Motoring Podcast - News Show

FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT TEMPORARY REPRIEVEBefore we had even published last week’s show the news about Britishvolt had changed from receivership to saved. More details are now available, as Glencore have given the company a five week lifeline. Britishvolt has again asked the UK Government for an early release of £30 million in funding. To learn more about what has happened, click this Move Electric link here. Peter Campbell has produced a Twitter thread with more context and information, click here to read. The Guardian has an article asking if the Government is doing enough for the car industry, click here to read that. FOLLOW UP: ARRIVAL IN TROUBLEArrival, the EV light goods vehicle company, appears to be in more trouble than some thought. There has been a fire in one of their vans, there are reports of low moral and a company wide email from the CEO expressing his anger at leaks to the Financial Times. On top of that, some really silly management decisions such as thinking of opening an office in Mauritius

FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT IN RISK OF RECEIVERSHIPThings are moving quickly at Britishvolt. A week or so ago we were talking about them seeking funding, as of Monday’s news, they could well have been in receivership by the time you listen to this episode. They had sought to draw some of their funding from the Government early but have been rebuffed as they decide not to risk more public money. However, it appears they do have some short and medium term funding secured, but we don’t know from where. To get an idea of what has gone spactacularly wrong, click this Twitter thread link from Peter Campbell. To learn how they have found some funding click this BBC News article link. EU BANS NEW ICE CARS FROM 2035The 27 countries of the EU have agreed to ban all new internal combustion engined cars, powered by fossil fuels, from 2035. There is also an increase in the reduction of CO2 emissions from 2030, up to 55% reduction on 2021 engines, where previously it was 37.5%. There are some exemptions though, for smaller prod

FOLLOW UP: US CITIZEN PLEADS GUILTY TO CAUSING DEATH OF HARRY DUNNA US citizen who initially claimed diplomatic immunity, Anne Sacoolas, has pled guilty to causing the death of Northamptonshire teenager, Harry Dunn after 3 years. She’ll be sentenced at the end of next month. More detail in this Guardian story.EU PLANS TO DITCH EURO 7The EURO 7 emissions standard is rumoured to be in doubt as it’s now felt that the cost and difficulty in implementing will far outweigh the benefits it’s expected to bring. This is, unsurprisingly, contentious. There’s an Autocar story with more details and an informed Twitter thread from Emissions Analytics on the subject.EXPANDED LONDON ULEZ RAISES OVER £90 MILLION IN 8 MONTHSIn the first 8 months since its expansion last November, London’s expanded ULEZ zone has raised £93.6 million in tolls but excluding late and non-payment fines. More in this Autocar article.STANDARD FOR EV CHARGE POINT ACCESSIBILITY PUBLISHEDThe British Standards Institute, in association with the UK Gover

FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT SEEKS EMERGENCY FUNDING[00:00:24] Britishvolt is searching for investors to plug a £200 million cash shortage it needs to survive until the summer of 2023. Nothing is ‘off the table’ as they look for anything from minority investors all the way up to new ownership. They currently have 300 staff, which is costing £3 million a month in wages, but are not expecting any income until at least 2025. To learn more about this story, click this Business Matters article link. NIKOLA FOUNDER GUILTY OF FRAUD[00:03:12] Trevor Milton, the founder of Nikola electric lorry firm, has been found guilty on three counts of fraud relating to the business and tech of the company. The prosecution claimed he lied about the progress of their development, the capability and the deals done. The start of all this was the advert which Nikola claimed showed the vehicle running along the road, which was exposed as it being dragged to the top of a hill and rolling down. On january 27 2023 Milton will find out what he

FOLLOW UP: CLARIFICATION OF STROLL’S FORTUNEDuring the discussion of Geely buying a stake in Aston Martin, last week, we got the info about Stroll’s fortune incorrect. He has made his money through fashion and sportswear brands. Thanks to listener, David Edmondson, for straightening us out. NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES SEPTEMBER 2022September’s New Car Registration figures are out. There is a rise, year on year, but do not forget, 2021 was the worst September since 2006 and down a third on 2019. Battery electric vehicles are up, though, just over 40%, and now have 14.5% market share. To read more, click here for the SMMT article. To see the breakdown via ‘what you put in it to make it go’, click here for Tristan Young’s Twitter thread. PERSONAL SAFETY STANDARDS AT EV CHARGERS DEMANDED Following an investigation in to the public’s thoughts on personal safety at EV charging points, the Government is being urged to set minimum standards. Lighting, CCTV and emergency call buttons are all being requested. You can

FOLLOW UP: PORSCHE TAKEOVER CASE DISMISSEDA court in Germany has dismissed the claims for compensation by hedge funds, relating to the failed attempt by Porsche to takeover VW, which resulted in them then being taken over by Porsche. The judge decided there was no merit, whatsoever, whilst the plaintiffs have already appealed and asked for certain judges to be excluded. More information can be found, by clicking this Automotive News Europe link here. PATIENT GEELY BUYS STAKE IN ASTON MARTINGeely are not a company to be denied, it would seem. After a couple of failed attempts in buying out or taking a stake in Aston Martin, they finally managed it by purchasing 7.6% shares in the UK firm. To read more, click here for the AM Online article link. GOVERNMENT ROAD INCIDENT STATS OUTThe 2021 road incident statistics have been released by the UK Government and in some places make grim reading. A positive is that cycling fatalities has dropped 21%, which we guess is due to a combination of people remembering how to d

FOLLOW UP: TOYOTA TO CLOSE RUSSIAN PLANTToyota has announced that it will permanently shutter their production facility in Russia. They closed temporarily in March, following the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces which led to supply issues. They have not been able to resume production since, nor can they see when the situation may change. For more on this story, click here for the SupplyChainDive article link. FOLLOW UP: INVESTORS WANT PORSCHE SHARESThe demand for the upcoming Porsche IPO has been described as “robust”, with some claiming all of the shares could be sold multiple times over. The floatation is expected to raise between €18 billion and €19 billion. Which goes to show, we don’t know anything about the game of share. To read more, click the Reuters link here. PHONE HOLDING DETECTION TRAILDevon and Cornwall police will be trailing a new system that uses “AI” to detect if it believes a driver is using a phone, occupants are not wearing seatbelts and the speed the vehicle is moving at. If

FOLLOW UP: RIVIAN PARTNERING WITH MERCEDES Rivian are partnering with Mercedes to build large EV vans, at an existing facility somewhere in Central and Eastern Europe. They will base the vehicles on two platforms, one from each company. You can read more about this, by clicking the link to the The Verge article here. Additionally, Andrew needed to clarify the issues Rivian has with the proposed UK data law changes, from last week’s item. If the new laws come into force, then the UK loses the current data ‘adequacy’ with the EU, meaning the businesses need to deal differently with UK and EU data. This will cause expenses and extra hassle for businesses. QUESTIONS RAISED OVER PORSCHE IPOThe proposed IPO of Porsche, by Volkswagen, is not as straightforward as some are making out. There is the timing of it, which when one looks at the current global financial projections, seems 'unwise. On top of that, VW’s own internal structures and connections in and out of Porsche could make investors very wary. Of particula

FOLLOW UP: RIVIAN NOT INTERESTED IN UKAccording to filings in August, Rivian made it clear that it would not consider the UK as the base for a factory due to the data laws, existing and proposed changes. On the surface, it would appear that Rivian wants to do what it likes with owner’s data and also it naively insists on housing all data in the US, which is not how countries are approaching data creating in their boarders. For more, click this Twitter thread from Vincent Manancourt. NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES AUGUST 2022An increase of 1.2% on last year’s figures is a welcome sight, but it must also be remembered that 2021 was the worst August since 2013. EVs continued to increase their market share, even with constrained supply chains. SMMT has, though, warned of the energy price increases adding to the struggles for the industry. To read more, click the SMMT article here. BMW BEGINS HYDROGEN FUEL CELL VEHICLE PRODUCTIONBMW are building a small fleet of iX5 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for testing and denons

FOLLOW UP: GENEVA MOTOR SHOW CANCELLED AGAINFor the fourth year on the trot, the Geneva Motor Show has been cancelled. Therefore, only the Qatar element of the new set up will be held next year. This has caused a lot of discussion about the suitability of the location, due to the country’s track record on human rights. As a note, due to the situation in Qatar, this podcast will not cover any aspect of the show. To read more about the story, click here for the Autocar link. FOLLOW UP: FORD DELAYING SPANISH INVESTMENTFord is now delaying investing in their Valencia plant, following the June announcement, due to a “revised outlook for Europe”. The plant was due to be converted to produce electric vehicles. Ford’s statement is on the back of other manufacturers stating orders are beginning to slow. You can read more about this by clicking this Reuters link here. FOLLOW UP: STELLANTIS TO PAY US DIESEL EMISSION FINEFCA, now part of Stellantis, pleaded guilty to diesel emission false representations and have been or

Finally Andrew talks to Alan about the ‘new” Cracked Windscreen Family Hauler. They run through the remit, what was selected and what it’s like to live with it. Listen to them be childish about trim names, discuss storage options and consider the best cornering technique for such vehicles.

Captain Yaris Fanboi had a Toyota GR Yaris for a week and, yes, the inevitable comparison happened. It couldn’t not happen.In this Special Edition Alan talks about the Toyota GR Yaris while trying to say things other people haven’t said about it in the hundreds of other reviews you’ve read and watched. Comparing and contrasting with his own Yaris GRMN hopefully means that was achieved.To listen to the GR Yaris Launch Special Edition, click this link here.

Andrew attended the Northern Group of Motoring Writers annual event, which was supported by KIA. They brought a selection of cars from their range for us all to try out. Andrew took four cars out for a spin, listen in as he talks about curry hooks, timelines and surprises. Thanks to KIA for helping support the day and the Northern Group of Motoring Writers. Thank you to the Group for welcoming Andrew so warmly, we’re sure his “charm” will wear off in time.

It’s been a long time since we drove a diesel SUV for The Motoring Podcast, but Genesis was keen that we tried their best-selling UK model, the handsome, not-quite-a-coupé, GV-70. Alan drove one to Scotland and back to find out what all the fuss was about.

FOLLOW UP: GREY HACKERS TO DE-SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONSGrey-market hackers are looking to liberate options fitted to BMW cars but not activated from the subscription models being proposed by the manufacturer. You car read more in this article from Vice.DIESS TO LEAVE VOLKSWAGENHerebert Diess is to leave his position as Volkswagen CEO on 1st September and will be replaced by Porsche boss Oliver Blume. Read more in this article from electrive.com.LONDON ULEZ EXTENSION HAD LESS IMPACT THAN HOPEDThis article from the Evening Standard looks at TfL figures showing a much lower impact on air quality than expected whet he London ULEZ zone was extended.ASTON MARTIN’S NEW OLD LOGOAston Martin has updated its logo in a bit to secure younger buyers. We’re not sure how that’s going to work, but you can see old and new in this Autocar article.AMAZON & RIVIAN ROLL OUT NEW EV DELIVERY VANSAmazon and Rivian are launching their electric delivery vans in a selection of US cities over the coming months according to this article f

FOLLOW UP: VW LOSES TEMP CONTROL ENGINE SOFTWARE RULINGVolkswagen has been told by the EU Court of Justice that utilising software to protect engines outside a temperature range of 15 - 33 Celsius amounted to a defeat device, as below 15 Celsius is a normal temperature across Europe. This will, obviously, open the risk of more consumer class actions being taken against VW and possibly other manufacturers. For more, click the Reuters article here. ASTON MARTIN SECURE FURTHER FUNDINGAston Martin has secured £653 million more investment, which it states is only required to service the debt they have accrued. A Saudi Arabian fund, AMG and share issue will ensure that the cash reserves they currently have are deployed on their future development and not paying off their loans. You can learn more, by clicking this PistonHeads link here. BMW TRIALS OPTIONS SUBSCRIPTIONSBMW are trialling subscriptions for some options, with the ability to pay for them on a weekly, yearly or the entire time of your ownership of the ca

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES JUNE 2022The June 2022 figures for New Car Registrations has been released by SMMT and they are down nearly a quarter on last year’s figures. Supply shortages are the main culprit, with manufacturers having long lead times to actually get cars into customer’s hands. To read more, click the SMMT article link here. To read Tristan Young’s breakdown of figures by the fuel you put in, click this link here. FUEL PRICE PROTESTS HIT ROADSSome roads in England and Wales were hit by ‘go-slow’ protests last week. They were doing so to raise the issue of fuel costs to the Government, urging them to reduce fuel-duty to help. Several protestors were charged by police for driving too slowly on motorways. To read more, click the Autocar article here. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a full review into fuel price rises, after declaring the current situation as a “cause for concern” which feels quite understated. To read more about this story, click this Autocar article l

HYUNDAI AND KIA RAIDED IN GERMANYGerman officials have raised the offices of Hyundai, Kia and Bosch over the possibility of a defeat device being fitted to their diesel engines. Details are scant so far, and the chaps will be keeping an eye out for any updates. To read more, click the Autocar article here. EUROPE CONFIRMS 2035 NEW ICE SALE BANThe EU has voted in favour of banning the sale of new combustion engined cars and vans, from 2035. There is a glimmer of hope though, left for e-fuels, which have been given more time to demonstrate if they can be made both environmentally friendly and economically. To read about the ICE ban, click here for the Reuters article link. To read about e-fuels, click the Autocar link here. GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES INCIDENT INVESTIGATION BRANCHThe first ever road incident investigation branch has now been formed, by the Government, following a campaign and consultation to create such an organisation. They will independently investigate incidents and use their findings to make recomm

FOLLOW UP: FORD ENDING FOCUS PRODUCTIONWe discussed that Ford was considering the future of the German Saarlouis plant, three weeks ago during Screaming In Your Car episode. That now seems to have been decided, as Ford are investing in their Valencia plant for EV models. After 2025 the Focus will be end, which has caused an obvious conclusion that the German factory will close. For more on this, click the JustAuto article here. FOLLOW UP: PRIVATE PARKING CODE OF PRACTICE PAUSEDIn February this year, the Government proudly announced it was introducing new rules to cap fines, have a transparent and independent appeals system and essentially make parking fairer. Much more quietly, in fact so quietly it was almost silent, they announced that this would be withdrawn after legal action from parking firms. To read more, click this RAC article link. FOLLOW UP: FLEETS URGED TO SUBMIT EV DATA TO HMRCTwo fleet industry organisations are asking their members to submit information to HMRC so that they can see the effect

UK HOUSEHOLDS GET CLEAN AIR MONITORSHouses in Tideford, Cornwall, along the A38, are having plug-in air purifiers installed as part of a project to understand how bad the air in that area is, thanks to the traffic. The results will be shared by the local council, with Highways England so they can all understand how much affect the number of vehicles have. To read more, click here for the BBC News article. EXPERIENCE SCORES FOR CARSThe EPM Advisory Council, a collection of automotive brands and suppliers, has come up with a recommendation that cars are scored on the experience they give drivers and passengers, called the EPM. The Experience Per Mile is supposed to help evaluate how positive the in-car experience has been. Aspects such as remaining connected, how productive one is and entertained will all be given a score. More can be found on this by clicking this Autocar link. MG HALTS SALESDue to the rocketing demand for their vehicles and the continued effects of the semi conductor crisis, along with covi