A dozen businesses in Wales make parts for Honda, said the Welsh Automotive Forum. The component suppliers employ thousands of workers and Welsh Government and WAF are taking steps to identify the true impact of the Honda closure and how the employees can be helped. Honda will close its vehicle assembly plant in Turkey along with the Swindon operation by 2021. It is part of a global … [Read more...]
New car sales will stagnate this year, say makers
This year, EU car sales will stagnate at 2018 levels in terms of units sold, staying close to the 15 million new registrations mark recorded last year, according to new forecasts by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. Although 2018 was the fifth consecutive year of growth, the pace of growth has slowed down significantly over the last few years, amounting to a slight increase … [Read more...]
Newslines 12 February
The along awaited Audi e-tron electric models will go into showrooms in April. There will be two versions from £71,490 after the ev plug in allowance and it will be a their version of the VW Golf sized I D Neo hatchback. The next generation Vauxhall Corsa range will include a plug-in battery-electric model. It will also have the intelligent LED headlights first seen on Insignia and … [Read more...]
MoT test widens to more vehicles from 20 May
More agricultural, delivery, recovery and construction vehicles are now liable to the annual safety test. The DVSA is introducing annual testing for some when their current tax is renewable but others must have a test done by 20 May 2019. Vehicles now needing a test certificate include: mobile cranes breakdown vehicles (not breakdown vans) tower wagons some mobile engineering … [Read more...]
Newslines 5 February
The new 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage is available to UK customers from £11,295. A new entry level Mirage 3 is available with a manual transmission and is £1,005 less than the outgoing Juro model and they have a 3 cylinder 1.2-litre MIVEC engine, 80hp and 106Nm torque and emit 107g/km CO2. Two plug-in versions of the new BMW 7-Series will arrive in Spring. In-line 6-cylinder petrol engine and … [Read more...]
Ford offer VR to Bridgend workers as JLR contract expires
Ford has announced its first voluntary redundancy programme at Bridgend plant since the impending loss of its contract to build petrol engines for Jaguar Land Rover. Nearly 400 positions will be cut among hourly and salaried staff who apply ths month with reductions taking place at the end of this year when the JLR lines shut. Unions said earlier this year that about 1,000 jobs could go … [Read more...]
The price of power will surprise you
A new analysis indicates the amount motorists are willing to spend and reveals that horsepower and purchase price aren’t always directly correlated and you'll be surprised by the results. Every buyer has their own priorities when buying a new car: a large boot, comfortable seating, air conditioning, or intelligent assistance systems; yet horsepower remains a consistent customer … [Read more...]
Car production & investment sharply down – SMMT
British car production fell by 9 percent last year - the most since the recession ten years ago. Analysis by the SMMT suggests investment slumped by nearly half due to fears about Brexit, said the SMMT. Volumes have also been hit by a crackdown on diesel, tougher emissions rules disrupting new vehicle supply and a slowdown in China, the world’s no. 1 autos market. Last year saw the fall … [Read more...]
Keyless crime is challenge for popular cars
Some of the UK's most popular cars are increasingly becoming susceptible to keyless theft, says the consumer group Which? It looked at a German engineering report which identified the Fiesta, Golf, Qashqai and Focus were at risk from thieves using over the counter electronic devices to highjack key codes, enter a vehicle and sometimes drive it away. The German equivalent of the RAC and AA … [Read more...]
Newslines 18 January
Lotus Cars will be made in China by its two-year-old owner, Geeley, according to a Reuters’ report. It quoted Chinese job adverts and public planning notices in Wuhan, Central China which indicated a 150,000 models annually would be assembled in the new factory, possibly SUVs, but also derivatives of their classic sports cars currently assembled in Norfolk. A new study of 1500 motorists … [Read more...]