Unite union has met PSA over plans for Ellesmere Port Vauxhall plant, which assembles Astra models. Discussions followed a 250 jobs cut announced this month on top of 400 jobs going since last autumn but the company has said it is twice as expensive to run as the French equivalent plants. UK industrialist Sanjeev Gupta is bidding to build electric vehicles in a factory GM Australia closed … [Read more...]
Newslines 22 January
UK drivers are now paying £827 on average for their car insurance, according to Confused.com . The company’s index reveals prices have accelerated by a whopping £60 (+8%) since 2016 (Q4) when premiums were comparatively cheaper at £767 and expects them to exceed £900 by the end of this year. Suzuki will supply a eight V-Strom 1000 marshal bikes for this year’s Welsh Road Race, which takes … [Read more...]
Newslines 20 January
Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant must halve its production costs if it is to meet PSA goals, company boss Carlos Tavares has told journalists at Detroit motor show as he prepares to meet UK Government and unions. The new owner of Ellesmere Port and Luton van plants said their French equivalents cost half as much to operate and it has already announced 650 job cuts in the North West and has … [Read more...]
Newslines 16 January
Ford is rolling out an $11 Billion powertrain investment over four years. It plans to introduce 40 hybrid and fully electric vehicles into its range, chairman Bill Ford said on the eve of the Detroit Motor Show. Volkswagen is pouring $3.3 Billion into expanding its US model range in the wake of the sales collapse there following its diesel emissions cheating. It will lead the offensive … [Read more...]
Newslines 15 January
A new 542bhp 4.0V8 petrol engine has been fitted in the luxurious Bentley Bentayga SUV. It gives the premium model a 0-60mph time of 4.4 sec and max 180mph and it can be ordered with the world’s largest carbon-ceramic brakes, has standard dynamic programmes with optional electric ride control, high quality interior including polished carbon inserts from £136,200. A German court has ordered … [Read more...]
Vauxhall cut another 250 jobs in UK, for now
A further 250 jobs will go at Vauxhall, Ellesmere Port. These are in addition to the 400 posts it announced in October and follow a dramatic slowdown in UK sales at a time when the company’s new parent in France, PSA Group, is looking for greater efficiencies at it rolls out a new business plan. The Ellesmere Port plant makes the Astra and it will move staff from two shifts to one. Higher … [Read more...]
Newslines 9 January
Figures by Go Ultra Low show that electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles achieved record-breaking levels of popularity in 2017 over 130,000 models registered. Unprecedented demand saw registrations increase by more than 27% on the previous year and this year could reach 60,000 for the first time, retaining the UK’s position as one of Europe’s largest markets for ultra low emission vehicles. … [Read more...]
Newslines 8 January
The all-new Mitsubishi Shogun Sport will be priced from £36,905 when it goes on sale in the UK in spring. Closely following the January arrival of the Eclipse Cross, the distinctive seven-seat Shogun Sport will sit between Outlander and Shogun in the range and will be offered with a choice of two extensively-equipped trim levels: Shogun Sport 3 and Shogun Sport 4, with the upper model costing … [Read more...]
New car sales dropped in 2017
British new car sales last year recorded their biggest drop since the 2009 recession. They slipped over 5% due to uncertainty over potential new diesel charges and weakening consumer confidence since Brexit and the SMMT expect a steeper slide this year of about 7%. Registrations ended 2017 at around 2.54 million vehicles, while demand for diesel cars fell 17% as consumers were put off by … [Read more...]
Tradelines 3 January
Swiss consumer protection organisation SKS has filed a claim on behalf of 6,000 car owners for damages from Volkswagen and Swiss car dealer AMAG over the “Dieselgate” emissions scandal. “The cars sold as environmentally friendly were overpriced from the beginning. Due to the manipulation of the exhaust system, they then lost even more of their value on the secondary market,” Stiftung fuer … [Read more...]