Motoring Podcast - News Show

FOLLOW UP: A CORRECTIONLast week, during the discussion on the Kia PV5 Andrew moved onto a matter that was tangentially related as it concerned the coverage of the Government announcing the extension of the plug-in grant for electric vans. However, in how he moved to that and the editing after, Andrew inadvertently gave the impression he was attacking the Professional Van outlet and their writers. That was not the intention and we apologise for how that segment came out. It has been removed.ASTON MARTIN CUTS JOBS IN COST SAVINGS PUSHAston Martin has cut 170 jobs as it looks to cut costs following a disappointing 2023. Hit by supply chain issues production was down and therefore so were deliveries to customers. The company is aiming for £25 million savings annually. To read more, click this link to a BBC News article. STELLANTIS PROFITS FALL 70%Stellantis has released information on their 2024 performance and it is bad. Net profits fell 70% on those of 2023. With an operating income down 80% for just the US ma

FOLLOW UP: DAZZLING HEADLIGHT RESEARCH RESULTSThe College of Optometrists, working with the RAC, has conducted research into if headlight dazzle is a problem. The results from the first research suggest there is, particularly for under 35s and those not in SUVs. If you wish to find out more, click this article link from the College here. FOLLOW UP: AUTOPIAN THINKS APPLE SHOULD BUY NISSANMatt Hardigree makes the case, in The Autopian, as to why Apple should buy Nissan. He does however admit that he’s not using logic. Click this link to read more, if you so wish. RENAULT SHARES BATTERY SUPPRESSION SYSTEM WITH INDUSTRYRenault has developed a system to allow for EV and hybrid battery fires to be put out quicker than is currently possible. An access port has been added to the battery pack which will be opened by the pressure of a fire hose, enabling water to get directly into the battery cells and cover them with water. Renault has named this the Fireman Access system and is sharing it with the entire car indust

FOLLOW UP: COURTS REFUSE GOVERNMENT REQUESTThe UK’s Supreme Court has blocked the Government’s attempt to reduce the compensation due to those sold finance for their car purchase. The fear was it would stop or reduce car loan availability. We now wait until April to find out the final ruling. Click this BBC News article to read more. ASTON MARTIN GIVEN DEADLINE TO BE FIXEDAdrian Hallmark, the new CEO of Aston Martin, has outlined that the company must be “going in the right direction’, in terms of towards profitability in the next 12-18 months. Aston will not be following a volume model, but one where they maximise the profitability from each vehicle. If you wish to learn more, click this CarScoops link here. For the more bizarre ideas from Aston Martin, you can click this Top Gear article link to read further. NISSAN CANNOT GUARANTEE SUNDERLAND FUTUREAs the fall out of the collapsed merger continues to rain down, one step Nissan is taking is to continue it’s global cost saving exercise. Unfortunately, that

FOLLOW UP: NISSAN HONDA DEAL OVER ALREADYBefore it even really got going, it appears Nissan are to walk away from the deal as Honda are accused of changing the agreement, with a proposal that made Nissan a subsidiary and not equal partner. When you look at the market evaluations of them, you can see why Honda may suggest they are the bigger company. Click this Autocar article link here to read more. FOLLOW UP: VAUXHALL LUTON TO SHUT BY JUNE 2025Stellantis has confirmed that the Vauxhall Luton plant will close by June this year. The announcement of the closure came in November 2024, with this one now being the specific date. Ellesmere Port will continue to operate. For more on this story, click this Autocar article link here. JANUARY 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURESThe Society of Motor Manufacturer and Traders has revealed the new car registration figures for January 2025. They are down over all, but BEVs are at 21% market share. Unfortunately, Private is still down with Fleet doing all the heavy lifting. Ma

FOLLOW UP: MERCEDES JOINS EU TARIFF LAWSUITBefore we had even managed to publish last week’s show, Mercedes-Benz had joined the lawsuit against the EU over Chinese made EV tariffs. Click this Bloomberg article link to learn more. US PAUSES TARIFFS ON CANADA, MEXICO AND CHINA GOODSThe US has paused imposing 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada, as well as a 10% tariff on Chinese made goods. Even though this has not gone through, the chaps explain the consequences should they come to pass, on the US car manufacturing industry, dealerships and buyers. To find out more, click this electrive article link here. UK GOV INVESTS IN CHARGING AND MININGThe UK Government is investing £65 million in Connected Kerb, who provide on street parking charging solutions. On top of this, £28 million is being invested in Cornish Metals, who mine minerals for EV batteries, solar panels and more besides. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar article link here. JLR PROFITS DROP DUE TO CHANGE OF DOMINANT MARKETJLR’s mos

FOLLOW UP: GOVERNMENT INTERVENES OVER FINANCE SCANDALThe Chancellor of the Exchequer has written to the Supreme Court to ask them to not penalise car dealers and finance companies too much, for breaking common law. To read more, click this AMOnline article link here. For more context on how we are at this point, click this link here, from The Conversation. FOLLOW UP: WESTERN AND CHINESE EV MAKERS TAKE EU TO COURTBMW and Tesla has joined with BYD, SAIC and Geely to challenge the tariffs imposed on EVs made in China that are brought to Europe. They are arguing that the rates imposed are unfair. If you wish to read further on this, click this AMOnline link here. FOLLOW UP: NHTSA BLUECRUISE INVESTIGATION SHOCKSThe investigation into Ford’s hands-off eyes-on driving system, called BlueCruise, by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US, has found that the system does not detect stationary vehicles when the car is going over 62mph. This has been implemented to try and prevent false positives b

FOLLOW UP: BT ENDS EV CHARGER PILOTAfter converting just a single junction box to enable EV charging, BT has pulled the plug on their project. Originally touted as having a potential to convert up to 90,000 cabinets, the company is focusing on improving wifi provision for EV chargers. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here. FOLLOW UP: FTC SUES JOHN DEERE OVER REPAIR MONOPOLYIn the US, the Federal Trade Commission along with Illinois and Minnesota, have taken John Deere to court over claims of a monopoly on repair to their equipment. The claims explain how due to only John Deere being able to fix farm machinery their is a loss of earnings as the farmers have to wait for a technician. This has potential knock on for the motoring industry. Click this 404 Media article link, to read more. EV POWERTRAIN FACTORY TO BE BUILT IN SUNDERLANDA company owned by Nissan, Jatco, will build a factory in Sunderland that will produce the car company’s next generation EV powertrains. The UK Government is investing

DFT CLAIMS NO FINES FOR ZEV MANDATE IN 2024The Department for Transport has stated it is confident no car maker will be hit with fines, for failing to meet the requirements of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate of 2024, due to the many different ways a brand can be compliant. If you want to read more, click this AMOnline link here. JLR STATE GEAR SELECTOR SETUP STAYS FOLLOWING TRAGEDYA coroner has urged JLR to change their gear selector system by including an “intermediary step” to engage the drive as required. A tragic accident occurred when the driver of an electric Jaguar relied on feel to pick correctly but ultimately failed, which led to the death of a child. JLR, whilst expressing sympathy over the incident, stated they comply with all legal requirements. You can learn more, by clicking this BBC News link here. ROLLS ROYCE INVESTS £300M IN NEW PRODUCTION CAPACITYRolls Royce will be upgrading their Goodwood production facility, with a £300 million investment, ahead of a second electric model reveal. More

FOLLOW UP: VW AND UNIONS AGREE ON CUTSAs a result of the intense negotiations between Volkswagen and the unions, agreement has been reached on cuts that are hoped will create $4 billion in savings. Voluntary redundancies, selling one plant, reducing production lines and repurposing other plants are all measures being taken. Click this Autocar article link, to find out more. You can also click this link here to an AP article explaining other aspects of the steps being taken. FOLLOW UP: HONDA AND NISSAN OFFICIALLY CONFIRM MERGERWe covered the rumours of this a few weeks ago, yet it has still caught many by surprise. Nissan and Honda has announced that they intend to merge in an attempt to fight for an increased market share. We cannot work out what the companies will gain from this as they seem to be effectively identical in terms of products and markets. To find out more, you can click this Autocar article link here. FOLLOW UP: UK GOV STARTS FRESH ZEV MANDATE CONSULTATIONThe new Transport Secretary, Heidi Alex

FOLLOW UP: ANOTHER ROUGH WEEK FOR VWVolkswagen are continuing to endure more challenges. Workers were on strike last week, with the threat of more in the new year as unions and management continue to talk but appear no closer to agreement. You can click this HTAutos article link to learn more. Meanwhile, VW’s CFO Arno Antilitz, stated that factories must get more efficient. Which is code for cut costs. Unless they haven’t bothered to optimise efficiency up to now. Click this MSM article link here, to read further. To round out the Volkswagen news, they are being sued in Brazil for treating farm workers, on a farm they owned, like slaves. This is a historical claim, which it is claimed took place between 1974 and 1986. If you want to find out more, click this MSM article link here. CRUISE AV PROJECT CANCELLED BY GMGeneral Motors has announced that it is ceasing to fund Cruise and will fold elements of the company, including technology, into GM. The news has shocked some, including staff, but that is not surpri

FOLLOW UP: RECARO SAVEDSome good news, for a change, as Ricaro, the seat manufacturer, being saved by an Italian parts maker called Proma Group. Unfortunately, many will lose their jobs as production will move to Italy. However, some technical and sales people will remain. You can learn more by clicking this Auotcar link here. FOLLOW UP: ARAMCO BUYS 10% STAKE IN HORSEAramco has finally bought the 10% stake in Horse which Geely and Renault were hoping for, after signing a letter of intent earlier in the year. Click this Yahoo Finance link for more. FOLLOW UP: JUDGE BLOCKS MUSK PAY PACKAGE AGAINThe appeal by Musk, to be awarded a ridiculous $56 billion pay package, has failed. The judge cited that the many arguments Musk’s legal team used to change the ruling were full of flaws, anyone of which could have led to dismissing the appeal, let alone all of them together. Tesla will appeal. Again. To learn more, do click this link to a TechCrunch article here. NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR NOVEMBER 2024The Novembe

FOLLOW UP: PRICES FOR LONDON TUNNEL TOLLS REVEALEDTransport for London (TfL) has announced the prices, including how there will be peak and non peak prices, for using the new Silvertown tunnel and the Blackwall tunnel. £4.00 for peak use of either, dropping to £1.50 in off-peak, which requires signing up to the auto-pay TfL system. if you wish to find out more, click this link here to an article from The Standard. CARLOS TAVARES RESIGNS WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECTCarlos Tavares surprised all by resigning as CEO of Stellantis, with immediate effect over the weekend. Reports indicate there was a growing rift between the board, shareholders and the vision Tavares had, following the reduction in expected dividend. The company will appoint a successor in early 2025. Click this Autocar article to read more. STELLANTIS TO CLOSE LUTON VAN FACTORYStellantis announced, that they would be closing the Luton van factory, whilst blaming the UK Government and the zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, for this only weeks after sayi

FOLLOW UP: £30B POTENTIAL FALLOUT FROM FINANCE RULINGAfter the surprise Court of Appeal’s ruling, that not only must commission for brokers must be explicitly made clear, including the rate they receive, the potential fall out could be up to £30 billion. Even Martin Lewis, the consumer campaigner, has said the ruling appears to be going much further than expected. Click this AMOnline article link here, to read more. FOLLOW UP: INEOS TO RESTART PRODUCTIONFollowing the collapse of their seat supplier, Ineos has been hit by a halt to production. They now say they will restart in January. This will be a relief as an expansion into China and Mexico was about to take place when they were hit by the issue. If you want to learn more, click here for a link to an Autocar article. JAGUAR REIMAGINING BEGINSUnless you lived under a rock, and had no contact with any person or the internet, then you will know that Jaguar produced their first glimpse at the reimagining of the brand. This has caused the internet to lose its

UK GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATES NEW EMISSIONS CONCERNThe Department for Transport (DfT) is investigating claims that 47 car models emissions are not the same as the official test figures, with the accusation that they are manipulating the emissions. The DfT is attempting to establish if a defeat device is being used. You can learn more, by clicking this FleetWorld article link here. RIVIAN AND VW SIGN PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTAfter announcing they would partner up, Rivian and Volkswagen have signed the partnership agreement. This will include extra investment from VW, taking the full price up to $5.8 billion. Click this EV Powered article link to read more. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Caterham Seven CSR TwentyCaterham bring us the most “luxurious” and pricey Seven variant yet, with a price tag of a smidgen under £80,000. Celebrating 20 years of the CSR chasis

Andrew was invited, by Hyundai UK, to try out the new Santa Fe, their large hybrid SUV. What has changed? How have they executed those changes? Will it be successful? Listen to the Alan and Andrew discuss the first impressions of the car, following the amount of driving they crammed in. To find out more from Hyundai, about the Santa Fe, click this link to their website here. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

OCTOBER 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATIONSThe Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has revealed the new car registration figures, for October 2024. They are not good. For the month of October the market is 6% down on 2023. Even Fleet dropped, for the first time in a long while. One bright spark, no pun intended, is that EV registrations grew to 20.7% market share for the month. This is to be expected as the end of 2024 approaches and so do the fines for not hitting the mandated levels. Click this link to read more, from the SMMT’s own article. FOLLOW UP: FINANCE INDUSTRY THROWN INTO TURMOILFollowing a court ruling regarding commission on finance agreements, the industry has been thrown into turmoil as there are questions on what they need to do in order to be compliant. Some companies have halted all offerings for car finance until the situation is clarified. You can find out more, by clicking this AMOnline article link here. MANY MANUFACTURERS REVEAL STRUGGLING RESULTSThe number of brands that are repor

Andrew was invited, by Volkswagen UK, to sample a selection of the revised Golf, as part of the 50th Anniversary of the model. We hear what VW has achieved in that time, Alan asks if he’s speaking to the real Andrew and the chaps ask how does one benchmark the benchmark?Listen to the Alan and Andrew discuss the first impressions of the cars, following his short time with each of the models. To find out more from Volkswagen, about the Golf hatch, click this link to their website here. For the estate, click this VW link here. If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

FOLLOW UP: EU CHINA TARIFFS UPDATEOn the 31 October, the EU tariffs for China made EVs went live. Click this electrive article link here to read more. This has caused SAIC to take the European Commission to court over the amount it has been charged. You can read more via this electrive article link here. China, it is claimed, has instructed home grown EV makers to not build plants in the EU to get around the extra charges. Once again, electrive have an article link here for you. Additionally, they now want to know the lifecycle of rare earth minerals in Western supply chains. Check out this link to a China Digital Times link here. FOLLOW UP: FINANCE INDUSTRY THROWN INTO TURMOILFollowing a court ruling regarding commission on finance agreements, the industry has been thrown into turmoil as there are questions on what they need to do in order to be compliant. Some companies have halted all offerings for car finance until the situation is clarified. You can find out more, by clicking this AMOnline article link h

Andrew was invited, by Kia UK, to try out the refreshed Picanto and new Sorento. Book ending the ICE and hybrid model range, the city car Picanto and large SUV Sorento show how the company caters to many different needs. Listen to the Alan and Andrew discuss the first impressions of the cars, following his short time with each of the models. To find out more from Kia on the Picanto, click this link to their website here. If you want to discover more about the Sorento, click this link to the Kia website here.

FOLLOW UP: VW CONSIDERS RADICAL COST SAVING PLANSInformation has come out as to the extent that Volkswagen Group are considering how to save the $4 billion they state they need to. This includes closing up to three German plants, reducing wages, reducing bonuses and more. Unions have reacted angrily whilst VW has not commented on the claims. To find out more, click this Reuters link here. FOLLOW UP: JLR STILL HAVING REPAIR ISSUESA year ago the CEO of JLR, Adrian Mardell, apologised for how long it was taking to repair their customer’s vehicles. This situation is still not resolved. Problems with their supply chain, which not all are their fault, as well as the supply hub they switched to has meant that around 10,000 customer cars are off the road. Click this Autocar article to read more. RADFORD MOTORS FILES FOR CHAPTER 11 BANKRUPTCYThe car company co-founded by Jenson Button, Ant Antsted and Dan Bednarski, to build a low volume supercar based on a modern interpretation of the Lotus Type 62, has filed for Cha