As the decline in road deaths tapered off last year, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association is making a push to raise drivers’ awareness of existing and future vehicle safety technologies. Data issued by the European Commission earlier this month shows that there were 25,100 fatalities on European roads in 2018, a figure which has fallen by one fifth since 2010. Although EU roads are … [Read more...]
Anger over plans to ban petrol and diesel trucks in UK
British industry has criticised a report by the National Infrastructure Commission suggesting new petrol and diesel lorries should be banned by 2040. Tom Thackray, CBI Energy and Infrastructure Director, said, “Business has long acknowledged that decarbonisation is a vital ingredient for making the UK economy as competitive and fit for the 21st century as possible. “However, banning … [Read more...]
Brexit boost to UK supply chain, academic claims
Traditional supply chains will be destroyed because of stricter border controls and as a result of a no-deal Brexit, businesses in the UK will be forced to buy more local products, according to an expert from the University of Cologne. Professor Andreas Fügener, expert in Supply Chain Management, warns that consumers are largely unaware of the impact that leaving the European Single Market … [Read more...]
Ford Fiesta ST Performance limited edition
Ford has introduced a special edition of the Fiesta ST, one year on from the first examples hitting UK roads. The Fiesta ST Ford Performance Edition is limited to just 600 examples, all in three-door bodystyle and finished in Deep Orange paint. Based on the best-selling ST-3 trim, the Fiesta ST Ford Performance Edition gains specially-designed Ford Performance parts, including 18-inch Ford … [Read more...]
Ineos car plant for Wales – speculation mounts
Work to prepare a 116-acre site in Bridgend for employment space covering more than 70,000 sq m will begin next month, Economy Minister Ken Skates said today, leading to speculation this is being readied for the £600 Million Ineos Automotive project. The Economy Minister confirmed that following the granting of outline planning permission for a development at Brocastle in Bridgend, the Welsh … [Read more...]
Tradelines 3 April
The annual CV show in the NEC is a sellout. Britain’s biggest automotive show will fill three halls with hundreds of exhibitors from 30 April to 2 May, said Rob Skelton, show director. … [Read more...]
Ford C-Max family is axed
Ford will stop production of the C-Max and Grand C-Max MAV inside three months at Saarlouis and reduce petrol engine demand from Bridgend as a result. It will also cut out the night shift and run day shifts only making Focus in the plant and build more of the higher variants, as announcements continue about its transformation strategy which has also seen it ending car production in … [Read more...]
Car making stalls but commercials speed up
UK car production fell by -15.3% in February, with 123,203 units manufactured, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Declining demand in the UK and in key European and Asian export markets resulted in output falling for the ninth consecutive month. Production for home and export markets dropped year-on-year by -11.0% and -16.4% respectively. Year-to-date, overall … [Read more...]
Pull the plug on plug-in hybrids, say green group
"Fake" electric cars should be banned, says green group Transport & Environment. On the day the European Parliament rubber-stamps stricter CO2 limits for new cars and vans, Transport & Environment warns that carmakers can exploit loopholes in the regulation to push sales of fake plug-in cars over electric vehicles with no tailpipe emissions. As the rules on crediting EV sales leave … [Read more...]
Role of HGVs is given light thought by Government
The primary role of the lorry in urban freight has been ignored once again in a major policy publication, says FTA, the organisation which speaks for the logistics sector, following publication of the Department for Transport’s 'Future of mobility: urban strategy' paper. According to Christopher Snelling, FTA’s Head of UK Policy, the document fails to make a single substantive mention of HGVs, … [Read more...]