A no-deal Brexit at the end of 2020 risks undoing efforts to get the auto industry back on track after the coronavirus of recent weeks, says the European car makers’ director general Eric-Mark Huitema. While Europe still grapples with the health, social and economic impacts of the coronavirus, and EU automobile manufacturers battle for survival, the second round of negotiations on the future … [Read more...]
Finance
Sunday drive: On the road & in the news 3 May
I’m still keeping calm and carrying on sifting through the latest automotive news items and press releases pinging into my Inbox, writes David Miles. Some are less ‘newsy’ than others and some press releases are just recycled items as PR operators seek to keep us informed by promoting their brands so here as some worthwhile snippets of news worth passing on. A lock-down reminder – Indian … [Read more...]
Speeders fines and lockdown after lockdown
As police forces report a dramatic rise in speeding on the UK’s deserted roads, GoCompare Car Insurance warns that in addition to posing a serious risk to other road users and increasing the pressure on emergency services, drivers caught speeding face much higher insurance premiums or a driving ban. Government advice to stay at home to combat the spread of the coronavirus has … [Read more...]
Hydrogen is just the ticket for bus business
Plans for a UK-built 3,000-strong hydrogen national bus fleet have been revealed by JCB heir Jo Bamford in a move he hopes can lead the nations’ economic recovery. Mr Bamford claims his plans are “an ideal option for a Government that needs to boost UK manufacturing at this critical time whilst radically reducing our carbon emissions and air pollution”, and has already submitted his vision in a … [Read more...]
Newslines 1 May
A survey by the Welsh Automotive Forum of local supply chain companies shows 88% expect May turnover to be reduced by more than 50%. Even for July, 38% expect turnover to be 30%+ reduced on pre-COVID-19 levels. RAC patrols rescued some 3,426 motorists whose vehicles may have fallen victim to the UK’s pothole-ridden roads in the first three months of 2020, more than during the same period last … [Read more...]
Virus shutdown to cost UK automotive over £8B
The British car industry faces losing output worth more than £8 Billion due to the coronavirus outbreak. It suffered a production drop in March of a third and fell to its lowest level since 2009, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders thursday. Britain’s biggest exporter of goods which employs more than 800,000 people saw factories and dealerships begin to close from mid March with … [Read more...]
Huge decrease in global car sales over a month
The outbreak of COVID-19 has already impacted the automotive industry significantly, according to JATO Dynamics, a leading provider of global automotive data and insight. Global vehicle sales totalled 5.55 million units in March 2020, down by 39% from March 2019. This represents the largest year-on-year monthly decrease since 1980, when JATO Dynamics started to collect data - even surpassing the … [Read more...]
Save Welsh bus services, Tories tell Welsh Assembly
Wales’ bus routes are ‘at risk’ and Welsh Conservatives call for increased support for bus companies during the Coronavirus lockdown. Information obtained by the Welsh Conservatives suggests that bus companies and the routes they operate are under threat as a specific grant for bus services in Wales to help them through the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic has not been passed on by Welsh … [Read more...]
More business to go digital
The lockdown is leading to a rapid expansion in the digitisation of fleet services, says the Association of Fleet Professionals. Co-chair Paul Hollick explained that the trend could be seen right across the spectrum of the industry, from service providers to how employers communicated with drivers. He said: “Much of this trend has been prompted by the sudden and widespread switch to home working … [Read more...]
Banks tardiness threatens coronavirus recovery
The Government must make lenders move faster to access the special loan scheme or businesses will fail, says the FTA. On 2 April, Chancellor Rishi Sunak MP announced changes to the government’s Corona Business Interruption Loan Scheme, vowing to take “all action necessary” to make sure government backed loans were benefitting businesses as planned. But only a month later, FTA, the business … [Read more...]