More than 120 jobs will go with the closure of Hi-Lex Cable System's Port Talbot car components' plant. The Japanese owned company announced today that a downturn in orders will lead to a restructuring of its operations in Europe and manufacturing will be transferred to Hungary, where it's closer to many customers, by 2021. It makes door and window parts and brake and clutch cables for cars at … [Read more...]
EVs will spark change in servicing and costs
The widespread growth in electric cars is going to forever change servicing. ClickMechanic.com, the online car repair marketplace, has looked in detail at the emergence of electric cars and its beneficial differences from the standard diesel/petrol cars that largely dominate the automotive industry. Andrew Jervis, co-founder and CEO at ClickMechanic, said, “It’s clear that the demand … [Read more...]
£2 Billion Dyson electric car project stops
The £2-Billion Dyson electric car project is dead. In an email to staff yesterday, Sir James Dyson said it was no longer considered a commercially viable project and the 500 people engaged in developing the car would be relocated. Dyson had been working on his idea for a groundbreaking mass market electric car for over three years and bought a former UK airfield to set up an R&D base and … [Read more...]
Volvo and Geely to merge combustion engine operations
Volvo Cars and Geely intend to merge their existing combustion engine operations into a stand-alone business in order to establish a new global supplier that will seek to develop next-generation combustion engines and hybrid powertrains. The proposed new business would clear the way for Volvo Cars to focus on the development of its all-electric range of premium cars. Volvo Cars is building an … [Read more...]
Sunday drive: Electric nation is just a notion for now
In the first nine months this year official figures show that UK sales of Battery Electric Vehicles have risen by 122.1% over the same period last year to 25,097 registrations, writes David Miles. But before we think the motoring world has really changed that is still only 1.3% of all new cars sold. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles like Mitsubishi Outlander, have sold just 22,773 units - a fall … [Read more...]
Volvo toughen up EV standards
The fully electric XC40 SUV will be Volvo’s first electric car and one of the safest on the road. The advance of electric cars constitutes the biggest change in the history of the automobile. For the first time in over a century, cars move without a petrol or diesel engine in the engine bay and have a battery in the floor, changing the car at its core. With the introduction of the forthcoming … [Read more...]
Welsh most concerned in UK about autonomous vehicles
Seven in ten Welsh people are uncomfortable about future autonomous vehicles, more than other parts of the country, except for the West Country. Wales and South West among most cautious in UK about driverless cars according to a survey for the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. Only 20% of people in Wales and the South West feel comfortable with the idea of travelling in a driverless … [Read more...]
Electric motor-bike hits 197mph
MADMAX Team Rider Zef Eisenberg raced in to the record books 21-22 September 2019 setting four new motorcycle records at the Straightliners Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme World Speed Records event at Elvington, North Yorkshire on board the Nottingham University Isle of Man TT zero bike. International multiple ACU Motorbike speed record holder and self-proclaimed ‘Speed Freak’ Zef … [Read more...]
All is sometimes not what it seems – beware counterfeits
The Independent Garage Association has collaborated with the Intellectual Property Office to highlight the dangers of counterfeit and consumer supplied car parts within the IPO’s Crime and Enforcement Report 2018 – 2019. The IGA’s section of the report explains how proving the authenticity of a part can be difficult if it is not bought directly from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), and … [Read more...]
Cut repair costs with minimum effort
Untold damage could be done to your car by habits developed over a long time behind the wheel, says Car Shop. The team at CarShop, has revealed the top 10 driving habits you probably didn’t know were damaging your car - and why you should avoid them. Flooring the accelerator in a high gear Many cars have a gear shift indicator which suggests when to change gears. However, this … [Read more...]