Aston Martin Lagonda has started car building at its new multi-million pound St Athan plant. They are pre-production models of the carmaker’s first SUV, the Aston Martin DBX, and have been assembled by the mostly locally recruited workforce and will be used by the luxury brand for engineering, testing and special projects. The 90-acre, former Ministry of Defence site at St Athan in Wales was … [Read more...]
Memorial fund launched for Tom Pryce on 70th birthday
A £50,000 fund has been launched to create a permanent memorial to Welsh Formula 1 driver Tom Pryce in his hometown of Denbigh. Launched on what would have been Pryce’s 70th birthday last Tuesday, the money will be used to erect a statue as a lasting memorial to the rising star who died in a tragic accident in the 1977 South African Grand Prix. The launch ties in with the build up to the … [Read more...]
Green drive threatens to push makers into the red
Alternatively fuelled vehicles, pure electric, petrol-electric hybrids and plug-in hybrids saw a 21% increase in UK new car sales last year to 141,270 units but only 15,474 of those vehicles were pure electric models, writes David Miles. So far this year only around 2,000 battery electric cars were sold in the first five months of the year. Still small steps might lead to big strides as … [Read more...]
Local AM to oversee Ford Task Force aid
Welsh Government has set out the aims it wants a task force to work towards following the “devastating” closure announcement last week of the Ford Bridgend Engine Plant. After 40 years on the Waterton site east of Bridgend, Ford will close by autumn 2020 and make 1,700 people redundant. Ken Skates, Minister for Economy and Transport, said local AM and former First Minister Carwyn Jones, who has … [Read more...]
Solar car-port puts rivals in the shade
A Welsh company is launching a high technology car-port which puts rivals in the shade, using advanced solar power panels. BiPVco of Newport also produces flexible panels for the roofs of boats, motor homes, caravans and commercial vehicles and its product is being used on the latest patient transport vehicles ordered by the Welsh Ambulance Service Trusts as part of a £13.5M transport … [Read more...]
Future on wheels is not what you think
From driving to the nearest shop to get some essentials, commuting to work by train or flying to your dream holiday destination, getting around the world has never been easier in 2019. In the last 200 years especially, transport has completely transformed. With the first steam railway built in 1804, the first credited automobile created by Karl Benz in Germany in 1885-1886, to the first powered … [Read more...]
Union urges nationwide fight over Ford Bridgend closure
Ford workers across Britain must stand together against the closure of the Bridgend Engine Plant, GMB Congress has said. An emergency motion, passed at GMB’s Annual Conference in Brighton yesterday, called on the company to reconsider the closure – which will cost 1,700 jobs. Ford workers at the car giant's other UK plants must stand alongside their Bridgend colleagues, the motions … [Read more...]
Volvo takes a head start in cycling safety
Volvo Cars, a leader in automotive safety, is teaming up with top Swedish sports and safety brand POC for a series of world-first crash tests of bike helmets against cars as part of a ground-breaking new research project that aims to further protect cyclists. The partnership is the latest example of Volvo Cars’ leading position in safety development and its ambition to improve road safety for … [Read more...]
Newslines 10 June
Ford will sell its idle Russian plants. Its passenger-vehicle production in Russia will cease by the end of June following the closure of its Fiesta and EcoSport car plants in Naberezhnye Chelny and Focus and Mondeo assembly in Vsevolozhsk near St. Petersburg and an engine plant in Elabug. Toyota will explore making solid-state traction batteries in 12 months time. It is increasing ev … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Cupra Ateca 2.0 TSI 4Drive 300hp
You’ve heard the name Cupra before, it’s been used and still will be for the name of SEAT’s most potent sports models, but this time its reborn, writes David Miles. The first Cupra was developed by SEAT Sport and launched as the Ibiza Cupra in 1996 but now Cupra is being launched as a standalone sports brand and its first offering is the 153mph Cupra Ateca sports SUV. In the future Cupra … [Read more...]