Zap-Map, the UK’s most popular electric vehicle (EV) charging digital platform, today announces the launch of a free voice-activated function on Google Assistant, allowing users to search for EV charge points using voice commands at home, work or on the move including while driving using hands-free voice commands.
Available on Android and iOS mobile devices, Google Home and in-car using the latest version of Android Auto, Zap-Map uses natural language processing to provide voice responses to customers’ commands such as ‘find a charger nearby’.
The UK new vehicle market is expected to run out the year with continuing decline in sales, following the downward trend since the referendum vote and impacted in 2017 and 2018.
That’s the view of economists with Focus2Move, who anticipate a UK end of year total of 2.7 million cars and commercials with Ford still ahead but Mercedes and Volkswagen behind them and pushing Vauxhall into fourth place.
A £17.15M fine has been recommended for Nissan over under reporting of former chairman Carlos Ghosn’s compensation and pay.
Japan’s Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission said the amount covered four years of payments before the disgraced boss was arrested in November 2018 and is still awaiting trial on offences he has denied.
Tory leader and Prime Minister Boris Johnson said automakers in the UK will be protected after Brexit, suggesting their supply chains will not be disrupted by leaving the European Union.
He spoke when visiting a logistics company working with Nissan Motor Manufacturing in Sunderland, and which exports 80% of models made in Britain’s largest car assembly plant.
Volkswagen has been charged with importing nearly 128,000 vehicles into Canada with higher than stated emissions.
Volkswagen was charged with 60 counts of breaching the Canadian Environmental Protection Act after a four years probe by engineers.
Russia’s major carmaker, Avtovaz is buying out General Motors in Russia, ending their 18 year partnership.
Together they produced the Chevrolet Niva but sales have faltered with the imposition of western sanctions in 2014 and falling oil prices affecting the rouble, so pushing up the cost of buying a car.
Oil companies could loose a third of their value due to climate change inside six years, say analysts.
Companies which heavily rely on fossil fuels will see investors moving away from them to towards low-carbon industries and users and for vehicle makers that means they must rapidly ramp up electric car manufacturing or see their values plunge and shareholders suffer.
