UK car manufacturing output fell 15.3% in October, the eighth consecutive month of decline, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Some 77,484 units left factory gates, 14,037 fewer than in the same month last year, with plants continuing their retooling to enable production of the next generation of zero emission vehicles. Some 24,719 battery electric, plug-in … [Read more...]
Another Chinese brand coming to Britain
Xpeng is the next Chinese brand coming to the UK early next year, it was announced. The G6 SUV will lead the importation of a range which will be handled by the very experienced IM Group, which have enormous experience over almost 50 years with Subaru & Isuzu and recently added GWM of China to its portfolio while handling the parts operations for Mitsubishi models after they withdrew new car … [Read more...]
New law’s threat to UK supply chain & businesses
Business group Logistics UK has raised concerns about the government’s proposed Retained EU Law Bill currently making its way through Parliament and the risks which its adoption will pose to UK businesses and the nation’s supply chain. In a letter to PM Rishi Sunak, Logistics UK’s Chief Executive David Wells OBE has highlighted the industry’s concerns about the Bill, which is due to be … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: GWM Funky Cat 1st Edition
The UK’s electric car revolution is becoming a bloody affair. From initially resisting the new technology on cost grounds including writing off established investments in petrol and diesel engine technology and having to develop hybrid or pure electric powertrains, along with making tens of thousands of workers redundant, manufacturers have struggled to convince buyers into showrooms or on-line … [Read more...]
Stellantis stuck in shipments row
Stellantis appears to be manipulating the new car market and making buyers pay for it. The trade press has reported the massive PSA/ Fiat/ Vauxhall conglomerate has been making dealers register cars still on their way or in logistics hubs but not on the road in the hands of their buyers. Motorists have also been made to pay for the cars in advance or lose the order and racked up finance … [Read more...]
Newslines 4 July
Hundreds of beautiful and valuable classic cars are heading to France with Brittany Ferries this weekend belonging to Brits and other nationals attending the biennial Le Mans Classic festival in Pays de la Loire. Around 430 rare and valuable made the voyage from Portsmouth to ports of Caen and St Malo with an estimated value is £25.8 million, making the garages of Brittany Ferries' vessels among … [Read more...]
Concerns mount over further delays to border checks
Any additional delays to the introduction of post-Brexit border checks on imports will simply postpone the inevitable, and send mixed signals to businesses that have been urged for months to get ready for the additional formalities involved with moving goods across the UK’s borders, according to business group Logistics UK. Responding to news that Boris Johnson is considering a further delay to … [Read more...]
£60 paybacks on way to millions of UK car owners
If you bought an imported car between 2006 and 2015 it’s possible you’ll be getting £60 compensation as part of a £150M lawsuit brought against five shipping companies. The carriers MOL, K Line, NYK, WWL/EUKOR and CSAV have admitted to European officials that they fixed prices to inflate charges over the nine years and face the equivalent of £340M in fines. Furthermore, a Collective Proceedings … [Read more...]
Newslines 22 February
Jagaur Land Rover is reported in media to be well advanced on plans to develop a new pure electric car squarely aimed at the Bentley sector from 2025. It comes as other media stories say Ford, Renault and Mercedes-Benz are also looking at ramping up their electric cars, Toyota group has revealed a range of pure electric cars to replace all their existing models in a couple of years, while Lotus … [Read more...]
Motor industry lies at heart of world trade
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has called on government to put the automotive sector at the heart of future trade negotiations, after a new report confirms vehicles are the UK’s single most valuable goods trade export. Vehicle export revenues reached £27 billion in 2020, making them more valuable to the UK than power-generating machinery and gold, even during a year when … [Read more...]