A row has erupted over intelligent all-wheel-drive systems used by a number of car marques. Jaguar Land Rover filed a complaint in the US to block imports of VW Group's Porsche, Lamborghini, Audi and VW SUVs. JLR allege they are using its patented Terrain Response technology without permission. JLR said in its court documents with the US International Trade Commission the systems negotiate a … [Read more...]
Time for a new approach to selling EVs, says report
A new approach to the likely success of electric vehicles is needed say analysts, who question the claims of the car makers' body in Britain. Tesla became the most valuable car manufacturer for many reasons, from glamour to having the longest-range vehicles. The IDTechEx report, "Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea and Air 2021-2041" gives the big picture.A … [Read more...]
Newslines 2 October
CUPRA has started production of the new Formentor, the first vehicle uniquely designed and developed for the brand. The CUPRA Formentor will be available to order in the UK from Tuesday 20 October, starting with the 2.0-litre 310PS petrol engine, and followed by other engines including the plug-in hybrid variant. MG has beaten its 2019 sales targets already as the UK’s fastest-growing car brand … [Read more...]
Newslines 28 August
A classic £1 Million Aston Martin DB5 similar to models in the James Bond films has been stolen in daylight from an address in Cheshire. There is a £1,000 reward for information leading to its recovery and the car is virtually unsaleable due to its rarity. Tesla is rumoured to be close to developing production batteries that are up to 50% more energy compact inside four years. It would … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: Welsh engine line moving to Midlands
Jaguar Land Rover is moving its petrol V8 engine line from the Ford Bridgend Engine Plant to its in-house power centre at Wolverhampton. Workers at the South Wales engine plant, which will close next month, have been building buffer stocks of the V8 engines to continue supplies to the luxury car maker until it can resume production in the West Midlands. Ford Bridgend has been building the Jaguar … [Read more...]
A plan for saving automotive jobs in Wales
Welsh Government and councils must prioritise supporting Tata Steel Port Talbot and Toyota Deeside, according to a far reaching report prepared for the Welsh Automotive Forum. The report by Ian Henry, head of Autoanalysis, follows similar studies he has carried out for WAF in recent years but his final conclusions have been published against a background of a global economic … [Read more...]
Tradelines 19 August
Daimler has reached agreements costing nearly £2.3 Billion to settle civil investigations by US regulators and lawsuits from vehicle owners stemming from a probe into software to cheat diesel emissions tests.The settlements address civil and environmental claims tied to 250,000 U.S. diesel passenger cars and vans and include claims from the Environmental Protection Agency, Justice … [Read more...]
Newslines 17 August
The Mtsubishi Outlander PHEV is still out-selling every other plug-in hybrid SUV on the market so far in 2020 and second only to a recently-launched premium brand saloon. Despite the massive disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a more competitive plug-in hybrid market than ever before, 2,662 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs were registered in 2020 to the end of the July, reinforcing this … [Read more...]
Britishvolt appoint senior team for Welsh super-plant
Britishvolt, the UK’s foremost investor in battery technologies, has announced the appointment of Ray Macera as Project Director for the construction and implementation of Britain’s first battery gigaplant at Bro Tathan, St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan. Macera, who is reporting directly to Britishvolt CEO, Orral Nadjari, leads one of the largest industrial investments in British history. The … [Read more...]
JLR loose bid to protect Defender shape
One of the world's most distinctive shapes, the classic Land Rover Defender, is not unique enough an Appeal Court judge has decided. Jaguar Land Rover sought to get the trademark rights for the shape of the Defender SUV, but it failed and means billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group can go ahead with the Grenadier off-road vehicle, which he admits was inspired by Defender. A London court on … [Read more...]
