible for some of the most famous cars and concepts that the car industry has produced.

Click here to read the wonderful tribute from Car Design News.

Click here to view his Wikipedia page, including a list of the cars he has been involved in.

Click this link to read a great piece from Michael Banovsky, about the Volvo Tundra.

LUNCHTIME READ: US REPORT ON AMBER TURN SIGNALSIn the United States cars do not have to be fitted with amber indicators, at the rear of cars, even in the face of many studies proving their safety improvements over red. The Autopian has read through the first report into who is using red and amber on their cars, in America. Click here to read more and see which European OEMs do not, bizarrely, fit amber.

LIST OF THE WEEK: MARCELLO GANDINI’S BEST DESIGNSAutocar give us 51 slides, showcasing the work of Gandini. Do you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choices or what would you go for? Don’t forget to tell us. Click this link here to check out all the amazing cars.

AND FINALLY: HUBNUT’S RUSTIVAL 2024 VIDEOThe superbly attended Rustival 2024 car gathering took place recently. Formed by a group of YouTubers who pulled resources and efforts to make it happen, including HubNut. Click here to watch the lovely video and get a feel for what it was like. We will be trying our hardest to attend the next one.

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FOLLOW UP: EU CONSIDERING RETROACTIVE TARIFFS ON CHINESE EVSThe investigation, by the European Union, into if China subsidises the homegrown EV makers has, within an interim report, stated there is enough evidence to show there is unfair assistance. On top of this, imports have increased 14% since the investigation began. The fear is, if the rate of increase continues it will cause harm to the European market before the official conclusions come to light. If you wish to learn more, click this link to a Reuters article here.

FOLLOW UP: VOLTA TRUCKS PRODUCTION TO BEGINFollowing the purchase of the bankrupt company, by Luxor Capital, news is released that they will restart production, in Austria, from May. The aim is for 500 vehicles to be made in 2024 and 2,000 in 2025. There are still questions about the batteries for the trucks after the previous supplier went into receivership and was bought by Volvo. Click here to read more, from electrive.

CHANCELLOR ACCUSED OF IGNORING THE CAR INDUSTRYA large portion of the car industry convinced itself that the Government would offer any additional assistance to encourage the uptake of EVs, especially by private buyers. However, in last week’s budget announcement there was no additional help forthcoming. This caused an angry reaction, with many accusing the Government of ignoring the industry. For more on this story, including the background to it all, click this EVPowered article link.

EU DEMANDS BUTTONS RETURN TO CAR INTERIORSThe EU, via soon to be announced new EuroNCAP criteria, has stated that car interiors must have physical controls for certain functions of the car. There is also a drive to reduce the number of screens within cars. If you would like to read further on this story, click the link here to The Verge article.

FUEL PRICES ROCKET UPWARDS Now we talk about the rise in fuel prices, which was by the highest for two years, off the back of Red Sea disruption and retailers looking to maximise their profits. Click this Autocar article to read more.

NISSAN ACCUSED OF UNDERPAYING SUPPLIERS IN JAPANThe Japanese Fair Trade Commission has accused Nissan of underpaying their suppliers for two years, but warn it could be much longer. The amount is in the region of $20 million and if true, is a clear abuse of power. For more on this matter, click this Nikkei Asia article link here.

57 NEW ELECTRIC BUSES FOR LEEDSFirst Bus has added 57 new electric busses to its fleet serving Leeds. Supplied by Wrightbus, who are providing a mix of double and single decker vehicles. Click this electrive article link to read more.

CAZOO PIVOTS TO ONLINE ADVERTISINGCazoo is to sell off all its stock and no longer sell cars directly but become an online competitor to the likes of Autotrader. They will also appoint their third new CEO in five years. The last restructuring took place in December when they managed to reduce their debt to £200 million. More can be found out about this latest news, by clicking this 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 NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Lotus EmeyaLotus has now announced the pricing and specs of their EV GT, the Emeya. Starting at £94,950 for the standard version, rising to £129,950 for the top of the range R model. Utilising an 102kWh battery, which will allow if environmental conditions play ball a 10-80% charge of 18 minutes. Range will be up to 379 miles, unless you pick the R where it will be 301 due to increased performance. For more details, including quite silly 0-62mph times, click this EV Powered article link.

Jaguar C-X75 made road legalCallum Design has taken the concept C-X75, which Jaguar showed off and appeared in the Bond movie Spectre, and made it road legal. A fair amount of engineering has gone into enabling the single car to pass the Individual Vehicle Approval and become legal to drive on the road. Click here to learn more, from an EVO article, including where it will be shown off to the public.

Jaguar ends non SUV production The Jaguar Castle Bromwich plant will cease to produce any vehicles that are not SUVs from June 2024. The site will then be converted to enable the production of body panels for new models, yet to be confirmed. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

Tata confirms battery factory location, but there’s a catchTata has officially announced the Bridgewater site to be the location of their battery factory, after Government financial assistance ensured the Indian company chose the UK. This was not much of a secret. You can read more on this by clicking this Autocar link here.

What has been kept quiet, until now, is that Somerset Council will have to take a loan out to pay for the infrastructure and training skills for this industrial project. Interesting move, considering how many services they (and other councils across the country) are having to cut as funding levels are targeted. Click this BBC News article for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: NEED FOR SWEDETop Gear have let Tom Ford out of the office again, therefore we get another slice of fascinating car culture, this time from Japan and Sweden. Enjoy as he discusses how old Volvos are finding an audience in the country and why. Click this link here to read and watch more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: SOME OF THE GREATEST 16-CYLINDER CARS EVER MADEOnce more, we point you to Top Gear, this time for a list of fabulous 16-cylinder cars in which to pick your favourite one. Don’t forget to tell the chaps if you agree with their choices. Click here to check out the options.

AND FINALLY: LEARN HOW TO MAINTAIN YOUR CARRalph Hosier is interviewed by Magneto Magazine and he gets to tell us about how he has training courses from beginner level to more advanced that would be perfect for anyone wishing to learn a skill or even just maintain their own car. Click this link to read more.

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FOLLOW UP: AGENCY MODEL CLARIFICATION Thank you to all who responded to Andrew’s request for more information on how the agency model works for car retails. We can now confirm, the query about who carries the financial liability, does in fact lie with the manufacturers now. To see who is moving to this model, click this link to an Auto Retail Network article.

FEBRUARY 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESSMMT has released the new car registration figures for February 2024 and they are the best in 20 years! Which caused us to raise an eyebrow or two. Battery electric cars are up, slightly, but still a long way off the 22% required by the Government mandate. Diesel is down slightly, with plug in hybrids also up a touch, but petrol is up again. Fleet is doing all the lifting and this is worrying the industry who renews their calls for help to incentivise the Private side of things. To read more, click this link to the SMMT article and details.

POLESTAR SECURES NEW FUNDINGPolestar are plugging the gap left by Volvo stepping back from funding the EV company, thanks to a loan worth £750 million. According to the company, this will allow them to sell 155,000 vehicles and become cash flow even in 2025. If you wish to read more on this story, click this Autocar link here.

US INVESTIGATING CHINESE EV DATA COLLECTIONThe US Government announced that it will be investigating Chinese electric vehicles to ascertain how much, what type of and where they send data. However, as there are so few actual brands allowed into the US this does feel part of the ongoing protectionism being demonstrated in North America. You can find out about this by clicking the link here to an electrive article.

FISKER FINANCES UNSUSTAINABLE BUT NISSAN MAY HELPFisker announced how they were not confident they could last to the end of 2024, but a couple of days later it was revealed that they are in talks with Nissan over possible investment. This would give the Japanese company access to an electric pick up platform, which they do not have currently. Click this Reuters article for the original story. For details on the possible Nissan rescue, click this link to an Autocar article.

THE POSSIBLE APPLE CAR PROJECT IS APPARENTLY SHUT DOWNReports were all over the internet stating that the secret Apple car project, allegedly called Titan, had been cancelled. But as the company has neither confirmed nor denied this, it is hard to tell if it was real or whether they were looking at specific technologies. For more speculation and the liberal use of the “iCar” click this link to an article from The Register.

ASTON MARTIN CLOSES LAGONDAAston Martin confirmed that the Lagonda sub brand is officially no more. This surprised us, as we thought it had been killed off a couple of years ago. To learn more and look at what could have been, click this Autocar link here.

NISSAN CLOSING NISSANCONNECT EV APPNissan have given owners of Leaf and e-NV200 vehicles a month’s notice that the app they have been using is to be shut down. The reason given is because 2G is being switched off in the UK. However, this is not planned for another 6-9 years time. We are all for being prepared but this does seem a little overkill. If you want to find out more, click this BBC News article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Renault 5 E-TechRenault revealed the production ready version of the 5, which will be all electric and is inspired heavily by the original design. The exterior and interior designs are both lovely and will hopefully encourage both old and young to be interested in this car. For more on this, click the link here to a CAR article.

MG 3 HybridMG also revealed a new model at Geneva, the replacement for the 3 which they haven’t sold in the UK for a few years now. It is a B-segment hatch with a hybrid powertrain, that the company claims will make it the most powerful in the segment. Click this CAR article link for more.

Dacia Sandrider Dacia has revealed their Rally Raid vehicle, which will take on the Dakar next year. As aggressive and nuts looking as you would expect, it is wonderful. Thought has really gone into the layout and choice of materials and technology being deployed. You can see more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

Vauxhall Corsa YesVauxhall will be selling the Corsa Yes model a smidgen under the price of the cheapest MG4, making it the cheapest EV car until the Dacia Spring gets here. Looking at the specs we don’t know how they’ve chopped £5000 off the list price or even what makes the top of the range worth a fraction under £40,000. This should sell like hot cakes, click this Autocar link to read more.

Old Car Dead News - Nissan Leaf pulled from productionNissan is stopping the production of the Leaf as it gears the Sunderland plant up for new models. The car was getting long in the tooth, technology wise, and with the recent changes to GSR2 it wasn’t viable to maintain production of the car. You can read more, by clicking this link here.

European Car of the Year - Renault ScenicRenault has won the European Car of the Year with it’s Scenic. Alan was quite dismissive of the competition, which failed to excite him almost completely. Click this to a CAR article for more.

UK Car of the Year Category WinnersThe UK Car of the Year Category Winners have been announced, with seven cars going through to be judged for the ultimate winner, which is yet to be announced. Andrew is one of the judges whose expertise and opinion was tapped to vote on the options. Click this link to see which cars won which categories.

LUNCHTIME READ: WE PUT A LAMBORGHINI IN A WIND TUNNELTo find out how much has changed, when it comes to aerodynamics and cars, Road & Track put a Lamborghini Miura in a wind tunnel. Click this link here to read the fascinating detail on what has changed.

LIST OF THE WEEK: CAR NAMES YOU COULDN’T USE TODAYThe Autopian has produced a list of car names, where some are a bit weird and others are just not suitable to be used in today’s society. Click this link to read more and see if you agree with Alan’s choice.

AND FINALLY: THE RALLY STAGE YOU CAN DRIVE ONAuto Shenanigans visits Somerset to talk about the rally stage you can drive on, plus find the steepest A-road in the UK. We do love his videos and the detail he manages to cram into these short videos. Click here to watch this one.

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FOLLOW UP: VOLVO TO SELL SHARES IN POLESTARWe begin to get the answer of what difference Volvo cutting funding will mean to their Polestar relationship, as they look to offload a large portion of the shares they hold. The plan is to drop from 48% of shares down to 18%. For more information, click this electrive article link here.

STELLANTIS TO CONVERT LUTON PLANT FOR EV VANSStellantis has confirmed that they will convert the Luton plant to enable it to build the Group’s electric vans. ICE versions will continue to be built along side the EVs, which will be produced from early 2025. If you would like to read more, click this Autocar link here.

STELLANTIS UK MAKE MANY MANAGEMENT CHANGESStellantis UK managing director, Maria Grazia Davino, has moved quickly to make changes within the organisation and tying up with the larger group. This is all part of the efforts to improve relations with their dealer network and improve the outlook for the many brands. More details can be read by clicking this AMOnline link here.

ASA STATES “ZERO EMISSION DRIVING” ISN’T MISLEADINGThe automated system the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) picked up a Ford advert for the soon to be released Explorer, which stated “zero emission driving” and pulled it for review. Following an investigation the ASA decided that it was okay to state this. As we are pedants on this show, we are looking forward to the agency learning about tyre emissions. If you wish to see the latest insanity from this organisation, click the link here to a FleetNews article.

COMPANY GUILTY OF NOT ENSURING ILLEGAL CAR WOULDN’T BE DRIVEN ON THE PUBLIC ROADOnyx Performance, has been convicted of not ensuring that a car they modified, with a ‘pop bang’ map, new exhaust and removal of a catalytic convertor, was not to be driven on the public roads. This is the second company, in a few months to have been brought to court for the same issue. You can learn more, by clicking this AMOnline article link here.

UK FUEL PRICES INCREASE QUICKLY ON RED SEA DISRUPTIONSurprising no one, is the news that the retail fuel prices increased astonishingly quickly off the back of the news of trouble in the Red Sea, even before the affects were really being felt. Whilst the wholesale price increased, the retailers have not passed on the buffer the Government has allowed them. Click this Autocar story link, for more on this.

BBC REPORT INTO ETHNICITY INFLUENCING CAR INSURANCEThe BBC has reported, following their investigation, that there is evidence that car industry rates are affected by location and the percentage of ethnic minorities the location has. The industry strongly deny this claim. We are not saying this does not happen, but we do urge for more and open investigations into this claim. As we cannot see all the data reported on we cannot see if some other conclusion could also be found. If you wish to read more, click this BBC article link here.

For more information on the book Andrew recommended, click this link here.

YORKSHIRE NATIONAL PARKS INSTALL EV CHARGERS WITH BMWIn partnership with BMW, Yorkshire National Parks have installed 18 EV chargers across the county. This is great news for more remote areas of northern Britain, which have been poorly served to date. To read up on this, click here for the EVPowered article link.

UK GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TAXI PLUG-IN GRANTThe UK Government is continuing the taxi plug-in grant until April 2025, although it is cutting the pay out to £6000 per vehicle. This is good news, targeting urban areas and helping to clean up the air for residents. For more on this, click here for the electrive article 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 - Dacia SpringDacia revealed, what will be the cheapest EV car, for the UK market, the Spring. This B-segment SUV/jacked up hatchback will come with approximately 110-120 real-world mile range and only be able to charge via slower chargers. However, with an expected price point of around £17,000, these may well be trade offs plenty will accept. Click here to read more, from the Autocar article link.

VW ID.7 TourerVolkswagen has revealed their very practical ID.7 Tourer, bringing us another EV estate option. With an impressive boot space, both with the seats up and down, combined with a good range this will be an attractive option for many. For more information, click this link to a Motoring Research article.

Cupra Born VZ Cupra is bringing out a hot Born version, the VZ. This will have upgraded battery tech, improved handling and driving dynamics. Do click the link to read one of our favourite lines in a car review for some time. You can read more by clicking this link to the EVPowered article here.

INEOS FusilierINEOS has revealed their third vehicle, the Fusilier, a EV or range extender EV depending on specification chosen. Details are a little scant, but it is smaller and lower than the Grenadier. Do click this Top Gear link for more, plus ideas they supply for future model names, which made us smile.

Old Car Dead News - Hyundai i30N and i20N removed from saleTwo of our favourite cars to have driven are being removed from sale by Hyundai. The i30N and i20N sales numbers dropped, in combination with legislation, have made the decision for the Korean company. The electric range will carry the N torch moving forward. Click this EVO article link for more information.

LUNCHTIME READ: PORSCHE 911 BACKDATES ARE BAD AND NEED TO BE STOPPEDWhilst many might think this is an article directly from Alan’s own keyboard, and the name of the author even has Bradley in it, we bring you a Jalopnik opinion piece on why the Porsche restomod scene needs to stop butchering its past cars to make very expensive homages to the past. Click this link to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF THE ROTARY ENGINEOnce again, we might well think Alan has created this article and slide show too! Think of this as a part List of the Week and part Lunchtime Read. Click this Autocar link to get a history lesson and see if you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choices.

AND FINALLY: SPEND TIME IN THE ALFA ROMEO SECRET VAULTAnother, effectively, Lunchtime Read and Watch as we share an article which explores the Alfa Romeo secret vault and includes a 48 minute video that is well worth watching. For more, click this Jalopnik article link.

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FOLLOW UP: CRUISE APPOINTS FIRST EVER SAFETY OFFICERIn a move that should have more people stunned, Cruise has announced their first every safety officer. Steve Kenner has worked at a number of places in the autonomous vehicle industry. Louise Zhang, who is a VP of safety and systems will remain in her role. Astonishingly. If you wish to learn more, click this TechCrunch link here.

FOLLOW UP: FRENCH SUBSIDY FOR LOW INCOME HOMES HALTEDThe recently launched subsidy to help low income families into EV has already been halted, due to an overwhelming demand, according to French Government officials. They will be relaunching it in 2025. To read further, click this link to The Guardian article.

GOVERNMENT U-TURN ON TAX OF DOUBLE-CABSIn a crazy few days, the UK Government went from declaring that double-cab pickup’s tax category was going to change to that of a car, but still be classed as a light commercial vehicle (LCV) from 1 July 2024, to u-turning and saying no they wouldn’t. This came around due to a court case where it was ruled that they have a dual purpose of carrying people and cargo, therefore cannot be classed as “primarily” transporting cargo.

The reaction from the public was loud and angry. The blanket move, with what appeared to be very little thought on the use of these vehicles and who these changes would hit, was decried not just by management consultants, architects and dentists who would have to change their vehicle as the tax loophole closed, but by those who genuinely need a multipurpose vehicle.

To see what the original issue was all about, click this link to a Professional Pickup article link here.

If you wish to read about the u-turn and what that means, click this link here to a Broker News article.

AUDI, PORSCHE AND BENTLEYS STUCK AT US PORTSThanks to Audi, Porsche and Bentley utilising components that are on the banned list, for the United States, their cars are sitting dockside waiting for replacement parts. The parts in question are claimed to have been sourced from companies operating in areas where forced labour is the norm, the Xinjiang province. VW Group claims it had no knowledge as it was part of a larger part and only found out due to information received. Click this Yahoo News article link if you wish to learn more.

BMW LEAVES ONLINE STORAGE SET TO PUBLICA Microsoft Azure storage ‘bucket’ run by BMW was mistakenly left with access set to public, rather than private. This meant that anyone could have accessed the huge amount of code, credentials, data and information held. This is very similar to what happened with Mercedes a couple of weeks ago. There is no knowledge if this data was accessed by unauthorised persons. BMW stress that there was no customer data held or at risk. If you with to learn more, click this TechCrunch article link here.

JLR SLOWS EV PUSHFollowing an impressive increase in PHEV sales, JLR has announced that they are slowing their development of EV only models. Some have pointed out that you will get an increase if you only, really, offer PHEVs. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

FIRST SUBCOOLED LIQUID HYDROGEN STATION OPENED IN GERMANYGermany is the location for the first fuelling station for subcooled liquid hydrogen (sLH2). This cuts costs for stations in terms of both the infrastructure and running costs. On top of that it allows for faster refuelling, offers more range and is superior energy efficiency. For more on this story, click this link to the Green Car Congress article.

NEW ZERO EMISSION HGV REGISTRATIONS TRIPLE IN 2023Zero emission HGVs registered over three times more in 2023 than in 2022, but the numbers are still very low. Especially if compared to cars or even vans. You can read more about this, by clicking this SMMT article link here.

FREE TOOL FROM MARTIN LEWIS FOR CAR FINANCE REFUNDSThe Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is investigating refused applications for refunds on car finance which allowed brokers to change the rates of interest for a better commission. Martin Lewis, the Money Saving Expert, has compiled a tool to allow you to lodge your complaint if you feel you were affected by this between 2007 and 2021. To learn more about the story, click this Parkers article link here.

To go to the tool, click this link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Nissan JukeNissan claim their customers are so happy with the looks of the Juke that they have only refreshed the technology and interior of the car, five years after going on sale. Gone is the CVT and it is replaced with an automatic gearbox option. Inside the controls and layout have become more driver focused and we encourage you to click the link as there is some wonderful quotes regarding the design. Prices are expected to increase very slightly. To learn more about one of the most popular new cars in the UK, click this Autocar link here.

Aston Martin VantageAston Martin has revealed the new coupe version Vantage, with the convertible following on. Looking very much like an Aston, although the front grille is becoming more of a statement piece and harder to like. However, the shoulder and rear at lovely. Inside it looks a fabulous place to sit. The V8 is continuing the association with AMG, although this one will chuck out more power than the previous V12. Click this Autocar link here, to read more.

Lancia Ypsilon After a number of teases and an unintentional river trip of one prototype, the Lancia Ypsilon has been revealed. And it looks the nicest of the shared Stellantis B Segment small hatches. This will be an all electric model, but aimed at a higher price point. There are a lot of neat touches to the design both inside and out. You can learn more by clicking this Autocar link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: MASSIMO FRASCELLA TO HEAD UP AUDI DESIGNFollowing his sudden departure from JLR, Massimo Franscella has been announced as the new Head of Design at Audi. Marc Lichte, the current design boss, will be “transitioning to a new role within the group” according to the Automotive Design Planet article linked here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: EVO CAR OF THE YEAR 2023EVO have, once again, produced a fabulous film for their Car of the Year segment. Brilliantly shot, as ever, we get to ride along with a host of fabulous cars and hear what everyone thinks. Hopefully, this continues, now they are under new ownership. Click here to watch the YouTube film.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST MODERN AUDIS EVER MADETo help remind Massimo Franscella of how clean Audi design used to be, we are recommending the list of the best modern cars from the brand, via an Autocar slideshow. Don’t forget to tell us if you agree with Alan’s choice. Click here to see what options you have.

AND FINALLY: GOOD ADVICE AND ALMOST AN ORDER FROM PETROLBLOGMajor Gav has an excellent piece about going for a drive, just for the hell of it. Too easy to remain wrapped up in ourselves and rushing from one task to the next, but this post on PetrolBlog, linked here, is a great reminder. Don’t forget to tell him that you have followed the advice!

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FOLLOW UP: ARRIVAL GOES INTO ADMINISTRATIONThe inevitable has happened at Arrival and the company has brought in receivers to try and sell on the company assets. Last year they announced they were focusing only on their large van, but this has not been produced. Claims of macroeconomic conditions have been laughed at, following the revelations of management and how the business was run. If you wish to learn more, click this article here, from The Guardian.

ASA BANS ADS OVER ZERO EMISSION AND ULEZ CLAIMSThe Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has rapped BMW, MG and Transport for London (TfL) over advertising claims. BMW have been censured due to claiming its electric vehicles are zero emission, which the ASA said they were not due to electricity production and manufacturing not being such. MG were censured over including their hybrid models in an advert for zero emission vehicles. TfL fell foul over claims made about misleading adverts regarding the ULEZ and modelled data rather than actual data. To learn more about the manufacturer’s issues, click this AMOnline article. For the detail of the TfL ruling, click this BBC News article link.

ASTON MARTIN IS SEARCHING FOR NEXT CEOAston Martin has begun the process of finding a replacement for Amedeo Felisa, the current CEO. Felisa is coming up to his 78th birthday, and has helped shaped the future of the company since taking over from Tobias Moers in 2022. If you would like to learn more, click this Autocar article link, here.

HYUNDAI EUROPE HIT BY RANSOMWARE ATTACKHyundai Europe has admitted they have suffered a cyberattack. Through investigations by BleepingComputer, it is believed to be a ransomware attack and the up to 3TB of data has been accessed or taken. According to the outlet, this covers many different departments and companies in the group. Whilst Hyundai has not confirmed what type of attack, it is believed to be a ransomware one. Click this link to learn more, from a BleepingComputer article.

ROLLS ROYCE SPECTRE RECALLED IN THE USA faulty ground connection cable has caused Spectres in the US to be recalled. There is a potential for an injury risk to technicians working on the car and in extreme cases for a “thermal event” or fire as we generally know it. Affected cars were built between October and December 2023. You can learn more, by clicking this article link from The Register.

EUROPE’S MOST RECALLED CAR BRANDS IN 2023Autocar has listed the car brands that had the most recalls in 2023, for Europe. It must be remembered, the potential for recalls increases the more niches you wish to cover, not that its an excuse. Click here to run through an extra List of the Week.

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 - Porsche TaycanPorsche have unveiled their new Taycan, electric saloon and sort of estate. They have made it quicker, lighter, more efficient and able to go further. Inside the tech has been improved too. On top of all this, they have impressively, managed to make the charging times (if environmental conditions allow) between 20-80% quicker too. For more details, click this Autocar article link here.

Ford PumaFord has updated the Puma. There is a change to the powertrain, with the only option being the 1.0 petrol engine mated to a hybrid system. Even the ST has this, also, only with an automatic gearbox. Inside the tech has been upgraded, bringing it in line with the newer elements of Ford’s range. New touch screen, no physical buttons and the Syn4 infotainment system. We also question how reliable some of the new driver assistance technology will be. Do click this Autocar link to learn more.

BMW 5-Series Touring PHEV and EV The 5-Series will only come as a petrol PHEV or electric version, in the UK. Gone also, is the rear window access hatch as a redesign in the name of aerodynamics has made retaining it too tricky to engineer. You can find out more by clicking this link to an Autocar article.

Audi RS6 Avant GTInspired by the Audi 90 Quattro IMSA GTO, they have brought the RS6 Avant GT. Suitably decorated, including the white wheels, with a quicker 0-62mph time and a higher top speed. This exclusive car will only have 60 examples allocated to the UK. Price is a bit spicy, as you would expect too. Click this CAR article link to read more.

Abarth 600eThe Abarth 600e has been revealed. The hot version of the new 600e, all electric SUV from the 500 brand. Whilst clearly recognisable as a sister car to the 500 it is much better resolved than previous attempts to expand the brand range. Do click this Autocar article link, for the daft photoshopped image and more details on Fait’s future direction.

Silence SO4The Spanish micromobility company, Silence, is brining their two-seater quadrocycle to the UK. Seen as a competator to the Citroën Ami it is more expensive, but has a higher top speed and longer range, thus making it more usable in the UK. Another feature is the ability to remove the battery and charge it in your house from a 240v outlet. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: T. JON MAYER LEAVES VOLVOA surprise announcement that T. Jon Mayer is leaving Volvo, was released last week. We have no details on where he is going or why he left. Click this Auto&Design link to find out nothing extra except what he has been up to.

LUNCHTIME READ: WILL VI CANVAS TOP AND WILL PRODUCTSMichael Banovsky’s latest newsletter iteration has brought us a fantastic piece on the WiLL Vi Canvas Top and what else the company got involved in. We love reading about such things connected with the car industry. Click this link to read more and then go sign up to his newsletter so you don’t miss any further nuggets.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 9 WEIRDEST CARS AT RETROMOBILE 2024The French classic car show always turns up some fantastic and unusual cars, this year is no exception. Goodwood Road&Racing list their Top 9 weird cars, for you to see. Do you agree with Alan’s choice? Let us know after you click this link to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: THE WORST SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS THAT COULD BE DREAMT UPJason Torchinsky, on The Autopian, has created a list of the worst subscription ideas he could come up with, for our cars. Hopefully the car brands don’t see this and think “that’s neat, let’s do it”. If you’d like to see our dystopian future, click this article link here.

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FOLLOW UP: PARIS VOTES TO CHARGE EXTRA FOR HEAVY CARSJust under six percent of eligible Parisians voted on charging extra for non resident parking permitted heavier vehicles, with 54.6% voting for this. Therefore, internal combustion engined cars (ICE) weighing over 1.6 tonnes and electric vehicles weighing over 2 tonnes, will be charged extra. Click here to read a misleadingly headlined article from The Guardian that is an example of some of the pathetic reporting on this matter.

FOLLOW UP: LITHIA TAKEOVER PENDRAGONLithia, the US based firm, has finally taken over the motor retail group, Pendragon. This makes Lithia the second biggest retailer in the UK, ahead of Arnold Clark but behind Sytner. You can read more by clicking this AMOnline article link here.

JANUARY 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESSMMT has released the January 2024 new car registration figures. They are up on 2023, but still down on the Before Times. Fleet is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, with Private down once again. Worryingly, in the first month of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, the battery electric vehicle (BEV) share is only 14.7%, well below the 22% required from each manufacturer. Click here to read an interesting article from Tristan Young in Broker News, which hints that the figures could have been even worse. For the SMMT article and detail, click this link here.

RENAULT CANCELS IPO FOR EV DIVISION AMPERERenault has confirmed that they will not separate their electric vehicle division, Ampere, and list it on the stock exchange. The reasoning is that the market is “sluggish”, which has also been compounded with a slow down in EV uptake across Europe at the end of the year. The company is adamant that they are cash rich and their ambitions are not dependent on an IPO. If you wish to learn more, click this article link from Reuters here.

VW PAUSES IPO OF BATTERY DIVISIONVolkswagen has paused proceeding with listing their battery division, PowerCo, with the EV market slowing in Europe. On top of that, they have not yet decided where their fourth battery factory will be located in Europe. Click this electrive article link to read more on the IPO situation. For the battery factory story, click this InsideEVs article link here.

For the Autocar article on the subject of the stock market and EV companies, click this link here.

VOLVO TO STOP FUNDING POLESTARAmongst the detail of Volvo’s 2023 financial results, they announced that they will be ceasing to continue to fund Polestar and be focusing solely on their own projects. This could lead to Volvo selling their shares or Geely just buying more. They will continue to partner up over R&D, manufacturing and commercial elements. For a fuller explanation of what is going on, click this Autocar article link here.

SMART UK APPOINT NEW CEOCongratulations to Jason Allbutt, who has been appointed as the new CEO of smart UK. He takes over from David Browne, who oversaw the relaunch of smart in the UK. If you wish to learn more, click this link to an AMOnline article link here.

TYRE PRICE FIXING CLAIMS INVESTIGATED BY THE EUThe European Commission has visited several manufacturers in several countries whilst investigating the question of possible cartel activity by the tyre industry. Questions have been raised about collusion on price fixing, enough to warrant the investigation. You can learn more by clicking this article link here to AMOnline.

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 - Ford MustangThe new Ford Mustang is coming to the UK and will be the cheapest V8 we can buy new, but it still starts at £55, 685. There will be no alternative engine choice, so go V8 or go elsewhere. There is also a new screen and tech, for the interior, including the ability to have digitised versions of classic Mustang dials - why does no one else do that? For more information, click this Autocar link here.

BMW 4-SeriesBMW is updating the 4-Series range, including the M4. All get the tricksie CSL rear lights and after that apart from bringing the interior up to the current spec, its really hard to spot the differences between the existing and new. If you wish to learn more, click this EVO article link here and this CAR article link for details about the M4.

BMW Z4 In another game of spot the difference, BMW announce the new Z4. Except, this time it can be specified with a manual gearbox, which allows you to add a special colour. To find out more, click this CAR article link here.

Audi Q7You can now ‘personalise’ the front end, well, the daylight running lights (DRLs) by setting them to one of four designs. That really is all very nearly that has changed. Do click the CAR article link to find out more.

Volvo EX30 deliveries delayedSome Volvo EX30 customers are having to wait a touch longer for their car to be delivered after Volvo noticed an issue with the software and is having to update all of them. Alas (or good), there is no over the air option therefore this takes a little longer to execute. More information can be found by clicking this InsideEVs link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: MEET THE MG B-EASTWe finally get round to bringing you an excellent article about the UK winner of the Hot Wheels Legends 2023 Tour. Click the link for the writing and stay to gawp at the pictures and detail of this mad car, thanks to Hagerty.

LIST OF THE WEEK: BEST FIRST CARS FOR ENTHUSIASTSKnow someone who’s just passed their test? Are they a bit of a car person? Well, we bring you a list with options (even though there really is one option to pick!). Click this Autocar link to see what is being suggested.

AND FINALLY: HONDA’S LOGO HISTORYHagerty, thanks to Antony Ingram, brings you the history and evolution over the years of the Honda logo. Fascinating stuff. Click this link to find out more.

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FOLLOW UP: CRUISE’S ACCIDENT FAILURES ARE WORSE THAN GUESSEDThe ‘independent’ review by a legal firm employed by both GM and Cruise has produced their first report into the incident where a pedestrian who was knocked into the path of a driverless taxi was hit and dragged by the car. They try to claim that no one really meant to deceive the regulators and it was the internet that prevented them from showing the full video. They admitted that no one then attempted to explain verbally or via email. You can learn more from this Jalopnik article link here. You can find more context and details in a Twitter thread from John Berry, linked here. And here is another thread from John, click here. For an even more damning review of the report, click here to read what Bryant Walker Smith has to say.

FOLLOW UP: MOT CHANGES ARE SHELVEDThankfully, common sense has prevailed and the UK Government are not going to change MOTs to occur every two years. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

FOLLOW UP: DAIHATSU RECALLING OVER 320,00 CARSThe news gets worse for Daihatsu as it confirms it will be recalling over 320,000 cars due to door defects, following the revelations about the safety testing scandal. Three of the four Japanese factories will also remain shuttered, with a possibility one may restart soon. To read more on this story, click here for The Japan Times article link.

TOYOTA HALTS SHIPMENTS OF SOME VEHICLESToyota has announced that it is halting the shipment of some vehicles due to irregularities in certification of some diesel engines. The engines go into approximately 36,000 vehicles worldwide, per month. There has yet to be a confirmation of the full extent of this issue. Click this Reuters article to learn more.

EU FINDS MOST CARS EMIT SAME CARBON LEVELS AS 12 YEARS AGOAn investigation into the EU’s progress regarding the reduction of CO2 has found that levels emitted by cars has not changed in 12 years. A combination of larger, heavier cars and an apparent significant difference between lab tested and real world emissions have all been blamed. What is missing is the significant drop in diesel vehicles, replaced by petrol and hybrids, which produce more CO2 than a diesel, whilst producing less NOx. You can read more, by clicking this link to an Euractiv article.

BMW UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR EMISSIONS MANIPULATIONIn Germany, the federal transport authority, the KBA, are investigating BMW X3 2.0 diesel built between 2010 and 2014, due to suspicions over software manipulation of emissions. The claim is that emissions were controlled when under test conditions. More can be found on this story, by clicking this link to a Drive article.

MERCEDES GITHUB REPOSITORY FOUND OPENSecurity researchers found they could gain unrestricted access to Mercedes-Benz’s GitHub repository. GitHub is a project management service for coders. An employee’s authentication code was found on the internet, enabling a way into their Enterprise Server on the service. There was a lot of very important and vital information that could be accessed. There is no confirmation if others accessed the data during the time it was effectively open to all. Click this article link to read more from TechCrunch.

‘FILL THAT HOLE’ SITE HELPS POTHOLE REPORTINGCycling UK has launched the latest version of the service Fill That Hole, which allows for a quick way to report potholes on the UK roads. Now the reports go directly to the relevant highways authority, as some local councils were no longer accepting road defect reports, if they’ll accept them. If you wish to know more, click here to read the TransportXtra story.

To use the free service, click this link here to Fill That Hole.

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 - Volkswagen GolfThe facelifted Golf, the 8.5, has been revealed by VW. The main changes are to the interior and tech, with the infotainment screen now having a couple of buttons and those being backlit. This is very much a merest hints of evolution, with improvements to the areas they received “feedback” on. To find out more, including the raft of powertrain options, click this CAR link here.

Porsche Electric MacanPorsche has revealed the next generation of the Macan, which will be EV only. Boasting two specs, ludicrous amounts of power and a claimed range of up to 381 miles, this should please current and prospective owners, so long as they can afford the price. You can learn more by clicking this Autocar link here.

Volkswagen Passat The latest Passat, which comes as an estate, has been revealed along with details. A suitably large loading space, with the revised VW cockpit, as with the Golf discussed earlier. Again, you can find out more about the car by clicking this CAR article link here.

Kalmar Automotive RS-6If you have a Porsche 996 and want to stand out from the crowd, Kalmer can help you by Dakar-ing it. Actually, the cost isn’t outrageous, for such a thing and it is nicely done. At least we could get excited about one car this week! To check out more on this, click this Top Gear link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: MARIO REVELLI - THE MOST PROLIFIC CAR DESIGNER YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OFMatteo Licata brings us another fascinating and expertly researched article for us to recommend to you. This time, helping us learn about a designer we probably haven’t heard of, although he worked on so many cars. Click this Hagerty link to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST CARS OF THE 90S - PART 2Autocar have a slide show of the second part of their Best Cars from the 90s. There are a whopping 42 slides to check out, which has allowed the chaps to pick two cars each this, in a move of total extravagance. Do you agree with what they picked, don’t forget to let us know! Click here to check out what is on offer.

AND FINALLY: US GOVERNMENT STOPS ‘HUMOROUS’ HIGHWAY SIGNSThe Federal Highways Administration has announced a ban on ‘humorous’ digital highway signs, as they have jumped the shark and instead of getting a safety message across in a quick yet memorable manner, they often have become clunky and confusing. Click this link to the New York Post for more information.

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FOLLOW UP: VW AND GERMAN GOV LOSE ENGINE FIX FIGHTA German environmental group has won its court case against the Volkswagen Group and the German Government for allowing the use of thermal windows in engine emissions, for the last eight years. Whilst the regulator allowed it the court ruled they should not have. You can learn more by clicking this electrive article link here.

FOLLOW UP: CMA WINS APPEAL AGAINST BMW AND VWThe Competitions and Markets Authority (CMA) has won its appeal relating to forcing BMW and the Volkswagen Group hand over information to enable their investigation into possible anti-competative practices for recycling vehicles. The argument from BMW and VW is that they are based outside of the UK therefore the CMA has no authority. The Court of Appeal ruled they do. For more on this story, click this Reuters article link here.

FOLLOW UP: FEEDBACK ON THE CHAT GPT EXPLAINERThank you to everyone who got in touch, following the release of last week’s show and the separate video which explained Chat GPT, AI and why it is a bad idea in cars. We are glad it has helped so many of you. If you haven’t seen it yet, click this link to our YouTube video here.

BRITAIN STICKS TO MONOCHROME NEW CARS IN 2023Topping the chart, once again, we find that grey is the most popular colour for new car registrations. The top three are rounded out with black and white - yawn. Do click this link to SMMT’s article on this, as there is one chart that lists the Top 10 colours and how many have been registered in that colour, it is eye opening.

EU INVESTIGATORS TO VISIT CHINESE CAR COMPANIESAs part of the EU’s investigation into whether China unfairly helps their own manufacturing base, with electric vehicles, they will be visiting several firms at locations in the country to check if information supplied matches. They will not be checking on European set ups. Click this link, from electrive, to read more on this development.

EVS IN THE EU WILL NEED A BATTERY PASSPORT FROM 2027A system has been developed that aims to track everything about a vehicle battery, from minerals in the ground to what was last done to it in the car. This comes into force in February 2027. Depending on which group is looking to access the data, different levels of information will be available. You can learn more by clicking this Autocar link here.

SUBARU UK GETS A NEW MDCongratulations to Lorraine Bishton on her appointment as the new managing director at Subaru UK. She has previously worked at Ford, JLR and lately at McLaren Special Operations. If you wish to learn more, click this AMOnline link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Ford KugaFord have given the latest generation Kuga a refresh. Tweaks to the exterior looks but most changes are inside where improvements have been made to the technology on offer. On top of which the oily bits have been enhanced, and it has one of the best towing ratings in class. The car will also be slightly cheaper than the current model. Click this Autocar link to find out much more.

Hyundai BayonOne of the rarer cars in the Hyundai range, the small SUV Bayon has been refreshed. The exterior has been sharpened up and now includes the full width LED to the front end. Inside the interior is now on a par with the rest of the range. If you want to read more on this car, click here and read the article from Autocar.

VW Tiguan The Tiguan outsells the Golf, therefore this is a very important car for the brand. Once again, the exterior has been evolved but inside is where most changes are obvious. Now in line with the Passat and other new vehicles in the range, there is the revised infotainment screen, that has some buttons positioned at the bottom for quick access. There is a myriad of options for powertrains and trim levels. Click this CAR article link, to read more.

Subaru CrosstrekSubaru is replacing the XV with the hugely popular, in the US, Crosstrek. Alan cannot move for tripping over them in the state he currently resides. There are improvements to the driver assistance system, more refinement and body control. You can learn more by clicking this link to an Autocar article here.

KGM TorresKGM, formerly known as Ssangyong, has revealed their mid sized SUV which will go on sale in the UK imminently, the Torres. Initially in petrol form and front wheel drive, it will quickly be followed by a 4x4 version and then an electric powertrain. If this is of interest to you, click this Autocar link to find out more.

Mazda Spirit Racing sub brandMazda, at the Tokyo Auto Salon, revealed a performance sub brand called Spirit Racing. Two race inspired cars where shown to the crowds, a Mazda 3 and MX-5. Styling enhancements include a paint colour, stripes, red strip to the front splitters and a more aggressive stance. There is no confirmation Mazda are going to make these or any other cars with the sub brand but we can all hope. Click this Top Gear link to read more.

Stellantis STLA EV platformsStellantis has revealed their new electric vehicle platforms, called STLA. This will come in four varieties, the Small, Medium, Large and Frame. To learn what these equate to as well as the impressive sounding potential capabilities, click this CAR article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: CES SHOWED VW, BMW AND MERCEDES ARE ASKING THE WRONG QUESTIONS CONCERNING USER EXPERIENCEFor the second week on the trot, I am recommending the work of Drew Smith. This time it is his review of automakers offerings at CES, the annual tech fantasy show, sorry, tech show. This year the offerings were quite bleak, misguided with the occasional brighter spot. Click this link to read his thoughts on Car Design News.

LIST OF THE WEEK: GREATEST MACHINES WITH 100HP OR LESSThis week’s fun list does not stick strictly to cars, but all cool vehicles with 100hp or less. Do you agree with Andrew’s choice, even if it was a tad dramatic or are you going to pick one of the more frivolous options? Do let the chaps know. Click here to run through the Autocar article.

AND FINALLY: THIRD TIME’S A CHARM FOR AUDIOn the third attempt and with the help of Carlos Sainz Snr, Audi win the Dakar race with their electrified RS Q e-Tron. Click this Top Gear link to read more about the remarkable feat for both Audi and Sainz.

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FOLLOW UP: CAR MAKERS LOBBIED AGAINST INCENTIVES FOR SMALL EVSIn the consultation over the introduction of the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which came into force on 1 January 2024, documents have revealed that some manufacturers fought against rules that encouraged more efficient, smaller and lighter vehicles. Not a great look for the car industry. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar link here.

FOLLOW UP: WALES 20MPH REVIEW TO BE LED BY ORIGINAL ADVISORIn what feels like an entry into Private Eye's Rotten Boroughs segment, the Welsh Government has announced the consultant who helped introduce the new 20mph urban speed limit will lead the review of said implementation. They justified this by stating that "he is well-placed to assess whether clarifications in the policy are needed to encourage greater consistency.". To read more, click this link from the BBC News.

RED SEA SHIPPING ISSUES HITTING CAR MAKERSTesla and Volvo are pausing car production due to delays in parts after shipping has been disrupted in the Red Sea. Either the ships run the gauntlet of attack or go via the Cape of Good Hope. This is an added pressure to the already difficult shipping environment as there is a lack of container ships available which has pushed costs higher. You can learn more by clicking this link to an article from MarineLink.

BMW TO SWITCH MUNICH FACTORY TO EV PRODUCTION IN 2027BMW will be producing electric only cars, at their Munich factory, from the end of 2027. They will build the Neue Klasse saloon from 2026, whilst phasing out the combustion engine vehicles. To read more on this, click the Petrolheads article link here.

STUDY CLAIMS LONDON IS THE SLOWEST CITY TO DRIVE INA TomTom study claims that London is the slowest city, in the world, to drive in, with Dublin, Toronto, Milan and Lima making up the top five. Transport for London has argued that the study is misleading and that it is nothing to do with a 20mph speed limit. They also go on to claim the methodology is flawed, by only using a very small selection of roads and ones in the city centre too. You can read more, by clicking this BBC News article link here.

CRITIC OF VINFAST DETAINEDVinFast, the Vietnamese EV maker who's first car has been panned for a raft of issues, has pressured local law enforcement, allegedly, to detain a critic who posted on social media the issues with the cars. Vietnamese law apparently forbids harming the interest of others, according to this article, linked here from The Drive.

SAINSBURY'S LAUNCHES OWN EV CHARGING BRANDSainsbury's has become the first UK supermarket brand to launch its own EV charging network. Called Smart Charge, the company intends to fit 750 rapid chargers in over 100 stores by the end of 2024. Click this link to read more from Autocar.

FRANCE UNVEILS AFFORDABLE EV SCHEMELow-income customers in France are able to take advantage of a scheme that enables EV adoption for those poorest off. The Government has a 'social leasing' initiative, which means a Citroën e-C3 can be had for as little as €54 per month, without a deposit and paid over three years. You can learn more about this excellent sounding idea, by clicking this Car Scoops article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Toyota GR YarisAfter being on the market for four years, the GR Yaris gets a refresh. There are slight tweaks to the external design, mainly the rear lights but the dashboard sees a big change as switches and screens point slightly towards the driver. There is much talk about how much stiffer construction has been made. No news on price, but it is expected to be a touch more than the current £29,995. Click here to read more, via Car Throttle. If you wish to see Matt Prior tell you more, click this Autocar video link.

Honda 0 Series saloonHonda revealed their 0 Series saloon at CES 2024. This appears to be almost identical to the concept they revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2003. But this summed up the general vibe from automotive CES, desperation and misses. If you wish to learn more about this concept click here for the Autocar link.

Yangwang U9 saloon Yangwang, the luxury arm of the BYD group, has revealed their third vehicle, the U9 saloon. Boasting over 1000bhp, this car is aimed squarely at the BMW i5 and Mercedes-Benz EQE. Likely to cost over £100,000 in China, there is no news on it coming to the UK. Click this Autocar link to read more.

Kia ‘Platform Beyond Vehicle’ vans and moreOnce again, at CES, Kia revealed their vision for a full ecosystem which incorporates a variety of light commercial vehicles, bespoke palletisation of goods, robotics, utilisation of AI and smart city technologies. If you wish to get a glimpse at Kia’s version of the future, click this CAR link here.

Volkswagen to add ChatGPT to their operating systemVW announced at, you guessed it, CES, that they will be adding ChatGPT to their operating system to help improve the interactions between occupants and the car. Guess the chap’s reaction to this. If you wish to see what it looks like when a company panics, click this link to read more from The Verge.

Why ChatGPT is a bad idea in carsTo read more on the links between the ‘leaders’ pushing these systems and eugenics, click the following links;

A LinkedIn post summarising and linking to a talk from Timnit Gebru.

Timnit Gebru Mastodon thread with an example of this thinking.

For a quick snapshot of some of the legal issues hitting LLMs, click the following link;

A timeline of the legal cases against companies deploying AI such as OpenAI, Microsoft, DeviantArt and more.

The environmental impact has not really been mentioned much, but the links below explain some of the issues;

The direct impact on Iowa.

More information on the environmental impact.

Behind the curtains, there is a lot of human work going on to make “AI” look like it is all computers, many of these people are being exploited;

An explanation as to what humans are doing that companies are trying to hide.

The results from inputs have been well documented as being anything from poor to dangerous, below are a couple of links explaining this;

The New Zealand store that ‘created’ a cook book with poisonous ingredients.

LLMs false race-based medical information.

Mercedes to add more screens, remove buttons and add ChatGPT to more carsMercedes are another German car company seemingly panicking and deciding throwing more tech at the inside of their cars is the way forward. They revealed full width screens, which begs the question, at what point are these labelled a distraction. Not content with that, they have decided to add ChatGPT to more cars, following the testing with some US customers. See above for why that is a bad idea. To read more on what they are proposing, click this Autocar article link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: MASSIMO FRASCELLA LEAVES JLRThere was shock news from JLR as Design Director, Massimo Frascella suddenly announced he was leaving the company. There is no indication where he is moving to. Click this Car Design News article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE CYBERTRUCK ENCAPSULATES A DYSTOPIAN FUTURE WHERE THE US IS SLIDING INTO LAWLESSNESSThis week we bring you a critique of the Cybertruck design and what it says about society. Written by James McLachlan, editor of Car Design News, he makes a strong case for how the ethos behind such a vehicle should worry us all. Click here to read more from Dezeen.

Related and an extra bonus, we link to LookingOut’s last video where they too discuss the Cybertruck and touch on similar themes. Click here for the YouTube link.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE 60 MOST BEAUTIFUL CARS EVER MADEAutocar bring us all many options for the most beautiful cars ever made. Some of them even are beautiful too! Click here to run through the slideshow and let us know if you agree with Andrew and Alan.

AND FINALLY: PETROLBLOG IS BACKWe are celebrating the news that PetrolBlog is back. Both the website and YouTube channel have new content. Always brilliant to see when MajorGav manages to produce stuff for his own site. Click here to watch the latest video, then check out what else is there and on the website. Glad you’re back Gav!

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FOLLOW UP: RIFTER NOT BERLINGO, BAD ANDREWDuring the Year of unintended consequences - 19 December 2023 episode, Andrew stated that Alex Grant has an e-Berlingo, which is incorrect. Alex has the more stylish e-Rifter, which shares a lot of the platform but is not the same. Apologies Alex, Andrew has been suitably chastised for his error.

FOLLOW UP: WELSH 20MPH LIMIT TO NOW BE ENFORCEDThe Welsh Government has stated that the newly introduced default 20mph speed limit, for built up areas, will be enforced from this month onwards. Depressingly, the article we link to, on the BBC News site which you can read by clicking here, has several quotes making it explicit that in Wales at least, compliance equals safety. Speed cameras will be installed in areas where it is deemed that too many are breaking the limit, rather than where there are accident blackspot as has been the norm.

DECEMBER AND FULL YEAR NEW CAR REGISTRATIONSOnce again we note so many have trouble with the difference between new car registrations and sales. They are not the same.

The good news is that registrations rose 17.9% on 2022, but still it is way down on the Before Times, approximately 17.5% down. We always need to put these figures into context. A lot of positive fuss was made about the volume of battery electric cars (BEV) which is impressively up, but the percentage of those registered is down for both December and 2023. Some of this may be due to holding back vehicles with 2024 and the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate about to land.

More of a concern will be Private registrations that fell 14% for December and 0.1% for the year. Fleet is doing all the heavy lifting now. However, the inevitable calls for incentives and/or subsidies for private buyers has started.

Click this link to the SMMT article for more information.

SUPERMARKETS STILL RIPPING US OFF ACCORDING TO RACThe RAC brings out its monthly report into fuel prices, once again confirming that supermarkets are holding onto the duty relief the Government intended to be passed onto the public. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

JLR LAUNCHES BESPOKE INSURANCE FOR RANGE ROVERSFollowing the issues JLR have had around their vehicles and how older models have been targets for thieves, which they appear to have solved for some models, with a £10 million effort we discussed a few weeks ago, they now are offering insurance for those struggling to get cover. Click this Motoring Research article link for more information.

AUDI E-TRON RECALLED IN THE USAudi E-Trons built before March 2022 have been recalled in the United States over a fire risk connected to LG Energy Solutions battery packs. The affects nearly 27,000 cars and there is no remedy yet. You can learn more by clicking this link here to a Consumer Reports article.

TESLA RECALL OVER FAULTY DOOR RISKTesla is issuing an over-the-air-update to fix the risk of doors opening during an accident, in the United States. Model S and X from 2021 to 2023 are affected by this. If you wish to learn more, click this CNBC article link here.

HONDA RECALLING 1.13 MILLION CARS WORLDWIDECars fitted with a defective fuel pump, from the supplier Denso, are being recalled by Honda. 25 models built between June 2017 and September 2020 are affected. Again this appears to for the United States but also Japanese cars are involved. Click this article from The Japan Times 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 - Xiaomi SU7The consumer electronic company has revealed their first model, due to be sold initially in China at some point in 2024. The silhouette is astonishingly close to that of the Porsche Taycan. Power claims of 670bhp with a 746 mile range are made by the company. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

NIO ET9NIO is hoping to take on Mercedes-Maybach with this cross-over coupe, claiming to be the new benchmark for safety, luxury and efficiency. The car is due to come to market, in China, in 2025. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

Toyota GR Supra removed from sale The full UK allocation of the Toyota Supra has sold out, meaning that the car has been removed from sale here. There is no indication as to when or if it will come back. But an expected uprated model has been seen in development at the Nurburg ring, and is hoped to be coming to these shores. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar link here.

Apple CarPlay in Porsche and Aston MartinApple has revealed the look of their next generation CarPlay, with Aston Martin and Porsche. We talked about this back in 2022 when Apple first revealed it wanted deeper integration between cars and its system. The struggle is to see what makes these particularly Porsche or Aston Martin displays. On top of which is that they do not appear to be very “luxury”. Click this Car article to read more.

Kia and Hyundai introducing connected services with SamsungKia and Hyundai is going to integrate the Samsung “SmartThings” connected platform into their cars. This will allow anyone with a suitable device and has access to Samsung’s service to be able to control from their car. If, for some reason, you wish to learn more, click here to read a Top Gear article on the matter.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: RICHARD HAMMOND ON MY WEEK IN CARSWe are recommending watching this 59 minute interview of Richard Hammond by Steve Cropley and Matt Prior. They chat about his past, present and hopes for the future. This is a really sensible and grown up discussion about steps towards sustainability without going off the deep end. Click here to watch.

LIST OF THE WEEK: CLASSIC CAR FONTSDaniel Goldson makes a great case for the wonderfulness of classic car fonts. He has compiled a slideshow of options for you to pick from, which you can see via this Jalopnik link here. Don’t forget to tell the chaps your favourite.

AND FINALLY: SNIFFING OUT THE PASTScientists are creating a ‘smell encyclopaedia’ to help give us an idea of how things smelt in the past. Included, is the Queen’s Rover. You can read more by clicking this Times article link here.

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In this episode, Alan talks all about his 2019 Lexus GX460 Premium. Since this was recorded, the replacement GX550 has been announced, and Alan has taken it on a 5,000-mile road trip to Wyoming and back. The 4.6 litre V8 has become more efficient over time; it’s underlined its ability to remain very comfortable for long periods of time, and, sadly, it still looks like Predator chewing a wasp.

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Follow Up: RULES OF ORIGIN DELAY AGREEDLeaving it until almost the last moment, the EU and UK have agreed to delay implementing the rules of origin legislation, which would’ve hit car makers in both Europe and Blighty. This was expected to happen and there was an almost audible sigh of relief from the car industry. You can find out more on this, by clicking the link here from Autocar.

MCLAREN SHARE RESTRUCTURE DEALThe Bahrain sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, has effectively become the sole owner of the McLaren Group after the complicated share structure was reorganised. This has prompted many to believe (or hope) that means future model development and the move to EVs can occur with some confidence. If you wish to read more on this, click here for Sky New’s version of the story.

VW DETAILS COST CUTS AS IT AIMS FOR $11B GAINSFollowing extensive discussions with the works council, Volkswagen has announced its plans for saving that will net gains of $11 billion by 2026. Steps include speeding up development, a more efficient purchasing strategy and reducing staff costs. There will be no redundancies but vacancies may not be filled. To find out more on the latest strategy from VW, click this Reuters link here.

BYD TO BUILD CARS IN EUROPEBYD has announced it will build cars in Hungary, where it will hope this is a work around for any potential tariffs for Chinese built cars. No date has been announced when the works will be completed and car will start coming off the production line. Click this Autocar article link for more.

NIO RECEIVES INVESTMENT FROM ABU DHABINIO, the battery swap EV company, has received $2.2 billion investment from a fund backed by CYVN Holdings. The company has been struggling and made a net loss of $2.03 billion in 2022. They announced they would be delaying entering the UK market, last year, with no date being given where that would change. To read more, click this Nikkei Asia article link here.

KIA ANNOUNCE NEW CEO OF EUROPE OPERATIONSMarc Hedrich, the former Ford VW Group and Toyota executive, has been revealed as the new President and CEO of Kia Europe. He started his role on 1 January 2024. If you wish to find out more, click this link to a JustAuto article.

CAZOO NEEDS URGENT ADDITIONAL FUNDINGCazoo, the online retailer, has declared that it needs urgent funding before the second half of 2024 to remain in business. You can read more, by clicking this link to an AMOnline article.

DAIHATSU PRODUCTION STOPPED AT JAPANESE PLANTSDaihatsu has stopped all car production in its four Japanese plants, following revelations of falsifying safety and testing data. Toyota, the parent company, has declared that “fundamental reform” is needed at the company. This problem effects not just Daihatsu and Toyota but also Mazda, and Subaru models that the plants built. Click this Sky News article link for more.

STELLANTIS POSTPONES AGENCY MODEL MOVE IN UKMaria Grazia Davino, Stellantis UK Managing Director, has paused the move to agency model contracts with dealerships after the breakdown in trust with the group. The recent National Franchise Dealers Association survey results had all of the Stellantis group companies at the bottom of the rankings, with poor value being cited as a major factor. Problems stem from combining FCA and PSA to form Stellantis. You can read more by clicking this link here from AMOnline.

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 REVIEW OF 2023The chaps run through the stories and topics that cropped up time and again over the course of 2023, on the show. For another look at 2023 you can click this link to an Autocar article.

MOTORING PODCAST PREDICTIONS FOR 2024Alan and Andrew list their predictions for the coming year. Below is each of the selections.

Alan’s PredictionsNegative - New car registrations will struggle during the year, particularly the Private segment.

Positive - The EV public charging infrastructure will catch up during the year, particularly main road stations.

Silly / Wild Card - Tesla will unveil their long anticipated Tesla 2, which will have a launch price of $25,000.

Andrew’s PredictionsNegative - As it is an election year, motoring gets dragged deeper into the “culture wars” with more nutiness, lunacy and lies spouted.

Positive - Car makers will go for lightness and educating us about what ranges we actually need, so smaller batteries can be fitted.

Silly / Wild Card - People and organisations will give up on using flawed and incorrect data and information to make points or educate the public.

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Follow Up: CRUISE FIRE NINE EXECS IN ACCIDENT AFTERMATHFollowing the internal investigation by GM, into the incident where a pedestrian was dragged by a Cruise driverless vehicle, nine executives from the company have been sacked. Departments affected include Legal, Government Affairs, Commercial Operations and Safety and Systems. On top of that General Motors has stated that it is cutting 900 staff from the offshoot. Click here to read more, from The Register.

Follow-Up: FRANCE EV SUBSIDY ELIGIBILITY LIST PUBLISHEDFrance has published a list of electric vehicles that will be eligible for governmental subsidy, following the inclusion of production environmental calculations. Surprising no one, but Chinese made vehicles will not get financial help. This will come into force from 1 January 2024. You can read more, by clicking this link here to an electrive article.

FOLLOW UP: CLEVEDON WIGGLY LINES ROAD CHANGES AGAINAn independent investigation into the controversial changes to Clevedon’s sea front has recommended reinstating some diagonal parking spaces. Many are still unhappy with this, wanting a return to the original layout before any changes were made. Additionally the council is investigating if they need to return the funding, if they make these changes, and how to pay for it. This link here, will explain more thanks to the BBC News article.

EU VOTES FOR CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS SECURITY LAWWith the push to electric vehicles the risk that the region could be held to ransom by other countries has pushed the EU Parliament to vote on bringing a law regarding critical raw materials. This will require up to 45% of recycling, as well as increasing the amount extracted in Europe. Click here to read more in an electrive article.

TESLA RECALL DUE TO AUTOPILOT FLAWSTesla has been forced to announce a recall for their Autopilot system in the US, which is the name for their driver assistance technology such as adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist and the likes. They are delivering it by an over-the-air update. The results are more frequent reminders for the driver to pay attention. To find out why this has happened, click this link to an electrive article.

For a bit of background to all of this, click this link to a Rolling Stone article written by Ed Niedermeyer.

CARIAD TO CUT COSTS INSTEAD OF JOBSCARIAD, the software division of the Volkswagen Group, has agreed with unions to cut costs to prevent job losses. By 2028 there must be a reduction of costs of 20%. You can learn more by clicking this link to an Investing article.

GENERAL SAFETY REGULATIONS MANDATE MORE TECHThe new General Safety Regulations (GSR2) have been published. These tie together a few different regulations, into the one but also add more technology that must be fitted as standard on vehicles. This will obviously lead to a rise in costs. To find out more and exactly what must be fitted, click this article link from Autocar.

SCOTLAND TO INTRODUCE 20MPH URBAN LIMITFollowing in the footsteps of Wales, Scotland will be introducing a 20mph limit to “suitable” urban roads by 2025. More can learned by clicking this link to a TransportXtra article.

GREATER MANCHESTER CLEAN AIR ZONE INVESTMENT PLANIn a move that will shock many, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has announced a plan to invest in technology and road schemes to ensure the region hits the air quality targets it needs to by 2026. He has stated this will not happen if they introduce a charge, which is the only tool so many other cities and regions use. To understand more, click this BBC News article link here.

SODIUM BATTERIES FAVOURABLE ALTERNATIVE STUDY FINDSChalmers University in Sweden has reported on their research that suggests sodium-ion batteries are a viable and better alternative to lithium-ion ones. The material is “abundant” according to them and thus is vastly better for the environment and from a cost perspective. This does not mention their durability or capabilities but it is encouraging, nonetheless. Click this electrive article link to learn more.

NEW ON-STREET CHARGING OPTIONS COMING TO ESSEXQwello, a German EV charging company, has won the bid to install 70 on-street chargers in Essex. Their chargers can also double as street lights. You can find out more by clicking this electrive article link here.

CABLE THIEVES HIT EV CHARGE POINTSThree Osprey rapid charge points have been hit by cable thieves who have removed the charging cables thus rendering the units inoperable. They aren’t the only ones to be hit. One person has been arrested. Click this article link from Harborough FM to learn more.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE CAR PARKS HIT BY QR CODE SCAMCotswold Council is warning that no one should scan any QR codes on their car park payment machines due to a spate of illicit codes being fixed to the regions machines. You can learn more by clicking this BBC News article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Citroën e-BerlingoCitroën has revised the e-Berlingo, with changes to the front end look, bringing it in line with the recently revealed e-C3. Also, the battery and motor technology has been improved, providing a range of up to 199 miles over the current 175. Click this Autocar article link to learn more about the car.

LEVC L380 EVAnother entry into the luxury MPV sector has arrived, this time thanks to the London Electric Vehicle Company - the latest black cab maker. There will be a choice of configurations, from eight seats to a more luxurious six. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

Old Car Dead News - Renault ZoeAfter 11 years on sale, the Renault Zoe is being removed from the lineup. The company are citing that it is to make room for the Renault 5 EV but others within the company also confirm trying to make it comply with the latest GSR2 regulations would be prohibitively expensive. You can read more by clicking this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: IF THE MIATA LOOKS HALF AS GOOD AS THIS CONCEPT I CAN’T WAITThis week we return to the Japan Mobility Show, as Matteo Licata talks us through the gorgeous Mazda Iconic SP concept. One of the few bright sparks this year, in terms of car design, he explains a lot of the finer details and joins us in hoping this is very close to production ready. Click here to read the article from Hagerty.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 42 OF THE WORLD’S BEST POLICE CARSA huge selection of fabulous looking police cars, from across the globe. Do not forget to tell the chaps your selection from the many, many options. Click here to see what they are, thanks to Top Gear.

AND FINALLY: FIRST POLE TO POLE DRIVE COMPLETEDCongratulations to Julie and Chris Ramsey for completing the first ever pole-to-pole drive and for doing it in a Nissan Ariya. Only modifications are to enable huge tyres to be fitted. Superb effort. Read more on this by clicking this Top Gear link here.

AND AND FINALLY: FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXCEPTIONAL 2024 TICKETS ON SALEThe Festival of the Unexceptional 2024 tickets are now on sale. Click this link to read more from Hagerty, also within the article is another link to take you to the sale site.

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Follow Up - EU and UK Agree to 3-Year Rules of Origin DelayUK and EU politicians have agreed to delay the introduction of EV Rules of Origin by three years—more details in this Autocar story.

Follow-Up - Tesla Vs. Nordic Unions - Unions AheadTesla continues to rebuff cooperation with Nordic unions, making life hard for Tesla. The Guardian covers this in more detail in the story linked here.

New Car Registration Figures for NovemberUK new car registrations were slightly up in November, but the percentage of EVs is down slightly. Lots more and all of the numbers on the SMMT website.

UK Motorists Continue To Be Overcharged For FuelAccording to the RAC, the gap between wholesale and retail road fuel prices has narrowed but is still too broad. More here from Autocar.

Euro NCAP States The ObviousEuro NCAP has declared that bigger, heavier SUVs present “safety concerns” to other drivers and pedestrians. Autocar explains more in this article.

Sixt Migrates to BYD EVs While Hertz Steps Back From EVSRental company Sixt is swapping Tesla for BYD after concerns about repair costs and residuals. Hertz is dialling back the speed with which it’s introducing EVs to its fleet. Jalopnik has more detail in this article.

More Government Money For New Motorway Rapid ChargersUKGOV has set aside £70 million to fill the gaps in open-access motorway rapid and ultra-rapid chargers and ensure at least six chargers at each. Autocar has more detail here.

EV Charging Companies Continue Evolving To Try To Make MoneyBP Pulse is expanding its rapid charger network, while Podpoint focuses on home and workplace chargers instead.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Suzuki SwiftSuzuki has unveiled a revised Swift. The outside is a bit rounder, and the interior has fewer buttons. Much more information is available from Autocar.

Morgan XP1The Morgan 3-wheeler is a magnificent machine, and Morgan’s hard at work on an electric version. CAR magazine has lots more details here.

Stellantis Battery Swap StationsStellantis is considering introducing multi-brand battery swap stations, starting with the Fiat 500e in Madrid. Autocar has the full story.

LUNCHTIME READ: MEGA Yacht Builder Builds Mega OverlanderYacht builders know something about squeezing luxury and clever storage into small spaces, so it was only a matter of time before one incorporated their skills into a vehicle. Arksen has unveiled their Unimog-based “Project Everest”. It’s fantastic, and Jalopnik has the details.

LIST OF THE WEEK: Top 10: Used Cars Everyone Should Own OnceBuilding on a recent LOTW in which Autocar named 50 cars everyone should drive once. This time, it’s ten cars everyone should own at least once. Here’s the list.

AND FINALLY: Frankel’s Favourite Car is a TractorFrankel’s a little slow to an obsession I’ve had since I was barely a teenager - small Japanese tractors. Here’s the story from Goodwood Road and Racing.

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Follow Up - Volta Trucks Saved by Venture Existing BackersUK-based Volta Trucks has been saved by a venture capital fund that had previously invested them. There’s more about this in the Autocar story linked here.

Follow-Up - Welsh Speed Limit Changes Cause ConsternationSome roads in Wales are now subject to many more changes of speed limit than before. This BBC story highlights one extreme example.

VW to Cut Jobs In Bid To Increase CompetitivenessThe Volkswagen CEO has claimed that it is “no longer competitive” and will be taking advantage of the “demographic curve” to reduce staff numbers ahead of the previously-announced 2029 date for dismissals. More from Autocar here.

£20bm Investment Boost for UK Auto Manufacturing in 2023The SMMT has announced the latest figures for investment in UK manufacturing as well as the government’s Advanced Manufacturing Strategy. There’s more about this on the SMMT website, linked here.

Call for “Euro-Kai Car” for small, urban EVsIn an effort to save the small car, European lobby group ACEA is pitching for legislation to encourage small, urban EVs. You can find out more in the Autocar story linked here.

Tuner Fined for Fitting Illegal Exhaust ModsThe DVLA has fined West Yorkshire tuner AET Motorsport for fitting a ”pop-bang” map and removing the catalytic converter from a Fiesta ST. Find out more in this Car article.

Geely & NIO sign Strategic Partnership on Battery-Swap TechnologyGeely and NIO have signed a strategic partnership to develop battery standards, swapping technology, network expansion and development, swappable model development, and battery asset management. Big news, and you can read more in Geely’s press release here.

Induction Charging Road Installed in DetroitAn induction charging test road has been installed in Detroit to test the system's robustness in real-world conditions. Find out more in this article from Jalopnik.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Dacia BigsterDacia has revealed their first model bigger than the Duster, a chunkily-styled 5-seat SUV available as a petrol mild and full hybrid. A competitor for the Ford Kuga and other, the Bigster is slightly larger, but expected to cost under £40,000 when it’s introduced tot he UK in 2025. Find out more in this article from Autocar.

Dacia DusterAt the same time as announcing the Bigster, Dacia has revealed the new 2024 Duster. More sophisticated than the current model, it offers more of the same value and practicality. There’s more detail and a video walk-around in this article from Car.

LUNCHTIME READ: Why GM’s GMT400 Truck Design Remains Legendary After 30 YearsIn the week the Tesla Cybertruck was “delivered” to its adoring fans you can learn about the story behind one of the best-loking and enduring American pick-up trucks of the 20th and 21st Centuries in this article by Adrian Clarke for The Autopian.

LIST OF THE WEEK: The Car World’s Most Famous Design FlawsIn an ironic twist where the list itself is flawed, this week’s LOTW comes from Autocar and outlines some of the most well-known issues with cars. You can check it out and choose your favourite here.

AND FINALLY: Ad Break: The Rover 100 was a Limo in Miniature Antony Ingram looks at print advertising for the Rover 100, inferring its limousine status in New York. You can read the article by clicking on this link to Hagerty UK.

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NISSAN TO INVEST FURTHER IN SUNDERLAND PLANTNissan is investing a further £2 billion in their Sunderland facilities, with the confirmation that the next generation Qashqai and Juke, both to be electric only, will be built alongside the Leaf. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar link here.

HYUNDAI BRINGS GENESIS OPERATION IN HOUSEHyundai UK is brining the administrative operations of the Genesis brand, in-house from early 2024. On top of this, there will be a move away from an online only presence with some showrooms being utilised. More can be read on this by clicking through on this Autocar link here.

JLR UPGRADES SECURITY ON OLDER MODELSOlder models from the Range Rover brand are being retrofitted with improved security, after a flaw has been exploited by thieves for several years. JLR has spent £10 million in fixing the issue and updating customer cars. Click here to find out more, from Autocar.

TOYOTA HILUX ADVERT BANNEDA Toyota Hilux advert that showed off the capabilities of the four-wheel drive pick up has been banned for being socially irresponsible, in the eyes of the Advertising Standards Agency. Watch out car makers, do not show your vehicles doing what they were designed for. Click this link to the AMOnline article, to find out more and also see a video showing you what is now deemed socially irresponsible.

PARIS TO VOTE ON WEIGHT BASED PARKING CHARGES The Mayor of Paris has announced that Paris citizens will be given the opportunity to vote on basing parking charges on the weight of cars. Any internal combustion engined car over 1.6 tons or EVs over 2 tons, will be charged extra if the plans are approved. To find out more, click this electrive article link here.

INDUCTION CHARGING POSITIONING STANDARD AGREEDSAE International, the global standards organisation equivalent to BSi, has agreed upon an induction charge aliment standard, based on the Mahle solution. The German based company calls their system DIPS, Differential Inductive Positioning System. More can be read on this, by clicking this electrive link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Peugeot e-3008Peugeot has revealed their next generation 3008, whilst being an EV which is to be expected they have, unfortunately for fans of the current generation, decided to make it a coupe SUV. Brave move cutting off a huge chunk of your existing customer base by making it less practical and attractive to families. Click this Autocar link to find out more.

Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer ElectricIf you do need a practical electric vehicle, then Vauxhall may have the car for you in the form of the Astra estate EV. With a maximum range of around 256 miles, prices start at £39,995 but top of the range is from £45k. You can see more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

Callum SkyeCallum design company has revealed their first bespoke vehicle, an electric 4x4 with wild rally raid-ish looks all in a small footprint. Plans are to build a small number and the price point aimed at is £100,000. We really like this and Alan is searching down the back of his couch for spare change as we speak. Click this Autocar article to find out more.

Hyundai TucsonA face-lifted Tucson will be available from Hyundai in May 2024. Whilst we are struggling to spot any differences to the exterior looks, the inside is refreshed. The wide digital screen is now brought across from other vehicles in the range and the drive selector is mounted on the steering column. But most importantly, is the return of buttons and knobs for heating control. This Autocar article link will tell you more.

LUNCHTIME READ: FORD’S FAILED TAKEOVER OF ALFA ROMEOBack in the 1980s Ford returned to Italy to try and buy one of their car companies, once again they failed. Click this Hagerty link to read more from Matteo Licata as he tells us what happened.

LIST OF THE WEEK: ELEVEN 21ST CENTURY HOT HATCHES WITH 1980S SPIRITAntony Ingram has compiled a list of hot hatches that evoke the spirit of the 1980s versions. As ever, expect a few odd ball suggestions, that are worthy of consideration. Click this Hagerty link to see your options and do tell the chaps which you’d go for.

AND FINALLY: AFFORDABLE UK MOTORSPORT The HubNut YouTube channel brings you a cheap UK motorsport option, effectively autocross but in a quarry! Click this link to find out more and also see the video notes on how to find something near you. What a wonderful idea!

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FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT OWNER SERVED NOTICE ON UNPAID WAGESAn ex employee has served a legal notice on Recharge Industries, the “owner” of the failed battery manufacturer Britishvolt, for unpaid wages. If the money is not forthcoming, the firm could be pursued further with bankruptcy proceedings being an option. Click this link to read more from The Guardian.

FOLLOW UP: CRUISE HALTS ALL OPERATIONS AND CEO RESIGNSCruise has now halted all ride-hailing operations, even those with human safety drivers. On top of that Kyle Vogt has resigned as CEO of the company. Also departing is fellow co-founder Daniel Kan. You can see more by clicking this link to an article from The Register, which shows a timeline of recent events including the astonishing creation of a chief safety officer ten years after the company was formed.

TESLA HITTING A UNION WALL IN SWEDENTesla is refusing to allow a Swedish union to use a ‘collective bargaining agreement’, with the members of the IF Metall union in their repair centres. They have been trying to get the company to do this for five years. They are now on strike and as is the way in Sweden, other unions are showing their support by refusing to do work with or for Tesla. You can find out more, by clicking this link to an Associated Press article.

UK GOVERNMENT PLEDGES CASH TO FIX SOME POTHOLESThe UK Government has made a big announcement at how they are allocating some of the money that would have been spent on HS2 to fixing some of the potholes on our roads, over the next eleven years. Unfortunately, as Paul Lomax makes clear, it is a drop in an ocean of underfunding, which you can read more by clicking this Twitter thread here, for context. To find out more on this story, click this Autocar link here.

UK GOVERNMENT INVESTS IN EV AUTO INDUSTRY The UK Government also announced that it is assigning £2 billion to help the automotive industry transition to the new zero emission market. However, as the chaps and the Business and Trade Select Committee in Parliament point out, this is welcome but where is the strategy or this is just throwing money without a plan. If you wish to learn more, click this link from Autocar Professional.

AMAZON US TO SELL CARS FOR HYUNDAI ONLINEAmazon and Hyundai announced that they will team up to sell cars online in the United States, from late 2024. Full details have yet to emerge, including how will full prices be declared. On top of that, Hyundai will be adding Alexa to their new cars from 2025. Click this BBC News article link for more.

MERSEYSIDE POLICE USE CAMERAS TO CATCH TRAFFIC OFFENCE VIOLATIONSMerseyside police are using a camera system that spots if drivers are using a mobile phone with their hands or occupants do not have their seatbelts on. To clarify, it is not “AI” it is image recognition. More can be learned by clicking this BBC News article link here.

M49 GHOST JUNCTION GIVE LEASE OF LIFEThe M49 has a junction on it that leads to no where as the access roads were not built in 2020. However, the UK Government has agreed to fund £7 million to help enable the works to be completed. Click this BBC News article link to find out 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 - Subaru ForesterAt the LA Motor Show the new Subaru Forester was revealed. Essentially a heavy facelift, but expected with a new hybrid powertrain when it comes to the UK. Whilst details are sparse, the price is expected to increase and be £40,000 or slightly more. Click this CAR article to read more.

Polestar 5Also from LA, Polestar revealed their new range topping car, the 5. A large saloon, with oodles of power and space, that is being engineered in the UK. Details can be found by clicking this link here to an Autocar article.

Porsche brings Google apps to their cars Porsche is u-turning on their previous decision not to allow Google apps in their cars, for privacy reasons, as the issues with Group in-house CARIAD software continues. To learn more, click this link from The Verge.

Toyota steer-by-wire systemToyota will be bringing their steer-by-wire system to the bZ4X and Lexus RZ in 2024, meaning a yoke-style steering wheel can be used. The One Motion Grip (stop sniggering) as the system is named, with have a 200 degree ratio, which is a tweak on the 150 degree previously for a more natural feel. Click here to read more from an Autocar article.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE ESCORT COSWORTH IS A LEGENDARY RALLY MACHINE THAT’S HIDING A BIG SECRETThe Autopian brings us the story of how the Escort Cosworth came to be, especially from such seemingly humble origins. Fantastic read that is well worth checking out, which you can do by clicking this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE HERO CARS OF THE 1980SAutocar has compiled a list of, what it claims, are hero cars of the 1980s. They ask if we agree and we do not, in all instances. But there are a host to pick from, which you can check out by clicking this link here. Don’t forget to tell the chaps your choice.

AND FINALLY: THE HOT WHEELS LEGENDS TOUR 2023 WINNER We, once more, bring you the Hot Wheels Legends Tour 2023, as they now announce the overall winner that will be made into a model for their range. Click this Top Gear link to read more and see some of the astonishing details of the car, making it a worthy winner.

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FOLLOW UP: RENAULT FINALLY CREATES AMPERERenault has finally announced the creation of Ampere, the new division responsible for developing their EVs, circular economy and software for the Group. At the time of recording there was no mention of the IPO that was discussed when first announcing the entity. Click this electrive article to read more.

FOLLOW UP: RIVIAN ENDS EXCLUSIVITY DEAL WITH AMAZONRivian and Amazon have announced that the exclusive deal to supply the retail giant with electric vans is no more. Amazon were pulling down far fewer vehicles than expected, therefore Rivian needs to open its books up to more companies to ensure the business is viable. To read more, click this link here to an electrive article.

AUTOMATED VEHICLE BILL ANNOUNCED IN KING’S SPEECHDuring the opening of Parliament, King Charles III’s speech announced the plan to introduce the automated vehicle bill. This has taken several years and multiple public consultations. Key elements will be who is held responsible and in which situations, along with companies being held responsible for exaggerating their system’s capabilities. The devil will be in the detail, however. If you would like to learn more or possibly just read some utter tripe quoted, click firstly this link to an Autocar article and then try this link from Top Gear.

BMW TO LAUNCH UK ‘HANDS FREE EYES ON’ SYSTEM IN 2024BMW is bringing a system that humans cannot handle, with their Level 2+ ‘Motorway Assist’. This is, similar to Ford’s BlueCruise, that requires the driver to continue to watch the road even though they are not holding the steering wheel. To repeat ourselves, there are many studies that show humans cannot manage this task, but that is not stopping the deployment and that the driver will still be help responsible for something they are being set up to fail. To read more on this, click on this Autocar link here.

UK TESLA OWNER REIMBURSED FOR FAILED FSD PROMISES Using the Consumer Rights Act 2015, Ed Butler claimed that Tesla had breached their contract with him in not producing the promised Full Self Driving enhancements after he paid extra for the package. Tesla settled out of court, paying the original sum plus interest and legal costs. Click here to read more, from InsideEVs.

ASTON MARTIN INVESTOR INCREASES STAKE IN COMPANYSaudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has returned to being the number two investor in Aston Martin, just ahead of Shufu Li, Geely Chairman. This continues the incremental increases from the three major shareholders, who all appear locked in some sort of bizarre game. You can learn more by clicking this link to an Automotive News Europe article.

EDINBURGH BANS PAVEMENT PARKINGEdinburgh Council are bringing in a new rule to ban pavement parking, even though there is a law that makes it illegal to obstruct a pavement already. We are unsure how adding a new rule to something that isn’t being dealt with will help alleviate the issue, but there you go. If you wish to know more, click this BBC News article link here.

MAINE VOTES FOR RIGHT-TO-REPAIR LAWThe citizens of the US state of Maine have voted for a right-to-repair law to be made part of the legislature. This is the fifth state to bring such a law into place. Click this link to read more from The Verge.

US COURT RULES CAR MAKERS CAN INTERCEPT TEXT MESSAGESA court in the US state of Washington, has ruled that four car makers did not break the state’s privacy laws by intercepting and keeping owner’s text messages. This reiterates how messed up the US is, when it comes to privacy. Put this alongside the recent report from Mozilla about car data and it paints quite a bleak picture. You can learn more by clicking this link from The Record.

US INFRASTRUCTURE BILL REQUIRES CAR ‘KILL SWITCH’More of the press are picking up on what some spotted last year, when the Infrastructure Bill was announced, that from 2026 cars must be fitted with a ‘kill switch’. This is supposed to spot if the driver is impaired or incapable of driving safely and stopping the vehicle automatically. This is going to be quite the feat as the technology does not exist that can a) safely pull a car over in all conditions and b) spot if someone is impaired. If you would like to learn more, click this link to The Gentleman Racer who was discussing this in January 2022.

BLOODHOUND PROJECT SEEKS NEW DRIVERAs the Bloodhound project brushes the dust of itself and seeks new funding for a sustainably fuelled attempt at the land speed record, they are also looking for a new driver. To find out more, click this link from Autocar.

ULTRA RAPID CHARGING POINTS FOR STARBUCKSSome Scottish Starbuck locations will be getting ultra rapid charging points, thanks to a partnership between the coffee shop and FOR:EV. Click here to learn more, from electrive.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Volvo EM90 Volvo has revealed the EM90, a luxury MPV along the lines of the Lexus LM we discussed a few weeks ago. This will be an all electric vehicle based closely on the Zeeker 009, with a potential for up to 458 miles of range. To learn more about the details, click this link to an Autocar article.

Volkswagen ID.7VW has revealed more details and the price of the ID.7, which will start at £55, 570. Lower specification versions, as well as an estate, are expected to follow the launch model. For all the details, click this link from Autocar.

Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe Mercedes are replacing the C and E coupes with one model, the CLE. This will come in a host of configurations, trim levels and engine options. Prices start at £46, 605. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar link here.

Rivian Electric VanFollowing the end of the exclusivity deal with Amazon, Rivian are now open to new fleets. But what are the vans all about? Click here to find out the details thanks to The Autopian.

Nissan Electric Car Subscription ServiceWe missed it at the time but Nissan started a subscription service for their electric vehicles. Click this link from Fleet News to find out more.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE ALFA ROMEO 33 STRADALE STORYMatteo Licata brings us yet another history lesson, this time all about the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale’s difficult birth. To read this fascinating story, click the link here from Hagerty.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 HOT WHEELS LEGENDS TOUR FINALISTSThe finalists have been found for the 2023 Hot Wheels Legends Tour, where the overall winner will be selected. They are all pretty amazing. Click this link from Top Gear to see more. Do you agree with Alan’s choice?

AND FINALLY: THE RIMAC NEVERA HAS A WORLD RECORD BACKWARDS The Rimac Nevera now holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest car in reverse, with a speed of 171mph. That is utterly nuts. Click this link, from EVO, to find out more about all this.

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FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT STAFF NOT PAID FOR MONTHSRecharge Industries, the company that has bought Britishvolt, although not finalised payment yet, has not paid UK staff for the last four months. Once again, the poor staff let down by management. If you would like to read more, including how much belief employees have in the assurances given, click this BBC News article link here.

FOLLOW UP: JLR PARTS ISSUE TO LAST INTO 2024 JLR have confirmed that they are improving the repair parts backlog, they’re experiencing. With the steps being made, they anticipate getting back on track in 2024. The issue has been acknowledged by CEO Adrian Mardell. To read more, click this Jalopnik article link here.

FOLLOW UP: TESLA NOT FOUND LIABLE FOR MODEL 3 CRASHA jury has decided that Tesla and their Autopilot software are not responsible for the accident that led to the driver’s death and passenger injuries, back in 2019. The claim was the software was faulty, there are arguments that how lawyers are pursing such cases is flawed and will ensure they never win such cases. If you want to read more about the case, click this article link from The Register. To find out more about why Michael DeKort thinks the legal cases are destined to fail, click this LinkedIn post link.

OCTOBER 2023 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe SMMT published the figures of the new car registrations for October 2023. A big jump in registrations over all, but BEVs only managed to capture 15% market share, which is less than in previous months. Another concern, for the industry, is how reliant they now are on Fleet registrations as Private remained the same as last year. Click here to read more, from the SMMT.

SMMT CONNECTED AND AUTOMATED MOBILITY REPORTSticking with the SMMT, they published a report based on KPMG research in to the potential connected and automated mobility aspects of the industry. Whilst a lot of it is incredibly optimistic in terms of potential earnings, impact and job creation, one chart caught Alan’s eye regarding which could be the sectors fastest and most likely to become automated and take advantage of connectivity. To learn more, click this link from the SMMT.

DRIVERLESS FIFE BUS NOW DRIVEN BY A HUMAN DRIVERThe bus that runs between Ferrytoll Park and Ride near Inverkeithing and Edinburgh Park, which is testing an autonomous driving system now is being fully driven by a human driver. You can read more, by clicking this link to a The Courier article.

jLR POSTS RECORD REVENUESIn the last quarter, JLR posted record revenue figures as demand for the Range Rover Sport and Defender was strong. Nice to be able to say something positive about JLR. Click here to read more, via The Guardian.

EDINBURGH COUNCIL TO CONSIDER SUV BANEdinburgh Council’s transport and environment committee has agreed to consider if SUVs should be banned from some roads in the city. Some of the tired cliched and false tropes were wheeled out, unfortunately. The chaps do point out the fallacies in some of what was said. You can read more, by clicking this link here to a BBC News article.

LIVERPOOL TO INVEST £10M TO INCREASE EV CHARGERSOn-street charging will get a boost in the Liverpool areas as £10 million is being earmarked to increase the number of chargers. If you would like to read more, click this electrive link here.

ARRIVA ORDERS 34 MORE EV DOUBLE DECKER BUSESArriva has order 34 more electric double decker buses, for its London fleet. This will take their number to over 100 for the operator. Click this electrive article link for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Toyota Prius In a surprise move, Toyota is brining the latest Prius to the UK after disappointing the internet by saying it wasn’t. We hope you all go out and buy it or we won’t get nice things in the future! You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

Skoda SuperbSkoda are updating the Superb, which will be slightly longer, wider, bigger inside, nicer, have more tech, essentially betterer than before! A huge range of powertrains and spec levels. Once again, we need to buy the estate or companies will stop making them. Click this link, to read more from Top Gear.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N The first EV from Hyundai to get the N treatment is an odd choice, it being the Ioniq 5. Alan and Andrew both love the comfort, serene cabin and ride, hence their surprise this will get oodles of power and get the N Grin Boost mode. Prices start at £65,000 for the performance version, with the chaps reserving full judgement until they get the opportunity to try one out. Click here to find out more, thanks to CAR.

Aston Martin DBXAston Martin are refreshing the interior of the DBX which has mainly remained the same since first coming to market. Out goes the Mercedes derived infotainment, to be replaced by Aston’s own. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar link here.

Mercedes-Benz E-Class EstateMercedes have revealed the details for the latest E-Class estate. For some bizarre reason, the UK mainly only gets the sporty trims, with associated ride. Click this Business Car article link, to learn more.

LUNCHTIME READ: AKIDO TOYODA’S STILL PLAYING THE LONG GAMERoad & Track have a fascinating and rare interview with Akido Toyoda regarding his time in charge of the company. Even if you are not a fan of his or Toyota’s this is an insight into why decisions that have been made have and the reasons behind them. Click here to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: SEMA 2023CAR has listed their highlights of the US modification motor show, which Andrew picks his top of the pile from. To see what options you have to pick, click this link here. Don’t forget to tell the chaps what you would want.

AND FINALLY: TOYOTA LUNA CRUISER Toyota has revealed a concept for a lunar buggy, that would be part of a Japanese landing on the moon. We think it looks great, click this link here to read more from Top Gear.

To watch a short video, click this YouTube link.

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FOLLOW UP: CRUISE PAUSES DRIVERLESS TAXI SERVICEBoth Califoria’s Department for Motor Vehicles and Public Utilities Commission have revoked Cruise’s license to carry fee paying passengers in their robotaxis. Cruise, following this, has “paused” the operation of their fleet. This all stems from an incident on 2 October 2023, where a car driven by a human hit a pedestrian and they were knocked into the pathway of one of Cruise’s cars which could not stop in time and trapped the pedestrian underneath the vehicle.

The DMV claims Cruise shared partial video that showed up to the point of the vehicle stopping. However, the DMV now states there was more as they were not shown that the Cruise vehicle tried to move to the side of the road with the lady still trapped beneath the car.

The DMV stated that “the manufacturers vehicles are not safe for public operation”.

To read more click this Vice article link here.

For the next stage of the story, click this Tech Crunch article link here.

To read the DMV’s own documentation on their decision, click this link here.

For Cruise’s Twitter post regarding their pause, click this link.

Forbes have a thoughtful piece on what has happened and what Cruise can and should do next. To read that, click this link here.

FOLLOW UP: MERCEDES USER MANUAL FOR DRIVE PILOT Mercedes-Benz has now released the user manuals for their Drive Pilot Level 3 automated driving system. Looking at the documentation there are a number of inconsistencies and contradictions. Click this link to a piece from Philip Koopman on LinkedIn highlighting the issues in the text. Reading the information, we wouldn’t use the system as we have no idea if we would be held accountable or Mercedes, in the event of an issue.

STELLANTIS TO SELL LEAPMOTOR VEHICLES IN EUROPEFollowing a £1.3 billion investment in the Chinese EV maker, Leapmotor, Stellantis will start selling their vehicles in Europe from 2024. No details have been revealed as to what models they would be. We also ask if it is the technology side of things that Stellantis is really after. You can read more, by clicking this link to an Autocar story.

RAC STATES FUEL PRICES ARE UNFAIRLY HIGHThe RAC has explained that all fuel retailers should be lowering their prices by at least 5p per litre, thanks to the drop in wholesale costs. They also point out how this is helping to ensure that inflation remains high. If you would like to read more, click this TopGear article link here.

VOLKSWAGEN TO CUT THOUSANDS OF JOBSVolkswagen has announced that CARIAD, the software division of the VW Group, will bear the brunt of job loses that the board has agreed can take place. On top of that, the update software for their car’s operating systems is to be delayed 16 to 18 weeks. That is not the end of the bad news, as the next generation OS, 2.0, is being rewritten therefore the deployment in 2025 looks unlikely, at best. Click this Reuters article link here, to learn more

VOLVO TO ALSO BUILD EX30 IN EUROPEFollowing the political statements from both Europe and China, Volvo has take the prudent step of declaring that their Ghent factory will also build the EX30, from 2025. Previously all production was expected to come from China. To learn more, click this AMOnline article link here.

JLR TO BUILD EVS AT NITRA PLANTIn a move that should surprise no one, JLR has announced that they will transform their Nitra Plant, in Slovakia, to be able to build electric vehicles by 2030. This is their newest site, which opened in 2018 and has built over 365,000 Discovery and Defender vehicles. Click this Autocar link to read more.

TOYOTA HYDROGEN FOCUS TURNS TO COMMERCIAL VEHICLESToyota has announced that it will be moving its focus, for the development of hydrogen vehicles, from private cars to commercial vehicles. They say, following world wide experiments, that the lack of infrastructure is the stumbling block for private owners. To read more, click this Autocar link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Mercedes-AMG GLE 53Another week another SUV coupe (and regular SUV in the case) being updated, this time from Mercedes-AMG. A 3.0 litre straight-six engine will be mated with a hybrid system, for the first time. The PHEV version will do around 50 miles on electric drive alone. For more information, including the dizzying number of powertrain choices and outputs, click this link to read an Autocar article.

Mercedes-Benz EQS SUVFollow the confusion, last week, for the chaps and the naming system of Audis, Mercedes steps up to the plate to befuddle Andrew and Alan. The EQS SUV is getting a better battery and improved efficiency. Later next year, the EQS saloon will also get this. Yes, for some reason Merc EVs don’t follow the convention of SUVs having a ‘G’ designation. Sigh. Anyway, if you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

Ferrari 296 ChallengeFerrari has revealed their new car for the FIA-homologated own brand championship that takes place in North America, Europe, Japan and the UK. Obviously not road legal, but quicker and better than the outgoing 488 Challenge Evo. This is based on the 296 car, but with the hybrid system removed so it is relatively light too. If you want to find out more, click this CAR article link here.

Ferrari 499P track carIf the 296 Challenge is not exclusive enough for you, Ferrari think they have you covered. For a mere £4.6 million (plus VAT) you can get ACCESS to a derestricted 499P hypercar, based on the Le Mans winning vehicle. This access is in the form of nine racing events a year, for two years, at specific tracks that Ferrari designates. For those with incredibly deep pockets and an urge to race behind closed doors, click this Autocar article link to find out more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: AUTOSHENNANIGANS TRACKS DOWN THE “F1” CAR THAT APPEARS IN HIS M8 VIDEOFollowing the release of the M8 video, on the Autoshennanigans YouTube channel, many have mentioned and asked about what appeared to be a yellow F1 car that was in a drone shot. Well, John tracked down the owner who agreed to appear on the show and talk about that car and others he’s owned. Do enjoy, which you can do by clicking this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE TRIUMPHS AND DISASTERS OF NAMEPLATE REVIVALSAlan chooses one model name that has been resurrected which seems to have gone well, whilst others on the list have not. Have a check of this Autocar link to see if any stick out to you. Don’t forget to tell the chaps which one you selected.

AND FINALLY: BELGIUM STUDENTS WIN SOLAR RACE DOWN UNDER A student team from Leuven, in Belgium, has won the Australian Solar Race, with their innovative design that carefully married aerodynamics with a large surface area to fix the maximum number of solar panels too. On top of that they added a sail, which helped with stability and occasionally propulsion, if the wind was in the right direction. Click this Autoevolution to read more.

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JAPAN MOBILITY SHOW 2023Alan and Andrew are rounding up the motoring element of the Japan Mobility Show 2023, which is the replacement for the Tokyo Motor Show. The organisers have expanded the remit and potential audience. There are stands about everything from wheelchairs to private jets and all things between.

TINY CARSAs this is Japan you can imagine just how many tiny and kei cars there were. We have picked only a small fraction to discuss.

Honda CI-MEVDaihatsu ME:MoDaihatsu UNIFORM Truck and UNIFORM CargoDaihatsu CopenSPORTS CARSIn selecting all the cars that are in here, some stretching of the definition of “sports” has occurred. Do bear with us as we try to explain why the choices that have been made, have been made.

Honda PreludeMazda Iconic SPHonda Sustania-CToyota FT-3eToyota FT-SeNissan Hyper ForceELECTRIC SUVSAs you would expect, there was a lot of electric SUVs on display. Here we have picked some of the more interesting ones, to our eyes.

Nissan Hyper PunkNissan Hyper Adventure Toyota Land Cruiser SeToyota EPUFEEDBACKAs this is only the second time we have tried to do this multimedia style approach, where we are showing what we discuss (if your player can display the photos), we would like your feedback. We know there are things to improve, but if you could let us know if the efforts we have gone to are okay or not, that would be great.

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CALLS FOR RULES OF ORIGIN AGREEMENT STRENGTHENEDThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has reinforced its call for an agreement to be reached between the EU and UK over rules of origin delay. The SMMT has outlined what the average price increase would be for vehicles coming into or out of the UK and EU. You can read more about the potential impact by clicking this link to an SMMT article.

The UK Government has stated that if a satisfactory agreement with the EU cannot be reached over rules of origin it would just make their own rules up. That have not clarified what these would be, nor how they expect them to help UK based companies. Click this Autocar article to read more.

CHINA EXPORT TARIFFS APPLIED TO GRAPHITE China will be imposing an export tariff on certain grades of graphite, which is used in the manufacture of electric car batteries. This will mean that homegrown batteries will be cheaper than, those built using the material abroad. To learn more, click this electrive link here.

£200M NET ZERO DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMThe UK Government has set aside £200 million of the net zero funding to enable four demonstration projects for the viability of electric HGVs. This is a move to help encourage and demonstrate the positives of moving to the UK haulage industry. In order to read more, click this link here to a Current News article.

UK GOVERNMENT URGED TO IMPROVE ROADS OUTSIDE THE SOUTHA report from the National Infrastructure Commission has called on the Government to improve on the amount of money allocated to the Road Investment Strategy being spent on the Midlands and the North of England. Only 22% goes to projects outside the South, which looks bad but there are a few reasons for why this is the case. To read more, click this article link from Autocar.

VOLTA TRUCKS ENTERS BANKRUPTCYFollowing supplier Proterra going into administration and an inability to raise more funding, Volta Trucks has entered bankruptcy in Sweden, with it following suite soon in the UK too. Management are trying to find a buyer to take it on as a going concern. Click here to read more, via Autocar.

JLR’S HUGE REPAIRS PARTS SHORTAGECar Dealer Magazine has an exclusive report on 10,000 JLR vehicles being affected by the company’s huge parts shortage issue. Digging into the problem, it is clear the situation has been made so much worse with a huge consolidation project that combined a number of warehouse facilities into a new single site, changing parts supplier and combining a number of legacy systems into a new one. As Alan, who’s day job is just this sort of thing states, “that’s courageous”. If you would like to read more, click this link to the original scoop here.

ALPINA FOUNDER PASSES AWAYBurkard Bovensiepen, who was the founder of ALPINA, has sadly passed away at the age of 87. He helped create an incredible company that was involved in not just making BMWs so very special. To learn more about his life and what he helped build, click this TopGear link here.

GREENWICH COUNCIL LOSES EVERY PENALTY CHARGE APPEALFrom July 2022 until September 2023, Greenwich council entered “no evidence” to all appeals against traffic penalty notices issued by them. This meant it was an automatic win for those appealing. The reason given was said to be a lack of staff, but this has now been rectified. However, if you are in London you have nearly a 50% change of winning any appeal. To read more, click this BBC News article link here.

STUDENT INVENTS AFFORDABLE EV CONVERSION KITAustralian student, Alexander Burton, has won an award for his idea of helping make almost any internal combustion engined car become a hybrid. Behind each wheel there would be an electric motor fitted that would power the vehicle. We chat through this and question the sums quoted and practicality of it all, as we struggle to see how it could be built and installed for what he claims. However, that is not to say we don’t admire the thinking. Click this dezeen link here to see more.

PILOT FOR WIRELESS CHARGING AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS The northwestern part of Kashiwa city, not far from Tokyo, will be trialling wireless EV charging by placing them on sections of the roads that traffic has to slow down to run on, such as traffic lights. The idea being frequent and short charging will help boost an EVs range. You can learn more by clicking this link from The Register.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Citroën e-C3Citroën has shown us the e-C3, the replacement for the C3, which will be an electric SUV with a starting price of £23,000. This is to be aplauded! Finally, an EV that doesn’t cost in excess of £30K and be called “affordable”. What is less encouraging though, is the looks. Click here to view the concept Oli, from Citroën’s own article. Now compare that to the e-C3, which you can do here by clicking the link from CAR. Where’s the funky and fun on the e-C3? How is that “Citroën”?

Delage D12This week’s ridiculous and questionable car, comes from Delage, the long dead French car brand. A V12 hybrid hypercar that looks more at home in a computer game than the road, this £1.7 million car is one of a number of models planned. We’ll be amazed if any actually get made and bought. Click this Autocar link here to read more.

Jaguar F-Type ZP Edition The F-Type is bowing out in expensive style. Costing from £134,925, the special edition will only have 150 car built, with only 10 of those slated for the UK. At that price, one is deep into Porsche 911 territory. To learn more about the details, click this EVO article link here.

Mercedes-AMG GLA45 SThe top of the range GLA is being refreshed next year, with no changes to the performance, but there is to the looks and the headlight technology. Yes, really. Also expect to pay closer to £70,000 for one too, or whatever that translates to for PCP. If, for some reason, you wish to learn more, click here to read about it via EVO.

Audi A4In 2024 the A4 will be going all electric, with an expected range close to 400 miles. There will also be an ICE version, but this will be named A5, thanks to the recent naming convention change from Audi. No real details yet, but if you’d like to look at what Autocar think it will look like, click this link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: KKANGOO JAMBOREEEvery year thousands of Japanese Renault Kangoo fans meet up to share their passion for the French car. This year was the fourteenth anniversary of the event. Click here to see Renault’s own press release.

Click here for the CarThrottle article, that includes the livestream link you can watch.

LIST OF THE WEEK: NINE OF THE BEST CAR INTERIORS OF THE 21ST CENTURYTop Gear once again bring us a list worthy of sharing with you. This time it is all about the interiors, and to be frank there are no bad choices here. Click this link to view the options and don’t forget to tell the chaps what you’d like to own.

AND FINALLY: DRONE FOOTAGE OF THE RIMAC FACTORY A one-shot fly through of the Rimac factory, including the production line, is a wonderful way to round out this week’s show. Click here to see more, thanks to Design News.

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DOJ CHARGES EBAY OVER ROLLING COAL DEVICE SELLINGThe Department of Justice (DOJ) in the US, has taken eBay to court over allowing ‘rolling coal’ devices to be sold on the platform. These manipulate the control of engines and allow for huge plumes of black smoke to be emitted by vehicles. eBay says it cut so many out and does all it can. The fine, if found guilty would be a maximum in the region of $2 billion, but as its an American company it will not be that high. Click this CNBC article link to learn more.

BATTERY RECYCLING PLANT OPENS IN WOLVERHAMPTON Battery recycling firm, Recyclus, have opened their new Wolverhampton operation that will eventually enable them to process up to 22,000 tons of lithium ion batteries. Called ‘urban mining’, such operations will be vital in bringing down the environmental impact of our electrified future. You can learn more by clicking this electrive article link here.

WAE TO BUILD EV BATTERIES IN OXFORD FACTORY WAE will produce electric batteries, mainly for heavy plant vehicles, in its new £20 million factory, located near Oxford. The UK has a thriving heavy plant manufacturing industry and home built batteries will be vital to ensuring the viability of that sector. If you wish to learn more, click this link to an Autocar article.

AUDI CUTS BACK PRODUCTION PLANS FOR Q4 ETRONPlans to build the Q4 eTron in Audi’s own Brussels plant have been put on hold as demand is not enough to meet the capacity at the VW Zwickau factory. Workers in Brussels have gone on strike as their contracts are changed to fit the new future. Click this electrive article link to see more.

MERCEDES-BENZ EACTROS 600 Mercedes has revealed the 2024 eActross 600, a lorry capable of travelling 310 miles on a single charge, with a payload of 22 tonnes. With regular, legislated stops and charging whilst taking required breaks, will allow it to travel 600 miles easily. For more on this, click here to read more via Green Fleet.

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 C-HRToyota has announced pricing for the new C-HR, with it starting at £31, 290 and topping out at £42,720 for the range topping Premier Edition spec. Click this Autocar article link to find out all the details of the car and options for powertrains.

Lexus LBXThe LBX is a small crossover, that is based on the underpinnings of the Toyota Yaris Cross, which will be the new entry level to the brand. Prices start at £29,995 and go all the way up to £40, 545 for the Takumi Design spec. You can find out more by clicking this CAR article link here.

Kia EV2 Kia announced several new planned models, which we start with covering the baby one, the EV2. The brand aims to have an entry price of around £25,000 when it comes out in 2026 and is to be city car sized, targeting the likes of the Corsa, Peugeot 2008 and suchlike. Click this Autocar link to read more.

Kia EV3Next we move onto the Kia EV3, a baby SUV, due out next year, which will replace the Soul for less than £30,000. Looking at the size and price point this will be quite popular. For more on this, click here to read via Autocar.

Kia EV4This will be a saloon/fastback style car, instead of another SUV. The aim is to take on the likes of the Polestar 2. Again, not due until 2026, there are scant details on the vehicle. But, to learn as much as we all do, click this Autocar link here.

Kia EV5Back to SUVs and one that is initially aimed at China, but we will be amazed if it does not end up here too, the EV5. Continuing to use the ‘Tiger Face’ design language, this smart SUV is aimed at families. Click here to read more, from the CAR article.

BMW X2BMW has revealed the new X2 and iX2, which will now come as a smallish SUV coupe. It is utterly hideous, click this link to see exactly how bad it is, thanks to an Autocar article.

Skoda to stop offering sat nav for freeSkoda is experimenting with what customers will or will not accept as paid for extras, including if there is an appetite for subscription services. Sat nav, automatic headlights and adaptive cruise control will now be paid for extras. Click this Autocar link to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: STRANGEST THING ABOUT THE HUGE FIRE AT A BRITISH AIRPORT PARKING GARAGE IS HOW PEOPLE REACTED TO ITFollowing the fire at the Luton Airport car park, the loons of the internet rushed from underneath their rocks to scream about how is was an EV and clearly an EV when the fire service stated it was a diesel vehicle. The Autopian brings us a read on how nuts it has all been, from the outsiders perspective. Click here to read how mad it looked from afar.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE 19 VANS YOU NEVER KNEW YOU WANTEDTop Gear give an brilliant list to pick from, click here to check it out and make your choice. Don’t forget to tell the chaps which you would have and if their choices were decent or not.

AND FINALLY: FLORIDA MIGHT CHANGE A ROAD NAME IN HONOUR OF JIMMY BUFFETT A Florida lawmaker is asking the state to change the name of the A1A costal highroad, to the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway. Click here to read more via an CNN article.

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FOLLOW UP: CHINA UNHAPPY AT EU SUBSIDY PROBEIn a move that should surprise no one, China has complained about the process and speed of the EU’s investigation into the possibility of state backed subsidies for Chinese EV makers. Click here to read the Reuters article with plenty of quotes from China making it clear there will be ramifications.

FOLLOW UP: PENDRAGON SUITERS DOWN TO TWO The Hedin Penske bid for Pendragon has been removed, which leaves two suiters. A report this week has suggested that the AutoNation offer can increased and take it well above the Lithia Motors proposal. If they do, the board of Pendragon are expected to recommend AutoNation. You can read more by clicking this article from AMOnline, here.

SEPTEMBER 2023 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES No matter how positive many are trying to be about September’s figures, they were dreadful. Overall, whilst better than 2022 and ignoring the Covid years, it was the lowest since before 2007, EVs failed to break 16% again, private EV rates are down 14% and you have to wonder how long fleet registrations can prop up the industry. On top of all of that, the reporting on this has once again been poor. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) inevitably calls on the Government to support private buyers so that more cars can find new homes. Click here to read the SMMT’s official post.

GOVERNMENT UNVEILS “THE PLAN FOR DRIVERS” DOCUMENTLast week the Transport Secretary revealed a document called “The Plan for Drivers” which is a 30-point plan aimed at helping to make driving less of a chore in the UK. If you would like to learn what the plan exactly entails, click here to read the document from the .GOV site. For a summary, click this Autocar link here.

JLR IN TROUBLE WITH ASA The Advertising Standards Authority has banned an advert for the Range Rover Sport SVR from JLR. The ruling cited that the main message was about speed, which contravenes the CAP Code rule 19.4. JLR disagreed, but when the time from 0-60 was the second of two sentences, it is easy to see how the ASA came to the decision it did. You can read more, by clicking this AMOnline link here.

POLICE USED VAN TO STOP RUNAWAY CARA man called the police, in order to get them to help him find a way to stop his car that was stuck at 30mph. Eventually, they used a police van, which acted as the brakes, to bring to vehicle to a safe stop. There is no current understanding as to why the accelerator was jammed on. We hope when the reason is found that is reported to all of us. To read about this story, click here for the BBC News version.

VOLVO NAMES NEW UK MANAGING DIRECTORNicole Melillo Shaw has been named as the next managing director for Volvo UK, following the news that Kristian Elvefors will be leaving the brand. Melillo Shaw is currently their commercial operations director. Click this AMOnline link to learn more.

BMW ANNOUNCES MANAGEMENT There are several new names at several senior management positions within BMW, including Christopher Brownridge who is taking over the role of CEO at Rolls Royce following the announcement that Torsten Müller-Ötvös is leaving after 14 years at the helm. To learn all of the changes, click this electrive article link here.

To read about Müller-Ötvös’s career and achievements at Rolls, click this Autocar link here.

EXPERTS BEGIN TO WONDER WHY ADAS IS SWITCHED OFFEuroNCAP and Thatcham, the testers and campaigners for safety technology to be fitted to cars have stated that they blame drivers for switching off driver assistance technology in cars, as many have begun to question why death and injury rates are not falling after so much is fitted to cars. You need to listen to Alan and Andrew pull the statements from the two companies apart. To read this week’s Ledge of Fury™️ article, click this Autocar link here.

INDEPENDENT GARAGES CAN ACCESS OBD PORTS COURT RULESThe European Court of Justice has ruled that car makers cannot restrict independent garages from being able to access on-board diagnostic systems. AMOnline have more detail on this important news, which you can read by clicking this link here.

ASTON MARTIN AWARDED GOVERNMENT FUNDINGAston Martin has been awarded £9 million to develop an all new battery electric platform. You can find out what this means, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Skoda KodiaqSkoda continues to update their offerings and following on from last week, announces the revised Kodiaq, their top of the range large SUV. Improvements to styling inside and out, as well as technology help to raise the profile of this vehicle. There will be the wide range of powertrains and prices are expected to be slightly up on the current range. Click this Autocar link to learn more.

GM to return to EuropeGeneral Motors has announced it will return to Europe, initially in Switzerland with five other countries to be expanded into announced at this stage. They will be bringing the Cadillac brand initially, with the electric SUV Lyric being the first model offered. To read more on this move, click here for the Autocar report.

Audi cancels plans to build flagship model in Hanover Audi has confirmed that they will not now be building the unnamed flagship model, which is the culmination of the Artemis Project, in Hanover but at Nekarsulm. There is still no date to when this will take place either. The chaps question why this is happening and if it is a sign of more problems for Audi or speaks of wider issues within the VW Group. Click this electrive link to find out more.

VW to stop Up productionVolkswagen has announced that the popular Up model will cease production. The move isn’t really surprising as Euro7 rules loom and that the sister brand’s models also have been pulled from sale in the last few years. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: ESTATES OF AMERICATop Gear go for a drive in an Audi RS6, to learn about the fascination for some, in station wagons (it is the US after all). Click this link to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST MODERN AND RETRO CAMPERVANS AND RVS IN THE WORLDAutocar provides you with a host of options for almost any type of holiday you might wish to take. Some of the promotional pictures, particularly for the older models, are glorious too. Click here to run through the choices and do let the chaps know what you would have.

To see the first video in the RV rescue series, from Budget Buildz, click here.

AND FINALLY: HUBNUT TESTS A TALBOT MATRA RAncho Ian Seabrook finally gets to test out a Talbot Matra Rancho. Click this YouTube link to enjoy the HubNut video on this special car that was ahead of its time and would not look out of place being made today.

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FOLLOW UP: ZEV MANDATE FINALLY ANNOUNCEDThe Government has finally published the details of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate. As we discussed last week the expected percentage minimums of zero emission vehicles sold per brand have remained from the consultation. However, there is no additional detail from 2030 to 2035 except there being no new internal combustion engines sold from 2035. Click here to read the Autocar article on the story. To read the SMMT’s response, click this link here.

UK ROAD DEATHS RISE The statistics on road deaths and injuries have been released by the UK Government. Deaths have risen, for the first time since 2017, but overall incidents are slightly down. Remember it is pointless to compare with 2020 and 2021 figures, therefore one needs to look to 2019 for comparison. Also, note that there is a lot of information and it is handed to us in a variety of formats, which you need to make sure you are aware of if reviewing the data. Click this link here to read Autocar’s summary. If you would like to review the data, click this Government link here.

YEW TREE CONSORTIUM INCREASES ASTON MARTIN STAKE The Lawrence Stroll led consortium, Yew Tree, has increased their stake in Aston Martin, once again. They continue to be the largest single shareholder. In order to learn more, click here to read the Reuters article link.

PENDRAGON DEALERSHIP CENTRE OF BIDDING WARA trio of US-based bids have been received by Pendragon, for their company, after revealing record profits for the first six months of the year. There have already been increases in bids and counter offers, therefore this may not end anytime soon. You can learn more by clicking this link here to a Car Dealer Magazine article.

PERTH TOYOTA DEALERSHIP CONTRACT REMOVEDStuans, the family owned dealer group, has unceremoniously lost their franchise agreement with Toyota, following no consultation or warning. The sites in Dundee and Perth will now be run by Eastern and Western Motor Group. This one is quite personal for Alan and he goes on to explain how little choice Scottish buyers now get. If you would like to learn more, click this AMOnline article link.

VW HIRES EX TESLA AND RIVIAN SOFTWARE ENGINEERVolkswagen has brought in a non-VW employee to their CARIAD software division, in a shock move. Sanjay Lal, has previously worked at both Tesla and Rivian, as part of his 25 year career. He is being tasked with trying to improve the speed and quality of software development at the company. You can read more by clicking this InsideEVs article link here.

FLEET DATA SHOWS EV TYRES ARE REPLACED MORE OFTENFleet data, analysed by epyx, indicates that EV tyres are being changed 6350 miles ahead of the petrol and diesel engined cars. Whilst there are many nuances and questions, it does appear that the heavier weight is having a knock on effect. More analysis is required but it is good to get actual data from actual real world use. Click here to read more.

MERCEDES LORRY GOES 1000KMS ON SINGLE HYDROGEN TANKMercedes-Benz drove a lorry, at its maximum gross weight, over 1000kms in Germany, on a single tank of hydrogen. This is an impressive feat. Unfortunately, there was no where to fill it up at the destination, but this achievement highlighted the potential and some of the existing constraints for the technology. You can read more, by clicking this link to the electrive 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 CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Skoda KamiqSkoda has face-lifted their small SUV, with minor touches to the external looks and improved technology on the inside. Going up against the likes of the VW T-Cross, Peugeot 2008 and Vauxhall Mokka, Skoda hope this freshening up will lure buyers, as will the starting price of £24,070 for the entry level SE, rising to £29,275 for the range topping Monte Carlo spec. To find out more about engines and the upgrades, click here to read the CAR article link.

Skoda ScalaNot content with refreshing one model, Skoda have also given the Scala a spruce up. This small-ish hatchback which sits between B and C segments, has also been given the latest Skoda look, with the latest technology. Prices start at £22,095 for the SE and top out at £27,795 for the Monte Carlo. All engines are internal combustion, the same as with the Kamiq. Once again, CAR give all the fine details which you can read by clicking this link.

Porsche 911 GT3 R Rennsport Whilst the Rennsport Reunion was underway, in the US, Porsche revealed their limited edition, track only, 911 GT3 R Rennsport model. Essentially a slightly rebodied derestricted GT3 race car. Costing a cool $1,000,000 we presume all have been bought by specially chosen customers of Porsche. You can read all about it here, after clicking this CAR link.

Nissan to stop selling ICE vehicles after 2030We were surprised by Nissan’s announcement that would would only release new EVs from now on and that they would stop selling ICE cars from 2030, but only because we thought they had done so already. If you would like to learn more about what this means, click this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: YEAR LONG RESTORATIONSoup Classics motoring brings this week’s recommendation. Be warned, it is long, but wonderful. Either give yourself permission for a long lunch or watch in stages. Also, if you don’t already, do subscribe to this channel as the work is top quality. Click here to watch more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: WORST REST STOPS IN THE WORLDThis is effectively a US list, which we may poke a little fun at, for the disconnect with the title. However, its not the list but the horror stories associated with each nomination that make it so good. To run through several scaring road trips, click this Jalopnik link here.

AND FINALLY: THE UK HOT WHEELS LEGENDS TOUR 2023 WINNER We said we would, and now we have, brought you more details on the fabulous car that won the UK leg of the Hot Wheels Legends Tour 2023, the MG B-EAST. To learn all about the work and the astonishing detail and dedication click this CAR link here.

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GOVERNMENT DELAYS 2030 ICE-ONLY BANThe Prime Minister announced that he was putting back the date when the sale of new internal combustion engined cars and vans would be banned in the UK, to 2035. This caused much comment, especially from an angry car industry. Click here to read about that, from Autocar. For an explanation as to what has changed, ie. nothing, click this LeasePlan article link.

ZEV MANDATE TO REMAIN DESPITE NEW 2035 ICE-ONLY BAN Whilst much was made of the change in the 2035 date for the banning internal combustion engined only cars and vans, especially by the Government, the zero emission vehicle mandate is to remain in place. The Government is to demand car companies sell a percentage of zero emission vehicles despite adding five years to the deadline and thus making the job harder for those trying to sell cars. To find out more, about this idiotic move, click this Autocar link here.

FRANCE REVISES EV SUBSIDY RULES France will change their electric vehicle subsidy rules, which means many Asian built EVs will not qualify for the financial assistance scheme. The French Government claim, in the face of calls of protectionism, that it is all guided by how green the manufacturing process of the vehicle is and China, for a random example, is still powered to a large extent by non renewable energy sources, according the France. In order to learn more, click here on this Reuters article link to learn more.

EDINBURGH AIRPORT TO INSTALL 40 EV CHARGERSEdinburgh airport is installing 40 EV chargers, a mix of 7kWh and 22kWh versions. Some will be time constrained whilst others will not. Click this electrive.com article link to read more on the story.

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 - Audi Q4 E-tronThe revised Audi Q4 E-tron, for 2024, has been shown to us all. Improvements to the range, a new motor, better efficiency and revised suspension. The price, whilst not yet announced is to be slightly higher than the current version’s. To find out all the stats and info, click this Autocar article link here.

Oshe OkovangoOshe have displayed their Okovango, a restomod version of the Land Rover Defender 90, that evokes the look of African safari vehicles. The price of this very attractive vehicle is £225,000. If you wish to learn more, click this Hagerty article link here.

Frontline LE60 and BEE EV Frontline have taken the MGB GT and produced an electric only version as well as one with a Rover V8. They both look great and to read all the fine details, before their public reveal at Bicester Heritage Sunday Scramble on the 8th October, click this CAR article link here.

David Brown Mini eMasteredContinuing the restomod theme of the show, this week, we discuss the restomod of an original Mini, with an electric powertrain. With only a small battery, that’ll do 110 miles, it is only capable of charging at speeds up to 6.6kWh. However, as one would expect for a vehicle priced at £150,000 the attention to detail is superb. You can find out more by clicking this CAR article link here.

Volvo will build no more diesel engines from 2024Volvo has announced that it will not spend any more R&D money on diesel engines, nor will it build their own from spring 2024. Perhaps we are too wary with the wording of Volvo press releases but there didn’t appear to be the words “we will not sell a Volvo with an diesel engine” in all that. Click this CAR article link to see for yourself.

Audi to change their model naming rules. Again. Audi has decided to change how it names it’s models, to help clear up any confusion we might have. Following their recent change to include 35, 45 and 55 which apparently helped consumers understand something better which we still can’t work out what they denote, all help is gratefully received. Audi will now name all electric vehicles with an even number and non electric are odd numbered, but electric vehicles will still retain the eTron moniker. Riiight, that’s all sorted then. If you wish to try and make sense of this, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: PEDAL CARS AT GOODWOODFriend of the show, Alex Goy has written up the fascinating story of the Dron family and their link to the Goodwood Revival and how that now runs to a third generation. Click this Motor1 article link to read this really lovely story.

LIST OF THE WEEK: COMPLETE LIST OF THE CARS OF COLUMBO TV SERIESWe have managed to find a belter of a list for you this week. How about all of the significant cars of each Columbo TV episodes? We are linking you to a 34 page PDF that shows them all in order from episode one to the last. Click here to lose yourself back in time.

AND FINALLY: THE MAN WHO TAKES HIS VAN RALLYING DirtFish provide the end to our show, this week. Takahiro Kitami has made modifications to a Toyota HiAce, to make it legal to rally, which he then does with some gusto. Click the link here to read more and watch the embedded video to see Kitami-san in glorious action. Brilliant!

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INDUSTRY CALLS FOR MORE GOVERNMENT HELPThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has called on additional help from the Government, to encourage the uptake of electric vehicles. During their one day conference, called Electrified, they proposed four incentives that would help make the switch easier for the private buyer. You can find out more, by clicking this link here.

NEW EV MINIS WILL BE BUILT IN THE UK BMW is investing £600 million in their Oxford and Swindon plants to enable it to build the new Mini Cooper Electric and the Mini Aceman. This secures around 4,000 jobs and does include some financial support from the UK Government. To find out more, you can click this Autocar article link here.

EU INVESTIGATES CHINESE STATE SUBSIDESThe European Union will begin an investigation into whether the Chinese Government subsidises their car industry and that gives them an unfair advantage in Europe. Alan and Andrew are quite scathing about how this situation has arisen and how this was a very obvious outcome but now politicians and the industry are equally surprised. Click this Autocar article link for more.

We recommend you also click this BBC News article link, as it gives some context to what that means to the UK and potential ramifications if a trade war is started.

SAT NAV WARNING OVER NEW WELSH 20MPH SPEED LIMITSSat nav manufacturers are warning motorists not to trust their systems after the recent implementation of 20mph zones across Wales. They are recommending that the software is updated and to be watchful of the speed limit signs on the roads. To read more, click this BBC News article here.

If you would like to see the extent of the new 20mph zones, click this link to a map showing just how many or few roads are actually affected.

UK ROAD REPAIRS AT LOWEST LEVEL IN FIVE YEARSThe RAC ha found that UK road and pothole repairs are at their lowest level in five years, with some councils carrying out no resurfacing work and many others doing no surface-dressing work. If you would like to learn more, click here to read the Autocar article explaining it all.

CALLS FOR UK GOVERNMENT TO TIGHTEN AV LAWSParliament’s Transport Committee has released a report outlining the areas the Government needs to tighten up the law for autonomous vehicles, if it wants a safe deployment of the technology. Where it is asking for language to be less vague and wooly is very admirable, but still there is the delusion that the way it is being developed will actually result in any safe AV operations is worrying. Click this link to read the committee’s report.

ELECTRIC CAR SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE ONTO IN ADMINISTRATION Onto, the electric car subscription service which wrapped up nearly all the costs of owning and running an EV into one monthly fee, has gone into administration. Legal & General, their major backers pulled out which gave the company no choice but to wind up operations. The rising cost of charging, interest rates and other cost of living issues combined with the fall in value of the cars they have on the books made the business unviable. To find out more, click this Autocar article link.

VILLAGE HOTEL CHOOSES IONITY AS CHARGE POINT PARTNERIonity will supply all Village Hotel locations in the UK with rapid chargers that will be open to both members and the public. These are expected to be all operational by the end of 2024. Click here to read more, thanks to electrive and their 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 CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Smart #3Smart has revealed the #3, the bigger sibling to the #1. Following on with similar looks, but in a bigger overall package, the SUV is inoffensive if unexciting. There is a silly amount of performance for a family vehicle, but that seems to be the way with electric cars today. Click this CAR article link to find out all of the details.

Peugeot E-3008The next generation 3008 has been revealed by Peugeot, first in electric only form, which includes a silly coupe SUV design. The external looks are quite smart, with the three claw mark motif being retained. The interior looks really nice and another evolution on the excellent work Peugeot have done in that department. Which makes it all the more confusing why they have made a family orientated practical vehicle, well, less practical. If you would like to learn more, click this CAR link here.

Fiat 600e Fiat has shown us all the 600e, which has a lot of design touches of the 500 but in a much better resolved package than they previously managed with larger 500 models. This will come in electric only form and is the cheapest of the Stellantis options for the same sized vehicle, including the Jeep Avenger and Vauxhall Mokka. Click this driving electric article link to read more.

Volkswagen ID XVW has showered the very dull ID.7 with stick on parts, a “sporty” interior and increased performance and called it the ID X. The chaps are thoroughly unimpressed by this car and the execution of the idea. To find out more, in a morbidly fascinated way, click this Autocar link here.

Jeep ReconJeep are aiming at the Defender Defender, with their model push in Europe and the UK. The Recon is bigger than the Avenger that is just out, and will be all electric with around about 600bhp. JLR will not have an electric version by the time this comes to our shores. If you want to find out more, click here for the Autocar article link.

ELegend EL1ELegend, a German company, is building a very small number of electric homages to the Audi Quattro Sport. With huge performance and being hand built, there is a bit of a spicy price tag. But the car looks great. Click here to read more, from EVO.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW THE AUDI TT WENT FROM DOODLE TO DESIGN ICONTim Stevens writes in Hagerty, for this week’s recommendation. The design classic that is the Audi TT and it’s history is explained. Thoroughly fascinating story, even if it did give Alan flashbacks to all the mood boards he saw at university. To read about the TT, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE FIRST ELECTRIC CAR MADE BY EVERY CAR MAKERMove Electric supply this really interesting slideshow of first electric cars, from very recently all the way back to the near dawn of motoring time. Do you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choices? Don’t forget to get in touch and let them know after you click this link to find out what options there are.

AND FINALLY: FROM DRIVE EVENT TO DISASTER RELIEF The UK Mazda PR Team were meant to be driving with a host of journalists through the Atlas Mountains, but the night before start was when the dreadful earthquake hit Morocco and the areas they were in and due to drive through. Click this link to a Guild of Motoring Writers article explaining how the Team reacted and did what we would all hope we would do in the same situation. Well done to all involved for trying to do what they could in dreadful circumstances.

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NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR AUGUST 2023For the first time, in a long time, the new car registration overall figure for August is close to those of the before times, being just under seven thousand less than 2019 numbers. Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) jumped to a 20.1% market share for the month, unfortunately the year to date is still stuck in the 16s. The SMMT make it very clear they desperately need the Government to reveal what the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate will actually be as, astonishingly, they have not revealed what it will actually entail. Click here to read more about August from this SMMT article link.

CAMBRIDGE CONGESTION CHARGE CANCELLEDThe plans for charging vehicles to drive in and around Cambridge, during peak times, has been shelved. The Lib Dems expressed “concerns” which removed much of the previous support for the scheme. Labour confirmed they too had concerns over certain aspects of the proposals. However, it was acknowledged that something will have to be done. If you wish to find out more, click this BBC News article link here.

EV NETWORK AND BP PULSE OPEN UK’S LARGEST CHARGING HUBThe NEC Campus is the location for EV Network and BP Pulse’s new charging hub, which is the largest in the UK. There are 16 rapid 300kW chargers and 150 7kW charging points, with provision for some accessible bays in both rapid and fast areas. Click this ZapMap article link to read more.

RICHMOND BOROUGH TO INSTALL 525 MORE CHARGE POINTSThe London Borough of Richmond upon Thames has announced it will be installing a further 525 on-street charge points across its area to bring the total up to 945. You can read more from the electrive.com article via this link here.

LIVERPOOL HYDROGEN BUS PROJECT SCRAMBLES FOR FUELA flagship hydrogen bus project, based in Liverpool, has not been running as the operator struggles to find a fuel supplier. The hope is for the situation to be solved soon, with the source also being sustainably produced. To learn more, click this link here from Hydrogeninsight.

Montpellier is cancelling their hydrogen bus experiment due to the high running costs, when compared to electric buses. Hydrogen has been calculated as six times more expensive that the equivalent electric. Click this Recharge article link to read more.

MOZILLA CLAIMS CAR DATA PRIVACY IS APPALLING The Mozilla Foundation has investigated car brands over...

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FOLLOW UP: XIAOMI’S EV PLANSLast week when discussing the approval of Xiaomi’s plan to build EV, Andrew should have clarified that this was the fourth to be given permission since 2017, not the fifth.

FUEL PRICE RISE HITS HARD IN AUGUST Unsurprising to anyone who’s watched fuel prices over the last few years, petrol and diesel went up in August. That month when the UK takes to roads due to the school holiday. Prices increased by nearly seven pence per litre. To read more, including some of the justification of this, click here for the Autocar article.

ALMOST HALF HOMEOWNERS WOULD PAVE GARDEN TO CHARGEResearch by EO Charging found that 49 percent of homeowners would pave over their front garden, to make it easier to charge their electric car. This is despite 53 percent expressing concern in people paving over their front gardens. For further insight, click this link to read more at Motoring Research.

JLR TO USE SUSTAINABLY FUELLED LORRY FLEETJLR (y’know, the lot that used to be called Jaguar Land Rover), will be running their lorry fleet on sustainable biofuel, from 2024. They estimate this will cut their road freight carbon emission by up to 84 percent. To learn more, click this link to the Autocar article referred to on the show.

TOYOTA, VW AND KIA PRODUCTION HIT BY DISRUPTIONFactories across the globe came to standstill in the last week for a variety of reasons. All of Toyota’s output in Japan ceased after an issue with a systems update. Kia’s factory in Hwaseong, South Korea, was shut following a fire. Volkswagen’s Slovakia plant stopped making the T-Roc following severe flooding in the region causing damage to a supplier’s operations. Click this AMOnline article link to read more.

GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES MAAS TRAVEL APPS STANDARDSThe Government has announced the guidelines for Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) apps.The aim is to make them more user friendly, safer and reduce costs for travellers. These apps are thought to be developed to contain public transport, road and micro-mobility information and costings. For you to learn more, click this link to an Intelligent Transport article. Maybe Alan’s dream app will finally happen?

FRENCH ROAD SIGN CAUSES CONFUSIONFrench authorities are testing a new symbol, to be displayed on digital road signs that indicate a lane is for car-sharing only. One tiny problem is, it looks a lot like the Renault logo, but following the company’s lawyers investigating no further action was taken. You can read more, by clicking this link here to a Connexion 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 CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Mini Cooper ElectricMini has revealed their new Cooper Electric, which is the new name for the five door hatch version, which we all used to call the One. The dimensions remain, essentially, the same as the previous model, but inside has two centimetres more room. The design is smoother and more resolved, particularly around the front, than the last model. To find out more, including prices and specs, click this CAR article link here.

Mini CountrymanNot content with the Cooper Electric, Mini also showed off their new Countryman. This certainly has not been kept to the same size as the previous generation. The design is a smart evolution on the existing model, again better resolved than previously. For more information, click this link to a CAR article explaining all the details.

Volkswagen Passat VW has shown us the next generation Passat. Of note, it is only available in estate form, which is good news for those of us who like estates. Other than that though, there is very little that is remarkable about this car. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

BMW Neue KlasseBMW, to much fanfare, revealed their new design language via their Neue Klasse concept car. Both Alan and Andrew struggle to see what makes it a BMW or have any enthusiasm for the design that appears to ape other brands. You can make up your own mind by clicking this Autocar link to see more.

Roundup of IAA Munich Motor Show 2023The original plan was for a Special Edition to be produced this week with our thoughts on the IAA Munich Motor Show, but we are so disappointed and lack any enthusiasm for anything revealed that has been canned.

Instead you can see what Autocar thought of it by clicking this link to their roundup here.

For CAR’s opinion, click this link to their roundup.

Polestones 01We thought the bad old days of Chinese copycat designs was over, but it most certainly is not with the Polestones 01 SUV. Defender, Toyota and Hyundai lawyers must be looking very closely at this. Filled to the brim with tech, for both the powertrain, driver assistance and entertainment, though it is, that has not stopped them throwing the kitchen sink at it. Click this Autocar link to see more and do double takes on many of the photos.

Alfa Romeo 33 StradaleAgain another car the chaps should be so excited about which has failed to really ignite a fire. Alan postulates that the original was so good that anything was going to struggle. Whilst it is a good looking and impressive car, is it a £1.7m good car? We’ll let you decide if it is, which you can do by clicking this Autocar link.

Seat to stop making carsVolkswagen finally throw in the towel and announce that Seat will no longer make cars. Instead they will become a ‘mobility brand’. Successive VW boards have failed the Spanish company, so much so that the promise for them did eventually happen but only when they created a sub brand in Cupra. Click this Autocar link to learn more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH AND READ: RADWOOD 2023Andrew and Alan were hugely jealous of all of you that managed to make it to RADwood this year, celebrating everything ace about the 80s and 90s. We are linking you a video from HubNut, which captures the essence of what went on. Click here to watch that.

Also, we recommend you read this Hagerty piece too, which tells you about the Show and Shine winners and the Hot Wheels Legends Tour which selected the UK’s representative for the global competition. Click this link to see more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: INTERSTING FOUR-WHEEL-SALOONS WE FORGOT ALL ABOUTAutocar provide another slideshow for us to pour over and select the one four-wheel saloon we’d like to have more than the others. Do you agree with the selections made on the show? Do let us know your choice.

AND FINALLY: SETTRINGTON CUP RUNS FOR 11TH YEAR As a reminder that Goodwood Revival is on this weekend, we link you to a piece from last year celebrating the 10th year anniversary of running the Settrington Cup, where children race to their pedal cars and are cheered on along a course to see who can make it to the finish line first. Click here to read more.

The Motoring Podcast Watchalong party will start on Saturday just in time for this race to take place and go all through the afternoon, with the chaps coming back and doing it all again on Sunday! We hope you can join us and chat to us in the YouTube comments as we prattle on whilst watching. Don’t forget you need to have a separate window open with Goodwood’s own livestream playing as we cannot include it for understandable copyright reasons.

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FOLLOW UP: BATH CAZ MAKES A DIFFERENCEFollowing the introduction of a Clean Ari Zone (CAZ) to a portion of Bath, NOx levels have dropped by 26% and only 1% of vehicles entering the zone are non compliant. Bath took the approach of targeting taxis, vans, buses, coaches and lorries only. You can find out more, by clicking this BBC News article link here.

DAMAGE FROM POTHOLES ROCKETS IN JULYJuly, in the UK, was incredibly wet which has help to make conditions that have led to a sharp increase in vehicle damage due to potholes. Drivers have not been able to establish if a puddle is shallow or to a depth comparable to Lock Ness. To learn more, including how to make a claim from the local council if you are unfortunate enough to damage your car, click this CAR link here.

DEVON ASKS FOR MORE MOTORING OFFENCES POWERDevon County Council has started a public consultation on approval from residents to extend their powers to include prosecuting drivers for contravening some motoring offences. We are curious how some of the claims the council are making can actually occur by fining someone for going past a no entry sign. Click this link to a BBC News article to read more and also find the link to the consultation.

GLASGOW HYDROGEN PROJECT CANCELLEDGlasgow Council has cancelled their hydrogen refuse lorry project. Details are unclear as to why the decision was made. Alan and Andrew try to work it out with availability of suitable vehicles and the increase in the cost of hydrogen being likely suspects. They will now channel that money into electrifying their fleet. If you would like to read more, click this article link from FuleCellsWorks.

LEGAL TESLA CHARGER OPENS IN UKTesla has opened their first V4 chargers, in the UK. The significant improvements include a longer charging cable, meaning it should be easier to reach charging ports. But most importantly, is that they will finally be compliant with UK regulations and allow for contactless payment. Click this Top Gear article 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 - Kia EV5Kia have revealed their EV5, which is a smaller version of the seven seat EV9, with very similar external boxy styling. Whilst no details have been released regarding price, it is expected to be around £50,000, similar to the Skoda Enyaqi, Ford Explorer and Fisker Ocean. Click this link to an Autocar article to see the clean and minimal design both inside and out, as well as some very clever storage solutions.

Hyundai i20Hyundai have given the very good i20 a refresh. Prices start at £20,770, with added safety tech, three new colours and the ability for over the air updates. To read more about this news,

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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

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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...

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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...

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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....

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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...

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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 2023episode. 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

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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...

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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...

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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 Odland, 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...

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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...

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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,

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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...

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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,

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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 maker, has unveiled its third generation battery swap station and technology. These are slated to be coming to the UK too. The claim is that the battery pack of a NIO will be swapped in under five minutes. Their new station design will allow for up to 400 swaps in a day. NIO cars can also charge in a typical EV manner. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Ford Tourneo Courier Ford’s new entry level model, following the cull of the Fiesta and Focus, is the new Tourneo Courier. This will eventually come in petrol and EV options. The petrol engine will be a 1.0 litre providing 123bhp (Andrew got it wrong on the show, giving it an single extra bhp) via a six speed manual or seven speed auto box. The EV is expected to have a 55kWh battery, estimated to be capable of around 230 miles. Prices are expected to start, for the ICE version, at £20,000. Click this Autocar link for more.

DS9 Option Upgrades Upgrades to the option specs for the car French diplomats will be driven in abroad, the DS9, have been announced. New infotainment, enhancements in safety tech and passenger comfort are all part of the improvements. As well as a hybrid system that will only be found in the DS9. There are three trim levels, starting with the Rivoli+, Opera and Esprit de Voyage. Prices start at £56,000 and run all the way up to £74,415. Click this Autoevolution link to see more about the upgrades.

Luvly 0A Swedish firm has revealed a flat-pack EV quadricycle competitor to the Citroën Ami. Weighing just 400kg, thanks to a composite construction, the 0 has a claimed top speed of 56mph and a range of 62 miles. To read more, click this link to an Autocar article.

Nils van Roij Design Defender Convertible Nils van Roij Design has revealed a convertible version of the latest Defender. Whilst the chaps cannot fully agree on whether they like it or not, they are in full agreement that they like that someone has tried. Click this PistonHeads link to read more.

Tamiya Wild One MaxThe Little Car Company has confirmed that they will be making a full sized, road legal version of the 1980s Tamiya Wild One radio controlled car you can buy. We have not been this excited for a car in quite some time. Have your heart lifted by clicking this Calibre link and finding out more.

LUNCHTIME READ: WHY THE RIVIAN R1T REPAIR COST $42,000The Autopian once again is the source of our recommendation for something to read over a lunchtime. A small ‘fender-bender’ collision, involving a rental car and a Rivian R1T pickup went viral as the final cost to fix the Rivian came to $42,000. Most scoffed and were incredulous, but those at The Autopian sought the answers to why. Click here to find out what they thought and what it means for all of us in the future.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 OF THE BEST RENAULT SAFRANESPetrolBlog brings us quite the niche list to make your choice from, this week, which Renault Safrane will you pick? Do you agree with Andrew’s choice. Don’t forget to tell the chaps. Click this link to explore your options.

AND FINALLY: IS IT WORTH TRAVELLING FOR CHEAPER FUELAuto Shenanigans has a video out where he tries to get to the bottom of the claim that it is worth travelling for cheaper fuel. A wonderful piece of nerdism, which we heartily applaud. Click here for the YouTube link.

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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 information was not, but also location data is so we are not sure that stacks up. Click this DarkReading article link to find out more.

CORNWALL RESIDENTS ASKED ABOUT ACTIVE TRAVEL HABITSCornwall Council and partners are asking residents to take part in an active travel survey, in order to help them understand what influences those who do. The aim of the study is to reduce car use in the county. More can be read about this by clicking the BBC News article link here.

BUSINESSES PLUG-IN GRANT INCREASEDThe plug-in grant for businesses has increased £500, to £1,500, with immediate effect. The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) keeps the rates under constant review and is empowered to change them at any time. Click this AMOnline article link to learn 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 - MG CybersterMG launched their EV convertible sports car, the Cyberster, in London last week. The claim is it is the world’s most affordable EV coupe. Whilst that is technically correct it will set you back from £55,000, which is quite the price jump in the rest of the MG range. However, this is a good looking car and we wait to see how many leave dealerships. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

Lotus Type 134 Lotus has announced some details, akin to teasing really, what their entry level vehicle will be. A compact SUV, rivalling the Porsche Mecan in size, that will also be “engineered to look, feel and drive a Lotus", as it states in the linked Autocar article. We are not fans of the render provided by the publication and expect it will look different in reality. A lot rides on this car though, with expectation being it will be worth half the sales of the company by 2028. Click the link here to find out more.

Honda e:Ny1Honda has revealed three electrified SUVs as they try to catch up to market. The first is the stupidly named e:Ny1, which is a renamed Chinese model that is itself an electric HR-V with more screens and a refashioned nose. Expected to cost around £30,000 and have a range of 256 miles, with expectation it will be sold later this year. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

Honda ZR-VSecond of the three new reveals is the ZR-V hybrid, which is slotting into a new segment in Europe for Honda, as it sits between the e:Ny1/HR-V and CR-V. This too though is already in another market, this time the US, where Alan has seen these on the road. We are not keen on the looks but then we are struggling to get excited about the sheer volume of SUVs being given to us by manufacturers. This will be priced as roughly £40,000, have a 2.0 petrol mated with two electric motors to provide 181bhp, whilst emitting 130g/km CO2 and 50mpg on the WLTP test. For more on this car, click this Autocar link here.

Honda CR-V PHEV and e:HybridThe final car revealed by Honda is the Mitsubishi Outlander - sorry - the CR-V in either PHEV of e:Hybrid formats. Whilst it does look astonishingly similar to the Outlander, it is their largest European model. This is to go toe to toe with the likes of the Toyota RAV4. Click this Autocar link to read more.

Honda Civic order books open againHonda has confirmed that they have cleared enough of the order backlog to open their order books for the Civic, in the UK, once again. Click the Autocar link found here to learn more.

Mercedes-Benz end CLS productionMercedes has ceased production of the CLS, after nineteen years of production as it needs the capacity for their new E-Class model. You can find out more by clicking this Autocar link.

Volvo delays EX90 production due to software woesVolvo has announced that it will delay production of the all electric EX90 as they iron out the problems they are having with its software. No details have been given about what those issues are. Autocar has more on the story, which you can read by clicking this link here.

GM planning a European returnGM is planning to return to Europe, which it only recently left after selling Opel and Vauxhall. They will only be coming with electric vehicles and are targeting Scandinavia initially. Click here to learn more, from The Drive.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW A REGIONAL AUTO SHOW IN OHIO SHOWED ME AUTO SHOWS MATTERThe Autopian brings us this week’s offering to digest whilst you nibble on your sandwiches. We are told how pointless car shows are, from company execs and foot weary journalists but they are a key event for the buying public. Click this link to read more and realise they are worth maintaining.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 THINGS YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE HIGHWAY CODETop Gear, once again, bring us a list we feel you should read. This time with a hint of consumer journalism, discussing the recently altered Highway Code and elements that have changed which you may have missed. Click this link here to run through them and bring yourself a bit up to date.

AND FINALLY: CRASH TESTING LEGO TECHNIC MODELSOur last offering for your enjoyment is a video crash testing Lego Technic models. Speeds range from 5 km/h up to 100km/h. Click this link to the Goodwood Road & Racing post to watch the chaos.

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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. Click this link to read more from Autocar.

GLASGOW ULEZ BANNING VEHICLESInformation has been revealed about the Glasgow Low Emission Zone, where they are banning vehicles that do not meet the criteria of Euro 6 for diesel and Euro 4 for petrol. The scheme comes into force on 1 June 2023, but Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dundee will introduce their own versions with exactly the same criteria. Click this carwow article link to learn the details.

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 - 2023 PEUGEOT e-2008Peugeot announced the facelift to the e-2008, they electric small SUV. As many, many executives told us, they didn’t feel the need for any flashy stunts on this reveal. The most important upgrades are to the battery and range, now a 54kWh battery and up to 250 miles in range. There is also a petrol variant and a hybrid due next year. Prices for the petrol engined version start at £24, 295 and the EV will be from £35,900 - oh goody, another affordable electric car! Click here for the Autocar article link to tell you all about the car.

Land Rover Defender Islay Edition JLR are reviving the classic Defender in order to charge 30 owners £230,000 for a rare V8 version. The fully restored cars will also be uprated, especially the brakes and suspension as the engine will propel it along to 62 in 5.6 seconds, which sounds utterly terrifying. The overall ethos of the car harks back to the development that took place with Spencer Wilks behind the wheel in 1965. Click this EVO link to read more as that’s the closest nearly all of us will get to one.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: ANTHONY JANNARELLY JOINS CATERHAMAnthony Jannarelly, the founder of Jannarelly Automotive, is joining Caterham as Chief Designer. His Design-1 is a stunning piece of work so the ambitions Caterham have could well be backed up with the looks. For more, click this PistonHeads link.

LUNCHTIME TOUR: SIR WILLIAM LYONS EXHIBITIONThis week we bring you an interactive exhibition, where you can move around a virtual tour of the life and times of Sir William Lyons’s time at Jaguar. This is wonderful and well worth your time. Click here to begin the tour.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 ALTERNATIVE CORONATION PROCESSION CARSAlex Grant, via TopGear, brings us an alternative list of cars that could’ve been used for the Coronation procession. Some you might expect but not all. Click this link to see what Alex has cooked up for us to enjoy.

AND FINALLY: THE MOTORING FUTURE FROM 1971We round out the show with a YouTube video from the BBC Archive channel, of a report on what the future of motoring will look like, as predicted from 1971. To be fair, they are not hugely off. Click this link to listen to clipped english accents tell us about driverless cars, road pricing and a channel tunnel.

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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. Autocar has more on this which you can read by clicking here.

NNCN - TWISTED SUZUKI JIMNYTwisted Automotive, the bespoke 4x4 conversion company, has announced they will be fettling with the Suzuki Jimny. This is their first work on a non-Defender vehicle. Details are a little light as to exactly what they will be doing but prices have been suggested at less than £50,000 (plus VAT) for a complete conversion. Click this Motoring Research article link for more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: SÜhLMANN JOINS MCLARENAfter only three months, Tobias Sühlmann, has left Bentley and gone to Mclaren to fill the void after Rob Melville moved to CEER. To learn more, click this link to a Car Design News article.

LUNCHTIME READ: TAKE BACK QUIET TIME BEHIND THE WHEELFriend of the show, Alex Grant, has written an opinion piece on why we should embrace disconnecting ourselves from being on our phones whilst driving, making it a bit of a sanctuary. We thoroughly endorse this idea. Click this link to the Fleet World digital magazine to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 THINGS YOU NEED TO GO OFF-ROADAs Alan has bought a new off-roader this is the perfect List of the Week from us. Tom Ford has compiled this list for Top Gear which our off roading expert Alan agrees with most of these. Click here to run through the suggestions.

AND FINALLY: LOCALS HIGHLIGHT DREADFUL ROAD SURFACEIn Carmarthanshire, locals have erected a sign to warn drivers of the appalling state of a road with a humorous sign. Click here to see how maybe humour might get something done for them, thanks to the BBC News article.

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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.

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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.

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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, link here, Gen Z has gone all in on Apple, in the US.

As we said when Apple showed it wanted deeper integration into car’s systems, this is a dreadful idea from a safety and security situation. These companies have no idea about safety critical software.

Click this Forbes article link to read more about the over all story.

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:Follow Up - Kia EV9 - After we proudly proclaimed there is no way the EV9 will be coming to the UK, Kia announced the EV9 is coming to the UK. Ah, oops, but we always own up to our mistakes. Click this Autocar article link to learn more details on the car, including how stupidly quickly you can get to 62mph in such a large vehicle.

Suzuki Warranty - Suzuki has announced it now has a 7 year 100,000 mile warranty, if you use their dealer network. This takes it on par with Kia, better than MGs, with only Toyota and Lexus beating everyone. Click here to read more from the Motoring Research article.

Lamborghini Revuelto - Lamborghini has revealed their Aventador replacement, the Revuelto (however you pronounce that!). This will be a hybrid, producing 1000hp and an EV only range of six, yes SIX, miles. However, it looks absurd and fantastic as a Lambo should. To learn more about this poster worthy car, click on this link for an Autocar article.

Smart #3 - Smart has revealed their latest car, the #3 (yes, we know, that is a very silly name). Approximately the same size as the VW ID.4 this is not a small car. Looks wise it captures the generic electric SUV perfectly, neither offensive nor enticing. The full reveal will take place at the Shanghai Motor Show. Click this Autocar link here to see more.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: VW EA266 PROJECTHubNut has an excellent video about the mid engined replacement project for the VW Beetle, bewteen Porsche and Volkswagen. This is a departure from the typical style of videos Ian produces but is very good. Click this YouTube link to watch this fascinating and not well known story.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 7 FAST ESTATE CAR LEGENDS FOR UNDER £20,000Antony Ingram has compiled this week’s list, on Hagerty, where we all get to enjoy our yesterdays and estate car love. Click this link to see the options and don’t forget to tell us if you agree with Alan’s choice.

Click here to see our video on one of the choices too.

AND FINALLY: EASTER JEEP SAFARI CONCEPTSAs we approach Easter it means Jeep reveals this year’s concepts for their Moab safari trip. Think of this as an extra List of the Week, and also tell us if you approve of Andrew’s choice, after clicking this link to the Top Gear article.

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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 Government funding that means they will be adding a further 18 electric buses to make the fleet fully electric for Leicester. Wrightbus will manufacture the buses in Northern Ireland. Click this Move Electric article link to find out more.

FERRARI HAS CUSTOMER DATA HACKED BUT COMPANY OKFerrari has been hacked and is under a ransomware attack, but the company says their own data is safe, but not its customer’s. We covered how a security researcher found a huge vulnerability in their system perviously, that was only made public in January. Ferrari has stated it will not cave to the ransom demands, which is very brave of them after allowing their own customer’s info to be accessed. To read more, click this Security Week article link here. To read the additional article Andrew mentioned, click this Tripwire link here.

TESLA SYSTEM HACKED IN 120 SECONDS At the latest Pwn2Own event in Vancouver one security research firm hacked a Tesla Model 3 in 120 seconds that allowed them to access aspects of the vehicle, including opening the bonnet and doors whilst the car was moving. More can be learned about the story by clicking the DarkReading link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS:Ford Explorer - To much fanfare, the new Ford Explorer EV SUV was revealed. Based on the VW MEB platform, there are obvious similarities to the ID.4 but the vehicle is a touch longer and has a Ford interior. Few details have been released yet, but you can learn more about this very important car, by clicking here on the Move Electric link.

Nissan Townstar EV - Replacing the hateful e-NV200 is the new Townstar, a Nissan badged Renault Kangoo or Mercedes Citan. There is a WLTP range, for the short wheel base version, of 183 miles. Prices start at £29,945 (without VAT) and running up to £35, 845 (without VAT) for the top of the range long wheel base. This larger version can accommodate two euro pallets too. Click here to read more with this electrive.com article link.

LUNCHTIME READ: MICHELIN MANThanks to Hagerty and Anton Ingram, we are recommending this fabulous article taking us through the history of the Michelin Man, such an icon of the roads. You can view the mascot designs from the first iteration up to today’s version, all in the various levels of horrificness. To read this, click here for the link.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE WORST CARS DESIGNED BY PININFARINARestoring our faith in the universe, we bring you a Jalopnik link that shows even the most talented can have off days. Click this link to run through the options for the worst cars ever designed by Pininfarina. Do tell us if you agree with Alan’s choice or what you would pick.

AND FINALLY: ROBOTIC PARKING LOTSTom Scott’s latest video is about robotic parking lots in Japan, why they are, how they work and what it is like inside them. Fascinating stuff as he covers bicycles, cars and EVs. Click this YouTube link to see more.

Click here to see the other YouTube video of what it is like to drop your car off at such a parking lot, that Alan mentioned.

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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 Approval. This means they are certified as meeting the standards required in the region. Click here for more information, thanks to the Volta Trucks press release.

DVLA DELAYS TO 3M PAPER APPLICATIONSWhilst the DVLA swiftly dealt with 17 million online applications, since 2020, they have struggled with 3 million paper applications resulting in significant delays. On top of that they failed to answer 60 million phone calls in the same time period. The DVLA claim systems have been upgraded and delays are no longer an issue. You can learn more by clicking this BBC News article link here.

WAZE TO ADD EV CHARGE POINT INFORMATION TO MAPSWaze, the crowdsource navigation app, will crowdsource EV charge point data and add that to their maps. This feels quite a late move but welcomed nonetheless. Click this Move Electric link for more information.

3G IS BEING TURNED OFF IN THE UkVodafone has started to switch off the 3G band, in the UK, which will cause problems for connected devices that cannot access the 4 and 5G networks. This has implications for older vehicles that use 3G sim cards and the likes. Click this MoneySavingExpert article link for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS:Kia EV9 - Kia has unveiled their range topping seven seater EV SUV, the EV9, which will have a max range of 337 miles. The looks are clean and crisp, with this being the first full design from Karim Habib. We do not think this will be coming to the UK and Europe due to the size of it. Prices are expected to start around £60,000 and move up to £80,000 as you climb the range and specification sheet. Click this Autocar article to learn more.

Ferrari Roma Spider - Ferrari has revealed the Roma Spider, which maintains the performance of the coupe version, even though it is slightly heavier. Expectation is that it will cost more than the coupe which begins at £170,000. There is a twin-turbo V8, delivering just the 612bhp, that enables a 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds and it tops out at 199mph. You can learn more by clicking this Autocar link here.

Ford Bronco in Europe - Ford has confirmed that, in very limited numbers, the Bronco will come to Europe, targeting extreme off-road usage. Using the existing 2.7litre V6 Ecoboost engine as in the States. To find out more, click the link here to read an Autocar article.

BMW XM Autocar Review - We weren’t going to cover this, but the review from Autocar is so scathing and fantastically written we wanted to share it with you. As a contrast, Jalopnik really like the car. Click here to read the Autocar review.

BMW i5 Touring - BMW announced that they will be bringing an all-electric i5 Touring version of the new 5-Series in 2024. Details are, well, nonexistent, but the car does look like a restrained BMW design, which will appeal to all of us who prefer something a bit more subtle. More can be found out by clicking here for an Autocar article on the news.

BMW axing most diesels - BMW has confirmed that they are removing most of the diesel engine options from its range, in the UK. The drop in sales is behind the move and is understandable. Click here to read more, from Autocar, including which models are involved.

Citroën Berlingo petrol and diesel -Citroën has announced that due to customer demand, they will be offering the petrol and diesel five-seat Berlingo once again. However, there will be a fixed bulkhead, therefore this is a commercial vehicle and the reason they can offer ICE engines once more. You can read more by clicking this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE AGE OF AVERAGEWe are recommending a tremendous piece to read about the homogeneity of our visual culture, whether that is architecture, retail, fashion, people, apps and obviously automotive. This is a really thought provoking piece that we hope you enjoy and makes you consider how samey so much of design has become. Click this link here to read what Alex Murrell has to say.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THESE ARE THE BUCKET LIST ROADSJalopnik has compiled a bucket list of roads it’s writers want to drive on. The all are tremendous, therefore it was a very tricky task for Alan to pick one. Don’t forget to tell us which you would make your number one after you click this link here to see the options.

AND FINALLY: HOW SOLID SNAKE ADVERTISED A FORDThanks to spotting a tweet from friend of the show, Alex Goy, we now know the incredible story behind the mashup between Metal Gear Solid and Ford, which resulted in Snake advertising the Ford Focus. Click this Twitter link to read more from David Hayter, the voice actor, on how it came to be.

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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. Click through on this Design News article link to read more and then watch the video part way down as see how advertisements have been added. Of course they have.

TEVVA EV TRUCK ELIGIBLE FOR GOVERNMENT GRANTThe Tevva 7.5 tonne electric truck, which we discussed after it received European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval in January, is eligible for up to £16,000 Government Plug-In Truck Grant. To read more, click this MoveElectric article link here.

ARRIVAL CONFIRMS EXTRA CASHIgor Torgov, CEO of Arrival, announced the company plans and $300 million equity financing. The expectation, from the company, is that it will be building their vans in the Charlotte factory late 2024, as long as they get funding for said factory. They will also be reducing their headcount to below 800 personnel. To read more, click this link to a press release from Arrival.

NEW HYDROGEN FUELLING STATIONS PLANNED IN UKElement 2, a British Company, plans to open a network of hydrogen fuelling stations across the UK by year end. They also expect to add to the initial five sites, with up to 30 locations allowing hydrogen HGVs, light commercials and cars to refuel. You can read more by clicking this Autocar article link here. Click this tweet link, from Peter Campbell, for a summary.

MAZDA MX-5 DRIVES 1,000 MILES WITH SUSTAINABLE FUELMazda, in partnership with Croyton SUSTAIN, drove an unmodified MX-5 1.000 miles around the UK to lap a race track in each of the home nations, using fossil-free fuel. Agricultural waste was used to create the fuel, which did not effect the performance or efficiency of the engine. To read more on this, click here for the Inside Mazda article and stunning photos.

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:2023 Hyundai Kona EV - More details have been revealed about the new Kona EV, which whilst retaining the same battery pack and motors, will be bigger, bolder and upgraded in terms of quality. There is no confirmation on price yet, but is expected to slightly more than the existing, therefore we can expect around a £36,000 starting price. Additionally, to the increased interior space, many of the controls are buttons and dials! To read more, click this MoveElectric link here.

Xiaomi MS11 - Xiaomi, the Chinese electronics company, has confirmed that their electric saloon, the MS11, will come to market in 2024. The exterior has captured the ‘generic EV saloon’ look with McLaren headlights slapped on the front. We are concerned at the amount of money being invested in the car division as it is very low, for industry standards. Click here to see more, via the Autocar article.

UK Car of the Year 2023 Winner - The UK Car of the Year Category Winner for 2023 has been announced. Congratulations to MG as their MG4 topped the list. The Dacia Jogger was second and the Toyota GR86 was third, congratulations to both.

To read more, including why some judges picked the MG4, click this link to the official UK Car of the Year website.

LUNCHTIME READ: AUTOMAKERS NEED TO COME UP WITH BETTER EV NAMESThe article we are pointing you towards, this week, is a little tongue in cheek but also there is a grain of truth behind it. The naming of cars is under the spotlight, click this link to see who is considered to be doing it well, merely okay and who needs to up their game, according to Car Buzz.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE COOL CONCEPT CARS WE TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUTAutocar provide a 45 pictured slideshow for us all to run through and select our favourite forgotten concept cars. Yes Alan, we know YOU haven’t forgotten most of them, but us mere mortals have. Do you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choices? After you have viewed the options let them know. Click here to see some marvels.

AND FINALLY: POLLITT’S PROJECTS - £700 V8 DAIMLERChris Pollitt has refreshed his YouTube channel and released a video of him discussing and cleaning one of his latest car projects, a £700 V8 Daimler. Utterly delightful film from Chris, as you’d expect. If you haven’t seen it, click this link here to rectify that.

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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. Click this Motoring Research article link for more on the story.

FIRST BUS ADDING ELECTRIC BUSES TO FOUR REGIONSFirst Bus, the public transport company, has announced that they will be purchasing 117 electric buses to four regions, York, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Hampshire. They also plan for the Norfolk and York depots to be zero-emission only. Funding from the Government will assist in this transition over the next 12 months. Move Electric have an article on this, which you can read by clicking this link here.

HGV BLINDSPOT CAMPAIGN STARTSTo help other road users understand the limitations lorry drivers have with visibility around their vehicle, when on the move, National Highways has started a new campaign. Click this Motoring Podcast article link here, to learn where the blindspots are and help you to avoid putting yourself and the lorry driver at risk.

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:2023 VW ID.3 - Volkswagen has revised the ID.3 ahead of schedule, possibly hoping to cut off the complaints about the quality of the software and interior. The exterior has also been slightly tweaked, especially around the front end. Early reports are that the interior does indeed feel better, whilst the underpinnings of the car remain the same. Prices are expected to slightly go up from the current £39, 425 to £47, 450. Click here to see more, thanks to EVO.

Abarth 500e - If the MINI Convertible we discussed a couple of weeks ago is a bit too pricey for you, Fiat has released details on the Abarth 500e, which isn’t convertible but still is quite close to the MINI in terms of range. The electric motor will produce 152bhp and 173 of the tourques

UK Car of the Year Category Winners - The UK Car of the Year Category Winners were announced last week. Andrew, who is now one of the judges, was at a driving day to try and pick his choice for the overall winner. We will bring you the decision next week.

These are brought to you in association with heycar who have kindly sponsored the awards.

Click here to read the information about the category winner, from the official awards website.

LUNCHTIME READ: ICE ST MORITZThis week we bring you an article and a photo gallery of the most amazing event, where really, really expensive cars are taken to an ice lake at St Moritz and hustled around. Click here to read about the stunning event, via Hagerty. Following that click this other Hagerty link to see a gallery of the cars that were there.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 HOT HATCHES WE COULDN’T TASTEFor your enjoyment we bring you a Major Gav list of hot hatches we never got in the UK. Glossing over the lack of a specific Yaris which Alan is upset is missing, the list is a cracker. Click this Hagerty link and see if you agree with Alan’s choice in the end.

Click the link here, for the Mighty Car Mods video that was discussed.

AND FINALLY: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO PEUGEOT 20540 years ago the Peugeot 205 was brought out and released to the world. To those of us of a certain age this is one of THE best superminis ever brought out and that is before you get to the amazing GTi.

Click here for Peugeot’s own press release, including a wonderful logo you can download.

Click this link to read the Top Gear buying guide to the 205.

Click here on this Autocar link to run through a gallery of the GTi.

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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 CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCASTNEW NEW CAR NEWS:Vauxhall Corsa - The Vauxhall Corsa is to receive a facelift to incorporate the “Vizor” grille as seen on the Mokka and Astra. Oh, and a performance electric version. You can read more by clicking this Autocar link.

Updated Peugeot 508 PSE Revealed - The handsome Peugeot 508 will receive a facelift, so far Peugeot has only shared details for the powerful PSE plug-in hybrid. You can read more by clicking this Evo link.

Audi TT Final Edition - The car that launched 1,000 mood boards, the Audi TT, will be retired soon. Its last hurrah in the UK will be the “all the spec” Final Edition. You can read more by clicking this Evo link.

DESIGNER’S MOOD BOARDHyundai and Genesis design chief, SangYup Lee, is World Car Person of the Year 2023. You can read more, including a list of the other four finalists, by clicking this Motoring Research link.

LUNCHTIME READ: Spyshots: The Golden Age of Tip-OffsThis week’s longer read is about the late 1990s anthe work of Hans Lehmann, Brenda Priddy and others capturing the test vehicles that manufacturers really didn’t want us to see. At least, not at that point. You can read the Hagerty article by clicking this link.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 29 Car Brands We’d Like To Bring BackMotoring Research has compiled a list of defunct brands ready to return. Which would you most like to see return to the roads? To see the list and browse the slideshow, click this link.

AND FINALLY: There May Be More Behind That Weird Hyundai Ad You've Seen Than You RealizeThe Autopian has noticed a strance Hyundai Ioniq 5 variant appearing in internet adverts, so they investigated and foudnd that it may not be a composite after all. You can find out more by clicking this link.

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FOLLOW UP: EU CONFIRMS 2035 BAN ON ICE ENGINESThe European Union Parliament has voted to ban the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrain, from 2035. However, there is some breathing space, no pun intended, for small volume manufacturers. They will not be tied into the new CO2 reduction rules that were also approved, until the end of 2035. Interestingly, the EU will also share the methodology for calculating the lifetime CO2 emissions on new vehicles by 2025.

Click here to read about the main story, from Autocar.

To find out about what it all means for small volume manufacturers, click here to read another Autocar story.

FORD TO CUT 3,800 EUROPEAN AND UK JOBS Ford has announced the extent of the job losses across the UK and Europe. 3.800 jobs will go, including 1,300 in the UK. With the move to electrification, fewer workers are required, Ford explained. However, the engineering and administration are bearing the brunt of the cuts as the company becomes “unapologetically American”. Click here to read the AM Online article, for more information.

TESLA FORCED TO RECALL ‘FULL SELF-DRIVING BETA’In a shock move, after years of inactivity, the National Highways Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has demanded that Tesla recall some of their cars. In this instance it is the ones that have ‘Full Self-Driving Beta’ software fitted. Due to fears the software is unsafe, particularly when approaching junctions, pass stop signs and incorrectly handle speed limit changes. The recall will be delivered via an over-the-air update. Click this Jalopnik article link for more information.

RENAULT REPORT RECORD PROFITS FOR 2022 Renault announced record profit per vehicle, in 2022. Revenue was up to €46.4 billion, with an operating margin of €2.3 billion and that is despite the cost of relinquishing their Russian operations. To read more, click this link to an Automotive Daily article.

WALES SHELVES ALL FUTURE NEW ROAD PROJECTSThe Welsh Government announced that it was shelving all new road plans, due to environmental concerns. They will judge any future proposals against a tough criteria for them to be approved. Subsequently, the Government also stated that they did not have the finances to fund road developments. Click here to read a BBC News article about the initial announcement. To find out more about the lack of cash, click this link for another BBC News article.

GRIDSERVE PLANNING SECOND CHARGING FORECOURT IN ESSEXGridserve, who have charging forecourts in Braintree, Norwich with one due to open near Gatwick, is planning on a second Essex location. Plans have been approved by Basildon council. Click this link, to read more from Move Electric.

DR SHOICHIRO TOYODA PASSES AWAYThe Honorary Chairman of Toyota, Dr Shoichiro Toyoda, has passed away, at the age of 97. He was the first son of Toyota founder, Kiichiro Toyoda, and led the company from 1982 to 1992, where he took on the role as Chairman of the Board of Directors. In 2009 Dr Toyoda was named Honorary Chairman, a role he held until his death. To read more, click this article link from Toyota UK Magazine.

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:Mazda 2 - Mazda has released details of the 2023 Mazda 2 refresh. Stylistically this means a new grille, front wings and a more sporty looking car. Technology improvements include wireless Apple CarPlay, climate control and cruise control as standard. There are no changes to the engine line up, with a 1.5 litre petrol engine producing 73, 88 and 115bhp dependent on specification. There is a mild hybrid version, mated to a manual gearbox. Prices begin at £17, 750. To learn more, click this Autocar article link.

Rolls-Royce Spectre - Possibly one of the most important Rolls-Royces ever is now closer to being in customers hands. The Spectre is the first fully electric car from the UK-based manufacturer. Previously this has been tested in the cold and now journalists get to experience it again, this time in South Africa. Fitted with a battery pack of about 106kWh and electric motors to the front and rear wheels the just under three ton car will hit 62mph in 4.2 seconds from a standing start. The estimated range is around 320 miles too. You can read further information on this by clicking this Autocar link here.

Mini Electric Convertible - Mini will sell just 150 electric convertibles in the UK, once they find 150 people willing to spend £52, 500 on a soft top Mini with a 125 mile range. Click here to read more, once again from Autocar.

LUNCHTIME READ: NEW POLESTAR DESIGN STUDIOThank you, to listener Vroom101 (on Twitter), we are sharing the wonderful article from Wallpaper about how Polestar have utilised the brutalist ex-Volvo offices in Gothenburg for their design studio. Click this link to read all about it.

LIST OF THE WEEK: DO YOU REMEMBER ANY OF THESE OBSCURE SUVS?Autocar has produced a list of obscure SUVs which you may have forgotten or not even known about. Run through the 62 slides to see some mad, bad and, erm, decent cars. Don’t forget to tell the chaps if you agree with their selections, this week. Click here to see them all.

AND FINALLY: YORK ASKS APPLE WHAT IS IN A NAME? Those trying to input the location of York, in the UK, have been hitting a snag with anything using Apple Maps for locations. For some bizarre reason, this gets corrected to Milby, which is very much not York. Even after a fix was deployed there were still issues. Whilst this has been amusing it does show how easily real problems could occur. Click this YorkMix article link to read more.

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FOLLOW UP: SOUTH KOREA FINES GERMAN COMPANIES FOR COLLUSIONSouth Korea has fined Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi for colluding over emission technology, to ensure no one produced better technology. The fine is €31.18 million combined, which is 42.3 billion won. The EU, following Mercedes informing them, fined BMW and VW Group in July 2021 for this issue. Click this EuroWeekly article link to find out more.

NISSAN WARNS OF SUNDERLAND’S FUTURE Nissan has explained that unless the UK Government aids in reducing energy prices and helps to create a local functioning supply chain the future of the Sunderland plant is in doubt. Currently Sunderland is more expensive to make cars than their continental European plants. To learn more, click this Sunday Times Driving article link.

LUCID MOTORS NEW MD IS EX-JLR SVO BOSSFollowing the surprise exit from Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicles Operation, Michael van der Sande has been announced at the Managing Director of Lucid Motors. The US EV company has started to sell their cars in parts of Europe as they slowly expand. You can learn more by clicking this link to the Automotive Daily article.

LOTUS TECHNOLOGY TO MERGE WITH SPAC Geely is going to raise funds for Lotus by merging Lotus Technology, the non sports car division, with a special acquisition company (SPAC) that means it will be listed on the New York stock exchange. The expectation is that it will raise around $5.4 billion. Click this Automotive Daily article link, to learn more.

BOLLINGER SUES MUNRO OVER PATENT INFRINGEMENTBollinger is suing Munro All Terrain Electric Vehicles for infringing their patents. The US company claims a consultant has also passed on confidential documents that have helped Munro produce their 4x4 EV. You can learn more by clicking this link to a Newsweek article.

US CHECKING CHINESE IMPORTS OVER FORCED LABOURUS Customs is checking incoming freight from China for any links to forced labour production, thanks to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Already aluminium imports have been slowed as inspections are taking place, which could well affect the car industry. Click here to learn more from the Maersk Advisory Note.

BATH CONSIDERING PARKING PRICE RISESBath Council is considering increasing pay and display parking fees, once again, especially for vehicles that emit more emissions. The correct fee would be charged after entering registration data with the ticket machine. Click here for more on this matter, thanks to a BBC News article.

Bath are also investigating if charging drivers to enter the city centre is a way in which they can help pay for the increased costs of installing the ‘ring of steel’ terrorism protection system. Click this BBC News article link for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS:Nissan Max Out, Surf Out and Hang Out Concepts - Nissan has revealed three concepts hinting at their future design direction. The Max Out is a rather ugly two-seater open top car. The Surf Out is a pickup with a retractable load bay cover, giving it a pick-up coupe look (please don’t become a trend!). With the Hang Out being the most realistic idea, in that is it a medium sized SUV.

To learn about the Max Out, click this Top Gear link.

To find out about the Surf Out, click this Nissan link.

For more on the Hang Out, click this Nissan link.

That was not all though, they have made some very bold statements about bringing solid state batteries to market in the next few years. You can find out more about that, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

Zeekr X - The Zeekr X is a Chinese SUV coming to Europe soon, following the full reveal at the Shanghai Motor Show later this year. A mid sized premium market chasing EV with a lot of power that the shared powertrain from the Smart #1 Brabus will use. No details on ranges or pricing is yet available, you can learn more by clicking this Autocar link here.

Dear Car News - Kia RioKia will no longer sell their supermini, the Rio, in the UK or Europe. with the popularity of SUVs this comes as no real surprise. They will still be selling the Picanto, their smallest model. Click here for more on this from Autocar.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: JEREMY OFFER MOVES TO VOLVOJeremy Offer, who has at Arrival, will now be the Global Head of Design at Volvo. Robin Page, the previous incumbent will remain at Volvo as a consultant. Click this link to the Auto&Design article link for more.

2023 CAR DESIGN AWARDS SHORTLISTThe Car Design Award 2023 shortlist has been produced for concept cars, production cars and brand design language. Click this link to run through those selected as mentioned on the Auto&Design article.

LUNCHTIME READ: MOTORING ART - JEREMY DICKINSONJeremy Dickinson did not let the disappointment of a cancelled road trip, thanks to lockdowns, stop him from making automotive art. Instead he followed the route via Google Earth and selected locations to recreate on his canvas. Click this Classic & Sports Car article link to find out more and see some examples of his fabulous work.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 9 FORGOTTEN HOT HATCHBACKS FROM THE 1990SAntony Ingram has produced an almost impossible selection quandary on his list for Hagerty. After hearing the choice from Alan, click on this link to see if you agree. Don’t forget to tell the chaps which you would select.

AND FINALLY: 2CV MODEL FROM PLAYMOBIL Joining the likes of the Ferrari SF90, Mercedes-Benz 300SL is the newly released 2CV model. Whilst there is an astonishing oversight in no basket of eggs being added, there are milk churns, variety of license plate stickers and headlight colour options to play with. Click this Motoring Research article link to see more.

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FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT BUYER FOUNDThe Administrator for Britishvolt, EY, has narrowed down the options to the Australian firm Recharge. They are a start up and have not constructed a major project during their time. At the same time that they target getting a battery factory built in the UK they will be trying to do that same in Australia. Click here to learn more, by reading The Guardian article.

FOLLOW UP: NEW DEAL DETAILS FOR THE REBEL ALLIANCE Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi announced the details for the restructuring of the alliance this week. We knew about the changes to share ownership but they also confirmed investment in Ampere by Nissan and that Mitsubishi is considering joining. To read more about the story, click this link to a Yahoo Finance article.

JANUARY 2023 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESSMMT has released the New Car Registration figures for January 2023 and they are up on last year. Whilst it is an improvement you have to go back to 2012 for a worse year. Petrol and BEVs are up, with PHEVs also slightly increasing their numbers and diesel is down. Click here to read Tristan Young’s always excellent thread.

The SMMT is calling on the Government to help with the charging network and also with VED. Click here to find out more via their article.

FORD EXECS GET SMALLER BONUS Due to the poorer than expected results, Ford executives are receiving a smaller than anticipated bonus, whilst non decision making staff are not affected by this change. Jim Farley, Ford’s CEO, stated that it was unfair on staff who could not fix the issues that have impacted on the company’s earnings. Click here to learn more from the Detroit Free Press.

Talks are apparently underway between BYD and Ford, over the Saalouis factory that is slated for closure. This would give the Chinese company a foothold in Europe quite quickly. However, not everyone agrees, with some thinking it is quicker for BYD to build their pown facility. Click here for the link to the The Driven article to read more.

Even more reports suggest that Ford is looking at large job loses in Europe, with one figure being as high as 3,200. To learn more, click this link to an Autocar Business article link.

ARRIVAL CUTS MORE staffArrival, the beleaguered commercial EV start up has announced the cutting of a further 800 jobs. This is on the back of a senior management reshuffle where the two top jobs just swapped nameplates. Click this Guardian article link for more.

MERCEDES UNVEILS BEVISIONEERS CHARITYEyebrows were raised when Mercedes sold one of two 'Uhlenhaut' SLR Coupes as they couldn’t have needed the cash. Well they did, but for a good cause, to start the beVisioneers charity. They have created a global fund for young people to access to help their projects that are aimed at sustainable goals. Successful bids will be helped to achieve the target of the schemes. Click this Complete Car article to learn 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 LUNCHTIME READ: EARLY MOTORING FASHIONS FOR MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDRENThe Juicy History newsletter provides this week’s Lunchtime Read, where you can go back to the early days of motoring and see how to suitable dress before clambering aboard a motor vehicle. What a wonderful snapshot of attitudes, technologies and society. Click this link here to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 15 FUN AND FRUGAL CARSWe have Top Gear magazine to thank for their excellent list of frugal and fun cars, where you get to enjoy driving them but they don’t cost the earth to keep going. Don’t forget, guess which Alan would chose and do let us also know if you agree with Andrew’s choice. Click this link here to view the options.

AND FINALLY: 70 YEARS OF MATCHBOX CELEBRATED There will be seven collections of new Matchbox cars produced to help celebrate the 70th anniversary of the toy car company. Click this Top Gear link to view some of the cars we will all be able to buy soon.

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FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT BUYER SEARCHThe Administrator for Britishvolt, EY, has narrowed down the choice to five potential new owners. They are trying to select the winner by Tuesday 31 January, the day of recording. Click here for a link to the Financial Times article explaining more.

FOLLOW UP: HMRC CHANGES AER CALCULATIONS Following feedback from industry, HMRC has changed how it calculates the advisory electricity rate, that dictates how much company car driving EV owners can get reimbursed for charging their car. To learn more, click this Fleet News article link here.

FOLLOW UP: PARIS RESIDENTS TO DECIDE ESCOOTER FATEThe Mayor of Paris has decided that she wants the residents of the city to decide if they should have e-scooters or not. The three companies involved have implemented and proposed a number of measures to ease the concerns around their use. The referendum will be held on 2 April 2023. For more on this story, click the Move Electric article link here.

AKIO TOYODA STEPS DOWN AS CEO OF TOYOTAShock news from Toyota as CEO Akio Toyoda announced he is relinquishing his role and becoming the Chairman. Koji Sato will become the president and CEO, stepping up from the head of both Lexus and Gazoo Racing. Click this link, to an Autocar article, to learn more. For more context about this and pointers to other thoughtful articles, click this Twitter thread link from Jean-Yves Jault.

REBEL ALLIANCE REORGANISES Renault and Nissan have finally reached an agreement in the reorganisation of the alliance, primarily in the amount of shares Renaults holds in Nissan. Early indications are that Renault will reduce their shareholdings to 15%. Click this YahooFinance article link here to learn more.

JLR POSTS PROFITJaguar Land Rover has posted a profit in last quarter of 2022, thanks mainly to US sales of Ranger Rover models, with pre-tax profits of £265 million. This is the first profit since 2020 for the company. Click here for the Autocar Business link.

DRIVERS FINED INCORRECTLY IN FRANCEThanks to mistakes upon installation, a speed camera in France has “caught” 50,000 speeding vehicles. The camera was pointed the wrong way. The police and local mayor has told those affected to ignore any summons. Click here to learn more, from a Connexion article.

VOLVO RECALLS OVER 100,000 CAR DUE TO SAFETY BRAKE FAULTVolvo has globally recalled in excess of 100,000 cars due to a fault on the automatic safety brake feature that might mean it does not deploy. To learn more, click this Autocar article link.

UK GOVERNMENT INVESTS IN DECARBONISING ROADSThe UK Government is investing £30 million to projects aimed at decarbonising our roads, including green-waste asphalt and low energy street lighting. If the schemes are successful they will be expanded across the country. Click this Autocar link to learn 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:Suzuki Jimny EV - Suzuki announced five new electric cars they will bring to market, by 2030. One that made the car corner of the internet very interested was an electric version of the Jimny. However, the first EV we will be offered will be a cross-over that is about the same size as the current S-Cross, with an estimated 342 mile range. There are plans for larger SUVs similar to the Vitara for size. Details, apart from a picture, are non existent for the Jimny. Click here to read the Autocar article to learn more.

Wells Vertige - The Wells Vertige is a UK-built sports coupe, with a price tag of around £50,000 and a production run of 25 per year. The car was unveiled at Goodwood in the summer of 2021, since when the development team have been hard at work refining and testing durability. Click here to learn more, including all the behind the scenes stuff they are working on, from an Autocar article.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: SUPER COOPERSThanks to a kind listener of the show our Lunchtime Watch is all about one chap’s fascination with the original Mini, whilst based in the US. He has even shoehorned a Honda VTEC engine into one and how fabulous that combination is. Click here to watch Nicole Johnson’s Detour YouTube episode on this.

LIST OF THE WEEK: GOOD, BAD OR UGLY?Autocar has provided our List of the Week, focusing on fads from the car industry. Do you agree with the choices made? Don’t forget to let us know which you would pick and why. Click here to run through the slideshow.

AND FINALLY: HOW A POP BAND HELPED NORWAY GO FOR EVS A-ha are being credited with helping Norway pay attention to electric cars thanks to a collaboration with environmental activists and a campaign of civil disobedience that ensured high profile coverage. Click here to read more, from the BBC News article.

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On this week’s show, Andrew and Alan have to get stuck into some Follow Up, starting with the news that Cazoo is scaling back it’s UK operations now. The UK Government is talking about changing the MOT rules again. Paris will hold a referendum to see if they’ll keep e-scooters or not. Thanks to a court case we know that Tesla faked it’s 2016 Autopilot video. The list of the most popular car colours in 2022 is out, with very few surprises. Mike Flewitt has become the Chairman of BAC. The Chinese EV company BYD is launching in the UK soon, expect to hear a lot of noise about that. Geely-Renault has invited Aramco to join their propulsion joint venture. WAE Technologies is opening a battery factory in Oxfordshire. We ask if replacing car washes with EV chargers will become the norm at petrol stations and Liverpool is expanding it’s on-street charging network. The Government has revealed a plan to save EV owners money if they charge at home. New New Car News covers the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, the Aston Martin DBS 770 Ultimate and the 2023 Mercedes CLA models. The Designers Mood Board is all about rumours. The Lunchtime Read makes us want to find a classic Volvo. The List of the Week has us signing Happy Birthday many times. And the And Finally is late, for which we apologise.As ever, we hope you enjoy the show and feel free to give us feedback via our website's Contact page or through our Twitter account.

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This week Alan and Andrew start with Follow Up, firstly the news that the DfT has relented in its FOI battle with Dr Greg Marsden over the justification behind their plans for decarbonising the UK transportation networks. Second Follow Up is all about Britishvolt going into administration. New news begins with Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee recommending adopting the 10-point plan from the IEA on reducing our oil dependancy, which many took umbrage at. The RAC remind us all that fuel pump prices have not fallen as they should have. Pothole damage is up 34% on 2016. Northamptonshire police is deploying unmarked camera vans. Huge win in the US over the fight for the right to repair. Tevva gets Europe wide approval for their 7.5t EV lorries. We announce we will no longer be covering WRC on the show as we cannot do it the justice it deserves. New New Car News is all about the Mazda MX-30 R-EV and it’s rotary range extending engine. Designers Mood Board tells us about Lotus’s new head of internal design. The Lunchtime Read is a fascinating peak at cultural differences. The List of the Week is all about recalls. And the And Finally covers in far more detail than you thought possible the Citroën DS’s taillights.As ever, we hope you enjoy the show and feel free to give us feedback via our website's Contact page or through our Twitter account.

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Andrew returns this week as the chaps get stuck straight into the New Car Registration figures for both December and the whole of 2022. Private hire vehicles, registered after 1 January 2023 must be capable of zero emission use in London. Global traffic levels and scoring has been released for the major cities of the world. Barcelona is taxing e-commerce delivery companies to level the playing field with local businesses. Qualcomm flies in the face of all advice for safety critical systems and throws everything onto one chip. Cars are being easily stolen in under 90 seconds and there doesn’t seem to be anything anyone can or will do about it. Researchers found an enormous number of car companies, suppliers and service providers have basic vulnerabilities in their systems that leads to a various access capabilities. New New Car News is all about CES, where Sony Honda Mobility, BMW, VW, Peugeot and Chrysler all get a mention. The Lunchtime Read is all about an Aero 8 in Nashville. The list of the week takes us to Sweden. And the And Finally tells us a secret.As ever, we hope you enjoy the show and feel free to give us feedback via our website's Contact page or through our Twitter account.

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Andrew was busy, so this week Alan is joined by the ever-knowledgeable Alex Grant.Check out the show notes for a full summary of what we covered as well as links to the appropriate sources.As ever, we hope you enjoy the show and feel free to give us feedback via our website's Contact page or through our Twitter account.

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On this episode, Alan explains to us all Toyota’s US sub brand, Scion and his new car the Scion TC. Listen to his exasperation at how nothing costs what it is listed at, why he purchased it and how come Janet Street-Porter is relevant.

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Andrew tried out the KIA EV6 GT Line, for a week when the weather was much nicer than now. You can listen to his thoughts on the car, KIA’s approach to electric cars in this instance and if the praise is deserved, in his opinion, that the car has received.

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The chaps get stuck into a brief bit of Follow Up, talking about Arrival being the latest company focusing on being cash-flow positive and pausing their JV with Mercedes. CMA states retailer fuel prices are too slow to fall. CMA then fines the BMW Group for not transferring data, which BMW object to. Toyota is altering their EV strategy. VW CEO to tell the Group board the reality of their software woes. BP Pulse will supply M&S with EV chargers for their stores. A wheelchair friendly EV design competition has been launched. UK Gov confirms escooter laws are to be delayed. In WRC news, Tänak joins M-Sport. The Lunchtime Read explains how hard it is to fix a 1989 Peugeot in the US today. The List of the Week covers all your Type-R needs. And the And Finally lets us see what we used to get the weekly shop in.As ever, we hope you enjoy the show and feel free to give us any feedback either via the Contact page of our website or through our Twitter account.

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This week the chaps can just plough straight into new news, as there is no Follow Up. They start with November’s New Car Registration figures, which are a bit more positive. Ford is investing in Halewood’s electric future. Rimac is looking to double their staff numbers in 2023. The UK Government is investing £11 million in a study into hydrogen fuel use for remote areas of the country. Ethical hackers find that SiriusXM has a basic and glaring vulnerability in many US cars. Europe is setting up an automotive cyber security hub, finally. Bogward (remember them?) are no officially bankrupt. Nottingham is extending the escooter trail until 2024. Northern rail has banned escooters from their service. Designers Mood Board sees us look at Renault’s Mobilize. The Lunchtime Read will inspire you to take on an automotive project over the winter. The Lunchtime Read has some cracking concepts to choose from. And the And Finally lets us get into the festive spirit.As ever, we hope you enjoy the show and feel free to give us any feedback either via the Contact page of our website or through our Twitter account.

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Alan returns to the show this week, hooray!

The chaps get stuck into some Follow Up, starting with the second Taylor being released from detention following incarceration for helping Carlos Ghosn escape Japan. More Ghosn-gate news as evidence of Nissan and the Japanese prosecutors knew both Ghosn and Kelly were not guilty of what they were accused off. In new news, London’s ULEZ is expanding and setting up a scrappage scheme. JLR are reducing production capacity due to the chip shortage. Leicester are scrapping their workplace parking levy due to current economic outlook. Lidl has opened it’s first own-brand EV charging station that undercuts the competition. The Mayor of Paris is considering banning escooters. Queen of Speed documentary wins an Emmy. New New Cars News covers the two Genesis X Speedium concepts, the cynical BMW 3.0L CSL. Whilst Old Car Dead News tells you about the demise of the VW Touareg R, in the UK. The European Car of the Year Shortlist is revealed and you can buy some of them, amazingly. The Lunchtime Read is courtesy of TV’s Paul Cowland getting wet. The List of the Week covers the foot/car interface equipment. And the And Finally allows us to reminisce over sending £1 in the post.

As ever, we hope you enjoy the show and feel free to give us any feedback either via the Contact page of our website or through our Twitter account.

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FOLLOW UP: GHOSN HELPER NOW OUT OF US JAILMichael Taylor, the father of the father and son duo who helped Carlos Ghost escape from custody in Japan has been released early from US detention. Authorities stated his months of good behaviour in Japanese jail mean they allowed him back into the community ahead of the expected January 2023 date. To read more, click the Bloomberg UK article here.

FOLLOW UP: REVEALED EVIDENCE CASTS DOUBT ON GHOSN CHARGESEvidence, which Nissan and the Japanese prosecutors are supposed to have kept hidden from Carlos Ghosn’s lawyers, indicate that Ghosn did not have a secret deal with a very small number of co-conspirators but that the board members of Nissan at the time, knew the details. This casts even further bad light onto Nissan and particularly the Japanese legal system. As the Asian Times asks, if no crime actually took place, how can anyone be charged, let alone be found guilty. Click here to read yet more damning information thanks to the Asia Times article link.

FOLLOW UP: ARRIVAL CEO STEPS DOWNDenis Sverdlov, the CEO of Arrival, has stepped down with Peter Cueno, taking over. The two are swapping roles. In the announcement was the news that the strategy chief and president, Avinash Rugoobur, has also stepped down. The hope is that stakeholders see these as positive moves that stabilise the company. Click here, to learn more, via the FleetOwner article link.

FOLLOW UP: FBI TO HELP IN CONTINENTAL HACKGerman security forces have asked the FBI for assistance in their investigation into the data hack of Continental. Budget, strategy, investment information as well as some data about customers is reportedly been accessed. For more on this story, click this Yahoo Finance link here.

LONDON ULEZ TO EXPANDConfirmation from the Mayor of London, came last week, to announce that the ULEZ would now expand to be contained by the M25. This comes into affect in August 2023. To read more, click this Autocar article here. There was an expected outcry over this move, but some were saying that many had already swapped their non compliant car when the first expansion came in. London is bringing in a scrappage scheme from January 2023, which will help those looking to scrap and retro-fit their vehicles with compliant technology. Click this Parkers link to learn more.

JLR REDUCING PRODUCTION INTO 2023Jaguar Land Rover is reducing the shift on certain production lines due to the chip crisis, they are particularly badly hit by. The focus will be on the more profitable models such as the Range Rover whilst the F-Pace and Velar do not. Click here for The Guardian article, to find out more.

LEICESTER SCRAP WORKPLACE CHARGING COSTLeicester City Council had planned to bring in a workplace parking levy, similar to that in...

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GOVERNMENT BUDGET STATEMENTThe Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that electric vehicles will, from 2025, be required to pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) for the first time. This will be £20 in the first year, if brand new, then rising to £165 per year after that. The extra charge for cars over £40,000 will also come into force at the same time.

Fleets will also be impacted, not just via the introduction of VED but at the Benefit in Kind rate is changing. They will rise 1% from 2025 to 2028. Added to this, there are changes to National Insurance contributions, charging costs and workplace charging point installations. These are all protected to some degree, but home charging will not be as the Government is reducing the help it gives households, from April next year.

To read more, click this Autocar article.

For more context, click the Autocar article from Alex Grant here.

THIERRY BOLLORÉ TO LEAVE JLRThierry Bolloré has announced that he will be leaving Jaguar Land Rover, after only a couple of years in charge, due to “personal reasons”. The news is on the back of another round of losses, albeit much less than previous results. To read more, click this link from EVO. For some context around his departure, click this Autocar link to read what Steve Cropley has to say. And, if you fancy it, you can find more context with Peter Campbell and his tweet here.

MAZDA EXITING RUSSIAN MARKETMazda has sold their part of the joint-venture operations to Soller, for €1, with a three year buy-back clause in place. They are the latest manufacturer to make such a move. Click this MSN article link, to learn more.

DfT ORDERED TO RELEASE FORECAST BEHIND NET ZERO PROJECTIONSThe Information Commissioner has ordered the Department for Transport to release traffic level forecasts, which are behind the Net Zero projections. Professor Greg Marsden of Leeds University, submitted the Freedom of Information request as he states transport professionals and the public need to know what choices are behind the scale of change required to meet targets. Click here to read the TransportXtra article, for more on the story.

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 PODCASTWRC: DRIVER MUSICAL CHAIRSNow is the brief window between a season ending and the next starting in Monte Carlo, early next year, for WRC. That means it is silly season, where there is a scramble for drivers and teams to get seats filled.

The not so unexpected news came from M-Sport, announcing that they’d parted ways with Craig Breen.

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This week there is more Arrival Follow Up and it is not good news. Porsche class-action settlement approved by a US judge. Euro 7 engine regulations are out and no one seems happy. JLR has improved it’s financial situation in the last quarter. Continental has been hacked and some data has been stolen but what we do not know. Renault is splitting into five AND getting friendly with Geely, Slough has suspended their escooter trial. France now requires large car parks to cover them with solar panels. The M6 northbound near Walsall is being closed at night until 16 December, best to avoid. WRC rounded out the year in Japan, lots of stories from that event. New New Car News is all about the Volvo EX90. Old Car Dead News is, alas, the demise of the Kia Stinger (boo and hiss, Kia, boo and hiss!). The Lunchtime Read inspires us to also take an inappropriate car to the Nurburgring. The List of the Week will supercharge your lust for 12 cars. And the And Finally is about a car going jolly quickly indeed, around the Nurburgring.

As ever, we hope you enjoy the show and feel free to give us any feedback either via the Contact page of our website or through our Twitter account.

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On this week’s show the chaps start off with some Follow Up. Britishvolt get a brief respite but it doesn’t look good. Equally doomy is news about Arrival. Carlos Ghosn’s escape team are sent back to the US. October New Car Registration figures are out. Aston Martin’s financial results are out and they’re not great. Bentley’s are also out and they are MUCH better. Ceer is the new Saudi Arabian car brand, with help from Foxconn. Tesco PodPoint chargers will cost money to use now. Diesel prices are up thanks to OPEC’s disgusting decision. London and Salford are extending their escooter trials to 2024. Wandsworth is the first council allowed to fine speeding drivers. Nathalie McGloin is recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records, quite rightly. Audi are ditching the A5 Cabriolet. The Lunchtime Read is about how the Group B period was for those involved. The List of the Week is 43 kinds of controversial. And the And Finally is about an astonishingly expensive speaker, with a bit of car slapped on top.

As ever, we hope you enjoy the show and feel free to give us any feedback either via the Contact page of our website or through our Twitter account.

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Andrew returns to the show and has to leap straight into Follow Up on the Britishvolt story which is getting grimmer by the day, the EU has agreed to ban all new fossil-fuelled combustion engined cars from 2035, Ford and Merc are leaving the Russian market, Ford and VW pull funding for Argo AI which will now shut, George Holtz is leaving Comma AI, Tesla facing a possible criminal probe over self driving claims, JLR stays in the Tesla EU CO2 credit pool to avoid fines, LECV is shedding 120 jobs to cut costs, this week we have Old Car News as Ford can the Fiesta and Volvo “pause” S60 sales, the Lunchtime Read will please all post-apocalyptic bus drivers, the List of the Week is about fun Fiestas and the And Finally is about making your Model S very ‘unhood’ for the environment.

As ever, we hope you enjoy the show and feel free to give us any feedback either via the Contact page of our website or through our Twitter account.

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This week, Alan is all on his own and waffles his way through Anne Sacoolas’ guilty plea ove the death of Harry Dunn, the EU plans to ditch EURO 7, the London ULEZ expansion drawing in over £90million in 8 months, BSI has published its first EV Charging Accessibility standard, Hyundai pauses its hydrogen lorry project in Switzerland, Arrival cuts jobs and prepares to depart, UK councils to trial “noise cameras” and Bentley opens a new Heritage Garage in Crewe.

Ogier has won Rally Spain, Toyota has won the Championship and Tanak is leaving Hyundai at the end of the season and Bloodhound may be back again.

Lunchtime read is a 4-parter about the development of the current Mazda MX-5, List of the week is high-tech concept cars from the 1980s and, finally, we have things never to say to a Tesla owner.

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On this week's show, there is some worrying Follow Up from Britishvolt, the founder of Nikola is guilty of fraud, MINI EV production is moved from Oxford, Nissan leaves Russia, Transport for West Midlands and Waze team up, there are fuel shortages in France, some hydrogen refuelling stations have closed but its not the end of the story, scientists have retrofitted a diesel engine to run on hydrogen fuel, BMW is bringing gaming into their cars, next-gen 911 and 917 will get a new boss, the Macan EV is delayed thanks to software, New New Car News is about the long lead time for the first Honda Sony car, the Ineos Grenadier is delayed but only by an impressive small amount of time, the Lunchtime Read is about who is wearing it best right now, the List of the Week is all about long runners and the And Finally brings some delightful peace and calm to us all.

As ever, we hope you enjoy the show. If you have any feedback please feel free to get in touch via the Contact page of the site or Twitter.

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FOLLOW UP: CLARIFICATION OF STROLL’S FORTUNE

During the discussion of Geely buying a stake in Aston Martin, last week, we got the info about Stroll’s fortune incorrect. He has made his money through fashion and sportswear brands. Thanks to listener, David Edmondson, for straightening us out.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES SEPTEMBER 2022

September’s New Car Registration figures are out. There is a rise, year on year, but do not forget, 2021 was the worst September since 2006 and down a third on 2019. Battery electric vehicles are up, though, just over 40%, and now have 14.5% market share. To read more, click here for the SMMT article. To see the breakdown via ‘what you put in it to make it go’, click here for Tristan Young’s Twitter thread.

PERSONAL SAFETY STANDARDS AT EV CHARGERS DEMANDED

Following an investigation in to the public’s thoughts on personal safety at EV charging points, the Government is being urged to set minimum standards. Lighting, CCTV and emergency call buttons are all being requested. You can read more on this, by clicking the FleetNews link here.

DEALER PLUG-IN GRANT REINSTATED BY UK GOVERNMENT

Earlier this year the Government announced, with immediate effect, the ending of the plug-in grant for electric vehicles under £32, 000. They have now reinstated the £1500 saving for orders placed via dealers, but not for consumers applying directly themselves. The new window runs until 31 March 2023 and is due to supply constraints. More can be found here, by clicking the Autocar link.

CITROËN OFFER REWARDS TO PHEV USERS

Similar to the BMW scheme, Citroën is offering rewards to users of their PHEV models who regularly charge their car and take advantage of what they offer in terms of electric only running. Details are yet to be released on exactly how the point system will work, but it is expected to start next year. For more, click the Autocar article link here.

VW SIMULATING IPOS FOR OTHER BRANDS

After the initial move of the Porsche IPO, the rest of the VW Group is now “simulating” IPOs for their specific brands. Following this test run, information will be presented on a market day. Click here to read the Reuters article further.

NISSAN WANT RENAULT TO REDUCE STAKE

During discussions between Renault and Nissan, over the hoped investment by the Japanese company in the new electrification unit also included a request that the French firm sells as much of its stake in Nissan as possible. More can be read here, by clicking the Reuters article link.

AMAZON BUYING 20 ELECTRIC HGVS FROM VOLVO

Amazon is buying 20 electric HGVs from Volvo, to help move their fleet away from the traditional diesel engine. This is only happening in Germany, at this time, but the expectation is for similar moves to occur across Europe. Click here for the Move Electric link.

ASA ACTUALLY REJECT A MOTORING ADVERT COMPLAINT

In an astonishing move, the Advertising Standards Agency has reject a complaint about a Toyota advert, which claimed it ‘perpetuated harmful gender stereotypes’. In the advert, the submitted complaint asserted, the male voice was rational and knowledgable, whereas the female voice was stereotypically not those things. The ASA rejected this. Click here to read more from the AMOnline 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

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WRC: HYUNDAI PARTS WITH SOLBERG

In another curious move from Hyundai, this year, they are parting ways with Oliver Solberg at the end of the season. The reason cited is that the team’s future plans with WRC have changed. You can read more about this, by clicking the DirtFish article link here.

David Evans also writes a very good piece, which you can read by clicking here, on DirtFish trying to make sense of what is going on at Hyundai.

LUNCHTIME READ: OVERLANDING WITH CHRIS SCOTT

Chris Scott is a renowned desert overloading expert, who has undertaken more than 50 expeditions in sandy environments. He chatted to the Toyota UK Magazine about his life and, of course, Land Cruisers. Wonderful read and some stunning photos accompanying the story, which you can read by clicking this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 11 CLASSIC CARS THAT DESERVE A COMEBACK

We are bringing you a lovely list of classic cars, that Antony Ingram and Hagerty believe should be brought back, in the current retro movement. Click here to run through the list and see if you agree with Alan on his choice. Don’t forget to tell us what you would like to see back on the roads, in a modern interpretation.

AND FINALLY: POLICE DEMAND STANDARD CAR GETS RETURNED TO STANDARD

In California, the police are asking for the impossible. They have deemed a Hyundai Elantra N’s exhaust to not comply with noise regulations, which Hyundai disagree with most strongly. Added to which they have asked that the factory standard car be returned to factory standard condition. To read more, click the CarBuzz article link here.

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FOLLOW UP: PORSCHE TAKEOVER CASE DISMISSED

A court in Germany has dismissed the claims for compensation by hedge funds, relating to the failed attempt by Porsche to takeover VW, which resulted in them then being taken over by Porsche. The judge decided there was no merit, whatsoever, whilst the plaintiffs have already appealed and asked for certain judges to be excluded. More information can be found, by clicking this Automotive News Europe link here.

PATIENT GEELY BUYS STAKE IN ASTON MARTIN

Geely are not a company to be denied, it would seem. After a couple of failed attempts in buying out or taking a stake in Aston Martin, they finally managed it by purchasing 7.6% shares in the UK firm. To read more, click here for the AM Online article link.

GOVERNMENT ROAD INCIDENT STATS OUT

The 2021 road incident statistics have been released by the UK Government and in some places make grim reading. A positive is that cycling fatalities has dropped 21%, which we guess is due to a combination of people remembering how to drive again and cyclists getting used to the roads. The bad news is that road fatalities has risen 7%, with an astonishing 30% relating to not wearing a seatbelt. Click this Autocar link here for more information.

NEW CITROËN LOGO

Citroën has updated their logo, harking back to the original, with the font an evolution on the previous version. As with all the current updates to logos, this is aimed at making their use and options of what you can do with them, much easier in this digital age. To have a look at the smart makeover, click the CAR link here.

FCA WARNS INSURANCE INDUSTRY TO PROTECT CONSUMERS

The Financial Conduct Authority has warned the insurance industry to help consumers, in the current cost of living crisis, and not foist unnecessary products on them. The FCA also reminded them it expects them to help those struggling to pay, so that they do not expose themselves by not having adequate protection. Click here for the AM Online link to learn more.

CHINESE EV SALES RISE SHARPLY ACROSS EUROPE

Tying back to last week’s Lunchtime Read which mentioned how the Chinese Government effectively subsidises their EV companies so they can sell their vehicles cheaper than other companies can, figures were released showing how well that tactic is doing. Just behind and catching rapidly, the German produced percentage is the Chinese. This link, to the AM Online article, will tell you more.

WESTMINSTER COUNCIL INSTALLING LAMPPOST EV CHARGERS

Westminster Council has engaged Siemens to install 500 lamppost EV chargers by March 2023, this will take the number of chargers in the area up to 2000. They are 5kW chargers, but do help to deal with the issue of on-street charging .Click here to read the wonderful headline and then the article explaining the story, by Move Electric.

NEW FOUR-WHEELED ESCOOTER

The Dragonfly Hyperscooter, is a four-wheeled escooter that comes in two guises, urban and more rugged off-road versions. They are great looking things, but obviously until escooters are legalised, we won’t see them in public. However, such a design should open up the market to those who are reticent to go on two-wheels or are unable to for whatever reason. Click this Move Electric link to learn more.

ARRIVAL’S FIRST BICESTER PRODUCTION MODEL IS BUILT

Arrival has built their first model on the Bicester production line. This will be used to find out what needs to be done for the full testing. Hopefully, this means that they can secure more funding as they are demonstrating that their production facilities are viable. To learn more, click this Oxford Mail link.

HOW ANYONE CAN TRACK YOUR CAR

In a rare moment of consumer reporting, we being you a Twitter thread that shows how easy and cheaply any car can be tracked, in the UK and across Europe. Do read this and see how it is done and also what limited steps you can take to protect yourself. Click for the thread. ——————————————————————————-

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

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WRC: RALLY NEW ZEALAND

Rovanperä won Rally New Zealand and in doing so became the youngest ever WRC Driver Champion. He was 22 years old and one day when he achieved this. He has been incredibly good this year, only with a wobble in the two previous events in Belgium and Greece. This has bene year to forget for M-Sport and one Hyundai will wish to put behind themselves too, after all the unedifying infighting.

To read about the rally and Rovanperä’s victory, click the DirtFish link here.

To find out what we learned, again click the DirtFish link here.

And for Colin Clark’s Driver Ratings, click the DirtFish link here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Citroën Oli -

Citroën has revealed their design concept, the Oli, which is an investigation into sustainability and affordability. One of the key criteria is lightness, which has driven most of the design choices. The relatively small electric motor is good for around 247 miles, thanks to decisions on constraining the acceleration and top speed. We are big fans of clever stuff and this is very much in that bracket. Click the Autocar link here to read more.

The Zem -

A team of students from TU Eindhoven has produced a concept coupe that not only is sustainable but actually deploys technology that helps to clean up the air, by removing CO2. Admittedly, this one car removes two kilos of CO2 per 20,000 miles, but as an idea it is very clever. As with the Oli, we like this due to thinking around a problem and trying to produce a solution. To read the Autocar story, click this link.

Maserati Granturismo Folgore -

Maserati has announced details of the new Granturismo, which includes an EV to go alongside the V6 in their range. This is aiming squarely at the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT. Fitted with a 93kWh battery, delivering 560kW and 997 lb ft of torque. Obviously this equates a stupidly quick 0-62mph speed and also a range up to 280 miles. Prices are yet to be released. For more, click the Move Electric story here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: WHY THE ORIGINAL PANDA IS A DESIGN MASTERPIECE

Matteo Licata has produced two videos explaining why the original Fiat Panda is such a design masterpiece. As ever, these are wonderful videos which we know you will enjoy. For Part 1, click this YouTube link. And to see Part 2, click the YouTube link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 14 MULTI-SEAT FAMILY ESTATES WITH RETRO APPEAL

We are delighted to bring you a MajorGav List of the Week, thanks to Hagerty. This time he delves into the options for a family vehicle that do not involve the letters S, U and V. Click the link here and see some delightful options for you to choose. Don’t forget to tell the chaps which you’d have from the list.

AND FINALLY: HUGE ECLECTIC PRIVATE COLLECTION

Studio 434 is the focus this week. Top Gear were lucky enough to have access to the collection and tell us all about the cars and why the collection exists. There are some wonderful photos too showing a small selection of their motors. Click here to view the article.

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FOLLOW UP: TOYOTA TO CLOSE RUSSIAN PLANT

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

FOLLOW UP: INVESTORS WANT PORSCHE SHARES

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

PHONE HOLDING DETECTION TRAIL

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

UBER GOING ALL ELECTRIC BY 2030

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

CANTERBURY E-SCOOTER TRIAL ENDS IN NOVEMBER

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Ford Mustang -

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

There will be a track focused version too, called the Dark Horse, with 500hp and roof lining mounted USB ports, to allow those who want cables trailing everywhere for cameras to be safer than currently.

Prices are expected, for the regular model, to begin around $60,000 but there is no confirmation that the Mustang will make it across the pond to us in Blighty yet.

To read about the new Mustang, click the Autocar article here.

To read about the Dark Horse, click here for the Road & Track article.

To find out why roof lining mounted USB ports are a thing, click the Slash Gear link here.

Ferrari Purosangue -

Ferrari has revealed their not-a-SUV SUV, the Purosangue. This will come with a 6.5 litre V12, 725hp and a 0-62mph time of 3.3 seconds. Costing, in Italy, the equivalent of €339,000, UK deliveries are expected to begin in the summer of 2023. Ferrari are limiting production to 2,200 a year. You can learn more, by clicking the Motoring Research article here.

Jeep Avenger, Recon and Wagoneer S -

Jeep has let us see three new EV cars. A European focused Avenger, which is based on the Peugeot e2008 running gear. The Recon is very much in the Tonka Toy style of design and is all the cooler for it. With the Wagoneer S aimed at luxury SUV buyers, although we are not sure if that will come across The Pond to us in Europe. For more, click this MoveElectric link here.

Toyota bZ3 -

Toyota has taken the wraps off their next full EV, as part of their move to dedicated electric vehicle options. The saloon is being aimed at the Model 3 area of the market, with it expected to launch in China before coming to Europe. Little is know of the capability, but you can read more by clicking here for the Autocar article.

Renault 5 Turbo 3E -

Renault has taken their latest concept to the drift track. This car is aimed at showing how much fun EVs can be by targeting going sideways the entire time. The looks are fab, both inside and out. You can see more by clicking this Autocar link here.

Aehra brand -

A new car brand, this time from Italy, has surfaced, called Aehra. Do click the link for the Top Gear article here, as it makes an interesting read into what they need to avoid to becoming another vapourware company.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE LIGHT DUTY VEHICLE TO NOWHERE

This week we are pointing you to an excellent piece by Emission Analytics, who are discussing the push for battery electric vehicles as the only solution to our emission issues. They do explain the risks of such a strategy, not just for society but business and legislators. Do click this link to read the thought provoking article.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE MOST IMPORTANT CONCEPT CARS EVER CREATED

Autocar is the provider of the List of the Week, this time its a big one. A whole host of cars they suggest are the most important concepts of all time. Run through the slideshow yourself, by clicking this link. Then tell the chaps if you agree with them and if not what you chose.

AND FINALLY: HIGH FASHION AND MODEL COLLABORATION

Ah, but it’s not the type of model you are probably thinking of, this time we are talking about Hot Wheels and the Gucci Cadillac Seville special edition that commemorates the time Gucci and Cadillac actually brought out a special edition for the road, in 1982. Click here to find out more about this stunning story, from Hagerty, and the model that is coming out soon.

View Details

FOLLOW UP: TOYOTA TO CLOSE RUSSIAN PLANT

FOLLOW UP: INVESTORS WANT PORSCHE SHARES

PHONE HOLDING DETECTION TRAIL

UBER GOING ALL ELECTRIC BY 2030

CANTERBURY E-SCOOTER TRIAL ENDS IN NOVEMBER

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Ford Mustang -

Prices are expected, for the regular model, to begin around $60,000 but there is no confirmation that the Mustang will make it across the pond to us in Blighty yet.

To read about the new Mustang, click the Autocar article here.

To read about the Dark Horse, click here for the Road & Track article.

To find out why roof lining mounted USB ports are a thing, click the Slash Gear link here.

Ferrari Purosangue -

Jeep Avenger, Recon and Wagoneer S -

Toyota bZ3 -

Renault 5 Turbo 3E -

Aehra brand -

LUNCHTIME READ: THE LIGHT DUTY VEHICLE TO NOWHERE

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE MOST IMPORTANT CONCEPT CARS EVER CREATED

AND FINALLY: HIGH FASHION AND MODEL COLLABORATION

View Details

FOLLOW UP: TOYOTA TO CLOSE RUSSIAN PLANT

FOLLOW UP: INVESTORS WANT PORSCHE SHARES

PHONE HOLDING DETECTION TRAIL

UBER GOING ALL ELECTRIC BY 2030

CANTERBURY E-SCOOTER TRIAL ENDS IN NOVEMBER

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Ford Mustang -

Prices are expected, for the regular model, to begin around $60,000 but there is no confirmation that the Mustang will make it across the pond to us in Blighty yet.

To read about the new Mustang, click the Autocar article here.

To read about the Dark Horse, click here for the Road & Track article.

To find out why roof lining mounted USB ports are a thing, click the Slash Gear link here.

Ferrari Purosangue -

Jeep Avenger, Recon and Wagoneer S -

Toyota bZ3 -

Renault 5 Turbo 3E -

Aehra brand -

LUNCHTIME READ: THE LIGHT DUTY VEHICLE TO NOWHERE

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE MOST IMPORTANT CONCEPT CARS EVER CREATED

AND FINALLY: HIGH FASHION AND MODEL COLLABORATION

View Details

FOLLOW UP: DEALERS NOW SUE ASTON MARTIN

Two former Swiss dealers, who helped underwrite the Valkyrie and another project, who were being sued by Aston Martin have now counter-sued the manufacturer. This latest move came to light as the British firm moves to raise more cash through offering more shares for sale. There are no details as to what the claim is from Andreas Baenziger and Florian Kamelger, co-owners of the Swiss Nebula Project AG. To read more, click the CarDealer link here.

VW LAUNCHES ‘NEW MOBILITY’ BRANCH

Volkswagen has launched a new branch, titled ‘New Mobility’, which will be in charge of their EV and autonomous vehicle work. All ID vehicles will come under it’s guidance. Thomas Ulbrich will head the department and be on the board of Cariad, the software wing of VW. Kai Gruenitz will be the boss of Cariad, moving from VW’s commercial vehicle division. You can learn more by clicking this CarScoops link here.

REALITY OF PUBLIC EV CHARGING COSTS

Tom Callow has written a piece on LinkedIn to help clarify the situation that is becoming more apparent with the costs of public and private EV charging. He explains why costs are rising and how it should be still cheaper than filling up an ICE. To read this, click the LinkedIn, erm, link here.

VOLVO TO BUILD ELECTRIC LORRIES

Volvo is to begin the production of electric lorries, based on their FH, FM and FMX models, due to the increased demand for zero emission commercial vehicles. They aim to have half their sales as electric by 2030. More can be found out by clicking this Reuters link here.

MERCEDES UNVEILS NEW ELECTRIC LORRIES

Mercedes revealed four electric lorries, the eActors LongHaul, the eActros 300, the eAtego and FUSO eCanter. That covers heavy, medium and light trucks. For more information, click here for the Mercedes-Benz Trucks article link.

GOOGLE MAPS RECOMMENDS MOST EFFICIENT ROUTE

Google Maps has another new update for its service, this time apparently helping drivers to pick the most efficient route for the power train they have. Of course this can only be a rough guide. To learn more, click the Move Electric link here. ——————————————————————————-

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THE ROVER SOCIAL

Friend of the show, Chris “The Pollitt” Pollitt will be on stage discussing Land Rovers at an event pulled together by enthusiasts for enthusiasts that wasn't to be as accessible as possible to those who love all types of Land Rover. Click here to read the Car and Classic article. The event takes place on Saturday 25 September so book your tickets ASAP, which you can do by clicking this link here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Vauxhall GSe -

Vauxhall has announced a sub brand for it’s electrified vehicles, GSe. This is to be focused on performance vehicles, utilising the knowledge the rest of the Stellantis group has with hybrid technology. To find out more, click the EVO link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: OPINION - WHY AREN’T WE ALLOWED TO BUY SMALL CHEAP CARS ANY MORE?

Writing for Hagerty, Tom Barnard breaks down some of the reasons why there are so few small, affordable car options these days. Some of it is due to unintended consequences for positive moves, others are less so. Click here to have a read.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 CARS THAT JUMPED THE GUN

This week’s List of the Week, is all about the cars that were ahead of their time and as a consequence didn’t find the sales that were hoped for. Run through the options from Hagerty by clicking this link and see if you agree with Andrew’s choice.

AND FINALLY: THE GR YARIS AERO THAT NEVER WAS

Thanks to the pandemic and the fall out from that, the 2021 GR Yaris never raced in WRC as it was agreed to retain the same vehicles for an extra year before moving to the next upgrade in car technology. However, the WRC Wings team have been poking around what was worked on and how some of that knowledge was passed on, even though current rules require a lot less downforce to be generated. Click here to read what did happen.

View Details

FOLLOW UP: DEALERS NOW SUE ASTON MARTIN

VW LAUNCHES ‘NEW MOBILITY’ BRANCH

REALITY OF PUBLIC EV CHARGING COSTS

VOLVO TO BUILD ELECTRIC LORRIES

MERCEDES UNVEILS NEW ELECTRIC LORRIES

GOOGLE MAPS RECOMMENDS MOST EFFICIENT ROUTE

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

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THE ROVER SOCIAL

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Vauxhall GSe -

LUNCHTIME READ: OPINION - WHY AREN’T WE ALLOWED TO BUY SMALL CHEAP CARS ANY MORE?

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 CARS THAT JUMPED THE GUN

AND FINALLY: THE GR YARIS AERO THAT NEVER WAS

View Details

FOLLOW UP: DEALERS NOW SUE ASTON MARTIN

VW LAUNCHES ‘NEW MOBILITY’ BRANCH

REALITY OF PUBLIC EV CHARGING COSTS

VOLVO TO BUILD ELECTRIC LORRIES

MERCEDES UNVEILS NEW ELECTRIC LORRIES

GOOGLE MAPS RECOMMENDS MOST EFFICIENT ROUTE

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

——————————————————————————-

THE ROVER SOCIAL

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Vauxhall GSe -

LUNCHTIME READ: OPINION - WHY AREN’T WE ALLOWED TO BUY SMALL CHEAP CARS ANY MORE?

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 CARS THAT JUMPED THE GUN

AND FINALLY: THE GR YARIS AERO THAT NEVER WAS

View Details

FOLLOW UP: RIVIAN PARTNERING WITH MERCEDES

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

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

QUESTIONS RAISED OVER PORSCHE IPO

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

CAZOO EXPANSION U-TURN

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

TOBIAS MOERS JOINS PIECH AUTOMOTIVE

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

BMW PUTS ROUND PEG IN SQUARE HOLES

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

EV CHARGING SOLAR TREES UNVEILED

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

GOOGLE MAPS UPDATES CYCLING ROUTE INFO

Google Maps has updated the information it displays and considers if you use the service for cycling. The cycle route details include areas of heavy traffic, suitable infrastructure, as well as elevation changes across your proposed trip. To note, Apple Maps has also updated in a similar manner. To read more about what Google has done, click here for the road.cc article link.

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

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WRC: ACROPOLIS RALLY

Hyundai had their first ever 1-2-3 and locked out the podium in Greece after their competitors had rallies to forget. M-Sport’s started so well, with Loeb leading and Loubet in second, although he did lead for a couple of stages. But mechanical problems suppered and hopes for the entire M-Sport team. Toyota had a stinker too, with Rovenperra hitting a tree and ending up outside the points. Remarkably, it took a call from the President of Hyundai to ensure team orders were maintained for the final positions. To read more, click the link to the DirtFish article here.

The DirtFish What We Learned article can be found by clicking this link.

Colin Clark’s Driver Ratings can be read by clicking this DirtFish link.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Ford E-Transit Custom -

Ford has now unveiled their electric mid-sized Transit, the Custom. This has a lot of the neat touches and uses that US F150 Lightening owners enjoy, in that they can utilise the power built into the vehicle to keep tools running and the likes. Range is in the region of 236 miles and the interior is as customisable as the ICE version. There are no prices for us to discuss yet. To see more about the innovation and cleverness of the E-Transit Custom, click the Move Electric link here.

Nissan X_Trail -

Nissan has revealed the new X-Trail looks and pricing. Starting at £32,030, all vehicles in the range come in hybrid form, mating a variety of electric motors, depending on spec, to a 1.5 litre petrol engine. Top of the range Tekna+ with added e-force (all wheel drive system) and the seven seat option is priced from £48,155. The interior looks a leap on the previous generation, in terms of tech, quality and sophistication. You can find out more by clicking this Autocar link.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW A FAKE BILLIONAIRE SCAMMED RICH BUYERS FOR MILLIONS WITH BOGUS FERRARI BUILD SLOTS

This week we bring you a story from The Drive by Steph Schrader about Daniel Lesin, who it is alleged, has conned people out of a lot of money by pretending to be one of the super rich and flogging off fake build slots to those who wanted a Ferrari Monza. Click here to read this amazing tale.

LIST OF THE WEEK: ARBARTH’S GREATEST HITS

EVO provides us with the List of the Week and their suggestions for the greatest Arbarth cars of all time. They came to their conclusions after being on the FCA Heritage Hub tour. Click the link here to see the options and do read the wonderful accompanying text. Don’t forget to let the chap’s know if you agree with their choices or not!

AND FINALLY: SEE THROUGH CYLINDER

The And Finally this week is provided by Hagerty, this time all about the 3-D printed see through cylinder that shows just how combustion works. There is a great explanatory article and an embedded YouTube video so you can see it in action. Click here to enjoy!

View Details

FOLLOW UP: RIVIAN PARTNERING WITH MERCEDES

QUESTIONS RAISED OVER PORSCHE IPO

CAZOO EXPANSION U-TURN

TOBIAS MOERS JOINS PIECH AUTOMOTIVE

BMW PUTS ROUND PEG IN SQUARE HOLES

EV CHARGING SOLAR TREES UNVEILED

GOOGLE MAPS UPDATES CYCLING ROUTE INFO

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

——————————————————————————-

WRC: ACROPOLIS RALLY

The DirtFish What We Learned article can be found by clicking this link.

Colin Clark’s Driver Ratings can be read by clicking this DirtFish link.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Ford E-Transit Custom -

Nissan X_Trail -

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW A FAKE BILLIONAIRE SCAMMED RICH BUYERS FOR MILLIONS WITH BOGUS FERRARI BUILD SLOTS

LIST OF THE WEEK: ARBARTH’S GREATEST HITS

AND FINALLY: SEE THROUGH CYLINDER

View Details

FOLLOW UP: RIVIAN PARTNERING WITH MERCEDES

QUESTIONS RAISED OVER PORSCHE IPO

CAZOO EXPANSION U-TURN

TOBIAS MOERS JOINS PIECH AUTOMOTIVE

BMW PUTS ROUND PEG IN SQUARE HOLES

EV CHARGING SOLAR TREES UNVEILED

GOOGLE MAPS UPDATES CYCLING ROUTE INFO

——————————————————————————-

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: ACROPOLIS RALLY

The DirtFish What We Learned article can be found by clicking this link.

Colin Clark’s Driver Ratings can be read by clicking this DirtFish link.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Ford E-Transit Custom -

Nissan X_Trail -

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW A FAKE BILLIONAIRE SCAMMED RICH BUYERS FOR MILLIONS WITH BOGUS FERRARI BUILD SLOTS

LIST OF THE WEEK: ARBARTH’S GREATEST HITS

AND FINALLY: SEE THROUGH CYLINDER

View Details

FOLLOW UP: RIVIAN NOT INTERESTED IN UK

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

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES AUGUST 2022

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

BMW BEGINS HYDROGEN FUEL CELL VEHICLE PRODUCTION

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

RENAULT HARVESTS USED PARTS FROM OLDER LORRIES

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

FIRST BUS ORDERS 193 EV BUSES

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

POLESTAR AND CITROËN SETTLE LOGO DISPUTE

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

POLICE GAME WAZE TO CONTROL TRAFFIC

Police in Surrey have admitted that they ‘game’ Waze, pretending there are more of them around that is the reality to get people to slow down. Whilst on patrol they indicate a location they are at, for a very specific time, but that users of the app will think are still there. This does not directly break any of Waze’s rules. More can be found about this by clicking The Register’s link here.

AURORA AV COMPANY LEAKS CONCERNING MEMO

Aurora, who are seen by the media as one of the more likely autonomous vehicle developers to succeed has accidentally leaked a memo due only for the board of directors. This lays out options for reducing the expenditure of the company, as well as hopes for who could buy them out.

CRUISE RECALLS AV FLEET FROM PUBLIC ROADS

Following an incident that injured two people in June, Cruise has recalled all of its 80 vehicle fleet. In defence of the collision, that was not just the AVs fault, Cruise stated their software “predicted” the other vehicle would turn, but it did not. To read more, click this link to the WIRED article.

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Ariel Hipercar -

Ariel has revealed their carbon fibre bodies EV car. With looks along the lines of a shrunken bat mobile, this is all about form following function. Question marks remain about some of the exterior, such as the front wing vertical fins and what do they do in the event of a collision. Weighing 1445kgs, with one 295hp motor per wheel and a range of 150 miles, as well as a range extender in the form of a micro -turbine, two and four wheel options and 20 minutes of hard track driving, this seems to offer a lot. For more, click this EVO link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: JULIAN THOMSON TO HEAD UP GM ADVANCED DESIGN STUDIO

Julian Thomson has been revealed as the head of the UK-based advanced design studio, for GM. He and his team will work on GM products for all their markets. This has led to speculation that GM will be returning to Europe. To learn more, click this Auto&Design link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE END OF THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION

This article circulated on social media, before the summer, proclaiming the death of manual transmissions. Obviously this caused some “discussion” on social media. If nothing else it is thought provoking and Alan gives us some insight into why the US is so auto centric. To enjoy the article, click here for The Atlantic link.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 11 GROOVY CONCEPT CARS FROM THE SWINGING SIXTIES

Hagerty provides this week’s list, all about concepts from the 60s. This wonderful collection runs the breadth of styles and charts how thinking changed over the decade. Have a run through and see if you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choices. Don’t forget to tell them too! Click here to see what is on offer.

AND FINALLY: HOW TO START A MODEL COLLECTION

For our And Finally, Marian Gradus shares with Giles Chapman how he has created such a fabulous collection of model cars. He also had advice on how to fashion your own collection or not. Click here for the article link.

View Details

FOLLOW UP: RIVIAN NOT INTERESTED IN UK

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES AUGUST 2022

BMW BEGINS HYDROGEN FUEL CELL VEHICLE PRODUCTION

RENAULT HARVESTS USED PARTS FROM OLDER LORRIES

FIRST BUS ORDERS 193 EV BUSES

POLESTAR AND CITROËN SETTLE LOGO DISPUTE

POLICE GAME WAZE TO CONTROL TRAFFIC

AURORA AV COMPANY LEAKS CONCERNING MEMO

CRUISE RECALLS AV FLEET FROM PUBLIC ROADS

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Ariel Hipercar -

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: JULIAN THOMSON TO HEAD UP GM ADVANCED DESIGN STUDIO

LUNCHTIME READ: THE END OF THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION

LIST OF THE WEEK: 11 GROOVY CONCEPT CARS FROM THE SWINGING SIXTIES

AND FINALLY: HOW TO START A MODEL COLLECTION

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FOLLOW UP: RIVIAN NOT INTERESTED IN UK

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES AUGUST 2022

BMW BEGINS HYDROGEN FUEL CELL VEHICLE PRODUCTION

RENAULT HARVESTS USED PARTS FROM OLDER LORRIES

FIRST BUS ORDERS 193 EV BUSES

POLESTAR AND CITROËN SETTLE LOGO DISPUTE

POLICE GAME WAZE TO CONTROL TRAFFIC

AURORA AV COMPANY LEAKS CONCERNING MEMO

CRUISE RECALLS AV FLEET FROM PUBLIC ROADS

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Ariel Hipercar -

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: JULIAN THOMSON TO HEAD UP GM ADVANCED DESIGN STUDIO

LUNCHTIME READ: THE END OF THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION

LIST OF THE WEEK: 11 GROOVY CONCEPT CARS FROM THE SWINGING SIXTIES

AND FINALLY: HOW TO START A MODEL COLLECTION

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FOLLOW UP: GENEVA MOTOR SHOW CANCELLED AGAIN

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

FOLLOW UP: FORD DELAYING SPANISH INVESTMENT

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

FOLLOW UP: STELLANTIS TO PAY US DIESEL EMISSION FINE

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

FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT FACTORY ON ‘LIFE-SUPPORT’

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

TOYOTA TRUCK AFFILIATE FALSIFIED EMISSION DATA

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

STELLANTIS HALTS PRODUCTION AT PLANTS IN EUROPE

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

FERRARI BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR RECALL

Ferrari is recalling nearly every car sold since 2005 due to a fault with the cap of the brake fluid reservoir which could lead to a brake fluid leak that ultimately would mean loss of braking function. That seems quite “ungood”. To find out more, click the Top Gear article here.

OSPREY CHARGING REVEAL ACCESSIBLE CHARGING HUB

Osprey, the EV charging provider, has opened their first accessible charging hub, which they state will be the minimum standard moving forwards. They have positioned the chargers so they can be plugged into the front or rear easily, cables are held up and are lighter, the screens are much lower on the chargers and there are no kerbs. This is excellent and will make charging easier for everyone. To learn more, click this Autocar link here.

DEVON TO LOG CARBON EMISSIONS FROM ROAD WORKS

Devon County Council, in association with the University of Exeter, have created a system that allows contractors to log the carbon emissions from the work they do to the county’s roads. The idea is so that with enough data they can prioritise cutting emissions. Click here for the BBC News article, to learn more.

PROPOSED CAMBRIDGE CONGESTION PLAN

The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) is putting forward a proposal to Cambridge County Council to help deal with traffic issues in and around Cambridge. The main thrust is to charge nearly all vehicles to access the Greater Cambridge area. Only licensed buses, taxis, cyclists and some small groups are exempt from the charge. To read the high level points of the story, click the BBC News article here. For a more in-depth analysis, click Mark Williamson’s Twitter thread link here.

GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATING EV VAN WEIGHT LIMIT RULE CHANGE

The Government is looking at whether the rules around weight limits for large vans need to change for electric large vans. With the added weight of battery packs it is easy for such a vehicle to exceed 4250kgs which means that would be a heavy goods vehicle. You can learn more by clicking the link to an AMOnline article here.

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Dodge Electric Charger Daytona SRT Concept -

With the demise of the Semi engine Dodge has revealed a potential future that includes muscle cars, but electric. The concept harks back to classic muscle cars of the past and still is very potent with many silly sounding attributes, as well as starter buttons inspired by a fighter jet and a pistol grip drive selector. You can lean more by clicking The Drive’s link here.

Munro Vehicles 4x4 -

At the other end of the EV spectrum we have a 4x4 from Scottish EV start up Munro Vehicles. They are targeting industrial use with their vehicles, such a mining operations that need a permanent 4x4 system with locking diffs and a payload capability close to a Land Cruiser. Whilst they will be priced at £75,000 they will be flat pack which means US organisations can take advantage of the new American rules on ‘home soil built’ vehicles and get the tax credits. For more on this, click this Autocar link.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: JOHN PAUL GREGORY JOINS LOTUS

John Paul Gregory, who was recently working at Aston Martin, has joined Lotus as Head of Exterior Design. He will be based in Coventry and working under the leadership of Ben Payne. For more, click the Lotus press release here.

LUNCHTIME READ: INVESTIGATING LONG-GONE CITY-CENTRE DEALERSHIPS

David Whitton takes Autocar on a tour of Edinburgh now and 40 years ago to explore the locations of the dealerships that used to exist. Click the link here to be transported in time and enjoy the wonderful story that David has in doing what he did.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE SEVEN BEST THREE CYLINDER ENGINES

Goodwood Road&Racing has compiled a list of the best three cylinder engines. This is a mix and does not just sit with tiny city cars. Run through the list after clicking this link and see if you agree with Alan. Don’t forget to tell us which you think is the best.

AND FINALLY: MINIATURE DETAILS FOR MINIATURE WORLDS

This week we link to a story about the lengths some people go to add realism and detail to their model car dioramas. This article from The Autopian really digs deep into the effort some put into their hobby. There are plenty of pictures and videos to lose yourself in for quite a bit of fun. Click the link here to enjoy.

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FOLLOW UP: GENEVA MOTOR SHOW CANCELLED AGAIN

FOLLOW UP: FORD DELAYING SPANISH INVESTMENT

FOLLOW UP: STELLANTIS TO PAY US DIESEL EMISSION FINE

FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT FACTORY ON ‘LIFE-SUPPORT’

TOYOTA TRUCK AFFILIATE FALSIFIED EMISSION DATA

STELLANTIS HALTS PRODUCTION AT PLANTS IN EUROPE

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

FERRARI BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR RECALL

OSPREY CHARGING REVEAL ACCESSIBLE CHARGING HUB

DEVON TO LOG CARBON EMISSIONS FROM ROAD WORKS

PROPOSED CAMBRIDGE CONGESTION PLAN

GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATING EV VAN WEIGHT LIMIT RULE CHANGE

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Dodge Electric Charger Daytona SRT Concept -

Munro Vehicles 4x4 -

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: JOHN PAUL GREGORY JOINS LOTUS

LUNCHTIME READ: INVESTIGATING LONG-GONE CITY-CENTRE DEALERSHIPS

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE SEVEN BEST THREE CYLINDER ENGINES

AND FINALLY: MINIATURE DETAILS FOR MINIATURE WORLDS

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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FOLLOW UP: GREY HACKERS TO DE-SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS

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

DIESS TO LEAVE VOLKSWAGEN

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

LONDON ULEZ EXTENSION HAD LESS IMPACT THAN HOPED

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

ASTON MARTIN’S NEW OLD LOGO

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

AMAZON & RIVIAN ROLL OUT NEW EV DELIVERY VANS

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

FORD DEVELOPS EV CHARGER FOR DISABLED DRIVERS

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

NEW HYDROGEN FUEL CELL FACTORY FOR HERTFORDSHIRE

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

MOKE INTERNATIONAL RECEIVES NEW OWNER

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

DAIMLER LAUNCHES SECOND ELECTRIC TRUCK MODEL

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

MOTORSPORT: PADDY HOPKIRK

We were saddened to hear of the death of rally legend Paddy Hopkirk at the age of 89. You can read his obituary on Dirtfish.com here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Honda Civic Type-R -

The launch is still underway, so many details haven’t been released yet, but the next generation of Civic Type-R is upon us. You can read more and see pictures in this Autocar article.

Alpine A110 E-ternité -

Alpine has revealed an electric A110 concept to celebrate 60 years since the launch of the original A110 model. Click through to the press release to see pictures and find out more.

LUNCHTIME READ: ‘SAFETY BY NUMBERS’

This week, we have Chris Pollitt’s article on Car & Classic talking about how to keep your classic safe on the road and, possibly, make it even safer than it was when it left the factory.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE 10 BEST FRENCH CONCEPT CARS

There was a lot of competition to get on this list, but Goodwood Road & Racing have done a great job of collating this list of 10 mostly-left-field concepts from l’Hexagone’s finest. Have a look and pick your favourite or, you know, simply the craziest…

AND FINALLY: THE STAR OF INDIA

Everybody needs a car that’s perfect for tiger hunting, right? This 1926 Daimler was designed for exactly that. This intriguing article from Revivaler discusses the who, why and how of this unique, beautiful car.

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FOLLOW UP: VW LOSES TEMP CONTROL ENGINE SOFTWARE RULING

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

ASTON MARTIN SECURE FURTHER FUNDING

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

BMW TRIALS OPTIONS SUBSCRIPTIONS

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

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

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

TESLA ORDERED TO REFUND CUSTOMER OVER AUTOPILOT FAULTS

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

EV ISOLATOR ISSUE HITTING HOME

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

PORSCHE BUILDS SECOND EFUEL FACILITY

Porsche has chosen Tasmania for the location of their second efuel facility. They, along with their partner HIF Global, expect to be producing 100 million litres of efuels from 2026. More can be read about this and the potential for efuels plus their byproducts, by clicking this EVO link here.

RENTAL E-SCOOTER TRIALS EXTENDED TO 2024

The Government has announced that it is extending the e-scooter trials until May 2024. To read more, click this Autocar link here. No doubt this will also delay the legalisation of privately owned scooters use on public highways.

ZERO EMISSION MOTORBIKES FROM 2035 CONSULTATION

The Government has launched a consultation regarding making all new motorbikes and scooters zero emission from 2035. For more, click the AutomotiveManagement Online article here. ——————————————————————————-

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

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WRC: RALLY ESTONIA

Kalle Rovanperä once again took the top step of the podium, at the end of the Estonian rally. Evans was second and looked in superb form until it rained. Tanäk was third, but a long way off the pace, as were the other Hyundais and M-Sport. Only Toyota can really be pleased with their weekend. Only thing left for any sense of jeopardy with this season is exactly when Rovanperä will claim the championship.

To read the review of the rally, click this link for the DirtFish report.

To run through Colin Clark’s Driver Ratings, click this link here.

To find out What We Learned, click here for the link.

And to read about Tanäk’s fine, click the DirtFish link here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Hyundai IONIQ 6 -

After teasing pictures we have now got details for the IONIQ 6, from Hyundai. The sleek saloon will have a 379 mile range, along with 329bhp, in top spec. This is aiming square at the Model 3 and Polestar 2 segment, as it is about the same size too. Prices are expected to start around £45,000. To read more about this, click the Autocar article link here.

MG 5 -

MG has now revealed the updated 5, with a much smarter and sharper look, no longer aping an old Passat. Inside there are improvements too, including a larger infotainment screen. Prices will start at £31,000 and rise to £33,500 for a top of the range car. To learn about this, click this The Car Expert article link.

Hyundai N Vision 74 Concept -

We all looked on, with jaws slack and hearts beating faster, as Hyundai revealed their hydrogen coupe concept. This leans heavily on a previous design from Giugiaro, which is no bad thing, when you see it. Click here to read the EVO article on the car.

To read the Daniel Golson thread and get access to the CNET Cars article Alan mentions, click here.

To read Michael Banovsky’s article, click the Speedster News article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: ‘WE ARE KILLING PEOPLE’

Finally, after all the meaty articles we have linked to this week, we reach the real Lunchtime Read. From the LA Times, the article discusses how interior car design is not helping with, or in fact hindering, the problems with distraction. Whilst US-centric, many of the points stand up, including how OEMs are viewing this area, the reality of what happens to us humans and what it all means. Click here to read.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THESE ARE THE 10 FAILED SUPERCAR MAKERS THAT DESERVED BETTER

Click on the link here, to run through the 10 options Jalopnik give us in their claims for supercar makers that should’ve done better. After you’ve had a look, let the chaps know if you agree with Alan’s choice.

AND FINALLY: CITYRAMA BUS FOUND

After sharing Tim Traveller’s video about the Cityrama Bus, a couple of months ago, there is an update as he has tracked down the last existing one. There is now a campaign to get it restored, you can find out all about the bus and the restoration plans by clicking this link here.

AND AND FINALLY: EVERYBODY BE COOL, YOU BE COOL

We’ll leave this here for another week, as it continues to be “quite warm” in the UK. Thanks to a Tweet from Nir Kahn we now know how to cool our car in the most efficient way possible. Click this link to learn more and then thank Nir for sharing the wisdom!

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NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES JUNE 2022

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

FUEL PRICE PROTESTS HIT ROADS

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

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

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

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

LUNAZ EXPANDS PRODUCTION CAPABILITY

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

HONDA KEYLESS ENTRY HACK VULNERABILITY

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

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

MG 4 -

MG has revealed their new MG 4 a 281 mile hatchback, which will be competing directly with the VW ID.3 for sales. There will be a variety of powertrains, from 167bhp right up to 443bhp. Prices have yet to be confirmed, but going off their existing pricing the car will be class competitive. For more, click the Autocar link here.

VW Amarok -

Volkswagen has revealed the new Amarok, which was co-developed with Ford. The pick up of choice for those looking to save a few pounds on tax will get an upgraded interior, new look to the exterior and two types of four wheel drive systems, we presume one for those who need to park on verges with summer tyres and those who actually need to go off road. More details can be found by clicking this Autocar link here.

Renault 5 Restomod -

Pierre Gonalons has been let loose with a Renault 5 and reimagined it in a unique style. Whilst a lot of the car is stunning, such as the colour, the interior and the likes, some decisions are a little harder for us to get on board with, such as the marble pretzel steering wheel and the positioning of the gorgeous headlamps. However, what a wonderful thing to have done. Click this Hagerty link to view more.

LUNCHTIME READ: SOMETHING TO REMEMBER

Chris Pollitt has written a lovely piece on older car ownership and why people do it. It’s not all about having a flash car to show off with but usually its about the memories they bring back to us. Click the link here to the Car & Classic article.

LIST OF THE WEEK: FIVE OF BRITAIN’S BEST ROADS

Nik Berg has listed his suggestion for five cracking British roads to try that will be great in any car. He also has a website dedicated to suggestions for road trips you may want to consider yourself. TO view the Hagerty list, click this link. Then we encourage you to visit Nik’s website by clicking this link here.

AND FINALLY: CHICKEN CARS

Thanks to Si Browse, we now know that chicken cars are a thing. We still don’t know if we needed to know that, but we do. As we love to share the more eclectic side of the motoring world with you as well, you too now know about it. Go see more by clicking this link here.

AND AND FINALLY: EVERYBODY BE COOL, YOU BE COOL

Thanks to a Tweet from Nir Kahn we now know how to cool our car in the most efficient way possible. Click this link to learn more and then thank Nir for sharing the wisdom!

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HYUNDAI AND KIA RAIDED IN GERMANY

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

EUROPE CONFIRMS 2035 NEW ICE SALE BAN

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

GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES INCIDENT INVESTIGATION BRANCH

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

NOTTINGHAM TRIALS WIRELESS TAXI CHARGING

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

YORK OPENS FIRST COUNCIL HYPERHUB

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

SWARCO SIGNS DEAL WITH CORNWALL COUNCIL

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

NEW HOME CHARGING RULES IN FORCE

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

ASTON MARTIN SEEKS NEW FUNDING BUT NO NEED TO PANIC

Following the exclusive story from Autocar, stating Aston Martin was seeking further investment, they had to come out and say everything was fine with their order books, which isn’t quite the same as “we don’t need cash”. To read the Bloomberg article on all this, click here.

GERMAN COURT RULES SUV OWNER TO BE PENALISED MORE

A German court has ruled that due to the driver being in a SUV, they can and should be penalised harder thanks to potential danger, extra weight and poor visibility. This is of note, because other jurisdictions may well follow suit, but targeting weight brings more than SUVs into the picture. Click here to read the Jalopnik article.

CATERHAM HAVE NEW CEO

Caterham’s CEO, Graham MacDonald is retiring after 10 years in charge, he will be replaced by Bob Laishley. Laishley was the head of Nissan sports cars. As we all know, the change in the car industry is almost unparalleled and smaller, niche companies such as Caterham are at risk, therefore his hands will be full in helping the company transition. For more, click the Autocar article link here.

SELF-DRIVING CARS INQUIRY OPENS

The Transport Committee has opened a public inquiry for self-driving cars, asking for evidence and comment regarding how best to legislate for them. We all must make our voice heard on this matter, so click the link to directly respond to this invitation. ——————————————————————————-

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

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BLOODHOUND LSR

Following a chance meeting, the current CEO of the Bloodhound LSR project spoke to Will Iron regarding the whole thing and its future. Click The Sunday Times Driving article link here, to learn all about the hope for the future.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW TO DESIGN A CAR PART 2 - FRONT GRILLES

OvPart two of EVO’s series with Peter Stevens moves to a subject we in the car corner of the internet like to get exercised about, front grilles. Click the link here to read about them, which may help you understand why some look like they do.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE 19 VANS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU WANTED

Listen to Andrew and Alex wax lyrical about vans, click this Top Gear link here, to read more and see if you agree. Don’t forget to let them know if you think they were right or not.

AND FINALLY: DRIVING UP A MOUNTAIN IN A CLOUD, FAST

We round the show out with raw, onboard footage of the winning Pikes Peak run, by Robin Shute, in The Sendy Club’s car. Click here to send just over ten minutes transfixed.

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FOLLOW UP: FORD ENDING FOCUS PRODUCTION

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

FOLLOW UP: PRIVATE PARKING CODE OF PRACTICE PAUSED

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

FOLLOW UP: FLEETS URGED TO SUBMIT EV DATA TO HMRC

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

NEW SENTENCING LIMITS FOR DRIVERS WHO KILL

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

BRADFORD CLEAN AIR ZONE DATE

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

LOTUS AND BENTLEY TO BUILD SOME CLASSIC EXAMPLES

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

Meanwhile, Bentley, buoyed by the success of their Blower Continuation Series, has announced they are producing 12 of their two-time Le Mans winning Speed Six cars. They have already been snapped up, at only £1.5 million. Again, to read more, click here for the Jalopnik link.

TOYOTA RECALLING BZ4X OVER WHEEL NUT ISSUE

Before they are even delivered, Toyota has spotted a potential risk of wheel nuts loosening during heavy braking of their first specific all-electric car the bZ4X. Once they have identified a remedy then the roll out of deliveries will take place. Click here to learn more, from the Autocar article.

TFL TO BEGIN FINING CARS WHO ENTER CYCLE LANES

Thanks to new powers, TfL are to begin to fine vehicles that enter cycle lanes illegally. During the initial six months warnings will initially be issued but then fines of £160 for each infringement, unless paid quickly, is the penalty. To learn more, click here to read the BBC News article.

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

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WRC: SAFARI RALLY

Oh boy, that was a brutal one. Brilliant result for Toyota, a 1, 2, 3, 4! They also did that in 1993. A shocker for Hyundai and M-Sport. The Safari Rally is meant to be tough, but I’m not sure it should be this tough, although some covering the sport think they should all be as hard as this. Rovenpera won again, Evans was second and Katsuta made the podium this time after just missing out in Portugal. Ogier came in fourth, like Loeb, his participation was muted again. Neuville was the best placed Hyundai in fifth, Tanak retired TWICE and Solberg was tenth. To find out more about what happened, click here for the DirtFish article.

To find out Alasdair Lindsey’s Driver Ratings, click the DirtFish link.

To read the DirtFish What We Learned article, click here.

GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED

Over the last weekend we saw all manner of incredible vehicles being driven up the hill or sat outside the wonderful Goodwood House. Here we link to some of the coverage, for you to catch up with.

Goodwood Road & Racing’s coverage can be found by clicking this link here.

EVO’s coverage can be found by clicking this link and don’t forget to open the gallery as there are some stunning photos.

For a full roundup of the cars that we on show, click here for the Autocar link.

Obviously, the star of the show was the McMurtry Spéirling that broke the record for the hillclimb. Click here to watch the video.

To see what Autocar found in the car park, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: HOT WHEELS LEGEND TOUR 2022

Following the successful first Hot Wheels Legend Tour, last year, where Lee Johnstone’s Volvo P1800 Gasser won the global prize to be made into an actual model, the judges will be once again looking for the best real cars to make into a special Hot Wheels model. For more on this, click here for the Motoring Research article.

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UK HOUSEHOLDS GET CLEAN AIR MONITORS

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

EXPERIENCE SCORES FOR CARS

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

MG HALTS SALES

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

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

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WRC: SAFARI RALLY THIS WEEK

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

BRANDS HATCH BUS SERVICE

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

MOVE CONFERENCE ROUNDUP:

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

BICESTER SCAMBLE

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

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: NURNBERGER DOES RETURN TO ASTON

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

LUNCHTIME READ: MY TRIP TO ITALY WITH SIR STIRLING MOSS

Andrew Frankel recounts, in some wonderful writing, his time with Sir Stirling Moss and Norman Dewis in Italy to celebrate the Jaguar C-Type taking part in the Mille Miglia in 1952, The fondness Andrew has for the two and how wonderful it must have been to be there really comes across. Click here to read the Goodwood Road & Racing article.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE EVOLUTION OF THE SUPERCAR

As Goodwood Festival of Speed is this weekend, we thought we would share a list all about supercars across history and how some moved the needle on. Click here for the Hagerty article link. Don’t forget to tell the chaps if you agree with the choice.

AND FINALLY: FORD ONLINE ARCHIVE JUST WENT LIVE

Ford has opened a massive online archive to the public. Items from between 1903 to 2003 can be accessed via the link in the Jalopnik article. What a wonderful way to spend many, many hours pouring over old information and pictures. Click here to read the Jalopnik article.

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PETROL PRICES REACH NEW RECORD

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

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

SCOTLAND TO ‘DISCOURAGE CAR USE’

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

VOLVO ELECTRIC TIPPERS NOW IN UK

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

FRANCE APPROVES ALLEGED SUPER-PRECISE SPEED CAMERAS

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

APPLE REVEALS NEW CAR PLAY

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

JLR TO USE WHAT3WORDS NAVIGATION

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

To learn more about the issues with what3words, click this Cybergibbons article link here. If that isn’t enough, click the second here.

WESTFIELD IN RECEIVERSHIP

The UK kit car manufacturer, located in the West Midlands, has entered receivership after 39 years. Originally aping the Caterham Seven, so closely that it ended up losing a court case, they moved onto more outlandish versions. To read more, click here for the Hagerty article covering the history of this car maker. ——————————————————————————-

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 clicking this link here.

We have some complimentary tickets, which you can apply for, if you wish to attend the conference yourself. To do so, click this link here and fill out the details required.

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

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NEW MOTORSPORT SERIES ANNOUNCED

Motorsport UK, the governing body for motorsport in the UK, has announced a new series which it hopes will attract more to the racing. The StreetCar series is all about letting you use your daily driver across 12 series organised by participating clubs. You can pick from Autotest, Trials and Rallying, selecting how much you wish to get involved. To learn more, including all the entry criteria, click the Hagerty article link here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS:

Plasan WIlder -

Plasan has revealed their latest military vehicle, which has been designed by friend of the show Nir Kahn. This is a vehicle for up to four personnel, with a central driver seating position. The footprint is small, about the same as a Jeep Wrangler, yet offers a great deal of protection to occupants and flexibility to those using it. To read more, whilst Andrew waits for the civilian version to test on the family, click here for the Autocar article. TO watch it in action click the Plasan YouTube video link here.

Porsche 928 by Nardone Automotive -

Nardone Automotive has revealed a modern interpretation of the original Porsche 928 with their restored and it looks tremendous. The exterior has been tweaked, with the use of composite materials allowing for some interesting emphasis of certain aspects of the design. No confirmation of prices, expect it to be “if you have to ask you cannot afford it” as well as no stated production date. For more information, including stunning pictures, click the EVO link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE SURGE (I)

This week we take another article from Design Field Trip, this time about the Renault Mégane Mk2. The article explains the importance of it and how it fitted in with the overarching design work of Renault. To read this fascinating insight, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 STRANGE SEATING ARRANGEMENTS

Major Gav has compiled a list of his Top 10 odd seating arrangements. Gone is the two up front with three in the back layout, these all play around with that format. Click the link to the Hagerty article and then let the chaps know if you agree with the selection.

AND FINALLY: SCULPTING CARS

Jonny Ambrose is an artist who sculpts cars in a wide variety of materials and styles. Except he always has some wood somewhere within his work. Click the Hagerty link here to read about and see his stunning work.

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FOLLOW UP: EU ADVISOR APPROVES PURSUING DEFEAT DEVICE DAMAGES CLAIMS

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

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES MAY 2022

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

MERCEDES TO RECALL 1M CARS

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

HMRC NOT KEEPING PACE WITH ENERGY PRICE RISES

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

FUEL PRICE SURGE IN MAY

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

CARZAM CLOSES DIGITAL DOORS

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

MERCEDES DITCHES MOST B-CLASS VARIANTS

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

FORD CUTTING FOCUS PRODUCTION

In a move that likely indicates the demise of the Focus mode according to somel, the Saarlouis plant in Germany will reduce production of the model at the end of August. Ford has been vocal about prioritising more profitable models, therefore this does imply that the Puma is more favoured by management. To read more, click here for the Autocar article. ——————————————————————————-

More details on the conference can be found by clicking this link here.

We have some complimentary tickets, which you can apply for, if you wish to attend the conference yourself. To do so, click this link here and fill out the details required.

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

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WRC: RALLY ITALY

Sardinia once again proved to be very tough, with an unlikely winner in the form of Tanak, who has shown no hint of his talent nor an appearance of being a leader this season, until now. He drove with purpose and intelligence to bring home a win for himself and Hyundai. Second was Criag Breen in the M-Sport Puma and Sordo rounding out the podium for Hyundai with another impressive drive. Championship leader Rovanperä was fifth, whilst Evans had a rally to forget, or is that a season to forget? For a review of the event, click the DirtFish article here.

For the DirtFish What We Learned article, click this link.

For the Colin Clark Driver Ratings article, click here for the link.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: MELVILLE LEAVES MCLAREN

Rob Melville, McLaren’s design director, has announced he will step down from his role. He is credited with giving McLaren their distinctive style. There is no indication of who will replace him yet. For more, click here for the EVO article.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS:

Hyundai i30N Drive-N -

A very limited run, of just 75 examples coming to our shores, plus improved interior and design cues along with a £1535 premium on the “normal” i30N marks this out. Mechanically it stays the same. For more info, click this EVO link here.

Mercedes-AMG One -

The much anticipated mega Mercedes-AMG hypercar has now been revealed. Power comes from a combination of the F1 engine, a V6, being mated to four electric motors, to produce 1049bhp. Only 275 examples are being built, with them all snapped up already at £2.2 million. To read more about this car, click the Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: MERCEDES-AMG ONE OR NOTHING

Michael Banovsky gives us his take on the Mercedes-AMG, well that and Mercedes the company. As ever, very enjoyable read, click here for the Speedster News article.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 CARS THAT MASTERED AERODYNAMICS

Hagerty has a list, thanks to Antony Ingram, of some of the most aero efficient vehicles sold, through history. Run through the list, and see if you would pick the same as Andrew. Don’t forget to tell the podcast Twitter account your choice! Click here for the list’s link.

AND FINALLY: US CAR SO BAD A DICTATOR SAID NO

Saddam Hussein was so disappointed by the quality of specially-built 1981 Chevrolet Malibus, that he cancelled the second part of the deal with GM, meaning 12,500 cars did not end up in Iraq. How bad was US car quality at that time? Shockingly so, it would appear. Click here for The Drive article explaining how this all happened.

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

FOLLOW UP: VW SETTLE UK CONSUMER LITIGATION

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

FOLLOW UP: STELLANTIS REACH PLEA DEAL OVER EMISSIONS PROBE

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

JLR LOOKING ABROAD FOR EV PRODUCTION

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

AUTOCAR AND WHATCAR? GET AUTOTRADER ADS

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

WASHINGTON TO CHARGE CARS ON WEIGHT

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

REE TO BUILD EUROPEAN EV VANS IN MIDLANDS

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

BAC AND VIRITECH HYDROGEN FEASIBILITY STUDY

BAC and Viritech are undertaking a feasibility study of a hydrogen powertrain for sports cars. They are establishing if it is possible to make a Mono with this alternative power source. One of the problems they need to overcome is the potential for extra weight, if it were an electric battery powered car. Viritech are working on lightweight fuel cell drivetrains. More can be found out by clicking this article from BAC.

FIAT AXING ALL NON ELECTRIFIED MODELS FROM JULY

Fiat has announced that it will no longer sell any non electrified vehicles, in the UK, from July. Now that the Tipo and 500X have hybrid versions, Fiat can stop selling ICE only models. To read about this, click the Autocar link here.

PUBLIC ULTRA-RAPID CHARGERS COSTS RISE

The cost to use a public ultra-rapid charging station has increased dramatically, over the last eight months. The 50% rise is still less than petrol price rise over the same time period, which stands at 88%. For more about this, click here for the Autocar link. To learn more about the RAC Charge Watch click here.

JLR RELAUNCHES ONLINE BUYING SERVICES

JaguarLandRover has relaunched their online buying, subscription and hiring services. Called “Own. Subscribe. Rent.” they have simplified their previous offering, making it easier and quicker for a potential customer to get to the point of actually parting with their cash. You can find out more, by clicking the Automotive Management article link here. ——————————————————————————-

More details on the conference can be found by clicking this link here.

We have some complimentary tickets, which you can apply for, if you wish to attend the conference yourself. To do so, click this link here and fill out the details required.

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS:

Ora Funky Cat -

Ora has renamed the Cat to help it take on rivals such as the ID.3 by now calling it the Ora Funky Cat, ready for an autumn launch in the UK. Prices will start at £30, 495 (including Government grant). The range will be 193 miles for entry level, 209 miles for mid range (when it becomes available) and 261 miles for the top of the range, again when available. To learn more, click the Autocar article here.

Land Rover Defender 130 -

Land Rover is launching an eight seater version of the Defender, titled 130, later this year. Prices start at £73, 895. The seating is a two, three, three layout, from the front to the rear. Land Rover claim three adults can travel in comfort in the back row, as well as access the seats simply, thanks to clever folding and sliding mechanism on the middle row. More can be found out by clicking this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: MATT FARAH HAS NEVER WORKED A DAY IN HIS LIFE

Matt Farah, the host of The Smoking Tire, is the focus of this fascinating article. We learn about his past and how he really got started, the pivots along the way and the sense of responsibility he feels when he reviews vehicles. To read this excellent piece, click the link to the Avants article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 11 CONCEPTS THAT DEFINED THE 1970S

Hagerty provides our List of the Week, with a selection of 11 concept cars they feel defined the 70s. After hearing what the chaps select, click this link here, then run through and let them know if you would pick the same.

AND FINALLY: CANADA FIXES PROBLEM FOR IDIOTS WITHOUT LIGHTS

Canada has come up with a plan to solve the problem of idiots driving along with their daytime running lights but not their proper lights as they’re oblivious to the issue. Click here for the answer, by reading The Autopian article.

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FOLLOW UP: AN EXPERT RESPONDS - CIRCULAR ECONOMY

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

GERMANY SALES BAN FOR FORD DUE TO COURT ORDER

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

LONDON ULEZ EXPANSION CONSULTATION OPENED

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

SMART MOTORWAYS GET UPGRADED SAFETY TECH BY SEPTEMBER

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

NEW CAR AND TRAILER LEARNING SYLLABUS

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

NOISE CAMERA TRIAL BEGINS

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

TESLA OPENS CHARGING NETWORKS TO ANY VEHICLE

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

NEC CAMPUS GAINS PLANNING PERMISSION FOR EV CHARGERS

NEC and The EV Network has received planning permission to install charging points for 32 vehicles that can use 300KW DC chargers. Additionally, in another car park, 150 7KW chargers will be installed for those attending the site. To learn more, click this ZapMap link here.

TESLA 3 AND Y MODELS EASILY ACCESSED AND DRIVEN OFF

Naughty people can, very easily, gain access to Model 3 and Y Teslas, due to a security flaw that cannot be easily fixed thanks to the way they have decided to utilise bluetooth for easy unlocking. Tesla were informed in April, and the advice is to switch off Passive Entry. To read more, click The Register article here.

TYRE WEAR EVEN WORSE THAN FIRST THOUGHT

Emission Analytics, who previously investigated tyre degradation and pollutants, has returned to the subject to see what the results would be for real-world driving. The news is very grim, particularly for all the EV fanatics that screamed BEVs were falsely painted as bad. Tyre wear is 1850 times worse than tailpipe emissions. To read more, including the methodology and confirmation from independent evaluators, click their article here.

GLIMMER OF HOPE FOR BLOODHOUND

A surprise announcement this week has cheered us up on the podcast, there is a glimmer of hope for the Bloodhound LSR project as there are conversations with sponsors starting up again, following the pandemic and mothballing of the car. To read more, click the Autocar article here. ——————————————————————————-

More details on the conference can be found by clicking this link here.

We have some complimentary tickets, which you can apply for, if you wish to attend the conference yourself. To do so, click this link here and fill out the details required.

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

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JIM MAGILL DRIVING ACROSS THE US FOR CHARITY

Friend of the show, Jim Magill, is driving across the US in the prototype VW XL1, to raise money for Alzheimer's Research UK. To follow along with Jim you can click this YouTube link here and select The Car of the Future Past videos. To support the effort and donate, click the JustGiving link here.

WRC: RALLY PORTUGAL

The stunning and seemingly unstoppable Rovanperä secured another victory, this time on the gruelling Rally Portugal gravel roads. Many said he wasn’t going to win and he just needed to keep his nose clean and bring the car home. The returning masters would have this one sorted. Rovanperä didn’t read that memo. As cars and reputations fell out of contention he kept it clean but also was very quick. In the end leaving everyone trailing behind him. For more about the event, click the DirtFish article linked here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: MILES NURNBERGER LEAVES DACIA

Dacia have lost their design director, less than a year after he joined the company. David Durand will step up from vice president of design to run the team. No reason has been given for Nurnberger leaving. More information can be found at this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: MUD WRESTLING

You know we like a good adventure story, well the 1993 Camel Trophy certainly qualifies. You can read about the atrociously hard event by clicking the Hagerty article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: ITS ALL IN A NAME

Graham Easton, from Great Driving Days, has put together a list of Italian car names that seem like they had forgotten this part of the process. Run through the list, after hearing which one Alan selects, and see if you agree. Don’t forget to tell the chaps. Click here for the link.

AND FINALLY: TRANSIT AN UNKNOWN PART OF THE FAMILY HOUSE

A family in Germany found as they demolished one of their buildings, that a Ford Transit had in fact been the framework for a bathroom and pantry, without realising. For more, about this amazing story, click here to get to The Drive link.

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FOLLOW UP: VED PRICES FROM LAST SPECIAL EDITION ERROR

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

GOVERNMENT INVEST £200M IN ZERO-EMISSION LORRY FLEET

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

NEWCASTLE CLEAN AIR ZONE POSTPONED

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

SMART MOTORWAYS GET UPGRADED SAFETY TECH BY SEPTEMBER

ALISON JONES PROMOTED IN STELLANTIS

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

PLYMOUTH INSTALLS 20MPH SPEED CAMERA

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

TOYOTA CUTS PRODUCTION DUE TO CHINA COVID LOCKDOWN

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

RENAULT SELLS AVTOVAZ ASSESTS

Renault has managed to extricate itself from Russia by selling their assets to a science institute, apparently for 1 rouble. However, they have retained the option of a six year buy-back option. You can read the Reuters article by clicking this link here. The Moskvitch brand is apparently being reborn and will take advantage of the production facilities.

SHELL AIMING FOR 100,000 CHARGERS BY 2030

Shell has pledged to install 100, 000 public chargers in the UK by 2030, with 11,000 being rapid versions. On top of this they will be installing chargers for private homes and workplaces taking their total up to an estimated 500,000 by 2030. Click this link to read more from ZapMap.

VW REVIVES SCOUT BRAND FOR US MARKET

Volkswagen is reviving the Scout brand name as it targets the US with EV SUVs and pick-ups. In the US, VW still is feeling the effects of #dieselgate and what that has done to their image. By using an unrelated name, which they purchased last year, they will be hoping to sidestep any negative problems. To learn more, click here for the Autocar article.

UK GOVERNMENT TO LEGALISE PRIVATE E-SCOOTERS

The UK Government has announced that it will introduce legislation that legalises e-scooters on public roads. Ministers claim that safety is central to this and that they must be available to all. To learn more, click this MoveElectric article here. Then for information on opening e-scooters to all click the MoveElectric article here. ——————————————————————————-

More details on the conference can be found by clicking this link here.

We have some complimentary tickets, which you can apply for, if you wish to attend the conference yourself. To do so, click this link here and fill out the details required.

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JIM MAGILL DRIVING ACROSS THE US FOR CHARITY

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

2023 Ford E-Transit Custom EV -

Possibly the most important commercial EV for the UK, Ford has announced the details of the E-Transit Custom. With a 232 claimed milage and a similar capacity of the ICE version. The Transit Custom outsold the best selling car in 2021, by 25%, so it is no understatement that this is a vital vehicle for Ford. Details are yet to be revealed as to which battery will be used, but it is expected to offer the same 181bhp or 265bhp motors that the E-Transit will use. Whilst prices have not been announced either, the expectation is for them to start around £40,000. To learn more, click this link for the Autocar article.

2022 Genesis GV60 -

Genesis has now, after much teasing of the car, revealed the details and specifications of the GV60, their first dedicated EV. All versions use the 73kWh battery, with the Premium model being a 225bhp RWD version offering 321 miles. Moving up to the Sport model you get four wheel drive, with a 99bhp electric motor for the front wheels, resulting in a total of 314bhp and 292 miles. The top of the range Sport Plus has a whopping 482bhp and 289 miles range. To read more, click the Autocar link here.

Vauxhall Insignia -

Vauxhall are no longer selling the Insignia in the UK. A new models, reported to be a SUV, will hit the streets in 2026. For more on this, click here to read the Autocar article.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: MILES NURNBERGER LEAVES DACIA

LUNCHTIME READ: IT WILL SOON BE EASY FOR SELF-DRIVING CARS TO HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT

Following the publication of a UK based survey into people’s thoughts on self-driving cars, Jack Stilgoe has written an article about how AVs can not be easily distinguished from cars driven by humans and poses the question if we should allow that. To read this excellent piece, click the link to the MIT Technology Review article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: AUTOCAR AWARDS 2022

Autocar held their annual awards last week, and we have a slide show for you to run through, to catch up on all the categories and winners. Thankfully, these are given to cars you can actually buy which doesn’t always happen with some others. To run through the winners, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: A GORGEOUS HOBBY

Martin Aveyard creates stunning models and dioramas at 1:24 scale, just for the pleasure of doing so. His work is so good, that looking at the photos you’d think they were real cars from a fabulous tuning or modifying company. Click here for the Hagerty article link and then go find him on Instagram to follow.

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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.

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APRIL 2022 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

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

TOBIAS MOERS LEAVES ASTON MARTIN

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

LOTUS OPENS NEW MANUFACTURING FACILITY AT HETHEL

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

MINI HALTS MANUAL CAR PRODUCTION

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

DEFENDER ADVERTS BANNED

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

More details on the conference can be found by clicking this link here.

We have some complimentary tickets, which you can apply for, if you wish to attend the conference yourself. To do so, click this link here and fill out the details required.

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Mercedes-Benz T Class -

Mercedes has revealed their replacement for the Citan, which was competent but jolly expensive. Again, using a shared platform, with the Renault Kangoo, they will look to tap into the increasing van-derived car market, that offers oodles of practicalities for the footprint. Prices have yet to be announced in the UK, but equivalent for those stated for Germany equate to starting at £24, 565. A variety of petrol and diesel engines will be offered, with a full EV option following. For more, click the Autocar link here.

Isuzu D-Max Arctic Trucks AT35 -

Order books have opened for the new Actic Trucks AT35 D-Max. Think expedition pick up and you’ll be moving in the right direction when trying to imagine the AT35. Uprated suspension and tyres are very obvious indicators this is no normal D-Max. Prices start at £47, 999 (ex. VAT) for the manual, with you needing to add about £1500 for an auto. To find out more, click the link here to WhatVan?’s article.

LUNCHTIME READ: INTERIOR EVOLUTION - JAGUAR MK2 XF

Design Field Trip has run down the history of the XF interior, running through what made it good, not so good and how it could’ve been executed. A fascinating view at someone who is not just knocking things for the sake of it, but because they want and know they can do better. To read, click the article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE COOLEST CARS OF THE 1990S

This week we are recommending running through the Retro Motor’s list of the coolest 1990s cars. You can see if you agree with the chaps, by clicking this link here. Don’t forget to tell Alan and Andrew what you’d choose.

AND FINALLY: DELIGHTS OF RUN-DOWN FRENCH CAR LOT

Picking our jealousy baton once again, for Antony Ingram and his recent road trip through France, we are recommending that you read his account of going through a run-down car lot he spotted, as he was passing. Just the sort of place we could all loose hours in, poking around the parked up classics. To see some of what he did find, click here for the Hagerty article.

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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.

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SUZUKI AND STELLANTIS DIESELS INVESTIGATED

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

FEAR OF FINES FOR BOX JUNCTION MISTAKES

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

MOT TEST COULD BE EVERY TWO YEARS

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

BMW AND AUDI STOP FREIGHT TRAIN TO CHINA

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

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

VOLTA TRUCKS REVELAS SMALLER LORRIES

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

VW AND BP ROLL OUT NEW CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE

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

GOVERNMENT TO LEGALISE PRIVATE E-SCOOTER USE

Grant Shaps, the Transport Minister, has stated the Government plans to legalise the use of private scooters on public roads. Exactly how they will mandate for their safe use is yet to be established. To learn more, click the Move Electric article link here.

PARIS’S ELECTRIC BUSES TAKEN OFF THE ROAD

Following two incidents where Bolloré electric buses caught fire, all have been removed from the roads as a precaution whilst investigations into the causes are run. No one was hurt in either incident. To learn more, click this France24 link here.

MCLAREN NAME NEW BOSS

Ex-Ferrari technology chief, Michael Leiters, has been announced as the new CEO of McLaren. Leiters has worked at Porsche and recently Ferrari. His resume includes developing the Cayenne, prancing horse mid-engined V8s and their first ever hybrid super cars. To learn more, click the EVO article link here.

MORGAN NAME NEW BOSS

Ex-Lamborghini Chief Project Management Officer, Massimo Fumarola, has been named as Morgan’s new CEO. He will lead the company during their most innovative and progressive period since inception. For more on who Massimo is and the challenges he faces, click the PistonHeads article here. ——————————————————————————-

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SMMT DRIVE DAY 2022 ROUND UP:

Below is a list of the cars Alan managed to find time to drive, whilst at the annual SMMT Drive Day, held at Milbrook. Thank you to SMMT, the manufacturers and other motoring journalists for organising, being there and actually talking to Alan so he didn’t feel lonely.

Hyundai Kona N

Mustang Mach-E (Extended Range)

BMW 220i Luxury Active Tourer

Peugeot 508 SW PSE

SsangYong Musso Rhino

Porsche Macan S

Toyota RAV-4 Adventure

Toyota Supra 3.0 Jeramy Racetrack Edition

A look at the Genesis GV60

Skoda Enyaq iV 80 Sportline

Alpine A110 GT

Volvo C40 Dual Motor

AND FINALLY: WHAT IS RUSSIAN FOR “OH DEERE”

Following the invasion of the Ukraine, Russian forces have stolen John Deere manufactured farming equipment and taken it back to their country. However, John Deere has spotted this and ‘bricked’ the tractors and harvesters, rendering them inoperable. Whilst this is a good thing, that John Deere has done, it raises once again the awful concept of remote deactivation capability. Always relieves on you meeting arbitrary standards someone else has decided on, which you have no ability to appeal against. For more, click here to read The Register’s article.

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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.

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FOLLOW UP: FRANCE ISSUES ARREST WARRANT FOR GHOSN

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

UK GOVERNEMENT MAKES AMENDMENTS TO HIGHWAY CODE

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

RIMAC HAS NEW INVESTOR

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

GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE CHARGING RELIABILITY LAW

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

GRIDSERVE OPENS NORWICH CHARGING FORECOURT

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

NEW CHARGING POINT RISE 33% IN LAST YEAR

Over the last year there has been a 33% rise in the number of charging points being installed, across the UK. 7,500 were added, taking the total up to 30,290. The Government’s report also highlighted the disparity in spread of devices, with London being much better served than most other areas. Northern Ireland is particularly badly covered. Move Electric have more on this, just click this link here to read it.

LANCASHIRE RESURFACING ROADS WITH RECYCLED TYRES

A trial by Lancashire County Council is underway, to test the viability of using recycled tyres as part of the resurfacing material for roads. The main aim is to reduce the carbon footprint of roads, which it is claimed they have in this instance by over 30%. To read more, click the BBC News article here.——————————————————————————-

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WRC: CROATIA RALLY

After the seemingly endless wait for another WRC event (okay, we may have been a tad over dramatic there), we were treated to an amazing few days of rallying. Rovanperä, having led for so long over the three days, lost the lead of the race on the penultimate stage, to Tanak. However, a blistering final Special Stage meant he won by just 4.3 seconds. This was all after being well over a minute ahead of everyone on Friday. Neuville rounded out the podium, even after a big scare towards the end. To read about the event, click the DirtFish article here.

To read DirtFish’s What We Learned article, click here.

MOTORSPORT DATES FOR THE DIARY

Mission Motorsport has announced the 2022 Race of Remembrance, to be held at Anglesey. Click here to learn more. For the Bad Obsession Motorsport video on last year’s event, click here.

The 24hr of Le Mans program has now been released, which you can find by clicking this link here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

BMW 7-Series -

The latest version of the flagship car of the range has been revealed by BMW. Thanks to feedback from the US and China, the biggest markets for this car, the looks are more modern and dramatic. Inside you will be able to add a hose of toys and features, including a ‘cinema screen’ for the rear passengers. There will be a host of powertrains, from mild hybrid petrol and diesels, PHEVs and full EV. The i7 will start at £108,305, no figure has been given for the PHEV but the existing models start between £73,305 and £80,405 depending on the variety you go for. For more, including the huge choice of powertrain options and configurations, click here for the Autocar article.

Lexus RZ 450e -

The first bespoke electric Lexus has been revealed, the RZ 450e. The basis will be the Toyota platform, TNGA, which the Toyota bZ4x also utilises. The RZ was one of the 15 models Akio Toyoda had with him as he revealed the new strategy, recently. The e-TNGA platform has two motors, one for the front and one the back, with a split of 150kW and 80kW respectively. This gives a total power output of 309bhp and 320lb ft, resulting in a 0-62 of 5.6 seconds and a speed limited 99 mph. Official range is just over 250 miles and will be chargeable up to 150kW. No prices have yet been announced. For more, click the Move Electric link here.

8 of the best at Salon Price in London -

Motoring Research, well Tim Pitt specifically, was at the Salon Price event last week and has listed the eight best cars there. To see them, click this link here.

Toyota GR86 sells out in 90 minutes -

For more about how quickly the UK allocation of the GR86 sold out, click the PistonHeads link here.

Citroen ends Grand C4 Spacetourer production -

Citroen has announced it will not longer make the Grand C4 Spacetourer, which has been a favourite of many who need the practicality of an MPV but don’t fancy a van derived vehicle. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

Nissan ends Datsun production

Datsun will no longer make cars, Nissan has indicated, following years of slumping sales. For more, click here to read the BBC News article.

LUNCHTIME READ: WHAT WAS THE QUESTION AGAIN?

This week’s Lunchtime Read comes from Nir Kahn, who proposes we should look at original briefs of old cars to help freshen up our thinking today. Click here for his LinkedIn article explaining why we should and what the benefits could be.

LIST OF THE WEEK: FIVE REASONS TO AVOID THE AUTOROUTE ON YOUR NEXT FRENCH ROAD TRIP

Antony Ingram has compiled the list explaining why you should give the French motorways a miss, next time you drive through the country. Having just returned from what looked like a fabulous road trip (we are not jealous at all, nooooo, not us) he is in as good a position to put this suggestion forward as anyone. Click through and read his reasoning, in his Hagerty piece here.

AND FINALLY: REVAMPED MAZADA MUSEUM HAS A NEW WEBSITE

Mazda has revamped their museum, in Hiroshima, as well as the website explaining all about it. Click this link here to get a taster from what you could expect if you get the chance to go visit.

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HYUNDAI IONIQ5 WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR

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

NCAP SCORES DACIA JOGGER ONE STAR

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

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

QUALCOMM AND STELLANTIS AGREEMENT

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

NEW PRIVATE CAR RULES NOW IN FORCE

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

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WRC: CROATIA THIS WEEK AND SEB IS BACK FOR PORTUGAL

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

Today, M-Sport also announced that Sabastien Loeb will return for the team at the Portugal event. Click here for the DirtFish article detailing that.

LUNCHTIME READ: GETTING A CONCEPT MADE (OR NOT)

Adrian Clarke has written another design article for Hagerty, this time on how hard it is to actually get a concept car made, let alone be close to the original vision. To read that, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 FANTASTIC FRENCH CLASSICS

Major Gav is back! He has compiled a list of French classics. Have a listen to the chaps select their fav and then run through the list yourself to see if you are in agreement. As ever, do tell us your choice! Click here for the Motoring Research article link.

AND FINALLY: PININFARINA DESIGNS A SCOOTER

Pininfarina has launched an electric scooter, proving they are still with the zeitgeist. Have they managed to bring style to a scooter, only you can be the judge of that. For more, click the Autocar link here.

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UK GOVERNMENT TO MANDATE SWITCH TO EVS

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

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

PORSCHE INVESTS IN SYNTHETIC FUEL MAKER

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

GRIDSERVE HAS REPLACED ALL MOTORWAY ECOTRICITY CHARGERS

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

SCANIA PARTICIPATES IN HYDROGEN PROJECT

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

GENIEPOINT JOINS ZAP-PAY

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

VAUXHALL CORSA DIESEL IS NO MORE

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

THE CARCROWD CAFE IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

There is a new destination, for petrolheads of the UK, who would like something to eat and drink whilst looking at wonderful machinery. The CarCrowd has opened their cafe to the public, on Thursdays through to Sunday. To go visit, their cafe is The Car Crowd Café at Mansfield Road, Edingley, Notts, NG22 8BG.

To listen to the Special Edition with David Spickett, explaining all about The CarCrowd, click this link.

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Smart #1 -

Smart has unveiled their new fully electric car, the #1. This is a brand new vehicle, which is purely electric. Similar in size to the ID.3, with interior space, apparently, comparable to a Mercedes E-Class. There is a 66kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt battery, which it is estimated gives 273 miles range and has 150kW rapid-charging capability. The expectation is for 268bhp, too. Prices are expected to be around £35,000. To learn more, click the Autocar article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: FORD MONDEO IS AT AN END

With the news that the last Model has rolled off the production line, we are recommending an article that looks back at the highs and lows of the Mondeo. To read and be reminded of Mondeo, click the Autocar article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 UNEXCEPTIONAL CLASSICS

Hagerty has compiled a list of 10 unexceptional classics, which you can find here. Agree with Andrew’s choice? Let the chaps know if you do and what you would chose. Click here to run through the list.

Also, tickets for the Festival of the Unexceptional are now on sale, click this link to find out more!

AND FINALLY: ISLE OF WIGHT CHARGERS SHOW MORE THAN EXPECTED

Isle of Wight Council’s electric chargers, at Quay Road, Ryde, Cross Street, Cowes and Moa Place, Freshwater, were hacked and ended up showing porn on their screens. The Council responded by saying that as a matter of urgency someone would attend the sites, not they have but would! To have a laugh, click the BBC News article here.

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FOLLOW UP: SSANGYONG SEEKS NEW OWNER AS DEAL FALLS THROUGH

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

MARCH 2022 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

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

THOMAS MULLER IS THE NEW JLR ENGINEERING CHIEF

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

SCHÄFER AND ZELLMER GET NEW VW GROUP ROLES

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

VW GROUP RECALLS OVER 100,000 PLUG-IN HYBRIDS

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

MAZDA IMPORTS DIRECTLY TO UK

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

GOVERNMENT PRODUCES LIFECYCLE ANALYSIS OF UK ROAD VEHICLES

The Government, with the help of Richard Energy and Environment, has produced a comprehensive lifecycle analysis of UK road vehicles. This compares battery electric, hydrogen and ICE vehicles, for their CO2 footprint from their manufacture, through their expected life on the roads and recycling at the end. Click here for the link to the report. Their tweet with an interesting graphic, plus the joy of all the cyclists who found they weren’t included, can be clicked here.

UK GOVERNMENT CONFIRMS WHERE GETS BUS BOOST

The Government has informed the local authorities that were successful in receiving extra money promised, to improve and upgrade bus services. Only 40% of those who applied were awarded funding. The result of this has brought the Government under fire for failing to meet their own targets and promises. For more on this story, click the BBC News article link here.

MOTOR SHOW NEWS

Beijing Motor Show has announced that they will be postponing indefinitely, due to the Covid outbreak in China. To learn more, click the Autocar article here.

Geneva Motor Show organisers have stated that next year will see the return of the show, this time in February. Click here for the story from Autocar on that news. ——————————————————————————-

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REIMS-GUEUX PIT PHOTOS BAN

Over the weekend, the news spread across social media, that we will no longer be allowed to stop at the Reims-Gueux pits to to take photos of the historic location. Groups have been meeting and causing a nuisance which has lead to this move by the local mayor. This is not a total ban from visiting, so do listen to Alan explain the why’s and how’s.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Lotus Eletre -

Lotus, to much razzmatazz, revealed their first ever SUV and fully electric production model, in the form of the Eletre. This is a technological showpiece with much made of driver assistance type technology as well as the interior space. But with figures of 162mph top speed and an expected 0-62mph of under three seconds, this is should also be a driver’s car. For more, click the EVO article here.

Toyota GR86 -

Toyota has now told us the prices and specs of the GR86, which starts at £29,990 for those of us in the UK. The monthly costs also looks hugely enticing. But be quick as we only have two years to get one new, thanks to a limited run from Toyota. Click here for more from EVO on this news.

Toyota Aygo X -

Alan went on the European launch of the Aygo X. Not only that, but he has produced a 150 video to tell you all about the key details. Click here to view the YouTube video.

LUNCHTIME READ: CAN YOU RACE AN AMBULANCE ACROSS THE USA?

This week’s recommended article is all about the last Cannonball Run, the favourite for that year and what happened. Not only is there something to read but there is a video or two as well. The near full multimedia experience for you! Click here for the Arne’s Antics link. What a story!

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 CARS THAT ALWAYS GET RUINED BY THEIR OWNERS

Jalopnik has put together a list of cars the feel are always ruined by their owners. Run through the list and see if you agree with Andrew’s choice. Don’t forget to tell the chaps which you’d stick at number one! Click here for the list.

AND FINALLY: A CAR THAT WAS BOTH A FORD AND A CHEVY?

There is one car that was sold by both Ford and Chevy, but which was something else entirely, the Suzuki Carry. Click the link here, to find out more thanks to new site The Autopian, which we anticipate will be providing a lot of And Finally articles in the future.

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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.

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NEW PHONE LAWS COME INTO EFFECT

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

GOVERNMENT AIMS FOR WORLD BEST CHARGING NETWORK

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

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

RENAULT HALTS ACTIVITY IN RUSSIA

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

POTHOLES COST UK DRIVERS £1.7 BILLION

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

BENTLEY ANNOUNCES RECORD FINANCIAL RESULTS

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

UK GOVERNMENT AIMING TO END SALE OF NON EV BUSES

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Maseratio Grecale -

Maserati has shown off their new mid sized SUV, in the form of the Grecale. Due to supply issues this has been delayed, but production is expected to start in the later part of 2022. There will be three trim levels, GT, Modena and Trofeo. These will get 2l four-cylinder petrol engine and mild hybrid system, as well as a 3l twin-turbocharged Nettuno V6. A full EV drivetrain will be available in the future. Prices are yet to be revealed. Click here to learn more, from the EVO article link.

Toyota GR Corolla -

Toyota has released the release date for the official reveal on the much anticipated GR Corolla, which will come with 268bhp and be 4WD, all to take on the likes of the Civic Type R, in the hyper hot hatch bracket. We will all know more on 1 April. To see what Autocar has to say, so far, click this link here.

Honda Civic eHEV -

More information on the Civic eHEV, which will be coming to Europe, has been revealed. Most other territories have had the car for a while but supply chain issues have hampered Honda. The standard powertrain set up is a 2.0l 4-cylinder petrol engine, linked to two electric motors. This will give 181bhp and 232 lb ft of torque. The estimation is for 56mpg under WLTP conditions. To find out more, click the EVO link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE FRENCH FAMILY GLOBETROTTING A PORSCHE 928

The Delaporte family, from France, have been using a 1989 Porsche 928 GT to travel around the world, including the Arctic Circle, from Paris to Iran and much more besides. Click here for the Hagerty link to find out more and also follow the link through to their own website where they go into much more detail about each of their journeys. We love this sort of story and salute the Delaporte family for showing what is possible with a car!

LIST OF THE WEEK: 20 OLD CAR FEATURES WE MISS

Once again, Hagerty has compiled a cracking list for us all to run through, this time on features we all miss from older cars. After hearing what Alan and Andrew select have a click on this link to see if you agree. Don’t forget to tell the chaps which you pick!

AND FINALLY: ALFA ROMEO GTV-6 SHOOTING BRAKE RENDER

Hagerty are supplying yet another recommendation of ours, this time getting Khyzyl Saleem to render an Alfa Romeo GTV-6 Shooting Brake. Click through on their link here to read more and watch how he goes about such a process. Also, can someone please make this, like right now? Pretty please?

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ELECTRIC VAN AND LORRY GRANT EXTENDED

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

INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY LISTS OIL REDUCTION STEPS

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

VOLKSWAGEN ANNOUNCED PROFITS JUMP

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

AUDI GROUP POSTS RECORD PROFITS

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

POLICE TARGETING CATALYTIC CONVERTER THIEVES

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

NISSAN AXES THE GT-R IN EUROPE

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

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WRC: CHANGES TO TIME PENALTIES FOR HYBRID FAILURES

The FIA has amended their rule and penalty for teams who miss stages due to a hybrid tech failure, for WRC teams. For the first two rounds each stage absence cost the teams 10 minutes, whereas they will now be penalised two. As the hybrid tech is out of the team’s control, to hit them with a 10 minute penalty seemed silly. More on this can be found by clicking this link to the DirtFish article.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Mazda CX-60 -

Mazda has unveiled their new range topper, the CX-60 a large SUV. Prices are expected to start a fraction under £44,000, raising up to £48,000 for the top of the range version. There will be a plug-in hybrid version which has their 2.5l petrol engine combined with 100kW electric motor and 17.8kWh battery. This gives a claimed 188mpg, 33g/km CO2 with 322bhp and 500Nm torque. Electric only driving has a claimed range off 39 miles with 42 in city driving. For more, click the YesAuto link here.

Lotus Emira -

Lotus’s new 718 Cayman rival has been revealed. The First Edition model will be priced at £71, 995 and come with the option of a V6 or a turbo 4-cylinder engine from Mercedes-AMG. Following on the Emira will be available at £59,995. The car comes with a more luxurious and high tech cabin which is apparently easier to get in and out of than other recent cars from Hethel. To learn more, click here for the Autocar article.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: PRACTICAL CLASSICS CLASSIC CARE & RESTORATION SHOW 2022 - Part 1

Ian Seabrook was at the NEC over the weekend, hosting his own stand as well as trying to cover every inch of the vast Practical Classic show. Click here to see Part 1 of his in-depth review.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 30 WEIRD AND WONDERFUL ‘90S CONCEPT CARS

Classic & Sports Car has produced a mammoth list of 1990s concept cars that were a little, well, out there. Listen to the chaps pick their selections then click this link here to find your favourite. Do not forget to tell them if you agree or not.

AND FINALLY: WEIRDEST BUS EVER BUILT

The Citroen U55 Cityrama Currus was a bus that was built for a specific reason, as with things that have a single purpose they can be a bit weird. This is no exception. Look at it and remember there wasn’t aircon available at the time! For more, click the Jalopnik link here.

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

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FOLLOW UP: EXPANSION OF LONDON ULEZ ANNOUNCED

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

FOLLOW UP: SONY HONDA JV EXPLAINED

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

FORD ANNOUNCES 7 NEW EVS BY 2024

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

BMW BUYS ALPINA

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

BMW POSTS BEST PROFITS IN HISTORY

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

BMW RECALLS 1 MILLION VEHICLES OVER FIRE RISK

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

VW INVESTS IN NEW EV FACTORY

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

ASTON MARTIN TO CO-DEVELOP HIGH PERFORMANCE BATTERIES

Britishvolt and Aston Martin are teaming up to produce high performance batteries in time for the car companies first EVs in 2025. This follows on from the partnership between Britishvolt and Lotus, that was recently announced. To learn more, click the Autocar link here.

HAGERTY FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXCEPTIONAL DATE ANNOUNCED

Mark your calendar, put reminders in your phones, Hagerty has announced that the Festival of Unexceptional will take place on Saturday 30 July 2022. Click here for the information from Hagerty. ——————————————————————————-

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

ID Buzz -

Volkswagen has finally revealed a production ready ID Buzz, five years after they first teased us with a concept. The design maintains the retro style so many applauded. There are MPV and van derivatives, with a long wheel base version in 2023. Prices are expected to start around £50,000 for the MPV and £40,000 for the van. More can be read by clicking this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW TO DESIGN A CAR (PART ONE) - WHEELS AND TYRES

EVO Magazine has asked Peter Stevens to help explain how to design a car, starting with Part 1, which is all about wheels and tyres. Click the EVO link here to find out more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: EVERYTHING’S BETTER WITH SPOTLIGHTS

Top Gear has produced another cracking Top 9 list, this time about cars with spotlights. Click the link here, to run through the list and see what you think, do you agree with the choice made on the show? Let the chaps know via the usual methods!

AND FINALLY: ROD STEWART FIXES LOCAL POTHOLES

Over the weekend the news broke that Rod Stewart had had enough of the state of his local roads that he was filling in potholes that the council were not getting too. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

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FOLLOW UP: GREG KELLY GIVEN SUSPENDED SENTENCE

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

FOLLOW UP: FELICITY ACE SINKS WITH VW GROUP CARS ONBOARD

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

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FEBRUARY 2022

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

CAR INDUSTRY EFFECTED BY INVASION OF UKRAINE

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

STELLANTIS LATEST TO ANNOUNCE ALL EV LINE UP IN EUROPE

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

FORD TO SPLIT EV BUSINESS FROM ICE

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

HONDA AND SONY PARTNERSHIP FOR EVS

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

REGULATORS CAN BE SUED OVER EMISSION SOFTWARE

Environmental groups have won the right to sue regulators over EU-approved emission software, which they feel amounts to defeat devices. Of particular interest is software that allows a temperature range, which some equate to a defeat device. To learn more, click the Automotive News Europe link here.

VOLVO TESTING WIRELESS CHARGING TECHNOLOGY

Volvo has announced that it is testing wireless charging with six Gothenburg XC40 Recharge taxis, over a three year period. Wireless charging is thought of as a huge step in making electric cars more viable and user friendly. More information can be found by clicking this Autocar link here. ——————————————————————————-

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Polestar O2 -

The Polestar O2 is a concept outlining the replacement for the Polestar 1, which is coming to the end of its production run. The UK base developed car will be, the company claim, fun to drive, whilst being a 2+2 coupe. There is much talk about the use of recycled and recyclable materials, as one would expect. Added to which a lot of attention has been paid to the aerodynamics, which even goes to the level of the rear lights being designed to reduce turbulence. For more information, click the EVO link here.

Morgan Super 3 -

Morgan has revealed the replacement for their 3 wheeler. Whilst at first glance it does not appear much different, Morgan has developed the car fresh, from the ground up. A 1.5 three-cylinder Ford engine replaces the previous version for a reduction in complexity and weight. The looks are very similar but have evolved, thanks to inspiration of the jet age, added to which is a brand new wheel design. Prices beginning at £43,165, but be careful there are around 200 options selectable! To learn more, click the EVO article here.

Fisker Ocean -

Fisker revealed its SUV, Ocean, to a European audience in Barcelona. The model is expected to take on the Audi Q4 E-tron and BMW i3. A claimed range of 350 miles, added to several modes that allow for open air driving as well as treats for the rear passengers, the Fisker makes a compelling case. Prices start at £48,900 and will be in the UK from the middle of 2023. More on this story can be found from this link to an Autocar article.

LUNCHTIME READ: ICE ST MORITZ IS THE COOLEST (AND COLDEST) CONCOURS IN THE WORLD

Concours events are the epitome of cool vehicles on display that we normally don’t get to see as they are hidden away in pristine garages, but how do you top that? Well, you hold it at St Moritz, but not only that, you do so on the frozen lake at St Moritz. Click the link here to find out about this brilliant event, from Hagerty.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 11 FORGOTTEN HOT HATCHBACKS OF THE 80’S

The List of the Week is a reminder to the older listeners, of cars we used to see on the road, in our youth, but are an increasingly rare sight. Antony Ingram has compiled a list of just 11 80s hot hatches that may have slipped from our minds. Of course more could be added but he only had space for 11. To run through the list and pick the one you would most like, click the Hagerty link here.

AND FINALLY: KEI CARS ATTACK A CLASSIC TOUGE

Japan has some amazing roads that are driven on, “enthusiastically’, by drift cars and hot hatches. However, we are more into seeing souped up Keil cars take on these roads. Now we and you can, click here for the YouTube link to the Goodwood Road & Racing link.

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KIA WINS CAR OF THE YEAR AWARD

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

STELLANTIS EXCEEDS FINANCIAL EXPECTATIONS

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

ASTON MARTIN NARROWS LOSSES

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

RENEWED PORSCHE IPO INTEREST FROM VW GROUP

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

MORE 50MPH STRETCHES IN WALES

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

SHEFFIELD CHOSEN FOR BATTERY TECH R&D AND MANUFACTURING

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

HOME EV CHARGING GRANT RULES CHANGING

The Government will be changing the rules over grants for the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS). If you live in a detached, semi-detached, terraced or bungalow house you will no longer be eligible for the £350 grant. Rental houses and flats however, will be, if they can prove dedicated off-street parking. Click this CAR Magazine article to find out more.

CONSULTATION ON GREEN LANE USAGE

Thanks to Twitter user @DiamondHell, the consultation from the Government over the usage of green lanes was brought to our attention. If you use green lanes with a motor vehicle you need to run through the questionnaire linked below or there is the risk of more such spaces being lost due to not being deemed suitable. Click here for the consultation. ——————————————————————————-

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WRC: RALLY SWEDEN

The WRC rolled into Sweden over the weekend for another thrills filled event. As is the norm for WRC, there was much drama and unexpected action. For the third time in his career, Rovanperä won with a very composed and faultless drive. He was pushed until Sunday morning by Evans who had to retire with a hybrid tech issue. This meant that Neuville dragged the Hyundai into second, which is an amazing feat after their showing at Monte Carlo. Esapekka Lappi, on his return to the main event after Mexico last year, rounded out the top and third step for Toyota. It was a forgettable race if you were a fan of M-Sport, with Breen struggling. Tanak was another DNF for Hyundai and Solberg bringing his car home in sixth.

To learn more about the rally, click the DirtFish article here.

For the ‘What We Learned’ article from DirtFish, click here.

And to find out how Colin Clark scored the drivers, click the link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: IS PARIS CAR BAN A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME?

Jim Holder has written an interesting article about Paris’s plans to deal with congestion and help clean up their air. However, he has also asked if this is something that others will adopt and use in their cities, such as in the UK. We have already seen some implementations of CAZ that have been less well thought out than in other locations. This is an important topic and we all need to be thinking and discussing it or we’ll get lumped with systems that make everyone’s lives harder. To read the Autocar piece, click here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 15 QUIRKY JAPANESE CARS OF THE 1990s

In Alan’s absence we will discuss quirky Japanese cars, which would most probably be his specialist topic if he went on Mastermind. Run through the list by clicking the Classic & Sports Car link here, to select your choice. Don’t forget to let the chaps know which you’d rather have.

AND FINALLY: HAGERTY FRONT WHEEL DRIVE QUIZ

How well do you know your front wheel drive info? Well, put yourself to the test with the Hagerty quiz, written by the fiendish quizmaster Antony Ingram. No pressure, but by pure fluke Andrew did rather well this time! Click here for you to have a stab at the questions.

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

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SHIP CARRYING VW GROUP CARS ABLAZE

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

RENAULT BACK IN PROFITS

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

NEW FLOATING LOTUS

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

OLA ELECTRIC OPENS UK BASE

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

ECO FRIENDLY TYRES DEVELOPED

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

HYDROGEN V8 DEVELOPMENT

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

CALLS FOR REGULATED PUBLIC EV CHARGING POINTS

SMMT has called on the Government to implement a seven point plan for regulating public EV charging points or risk failing to meet the needs of their 2030 zero-emission target. Unsurprisingly they also call for a regulator, to be named Offcharge. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

NEW EV CHARGING HUB OPENED IN SOUTH WALES

Moto and Gridserve has opened a new charging hub at Moto Swansea, on the M4 in South Wales. Six 350kW chargers have been installed allowing suitable vehicles to get 100 miles in 10 minutes of charging. For more, follow this link to the YesAuto article.

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WRC: FINAL CALENDAR LOCATION DECIDED

WRC has announced the final piece of their calendar puzzle with Ypres Rally Belgium being the location for the event without a home over 18-21 August dates. For more information, click the WRC article here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS:

Volkswagen ID Buzz

We have covered the Buzz recently, but the embargo lifted, this week, over the ‘first drive’ reviews. There are a lot of them out there.

PARALLEL POMEROY TROPHY 2022

Alan attended this year’s Parallel Pomeroy Trophy, hosted at Silverstone by Toyota. The weather was as expected during the same times as one of three named storms battered the UK. Whilst he had fun, Alan has come away with notes to self along the lines of ‘must do better’ next year.

LUNCHTIME READ: DRIVING CROSS-COUNTRY IN A FERRARI 308GTS

On 15 February, the sad news that P J O’Rourke had died greeted us. A man who was supremely gifted in his ability to write we have selected his story of driving a Ferrari 308GTS across the US as just one example of what we will now miss as this week’s offering. To read this fabulous piece, click the Car and Driver article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: NINE CLASSIC 4X4 THAT AREN’T LAND ROVERS

A list about 4x4s that does not include a Land Rover? Is that not illegal in the UK, well we are going to see if we end up on the run from the police whilst we pick our favourites from the list linked here, via Hagerty. Have a look and tell the chaps which you prefer.

AND FINALLY: MORGAN DRONES ON

Morgan, flying (almost literally in this case), in the face of the perception that they are a company rooted in the mid 19th century or something takes us on a drone tour of their establishment. Click the YouTube link here to enjoy the brilliant video.

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FOLLOW UP: MANCHESTER CAZ “PAUSED’

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

FUEL PRICES CONTINUE TO RISE

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

NEW ELECTRICITY RULES TO PREVENT STRAIN ON NETWORK

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

TESCO STARTS USING ELECTRIC ONLY LORRIES

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

LOTUS ANNOUNCES NEW DIVISION

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

VOLVO UPGRADING TORSLANDA PLANT

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

KOENIGSEGG FACTORY EXPANSION

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

RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC DROPS

In 2021, figures show that rush hour traffic dropped by an average of 35% on 2019 levels, across the UK. Some towns, such as Reading had falls over 50%. Whilst it is acknowledged much of this occurred because we were working from home, as the Government’s plan to ‘live with Covid’ is due to be announced the expectation is for traffic levels to increase again. Click here, for the YesAuto story, to learn more.

GREENFEILD HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS ADD MORE CAR JOURNEYS

Greenfield housing developments rely on cars as the main mode of transport, thus add to the congestion on the roads, according to a Transport for New Homes report. Surprising no one, but there are usually no shops, schools or other expected amenities within safe walking and cycling distances. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS:

Alfa Romeo Tonale -

Alfa Romeo has revealed their new, compact SUV, called the Tonale, which is expected to go up against the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. This was delayed from last year as the new boss said it just wasn’t good enough. The powertrains offered will be mild hybrids, plug-in hybrid, diesel and petrol engines. Prices are expected to start around £35,000 rising up to £45,000. The exterior is a clean and good looking car, with a return of three lights to each headlight cluster. The interior is familiar to anyone who has experienced an Alfa in recent years. To learn more, click the EVO link here.

Vauxhall Astra

This is the first Stellantis platformed Astra, which is based heavily on the current Peugeot 308 underpinnings. This has lead to a lowering, widening and overall lengthening of the car, but it seems the interior is less practical with the lowered roofline and seating position. The front end is very good looking, but then you can see the resemblance with the 308 moving further back. The interior is a big improvement and much more upmarket. Power trains will be a either a choice of petrol, one diesel, plug-in hybrid or wait for a full EV. Prices start at around £27,000 for the petrol engine but there is a £4000 increase for plug-in models. To learn more, click the Autocar article here.

Audi A8

There is a new Audi A8, although you will be hard pressed to spot the difference with the old one and, dare we say it, an A6, however Alan explains just what to look out for when adding it to your spotters notebook! For more helpful information, click here to go to the Autocar article.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE ASSISTIVE DRIVING TECH IDEAL

Alistair Dabbs, writing in The Register, has a poke at the hype and messaging around assistive and autonomous driving technology. He has spotted a theme in the way the obstacles to the technology are portrayed by those pushing for them. Click the link here to read this excellent article.

LIST OF THE WEEK: DID YOU KNOW THE HISTORIES OF THESE 12 CAR BADGES

Top Gear has dug into the history of 12 car badges and helped us to learn more about them. Click here for this week’s educational segment!

AND FINALLY: PICTURES BRICK MAZDAS

In the continuing adventures of infotainment software really isn’t great, a Seattle based radio station added images to their radio stream but did not include the file extension. This caused the effected units to try to reboot but without success, bricking them so they went blank but the station was stuck on KUOW 94.9. Mazda has announced it will replace the units free of charge. To learn more, click the ArsTechnica article here.

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FOLLOW UP: PRIVATE PARKING FINES CAPPED

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

JLR REVENUE BOOST IN Q3 2021

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

ROAD PRICING COULD BE EN ROUTE

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

BORTISHVOLT AND GLENCORE TO OPEN RECYCLING PLANT

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

TREASURY URGED TO RECONSIDER UNFAIR TAX

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

BP ACQUIRES 30% OF OIL COMPANY

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

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

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

ROLLS-ROYCE UNVEILS AERO SPIRIT OF ECSTASY

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

DAIMLER TRUCK SEES SIGNIFICANT SALES INCREASE IN 2021

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

GOODWOOD FOS TO CELEBRATE “MASTERMINDS OF MOTORSPORT”

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

NNCN: FISKER OCEAN

Fisker has revealed some specs and prices for its Ocean SUV. More information from Top Gear here.

NNCN: FORD BRONCO

Specialist importer Clive Sutton is now offering the Ford Bronco in the UK. You can find out more here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: CABIN FEVER

Hagerty has compiled a list of the best interiors from each decade of the automobile in this excellent list.

AND FINALLY: FORD BRONCO, BUT SMALLER

Tamiya has revealed its 2022 catalogue and some of the models within it. We particularly love the little Bronco. You can find out more from Top Gear here.

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GREY IS THE MOST POPULAR COLOUR

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

COUNCILS COULD ENFORCE MOVING TRAFFIC OFFENCES FROM JUNE

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

STREETLIGHTS TO GAIN MORE TECH

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

CALLS FOR AUTONOMOUS CAR USERS TO BE USERS, NOT DRIVERS

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

ALLIANCE OUTLINE LATEST EV PLAN

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

BENTLEY RECEIVES SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT BEYOND 100

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

ALL CURRENT ROLLS-ROYCE MODELS TO GO ELECTRIC

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

HEALTH WARNING ON FRENCH CARS

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

DAIMLER TRUCK SEES SIGNIFICANT SALES INCREASE IN 2021

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

As promised, here’s the additional story about Daimler teaming up with Blackrock Renewable Power in tthe US to build a network of CV refuelling and recharging stations.

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: VOLTA ZERO ELECTRIC TRUCK

A slight tangent to the usual NNCN story, but the Volta Zero will be out and about in Central London very shortly. More about that, here.

NNCN: SKODA ENYAQ COUPE vRS

Skoda’s revealed its first hot EV. Find out more here.

LUNCHTIME READ: RIVERSIMPLE UPDATE

News about the hydrogen vehicle developer Riversimple has been short for a while now. In this Autocar article they give an update on their plans and development progress.

LIST OF THE WEEK: UK’s BEST DRIVING TUNNELS

Alfa Romeo has compiled a list of the UK’s best-sounding road tunnels. You can read the list here and there’s YouTube playlist of audio clips here.

AND FINALLY: MAKE YOUR OLD LAND CRUISER NEW AGAIN

If you’re in a rush to update your Land Cruiser and you’re worried about the wait for a new one, as covered in last week’s show, then this Jalopnik article tells you all you need to know about transforming the outside of your Cruiser from old to new.

REAR VIEW PODCAST

Don't forget the archive of the interview show from the team at Motoring Podcast, Rear View, where we talk to fascinating people from the motoring universe. To go listen to the episodes already released on Apple Podcasts click here.

TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ALAN AND ANDREW...

To get in touch with Alan via Twitter

To get in touch with Andrew via Twitter

To get in touch with the Motoring Podcast via Twitter

To follow the Motoring Podcast on Instagram

To watch the Motoring Podcast on YouTube

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

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FOLLOW UP: MYTHS ABOUT HIGHWAY CODE CHANGES

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

FOLLOW UP: MORE DETAIL ON POSSIBLE LONDON ROAD TRAVEL CHANGES

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

POLICING LEVELS BLAMED FOR STATIC ROAD DEATH FIGURES

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

WILLIAMS ADVANCED ENGINEERING BOUGHT

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

BRITISHVOLT SECURES MAJOR FUNDING FOR BATTERY FACTORY

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

LEICESTER LATEST COUNCIL TO TAX COMPANY CAR PARKS

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

CHRIS BOARDMAN LEADS ACTIVE TRAVEL PUSH

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

INSURANCE PREMIUMS ALREADY RISING AFTER CHANGE

As predicted by many, including this show only a couple of weeks ago, premiums for car insurance have risen. We were all told that we would save money, now that insurers were not allowed to offer lower rates to new customers therefore putting existing ones at a disadvantage. For details of what has happened, click the YesAuto article here.

EX ASTON CHASIS BOSS JOINS JLR

Matt Becker, who was expected to join McLaren for that only to fall through, has joined Jaguar Land Rover, as Mike Cross announces his retirement. Becker will not replace Cross though. Meanwhile JLR are still to announce a new engineering boss following Nick Rogers departure. In order to learn more about this, click here for the Autocar article.

LAND CRUISERS A FOUR YEAR WAIT IN JAPAN

Toyota has announced that there is a four year wait for Land Cruisers in Japan. They state that this is not due to the chip shortage or Covid. To find out more, click the BBC News article here.——————————————————————————-

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WRC: MONTE CARLO

The first round of the 2022 WRC calendar did not disappoint! As you would expect from Monte there were thrills and spills, some of them spectacular! The new Rally1 cars were generally very reliable and did not lack in pace, noise or helping the action. Hyundai struggled, really struggled, especially without a figurehead, such as Adamo.
Loeb rolled back the years to pip Ogier and give M-Sport a win, with Green rounding out the podium. We were reminded, though, of the words from the FIA President, that the sport needs superstars, not just winners.

To find out how the rally went, click the DirtFish article here.

For the DirtFish, What We Learned, click here.

To find out how Colin Clark rated the drivers, click here for the DirtFish article.

LUNCHTIME READ: MY LIFE & CARS - SHAMI KALRA

The founder of Omologato, the watch making company that takes inspiration for their designs from motorsport, discusses his life and his cars in this EVO Magazine article. To read our recommendation, click the link here.

To listen to Shami’s Rear View Part 1 interview, click here.

For the Part 2 episode of Rear View, with Shami, click here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE CARS THAT HELPED SAVE THE COMPANY

Autocar has compiled a slideshow of cars they suggest saved a car company. Click through and see if you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choices. Don’t forget to let them know! Click here for the list.

AND FINALLY: ONE-OFF BLUEBIRD

Nissan has converted a Mk1 Bluebird, from the Sunderland plant, to EV as a celebration of that site’s 35 years of production. To find out more about this, click the Autocar article here.

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TOKYO AUTO SALON

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

PERFORMANCE CAR HIGHLIGHTS

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

Toyota GR GT3 Concept

Toyota GRMN Yaris

Toyota bZ4X GR Sport

Subaru Solterra STi

Subaru E-RA Concept

Nissan Fairlady Z

Honda Civic TypeR Concept

KEI CAR CONCEPTS

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

Daihatsu Atari Camper Concept

Honda N WGN Picnic Concept

Honda K Climb Concept

Mitsubishi K EV Concept X-Style

JACK IT UP AND SHOVE IT ON KNOBBLIES

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

Lexus NX PHEV OffRoad

Honda Fit e:HEV Crossstar Concept

BEST IN SHOW

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

Best in Show MPV Class

FEEDBACK

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

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SMART MOTORWAYS HALTED BY GOVERNMENT

The roll out of new smart motorways will be halted for five years, as the Government wants to use that time to collate more data on the safety of the existing sections. Those schemes that are already being built will continue, however. In the meantime, £900 million has been pledged to improving the safety of existing smart motorways. For more on this story, click the Autocar article here.

FUEL DUTY LOSS ESTIMATED AT £5 BILLION THANKS TO EVS

The RAC Foundation has estimated that the Government could lose £5 billion in revenue from fuel duty, with the rise in EV adoption, by 2030. This brings up the thorny problem of how will that be recouped, especially as car owners already feel they are over burdened with costs. To learn more, click here for the YesAuto link.

LONDON MAYOR CONSIDERING A DAILY CAR CHARGE

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has commissioned a City Hall report into achieving the net zero target for London of 2030. One of the recommendations is for a daily charge of £2 per car, except the zero emission vehicles, as well as charging those from outside entering Greater London. This would increase the scope and area of existing schemes. The claim is this is needed for clean air reasons. In order to find out more, click the BBC News article here.

POTHOLE DAMAGE AT THREE YEAR HIGH

The RAC attended an astonishing 27 call-outs related to pothole damage each day in 2021. This is a three year high. The RAC has called on the Government to properly invest in maintaining roads to a safe and acceptable standard, as well as fresh thinking as current practices and funding levels are inadequate. Further information can be found by clicking this Motoring Research article link here.

SCOTLAND PUSHING FOR CAR USE REDUCTION

The Scottish Transport Minister, Graeme Day, has published a ‘road map’ for reducing the need to use cars. This has been criticised for having little in terms of actionable steps. To read more about this, click the YesAuto article here.

This stance is being echoed in the UK Government, with Transport Minister Trudy Harrison, stating we need to move away from private car ownership late last year. You can read her comments and more by clicking the AMOnline link here.

RENAULT GROUP SALES SLIDE AGAIN

For the third year running, sales fell for Renault Group, two of the last three years are fairly easy to explain though. Last year, further disruption from Covid and the semi conductor chip shortages are being blamed. Some bright news is that Alpine, Dacia and Lada made gains. For more on this story, click the Autocar article here.

RENAULT TO BE ALL EV IN EUROPE BY 2030

Renault are the latest to announce when they will be electric only in Europe. They have plumped for 2030, but Dacia may be behind that mainly due to costs of the technology and how Dacia is priced currently. More information can be found by clicking this Autocar link.

VEOLIA OPENING CAR BATTERY RECYCLING CENTRE IN THE UK

Veolia has announced the opening of it’s UK-based car battery recycling centre in Minworth, West Midlands. They estimate they will be able to handle 20% of the end of life batteries, in the UK, by the end of 2024. To learn more, click the YesAuto article here.

SHELL OPENS FIRST EV CHARGING HUB IN LONDON

Shell has converted a petrol station and forecourt to their first electric car charging hub, in Fulham, London. Nine cars will be able to charge using the 175kW chargers. Further information can be found if you click this link to the YesAuto article.

BOLLINGER PAUSES 4X4 EV DEVELOPMENT

Bollinger has announced that they will be focusing on commercial EV development, pausing their work on the B1 and B2 4x4 passenger vehicles. Deposits have or will be refunded on the $100,000 vehicles. For more, click the Autocar article here. ——————————————————————————-

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

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WRC: FIA BOSS WANTS CHANGES

The new FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has views on what WRC needs, in order to survive and thrive. He is looking for a more inclusive collaboration between WRC, promoters and manufacturers. Three manufacturers is not enough to help draw crowds and TV to the spectacle, in his view. With diminishing viewership and locations such as Great Britain losing their round, it is hard to argue with him. Click here for the DirtRally interview, which includes a podcast in their post.

LUNCHTIME READ: HIGHWAY CODE UPDATE FOR 2022 - A REMINDER

As a reminder we wanted to share the changes in the 2022 Highway Code, which fundamentally alter the relationship and actions of drivers in relation to more vulnerable road users. To learn what you should do as a road user, click the Parkers article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: SIX WAYS TO MAKE CARS YOUR HOBBY IN 2022

Once again, we link to a Hagerty article, this time about what you could do in 2022 to further your involvement and enjoyment in the car world. Do not to forget to let the chaps know which of list you want to explore more this year. For the list, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: THE BREATHTAKING CARS OF FRANCO SCAGLIONE

We have been remiss for far too long in not having a video from the Roadster Life YouTube channel linked to, on the podcast. We address that now by recommending Matteo’s video about the designer Franco Scaglione and the amazing vehicles he penned. To enjoy just over eight minutes of loveliness, click the YouTube link here.

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Andrew had a Hyundai i20N, for a week, to see if it could be as good as so many are saying. Listen in as he chats to a jealous Alan about what he found out whilst battling his local mud strewn roads.

To listen to Alan’s review of the i20 Premium, click this link here.

To listen to Alan chat to Andrew about his driving day with Hyundai, that included a quick run in an i20N, click here for the link.

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FOLLOW UP: PROPOSED MANCHESTER CAZ TO BE REVIEWED

Greater Manchester’s Mayor has announced that the proposed Clean Air Zone will be reviewed, ahead of the implementation on 30 May. There are concerns that it will impact businesses heavily. Andy Burnham has called on the Government to do more to support those trying to transition to cleaner vehicles. The CAZ will only charge commercial and private hire vehicles, not private cars. For more on this story, click here for the BBC News article.

FOLLOW UP: OXFORD ZEZ GOES LIVE FEBRUARY 2022

Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford City Council have announced they will be opening the city’s first Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) in February this year. Initially it will be a very small number of streets in the city centre that will charge petrol and diesel vehicles to enter. The second phase will be larger but has yet to be confirmed in size and when it will come into force. To learn more, click the Motoring Research article here.

To find out more about clean air zones and if you might be affected, click this link to a Motoring Research explanatory.

If you wish to find out if your vehicle will be required to pay to enter a CAZ, click here for the .GOV checker.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR DECEMBER AND 2022

The December 2021 New Car Registration figures have been released by the SMMT, which you can find out more about by clicking their link here.

Tristan Young has also taken a dive into the figures and has written a very good thread on Twitter, adding more context to the details. Click here to read through that.

Autocar has also written an interesting article on the best selling car of 2021, the Ford Transit. Click here to find out how and why that happened.

SSANGYONG BOUGHT FOR $255 MILLION

The struggling Korean car maker, SsangYong has been bought for $255 million, by a local consortium which included EV maker Edison Motors. This allows Mahindra to divest itself of the company’s shares after it took up 75% ownership when it bought the collapsed company in 2010. For more information, click here for the Automotive News Europe article.

TOYOTA TO REMANUFACTURE PRE-OWNED CARS

Toyota is going to remanufacture and heavily refurbish cars up to three times to improve the longevity of their cars and maintain a longer direct contact with customers. To find out more about this story, click the Autocar article here.

FERRARI MANAGEMENT RESTRUCTURE

Benedetto Vigna, the new CEO of Ferrari, has announced a shake up to the management structure of Ferrari, to enable it to thrive in the new electrified future that the automotive world is approaching. New departments and staff have been created and brought in, for one of the biggest structural changes to the company since it was formed. For more, click here to access the Autocar article.

FORD EUROPE APPOINTS MARTIN SANDER

Martin Sander, formerly of Audi, has been appointed general manager for passenger vehicles in Europe. He moves from the VW Group where he has 25 years experience to help Ford with their push on the electric and connected vehicle business. To learn more, click here for the Autocar article.

FORMER BMW EMPLOYEE CHARGED WITH CORRUPTION

A former senior employee of BMW has been charged with receiving kickbacks on awarding consultancy contracts between 2007 and 2015. Five people, in total have been charged by prosecutors. For further information, click the Automotive News Europe article here. ——————————————————————————-

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WRC: MONTE CARLO - NEARLY HERE

Monte Carlo and the start of the 2022 season is nearly upon us, in anticipation of this incredibly exciting year, thanks largely due to the unknown quantity that is the hybrid system we have a couple of articles from DirtFish, thank you to Rich Gooding for thrusting them our way!

Click here to learn more about the new hybrid boost system.

Click here to find out why David Evans thinks the meagre 0.3% electric only distance will be spot on.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

BMW Pattern Shifting Concept

Using the same technology as an e-reader, BMW has released a concept that changes colour and patterns to the exterior design of a car. For more information, click The Verge article here.

Stellantis EV Only MPVs

The Citroën Berlingo and Peugeot Rifter will be immediately only sold as EV versions, with the Vauxhall Combo following shortly after. Added to this, the prices have been reduced which brings much of the ranges under the £32,000 plug-in grant cut off. For more information, click the Autocar article here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: EVO CAR OF THE YEAR 2021

EVO has now released their Car of the Year film, on their YouTube channel. You get to see the options as well as hear how the COtY is put together and decided. Click here for the link to the film.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 1972 BIRTHED A NEW ANGLE FOR ITALIAN SPORTS CARS

Hagerty has compiled an interesting list of pointy and angled Italian sports cars, which we first saw in 1972. Run through the list yourself and see if you agree with Alan’s choice. Don’t forget to tell the chaps what is your favourite. Click here to view the options.

AND FINALLY: VISITING CIRCUIT REIMS-GUEUX

Tim Traveller has gone off to visit the Circuit Reims-Gueux, you can enjoy this trip of his by clicking the YouTube link here.

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FOLLOW UP: CHANGES TO CHARGER RULES ROLLED BACK

Over the festive period, the Government quietly rolled back some of the changes they had outlined would have to happen when it comes to installing charging points at non residential properties with a large car park. Now only new or refurbished commercial properties will be required to install at least one charging point. To read more, click The Guardian link here.

FOLLOW UP: NEW GREG KELLY EVIDENCE EMERGES

Information disclosed to Asia Times seems to show that Greg Kelly is innocent of the charges brought against him, yet is still facing trial. In a damming report, outlining the tale of what happened, how both he and Ghosn were tricked and how those inside Nissan have behaved has to be read to be believed. For more information, click here for the Asia Times article.

FCA RULES SHOULD REMOVE NEED TO HAGGLE INSURANCE EACH YEAR

New rules from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) should mean that when it comes to renewal time we will not have to haggle to get the best price from our existing insurer. Firms are no longer allowed to offer new customers a better rate than those who already have a policy with them. To read more about this, click the Autocar article here.

TESLA RECALLING OVER VARIOUS SAFETY ISSUES

Tesla is recalling 356,309 Model 3 cars over an issue with the reversing camera. Meanwhile they are recalling 119,009 Model S cars over a problem with the bonnet. Both of these are US only at this time. This is on top of the debacle over allowing games to be played on the touchscreen as the car is driven, forcing Tesla to disable that “feature”, as well as the ongoing investigation into their rollout of the testing program for “full self driving” software/feature, to name but two. For more information, click here for the CNBC article.

CHINA REMOVES FOREIGN INVESTMENT RULES FOR CAR MANUFACTURING

As of 1 January 2022, the rules on ownership of car manufacturing facilities in China are changed, to allow 100% foreign ownership, instead of the joint-venture policy previously. How quickly any firms move to enable this will have to be seen. To read more, click the CNBC article here.

RIVIAN BATTERY FACTORY OFFERING

Rivian, the EV start up based int he US, is being courted by the UK Government in the hope that they choose an offered site near Bridgewater, Somerset, over two option in the EU for their factory. A decision is expected within the first quarter of 2022. To find out what the site could be and what has been offered, click the Somerset Live article here.

HYDROGEN FUEL-CELL CARGO BIKES TRIALLED IN ABERDEEN

Aberdeen has been selected to trial the viability of hydrogen fuel-cell cargo bikes. Electric Assisted Vehicles (EAV), have stressed they focus on lightness in their vehicles. How they cope with Aberdeen’s weather will be interesting. If you wish to learn more, click here for the Autocar article.

MILTON KEYNES TRIALLING REMOTE OPERATED VEHICLES

A trial of remotely operated vehicles will begin soon, in Milton Keynes. Initially there will be a safety driver on board as back up, but Fetch, the company behind the idea, plans to remove them as soon as possible to be run from a remote location. For more information, click the BBC News article here.

Andrew was silent during this item. For you, the listener’s, welfare in mind. ——————————————————————————-

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Cupra Born EV

The chaps have covered the car before, but now we know specifications and prices. Initially the mid range version will be released, shortly followed by the entry level and then a year later the top of the range. TO learn about the prices and specifications, click the Autocar article here.

2022 Volkswagen Multivan

Prior to the ID Buzz coming out, Volkswagen has revealed details of the replacement for the Caravelle, now called the Multivan. There will be a choice of powertrains, including hybrid, sizes and specification levels. Expect to see them hurtling to the seaside soon, in the meantime click the Autocar article here to get an idea of specs and prices.

Honourable Mentions

We wave goodbye to the Nissan Navara, as production comes to an end at the Barcelona plant. We say hello to the Toyota Hilux GR Sport. We did into some of the clever engineering of the concept car from Mercedes Benz, the Vision EQXX, and as a bonus we get to hear Alan go on about coefficient drag factors!

LIST OF THE WEEK: 30 YEARS ON - GREAT CAR ADVERTS FROM 1991

This Autocar slideshow will remind some of us that there used to be very good adverts in magazines, many of which would be banned now. Have fun by clicking the link here and flicking through the trip down memory lane.

LUNCHTIME READ: WHAT DO CAR DESIGNERS DO ALL DAY?

As Alan points out in the show, we do not put up links that are behind a paywall, but have made an exception for this article from The Intercooler. If you’ve not tried it, you can get it for 30-days free, before committing to the on-going payments. To read the article, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: PLANS TO RESTORE FUZZY BEAR’S STUDEBAKER

The Studebaker Museum wants to restore Fozzy Bear’s car, from the original Muppets movie. This is a good thing. Click the Jalopnik link here, to learn about the plans and what happened in the movie.

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FOLLOW UP: CHANGES TO TOWING RESTRICTIONS NOW IN FORCE

After recently confirming that the changes to the towing rules had not, in fact, changed, we were informed by one eagle-eyed listener that as of 16 December 2021, they have changed. To find out who is allowed to do what, compared to who was allowed to what previously, click the Government’s own guidance link here.

PLUG-IN CAR GRANT ALLOWANCE CHANGED AGAIN

Once again , the Government has changed the eligibility of the plug-in grant with no notice at all. The criteria is that if you select a car that has a book price of less than £32,000 new, you will receive £1,500 grant, down from £35,000 and £2,500 respectively. To learn more, click here for the Motoring Research article.

Some manufacturers have reduced their prices so that certain models are still capable of collecting the grant, to find out which no longer qualify at the time of recording, click the YesAuto link here.

CONGESTION CHARGE TIMING ADJUSTED OVER CHRISTMAS

Between Christmas Day and 3 January 2022, the Congestion Charge will not be enforced at night, in a bid to help out the beleaguered West End. This was, clearly, an idea before the scale of the Omicron variant was known. But, from February 21 2022, the timing will change back to 07:00 to 18:00 daily when the congestion charge will be applicable. For more information, click the Evening Standard article here.

NICHE UK FIRMS SUPPORTED BY SUPPLIER SUPPORT WITH EVS

WEVC and Equipmake, are working together to help niche UK manufacturers electrify their range and help them deal with new and impending legislative changes. To find out more about the companies and the work they do, click here for the Autocar article.

VOLVO AND NORTHVOLT JOINT INVESTMENT IN BATTERY FACTORY

Volvo, with the help of Northvolt, will be opening a battery research and development centre and factory near Gothenburg next year. Investment is in the region of £2.5 billion for the factory. Volvo wants to try and control better the cost of EV batteries but also produce them in as environmentally protective manner as possible. To read more, click here for the YesAuto article.

ALBERT BIERMANN RETIRES

In news that took the chap’s breath away, it was announced that Albert Biermann is to retire from Hyundai. He will be retained as an advisor, but steps away from day to day activities. He is, of course, lately known for the amazing job he has done with the N cars from Hyundai. To read more about this and who his successor will be, click the Autocar article here.

TOYOTA HIT BY SEMI-CONDUCTOR SHORTAGES AGAIN

Toyota has extended the stoppage time of their Land Cruiser and Lexus production thanks to supply chain issues, mainly due to chip shortages which are due to Covid related issues. Where some suggested the industry was coming out of the issues it appears that the more pessimistic predictions are proving more accurate. To read more, click the BBC News article here. For a round up of how the rest of the industry is effected, click here for the Autocar article.

TOYOTA ANNOUNCES FUTURE STRATEGY

Akio Toyoda presented the vision for Toyota and Lexus’s future, with 15 new electric vehicles front and centre of that future. There will be a total of 30 battery electric vehicles launched by 2030. This is a huge step, especially as it is only happening in eight years. There are many who have chided Toyota for not moving to EVs quicker and amazingly some who still thought this was not good enough. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

To see how Toyota Rickrolled us all, click The Drive article link here. ——————————————————————————-

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REVIEW OF 2021

Alan and Andrew run through some of the stand out items from 2021, in this week’s second half of the show.

Have a lovely Festive break and stay safe everyone!

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FOLLOW UP: VW RESHUFFLE COMPLETED

Volkswagen Group announced a host of senior management changes, which didn’t occur in quite the way some reports suggested, in the previous week. The main one is that Thomas Schäfer is moving from Skoda to head up VW. Brandstätter, who was tipped to take on more responsibility from Diess is sent to head up their China operations. Added to which Diess will take control of Cariad, their software division. For more information, click here to read the Autocar article.

RENAULT ZOE GETS ZERO STARS FROM EURO NCAP

The latest Renault Zoe is the third car in history to receive zero stars from Euro NCAP, but it is not just a case of safety moving on, Renault has removed part of the safety capability from the previous model, by reducing the protection to occupants with airbags. But this does bring up the worry that people may think they are buying a safe car, particularly second hand, but are in fact not. To learn more, click the Autocar article here.

PEUGEOT LATEST TO ANNOUNCE ALL ELECTRIC FUTURE

From 2030, Peugeot will be an all-electric car company, in Europe. They are the latest to declare an electric only future from a specific date. This is later than those confirmed by other Stellantis brands, so far. For further reading, click the Autocar article here.

STELLANTIS SOFTWARE DRIVE

Stellantis, to much fanfare, announced they anticipate €20 billion revenue from software products and subscriptions in 2030. Included in all this is over the air updating, without the need for hardware to be installed, automated driving capabilities, data and fleet services. To learn more, click here for the Autocar article.

BENTLEY OPENS NEW TEST FACILITY

Bentley has opened a new test facility, in Crewe, that will enable them to test emission and electrification aspects of their designs. The £12.5 million facility, will start being used straight away after receiving approval from the Vehicle Certification Agency. This should speed up and eventually save costs compared to sending their vehicles to a third-party testing site. If you would like to read more, click the Autocar article here.

VW DRIVES FURTHER INTO ELECTRIFICATION

Volkswagen announced that they will be investing £76 billion in electrification and digital technologies. This is an increase on their previous investment. The plans were declared in September but have taken until now to be confirmed by the Board. For more information, click the Autocar article here.

GRIDSERVE CONSTRUCTING TWO NEW EV FORECOURTS

Gridserve is building two new electric charging forecourts, one in Norwich with the other at Gatwick Airport. Added to this they will be opening 11 new EV hubs across the country. To read more about this, click here for the Autocar story.

VOLVO SUFFERS CYBER ATTACK

Volvo has confirmed that they were subjected to a cyber attack recently, that affected their R&D information but does not appear to have compromised anything connected with customer facing elements of their business. For more information, click the Automotive News article here.

DVLA WARNS OF SCAM

DVLA are warning motorists to avoid those impersonating the organisation and those who charge for services the DVLA perform for free or at an admin only cost. Make sure you tell friends and family of this. To read more about this, click here for the Bournemouth Echo article. ——————————————————————————-

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LUNCHTIME READ: F***D IT AGAIN TONY

Nir Kahn has written an interesting article regarding car design and when individuality is lost. Obviously, the Multiple comes up and it is the poster child for such discussions but Nir’s points are well made and worth your time. Click through on the LinkedIn article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: BEST SANTA-COMPLIANT CLASSICS

Great Driving Days has compiled a list of cars that would be suitable for Father Christmas to use on that special night of the year as he undertakes a campaign of breaking and entering across the globe. Click through on this link here, then let us know if you agree with Alan’s choice or not.

AND FINALLY: WE BRITS ARE RUBBISH AT NAMING OUR CARS

The DVLA has published a survey of theirs, where they asked if people named their cars and if so what did they call them. The results were a little tame, it has to be said. Have a read of The Register’s article here.

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The Swiss company, Bcomp produce lightweight, natural fibre composite materials and panels which are beginning to find their way into the automotive sector. Listen in as Andrew talks to Per Mårtenson about how Bcomp started, what they do and how these clever products can be used.

Thank you to Per for chatting with Andrew and giving us this fascinating insight into a different material.

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FOLLOW UP: MORGAN HINTS AT FUTURE DESIGNS

Recently the chaps discussed the new appointment of Matthew Hole as CTO and idly wondered what that would mean for future designs. Seems Morgan heard, well, okay, they probably didn’t, but let’s not dwell on that as they have teased out some sketch designs of how future Morgan’s could look. To find out more, click the Morgan article here.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES NOVEMBER 2021

The SMMT has published their monthly new car registration figures, for November, which shows a continued issue due to supply. To read more, click the SMMT link here.

SHARP RISE IN CYCLIST DEATHS ON RURAL ROADS

89 people lost their life on English rural roads, whilst cycling, in 2020, Department for Transport figures confirm. A campaign from NFU Mutual, British Cycling and British Horse Society has begun to raise awareness in driving to the conditions and dangers of rural roads. For more information, click here for the BBC News article.

1 IN 50 CARS UNINSURED ON UK ROADS

The Government has revealed that it estimates 1 in 50 vehicles on the road, is uninsured, costing approximately £119 million in lost revenue. The suggestion is a mix of affordability and lack of enforcement, as two of the major contributing factors. To read about this, click the Autocar article linked here.

RIVIAN APPARENTLY OFFERED SWEETENERS FOR UK FACTORY

The UK Government is, a report states, offering incentives to Rivian so they open a factory in the UK. The sweeteners include changes to the local road infrastructure, dust off a shuttered railway line and develop training facilities. The hope is Rivian invests around £1 billion for the facility near Bristol. In order to learn more about this, click this link here to the Autocar story.

VW MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE IN DISCUSSION

Reports suggest that Volkswagen CEO, Herbert Diess’s future is under discussion after the Unions raised concern over the job losses touted. We will have to wait to see if this ends up with the departure or lessening of the powers Diess has. In the meantime, you can read more about the matter by clicking this Autocar link.

FORD JOINS VW UK CO2 POOL

To meet the rules on CO2 limits across a company’s fleet, Ford has joined the Volkswagen Group pool, that also includes SAIC, which is mainly MG Motors. To read more about this move, for 2021, click the Schmidt Automotive Research article link here. ——————————————————————————-

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WRC: ADAMO LEAVES HYUNDAI WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT

The surprise news, on the day of recording, was released that Andrea Adamo has left Hyundai WRC with immediate effect, although it is “mutually agreed”. Hyundai President Scott Not will take charge for the foreseeable future. This adds further weight to the question if Hyundai will be ready for Monte Carlo. To read more, click the DirtFish article here. To read the official statement from Hyundai, click the link here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Mazda2

This is not quite New New Car News, but Mazda has stated that they will be using the Toyota Yaris as the basis for their 2022 Mazda2. They will take advantage of the hybrid and petrol versions. The cars will be available from April. No confirmation of when the current 2 will be taken off sale. For more information, click on the link to the Autocar article here.

KIA Sportage

The next generation KIA Sportage will go on sale from 15 December 2021, starting at £26, 745, topping out at £43, 495 at the top of the range. The SUV has been designed and engineered with European tastes in mind. There is, for cars in the WLTP era, a wide range of powertrains available, starting with 1.6l petrol and diesels, through mild hybrids and onto plug-in hybrids. For more information, on this very important model in KIA’s lineup, click the Autocar article link here.

Suzuki SX4 S-Cross

The 2022 SX4 S-Cross has been revealed by Suzuki. The second generation car has been redesigned and had more bells and whistles thrown at it. Not only has equipment and trim improved but there is more space inside. Prices start at £24,999 and rise to £29,799 for the top of the range Ultra. There is one engine choice, a mild-hybrid 1.4l petrol engine producing 127bhp. To see the upgrades over the outgoing model, click here for the Autocar article.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE YOUTUBERS MAKING CLASSIC MOTORING FUN FOR ALL

Hagerty are the providers of this week’s Lunchtime Read, talking about three very good options for your viewing pleasure if you fancy something a bit more classic as your motoring pleasure. To read through the article and then visit the channels, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 12 GIFTS OF PETROLHEAD CHRISTMAS

Stewart Longhurst has compiled a list of 12 gift ideas for the petrolhead in your life, covering a wide range of options and ideas. Click through on the All Torque Digital link here and see if you agree with the chaps and their choice for the number one present.

AND FINALLY: PANDAMONIUM

M-Sport has got hold of a Mk1 4x4 Panda and breathed some of their magic on it, click the link here to see the video and enjoy their fabulous work.

AND AND FINALLY: #AUTOADVENT2021 IS HERE

Jon Male is back with his two-pronged Auto Advent quiz, where he produces a fiendishly difficult option and a quite difficult version. To jump on board the fun follow Jon on Twitter by clicking the link here.

For #AutoAdvent21, click this link here.

For #AutoAdventLite21, click here for the link.

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ALISON JONES NAMED PRESIDENT OF SMMT

Alison Jones, Stellantis VP and Country Manager for the UK, has been announced as the first female President of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. She will take up her position on 1 January 2022. Dr George Gillespie OBE, steps down after a three year tenure as President. To find out more, click the SMMT article here.

UK CAR PRODUCTION WORST SINCE 1956

The continued pressures on the supply chain constrained the UK’s car production in October to on 64, 729 vehicles, the lowest since 1956. Whilst the chip shortage was a major factor, Honda permanently shutting the Swindon factory in July also impacted the figures. For more information, click here to read the Autocar article.

EV CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE OPENS

Milton Keynes is the preferred location for Intertek to open their electric vehicle centre of excellence, where they will test and develop EV powertrains. Costing £12 million, the centre will also develop powertrain components. To read more about this, click the Autocar article here.

REE EXPANDS UK OPERATIONS

REE, the Israeli electric start-up, is expanding their Warwickshire operations to include producing their ‘corners; product that combines suspension, wheel and electric drive in one compact package, effectively creating in-wheel motors. For more about this interesting company, click here for the Autocar article.

LONDON SCRAPPAGE SCHEME OVERSUBSCRIBED

The £61 million that Transport for London (TfL) had allocated to a ULEZ scrappage scheme has been oversubscribed and the budget is now used up. 23,300 applications were made, with 9,370 accepted. TfL also acknowledged that there would be a shortfall in ULEZ income at 91% of vehicles are compliant with the rules. To learn more, click the Evening Standard article here.

IONITY TO EXPAND NETWORK

Ionity is to expand their network of EV charging points across Europe by 2025, with a £700 million investment. The plan is to quadruple the number of 350kW chargers to 7000. For more information, click here to read the Autocar article.

COST OF EV CHARGING RISES WITH ENERGY PRICE SPIKE

The rising price of wholesale energy is now hitting the EV charging network, with organisations increasing their tariffs in line with the increases. The jump in prices is not insignificant either. To find out more about how you may be effected, click the Autocar article link here.

2022 BRUSSELS MOTOR SHOW MOVED

With the ever changing situation, due to the global pandemic, the organisers of the Brussels Motor Show have taken the decision to postpone it until 2023. To read more about this, click here for the Autocar article.

GOVERNMENT PLANS CAUSE PANIC FOR PARKING INDUSTRY

The Government is proposing a new cap of £50 for illegal parking, reducing it from the current £100, following the raising of “concerns about the practices of some parking operators”. The parking industry has hit back, somewhat hysterically, with claims car parks will be awash with illegally parked cars happy to pay the £25 fine rather than the fee for a day’s parking. For more information, click the YesAuto article link here. ——————————————————————————-

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WRC: RALLY1 YARIS AERO

Whilst we impatiently wait for the start of the next season, WRC Wings has been keeping it’s eyes peeled on the development of next season’s new rally cars. In this instance they have an article discussing the new Yaris aero, which you can read by clicking their link here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS

Porsche has decided to drop their 4.0 litre, naturally aspirated, flat-six from the 911 GT3 into the 718 Cayman GT4 RS. Oh glory be. This will give it 493bhp, 332lb ft of the tourques allowing for a 0-62mph time of 3.2 seconds, which seems ‘quite quick’. But, this will not come cheaply, in fact it is only about £15 grand less than the GT3, at £108,370. To find out more, click the Top Gear article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF THE AFRICAR

The Africar was the idea of Tony Tony Howarth, this week’s Lunchtime Read delves into the idea, the attempt at producing it and what happened. To read this fascinating story, click the Silodrome article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: INTERESTING CARS THAT DESERVED BETTER LUCK

According to this Autocar slideshow, there have been a number of cars that have been unlucky not to do better than they ultimately did. Have a click through to the options here, then let Alan and Andrew know if you agree with their choices.

AND FINALLY: TRY THE FIENDISH HAGERTY JAPANESE CAR QUIZ

Hagerty has released another car quiz, this time centred around Japanese cars. You too can find out how unimpressive your actual knowledge is, along with us, by clicking the link to it here.

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Alan went to Oxford for a day to try some of the new sporting and electric offerings from BMW. With the keys to everything fromt he new M3 Competition xDrive to an electric MINI, how did he get on and what new and novel insights did he gain?

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FOLLOW UP: VW SHOULD’VE PUBLISHED ENGINE PLAN

In a test case brought by investors in Germany, Volkswagen is accused of failing to disclose the problem from back in 2008. The judge has stated that it is on the investors to prove VW or any of their staff withheld information, but it is up to VW to prove the board not telling investors from 2012 was not grossly negligent nor deliberate. To read more, click here for the Reuters article.

FOLLOW UP: CONTINENTAL EX-CEO AND EX-CFO INVESTIGATED

The ex-CEO, Dagenhart, and just sacked CFO, Wolfgang Schaefer, who held their roles for Continental, are being investigated by German prosecutors over their involvement in dieselgate, specifically regarding the 1.6 litre diesel engines. To read more on this story, click the Yahoo News article here.

HAND HELD DEVICES TO BE ILLEGAL BEHIND THE WHEEL

The Highway Code will be updated with changes to interacting with your mobile phone, whilst driving. The loopholes that allow playing games, filming or scrolling through playlists whilst holding the phone, will be illegal. However, if the device is in a cradle it can still be prodded as though it was a touchscreen infotainment system fitted to the car. To find out more, click here for the BBC News article.

NATIONAL PARKS NOT CONSIDERING BANNING CARS

Stories started circulating that some National Parks were considering banning cars from some roads at certain times of the year, this is not the case. However, they are all looking at what they can do to reduce congestion and the effect so many visitors have travelling to these beauty spots. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

PORTSMOUTH CAZ OPENS 29 NOVEMBER

Portsmouth will be starting their Clean Air Zone (CAZ) initiative on 29 November. This will only affect HGVs, buses, vans, taxis and private hire vehicles as it is designated as a Class B CAZ, therefore private car drivers are not going to be saddled with extra costs to enter the city. To find out more, click here for the YesAuto article.

VOLTA TRUCKS STARTS PRODUCTION IN COVENTRY

Volta Trucks has started building their prototype all-electric Zero lorry, in Coventry. The vehicles comes with a range of 95-125 miles. 25 prototypes will be built in Coventry and once Volta are ready for full production they will be built in their Austrian factory. To find out more, click the Autocar Professional article here.

MORGAN APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF EVS

Morgan has made it clear that electrification is very much in their future, with the appointment of Matthew Hole as Chief Technical Officer, with Graham Chapman who moves up to Chief Operations Officer. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

MOTORWAY SERVICES EV CHARGING MONOPOLY LOOSENS

Gridserve, who now own Ecotricity, has informed the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that they will not enforce the exclusivity clauses in their contracts with MOTO, Extra or Roadchef, after 2026, over EV charging stations. This will allow other operators to install their equipment and give consumers a choice on charging providers. To find out more, click the Electrifying article here.

SMMT PUBLISHES MARKETING GUIDELINES FOR AUTOMATED TECHNOLOGY

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), has worked with industry organisations, the Advertising Standards Agency, Thatcham Research and Government departments to come up with principles for advertising automated vehicle technology. To find out more, click here for the SMMT article.

PRIVATE E-SCOOTERS NEED MORE RESEARCH BEFORE LEGALISATION

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety has advised that more information is required before private e-scooters can be legalised as there appears to be a difference in behaviour between rental and privately ridden scooters. They wish to gather more data so that recommendation that allow for safe approval of the idea or rejection can be fully considered. To read more, click the Autocar article here. ——————————————————————————-

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WRC: RALLY MONZA

Sebastien Ogier rounded off his last full time season with a win, which meant he captured his eighth championship. He was pushed all the way by teammate Elfyn Evans and Dani Sordo, for Hyundai, rounded off the podium. Ogier will take part in only a small number of events next season. To find out more about what happened at Monza, click here for the DirtFish article. To read the What We Learned article, click the link here.

To watch the DirtFish video showing Ogier’s final full-time season, click the link here.

To watch the chat the Team Principles have with each other, click the DirtFish video here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Hyundai Heritage Series Gandeur

In recognition of the importance of the Grandeur, Hyundai have created a retro-modern reinterpretation of their flagship model which they originally released 35 years ago. Similar to the recent Pony concept car, there are some lovely modern touches but a retention of the original, recognisable, shape. To read more, click the YesAuto article here.

Genesis G70 Shooting Brake

Whilst marketing calls this a shooting brake, it is an attractive estate with five doors. They will be fitting this European only car with the same V6 from the Stinger, plus letting the Germany development centre make sure the ride, handling and everything else is how we expect them to be in this market. PRices start at £35, 250. To find out more and look at the rather attractive shape, click the EVO article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE CORBY ORBITAL NORTHERN ROAD

This article explains why the Corby Orbital Northern Road took £10 million public funding but has never been completed and possibly who is now the owner of it. Intrigue, multiple owners at the same Channel Island address and more can be found in this excellent example of why local reporting is so very important. To read the article, click the Northamptonshire Telegraph link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: GORDON MURRAY’S TOP 10 CARS

You can watch a fascinating video from Goodwood Road&Racing where they propose the Top 10 cars designed by Gordon Murray. Don’t forget to let Alan know if you agree with his choice and if not which you would pick as the number one car. To view the video, click the YouTube link here.

AND FINALLY: TINY ENGINE THAT IS A WORK OF ART

A creator called Maker B has spent 1,000 hours creating a miniscule 4-stroke engine and condensed the process into a 15 minute video show ing the skill and artistry involved in making the engine and getting it running. To see this click the Hagerty link here.

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FOLLOW UP: VW LOSES APPEAL IN SUPREME COURT

Volkswagen has lost their appeal, in the US Supreme Court, to have claims for damages brought by individual states thrown out. VW felt that the rules only allowed the federal government to make claims for damages under the Clean Air Act. This means the potential for further financial penalties is very real, with Ohio along with counties in Florida and Utah prosecuting Volkswagen and Bosch. To read more, click the Reuters article here.

FOLLOW UP: TOWING RULES CHANGE POSTPONED

The change in rules, to allow more people to tow larger trailers, has been quietly postponed, with no date yet given as when they will come into force. To see more, click the tweet from @thelorryist who shared the screenshot of the official site amendment, by clicking the link here.

FOLLOW UP: “WINNER” OF UK EV CHARGER COMPETITION SHOWN

The Government has revealed the “iconic” charger, for the UK, following work from Royal School of Art and PA Consulting. The design is meant to put ‘ease of use and accessibility’ at the heart of the final product. To read more, about this underwhelming concept, click here for the Autocar article.

STRIKE ACTION NOT VOTED THROUGH AT DVLA

Strike action will not be taking place at DVLA’s headquarters, in Swansea, as there wasn’t enough votes registered. There has been a long running dispute over the safety of staff, from Covid issues, which prompted this latest move by the unions. To read more, click here for the YesAuto article.

COP 26 SOME OEMS SIGN SOME DO NOT

At the recent COP 26 global gathering, to discuss and plan our way out of the climate crisis we have, some manufacturers pledged to aim for deadlines well in the future to stop selling internal combustion engined vehicles, in some markets. On the surface it looks like hitting the targets already stated by many Governments. Not every company agreed to this but as Alan argues, does it matter if a piece of paper is signed if they are actually doing it? To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

UK BATTERY INDUSTRY LOSES CHEMICAL FIRMS INVOLVEMENT

Johnson Matthey, who were partners for a number of battery production firms, in the UK, has announced they are pulling out of the market and will now focus on decarbonising chemicals in the supply chain and hydrogen technologies. This is a blow to the UK industry. For more information, click here to read the Autocar article.

TVR IN JOINT VENTURE WITH MINING COMPANY

TVR has announced a joint venture with Ensorcia Metals, a lithium mining company, who will bring cash to help develop the V8 Griffiths and EV technology for future models. To read more and make up your own mind on whether we will actually see any Griffiths on the road, click the Auotcar article here.

BRITISH BUILT EV BUSES IN TRIAL

Electric double deckers buses, with a range in the region of 300 miles, will begin trials next year. Norfolk based Equipmake, Spanish coachbuilder Beulas and London’s largest bus operator are partnering up to investigate the viability of such vehicles. To find out more, click here for the Autocar article. ——————————————————————————-

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Volkswagen Tiago

The VW Tiago, is known as the Nivus in South America, has been tweaked and brought to Europe next year. Starting at £21,960 and based on the same platform as the Polo and T-Cross, it is a B segment coupe SUV. For more information, click here for the Autocar article.

Subaru Solterra

Subaru will be revealing their new EV SUV, the Solterra, at the LA Motor Show. You will be unsurprised to hear that due to co-developing this with Toyota (who call their version the bZ4X, if you remember) that it looks almost identical to Toyota’s version. More details are due when they pull the covers off at LA. To find out more now though, click the Autocar article here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: NEC CLASSIC CAR SHOW 2021

Alan went to an event last weekend, the NEC Classic Car Show. He met lots of lovely people, some of whom he even remembers their name (as well as actually meeting them!). You can hear him tell Andrew what a fab time he had and also, watch Ian Seabrook’s two ace videos from the show here. For Video 1, click this link. After that has whetted your appetite, click here for Video 2.

LIST OF THE WEEK: GOOD, BAD OR UGLY? THE BIGGEST AUTOMOTIVE FADS

You can run through the Autocar sideshow of some of the more memorable fads to have struck the motoring world. Once you’ve been through, don’t forget to tell the chaps which is your favourite one and why. To have a look, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: UK P1800 GASSER WINS HOT WHEELS LEGEND STATUS

The UK based Volvo P1800 gasser that was the UK’s entry into the global finals for the next Hot Wheels Legend car has been picked as the overall winner! The car screams Hot Wheels and we are delighted for Lee Johnstone. To find out more, click the Elan PR post here.

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Alan had a Honda HR-V for 48 hours to find out how this 3rd generation of Honda’s left-field compact SUV coped on the roads of Northamptonshire. It’s divisive in many ways, but was it a Joy Machine?

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FOLLOW UP: ENVISION SCALES BACK OUTPUT PREDICTION

Envision, the Chinese company partnering with Renault on their battery factory, in Northern France, has lowered the predicted production output due to a change in the site’s layout. The wooded area, previously marked for demolition will now not be destroyed because it is a wildlife habitat and building there would be “complicated”. Output is now predicted to be 30 gigawatts per hour against 43 previously expected. To find out more, click the Today News Post here.

OCTOBER 2021 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

Another month means more grim reading, with figures down 24.6% on last year, and that was hardly spectacular. Chip shortages are the main reason why. Electrified vehicles, though, helped reduce the pain. To find out more, click here for the SMMT article.

TESLA RECALLS ON BACK OF SOFTWARE GLITCH

A communication error, for nearly 12,000 cars sold in the US since 2017, could result in false forward collision warning and application of the automated emergency braking. The issue appears to be two chips not communicating once woken from sentry or summon standby modes. To read more, click The Guardian article here.

MERCEDES RECALLS EQC DUE TO WATER INGRESS DAMAGE

Mercedes-Benz has issued a recall for their EQC SUV, built between 11 December 2019 and 18 May 2020. The steering wiring harness may have been damaged during assembly, which could lead to water ingress. This model has been hit by a number of recalls. To find out more, click here for the Autocar article.

MERCEDES ACCUSED OF DEFEAT DEVICE USE

A German environmental group (DUH) has accused Mercedes-Benz of using eight ‘defeat devices’ in an engine tested on an E350d Bluetec. The German regulatory authority has stated it was aware of these devices and that they were permissible, to ensure a long life of the engine. DUH claim, these devices are not about longevity of life. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

JCB AWARDED DEWAR TROPHY BY RAC FOR HYDROGEN ENGINE

The RAC has awarded JCB their Dewar Trophy, for "an outstanding British technical achievement in the automotive field", thanks to the development of the ABH2 hydrogen engine which gives a similar performance to the diesel equivalent. Whilst it produces no CO2, it also produces less NOx than a diesel. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES ROAD COLLISION INVESTIGATION CONSULTATION

The Government has launched a new consultation about setting up a dedicated organisation to investigate road collisions. The idea is for lessons to be learned and shared after investigating road incidents, including those where automated and driver assistance technologies are involved. To find out more and give your opinions, click the link here.

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Toyota Aygo X

Is this the most Alan new car to have ever featured on the podcast? Only time will tell, but what we can say is this small SUV is very much a car for now. Due to it’s size it will not threaten other road uses, as do larger vehicles, but still give an elevated driving position. It will come with a 1.0 petrol engine, without any electrification, giving 71hp, 69lb ft of torque and 107g/km of CO2. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

Oh, one more thing, apparently, there could be a GR version too. Now THAT makes it the most Alan car. To see more about that, click the here for the Autocar article.

Ora Car EV

The Ora Cat is a Chinese offering, due to be on sale from December, with a starting price of £25,000. This supermini sized EV will have a range of 261 miles, via a 63 kWh battery pack, for the top of the range. The base model will have a 53 kWh pack capable of 209 miles. The company, a brand of Great Wall Motors, has high hopes for their range. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: BRINGING CAR HEAVEN TO MANCHESTER

The Late Brake Show was continuing their World Tour of stadiums (this may be a slight over exaggeration), this time in Manchester. Andrew actually went and interacted with real people and cars. You can get a glimpse of how much of a wonderful event it really was by watching their round up video, by clicking this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 1996’s BEST CARS NOW IN THE US

Thanks to the US’s odd import rules, our friends over the pond have to wait many years before they can get their hands on stuff we’ve had and discarded. Here is a list, from Motoring Research, of the best of what they could now get from 1996. As ever, don’t forget to tell the chaps your choice and if you agree with their selections.

AND FINALLY: SUNG KANG’S RALLY-SPEC DATSUN 240Z

Sung Kang, famous for The Fast and Furious franchise movies, has built his own tribute to the 50th anniversary of the East African Safari Rally winning car. And we want it. Like now, please. This is better than a tarted up Juke, that is for sure. To gaze on and lust, click the Top Gear link here.

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UK GOVERNMENT CONSULTING ON THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORT

The Government has launched a consultation on the future of transport, looking at vehicles parts and equipment and engines of non-road mobile machinery. They are looking to cover everything from road vehicles, to trailers, to farm machinery etc. The aim is to ensure there is applicable regulatory powers and framework for security, environmental and safety performances. Added to this they wish the outcomes to tackle tampering as well as improving compliance. This is a big task but has caused a ripple of fear due to the unintended consequences that could come out of this. To read more, click the official website here.

GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED AUTUMN BUDGET

The Chancellor of the Exchequer finally announced his budget in Parliament, with some good news for motorists. The freeze on fuel duty remains in place. He also described the monies being allocated to pothole repair, regional public transport and helping the Outer Hebrides host a round of the Extreme E championship. To read more from Autocar, click the link here. To see how much of the pledged money is new for regional public transport, click the BBC News article here.

JLR Q2 LOSS DUE TO CHIP SHORTAGE

Jaguar Land Rover made a loss of £302 million in the quarter from July to September, this year, on the back of the global chip shortage. The news is not all bad though, as they state they have record numbers of orders placed. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

JRL JOINS TESLA EMISSION CREDIT POOL

Jaguar Land Rover announced that it is to join the CO2 pool that Tesla has, to offset the fines that would be imposed for fleet CO2 levels, from the EU. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

UK FUELS PRICES AT RECORD LEVELS

Over half of the UK is forced to pay more for petrol and diesel than in 2012, the previous record year. To read more, click here for the YesAuto article.

PLUG-IN HYBRIDS NO LONGER EXEMPT OF LONDON C-CHARGE

The rules for exemptions of London’s Congestion Charge have changed, with plug-in hybrids now having to pay the same as other non-exempt vehicles. As a reminder, EVs will also be paying the charge from 2025. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

BP AND PIAGGIO TO DEVELOP SMALL EVS FOR ASIA AND EUROPE

BP and Piaggio are working together to develop two and three-wheel EVs for European and Asian markets. The vehicles will be focused on urban areas to help reduce congestion and pollution, initially in India where already ICE two and three-wheeled vehicles account for a lot of traffic. To find out more, click here for the Auto Futures article.

TESLA PULLS FSD

Tesla pulled it’s ‘Full Self Driving’ software from customer cars after the company decided it was not suitable for the roads. What also transpired is that AEB and Forward Collision Warning was turned off, but owners were not informed. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here and the Tweet from Mahmood Hikmet here.

DUTCH FORENSIC LAB CRACKS TESLA DRIVING CODE

A lab working for the Dutch Government has announced that they have reverse engineered Tesla’s driving code and found out the company records a lot more info than had been previously declared. To find out more, click the Reuters article here.

MCLAREN CEO SUDDENLY DEPARTS

Mike Flewitt made the surprise announcement that he is stepping down as McLaren CEO. As interim boss, new Board member Michael Macht will take over some of the responsibilities, with Paul Walsh adding marketing, sales and PR operations to his role as executive chairman. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

WIRRAL TO TRIAL ‘SCHOOL STREETS’

Wirral Council will trial the introduction of ‘School Streets’ in some areas, which closes the roads to most vehicle traffic at drop off and pick up times. The hope is that air quality improves, confidence to use more active travel options and improve safety around school gates by reducing the congestion. To read more, click the Birkenhead News article here.

JLR WIN A CASE AGAINST INEOS AT LAST

Jaguar Land Rover has won their fight to have the Defender 110 and 90 registered as 3D trademarks. To read more, click the Tweet from Ed Callow here.

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Follow Up: MG ZS EV

Recently the chaps discussed the updating of the MG ZS EV, but at the time there was no indication as to the price. That has now been confirmed, with the range starting at £28,495 with the £2,500 Government plug-in grant. To refresh your memory on the changes to the car, click here for the Autocar article.

Toyota bZ4X

The first full EV from Toyota, on their new dedicated platform, has been revealed, the bZ4X, which is a RAV4 sized SUV with a 280 mile range and lots of guarantees on battery quality and lifespan. This is the first of many EVs to come from the Japanese manufacturer. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

Range Rover

The next generation Range Rover has been revealed, with very much an evolution of the design. The car will be packed with technology and the LWB version will have a huge amount of space for passengers. The range will have ICE engine, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and full EV options. To read more about this very important vehicle for JLR, click here for the Autocar article.

WRC: 2022 CALENDAR

To see the nearly complete 2022 calendar for WRC, click the official WRC tweet here.

WRC: HYUNDAI TESTING RALLY1 CAR

Hyundai have cleverly held a controlled three day test of next season’s Rally1 cars, in simulated rally event conditions. They have gone through all of the aspects of being at an event and what they need to consider and plan for with the new cars. To find out more, click the DirtFish article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE INTERSECTION OF CARS AND ARCHITECTURE

This article is about a book, called Carchitecture Houses with Horsepower, which celebrates stunning architecture celebrating owner’s cars. The photographs are gorgeous, as you would imagine, and has us scrambling to our favourite local book store to get a copy. To find out more, click the Hagerty article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE CARS THAT ARE CULTS

Amazingly, this does not include Tesla, but more expected cars and one you won’t! An excellent list that the chaps could’ve picked a number of cars from. Run through the slide show and let them know what would be your No.1 choice. To see the options, click the Autocar article here.

AND FINALLY: AUTOCAR ARTICLE

Congratulations to the team at Autocar for digitising over 6000 issues for their archive project. You can access this resource for a fee too. To find out more click the link here.

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Andrew tried out the Suzuki Ignis 1.2 Hybrid SZ5 4WD, for a week. Find out if the chaps need to change their reviews to include small canine quantifiers, can a family of five use a four seat car and does Andrew’s lead footedness hinder the efficiency of the engine.

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FOLLOW UP: VOLVO P1800 GASSER IS UK’S HOT WHEELS

The judging of the UK’s Hot Wheels candidate took place last weekend. A Volvo P1800 gasser was chosen to represent the UK in the Hot Wheels Legends Tour. To watch the Car Throttle stream of the event, click the link here.

To read more about the result, click the Elan PR article here.

FORD INVESTS IN HALEWOOD PLANT

Ford is investing £200 million in converting their Halewood transmission plant to an EV focused production line. This will safeguard 500 jobs at the plant and is a real boost to UK car manufacturing. The Government is part funding the investment. To find out more, click The Telegraph article here.

TOYOTA SUED BY STEEL SUPPLIER

In an incredibly rare more a Japanese supplier has sued Toyota and Chinese supplier over their use of steel technology, which Nippon Steel argues is their patent. The claim is for $177 million and for a ban on Toyota selling any cars that use the disputed technology from any other supplier buy Nippon Steel. To read more, click here for the AP News article.

NISSAN ORDERED TO PAY JOIN-VENTURE PARTNER IN UAE

Nissan’s joint-venture partner, Al Dahana FZCO, won their case that Nissan had not fulfilled it’s part of their agreement for the distribution of vehicles in the region. The Japanese company has been ordered to pay $345 million in compensation. To find out more, click the Arabian Business News article here.

CASTBOX PODCAST APP ON MORE OEM APP STORES

Castbox, an iOS and Android, podcasting app has partnered with Faurecia Aptoide Automotive, who power most of the car manufacturers own infotainment systems and app stores, thus making it available on the car’s own app store. This could help those who don’t use CarPlay and Auto to power their infotainment needs but who still want to listen to podcasts. To find out more, click the Faurecia Aptoide article here.

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Ford Focus

A mid-life refresh is happening to the Focus range, with an improvement in technology, connectivity and changes to the drive-train options. The suspicion was that the diesel engine would get canned, in line with recent changes to the Ford range, but it stays. However, hybrid power trains are more available, including a 48v version being mated to the 1.0 EcoBoost to give nearly 52mpg. Ford have gone for the massive screen, as part of the improvements to the interior. But heating controls have gone button-less, now being accessible only via the touchscreen. To find out more, click the Motoring Research article here.

Nissan Leaf

Nissan has revealed very early sketches of the third generation Leaf, which will be a SUV, ditching the small hatchback that the first and current models have been. In the announcement they also confirmed they will not be pursuing a hydrogen strategy, sticking solely with electric. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

Foxxconn

Foxconnn are the Taiwanese supplier to the likes of Apple and they have revealed a couple of EV models in a push to become a global car maker. The SUV and saloon were revealed via a livestream event earlier this week. To find out more, click here for the Autocar article.

WRC: RALLY SPAIN

The fabulous Rally Spain took place over the weekend, with Hyundai on the top step, thanks to Neuville’s brilliance on the tarmac. Sordo was in third for Hyundai, making it a very good weekend for the Korean team and Evans in second chipping more points from Ogier, who was fourth. You can read more about what happened, by clicking this DirtFish article here. It is all to play for at Monza!

Talking of Ogier, he was fined, again, this time for a road traffic violation, by overtaking on the hard shoulder between stages. Another silly penalty. To read more about that, click here for the DirtFish article.

For Colin Clark’s What We Learned article, click the DirtFish link here.

WRC TO USE AI DETECTION FOR STAGE SAFETY

Following a FIA initiative in using cameras and AI detection software, from 2022 WRC cars will be fitted with a system that will scan the roads ahead for possible spectator intrusion, allowing the organisers to quickly address any potential safety risks for drivers and those watching. To find out more, click the Jalopnik article here.

GOODWOOD ANNOUNCES 2022 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Goodwood Road and Racing has announced their 2022 calendar of events for the Member’s Meeting, Festival of Speed and Revival. The big news is the FoS will be moving to 23 - 26 June. To find out more and possible buy tickets, click the Goodwood link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE MISGUIDED WAR OF ELEMENTS

Gill Pratt, who is the CEO of the Toyota Research Institute has written a very interesting piece on why the arguments of electric over hydrogen, and vice versa, are pointless. This echoes what we on the Show often say, there is much more nuance and detail to this than 240 characters in all caps can deal with. To read this fascinating article, click the Medium link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: LUXURY CARS WE FORGOT ALL ABOUT

There are a large number of cars to peruse, in this List of the Week. You will see why we have forgotten some of these but others deserve some time in the limelight again. To run through the list yourself, click the Autocar link here. Don’t forget to tell the chaps which one you would have!

AND FINALLY: UK’S FIRST HYDROGEN POWERED RC CAR

A trio of companies have got together to procude the UK’s first hydrogen powered radio-controlled car. Tamiya, Bramble Energy and Toyota have created a 1/10th scale Mirai. To find out more about this cool project, click the Toyota Press Release here.

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Alan spent a little while talking to mindfulness coach Christoph Spiessens about mindfulness at the wheel, how it can help and how you can start to achieve it. They also discussed four tracks that Lexus have released, created using the sounds created by Lexus cars.

To listen to the tracks and read more about Lexus’ mindfulness music click this link.

To listen and download the tracks from Spotify click this link.

To find out more about Christoph and his work click this link.

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FOLLOW UP: HYPER-MILING A MIRAI AGAIN

In the United States a Toyota Mirai has driven 845 miles, on a single tank, to break the official record. The journey, which took two days, was carried out by Wayne Gerdes and Bob Winger in California at the end of August. TO find out more, click here for the Top Gear article.

GENEVA MOTOR SHOW POSTPONED AGAIN

Geneva Motor Show has again been postponed, this time due to “industry wide issues”. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

FUNDING DROPS FOR ROAD MAINTENANCE

The Local Government Association has stated that the Department of Transport (DoT) has reduced the funding for local road maintenance by about £400 million in the last year. The calculations for making the roads truly fit for purpose is an eye-water 10 billion, so to lose this amount is a huge dent in keeping the infrastructure of Britain fit for purpose. To read more, click here for the YesAuto article.

BMW M DIVISION GETS A NEW OLD BOSS

The previous head of the M division, Frank van Meel, returns to his position as Markus Flasch moves to the position of overall vehicle development for luxury, upper and mid-range cars in BMW. To read more, click the EVO article here.

MCLAREN GROUP’S CASH INJECTION COMES WITH CONDITIONS

McLaren Group is having to appoint five new board members as part of the conditions for the latest £550 million injection of funding. To find out more, click here for the EVO article.

THOUSANDS VOTE TO BAN CARS FROM BERLIN

Over 50,000 people have signed a petition to ban all private cars from approximately 34 square miles of Berlin. There are stages to go through, but this radical plan could be made law. To find out more, click the Autocar story here.

PUBLIC WIRELESS EV CHARGING TRIAL BEGIN

Char.gy has started public trials in Bedfordshire, with modified Renault Zoes and their induction wireless charging pads. Their plan is to make EV charging without cables and especially for those without off-street parking, viable. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

MG ZS EV

MG has updated their SUV EV, called the ZS. Now with a refreshed exterior design and a longer range up to 273 miles, an increase of 110 on the previous version. Further details on the specifications as well as pricing is expected next month. To find out more, click the YesAuto article here.

Piëch GT

Piëch Automotive will be launching the Piëch GT, a 595hp grand tourer, in 2024, with a range in the region of 311 miles. This sticks quite closely to the original concept revealed a couple of years ago. TO find out more, click the EVO article here.

WRC: DRIVER CONFIRMATIONS

The WRC driver swap season has now ended, with the three teams confirming who will be driving for them next year.

The big news, for M-Sport, is that Craig Breen has a two year contract to drive the Puma. Find out more about that by clicking the DirtFish article here.

Hyundai announced that Soldberg and Sordo will share the seat of the third car, to find out more about that, click here for the DirtFish article.

Ending all speculation, Ogier has confirmed he will race next season, but his co-driver of many years will retire. Ogier is going to share the third car with Lappi, who has been in the rallying wilderness since Citroen left. To read more about that, click the DirtFish article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE HANDBOOK OF SLOANE RANGER CARS - PEUGEOT 504 & 505 ESTATES

Giles Chapman, writing for Hagerty, takes us through why the Sloan Ranger would go for the Peugeot 504 and 505 estates. Click the link here, to understand why these cars are so special even though they did not go for flamboyant engineering like the Citroens and Renaults of the same era.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 JAPANESE KEI CARS WE’D LOVE TO OWN

Kei cars are a quirk of the Japanese market due to legislation, but that doesn’t mean we don’t look fondly on from afar. YesAuot has suggested the best ten that we wish we could get hold of. Click the link here to run through the options, then tell Alan and Andrew if you agree with their choice and tell them what you would have.

AND FINALLY: RENAULT TWIZZY SELLS FOR £27,500

A Renault Twizzy, with design cues inspired by F1 racing, has sold for £27,500. The car is one of five made by Oakley Design. For those whom the Twizzy didn’t quite stand out enough. To find out more, click the Motoring Research article here.

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FOLLOW UP: ROLLS ROYCE 102EX CONCEPT CAR

In response to Alan’s query about the wireless charging for the 2011 102EX concept car, from Rolls Royce, Dave Monks has got in touch. He confirmed that the wireless charging did work and in fact he designed it to deal with a wide range of voltages, grid frequencies and types of charging interface. There was only one model and they drove it around the world to show it working. Thank you Dave, for putting us straight!

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES SEPTEMBER 2021

SMMT has released the UK’s September New Car Registration figures and they are the lowest since September 1998. On the upside, it is the best month for battery electric vehicles. Tesla is the most registered, so a boat must have docked, with the Vauxhall Corsa being the top registered car year to date. The Spreadsheet of Doom is predictably doomy. To find out more, click here for the SMMT article.

FISKER APPOINTS ASTON MARTIN ENGINEER

David King, the former Aston Martin engineer who was head of their Special Vehicle Operations, will head up Fisker’s new UK-based special vehicles division. He is tasked with showcasing the use of specialised materials and technologies. To find out more, click the Autocar story here.

FORD DITCHING MORE DIESEL OPTIONS

The Mondeo, Galaxy and S-Max will no longer be offered with a diesel engine option, joining the Fiesta. They will, instead, have a petrol hybrid choice which is very close to the same efficiency and better with the emissions. The Kuga and Focus retain diesel engines, for now. To find out more, click here for the Autocar article.

BIRMINGHAM LOW-TRAFFIC PLAN

Birmingham has proposed making the centre of the city a low-traffic area. Using existing roads, the idea is instead of funnelling cars through the centre of the city but turn them back to the ring road and travel to another of the seven zones that will be created. To read more, click The Guardian article here.

ABB LAUNCHES FASTEST EVE CHARGER

ABB has released information on their Terra 360 modular charging station, which will be able to charge four different vehicles at the same time but is also flexible in the charging rates it can deliver that to each of the vehicles. Added to this, they claim that an EV can be fully charged in 15 minutes. To find out more, click here for the Business Motoring article.

WARRINGTON INSTALLING ON-STREET CHARGERS

Connected kerb, in partnership with Warrington Council, are installing 30 on-street charging stations for houses without off-street parking. To find out more, click the Connected Kerb article here.

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

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WRC FINLAND

Elfyn Evans won the Rally Finalnd event, clawing back 20 points on championship leader Ogier, in the process. Tanak and Breen were second and third, for Hyundai. To learn more about this brilliant win, click the DirtFish article here.

For the amazing on-board footage of Evans, click the WRC link here.

For DirtFish’s ‘What We Learned’ article, click the link here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Why the Chip Shortage Is So Complex

There is no New New Car News, this week, but we have this topical article from Jalopnik that helps to explain the situation, from both sides of the negotiating table. Think of this as an additional Lunchtime Read. To find out more, click the link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: NIO APPOINT TWO DIRECTORS

NIO, the Chinese EV company, has appointed Alister Weaver, from JLR, and Joaquin Garcia, from SEAT and Cupra, as studio directors. This is another loss for Jaguar Land Rover’s design team. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

LUNCHTIME READ: PICTURE PERFECT

Hagerty has a wonderful interview with Paul Howse, who’s design work helped bring the P1, 570, 720 and Artura to fruition for McLaren. Paul was signed off with stress in 2020 and then was one of 1200 who were made redundant by McLaren, as a result of the impact of the Covid pandemic. However, this is a positive tale. By reading the article you will learn how well he is now doing and what he is doing, by clicking the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: BIGGEST ESTATE CARS EVER BUILT

You know we like and estate, on this show, well here is a list of the biggest that have been made. Have a listen to Andrew and Alex’s choices, then click this Autocar link here, and see if you agree or would pick something else.

AND FINALLY: SILVER GHOST RE-ENACTS LONDON TO EDINBURGH RUN

Bored of hearing how priceless classic cars are kept undercover in warehouses? So are we, instead you can hear about an original Rolls Royce Silver Ghost re-enacting the run it made in 1911 from London to Edinburgh, as close to the original run as possible. To find out more, click the Rolls Royce article here.

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Alan spent a day with Hyundai driving some of the newest additions to their range.

This Special Edition includes short drive opinions of:-

Tucson PHEV

i20 N-Line

i20N

Kona N-Line

IONIQ 5

To listen to the recent Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Twin Test Review, click this link here.

To listen to the recent Hyundai i20 Premium Review, click this link here.

To listen to Alan’s conversation with Albert Biermann, click this link here.

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FOLLOW UP: VW TEMPERATURE EMISSION LEVELS QUESTIONED

At the European Court of Justice, the prosecutor’s expert witness has stated that Volkswagen has no justification in using an external temperature and altitude guided emissions device, in Austria. The average temperature and operating altitude is often outside the scope for running at lower NOx emissions. The judges have yet to give their verdict. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

FOLLOW UP: JLR SETTLES LUXURY SUV FIGHT WITH VW GROUP

At the end of November 2020, Jaguar Land Rover started legal proceedings against Volkswagen Group, over their use of Terrain Response in the group's luxury SUVs. JLR claimed the technology is patented by them and could not be used and sold by VW Group brands, in the US. The two sides have settled a week before this was due to go to court, although we do not know the details. A separate case, between JLR and Bentley is still due to go to court. For more information, click here for the CarsUK article.

FOLLOW UP: WELSH ROAD SPEED LIMITS REDUCED IN SOME AREAS

Some areas of South and North East Wales will have a new limit of 50mph introduced next week, in a bid to improve air quality. The roads will be policed by average speed cameras. To find out more and where they are, click the BBC News article here.

VAUXHALL LOOKING AT LUTON JOB LOSSES

Due to the semi-conductor ship crisis, Luton bosses are looking at reducing the number of shifts and personnel. In the region of 200 job losses are expected, along with a move from three to two shifts. TO find out more, click here for the BBC News article.

HERMES ORDERS 168 ESPRINTER VANS FROM MERCEDES

In the first push to electrification, by Hermes, 168 eSprinter vans have been ordered from Mercedes, along with 132 diesel versions. They will also be partnering up with PodPoint who will provide the charging points required. To read more, click the Zap-Map article here.

ADDISON LEE SWITCHING TO ALL-ELECTRIC FLEET BY 2023

Addison Lee has committed to ensuring their entire London fleet is electric only by 2023. They have begun the switch with the purchase of 450 VW ID 4 SUVs. This will mean that there will be 20,000 zero-emission journeys on the roads of London. To find out more, click here for the Autocar article.

POST OFFICE TRIALLING SMALL EV DELIVERY VEHICLES

The Post Office is trialling two types of small EVs, for delivery in residential areas. They are approximately the size of a golf buggy or quad bike. The study will look at the practicalities of replacing larger vans for the same routes. In order to read more, click the YesAuto article here.

FORD UNVEILS EV PRODUCTION INVESTMENT

Ford, in the US, has announced that they will be investing $7 billion in new production sites. Tennessee will produce electric commercial vehicles and Kentucky will be the base for their battery factory. To find out more about this huge move, click the Autocar article here.

POLESTAR VALUED AT $20BN

Polestar, who are planning to launch on the Nasdaq stock exchange, have been valued at $20bn. With this move they will be able to fulfil the next stage of development of the company, launching three more models. To find out more, click here for the Autocar article.

TOYOTA LAUNCHES MOBILITY APP IN DERBY

Toyota has launched an all-in-one mobility app for students and staff at Derby's university and college. This will focus on rail and bus travel, but allow users to plan and pay for their entire journey in one app. One of the hopes is that the app suggests the most efficient route and mode for the user as well as the environment. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

MINI MOKE TO BE PRODUCED IN THE UK

Following an agreement with manufacturing company Fablink, the newly reborn Mini Moke will be produced in the UK. To learn more about the news, click here for the Autocar article.

GB STICKERS REPLACED BY UK VERSIONS

Following the change in the distinguishing sign, confirmed to the UN, the 'GB' sign will no longer be valid and have to be replaced by a 'UK' version. To find out more, click the RAC article here.

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Rolls Royce Spectre

This is Rolls Royce's first all electric car. For a brand that is famous for the quietness of their vehicles, moving over to electric has been a surprisingly long time in coming. From 2023 you will see, but not really hear them on the roads. To find out more and we do really encourage you to click the link just for the marketing waffle, click the link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: ADVENTURING IN THE MAD EQC 4X4 2

Tom Ford takes a modified EQC for a trip off into the rugged wilds of the Alps on the French Italian border. Click the Top Gear link here, to find out what has been 'tweaked' and the difference that makes. But also, Tom's thoughts on electric wild exploration.

LIST OF THE WEEK: MOST FAMOUS ADVERTISING SLOGANS IN THE WORLD

Run through the list of the famous advertising strap lines and see what has replaced them today. A lot of memories will be brought back by this list. To see more, click the Autocar link here. Don't forget, get in touch with the chaps with your preferred one.

AND FINALLY: I LOVE YOU, MAN

Caffeine and Machine, has been running the initiative I Love You, Man, aimed at encouraging us all to open up about mental health struggles. The monthly event has special guests who open up about their experiences, with the idea of helping others be more open about themselves. We salute Caffeine and Machine and Phil McGovern for coming up with the idea and running the events. To find out more, click the Porsche Newsroom article here.

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FOLLOW UP: MAN GUILTY OF SELLING SCANIA SECRETS

Back in February, of this year, we talked about the Swedish man accused of selling secrets from Scania and Volvo to Russia. His trial is now complete and he is guilty of passing on information from Scania but not from Volvo. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

OSPREY CHARGING INSTALLING 150 CHARGING HUBS

Osprey Charging has announced that they will be installing 150 high-powered charging hubs across the UK, over the next four years. This will be around 1,500 rapid chargers after an investment in the region of £75 million. To find out more, click here for the YesAuto article.

RENAULT ANNOUNCES JOB CUTS DUE TO EV MOVE

Renault has said they will cut around 2,000 jobs in their move to electrification. However, it claimed that it will be creating 2,500 roles, to help meet the needs from building nine new models in France. To learn more, click the Reuters article here.

UK AUTO FLEET REDUCES CARBON EMISSIONS

SMMT has revealed that the UK auto carbon emission has shrunk by 11.8% as buyers move to electrified vehicles. But, due to the pandemic, the environmental costs to production saw an increase in 2020 over 2019. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

UK TO SWITCH TO DIGITAL DRIVING LICENSES

The UK Government has announced it will start to switch over driving licenses to be digital only from 2024. Additionally they will make the process of booking and reporting MOTs digital too. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Subaru 2022

Subaru has revealed the new 2022 WRX, hooray! They also said it is not coming to the UK or Europe, boo! This looks like a slightly tighter version of the last generation, which is more rigid and therefore safer. Based on the same global platform as the latest Forrester. To learn more about what we’re going to miss out on, click the EVO link here.

Skoda Fabia 2022

Skoda has announced UK specs and prices for their supermini, the Fabia. Starting at a very reasonable £14, 905, they will come with a host of tech and features one would expect from higher up the VW Group food-chain, which leads the chaps on to a conversation about the positioning of the Group’s brands. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

LUNCHTIME READ: CAR OPINIONS AS A TEENAGER

Sooz Kempners, a comedian, has written a lovely thread about car obsession whilst a teenager. Her attention to detail is superb and brings back those years of reading and re-reading car magazines, scouring the stats in the back and generally nerding out about cars. Times have changed so much. To read our suggestion, click the Twitter link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THESE 10 LOTUS-ENGINEERED CARS DIDN’T HAVE LOTUS BADGES

Gloss over the fact the headline is incorrect, which you’ll see as you go through the list. Gloss over the fact they ignored two of the bes, but do get a drink handy before Alan tells you what they are. Now revel in the cars on the list as there are some crackers. Don’t forget to tell the chaps what your choice is! To run through the list, click here for the Jalopnik article.

AND FINALLY: HELP SELECT FIVE FUTURE CLASSICS

Autocar, in association with the National Motor Museum, is looking to us all for help. They want to select five future classics from what will be available in 2022. There is a list of over 100 options, where you can pick three which will go forward and be subjected to the selection process. To find out more and submit your votes, click the Autocar article here.

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Alan spent a week with an outlier in the Lexus range, the electric UX300e. How well does Lexus’ first UK-sold EV fare in daily use and would you want to own one?

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GOVERNMENT CHANGES HGV AND TOWING TESTS

In a bid to reduce the backlog of tests and increase the number of HGV drivers, the Government has decided to do away with some of the previously mandatory requirements to show someone was a safe and competent driver. There will only be one single HGV test, for both rigid body and articulated lorries. The hitching and reversing elements are no longer required either. To find out more, click the YesAuto link here.

ONE THIRD OF ULEZ FINES UNPAID

Transport for London (TfL) has vowed to recoup the fines of over 330,000 that are unpaid. The ULEZ will expand, in London, to the North and South Circular roads. Some argue that the current system needs amending before any expansion. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT HUB OPENED IN SUNDERLAND

Sunderland City Council has opened a sustainable Mobility Hub, for staff, giving them access to 10 Nissan Leafs, as part of their move to sustainable transport for the council. 20 e-bikes will be also part of the initial fleet. These are steps towards the area becoming carbon neutral by 2040. To read more, click the YesAuto article here.

ITALY WANTS ENGINE EXEMPTION FOR SUPERCAR MAKERS

Italy is making the argument, to the EU, that supercar makers should be exempt from the 2035 ICE ban, due to them making so few vehicles and therefore having such a negligible effect on climate change. To find out more, click here for the YesAuto article.

PORSCHE STARTS BUILDING SYNTHETIC FUEL PLANT

Porsche has started building a synthetic fuel plant in Chilean Patagonia. The site was partially selected due to the conditions which enable excellent wind generation of electricity, which means the site and project will be virtually carbon-neutral. The intention is to use the fuel for their own internal purposes, such as their racing teams, but the idea will be to sell it to Porsche owners. To find out more, click the EVO article here.

DOUG FIELD LEAVES APPLE FOR FORD

Doug Field, who is credited with leading the development and design of the Model 3 for Tesla and the mythical Apple car, will be working for Ford as their chief advanced technology and embedded systems officer. He will be overseeing the push into connected services, cyber security and over-the-air-updates amongst other aspects. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

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

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WRC: ACROPOLIS RALLY

After an eight year hiatus from Greece, the rally returned to the WRC calendar. Rovanperä secured his second win of the season, with a commanding drive, blitzing the field on Sunday, to end up 42 seconds ahead of second place Tanak, with Ogier coming in third. Neuville has admitted his chance of the title and that of the Hyundai’s, is as good as gone. 90 points are left with Ogier 44 ahead. To find out more, click here for the DirtFish article.

To see how Colin Clark judged the drivers, click the DirtFish article here.

To find out what we learned, click the DirtFish article here.

LATE BRAKE SHOW - THE LEICESTERSHIRE EDITION

The Late Brake Show trundled into Leicestershire, with an eclectic mix of people and cars turning up to enjoy the day. The Motoring Podcast was represented by our roving reporter Alan. Who also took one of his fleet along. TO watch a 15 minute video from The Late Brake Show, click the link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: LAMLEY INTERVIEW - IAN CALLUM

Ian Callum is part of the judging panel for the Hot Wheels Legend Tour, where someone’s UK-based car will be made into a Hot Wheels model, as we talked about in last week’s And Finally. This is a great read about Ian Callum, including how die-cast car models have been an important part of his life. To read this week’s recommendation, click the Lamley Group interview here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 11 COOL CLASSIC SOFT-ROADERS

This week the chaps pour over the options presented by Classic & Sports Car, to try and pick one of the excellent options of classic soft-roaders from years gone by. To go through the list yourself click the link here and don’t forget to tell/argue with the chaps about your choice!

AND FINALLY: 2CV HYDROPLANE

A group of French friends decided they would fashion a plane from a 2CV, utilising the engine and the bodyshell, with a wing slapped on top. Read through and then watch the short video demonstrating it actually taking off, just. To find out more, click the Hagerty link here.

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Alan had a chat to David Spickett of The Car Crowd to find out all about buying a share, or shares, in a classic car and what you can expect as a result.

To find out more about The Car Crowd you can follow them on Instagram, on Facebook and on their website.

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FOLLOW UP: PARIS SPEED CAMERAS RUNNING INTO PROBLEMS

The unpopular reduction of the speed limit in Paris has meant that some runners are being caught by the City’s speed cameras, exceeding the 30km/h limit. In a promotional and clever stunt the running shop DISTANCE has teamed up with professional athletes to get caught at night triggering the cameras. To read more, click The Connexion article here.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR AUGUST 2021

The August figures for New Car Registrations have been revealed by SMMT and they are predictably poor. Through a combination of supply and Covid issues, SMMT tells us are the reasons behind the worst August since 2013. To find out more, click here for the SMMT article.

HYUNDAI LATEST TO ANNOUNCE ALL-ELECTRIC FLEET FROM 2035

Hyundai is the latest manufacturer to announce when they will be electric only, in Europe. From 2035 they will only sell EV or hydrogen powered vehicles. They also aim to be carbon neutral from 2045. To find out more, click the YesAuto article here.

In their drive, pun intended, to get help the public understand hydrogen and the potential for it better, they will be making efforts to ‘popularise hydrogen’, with one tactic to release a 671hp hydrogen powered sports car. To find out more, click here for the Autocar article.

FUEL PRICE 20P PER LITRE MORE THAN LAST YEAR

Shocking news from the petrol retail industry, the price of fuel has not risen in August, however, we are still paying more than 20p per litre over last year’s prices. As we all holidayed in the UK this summer they didn’t need to put the price up to exploit the motorist. To find out more, click the Motoring Research article here.

CONNECTED KERB INSTALLS 22 CHARGING POINTS IN LAMBETH

22 roadside charging points have been installed in Lambeth, as part of a project to demonstrate how affordable public charging can be set up and accessed by all. The 7kW units utilise contactless payment, via the company’s app. To find out more, click here for the Fleet News article.

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Hyundai Casper

This is a funky, small SUV along the lines of the Suzuki Ignis. The engine is the same 1.0 MPI and T—GDI engines found in the i10. Just because it is small does not mean it isn’t designed with practicality in mind, clever touches show the company has thought through how it will be used. The bad news is that it is not coming to the UK. We say “Boo” and indeed “Hiss” to Hyundai for not brining this cute car to our shores. To find out more on what we’ll be missing out on, click the Autocar article here.

Dacia Jogger

Dacia has revealed their first 7-seater vehicle, the Jogger. A design that has elements of estate, SUV and MPV the well priced car will look to entice those who have larger families or maybe run a 5-a-side team. Expected to start around £15,000, with three engine options, this practical car will be attractive to those who prefer a more no frills approach to motoring. To find out more, click here for the Autocar article.

Cupra UrbanRebel

The UrbanRebel is a concept car, that will be the basis for a road-going electric hatch from the Spanish brand. Whilst the concept car is outrageously over-styled, this does demonstrate the importance of urban EVs to the VW Group. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

Munich Mobility Show Round-up

To catch up on the news from the Munich Mobility Show, click here for the Autocar article.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: PETER HORBURY NOW SENIOR VP OF DESIGN FOR GROUP LOTUS

Peter Horbury has moved from Geely Auto Group, where he was vice president of design, to Group Lotus to be senior vice president of design. This really looks like Lotus are being given every tool possible to make the brand as successful as possible. To read more, click the Group Lotus press release here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: STEFAN SIELAFF VP OF GLOBAL DESIGN FOR GEELY

Following the departure of Peter Horbury, Geely have appointed Stefan Sielaff, the former head of Bentley design, as vice president of global design. He will oversee the brands including Geely Auto, Geometry, Lynk&Co and Zeekr. For more information, click here for the Autocar article.

LUNCHTIME READ: TRANSPORT FOR NORTH BOSS CALLS FOR DEBATE ON RAISING COST OF DRIVING

Before you go howling off about the headline, remember it is the Motoring Podcast that is recommending this article. Ignoring the headline and taking a breath, the article is actually very interesting and raises some points we are going to have to come to terms with. We really encourage you to read it with an open mind. Click The Guardian link here.

As a counter to this, you can read a reply from Autocar, by clicking this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: CRAZY CONCEPTS FROM THE JET AGE

Autocar has produced a list that brims with complete optimism at the potential of humans and ignores what aerodynamics are actually about. Click the link here then pick your favourite car and share with the chaps via Twitter.

AND FINALLY: HOT WHEELS WANTS TO MAKE A UK CAR INTO A MODEL

Hot Wheels is running a competition, where they will build a die-cast model version of someone from the UK’s car. That is AMAZING! To find out more about the competition, click the Elan PR link here.
To go straight to the competition, click the Hot Wheels Legends Tour link here.

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UN SAYS LEADED PETROL IS NO MORE

The UN has announced that the last country to sell leaded petrol to the public has now stopped. Algeria was the last of 80 odd countries that used this petrol well into the 2000s. The announcement was made on the eve of E10 unleaded petrol being mandated in the UK. To read more, click the Hagerty article here.

DS AND AUDI MAKE FURTHER ELECTRIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

DS Automobiles is the latest manufacturer to announce their shift to fully electric models only, from 2024. To learn more about their move, click the Autocar article here.

Audi have also announced an acceleration to e-mobility, with them saying they will have more than the previously mentioned 20 models as EVs, by 2025, as well as working closer with energy suppliers, as we saw with the recent news of more charging companies being accessible via their one pay service.

WORLD’S LARGEST CHIP MAKER PUTS THE BOOT IN

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is reportedly putting up the prices of automotive chips, at a time when the industry is struggling just to get hold of them at all. Older chips, such as those the car industry uses, will have a bigger price rise than more modern and profitable products. To find out more, click here for the Autocar article.

LOTUS TERMINATES DEALERSHIP PARTNERSHIPS

Lotus has been reviewing their dealership partnerships and has, apparently by mutual agreement. With the shift in strategy for Lotus more investment will be required by any retail locations, for branding alterations and electrification. To read more about this, click the Autocar article here.

FEARS OVER PLANS TO SCRAP TRAILER AND HEALTH TESTS

The Government is proposing changing the requirement for an additional test, those who wish to tow a trailer and do not meet the exemptions. This is concerning as this is in place due to safety reasons, therefore to discard them seems dangerous. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

Additionally, the British Medical Association has expressed fears that the Government is seeking to circumvent the medical assessments required for some drivers, including HGV. This, as well as the trailer test issue, are all suggestions to get around the backlog that has built and the subsequent shortage of lorry drivers the country is facing. To read more, click here for the Motoring Research article.

CITROËN ROLLS OUT SIGN LANGUAGE IN ALL RETAIL OUTLETS

Citroën has started a program that will make their retail outlets more accessible to those who are hard of hearing, with sign language facilities. To find out more, click the Motoring Research article here.

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

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LUNCHTIME READ: THE UNDEAD - EV MYTHS

David Twohig, writing on LinkedIn, has published an article explaining how difficult it is for a car manufacturer to actually design and make an electric vehicle. In doing so he is popping some of the more persistent myths that those outside of the industry do not understand. To read this excellent article, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE MOST OVERRATED CARS EVER MADE

As a counter to the last List of the Week we are suggesting you check out this Jalopnik slideshow, pointing you to cars they feel are overrated. They pick some special cars too, do check out the list and see if you actually agree with them or not. Click here for the link to the list.

AND FINALLY: THE ELECTRIC XBUS

Want to find out what a cute EV van can look like or even what will be clogging the roads of Britain during the holiday season, then check out the XBUS in this TopGear article. To find out more, click the link here.

Thank you, to Richard Gooding for stepping in to fill Alan’s shoes as he was unable to join Andrew this week. We encourage you to visit Richard on Twitter, via the link to his handle here @richgoodingcom and thank him that you didn’t have to just listen to Andrew prattle on!

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SEMI-CONDUCTOR CRISIS - UPDATE

Whilst this has been an ongoing issue for the car industry, we haven’t updated you on who is being hit hardest at the moment, but we address that in this episode. Of note is Toyota announcing a cut of 40% in global output, Volvo idling the Gothenburg plant again and JLR telling lease companies it is struggling with supplies. To read more about that and all affected, click the Autocar link here.

VAUXHALL HERITAGE FLEET AT THE BRITISH MOTOR MUSEUM

What remains of the the Vauxhall Heritage Fleet will now be kept at the British Motor Museum, allowing us all to see the significant and interesting cars from Vauxhall’s past. This is great news and congratulations to all who maintained the fleet, enabling many to enjoy these cars for years to come. To find our more, click here for the Autocar link.

BLACKBERRY ADMITS TO SERIOUS BUG

Blackberry has finally admitted to a serious flaw in their past versions of the QNX software, to be found in 175m cars, industrial systems and medical devices. To date this has not been exploited but the race is on to update all the software. To find out more, click The Register’s article link here.

BLOODHOUND LSR NEWS

Bloodhound LSR has announced a new CEO, the search for future funding ramping up, contracts for the engines extended and a new display home of the Coventry Transport Museum. Whilst they have been publicly quiet over the last 18 months, clearly behind the scenes things have been busy. To find our more, click their own press release here.

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Nissan Z

Nissan have revealed their next generation Z car, continuing the name that goes back to the lovely 240Z. Unfortunately, the car will not be coming to Europe, due to the tighter emission controls across fleets, but it is seen as a direct rival to the GR Supra in those territories it can be sold in. Alan likes it, whilst Andrew is underwhelmed by the looks. To find out more, click here for the EVO link.

Kia Soul EV Maxx

Kia has revealed the face lifted Soul EV along with a new top of the range, in the form of the Maxx which replaces the First Edition. Fitted with a 64kWh battery the range is around 280 miles and will come with a lot of toys. With the plug-in grant of £2,500 this will cost £32,445. To learn more about this, click the Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: DAWN PATROL - BRACO, COMRIE MOOR AND CRIEFF

Another Hagerty Dawn Patrol for you to read and maybe inspire you to visit. These are the roads that were used by Jackie Stewart and Parry-Jones to help develop the ride and handling of Fords such as the Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo. To find out about the route and why you will want to go, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE MOST UNDERRATED CARS EVER MADE

This is another cracking list, do we ever suggest anything else? However, Andrew and Alan could have selected many cars as the ones they discussed to give you a flavour of the options. Can you guess which car Andrew is saying he disagrees with the inclusion of? To run through the slideshow yourself, click here for the Autocar link.

AND FINALLY: MUSTANG MACH-E DRIVEN BY 101 YEAR OLD

Harold Baggott took two of his great-grandchildren for a ride in a Ford Mustang Mach-E, 90 years after learning to drive in a Model T. This is a fantastic story of someone wanting to understand developments for the future. To read more, click the Ford press release here.

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FOLLOW UP: WHAT MAKES A SALE A SALE

With thanks to the SMMT we can now confirm that a “sale” is when there is a change in owner, so if a person or company continue their lease beyond the original time frame, that will not be added to the figures reported. Which makes the reported numbers even more impressive than the chaps originally thought.

CORNWALL SPARKS COMMERICAL EV DRIVE

Watt Electric Vehicle Company has announced that it plans to build up to 5000 electric commercial vehicles a year, from 2023. They will be utilising a ‘skateboard’ platform to aid modularity and allow different sized vehicles to be built. The first prototype will be revealed in 2022. These will be built at a new facility in the Midlands. To find out more, click here for the Autocar article.

TESLA AUTOPILOT INVESTIGATED IN US

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), has launched an investigation into 11 traffic incidents that involved stationary emergency service vehicles, whilst the driver of Tesla vehicles were utilising the Autopilot feature. This is a very tight remit of investigation, however, the findings could effect the entire industry. To read more, click here for the Autocar article. For some context and background to this, click here for the Ed Niedermeyer Twitter thread.

NAT WEST TO INSTALL 600 CHARGERS

Nat West Bank wants to install 600 charging points across it’s branch network by 2023. Added to that they intend to change 300 of their fleet to EVs. This plan is aimed at helping the company and staff decarbonise their transport, but will also be available for customers. To find out more, click the ZapMap article here.

AUDI IMPROVES EV CHARGE CARD SERVICE

Audi has announced that for UK drivers, their one-card EV charging service will now cover 17500 charging points, which is almost 75% of the public chargers available. Their service has two tiers, with city and transit tariffs. Those who mainly do urban miles are only charged £4.91 per month plus a charging fee and transit is charged out at £16.81 per month plus charging fees because they need access to faster charging points. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

HYDROGEN STRATEGY ANNOUNCED BY GOVERNMENT

The Government is investing £240 million to help “kick start” the hydrogen “revolution” in transport and heavy industry, as part of their switch to a net-zero carbon future. A consultation has also been launched into how to fund the switch from fossil fuels to hydrogen. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.
Autocar, also has an opinion piece from Jesse Crosse, which looks at the announcement with a slightly raised eyebrow. To read this, click the link here. For even further reading, click here for Jan Rosenow’s Twitter thread about the information.

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WRC: YPRES RALLY

Hyundai finished one-two, with Neuville and Breen coming home is first and second respectively, giving the Belgium a home-soil win. Kalle Rovanperä came in third, for Toyota, with Evans and Ogier finishing fourth and fifth. To find out more, click this link here for the DirtFish report.

For the DirtFish What We Learned article, click here.

For Colin Clark’s Driver Ratings, click here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Mazda2

Mazda are updating the 2 for 2022. There will be a raft of engine improvements as well as the deployment of mild-hybrid technology. To find out more, click the Mazda press release here.

Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4

Car Silly Season continues, this time with a very limited run on the reimagining of the Countach. 112 vehicles will be built, costing from €2 million. Whilst the chaps got excited about the Huracan STO, this strangely leaves them cold. To find out more, click the Autocar link here.

Mini Strip

Mini, in partnership with Paul Smith, has stripped back the materials and build of a Mini Cooper to see if they could create a sustainable car. To read more, click here for the Jalopnik story.

LUNCHTIME READ: MY DAD BORROWED A BOND CAR

Richard Hill is the chief aerodynamicist for Lotus, who has worked on a diverse range of projects such as the Evija to Chris Boardman’s Olympic winning bicycle. Click here for the Motoring Research article, to find out about his career and some of the projects that stick out a bit more than others.

LIST OF THE WEEK: RE-OPEN SPECIAL - GREAT CAR MUSEUMS TO VISIT

Another week another Autocar list, this time, suggesting a number of excellent car museums to go visit as the country opens up again. To run through the options, click the article link here.

AND FINALLY: SRI LANKAN TEENAGER BUILDS SOLAR POWERED TUK TUK

Want to feel like you wasted your lockdowns? Well, how about the 15 year old, from Sri Lanka, who used scrap metal and spare parts to build a solar powered Tuk Tuk? This is an amazing and brilliant feat, really wonderful to see. To find out more, click the BBC News article and video here.

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JULY 2021 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

SMMT has released the July figures for new car registrations. In what is being reported as a combination of factors, thanks to Covid and chip shortages, the numbers are not good. They are the worst since the 1990s, in fact. To find out more, click the SMMT article here. To see Triston Young’s breakdown of numbers by fuel type, click his Twitter thread link here.

HYUNDAI LAUNCHES ELECTRIFIED SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE

Hyundai has launched Mocean, a subscription service for their electrified models. The one monthly fee will cover insurance, the VED, maintenance, repairs and roadside assistance. Prices start from £339 per month, with Greater London being the first location covered. To find out more, click here for the Autocar article.

BMW TO REWARD PHEV OWNERS FOR ELECTRIC ONLY DRIVING

If you drive one of the selected BMW plug-in hybrid models, in one of the selected areas, only in electric mode, you will earn yourself points that once they reach a certain level can be redeemed at selected charging units. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

GOOGLE MAPS TO WARN OF ULEZ ZONES

When planning a route, with Google Maps, the service will now warn users if their intended route will go through a clean air zone. On the initial roll out, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Berlin will be covered. To find out more, click here for the BBC News article.

RENAULT AND GEELY PARTNER FOR HYBRIDS IN ASIA

In a shock announcement, Renault and Geely will partner up to build hybrids for the Chinese and South Korean markets. Geely will build the cars for Renault, whilst they worry about the branding and marketing. The chaps muse how this has been received in Nissan-land. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Morgan Plus Four CX-T

Morgan, in partnership with Rally Raid UK, have revealed an overland adventure version of the Plus Four model. This looks fantastic and Andrew has added it to the yet to be realised multicar test titled ‘Surprising Cracked Windscreen Family Hauliers’ that has a number of, well, surprising cars that you wouldn’t expect would make perfect family transport. To read more about the Morgan, click the Car & Classic article here.

Radford 62-2

The Radford 62-2 is retro coachbuild inspired by the Lotus Type 62 racer. There will be two types, the ‘Classic’ and ‘Gold Leaf’. The car will have a Toyota V6, as do modern Lotus. Whilst the exterior harks back to older cars, the interior, underpinnings and technology will be modern. Just 62 examples will be built, starting later this year. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

LUNCHTIME READ: WHY YOUR VILLAGE NEEDS AN ELECTRIC CHARGING POINT

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith has written an excellent article proposing a way to keep life in rural villages as so many amenities close. To find out more about this very good idea, click the Motoring Research article here.

MUCH LONGER THAN JUST LUNCHTIME READ - “POWER PLAY: ELON MUSK, TESLA AND THE BET OF THE CENTURY” BY TIM HIGGINS

Alan is reading a book. The book is very good and a rare thing in that it seems to be an unbiased account of the start of Tesla and where the company is now. If you are interested in this, and you wish to help the podcast out, you could use this Amazon referral link by clicking here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: CARS THAT GOT TOTALLY FORGOTTEN - WHICH DO YOU REMEMBER?

Autocar has compiled a list of 36 cars that you may well have forgotten about, or possibly didn’t even know existed in the first place. There are some that it is easy to see why they did not have a long and glorious life, but others which it is harder to understand how we have forgotten them. Do not forget to tell the chaps which is your favourite of the lot. To run through the slide show, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: MISSION MOTORSPORT TAKES THE PLASAN SANDCAT FOR A DRIVE

Plasan brought over one of their SandCats and whilst they were here, Mission Motorsport got the chance to try it out on the Silverstone Rally School track. The Martini-style wrapped vehicle then took the charity’s beneficiaries for a blast around the rally route. This has not dampened Andrew’s assertion that a SandCat would make a brilliant family hauler. To see more about this brilliant day, click the Mission Motorsport link here.

Power Play: Tesla, Elon Musk, and the Bet of the Century

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Alan had the Toyota Yaris Design for a week. Listen in as he explains, to us all, about the differences between this and the last generation, his surprise and we have to find out if Andrew has to pull him up for the lack of balance and justification in his review.

Note:

For this episode only, the Alan Drinking Game(TM) is suspended due to concerns for the listeners health.

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SECURITY VULNERABILITY FOUND IN SMART CHARGERS

PenTestPartners has investigated smart EV chargers available to those buying for themselves as well as public chargers, finding many security vulnerabilities. For those interested, click here for PenTestPartners’s own report.

However, one concern is the operating system used by some firms. Where Raspberry Pi is used there are more issues, because that is not a suitable OS for a connected device due to a lack of security layers inherent in the system.

For more info click here for Ken Munro’s tweet, commending the quick reaction by one firm to the information.

Click here for another tweet from Ken Munro expressing his dismay at another company’s reaction.

Click here for Cybergibbon’s tweet explaining why Rasberry Pi is not suitable.

FORMER FRENCH MINISTER UNDER INVESTIGATION

Rachida Dati, a former French Minister, has been placed under formal investigation for payments made by the Dutch based Renault-Nissan joint-venture, during Carlos Ghosn’s time as CEO. Dati has previously been cleared over payments and her lawyer stated these were all reported and legal. To read more, click the Automotive News article here.

CLIMATE SPOKESPERSON CAUSES ONLINE KERFUFFLE

Allegra Stratton, the Prime Minister’s climate spokesperson, stated that for her a third-hand diesel Golf is better than an EV, due to the lengthy journeys she travels to visit relatives. One aspect is that she seems to have no understanding of the current state of EV and the charging network. Also, however, there were many Twitter conversations, where some journalists and those who should know better, demonstrated their lack of understanding of the current situation. To read more, click The Guardian article here.

GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR ZERO-EMISSION TRUCKS

The Government is putting forward £20 million for initiatives aimed at helping improve the viability of electric and hydrogen lorries. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

IMPORTANT CHANGES TO HIGHWAY CODE

A new hierarchy of road users will be implemented with proposed changes to the Highway Code, meaning pedestrians and cyclists will be given priority over others. The idea is that those who have the potential to cause the most problems and danger have to take the most care to prevent that. Only snag the chaps can see in that idea is those who really need to know the changes will be oblivious unless there is a huge communication campaign. To read more, click here for the YesAuto article.

FORMER TOYOTA EUROPE BOSS PASSES AWAY

Johan van Zyl, the former head of Toyota Europe, has passed away after a short illness at the age of 63. He was instrumental in securing investment in the Burnaston site in Derbyshire, as well as over seeing the change of ‘no more boring cars’ from the company. Thoughts are with his family and friends. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Honda HR-V

The order books have now opened for the next generation HR-V, from Honda. Prices start at £26,960, rising to £31,660 for the Advance Style model. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

Lamborghini Huracan STO

If you wish to know what the track focused YouTube star will be trying to get their mitts on and wrap, have a look at the Huracan STO, which Lamborghini have stripped a lot of weight from. Costing only £268,000 this 1339kg (dry weight) version has got both the chaps quite interested in. To find out more, including how they’ve got it in Motoring Podcast colours, click the Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXCEPTIONAL

Alan went to the Festival of the Unexceptional. So did many of our friends from Car Twitter. You can find out what happened by clicking Hagerty’s own article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: LITTLE CAR DETAILS YOU CARE ABOUT

Jalopnik asked their readers what are the little details that can make or break a car for them. Click here for the slideshow and no prizes for guessing which one the chaps highlighted. Don’t forget to say which detail is the one for you and letting the podcast know.

AND FINALLY: NEW MULSANNE LIMOS FOR SALE

Bentley has found five Grand Limousines that are now for sale, after the model finished production last year. These are unregistered and undriven examples of the stretched Mulsanne, so be quick to get in touch with your nearest dealer! To find out more, click here for the Autocar article

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Alan had the Hyundai i20 Premium for a week. Listen to us talk about the direction of the corporation, fuel filler caps and Alan’s wonderful circulation in a review that you will get no where else. Also, we do actually discuss the car, so you will find out if Alan rates it or not.

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FOLLOW UP: MITSUBISHI AFTERSALES DEAL DONE

A deal has now been finalised between The Colt Car Company and IM Group over the future of Mitsubishi aftersales business, resulting in the formation of a new company I.M. MAPS (UK) Ltd which will take the reigns. This is reassuring news for existing Mitsubishi owners.

NISSAN OPENS 400 JOB POSITIONS IN SUNDERLAND

Nissan has announced there will be 400 positions, in the manufacturing team, opening up at Sunderland to help build the new Qashqai and Leaf. This will be a mix of agency and permanent employees. To read more, click here for the BBC News article.

RIVERSIMPLE HITS FUNDING TARGET

Riversimple, the hydrogen car manufacturer, has hit their target of £1.5 million they needed to roll out customer trialling of their cars. Angle investors have pitched in and HMRC has agreed they meet the criteria for tax breaks that is advantageous to investors. To read more, click the Business News Wales article here.

PROBE INTO EV CHARGING

The Competitions and Markets Authority, is the latest to announce they are investigating the UK’s EV charging business. One aim is to make charging as easy as buying diesel or petrol. Another key area of investigation is the near monopoly Ecotricity (now Electric Highway) has with motorway charging facilities. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

SHELL TO CHARGE UP WAITROSE

Shell has announced it will be installing 800 charging points at Waitrose supermarkets across the country. This will be a mix of 22kWh and 50kWh. The project is expected to be completed by 2025. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

TESLA TO OPEN SUPERCHARGER NETWORK TO OTHERS

Musk has announced that Tesla will open up the Supercharger network to non Tesla EVs soon. Whilst this sounds great, there are some expressing scepticism with how many will actually be able to take advantage due to charger set up and connector options. Added to this, some Tesla owners have voiced their anger at what they saw was an exclusive part of being a Tesla owner. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

HIGHWAYS ENGLAND TO REDUCE MOTORWAY SPEEDS FOR NOX

Highways England, working with the Joint Air Quality Unit, will monitor sections of the road network, which if they exceed safe air quality levels, will then be slowed down to reduce emissions. Other aspects, such as traffic management and congestion reduction will be used. However, this is another sticking plaster solution to a problem that requires more than Level 1 thinking. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

DVLA OLIVE BRANCH TO CLASSIC CAR OWNERS

During an appearance at a select committee, the DVLA Chief Executive Julie Lennard announced the organisation would be willing to meet with representatives of the historic and classic car industry to work on problems that have occurred with delays, inconsistent rule implementation and errors. To read more, click the link to the Historic and Classic Vehicle Alliance press release.

POLICE WARN OF KEYLESS CAR THEFTS

A three percent rise in vehicle crime, mainly due to keyless entry theft, between May and June, has prompted the Police to warn owners to take mitigating steps to prevent becoming victims. However, the industry needs to step up and do something to stop this easily exploited flaw that they have foisted on customers. To read more, click here for the YesAuto article.

MERCEDES ADOPT OPTIONS SUBSCRIPTION MODEL

To get the enhanced rear-wheel steering option of the new EQS, owners will pay a subscription of £420 a year. They are not the only manufacturer to express an interest in this model. However, reaction to this has not been positive. To read more, click the YesAuto article here.

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LUNCHTIME READ: AVERAGE IS THE NEW EPIC

TV’s Paul Cowland has written an excellent article in favour of the unexceptional, explaining why now they are not. To go read this, click here for the Hagerty article.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST CARS FROM JAPAN

Autocar has put together an interesting list of what it thinks are the best cars from Japan. In Alan’s absence, Andrew makes a bold move prediction of what he would have selected. To run through the options yourself, click the link here. Don’t forget, get in touch with the show to tell us which you would say is the best.

AND FINALLY: LIGHTS FROM CAR PARTS

Philipp Eissner started making lights from parts when he made something personal for his father, this has now morphed into making lamps out of all sorts of car parts. To find out more about these wonderful creations, click the Hagerty link here.

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FOLLOW UP: VW APPEALS DUTCH CLASS-ACTION RULING

Volkswagen has appealed a Dutch court ruling that gave compensation to owners of new and second-hand VW Group cars that were fitted with defeat device software. VW is adamant that the owners have suffered no financial loss in owning a car judged to have been fitted with the naughty software. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

FOLLOW UP: GHOSN ESCAPE TEAM SENTENCED IN JAPAN

Father and son, Michael and Phillip Taylor, have been sentenced by a Japanese court to two years and one year eight months respectively. They had previously admitted their guilt and expressed their regret in their actions. To read more, click here for the BBC News article.

MCLAREN RECEIVES CASH INJECTION

McLaren has announced that it has received an injection of £550 million from current and new investors, which will be mainly used to push their electrification plans forward. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

STELLANTIS ANNOUNCED AGENCY SHIFT TO DEALERSHIPS

Stellantis announced a “consultation”, which seems to be stretching definitions, by informing their franchise dealerships that it will be moving to an ‘agency-style’ retail model. The existing dealerships will be categorised A, B or C, with A remaining, B having to have a long chat with them and C being booted out. Only time will tell if they go down a big franchise or smaller, more independent, dealership route. To read more, click this link here from AM Online.

PARIS MOTOR SHOW RETURNS IN 2022

The Paris Motor Show will return in 2022, with new partner Equip Auto, the trade equivalent, after a four year absence. The question will be how many manufacturers turn up. To find out more, click the Autocar link here.

GOVERNMENT ATTEMPTS TO REASSURE MOTORISTS

Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, has moved to reassure motorists that the Government is not anti-car or demonising drivers. However, they want us to use transport that does not harm the environment or people’s health. Added to this, classic car owners were told that they will be able to use their vehicles for years to come, with no plans to ban them from the road. To read more, click firstly here for the YesAuto article and then click here for the second article which is from Hagerty.

EU PROPOSED BAN ON ALL NON ZERO-EMISSION CARS FROM 2035

A proposal has been put forward for the EU to ban all cars and vans that are not zero emission from 2035. This will, for the first time, also remove the exemption that small volume manufactures receive until that point. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

POLICE NOW INSTANTLY ACCESS DVLA PHOTO RECORDS

After a trial of nearly two years, the Police and DVLA are working together to allow road-side stops to become more efficient by access to the photo driving license records instantly. This allows confirmation of identification much quicker than previously. To find out more, click the link here for the Motoring Research article.

PARISIANS INCENSED OVER A LIMIT THEY CAN’T REACH

Apparently, the news that there will be more roads limited in speed to 19mph, has not been well received by Parisians. The average speed is 9mph, so this sounds more like a target to reach rather than their freedoms being restrained. To read more, click here for the Motoring Research link.

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WRC: RALLY ESTONIA

Last weekend saw Rally Estonia take place, with Rovanperä becoming the youngest to ever win a WRC event. Breen and Neuville were second and third. Ogier struggled but stayed consistent, bringing the car home in fourth, with Evans in fifth. To find out more about the event, click the DirtFish article here. For the ‘What We Learned’ article from DirtFish, click the link here.

Neuville has also been slapped with suspended ban, running for the rest of the season, for exceeding the speed limit of a public road, by more than twice the legal limit. To find out more about that, click the DirtFish article here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Vauxhall Astra

Vauxhall was released images of the 8th generation Astra. The design, particularly at the front, continues the design language already deployed on the Grandland. The interior looks a big improvement on the existing. Engines will be a mix of petrol, diesel and hybrids. Prices are expected to start around £22,000, moving past £30,000 for PHEV models. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

Lotus Emira

Goodwood was the venue for the World debut of the Lotus Emira. This is a car aimed at the Alpine A110 and Porsche 718 Cayman. After the First Edition models run out, with a price range of £60-80,000, the expected starting price will be just under £60k. There will be two engine choices, Toyota’s V6, giving around 400bhp, and AMG’s 4-cylinder engine from the A45. We can expect the chassis and handling to be top notch, but customers will have to wait until spring 2022 to find out for sure. To read more, click the EVO article here.

Wells Vertige

A new British sports car was revealed, the Wells Vertige, costing around £45,000, but majoring on lightness. Expected to only weigh around 815kg, with a design that harks back to the 1960s in some angles. The car is also not very big, slightly narrower but a touch longer than a MX-5. To read more, click the Hagerty article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: DAWN PATROL - BEDFORDSHIRE AND CAMBRIDGESHIRE

Antony Ingram has written up a Dawn Patrol route which he recommends you try for flowing roads and great scenery. This is also an inspiring piece, which may make you consider organising your own early morning drive, particularly whist the weather is so good. To read more, click the Hagerty article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL - 9 SMALL CARS THAT GAVE US LUXURY

Another Hagerty article, this time our List of the Week showing examples of small yet luxurious cars. We can get on board with that concept! To run through the list yourself, click the link here, then tell us your choice!

AND FINALLY: DON’T SAY IT WITH FLOWERS TO AN AV

Philip Koopman shared a link that explained how three years of testing was derailed, in Vienna, when an AV bus was foiled by daisies growing up through a crack in the road. To find out more, click the link here.

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Both Alan and Andrew each had a Hyundai Tucson Ultimate Hybrid, for a week. Listen to them explain the multi-dimensional problem that is the spec and option choices, their thoughts on the changes to design both inside and out, as well as if their opinions aligned.

Oh, as special congratulations to Hyundai on the deployment of the highest number of acronyms in a car spec, the Motoring Podcast have tried yet!

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FOLLOW UP: EU FINES BMW AND VW BUT NOT DAIMLER

Following the whistleblowing move from Daimler, informing the EU of a technology cartel dating back to the 90s, involving Daimler, BMW and VW Group, which we mentioned in Ep 248 My Turn With The Shovel, fines of $1 billion have been levelled at BMW and VW Group. Daimler does not pay anything due to them being the whistleblower. To read more, click this TechCrunch article here.

STELLANTIS ANNOUNCE EV STRATEGY

Stellantis has announced the electric strategy for their brands, including Opel/Vauxhall, which will be electric only from 2028. To read more about what is planned and the amount of money being invested click the Autocar article here.

Added to this, mission statements were assigned to each brand. Some appear to have been decided by committees, whilst others seem more successful. Click the Motor1 tweet showing them all, here.

GERMAN CLASS-ACTION EMISSIONS CASE AGAINST MERCEDES

Mercedes-Benz have been filed a class-action case with regards to emission altering technology in their OM651 engines, installed in the GLK and GLC models. Mercedes strongly refute the claim. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

NEW BUGATTI AND RIMAC JOINT VENTURE

Rimac will own 55%, with Porsche owning 45%, of the new joint venture Bugatti-Rimac, which is hoped will utilise the engineering prowess of Bugatti and the technology of Rimac to move the brand forward for the future. To read more, click the YesAuto article here.

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SMMT TEST DAY 2021

Alan went to the twice delayed SMMT Test Day, on July 13 2021, where he met many people, which was lovely, and tried many cars, which was also lovely. The list of cars he tried are as follows;

LEVC Taxi

FIAT 500e Active

Cupra Formentor PHEV

MINI Cooper John Cooper Works GP

Ford Kuga ST-Line PHEV

Porsche Taycan Turbo

MG ZS EV

Toyota Supra GR 2.0

AND FINALLY: HOW TO REALLY MAKE MONEY WITH AV CARS

The link takes you to an excellent article, which pokes serious fun at some companies and their approach to getting money for their technology. To read more, and help hone your cynicism for this technology, click here for The Onion article.

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Andrew, after years of wearing the people at Lexus down, was loaned a LC500h, to try for a week. Have listen to find out if it lived up to his hopes and what he thought of the car.

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FOLLOW UP: SECOND UK-BASED VW EMISSIONS CLAIM LAUNCHED

The legal firm, Leigh Day, has launched a second emissions claim against Volkswagen, this time connected with the fix. They are claiming that VW “covertly made fundamental changes to affected vehicles” by altering other engine types that were not part of the #dieselgate outcry. Volkswagen responded that they have not been informed of such action and believe such claims to be without merit. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

FOLLOW UP: JLR TO FOCUS ON RELIABILITY ISSUES

After last week’s show, where the chaps discussed what they saw as holding Jaguar Land Rover back, which wasn’t the designs, Thierry Bolloré announced that they would be solving the company’s reliability and build quality issues. To read more, whilst the chaps wait for their consulting fee to arrive from the firm, click the Autocar article here.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR JUNE 2021

The June registration figures are up on last year, as expected, but they are not at the levels of 2019, with much talk about constrained supply chains. The Tesla Model 3 was topped the charts for the most registered. To find out more, click the SMMT link here.

SUNDERLAND TO BE NISSAN’S EV HUB

Sunderland has been selected as Nissan’s EV Hub, following investment from both the company and the UK Government, to secure the site’s future. To read more about this news, click the Nissan press release here.

As additional information, click Pernile Rudlin’s twitter thread explaining the deal here.

Thanks to the decision the UK has made, about it’s position in the global market, there is now a rush for more battery factories, which you can read more about by clicking the Guardian’s link here.

ELLESMERE PORT PLANT SAVED

Stellantis has confirmed that it will invest in the Ellesmere Port Vauxhall plant, so that it can make small commercial EVs. This will be the first electric vehicle only plant in the Group. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

PORSCHE RECALLING TAYCAN OVER SOFTWARE GLITCH

Porsche are recalling around 45,000 Taycan cars over a software bug that can cause the vehicle to cut power and get a warning notification to pull over. 135 cars have suffered from this error, which can be sorted by a reboot. To read more, click the EVO article here.

SHELL OPENS 10MW HYDROGEN ELECTROLYSIS PLANT

Near Wesseling, in the Rheinland, Shell has opened Europe’s largest Hydrogen electrolysis plant. There already plans to expand it to cope with commercial interest. To read more, click the Reuters article here.

DON’T PAY FOR DVLA SERVICES WARNING

The DVLA has reiterated that you should avoid any ads and companies that state they will use one of the DVLA’s services, on your behalf, for a fee. To find out more, click the Motoring Research article here.

‘GREEN CARD’ INSURANCE FOR EUROPE WAIVED

The European Commission has waived the requirement that UK based drivers must carry the internal documentation to prove they are insured to drive in Europe. Obviously this makes it much easier for those who have to traverse the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To find out more details, click the Hagerty link here.

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Renault 5

The name badge of that small French car, that makes many go misty eyed, is back on Renault’s latest EV model. The concept styling is reminiscent of the original car, but the aim is to undercut the Zoe quite significantly in terms of price. The expected starting point will be around £18,500, in the region of a third less than the Zoe, but still with a range of 248 miles. There is no confirmation exactly when the 5 will go into production, but it won’t be soon enough for us! To see more, click the Autocar article here.

VW Polo GTi

The Volkswagen Polo GTi is retuning to our roads, this time with 204bhp and the latest corporate face. There will be 236lb ft of the torques available, helping propel the car to 62mph in 6.5 seconds. The styling will fall in line with the latest models offered, including the thin light-bar running just under the bonnet lip. There is no further detail on prices, as of yet. To find out more, click the Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: AROUND THE WORLD IN THE “BABY BENZ”

A couple from Austria toured the World in their Mercedes-Benz 190D, racking up around 250,000 kilometres in the process. To find out why, then move on to how and end up sitting in admiration at what they’ve achieved and the car that helped them, by clicking the Daimler article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE 12 BEST RETRO CONCEPTS

Further to rebirth of the Renault 5, we have a look at 12 more retro concepts that were super cool. To run through the list yourself, click the Goodwood Road & Racing link here. Don’t forget to tell us which you’d pick over all the others!

AND FINALLY: MOBILE PARK ABIDES BY PARKING RULES

Adam Tranter created a ‘parklet’ that fitted within the guidelines of a single parking space on a local ‘car-free’ day initiative. This included a bench, artificial grass and flowers. However, a single complaint meant the council removed it. He was not to be thwarted though and is back with a motorised ‘parklet’, that sits on the flatbed of a 1970s Peugeot Ape van, meaning it is a vehicle that is entitled to use the space. Again people are using the facility. To read more, click the YesAuto link here.

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FOLLOW UP: GREATER MANCHESTER CAZ STARTS IN MAY 2022

The Greater Manchester Clean Air Zone has been confirmed as starting from May 2022. To find out more, including a reminder of the vehicle classes covered, click the Motoring Research article here.

DVLA STRUGGLING TO DEAL WITH CUSTOMERS

An ever increasing volume in the complaints about the lack of service from the DVLA is occurring. Added to the pressures, staff are taking industrial action over unsafe working conditions. To read more about the problems customers are facing, click The Guardian article here.

FRESH JAGUAR STRATEGY SIGNED OFF

Thierry Bolloré has signed of the new strategy for Jaguar, with the aim being to position it similar to Range Rover in the SUV market, but with cars. This is an ambitious plan, to get people to pay more than they do for their BMW, Audi or Mercedes, as well as be seen as above them but not quite at Porsche and Aston Martin levels. To read more, click here for the article from Autocar.

POTHOLES COST COUNCILS £8 MILLION A YEAR

Following a FOI request, we have learned that councils spent £8 million in costs associated with potholes in 2020, when most of the country was not allowed to drive for vast amounts of time. The cost of repairing a pothole varies across the country and so does the compensation to rivers who have been injured as a result and had their vehicles damaged. To read more, click the YesAuto article here.

WELSH GOVERNMENT STOPS ALL NEW ROAD BUILDING

The Welsh Government announced that it will be halting all plans to build new roads, due to the environmental impact their construction and use will cause. Instead money will be spent on improving existing roads and being used for active travel and public transport projects. To read more about this, click here for the Motoring Research article.

HYUNDAI TRIALLING HYDROGEN BUSES IN GERMANY

In Germany Hyundai will be using their hydrogen buses as part of a pilot to test out the viability of such transport in an urban environment. To read more, click here for the YesAuto article.

STELLANTIS SIGNS ARMED FORCES COVENANT

Stellantis have signed the Armed Forces Covenant, where they agree to train, assist armed forces members and their families as they transition to civilian life. Another cracking effort by Mission Motorsport to help companies become aware of the valuble asset ex-armed forces personnel are. To read more, click this link for the CarDealer article.

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

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WRC: SAFARI RALLY KENYA

After a wait of 19 years, some Teams may be hoping it is another 19 years before they return to this beautiful but brutal rally. From way back in the pack Ogier won, through consistent driving and the misfortune of others, including team mate Evan who was out on Day 1, along with Sordo. Neuville was leading into Sunday but broke a rear damper, which put him out. Katsuta took his maiden senior WRC podium with second and Tanak being the Hyundai driver who was in third this time. To read more, click the DirtFish article here.

For Colin Clark’s Driver Ratings, click the link here.

To find out What We Learned, click this link here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Honda Civic

Honda has revealed the next Civic, which looks like a slightly rounded off version of the current one. However, the interior looks a big step forward, which is good. The chaps don’t think it will massively help Honda garner new sales and is the first non Swindon built model of the Civic. To Read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

LEVC Camper Van

The London Electric Vehicle Company has revealed plans to create a camper van based on their van, which is based on their taxi cab model. The chaps are very interested in this and recommend that LEVC slap some plastic cladding on the side, jack the ride height up a touch and it’ll be perfect. To read more, including about the range extender nature of it, click the Autocar article here.

Dacia Duster

Dacia has revealed the upgrades to the popular Duster. This honest SUV is going slightly more upmarket and has been handsomely modified exterior looks. This prompts a bit of a discussion about a fear that Dacia may step too far away from it’s current market positioning. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: NÜRNBERGER MOVES TO DACIA

Following a 13 year stint at Aston Martin, Miles Nürnberger is moving to Dacia. No reason has been given as to why he has left Aston Martin, but it will be interesting to see the design direction the company goes in, under his leadership. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

LUNCHTIME READ: PEDANT’S CORNER - WHY THE TERM ‘GIGAFACTORY’ GRATES

On the day of recording there was a lot of talk about ‘gigafactories’ but then the chaps saw this article from Autocar trying to pop the hype-bubble around factories that make batteries. Do go read this and rest assured we will only refer to them as “factories” because that is what they are. Click here for the link.

LIST OF THE WEEK: NINE ALTERNATIVES TO ‘LIFESTYLE’ VEHICLES

Top Gear has a list of nine alternatives to the usual suspects, providing an excellent set of options. To run through the list click the link here.

AND FINALLY: HYUNDAI BUYS BOSTON DYNAMICS

Hyundai has increased their investment in Boston Dynamics to full ownership. To help celebrate this, they have released a bunch of really creepy, dystopian videos. We cannot suffer alone, so we are sharing them with you too. Click here for the link to the announcement video. To watch a ‘headless-dog-robot’ dance with a K-Pop band, click the link here. Please Hyundai, don’t make any more of these.

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Alan was joined by Ian Robertson and Richard Dredge of new magazine Classic.Retro.Modern to talk about what makes their new magazine stand out from its competition.

You’ll be able to buy the first issue from newsstands on 1st July, 2021 but to find out more about the magazine and other ways to get it digitally or on subscription, go to the website and keep up to date by following the magazine on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and subscribing to their YouTube Channel.

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FOLLOW UP: GOVERNMENT STARTS E10 PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN

With the new E10 fuel being rolled-out across forecourts, from September, the Government has realised it had better tell the public it is happening and why it is a good thing. To find out more, click the Motoring Research article here.

ASTON MARTIN SUES INVESTORS

A deal penned by the previous management team, according to the current owners of Aston Martin, meant that Nebula Project AG, in return for providing funding for the Valkarie project, could take a percentage cut of any deposits placed, that they had secured. Aston Martin allege that they are owed £10 million as a result. They have started legal proceedings and asked for a criminal investigation into two of the former directors of Nebula. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

GOVERNMENT AWARDS FUNDING TO VARIOUS EV PROJECTS

The latest round of funding has been awarded, by the Government, to companies and projects that are both innovative and practical. For example, the OX project, where they are developing a solar powered refrigeration capability to their OX vehicle but that reduces the impact on the electric range has won. There are several other equally clever winners who are tackling a specific issue. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

MADRID GOES HYDROGEN FOR TAXIS

In a concerted effort to clean up the air of Madrid the various stakeholders have pulled together and produced a plan to replace ICE taxis with Hydrogen ones by 2025. They are talking about 1000 of them too! To read more, click the Fuel Cell Works article here.

GREATER MANCHESTER MAYORAL CANDIDATES FIGHT OVER CLEAN AIR

The Greater Manchester area is one of those who the Government has demanded take action over the quality of their air. The current proposal is for the entire region to implement a Clean Air Zone similar to Bath, that targets only commercial vehicles, taxis and buses. The subject is being hotly fought over in the campaigning for the Greater Manchester Mayor elections. To read more, click here for the Manchester Evening News article.

RENAULT REVEALS THREE URBAN EV CONCEPTS

Renault, via their Mobilize brand, have seemingly fully embraced the electric and mobility focused future. They have revealed three urban focused EVs that are proposals for car-sharing and last mile deliveries. There is some interesting thinking going on in Renault and it has prompted the chaps to realise there isn’t a one-size fits all solution to the type of vehicle that will be dominant, as there is right now. We are all going to need help shifting our mindset to select the most appropriate transport for the task we wish to achieve. To read more, click the YesAuto article here.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE ‘SIGHT’ CAN BE SPOOFED

Researchers have shown how easy it is to confuse camera-based systems so that they either cannot “see” the obsticle, or be fooled into thinking there is something there so the vehicle takes avoiding action. Now that you are a bit spooked, read the article from The Register to be properly scared by clicking the link here.

Now that we have your attention, there is more news that should dampen the hype around AVs and that is that radar signals interfere with other radar signals. Additional homework for you, dear listeners, is to read the EE Times article by clicking the link here.

PORSCHE GB APPOINTS SARAH SIMPSON AS NEW CEO

Porsche GB has appointed Sarah Simpson as their new CEO, following a move from Bentley, where she was Regional Director covering the UK. To read more, click the Fleet&Leasing article here.

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

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FORMULA E: MEXICO

Race 1 - Following an incident filled race, thanks in large part due to the position of the Attack Zone and where it exited onto the main track, Pascal Wehrlein went from winner to disqualified. Andrew is jolly grumpy with Formula E right now, this is the latests self-inflicted embarrassment of the season. A season there was high hopes for. To read more, click The Race’s article here.

Race 2 - This weekend was a double-header event. In Race 2 Edoardo Mortara took Venturi’s second victory in Formula E and in the process gave himself a 10-point lead in the championship. To read more, click The Race’s coverage here.

2021 FESTIVAL OF SPEED GOES AHEAD

The Goodwood Festival of Speed will be part of the Government’s Events Research Program, where they are experimenting on configurations for events and establishing what can and cannot be safely run in the UK. To find out more, click the Motoring Research article here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Hyundai i20N

Hyundai has announced specs and prices for the new i20N, their latest spicy version of their range. Think the i30, but smaller, so fighting with the ‘Best Thing Since Sliced Bread’ award winner, Fiesta ST. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

Peugeot 308 SW

In the face of a sea of SUVs, Peugeot is launching the 308 SW, and mighty pleased are we to see they are. Now we hope enough people will buy them to ensure estates continue to be an option. To read more, click the Top Gear link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: AMI, MYSELF AND I

Incredibly tall and impossibly nice Editorial Director at Haymarket, Jim Holder, has spent some time with the wonderfully cute Citroën Ami. We urge you to read how much he liked it as well as how much his family liked it! To do your homework, click the Autocar link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP GEAR’S TOP 9 - FORGOTTEN FRENCH LUXO BARGES

Continuing the French theme this week, especially as we are suckers for luxury French cars, the Top 9 luxo barges, thanks to Top Gear. To run through the list, click the link here. As ever, do tell the chaps your choice.

AND FINALLY: SABINE SCHMITZ KURVE ON THE NORDSCHLEIFE

The Nürburgring has announced they will be honouring Sabine Schmitz by naming the first corner on the Nordschleife after her. The official ceremony will take place on 11 September, when the 6 hour Endurance Race takes place. To read more, click their Tweet here.

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Alan spent a week with the Ford Focus in sporty ST-Line X trim with a 155PS mild-hybrid drivetrain. Does the addition of new technology help or hinder the legendary Focus driving experience?

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FOLLOW UP: VW REPAID BY EXECUTIVES

Volkswagen has now confirmed the story that former executives of the Group will repay around $351 million as a result of the #dieselgate debacle. This does show we were right to mock the excuses of ‘rogue engineers’ or “software issues’ that were initially used. To read more about this, click here for the Automotive News Europe article.

GRIDSERVE BUYS ECOTRICITY

As ticker tape falls from the sky, EV owners across the country rejoice at the news that Ecotricity has been sold, with Gridserve increasing their 25% stake to full ownership. Ecotricity, ironically, has probably done more to hold back EV adoption in the country than anything else, thanks to the unreliable network across the motorway system. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

FERRARI NAMES NEW CEO

Benedetto Vigna has been named the new CEO of Ferrari. He moves from ST Microelectronics to take over the helm. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

FRANCE CHARGES MANY OVER EMISSIONS

Peugeot is the latest brand to be charged by French authorities over consumer fraud relating to emissions. Renault has been previously charged with test manipulation, Citroën and FCA are also expected to be in trouble. To read more, click the Reuters article here.

PORSCHE INVESTIGATED BY GERMAN CAR AUTHORITY

Porsche, following a voluntary submission of information, is being investigated by the KBA, in Germany, over inconsistent declaration of fuel consumption of their petrol engined cars. Porsche seem to think, if they have incorrectly stated consumption figures it is on less than 1% of their fleet. To read more, click the Yahoo Finance article here.

ASA BANS HYUNDAI ADVERT

The Advertising Standards Agency has banned Hyundai’s hydrogen Nexo adverts from stating ‘its so clean it purifies the air’, as the car does cause emissions in the form of brake and tyre particulates. The chaps wade in on the silliness of the ruling but now expect anyone stating cycling is clean to be equally rebuked in an equally daft manner. To read more, click here for the Motoring Research article.

OXFORD LTN MAP INFO GAFF

Oxford County Council have caused Google Maps and TomTom to show a large number of roads closed to vehicles until March 2022, after uploading information regarding their new Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. There is much mention of ‘glitches’ and the likes, but it would appear to be a ‘user input error’. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

YORK TO USE LIVE TRAFFIC DATA

York City will be using live traffic data and software to help manage the flow of traffic in and around the area. They will warn users of possible problems and control the traffic light sequencing to ensure traffic flows as well as it can. Essentially this is Smart Motorway technology being used in an urban environment and is very clever. To read more, click here for the Motoring Research article.

CINCH OWNER BUYS ROCKINGHAM

Rockingham race complex has been sold for £80 million to the owners of Cinch and WeBuyAnyCar. They will use the facility, after further investment, as a base for storing and preparing vehicles, a training academy and logistics hub. To read more, click the PistonHeads article here.

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

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WRC: 2022 CAR TECH AND WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

WRC Wings has written a fascinating article on the scant information we have available to us, at the moment, about what the capabilities of next year’s cars are likely to be. To read through what is know and what can be surmised, click the link for the article here.

MISSION MOTORSPORT: RACE OF REMEMBRANCE 2021

Mission Motorsport has completed the attempt to break the record for the distance travelled on a single charge, by a Renault Zoe. We here, at the Motoring Podcast, want to congratulate everyone involved for the successful run that not only beat the previous record, but smashed it. To find out more, click here for the Mission Motorsport article.

TOYOTA MURAI HYPERMILES TO 1000KM ON A TANK

Toyota have driven a Murai on the public roads of France for just over 1000 kilometres on a single charge, breaking the previous record. To find out more about this truly impressive feat, click the Toyota press release here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Volkswagen Multivan

VW is replacing the Caravelle, with a new vehicle based on the cost-saving MQB platform, that all new models are sitting on. The Multivan will be longer, wider and sit lower, apparently all in the name of aerodynamics. To find out more, click the YesAuto article here.

Lexus NX

You may be forgiven for questioning, when you see the design, if this is an “all new” NX from Lexus. But it is.
To find out more, click the Lexus press release here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: COMEBACK FOR LANCIA?

Stellantis appear to be backing up their statement that they have plans for Lancia, as they have appointed Jean-Pierre Ploué, who was the Director of Design for the entire PSA Group before the merger and creation of Stellantis. We, along with many of our listeners will be sitting with fingers, toes and almost everything else crossed that this is a serious attempt to bring Lancia back. To read more, click here for the CarScoops article.

LUNCHTIME READ: GO TO A CAR SHOW - IT’S GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

PetrolBlog has published a fabulous article that recommends going to car shows, not only because you’ll be at a car show, but it will do you good to get a little bit of normality back into your life. To read more, click the link to the article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 BEST RALLY DRIVERS AND THEIR CARS

Top Gear has produced a list, that will no doubt cause some controversy as it involves drivers and a list. As there is no WRC this week, this should help lessen the pangs of absence pangs. If you need another excuse to read the list, the artwork for each of the cars is exquisite. To find out more, click here for the link.

AND FINALLY: 1/2 MILLION MILES IN A PIUCASSO

Ashley Winston, from Palmdale Motors, has been on a mission, that mission was to take a Citroën Picasso to 500,000 miles. The original owner put 430,000 miles on the clock but Ashley and a host of friends have helped get it up to the magic number. To find out more, click the YouTube link to Our Tim who was there for the final few miles.

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MAY 2021 SMMT NEW CAR REGISTRATIONS

As it is the beginning of the month, that means the chaps can run through the New Car Registration figures for May 2021. Due to the lockdown situation last year, the figures this year were always going to be better. Even so, there are some outstanding percentage increases. To find out more, click here for the SMMT article.

FIAT GO ELECTRIC ONLY FROM 2030

During a discussion about future mobility and urban areas, FIAT CEO Olivier Francois, stated that the brand would be all electric in 2030, starting the phasing out process from 2025. They are the latest bowing to the inevitable thanks to regulatory changes across the globe. To read more, click here for the Yes Auto article.

BUS DEPOT GOING ALL ELECTRIC

The First Bus depot in Glasgow is aiming to be the largest electric charging hub, in the country, once it finishes installing the required charging points for an all electric fleet of local buses. Public transport moving to zero emissions is vital if we are to clean up the air we breathe, as the bus strike in London a few years ago showed, as well as the pandemic. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

LONDON ULEZ CHECKER CAUSES CLASSIC CONFUSION

Those with MOT and VED exempt classic cars are finding that the Transport for London ULEZ checker is incorrectly stating their cars need to pay to enter the areas it covers. TfL has stated that they ill be making amendments to their system, but are unable to declare when that will be completed. To read more, click here for the Hagerty story.

GENEVA MOTOR SHOW ON THE 2022 CALENDAR

The new organisation running the Geneva Motor Show has confirmed it will be back in 2022, albeit in an improved format. Hoteliers have been the quickest to respond to that, cancelling bookings and putting the rooms available at twice the price, which is nice of them. There are scant details on how the event will be better, nor of any exhibitors yet. To find out more, click the Autocar story here.

FUEL PRICES RISE AGAIN

For the seventh month in a row, the price of petrol and diesel has risen. This time, price rises are out of step with the wholesale cost, as that is dropping. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

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

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WRC: RALLY ITALY

Once again, there was heartbreak and drama during the latest WRC event, this time in Italy. Hyundai and Ott Tänak must feel like they are cursed at the moment, with Sordo being also unlucky. Their misfortune was Toyota’s, erm, fortune, as Ogier and Evans came home in first and second, with Neuville once again rounding out the podium and gaining some respectability for the Korean outfit. M-Sport’s chances were over on the first day as both drivers had to retire. To read more, click the DirtFish review of the event here.

For Colin Clark’s driver ratings, click here.

For the What We Learned article, click here.

MISSION MOTORSPORT: RACE OF REMEMBRANCE 2021

Mission Motorsport has announced the Race of Remembrance will be taking place on the weekend of 12-14 November 2021. Not only will they be returning to Anglesey, but there will be an online iRacing event again, a karting event and the #YouRoR. To find out more, click the link to their article here.

As this episode is released, James Cameron and a Team from Mission Motorsport are attempting to break a record for driving a Renault Zoe the furthest on a single charge of electricity, wrestling the record back from a Frenchman, Pierre Desjardins, who has wished them all the very best of luck in a splendid show of support. To find out more, check out this thread from James by clicking here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

BMW i4 EV

BMW has now revealed the specs for the two versions of the i4 EV, which is based on the 4-series, but is fully electric. One neat feature is the washer fluid is refilled via the propeller badge on the front of the car. You will have already made up your mind on the looks, but the range possible will be either nearly 300 for the single motor one or 240 for the two motor M version. To read more, click the Jalopnik article here.

Kia Sportage

This is an incredibly important car to Kia, with the fully redesigned model taking cues from the EV6. The interior gets an upgrade too, in terms of looks and design, much more premium in feel. The price is expected to increase too. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW TO CELEBRATE THE TOYOTA LANDCRUISER’S 70TH BIRTHDAY IN STYLE

Rowan Horncastle, for Top Gear, took a Toyota Landcruiser 70 across South Africa, to celebrate the model’s 70th birthday. To read about the adventure and the car, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 10 HYPERMILING TIPS

In case the Mission Motorsport Team need any extra tips during their record breaking attempt, our List of the Week is the Top 10 tips for hypermiling, Click the link here for the iDriveSafely article.

AND FINALLY: BOY’S HUBCAP REPLACEMENT CAMPAIGN

Thanks to the Smith and Sniff podcast, the subject of a hubcap replacement fairy came to notice, only for us all to find out there is a boy, in Gloucestershire, who is already doing it. He searches for hubcaps that have lost a car, cleans them up and if he sees a car without and he has the right type he fits it to the car, with a note to explain what is going on. What a wonderful thing to do. Well done Matthew! To find out more, click the BBC News story here.

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Alan invited James Browne of digital agency 4 Roads on to explain their view on the multi-channel future of new car buying.

To find out more about 4 Roads you can visit their website.

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This week Andrew’s away, so Alan is joined instead by Alex Grant.

FOLLOW UP: WINTERKORN TO PAY DAMAGES TO VW

The ex-Volkswagen Group CEO, Martin Winterkorn is to pay €10 million in damages to Volkswagen. You can read more from Business Insider here.

FOLLOW UP: GHOSN APPEALS AND INVESTORS SUE NISSAN

As Andrew predicted last week, Carlos Ghosn is appealing the rejection of his wrongful dismissal case in the Netherlands. Also, overseas investors are suing Nissan for the share price plunge after Ghosn’s arrest. More here from Just Auto.

FOLLOW UP: DAIMLER TO PAY NOKIA PATENT FEES

Daimler has settled its patent licensing fight with Nokia, joining other manufacturers in paying the fees. More from Auto News Europe here.

BIRMINGHAM CLEAN AIR ZONE INTRODUCED

The Birmingham Clean Air Zone was introduced on 1st June, but with a “soft launch” meaning that nobody will be charged until 14th June because of issues with the payment systems. More from Autocar here.

NISSAN GIGAFACTORY

The Financial Times has broken the news that Nissan is in talks to build a huge EV battery factory at its Sunderland site, joining the recently announce Britishvolt facility nearby. The BBC story is here.

MPs ASK ABOUT EV BUYING CHOICES

In a very brief survey, linked here, the Transport Committee are looking to find out what would make you buy and electric car. Be very quick though as the survey ends on 2nd June. The full story from Motoring Research is here.

UK ELECTRIC CAR CHARGING INDUSTRY AVOIDS PROBE

The results of a study into the UK public charging infrastructure by the Competition and Markets Authority has ended, concluding that while there are issues then they have ways to deal with them. Read more here.

NUMBER OF CAR THEFTS FALL IN 2020

In a story that will surprise nobody, the number of car thefts fell significantly in 2020. A separate study also showed that keyless car theft accounted for 93% of stolen cars last year. You can read more here.

TOYOTA AND LEXUS LAUNCH 10 YEAR WARRANTY

Toyota and Lexus have launched a 10 year warranty on all of their new and existing vehicles up to 10 years old and 100,000 miles provided they’re serviced at a Toyota dealer. To find out more then click here.

INDY 500

In a break from out normal motorsport coverage, Alan watched the Indy 500 and surprised himself by enjoying it. You can find out more aboutt he race and the win by now-four-time-winner Hélio Castroneves here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

DS 9

The handsome new DS 9 saloon has been launched in the UK with a choice of hybrid or petrol engine and front wheel drive for the moment and the promise of a hot, 4wd hybrid to follow. It’s expected to be a very niche car, but hopefully it will find some buyers keen enough to not follow the traditional path to a German marque. You can find out more from this Car article.

Rolls-Royce Boat Tail

Rolls-Royce has coachbuilt an exclusive car designed for taking on a picnic. There are expected to be 3 built, all slightly different, and if you need to ask the brice then you can’t afford one. You can find out much more about the details in Autocar’s interview with the designer here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE FIVE SENSES: SIGHT

The first in, hopefully, a series about the importance of the different senses in the appeal of a car, Design Field Trip explores the importance of it being eyecatching in the right ways. You can read the article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: WORLD’S GREATEST VIP ARMOURED VEHICLES

Autocar has 19 of the best ways to transport very important people around dangerous places. We chose a Citroen and a Toyota, but which would you have? Find out here.

AND FINALLY: GARAGISTAS

Reverend Adam Gompertz and the Revs Limiter Facebook group have gathered together to bring a new twist to card-based vehicle comparison games with this first set based on vehicles suggested by community members. You can find out more here.

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FOLLOW UP: GHOSN ORDERED TO PAY BACK MONEY

In a shock, for Carlos Ghosn, instead of winning a case where he sought €15 million for unfair dismissal from a Dutch registered Nissan/Mitsubishi joint venture, he lost and has been ordered to pay back the €5 million he got through the entity. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

OFGEM TO INVEST £300M IN CHARGING NETWORK

Ofgem has announced how it will be investing £300 million into the network infrastructure to allow for rapid and ultra rapid charger installations across the motorway networks, as well as more remote areas. To read more, click the GreenFleet article here.

CARS ON ROAD OLDEST ON RECORD

There are now more older cars on the road, since records recorded such data. The average age is 8.4 years, with nearly 10 million being 13 years and older. To find out more about the reasons, click the Motoring Research article here.

A companion piece is from Autocar, explaining why there is such a demand for used cars, by buyers. Click here for that link.

FORD PATENTS BEAMING ADS TO INFOTAINMENT SYSTEMS

Ford has applied for a patent on technology that would beam specific details from billboards, to the infotainment screens within cars. This has caused a bit of a stir, but it must be remembered it is only a patent and may not even be for vehicles that require a human driver to be in charge of the vehicle. More detail is required before the chaps at the Motoring Podcast grab their pitchforks and flaming torches, even Andrew says this. To read more, click the Interesting Engineering article here.

MERCEDES SOFTWARE BUGS FOUND

Tencent Security has disclosed information on software bugs they found in the Mercedes-Benz User Experience infotainment system. To be clear at no point were the researchers able to access any of the aspects of the vehicles that were any part of the driving element. Mercedes has started to roll out a patch for this, where they are contacting customers. To read more, click the Security Week article here.

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

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WRC RALLY PORTUGAL

Another action packed thrill ride in WRC, unfortunately for Hyundai, apart from Sordo, it was not a good event. Toyota were the main beneficiaries, with Elfyn Evans capitalising on first Neuville’s accident and then Tanak’s mechanical failure to win the rally, holding off Sordo, with Ogeir further back in third. To find out more, click the DirtFish report here.

To read the excellent ‘What did we learn’ article, click here.

To see how Colin Clark judged the drivers, click the link here.

Hyundai WRC2 driver Veiby has been banned from WRC for six month, for breaking coronavirus protocols. To read what he and his co-driver did and then didn’t do, click the DirtFish article here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Cupra Born -

The first full EV for Cupra has been revealed. Using the same technology as the ID3 it is very close in size and weight, but the Spanish brand has put their spin on the aesthetics, plus they will make sure it is an engaging and fun drive. Expected to cost around £35,000, it will be a smidgen more than the ID3. Time will tell if the public will be drawn to this very good looking car, ignoring badge snobbery. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: NEW ROLLS ROYCE DIRECTOR OF DESIGN

Rolls Royce has appointed Anders Warming as Director of Design, following the departure of Jozef Kaban. Warming was previously design chief at Mini. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: NEW FIAT AND ABARTH HEAD OF DESIGN

Fiat and Abarth has appointed a new Head of Design, François Leboine, who joins from Renault. To read more, click the Stellantis link here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: THE IMPACT OF THE F-150 ON THE US

Unless you were living under a rock, you’ll be aware that Ford has launched an full EV version of the best selling “car” in the world, the Ford F-150. To help understand what an important vehicle that is, click this link here showing MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow explain.

LIST OF THE WEEK: MOST BEAUTIFUL ROAD TRIPS

In a vote, from the British public, that doesn’t appear to be utterly nuts, we have a list of the most beautiful roads to take a trip along. To find out more, click the link to the You Magazine article here. Do you agree with the choices or did they not include your favourite road.

AND FINALLY: CRAZY CELEBRITY CAR ADS

Ignoring how Celica is pronounced, here is a link from Jalopnik showing us some of the weirder endorsements, particularly for the Japanese market. Click the link here to “enjoy” their work!

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In a rare moment of self indulgence, Alan and Andrew held a livestream to celebrate reaching the 400th episode of the Motoring Podcast. They chat through how and why they started, how they’ve continued to try and improve and their plans for the future. Prizes are given away throughout the show and they round it all out by thanking all of the people who have listened, helped and supported them along the way.

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FOLLOW UP: TOYOTA OFFERS FREE CATALYTIC CONVERTOR PROTECTION

Last week, the chaps talked about the police operation to recover stolen catalytic convertors. Toyota has announced it is offering a marking scheme to aid owners of older Toyota vehicles. Free of charge they will mark the convertors so they can be tracked if they are stolen. To read more, click the National World article here.

INTERNATIONAL MOTORS LTD TAKES OVER MITSUBISHI AFTER-SALES

International Motors Ltd, part of the IM Group who are official importers of Subaru and Isuzu, have agreed a deal with Mitsubishi Motors to take over the after-sales business following the end to the new vehicle sales part of the business. To read more, click the AM article here.

LONDON ULEZ WILL EXPAND

Following the re-election of Sadiq Khan, as Mayor of London, he has confirmed that the ULEZ will expand in October, as planned, as this is a key part of the project to clean up the capital’s air. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

UNDERSERVED KENT AREAS BEING PRIORITISED BY EV CHARGING COMPANY

Connected Kerb is working on adding EV charging points to poorly served areas of Kent, in a bid to help bolster the charging network of the county. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

MANCHESTER COUNCIL REVEALS REGISTRATION PLATES IN GAFF

In an attempt at transparency, Manchester Council released information regarding which parking wardens had issued tickets. Unfortunately, they forgot to omit the registration, and therefore personally identifying details of the penalties, between April and June 2020. We have long said we fear incompetence more than nefarious actions most when it comes to data. To read more, click The Register article here.

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***Announcement:

Last week we invited you to join us for a live stream of the recording of our 400th episode on Wednesday 19 May at 8:30pm BST.***

During the show we will, like an automotive podcasting Ant and Dec, be giving away some great prizes thanks to the support of some generous companies.

In order to be in with a shout of grabbing one of the prizes we need you to go to our website, hit the Contact section at the top of the home page enter your name, email address and the phrase "Please Can I Win?" into the Subject line so we can add your name to the draw. You need to have done this by 8pm BST on Wednesday 19th May.

Click this link here to go directly there!

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WRC PORTUGAL - REMINDER

Just a quick reminder that WRC is back this week, in Portugal this time.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA -

For those of you who feel the Four Cheese version of the Giulia is a bit too tame, you can stop worrying, Alfa Romeo are going to release GTA and GTAm versions. There will only be 500 made and prices start at €176,500.00 for the GTA, whilst the GTAm starts at €181, 500.00. TO find out more, click the Alfa Romeo press release here.

Vauxhall Vivaro-e Hydrogen -

Vauxhall has released details on their hydrogen fuel-cell van, due on roads from 2023. The range will be up to 249 miles with a payload of 1100kgs, the same as the ICE and fully EV versions. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: VOLVO APPOINT T. JON MAYER AS HEAD OF EXTERIOR DESIGN

Following the move by Maximillian Missoni, who now heads up Design at Polestar, Volvo have appointed T. Jon Mayer as Head of Exterior Design at Volvo. He was lead on the exterior design for the S60, V60 and V60 Cross Country. To read more, click the Volvo press release here.

LUNCHTIME READ: SUNDAY DRIVES - SCOTLAND

Justin Leighton has been interviewed, by Porsche Newsroom, where his career is discussed, as well as him enthusing about the stunning landscape that is northern Scotland but particularly near the North West 500 route. To find out more, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 20 CARS THAT ROCKED POP-UP LIGHTS

As longer term listeners will know, we at the Motoring Podcast, are big fans of pop-up lights, here from Classic & Sports Car is a list of 20 that really suited them. Click here for the link to the list.

AND FINALLY: DONATE YOUR CAR TO CHARITY

An organisation, called Charity Car, allows you to donate the value of your car, to a selected charity, by either it being properly scrapped or if it is still roadworthy, auctioned off. To find out more, click the Charity Car link here.

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Alan spent a week with the ubiquitous Ford Fiesta. In this case, it’s a mild-hybrid, 1.0 ST-Line that took temporary residence in his driveway. Does the Fiesta still deserve its sales success?

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APRIL 2021 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

There have been some attention grabbing headlines written, which seem to forget that whilst the year-on-year comparison stats are dramatically up on last year, we were all locked in our houses 12 months ago. Against the 10 year average the number of new car registrations are still down. To read more, click the SMMT article here.

FORD AND NHS TRIALLING VACCINE TRANSIT

A specially converted Ford Transit is being trialled by the NHS to take the Covid vaccines out to the community. There are fitted with temperature controlled fridges, folding seats and other equipment to administer the injections. Hopefully this works, as it will help get the vaccine to everyone, especially those who cannot travel to the centres that have been set up to administer them. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

ROAD AND RAIL INVESTMENT BEING REEVALUATED

In a move that should be unexpected to everyone, the Government is reevaluating the transport infrastructure spending plans. The supposedly reduced numbers commuting is one reason given, but mainly this will be because every budget across the Government, whether central or local, will be inspected closely due to a lack of cash. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

POLICE FIND OVER A THOUSAND CATALYTIC CONVERTERS

In a large operation police over a thousand catalytic converters were recovered with over 50 people being arrested. There has been a rise in thefts from cars due to the increase in price for rare metals. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

PETROL PRICES KEEP CLIMBING

The RAC has revealed that we are on a run of six months of continued price rise in fuel prices. This is expected to continue over the summer, where there will be an increase in demand, along with supplying nations capping production. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

EV CHARGING POINTS HACKED

A Chinese Security research team has demonstrated gaining access to a car, via the CANBus, from an EV charging station. They were able to alter the rate of charge, avoid paying and sending messages. To read more, click The Register article here.

FRENCH VILLAGE AIMING TO THWART WAZE

In a bid to stop Waze re-routing congested traffic away from hold ups on the local main roads and through their village, residents added a sign, essentially saying ‘access only’ which was communicated back to the app, which meant the algorithm no longer used that diversion. We applaud that clever way of altering behaviour. To read more, click The Connexion article here.

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***Announcement:

Last week we invited you to join us for a live stream of the recording of our 400th episode on Wednesday 19 May at 8:30pm BST.***

During the show we will, like an automotive podcasting Ant and Dec, be giving away some great prizes thanks to the support of some generous companies.

Click this link here to go directly there!

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FORMULA E: MONACO

Well isn’t that a relief? We get to discuss racing and not rules or safety cars or penalties, just the racing! To find out what happened, click the link to The Race article here.

To read the driver ratings, click The Race article link here.

To find out more about the possibility of Monaco becoming an annual event, click here for The Race article.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Citroën My Ami Cargo -

We are continually told how there is a ‘last mile’ problem, when it comes to deliveries, Citroën think they have one solution to that, the My Ami Cargo. To find out more about this cute little vehicle, click the Autocar article here.

Mercedes-Benz Concept EQT -

Whilst the EQT is called a “concept” it looks remarkably close to production ready in the images released by Mercedes. We are big fans of a van-derived passenger vehicle, this one looks great too, much more like a Mercedes than the current Citan. To find our more, click the Autocar article here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: JULIAN THOMSON LEAVES JAGUAR

The sudden announcement that Julian Thomson is leaving Jaguar, caught all by surprise. There are some guesses as to why, but whatever the reason the pressure is really on the Management Team of JLR to back up all of the words that have recently been said with regards to design. To read more, click the Autocar article here.
To read an opinion piece from Steve Cropley, click the Autocar article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE DEATH OF THE TEST DRIVE?

Russel Gowers has written an interesting article about test drives and questions what purpose do they serve, especially for those who aren’t really interested in cars beyond what badge it has. To read that, click the LinkedIn link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: CELEBRATE THE SIZES

Car & Classic has a list of six cars that fall under the catchment of six cylinders and six grand. Read Chris Pollitt’s words and enjoy the suggestions he has for the various options. To see more, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: METAL ELEMENTS

The car design and coach build company Niels van Roil Design have developed, with Heritage Customs, metal coated accents for the new Defender. There are a number of finishes and types available that open up a host of possibilities. We think this is incredibly clever and an interesting project that hopefully leads to interesting uses in car designs moving forward. To find out more, click their link here.

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Alan spent a week with one of the most divisive vehicles to have been launched in the last year, the BMW M440i X-Drive. Find out how he got on and just what he thought of “that” grille.

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GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCEMENT CONFUSES INDUSTRY

The Government announced that there could be “self-driving” cars on the road towards the end of the year. This caused a lot of confusion because the driver assistance technology they were mentioning is not, nor ever will be, ‘self-driving’ as it is Automated Lane Keeping Systems. These are going to be only allowed to move a car up to 37mph, whilst keeping it in a lane of the motorway, with the driver able to remove hands and feet from the controls but still paying attention to the road and surroundings. To read more, click the Top Gear article here.

TOYODA GOSEI SHUTTING DOWN UK OPERATION

Toyoda Gosei, which is part of the Toyota Group, has announced they will be closing their production facilities in the UK. This will lead to the loss of 458 jobs, which the company is blaming on “a significant reduction in key UK customer demand”. They supply Toyota, Honda and Nissan in this country. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

DIESS LEAVES SEAT AND SKODA BOARDS

Volkswagen Group CEO, Herbert Diess, is leaving the supervisory boards of SEAT and Skoda, to allow more focus on the software division. VW has struggled with their new software, both in terms of deploying and the quality of it. SEAT and Skoda are now worried their voices will not be heard as much by the Group Board. Only time will tell if the move helps the software and reduces those brand’s influence. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

MOTO OPENS LARGE MOTORWAY EV CHARGING SERVICES

Moto has opened a new service area, on the M6 at Junction 1, which will have 24 ultra-rapid chargers, split between Tesla and open market charging. This is another step on their move to upgrade service areas with the latest charging technology. To read more, click the ZapMap article here.

SUBARU EXPANDS IN UK

Subaru is expanding their dealership network, in 2021, having added four new franchises in the first part of the year and expect a further 10 to be added by the summer. We, on the show, had been worried for Subaru, especially after the plan to pre-register cars backfired last year. To read more, click the Business Leader article here.

GENESIS ANNOUNCE UK LAUNCH

Later this year, Genesis will come to the UK, Germany and Switzerland. They will be bringing an aggressive model launch strategy for the first 12 to 24 months following their arrival. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

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

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FORMULA E: MONACO

For the first time, Formula E will run on the full F1 Monaco track, this weekend, with a slight tweak to one section just before an uphill element. To read more about the layout and alterations, click here for The Race’s article.

The series really needs a weekend of wonderful racing and no controversies after the start to this season. To find out why all is not well in Formula E-land, click The Race’s article here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Kia EV6 GT -

Following on a few weeks after the reveal of the smart looking EV6, Kia announced the specifications for the top of the range GT version. 576bhp, all-wheel drive, 0-62mph in approximately 3.5 seconds and still give around 300 miles of range. Prices will be close to £60,000, but for a car that Albert Beirmann has ‘fettled’ with we are sure the price is justified. To read more, click the EVO article here.

VW ID 4 GTX -

Volkswagen has revealed a ‘hot’ version of the ID 4, electric SUV. GTX will denote GTi equivalent for electric vehicles, in VW. The car will produce 210 bhp, with a 0-62mph time of 6.2 seconds and a range of 298 miles. There will be touches such as red stitching and accents to mark it out as a sporty version. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

VW Golf GTi Clubsport 45 -

Volkswagen has put on sale a limited run special GTi edition adding Clubsport to the package makes this more powerful than the Golf R. The ‘45’ is acknowledging that it is 45 years since the first GTi was launched on the public. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: SURVEILLANCE CAPITALISM AND YOUR CAR

Murray Scullion has written an incredibly accessible yet comprehensive article about your car, the data it produces and who wants to get hold of it. Whether you know much about the subject or not you will learn a lot from Murray’s work. To read it, which we cannot stress enough that you should, click here for the Parker’s link.

Bonus Link: If that did not make you go wide eyed enough, click this article link from The Intercept to give a real world demonstration of exactly what can be extracted from your car.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 39 CARS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD

This is a bold claim, of a list, by Autocar however we can find no fault with it. Click your way through 40 slides showing cars that have had a huge impact on the world. To do so, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: BREAKING THE MONOTONY OF THE SUPERMARKET

Gareth Wild completed the work of 6 years last week, by finally parking his car in the last remaining space he hadn’t previously parked in, at his local supermarket. We applaud the dedication, planning and most of all, use of a spreadsheet in accomplishing this feat. Bravo! To find out more, click the BBC News article here. To see more from Gareth himself, click the Twitter thread here.

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Alan was joined by Dan Prosser of The Intercooler to talk about the new digital car-based magazine he’s founded with Andrew Frankel.

You can find out more about The Intercooler by visiting their website, following on Twitter and Instagram or by downloading their app for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

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FOLLOW UP: CHIP SHORTAGE HITTING MANUFACTURERS HARD

Several manufacturers have now openly discussed the challenges of the current semi-conductor chip shortage and how that will effect their factories. To get a round up of who is currently feeling the effects, click the Autocar article here.

FOLLOW UP: MCLAREN SELLS HEADQUARTERS

McLaren has found a buyer for it’s Woking headquarters, but at £170 million rather than the £200 million they were seeking. To read about the details of the agreement, click here for the Autocar article.

TOKYO MOTOR SHOW CANCELLED

The 2021 Tokyo Motor Show has been cancelled for the first time in it’s history, by organisers, due to the ongoing risks of the pandemic. They intend to return as a live event but be rebranded and include all aspects of mobility. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

V2V COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL AGREED IN JAPAN

Toyota, Suzuki, Daihatsu, Subaru and Mazda have reached an agreement to use a standardised vehicle data communication system and technical details for the next generation of connected cars. Each manufacturer will maintain and develop their own user interfaces and apps but the technical and behind the scenes technology will be the same. To read more, click the Mazda press release here.

HONDA ANNOUNCES NEW STRATEGY

Honda has announced that it will no longer sell combustion engines, globally, from 2040. This is part of a huge investment into becoming carbon neutral by 2050. To read more about what this will mean, click here for the Autocar article.

FRANCE TO BAN APPS FROM WARNING OF POLICE LOCATIONS

Coming later this year, there will be a ban in France that will mean apps can no longer inform the public of the location of police roadblocks and checks connected with terrorism, drink and drug driving. To read more, click The Connexion article here.

THE MARKET IS BOUGHT BY BONHAM’S

The online car auction service, The Market, has been bought by Bonham’s, the classic car auction house. The idea is that The Market will continue as it has but now there is access to the Bonham customer base. To read more, click the Classic and Sportscar article here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Honda HR-V -

Honda has revealed the new HR-V, that will fight it out in the B-Segment SUV market. There will be an electrified platform, with improved space internally and a new look. To read more, click the Autocar article link here.

Volkswagen Polo -

Volkswagen has revealed details about the 2021 Polo, that make the car more Poloy, as well as bring design touches in line with other recent models. Interestingly, they will not be fitting a hybrid power train to the Polo. To find out more, click the Autocar story link here.

Hyundai KONA N -

Hyundai have revealed details of the N division version of the KONA SUV. There is a lot of upgrades over the standard KONA, which should make this an interesting car. To find out more about this, click the YesAuto link here.

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

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FORMULA E: NIO333 COMMITS TO GEN3

Nio333 has committed to joining the Gen3 seasons of the series. There was some concern that the team would pull out of Formula E, so it is with a touch of relief that everyone sees this news. To find out more, click the Formula E article here.

FORMULA E: VALENCIA

First time racing on a dedicated race track, first time a race is fully wet, first time there are five safety cars, first time there are multiple DNF and DQs because of too much energy used. All in all, the end was a mess of Saturday’s race. Sunday was much better, with Dennis winning his first race for BMW.

To find out more about Saturday’s race, click here for The Race’s coverage.

To find out what happened during the calmer Sunday race, click The Race’s article here.

To find out the reason behind the ending to Saturday’s race, click here for The Race’s summary.

WRC: RALLY CROATIA TO BE SPECTATOR FREE

Following an announcement by the Croatian Government, Rally Croatia will have no spectators. The hope was some would be allowed on the more rural stages but that is now not possible. To read more, click the DirtFish article here.

WRC: RALLY CROATIA

For the first time, WRC visited Croatia, for an action packed and beautifully located rally. Ogier ened up winning the event by 0.6 second from team-mate Elfyn Evans, on the final stage of the rally. That ended an “eventful” day for the Toyota driver and the Team, after he was involved in a road accident whilst trying to get to the start of the day. To find out what happened on the rally, click here for DirtFish’s coverage. To check out the details and punishment for Ogier’s accident, click the DirtFish article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: CHÂTEAU DE SAVIGNY-LÈS-BEAUNE - FRENCH FANCY

Car and Classic bring us this wonderful vehicle collection, located in Burgundy, that Alan thoroughly recommends everyone go visit. There is a spectacular collection of amazing vehicles as well as being sat in the midst of the region with the “best wine” (Alan’s words) which you should add to your ‘trvelling around France’ list. To read more, click the article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 11 SPORTS CARS POWERED BY THE ROVER V8

This fabulous list runs through some of the sports cars which were fitted with the Rover V8, helping to add a layer to their personality. To run through the list, click here for the Hagerty article and don’t forget to tell us the one you’d like the most!

AND FINALLY: THE JUNCTION YOU CANNOT ESCAPE FROM

In Paris, there is one junction that has been modified with restriction signage, to the point now, that if you take a private car onto it, you will be unable to legally leave. To find out more, click The Connexion article here. But also take the time to watch the short video from The Tim Traveller by clicking here.

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CHIP SHORTAGE TO LAST INTO 2023

The automotive chip shortage is expected to last into late 2022 and even 2023 according to some semi conductor manufacturers. This will add pressure to OEMs already trying to recover from a year of lockdowns across global markets. To read more, click The Register article here.

There is some good news, though, with the Japanese factory that was damaged in a fire is expected to be back at full capacity by the middle of May. To read about the remarkable recovery, click here for The Registry article.

RICHARD PARRY-JONES HAS PASSED AWAY

Following a tragic accident on his farm, Richard Parry-Jones has passed away. He was the man heralded as turning modern Fords into enjoyable, fun driving cars rather than just cost-conscious boxes. Many throughout the industry have shared stories and their deep admiration and respect of both what he achieved and who he was as a person. To read more, click the TopGear article here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Due to the Shanghai Motor Show taking place this week and that being the first mass gathering of manufactuers, in the world, for over a year, news is thing on the ground. This week we’ve moved the New New Car News segment to the first part of the show, as a result.

DS 9 -

DS announced their new flagship model, the DS 9, a premium saloon, which has a very DS interior that the chaps are all excited to see. The external looks are less dramatic but still handsome. However, they do wonder who in the UK may buy such a car. To read more about it, click the Automotive Management article here.

Toyota bZ4X Concept -

Toyota has revealed their first every purely battery electric concept, which is a sporty looking SUV, that shows it is different whilst still obviously a Toyota. The driver is in for a real treat in this thinly disguised production ready model, as they has a new design wheel, drive-by-wire system and display binnacle. To read more, click here for the Toyota press release.

Nissan X-TRAIL -

The next generation X-TRAIL has been revealed by Nissan. Externally it continues the brand design language that we’ve seen on the latest Juke and Quashqai. The X-TRAIL will take advantage of the clever e-POWER system, that has the petrol engine charging a battery, when needed, which powers the electric motors to drive the car. To read more, click the Nissan press release here.

Audi A6 e-tron Concept -

Audi has revealed their latest concept, an all electric A6, which has been designed to be very aerodynamic, fast charging and a range of up to 700km. To read more, click here for the Audi press release.

Genesis EV G80 -

Genesis has shown off their electric flagship model, the G80. The technology will be shared from other Hyundai Group vehicles, allowing for a good 300-ish mile range, quick charge ability and a lovely charging port cover which is integrated neatly into the front grille. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

Mercedes EQS -

Mercedes has taken the wraps off their first luxury EV only model, the EQS. There are some incredibly impressive technical features to this vehicle, but one price is the weight due to the amount of batteries required to allow for a 711km range. Much is made of the quietness within the cabin, as this is the EV equivalent of the S Class, just how quiet can it be? To find out more, click here for the Mercedes press release.

Geely -

As the Shanghai Motor Show is a home show, Geely was ut in force with many of the group’s brands attending. The new plug-in hybrid version of the Lynk & Co 05 and the Volvo XC40 were shown. But also they made announcements which were interesting. To find out more, click here for the Geely press release.

Hyundai Pony EV Concept -

This was not at Shanghai but we still need to mention this gorgeous looking repagination of the Pony for the electric age. The changes are very subtle but superb, with lights and a clean look to the original Giugiaro design. The interior is a place of wonder, mixing minimalism with superb details and finishes. To see more, and do see more, click the CAR Magazine link here.

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

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WRC: RALLY CROATIA TO BE SPECTATOR FREE

WRC: 2022 HYBRID SYSTEM PAUSES TESTING

Compact Dynamics made the three Rally1 Teams stop testing the 2022 hybrid system and return them to their base in Germany. There is an undisclosed issue with the battery element. We do not now how much testing has actually been undertaken by the Teams. We will have to wait for more news to see if this impacts the development and use of the system in 2022. To read more, click the DirtFish article here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: CHANGES AT DACIA AND ALFA ROMEO

Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos has left his position as head of Dacia design, less than a year after starting in post, to move to Alfa Romeo. David Dourand will temporarily replace him, being seconded from Renault Group Global Access design chief. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: DESIGNERS ARE FROM NEPTUNE AND ENGINEERS ARE FROM JUPITER

Nir Kahn has written another excellent piece about another aspect of a designers job, this time collaboration with engineers, or it should be. Click the link here, to find out why he is a proponent for such a move and some of the excellent cars we’ve had as a result.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 20 YEAR OLD CAR FEATURES WE MISS

Antony Ingram has written an marvellous list, allowing us to reminisce on features we used to like, in the main, on our cars in days gone by. Click the link here for the Hagerty article and don’t forget to tell us the one feature you miss most!

AND FINALLY: A MOVIE RECOMMENDATION

PetrolBlog makes the case for us all switching on subtitles and watching the French Netflix movie, Lost Bullet, which has some human actors but really is about a Renault 21. That’s good enough for us! But, if you still require convincing, click the link here to read the arguments for watching.

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Alan was joined by Chris Pollitt, Head of Editorial at online marketplace Car & Classic, to chat about buying and selling classic cars.

You can find out more about Car & Classic, browse vehicles for sale, find out how to sell your own vehicle and find editorial outlets via their website linked here.

You can find out more about Chris’s background in his Rear View chat with Andrew. You can follow him on Twitter here.

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FOLLOW UP: VW TO PAY INTEREST ON DIESELGATE LOANS

Volkswagen will have to pay the interest on a car loans taken out by customers who bought cars affected by defeat devices. The German judge was quite specific on the ruling, which has left no room for appeal. To read more, click the Automotive News article here.

WORLD CAR PERSON OF THE YEAR

The boss of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, has won the World Car Person of the Year Award. In typically humble fashion, he feels it is the result of the hard work of the Toyota Team, rather than him specifically. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

VAUXHALL RULED AS BRITISH

A number of people, who were clearly very bored, have complained to the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), over the claim by Vauxhall that it has been a “British Brand since 1903”. Those with nothing else to do, cited the ownership by GM and now Stellantis, both of whom are foreign companies, to show they were no longer British. The ASA agreed with Vauxhall’s response that it only sells to the United Kingdom. To read more, click the Automotive Management article here.

CITY CENTRIC THINKING

There were two articles this week, that were based on urban dwellers, but are part of a worrying trend in the discussions over the future of transportation and mobility, seemingly ignoring those outside of towns and cities. Added to this, the analysis and ‘research’ by organisations releasing the ‘news’ to the media is flawed and suspect.

The first was about SUVs and how they should be banned, you can read and mock the BBC News article here. Fortunately, the RAC spokesperson talks sense in that piece.

The second is a survey, which we cannot see the questions asked, that shows city dwellers want new ICE vehicles banned from 2030. Again, the organisation this info comes from is one whose findings we have routinely questioned. Added to this, we all know we can get surveys to say whatever we want them to, if you try hard enough. To read that article, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

CAR MUSEUMS AND EVENTS GET GOVERNMENT GRANTS

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Culture Recovery Fund has been successfully applied for by five organisations and events, from the motoring world. Notably the Coventry MotoFest is getting help, along with the Association of Heritage Engineers. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

To listen to Alan chat with Dominic Taylor-Lane from the Association of Heritage Engineers, click here for that Special Edition.

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXCEPTIONAL

Hagerty has opened registration for those who wish to enter their car for the Concours de l’Ordinaire at this year’s event. To go to the registration page, click the link here. To read a lovely article about the event, click the link here.

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

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS: CITROËN C5X

This week Citroën revealed their new flagship model, the C5X, as sort of jacked up large fastback/estate car. Their hope is that it crosses the boundaries between saloon, estate and SUV markets. The car will, they claim, be supremely comfortable thanks to their Advanced Comfort® programme. Prices start around £27,00 for ICE, with it jumping to somewhere near £35,000 for the hybrid versions. We hope this succeeds and we hope it sells lots, although we know it will be hard for Citroën. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

FORMULA E: ROME EPRIX

Thanks to the track itself and the weather, rather than the layout, there was an action packed Rome ePrix. DS Decheetah, Mercedes and Jaguar had the best of the weekend.

To find out what happened in Race 1, click The Race article here.

To find out what happened in Race 2, click The Race article here.

To see how the drivers were judged, click The Race article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: AN INTERPRETIVE GUIDE TO EBAY ADVERTS

This week Jake Belder, writing for Not2Grand, has given us a cheat sheet of the terminology used in eBay (and elsewhere) car adverts. To read this excellent piece, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: UNLIKELY TRACK DAY CARS

As the UK opens up again, we note that track days are booking up fast, however, you don’t need to take the latest supercar around them to have fun. Autocar has created an alternative list of affordable cars that will bring a smile to your face as you hurtle around a track in them. Click here for the link. Don’t forget to tell us which one you’d like to take!

AND FINALLY: LIBRARY OF CAR BLUEPRINTS

We stumbled across a site that has a huge library of randomly sorted cars and their blueprints. Primarily aimed at those who need the information for 3-D printing, we couldn’t help but get lost looking at the vast variety of vehicles. To also lose hours in your day, click the Drawing Database link here.

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NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES MARCH 2021

We will now start seeing the effect of national lockdowns on the annual comparison figures, which is why many of the headlines abut March’s figures were quite silly. Due to the difference in the lockdown restrictions, the monthly numbers were up on last year. To read more, click here for the SMMT article and data. As ever, we also include a link to Tristan Young’s tweets on the figures and type of fuel used, to see that data click here.

CATERHAM FIND JAPANESE BUYER

Caterham has been bought by their Japanese importer, VT Holdings, with a commitment to continuing the Seven model, in line with legislation. As for future development of the brand there is no news yet available. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

CYBER SECURITY TYPE APPROVAL TO BE REQUIRED

With cars becoming more connected to the internet, than ever before, manufacturers will be required to go through type approval for their cyber security efforts. They must protect the vehicle for it’s entire lifecycle, according to the regulations. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

GOOGLE MAPS TO INDICATE MOST ECONOMICAL ROUTE

Starting in the US, Google Maps will show the most economical route for a car to take, as part of the options. Along with this, new information such as Clean Air Zones will also be indicated. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here. However, the inherent issues with digital route services was highlighted on this news, to find out more click here for the Ben Wagner Twitter thread explaining what is the problem with such services.

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

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FORMULA E: ROME EPRIX STILL ON

The lead up to the Rome ePrix has been very quiet, for a change, and will still be taking place even though Italy is going into a stricter lockdown. To find out how you can watch the races where you are, click the link here.

NEW CAR NEWS

Welcome to the new, regular, segment about new cars. Up to now the podcast has avoided mentioning new car news on the weekly show, saving it up for Special Editions. However, this gap in our curation has now been closed and we will discuss the most interesting, influential and important new car information as the chaps come across it.
First up, we start with a car, that on paper, sounds like it should be a proper treat. Click here to learn more about the GR86, from Toyota’s own press release.

Note, this segment will get slicker, the more we do it!

LUNCHTIME READ: WE FOUND FORD’S INCREDIBLE, TURBINE-POWERED SEMI-TRUCK ‘BIG RED’ THAT’S BEEN LOST FOR DECADES

This week is the multi media extravaganza that is the story behind the purchase, restoration and secrecy of Big Red. To find out more, click the Drive article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: WILLIAM HAS HAD ENOUGH OF THESE TOP TEN LISTS

William Dickey, has had enough of some Top Ten lists, especially the lazy and click-baitey ones. To read more, click this link here for more information from PetrolBlog.

AND FINALLY: TOYOTA GETS WHO APPROVAL TO TRANSPORT VACCINES

Toyota is the first to receive clearance to transport vaccines, to help take the fight against Covid19 to remote locations. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

AND FINALLY: ZOOM ZOOMERS

The monthly Zoom Zoomers livestream took place on Monday 5 April, Alan was once again in attendance. To watch Alan and the other excellent participants, click the YouTube link here.

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FOLLOW UP: VW SEEKS DAMAGES FROM FORMER EMPLOYEES

Following the conclusion of the independent internal investigation into the dieselgate situation, Volkswagen Group has released a statement where they announce they will be seeking damages from former employees, for failing in their ‘duty of care’ for the company. To read more, click the Car Dealer article here.

HONDA FINDS BUYER FOR SWINDON PLANT

Honda will stop production of the Civic in July, thus ending their time in the UK. Panttoni, a logisitcs and industrial site developer, has confirmed it will be investing heavily in redeveloping the site. They should take ownership from early 2022, after Honda has finished decommissioning equipment. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

RIMAC OPENS R&D CENTRE IN UK

Rimac, has opened a new Research and Development Centre in Warwick Enterprise Park, at the company edges closer to the launch of their new hypercar, the C_Two. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

UK AV AND EV ACT PARTIALLY COMES INTO FORCE

Part of The Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018, comes into force from 21 April 2021. To find out exactly what is covered, click the link here. To run through the full act, click the link here.

CAR INDUSTRY UNHAPPY AT GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR EV PUSH

The car industry, at an online event held by SMMT, expressed anger and disappointment at how the Government was helping industry encourage the public to go for electric vehicles, ahead of the 2030 deadline. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

PROPOSALS FOR OVER-70 DRIVERS

Over the last decade, the number of deaths attributable to drivers over 70 years old has risen from 96 to 145 a year. This has prompted the DVLA and Driving Mobility to put forward proposals to increase the safety of older drivers, especially as more are living longer. Some of the ideas include forbidding them from driving at night, being limited to 20 or 30 miles from their home address and fitting their cars with black boxes to monitor compliance. But, this could be seen as enabling people with some conditions to ability to still be mobile, but in a restricted manner, whereas now they would just be banned. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

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

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FORMULA E: NISSAN AND PORSCHE COMMIT TO GEN3

Nissan and Porsche have announced their participation in the Gen3 racing series, which was expected. TO read about Nissan, click The Race link here. To read about Porsche’s decision, click The Race link here.

WRC: ACROPOLIS RALLY RETURNS TO CALENDAR

WRC announced that not only will the Acropolis Rally step into the void that the cancellation of the Chile event has left, but that this is a multi-year contract too. Dust off your Acropolis Rally Bingo Cards and prepare to tick off “rocks”, “big rocks” and “rutts”! To read more, click the WRC article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE FORD MONDEO

Following the announcement, that should have surprised no one, that Ford is ending production of the Mondeo, Autocar has compiled a slide-show of some of the key aspects of the long running name. To read through, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: MOTORING EVENTS IN 2021

With the easing of restrictions, the warming of air, a more optimistic outlook is beginning to spread across the country. Hagerty has compiled a list of motoring related events taking place in the coming months. To run through and see what is already planned and where, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: CAN YOU MAKE A WOODEN ENGINE LIFT

Someone, and looking at what has been created we can only assume it is a man as there are one or two obvious flaws in it, has built a frame that appears to be supporting the engine of an Audi. Due to the rickety looking nature of it, Jalopnik decided to try and work out if it could actually safely do the job it appears to be trying to do. You have to love the nerdy car corner of the internet. To find out if they feel it is possible, click the Jalopnik link here.

AND FINALLY FINALLY: NEW VIDEO FROM ALAN

Alan has filmed and published a video, giving everyone a glimpse inside his garage, a note or two about some of the cars on his drive and an update on one of his cars that doesn’t fit on his drive. Very much worth your time to watch that, so click here for the YouTube link.

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PLUG-IN GRANT REDUCED OVERNIGHT BY GOVERNMENT

The Government announced, with immediate effect, the reduction in the plug-in grant they were making available for cars with a price up to £50,000. Not only has the grant amount been reduced from £3,000 to £2,500 but also the eligibility price is cut to a maximum of £35,000. There was much howling at the timing, immediacy and depth of cut. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

As a counter to this FleetWorld has an opinion piece giving some explainers as to why the Government has made some of the decisions it has. To read that, click the link here.

To find out which cars are affected, click the Autocar article here.

To read about Citroën tackling the issue with their e-C4, click the ZapMap article here.

COMPUTER CHIP SHORTAGE HURTING CAR INDUSTRY

The global shortage of computer chips was already impacting the global car industry, however this situation has been made worse by a fire at one of the main production plants, in Japan. But this points to a concern for manufacturers, as this could be a dry run for battery issues as Europe and the UK build up their local production capability. Secure supply chains are vital. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

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

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SABINE SCHMITZ PASSES AWAY AFTER ILLNESS

We, along with most of the motoring world, were stunned at the news of Sabine Schmitz’s death last week. She passed away after a long battle with cancer. The Motoring Podcast would like to offer their condolences to all her family and friends. To read more about Sabine click the BBC article here. Chris Harris has also written about his friend, which you can read by clicking here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE SINCEREST FORM OF FLATTERY

Friend of the Show, Nir Kahn, wrote about plagiarism in the design world. This is a fascinating subject that is more nuanced than you may expect. Whilst it is an older article the points remain valid as does the battle. To read more, click the LinkedIn article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: FIVE MISUNDERSTOOD MOTORS

Not2Grand has compiled a short list of cars they feel have been misunderstood. Expect controversial opinions as some of these fly in the face of conventional wisdom. To see more, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MULTIPLA

The modern Multipla, a favourite of designers for its clever packaging, never took off with the public like it should’ve. However, it is 21 years since it was first on sale and we feel that is worth celebrating, especially when legislation is making it harder for cars to stand out in the market. To read more about the car, click the Autocar link here. As an added bonus there is a link to see one of the weirdest press shots for a car, which you can get to by clicking the TopGear article here.

AND FINALLY FINALLY: NEW VIDEO FROM ALAN

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FOLLOW UP: BATH CLEAN AIR ZONE GOES LIVE

Bathe has implemented a Clean Air Zone, which remains free for passenger cars and motorcycles to enter, but could cost up to £100 per day for older lorries and buses. Find out more here.

FOLLOW UP: CONSULTATION ON ENDING THE SALE OF NEW ICE/HEV CARS AND VANS

The Uk government has concluded its consultation on the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars and vans. You can read the official response here.

NEW ENGINE DEAL FOR DAGENHAM

Ford has announced that Dagenham will build the engines for the next generation of Transit Custom. The engines will be exported to Turkey, where the van is to be built alongside its Volkswagen sibling. Read more on this story here.

ASTON JOB LOSSES AT ST. ATHAN

Aston Martin has announced job losses at its St. Athan factory. The DBX production line is being “downsized” to help a return to profitability. 95 employees are to lose their jobs alon with around 100 contractors. You can read more here from Autocar and here from the BBC.

CONCERNS OF EV CHARGER ACCESSIBILITY

A report by the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RIDC) shows that two thirds of disabled people fear that they would find EV charging “either difficult of very difficult” in its current form despite wishing to own an EV. You can read more here.

GRIDSERVE PARTNERS WITH ECOTRICITY

There’s hope for motorway charging with Gridserve taking a 25% stake in Ecotricity’s Electric Highway. This investment will be used to upgrade chargers and customer services provision. You can read the press release here.

OXFORD PLANS TO INTRODUCE ZERO EMISSION ZONE

Oxford County and City Councils are due to vote on a proposal to introduce a Zero Emissions Zone. The small area of the city centre will be free for zero-emission vehicles to enter but will charge between £2 and £10 for other vehicles. You can read more here.

LEGENDARY F1 COMMENTATOR DIES AT 97

We, along with so many of us around the world, were saddened to hear fo the death of the man who introduced the vast majority of us to motorsport, Murray Walker. There are so many great tributes and obituaries and the Autocar one is here.

LUNCHTIME READ: DRIVERS NEW TO AUTOMATED ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS MISS GIANT TEDDY BEARS

Stef Schrader has written an interesting for The Drive about how people new to automated assistance systems were exposed to a “teddy bear stimulus” multiple times while driving a vehicle with SAE Level 2 ADAS systems engaged and their responses to whether they noticed anything unusual on an hour-long drive. You can read the full article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE TOP 10 FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE RALLY CARS

Following a ruling that will remove the front-wheel drive category from WRC, DirtFish compiled their favourite 10 Super 1600 and Kit Cars from the modern-ish era. To run through this fab list of ace looking rally cars, click the link here. Do not forget to tweet the chaps about which you’d pick, if you had to have one!

AND FINALLY: KEITH IS A CAR ENTHUSIAST

Keith WR Jones has written an excellent short piece on the challenges of being a car enthusiast in modern society. You can read it here.

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FOLLOW UP: ANDREW GOT LOST IN LIVERPOOL

Thank you, to the keen eared listener who corrected Andrew on where Aigburth Road actually is in Liverpool, when he described Edge Lane.

FOLLOW UP: DEALERS UNHAPPY WITH VOLVO PLANS

This week’s ‘well knock me down with a feather’ news item is that the dealerships who found out that Volvo wants to ditch a lot of them for sales, are less than happy with this idea. To read more, click The Truth About Cars article here.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FEBRUARY 2021

This will be the last month that does not compare restricted UK, year on year, when looking at registration figures. Considering the country has been in another ‘full’ lockdown, manufacturers and dealers have done well to only be 35% down on last year. To read more, click the SMMT figures here.

In our not very regular segment about LGVs, it is interesting to see that vans are still going strong, with registrations being up 22% on last year. To read more about that, click the SMMT article here.

FUEL DUTY NOT RAISED IN BUDGET

During his Budget speech, the Chancellor of the Exchequer confirmed that there would be no rise in fuel duty, as was expected. That was pretty much the only item specifically aimed at motorists. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

ASTON MARTIN WILL MAKE EVS IN THE UK

Aston Martin are the latest brand to announce they will be building electric vehicles, ahead of the UK Government’s ICE ban. Additionally, these will be built in the UK. As the cost of purchasing their cars is so high and happens in such small numbers, any rules of origin issues will be minimised for Aston Martin. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

PORSCHE INVESTS MORE IN RIMAC

Porsche has announced that it is increasing their stake in Rimac to 24%, with an new £60 million investment in the Croatian electric super car brand. By doing so, they will be able to access Rimac’s technology, which will help the development of their own EVs. To read more, click the EVO article here.

M6 SHOCKED BY NEW RAPID CHARGERS

At Welcome Break services at Corley, in the West Midlands, Instavolt has opened a new rapid charging hub northbound, with one due to go in southbound by the end of March. To read more, click the ZapMap article here.

STELLANTIS ASKS FOR GOVERNMENT AID FOR ELLESMERE PORT

Stellantis has asked the UK Government for financial aid, if it wants to keep the Vauxhall Ellesmere Port factory open in the future. To read more, click the Bloomberg article here.

In what was claimed to be an unrelated move, the factory has been paused due to a lack of demand for the vehicle they make there. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

SKODA SALES BOSS OFF TO BENTLEY

Alain Favey, who is the head of sales and marketing at Skoda, will take over from Chris Craft later in the year. He will head up the vehicle launches for the new Beyond 100 strategy. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

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

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DFT CALLS FOR MORE ACCESS TO E-SCOOTERS

The Department for Transport has called for e-scooters to be made more widely available and affordable to help increase uptake in this option for active travel. They also call for more urban and rural cycle lanes, so that users and potential users will feel safer with these types of transport. To read more, click here for the Zag article.

LUNCHTIME LISTEN: THE ECONOMIST ASKS - HERBERT DIESS

Richard Porter has written an excellent article popping the perception that the pinnacle of motorsport technology makes for gains in road cars. To read more, click the EVO article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE TOP 10 FRONT-WHEEL DRIVE RALLY CARS

AND FINALLY: LOVE BUG MOVIE NOT THAT BAD

Jalopnik has published an article making the case for the movie, The Love Bug, saying that it is not as bad as you think or falsely remember. The piece must be convincing, as Alan has parted with his own cash to receive the back catalogue of movies (but not the remake!). To read more, click here for the link.

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FORD BUYS BACK FACTORY

In Merseyside, Ford has bought back the remaining stake in a transmission factory, securing the future of 600 workers. This is a glimpse of good news and look forward to finding out why they have made such a move. To find out more, click the Business Live article here.

YARIS IS THE EUROPEAN CAR OF THE YEAR

Whilst many are only grumbling about Geneva, rather than getting ready to go AND grumbling, the European Car of the Year was announced. The winner is the Toyota Yaris. To find out more about which country voted for which cars, click the Motoring Research article here. There is a fun article running through all the past winners, to see how they fared after being hailed as the best, to read about that click the Autocar article here.

E10 PETROL TO BE SOLD FROM SEPTEMBER 2021

The Government has announced that E10 petrol will start to be sold throughout the UK from September 2021. This has a higher amount of ethanol in it than existing fuel. The expectation is that around 700K vehicles will be affected by the more aggressive nature of the composition of the fuel, meaning that some parts and components may wear more quickly than previously. To find out more, click the Motoring Research article here. For more detail on what the fuel change means to older cars, you can read the Not2Grand article by clicking here. To find out if any vehicle you own will be impacted, click the direct link to the Gov.UK check site here.

VOLVO AND GEELY NO LONGER MERGING

Volvo and Geely announced that they will no longer be merging, as they had intended. However, they will be forging closer ties on technology sharing and the likes. The reason for not merging is not known, nor is it really clear, if this is such a great outcome, why they were intending to in the first place. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

Volvo also announced how they are the latest firm to confirm they will be going all electric prior to whichever legislative date has been shouted about last. Added to the news of ditching ICE from 2030, they also stated sales will be online, which may come as a shock to their dealership partners. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

ROADS WITH THE HIGHEST SPEEDING RATES

Following a Freedom of Information request, many police authorities have confirmed the number of offences recorded on roads within their jurisdiction. To see if you live near any particular hot spots, click the Motoring Research article here.

BRITISH MOTOR SHOW RETURNS IN 2021

A new, dynamic British Motor Show will be held, in August, at the Farnborough International Exhibition and Conference Centre, bringing back an event that we haven’t had since 2008. To find out more, click the Motoring Research article here.

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

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FORMULA E: DIRIYAH NIGHT RACES

Over the weekend the start of the latest Formula E season began. Two night time races, with mixed fortunes for drivers, teams and us spectators. On Friday Mercedes dominated, resulting in Nyck de Vries winning his first race. Saturday was less smooth all round. An early finish to the race, due to a bad accident, meant Sam Bird won in his first weekend for Jaguar. The racing was blighted, though, because of the rocket attacks thwarted near the racetrack.

To read more about Race 1, click The Race article here.

To read about Race 2, click The Race article here.

WRC: HANNU MIKKOLA DIES

Over the weekend, the sad news of Hannu Mikkola’s death was announced. The man who won the first four-wheel drive WRC crown, driving the Audi Quattro, which he continued to do so during the crazy Group B era. To watch a lovely tribute, click the DirtFish video link here. To read more about his achievements, click the DirtFish link here.

WRC: ARCTIC RALLY

Tänak completed his first ever start to finish domination of a rally to jump back into the championship fight, after a dreadful first rally. Ogier struggled thanks to warmer temperatures and being first on the road. Overall Hyundai had a better weekend than Toyota, which in turn was more successful than M-Sport. To read about the event click the DirtFish article here. To check out the driver ratings, click the DirtFish article here. To find out What We Have Learned, click the DirtFish article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: IT’S TIME FOR SOME HARD TRUTHS ABOUT MOTOR RACING’S INFLUENCE ON ROAD CARS

Richard Porter has written an excellent article popping the perception that the pinnacle of motorsport technology makes for gains in road cars. To read more, click the EVO article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HERE ARE 11 THINGS WE MISS FROM OLD CARS

We have another excellent Top Gear List of the Week to point you towards, this time about stuff from old cars that is fondly remembered. We don’t agree with all the choices, but most we do. To find out if you like them all, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: WEDGED WONDERS

From the website Docubyte, we want to share the art project that celebrates Italian concept cars from 1968-79. Click the link here to take in the gorgeous cars and then go explore the rest of the site and artwork.

AND FINALLY FINALLY: ZOOM ZOOMERS CALL

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see the Christmas Special meet up please click the YouTube link here.

AND FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY: THE PISTON PODCAST

Alan has been busy this week, as he was also on The Piston Podcast, with host Daniel Achterhuis, to discuss Yaris and Pandas, as well as podcasting. To listen in, click the link here.

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FOLLOW UP: 2000 JOBS TO GO IN JLR ‘REIMAGINATION’

There has been further clarification to the information from Jaguar Land Rover, with regards to their ‘Reimagination’ strategy. 2000 salaried, non manufacturing, workers will be lost from the global workforce in the next year, as part of the cost cutting element of the strategy. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

FOLLOW UP: MITSUBISHI MAY NOT BE LEAVING EUROPE

According to reports, Mitsubishi may be about to change their position on Europe, thanks to Renault. Suggestions are that their models will be built in Renault factories that, however there are no new models being designed for Europe and this would not affect the decision to stop selling cars in the UK. To read more, click the Automotive Management article here.

FOLLOW UP: BRISTOL CLEAN AIR ZONE STARTS IN OCTOBER

Bristol has now confirmed the latest idea and map for their Clean Air Zone, following the Government asking the council to rethink the decision to ban all diesels for large portions of the day. CAZ D, as it is knows, is not without controversy, as it snares two main roads that are used by many to, ironically, avoid the city centre. To read an ever so slightly biased article from the Bristol 24/7 site, click the link here, but really just do it to see the map.

ROCKINGHAM IS NOW A CAR PARK

Pictures were released this week, showing the sad demise of the Rockingham race track, as it become a giant car park for mainly ex hire and lease cars. To see more, click the BBC News article here.

TRIAL IN OFFERING GIFTS TO OWNERS TO DITCH THEIR CARS

Coventry is the first location to offer, in exchange for up to £3000, travel credits, to entice drivers out of their cars and onto alternative forms of transport. These can be used for ebikes, escooters, car share clubs, taxis and public transport. Hampshire is also interested in trialling this idea. To read more, click the RAC article here.

RUSSIA ACCUSED OF SPYING ON VOLVO AND SWEDEN

A technology consultant, based in Sweden, has been accused of passing on information about Scania Trucks and Volvo Cars, to Russia. Swedish prosecutors have said the country has been put at risk with some of the information passed on. To read more, click The Moscow Times article here.

EU REPORT ON AI LEAVING AVS OPEN TO CYBER ATTACKS

A report from the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) has outlined the potential exposure to risk AI provides in autonomous vehicles. Not all the issues highlighted are solely an AV issue but also cover connected cars. Hopefully this will be taken seriously and dampen down the hype over autonomous vehicle technology. To read more, click the Venture Beat article here.

DUNE BUGGY INVENTOR HAS PASSED AWAY

Bruce Meyers, the inventor of the Meyers Manx, has passed away. He is the pioneer of a sub culture in the motoring world. To find out more about the man and his creation, click the Top Gear article here.

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FORMULA E: CONFIRMED ON THE BBC

Formula E starts its season this weekend and there is the news that the BBC will continue to air it for free in the UK. To read more, click the official Formula E article here.

WRC: ARCTIC RALLY RUNNING ORDER

The WRC Arctic Rally event takes place this weekend. DirtFish has produced an article explaining who will be there, plus the running order, so to get a quick fix of rally info before it starts, click the link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER

Friend of the show Chris ‘The Pollitt’ Pollitt has written an article that is worth all our time. He is letting us know that he understands people’s frustrations and anxiety at the moment but that things will improve, we will meet up again, we will get to travel. For that alone you should click the Not2Grand article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 OF THE BEST - THE FRENCH CARS OF CONARKY

Despite Andrew making an utter hash of the pronunciation of the capital of Guinea you should click the PetrolBlog link here to view old French cars in an African port city setting. To find out more, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: RECREATED PORSCHE 914

As Richard has been so kind as to join Andrew on this week’s show, it was only fair to discuss the re-imagination of the 914, as outlined in this TopGear article.

If this has sparked some interest in the original Porsche 914, you would do worse than to check out Richard’s book on the car. You can get a copy straight from Crowwood Press by clicking this link here.

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FOLLOW UP: GHOSN ESCAPE TEAM LOSE COURT APPEAL

The father and son team who are accussed of helping Ghosn spring from bail in Japan, has lost their appeal to be extradited to Japan to face charges relating to Carlos Ghosn’s escape. To read more, click here for the Automotive News article.

JAGUAR LAND ROVER ANNOUNCE NEW STRATEGY

JLR has announced a ‘reimagining’ of their path forward. From 2025 they will be a fully electric focused company. Jaguar will ditch SUVs as they will be Land Rover’s sectors. The XJ, which is so deep into development, has been ditched. There are a lot of aspects to their plans, in order to read more, click the Motoring Research article here to get an overview. For some more in-depth analysis, click here for Professor David Bailey’s take on the news in Car Dealer Magazine.

GOVERNMENT POTHOLE FUND DROPS

The Government announced it is injecting £500m into the pothole fund, to help local councils repair the shocking state of the roads. Whilst this is a lot, it is a reduction on last year’s overall fund. Councils are warning that they will not be able to tackle everything they need to as a result. To read more, click the Highways Magazine here.

HIGHWAYS ENGLAND RECOMMENDED TO FACE CORPORATE MANSLAUGHTER

Following a tragic incident and death on the M1 on a smart motorway section, a coroner has recommended that Highways England face charges of corporate manslaughter. To read more, click the Autocar story here.

MERCEDES ECALL SYSTEM BUG

In the US, if there is a sufficient voltage drop to the eCall emergency call system and it is involved in an accident, the location will be given in Europe to the emergency services trying to locate the vehicle. Up to 1.3m vehicles are thought to be involved in the recall. To read more, click the BBC News story here.

TWO EV ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE GOVERNMENT

The Government has opened a consultation regarding public charging points, seeking feedback on how to improve them. As Alan points out, we will do far more good by filling this out than bleating on Twitter, so to help click the link here to go straight to the page.

Also, announced was that the Home and Workplace Charging Schemes have been extended. This gives financial assistance to those looking to install a charging point at home or work. One detail that was spotted by friend of the show, Daniel Puddicombe, was that the B&Bs had now been included buy workplaces should only be installing for use by employees. We will keep an eye out for any changes to the detail to see if customers can be serviced by these schemes too. To read more, click the FleetNews article here.

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FORMULA E: DS TECHEETAH COMMITS TO GEN3

DS Techeetah has commited to being part of the Gen3 stage of Formula E’s existence. To see more, click their tweeted announcement here.

FORMULA E: ADAM CARROLL NIO333 BACKUP DRIVER

NIO333 has announced that Adam Carroll, former Jaguar driver, is the backup driver for the next season. To see more, click The Race tweet here.

FORMULA E: NEW RULES APPLY IF YOU WANT TO LEAVE

Formula E has revealed new rules, for the Gen3 stage, which will require teams to financially commit to the entire lifecycle of Gen3. If any team wishes to leave part way through, they will have to pay the outstanding amount of their annual fees, within 60 days of leaving. To read more, click the Jalopnik article here.

WRC: HOW THE COLD WILL AFFECT AERO

Think of this article as a supplemental Lunchtime Read as it is packed with really interesting detail on what the teams are going to have to overcome, from an aero perspective, during the Arctic Rally. To read more, click the WRC Wings article here. And thank you WRC Wings for existing, we applaud your nicheness!

LUNCHTIME READ: BRITAIN’S PRESERVED AND CRUMBLING LOCAL PETROL STATIONS

This week we have a lovely read, which is extracts from a book by Richard Duisberg, showcasing the disappearing local petrol station. To take a trip around the country, click the Hagerty article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP GEAR’S TOP 9 - WEIRD JAPANESE HOT HATCHES

We have linked to a fabulous Top Gear list of crazily named hot hatches, from Japan. To run through the options, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: DRIVE AND LISTEN

The And Finally this week is a particularly good one, we feel. By clicking the link here, you get the chance to travel around many cities from around the world and listen to their local radio stations whilst you do so. Hopefully this helps with the lack of travel you are currently experiencing, don’t forget to tell the chaps where you’ve been too. To lose several hours, click the link to Driver & Listen here.

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FOLLOW UP: TESLA CHIP RECALL EXPANDED TO UK

Tesla has expanded the recall they were forced to initiate in the US, to the UK, for Model S and X cars. The issue is with the type of chip used in their touchscreens, which is not able to cope with the demands of automotive use. There is no timescale on when the recall will begin. To read more, click the Car Dealer article here.

JANUARY 2021 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

In January there was a drop of nearly 40% in new cars being registered, which is an excellent effort from the industry considering the country is in another lockdown. The Top 10 Most Registered list has a few surprises. To read more, click the SMMT article here. For Tristan Young’s breakdown of registrations due to the ‘fuel put in it’, click the Twitter link here. To learn more about Used Car Transactions, from 2020, click the SMMT link here.

DIESEL MOT FAILURE RATE ROCKETS

Following the introduction of the latest MOT rules, in May 2018, the number of diesel vehicles failing the emission element has rises 240%, with petrol up by 37%. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

HYUNDAI NOT IN TALKS WITH APPLE

A renewed rumour about Apple making their own car surfaced again recently, this time with Hyundai being associated with the project. However, this has now been clarified, Apple is not discussing such a project with the Korean giant. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

JLR WINS C-TYPE COPYRIGHT CASE

Jaguar Land Rover has won a copyright case over the shape of the Jaguar C-Type, in Sweden. The court acknowledged that the shape was individual enough to warrant intellectual property rights. To read more, click the Car Deal Magazine article here and don’t do any Jag sketches!

CALLS TO LOWER THE DRINK-DRIVE LIMIT

The Government is under pressure to lower the drink-drive limits in England and Wales. Fatal accidents from drivers being over the limit account for 13 percent. There are a series of steps and suggestions which can be found within the Motoring Research article by clicking the link here.

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LUNCHTIME READ:

This week, Andrew and Alan give you two bits of homework. Following several weeks of grumpiness from the chaps, over how some who should know better have been reporting on their time with EVs, Autocar has two excellent articles that show both the positive and negative of the current situation (none of that sentence was intended to be seen as a pun, sorry!). For Part One, click the article link to Nick Gibbs’s piece. For Part Two, click here for Jim Holder’s article.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP GEAR’S BEST EVER PICKUP PICS

Whilst we were expecting unadulterated and even wall to wall Tom Ford, within this slideshow, our disappointment was slightly offset by the fabulous pickups in fabulous locations. To spend some time wistfully thinking of where you would go, click the Top Gear link here.

AND FINALLY: HOW AUTOCAR MADE A PORSCHE CAYMAN FLY

This has been a much rumoured story, floating around certain parts of the internet, which has now been finally told by a man who was not just there but was in the car at the time. Click here to read how the amazing photo was taken, the horrific damage to the car and if anyone had a job at the end of it, by clicking the link here.

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OLD TYRES BANNED

Following a lengthy campaign after a tragically fatal accident involving a coach with old tyres, a new law has come into force that bans tyres over 10 years old from being fitted to lorries, coaches and buses where there is only a single tyre. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

TOYOTA RECLAIMS WORLD’S LARGEST CAR MANUFACTURER CROWN

Toyota was the largest car manufacturer in 2020, knocking the Volkswagen Group from the lofty top spot. Whilst all were affected by lockdowns across the globe, the reach of Toyota’s network appears to have softened that blow. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

JLR POST PRE-TAX PROFIT FOR LAST QUARTER

The impact of the dramatic cost-efficiencies across Jaguar Land Rover are bearing fruit, as they announced a pre-tax profit of £439m, for the last quarter. To read more about this good news, click the Autocar article here.

NEW MD NAMED BY LOTUS

Matt Windle has been named the new Managing Director of Lotus, taking over from Phil Popham. As he was Executive Director for Engineering he will already be familiar with the recently announced plan to move the company forward. To read more, click the Lotus press release here.

JATO NO LONGER SEPARATING HYBRIDS FROM ICE FIGURES

The analysis company JATO Dynamics will no longer reporting hybrid vehicles under “electrified”, as they have deemed they are mainly driven by the internal combustion engine. Only plug-in hybrids and fully electric will fall under this classification. We have been saying this for some time now, when we cover it during the monthly registration figures. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

GOVERNMENT PLEDGES £93M TO ROAD UPGRADES

The Government has stated that there will be an additional £93m made available for upgrading certain roads that are deemed vital in the economic recovery of this country. The majority will be focused on the North. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

GOVERNMENT PLEDGES £20M TO ON-STREET CHARGING SCHEME

The Government has stated it will be providing £20m to the on-street charging scheme, that local councils can access to improve provisions in their areas. This is a jump from last year and a huge increase compared to 2019. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

WHITBREAD INSTALLING THOUSANDS OF GENIE POINT EV CHARGERS

Across the Whitebread portfolio of hotels and pubs, thousands of Genie Point EV chargers will be installed. 600 are expected to be working in the next three years. To read more, click Business Motoring here.

NEW HIGHWAYS ENGLAND TRAFFIC INFORMATION SERVICE DEAL

Sopra Steria has won a £42m contract to upgrade the Highways England Traffic Information Service, over the next few years. Many organisations and apps rely on the information provided by this, so there’s no pressure on it seamlessly being upgraded. To read more, click The Register article here.

GOOGLE TO PROVIDE FORD WITH A NEW INFOTAINMENT OS

Ford and Google have struck a deal to replace the in-house Sync system with Android Auto. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

VEHICLE AUTOMATION MODE CLASSIFICATION SUGGESTIONS

Edge Case Research, who are focused on the safety of autonomy and autonomous systems, has released a classification system aimed at the user, instead of engineers and legislators. As many have mentioned the SAE levels are not really suitable, especially for drivers and passengers. Edge Case Research has simplified when those in the vehicle are responsible and liable for being in control. To see this excellent list, click the link here.

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FORMULA E: SECOND SET OF 2020/21 RACES ANNOUNCED

Formula E has released details of the races following the season opening in Saudi Arabia. To read more, click the official post here.

WRC: ARCTIC RALLY FINALISED

The route for the upcoming Arctic Rally has been finalised, which has had competators pouring over the documentation. That won’t be the only thing that will have caught their eye, the note to pack a winter survival kit may also piqued interest. To read more about the event, click the DirtFish article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: TOP GEAR’S GUIDE TO COACHBUILDERS - GHIA

Whilst Ghia was the way we all knew who had the poshest Ford, the name wasn’t always synonymous with the Blue Oval. Let Top Gear help educate you as to where they started and how they became so closely linked to Ford, by clicking here for the link.

LIST OF THE WEEK: FIVE CARS FOR SUBURBAN SATISFACTION

This is an older list, yet still is valid thanks to no one going anywhere, from the Not2Grand site, putting forward options for older cars that would not cause the net curtains to twitch and gossip to start about how less well off you are compared to the neighbourhood. To run through the classy list, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: HUBCAP CREATURES

Trawling through the internet, Andrew came across the artist, Ptolemy Elrington, who creates sculptures from old hubcaps. To see more of these stunning works of art, click the link to Ptolemy’s site here.

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FOLLOW UP: VW APPEAL $20M SPANISH CLAIM

After a Spanish court order Volkswagen to compensate owners €3000 each, who bought a car with the defeat-device fitted. The company has announced it will appeal the ruling. To read more, click the Reuters article here.

FOLLOW UP: VW SEEKS US RULING ON EMISSION UPDATE

When Volkswagen agreed to settle the criminal and civil actions, in the US, to the tune of $20 billion, it did not get liability protection from state and local governments, according to the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals. VW disagree and are taking the ruling to the US Supreme Court to attempt to protect themselves from state and local governments claiming penalties for the defeat-devices. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

VW FACING FLEET CO2 FINE

Volkswagen Group missed their required target for fleet CO2 levels, in 2020, and is now facing a potential fine of €95 for every g/km missed per car sold. Diess tried to put a brave face on it, by stating VW and Audi brands exceeded the targets. Whilst we wait for the final ruling from the EU, click the Autocar article here to read more.

NISSAN TO BUILD EVS IN UK

Nissan has committed to building EVs in the UK for the foreseeable future and to enable that will package the batteries in the UK too, due to Rule of Origin requirements of the Brexit deal. To read more, click the Relocate Magazine article here. For further background information, see the Twitter thread involving Jim Holder, Haymarket Editorial Director, and Dr Andy Palmer, formerly of Nissan and Aston Martin, by clicking here.

TFL SEES CONGESTION CHARGE INCOME INCREASE

Following agreement between the Government and Transport for London (TfL), for a financial handout in 2020, the “temporary” increase to the scope and level of the charge resulted in an £86 million increase of income. The '“temporary” changes will remain in place until the end of this financial year, at least. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

SHELL BUYS UBITRICITY

Shell is continuing to expand into the EV charging industry, with the announcement that it is buying Ubitricity. There are 2700 charging points, mainly low energy versions built into street furniture such as bollards, street lamps and the likes. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

BLOODHOUND LSR UP FOR SALE

The Bloodhound Land Speed Record project, is once again up for sale, after Ian Warhurst stated he could not afford to take attempt the record due to the extra investment required. Hopefully, someone can come in and support the project to a successful conclusion. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

SUBARU TO REMAIN IN THE UK

Subaru’s new boss, who was appointed last summer, has confirmed that the company is staying in Europe and the UK markets. Admitting that 2020 was an embarrassment John Hurtig is confident they have a recovery plan to address their poor market performance. We hope they do and they work out who they are as a brand. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

LOTUS ANNOUNCES NEW MODELS

Lotus has presented a plan to move the brand forward, starting with a new model this year, called the ‘Type 131’, whilst they will also be aiming for Porsche. We feel this isn’t a rehashed Bahar move, as we think their plans are more realistic, which fills us with more optimism. To read more about the exciting plans, click here for the Motoring Research article.

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

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FORMULA E: THE COST CAP DILEMMAS DESTABILISING FORMULA E

This is an article from Sam Smith, writing on The Race, explaining the nuances of the problems of a cost cap and the various aspects that have to be taken into consideration. This will be fascinating to watch unfold, but to get up to speed, click the article link here.

WRC: MONTE CARLO RESULTS

The Mote Carlo Rally took place, no one unauthorised turned up, no stages had to be cancelled and it went as smoothly as could be expect. Hooray! Ogier won the event for the eigth time and his 50th win in WRC, with team-mate Evans second and Neuville ensuring Hyundai were on the podium. To read about the event, click here for the DirtFish article.

For the ‘What we learned’ article from DirtFish, click the link here.

To find out how the organisers managed to pull off the rally, click another DirtFish article here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: MORAY CALLUM TO RETIRE

Moray Callum, Ford’s Design Chief, is set to retire, being replaced by Anthony Lo, previously at Renault. Callum started out with working on the Lotus Carlton, but has also penned the Ford GT, the Mustang and the Mustang Mach-E. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: RUPPERT’S BANGERPEDIA 2000-2010

A disclaimer, before we start, we have been sent copies of James Ruppert’s latest book, Ruppert's Bangerpedia: 2000 - 2010, which covers most of the models that were available to buy in the UK between 2000-2010, with a rating, information, stats and things to look out for if you intend to buy. Having read through this book, we feel this is a vital tool for you, if you intend to go down the Bangernomics route. If you are interested in buying a copy, you can click here on an Amazon affiliate link that will benefit both James and this podcast.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TAKE A LOOK AT HOW THE SUPER RICH CUSTOMISED THEIR ROLLS-ROYCES IN 2020

If you are wondering if money can guarantee taste, or not, you will find examples at both ends of the spectrum in this list from The Scotsman, where we see how some owners personalised the look of their cars. To run through the list, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: NISSAN OVER-ENGINEERED A FUEL GAUGE

The top of the range Nissan 300ZX from 1984, had one peculiar feature, especially for a sports car, and that was a dual fuel gauge. This allowed the more financially conservative to closely monitor how little fuel they actually had left. To read more about this bizarre move by Nissan, click the Jalopnik article here.

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FOLLOW UP: SOME CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST WINTERKORN

A Lower Saxony court has dropped the charges of market manipulation, against former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn, preferring to focus on the accusation that he knowingly sold vehicles fitted with defeat devices. Winterkorn’s lawyers maintain his innocence of all charges. To read more, click the DW article here.

STELLANTIS LAUNCHES ON STOCK MARKETS

The newly formed company, following the merger of the PSA and FCA groups, has launched on several stock markets across the globe. Their share price has been positively welcomed by traders. To read more, click the Automotive Management article here.

JURGEN HUBBERT PASSES AWAY

The former Chairman of Mercedes-Benz, Jurgen Hubbert, has passed away at the age of 81. He took on the role in 1989, holding it for 15 years, ushering in many changes to the company and their models. To read more about what he managed in that time, click here for the Autocar article.

RENAULT ANNOUNCES NEW STRATEGY

Ignoring the dreadful mashing of words together, Renault’s new strategy was revealed in a glitzy press conference. There will be a host of new models launched, across all the brands of the group, with much sharing of platforms and technology. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

SEMICONDUCTOR SHORTAGE HITS FACTORIES

Manufacturing plants are having to slow production due to a global shortage of semiconductor chips, needed for several aspects of modern cars. Audi, VW, Honda and Toyota have all been affected, amongst others. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

GREY IS THE UK’S FAVOURITE COLOUR

In, what feels like, a reflection of the nation’s mood, grey has again been applied to more new cars than any other registered in the UK, in 2020. Black, followed by white, make up the top three, but also 6 in 10 cars are coated in these three colours. To read more, and see where the interesting colours are, click here for the Motoring Research article.

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WRC: LATEST MONTE CARLO RESTRICTIONS ANNOUNCED

The organisers of the Monte Carlo Rally have been working closely with the region’s leaders to ensure the event can take place and do so safely. All fans are banned, flying over the stages will be strictly controlled and the shakedown stage has been cancelled. Hopefully, the fans stay away and just enjoy the coverage available online. To read more, click the DirtFish article here.

DirtFish has also produced an itinerary of the event, including who is where on the road. To read that, click here.

LUNCHTIME READ: INSIDE THE INDUSTRY - WHY RULE OF ORIGIN IS BREXIT TIMEBOMB

This week’s Lunchtime Read is not a long one, but an important one. To understand what impact the Rule of Origin will have on the manufacturing industry, in the UK, do read Jim Holder’s explanation by clicking the Autocar link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 10 SECOND-HAND CARS YOU SHOULD OWN ONCE

Autocar and James Ruppert have compiled a list of the Top 10 second-hand cars you should own at least once. Whilst Alan and his family have done their best to tick all of those on the list, Andrew has not. Also, he makes the case for a tweak in what car you need to own to be classed as a petrolhead. Tell us which you would have or if there is anything missing from the list, via Twitter. To run through the list, click the article link here.

AND FINALLY: ADVICE ON WORKING FROM HOME

Toyota has applied the Toyota Production System to working from home and written an article full of advice on how to do so better. Hearing that, you may roll your eyes and think it will be dry, but trust us, this article is written by a human who has been through all the problems that working from home can bring. The advice is practical and helpful. To have a gander, click the article link here.

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NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR DECEMBER AND ALL 2020

The New Car Registration figures are dissected for December and the whole of 2020. That the overall figure is only down 29% for 2020 is remarkable. The Top 10 registered cars (not sellers!) has a different look to it. As a side note, the Ford Transit Custom had more registered than the third place Golf for 2020. To read more, click the SMMT article here.

56,000 VW GOLF MODELS RECALLED

Volkswagen is issuing a “voluntary service measure”, to fix software issues with the Golf’s infotainment and reversing camera systems. VW has struggled with software issues for both the Golf and ID.3, which were launched last year. To read more, click the Reuters article here.

SUPERMARKETS ACCUSED OF FUEL PRICE RIP-OFF

Supermarkets have increased their forecourt prices well above the cost of wholesale fuel. This has led to anger from motoring groups and customers. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

ANPR CAMERAS USED BY DEVON AND CORNWALL

Devon and Cornwall Police are deploying ANPR cameras, to spot vehicles entering the counties who are not registered locally, to prevent those travelling from other areas doing so against the latest Covid restriction rules. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

DETROIT 2021 MOTOR SHOW CANCELLED

Organisers of the 2021 Detroit Motor Show have taken the advanced step of cancelling the event that was due to take place in September. New plans are for a combined indoor and outdoor experience aimed at car fans, with a location of Phoenix. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

COMPANIES WITH NEW FLAT LOGOS

Thanks to electrification and the ability to light up car badges or logos, many companies have reinvigorated theirs, with a ‘flat’ design. Kia is the latest to do so, along with General Motors. To find out more about what the new looks represent for Kia click the Autocar article here. To learn more about what GM have done, click the Autocar article here. To find out who else has made this move in the last year, click the Dezeen article here.

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

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FORMULA E: MCLAREN TAKE OPTION TO JOIN GEN3 SERIES

McLaren have taken up the option to join the Formula E series, from 2022/23 season. There is no news if this will be partnering the Andretti team, who will be without a manufacturer or going solo. To read more, click the Formula E article here.

FORMULA E: GEN3 POWERTRAIN SUPPLIER SELECTED

Formula E has announced the selection of the Gen3 ‘front powertrain kit’ supplier to be Atieva, who are the current battery supplier. To read more, click The Race article here.

FORMULA E: ESPORTS SERIES ANNOUNCED

Formula E will be launching a new eSPorts series, to begin later in January, which will combine sim racers with the real-world racers into manufacturer team, with both helping to decide the manufacturer title. There is also a combined €100,000 prize fund to be shared, along with a Gen2 car test drive. To read more, click The Race article here.

FORMULA E: NEW PLAN B TRACK LINED UP

Formula E has been working hard for ‘Plan B’, in case the pandemic affects any of the races this year, with a back-up track. The new layout of Valencia is the favourite to fill any gaps. To read more, click The Race article here.

WRC: MONTE CARLO RALLY SCHEDULE

The shortened schedule of the Monte Carlo Rally has been announced, with rubber stamping expected anytime, which will mean the even can take place. Organisers and local officials will monitor the situation closely but the hope is the rally will take place now. To read more, click the DirtFish article here.

WRC: YPRES IN WITH GB OUT

WRC mad the sad announcement that Rally GB will be dropped from the 2021 calendar, to be replaced by Ypres. To read more on that move, click the DirtFish article here.

The fear is now, that we will not see another WRC event in Britain for many years to come. To understand how we have got to that situation and how it does look so bleak, click the DirtFIsh article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE….

Emission Analytics has a very good article about the pros and cons of trying to move to zero emission transportation, what the options are and how some are more suitable than others for particular needs. In other words, they bring some much needed balance and show the nuances that are part of the issue. To read this excellent piece, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE CAR WORLD’S GREATEST MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

Autocar has compiled a slide show with 5 examples of cars that could’ve been great but for a variety of reasons were not. To run through the list, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: WHEN IS A GATE NOT A GATE?

Somerset Council installed a new cattle grid and gate on one particular road that has flummoxed many automatic emergency braking systems into thinking it was, in fact, a wall or obstruction. Due to the gradient when approaching the cattle grid, the sensors ‘saw’ something blocking the car’s path, applied the brakes, which has caused a few incidents. The council has adapted the area, spending quite a bit of cash to reduce the camber and gradient. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

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Alan was joined by television’s Paul Cowland to have a chat about the latest series of Salvage Hunters: Classic Cars. We talk about jeopardy, flouncing off in a huff on screen and Jensen Interceptors amongst other things. We mention the show on occasion.

You can find out more about Paul’s background in his Rear View chat with Andrew. You can follow him on Twitter here and on Instagram here.

Drew Pritchard is on Twitter here, Instagram here and his autobiography is here (affiliate link).

You can learn more about Quest here and Discovery+ here.

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FOLLOW UP: VW DID BREAK LAW ACCORDING TO ECJ

The European Court of Justice has ruled that Volkswagen Group, by fitting the defeat device, did break the law. The claim that it was to protect the engine was rejected by the court. This, combined with a separate ruling allowing consumers to sue VW in the country they bought the car rather than Germany, has potentially opened up more financial pain for the company. To read more, click the Car Dealer article here.

FOLLOW UP: MERCEDES UNDER PRESSURE AFTER ECJ VW RULING

You will have seen or heard the adverts from a legal firm telling you that as an owner of a Mercedes you *may be eligible for compensation because Mercedes-Benz are accused of fitting a defeat device to their engines. The Volkswagen ruling in the European Court of Justice has emboldened those chasing compensation. To read more, click the Car Dealer link here.

FOLLOW UP: GHOSN ASKS WHY JAPANESE WON’T VISIT LEBANON

French investigators are intending to meet with Carlos Ghosn, in Lebanon, over open cases, which has prompted his to ask why Japanese investigators are not doing likewise. In Ghosn’s opinion this emphasises how false the charges are against him. To read more, click The Mainichi article here.

FOLLOW UP: MAZDA NOW SELLING PARTS FOR RX-7S

Mazda has confirmed that it will be selling service parts for Gen 2 and 3 RX-7s as there is sufficient demand from owners. This will allow cars to be maintained with genuine parts. To read more, click the Mazda press release here.

WHAT IS ALLOWED IN NEW ENGLISH NATIONAL LOCKDOWN

As this latest national lockdown comes into force, with more nuanced rules than the first one, questions have arisen from drivers over what is and is not allowed. Autocar has compiled an excellent article to take you through the more common questions about what you can do. To read more, click the link here.

DVLA WARNS OF INCREASED NUMBERS OF SCAMS

The DVLA has warned the public there has been a big jump in the number of attempts to scam motorists via email, text and phone calls. We are all urged to be on our guard and know that they would never ask for sensitive information to be given or confirmed via the phone or similar. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

FCA-PSA MERGER APPROVED BY SHAREHOLDERS

The shareholders of both the PSA and FCA groups have given the final green light to the merger of the companies, meaning that Stellantis will become a thing. Expect heavy use of platform and technology sharing as they take advantage of economies of even greater scale. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

TOYOTA TAKE FULL OWNERSHIP OF KOLIN PLANT

Related to the last item, the Toyota Kolin plant was used to build the Aygo, C1 and 108 sister cars, however, Toyota has now taken full ownership of the site which will continue to build this generation of the A-segment cars, but add capacity for the latest Yaris. To read more, click the Toyota press release here.

BMW MAY OR MAY NOT NAME AND SHAME OWNERS

Just before Christmas, the news was released that BMW would alert drivers of cars out of warranty that they could buy a warranty package, via personalised billboard messages. This caused a bit of consternation and has since been clarified that they won’t be highlighting individual cars, more making a general statement when special billboards spot a car outside of warranty that the product is available. Whilst we wait to see what will really happen, you can read more, by clicking the Motoring Research article here.

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

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FORMULA E: SEASON OPENING CHILE IS POSTPONED

Due to travel restrictions, following the new strain of the coronavirus being found in the UK, the season-opening CHile event has been postponed. No confirmation of when this will now take place can be given at this time. To read more, click The Race article here.

More positive Formula E news is that those taking part in ongoing talks of a race being held in Japan are more hopeful in this resulting in Yokahama being the host. Plenty of hurdles are still to be cleared, however, this would be an excellent addition to the calendar. To read more, click The Race article here.

WRC: MONTE CARLO RALLY DECISION THIS WEEK

Due to the ever-changing covid picture, a decision will be taken this Thursday as to whether the Monte Carlo Rally can take place and if so, with what restrictions. To read more, click the DirtFish article here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH (WHEN IT COMES OUT): SALVAGE HUNTERS CLASSIC CARS IS BACK

This week sees the return of the Salvage Hunters Classic Cars, in their latest series. The show will be on Quest TV, 21:00 each Wednesday for five weeks starting on 6th January 2021. There will also be a Special Edition, where Alan chats with TV’s Paul Cowland about the show.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE 25 MOST POINTLESS CARS TO IMPORT IN 2021

Jalopnik has compiled a list of cars they feel are not worth importing from 1996, which have just been made available thanks to the US’s 25-year rule on car imports. There are some cars that the chaps wouldn’t even import to the UK let alone the US, in the list. To view what is possible, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: WHICH CAR MAKES YOU MORE ATTRACTIVE

Registration plate specialists, Click4Reg, commissioned research into which cars Tinder users find more attractive when included in a picture. The results may surprise you, particularly the cars that don’t work. We need to thank the Newspress Business Journalist of the Year 2020 and Newspress Automotive Technology Writer of the Year 2020, Alex Grant for bringing this to our attention. To read more, click the article link here.

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As we were not allowed to record the Pubcast in-person this year we managed to convince those who were there for the last one, to join us again! You can listen to Alan and Andrew chat with Erica Haddon from Toyota, Ian Robertson from Diesel Car and Eco Car magazines, Scott Brownlee from Toyota and Phil Huff from Front Seat Phil and Editor of Pick-Up Truck and Professional 4x4. Simon Branney was unable to join us due to a cursed internet.

You can hear what positives came out of the year, the mocking of last year’s prediction quality and what everyone thinks will happen in 2021.

Happy New Year to all our listeners and hope you have a safe and prosperous one!

To follow our fine guests on Twitter click the relevant links below;

For Erica, click the link here.

For Scott, click the link here.

For Ian, click the link here.

For Phil, click the link here.

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How often do you think of saying to someone, “If you’re considering selling, can I have the first refusal?” Way back in midst of the first lockdown Alan said just that to Chris Pollitt referring to the Car & Classic Mercedes 230E project car. A few months later Chris sent the “you know you wanted first dibs…” message and, well, it spiralled from there.

In this Special Edition Alan talks about the car, what attracted him to it and why it’s now on his driveway.

To see more about Arrows, who were mentioned, click the Motoring Research link here.

To go directly to Arrows own site, click the link here.

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FOLLOW UP: SSANGYONG GB AND MITSUBISHI END TALKS

SsangYong GB and Mitsubishi have now ceased, over the possibility of the Korean brand taking over the UK operation from the Colt Car Company. Suggestions were that the price both wanted was too far away from each other to satisfactorily conclude negotiations. To read more, click the CarDealer article here.

PORT DELAYS AND COVID AFFECT BRITISH FACTORIES

The ongoing delays at British ports, for both import and export goods, has caused some problems for manufacturing sites in the UK. The most notable examples of this are Honda, which had to halt production last week. JLR’S site Castle Browmich, has been hit by a slow down of parts from suppliers due to the impact of Covid. Whilst Swindon has started up again, the West Midlands site has not. To read more, click the Autocar article here for Honda and click here for the JLR Autocar article.

TFL CONSIDERING CHARGING NON LONDON CARS A FEE TO ENTER

The financial hole that TfL is trying to fill could mean that cars, that are based outside of London, may be charged £3.50 to enter the city limits. Transport for London is looking to claw back some of the public transport income they would’ve expected to have received this year. To read more, cick the Autocar article here.

NORTHUMBERLAND PICKED FOR EV BATTERY FACTORY

Britishvolt has selected a site near Blythe, Northumberland, for the large (we will not be calling it a gigafactory!) electric vehicle battery factory. The expectation, until very recently, was for a South Wales location to be used but after agreement between the Welsh Government and Britishvolt that it would not be ready in time they decided up the North East. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

DIESS FENDS OFF THREAT TO LEADERSHIP IN VW GROUP

Herbert Diess has had to deal with an internal power struggle, within the Volkswagen Group, over his leadership and plans to move the organisation forward. Following a vote of confidence, that he brought forward himself, he has got the backing of the board. The future of Bugatti is still unclear but all the other brands will be following the strategy for their Together 2025+ plans. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

FERRARI CEO IN SHOCK DEPARTURE

Louis Camilleri has announced his retirement, with immediate effect. He had been suffering from Covid and was recuperating following a stay in hospital, according to reports, although this was not the main reason for him leaving. Under his short tenure he has helped the company sell more cars than ever before, breaking the 10,000 barrier in 2019. There is no indication as to who will lead the company on a permanent basis. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

BLACK AND SILVER NUMBER PLATE CLARIFICATION

The DVLA has now adjusted legislation for vehicles that are in the historic tax class and therefore exempt from from paying VED. Under the previous rules the 40 year date for entering the historic tax class is a rolling, ever moving line, which meant black and silver plates could technically be fitted to cars younger than 1973. However, this has now changed, from 1 January 2021, only cars built prior to 1 January 1980 can have those plates fitted. To read more, click the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs article here.

FRANCE CAR TAX LAWS HURT HOT HATCHES

France has different car tax rules than we do in the UK and they’re getting tougher in 2021. They start to heavily penalise the first owner of a car, if that car emits over 133g/km. However, if you buy a car with 218g/km or more, dig deep to fork out the extra €29,070 on top of the list price! This particularly hits performance cars, such as hot hatches. To read more, click the EVO article here.

LIST OF FREE PARKING AROUND THE UK OVER CHRISTMAS

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith has compiled a list of all the places that have free parking leading up to and over Christmas, to learn if anywhere local to you does click the Motoring Research article here.

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

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FORMULA E: GEN 3 LANDSCAPE

Following the announcements from Audi and BMW, Sam Smith has written a piece to explain how Formula E is shaping up to Gen 3. To read more, click The Race article here.

WRC: 2021

As the dust is still settling on the end of the 2020 season, 2021 is coming at us fast. France is expected to announce new restrictions on the population, to prevent a third wave thanks to Covid, which will effect Rally Mote Carlo. To read about the implications, click the Dirt Fish article here.

Rally Sweden has fallen already, again due to tighter governmental controls to prevent the infection spreading through the country. However, there may well be an Arctic Rally. To find out more, click the DirtFish article here.

In further good news, Rally Australia may well be back on the calendar. Rumours abound, mainly in Europe, that Bathurst could host the event, however, it looks like Adelaide is trying hard to be the location. For more information, click the DirtFish article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: IN MEMORIAM - THE CARS THAT DIED IN 2020

Autocar has compiled a list for us to run through, confirming the cars that stopped being produced in 2020. There will be some sadness and also some surprise, that they were still being built as much as anything. To pay your respects, click the article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW LASER SCANNING TRACKS MAKES A DIFFERENCE FOR GAMES

There is an interview with the makers of Assetto Corsa Competizione, explaining some of the efforts they went to in order to replicate as much realism as possible in a game that can be found on both PC and console. To read more, click the article link here.

AND FINALLY: SUBARU LEVORG IS JAPAN’S CAR OF THE YEAR 2020

The latest iteration of the family estate from Subaru, the Levorg, has beaten off stiff competition from Toyota and Honda to be named the Japanese Car of the Year for 2020. In what was a surprise to many, possibly including Subaru themselves. To find out more, click the link from Motoring Research here.

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FOLLOW UP: ASTON MARTIN ANNOUNCE INTERNAL INVESTIGATION

Tobias Moers, the CEO of Aston Martin, has announced that there will be an internal investigation into the involvement of the company in the report that has been so thoroughly debunked, in terms of the information supplied, after questions were raised over the connection between the PR company that produced the report and individuals within or close to the company. To read more, click The Guardian article here.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR NOVEMBER 2020

The SMMT has released the November New Car Registration figures, which are predictably down on last year, due to the lockdown that England went into. Of note is that electric cars, in some shape or form, exceeded the amount of diesel cars registered for the first time. To read more, click the SMMT article here.

COMPETITION WATCHDOG TURNS EYES ON CHARGING NETWORK

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating the electric vehicle charging industry to see that a competitive and fair market develops. There is an ‘invitation to comment’ open on the CMA website, until 5 January 2021. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

VOLKSWAGEN R BOSS LEAVES THE BRAND

For the second time, in five years, Jost Capito, has left the VW R performance division, with lots of talk of ‘differences of opinion’ in the future direction after the announcement that VW was walking away from motorsport. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

THE SPEED RECORD THAT NEVER WAS

Thomas Davies, claimed via PistonHeads, that he made the John O’Groats to Lands End journey in a record nine hours and 36 minutes, which would’ve meant an average speed of 89mph. He was taken to court in Truro, charged with dangerous driving and two counts of perverting the course of justice. He was cleared of these charges as there was no actual proof that what he said was what he really did. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

UBER ‘SELLS’ AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE DIVISION TO AURORA

Uber has moved their autonomous vehicle division to Aurora, a self-driving start-up. In order for this to happen, Uber is investing $400 million in Aurora. To read more, click the Reuters article here. To view a more acerbic dive into what the deal means, click Cory Docterow’s thread from Twitter here.

HAYNES ANNOUNCES THE END OF PUBLISHED NEW VEHICLE MANUALS

Haynes, the publisher of repair manuals since 1966, has announced that new vehicle manuals will no longer be published, however, they will continue to print existing manuals. For new cars, they will go digital only. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

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

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FORMULA E: BMW ANNOUNCE DEPARTURE FROM SERIES

Almost before we managed to publish last week’s show, with Andrew fearing that this may be the start of an exodus from the series, BMW announced they would be following Audi and leaving Formula E at the same time. BMW say they are now focused on launching new EV models and have got what they can from Formula E. To read more, click The Race article here.

Sam Smith has written an interesting article regarding the recent news that both Audi and BMW are leaving. He is fearful that the management team, of the series, has become complacent with where they are, what value they give and their communications strategy. There is also the fear that both Porsche and Mercedes are questioning their commitment to the Gen3 rules. To read more, click The Race article here.

WRC: MONZA DELIVERS THRILLS AND SPILLS

We wondered if there would be anything unexpected happening at Monza this weekend, as it is WRC, and that was certainly the case. Coming into the event Evans was top of the standings, with team mate Ogier his only real competition. With tricky, slippery conditions in the mud and wet on Day 1 Evans kept his nose clean whilst Sordo and Lappi swapped positions for the lead. However, Day 2 saw snow in the mountains, with tragedy for Evans as he slid wide and off the road, his race and championship was shot. Credit to him for standing there the entire stage and warning approaching drivers of the treacherous conditions. Ogier went on to wrap up a seventh World Championship and the win at Monza. Hyundai won the manufacturers title. To read more about the event and results, click the DirtFish article here.

To read Colin Clark’s Driver Ratings, click the DirtFish article here.

To read the DirtFish What We Learned article, click here.

LUNCHTIME READ: 2021 - IT’S GOING TO BE OUTSTANDING

Chris Pollitt, writing for Car & Classic, has written an uplifting piece about how 2021 is looking really good, for the classic car scene. To read more, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 2020’s WORST AUTOMOTIVE CHRISTMAS GIFTS

Every year we look forward to the overpriced tat that manufacturers think they can get away with selling, for that special someone who needs a toasting ford with a Ford logo on it - we have just made that up, but if we see it being sold they’ll hear from our lawyers! So, click through the YesAuto article here, listing some wonderfully dreadful merchandise car makers have decided deserves their badge.

AND FINALLY: 2CV DRAG RACING FOR CHARITY

The video we have all been waiting for has finally been published, Andrew Frankel taking on Chris Harris in a drag race, in their own 2CVs, in a field. To watch that, click the link here and don’t forget, they’re doing this for Mission Motorsport, so if you can add a few pounds to their coffers please do so!

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When Alan last tried the Hyundai i10 it was competent but slow. With a turbocharged 1.0 triple delivering 100PS and set of subtle suspension changes, has Hyundai cured its Achilles heel? Alan tried the i10 N-Line for a week to find out.

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FOLLOW UP: GREEN IS GO FOR NUMBER PLATES

From December 8, the Department of Transport has confirmed that a green flash on a number plate, to denote a zero-emission vehicle, will be allowed. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

FOLLOW UP: ZERO CARBON WORLD CHARITY

There is a new Autocar article about Alexander Sims and the Zero Carbon World charity, we mentioned a few weeks ago, who are giving away free charging points to businesses that customers can use in their car parks. To find out more about this surprisingly aged charity, click the link to the article here.

50,000 MILES EV CLAIM QUESTIONED

On Friday and over the weekend, several media outlets published articles claiming, thanks to research sponsored by some well know auto industry organisations, that an electric car needed to run for nearly 50,000 miles before it offset the carbon debt of production and energy needed to run it during its life. However, following dissection of the figures quoted by a world-renowned academic, who pointed out flaws and inaccuracies in what was stated. Further investigation by others suggested there was something odd about the PR company used to promote the report. To read more, click the LinkedIn article by Michael Liebreich here.

RENAULT WILL STOP MAKING CARS AT FLINS FACTORY

Despite opposition from unions, Renault has announced that it will cease building cars at their Flins factory. This is part of their new strategy and the workers will be retrained to support the conversion of this site and nearby Choisy-le-Roi reconditioning facility, into “Europe’s leading circular economy factory dedicated to mobility” - whatever that means. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

TAMAR TOLL INCREASE STOPPED

Thanks to a Government grant of £1.6m, the proposed toll increase to the Tamar bridge, linking Devon with Cornwall, will not take place. The increase was only coming into effect after the drop in income due to the pandemic and restrictions in movement. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

CHRISTMAS TRAVEL TSAR APPOINTED

The Government has appointed Sir Peter Hendy, the chairman of Network Rail, as the Christmas Travel Tsar to help make sure there isn’t chaos on the roads, rail and in the air for the few short days we are allowed to visit our household bubbles, yet still, be safe whilst doing so. To read more, click The Guardian article here.

RAC UPGRADES RECOVERY VEHICLES

The RAC has announced that it has begun to upgrade their heavy-duty patrol vehicle, enabling them to better deal with a wider range of vehicles and engine types. They expect to have over 100 examples on their fleet by the end of 2020. To read more, click here for the press release.

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

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FORMULA E: AUDI ANNOUNCE SHOCK DEPARTURE FROM SERIES

Audi Sport has announced not only a change of leadership but also a change in direction. After the 2021/22 season the organisation will switch focus to endurance racing and the Dakar event. This is another blow to the series that was already under pressure from the new Extreme E series, recently launched. To read more about the possible reasons why Audi have done this, click The Race article here.

WRC: MONZA STARTS THURSDAY

A reminder that the title deciding final round, at Monza, starts this Thursday. Eyes will be watching to see if the track can pull of an exciting and interesting event, for all involved.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: MICHAEL DI TULLO ON POLARISING DESIGNS

Designer Michael DiTullo talks about two designs that have featured large in the public’s mind over the last 12 months, the Cybertruck and PS5. Watch him discuss what polarising designs are, the specifics of these two and the pros and cons of such a strategy, by clicking the YouTube link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE SIMPLEST CARS EVER MADE

As cars become ever more complex and gadget laden, it is sometimes easy to forget that there are many examples of cars that were incredibly simple in design and in terms of engineering. To run through the list that Autocar has put together, click the link here. Don’t forget to tell the chaps if you have a particular favourite.

AND FINALLY: #AUTOADVENT20 HAS BEGUN

We know it is getting close to Christmas, as Jon Male has started the #AutoAdvent20, his set of daily questions linking the pictures together with an obscure fact. To join in the fun follow the links supplied here for #AutoAdvent20 and the Twitter handle @mrjaydeeem. Have fun with them and good luck!

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With characteristically good timing, Alan needed to make a trip to Scotland inter-lockdown to collect more stuff than would ever fit in a Yaris. This seemed like a good opportunity to play at “White Van Man” to remind ourselves just how competent the current generation of mid-sized vans is and to see just how much you can fit into a Mercedes-Benz Vito.

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FOLLOW UP: UN SAYS GHOSN TREATMENT ‘UNFAIR’

An independent group of experts, working for the United Nations, has stated that Japanese treatment of Carlos Ghosn was ‘fundamentally unfair’. They have made no comment on the allegations of his crime, only how he was arrested several times and the harsh bail conditions levied on him. To read more, click the Guardian article here.

FOLLOW UP: ICE 2030 BAN FORMALLY ANNOUNCED

Whilst we were recording, last week’s show, the Government announced that they will be bringing in the ban on new internal combustion engined cars from 2030, as we stated we were waiting for. Rather than go through it all again and because there is so much misinformation and misunderstanding with the situation we recommend you read the Motoring Research article that calmly discusses the matter and what it will mean, to do so click the link here.

NISSAN REFUTES SUNDERLAND CLOSURE CLAIMS

Reports, from a respected German automotive magazine, suggested that Nissan had decided to close Sunderland but was yet to officially announce it yet. Nissan has stated that this is untrue. To read more, click the Sunderland Echo article here.

JLR ASKS U.S. TO BAN VW GROUP SUVS

Jaguar Land Rover has filed a complaint to the US International Trade Commission over the use by Volkswagen Group SUVs, of Terrain Response. JLA claim this is patented technology is being used without permission. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

POLICE DATA REVEALS REAL CAUSE OF ROAD INCIDENTS

Official police report data has been collated to show what actually causes road incidents and collisions. Reaffirming the point the podcast has made many times, but “Driver Error” was by far and away the biggest factor that contributed, at 66%. Second, some way back was “Driver Behaviour” and third, even further back was “Injudicious Action” which includes speeding. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

ENGLAND E-SCOOTER HIRE PRICES COMPARED

Further to the Special Edition, where Alan went to try out some of the options when it comes to e-scooters which you can listen to by clicking here or watching by clicking here, ZAG has collated all the prices for hiring an e-scooter. Their research backs up Alan’s summary that e-scooters may not be the economical choice for many. To read more, click their article here.

PANDEMIC TRAVEL TRENDS REVEALED

Bloomberg CityLab has compiled data from global cities to investigate how the pandemic effected travel. This is a fascinating article looking at a variety of modes of transport, some socioeconomic inequalities, and locations. These only give a general oversight and the conclusions made make that clear, but it does show how policy could well move in densely populated urban areas. Click here for the article.

Connected to this, official UK figures show how Lockdown 2 has altered road usage. Traffic has dropped by 30% during the increased restrictions. Which either shows how many people ignored the rules or that so many industries need people to be at their workplace. Click here for the Motoring Research article.

MASSACHUSETTS APPROVES ‘RIGHT-TO-REPAIR’ LAW

During the elections in the US, voters were choosing new laws as well as politicians, one of which in Massachusetts, was for a ‘right-to-repair’. The specifics of the law will require car manufacturers to hand over information that will allow independent repair centres to fix cars properly. To read more, click the Grist article here.

VICTORIA PROPOSES EV ROAD USE TAX

Victoria, Australia, is proposing a new tax specific for zero emission cars which will be calculated by how far they drive. Whereas most countries are using incentives to encourage uptake of zero emission vehicles, the Australian state is one of the first to tackle the issue of them not fitting current vehicle taxing systems. To read more, click the ABC article here.

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

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FORMULA E: FIRST NIGHT RACES FOR CHAMPIONSHIP

Formula E will have their first night time races, in the 2020/21, at Diriyah on February 26 and 27. The entire event is planned as a net zero carbon one, therefore maintaining the record of the series since it started. To read more, click the official article here.

NIO 333 has announced that Tom Blomqvst will be one of their drivers. To read more, click the link here.

WRC: OGIER NOT FINISHED WITH WRC

Sébastien Ogier announced that he will be racing for Toyota next year. He is looking forward to fighting for yet another title with the team. To read more, click the link here.

REVS GARAGISTA EVENT THIS WEEKEND

On Saturday 28 November, there will be another REVS event, this time focusing on the stories of those who have tackled car related projects. To see more, click the link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: DRIVING THOUGHTS - THE PSYCHOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF DRIVING

Professor Lynne Pearce is a psychologist with an interest in the effects driving has on our mental state and health. In this article she articulates aspects of driving we have all experienced but not thought about. To read this fascinating piece, click the Porsche Newsroom article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: RANKED - THE MOST EXCITING CAR CHASES OF ALL TIME

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith takes us through a list of what is claimed as the most exciting car chases of all time, based on heartbeat levels. To be clear this is not his list, he is pointing it out and reminding us all, lists are there to start debate, which is why we bring them to you. Click here for the Motoring Research article and see for yourself.

AND FINALLY: ENOUGH OF THE EV RECORDS PLEASE

Porsche, using a rear wheel drive only Taycan, has set one of the most silly electric vehicle records we know of, a continuous drift for 42.171kms, on their skid pan (stop sniggering). Ok, can we stop now, this does nothing to further EVs nor driving. If you must, click here for the Autocar article to read more.

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Andrew had an example of Subaru’s first tentative step into the world of adding hybrid technology to their cars. Listen in as he tells Alan about his week with the car, how hybridy the car is and have they done a good job first time out.

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FOLLOW UP: GHOSN CLAIMS TO HAVE FLED TO ESCAPE INJUSTICE

Carlos Ghosn has a book coming out soon and in an interview with the Sunday Times he discusses what has happened to him and how he claims he fled Japan to escape injustice. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

GOVERNMENT CONSIDERING ROAD PRICING

Over the weekend, the news was leaked that the UK Government is actively looking into adopting road pricing, due to the expected short fall from a lack of fuel and vehicle excise duty, with more EVs being used on the roads ahead of the expected 2030 cut off date for no more new ICE cars. To read more, click the Autocar article here. This is not a new idea within Government, click here to see what George Freeman had to say on the subject in November last year in Company Car Today. The BVLA has also released a report following their investigation into the idea of road pricing, which you can find by clicking here. Thanks to Tom Callow for tweeting the link out.

Related to this, Zero Carbon World has some 7kW and 22kW charging stations they will donate for free, to UK locations such as B&Bs, tourist attractions, cafes, etc that can pay for the installation. Click the link to their tweet here to find out more.

GOVERNMENT APPROVES STONEHENGE TUNNEL

Against the backdrop of a very vocal campaign, the Government has approved the controversial plan to dig a tunnel and create a dual carriageway. The Planning Inspectorate also state there would “permenant, irreversable harm” as a result of the project. The works are due to start in 2023, to read more click the Autocar article here.

GORDON MURRAY GROUP INVESTS IN NEW HEADQUARTERS

At a cost of £50 million, the Gordon Murray Group are investing in new headquarters and production facilities, in Windlesham. There are to be three phases to the build project, which will be completed by 2024. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

NHTSA UPGRADES TESLA INVESTIGATION

Model Ss built between 2012 and 2018 and Model Xs built between 2016 and 2018, are being investigated for touch screen failures. Reports suggest that NAND memory chips are becoming worn out and failing. More typically, these chips are found in mobile phones and cheap laptops. They are supposedly reaching their program-erase cycle limits meaning they can no longer store data. Some symptoms include rear view camera failure, lack of turn signal sound warning, climate setting controls and more. To read more, click The Register article here.

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

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FORMULA E: ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR TESTING

Formula E will be at Velencia, between 28 November to 1 December, for testing prior to the start of the 2020/21 season. For everything you need to know about all the drivers and teams, click the Formula E article here.

WRC: HOW MONZA IS MAKING ITSELF WRC WORTHY

DirtFish have been finding out how Monza is going to be as a worthy specticle for the fans and a challenging event for the drivers. A lot of thought has gone into the itinerary and the layout of the stages. This will definitely be an event to watch, not just because it is the finale to this odd season, but also due to the efforts to make a viable rally event based around a racing track. To read more, click the article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: MODERN CARS ARE TOO EFFECTIVE FOR THEIR OWN GOOD

Matt Prior makes the case for car limits being too far out of reach for us, on public roads, so we need lighter, smaller cars, that we have a hope of getting close to their performance capabilities. TO read more, click the Autocar article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: BEST CARS OF THE 1990S

The Club PetrolBlog Members were asked to tell Gavin Braithwaite-Smith, which car they felt was the best of the 1990s. There is a fantastic selection to run through, but be warned, if you play along with the Motoring Podcast Drinking Game™️ you must charge your glass before you view, as there is one car involved that will trigger participation. To read through the list, click the PetrolBlog article here.

AND FINALLY: HOW THE NISSAN MICRA ALMOST WENT TO AMERICA

Raphael Orlove takes us through the 2002-10 Nissan Micra and how it almost went to the US but as a Smart. Find out how this odd idea came close to fruition and how he has come t like the aesthetics of what was not one of Nissan’s finest design moments. You will also hear a, frankly, insane suggestion from Alan. To read more, click the Jalopnik article here.

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Alan headed to the Sussex to spend a day with the new GR Yaris to find out more about this WRC homologation special. Is the 1.6 litre 3-cylinder up to the job? Most importantly, is it special enough to evict the GRMN from his driveway?

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NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES OCTOBER 2020

The October New Car Registration figures were down only 1.6% year-on-year, even with the Welsh lockdown. Diesel, unsurprisingly, and petrol both down but battery vehicles up a whopping 143.9%. There is a surprise or two in the model Top 10 list as well. To read more, click here for the SMMT article.

CO2 POOLING

Car manufacturers are beginning to finalise their plans for dealing with the EU Fleet CO2 rules. In an effort to avoid large fines the fine print allows manufacturers to buy CO2 credits from others who have spare. To see further who has signed up with whom, click the CarScoops article here.

M6 TOLL PRICE RISE

From the 4 December 2020, the price will increase to use the M6 Toll Road. Cars will be charged £6.90 to use the full length of the road during the day, with the Junction price being £4.90. Local residents can get a Flxi-Pass, which means that paying £29 will allow for 10 Junction trips. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

MORE DRIVING TRAINING REQUIRED FOR ASSISTANCE TECHNOLOGY

A study run by the University of Nottingham, with support from the RAC Foundation, found that drivers who received behavioural training before using Level 3 equipped vehicles, were more measured in using the technology. The understanding of the technology meant they were paying more attention whilst the vehicle was undertaking manoeuvrers. To read more, click the FleetNews article here.

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

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WRC: COLIN CLARK’S INCREASING WORRY OVER 2022

We have discussed the ‘hybrid issue’ that is still plaguing WRC as it pushes to be about the only top flight motorsport that is adamant new technology rules should still come into force. Colin Clark has written an interesting article explaining his growing fears over the future of WRC. To read this, click the DirtFish link here.

BLOODHOUND TV SERIES AND SPONSORSHIP DRIVE

The Bloodhound LSR project will be on Channel 4 at 18:00 GMT on 14 November 2020, taking us through the highs and lows of the journey so far. This coincides with a renewed call for sponsors, in what is a financially tough time. To read more, click the link for information about sponsorship here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: CHANGES AT JLR

There have been big changes at the design departments of Jaguar Land Rover. Firstly, Massimo Frascella has been made Design Director of Land Rover. Gerry McGovern has been named Chief Creative Officer for JLR. This will mean that Julian Thomson, Design Director at Jaguar, will also report to him. However, there are some wondering if this will be an advisory role, as Tata has a policy of staff retiring at 65, which Mr McGovern is approaching. To read more, click the link for the Autocar article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE HISTORY OF IN-CAR ENTERTAINMENT

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith has written an excellent article, on Motoring Research, taking us through the evolution of in-car entertainment. Go and click the link here to find out how far we have come since the first radios were introduced in 1920.

LIST OF THE WEEK: PERFECTLY USELESS THINGS YOU CAN BUY FOR YOUR CAR

We recommend another Autocar List of the Week for you to peruse and enjoy. This time, the suggestions are stuff you really shouldn’t buy for your car. There are many items we agree with, but not all. Do let the chaps know which you find the most cringe-worthy after you’ve run through the options. To find out more, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: CELEBRATE HOW GEOFFREY PALMER HELPED AUDI

Geoffrey Palmer sadly passed away last week, however, we want to celebrate what he did to raise the profile of Audi in the UK thanks to adverts like the one for the 100 Avant and the Quattro. PetrolBlog has written about how much his ads had a hand in turning public opinion about the German brand. To read that, click the link here.

To watch the Audi 100 ad, click the link here.

To watch the Audi Quattro ad, click the link here.

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FOLLOW UP: FORD TO REPLACE KUGA PHEV BATTERIES

In August Ford announced they were pulling Kuga PHEVs from sale and that owners should not plug in theirs in due to the risk of a battery fire. The cause of the issue is now known, with battery cells becoming contaminated, meaning that Ford will replace the traction battery packs via a recall. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

TFL FUNDING PACKAGE REQUIRES £15 CONGESTION CHARGE

Part of the agreement for the extra £1.7bn funding, agreed between the Government and Transport for London, requires the £15 temporary Congestion Charge to continue. However, rumours that the area will increase to be essentially inside the North and South Circular Roads have been rejected. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

SHELL DITCHES LPG DUE TO LACK OF DEMAND

Just as Dacia announce they are introducing LPG vehicles, to help with the CO2 rules of the EU, Shell announces it will be removing LPG from their stations as there is a lack of demand. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

WHAT3WORDS INTEGRATED INTO SAT NAVS

The location service, What3Words is being integrated into sat navs by the Here consortium. The claim is the system is more accurate and less confusing than traditional postcode or grid references. The expectation is the system will be quickly in four out of five new cars. Not everyone is in favour of the system, plus this just adds another license for the manufacturers to pay for at some point. To read more click the Motoring Podcast article here.

TAILGATING BEING CAUGHT ON CAMERA

Highways England, in only the first two weeks of an initiative, filmed more than 10,000 vehicles too close to the car in front. Drivers spotted in this manner will be sent a letter advising them of their driving and encourage them to leave the minimum prescribed gap. The idea to get drivers to amend their behaviour. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

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

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This weekend, the Motoring Podcast would’ve been at the Race of Remembrance, however and even though that has been cancelled Mission Motorsport and friends will be doing a number of activities to help raise funds for the charity. To find out more, click the link here. If you can please do give as generously as you can to this incredible organisation.

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WRC: YPRES CANCELLATION PUTS FOUR IN WITH A SHOT OF TITLE

Following the cancellation of the WRC event in Ypres, the attention on Monza is even more intense as it is the last shot for four drivers hoping to win the title. Evans is in the prime spot, 14 points in the lead, with Ogier in second, followed by Neuville and then Tänak. In reality, Ogier is the only one with a realistic chance overhauling Evans, but as we know rallying is nothing if not unpredictable. To read more, click the excellent DirtFish article here.

NEW TV CAR SHOW

TV’s Paul Cowland and Helen Stanley are fronting an new, fun car show where they help members of the public buy a new car. Keep your eyes peeled for the show on Quest starting this week. To read an interview with both the presenters, click the Freesat article here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: DONCKERWOLKE RETURNS TO HYUNDAI

Luc Donckerwolke, who left Hyundai in April, is back at Hyundai as executive vice president, with a title of chief creative officer and head of design communications for Hyundai Group. He will be focusing on pushing growth for the Genesis and Ioniq brands. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: NOT AS AWFUL AS WE LIKE TO BELIEVE PART 1: THE SKODA ESTELLE

This article from Great Driving Days, explains the Skoda Estelle and makes the case for us to consider that it wasn’t as rubbish as the jokes made out. To read the article, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE STRANGEST CAR COLLECTION IN THE WORLD

Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan al Nahyan’s car collection is the focus of this week’s List of the Week. Click the Autocar link here, to see an array of oversized, rainbow covered cars as well as normal looking ones!

AND FINALLY: IS IT A HOUSE OR A DEALERSHIP

In Mendham, New Jersey, car dealerships look like no where else, as they look like branded houses. Local pressure mean commercial properties are strongly encouraged to look like the housing of the town. Inside, they are more like what we would expect, once you cross the portal, but with ceilings instead of double height, natural light filled boxes. To read more, click the Jalopnik article here.

AND FINALLY FINALLY: ZOOM ZOOMERS CALL

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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FOLLOW UP: BRANKIN NEW MD OF FORD BRITAIN AND IRELAND

Ford of Britain and Ireland has announced that Lisa Brankin will be the new Managing Director, from the 1 November 2020. This follows her stepping into the interim position after Andy Barratt who took a leave of absence recently. To read more, click the Ford release here.

THATCHAM CALLS ON A HALT TO AUTOMATED DRIVING PUSH

Thatcham Research is calling on the Government to pause the introduction of ‘hands-free’ driving from Spring 2021, as the technology is not there to do so safely. Listeners may have heard Andrew say this once or twice. To see more, click on the Thatcham tweet here to see how far off technology is from perception.

TAYCAN ADDS APPLE PODCAST AND MUSICLYRICS

The Porsche Taycan is the first car to have full integration with Apple Podcasts, including charts, all the 1.5 million shows and in over 100 languages. Added to this, passengers get the advantage of MusicLyrics, the Apple service that displays time-synched lyrics, in their dedicated screen. To read more, click the Porsche release here.

LOW TRAFFIC NEIGHBOURHOODS POPULARITY RISES

There is, apparently, increasing popularity in ‘Low Traffic Neighbourhoods’ (LTNs) where residential streets are closed off to through traffic. The article, from the Guardian, that is linked here, goes into detail about how LTNs can benefit urban areas and what they should be targeting, the one-off local urban journeys. We can hope that the next wave is better implemented than the knee-jerk versions that the pandemic allowed to occur.

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

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FORMULA E: CALENDAR CHANGES FOR 2020/21 SEASON

Before the season has even begun, Formula E has had to implement some of their contingency plans due to the pandemic. Mexico City and Sanya are being postponed, so the opening event at Santiago will now be a double-header. To read more, click The Race article here.

FORMULA E: NOW HAS ELITE SPORT QUARANTINE EXEMPTION

Motorsport UK has announced that Formula E is an elite sport, therefore those involved can take advantage of quarantine exemptions. This gives the five British based teams the opportunity to apply for an exception to the rules. Other teams will have to discuss matters with their national organisations. To read more, click The Race article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: E(M)BARRASSING OR I(M)PRESSIVE?

Lee Walton has written about the furore that has erupted on Car Twitter following the unveiling of the BMW M3 and M4. Lee discusses what the designs may mean for BMW and the German car industry and if Car Twitter has been even-handed in their criticism. To read this thought-provoking article, click his post here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: GREAT CAR DESIGNERS AND THEIR CARS

This Autocar List of the Week runs through a whole host of famous car designers and selects a particular car that came from their pen. To run through the list, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: CAR MANUFACTURING EXPERT ASSESSES JALOPNIK’S CHEAP EV

Sandy Munro, who is a leading expert in breaking down how much it costs to make a car, by, erm, pulling them apart, has been exposed to the ‘World’s Cheapest EV’ as bought by Jason Torchinsky, at Jalopnik. Enjoy watching Sandy get his head around this car by clicking the link here.

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LOOPHOLE CLOSING CONSULTATION OPENS

A consultation, with suggestions on closing loopholes on the use of mobile phones whilst driving, has been announced. Whilst these are a welcome step, some are asking if the Government is really serious about safety as there are no proposals to ban hands-free mobile phone calls, even though there is a stack of scientific evidence that proves how impaired a driver becomes. To read more about the consultation, click the BBC News article here. To go straight to the consultation, click the link here. To listen to Nick Freeman discuss how the proposals do not go far enough, click the YouTube link here.

COLLABORATIVE POTHOLE MAP CREATED

The Government, collaborating with the likes of Uber, Tesco, Deliveroo and Ocaado, will create a map of the UK’s roads, allowing highway departments to plan their works and take advantage of the fund set aside for mending the epidemic of potholes on our roads. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

GLOUCESTERSHIRE’S ‘MISSING LINK’ ROAD CONSULTATION RESULTS

Following a public consultation, the ‘missing link’ road, that would join the M5 and M4 up, updated plans have been released for further scrutiny. After more than 2000 people contributed last time, Highways England was able to modify their plans to be less disruptive to the environment, repurpose the existing road and benefit local communities. To find out more, click the link to the Motoring Research article that also includes a link to the consultation.

LONDON’S CONGESTION CHARGE MAY INCREASE IN SIZE

Transport for London is once again asking the Government for financial aid, apparently, one of the conditions is to increase the size of the Congestion Charge, as well as remove reductions in cost to some. When we first covered the changes to the Congestion Charge, earlier in the year, we were told it was the Government demanding such change, which turned out to be false. To read more, and make your own mind up until more detail is know, click the MyLondon link here.

TFL DATA PROJECT

Transport for London has begun a data project to map all dockless hire bicycles and e-bikes. This will help TfL understand traffic flows and patterns, as well as hot spots for poor bike storage. To read more, click The Register article here.

NOISE CAMERAS DEPLOYED IN WEST LONDON

In a bid to stamp out the roads of West London being turned into ‘race tracks’, noise cameras have been installed, with a trigger limit of 75dB. Some have already been caught exceeding this level. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

BMW RECALLS ALL 2020 BUILT PHEVS

All plug-in hybrids built between January and October 2020, have been recalled by BMW, due to a fire risk. This affects the 3, 5 and 7 Series, the X1, X2, X3and X5 SUVs, the 2 Series Active Tourer and the Mini Countryman PHEV. Added to that the i8, if built this year, is also effected. To read more, click the Autocar article here,

LOTUS EXPANDING HETHEL BASE

Lotus is investing in their base at Hethel as well as opening a new location, on the campus at University Warwick. The expansion and improvements are to help the engineering consultancy part of the business. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

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

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DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: ALDO BRAVARONE PASSES AWAY

Aldo Bravarone, who worked for Pininfarina, has passed away aged 94. He designed such cars as the Ferrari Dino, Maserati A6GCS and Lancia Gamma Coupé. To read an excellent obituary, click the Classic & Sports Car link here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: DIEZ RETURNS TO SEAT

Jorge Diez has returned to SEAT, for a third time. Having spent the last 12 months with Mitsubishi Europe he goes back to a company he has clearly has a fondness for. To read more, including the names Andrew mangled, click the FormTrends article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: SCHRÖDINGER'S CAR

Emissions Analytics has produced an article that gives us a much better insights into the reality of Plug-In Hybrids, including their positives and negatives. They suggest we could be walking into another issue, similar to the diesel one after politicians in Europe encouraged up to buy diesel. To read more, click the EA link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: WORST CAR NAMES OF ALL TIME

There are some hilarious and downright bad names on the List of the Week, giving us all options for the worst car name. Pull up a chair, grab a beverage and enjoy as the various suggestions automatically move past your eyes. To view the options, click the Motoring Research article here. .

AND FINALLY: MINI METRO TURNS 40

40 years have passed since the first click the BBC News link herAustin Rover Metro. To read more about that, click the BBC News article here. To see a short film, click the link here.

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Andrew spent a week with the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, just before it had a mid-life update. For you, dear listener, he sacrificed a lot to do a thorough review of the car, driving it for many, many miles just to make sure he could conclusively say if it was any good or not. Hear him chat with Alan as he discusses optional extras, steering feel and understatedness.

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FOLLOW UP: SEPTEMBER REGISTRATION FIGURES ANALYSIS

Jim Holder has looked at the September registration figures of the UK and sales figures of Europe for a deeper analysis of what the industry looks like. He also noted the weak performance of Subaru and several other brands. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

CLEAN AIR ZONES FOR BATH AND BIRMINGHAM

Bath has announced the date for their Clean Air Zone (CAZ), which will be 15 March 2021, also it is not for private cars or motorbikes. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

Birmingham has also confirmed the start of their CAZ as June 2021, but this does cover private cars if they are not Euro-6 diesels or Euro04 petrol engines. To read more, click the Van Fleet World article here.

BP CHARGEMASTER IN £21M POLICE SCOTLAND DEAL

BP Chargemaster and Police Scotland have announced a deal, worth £21 million, to supply charging points for police vehicles. Scotland, unlike England, has a large network of free charging points for EVs so entering this market is quite tricky for charging point businesses. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

DVLA LAUNCHES ONLINE V5C LOG BOOK SERVICE

Back in June the DVLA launched an online service to update the V5C logbook, which was such a success that they are introducing a new service that will allow owners to apply for a duplicate logbook online. Again, this should cut waiting times from six weeks to five days. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

SKODA USES SOUND TO DIAGNOSE ENGINE ISSUES

Skoda is introducing an app to help them diagnose potential problems with a car, by analysing the sound waves recorded. This is a clever bit of technology being trialled which will hopefully lead to quicker solutions as the workshop will have a better idea of what the potential problem is before the car arrives. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

HIGHWAYS ENGLAND TRIALLING INFLATABLE BARRIER

The West Midlands is the location for a the trial of a new safety barrier for road workers. A large, inflatable cylinder will be positioned at the end of coned off sections, replacing the customary lorry with the large “Stop” sign on the back. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

DISCUSSIONS ON HOW WILL SPEED LIMITERS WORK IN CARS ONGOING

EU regulators and car manufacturers are in ongoing talks about how to best comply with the new rules for limiting a car to maximum speeds mandated. On one side it appears a much more forceful and dictatorial approach, whilst the manufacturers prefer to have reminders and warnings. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

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

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WRC ITALY: SORDO TRIUMPHS FOR HYUNDAI

In another compelling event, Sordo won with Neuville pinching second in the final stage from Ogier, by one second. Evans still leads the championship, but now by 14 points. Hyundai is also ahead of Toyota with two rounds left. To read about the result, click the DIrtFish article here. For more analysis and insight, click the DirtFish ‘What we learned’ article here.

GOODWOOD SPEEDWEEK

This weekend Goodwood will be hosting and streaming their Speedweek, an amalgamation of the Festival of Speed and Revival, hoping to bring some motoring related cheer to us all. To find out how to watch it, the details of what is happening and more, click the Goodwood link here.

BEST MOTORSPORT FACE MASKS

Motoring Research has scoured the net to find the best motorsport related facemasks available, there are some crackers in the list so do click the link here for more information.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: BURGESS LEAVES GEELY UK

Wayne Burgess has left Geely UK, after a short stint at heading up their UK design efforts. As Chief Design Officer he will be helping deign and engineering company Paramex to further cement their position in the automotive industry as suppliers of technology, visualisation and animations for manufacturers. To read more, click the FormTrends article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: CARTUNES - A MIXTAPE FROM KENNY SMITH

This is the second MixTape feature we have recommended to you, from PetrolBlog. The idea is to list a songs the evoke strong memories of a particular car, journey or experience. Kenny Smith has provided a cracker. To read more, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: FAST FIVES - SUB-£1000 CARS WITH EVOCATIVE ENGINES

Lewis Kingston has written a fab list of cheap cars that have very interesting engines. To run through the five options, click the YesAuto link here. Don’t forget to tell us which one you would pick.

AND FINALLY: INTERIOR GRIPE ONLY WORRIES JOURNALISTS

PetrolBlog features once again, this time Gavin Braithwaite-Smith pokes fun at the cliched gripe that some interiors have hard plastics in some places. In a wonderfully judged tone, the silliness of the complaint is exposed for what it is. We, here at the Motoring Podcast, fully endorse this message. To read the excellently written piece, click the link here.

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NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES - SEPTEMBER 2020

As we all know, September is a ‘new-plate’ month which traditionally is a higher registration month. There are some surprises, including who is Number 1 of the Top 10! Another interesting point was how close the number was to last year, even though there is the current global situation. To read more, click the SMMT article here.

UK EU DEAL BLOW TO MANUFACTURERS

Following the latest round of negotiations between the UK and the European Union, manufacturers discovered rules about car parts country of origin means those from Turkey and Japan will not be considered British. This matter will also hit electric cars, which were part of a separate request to be considered British even with most parts coming from outside of Britain and the EU. To read more on this, click the BBC News article here. Following this news, Nissan, Toyota and other manufacturers have announced that they will seek compensation for tariffs imposed following conclusion of negotiations. To read more, click the Twitter thread from Pernille Rudlin here.

REVIEW INTO ROAD SAFETY AROUND NORTHAMPTONSHIRE US BASE

Following the tragic death of Harry Dunn, Grant Shapps has announced a review into road safety around 10 US bases in the UK, including RAF Croughton the scene of the collision. The review will start this month. To read more, click the Northamptonshire Times here.

DVLA LAUNCHES ONLINE V5C LOG BOOK SERVICE

E-SCOOTERS SHOULD BE LEGALISED IN UK

Parliament’s Transport Committee has called on the Government to legalise the use of scooters on UK roads, within the next 18 months. This would mean private individuals would be able to use a scooter, in the same way they can a bicycle. To read more, click the Sky News article here.

EURO NCAP INTRODUCES DRIVER ASSISTANCE TECHNOLOGY SAFETY RATING

As more technology is legislated for and introduced by manufacturers, assisting drivers, the need has arisen to review the systems and score them. NCAP has introduced the first such grading in Europe for technology such as lane keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, braking and driver monitoring. To read more about the ratings, click the Motoring Research article here.

FORD OF BRITAIN BOSS TAKES TEMPORARY LEAVE OF ABSENCE.

Andy Barratt, the MD of Ford of Britain, is taking a temporary leave of absence with Lisa Brankin, sales director, stepping into his shoes. To read more, click the Car Dealer article here.

LOTUS GAINS GOVERNMENT BACKED FUNDING TO DEVELOP NEW EV PLATFORM

Lotus has won funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre, backed by Government funding, after they submitted the winning application for the Advanced Route to Market Demonstrator competition. They will work with their partners to further develop their lightweight electric vehicle architecture, with the help of this funding. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

EX-VW BOSS NEW CEO OF PIËCH AUTOMOTIVE

Matthias Müller, the ex-boss of Volkswagen, has been named as Chairman of Pïech Automotive, an EV start-up founded by Toni Piëch son of the late Ferdinand Piëch. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

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

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FORMULA E: NISSAN STARTING NEXT SEASON WITH OLD POWER-TRAIN

In order to help teams with costs in transitioning to the new rules for the 2020/21 Season, they can start the new season with the old power-train as long as they introduce it before the first European round. Nissan are not expected to be alone in this approach, thanks to the pandemic hampering testing and development. To read more, click The Race article here.

FORMULA E: CALENDAR STRUGGLES ONGOING

Sam Smith has written a very interesting piece for The Race, about the struggles that are ongoing for Formula E to run their first World Championship season. The coronavirus pandemic has meant contingency plans have to be put in place if the ratified locations cannot host the rounds, as hoped. The article gives is all a little peak at the herculean efforts that are underway to make sure the series takes place, is viable to all participating and attractive to fans and sponsors alike. To read through the struggles, click the link here.

WRC HYBRID DEADLINES PASSES WITHOUT HYUNDAI SIGNATURE

The FIA imposed deadline, of the end of September, for all parties to be signed up to the new hybrid technology agreement has been and gone, without full agreement from all the teams. Hyundai are still discussing various matters with WRC and the provider Compact Dynamics. Whilst Toyota and Ford have agreed, there is real fear Hyundai could just walk away. To read more about this incredibly complicated matter, click the DirtFish article here.

A reminder, WRC Sardinia is taking place this week. Always an exciting event, it will be interesting to see what difference an October date makes.

MISSION MOTORSPORT RACE OF REMEMBRANCE - #YOURROR CAMPAIGN

Mission Motorsport, an organisation founded on the back of overcoming challenges, has decided they will not let the cancellation of this year’s event mean that it passes without marking the weekend. They are asking all supporters of the event to do something to help raise funds and commemorate the weekend. To find out more, click the Mission Motorsport article here. To see James Cameron’s video announcing the campaign, click the Tweet here.

LUNCHTIME READ: LONE RIDER REVIEW

The Lunchtime Read is a book review, from Jalopnik’s Elizabeth Blackstock, talking about the solo adventures of Elspeth Beard who decided to ride a BMW motorbike around the world, starting in 1982. The story is so amazing that the chaps will be adding it to their buying list immediately. To read more, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: MOST EXTRAVAGANT OPTIONAL EXTRAS YOU CAN BUY

During these times we need some ridiculousness, well look no further than what you can spec for a car, if you so wish and have the oodles of cash required. To run through the list, click the Autocar article here. Don’t forget to tweet the chaps what choice you would make!

AND FINALLY: LEGO CRASH TESTING

Becky Miller, a Senior Research Engineer at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) organisation, decided to fill some of the tedious lockdown hours with a return to her childhood studies, crash testing Lego cars. Watch the video of this wonderful work by clicking the Tweet here.

AND FINALLY FINALLY: ZOOM ZOOMERS CALL

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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FOLLOW UP: EX-CEO WINTERKORN FINALLY FACES TRIAL

Proceedings have finally started against Martin Winterkorn over accusations of fraud and market manipulation, connected with #dieselgate. To read more, click the Autblog article here.

FOLLOW UP: FURTHER EIGHT VW EMPLOYEES CHARGED

Eight more employees of the Volkswagen Group have been charged in connection with the #dieselgate scandal, concerning either encouraging, supporting or not preventing the defeat device from being fitted, amongst other charges. To read more, click the Reuters link here.

FOLLOW UP: FCA SETTLES OVER REPORTING SALES CHARGE

FCA has paid $40 million fine, whilst admitting no guilt, to the charge of misreporting their monthly sales figures, in the US. The Securities and Exchange Commission brought the case against the company. To read more, click the RoadShow article here.

FOLLOW UP: UBER GET 18 MONTH LICENSE IN LONDON

Uber has now been allowed to continue working in London, after it was awarded an 18-month license. They have been deemed to have improved enough to allow them to continue their service in the capital. Much to the relief of the police. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

GREATER MANCHESTER CAZ CONSULTATIONS

Greater Manchester will open two public consultations regarding the need to create a Class C Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in the region. This is aimed at commercial vehicles and not private cars nor motorbikes. To read more, click the Air Quality News article here.

HIGHWAYS ENGLAND TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR DISABLED DRIVERS

Highways England, in partnership with AccessAble, will be creating 360 degree images that will enable disabled people to see what the facilities are like at service stations, helping them to plan ahead. To read more about this excellent initiative, click the Motoring Research article here.

GOVERNMENT CLARIFIES PETROL FORECOURT USE

Last week the Government stated that drivers should not use service stations and petrol forecourts unless it is absolutely necessary. This caused a bit of a noise from petrol retailers, which led to a clarification of exactly what was meant. Essentially, be safe, keep your distance, wear gloves when using petrol pumps, wear a mask etc. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

VW TO PAY BRAZILIANS COMPENSATION

Volkswagen has admitted to helping the military ruling governments from 1964- 85, by informing on employees who may have unfavourable political leanings. The amount has been agreed and will be distributed to those affected. To read more about this startling matter, click the Guardian article here.

ROAD SAFETY REPORTING GUIDELINES

The Active Travel Academy has released suggestions for the media when reporting on road safety. This is heavily leaning towards cycling, as you would expect, but does reiterate the need to stop saying “accident” and replace it with “collision” or “crash”. In a nutshell, they are asking for balanced, neutral language that does not alienate one form of transport over another. To read more, click the Guardian article here.

WORLD’S LARGEST CAR MAKERS NAMED

The Daily Kanban lists the World’s largest car makers on a regular basis, as this is not a usual year the chaps were interested to see the effect of the global pandemic on manufacturing. As expected it is quite impactful. To read more, click on the article here.

TOTAL BUYS BLUE POINT LONDON CHARGING NETWORK

Total has bought London’s largest charging network, Blue Point London, with the aim of having over 150,000 charging points across metropolitan areas of Europe. To read more, click the Business Wire article here.

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

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NURBURGRING 24HR

Over the weekend was this year’s Nurburgring 24hr race, unlike last year’s ‘Sausage Watch’ thanks to Alan’s fixation of trying the wonderful culinary options at the race, no crowds were there. However, the race and weather did not disappoint. Thanks to horrific conditions there was a 9 hour overnight red flag, which bunched the field up again. All of which, combined with another unexpected rainstorm an hour before the end, meant the race was as exciting and unpredictable as ever. Congratulations to Charlie Martin for her 4th place in class, on her first outing. To find out more about the race, click the Motorsport article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: IS YOUR ELECTRIC CAR BATTERY-FARMED OR FREE RANGE

Friend of the show, Nir Kahn, has written a very interesting article calling out the industry on judging an EV on the size of its battery. Efficiency and therefore lightness are keys to a better electric vehicle, which Nir goes on to explain. To read more, click the LinkedIn article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 15 FAT ESTATES THAT AREN’T OBVIOUS OR EXPENSIVE

Top Gear has provided this week’s wonderful List of the Week, which looks at estates and quirky ones at that. Run through the list and see if there are any in it that will tempt you away from an SUV for your next vehicle. To see the options, click the article link here.

AND FINALLY: THE SIGNS THAT YOU ARE DRIVING IN FRANCE

Each country has its own quirky when it comes to road signage, France is no different. Whilst you plan your next journey, over or under the Channel, have a look at the article from Drive France, which will help you from making a mistake or potentially having an accident. To read more, click the link here.

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Alan took a trip to sunny Milton Keynes to try out as many of the trial e-scooter services as he could.

In the course of one afternoon he tried scooters from Ford-owned Spin, established street-mobility contender Lime and UK-based Ginger. Did this two-wheeled cocktail leave his views on urban mobility shaken or stirred?

There will also be a video version of this podcast out very soon.

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FOLLOW UP: SUPERVISING DRIVER OF UBER TEST CAR CHARGED

The supervising driver of the Uber test bed car, that killed Elaine Hertzberg, has been charged with negligent homicide. A reminder that Uber will not be charged with any wrong doing, in connection with the collision, by the local sheriff’s office. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

PRODUCT DESIGN AWARD FOR STUDENT’S TYRE PARTICLE COLLECTOR

Imperial College London and Royal College of Art students have created a device that will collect tyre particles via the use of electrostatics. The claim is that up to 60% of particulates are collected. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

As we have discussed the matter previously, we wish to link to a revisited article from Alex Grant, who has been reporting on this issue, to read the updated article click the link here.

RIMAC IN TALKS TO BUY BUGATTI

The surprise news that the VW Group is in discussions with Rimac to sell Bugatti off, hit us last week. The question is why? Looking into it, all is not what it seems, this is actually a move to get more of a controlling stake in Rimac by the Porsche owners of the VW Group. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

NATIONAL SURVEY ON ROADS POLICING OPEN

Northamptonshire Police has issues a link to a national survey on the state of road policing in England. We think this is an important survey that we should all contribute to. In order to help the Police understand what our thoughts and expectations are for road policing, click the Twitter link here.

PLUG-IN HYBRID REPORT BLOWS OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE MEANINGFULLY

A report from Transport & Environment and Greenpeace has been picked up and widely reported on, regarding plug-in hybrids and how awful they are. However, once you dig into it and not take it at face value, as we so recently learned that mistake, they themselves undermine their own argument. For example, they talk about ‘official tests’ when they mean the old and no longer used NEDC test. They through in hear-say of how a car operates, as though it is fact, which it may well be but they do not investigate it. They cry foul over how some owners do not use the technology properly as though that is the tech’s fault. As we have pointed out previously, Transport & Environment are very good at getting headlines, yet their detail requires investigating. To read the BBC News article, where the author has not investigated, click here. To read T&E’s own report, click the link here.

GENEVA MOTOR SHOW 2021 COULD HAPPEN

In a week of unexpected news, we have been told the Geneva Motor Show may happen in 2021. There are a number of packages available to OEMs who wish to show off from one car and an LED TV wall with a maximum of 10 guests, up to 4 cars and 100 guests for the most expensive option. At the time of recording, no one had taken up any of the options. To read more including the eye-watering prices, click the Autocar article here.

FCA TO REGULATE INSURANCE LOYALTY PENALTY

We are all aware that our insurance price rises, each year, if we stick with our existing provider and don’t quibble the quote. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has stated they will regulate this out of practice. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

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

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FORMULA E: CARBON NEUTRAL STATUS GAINED

Formula E has announced that it is officially confirmed as a carbon neutral sport. From inception, one of the aims is to be carbon neutral, which means they need to consider everything about how the races are staged. This is an incredibly impressive achievement. To read more, click The Race article here.

WRC TURKEY

As expected, this brutal event took its toll on those racing. In the end, Elfyn Evans was victorious for Toyota, following one Sunday section where all the other front runners picked up punctures except Evans. Ogier had mechanical difficulties, which culminated in engine failure. Neuville looked set for victory until a puncture put paid to his chance. Loeb who was running up front on Friday also paid the price in the Sunday tyre killing section. M-Sport had another rally to forget. To read about the result, click here for the DirtFish article. To read about the overview of the weekend and what was learnt, click another DirtFish article here.

Toyota announced it is buying the rally team Tommi Mäkinen has built up and run for the Yaris WRC program. The aim, was for this to happen, which will mean from 2021 Tommi will be employed as a motorsport advisor, whilst Gazoo Racing officially run the team. To read more, click the DirtFish article here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: BARGAIN RACEMENT FROM BAD OBSESSION MOTORSPORT

The chaps at Bad Obsession Motorsport have a new video series, this time taking an £850 city car and making it into a race car. In a, frankly staggering move, they have completed the project and filming before they released any of the weekly episodes. To start the journey, click here for the first instalment on YouTube.

LIST OF THE WEEK: CARS WE’D HAPPILY LEAVE AT HOME

As it was World Car Free Day, when the chaps recorded the show, they have a topical List of the Week, from Motoring Research. A list of the worst cars in recent history has been compiled for us to scroll through, whilst hiding behind the couch. To run through the list, click the link here. Oh, and we have complained that the Wrangler is on the list as both Alan and Andrew like it.

AND FINALLY: MINI MOKE IS BACK

Moke International is building a small number of Mini Moke’s which will be available for around £20,000. If you wish to fulfil a partial fantasy involving Patrick McGoohan you now can! To read more, click the Autocar article here.

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FOLLOW UP: WINTERKORN AND FOUR OTHERS CHARGED WITH FRAUD

A court in Braunschweig, Germany, has allowed a case to move forward charging Winterkorn and four other former VW managers with fraud. Additionally, the court has allowed an amendment to add additional criminal gang charges. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

FOLLOW UP: MERCEDES AGREE DEFEAT DEVICE SETTLEMENT IN US

Mecedes-Benz owner, Daimler, has agreed to pay £1.17 billion to the U.S. Government and State of California for installing defeat devices on some of their diesel engined vehicles. Mercedes will also have to fix all affected models, as part of the settlement. As part of the settlement Merceds deny the charges levelled at them and any wrong doing. To read more, click the CarDealer article here.

FOLLOW UP: KELLY AND NISSAN TRIAL BEGINS

In the abscence of Carlos Ghosn, Greg Kelly’s trial has started in Japan, where he is accused of hiding the misappropriated funds that Ghosn is supposed to have taken from Nissan. Nissan has admitted liability and paid a fine, Kelly has reiterated that he is not guilty. To read more, click the SuperUnleaded article here.

MCLAREN LOOK TO RAISE FUDNING

McLaren is planning a fund and lease back plan, involving their HQ. Contrary to how others have reported it, they are not selling up and moving away from Woking. The expectation is that the properties will raise over £200 million, which is needed, they say, as a result of the impact of Covid-19 on motor racing and car sales. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

MERCEDES LOSES ANOTHER PATENT CASE

Mercedes Benz has been found to be using some of Sharp’s technology without paying to do so. This is the second case where this has been found to be the case, in the last few weeks. This time, Sharp need 'only post a collateral of €5.5 billion to ban the sale of any vehicle using the disputed technology. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here. To find out how all this mess came around click here for the Automotive News article explaining it all.

SECTIONS OF MOTORWAYS TO BE REDUCED TO 60MPH LIMIT IN TRIAL

Highways England is trialling the reduction of some sections of motorway’s speed limit, to see how that impacts emissions. The M1, M5, M6 and M602 will be affected in very small areas. The trial is expected to begin before October and run for 15 to 18 months, if successful they could become official policy. To read more, click the EVO article here.

SPEEDING NOT RISING OVERALL BUT STILL TROUBLING

The Department for Transport has released information on vehicles speeding, showing that overall there is no increase in speeding but certain speeds have seen an increase. Exceeding 70 and 30mph has climbed but there are drops for cars and motorcycles in 60mph areas. Exceeding speed limits was a contributing factor in 5.1% of road traffic collisions, according to DfT’s own data. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

T-PLATES TO BE TRIALLED BY BLACK-BOX DRIVERS

Co-Op has stepped in to help young drivers, who are using black-box telematic insurance systems, that feel under pressure from other road users to drive faster by trialling T-plates that show anyone they have an insurance device fitted. The hope is that other drivers will ease up and not make younger drivers feel unsafe. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

EU AND UK AUTOMOTIVE BODIES CALL FOR POST-BREXIT TRADE TO BE URGENTLY AGREED

The UK’s SMMT and European equivalent organisations have called on both side negotiating the post-Brexit trade deal to urgently announce details of any agreement, asking for it to be frictionless or there will be “severe repercussions”. We can only hope they are listened to. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

Dr Andy Palmer has some interesting thoughts on why the lack of clarity is affecting the automotive sector. To learn more, watch the video here.

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

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FORMULA E: MAHINDRA SIGN EX-MERCEDES POWERTRAIN SPECIALIST

Mahindra have signed Josef Holden, who was the Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains team leader. They will hope his experience of being part of the Mercedes F1 Team will be invaluable. To read more, click The Race article here.

WRC TURKEY

WRC Turkey is taking place this weekend, where they will be implementing the same restrictions as they did in Estonia. To read more about that and the lead up to the event, click the DirtFish article here.

There is another excellent DirtFish article, this time discussing the move to hybrid cars, which we all thought was done and dusted. Apparently not, Hyundai are now wavering, due to the cost and perceived benefit, to the point that leaving the championship is on the table. To read about that and what the options are, click the article here.

LE MANS SPOTTER GUIDE FROM ANDY BLACKMORE

Andy Blackmore has once again created his Spotter’s Guide for the 2020 Le Mans race that takes place over the coming weekend. To see more, click the link to the Tweet from Andy here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: HOW THE M-SPORT STORY BEGAN

Managing Director, Malcolm Wilson, talks through how his and the M-Sport story began, for this week’s Lunchtime Watch, from DirtFish. To watch this fascinating interview, click here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 11 OF THE BEST FUN CARS WITH LESS THAN 150BHP

This week’s List of the Week is curtsey of Top Gear, talking about fun cars that are blessed with nothing more than 150bhp. To find out more and select your own favourite, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: EV CHARGING RECORD SET FOR JOHN O’GROATS TO LANDS END

Zero Carbon World achieved a record time of only 1 hour, 32 minutes, 32 seconds of charging, for their run from John O’Groats to Lands End. The overall journey time was 15 hours 32 minutes. To read more, click the Zap-Map article here.

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FOLLOW UP: GREEN NUMBER PLATE TRIAL

Last week we discussed the news that Nissan dealers were trialling, the soon to be introduced, green number plates that indicate the car is an EV. Alan and Andrew were confused by why only Nissan and why a trial, turns out that these are only mock-ups and not actually road legal. The chaps apologise for not doing enough research to have established the full facts. We will do better in the future.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR AUGUST 2020

August is traditionally a quieter month for New Car Registration figures due to holidays and September being a new plate month. However, even taking that into consideration, the market was still down 5.8% year-on-year. Considering the state of, well everything, only 5.8% is not bad! The figure was boosted by a surge (sorry) in the number of electric vehicles registered. To read more, click here for the SMMT article.

ZAP-MAP BRINGS PAYMENT UNIFICATION

Zap-Map, the best EV charging station mapping service for the UK, has unveiled its one-stop payment service, called Zap-Pay. This means that you can just pay via this to be able to charge at any point regardless of the network provider, so long as they have joined with Zap-Map. To read more, click the article here.

FUEL-PRICES CONTINUE TO RISE

Petrol and diesel prices have risen for their third month in a row, yet they still remain on average below January’s prices. Motorway fuel is also significantly cheaper than it was previously. The hope is prices will drop again as there is a reduction in oil price and the holiday season is over. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

KODIAQ VRS SALES TO STOP

Skoda has announced they will be ceasing production of the current Kodiaq vRS, due to the EU emission targets that require a much stricter fleet average than last year. However, for fans of a fast SUV, they will be bringing it back next year with a revised engine and mid-life facelift. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

JIMNY IS BACK SORT OF

Recently Suzuki stopped selling the Jimny due to the EU emission rules that we discussed int he Kodiaq story, however, Suzuki has announced that it will be coming back in limited numbers as a commercial vehicle. Commercial vehicles have different rules over emissions and they can’t have rear seats, but most owners didn’t use the back seats anyway. To find out more about this good news, click here for the Autocar article.

NEXT QASHQAI DELAYED UNTIL 2021

Nissan has dialled back from an expected October production start for the next generation Qashqai, with claims that the main reason is the pandemic and also uncertainty over Brexit, causing the company to pause its investment until more is known. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

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GIVEAWAY COMPETITION TIME

After realising we were about to hit our 350th episode and our 5th year anniversary, almost at the last second, we joked how we are hopeless at celebrating milestones. Thankfully some wonderful people listen to us, Phil Huff (of FrontSeat fame) and James Rüppert (Mr Bangernomics) have donated prizes for a giveaway.

By answering the question in the episode, via our contact form on the site and using the word COMPETITION in the subject line, you could win a Lego Speed Champions McLaren 720S and a copy of the book Bangernomics: Rebooted.

To go directly to our Contact Form, click 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 ESTONIA

By all accounts, whilst Estonia was hosting the WRC for the first time, it felt as though it had been part of the calendar for years. Ott Tänak took the win, for Hyundai, with Craig Breen making it a one-two for the Korean manufacturer. Third was secured by Sébastein Ogier, bringing in the highest placed Toyota who charged hard but could not get past Breen. This has closed up the manufacture and driver’s championship. To read more about the result, click the DIrtFish article here. To read about how well the event went down, click the DirtFish article here.

GOODWOOD REVIVAL GREATS LIVESTREAM

Whilst Goodwood has had to postpone a live Revival, they are going to stream the Revival Greats over what would’ve been the event’s weekend. To read more and make a note of when it starts, click the Goodwood Road & Racing article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW A POWERFUL NISSAN INSIDER TORE APART CARLOS GHOSN’S LEGACY

In what reads like a medieval story of power and dethroning, Bloomberg has a fascinating article on how the fall of Ghosn came about. Intrigue, conspiracy and scores to be settled, in what could be from a thriller. We remind our listeners, that the pentest element of the story is often how these things are run so do not read too much into that without information of wrongdoing being revealed. To read this excellent article, click the link here. Thanks to Damien Scully for the recommendation, it is one hell of a read!

LIST OF THE WEEK: 24 RANDOM THINGS MADE BY CAR MANUFACTURERS

This week’s List of the Week is some of the other things that car manufacturers have made. What a gloriously mad list it is too. To have a look, click the Autocar article here.

AND FINALLY: VINTAGE JCB RESTORED

Tying in with the List of the Week, we bring you the story of the 1964 JCB backhoe loader, that has been fully restored. To read more about the restoration, click the AggNet article here.

AND FINALLY FINALLY: ZOOM ZOOMERS CALL

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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Alan left his own car for a fortnight’s holiday “Chez Toyota” and took a Corolla Touring Sport on holiday instead. How did Toyota’s handsome, hybrid C-estate challenger cope with long motorway journeys and a minimal amount of urban start/stop?

To hear Alan’s chat with Richard Seymour about how the Toyota hybrid system works and has evolved, listen to the dedicated Special Edition in episode 200.

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FOLLOW UP: INEOS SET TO BE SMART ABOUT THEIR FACTORY

Ineos is in advanced talks with Daimler, over purchasing their Smart factory in France. A bid has been tabled, with the expectation that a deal will be reached soon. This means that the Portugal and Bridgend plants will be shelved. To read more, click the CarScoops article here.

FOLLOW UP: CYBERSECURITY FIRM HIRED TO TEST NISSAN IN 2018

Hari Nada, Nissan Senior Vice President, brought in French cybersecurity firm Waveform, to run a pentest on Nissan in 2018. This is being made out as an attempt to hack Ghosn’s emails, which it is not. When running a pentest you keep as few people as possible in the loop. Question marks will be raised if this invalidates Nissan’s submitted information, as this happened at the same time as Nada was helping authorities. To read more, click The Drive article here.

MINI OXFORD REDUCING WORKFORCE

The Mini plant, in Oxford, is shedding nearly 400 agency staff due to a reduction in demand. As the chaps have discussed before, this is a typical move by car plants, to reduce agency workers in times when demand dips. However, in this instance, there will also be a small number of MINI staff who will be offered redundancy and early retirement. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

GREEN NUMBERPLATES GO ON TRIAL

Nissan dealers are trialling the use of the green segment of numberplates of EVs. The Government will be fully introducing the scheme before the end of the year. Other countries which have adopted this claim that it encourages others to buy zero-emission vehicles. To read more, click the Fleetworld article here.

EU GAINS POWERS TO ENFORCE CAR RECALLS ACROSS EUROPE

The EU has taken the step of adding the power to over-ride an individual country’s vehicle authority and demand recalls. To read more, click the Reuters article here.

SCOTTISH LOW EMISSION ZONES TIMETABLE

The Scottish Government has released information on their proposed timetable to introduce low emission zones to Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh, in 2022. This had been paused due to the pandemic, however, the clear expectation in this announcement is that life will be more or less back to normal by early 2022. To read more, click the Scottish Government article here.

DVSA SITE CRASHES AFTER SURGE OF TEST APPLICATIONS

Learner drivers attempting to book practical tests have been struggling to do so as the site has crashed by the sheer volume of those visiting. There are only a limited number of slots available, which get released in batches. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

Driving licenses, that are due to expire, up to December 2020, will automatically be extended for 11 months from the date of expiry. To read more, click the HonestJohn article here.

NANTES INTRODUCES 30KPH LIMIT

Nantes is the latest French city to introduce a speed limit of 30kph, to almost everywhere, in an attempt to reduce noise, pollution and improve safety. To read more, click the Connexion France article here.

GREEN KING INSTALLING EV CHARGERS

Green King intendeds to have installed chargers to 900 premises across the UK, by the end of 2020. As the chaps have said, pubs and restaurants make an ideal place to install rapid chargers. To read more, click the Independent article here.

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GIVEAWAY COMPETITION TIME

To go directly to our Contact Form, click 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

FORMULA E: WHY DO DRIVERS LEAVE BMW

Sam Smith, writing on The Race, makes an interesting point, why do so many good drivers leave BMW? Sims is the latest, who we talked about last week, and is moving to Mahindra. We encourage you to read this article and share your thoughts with us, why do you think they leave? To read more, click the article here.

TOUR AUTO CURRENTLY UNDERWAY IN FRANCE

For those, who are in France, who like a classic car the delayed Tour Auto is underway. To find out if you can visit, or if you just want to follow the Twitter account, click the link here.

NEW REVS EVENT TAKING PLACE

Refuelled and Ready will be the third event set up and run by Adam Gompertz, via the REVS Facebook page, due to run from 09:30 on 12 September. Click here for the Classic & Sports Car article explaining all the details here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE HAUNTING ABANDONED WRECKS OF RURAL FRANCE

For our Lunchtime Read we turn to Autocar, with a wonderful and at times bleak slideshow, of abandoned and rotting cars found in France. Each photograph has a snippet of information about the car rusting away. To read more, click the article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 50 CARS TO DRIVE AT LEAST ONCE

Again we are with Autocar and Andrew Frankel, who has compiled a list of 50 cars we all need to drive, for a variety of reasons. After running through the list, the chaps realise they can only tick off a woefully small number. To run through the list, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: TOYOTA’S LUNAR VEHICLE IS NAMED

The joint venture between Toyota and JAXA, for manned exploration of the lunar surface, has named the vehicle to be used. They will use a Lunar Cruiser, taken from the dependable Land Cruiser of Earth fame. To read more, click the Toyota press release here.

AND FINALLY FINALLY: ZOOM ZOOMERS CALL

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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FOLLOW UP: GERMAN PROSECUTORS AGREE DEAL WITH POETSCH AND MUELLER

Parent company Porsche Automobil Holding SE has paid Stugartt prosecutors €1.5 million for them to drop further investigations into the claim of market manipulation levelled at Hans Dieter Poetsch and Matthias Mueller. They reiterate that the pair have done nothing wrong. To read more, click the Reuters article here.

FOLLOW UP: CLEAN AIR ZONES ON HOLD

Leeds and Bristol have announced that their planned Clean Air Zones are now postponed, due to air quality levels being above the minimum threshold thanks to less traffic. As they do not meet the criteria for Government funding, the local councils are not implementing their plans. They are actively looking at non-charging options and encouraging continuation in the recent work patterns and lifestyle changes. To read more about Bristol’s position, click here for the BristolLive article. To learn more about the situation in Leeds, click the BBC News article here.

ACTIVE TRAVEL SCHEMES BEING CLOSED

Councils are beginning to close some of the active travel schemes they implemented, off the back of the Department of Transport’s £250 million green roads initiative. Complaints have come from local residents and business owners, who cited extra congestion and harm to local businesses. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

DETAILS OF STRATEGIC ROAD INVESTMENT

The Government first announced it would be spending £27.4 billion with Highways England to improve the road infrastructure, now adding the detail of what the money will be spent on. This has caused an uproar from environmental groups who claim the CO2 impact of these works has been underestimated due to looking at national and local impacts and benefits. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

JUDGE REJECTS ATTEMPT TO BAN OFF-ROADING IN LAKE DISTRICT

A campaign, from the Green Lanes Environmental Action Movement (GLEAM), to ban off-roading on green lane tracks has been rejected by a judge. The High Court has dismissed the legal action on all counts. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

PORSCHE INVESTIGATES ALLEGED PETROL ENGINE MANIPULATION

Porsche is investigating claims that software and hardware changes were allegedly made to some petrol engines after they received type approval. This is on the back of Audi being investigated for possible exhaust manipulation of their 2.0 four-cylinder petrol engine fitted to Q5s, by the Offenberg region. Hopefully, this does not lead to another 5 years plus story for the chaps to cover! To read more, click the Autocar article here.

CO2 LEVELS OF OEM FLEETS ON THE RISE

At the end of this year, manufacturers need to have an average fleet CO2 level of 95g/km, whereas last year saw an average of 121.8g/km. The global pandemic, drop in sales and many countries dipping into technical recession has added further pressure on car companies. We have already seen some drop certain models, like Suzuki and the Jimny. The rise in CO2 levels since 2017 has been put on the shoulders of SUV popularity. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

FROM DECEMBER 21 ALL CARS WITH RADIOS MUST HAVE DAB

Any new car sold with a radio, from 21 December 2020, must have DAB functionality thanks to the implementation of EU legislation by the UK Government. To read more, click the Motoring Research 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

FORMULA E: SIMS MOVES TO MAHINDRA

Alexander Sims has signed for Mahindra after leaving the BMW i Andretti team. Next season will be his third in Formula E. Pascal Wehrlein left in June, to be replaced by Alex Lynn who out-qualified and out-scored d’Ambrosio who has also been released by Mahindra. To read more, click The Race’s article here.

WRC: GERMANY DUE TO BE CANCELLED

The organisers for the German round of the revised WRC season are expected to announce the cancellation after local government restrictions include no mass gatherings over 350 people. This reduces the calendar to seven events. To read more, click the DirtFish article here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: GEELY VOLVO SUPER FACTORY

This week we have a video of the Geely Volvo super factory at Taizhou, which is a meld of Chinese and Sweedish management. To watch this, click the YouTube video here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 OF THE BEST - A CELEBRATION OF BABY POO YELLOW

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith has compiled another cracking list, this time in honour of baby poo yellow. To run through the best wearers of this striking colour, click the PetrolBlog link here.

AND FINALLY: FIND YOUR PERFECT TESLA-DRIVING PARTNER

Ever thought, whilst flicking through a dating app, “what this needs is a filter to show only Tesla drivers”? Well, the answer to your very specific prayers is over, for behold the Tesla Dating app is almost here! The idea is to hook up with other Tesla owning people who “really understand you”. That’s one way to keep a ready supply of adoring fans. To see more, click the link here.

AND FINALLY FINALLY: ZOOM ZOOMERS CALL

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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Alan chatted to Tim Oldland about his new venture, Raduno Events, a single-point car event listing service. Tim tells us all about how the idea came about, what it aims to provide for both attendees and organisers as well as some of the challenges of launching the service in 2020.

Raduno Events launches on Monday 24th August 2020.

We also talked about some of the other things Tim does, so links to everything discussed are below.

Raduno Website: www.raduno.events

Raduno Instagram: @raduno_events

Raduno Twitter: @raduno_events

Raduno Facebook: @radunoevents

Tim’s “In The Headlights” YouTube channel.

Tim’s classic car part recreation business: Modernclassicparts.com

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FOLLOW UP: RENAULT NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

During last week’s discussion about the SMMT New Car Registration figures the chaps remarked at how impressive the increase by Renault was. Alan has donned his deerstalker and polished his magnifying glass in an effort to investigate why. They had an increase in their core fleet business but also their best-ever month as part of the Motability scheme.

END OF BAILOUT TALKS BETWEEN JLR AND UK GOVERNMENT

JLR and parent company TATA’s talks with the UK Government over financial help have ended. Reports are that the company did not meet the requirements to receive taxpayers funding. Additional sticking points appear to be suggested requirements for an acceleration of their electrification process. TATA has announced that they are continuing to discuss possible options for financial help with the Government. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

NOKIA WINS PATENT RULING AGAINST DAIMLER

Nokia has won a legal dispute, with Daimler, over the use of their patented technology without a license. Daimler is appealing the ruling. In separate actions, Nokia is being investigated for abusing its position in the market, in the EU. The centre of all of this is the fee Nokia charges to license its mobile communication technology, which Daimler and others want to stop being charged on the basis of each car sold. To read more, click the Bloomberg article here.

KUGA PHEV SALES HALTED AND RECALL ISSUED

The newly launched Ford Kuga PHEV has a temporary ban on sales, issued a recall and informed owners to not charge their high-voltage battery until they have had their car serviced and fixed. The exact issue is still unclear. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

TOYOTA TO USE AMAZON CLOUD STORAGE FOR CONNECTED CARS

As part of Toyota’s move to create and offer its next-gen mobility services, they are utilising more of Amazon’s cloud storage and professional services. Some services could be for fleet managers to monitor their service needs or driver behaviour based insurance to access information. To read more, click The Register article here.

MOTORWAY ROADWORK SPEED TO LIMIT TO BE RAISED

Some sections of motorway roadworks are to have their speed limits reevaluated, with the potential to increase up to 60mph. Simon Wickers explained to Andrew why this may be the case and what factors are considered, which you can read by clicking the link here and also clicking here. To read more about the item, click the BBC News article here.

GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION ON AUTOMATED LANE KEEPING ASSIST SYSTEMS

In the next potential step for introducing automated technology on the road, the UK Government has launched a consultation about Automated Lane Keeping Assist systems. The system will take over driving the vehicle, in motorway conditions, without direct input from the human driver by regulating the speed, distance from vehicles around and keeping in the lane occupied. To read more, click the link to the official release 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

FORMULA E: SEASON WRAPS UP IN BERLIN

We reach the end of this strange season, with the last two races being at Berlin again, last week. Formula E, the teams, drivers and everyone else associated with the Berlin races deserve a lot of credit for getting this to happen at all.

In Wednesday’s race, Oliver Rowland won for the first time, for the Nissan e.Dams team. To read more about that and how Rowland has improved as a racer, click The Race article here.

The final race of the season resulted in a Mercedes 1-2, with Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck de Vries completing a satisfactory debut season. Also, this was Vandoorne’s first Formula E victory. To learn more about what happened, click here for The Race’s article.

For the final standings, click the Forumal E article here.

WRC: JAPAN EXPECTED TO BE REPLACED BY YPRES DUE TO COVID-19

As a result of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the expectation is that the Japanese leg of the season will be cancelled and replaced by Ypres. To read more, click the DirtFish article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW TO HAVE THE BEST DRIVE OF YOUR LIFE

Andrew Frankel has written a wonderfully optimistic piece in Autocar about getting back out on the open road and how to enjoy the experience. Key to this is preparing yourself and your car. To read through the advice from Mr Frankel, click the article here. Once you’ve read it, followed it and gone for a drive get in touch with us to tell us where you went and how it was!

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP GEAR’S TOP 9 - EVERYTHING’S BETTER WITH SPOTLIGHTS EDITION

Top Gear has put together a list of cars that look superb with extra spotlights attached to them. To run through them all, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: NEW HYUNDAI EMPLOYEE COLLARED

At A Hyundai dealership, in Brazil, a stray dog kept turning up, and kept turning up, and kept turning up. In the end, they adopted him and gave him an employee badge. To read more about this heartwarming story, click the BoredPanda link here.

AND FINALLY FINALLY: ZOOM ZOOMERS CALL

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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FOLLOW UP: FOUR EX-AUDI EMPLOYEES CHARGED IN GERMANY

In Germany, three ex-Audi executives and a retired engineer have been charged over #dieselgate. Ulrich Hackenberg, Stefan Knirsch, Bernd Martens and Richard Bauder are accused of fraud, false certification and criminal advertising. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

FOLLOW UP: VW LOSES UK APPEAL AGAINST GROUP ACTION

Volkswagen has lost its appeal against the attempt of a group action lawsuit for compensation to those who bought a VW Group car with diesel engines fitted with, what the court has confirmed is, ‘defeat devices’. The case is not expected to start until 2022. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

FOLLOW UP: LEVANDOWSKI SENTENCED

Bringing to an end the messy chapter of Anthony Levandowski, stolen trade secrets and Uber trying to create autonomous taxis, Levandowski has been sentenced to prison for 12 months which he will serve once Covid-19 has receded. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR JULY 2020

In a rare and probably brief moment, there is good news from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders as July showed a double-digit increase in registrations on 2019. To read more click here for the SMMT article and charts.

JLR LOSE REGISTERED DESIGN CASE

In a lengthy legal process, starting with a case to cancel the registered design for the Defender, brought by INEOS against Jaguar Land Rover, finally culminating in JLR losing in the court of appeal a design patent for the Defender. The original decision was made on 21 November 2018, to read the original ruling, click the link here. To read more about the design patent matters, click the Autocar article here, but note there is confusion in the reporting on this between trademark and design patent. Thanks to Lee Walton for clarification on the case but also to Ed Callow who was mentioning this whilst no one else was over a year ago.

TESLA WIPER CONTROLS LAND DRIVER IN TROUBLE

A German driver was prosecuted under the nation’s same laws as using a phone behind the wheel when altering the speed of the wipers via the touch screen which resulted in a crash. Who knew putting controls on a screen that takes eyes from the road is dumb? To read more, click the BBC News article here.

TESLA IN TROUBLE OVER MISLEADING DESCRIPTIONS FOR AUTOPILOT

Another German court has ruled that Tesla must stop using misleading descriptions for its Autopilot software, such as “full potential for autonomous driving” and “Autopilot inclusive”. They have also been told off for their advert suggesting self-driving cars are allowed on German roads. To read more, click The Register article here.

UK’S FIRST DUTCH-STYLE ROUNDABOUT OPENS

Cambridge, where else, has installed the UK’s first Dutch-style roundabout that prioritises cyclists instead of cars. To see more, click Joe Giddens tweet 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

FORMULA E: MANY, MANY RACES AND A TITLE WINNER

With two races left in the season, Antonio Felix da Costa won the 2019/20 season with DS Techeetah, who also claimed the constructor title. To read about that, click here for The Race’s take on the event. To read about why da Costa won the title click here for another The Race article. However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light in the Techeetah stable, one race saw Vergne become furious with his teammate and the team at large for the failure of the pre-race plan to be followed. To read more about that, click another The Race article here.

In other news, Blomqvist is replacing Calado at Jaguar for the remaining two races. Calado’s season has been poor. To read more, click The Race article here.

24HR LE MANS TO RUN BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

An official statement from Automobile Club de l'Ouest has confirmed that whilst the race will still take place, there can be no crowds. Seems that the Virtual 24hr Le Mans was a dry run for the real thing this year. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: INTRODUCTION TO G8 TFX

Lewis Kingston has written a wonderful Long-Term Report on his C4 Corvette. To read more, which we obviously encourage you to do, click the Yes Auto article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: ESTATE OF MIND - FIVE LUXURY LOAD-LUGGERS

Not2Grand is the provider of this week’s List of the Week, as the country holidays and the roads become clogged with SUVs Chris Pollitt offers some alternatives that will do more than your jacked-up hatchback. To read through, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: BUY A CAR AND BE ON TV

TV’s Paul Cowland is filming a new show, where he helps someone buy the perfect car for their needs, within their budget. If you wish to get involved click here for the link to his Tweet with the info.

AND FINALLY: ZOOM ZOOMERS CALL

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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FOLLOW UP: VW ASKS FOR REVIEW OF EMISSIONS UPDATE PENALTIES

Volkswagen has asked the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to review the penalties being imposed by two counties after their emission system updates. To find out more visit the Automotive News article here.

THOMAS SCHAFER IS NEW SKODA BOSS

Thomas Schafer succeeds Bernard Maier as the new boss of Skoda. Unsurprisingly, Schafer has been appointed from within Volkswagen. To read more, click through to the Autocar article here.

FORD CEO JIM HACKETT TO RETIRE

Ford CEO and President Jim Hackett has announced he will retire on 1st October, to be replaced by current COO Jim Farley. There’s more in the Autocar article here.

THIERRY BOLLORÉ IS NEW JLR CEO

The former Renault boss will take over from Prof. Sir Ralf Speth on 10th September. Speth will stay on a non-executive vice-chairman. You can find out more in the Car article here.

JLR ANNOUNCE “SIGNIFICANT IMPACT” OF COVID-19

Unsurprisingly, JLR sales are down significantly as a result of global COVID-19 lockdowns, but with sales “only” down 42% seems to have remained more stable than most. There’s more analysis in this Autocar article.

MITSUBISHI PULLS OUT OF EUROPE

A corporate decision at Mitsubishi sees it suspending the introduction of new models to Europe in order to focus on other markets. There’s more information in this Motor Trade News article.

REPORT CALLS FOR AD BAN FOR LARGE POLLUTING CARS

A report from a “green think tank” and a climate change charity says adverts should be banned for vehicles over 4.8 metres long or emitting more than 160g CO2/km. Click through to the BBC article here.

FUEL TAX REVENUE PLUNGES DURING LOCKDOWN

This week’s “story of the obvious” is about how the UK Government lost £2.4 billion of tax revenue during the lockdown as the country used less petrol and diesel. For more information, click through to this Motoring Research article.

HIGHWAY CODE COULD INTRODUCE A HIERARCHY OF ROAD USERS

A new consultation document is looking to improve safety for all road users. One of the proposals is to give greater protections to cyclists, pedestrians, and horse riders through a number of means including introduction of the “Dutch Reach” and clarification of existing rules. There’s more in this Motoring Research article and you can read and contribute to the consultation document here.

PARKING SENSORS DETRIMENTAL TO DRIVER SAFETY

A survey of Fleet managers shows that 70% of fleet managers either agreed or strongly agreed that technologies such as parking sensors de-skilled drivers to the detriment of driver safety. That feels very wrong, but you can read more in this article from Fleet News.

FORMULA E: IT’S BACK IN BERLIN

Formula E will be back before you read this. The 6 races at Berlin Templehof, using 3 different track layouts on the former airport begin on Wednesday 5th August and will end the series for 2019/2020.

To find out more about some of the changes to FormulaE over the last few months, click here to an article from The Race.

To find out how you can follow these rounds of the championship, click here for the viewers’ guide.

LUNCHTIME READ: Citroen 2CV

To commemorate thirty years since the manufacture of the last Citroen 2CV, Gavin Braithwaite-Smith has written an excellent article charting the history fo the iconic French car. You can read the article, and marvel at the period press pics, via this link to the Retro Motor website.

DESIGNERS’ MOOD BOARD: GILLES VIDAL JOINS RENAULT

Former, and very recent, head of design at Peugeot, Gilles Vidal, is to join the design team at Renault. There’s more information in this Autocar article.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE EIGHT BEST 3-SPOKE ALLOY WHEELS EVER MADE

Allegedly a niche article, this week’s list from Goodwood Road and Racing discusses the potential delight of the 3-spoke alloy wheel. Read the article and choose your favourite here.

AND FINALLY: GORDON MURRAY T50

Everyone else is talking about this son-of-McLaren-F1 so we felt that we should do to. Alan, like the back of the car, is a fan… You can read the Autocar article about it here.

AND FINALLY: ZOOM ZOOMERS CALL

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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FOLLOW UP: OLIVER SCHMIDT TO FINISH SENTENCE IN GERMANY

Former VW executive, Oliver Schmidt, has been granted permission by a Detroit judge to complete the rest of his sentence in a German prison. To read more, click the Reuters article here.

FOLLOW UP: AUDI TO RUN SOFTWARE ARM OF VW

Dirk Hilgenberg will replace Christain Senger as the head of VW Group’s Car.Software division. This will also coincide with the main office of the division moving to Ingolstadt and Audi. To read more, click the Reuters article here.

FOLLOW UP: E-SCOOTERS STOPPED ON A19

Less than a week after the e-scooter trial opened in the Tees Vally, teenagers were stopped and escorted from the A19 dual carriageway, where they were found travelling at 12mph. Some are questioning if they have broken any laws, although rental and trial rules state they should not be ridden on roads with a limit of more than 40mph. To read more, click the Independent article here.

ELLESMERE PORT REOPENS FOR PRODUCTION

Positive news from Vauxhall, as they announce that Ellesmere Port will be reopening to production from 17 August, in a gradual and controlled manner. To read more, including some of the measures they’re putting in place to be safe, click the Vauxhall press release here.

DVLA WARNS OF DELAYS FOR MOTORISTS

Due to the pandemic, the DVLA is warning motorists of delays to processing their requests. This is particularly concerned with paper application of driving licenses, logbook changes and the likes. We are all being encouraged to use the digital processes, to help speed matters along. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

CAR FINANCE ASSISTANCE EXTENDED

The Financial Conduct Authority has announced that help for those struggling to pay their car finance will have assistance packages extended a further three months. This is in line with the help announced for mortgages. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

CAR-SHARING LIKELY CAUSE IN LOCAL SPIKE

A spike of Covid-19 cases, in Northampton and Kettering, is being put down to car-sharing by local health experts. This does raise the concern, for Richard and Andrew, is how much at risk driving instructors are too, due to the confined nature of their working day? To read more, click the Northamptonshire Telegraph here.

TFL FACES LEGAL CHALLENGE OVER CONGESTION CHARGE

Following the recent ‘temporary’ increase in the Congestion Charge, TfL is being taken to court. From the 22 June, the rate increased to £15, runs for longer during the day and now is in place seven days a week. That there was an increase was conditional to their bailout funding from the Government, however, the extent of it was at the discretion of the Mayor of London and TfL. To read more, click the FleetWorld article here.

For an insight into the man now running Transport for London, click on the Evening Standard article here. Not great news if you own a car.

DECARBONISING WALES REPORT RELEASED

The Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee, of the Welsh Parliament, has released their report into the plans to decarbonise Welsh transport. As has become a regular theme, the private car is not seen as the future, with only grudging acceptance it must be mentioned at all. This seems a particularly strange act considering how little of the country is served by public transport and good road networks. To read more, click the report here.

MOTO TRIALING MOTORWAY PETROL PRICE CUTS

Motorway service station operator, Moto, is trialling reduced fuel prices across three sites, to evaluate the viability of doing so across its entire network. If successful, Moto will reduce fuel prices to the local average. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

RENAULT ZOE VAN REVEALED

Renault has revealed a commercial vehicle variant of their small EV, the Zoe. Whilst the doors remain, along with the 245-mile range, the windows will be tinted, rear seats removed and a rubber flooring put in place. As Andrew and Richard discuss, this seems like a cracking vehicle for the tricky ‘last-mile’ issue we are constantly told needs to be addressed. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

MODERN CLASSICS MAGAZINE FOLDS

There is the sad news that Modern Classics magazine has now published its last edition. A deal for a new buyer could not be finalised, and so after four years and 52 excellent editions, the publication has come to an end. We wish all the staff affected by this the best of luck in finding work quickly. To read more, click the Press Gazzette article here.

This does act as a reminder to us all though if you like an outlet that produces content you enjoy, find a way to financially support them if you can. We cannot expect excellent articles, films and stories for us to read, watch and hear to be free.

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

FORMULA E: HARTLEY PARTS WITH DRAGON

Brendon Hartley has suddenly left Dragon Formula E team. Very few details are available but Hartley was not having a good debut season, with a lack of pace from the car not helping matters. To read more, click The Race article here.

WRC: COMPRESSED CALENDAR REVEALED

WRC has revealed the new compressed 2020 calendar. The reduction in events combined with them being held at new times in the year will further complicate the race engineer’s plans. To read more, click the official WRC article here.

TV RECOMMENDATIONS: AN UPDATE

Richard is recommending a couple of TV series you may have missed, which are worth catching up on. The first is a Channel 4 series called “How to Build”, with five episodes being currently available. To select one of those, click the Channel 4 link here.

The second is Vintage Voltage, from Quest, which follows the efforts to convert classic cars to electric-only drive-trains. To watch those, click the Quest link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE BEST UK ROADS FOR CAR-TUNING, ACCORDING TO CHASSIS EXPERTS

The Lunchtime Read is an interesting take on the ‘best driving roads in the UK’ as Autocar speak to real car dynamic experts. Included in this is David Pook, who was a guest on episode 69 of Rear View. To find out the roads that help develop some of the finest cars there are, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE MOST INSPIRING PEOPLE IN THE CAR INDUSTRY

Another list from Autocar, this time from the keyboard of Steve Cropley, when he suggests people are inspiring we should all sit up and take note. To run through the list, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: STELLANTIS IS BORN

The merging of PSA and FCA will create a new group called Stellantis, which is apparently derived from Latin and is quite silly really. How often anyone will actually say the name will be seen. To see the official explanation, click the tweet here.

AND FINALLY: ZOOM ZOOMERS CALL

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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FOLLOW UP: VW FACES DIESELGATE CLAIMS WHERE CARS ARE BOUGHT

An Austrian court sought confirmation from the EU Court of Justice, if it had jurisdiction to proceed on a class action claim. In essence, these cases can take place where the damage has taken place as opposed to where the defendant is domiciled. This potentially opens the floodgates for claims across the EU. To read more, click the Reuters article here.

FOLLOW UP: JUDGE THROWS OUT GM CLAIM AGAIN FCA

The judge presiding over the claim, by General Motors, that FCA had colluded with labor unions for a higher wage cost to GM, has dismissed the case. He stated that their claims initially looked to have merit but once inspected did not hold up. GM has confirmed they will be pursuing this matter in the courts. To learn more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

FOLLOW UP: PSA VULNERABILITY CLARIFICATION

Last week’s List of the Week included a vulnerability found by Ian Tabor, in his DS5. Andrew did not make it clear that any PSA vehicle with the same unit fitted had the same vulnerability. You will learn more by reading his report on the issue and his closing remarks, which can be found by clicking the link here.

VOLKSWAGEN SOFTWARE BOSS TO BE REPLACED

VW is looking at a replacement for Christian Senger, who has been heading up the new software division within the Group. There have been a number of issues with the software for the ID3 and the latest Golf. Senger will be joining Andreas Renschler and Stefan Sommer, in leaving the company. All three were brought in from outside the Group. To read more, click the Carscoops article here.

SKODA BOSS LEAVING

Bernhard Maier is set to leave Skoda at the end of the month, with no news as to his next move. He took over the helm of the Czech firm from Porsche. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

SUZUKI DROPS JIMNY FROM UK

Suzuki has dropped their small 4x4, the Jimny, from their lineup in the UK, however, they will fulfil orders already placed. This is due to the average CO2 emissions across the fleet, as previously discussed. To read more, about this sad news click the CarScoops article here.

BRITISH GAS SWITCHES TO ELECTRIC

British Gas has placed an order for 1,000 all-electric Vivaro-e vans from Vauxhall. This is the first step in fully electrifying its entire 12,000 fleet by 2030. For Vauxhall, this is a massive shot in the arm for the sales of their first full commercial EV. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

CLAIMS GOVERNMENT ROAD BUILDING AT ODDS WITH CO2 LIMITS

A report from Transport for Quality of Life, has claimed that the Government’s plans to invest £27 billion in road building projects would scupper the aim to meet the strict CO2 emission targets. The Government rebuffs these claims, due to out-of-date data being used. However, one aspect that the podcast has mentioned a couple of times, is the mention of brake dust pollution. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

COUNCIL PARKING REVENUE BADLY CUT

Councils, who all rely on revenue from parking, have been hit hard due to an estimated £885 million reduction in income across the country, due to the reduction in travel and free parking offers. Councils are now stuck between encouraging people to return to high streets and potentially putting them off by re-introducing fees. To read more, 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

FORMULA E: MISSION CONTROL CENTRES BANNED

So-called ‘mission control centres’ are to be policed by the FIA, after they became aware that engineers were working in a support function to the trackside team with additional analysis and advice, for some teams. Added to this fewer operational passes will be allowed, cutting the number to 17. To read more, click The Race article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: CHANGE OUR MINDS - HATCHBACKS DON’T NEED MANUAL GEARBOXES

This week Top Gear provides the thought-provoking article, discussing gearboxes suitable for a hatchback. We encourage you to read it and consider if a car has to have a manual gearbox to be considered a ‘proper car’ or you to be a ‘proper driver’. To read, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE GREATEST CARS FOR CORNERS

As we are a country filled with corners, one may think this could just be a list called The Greatest Cars. Motoring Research has put forward their suggestions for the best cars to enjoy the twisty stuff in. There are some cracking cars, with the odd surprise. To read through, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: ARE CLASSIC CARS ALL BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Si Browse, who runs a classic car hire company, has recorded a short video discussing classic cars, particularly in the current climate of moving everything away from the combustion engine. To watch, click the YouTube video here.

ZOOM ZOOMERS CALL

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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Alan had a chat with Thomas Cowley about the Rotodama, a forward control cab kit for the Land Rover Discovery chassis dreamt by him and three friends. We talk about how it came about and the challenges of designing and building a vehicle with production in mind.

To find out more about the Rotodama you can visit the website and follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

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FOLLOW UP: NORTH EAST ENGLAND TRIALLING E-SCOOTERS FIRST

The first location for trialling e-scooters will be in the North East of the UK, the Tees Valley Mayor announced. Ben Houchen was delighted to be able to provide a location where 100 scooters can test the viability and practicalities of renting e-scooters to the public. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

JUNE 2020 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

The June New Car Registration figures have been released by SMMT and they’re not as bad as feared, however, they were presented with notes of extreme caution and concern. To find out more, click the SMMT article link here.

ELECTRIC CAR SCRAPPAGE SCHEME REJECTED

The Government has apparently ruled out creating an electric car scrappage scheme. The call by the industry to ask for a scrappage scheme, which has become the defacto stance every time there is a bit of trouble in the market, is predictable yet when ‘low-hanging fruit’ is left untouched seems a bit of a risk. Andrew has “views” after his current experience of the car retail trade. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

MERCEDES TO SELL FRENCH SMART FACTORY

Mercedes-Benz has announced it is selling off the Hambach factory, where Smarts are built, as part of their cost-cutting and streamlining process. This brought the news that Ineos, the Defender-that-is-not-a-Defender company, is in talks to take over the site, instead of the previously proposed Welsh or Portuguese locations. The recent announcements have caused the chaps to question further the viability of the Ineos project. To read about Mercedes’s decision to close the factory, click here for the Autocar article. To read about the supposed Ineos interest, click another Autocar article here.

BMW LOOKING AT SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE FOR OPTIONS

BMW has announced that it is considering offering options via a subscription model. This will be a departure from selecting and paying for selected options upfront. As with any change, there has been a lot of negative comments, however, some have thought this is might be something customers will embrace. To read more, click the RoadShow 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

FORMULA E: ABT GETS NEW SEAT

NIO 333 has announced that Daniel Abt will fill in for Ma, who is unable to complete the season due to travel restrictions. This is a quick turn around for a driver who was out of a job a few weeks ago. To read more, click the NIO 333 tweet here.

FORMULA E: HANKOOK OFFICIAL TYRE SUPPLIERS

Hankook has outbid Michelin to be the official tyre supplier for Gen 3 of Formula E. This has surprised many, as Michelin has a history with the series and has been a major supporter. To read more, click The Race article here.

FORMULA E: KEY APPOINTMENTS MADE

Formula E has appointed senior marketing and branding executives, to help the series in their efforts for more business opportunities to come out of the series. Personnel from McLaren, the International Cricket Council and Manchester United will try to help them fulfil this aim. To read more, click The Race article here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: KABAN FINDS A HOME WITH VW

Following quite a tumultuous time, professionally, for Jozef Kaban, he is returning to Volkswagen, where he will head up the car brand. Klaus Bischoff is moving upstairs, to look after the group, taking over from Michael Mauer who once again can focus on Porsche’s look. To read more, click the Forbes article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: WHY WE DRIVE REVIEW

This week’s Lunchtime Read is a review of a book, that has shot to the top of both Alan and Andrew’s ‘books we must buy’ list. Michael Crawford has written about the supposed rush towards technology and autonomous vehicles are making a mistake in not understanding how important cars are to people. To read more, click the Guardian article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 25 CAR HACKS (+ EXTRA BONUS HACK)

Forbes has created a list of what they consider the Top 25 Car Hacks. As cars become ever more connected thanks to legislation and companies looking at new ways to make money, risks increase. These risks are made worse when car companies are having to learn about software, attack vectors and realise copying and pasting GitHub code isn’t the greatest recipe for success. To run through the list, click the link here.

Andrew gives us an extra bonus security flaw, thanks to Ian Tabor, who runs Car Hacking Villages at security conferences. Journalists may want to pay attention to this one. To read more, click the link here.

AND FINALLY:

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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Alan spent nine weeks with a Kia Stinger decorating his driveway during the lockdown. When restrictions eased and allowed him to go further than the supermarket, how did he get on?

To listen to Alan chat with Wolfgang Zieglmeier, one of the Principal Audio Engineers from Harman on the Stinger project, click here.

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FOLLOW UP: MCLAREN FINDS FUNDING

McLaren has secured £150 million in funding after it got into difficulties due to the Covid-19 crisis. This does not cause all of the company’s issues to disappear, as they are still trying to raise more funds via a bond against its factory. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

FOLLOW UP: RENTAL E-SCOOTERS TO BE LEGALISED

The Government has announced that e-scooters will be legalised from Saturday, as long as they from a rental company. The idea is to offer another form of persona transport as we are still advised to avoid public transport where possible. Detail is light on exactly what will be allowed but the expectation is they will be banned from pavements, limited to 15.5mph and recommend that riders wear a helmet. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

DRIVING LESSONS ALLOWED AGAIN

From the 4 July, driving lessons will be permitted once again. Once again, the detail was light, on what exact measures would be needed for the safety of both instructors and learners. To read more about this and other major updates click the link here for the Autocar timeline update.

INCREASE IN NUMBER OF SPEEDERS CAUGHT

An article from the BBC News website, linked to below, came with a clickbait headline, which the chaps duly clicked, about an apparent increase in the number of drivers speeding being caught. Once you dig down into the facts, it is not quite that. To learn more, click the link here.

MOT EXEMPTION ENDS 1 AUGUST

From the 1 August, MOT tests will be required once again, bringing to an end the six-month postponement that had been introduced. To read more, click the Car Dealer link here.

2021 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW CANCELLED

The slim chance of the 2021 Geneva Motor Show taking place, has now been confirmed as feared. The Foundation will not accept the loan offer, or cannot accept due to its own rules, and selling the Foundation is their preferred solution. To read more, click the official press release here.

GOVERNMENT ADVICE GROUP CALLS FOR VEHICLE COSTS INCREASE

The Committee on Climate Change, an independent advisory group, has called for a number of steps to be taken by the Government to ensure the climate targets are still met, especially whilst we try to recover from the Covid-19 challenges. Some of these suggestions include increasing taxes on fuel, bringing forward the banning of ICE only vehicles and reducing reliance on car journeys. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

TVR SEARCHING FOR MORE INVESTMENT

TVR is looking for a further £25 million funding to help it produce the long-teased Griffith car. The company claims it is £40 million orders, yet has only director-level employees and owes roughly £5 million. After failing to raise the money via the London bond issue they are now seeking to do so in Dublin. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

ASTON MARTIN SEARCHING FOR MORE CASH

Aston Martin will issue shares as one of a variety of steps the company will take to try and raise £245 million to help it recover from the Covid-19 situation and launch the new DBX model next month. They have been granted a £20 million loan due to coronavirus and are seeking to draw a further £55 million of borrowing. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

AUTOMAKERS STRUGGLING TO COMPLY WITH STRICT EU RULES

New, tighter, EU emission rules are biting automakers hard, as the region’s new car CO2 average has increased to 122.4 g/km in 2019. The 2020 target is 95 g/km, which will require a significant drop, added to that the pandemic situation and expected financial knock-on effect will mean manufacturers will struggle. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

MCDONALD’S TO INSTALL EV CHARGERS

In partnership with InstaVolt, McDonald’s will install hundreds of electric car charging points across the UK. The chaps are waiting for the consultancy cheque to arrive in the post, as they recommended this course of action over three years ago. To read more, click the Independent article here.

We are pausing our Patreon for the foreseeable future due to the ongoing crisis, however, if you are still able to help someone, we recommend supporting Mission Motorsport’s COVID-19 Response Fund. To find out more click this link here.

Please note that we will be restarting our Patreon from the 1 July 2020. If you have any concerns over this, do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

FORMULA E: NIO333 SEARCHING FOR STAND IN DRIVER

For the completion of the 2019/20 season, NIO333 will not have the services of Ma, due to the difficulties and risks of travelling at this time, so they are searching for a stand-in. Names being mentioned include Piquet Jnr and Abt. To read more, click The Race article here.

FORMULA E: DS TECHEETAH TESTING NEXT SEASON POWERTRAIN

Current champion, Vergne, has been testing DS Techeetah’s powertrain for next season, in north-west France. To read more, click The Race article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HISTORY OF THE FIAT PANDA

To celebrate the Panda’s 40th birthday, CAR Magazine has written a history of the car, from the origin of the name, through the many derivatives and how the car came back again. To read the article, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: ALFA ROMEO AT 110 - ITS GREATEST CARS

Another 'Happy Birthday’ is required, this time for Alfar Romeo as it reaches 110. There is a mammoth slide show from Autocar, as frankly, Alfa has made that many excellent cars. To spend some time gazing at a lot of truly wonderful cars, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: END OF THE ROAD FOR SEGWAY

We round the show out with the news that Segway will stop production in the US. They were a pioneer in personal mobility and, when we look back, will be seen to have been too ahead of their time. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

THE ZOOM ZOOMERS

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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Andrew is joined by Luke Crane, a professional commentator and online racing community founder, to discuss sim racing, the impact of recent controversies, the viability of online racing for broadcasters and sponsors and what community racing can be all about.

To find out more about the Actrollvision leagues and community, click this link for the website.

To join the Actrollvision Discord, click the link here.

To watch Actrollvision league racing streams, click the Twitch link here.

To watch more content from Actrollvision, including interviews, click the YouTube link here.

To follow Actrollvision on Twitter, click the link here.

To follow Actrollvision on Facebook, click the link here.

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FOLLOW UP: ISLE OF MAN LIFTS COVID-19 SPEED LIMIT

The Isle of Man Government has lifted the 40mph speed limit, as restrictions due to Covid-19 are eased. To read more, click the Tweet here.

RENAULT NISSAN ACCUSED OF PETROL DEFEAT DEVICE

A new legal action, from Harcus Parker, claims that the two companies are fitting engines that emit up to 15 times the legal limit of nitrogen oxides. Renault Nissan has denied the charge that their diesel and one particular petrol engine are fitted with defeat devices. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

OVER TWO MILLION MOTS DURING LOCKDOWN

Whilst the UK was on lockdown, over two million MOTs took place. Either, all our key workers went at the same time or some ignored the lockdown. This figure is five million less than for the same period last year, however. MOTs for lorries, buses and trailers is restarting from 4 July 2020. To read more, click the AM Online article here.

SMMT CALLS FOR GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has renewed its call for ongoing and planned support, from the Government. Highlighting that one in six jobs could be lost, in the sector, once furloughing stops unless there are incentives to encourage the public to spend money. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

DVLA LAUNCHES ONLINE LOG BOOK ADDRESS CHANGE

The DVLA has launched an online service that allows motorists to update the V5C form, without having to send the paper copy to Swansea. The waiting time will be reduced from six weeks to five days, according to the DVLA. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

ASTON MARTIN APPOINTS NEW CFO

Aston Martin has appointed a new Chief Financial Officer, Kenneth Gregor, who previously was at Jaguar Land Rover. This new appointment is aimed at regaining investor confidence after the share price has plummeted since joining the stock market. To read more, click the Reuters article here.

LAMBORGHINI WITHDRAWS FROM ALL MOTOR SHOWS

Lamborghini announces that they are withdrawing from exhibiting at public motor shows in the future, deciding that their customers deserve more bespoke and personal attention. To read more, click the Twitter thread from Eric Gallina here.

APPLE ANNOUCEMENTS AT WDCC

Apple announced, on the first day of WDCC, that there are updates to CarPlay, with more functionality for EV owners, better maps and the ability to use your iPhone as a key if you own a new BMW. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

Please note that we will be restarting our Patreon from the 1 July 2020. If you have any concerns over this, do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

FORMULA E: REVISED SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED

Formula E and the FIA has announced a proposed calendar for the 2020/21 season. This is on the back of the news that Berlin will host six different races, on three layouts, over a nine-day period in August, to round the season out. To read about Berlin, click the BBC Sport link here. To read about the provisional 2020/21 season calendar, click the Formula E article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: A PARIS-DAKAR RALLY ROLLS-ROYCE RIDES AGAIN

This week the chaps are recommending you spend time finding out about the Rolls-Royce (well, sort of a Rolls) that took part in the 1981 Paris-Dakar Rally. To read this amazing story, click the Robb Report article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 14 CLASSIC DASHBOARDS YOU’D NEVER SEE IN A MODERN CAR

As the title implies, this week Alan and Andrew have a list of fabulously quirky dashboards that we will, probably, never see the likes again, unless it is a downloadable option as an interior skin to use. To run through the gallery, click the Classic & Sports Car link here.

AND FINALLY: CARTUNES A NEW FEATURE FROM PETROLBLOG

CarTunes is a new feature on the always wonderful PetrolBlog site. Peter Counsell and Gavin Baithwaite-Smith’s idea is to fondly stroll down memory lane, where a particular song reminds you of a specific car and journey. Once again PetrolBlog brings us the features we did not now we needed, but now realised we do. To read more, click the article link here.

THE ZOOM ZOOMERS

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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Andrew had a Hyundai IONIQ Electric, for a week, to find out how much had changed since he and Alan drove around Britain in one. Listen in to hear about comfort, the impressiveness of the improved regeneration technology and the key question, does the symbol for the volume control knob stay vertical?

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FOLLOW UP: SUPPOSED EMAIL TRAIL IMPLIES GHOSN IS RIGHT

A string of emails, which Nissan deny are real, indicates that there was an effort to oust Ghosn from the Rebel Alliance, as he has always maintained. The information that has been revealed is quite damning if it transpires the emails are real. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

AUTOMOTIVE WORLD CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

The chaps refer, once again, to the timeline from James Attwood on Autocar’s website, updating with the latest developments in the automotive world, as a result of the current crisis. Of note, is that the DVSA has not been able to clarify when driving lessons and tests can resume. Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant will not reopen until September. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

EV LICENSE PLATES TO HAVE GREEN PATCHES

The Government has given the go-ahead for a green patch to be added to electric vehicle license plates. The chaps are a bit bemused as to why this has been agreed and permitted. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

TOYOTA BUILDS 4.5 MILLIONTH VEHICLE IN THE UK

Congratulations to Toyota, as they confirm they have built their 4.5 millionth vehicle in the UK. They have managed that number in just under 30 years of production, in the UK. To read more, click the Toyota Media article here.

JLR POSTS LOSS BUT REMAINS UPBEAT

Jaguar Land Rover has posted a £422 million loss but the company is still bullish about things moving forward. With China opening up again, as it is their largest market, and their increase in cost-cutting efforts, along with the cash they can access if needed, management is confident they are on the right track. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

FORD AND VW REVEAL COLLABORATION DETAIL

Ford and Volkswagen first announced they would be working closely together to develop, vehicles and share technology, last year. They have now revealed, in more detail, what that will look like. This is not a rebadging exercise, however, there should be significant cost savings by working together more closely. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

DACIA TO OFFER LPG ACROSS THE RANGE

Dacia has made the surprise announcement, that they will offer LPG variants across their range and these will be available in the UK as well as the rest of Europe. This will lower the brand’s average CO2, but in a more economical manner than fitting hybrid and battery technology. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

Please note that we will be restarting our Patreon from the 1 July 2020. If you have any concerns over this, do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

WRC: TOYOTA PULLS PLUG ON 2021 GR YARIS

Unsurprisingly, when considering timescales and costs, Toyota has announced it will not be replacing the current Yaris car for the 2021 season. There will have to be a new car in 2022 due to the change in regulations and introduction of hybrid technology anyway, so this would put too much pressure on the Team. To read more, click the DirtFish article here.

24HR LE MANS VIRTUAL

The first-ever official 24hr Le Mans Virtual event was staged at the weekend, with nearly 50 teams taking part, using drivers from across the globe. This was the most impressive TV production of an online race, to date. Whilst there were a couple of snags, overall the reaction was very positive, especially from those who do not normally tune in to online racing. To read more, click the eMotorports News article here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: TV’S PAUL COWLAND BUILDS A MUSTANG SERIES

To title the new series of YouTube videos, Building the Perfect Mustang is putting your head above the parapet. However, TV’s Paul Cowland is that brave though. Click here to watch the first of a series of films that tracks the progress of building what he considers to be the best Mustang.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HANS MEZGER’S SIX GREATEST HITS

Last week there was the sad announcement that former Porsche engine designer had passed away. To read about his life and the amazing work he accomplished click the Andrew Frankel article from Goodwood Road&Racing here.

Top Gear magazine created a list of his top six engines, to find out more about them, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: WHAT TO WATCH INSTEAD OF THE HOMAGE TO LE GRAND RENDEZ-VOUS

The internet was awash with the film of Charles LeClerc apparently storming around Monaco, in a Ferrari HP, as a homage to the utterly wonderful Le Grand Rendez-Vous. If you haven’t seen it, we don’t recommend you bother, instead, we suggest these two films which should give you your fix of fast cars being driven spiritedly.

To watch the Shell and Ferrari film, click the YouTube link here.

To watch the Pennzoil Dodge Demon film, click the YouTube link here.

THE ZOOM ZOOMERS

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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NEW CAR REGISTRATIONS MAY 2020

As expected, the number of new car registrations, in the UK for May 2020 was very low. However, surprisingly, is the amount that actually was registered. Click through here for the SMMT article detailing more.

JLR’S CASTLE BROMWICH SITE REMAINS CLOSED

Jaguar Land rover’s Castle Bromwich production facility will remain closed until 10 August, when a phased program of production will begin. This will allow the company time to install the equipment needed for the new production line that the yet to be revealed electric XJ will be built on. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

UK MOTOR INDUSTRY JOB LOSSES

Aston Martin, Bentley and Lookers have all announced planned job cuts. Aston Martin’s will be of little surprise as new management teams always make grand gestures when starting out. Bentley’s plans were due to come in March, as part of their Beyond 100 project. Lookers’ announcement is a reflection of both the current situation and their ongoing financial issues that remain both complicated and murky. To read more about Aston Martin, click the Autocar article here. For more information about Bentley, click the Autocar article here. To read about Lookers’ job losses, click The Guardian article here. To find out more about the financial issues Lookers’ has, click The Guardian article here.

7-MONTH PHOTO DRIVING LICENSE EXTENSION GRANTED

The DVLA has announced that it is automatically extending photo driving licenses that have expired, between 1 February and 31 August 2020, for seven months. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

VW BRAND GETS NEW CEO

Ralf Brandstätter has been internally appointed as the new CEO of the Volkswagen Brand, taking over from Herbert Diess who remains as VW Group CEO. There were many rumours flying around earlier this week, with regards to the potential changes. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

CUTTING POLICE FUNDING AFFECTS ABILITY TO POLICE

A study, carried out for the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, has concluded that cutting funding to the police has a negative and direct effect on incident and collision numbers. This is particularly pertinent as all public purses will be squeezed in the coming years, with any government having to tread carefully with where it chooses to spend money. To read the Autocar article, click the link here. To read the full report, click the link here.

HONDA’S GLOBAL PRODUCTION HIT BY CYBER ATTACK

Plants across the globe, run by Honda, have been hit by a cyber attack. Details are sketchy at the moment, but it is known that production has been affected. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

LONDON CONCOURS PERMITTED

An announcement has been made that the London Concours has been granted permission to run 19-20 August. This will probably be the first major UK automotive event since the lockdown was initiated. To read more, click their tweet here.

FORMULA E: WHERLEIN JOINS PORSCHE

Pascal Wehrlein has left Mahindra with immediate effect, choosing not to activate his third-year option, so that he can join the Porsche team. Neel Jani, the driver who he will replace, is expected to complete his contract with Porsche. To read more, click The Race article here.

WRC: EVENT CANCELLATIONS ANNOUNCED

Finland, New Zealand and Great Britain events have all been cancelled this year, due to the effects of the Covid-19 crisis. A combination of logistics and safety for those watching and taking part means it is impossible to hold them. To read more, click the DirtFish article here and also click the Goodwood Road&Racing article here.

REVS RESTORED EVENT RETURNING THIS WEEKEND

The virtual car event, run by Adam Gompertz, will return this weekend (13-14 June 2020), with another array of fabulous people. To find out more, click the Facebook link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: AIRLOCK

Spacesuit Media, the motorsport media collective, has released a fabulous digital magazine with an array of fabulous and thought-provoking articles and imagery. To find out more, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: NINE CAR MUSEUMS TO VISIT FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR SOFA

Top Gear has created a list of museums that you can virtually visit, to help you get the motoring fix you may need. They have selected a particularly wonderful mix, which you can look at by clicking the link here.

AND FINALLY: RX-7 SAVED FROM FLOOD BY STRANGER

Austin Owens came across the sight of a Mazda RX-7 in danger from floodwater, via social media. He decided that he could and would help. Both he and a friend organised supplies and helped to raise up the car so that it could be raised up out of the potentially ruinous water. What a guy. To read more, click the Jalopnik article here.

THE ZOOM ZOOMERS

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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Alan was joined by Dominic Taylor-Lane from the Association of Heritage Engineers to find out why the Association exists, what it’s all about and how people can get involved.

To find out more about the Association of Heritage Engineers visit their website and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

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FOLLOW UP: VW NOT SHIELDED FROM MORE US FINES

Volkswagen lost a case, where counties from Utah and Florida were seeking damages in relation to #dieselgate. The court found that the legislation did not exclude state and local governments from fining VW, even though they had reached a settlement with the US Government. Volkswagen was seeking a further review of this ruling. The potential liability this could expose VW Group to is huge. To read more, click the Reuters article here.

FOLLOW UP: HOMEMADE COG ADVERT WINNER ANNOUNCED

The winner of the best homemade advert, inspired by the Honda COG advert has been announced. There were some fantastic submissions, including one from Jonny Smith, who shared the amount of work it took to create his final effort. To read more and watch the videos, click the Honda article here.

CORNAVIRUS AND THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD

Once again, we refer to James Attwood’s ongoing timeline of what is happening in the automotive world during this virus outbreak. A couple of points are highlighted, that dealerships opened again on 1 June (8 June for Northern Ireland) and motorsport will be starting again soon behind closed doors. To read more, from the Autocar article click here. To read the excellent piece from TV’s Paul Cowland, click Car Dealer Magazine here.

197 CARS MADE IN APRIL

Unsurprisingly, car production was an incredibly small amount, compared to months prior to the virus crisis. Only 197 vehicles were built during April. To read more, click the City AM article here.

FRANCE ANNOUNCES CAR INDUSTRY RESCUE PACKAGE

President Macron has revealed a package to help the French car industry, with €8 billion being made available. Some measures include incentives for people to buy new, cleaner vehicles, however, it is not clear if this is a scrappage scheme. One of the provisos is for the money to be spent in France, as one would expect. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

REBEL ALLIANCE ANNOUNCE CLOSER TIES

Renault Nissan and Mitsubishi announced their plan for closer ties and how to return to profitability. There will be more sharing of developed platforms, technology and design, including the effectively rebadging of cars for each of the brands. They will have one lead company for specific global regions. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

NFU GIVES FREE HOME RECOVERY COVERAGE

Insurer NFU will provide free home start and recovery service, via the RAC, for existing customers until 31 August 2020, following lockdown restrictions. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

FORMULA E: AND WE GO GREEN DOCUMENTARY

A Formula E documentary, focusing on Jean-Eric Verne during his championship-winning season, has been released. You can find it on Channel 4, in the UK. To learn more and where you can see it, click the Formula E article here.

WRC: WIN A GR YARIS

WRC has announced the prize for the winner of the latest WRC 8 e-racing championship, will be a Toyota GR Yaris. Not a toy, model or radio-controlled version, but an actual car. Whilst that is tempting for Alan, not even such a prize has motivated him enough to get into sim racing. To learn more, click the WRC article here.

W-SERIES ESPORTS LEAGUE

The female-only racing league, W-Series, has announced an online league that will start on 11 June. Congratulations to Luke Crane, who helped create the league, and will be the lead commentator. He will be joined by David Coulthard, co-commentator, Lee McKenzie, lead presenter, and Billy Monger, race pundit. To read more, click the W-Series article here.

RACE OF REMEMBRANCE 2020 ANNOUNCED

With motorsport being permitted once again, Mission Motorsport has announced the 2020 Race of Remembrance details. To learn more, click the article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: INDIRA FLACK AND THE GBRD

Indira Flack will be exhibiting her series of portraits of British racing drivers, at Silverstone. The Influx article explains how the project came about and how she has managed to get so many to participate. To read more, click the article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST SECRETS HIDDEN INSIDE CARS

Autocar has produced a delightful list of hidden secrets that can be found in various cars, from rotary triangle shapes throughout the Mazda RX-8, to a drink holder underneath the bonnet of a Dodge Challenger, these touches help make the cars extra special. To run through the list and learn some fascinating facts, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: OWNER SELLS CAR WITHOUT DRIVING IT

The owner of 1 of 77, track-only, Porsche 935, is selling the car without having had the pleasure of driving it. This isn’t the normal story of rich collector holding onto a car and not using it for the purpose intended, click through to The Drive article here to learn more.

THE ZOOM ZOOMERS

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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Adam Donfrancesco of R-Reforged joins Alan once again to discuss the latest project by R-Reforged, the Aston Martin Vantage V12 Zagato Heritage TWINS, a limited edition of 19 pairs of bespoke, V12 Vantage S - based Coupé and Speedster pairings.

To find out more about R-Reforged, the Heritage TWINS and other projects, visit their website and follow them on Twitter and Instagram.

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FOLLOW UP: VW PAYS $10M TO END CEO CASE

Volkswagen has paid nearly $10 million to a German court, to end the case against CEO Herbert Diess, who was accused of manipulating market prices by not revealing the scandal that became #dieselgate sooner. VW reiterate that although they have paid they are adamant that the case was baseless. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

FOLLOW UP: VW LOSE LANDMARK CIVIL CASE

In a different court, Volkswagen lost a civil case where the claimant was seeking compensation akin to that given in the US, for those who had bought affected vehicles unknowingly. VW will have to pay an amount of money if the owner wants to keep the vehicle or buy it back at a rate adjusted relative to the mileage of the car. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

FOLLOW UP: MORE ARRESTS OVER GHOSN’S ESCAPE

In the US, two security consultants have been arrested in connection with the plot and execution of Ghosn’s escape from Japan. The father and son duo were part of the team that scoped possible escape routes and brought in the large boxes that were supposedly used to smuggle Ghosn from the country. To read more, click the Jalopnik article here.

FOLLOW UP: KHAN AND GOVERNMENT BOTH TO BLAME FOR CONGESTION CHANGES

The mudslinging and accusations over who was directly at fault for the increase in Congestion Charge fee, the time it covers and bringing in changes sooner has slowed sufficiently for us to find out that part of the conditions of the bailout did stipulate changes had to be made, however exactly how much, when and exactly what time they cover was down to TfL and the Mayor of London. To read more, click the link here.

FOLLOW UP: MCLAREN MORTGAGES ASSETS

McLaren has now agreed on a loan, using some of their assets as collateral. However, due to already having secured funding previously, they cannot use all their assets. To read more, click The Guardian article here.

McLaren also announced, on the day of recording, that it was going to make 1,200 staff redundant. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

SHOWROOMS ALLOWED TO OPEN FROM 1 JUNE

The Government has announced that car showrooms and open markets will be allowed to re-open on 1 June, ahead of the other ‘non-essential’ shops date of 15 June. They have done this now to give sites time to put in place the measures required to be allowed to safely operate once more. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

ASTON MARTIN GETS NEW BOSS

Dr Andy Palmer has left Aston Martin, with immediate effect. Three other board members have also left the company. Mercedes-AMG boss, Tobia Moers, will take over from 1 August 2020. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

NEW EURO NCAP TESTS

As part of the way Euro NCAP works, they update their testing regime every two years. In this installment, they will be adding driver assistance technology, a new mobile barrier test and other improvements. To read more, click the Waynes World article here.

JLR SEEKING AID FROM GOVERNMENT

Jaguar Land Rover is in discussions with the Government over financial aid, due to the current crisis. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

GENEVA MOTORSHOW UNLIKELY IN 2021

The Foundation that runs the Geneva Motorshow has turned down a grant from the Canton of Geneva, as it is unable to accept the conditions of the aid. This means that the 2021 show is “unlikely” and in their press release, they advised exhibitors to plan for 2022. Some took this to mean there will never be a show again, however, Alan is a little more optimistic. To read more, click the GIMS release here.

FORMULA E: RACE FROM HOME

During Saturday’s race, Daniel Abt, the Audi driver, employed a pro-sim racer to take his place for qualifying and the race. Abt has subsequently explained they thrashed out the idea just before qualifying and disguised the fact it was not him in the main event. Formula E found out and disqualified him, banned him from the rest of the competition and recommended he donate €10,000 to charity, the sim driver is also banned for the rest of the series. Abt claims this was all done in jest and to entertain the fans with some different and interesting content. To watch Abt’s video statement, click the YouTube link here.

Audi, on the day of recording, also announced their punishment which was to ‘suspend’ Abt from driving for them. The expectation is he won’t drive for Audi again. To read more, click The Race article here.

There has been an increasingly poor reaction from real-world drivers and some of the press, who have used straw-man arguments such as “it’s only a game”, “it’s only online”, “it’s just meant to be fun” and the likes. Those are disrespectful, nonsense statements that could easily be tweaked and used about real-word racing. To read some balanced thoughts on the situation, click The Race link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: RECREATING ICONIC IMAGES WITH LEGO

We have selected another from the series of #GetCreativeWithPorsche to feature as our List of the Week. This time, automotive photographer Dominic Fraser takes us through the process of recreating iconic photos with the help of Lego. To read more, and hopefully, get inspired, click the link to the Porsche article here. If you create any shots like this, do remember to tag the podcast in!

LIST OF THE WEEK: ARE THESE THE BEST RALLYING SUPERCARS OF ALL TIME?

SuperUnleaded has created a fab list of rallying supercars. Click the link here, to run through the short list and try to select your favourite!

AND FINALLY: OFF-ROAD BUS WINS RED DOT AWARD

The heavy-duty off-road bus, built by Torus, has won a prestigious Red Dot Design Award. The amazing looking bus is designed to help workers get to inhospitable areas relatively easily. To read more, click the SuperUnleaded article here.

THE ZOOM ZOOMERS

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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FOLLOW UP: E-SCOOTER CONSULTATION

The Government has released a consultation about e-scooters, seeking opinion on what one is, where they should be used and the like. We have until 23:45 on 2 June 2020 to respond. To read more and answer, click the .Gov.uk page here.

AUTOMOTIVE CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

Once again we recommend clicking on the Autocar timeline article, excellently written by James Attwood, which lists what is happening in the automotive world due to the current crisis. To do so, click the link here.

There are a couple of stories that the chaps highlighted though, the first is that McLaren was turned down when they originally asked for a loan of around £150 million. As a consequence, they are investigating mortgaging some of their assets such as historic racing cars. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

LONDON CONGESTION CHARGE RETURNS

Transport for London was very close to collapse, last week, however that has been averted by a bailout by the Government. At first, the news was reported that the return of the congestion charge and the subsequent increase to the fee, days and time covered was claimed to be a condition of the bailout. This has subsequently turned out to be untrue, it was the decision of the Mayor of London. To read more, click the article about how TfL got into this mess here. To read through the thread from the author of that article, click here. To read about the changes to the congestion charge, click the Autocar article here.

CALLS INCREASE FOR A SCRAPPAGE SCHEME

There is an increasing number of calls for a scrappage scheme to be announced, coming from the auto industry, to help the sector in what is expected to be tough financial times. Alan and Andrew discuss this, as there are mixed messages at the moment. We have had the campaign that dealerships be allowed to open again as there was a large pent up demand of people wanting to buy cars. So which is it? The chaps also discuss how the industry has to become sustainable, which is obviously isn’t if every time there is a blip the call goes up for Government help. To read more, click the Car Dealer Magazine article here.

YORK AIMS FOR ZERO-EMISSIONS

York is investigating becoming the first zero-emission city in the UK, taking advantage of the current guidance on travel. Part of the plan would be to ban petrol and diesel cars, buses, vans and lorries from the city centre. The ban would not cover disabled drivers though. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

ARRIVAL OPENING NEW COMPOSITIES FACILITY

Arrival, the until recently secret EV company, has announced it is opening a new composite facility. This is in addition to their other factory, which we discussed recently. To read more, click the MTD MFG article here.

VIRTUAL LE MANS

As the real race has been moved to September, there is a hole in the calendar, which will be filled by a virtual 24-hour race starting on June 13. There will be 50 teams, comprising of two real-world drivers and two sim-racing drivers. To read more, click the Top Gear magazine article here.

WORLD’S SMALLEST CONCOURS D’ELEGANCE

There is a way we can continue to enjoy car shows, during this time, with a model Concours d’Elegance. Every two weeks the Isolation Island event shows off model car entrants, which have cost no more than $350. To learn more and maybe even submit your own, click the Motoring Research article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: BANGERNOMICS MAG - THE BRIT ISSUE

James Ruppert’s Bangernomic Magazine is our lunchtime read. All of it. As usual, there is a fab mix of articles, but of particular note are the two about getting Britain going again as lockdown eases off and supporting local specialist businesses. Added to that, for free, James is including businesses that are connected with the motoring industry to help raise awareness that they exist, they’re still there and they too will require our help. To read the magazine, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE UNTHINKABLES - 10 OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL CAR INNOVATIONS

Autocar has produced an excellent list of cars that were shocking when they were first revealed. The aspects that made them so seem quite tame today, but is that familiarity or that they worked as well as the company hoped? To run through the list, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: WORLD BEE DAY

20 May is World Bee Day, thanks to the UN. Rolls Royce and Toyota are celebrating by telling us more about how their sites have been designed with bees in mind. To read Rolls Royce’s work, click the link here. To read about Toyota, click the link here.

THE ZOOM ZOOMERS

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the YouTube link here.

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Alan and Andrew both had examples of the Jeep Wrangler range, to try out, for a week. Listen in as they compare how many Jeep decals they found, the level of thoughts that has gone into the actual use of the car and how the performance was a little surprising for them and others.

(No groundhogs were harmed in the testing of these JEEP.)

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FOLLOW UP: ARRESTS IN TURKEY FOR ASSISTING GHOSN

Seven people, including pilots, flight attendants and airline executives have been arrested in Turkey, for their involvement in the remarkable escape from Japan that Carlos Ghosn perpetrated. The airline, MNG Jet, also filed a criminal complaint in relation to this. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

FOLLOW UP: INTERPOL ISSUE RED NOTICE OVER DUNN SUSPECT

Interpol has issued a Red Notice globally, for Ann Sooclas, who is wanted in relation to the death of Harry Dunn. The US has flatly refused to accept an extradition request, from the UK and has also stated that it will not comply with this Red Notice. To read more, click the Axios article here.

CAR SHOWROOMS CONSIDERED ‘NON-ESSENTIAL RETAIL’

As car showrooms have been classed as ‘non-essential retail’ they will be allowed to operate, if following safety guidance, when England reaches Step 2 of the lockdown release. The earliest this will come into force is June 1. There is no news on whether Wales and Scotland will follow suit. To read more, click the AM Online article here.

UPDATE FROM THE CAR WORLD

We are, once again, linking to Autocar’s timeline on what changes are occurring in the automotive world. To read through the latest steps taken, click the link here.

GOVERNMENT ENCOURAGES US TO CONSIDER OUR TRAVEL

Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, has announced that we all need to consider the mode of transport we are going to take for our travel, be that to work or for leisure. This backs up his department’s report on how transport in the UK will need to evolve in the years to come. Some misinterpreted him and took it that cars were being banned, which is not the case, just that we need to use the most appropriate form of transport for the task. To read more, click the Gov.UK article here.

Connected with this, was the announcement that £250 million was being provided to councils so that alternative or active transport could be encouraged, during the current situation, whilst providing safety to those walking, cycling or similarly. Added to that, is the news e-scooter legislation could be rushed through enabling them to be legally used. To read more, click The Guardian article here.

Wales has also asked councils to register their interest in encouraging alternative transport methods. The Welsh Assembly has given them until 21 May 2020 to confirm they wish to install pop-up cycle lanes, bring in more 20mph zones and the likes. To read more, click on the press release here.

MOTORSPORT AUSTRALIA PRODUCES POSSIBLE BLUEPRINT

Australian motorsport’s governing body has released a blueprint that could mean motorsport can begin to take place again, safely. They have encouraged others to review the document and hopefully, this means that live events startup. To read more, click the DirtFish article here.

REVS LIMITER VIRTUAL CAR SHOW THIS WEEKEND

Adam Gompertz, the man behind the REVS Limiter idea, has managed to get a great collection of people to take part in this wonderful sounding event. To learn more, click the Classics and Sports Car link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW THE ODDBALL MATRA RANCHO INVENTED THE CROSSOVER

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith has donned his best Sherlock Homes gear and investigated the wonderful, if flawed (but let us gloss over that), Matra Rancho. In doing so he comes to the conclusion that this was the start of the crossover craze. Also, the chaps realise where their like of plastic cladding originated. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 6 UNBELIEVABLE RULE-BENDING STORIES FROM RALLY

Michael Banovsky wrote the List of the Week for Petrolicious, a while ago, however, it is still a brilliant piece of work. Run through the six examples of rally motorsport pushing, and possibly crossing, the boundaries of what was allowed by the rules. To read more, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: FADED BEAUTY OF ABANDONED CARS

Dieter Klein, a German photographer, photographs abandoned cars, some of these have been made into a book called Lost Wheels. Click on the BBC News article here to run through some of the wonderful photographs he has taken.

THE ZOOM ZOOMERS

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. This week Alan got a lovely surprise as Andrew was the guest! If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the Twitter link here.

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FOLLOW UP: FERRARI OPENS AGAIN

Thanks to their “Back on Track” initiative, which the chaps discussed on 14 April’s episode, Ferrari opened Maranello once more, to begin a phased ramping up of production. To read more on this and what else is happening around the world, click the Autocar link here.

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR APRIL 2020

Surprising no one, UK New Car Registration figures fell by 97.3%, with 4,321 registrations happening in April 2020. The cars in the Top Ten are a very different lot from normal. To read more, click the SMMT article here.

HITACHI PARTNERING WITH GRIDSERVE

Hitachi is investing in the electric service station developer, Gridserve, helping them to open the first of their planned one hundred EV dedicated charging stations. The first of which is due to open this summer. To read more, click the Autocar link here.

PORSCHE ADDS APPLE CARPLAY TO HISTORIC CARS

Porsche is offering the ability to retrofit Apple CarPlay into vintage cars, via their Classic department. These are discreet units that fit into older Porsches but allow owners to utilise their Apple devices. To read more, click the Motoring Research article.

SHEFFIELD CITY COUNCIL’S ANPR DATA EXPOSED

8.6 million vehicle records were accessible, covering thousands of vehicles, without a password or authentication. Individual vehicles, as well as their journeys, were traceable to anyone who logged into the management dashboard. Time will tell if anything happens or if ANPR was being used outside the scope the public expect it to be used. To read more, click the link to The Register article.

NOTTINGHAM REPORTS BACK ON ULEZ

Nottingham, one of the first locations for an Ultra Low Emission Zone, has reported back on the lessons that have been learnt in the first two years of the project. When reading the document, it can be seen that this was from before the lockdown, as could be expected. Some of the findings will now need to be re-evaluated but the chaps do commend Nottingham for reviewing the status and publishing their findings. To read more, click the ZapMap article here. If you would like to read the report itself, click the link here.

ITV INVITE RECREATIONS OF HONDA’S COG ADVERT

The ITV program, The People’s Ad Break, has asked for members of the public to recreate the famous Honda advert, that featured the parts being triggered to move. Good luck with your version, you have until 8 May to submit so get your skates on. To find out more and the chance to rewatch that superb advert, click the Motoring Research article here.

WRC: RALLY PORTUGAL CANCELLED

Rally Portugal is the first event to be officially cancelled, as the organisers could not make a provisional October date work. We suspect it will not be the last that is cancelled. To read more, click the DirtFish article here.

Also on DirtFish is an article discussing a topic raised on one of their recent podcasts, cost-cutting and simplification of the rules to continue to make the sport attractive to manufacturers and teams. Citroën pulling out must have made alarm bells go off, within the WRC organising committees, the added financial pressures that will come following this pandemic are likely to put all motorsport in line for being cut. We saw how quickly VW dropped it’s motorsport commitments to deal with costs from dieselgate. Does not take much thinking to see others following suit. To read more, click the article here.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: DONCKERWOLKE LEAVES HYUNDAI

Luk Donckerwolke has resigned, with immediate effect, as Hyundai Group Chief Design Officer, due to personal reasons. To read more, including some of the stunning concepts he presided over, click the FormTrends article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: MAZDA’S STORY ON THE FOURTH-GENERATION MX-5 DESIGN

Another FormTrends article, this time one about how Mazda produced the design of the fourth-generation MX-5. This is a fascinating read, about the process Mazda went through to finally emerge with the final look of the car. To read this, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 25 THINGS WE LEARNED WHILE WATCHING MOVIES

This week’s list comes from the Double Apex site, where, with tongue firmly embedded in their cheek, they tell us what we should be doing whilst driving if movies are to be believed. Click their link here, to read more.

AND FINALLY: BMW HELPS WITH OUR EDUCATION

During this time of lockdown, there have been plenty of asinine posts about how you should be bettering yourself and if you aren’t what a fool you are. Well, we think that is silly, however, a little improvement is probably doable. BMW has come to our aid and released a video that tells us all how to pronounce BMW in German. Click the YouTube link here and then you will have a nice warm feeling as you have learnt something today.

THE ZOOM ZOOMERS

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the Twitter link here.

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Alan heard from Adam Donfrancesco of R-Reforged about some of the thinking and engineering that goes into limited-production projects such as the Aston Martin Vanquish 25 by CALLUM.

In this, we talk mostly about the engineering and thinking that’s gone un under the skin, for more pictures and information about the aesthetic tweaks that Ian Callum and the team at R-Reforged made then I recommend this Motoring Research article from the concept launch.

To find out more about R-Reforged and their ongoing projects then visit their website.

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UPDATE ON EFFECTS OF GLOBAL LOCKDOWN ON INDUSTRY

Autocar has compiled a list of the effects the global pandemic is having on the motoring industry and sport. To get a snapshot of the impact, click through on the link here.

AA MAKE SILLY CLAIM ABOUT FUEL PRICES

The AA has claimed, just days after the oil price went through the floor, that petrol prices hadn’t fallen to reflect this and drivers were being ‘ripped off’. This was a silly claim, one that Andrew has “views” about. To read more, click the BBC News article here. The RAC look at all of the factors that affect the current situation to learn more, click on the Motoring Research article here.

CLASSIC CAR AUCTION HOUSE COYS IN ADMINISTRATION

Coys of Kensington Automobiles has gone into administration with trading debts of £1.65 million. The last 12 months have been quite turbulent for Coys. To read more, click The Telegraph article here. Note, you may need to register to get access to this article.

THREE-MONTH CAR FINANCE FREEZE ANNOUNCED

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has introduced new rules, that allow UK residents who are struggling to pay their PCP or PCH, to apply for a three-month freeze. The FCA also stated that there should be no strings attached to applications of the freeze. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

CLAIMS PEOPLE WILL AVOID PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND BUY CARS

Autotrader revealed their research, that people will avoid public transport and buy a car, once lockdown measures are eased. Andrew and Alan don their white coats and push their glasses up their nose to look a little more into this story. To read more, click the Autotrader article here.

LOWER SPEED LIMIT ON ISLE OF MAN

As more people appear to be using our roads and with plenty of stories of vehicles stopped for speeding, it should be noted that the Isle of Man introduced a lower speed limit, of 40mph, on 27 March. The idea is to reduce the strain on their healthcare system. If enough people continue to flout the laws of the road, it is easy to see the UK following suit. To read more, click the Isle of Man Government statement.

MOST ACCIDENTS OCCUR ON SLOWER ROADS

Department of Transport figures have revealed that more accidents take place on slower roads, but more fatalities occur on higher speed roads. Choose My Car commissioned the research into the detail of accidents in the UK. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: CAR DETAILING

Porsche has asked Richard Tipper, the car detailing wizard known more commonly as @perfectionvalet, for his tips on detailing your car. As part of their #GetCreativeWithPorsche, the third instalment helps those of us looking to up our car presentation game. To read more, click on the Porsche article link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 OF THE BEST LOOKING CLASSIC ESTATES

If you’ve listened to the show for any length of time, you’ll know how much the chaps like and estate. Well, this is almost the perfect List of the Week, it is as though Gareth Herincx wrote it especially for us. Run through the glorious estates of yesteryear, before they became a glorified large hatchback, by clicking the Admiral link here.

AND FINALLY: BEST WAY TO TRANSPORT YOUR NISSAN FIGARO

Want to know which accessory allows you to transport your Figaro, well a ton rated roof rake is the answer. There is a glorious explanation into the competitive world of sturdy roof racks, from Hagerty. Click on the link here, to learn more than you thought was the reality.

THE ZOOM ZOOMERS

Alan takes part in a gathering of folks from the motoring world, on a Monday night, run by Damien Cross. If you would like to see last Monday’s meet up please click the Facebook link here. These should be on YouTube from next week if all goes to plan.

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FOLLOW UP: VW SETTLE MOST CLASS-ACTION CLAIMS

Volkswagen has confirmed that it has settled with 200,000 of the 260,000 that are claiming damages due to the #Dieselgate scandal. They have been granted an extension to reach an agreement with the remaining. VW remains adamant that there is no legal basis for consumer’s claims. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

CAR BANNING POWERS HANDED TO COUNCILS

In a bid to allow key workers to safely travel by foot or on a bicycle, councils have been handed powers to ban cars from roads. The idea is that people will be able to travel in a more active manner but still maintain a social distance from other road users. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

FESTIVAL OF THE UNEXCEPTIONAL POSTPONED TILL 2021

Confirmation was given that the Festival of the Unexceptional is now postponed until July 2021. To read more, click the link here.

TOYOTA GB WELLBEING PLEDGE

Last week we discussed how Ferrari was going to help staff, with the aim of beginning production once more. They are not alone in looking out for their staff, Toyota GB has announced a wellbeing program that aims to support staff’s physical, financial and mental health. The scheme was introduced last year following consultation with workers but has kicked into gear during the COVID-19 crisis. To read more, click the Automotive 30% Club article here.

WHY DOES EV CAR-SHARING STRUGGLE IN LONDON

In February, the two largest electric vehicle car-sharing operators left London in near-deafening silence as no one trying to implement Mayor of London’s vision for a healthier capital said anything. This is odd as car-sharing and the use of EVs, if a car must be used, is key to reducing congestion and improving air quality. Or one would think so. To read more, click the link to Company Car Today and flick to page 7 here.

THE FALLACY OF ZERO EMISSIONS

Emission Analytics has been delving further into emissions from vehicles, but ICE and EV, as tailpipes clean up we come to realise there are other factors that need to be considered for the environmental footprint of cars. How the energy or fuel they use is generated, tailpipe emissions, mpg and non-tailpipe emissions all need to be thought about. To read more about the comprehensive approach to this ever-evolving situation click the link here.

FORMULA E: SEASON SUSPENSION EXTENDED

As the scale of the problems caused by the global pandemic is slowly becoming more clear, Formula E has taken the step to extend the suspension of the season until at least the end of June. They will continue to monitor the situation and make further decisions as information becomes known. To read more, click the Formula E statement here.

E-RACING: FORMULA E STARTS NEW SERIES

Last weekend was the start of a new e-racing series, from Formula E, involving Formula E drivers, professional racers and sim racers. The competition will raise funds for UNICEF. To read more including the season calendar, click the e-racing 365 link here.

E-RACING: OTHER SERIES NEWS

GT World Challenge is starting a new series this coming weekend, where pro GT drivers, other professional drivers and sim racers are able to take part, culminating in a race between the best of the three divisions. To read more, click the release information here.

Our streaming channel of choice, Actrollvision, is involved in a 24hr race this weekend and will be giving away Logitech goods to all watching the stream. To learn more, go to his Twitch channel over the weekend. You can find the channel by clicking here.

A reminder, if you own an Xbox, have subscribed to the Gold service you are able to download and keep forever, Project Cars 2, however, the offer runs out at the end of the month.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE MAN WHO BOUGHT NINE RENAULT AVANTIMES

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith brings us the astonishing story of the world’s largest fleet of Renault Avantimes, in the world. Click the Petrolblog link here, to take you to this amazing tale.

BONUS - LUNCHTIME WATCH: FULL TOUR OF THE PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM VAULT

Thanks to Joe Hallenback for brining this one-hour-long YouTube video to our attention. We all get a chance to peek inside the vault of one of the most famous automotive museums. Click the link here to escape from everything for an hour.

LIST OF THE WEEK: RECOMMENDED AUTOMOTIVE PODCASTS

We were outraged, OUTRAGED we tell you, over the lack of podcasts in Autocar’s feature for getting our automotive fix during these strange times. Well, rather than write to our MP to complain, we have compiled a list of ones we recommend you should try out. The list is not in any order of preference but does cover the ones we enjoy.

Old Timers

Gareth Jones on Speed - One of the inspirations for the Motoring Podcast to actually be a thing. Going for 15 years, oodles of fun from Gareth Jones, Zog and Sniff Petrol. To visit the podcast, click the link here.

Midweek Motorsport - Weekly, yes really, podcast covering the racing and news that the team from Radio Show Ltd cover. Click the link here to visit the podcast.

Middle Aged

Car Chat with Sam Moores - Car photographer Sam Moores chats to people from the car world. Relaxed and enjoyable conversations. Search for his podcast on your podcatcher of choice.

EV News Daily - Electric car news produced, erm, daily. Short show that gives you the headlines to what’s going on in the world of EVs. Click here to find out more.

Automovie Podcast - The podcast about cars and motorsport on TV and in films. Great fun conversations that you can get involved with. Click here for more information.

Collecting Cars Podcast - Chris Harris and Edward Lovett chat to various people from the world of motoring. Excellent conversations and insights shared on the podcast. Click here to listen to the episodes.

Younglings

DriveNation - Dan Prosser and Andrew Frankel now have a podcast for their DriveNation project on Instagram. Full of information and excellent chat, click here for Apple Podcast or search for it on the podcatcher of your choice.

Smith & Sniff - Jonny Smith and Richard Porter have recently brought their fun and frolics to the audio format. if you like their YouTube offerings, you’ll love this. Click here to find out more.

US LOT Session - From Lotus Cars, conversations with owners of Lotus and those who help make them the way they are. Excellent conversations and insight into the Lotus community. Search for the podcast on your podcatcher of choice.

SPIN, The Rally Pod - DirtFish are our recommended location for everything WRC and they have a podcast too. Click through here to visit the website or search for them via the service you use.

Spinning Wheels Podcast - from Paul Woodford and Guy Smith chatting about motorsports and special guests have just started. They are on the usual service suspects, so use the search facility and you’ll be listening to them in no time.

Talking Shop The Morgan Podcast - Alex Goy is the presenter for this podcast where he chats to guests from the Morgan community. Again, search for them on your preferred podcasting platform where you should it.

AND FINALLY: HOW TO SHOOT IN A MOVIE CHASE SCENE

The Autocar team has brought us a video of unparalleled consumer advice, which is exactly what we expect from them. Learn if it is possible to drive with a basket on the windscreen, if wind flow effects a Nerf dart and the best speed to drive at to be hit. To watch this ace video, click the link here.

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SIR STIRLING MOSS PASSES AWAY

The sad news that Sir Stirling Moss had peacefully passed away was announced on Sunday. There are few people, let alone racers, who have achieved the level of fondness amongst the nation. Social media was filled with delightful stories that gave us all a glimpse into his life, his character, his personality and his achievements. We have selected the obituary from Autocar to share with you, to read what Steve Cropley wrote, click the link here. We have also included a celebration of his epic Millie Miglia victory, which you can read by clicking here.

CALLS FOR SCRAPPAGE SCHEME BEGIN

In, what seems like a premature move, some have begun to call for a scrappage scheme to help the automotive sector, once lockdown restrictions begin to lift. Alan has some “views” on this and the chaps discuss the wider issues that will be involved in any attempt to stimulate the economy. To read more, click the Car Dealer Magazine article here.

SECURITY VULNERABILITIES FOUND ARE NOT AS BAD AS MADE OUT

Which? has released an article to much hysteria about security vulnerabilities found in Volkswagen and Ford models. Fortunately, The Register spoke to an expert who put them into perspective, Ian Tabor who runs Car Hacking Village UK. We thoroughly recommend you read the article and check out the six tips at the end of the piece, where Ian lays out ways to make connected cars safer. To read this, click the link here.

FERRARI LAUNCHES ‘BACK ON TRACK’ INITIATIVE

Ferrari is working on a plan to get production up and running again, once the Italian Government relaxes their lockdown rules. The comprehensive scheme which looks at essentials such as testing of employees and suppliers to helping with the psychological effects of the lockdown is very impressive. To read more, click the Complete Car.ie article here.

75 YEARS AGO US LIBERATES WOLFSBERG FACTORY

On 11 April 1945, US soldiers released 7,700 forced labourers from the Wolfsberg Factory.

HOW DO TOYOTAS END UP WITH SUDANESE REBELS

An investigation by the organisation Global Witness has found out how so many Toyota Land Cruisers and Hiluxs end up in the hands of Sudanese rebels. Global Witness make it very clear they are not suggesting Toyota has any hand in this. To read more, click the Jalopnik article from Max Finkel here.

TEMPORARY WRC TESTING BAN INSTIGATED

The news that the FIA has introduced a temporary ban on testing, for WRC teams, came as a bit of a shock as the chaps had presumed it was already the case. However, now it is official. To read more, click the DirtFish article here.

ADVICE ON SIM RIGS FOR EVERY BUDGET

Goodwood Road & Race has released an article outlining how you can build your own sim rig, starting at the lower end of the budget scale, moving up to more, shall we say, costly options. To read this, if you’re thinking about sorting yourself out with some virtual driving, click here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE WORK OF TERRY DAVEY

If you’ve picked up a Haynes manual, you will probably have marvelled at the cutaway drawings, which we can thank Terry Davey for. Chris Pollitt has written an excellent article about his work for the manuals, from 1972 to 1991. To read more of the Car and Classic piece, click here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: HOW TO GET YOUR MOTORING FIX AT HOME - FILMS AND TV

Autocar has created a list of ways we can all still get our motoring fix, whilst we stay at home. We have picked out the film and TV article as the one to check out this week. To run through the list, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: HOW TO PRONOUNCE THE PLURAL OF LOTUS

Thanks to Alex Goy sharing this, from the very excellent Lotus PR Team, here is a trip back in time to when Lotus had to clarify how to pronounce the plural of their name. To find out how, for yourself, click the link here.

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Alan had a chat with Principal Acoustic Systems Engineer at Harman, Wolfgang Zieglmeier about car audio systems and his work on the Harman-Kardon audio system in the Kia Stinger.

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FOLLOW UP: VW TO FACE CLASS-ACTION IN UK

Following the ruling, this week, Volkswagen does have a case to answer in the UK class-action case over #Dieselgate. Whilst the judge has ruled, in line with several other countries, that the software and technology in certain engines is a defeat device, there is no confirmation that VW is liable in the compensation claim. To read more, but not the comments, click on the Autocar article here.

WEBSITE HELPS KEY WORKERS FIND LOCAL CAR SERVICES

A new website, called KeyworkerGarages.co.uk, has been set up by a company called Cazana to help key workers who need help with their vehicles find a local garage that is open. To read more, click here on the Motoring Research link.

240 MILES FOR LOAF OF BREAD DRIVER FINED

A driver from Nottingham has been fined under new Coronavirus rules, as well as existing road laws, after being pulled over for doing 110mph in the M1. When asked why he was on the road, he stated that he’d gone to London for bread, as it was £1.00 cheaper there. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

GIVE PEAS A CHANCE BRIDGE HAS A NEW MESSAGE

The famous bridge, which spans over the M25, that used to have ‘Give Peas A Chance’ painted on it, has now been changed to ‘Thank You NHS’. This has been met positively, unlike when ‘Heck’ was put over ‘Peas’. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

MARCH 2020 NEW CAR REGISTRATIONS

Obviously, we are not in normal times, which has been partly reflected in the new car registration figures released by SMMT, for March. Overall figures are down 44.4%, with electrified vehicles bucking the trend and showing an increase on last year, which can be aligned to new BIK rules expected from April. Andrew and Alan run through the ‘Spreadsheet of Doom’ in mercifully quick time as they only talk about the positives. To read more, click the SMMT article here.

DECARBONISING TRANSPORT IN THE UK REPORT

The Transport Secretary released a report into the plan to decarbonise UK transportation recently, which Andrew has looked at. To his, frankly, astonishment, it is well written and very interesting. Within the document, there are graphs that go to show how much passenger cars contribute to the UK’s overall emissions. The news is startling. However, it does help to explain why a large number of initiatives and ideas are focused on cars. To read it and also gain a better understanding of where we currently are and where we need to move to, click the link here.

EXTENT OF TYRE POLLUTION INVESTIGATED

As the focus of vehicle emission has been on power plants, now that they are cleaning up other elements that pollute are becoming known. Tyres have been investigated by Emissions Analytics, who has found great variations depending on the actual tyre, road surface, road layouts and driving styles. Vehicles that are heavier and develop more torque increase the wear of tyres, which is potentially bad news for EVs and SUVs. However, more research is required which could possibly result in new tyre labels or even the banning of some. To read more click here for the Motoring Research article and for a more in-depth article, click here to read about it from Tire Technology.

OLD FASHIONED TOYS MAKING A COMEBACK

As a result of lockdown in the UK, there has been an increase in toys such as slot cars and model railways being purchased. Anyone who follows the podcast will know Alan has bought a remote control car that he is in the middle of constructing, now surprises that he selected a Toyota Yaris WRC. To read more about how people are trying to amuse themselves, click the Telegraph article here.

MISSED YOUTUBE RECOMMENDATIONS

In the list of online racing being suggested, Andrew forgot to add anything about WRC games, which is very remiss of him. However, we now have a link to DiRT Rally 2.0’s own official channel to their World Championship which all rally fans can access by clicking the link here.

For those who prefer to watch real-world rallying, we forgot to add the wonderful VHS Rallies YouTube channel, showing classic Group B rallies from the '80s, to wallow in crazy, ear-splitting nostalgia, click the link here.

IMSA iRACING PRO SERIES SCHEDULE

For those who love the commentary of LeMans Radio and the Team, they are still working hard even though racing has gone online. They are broadcasting the IMSA iRacing Pro Series, racing league. To find out when they are on the air, helping us to follow some excellent racing, click the link here.

HOW TO SPEND A LOT ON A SIM RACING RIG

Professional racing driver Robb Holland walks us through his dive into sim racing gear, as he explains how much he spent on setting up his own rig. This is a cautionary tale, in more ways than one, for example, you can get set up without spending anywhere near as much as he did, also maybe don’t explain to your partner how much you’ve spent! To read more, click The Drive article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: RACE AGAINST TIME

This week’s Lunchtime Read is about motorsport photographer Drew Gibson and how he took THAT fabulous shot of the Ford GTs at Spa. Some say constraints bring out the best in creatives, well that is put to the test in this story. To read more, click the Canon article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 14 CARS THAT ARE 50 YEARS OLD IN 2020

Just in case being cooped up wasn’t bad enough, we thought we would add to that by sharing this list of cars that are now 50 years old, which has aged us all! To run through the list of some glorious and some, erm, not so much, click the Goodwood Road & Racing article here.

AND FINALLY: KEEPING YOUR CAR IN TOP CONDITION DURING STORAGE

Harry Metcalfe has created a video to help all of us take care of our cars whilst we are off the road. To be fair, he knows a thing or two about keeping a car in top-notch condition whilst it is in storage. To have a watch, click the link here.

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Back when we could all still travel by aeroplane, Alan spent a couple of days in Portugal driving the third generation Hyundai i10, a mature-feeling small car that’s hoping to appeal to a less mature audience.

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FOLLOW UP: DUTCH CLASS-ACTION FOR VW

A Dutch foundation has been formed to take on Volkswagen in a class-action, which the group hopes will include people from across Europe, in connection with #Dieselgate. Apparently, thanks to a law change in Holland, “justice for millions of EU customers” is the aim, however, the chaps are still unsure what is the loss these people have suffered. To read more, click here for The Irish Times article.

FOLLOW UP: EMERGENCY MOT EXTENSION GRANTED

Before last week’s show had been published, the Government announced that MOT’s will be extended an automatic six months, during the coronavirus emergency. However, note that the DVLA website was yet to catch up with this and could cause some issues when renewing insurance. Also, it should be noted, your car still needs to be in a safe and roadworthy condition. To read more, click here for the BBC article.

HOW VIRUS IS EFFECTING EUROPEAN PRODUCTION

If you would like to know more about the effect the virus is having on European car production, please click here for the Automotive News Europe article, that lists what is going on.

UK TRAVEL LEVELS DROP

In this week’s ‘Bleedin’ Obvious’ information, due to the travel advice, there has been a big drop in the numbers using the roads, rail and tube. Whilst this is no surprise to anyone, the figures are quite dramatic. To read more, click here for the Motoring Research article.

QUIETER ROADS BUT SILLY SPEEDERS

With the roads being significantly quieter, some have taken this to mean they can thrash their cars along the highways and byways. However, those caught have been highlighted on social media with the reminder that we are trying to keep clear of hospitals at the moment, and not drain the resources with incidents that could well have been avoided. To read more, click the example Tweet here.

INDUSTRY CONSORTIUM DESIGNS VENTILATION DEVICES

The VentilatorChallengeUK Consortium has designed and been given a contract to build a variety of ventilation devices. Companies including F1 teams, Ford and non-automotive companies make up this group who have rapidly created space for the production of the devices the country will need. Added to that, Mercedes F1 power-train team has developed a device, in conjunction with University College London to create a breathing aid that will prevent the need for a ventilator in some cases. To read more, about this amazing effort, click here for the Autocar article.

HONDA REMEMBERS BUTTONS

Honda is somewhat bucking the industry trend, by making sure there are buttons and knobs for controls such as the heating, rather than incorporating it within the touchscreen. However, Audi is moving in the opposite direction by putting more within their touchscreens. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

WRC AGREE ON HYBRID SUPPLIER

An agreement has now been reached on who will supply the hybrid technology for WRC in 2022, a German company called Compact Dynamics. There was also an announcement that the Global Race Engine will be retained and not use the R5-based engine, as some had been pushing for. To read more, click here for the DirtFish article.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: WEAVER APPOINTED VP BY NISSAN EUROPE

Matthew Weaver has been appointed Vice President of Nissan Design Europe, taking over from Mamoru Aoki, who retires after 39 years with the company. To read more, click the Auto & Design article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: TREASURES OF THE OFFICIAL VW MUSEUM

Autocar has created a Virtual Tour, for us all to enjoy some of the delights and surprises of the official Volkswagen museum, which is located next to the Wolfsburg factory. To look at what is on display, click here for the link.

LIST OF THE WEEK: ALAN’S BEST OF MOTORING YOUTUBE (MARCH 2020 EDITION)

To help all of us, who have more time on our hands or who just need an automotive viewing fix, Alan has created a list of YouTube channels he believes we should all try. To read this, and try, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: HONDA CITY TURBO II PLUS MOTOCOMPO HOT WHEELS CUSTOM

To round out the show, here is a video of a Hot Wheels Honda City Turbo ii modification. The level of detail and effort that goes into creating the fabulous end result is amazing. There are many more on the channel to sample. To watch this one, click the YouTube link here.

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Andrew had a Toyota Land Cruiser, their luxury 4x4 offering, for over a week to see if they still have something to offer in a world dominated by SUVs. Listen in as we hear about how they improve the behaviour of other road users, fantasises of adding light blue “U” and “N” to the sides and how relaxing they are to drive.

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FOLLOW UP: LEVANDOWSKI PLEADS GUILTY TO THEFT

Anthony Levandowski has pleaded guilty to charges of trade secrets, in the federal case brought against him. The expectation is that he will be sentenced to between 24 and 30 months, although this is not a certainty. To read more, click the Jalopnik article here.

MORRISONS FUEL PRICE DROP

If you’re a key worker and need to fuel your vehicle up, then there is some good news from Morrisons as they have cut their prices. Remember, we are only to travel if absolutely necessary. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

MOT ADVICE DURING LOCKDOWN

A question that has been popping up, as we have come under a national lockdown, is do we still need an MOT? Yes, yes you do. Testing centre staff are, at the time of recording, considered key workers but this is being monitored by the Department for Transport. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

TOYOTA UK CAR CLEANING ADVICE

Toyota UK has released a video showing how and where to clean your car, to minimise the spread of the coronavirus. To see this video, click the link to their Tweet here.

LONDON CONGESTION CHARGE AND ULEZ SUSPENDED

In an effort to help move key workers around the capital, Transport for London has suspended the Congestion Charge and ULEZ. This came into operation on Monday 23 March. As a reminder, the advice is to only travel if you’re a key worker and/or allowed under the rules outlined by the Government. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

GEELY DELIVERS NEW CAR KEYS BY DRONE

To ensure there is no risk of physical contact or being closer than two metres when handing over a new car, Geely is delivering the keys via a drone as they roll out their contactless home delivery service. To learn more, click the link here.

‘NO TOUCH’ SERVICING OFFERED BY FORD

Ford Europe is providing a service called ‘No Touch Servicing’ where the vehicle is thoroughly sanitised before and after the dealership deals with it. A video check of the work and any issues that have been found is also included. To read more, click the Ford article here.

UK-WIDE PAVEMENT PARKING BAN CONSIDERED BY GOVERNMENT

The Government is considering implementing a UK-wide ban on pavement parking, following recommendations from the Transport Committee. However, some organisations are warning that not all pavements are the same so this needs careful consideration. A consultation will be released at some point for the reality of such a ban to be understood. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

SORT MY SIGN CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

A campaign has been launched to address the issue of obstructed and unclear signage on major roads. Transport Focus, a transport watchdog, are pushing Highways England to improve the usefulness and effectiveness of signage. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

USING A TOUCH-SCREEN WHEN DRIVING IS BAD STUDY FINDS

The IAM RoadSmart organisation has released information about distracted driving. Whilst the podcast thinks the underlining issue and study is a useful and a worthy one, the reporting of the results is flawed by calling out Apple and Android but not including OEM’s own systems. To read more, click the Jalopnik article here.

We are pausing out Patreon for the foreseeable future due to the ongoing crisis, however, if you are still able to help someone, we recommend supporting Mission Motorsport’s COVID-19 Response Fund. To find out more click this link here.

GOODWOOD LIVE STREAMING ‘BEST OF’ MEMBERS’ MEETING

This weekend would’ve been the Goodwood Members’ Meeting, which is obviously postponed. However, the team have compiled a ‘Best Of’ compilation that will run for the same time as the normal live stream would. To learn more, click the article link here.

ESPORTS MOTOR RACING CHANNELS TO TRY

Andrew has mentioned his enjoyment of esports motor racing recently, we say mentioned, possibly “harped on at length” might be closer to the truth. However, there is an array of options out there which may be a bit daunting to the uninitiated, so he listed a selection of options that gives you something to try.

Click here for iRacing’s channel that is one of the major games on PC.

Click here for RaceRoom’s channel, another major player on PC.

Click here for Forza Motorsport’s channel, an Xbox title.

Click here for Actrollvision’s channel, where many different games on different platforms are streamed.

Click here for Apex Online Racing’s channel, who host race series and broadcast them.

Click here for Redline Motorsport TV’s channel, who also host race series and broadcast.

Click here for Jardier’s channel, he is a streamer and excellent racer, who takes part in different race series on different games.

Click here for Jimmy Broadbent’s channel, he too is a streamer, taking part in different events across different games.

Click here for Yorkie’s channel, he too streams, posts videos of races and tutorials. Primarily Project Cars 2, although he recently went back to providing content from different games too.

Click here for Super GT’s channel, he streams and races as well. Has focused on Gran Turismo recently, but has an extensive back catalogue of videos.

As a warning, just check out the channels first as some use more adult language than others, which may not be appropriate for younger people. However, hopefully, there is something in the list that you find interesting

LUNCHTIME READ: MANSORY’S GAUDY TUNE-UPS ARE SO BAD THEY’RE GOOD

Matt Prior makes the case that Mansory’s, erm, creations, are actually good. This is an interesting argument, but as ever his writing is excellent and well worth your time. Click here for the Autocar article.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE ART OF THE CRASH HELMET

Earlier in the year, there was an auction of real and replica F1 helmets, from Stewart through to Hamilton. Click through the link here to view the Ecurie article with a wonderful slideshow that will be a trip down memory lane for those who follow F1.

AND FINALLY: MERCEDES-BENZ C111/II PROTOTYPE

The amazing Mercedes C111/II Prototype is 50 years old. Antti Kautonen has written an excellent article about this glorious car. Click the Jalopnik link here, to find out more about this car.

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FOLLOW UP: SMART MOTORWAYS REVIEW

The review, ordered by the Transport Secretary, has been completed. The findings recommend removing hard shoulders being used as live lanes, increasing the number of refuge points, increase the number of Highways England traffic officer patrols, increase the roll-out of stopped vehicle detection cameras. To read more, click the Autocar article here. To read the Government’s action plan click the link here.

CORONAVIRUS PRODUCTION UPDATE

To see how manufacturing has been impacted in the UK and Europe, click the Automotive News Europe section here.

BUDGET 2020

Last week, which feels so very long ago, the Chancellor of the Exchequer unveiled a spending spree on motoring related matters. But it is not all good news. To learn more, click the Autocar article here and for further analysis, click the Parkers article here. On the back of some of the Government’s sneakiness, three car companies are topping up the Plug-In Car Grant back to previous levels, but for a short time only, to see more, click the Motoring Research article here.

LEEDS’S CLEAN AIR ZONE LAUNCHES SEPTEMBER

From 28 September 2020, the Leeds Clean Air Zone (CAZ) will be in force. The zone was meant to go live in January, but due to delays from a government system, this has been put back. Buses, HGVs, coaches, taxis and private hire vehicles are covered. To read more and see where the CAZ will be, click the Motoring Research article here.

LAWRENCE STROLL TAKES BIGGER STAKE IN ASTON MARTIN

The consortium, led by Lawrence Stroll, has agreed to increase its investment in Aston Martin but will take a larger portion of the company, as a result. The new deal, if approved by shareholders, will mean that 25% of the company will be acquired. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

ARRIVAL TO OPEN NEW FACTORY

The UK based electric vehicle company Arrival has announced that it will be opening a new factory in Oxfordshire, due to be up and running by 2021. This is more good news following the recent investment in Arrival. To read more, click the MTDMFG article here.

MOTORWAY LIFTED TO FIX BRIDGE

In order to repair the now rusting steel centres of the bridge on the M60, near Didsbury, the road is being lifted 5mm on a temporary basis. This is part of the efforts to fix all the supports to the 200-metre long structure. To read more, click the Motoring Research 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

FORMULA E: SEASON SUSPENDED

Formula E and the FIA have announced the suspension of the current season for an initial two month period, in the wake of the effects of coronavirus. To read more, click the announcement here.

WRC: RALLY MEXICO

Sebastien Ogier won the shortened Rally Mexico, which ended on Saturday. Ogier was very unhappy the event even took place. Second was Tänak and Suninen was third. To read more about the results click the Dirt Fish article here. Also, there is a Driver Rating article, which you can get to by clicking here. The final link is to see some glorious photographs from the event, which you can see by clicking here.

ESPORTS FILLS LIVE MOTORSPORT GAP

A hastily created race, called the Esports All-Star Battle, took place at the weekend. This included sim racing specialists and real-word racers going head to head. There was a peak of 52,000 viewers live, with more than 550,000 watching the replay within 24 hours. The Race is now planning a two-pronged series, one set for sim racers and the other for the real-word racers. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here. For more information on The Race’s series, click the link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: JOINING DOTS THAT AREN’T THERE

This week we are recommending you read an article from Nir Kahn, who discusses creativity in using existing items in an innovative way. To read this excellent piece, click the LinkedIn link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: FIVE WAYS TO GET YOUR PETROLHEAD KICKS IN SELF-ISOLATION

Super Unleaded has produced an article helping those of us who are fans of the motor vehicle still get some enjoyment if you have to self-isolate. To be inspired click the link here. Alan also recommends removing an engine from Toyota Yaris, but that may be a little extreme for some of us.

AND FINALLY: THE FIVE MOST BEAUTIFUL MOMENTS AT GOODWOOD REVIVAL 2019

We leave you with a video of the wonderful 2019 Goodwood Revival, as we conclude this week’s episode. Reminding us all of happier times. To watch, click the Goodwood link here.

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With this year’s Geneva Motor Show being cancelled, Alan had to find another way to get his annual many-cars-in-a-large-building-near-the-Franco-Swiss-border fix, so he went to Mulhouse in Alsace to visit one of the world’s largest motor museums, the Cité de L’Automobile and Schlumpf Collection, with its amazing collection of Bugatti.

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FOLLOW UP: U.S. JURY AWARDS PUNITIVE DAMAGES TO VW CUSTOMERS

A test case, of U.S. customers who opted out of Volkswagen’s agreed compensation settlement, has established compensatory and punitive damages. Five claimants will get $5747 for compensatory damages and four will receive $25,000 in punitive damages. This is a much smaller amount than was sought. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

FOLLOW UP: LEVANDOWSKI SEEKS BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION

Anthony Levandowski, who left Google to set up his own company breaching legal obligations in doing so, according to an arbitration panel, before being bought out by Uber. He is required to pay $179 million to Google as a consequence. After his appeal failed he applied for Chapter 11 to reduce his liabilities by negotiation. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

FEBRUARY 2020 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

Another month, another dip, this time a drop by 2.9% in new registration figures. Diesel engines take another drop, being only 21.9% of market share, with alternative fuel vehicles, as expected, the major increase but not enough to deflect the overall drop. To read more, click the SMMT link here.

PSA REDUCES ELLESMERE PORT TO FOUR-DAY WEEK

Due to a drop in demand for the Astra estate the shift patterns will change to extended hours on four days instead of the existing five day week. Future job losses cannot be ruled out, according to PSA. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

NISSAN CONTINUES TO INVEST IN SUNDERLAND

Nissan has taken the next step in the £1 billion investment program for the new Qashqai to be built in Sunderland. £52 million has been released for a press, that will stamp the panels. This takes the total invested, to date, to £400 million. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

SOME OEM KEYS CAN BE CLONED

A new weakness in keyless entry systems has been confirmed by researchers from KU Leuven in Belgium and the University of Birmingham. Before we all panic, this one is harder to pull off than the more common keyless manner and affects, generally, older vehicles. However, to see exactly which vehicles are covered click on the WIRED link here.

COMPETITION WINNER!

Congratulations to our winner, on bagging the copy of James Ruppert’s latest book Demotorized: The 200 Year War on the Motorist.

Thanks to all who entered and keep your ears peeled as we will be doing more competitions in the future!

FORMULA E: ROME POSTPONED

Before Italy went into lockdown the Rome E-Prix had been postponed from April 4. This, combined with the already cancelled Sanya E-Prix means there is now a seven-week gap in the season. Paris is the next race due on April 18, which along with Soul looks doubtful. Formula E is looking for other race options. To read more, click the e-racing365 article here.

In better news, Eindhoven has put a bid to host the first night races of the series, with the Team behind the effort hopeful it will be accepted for the 2021-2022 season. To read more, click the e-racing 365 article here.

WRC: RALLY MEXICO THIS WEEKEND

WRC is back, with Rally Mexico taking place this weekend, starting on Thursday. This is typically the rally where we can really judge the different team’s packages. Can Toyota continue this good start, will Hyundai bounce back after Sweden, how do M-Sport fit in all of this? These are questions we hope to have the answer for after this round.

CLASSICS AND COFFEE RETURNS SOON

Great Escapes will be starting their Classics and Coffee events, once again, on Sunday, April 5 between 10 am and 12 pm. If you are in the area or can make the trip then do go along and see the fantastic mix of cars that pitch up. For more details click the link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: SEATTLE TRAFFIC DOES NOT EXIST AMID VIRUS FEARS

Further to last week’s Lunchtime Read, we continue the theme of car reliance and the dreaded commute. Jalopnik has an article about how Seattle’s traffic has dramatically changed following the recommendation that people work from home. There have also been several articles, around the web, showing air quality improvements when there is no traffic. To read more, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: GREATEST CARS EVER MADE WITH POP-UP HEADLIGHTS

Autocar has produced a wonderful list of the best cars with pop-up headlights. To gawp at them, click the link here.

AND FINALLY: DIECAST RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP

Jalopnik has brought to our attention the wonderful YouTube channel of 3Dbotmaker, who is behind the 2020 Diecast Rally Championship. To see more, and you do need to see more, click the link here.

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Andrew had a Honda CR-V Hybrid on loan, for just over a week, to test out the company’s latest foray into the world of hybrid drivetrains. Listen in to hear his thoughts on CVT gearboxes, the interior quality and what the only competition is for this car.

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FOLLOW UP: MORE PORSCHE RAIDS

Stuttgart public prosecutors have raided Porsche once more, connected with diesel emission manipulation, according to reports from Greg Kable. After four more members of staff were accused of being involved, this takes the total up to seven for Porsche.

FOLLOW UP: VW AND VZBZ AGREE TO SETTLEMENT

After being told to return to the negotiating table, by the courts, Volkswagen and the consumer group VZBZ has agreed on a payout of £698 million to German consumers. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

GENEVA MOTORSHOW CANCELLED

Following the Swiss Government’s announcement to ban major events, GIMS had no choice but to cancel the motor show. There has been quite a bit of hoo-ha over how this was handled and it does not appear exhibitors will be able to recoup their outlay. Alan reminds us all that motor shows are not just for the journalists. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

FRENCH CAR SHOWS RESCHEDULED

Due to Covid-19, major gatherings are being banned in France, which means some car shows are having to be rescheduled. To read more, click The Connecxion article here.

DEUTSCHE POST SCRAPS EV DELIVERY VAN

Deutsche Post will cease production of the electric delivery vehicle they were building in partnership with Ford, the reason given is the huge losses the project has cost the company. To read more, click the Bloomberg article here.

MOVE MOBILITY CONFERENCE

Alan wished he was able to attend events such as the MOVE Conference, that took place a couple of weeks ago, however, as he can’t we have to refer to other’s write-ups, this time Daniel Puddicombe is the lucky one who was at the mobility event. To read more, click the Company Car Today link here and go to page 9.

COVENTRY NOT INTRODUCING CLEAN AIR ZONE

Thanks to plans put to the Government, Coventry will not be implementing a Clean Air Zone (CAZ), as part of their efforts to tackle air quality issues. The council argued that introducing a CAZ would have worsened the air quality for many residential areas. There will be a ban, in certain areas, of polluting vehicles and HGVs but these are part of a wider set of initiatives which it is hoped will reduce pollution. To read more, click the Fleet News article here.

One of the more interesting trials is offering drivers of older and more polluting vehicles mobility credits, in exchange for scrapping their car. These credits will be usable in car share schemes, pay for public transport, taxis, bike share schemes and the likes. The idea is to encourage people to get around but not think the car is the first answer. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

SUPERMARKET EV CHARGE POINTS DOUBLE IN TWO YEARS

Thanks to partnership initiatives, between charge point companies and supermarkets, the number of charging points we can take advantage of whilst shopping has doubled in the last two years. To read more, click the ZapMap article here.

20MPH SPEED LIMIT INTRODUCED TO LONDON STREETS

A 20mph speed limit has been introduced in London, by Transport for London (TfL), in a bid to reduce deaths and serious injuries. TfL manages about 5% of the roads in London, so the actual number affected is quite small and many are questioning how much difference the new speed limit will make. To read more and find out exactly which streets are covered by this move, click the Sky News article here.

COMPETITION TIME!

We are offering you the chance to win a copy of James Ruppert, he of Bangernomics fame, latest book Demotorized: The 200 Year War on the Motorist. Listen to the show to hear what the question is, then click through this link to send us your answer. Don’t forget to put COMPETITION in the subject line.

The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Tuesday 10 March 2020 episode. Good luck!

FORMULA E: MARRAKESH

Starting on pole, Antonio Felix da Costa was the eventual winner of the Marrakesh E-Prix, fending off Max Guenther and Jean-Eric Vergne. This was his first win for DS Techeetah, and the first-ever double podium for the team. This was the ninth different winner in the last nine races. To read more, click the e-racing365 article here. To watch the highlights video, click the link here.

BLOODHOUND SSC HAS ONE MONTH TO BE SAVED

The owner of Bloodhound, Ian Warhurst, who rescued the car and project from receivership in 2018, has made it clear that more money is needed if the project is to be completed. If no new investment can be found in the next month, the project will be wound up. To find out more, click the BBC News article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: IT’S TIME TO LET GO OF COMMUTER CULTURE

This Jalopnik article argues the point that when we think about commuting, we need to stop thinking the car is the number one solution. This isn’t an anti-car rant, more an anti-commute rant. Considering the current worries over the spread of Covid-19, how using public transport may impact the spread of the virus, this is an interesting argument. To read more, click the Jalopnik article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: GIMS2020

Our List of the Week is in fact, a montage of the week. Radical Mag has put together a behind the scenes montage of the Geneva Motor Show, letting us see how chaotic setting up and then taking down a trade show is. To see the photos, click the link here. To watch the video Alan mentioned, click the YouTube link here.

AND FINALLY: HENRY CATCHPOLE DRIVES A SINGER

Join us, in becoming green-eyed with jealousy as we watch Henry Catchpole drive a wonderful Singer Porsche on a stunning bit of US road. There are times you can dislike someone who you admire, this is one of those times thanks to the Green-Eyed Monster! To watch this brilliant video, click the link here.

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Alan went to Milton Keynes for the UK launch of the all-new Nissan Juke. After a wet day lapping MK and southern Bedfordshire to find out how much B-SUV pioneer has moved on, what does he think?

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FOLLOW UP: VW RESUMES COMPENSATION TALKS IN GERMANY

Volkswagen and VZBV, the German consumer protection organisation, have both been ordered to resume talks over compensation, by a Brunswick court, following the breakdown in communication last week. To read more, click the Automotive News article here.

FOLLOW UP: TESLA ALLOWED TO CLEAR FORREST

Court rulings have allowed Tesla to resume clearing the area where their factory is planned. The Court also ruled that this decision cannot be appealed. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION OVER ICE BAN OPEN

As had been hardly reported, the suggestion of an earlier ICE ban was announced to coincide with a public consultation. The Government has now opened this, which can be found by clicking through on the Autocar article here. We have until Friday 29 May to make our voices heard.

FORD CUTTING 180 DEALERSHIPS

Ford is pairing back their dealer network from 400, by approximately 180. Following on the heels of the cut in Fiesta production, which was discussed last week, is this another sign that the current trading conditions are very tough indeed? To read more, click the Auto Retail Agenda article here.

CORONAVIRUS POTENTIAL IMPACT

One impact of the Coronavirus that has been discussed is the delay in parts and vehicles as supply chains and factories are affected. This could well lead to an issue for company car drivers who are waiting on delivery pre 6 April 2020. After 6 April BIK will be charged via WLTP rates which, depending on the car, can cost a lot more. To read more, click the Business Car article here on page 9 of their digital magazine.

IKEA VAN FLEET GOING ZERO-EMISSION

Ikea is planning to have an entire zero-emission van fleet by 2025, as a result of the varied clean-air policies being implemented across the UK. The company cited a lack of central Government led policies allowing for the fragmented announcements from various areas of the UK. To read more, click the WhatVan article here.

TESLA SPEED SIGN READING TECH TRICKED

Researchers have tricked a Model X and S into thining a 35mph road sign was actually saying 85mph, by the use of a single piece of electrical tape. This bug only affects older cars which use the MobilEye EyeQ3 system. After being told of the issue, both Tesla and MobilEye did not indicate they would fix the issue. To read more, click The Register article here.

50 MILE JIM CLARK DRIVING TRAIL LAUNCHED

A new driving tour has been launched, in the Scottish Borders, taking in the area that Jim Clark grew up in. The start and finish spot is the Jim Clark Motor Museum in Duns. To read more, click the BBC News article here.

COMPETITION TIME!

The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Tuesday 10 March 2020 episode. Good luck!

MCGLOIN RECRUITING 5000 MORE DISABLED PARTICIPANTS

Nathalie McGloin, Disability and Accessibility Commission President for FIA, has announced a new initiative to recruit 5000 more disabled participants into motorsport. Improving access and visibility are two major parts of this work. To read more, click the NewsChain article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: TEN YEARS ON: PETROLBLOG IS STILL RUNNING

This is a short read, but one we feel is very worthwhile. Gavin Braithwaite-Smith’s PetrolBlog is ten years old. This utterly entertaining site has kept us all amused, informed and in awe of Gavin’s bravery when it comes to buying/rescuing a car. Long may he continue to find the motivation to keep it going, so that we can enjoy a different side of the motoring world. To see more, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE WORLD’S GREATEST ADVENTURE CAR JOURNEYS

Autocar has compiled a list and slideshow of the best adventure road trips they think you can have. Click here, to see them and check off how many you’ve managed!

AND FINALLY: VIGILANTE GRAFFITI TARGETS MIDDLE-LANE HOGGERS

On the M6, graffiti has appeared on bridges spanning carriageways, asking the question “Why are you a middle lane moron?”. This has struck a chord with some who have happily endorsed this message. To read more, click the RAC news article here.

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Andrew had a Hyundai Tucson N-Line diesel hybrid on test for a week. Listen in to see what this mild-hybrid is like, where the hybrid-ness helps the car out and how much of an improvement the latest Tucson is.

To play with the configurator that Andrew mentioned in the show, click this link here.

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FOLLOW UP: VW OFFER GERMANY CUSTOMERS $901M

Following the breakdown of talks between Volkswagen and the German Consumer Association, VZBV, they have offered customers compensation of $901 million. VZBV wants to include €50 million in lawyer fees, which VW has turned down. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

FOLLOW UP: NISSAN CLAIMS FROM GHOSN

Following the case for unfair dismissal, last week, Nissan has hit back in Japan, with a claim for £70 million in damages. The details of the claim are not known and the amount stated is much less than has been mentioned previously. The game of tit for tat continues. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

GM SHUTS HOLDEN DOWN

General Motors has announced that it is shutting down the Holden brand, and all its assets in Australia and New Zealand. This was the last right-hand drive brand in the ever-shrinking stable of makes within GM. There is no real surprise as Australia is a small market, added to the extra effort of making right-hand drive cars and that PSA owns Opel/Vauxhall. To read more, click the BBC News article here. To view the slideshow Andrew mentioned, click the Autocar link here.

FORD CUTTING FIESTA PRODUCTION

In the wake of falling sales and registrations of Fiestas, across Southern Europe and the UK, Ford is reducing production of the supermini. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

TESLA FORREST CLEARANCE ON HOLD

Tesla has been ordered, by a German court, to temporarily halt the clearance of the proposed new gigafactory site, that is ancient woodland. To learn more about the issues, click the BBC News article here.

‘PEANUT-SHAPED’ ROUNDABOUT DELIGHTS THE FRENCH

In the French town of Nozay, a new ‘peanut-shaped’ roundabout has been created on the site of a former junction which the locals claimed was dangerous. Vehicles are now approaching the roundabout much slower and the visibility is much improved. If the number of accidents falls then this could be adopted elsewhere. To read more, click The Connexion article here.

EDF BUYS POD POINT

EDF, the energy supplier, has bought the EV charging company Pod Point, for an undisclosed amount. Pod Point is the third-largest charging company, in the UK, click here for an article by ZapMap showing the major UK players. To read more about this acquisition, click the Autocar article here.

COMPETITION TIME!

The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Tuesday 10 March 2020 episode. Good luck!

PARALLEL POMEROY

Alan attended the Toyota Parallel Pomeroy, run with the help of the VSCC and their marshalls. The weather was “inclement”, and the competition carefully managed to allow for as equal a competition as possible. Alan, braving the conditions, from within his warm and dry car, ended up 13 out of 53. Thank you to everyone who made the event happen and especially to all those who had to stand out in Storm Denis so people could play with their cars!

FORMULA E: MEXICO

The revised race track, with the extra appendage and removed chicanes, helped make for a more exciting race in Mexico. There were no red flags, which is excellent news. Mitch Evans managed to take the lead by the first corner which he never gave up, winning for Panasonic Jaguar Racing. Antonio Felix da Costa was second, with Buemi coming in third. To read more, click the e-365 racing article here.

WRC: RALLY SWEDEN

Elfyn Evans became the first Brit to win the Rally Sweden, having led the event from the first stage right through to the last. Ott Tanak finished second, which is quite remarkable following his horrific accident in Monte Carlo. The 19-year-old Kalle Rovanperä came in third, giving Toyota a first and third. Ogier is still getting to grips with the Yaris. To read more, click the DirtFish article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE LESSONS THAT MUST BE LEARNT FROM THE HARRY DUNN TRAGEDY

Matt Prior has written an excellent article about the issues around the tragedy that led to Harry Dunn losing his life. To read this thought-provoking article, click the Autocar link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: ENYAQ TO WINGLE - THE WORST CAR NAMES EVER

Gavin Braithwaite-Smith has produced another cracker of a list, this time a selection of the worst car names ever to grace the rear of a car. To run through the list, click the Motoring Research article here.

AND FINALLY: THE LEATHERMAN - INSPIRED BY A FLAKY FIAT

Tim Leatherman’s iconic tool was developed as a result of travelling across Europe in a clapped-out Fiat 600. He created the Leatherman from a list of needs for fixing the car, repeatedly. To read more, click the MotorPunk article here.

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Alan spent a high-mileage week with the Volkswagen e-Golf trying to get an insight into where VW’s electric strategy is heading and looks for clues about the forthcoming, electric-only ID-3.

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Andrew had a Jeep Compass Limited for a week to find out what it brings to an increasingly crowded market. Does the American have what it takes to compete? What will be the trifling niggle with the interior? Are there curry hooks? Press play to find out the answer to these urgent questions and more!

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In this second Special Edition from Alan’s trip to the Nurburgring 24 Hours with Hyundai, he’s spliced together some of the more coherent parts of the many hours of on-site recordings he made.

Huge thanks, of course, to Hyundai UK for their hospitality.

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Alan joined Hyundai UK on their pilgrimage to the 2019 Nurburgring 24 hour race. In this first part, Alan talks about the race and the whole weekend including interviews with Thomas Schmeera and Albert Biermann, two of the key figures behind the latest generations of Hyundai road and race cars.

Part 2 will follow shortly and have more of the on-site recording and atmosphere.

Huge thank, of course, to Hyundai UK, Herr Schmeera and Herr Biermann for all their time and hospitality.

REAR VIEW PODCAST

Don't forget the new show from the team at Motoring Podcast, Rear View, where we talk to fascinating people from the motoring universe. To go listen to the episodes already released on Apple Podcasts click here.

TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ALAN AND ANDREW...

To get in touch with Alan via Twitter

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Alan’s on his own this week and Andrew’s claiming to be dead. He talks about Carlos Ghon facing the press, diesel particulate filters, PSA delaying the second Astra plan until after Brexit, JLR and the Chinese copy, more ULEX and traffic shake-ups, the DVLA not recognising 2020 on paper, Toyota making new parts for old Supras, FormulaE in Santiago, Hyundai’s 4-car WRC team, a £2k Alfasud restoration, The Toyota Yaris turns 21 and the Laing photo archive.

Don't forget we have our Listener Survey we would really like you to complete, to not only aid us in creating better content but also improving the podcast!

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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The chaps return after the festive break and walk straight into what seems like the script from a Hollywood blockbuster with the news that Carlos Ghosn absconded from Japan, VW are heavily fined by Australia over Dieselgate, December and 2019’s New Car Registration figures are discussed, Nissan loses another executive, there is concern that motorway service station may not be able to install newer more powerful charging points, York and Oxford are looking to bring in ULEZ zones but in different ways, M-Sport finalises their spare seat, WRC Chilie is cancelled, there is a combined Lunchtime Read and Watch, and the And Finally is a film from EVO.Don't forget we have our Listener Survey we would really like you to complete, to not only aid us in creating better content but also improving the podcast! As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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This week Alan and Andrew talk about a toddler damaging many Audis in China whilst the parents were car shopping, the impending traffic jams as everyone travels somewhere else for Christmas, a shocking rise in car thefts partially blamed on keyless entry systems, some statistics on what employers feel is appropriate behaviour regarding taking phone calls whilst driving, Opel has started testing their Corsa-e rally car, there is a lengthy Lunchtime Read from Autocar and a fascinating Lunchtime Watch from the BBC, the List of the Week lets us waft along in French luxury, and the And Finally takes us to a galaxy far, far away.

Don't forget we have our Listener Survey we would really like you to complete, to not only aid us in creating better content but also improving the podcast!

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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Alan had the wonderfully-named Alfa Romera Stelvio Q4 Milano Edizione on loan for a little over a week. He managed to clock up almost 800 miles, so did his time with the Italian SUV end in amore or odiare?

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This week Alan and Andrew are reunited! Whilst everyone basks in this great news, the chaps discuss how BMW has relented when it comes to charging extra for Apple Car Play for most of their range, November 2019's New Car Registration figures are quickly discussed, there is an interesting interview of Nissan Europe's boss, congratulations to Aston Martin on officially opening the St Athan plant, UK trials have begun for sound monitoring systems, the A14 Huntingdon bypass has opened, Volta is developing an EV truck with Prodrive, claims that the rise in SUVs is the root cause of emission increases is made, the Designers Mood Board gets wheeled out again as there is movement in the VW ranks, a wonderful Lunchtime Read from Max Finkel, a horrifying List of the Week from Alex Goy, and the And Finally is about trying to spark a change in WRC powertrains (sorry, not sorry).

Don't forget we have our Listener Survey we would really like you to complete, to not only aid us in creating better content but also improving the podcast!

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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This week Alan is solo whilst Andrew lies, feverishly, in his sickbed. Alan covers the start of the civil class-action against Volkswagen in the UK, ex-Nissan CEO Saikawa's thoughts on the proposed Renault/Nissan Merger, job cuts and recall threats are Daimler, BMW diesel engine recall expansion, the revelation that the UK Transport minister backs road charging, that £280 million pounds of revenue was lost in the botch phase-out of the paper tax disk, Europe's best October for car registrations in a decade, Formula is is now an Official World Championship, that Zombie miles could negate any possible congestion-beating benefits of autonomous cars and, finally, 14 ways to make your car last longer. Lastly, we launched this year's Listener Survey! As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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Andrew had a Peugeot RIFTER GT Line for a week. You can listen in as he explains to Alan how he and the family got on with another van-derived car. There is a moment when Andrew actually makes the case for the defence, as to why no curry-hook is available. You can also scoff as Andrew fumbles through the pronunciations of the fabulously named accessories available. If you can think of a more space-efficient vehicle for hauling a lot of people and/or stuff then do get in touch with the chaps, as they can’t think of a better way to do it.

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This week Richard Gooding joins Andrew, as they start the show with an apology over the correct figure for van plug-in grants, follow up from July 2016 as German prosecutors charge BWM, Daimler and VW in regards, to a steel cartel, Carlos and Carole Ghosn are allowed to talk to each other briefly, GM sues FCA for bribing unions, Uber stripped of license in London but appeals, Toyota becomes No.2 in China, a warning not to stay too long at petrol forecourts, the British Motor Show is returning in 2020, the V&A has a thought provoking exhibition, Formula E is back with a double-header in Diriyah, Citroën react poorly to Ogier leaving the struggling team, a Lunchtime Read about modern classics, a List of the Week which will please all the fans of lightness and the And Finally could spark more of an interest in classic campervans. As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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In this week's show, we shed some insight into the move by the Dutch PM reducing the speed limit, VW promises to splash the cash on EVs, Audi will have a new CEO, 'Self-Charging Hybrid' is acceptable to say in public now, we find out how Musk chose Germany for the new Tesla plant, England councils rake in parking cash, Formula E is back and will be on the BBC again, Santiago e-Prix will be going ahead too, Bloodhound testing ends on a high, there is a wonderful Lunchtime Read thanks to Nick Trott, a List of the Week from Autocar that Alan queries some of the facts, and the And Finally is ever so cute.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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In this Special Edition Andrew is joined by Mr Bangernoics, James Rüppert. During the conversation, they explore the origins of the term, what it means, how to go about it and buying advice. Added to that we get to hear about Jame’s latest book, which is a wonderful guide to the world of Bangernomics.

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In this week's show, the chaps discuss the shocking state of Uber's autonomous technology testing software and culture, Alfa's move to more SUVs and fewer coupes, how JLR is looking for a partner, Nissan's profit nose-dive, the tech the EU has mandated for vehicles from 2022, the clever way BP Chargemaster has found a way around the motorway charging monopoly, congestion in the Lake District, Bloodhound is getting quicker and quicker, WRC Australia has rightly been cancelled, a Lunchtime Read about brand reputation, a List of the Week about steering wheels and a lovely And Finally.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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In this week's show, the chaps discuss Bristol's approval of banning privately owned diesels, VW fight accusations that Winterkorn instructed a supression of the extent of dieselgate, New Car Registration figures are down for October 2019, PSA and FCA agree to a 50/50 merger, a map and chart of public charging points has been released by the Government with the help of the excellent ZapMap, mobile phone loophole to be closed for drivers, Mercedes-Benz recall the new EQC SUV due to a dodgy bolt, private parking companies will have to abide by new rules soon, Tänak is joining Hyundai in 2020, a connected car Lunchtime Read, a reverberating List of the Week and a moment for self-reflection by all of us with the And Finally.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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Alan spent a sunny day near Bicester trying out some of the current Volkswagen range including the new Passat. He also took some time out from driving to chat about both why the new Passat is still an important model for Volkswagen UK and some of the changes afoot within VW as a whole.

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In this week's show, the chaps tell us how Ghosn's defence team has gone really aggressive, smart motorways will now be reevaluated, Sadiq Khan announces a new scrappage scheme aimed atlow-income and disabled people, the Department for Transport has "committed" to asking for long-term funding to be made available to local councils to fix and maintain our roads, Bristol will vote on banning diesel cars, the EU has won a pollution case against France, Lidl will be installing 300 rapid chargers with PodPoint, Bloodhound LSR project is testing in South Africa, WRC Spain result sows up the Driver's Championship, a Lunchtime Read about a quick turn around on cost savings project, Alan and Andrew put forward their own List of the Week from the Toky Motor Show, and you will be swept away by the And Finally.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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In this week's show, the chaps tell us how VW are getting more time to sort themselves out in the US, how the class-action lawyers claiming VW are still bad appear to be desperate, Germany turns down the idea of speed limits on the Autobahn, Citroën may or may not be getting a new CEO, the idea of green license plates for zero-emission cars is put forward, motorway lights will be switched back on overnight in the UK, a proposed environmental bill would make environmental issues a forced recall similar to safety, Formula E now has a track advisory committee, there is backing for cancelling the Hong Kong e-prix and Santiago is being closely watched, there is an important survey Alan and Andrew are recommending everyone participates in, a List fo the Week looking at side vents and the And Finally is crazy and brilliant from Hyundai.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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Andrew had a Honda Civic Type-R on loan for a week, Alan thinks it’s because he was having a mid-life crisis. Listen in as the chaps discuss the ven diagram of typical owners, Andrew’s obsession with dashboard materials and the required weather conditions for a drive into North Wales.

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In this week's show, the chaps discuss possible cultural differences in business practices with Nissan, Renault seem busy eating themselves, Dyson's EV project is dead, Toyota now has a multi-brand leasing arm in the UK, car finance is under the spotlight, Morris Commercial Vehicles is apparently back, pay-per-mile charging looks more likely in the UK, Parkers has an interesting new way to gauge costs when comparing cars, NIO 333 has confirmed their drivers for 2019/20, Carsten Monnerjan will head up ItalDesign, a wonderful Lunchtime Read about the Africar, a List of the Week that looks at optional extras, and the And Finally warns against drunk e-scootering in Germany.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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In this week's show, the chaps discuss VW actually winning a court case, Nissan appoints a new CEO and COO, Ghosn is trying to get fit again, cynicism is deployed when chatting about September's New Car Registration figures, Volvo and Geely combine their engine development division, Formula E announce the 2019/20 calendar, Jaguar announces a new driver, Mahindra announces the same drivers but a new sponsor, WRC GB results and Petter Solberg wins in his last rally, we have a Lunchtime Click, Kaban leaves a job he didn't ask for and the And Finally discusses the last Saab 9-3 EV.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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Alan went to Hyundai UK HQ and had a chat about the whys, hows and wherefores of hydrogen fuel cells with Sylvie Childs, Hyundai UK Senior Product Manager for Nexo, as well as a short drive of the hydrogen-only Nexo.

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In this week's show, the chaps discuss the start of the class-action suit in Germany against VW, Bloodhound LSR's last tests in the UK before going to South Africa, questionable ways the insurance industry rejects your claims, the Tory Party's turn with pledges this week, the demand that 30 new Clean Air Zones be created across England, safety improvements to Smart Motorways in Yorkshire, TAG Heuer Porsche name their Formula E test drivers, reminder that the mud fest that is WRC GB is on this weekend, a Lunchtime Read that is probably one of the more insane ideas for a car, a List of the Week that is unforgettable, and an And Finally that lets you drive a remote-controlled car.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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In this week's Birthday show, the chaps thank all those who've helped during the past four years - don't worry they don't get too mushy.

They also chat about market manipulation charges for some VW executives, Daimler get hit by a big fine, Nissan reaches an agreement with the SEC over supposed non-disclosure of Ghosn full compensation, Ineos sign agreement for Bridgend, Pendragon hit hard by tough trading conditions, Labour makes pledges to speed up EV adoption, Catalytic convertor theft rises sharply in London, Sir Michael Edwardes former British Leyland Chairman dies, Formula E adds another race location and Nico Muller joins Geox Dragon racing, the is a Lunchtime Read that has already sparked debate in the design community and the And Finally will let you fulfil a Top Gear dream.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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In a break with convention, Alan was the one who needed a larger vehicle to transport a new mother and her baby. The Peugeot 3008 was selected for this very demanding task. Listen in as we hear how he got on with the car, associated baby paraphernalia and power buttons that don’t always line up perfectly.

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In this week's show, the chaps get to discuss an impending and potentially expensive deadline hurtling towards Audi, the Frankfurt Motor Show is under threat, BAC secures big orders, Ineos claims it is nearly there with a deal to build in Bridgend, what do the Saudi oil attacks mean for the motorists, selecting your own noise to warn pedestrians about your quiet car, Thatcham Research releases autonomous vehicle white paper, Da Costa moves to DS Techeetach, Formula E had record growth and profits last season, WRC Turkey was brilliant for tyre suppliers less so for everyone else, a Lunchtime Read that is self-indulgent, List of the Week is from Jim Holder's experience with an EV and we get outraged over the And Finally.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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In this week's show, we chat about departures from Nissan, a proposal for a pavement parking ban in the UK, August's New Car Registrations figures get an interrogation, Ionity announces new investment, how the 'people's car' is coming from Renault rather than anyone else, speed limits to be reduced in parts of London, Scottish public sector fleets are going ULEV by 2025, Karim Habib is on the move again, a glorious Lunchtime Read, a consumer-centric List of the Week, and an And Finally that transports us back to the 80s.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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In this week's show, we ask if Levandowski is the messiah or just a very naughty boy, we explain why you should not take a nice car to Creamfields music festival, Highways England are being sued over smart motorways, a modified Bugatti Chiron goes jolly quickly, a roadmap for UK connected and automated mobility is released, Toyota and Suzuki tie into a closer alliance, Frankfurt Motor Show tightens security, Toyota will pause production for one day after Brexit, 'Play Streets' will be easier to create, Porsche reveals their Formula E car and livery, the Jim Clark museum is opened, a rapid List of the Week, a Lunchtime Read that's a little different and an And Finally that makes Alan regret a recent decision.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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In this week's show, we chat about the prosecution leaking details in the Ghosn case, what the Monterey Car Week means for classics, VW has fired 204 employees as it demonstrates a tough stance on discipline, there is a new VW logo, Pen Test Partners find security holes in accredited smart trackers, the Science and Technology Committee makes some suggestions for hitting net-zero carbon stance, WRC Germany results, Opel Corsa-e rally car revealed, the news that Ferdinand Piech has suddenly died, a couple of cars drive around the Nurburgring quickly so Alan argues one matters whilst another doesn't, a brilliant Lunchtime Read and an ace And Finally.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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In this week's show, Alan and Andrew chat about what went wrong at the Porsche Type 64 auction, how expensive is the most expensive McLaren F1, what went wrong for the world's first solar road, good news that Highways England is removing 480 miles of roadworks for the upcoming weekend, how Supercabs helped to reduce collisions on the M1 for a week, how not to give Transport for London £26 million, research shows that cycling is quicker than driving in a city, the results from the National Travel Survey 2018 are out, an article about why visiting the old Reims Grand Prix track is still worth our time, a Lunchtime Read that helps us with a pronunciation and learning more about a tuners, a List of the Week that stretches what can be done to the front of cars and a wonderful And Finally from Ian Seabrook.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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In this week's show, Alan and Andrew chat about how Mercedes could be facing a 1 billion euro fine in Germany over defeat devices, the Government has announced an extra £2.5 million for on-street charging infrastructure, Lotus brand revamp continues, a report from a think-tank makes the case for banning private cars in Central London, there is a safety recommendation to ban hands-free calls in cars, Brits break driving laws in France more than anywhere else in the EU, some cars can be stolen within 10 seconds, Jamie Chadwick wins the first W Series Championship, this week we have not one but two Lunchtime Watches, the List of the Week has a whiff of failure to it and our And Finally is a scoop via Instagram from someone we know.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items and feedback!

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In this week's show, Alan and Andrew discuss new charges against Rupert Stadler over #Dieselgate, Aston Martin's Q1 results are in, the show is put right over AIR Index, July New Car Registration figures are out, UK car manufacturing falls in the first half of 2019, man who held his phone to film whilst driving is not guilty, an article about how LEVC is broadening it's vision to be sustainable long-term, Carwow gets investment from Daimler amongst others, Dennis scoops up Car Throttle and WTF1, Porsche can help you with your climate guilt, in Formula E the sad news that Jean-Paul Droit has passed away, WRC Finland results, a Lunchtime Read about keeping cars fun, a List of the Week to help us over the shock of the new Megane RS Trophy-R price, and wonderful video from Matteo Licata as our And Finally.

As ever, we really hope you enjoy the show and feel free to get in touch with news items, feedback or just to tell Alan that it's all okay!

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This week Alan is back with Andrew. Whilst they wait for the signs of the impending apocalypse the chaps discuss civil class action case against VW in the UK, how an organisation that wants a slice of the emission testing pie claims current tests aren't good enough, Carlos Tavares has to repeat his warning to those who are hard of hearing, Nissan is now cutting more jobs than thought, Aston Martin has to revise its sales target, JLR announces a loss, Ford is killing off the Ka+, BMW is now pondering culling some models from its vast lineup, the Government removes diesel choices but adds petrol to the car purchasing scheme, Blomqvist is keen to return to Formula E which many approve of, WRC Finland is this weekend, we support the 'Say No to Colworth' campaign and ask you do as well, the Lunchtime Read is a brilliant one from Autocar, List of the Week is a positive one, and the And Finally is a glimpse into the mad world of Russian home modified car world.

As ever we really hope you enjoy the show!

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This week Andrew is joined by Rachel Boagey as the Internet has possibly melted on the Continent. In his absence, they discuss Ghosn suing Nissan for not following procedure, Oliver Zipse is the next BMW CEO, BWM boldly announce a fee for using Apple CarPlay, Fleet levels of CO2 has rised to a five year high, Volvo is recalling 507,000 4-cylinder diesel-engined cars globally, Riversimple smashes funding target, DfT announces 74-point safety strategy, Daimler and Bosch get Level 4 parking approval, Nissan refuses to retrofit technology to offset the Qashqai's real-world pollution, Ian Callum has returned to the Designers Mood Board, the Lunchtime Read actually comes from Alan , and the List of the Week allows us all to revel in the magnificence of some Citroëns. We hope you enjoy the show and don't forget to follow Rachel who was kind enough to speak to a lonely Andrew.

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This week Andrew is joined by Alex Grant as Alan still cannot find the internet. In his absence, they discuss how well the dashcam portal has gone, Ford and VW announced shared investment and EV platform sharing, Sunderland battery facility plans, the Government is guaranteeing a JLR loan, tyre and brake dust is the next on the list of pollutors, the reality of how vulnerable new cars are to keyless crime, as the summer holidays will be with us for all children this Friday we are warned which roads to avoid and when, Formula E Season 5 has finished, the Lunchtime Read is from a very straight-talking Aston Martin boss, the List of the Week is from Gavin Braithwaite-Smith again, and the And FInally has Andrew purring about the use of technoliogy and software code. Yes really! We hope you enjoy he episode!

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This week Andrew returns, to join ranty Alan, and they discuss new Audi V6 diesel issues, new Madrid Mayor does pause low emission zone measures, PSA announce the factories that will build the new Astra however there is a big 'but', UK car production has dropped for the 12 months in a row, the Government proposes stiffer penalties for those who leave their vehicles idling, Porsche recalls Cayenne and Panameras due to an auto box issue, Mazda is to ditch touchscreens, new laws state EVs must make a noise below 12mph, Lookers dealer group sales practices under investigation, Mitsubishi Europe gets a new design boss, the Lunchtime Read is actually from Alan, a List of the Week of what could have been and the And Finally is a joyous one. Hope you enjoy the show!

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This week Alan's solo and talks about VW compensation in the Czech Republic, the crises of the Alliance. The SMMT and CAMM agree to collaborate. Pollution-reducing speed limits become permanent in South Wales. VW has won a copyright claim over its most famous car, the danger of misnomers, Bern ePrix, Croppers talks to Herbert Diess, Autocar's Great British Women and the design genius of Marcello Gandini.

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In this week's show, the chaps clear up the dreadful "reporting" in the wake of an incident at a hydrogen fueling station, Jaguar is voluntarily recalling the I-Pace, Audi is discussing recalling the e-tron in Europe, Scotland is leading the way when it comes to helping fleets transfer to EVs, the suggestion of blanket pavement parking bans is questioned, Formula E moves to Bern this weekend, calendars seem to be too difficult for the FIA to check, WRC Sardinia threw up a surprise right at the end, a Lunchtime Read centered on Bradford, a List of the Week of The Rules, and the And Finally that Alan had wished he'd read before we talked on the latest Special Edition. We hope you enjoy the show!

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Alan and Andrew were in the same place at the same time once again, so they decided to pop along to the 40th annual SMMT Test Day to find out more about what is happening in the industry, meet the manufacturers, try some cars and catch up with anyone who after seeing them would still speak!

Listen in to hear how the day went.

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In this week's show, the chaps discuss Ghosn's fightback against information being given to the press from the Rebel Alliance, the dramatic events of FCA pulling out of any deal with the Alliance, New Car Registration figures for May 2019, Ford looking to close the Bridgend engine factory, free driving lessons to young people in West Dunbartonshire, JLR and BMW agreeing to co-develop future EV tech, the sad news that Norman Dewis has passed away, the Government is thinking about using technology to catch noisy motorists, the first 150kW chargers will be installed in the UK soon, we have a link to Andy Blackmore's brilliant Le Mans Spotter Guide, Ian Callum is now awarded a CBE in the Queen's Honors List, Matteo Licata busts some design myths as our Lunchtime Watch recommendation and we gawp in awe at Dumas driving the ID.R very quickly indeed around the Nürburgring. We hope you enjoy the show!

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In this week's show, Andrew returns. The chaps chat about how the planned factory shutdowns for the Brexit deadline that never happened affected production numbers, stolen vehicles are up 22% year to date, the hope that parking space data will be shared to make life easier for motorists, how Madrid may be the first city to reverse it's low-emission zone, also Holyrood rejects a blanket 20mph proposal, Kia is recalling some Niro hybrids, NIO has started testing for Season 6 of Formula E, the results of WRC Portugal are discussed, the shock news that Ian Callum is leaving Jaguar, a lovely Lunchtime Read that will make you rush off to Ebay, a List of the Week where you will scratch your head asking if these cars really happened and an And Finally that is a potential rabbit hole for the nerd in us all. We hope you enjoy the show!

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This week Alan is joined by Rich Gooding to discuss a highly electric news mix including Carlos Ghosn’ pre-trial hearing begins, VW has battery woes, the Renault-Fiat Merger Of Equals, Honda e wing cameras, an Audi PHEV, Skoda’s electric sub-brand, electric Corsa, a 250kW EV charging station, a hybrid Ferrari, Berlin e-Prix round-up, the greatest cars with pop-up headlights, the BMW Garmisch, the history of Caffeine & Machine and the final chance to buy Chevrolet. Lastly, don’t forget the Coventry MotoFest is this coming weekend!

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In this week’s show, Alan and Andrew chat about tweaks to Ghosn’s indictment, PSA announce the 308 will not actually be built in the UK or Germany, they clarify what JLR’s pre-tax results mean, Hyundai are investing in Rimac, the Government is increasing it’s investment in the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, Lotus is considering all model types when it comes to their future, a new MaaS app is out soon, drones are being used by French police to monitor driver behaviour, the speed limit may go back up in France too, a reminder of the Formula E Berlin race this weekend, there is the very sad news that Niki Lauder has passed away, the chaps recommend gawping at the online Gordon Murray museum, the List of the Week is all about starting your engine, and the And Finally is both amazing and awful but mainly awful. Hope you enjoy the show!

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Alan had an electric Hyundai Kona, for a week. Instead of attempting an epic adventure in it, as we've already done that and it has become a bit of a cliche, he just used it normally. Listen in as he tells Andrew about his experiences and blows Andrew's mind when discussing a serious improvement in the technology.

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This week Alan's on his own and talks about Carlos Ghosn and the Renault/Nissan merger; the fate of Honda's Swindon factory; how there's hope for Ellesmere Port yet and that there are new, faster public charginf points on their way. Also, Polestar R&D is sent to Coventry and that your car insurance cost may not depend on the factors you think. There's Monaco FormulaE and Chilean WRC news. The Lunchtime Read finds the best classic Japanese metal on display at Japfest, J.D. Power mixes it up in the List of The Week and we round off with a rather smelly story from Bentley.

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Three years after we first aired a Special Edition about alternative fuel options, we revisit the subject as things have moved on! Listen to Alan and Andrew chat with experts Tom Callow and Alex Grant as they run through the options, their use cases, some of the ‘best’ myths and what the future holds.

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In this week's show, we talk about Porsche settling their emission cheating case, China is now investigating the German collusion on emission tech, details of some of Stadler's calls have been leaked, New Car Registration Figures for April 2019 have been released, BMW first-quarter profits are down but there is a good reason, SMART boss is moved on already, Google ads are not all that they seem, Edinburgh considering a city-wide ban on some vehicles, police to be given more protection for chasing mopeds, Formula E is in Monaco this week, WRC is in Chile this week, Hyundai's new design boss starts, the Lunchtime Read is about Alex Roy and the And Finally tells us how original Porsche is keeping it for some owners. Do go enjoy the show!

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In this week's show, we talk about Ghosn being released on bail again, JLR looking at buying Addison Lee, the April recalls which cover a surprising number and age of vehicles, grant eligible home charging list has been released, calls to reduce the timescale of the Government's clean car target, RAC fitting their vans with EV chargers, Oslo installs first wireless charging station, a sensible change to how Londoners are charged for getting around the city, a roundup of the eventful Paris ePrix, a roundup of the attritional Rally Argentina, a Lunchtime Read about WLTP - but don't let that put you off, the cheapest five star rated new cars make up the List of the Week and Alan tells us about Toyota's new test facility in the And Finally section. Hope you enjoy the show!

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In this week's show, we tell you to get in fast if you want tickets to the Festival of the Unexceptional, Ghosn has been charged again but this time it is different, VW bonus payments to a suspended executive are being probed, we give credit to TfL (rare I know) for trying to help fleet operators with the introduction of the ULEZ scheme, the Car2Go app wasn't hacked in the Chicago crime spree, Google maps adds the current status of EV charging points information, Communities in rural Wales are running EV share schemes, where lights have been switched off on motorways accidents have risen dramatically (percentage wise), Mazda's infotainment system gets borked by a podcast, a reminder that both the Paris ePrix and Rally of Argentina are on this weekend, a Lunchtime Read to give all who like Lotus some hope, a List of the Week that is news too and the And Finally is a quick video of Spinal Track's new venture onto gravel! Hope you enjoy the show.

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Alan spent a day at Litchfield Motors, to find out what their operation is all about. Listen in to him discuss the origins of the company with Iain Litchfield, the excellent work they do and Alan gets to drive a very Alan-type car.

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In this week's show, we quickly return to the seemingly ever-present #Dieselgate as Winterkorn is charged with fraud in Germany, Ghosn's incarceration is extended, Mercedes are being investigated over a defeat device in their GLK SUVs, WhatCars? True MPG test shows an improvement in the reduction between official and their mpg test results, an automotive cybersecurity rating scheme is being developed for buyers, police will detect mobile phone use in cars but the system has too many flaws, we thank idiots for causing average speed cameras to be instaled on part of the EVO Triangle, there is a roundup of the Rome e-Prix, the Lunchtime Read is a benchmark for journalism regarding driver assistance technology from Ed Niedermeyer, the List of the Week and the And Finally are both from Gavin Braithwaite-Smith. Hope you all enjoy!

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In this week's show, the chaps discuss the new twists and turns in the Carlos Ghosn saga, they chat about the financial implications to the allegations of collusion by BMW, Daimler and VW, FCA settles with the dealers in the U.S. over phoney sales, They run through the March 2019 new car registration figures, deploy equal measures of scorn and disgust at how FCA is getting around the emission fine their leadership failed to plan for, Toyota has made their electrification patents royalty-free, The Rome e_Prix is this weekend and there is a link on how to watch it, also there is news about Vienna being interested in hosting a race, Trac Mon is applying for permission to develop the site which we hope they get approval for, in celebration of the ULEZ beginning the List of the Week shows you can still have fun cars and avoid the charge, and the And Finally fills Andrew and Alan with jealousy and bitterness.

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In this week's show, Alan and Andrew guffaw at the news that the Nissan CEO signed off the deal Ghosn is in trouble for, they congratulate all those attempting to break a world record with Volvos, they berate the car industry on the news that some are gaming the WLTP tests, Alan investigates how a Hyundai Sante Fe was disabled by police in the U.S., Toyota servers are hacked in the Asia Pacific region, they discuss an investigation into speeding enforcement variations across the U.K., they are quite positive on the news of 100 electric forecourts being proposed, Piquet leaves Panasonic Jaguar, Andrew takes us through the emotional rollercoaster that was WRC Corsica, both chaps are puzzled by BMW's decision to move Jozef Kaban before he can actually get any designs finished, rounding out with recommending watching and subscribing to the Roadster Life YouTube channel.

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Alan spent a day driving classic and modern classic cars with Great Escape Cars, getting to see what goes into one of the driving day packages. Listen to him tell Andrew about the wonderful and the weird that he got behind the wheel of. Andrew tries not to sound too jealous and in places almost carries that off!

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In this week’s packed show the chaps talk about the recorded phone conversations emerging between some important VW #Dieselgate executives, their happiness at the relaunch of the Bloodhound LSR project, the surprise that a Chinese court has ruled in favour of someone bringing an intellectual property case to them, Toyota and Suzuki sign an agreement to build a new Suzuki car at the Burnaston factory, Keyless entry security is under the spotlight from Thatcham Research, the Infrastructure Tsar calls for public charging points to be regulated by Ofgem, Volvo announces more safety initiatives - brace yourselves as Andrew has some things to say, the EC approves more standard safety equipment being fitted to cars, Formula E Sanya race is discussed, the Lunchtime Read is what would the Autocar writers do to improve the UK’s transportation networks, List of the Week may be small but they are mighty, and a glorious And Finally.

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Both Alan and Andrew drove the Swift Sport during the time Andrew had it, listen in as they give their perspectives on the impressive job Suzuki has done with this car, how well priced they feel it is and how Andrew got on with the driver assistance technology.

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On this week's slightly shorter than normal show, the chaps discuss the SEC being quite cross with VW and Winterkorn, Ford confirms there will be UK job loses in their cost-cutting drive, JLR is recalling cars due to slightly higher than certificated emissions, Alex Robbins writes an excellent article about the dangers of stigmatising diesels, Porsche is putting the 911 GT2 RS back into production briefly, Formula E is coming from Sanya in China this weekend, a couple of articles to check out for the Lunchtime Read and we have another car name as part of the And Finally.

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On this week's show, the chaps talk about Tesla changing their mind on several decisions, Hyundai has developed an app to open your car door, Mission Automotive initiative has been launched, Japanese manufacturers to install hydrogen stations in Japan, Hyundai is bringing many hydrogen lorries to Switzerland, 25% of drivers ignore a red 'X' on a smart motorway, Infiniti is being withdrawn from Western Europe, German manufacturers could face EU fines for collusion, Government has awarded rapid charging contract, the Department of Transport is proposing new standards on road repair, Formula E was quite a fiesty one, WRC Mexico was an interesting weekend, a Lunchtime Read about the Geneva Motor Show, a brilliant sounding List of the Week and an And Finally that is literally out of this world!

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Alan and Andrew are joined by Rachel Boagey and Andrew Brady to discuss the highs, lows and surprises from the 2019 Geneva Motor Show. Listen in as they talk about taste and a lack thereof, real-world cars and not just the hyper rockets, as well as roof boxes.

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On this week's show, we talk about will or won't Ghosn be released on bail following winning approval, we run through the February 2019 New Car Registration figures, Volvo has announced it will limit the top speed of it's cars from 2020, Direct Vision Standard is coming to lorries in London, CO2 emissions have hit a record 5 year high, there is some advice on London's ULEZ if you own a classic car, Tesla has slashed prices and is closing showrooms, Formula E is coming back to London, Mercedes reveal their livery for the 2019/20 deason, Chronos and Cars was at BAC in Liverpool and so were the chaps, List of the Week is a good one for the I-Pace and the And Finally is about the amazing things Ross Lowell invented.

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Andrew had an Arctic Truck AT35 for a week. Listen in as he finds genuine joy behind the wheel of this ridiculously mad vehicle. Yes, a happy Andrew! Ok, he's surprised too, but happy.

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On this week's show, the chaps discuss VW suffering a setback in court, the ex boss of Honda UK comments on the sad news about Swindon, PSA announce a profit and one from Vauxhall too, an antitrust probe has begun into the price of car parts, BMW are fined after fessing up to a mistake with their engine software, CarWow has a new tool that predicts the price of cars after Brexit, license plates with EU flags will not be valid after 29 March, SMMT issue a statement about Brexit being a distraction in the current global automotive climate, mandatory speed limiters and data logging will come to new cars from 2021, the Scottish Faculty of Advocates warns of the dangers with autonomous vehicle software, the Festival of the Unexceptional has opened for Concours registration, Codemasters in partnership with the Motorsport Network to host and promote eracing, there is a hugely entertaining Lunchtime Watch, a glorious List of the Week, and the And Finally is from the man behind Bangernomics, James Ruppert.

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On this week's episode, the chaps talk about VW winning a compensation case related to #Dieselgate in Germany, bad news for Porsche as prosecutors in Stuttgart begin proceedings against them in connection with #Dieselgate, France confirms Brits won't need an international license to drive there if there's a no deal Brexit, Ghosn loses his golden parachute and changes his legal team in Japan, the sad news that Honda will close the Swindon plant is discussed, there are a couple of road-related articles dissected, Andrew warns us to be prepped for a renewed assault on Twitter from OEMs as they have a new industry director, Formula E Mexico is enthusiastically discussed, WRC Sweden is a roller coaster, Alan tries to drive between some cones, a myth-busting Lunchtime Read, another contentious List of the Week and an And Finally that will bring a smile to your face due to the sheer silliness of it.

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Alan was invited to a driving day by Aston Martin, crushingly for him, he couldn’t attend. Andrew could though! Listen to Andrew tell Alan what he missed, including how nice a convertible can be, how Aston Martin is working towards a sustainable future and if there are any real differences between the DB11 Volante and the Vantage. Alan does a good job not to let his bitterness and jealousy flow through too much.

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On this week's show, the chaps kick off with #Dieselgate, where Volkswagen's software fix is under the microscope, Bosch could be in trouble from German prosecutors and, amazingly, VW too, Carlos Ghosn's wedding costs are investigated and the chaps wonder if there is the start of a turn in how Ghosn is reported in the press, one of our wonderful listeners, Sam Burnett, gets in touch which means Alan can geek about about small cars and their importance to New Car Registration figures, there is the sad news that John Haynes has passed away, the chaps discuss the nuances of JLR £3.4bn wrote-down, hydrogen receives a boost from the Government, WiTricity buys Qualcomm's wireless charging business, Formula E is back in Mexico this weekend, FIA and Formula E are teaming up to premier their 'Girls on Track' educational events aimed at girls between 8-18, I-Pace eTrophy debuts as a support race to Formula E this weekend, Top Gear is back THIS Sunday and not last as Andrew got that wrong, however Lazy Boy Garage starts Wednesday 13 2019, there is a challenging List of the Week and an And Finally that shows some eye watering depreciation.

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On this week's show, with Andrew rising from his sick bed like Lazarus, the chaps discuss Carlos Ghosn's first interview since being arrested, more drama at JD Classics, Ford has confirmed the number of job losses at the Bridgend plant, a second Apple worker has been accused of stealing autonomous tech information, the January 2019 new car registration figures are looked into, Nissan will now not build the next X-Trail in Sunderland, Porsche admits to declaring the wrong fuel and emission figures for the last gen 911, Mercedes and Bosch have to go to court to face a class-action suit in the US, Wayne Burgess will head up Geely's UK design centre, a reminder that Top Gear is back on TVs this Sunday, they run through the WhatCar? 2019 Awards, and there is a wonderful And Finally.

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Alan was invited to the launch of the new RAV4, Toyota's family sized SUV. Listen in as he discusses this incredibly important model with Andrew and Andrew Cullis from Toyota.

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Alan’s on his own this week, so it’s a quicker-than-usual buzz through the week’s news.

Follow Up - Car Road Tax Article

There were a couple of errors in the article on Vehicle Excise Duty that we quoted last week. Thanks to Andy Masson for keeping us straight.

Follow Up - Nissan / Renault / Ghosn-gate

This week Carlos Ghosn resigned from both his positions at Renault and Hiroto Saikawa say he intends to step down as Nissan CEO in response. Renault appoints a new Chairman and a new CEO and President Macron thinks the Renault Chairman should be Chairman of both. The US SEC also starts investigating executive compensation reporting at Nissan in the USA.

Volvo Recalls Some Diesel Models

Volvo has announced a precautionary recall of diesel models sold in the 2015/2016 model year.

Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme Technical Specifications Announced

The UK Government has announced a new minimum technical specification for home chargers to be installed after 1st June 2019.

London Minicab Firm Buys 1,200 VW Sharan

Ubiquitous London minicab firm Addison Lee has bought 1,200 Volkswagen Sharan to update its fleet.

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On this week's show the chaps quickly dispense with some #Dieselgate and Carlos Ghosn Follow Up, moving onto news from Lotus, LEVC gets a new CEO, they congratulate Kia for selling 1 million cars in the UK, there are more warnings for UK motorists if no-deal Brexit occurs, they discuss the lack of thought in using Workplace Parking Levies, Alan schools Andrew on VW's idea for deposits on their I.D. cars, there is a reminder that both Formula E and WRC are back this weekend, the Lunchtime Read is some actual consumer advice, the List of the Week is 50 Shades of Grey, and they return to a familiar automotive news source for the And Finally!

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Andrew had an Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.0 Turbo Petrol Super, for a week. Before it’s arrival he was unsure how this would fare under the scrutiny of the in-depth examination that every car undergoes at the Cracked Windscreen household. Listen in and see what he thought of it and if his thoughts on the car have changed since it’s launch.

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On this week's show the chaps discuss a surprising move by VW to claw some money back over #Dieselgate, FCA settles with US authorities over supposedly illegal software, Bosch settles with US authorities over supposedly illegal software, Ghosn loses his appeal against detention, loses his bail application, Nissan board members leave the company, JLR announces big job loses, Ford announces big restructuring to their European set up, advice from the Government for UK drivers wishing to drive abroad after March 28, Honda will shut their Swindon plant down after 29 March, Ford and VW reveal they've formed an alliance, amazing the ASA dismiss complaints against a car ad, the Marrakesh Formula E result is examined, a Lunchtime Read, a List of the Week and a And Finally.

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On the first show of 2019 the chaps start with some Follow Up. VW is being sued by a German State Government, IAV pleads guilty in the US in connection with #Dieselgate, Ghosn is rearrested, two senior Nissan execs take some leave, Ghosn appears in court to refute claims against him, December and 2018 New Car Registrations are down, New Year's Honours for some special car people, London launches a van scrappage scheme, Tottenham Court Road to ban all but buses and bikes from March, Greater Manchester may bring in charges for LGV and HGVs, BMW to face criminal proceedings in Korea, Takata airbag recall still slow in the UK, Highways England doesn't like touchscreens in cars, Formula E is back at the weekend and so is the Rookie Test, Hyundai WRC gets a new boss, an excellent Lunchtime Read from Jalopnik and the cars and props from Fast and Furious Live are up for auction.

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Alan was invited to a driving day by Mazda. He got the opportunity to try out his selection of their range. Listen in as we hear him explain the new Skyactive engine, his thoughts on the updated range including the MX-5, CX-3 and CX-5. Prime your drinks as we get about 45 minutes of Alan talking about Mazdas, good luck to all playing along at home!

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On the final News Show of the year, the chaps start off with good Follow Up, the Bloodhound project has been saved, there are several articles discussed with regards, to the continued fall out from Carlos Ghosn's arrest, a leaked email shows that Uber allegedly knew their autonomous vehicle project wasn't going well, Levandowski claims his new company has driven across the US with no disengagements, Euro 6 diesel cars can be banned from European cities, Apple hires a Tesla designer, Hyundai to sell a car unlockable with a fingerprint in China, River Severn crossing now free, drivers are warned of 'Frantic Friday', Formula E is back, CEO Agag will become Chairman of Formula E, the chaps discuss last year's predictions and announce their new ones for 2019, Porsche have to tell us how to pronounce Taycan.

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On this week's show, the chaps discuss more #Dieselgate news, the slowly evolving Carlos Ghosn saga including who signed off what, the sad confirmation that the Bloodhound SSC project has closed, November 2018's New Car Registration Figures, the Footman James Classic Car Show is no more, CarGurus buys PistonHeads, VW has been selling undocumented pre-production cars it shouldn't have, Formula E is back this weekend, a cracking List of the Week which will make you scuttle off to the online car marketplace of your choice, And Finally there is a call to arms for bringing back the basic models into car ranges.

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Andrew tried out a Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDi GT-Line S Auto AWD, over a week. Listen in as Andrew guides Alan on a magical mystery tour of the vast seven seat SUV, learning about how easy living with it really is, but also that you won’t bother to drive it in a hurry.

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On this week's episode, the chaps discuss the continued detention of Carlos Ghosn, Madrid bringing in the toughest car bans of any city so far, JLR will again temporarily lay off staff, new public charging points announced, Kia and Hyundai are let down by the official WLTP test, FCA is going to re-tool their Turin plant, Festival of the Unexceptional has a new home, Hyundai's UK Boss is stepping down, Formula E will have an Attack Mode and is looking to return to the UK, TVR factory is held up as no one paid attention to public sector procurement rules, Alan didn't buy a car last Sunday, a thought-provoking Lunchtime Read, and we celebrate the return of #AutoAdvent and now #AutoAdventLite!

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On this week's show, the chaps discuss the final resolution to the rear seat belt issue VW have, more fall-out from Ghosn being arrested, things look pretty grim for Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant, GM continues to shrink its operations, the release of a report into 20mph zones, DoT is investing in road safety initiatives, the new MOT emission standards are working, buses with autonomous technology will be on the Forth Road Bridge, the BBC has released their timetable for the new Formula E season, Quest TV will also be showing live races in the UK too, Best of British List of the Week, Alan went to a very good event which had the bonus of making Andrew jealous and they tell you how you can go bid on some cars that are part of a new TV series.

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Andrew had a Suzuki Vitara for a week, how will it stand up to the rigors of the Cracked Windscreen horde over that period? Listen in as we hear about how this surprised him, how using it in one dry grassy field cannot be considered “off-road” and why he likened it to a puppy chasing a stick. Continuing the Motoring Podcast’s unique manner in which they review!

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With world order restored, Alan is in a random hotel room whilst Andrew is back in his kitchen, the chaps discuss Carlos Ghosn's sudden arrest, Michelin to close their Dundee plant, Ordering an Alfa Romeo for test with Amazon Prime, the cost of failed driving tests, WRC Rally result and Championship winners, Formula E testing in Saudi Arabia give extra slots to teams with women test drivers, a Lunchtime Rear that will get you scouring the lower price bracket of internet car selling sites, and the amazing story of a truly inspiring person in the And Finally.

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On this week's episode, the chaps hail the first of eight mandatory recalls being given the go-ahead for Audi, Daimler and VW will pay for retrofitting older diesels whilst BMW won't, VW's independent auditor says there's still lots of compliance work to do yet, a UK report surprised no-one when it stated most PHEV owners have never plugged their car in, much discussion has been had about what is the future of PHEVs in the UK, Paris is banning pre-2001 diesels whilst Stuttgart looses it appeal therefore will ban them also, in another (non) shock news from the RAC that if you ignore the smart motorway rules you'll get driving penalties, Law Commission launches the first of several public consultations into the fitness of UK law when it comes to autonomous vehicles, reminder that the deciding round of the WRC takes place this weekend in Australia, Formula E will be shown live on the BBC in the 2018/19 season, the chaps were at the Race of Remembrance in Anglesey, a very Citroëny List of the Week and a Sweedish flavoured And Finally.

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Andrew had a Mazda 6 saloon, for a week, to find out what the differences are on this new model. Listen in as the upgrade to the interior has surprised many, Alan explains, in a lot of detail, how clever the SKYACTIVE engines are and the chaps get a bit geeky about a new paint technique. Who says we don't do in-depth reviews?

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Earlier in the year Andrew visited the headquarters of Mission Motorsport, the forces charity that helps former service men and women in their recovery and rehabilitation. Whilst there he spoke to several from the Team to find out what happens behind the scenes to allow this to take place.

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On this week's episode, there is a change to German legislation which means VW is facing a class-action, October's New Car Registration figures are out and dissected, the surprise news on VW's UK boss is leaving, police recommend pay before filling at all petrol stations, news that child car seat laws still have parents confused, the not so surprising news that parents driving the school run are distracted, there are growing fears that motorsport may become all but impossible to stage due to EU legislation, a cracking List of the Week and a drool-worthy And Finally.

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On this week's show Andrew apologises for last week's show notes being linkless, Stadler is released from custody, Porsche Holding SE is ordered to compensate shareholders, Ford temporarily shuts their JLR engine line, JLR's Slovakian plant opens, the plug-in hybrid grant fund is used up early, what the Budget means to motorists, Faraday Future's co-founder resigns, Ford starts production of the new ST engine, Highway's Agency mulls over upgrading some A-Roads, Loeb shows he still has 'it', Mazda has a new European Design chief, Hyundai Group designers play musical chairs, a cracking Lunchtime Read from Michael Banovsky, a fast List of the Week and the opening of a brilliant place is the And Finally.

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Andrew had a Mercedes-Benz Citan on test for a week. The van-derived car was given the full Cracked Windscreen Horde test! Listen in as Andrew and Alan discuss VAT, a hilarious Sat Nav and whether the theory that these vehicles are the best use of space on the road today.

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On this week's show, the chaps ask when is a recall not a recall as BMW expand their 'technical campaign', Government is urged to ban ICE vehicles from 2032, study into driver assistance tech discovers people think it can do more than it can, Tesla removes 'Full Self-Driving Capability' from options list, NHTSA stops driverless shuttle from carrying kids, there's a claim that autonomous taxis will be on London's roads by 2021, Heineken agrees a five-year deal with Formula E, the Lunchtime Read is from Matteo Licata, the List of the Week is from Autocar and the And Finally is very silly.

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On this week's show, the chaps discuss the imminent changes to the plug-in and EV grants, Audi admitting responsibility for breaking regulations in Munich, Opel have been raided, the car industry's preparations for a no-deal Brexit, Ford GT recall in North America, China car sales slump continues, Morgan's EV3 is shelved, Bloodhound project seeks investment, Formula E testing has started and drivers are confirmed, Meeke returns to WRC in a Toyota next year, Mazda have a new European R&D Vice President, a Lunchtime Read from Nir Kahn, List of the Week, And Finally watch a car being rebuilt in time lapse.

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Andrew had a Citroën SpaceTourer, for a week, to see what the large van-derived vehicle from the range was like to live with. Listen in as Andrew tells Alan, for a surprising amount of time, what it was like to drive, how space is not the final frontier and how many inflatable water melons it could hold. The Motoring Podcast, bringing you in-depth reviews like no other!

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This week the chaps discuss the EU voting to approve stricter emission limits after the manufacturers plead for them not to, the November New Car Registrations figures for September 2018, JLR announce they're closing a plant for two weeks soon, Toyota is recalling some hybrid vehicles due to a software glitch, how Levandowski is still a target for Google, Mazda is bringing back the rotary engine, a reminder about when and when not to use a mobile when in the car, the Government is to help 10 councils improve their air quality, WRC Rally GB result, Kevin Rice moves to Chery, the Lunchtime Read is from Matt Prior, a consumer-focused List of the Week, and a Swedish And Finally. Oh, Alan may mention some trainers too, but that's only because Andrew got bored in removing them from the audio in the edit.

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This week the chaps discuss Stadler’s contract being terminated, Daimler appoint a non-German as CEO, Ford to refund Ecoboots engine failures, Lotus to revamp their HQ, WLTP causing manufacturers headaches, Audi technical development boss steps down due to ill health, ACEA hit back at “unrealistic” CO2 targets suggested by EU, Citroën welcome back Ogier, a run through of highlights from the Paris Motor Show, List of the Week and a wonderful And Finally.

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Andrew had a Honda Civic Sport, for a week, to see what has changed in the model that’s replaced the first ever car the podcast reviewed. Listen in as Andrew tells Alan about this Jekyll and Hyde car, spends a lot of time talking about the boot and counts the materials on the dash. Well, you’d expect nothing less from the Motoring Podcast.

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We say sorry for claiming the Peugeot 205 was designed by Pininfarina as we should know better, details of the class action suit against VW in Germany are revealed, Porsche ditches diesel engines for good, Frankfurt’s dirty car ban is being challenged, a buyer has been found for JD Classics, Aston Martin CEO launches the Palmer Foundation, Coventry’s MotoFest brings in £10M to the area, Goodwood event dates for 2019 now fully revealed, Mission Motorsport are looking for sponsorship for the Race of Remembrance 2018, Pierre Leclercq to head up Citroën design, a witty Lunchtime Read, a contentious List of the Week, and a brilliant And Finally.

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Alan had a Lexus LC500, for a week, to see what it’s like living with a loud V8 engined luxury coupe, saving us all the “effort” and “hassle”. His sacrifice will not go unrewarded. Listen in as Andrew, who’s eyes glow green and teeth are gritted with jealousy, ask Alan what the LC500 is like. They may spend some time discussing the exterior of the car for a while.

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Winterkorn dragged his feet, JD Classics in administration, see how easy it can be to steal a Tesla, WLTP clarification, iOS12 is out so we get new maps, ‘Circle of five’ investigated for collusion, Jaguar Castle Bromwich moves to three-day week, Saudi Arabia invests $1 billion in Lucid Motors, Self-driving tech industry alliance sought, Tractors could face A55 ban, Nissan buys a stake in e.dams Formula E team, Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy starts in December, WRC Turkey was very attritional, Hero of the week is Louise Cook for making it to and competing in Turkey, Lunchtime Read, List of the Week and And Finally.

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VW in court with investors, New Car Registration figures for August 2018, Toyota recalling Prius and C-HR hybrids, Keyless entry security flaws revealed, Danish study suggests faster speed limits are actually safer, Frankfurt ordered to ban older diesel and petrol cars, Government suggesting zero emission cars to get green coloured plates, Ex Rolls-Royce Design Director joins Chinese company FAW, Lunchtime Read, List of the Week and And Finally.

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E-bike record smashed, Police to check driver’s eyesight, VW struggling with WLTP certification, Aston Martin to list on the London Stock Exchange, Dyson investing in a test facility, Private plates attract thieves, Traveling outside of rush hour can save you time, People are holding off buying new cars, New Lotus product strategy chief, Bern favourite to replace Zurich on Formula E 2018/19 calendar, Goodwood Revival timetable published, Lunchtime Read, List of the Week and And Finally.

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E10 fuel warning, VW to fix seat belts in November, Seat reducing your options, new diesels accused of emitting more than tests permit, electric E-Types to be built, Toyota and Uber partner up, Toyota bringing back the name Corolla, Lunchtime Read, Lunchtime View (as a treat), List of the Week, And Finally.

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Swiss ban Mercedes and Porsche imports, KBA reminds all to fix their VWs, VW to cut more engineers, Rockingham to close, Mexican farmers angry with VW, VW recalls more cars, Classic JLR to open in North America, WRC Germany, Lunchtime Read, List of the Week, And Finally.

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Alan had never driven a Toyota Prius, so in an effort to find out more about hybrids, he spent a day with Richard Seymour of Toyota GB talking about alternatively-fuelled vehicles and finding out if the Prius really lives up to its stereotype on the roads.

This Special Edition is a bit long, so here are points you may want to scroll to:-

0.00.00 Hybrid-based discussion

0.40.40 Yaris Hybrid drive

0.59.05 Lexus RX 400h drive

1.07.48 Prius Plug-In drive

1.29.20 Prius Mk1 drive

Thanks to Richard and Steve of the Toyota Press Garage for their help. To find out more about Toyota hybrid and hydrogen vehicles visit the Toyota GB website.

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Alan's solo this week and most of Europe is on holiday so unless you're talking about a certain EV company there's no news. It's a short show...

FOLLOW UP: STADLER TO REMAIN IN JAIL

Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has had his appeal for bail rejected by a Munich court.

BMW TO RECALL 324,000 CARS IN EUROPE

Following 27 fires in BMW diesel cars in South Korea, BMW is to recall and change the EGR modules in 324,000 cars across Europe.

GEELY CONSIDERS SPENDING ON LOTUS

51% owner of Group Lotus, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, is said to be considering investing £1.5 billion in the Norfolk-based sports car maker.

NAME THAT SUV

Geely is crowdsourcing a non-Chinese name for its "Bin Yue" SUV. Make your suggestions via Twitter.

DVLA DOWN

Planned system maintenance this weekend means it won't be possible to tax cars this weekend, meaning that anyone buying a car won't be able to drive it on public roads until after the system comes online again at 0600 Monday morning. Find out more here.

Also, you can now submit the new owner slip on the V5C online on the DVLA website.

LUNCHTIME READ: Around Europe in a £750 Omega

Autocar's Lawrence Allan and his flatmate took a 6,000-mile road trip around Europe in a Vauxhall Omega Estate.

LIST OF THE WEEK: The New Cars of 1948 That Changed The World

It turns out that the cars of 1948 made a huge impact on the world's automotive landscape. Check out the luminaries in this list.

AND FINALLY: Japan's Kei Truck Garden Contest

The Japanese Federation of Landscape Contractors holds a Chelsea-Flower-Show-esque competition where the gardens have to fit on the deck of a Kei truck. Check out some of the entrants here.

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Each month we review the SMMT Registration figures and ask ourselves if the Fiesta really is 1.4 times as good as the next-best-selling car in the UK, the VW Golf. Alan asked Ford if he could borrow the most representative Fiesta they had on the Press Fleet and spent a week with a 3-door ST-Line 1.0 125PS Ecoboost example.

So, is it as good?

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Fifth Gear is returning to our screens in September, July’s New Car Registration figures are out, Car makers accused of manipulating WLTP tests, VW may have to recall EVs and plug-in hybrids, Polo ad gets banned in the UK, Future of Mobility Grand Challenge published by the Government, Local roads are resurfaced once every 92 years it is revealed, Lunchtime Read: How Car Design Works (Part One), List of the Week: England’s best and worst motorway services 2018, And Finally: Nissan flies mechanics in. Plus we haeva couple of announcements at the end of the show.

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Follow Up: RIP Sergio

Sergio Marchionne passed away just after last week's show was recorded. Autocar has an obituary including his life in pictures.

Follow Up: No Deal Brexit is UK Motoring Industry's Nightmare

The UK's motoring industry sees the prospect of, and the uncertainty around, a "No Deal" Brexit. Stores from The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and Reuters.

Brandstätter Is New Volkswagen Chief Operating Officer

Volkswagen has stuck with their tradition of promoting internally and named Ralf Brandstätter as their new Chief Operating Officer for the Volkswagen brand.

Ford Looks to Reorganise Europe

Ford is looking to reorganise their European operations and range to increase profitability after the recent disappointing sales performance from many vehicles in their range. Story from AutoNews Europe.

Uber Shutters Otto

"Ride Share" company Uber is mothballing its troublesome Otto self-driving truck subsidiary to focus on the development of its "self-driving" cars, according to Jalopnik.

WLTP And The Big Wheel

The new WLTP emissions tests take many factors into account including the impact on efficiency, and thus taxation, of new cars. One of these factors is the wheel and tyre combination, so will buyers choose not to upgrade their wheels to save on taxation? Motoring Research article here.

Economic Think Tank Calls For Dial Back of MOTs

Economic think tank, the Adam Smith Institute has issued a paper arguing that the MOT is a waste of money for motorists and that we'd be better off without it. Motoring Research argues the opposite.

Lunchtime Read: Car Companies Should Stop Investing In The Past

Transportation Strategy Consultant Lukas Neckermann asks why car companies are continuing to invest as much money in facilities and infrastructure specifically designed to build internal combustion engines and drivetrains as in facilities and research for electric, hybrid and alternative fuels. His article is here.

List of The Week: Todays Cars In The Past

We're used to futuristic versions of today's cars, but what about yesterday's versions of today's cars. This beautifully illustrated listicle on Autocar went almost viral last week but is worth sharing in case you missed it.

And Finally: Petrolblog Is Back!

You've received the sticker, you've watched the £100 Laguna videos on YouTube, but now the whole site has been revamped and It Is Good...

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The chaps have a chat with Ian Seabrook, the Founder and Creative Director of HubNut a website celebrating the average. Listen as the idea behind the show is explained, what sort of things could be spotted and Ian's crazy journey to and from the event.

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Volkswagen invite BMW’s Duesmann to the Board, FCA move quickly to replace Sergio Marchionne following news of his serious ill health, 157GB of automotive manufacturing sensitive data held on public servers, E10 petrol consultation opened in UK, Detroit Motorshow moves to June, Ofgem outlines suggestions on how to cope with expected rise in EV charging numbers, DVLA asking drivers to retake eye tests, Vauxhall/Opel return to profit, Techeetah partners with DS Formula E team for next season, Christopher Svensson looses battle with cancer, Dambrosio named new Mitsubishi Executive Design Director, Lunchtime Read: How to Service a Lexus LFA, List of the Week: France’s Luxury Barges, And Finally: Liberty Walks GT-R.

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VW are yet to guarantee their engine fix doesn’t alter engine outputs in EU, Bosch ordered to hand over emails in German lawsuits, Opel to attend hearings about shut-off devices, FIAT staff strike over a striker, US regulator says no to additional AV regulation, UK buyers looking to ditch diesel study reports, pothole related breakdowns up, trial of higher speeds in motorway roadworks, Formula E finale, Goodwood Festival of Speed, Lunchtime Read: Why touchscreens don’t work in cars, List of the Week: Leftfield Cars, And Finally: 80-year-old drives across Africa to London.

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In the quest to "fill all the niches", Mercedes-Benz now have a pick-up in their range. Alan spent a week with the X250d 4-Matic Power whilst listening to country music and never putting anything in the load bed. Listen to find out how he got on in this teutonic titan.

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VW to reveal all, the Messiah returns, TfL wants to remove exemption, Road to Zero, Mercedes HGV engine sale halted, Nissan admits further misreporting in Japan, June New Car Registrations, M6 Toll rise, VW Golf R power down after WLTP, Formula E returns in New York, Lunchtime Read about German premium brand's design, Affordable Pininfarina and Elfyn Evans tries to get to Goodwood.

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We revisit the Subaru WRX STi. This time, Alan has custody of the Final Edition that is a last hurrah for the WRX here in the UK.

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On this week’s show the chaps discuss how Winterkorn has refused to testify, BP has bought Chargmaster, EU’s proposals for safer mobility, Autolib’s Paris contract is ended, Fifth Gear return to our screens in September, Hyundai emerge as FCA takeover lead,, I.D. R Pike’s Peak car was powered by Formula E motors, a quick Porsche is really jolly quick, videos of the Niels van Roij Tesla Shootingbrake, a wonderfully warm Lunchtime Read and a List of the Week that Alan doesn’t like.

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Listen to Andrew chat with Alan about his experience with the Peugeot 5008. He will discuss how impressed he was with the car and how it was much better than he was expecting.

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This week the chaps talk about Hatz being released from custody on bail, initial Uber Arizona accident report, Smart announce their new CEO, Uber get probationary 15-month London license, Autocar’s Great British Women 2018, PSA announces its plans to make Vauxhall profitable again, Irish PM wants to ban combustion engines by 2030, Hyundai and Audi partner up over hydrogen, Porsche buys 10% stake in Rimac, Susie Wolf to be new Team Principal for Venturi Formula E team, Mads Østberg gets C3 drive for the season, Lunctime Read, List of the Week and a wonderful And Finally.

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This week the chaps will discuss a startling turn of events with #Dieselgate, Vauxhall ditching the Zafira and GTC, Jaguar Land Rover entering the subscription market, the excellent Zap-Map releases a new route finder, Toyota wins Le Mans 24hr, roadwork permits seem to work, List of the Week, And Finally we see how crazy Ian Seabrook really is!

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Listen in as Alan tells Andrew all about the new 2018 Toyota Aygo, after going to Copenhagen to find out for himself!

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This week the chaps have a bit of Follow Up to get through before moving onto the new News. They will chat about Audi’s CEO house being raided, 28 witnesses instructed to give testimonies in Germany, Volkswagen reaches a settlement with Oklahoma, the London ULEZ zone will expand in 2021, results of BMW recall inquest, NTSB releases a preliminary report on the Tesla Model X crash, Mercedes instructed to recall diesels in Germany due to ‘defeat devices’, TRUE Initiative report angers automotive industry, WLTP will delay Volkswagen production, Thatcham Research join calls to clarify language used around driver assistance tech, Formula E Zurich results, WRC Italy results, the Le Mans Spotter Guides are out, Volvo is not going to Geneva in 2019, Rolls Royce design chief to leave, Lunchtime Read about the Volvo 480 and Alan likes a toy car.

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Andrew is back in the land of the Internet, so can join Alan on this week's episode. During the show, the chaps discuss the Hamburg diesel ban, May new car registrations, Lotus's CEO is leaving, SMART's CEO is leaving, FCA's latest fantasy plan, Apple will allow third-party navigation apps, Matt Le Blanc to leave Top Gear, Most Instagrammed car brands and PetrolBlog is coming back.

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Andrew's away this week, so Alan's joined by motoring journalist Richard Gooding to talk about some of the week's news and then reminisce about their trip to the SMMT Drive Day last week.

BMW Security Bugs

Chinese Infosec company Tencent's Keen Security Lab has logged and reported some weaknesses in certain BMWs. They're quite hard to exploit, but you can read more on The Register.

Hamburg's Diesel Crackdown

The banning of Euro 5 and newer diesel vehicles in Hamburg comes into force on Thursday, but it's not as radical as it sounds.

Zipcar's 300 EVs

The car sharing club is continuing its move towards lower-emission vehicles by adding 300 Volkswagen e-Golfs to their London Fleet.

Milk Floats are Back

Home delivery service Milk & More are introducing 200 StreetScooter electric delivery vehicles to replace diesel ones. They're claiming a 90% saving in fuel costs in the first month alone.

Tesla Model 3 Crash in Greece

A privately-owned Tesla Model 3 has crashed in Greece, but the pan-European infrastructure that was promised at the Model 3's launch seems conspicuously absent. Also, Alan ended up visiting Reddit. Ugh.

WRC - Citroen Explains Why Meeke Is Out

Citroen's WRC team has explained why Chris Meeke and his co-driver Paul Nagel were sacked following Rally Portugal.

Drive Day Rundown

Alan and Richard chat through some of the cars they drive at the SMMT Drive Day last week and pick out their most surprising drives, their favourites of the day and wonder the massiveness of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. You can even configure your own.

Celebrating the Allegro

Alan hates lazy "Worst of" lists that include it, but Richard has done the opposite and written a piece for Influx celebrating the maligned Austin Allegro.

And Finally - Lakeland Motor Museum

Congratulations to the Lakeland Motor Museum for winning the Footman James Best Classic Destination. We'll both be adding it to our list of "Must Visits".

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Shameless Plug For Rich Going Freelance

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TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ALAN AND ANDREW...

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This week, with both Alan and Andrew feeling better, they get to talk about Porsche recalling more cars, Loughborough University diesel tech recognised with an award, Bosch answers some questions about their clever diesel tech, Alan can love Ed Sheeran once again, BMW expands their UK recall to include more cars, businessman buys 10% stake in McLaren Group, Fiat ends car production in Italy, UPS to trial electric vans in London and Paris, Formula E Berlin result, WRC Portugal result, Designer’s Corner is back, a thought provoking Lunchtime Read, Alan writes some words, another excellent List of the Week, And Finally is an great adventure.

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For this Special Edition Alan gets to tell us all about life with his new car, so far.

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This week Alan is missing due to ill health, Andrew is hardly on sparkling form either so this is a mercifully short show for you!

Andrew discusses the continued misconceptions of alternative fuelled vehicles, BMW’s recall, VW and SEAT seat belt problems, DS has a 30 year plan, Formula E and WRC are back this weekend, PSA is now selling classic parts online, Alex Roy explains how to fix the dangerous language of self-driving cars in the Lunchtime Read, Gavin Braithwaite-Smith brings us another wonderful List of the Week and the And Finally is about a man on a beach in his shed.

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On this week’s show, the chaps have an awful lot of Follow Up to run through. The show starts with our old friend #Dieselgate with the Ex-VW CEO being charged in the US. Audi confirm there are software issues with some A6 and A7s. The Uber accident may have been due to a software setting. There is a criminal investigation into the Zafira fires. Bosch’s diesel technology, that reduces NOx, has been explained more. The April SMMT new car registrations are up, so Alan’s prediction has failed. Insurers agree their renewal prices are unfair. A Lunchtime Read on military vehicle aesthetics. Also there is also a wonderful List of the Week as well as an excellent And Finally.

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Listen in as we listen to Alan take part in a therapy session, as he tells us of his fond time with his MX-5, now it has gone.

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On this week’s show the chaps discuss a lengthy press release from Subaru regarding mpg and emission data, how an idiot got banned from driving, Audi is recalling 1.16M cars worldwide, Bosch claims to have fixed diesel’s NOx issue, VW Group infotainments are hackable, Ford ditches saloons in North America, Brabus founder has sadly died, Formula E Paris result and incidents, WRC Rally Argentina results and incidents, WRC Rally GB to race on closed public roads, WEC season starts this weekend, Smart motorway fines rocket, List of the Week is the best of Brabus, And Finally is the Alfa Romeo Museum.

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This week the chaps have to discuss news items that show the optimism they foolishly displayed last week was, um, misguided.

Topics include, how Porsche was raided over #dieselgate, a new EU regulatory law aimed at preventing a repeat of #dieselgate, Nissan to shed some jobs in Sunderland, China is removing it’s protectionist policy on car production and sales, Amazon announce deliveries, Formula E and WRC are back this weekend, Dutch ‘singing road’ removed, how to get 8 months in prison, Gandini’s greatest hits and a new testing series that is all female.

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This week technology does not seem to have thwarted the chaps in some way or another. So listen in as the chaps talk about the Gordon Murray OX prototype going to India, Tesla and NTSB arguing over how they should complete a safety investigation, Herbert Diess is the new CEO of VW, JLR is cutting agency workers and production thanks to a reduction in new car sales, Vauxhall will terminate all dealership contracts, John Miles is remembered, the Formula E result from Rome, Sweeden deploys an electric car charging road, Uber looking at all mobility options, Wyoming's most popular cars and what the Highway Code should actually contain.

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This week Andrew's sound is not to the quality we strive for, which we apologise. Hopefully, it will not detract from your enjoyment of the show.

The chaps discuss why VW is considering removing Muller, March 2018's New Car Registration figures, Shell release a surprising report, reminder that Formula E is back, WRC Rally Corsica result, discussion about autonomous vehicle design, which embassies owe for the Congestion Charge and adverts from a bygone age.

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Alan's on his own this week, so it's super short...

FOLLOW UP: UBER REACHES SETTLEMENT CLAIM OVER ACCIDENTIn short order, Uber has reached a settlement claim with the family of the lady their vehicle hit in Arizona. What little information that's known is here.

UK DIESEL CAR TAX HIKE IMPLEMENTED ON 1st APRILRevised diesel car tax rates, particularly for company car drivers, came into force on 1st April despite no vehicles meeting all the standards and most not having been tested for them. More details here, with clarification of the WLTP/NEDC mess by Alex Grant here.

US Safety Agency Unhappy With TESLA Jumping The GunThe US NTSA is irked that Tesla has released a blog post on its version of events leading up to a recent, fatal Model X crash before they've finished filing their official report. Tesla is clear to point out that the driver had his hands off the wheel at the time of the crash but not saying why the concrete divider was not detected by the system. More here.

Diesel NOx Emissions could be near-eliminated with new TechnologyResearchers at Loughborough University say their new ACCT system, running on a liquid additive similar to AdBlue, could use ammonia to break down nitrogen oxides within two years with "the right support. More here.

Whiplash Claim Cap Could Reduce Car InsuranceThe proposed Civil Liability Bill could introduce a cap on whiplash claims of £425 to deter fraudulent claims. The current average whiplash claim is £1850. This would save the insurance industry up to £1billion per annum and each UK driver £35. More in the What Car? article here.

List Of The Week: The Coolest Car DashboardsMajor Gav guides us through his picks of the coolest car dashboards ever, whilst Alan claims one for inclusion...

And Finally: The Fine Art of Car TransportingAutocar looks at what you need to do to load a car transporter and the possible pitfalls of getting it wrong... Story here.

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This week the chaps are having to wade through a lot of Follow Up. But there is news about the UK Autonomous project, Waymo selecting Jaguar I-Paces for testing, the WRC changes the rules for Power Stages, more money to fix pot holes, Lynk & Co announce their European production base. There's also some brief Parish Notes.

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Alan and Andrew tested BOTH versions of the new Hyundai i30N, the Performance with 275ps and the 'regular' one with 250ps. Listen in as Alan makes a case for his preference and Andrew insists the other version.

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This week the chaps discuss more raiding by prosecutors, the fatal accident involving an autonomous Uber, the Mayor of London's Transport Strategy, installation of 100 new EV charging pioints, BMW raises their CO2 figures across the range, Formula E result, highlights of the Goodwood Member's Meeting, new VED rules reminder, Uber's planning tool, new JLR Special Operations MD and Porsche's augmented reality app.

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Andrew had a Mercedes-Benz Vito Tourer Select Extra Long for a couple of weeks. This allowed him to take Rear View on Tour and a couple of family trips. He experienced all the weather conditions and the types of roads on offer in Britain.

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This week the chaps discuss some brief Geneva Motor Show Follow Up, after Alan has attended. There is a run through the February SMMT New Car Registration figures, Swansea trialing bus orientated traffic lights, Mazda infotainment system suceptible to hacking, how to support the JustGiving page for Henry Hope-Frost's family following his tragic accident, the exciting Rally Mexico event, Formual E returns reminder, a new way to support Mission Motorsport, Cars and Coffee returns at Great Escape Cars, we suggest some lunchtime reading from Eric Gallina, and Alan has found a 'worst of' List of the Week.

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This week Alan and Andrew are joined by Richard Aucock, from Motoring Research. Listen in as they discuss their highs, lows and surprises from Geneva.

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Andrew was invited, by Subaru, to try out their new XV. Listen in as he tells us what those changes are and what they have meant to the car.

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This week the chaps do have a small amount of Follow Up, but diesel does feature heavily as German cities have been given the go ahead to ban some diesel cars, the Chairman of Geely becomes the largest shareholder in Daimler, BMW has to recall 11,700 cars due to installing the wrong software, WRC has brought out a factbook, Scottish Motor Sport is making access to racing even easier, moaners are told to stop watching car programs they don't like, WhatCar? comes out with a wonderfully neerdy read, Alan gets cross at another 'Worst of' List of the Week, and people find out that trying to get a toy car into space is hard.

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This week the chaps discuss progress of the Aston Martin factory, Porsche drops diesels from some of the range, the Rebel Alliance needs a succession plan, council to start charging firms who dig up the road, Alan gets exposed to wood smoke and snow, call for hands-free phone use to be banned, Alan grumbles at the List of the Week and someone drives 20,000 miles in their TVR with only one major issue.

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Andrew took Subaru's Forester up to the snowy Cairngorms to see what it is like as family transport for the Cracked Windscreen horde. Listen to him tell you about the fantastic four-wheel drive system, XDrive, and the marvellous Eye Sight system.

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This week Alan is on his own, so it's a short show. There's some Follow Up on Uber v Waymo, dropped warranties and the Maserati Levante and news from Edinburgh about the cars abandoned in a robot car park, the Rolls Culinain is "a thing", the joys of OTA updates for FCA's U-Connect, Rally Sweden, Goodwood Festival of Speed and many Lists of the Week. Andrew will be back next week and univesal balance will be restored.

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THis week the chaps talking about January 2018's new car registration figures, silly officials making silly comments, London's ULEZ to rake in the cash, car to grid scheme announced, Renault cuts it's warranty, Wales to allow closed road racing, Lunchtime Reading suggested and an excellent List of the Week.

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Alan went to Barcelona to drive the Toyota Yaris GRMN, on road and track. Listen in as we hear his conversation with Stijn Peeters, the European Technical Program Manager for the Yaris GRMN. Has Alan made the correct decision to splash his own cash on one of these?

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Alan is back! Also, this week has a much more cheerful show, thanks to there being some positive news. However, there is still enough to make you shake your head in a sad way.

Listen to Andrew and Alan discuss how #Dieselgate can still shock us, Qwest finish the Model S estate, Ralph Hosier tells us more about #ProjecSwarm, Hackney propose ULEV only streets, Formula E reveals the new car, WRC Mote Carlo was a toughie, Lotus hatches a plan, plans to curb rouge parking companies, Norway has the best taxi, best pocket rockets and a RHD Raptor.

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This week Andrew is flying solo! He discusses PSA and Unite talking, new car MOTs will stay at 3 years, Land Rover reduces production, dodgy meters hold up the roll out of new London Taxis, smokey Focus RS's will get a free fix, Formula E finishes after New York this year, WRC is back, we learn how not to write about driver assistance technology, and trapped cars are found in a car park.

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This week the chaps will be discussing how prosecutors want #Dieselgate answers from Porsche, Andrew moans that people still buy white cars, NCAP reveals which are the best 2017 cars to crash in and they recount their visit to a large shed.

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This week the chaps return for the New Show. They discuss FCA apparently trying to settle their deisel emission issues in the US, GM's attempt to change driverless testing rule wording is clarified, more jobs to go at Vauxhall, December and 2017 new car registration figures discussed, designer of the rotary engine has passed away, UK Government releases consultation on parking and motorway assist technology, Formula E is back, Nathalie McGloin is President of FIA Disability and Accessability Commision, the history of road tax in the UK, the Top 50 events to attend in 2018 and GM is putting podcasts in cars.

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Andrew was invited to learn more about Mazda's future plans and get behind the wheel of their current range. So, in a break with tradition, listen to him talk about all things Mazda, whilst Alan listens.

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