BMW and Volkswagen Group fined $1bn by EU for emission cleaning July 8, 2021 The European Commission fines BMW and Volkswagen Group a total $1bn (£726m), saying that three German carmakers breached EU antitrust rules by restricting competition in emission cleaning for new passenger diesel cars. The EU executive said the trio – BMW, Volkswagen Group and Daimler – had colluded on technical development in the area of nitrogen [...]
New car registrations up as lockdown end nears July 5, 2021 The total number of cars registered grew in June from the same period last year, however new registrations still lag pre-pandemic figures, which raises questions about further growth in the industry. A total 186,128 new cars were registered in June, according the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), up 28 per cent on the [...]
Renault-Nissan alliance to build 1m electric cars a year by 2030 June 30, 2021 Renault and its partners Nissan and Mitsubishi will produce 1m electric cars a year by 2030, the French auto giant announced today, as it accelerates its move away from the internal combustion engine. Chief executive Luca de Meo said that the carmaker would launch 10 new electric vehicle models by 2025, with 90 per cent [...]
Nissan puts hundreds of factory staff back on furlough after surge in Covid-19 cases June 25, 2021 Nissan furloughs hundreds of factory staff after surge in Covid cases
Car production still stalled at just half of pre-pandemic levels June 25, 2021 The number of cars produced in the UK last month remains mired at nearly half of pre-pandemic levels as the industry grapples with shortages of key components like semi-conductors. In May, 54,962 cars rolled off production lines, a tenfold improvement on the same month in 2020, when factories were in lockdown. However, the figure is [...]
Manufacturing output grows at fastest rate on record in last quarter June 22, 2021 Increased production of cars, foodstuffs, and drinks helped the UK’s manufacturing output grow at the fastest pace ever recorded in the last three months. According to the CBI’s latest Industrial Trends survey, output grew in 15 out of 17 sectors, with volumes up 37 per cent in total over the period. That’s the fastest rate [...]
LA firm raises £450m to 3D-print rockets to help us live on Mars (really) June 9, 2021 Blackrock and actor Jared Leto are among investors in a $650m (£450m) capital raise by a Californian firm which plans to 3D-print rocket boosters that the founder claims are part of efforts to live on Mars. Relativity Space, founded by Tim Ellis – a former engineer at Jeff Bezos’ space firm Blue Origin – is [...]
UK car sales up eightfold as market recovers from last year’s skid June 4, 2021 UK car sales increased eightfold last month compared to a year ago as customers continued to return to showrooms and garages. There were 156,737 new cars sold in May, up from a mere 20,247 in the same month in the previous year, when showrooms were closed due to lockdown. However, the statistics, which are compiled [...]
Car production bounces back on 12-month anniversary of factory shutdowns May 27, 2021 UK car production returned to near normality in April compared to the same month a year before as automakers continued to struggle with the shortage of semiconductor chips. Britain made 68,306 cars last month, up from 197 a year ago when factories were shuttered due to the initial Covid-19 lockdown. Compared to April 2019, the [...]
Ford aims for 40 per cent electric car sales by 2030 May 26, 2021 Ford today said that it was aiming for 40 per cent of its sales to be of electric cars by 2030, sending shares up 7.0 per cent today. The announcement came as the Michigan-headquartered firm unveiled a new strategy, call Ford+, that will see it put $30bn into electrification over the next decade. That is [...]