Vroom vroom! Cazoo buys Italian online retailer in €80m deal January 26, 2022 Online car retailer Cazoo announced today it will acquire Italian rival Brumbrum in a €80m (£66.8m) deal. Cazoo will acquire Brumbrum in a mix of cash and Cazoo shares, with the transaction expected to be carried out in the next few days. By acquiring Brumbrum, the UK company will have access to the five most [...]
UK needs laws for self-driving cars, government bodies say January 26, 2022 Government bodies are currently lobbying for the UK to adopt a legislation that regulates self-driving vehicles. According to a joint report from the Law Commission of England and Wales and the Scottish Law Commission, introducing an ‘Automated Vehicles Act’ will help to draw “a clear distinction between features which just assist drivers, such as adaptive [...]
Bentley to develop first electric car as part of £2.5bn green push January 26, 2022 Bentley has announced the development of its first battery-powered electric vehicle as part of a 10-year sustainability push worth £2.5bn. The luxury car maker added that the first vehicles will be ready in three years’ time, as the company plans to become carbon neutral by 2030. “We are already marking the pinnacle in luxury car [...]
Lamborghini lags behind rivals rolling out first fully-electric car in 2030 January 25, 2022 Italian luxury car maker Lamborghini has announced its first fully electric car – a coupe SUV – will be rolled out in 2030. “Our car will perform at the highest level, but with the peculiarities of an electric vehicle,” the car maker’s chief executive Stephan Winkelmann told Italian news agency ANSA. “It will take some [...]
Going Dutch: Motorists who open door with wrong hand to be fined up to £1,000 January 25, 2022 Motorists who open their car’s door with the wrong hand will risk being fined up to £1,000. Under the new High Code’s updates – coming into force from Saturday – motorists are forced to use the ‘Dutch Reach’ manoeuvre, which requires drivers and passengers to get out of their cars using the hand “on the [...]
Used car prices continue ‘to defy gravity’ fuelling 30-year inflation record January 19, 2022 The increase in used car prices shows no sign of stopping and keeps on ‘defying gravity’, according to Auto Trader’s data and insights director Richard Walker. “To call the second-hand car market buoyant would be an understatement and, with new car supply remaining tight, consumer demand currently shows no sign of wavering,” Walker said. According [...]
Ford gains $8.2bn from Rivian investment January 19, 2022 Automotive giant Ford has made an $8.2bn gain from its investment into California electric truck maker and Tesla rival Rivian, following its November market debut. Reporting its fourth quarter results in early February, the Detroit car maker has also announced it would reclassify a $900m non-cash gain from the investment as a special item. As [...]
Volkswagen and Bosch set up venture to make EU’s battery production self-sufficient January 18, 2022 Volkswagen and Bosch have joined forces and will set up a venture by the year’s end to make Europe’s battery production self-sufficient. The new company will provide integrated battery production systems, on-site ramp up and maintenance support, serving Volkswagen’s factories as well as plants across Europe. “Europe has the unique chance to become a global [...]
Half of UK motorists plan to buy a car in 2022 January 18, 2022 Around 49 per cent of UK motorists plan to buy a car this year, according to research from Close Brothers Motor Finance (CBMF). A third of car owners have stated they will go for a new model, while 18 per cent have said they will buy second-hand. As a result of the pandemic, UK adults [...]
Motorway hard shoulders not coming back, roads minister says January 16, 2022 Roads minister Baroness Charlotte Vere has confirmed that motorways’ hard shoulders are not coming back. In a letter to Claire Mercer, whose husband was killed on the M1 following the hard shoulder’s removal, the minister said re-installing emergency lanes “could cause more deaths or serious injuries on our roads,” the Sunday Telegraph reported. The minister [...]