Hundreds of jobs will be shelved in the Midlands after Land Rover today announced plans to move Discovery production to its new Slovakian plant early next year. The Solihull plant employs 10,000 people and will be cleared out to make way for a new range of electric models in the early part of the next decade which will use a multi-mode platform for Range … [Read more...]
eRallyX enters the calendar from 2020
The FIA’s World Motor Sport Council has approved plans for the FIA World Rallycross Championship to be an electric series from 2020. IMG has collaborated with the FIA and a number of car manufacturers on this project for the last eighteen months, whilst working hard to ensure privateers can also compete in the new Championship. It will continue to … [Read more...]
£5 Billion for Welsh rail services & passengers
About 600 staff will be recruited and 450 apprenticeships offered with a new 15-year £5 Billion investment in rail services by Welsh Government. The Wales and Borders services along with the proposed South Wales Metro regional service will be contracted to KeolisAmey, who run London Docklands and Manchester Metro, in partnership with … [Read more...]
Automechanika Birmingham: Future is almost here
Innovation will be at the forefront of the ‘new look’ agenda for Automechanika Birmingham when the doors open on the three-day show next week. Among the exciting initiatives set to drive this year’s event will be a raft of keynote presentations, panels, forums and seminars to name a few of the opportunities available, set to draw, inspire and motivate … [Read more...]
Circuit of Wales was a car crash for Welsh Government
Senior civil servants in Wales have been criticised by the Welsh Public Accounts Committee over their botched handling of financial affairs surrounding the failed £433M Circuit of Wales. The committee said the officials made "inexplicable decisions" about the spending and authorised £9M initial investment, but it’s unlikely to see £7.3M returned as the … [Read more...]
Safety call to Government and car-makers over braking
Britain’s leading accident research and safety centre called on the UK Government and car makers to rapidly introduce autonomous emergency braking. Thatcham Research welcomed European Commission announcement of proposals for the introduction of new road safety measures, some of the most significant in the past decade, and calls on the UK Government and … [Read more...]
It’s already winter in part of Germany
As we head towards the summer, it’s already winter in Germany. But tomorrow it could blisteringly hot, with monsoon showers the day after, before arid conditions return. All the seasons in a few hours is part of the working day for engineers in the Ford Weather Factory, Cologne. Here, Ford invested €70 million to build the facility so drivers can rely on … [Read more...]
EU to fine UK for dirty air and diesel-gate
Britain faces a multi-million pound EU fine for failing to act over diesel-gate and high NO2 emissions. The UK and five other EU member states must pay fines and on-going penalties for breaches of air quality, revealed T&E. It was adjudged breaking NO2 limits and allowing car makers to get away with selling illegally polluting cars, while others … [Read more...]
Truck safety in spotlight this week
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association has called for a stronger focus on active safety technologies, to prevent accidents happening. The vehicle makers are putting their views out to scrutiny ahead of the EC’s new proposals last this week for vehicle safety measures, which the industry believe will be less effective, increase … [Read more...]
Major car brands seeking new technology
The Future Mobility Challenge is a major new initiative to spawn new partnerships, investments and acquisitions between the world’s leading automotive brands and innovative technology start-ups and SMEs. Five of the world’s biggest automotive brands, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Bosch, Ford and Toyota, have partnered with SMMT to challenge ambitious SMEs and … [Read more...]
