15 Is The Magic Number - 31 January 2023

Motoring Podcast - News Show

FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT BUYER SEARCH

The Administrator for Britishvolt, EY, has narrowed down the choice to five potential new owners. They are trying to select the winner by Tuesday 31 January, the day of recording. Click here for a link to the Financial Times article explaining more.

FOLLOW UP: HMRC CHANGES AER CALCULATIONS

Following feedback from industry, HMRC has changed how it calculates the advisory electricity rate, that dictates how much company car driving EV owners can get reimbursed for charging their car. To learn more, click this Fleet News article link here.

AKIO TOYODA STEPS DOWN AS CEO OF TOYOTA

Shock news from Toyota as CEO Akio Toyoda announced he is relinquishing his role and becoming the Chairman. Koji Sato will become the president and CEO, stepping up from the head of both Lexus and Gazoo Racing. Click this link, to an Autocar article, to learn more. For more context about this and pointers to other thoughtful articles, click this Twitter thread link from Jean-Yves Jault.

REBEL ALLIANCE REORGANISES

Renault and Nissan have finally reached an agreement in the reorganisation of the alliance, primarily in the amount of shares Renaults holds in Nissan. Early indications are that Renault will reduce their shareholdings to 15%. Click this YahooFinance article link here to learn more.

JLR POSTS PROFIT

Jaguar Land Rover has posted a profit in last quarter of 2022, thanks mainly to US sales of Ranger Rover models, with pre-tax profits of £265 million. This is the first profit since 2020 for the company. Click here for the Autocar Business link.

DRIVERS FINED INCORRECTLY IN FRANCE

Thanks to mistakes upon installation, a speed camera in France has “caught” 50,000 speeding vehicles. The camera was pointed the wrong way. The police and local mayor has told those affected to ignore any summons. Click here to learn more, from a Connexion article.

VOLVO RECALLS OVER 100,000 CAR DUE TO SAFETY BRAKE FAULT

Volvo has globally recalled in excess of 100,000 cars due to a fault on the automatic safety brake feature that might mean it does not deploy. To learn more, click this Autocar article link.

UK GOVERNMENT INVESTS IN DECARBONISING ROADS

The UK Government is investing £30 million to projects aimed at decarbonising our roads, including green-waste asphalt and low energy street lighting. If the schemes are successful they will be expanded across the country. Click this Autocar link to learn more.

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS:

Suzuki Jimny EV -

Suzuki announced five new electric cars they will bring to market, by 2030. One that made the car corner of the internet very interested was an electric version of the Jimny. However, the first EV we will be offered will be a cross-over that is about the same size as the current S-Cross, with an estimated 342 mile range. There are plans for larger SUVs similar to the Vitara for size. Details, apart from a picture, are non existent for the Jimny. Click here to read the Autocar article to learn more.

Wells Vertige -

The Wells Vertige is a UK-built sports coupe, with a price tag of around £50,000 and a production run of 25 per year. The car was unveiled at Goodwood in the summer of 2021, since when the development team have been hard at work refining and testing durability. Click here to learn more, including all the behind the scenes stuff they are working on, from an Autocar article.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: SUPER COOPERS

Thanks to a kind listener of the show our Lunchtime Watch is all about one chap’s fascination with the original Mini, whilst based in the US. He has even shoehorned a Honda VTEC engine into one and how fabulous that combination is. Click here to watch Nicole Johnson’s Detour YouTube episode on this.

LIST OF THE WEEK: GOOD, BAD OR UGLY?

Autocar has provided our List of the Week, focusing on fads from the car industry. Do you agree with the choices made? Don’t forget to let us know which you would pick and why. Click here to run through the slideshow.

AND FINALLY: HOW A POP BAND HELPED NORWAY GO FOR EVS

A-ha are being credited with helping Norway pay attention to electric cars thanks to a collaboration with environmental activists and a campaign of civil disobedience that ensured high profile coverage. Click here to read more, from the BBC News article.