Aston Martin Lagonda’s new generation of electric super-cars will be built in Wales, it confirmed today, writes Robin Roberts. News that the new St Athan site will become its centre for electrification confirms an exclusive story which appeared on WheelsWithinWales in March. The Aston Martin Rapide E (sketch above) will be the first Battery Electric Vehicle from the international … [Read more...]
Newslines 10 September
Lister Tuning is relocating to a new centre in North West England where it will develop their unique high performance versions of Jaguar models. Among the first to be built there is a 670bhp Lister LFP SUV using carbon fibre components to keep down weight while the tuned V8 engine will take it to 60mph in 3.5secs and onto a maximum 200mph at a cost of about £140,000. In a major … [Read more...]
Welsh motorists go on bonanza buying spree
Welsh car dealers enjoyed a bonanza buying month in August. New car registrations in Wales shot up 42% compared to August 2017, while in the UK as a whole they climbed about 23%. Almost 3,200 new cars went through Wales dealerships compared to 2,200 in August 2017. The rest of the UK averaged a 23.1% rise and the total in GB touched 93,700 over 76,115 of last year. Ford again … [Read more...]
August registrations soar in face of new cars ban
New car registrations in Britain soared last month on the eve of an EU change in law which would ban models not meeting the tougher WLTP emissions test. Thousands of models across Europe were heavily discounted by dealers backed by car makers anxious to clear unsold stock of the NEDC tested models. This push and the fact some car makers are struggling to build cars which fully meet the WLTP … [Read more...]
Brits burn £20 Billion in wasted fuel due to flawed tests
British motorists have burned through an extra £20 Billion in fuel over two decades due to exhaust emission cheating by car makers, claim an environmental group. The real cost of carmakers manipulating fuel efficiency tests is now revealed. The additional fuel burned because of widespread industry manipulation has cost drivers an extra €149.6 billion for the past 18 years, according to the … [Read more...]
Rentals rising amid emissions confusion
Confusion among fleets about the impact of WLTP is leading to a rise in daily rental bookings, reports epyx. Activity through the company’s 1link Hire Network platform has been increasing in recent months and WLTP appears to be the key driver, the company says. Tim Meadows, commercial director at epyx, said that there had been a 17% increase in bookings over the same period last … [Read more...]
Ford and VW look at future alliance
Volkswagen and Ford are pushing ahead with a strategic alliance, beginning with van production, said the German manufacturer. At the weekend, The Sunday Times reported Ford was looking at 24,000 job cuts in Europe and ending S-Max, Galaxy and Mondeo production to stem losses which hit $73 Million in Q2. The US bosses have also said they will concentrate future production on light commercials, … [Read more...]
Newslines 3 September
In a worrying result as children return to school this week, researchers polled 2,000 mums and dads and found 37 per cent have driven with someone else’s kid as a passenger despite not having a suitable child restraint for them. Fifty-seven per cent admit they don’t tend to lug a child car seat around on the off-chance they might need one for their little ones or for another parent's children … [Read more...]
UK Auto reports mixed output
UK car production declined 11.0% in July, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. Some 121,051 units left production lines as a raft of factors, including model changes, seasonal and operational adjustments and preparation for the introduction of the tough new emissions standards, affected output. Production for export in the month fell 4.2%, while 35.0% fewer cars were … [Read more...]
Option packs on cars to be hit in tax move
Individual options are unlikely to increase tax liabilities on new cars under the new WLTP regime, but commonly selected combinations of options will have emissions and tax impacts. This is likely to accelerate manufacturer initiatives to streamline their vehicle ranges and option packages, says Autovista Group, Europe’s leading pan-European automotive pricing experts. “NEDC emissions … [Read more...]