Thousands of jobs will be created or secured in Britain after Nissan announced this morning that it’s building its next electric car in Sunderland. About 900 new jobs will be added to the plant which currently builds the Leaf EV and a further 750 places will be created when Nissan Chinese partner Envision AESC constructs a new traction battery plant adjacent to the car lines. The £1 … [Read more...]
Leading Welsh automotive engineer dies
Global leading Welsh automotive engineer Prof Richard Parry-Jones CBE has died following an accident at his home on Friday morning. The current chairman of the Welsh Automotive Forum was born in 1951 in Bangor and rose to become Group Vice-President-Global Product Development, Chief Technical Officer and Head of Global R&D Operations at Ford Motor Company with 30,000 engineers and technical … [Read more...]
Weeds need removing from our green drive
There are a few weeds to be taken care of as the motor industry, energy providers, related suppliers and authorities take us down the green road towards 2030 and onwards, writes Robin Roberts. The haste and race to have low emission cars and other vehicles on our roads is tripping over some serious issues, notably cost, and not just for vehicles and infrastructure but the expense of losing … [Read more...]
Newslines 15 February
Jaguar Land Rover is ditching its internal combustion engines over the decade and will sell all-electric models, starting in 2024. It has also announced plans to offer hydrogen fuel cell models when demand and infrastructure support them and will expand its subscription rental service. The new Citroën C4 and ë-C4 is on sale. They come with five-years warranty and free 7kW home charger from … [Read more...]
JLR move to block VW premium models in United States
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...]
