The Welsh Government will co-fund a third round of investment in greener and cleaner innovation through the Ford Low Carbon Vehicle Transformation Fund as part of its response to the climate emergency, Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, announced today. Set up by the Ford Motor Company in 2020 after it closed the Bridgend Engine Plant, the Welsh Government-administered fund addresses strategic … [Read more...]
Tradelines 14 June
Used car sales for the UK’s Top 200 dealers showed signs of recovery in May after a dramatic slide in the previous month. Data from our used car partner CarCondor.co.uk showed sales of second-hand cars jumped by 2.9 per cent to 164,138 in the fifth month of the year and follows a poor performance in April which saw sales plummet 10.54 per cent to 159,478, reports Car Dealer Magazine. New … [Read more...]
Net Zero Mobility Wales manager appointed
Dana Williams CEng (IMechE), is the Welsh Automotive Forum's new Project and Operations Manager, responsible for Member liaison and also the delivery of our Net Zero Mobility Wales project. With a 22-year career in the automotive and aerospace industry, she started as a graduate at Ford Motor Company (Bridgend), within Manufacturing Engineering, after which she spent 4 years at BAE Systems … [Read more...]
It’s getting tougher for Welsh automotive sector
The UK Automotive industry is unlikely to return to previous high levels of production and component suppliers in Wales must look elsewhere to survive, delegates to the Autolink 2022 conference were told yesterday. The gloomy outlook and warning was given by Prof Ian Henry, managing director of AutoAnalysis and a HM Government advisor on the motor industry speaking at the annual Welsh Automotive … [Read more...]
Cyber risks outlined to Wales’ automotive businesses
Cyber risks facing the automotive components suppliers in Wales will be covered in one of the presentations at this month's Autolink 2022 conference in Cardiff. Thales of Ebbw Vale will have two speakers covering the issues which can impact on the products, reputations and security as well as finances of parts and services suppliers in Wales with national and international … [Read more...]
Tradelines 5 January
Toyota pushed General Motors off the top spot in America after 90 years domination of the market. Toyota sold 2.332 million vehicles in the United States in 2021, compared to 2.218 million for General Motors, as GM's US sales were down 13% and down 43% in the fourth quarter while Toyota was up 10% for the year. Former chief executive of the Welsh Automotive Forum, Tim Williams, was made an … [Read more...]
Suppliers face new opportunities in car sector
Britain’s car-makers and component suppliers face opportunities as the race speeds up towards a future of pure electric vehicles, delegates to the annual Autolink Conference in Cardiff were told yesterday. On the day that the UK Government announced a £620 Million grant to boost ev-sales, extend the national recharging network on-street and in homes, as well as introduce a compulsory mandate … [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...]
Tradelines 3 March
Sinclair Van Centre Swansea and Anthony Motors Aberystwyth have won top awards from Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in the UK. The Swansea business was recognised for its sales performance while in Aberystwyth it was praised as the most improved operation in the network of 63 sales outlets and 33 repairers. The price of fuel on the UK’s forecourts rose by 3p a litre in February, making it £1.70 … [Read more...]
Newslines 26 January
Our buying habits are changing with hybrids now up over 304% in ten years through insurance searches says comparethemarket, followed by city cars and then electric models, which are just ahead of seven-seaters and SUVs. Steepest decline in buyers have been sports cars, mpvs, coupes, convertibles and pure 4WD models. Burgeoning demand for the fully electric e-tron SUV has been instrumental in … [Read more...]