FOLLOW UP: ANOTHER ROUGH WEEK FOR VW

Volkswagen 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 GM

General 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 surprising considering how poor reporting has been and how the industry has used PR and legal moves to obfuscate reality. You can read more on this, by clicking this link from TechCrunch here.

Honda will be saving roughly $100 million per year, as they will no longer need to pay a licensing fee for the Origin vehicles that never made it to service. Click this Nikkei Asia article link here, for more.

For some extra context, click these two links to John Berry posts on Bluesky. Link one can be found here. For the second, click here.

CYVN HOLDINGS AGREES TO BUY MCLAREN AUTOMOTIVE

The Abu Dhabi based investment group, CYVN Holdings, has agreed with Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, to purchase McLaren Automotive. They already have invested in Gordon Murray Technologies, Forseven and NIO. If you wish to learn more, click this Autocar link here.

MUSK TRIES TO INFLUENCE UK GOVERNMENT POLICY

The BBC has see attempts by Musk and Tesla to change the UK’s zero emission vehicle mandate by pushing for ICE drivers to be charged more, if they buy a petrol or diesel car. If you wish for your blood pressure to be raised, click this BBC News article link here.

AMAZON AUTOS ROLLS OUT TO 48 CITIES IN THE US

Amazon Autos is now rolling out to 48 cities, in the US, where you can use their platform to view, order, pay and arrange to collect your Hyundai. More locations are expected to added as time goes on. Key element to this, is knowing exactly what you’ll be paying without low moves by a dealer suddenly adding a cost, out of the blue. Click this Amazon article link to learn 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

This week we talked about how to add Apple Podcasts service, to your Android homescreen, following a revised article from James Cridland and Podnews. If you use Android or know someone who does and are struggling to find a likeable player you can try it. Click this link here to see more.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Renault 5 Turbo 3E

Renault has announced that they will be reviving another back catalogue car, just after telling us they would only be looking to the future with their vehicles. They will be bringing to production an electric 5 Turbo, with 500bhp and promises of breathtaking performance. Makes us wonder what the point of Alpine is. What was that? The price? Apparently in excess of £100,000. Click this Autocar article for more.

Aston Martin Valhalla

Aston Martin has confirmed the plug in hybrid, Valhalla, will be in production, finally, next year. With a starting price of only £850,000, this 1064bhp will take on the likes of the Ferrari SF90. There will be a maximum of 999 vehicle built and the company expects most of them to go through their personalisation program which will make the price jump significantly. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Farizon Supervan

Geely will be bringing a competitor to the EV van market, in the form of the Farizon SV (for Supervan). Price is expected to be less than that for the Ford E-Transit and Vivaro Electric. Range, from the largest battery that will initially be available, is a maximum of 225 miles. Click this Autocar link to learn more.

Toyota Urban Cruiser

Toyota are bringing back the Urban Cruiser name. This time it will adorn the Japanese car maker’s version of the Suzuki e-Vitara that was jointly developed by the two companies, although the project was led by Suzuki. For more information on the car, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE BRIXMIS OPEL SENATOR WAS THE RIDE OF REAL SECRET AGENTS DURING THE COLD WAR

During the Cold War, British agents would go and poke around areas of East Germany in modified Opel Senators. This Hagerty article tells you all about it, click here to read a fascinating story.

CONFIGURATOR OF THE WEEK: BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT MULLINER

This week we have chosen to play with Bentley’s configurator and specifically the one for the Continental GT Mulliner. Unfortunately, we cannot establish just how eye-wateringly expensive our vehicles would be but we do have the links below to play along at home to, as well as check out Alan and Andrew’s choices.

Click here to go to the blank configurator.

For Alan’s choices, click this link here.

For Andrew’s choices, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: VW HONOURS DECADES OLD IMPORT PROGRAM

Volkswagen US had a program where people could order a US spec car, have it delivered to Europe, drive it around and then have it shipped back to the United States for the owner. One such participant never made it home, until very nearly forty years later, where VW honoured their part of the deal even though it has been shut for decades. Click here to see more, from Volkswagen’s own press release. Well done all involved.

AND FINALLY FINALLY: SUMMER IN THE TETONS

YouTuber Jonny Roams, has a short two minute video that is a beautifully shot teaser to longer film, about his time in the Teton mountains over the summer in his overland 944. Have a couple of minutes of calm and peace, whilst thinking about the adventures you’ll have next year in your car. It is nearly time again. Click here to watch the video.

FOLLOW UP: RECARO SAVED

Some 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 HORSE

Aramco 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 AGAIN

The 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 2024

The November new car registration figures were released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), and they’re not great. A 1.9% decline in registrations overall, but BEVs increased again, with over 14,000 extra registrations than for the same month in 2023, amounting to a 25.1% market share for the month. Petrol and diesel fell, as did PHEVs. What will be concerning is that Fleet numbers fell, on top of Private continuing to decline. The SMMT called on the Government to help the industry out as the levels of price cutting and incentives was not sustainable.

To read the SMMT post and information, click this link here.

AMOnline have an article discussing EV depreciation, which we have discussed many times on this show, that you can read by clicking this link here.

For context on why registrations are not increasing at a rate many hoped and expected, click this link to a post about research into the financial well being of UK adults in 2023.

TESLA PAUSES CYBERTRUCK PRODUCTION

Last week Tesla paused Cybertruck production, which is on top of reducing hours earlier in the year. They are, for now, back to normal. You can read more, by clicking this Yahoo Finance article link here.

OX DELIVERS AFRICAN CONTRACT JOY

OX Delivers, which is an electric truck mobility service company, has created a new franchise partner that signed a $163 million agreement to expand their services in Rwanda and some neighbouring countries. Customers can either contract an electric truck including the servicing costs or book space on one of the OX trucks to collect and deliver their products, increasing the reach for businesses. If you want to learn more, click this EV Powered link here.

NEW RURAL WALES EV CAR CLUB LAUNCHED

TrydaiNi, a community owned car club, has expanded operations to cover parts of mid Wales (apologies to all Welsh speakers for Andrew’s pronunciations). People can apply to join, once approved are able to book a car to use. We applaud this sort of initiative. We need more of this, as well as improved public transport services. Click this link here to learn 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 -

Ford Puma Gen-E

Ford have finally announced a car they should have, when they ended the Fiesta and Focus, an electric Puma. Starting price is just under £30,000 and the specs seem pretty good. If you want to find out more, click this Motoring Research article link here.

Cupra Terramar

Cupra are brining a new SUV to market, with a variety of powertrain train options, from internal combustion engine, to hybrid to plug in hybrid. Power output is also varied. Click this Motoring Research article link to find out more.

Lamborghini Temerario

Lamborghini has revealed the details of their V8 hybrid supercar, the Temerario. Heaps of power, hugely fast, very Lamborghini. You can read more, by clicking this Motoring Research article link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: VIN DIESEL IS RIGHT

The Autopian discusses the highbrow Fast and Furious movie series, agreeing with Vin Diesel’s assertion that when it was about car races and the likes it was much better. Alan puts forward his suggestion for the best of the series, whilst Andrew admits to not watching more than half an hour of the first one before never returning.

And do check out the podcast Automovie, who the chaps refer to by clicking this link to their website here.

CONFIGURATOR OF THE WEEK: PORSCHE E-MACAN

Thanks to a suggestion from listener Jamie Stokes, when we asked what we could replace the List of the Week as it becomes increasingly more difficult to find ones good enough to include, we now have the Confirgurator of the Week. We bring you the Porsche e-Macan to start this off.

Click here to go to the blank configurator.

For Alan’s choices, click this link here.

For Andrew’s choices, click this link here.

AND FINALLY: PHOTOGRAPHER’S TOKYO CAR SPOTS

The Tokyo based photographer, Alfie Goodrich, has captured random cars on his walks around the city and compiled some of them into a small gallery for us to enjoy. Click this link to his website to see more and then check out what other excellent work he does by mooching around the rest of the site.

FOLLOW UP: PRICES FOR LONDON TUNNEL TOLLS REVEALED

Transport 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 EFFECT

Carlos 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 FACTORY

Stellantis 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 saying they were not going to be hurt by the ZEV to investors. 1,100 people will be losing their jobs.

We have a link to an Autocar article explaining the situation, click here to read that.

For some context, including how the company has operated, click this post from Nick Gibbs.

More context is provided by The Guardian, which you can read by clicking this link here.

TRANSPORT SECRETARY RESIGNS

The Transport Secretary, Louise Haig, has resigned over an incident with police in 2013. This has caused concern in the industry as she had just been talking to leaders about the ZEV mandate and possible changes to it. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

UK GOVERNMENT TO REVISE ZEV MANDATE

Following extensive lobbying by the car industry, the UK Government is looking at how it can revise the zero emission vehicle mandate, in the light of the current market reality. The language, from the Government, has switched to putting the blame on the previous incumbents, whilst hoping we all forget they pledged to ‘bring back the 2030 ban’ that was never a thing in the first place. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

ASTON MARTIN ISSUES ANOTHER PROFITS WARNING

For the second time in quick succession, Aston Martin has issued a warning on its profits. China and supply chain issues are being blamed. On top of which, the company is seeking to raise more money. To learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

VW LEAVES CONTROVERSIAL CHINESE PLANT

Volkswagen has confirmed it has sold it’s factory in Xijiang, which is an area linked to forced labour practices. VW, following several investigations, never found evidence of such in their plant. However, they have been lobbied for some time over this issue. You can read more, by clicking this Yahoo article link here.

VOLKSWAGEN REVIEWS UK AGENCY SALES PLAN

VW is undertaking a "review of its sales model", in the UK. They intend to complete this by March 2025. The German company are the latest to consider pausing their plans as the current market conditions remain tough. Click this AMOnline article link for more.

SCOTLAND CONSIDERS REDUCING SOME RURAL SPEED LIMITS

Transport Scotland is proposing a cut to certain road’s speed limits. However, it also recommends increasing the speed of HGVs. Deaths on Scottish roads fell last year, with speed being linked to roughly one in five road incidents. A reminder, that compliance is not the same as safety. Click this BBC News article link here, for more information.

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 -

Follow Up: DS 8 will be called No8

DS, even before fully revealing their new flagship model, that we discussed last week, has changed the name and confirmed a rethink of their interiors. Now the DS 8 is to be known as the No8. Click this Autocar article for more.

Jaguar Type 00 Concept

We finally get to look at a car, from Jaguar, but don’t get too excited as its only a concept. But at least there’s something to show for the years they’ve been working on this. How much will make the road cars? Maybe the overall shape and dimensions, but not much else in all likelihood. Some have pointed out the similarities to other concept cars, such as the recent Lancia Aurelia GT. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here. Also, here is a link to a Top Gear video. Now we wait once more, this time for something real.

Jaecoo 7

The latest Chinese brand to come to the UK is bringing, what is claimed to be a premium quality vehicle for around £30,000. They are aiming at a broad range of competitors, such as the Kia Sportage and Range Rover Evoque. It will come in petrol and petrol plug-in hybrid forms and a variety of off-road technology. Click this Autocar article to find out more, including the pronunciation guide.

Toyota GR Supra

Toyota is sending the GR Supra into retirement, with one last ultra rare track focused version. More power, more wings, more roll cage, just a lot more of more. Only 300 examples will be made. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: FRENCH DESIGN DESERVES BETTER THAN THE CITROËN SM TRIBUTE

Matteo Licata has written for Hagerty, a piece on the SM Tribute we were not very kind about, a few weeks ago. However, he brings a design perspective to his argument. To read this recommendation, click the link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 37 GLORIOUS PICTURES OF 37 GLORIOUS JAGUARS

As Jaguar has done such a great job of being in the limelight over the last couple of weeks, Autocar has brought us a slideshow of some of their past glories. Click this link here to check out if you agree with Alan’s choice.

AND FINALLY: HOT WHEELS LEGENDS TOUR 2024 OVERALL WINNER

The overall Hot Wheels Legends Tour 2024 winner has been announced. Check out this link, from Design News, to see a video on the event and find out who and what won, overall.

FOLLOW UP: £30B POTENTIAL FALLOUT FROM FINANCE RULING

After 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 PRODUCTION

Following 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 BEGINS

Unless 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 mind, in various ways. Some through confusion, some because ‘change is bad’, some because their firmly held beliefs are being challenged, some because they just want to dunk on anything.

We have compiled some links below that explain what Jaguar have done as well as more thoughtful pieces trying to explain aspects of the information.

The Jaguar rebranding article from Autocar, click here.

For CarDealer’s explanation of the launch event, click here.

Creative Bloq discuss what the logos and visuals are meant to represent, click here to read that.

Rory Sutherland has a discussion about the rebrand, from an advertising professional’s perspective, click this Spectator TV YouTube link.

Mostly About Driving’s take on the more technical aspects of the branding can be read by clicking this link here.

To read comments regarding the hateful reactions to the rebrand, click this link to a Driven article.

Seemingly Jaguar have been caught off guard by the reaction, click this BBC News article link where they are asking for people to hold off and wait in judgement.

FORD TO LAY OFF 4000 WORKERS IN EUROPE AND UK

Ford has announced a restructuring of its European business, by making 4000 workers redundant, including 800 in the UK. We have mentioned how bad their figures have been for new car registrations, over the last few months. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

NISSAN APPEALS TO THE UK GOV FOR HELP OVER ZEV MANDATE

Nissan, who’s dire situation we discussed a couple of weeks ago, is asking for help from the UK Government, with the zero emission vehicle mandate. As their sales drop they are struggling to hit the targets laid out. If you want to learn more, click this article link from The Japan Times.

LOTUS PULLS BACK FROM EV ONLY 2028 DATE

Lotus will introduce hybrid powertrains to some of their cars, in an attempt to increase sales. This also means that the plan to be EV only by 2028 is being pushed back towards 2030. Click this Autocar article for more information.

TESLA AND RIVIAN CONCLUDE TRADE SECRETS LEGAL FIGHT

Tesla has announced that they have reached a ‘conditional’ agreement with Rivian with regards to claims that staff were poached and trade secrets were handed over. To read more about this story, click this TechCrunch link here.

HONDA TRIALLING SOLID STATE BATTERY PRODUCTION LINE

In another, what is hoped by Honda, step towards production ready solid state batteries for EVs they are creating a trial production line. This is to help them work through issues that they cannot see in the making of the batteries at scale. In the meantime, they are still working on making solid state batteries a viable ‘thing’ for electric vehicles. If you want to learn more, click this SAE International article link here.

NORTHVOLT FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

Northvolts has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as the effects of BMW pulling their huge contract hit. The hope is that the restructuring of their debt will allow them to be a viable business moving forward. On top of this, the CEO Peter Carlsson, has resigned. Click this article link from The Guardian for 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 -

Hyundai Ioniq 9

Hyundai has taken the wraps off their range topping EV, the Ioniq 9. Similar in dimensions to the sister brand Kia EV9, this is a big car. They have high aspirations for where they want it to sit in the market. Prices are expected to start in the low £60,000 but end up at a smidgen under £80,000 for the top of the model range. Click here to read about the details, from an Autocar article.

DS 8

DS has shown us their new range topper, although it is heavily disguised in pictures. Apparently taking inspiration from the DS Tribute concept we were not fans of a few weeks ago. Technology wise, claims are of 466 miles range, thanks to help from active aerodynamics. There are also claims about drag coefficient numbers, which are like a red rag to bull with Alan. Click this Auotcar link here, to read more.

Renault 5

Renault has finally revealed full specifications and prices, for the very cool looking Renault 5 EV. Starting at £22,995 it undercuts some rivals. Prices go up as you move through the range but also technology improves, such as range. You can learn more, by clicking this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: HOW THE BMW E36 3-SERIES CAME TO BE

Hagerty has published a fascinating article explaining how the BMW E36 3-Series, which was filling some awfully popular shoes of the E30 version, happened. Hear from someone who was part of the team that brought the car to market. To read about this story, click here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: LONGEST LASTING CARS TO REACH 250,000 MILES

A US-based list, of vehicles that have made it over 250,000 miles and more. Do you agre with the choices made or would you pick something else? Let us know. Click here to check out the options, from iSeeCars.

AND FINALLY: BEAR NECESSITIES OF INSURANCE

An owner has tried to claim a bear got into their Rolls Royce and damaged the interior. The company was suspicious and investigated, including reviewing the supplied video evidence. Turns out, if you wear a bear suit and use garden tools to replicate an animal attack, this can be worked out. Click this link here to an article from The Autopian, to read more.

UK GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATES NEW EMISSIONS CONCERN

The 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 AGREEMENT

After 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 Twenty

Caterham 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, which allowed for those of us on the slightly larger side of things to be more comfortable, this bespoke model will come with features, fittings and materials not available elsewhere. Click this EVO article link to read more.

Toyota Kayoibako

Toyota showed off an electric van that truley is a multipurpose vehicle. They have imagined it as an urban centric vehicle providing transport for people, being a mobile retail area, a coffee shop and more. Not content with that, the outdoor activities market get a version too, which added chunky tyres and obligitory stuck on elements. Both look fab, we want both and we want them now. But they have been cleverly thought out too. You can see more, by clicking this Yanko Design article link here.

Old Car Dead News: Jaguar F-Pace ends global sales in 2026

If you remember, Alan asked why the wording of the end of UK sales of the F-Pace was so specific. We now know that the rest of the globe will no longer be able to buy one from 2026. Click this Autocar article link here, which clears up the issue.

LUNCHTIME READ: IT’S ALL A BIT MUCH

Do you too feel that modern supercars are all a bit much? Let alone hypercars and even hyper hatches are becoming too extreme for UK roads. Well, you are not alone, check out this link from Mr Jalco’s Mostly About Driving to possibly find an answer to it all.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP GEAR - TOP 9 VIRAL CAR ADVERTS

We are increasingly struggling to find good List of the Week article to share with you. If you find one, please do send it our way and if its good enough we’ll put it on the show!

Top Gear have nine adverts for you to check out, which are bound to bring back memories. Do you agree with Alan, on his choice and/or his comments about Andrew, and what about Andrew’s choice? Let us know. Click here to see what is on offer.

AND FINALLY: THE JOY OF RATS

A neuroscientist found that rats could drive. Not only that, it appears to be bringing them joy, which they even have begun to anticipate. This all has lots of implications for us humans. Click this link from The Conversation. Alan reminds everyone why the podcast is called what it is too.

VW UK GET A NEW MD

Volkswagen UK will have a new managing director, in Damien O’Sullivan, following the request by Alex Smith to leave the company. O’Sullivan moves from Audi Ireland. If you wish to learn more, click this article link from AMOnline.

HYUNDAI GET A NEW GLOBAL CEO

Hyundai announced that Jose Muñoz will be the new global CEO of the brand, as Jaehoon Chang is promoted to vice chair. Muñoz has been heading up Europe, the US, India, the Middle East and Africa. To read more, click this Autocar link here.

XPENG TO LAUNCH IN THE UK

Xpeng will be launching in the UK, by bringing their G6 electric SUV coupe early 2025. More models are due to follow. You can learn about their plans, by clicking this AM Online article link here.

LEAPMOTORS OUTLINES UK PLANS

Leapmotors are being brought to the UK, by Stellantis. They will be in 50 dealerships by the end of 2024. Offering their city EV, the T03 that frightens Alan, and an EV SUV, the C10. Expect prices to be very competitive. AM Online has more, which you can read by clicking this link here.

SIXTH RECALL FOR THE CYBERTRUCK THIS YEAR

Tesla has announced the sixth recall for the Cybertruck, this year. Which is an astonishing feat. This time, some vehicle’s drive inverter could manfunction meaning a loss of drive. Click this TechCrunch article link to read more.

TESLA HAS WORST FATALITY RATE FOR OCCUPANTS

A study in the United States has found that Tesla has the worst fatality rate for occupants of its cars, narrowly beating Kia and Buick. A Top 3 of shame there. To read about the research and results, click this Road&Track article link here.

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 REGISTRATIONS

The 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 TURMOIL

Following 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 RESULTS

The number of brands that are reporting challenging results, after Q3, has grown. There is a real problem for the industry, globally, and it might not get better anytime soon. Expect a lot of management word salads, littered with the likes of “efficiencies” and “cost-cutting” etc.

BMW’s woes thanks to the ongoing brake recall and huge profit drop, can be read about by clicking this Reuters article link here.

To read about Audi’s problems, click this Autocar link. Audi plan to cut jobs to help save money, click this Reuters article link here, to find out what that means.

Toyota are also hit by problems, with quality issues, safety recalls, plant stoppages and a Chinese market that is proving tough for all but the home grown brands. Click this Yahoo Finance article link to read more.

Honda announced a surprise drop in profits, thanks in large part to the ongoing issues in the Chinese market as their economy struggles. Click here to read more from a Yahoo Finance article link.

Nissan are not immune to the industry wide slump. They announced the cutting of around 9,000 jobs and dramatically that they are entering “emergency mode” as profits drop 304%. You can read more, from Autocar, by clicking this link here.

JLR profits hall 10%, which is being blamed largely on the aluminium supplier issue discussed a few weeks ago, click this Liverpool Business News article link for more.

Lotus are far from immune to the problems the industry are suffering from, as they announce they will be shedding around 200 jobs at their Hethel site, ahead of the Lotus Technologies (Chinese sister brand that brought out the Emeya and Eletra EVs) financial results announcement later in the month. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Rivian, the EV maker who recently signed a deal with VW Group, lost just over $39,000 per car sold in the last quarter. You can read more, by clicking this article link from The Autopian.

For context and more information about what is going on, click this article link from The Autopian, which discusses Nissan, Audi and Stellantis, but from a mainly US perspective.

HEADLIGHT GLARE BEING RESEARCHED

Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) are beginning an investigation into the complaints over modern headlight glare. They will set up monitoring devices to establish if the anecdotal reports are valid and if so, what is causing the issue. If you wish to learn more, click this BBC News article link here.

FISKER CLAIM NORTH KOREAN AGENT STOLE THEIR MONEY

Fisker, who is being investigated by the SEC in the United States over their collapse into bankruptcy, has made the claim that they lost $6 million due to a hired remote member of staff, who turned out to be a North Korean agent that funnelled the money to the regime’s missile projects. They are not the only car maker to be targeted. Click this Torque News article link to learn more. Thank you, to Damien Scully for sending us this fascinating item!

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 -

Suzuki eVitara

Suzuki has revealed their first own developed EV, the eVitara. They have chosen to use a familiar name, which will come with two batteries. The larger giving an estimated 250 mile range. The vehicle is expected to sell from just under £35,000 in the UK. Click this Autocar article to read more.

Bentley ‘Urban SUV’

Bentley announced that their first EV, which is due in 2026, that will be the world’s first “true luxury urban SUV”, whatever that is. With little other details the chaps are left to speculate about “urban SUV” and “true luxury”. They also stated that their EV only goal has been pushed back to 2035. If you want to hear more, click this Autocar article link here.

Kia EV9 ADVNTR and PV5 WKNDR

At the US customisers show, SEMA, Kia unveiled two rugged, go anyway variants on their EV car and van the EV9 and PV5. They have been suitable raised up, had chunky tyres added and a number of off-road adventure accessories fitted. They look great. But the PV5 is what caught the attention of the chaps the most. We are now hoping that the PV5 becomes a people carrier. Click this EV Powered link to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: SWORDS AND PLOUGHSHARES

Friend of the show, Nir Kahn, tells us a bit about his history, his philosophy for future vehicles and what he is going to be working on next. Very much worth your time in reading this LinedIn piece from him, which can be accessed by clicking here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: EPIC STARS OF THE SEMA SHOW 2024

We are increasingly struggling to find good List of the Week article to share with you. If you find one, please do send it our way and if its good enough we’ll put it on the show!

Autocar have another slideshow for you to run through, this time with a selection of vehicles from SEMA. Do you agree with Alan and Andrew’s choices? Click this link to find out.

AND FINALLY: TACO BELL COMING TO A MOTORWAY NEAR YOU

Taco Bell is expanding their footprint in the UK by opening at five locations on the UK’s motorway network. Click this link to a Motorway Services article, listing each of the places you can get Mexican food from soon.

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 UPDATE

On 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 TURMOIL

Following 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.

FOLLOW UP: AUDI TO CLOSE BRUSSELS PLANT IN 2025

As listeners will be aware, Audi plans to close their Belgium plant in early 2025. However, they have been unable to find a suitable buyer to take on the property and run it. To learn more about this, click the electrive article link here.

LABOUR’S FIRST UK BUDGET

Labour has revealed their first budget, since being voted into power. Fuel duty and the extra relief, is staying in place. However, there are big changes for VED rates, Benefit in Kind (BiK) thresholds, classification for double cab pickups and more. Click this AMOnline article link here to read more.

For more on fuel duty and first year VED rates, click this Autocar article link here.

To read about the BiK changes, click here for an Autocar article.

If you wish to learn more about the changes to taxation for double-cab pickups, click this link from Professional Pickup.

VW GROUP PROFITS DOWN €3billion

Volkswagen Group profits plunge €3 billion in the latest financial report. The VW brand itself is causing heavy drag thanks to an operating margin of just 2%. The information comes out at a key time when the company is negotiating the future with the unions. Click this Autocar article to read about the financial situation.

For more context, we give you this article link from InsideEVs that you can click here. However, they are underplaying why Germany doesn’t want tariffs on Chinese made EVs.

STELLANTIS SALES DROP IN EUROPE AND THE US

Stellantis have reported on their sales figures for Europe and the United States. The numbers are not good. There is a drop for both markets, although the company is trying to gloss over this publicly. Click this AMOnline article link to read more.

For context of the struggles the group has in the US, click this link from The Autopian.

MARIA GRAZIA DAVINO TO LEAD BYD EUROPEAN EXPANSION

As Alan correctly predicted, we quickly found out where Maria Grazia Davino has moved to after her sudden departure from heading up Stellantis’s efforts in the UK. She will lead the expansion in Europe that BYD is planning. You can read more, by clicking this AMOnline link here.

ITALY IS DUE TO CUT SUPPORT FOR AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

The Italian Government has outlined plans to remove €4.6 billion in aid to the automotive industry, as it allocates it to other matters. Stellantis, who have been busy fighting with the Government, will be a big loser if this is the case. Click this Reuters article link to read more.

MCLAREN OWNER POTENTIALLY SELLING

The owner of McLaren Group, Mumtalakat the Bahrain sovereign wealth fund, is “exploring” the possibility of selling off the company as it has reached a non binding agreement with CYVN Holdings who have invested in Gordon Murray Technologies, Foreseven and Nio. You can find out more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

ROYAL MAIL FINALLY AGREES ON WHICH EV VANS TO BUY

Royal Mail has announced, finally, which electric Peugeot vans it will purchase. They will be taking 1,100 e-Partners and 1000 e-Experts. To read more, click this link to an electrive article, 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

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Hyundai Initium

Hyundai has show us their latest vision for a hydrogen powered SUV, most likely a strong indication of what the new Nexo will look like. And that is, a bit Ioniq 5 and a bit Pontiac Aztek. To see for yourself, click this Autocar link here.

Ian Callum Jaguar C-X75

Ian Callum has added technology and style to create another road legal Jaguar C-X75, this time in a gorgeous sage green colour. Apparently there has been some debate on whether it is a good looking supercar or boring. Judge for yourself. Click this Autocar link for more.

Old Car Dead News: Jaguar F-Pace pulled from sale in the UK

Jaguar will now not sell any new cars in the UK until 2026. This will, according to the brand’s MD, give them time to “reset”. We worry they will be irrelevant by the time the come back. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: COMPLEX AUDIOBOOKS ARE MORE DANGEROUS FOR DRIVERS

A study has concluded that complex audiobooks cause too much distraction for drivers, as they exert a lot of mental effort to take in and understand what is being said. However, there is a balance, as too little stimulation causes drivers to mentally switch off. Click here to read more, from The Autopian, and access the direct link to the study.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST SELLING AMERICAN CARS OF ALL TIME

We are increasingly struggling to find good List of the Week article to share with you. If you find one, please do send it our way and if its good enough we’ll put it on the show!

Check out what Autocar have listed as the best selling US cars of all time. Do you agree with the choices the chaps made? Don’t forget to tell us. Click this link to see more.

AND FINALLY: GR YARIS SAND SCORCHER INSPIRED LIVERY

Collecting Cars, the auction site, has teamed up with Tamiya to create a Sand Scorcher livery which you can buy the RC car with. But not only that, they have wrapped a real GR Yaris in the same livery. Click this Hagerty article link here to read more.

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 PLANS

Information 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 ISSUES

A 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 BANKRUPTCY

The 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 Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US. This is a debt restructuring move and does not mean the company is folding. There are also two court cases being brought against Ansted and Bednarski over financial matters related to the company. In order to find out more, click this Road & Track article link here.

CHINA DEPORTS VW EXEC OVER DRUG ALLEGATIONS

China has deported a senior Volkswagen executive, Jochen Sengphiehl, over claims he failed a recreational drug test. He was held by authorities for 10 days before the action was taken. Many questions come from this, is it real or China flexing? You can read more, by clicking this Reuters article link here.

RIVIAN AND BOSCH TAKE EACH OTHER TO COURT

Bosch has sued Rivian for breach of contract, which caused Rivian to counter sue. Rivian cancelled their contract for electric drivetrains from the supplier as they will use their own in-house developed ones. Bosch are, understandably, unhappy at the loss of business, whilst Rivian state that this issue is why they did not deliver as many cars as expected previously. Click this electrive link to find out more.

NEW PHEV BATTERY GIVES CLAIMED 249 MILE RANGE

CATL has released information on a plug-in hybrid battery, that gives a claimed electric only range of 249 miles. This has the chaps confused. Why is it PHEV only? Sounds almost too good to be true, but is it? What are Alan and Andrew missing? You can read more on this, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

STELLANTIS TO ROAD TEST SOLID STATE BATTERIES IN 2026

Stellantis are the latest company to announce when they will be road testing their solid state batteries. Using a fleet of Dodge Charger Daytonas, for some reason, they will be trying them out on the roads in 2026. To read more on this, including the list of others who have claimed they will have solid state batteries in cars, click this Autocar article link here.

HYUNDAI AND TOYOTA MOTORSPORT FESTIVAL

Hyundai and Toyota have teamed up to hold their own motorsport festival in South Korea. What a brilliant idea! Click this Motoring Research article link to find out more.

This week we are asking, if you can, please go support Alex Robbins, a friend of the show, who is raising money for Mission Motorsport. You will have heard us talk about this wonderful charity before and Alex is being insane enough to walk from their HQ to Anglesey Circuit in time for the annual Race of Remembrance. Only about 250 miles! CLICK THIS LINK HERE TO GO TO THE JUST GIVING PAGE.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Scout Traveller and Terra

Scout, the US brand owned by VW, has revealed their two initial models. This has caused excitement in their home country, whilst less so outside, which is reflected in Alan and Andrew’s takes.

You can read more, by clicking this DigitalTrends article link here.

InsideEVs also has an in depth article on the vehicles, which you can read by clicking here.

To run through the sales plans, click this article link from The Autopian here.

Morgan Plus Six

Morgan has revealed their run out version of the Plus Six, as production comes to an end. Only 30 examples of the car, which starts at £96, 995, will be sold. Click this EVO article to learn more.

LUNCHTIME watch: EPISODE 39 OF PROJECT BINKY

Bad Obsession Motorsport have released a new episode of Project Binky, the heavily modified Mini. In this one we get to see Nick and Rich transform themselves into electrical engineers. Click this YouTube link to watch another fabulous episode from the lunatics.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST CARS FROM DEAD CAR COMPANIES

Autocar have compiled another slideshow, this time about the best cars from dead car companies. There are some to be expected but also some excellent other options too. Do you agree with the picks the chaps made? Do tell us what you would want from all on offer. Click this link to see more.

AND FINALLY: CARS AND TRUCKS AND THINGS THAT GO HITS 50

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Richard Scarry book, Cars and Trucks and Things That Go, a new edition has been published. You can click this link to Kottke to read more and access the huge Yale Review which is almost a Lunchtime Read on its own.