Car industry at risk of tariffs even if Brexit deal agreed September 30, 2020 The UK car industry may be hit by tariffs even if a free trade deal is agreed with the EU, the BBC reported today, due to issues over the provenance of certain car parts. Turkish and Japanese car parts used in cars made in this country will not be classed as British, meaning that some [...]
Sunak’s subsidy scheme will save just one job per company in the business travel sector September 30, 2020 Last week, the chancellor outlined his Winter Economy Plan — trying to balance the needs of the economy with our health and wellbeing. No enviable task. Listening to his polished performance in the Commons, it would be easy to conclude that the chancellor’s new approach — underpinned by a Job Support Scheme and extended tax [...]
Car production plunges as surge in cases slams breaks on sector recovery September 25, 2020 Car production plunged again in August, falling 44.6 per cent year on year as factory output stalled amid ongoing disruption caused by the coronavirus crisis. Just 51,039 models were built last month, down from 85,000 in July, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Weaker demand for British-built cars in [...]
McLaren puts iconic Woking HQ up for sale for £200m September 10, 2020 Sports car maker McLaren has put its iconic headquarters near Woking in Surrey up for sale in a bid to shore up its balance sheet amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Sky News first reported that the firm has instructed property agent Colliers to begin marketing a sale-and-leaseback of the McLaren Technology Centre, with offers in [...]
Manufacturers warn of ‘second wave’ of job cuts without furlough extension September 7, 2020 A leading manufacturers’ organisation has issued a rallying cry urging the government to extend the furlough scheme beyond October, warning a failure to do so risks leaving the UK “in the slow lane behind major competitors”. Make UK issued its appeal after more than 62 per cent of companies backed an extension to the scheme, [...]
New car sales fall in ‘disappointing’ August for market September 4, 2020 New car sales dropped again last month, reversing July’s increase, with just over 87,000 models sold in what is traditionally one of the quietest months for trading. According to new figures from the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders, new car sales fell 5.8 per cent in August. In July, the first full month of [...]
Car production slump continues despite signs of improvement August 27, 2020 The slump in UK car manufacturing continued in July, with just 85,000 vehicles rolling off production lines last month, over 20 per cent lower than a year ago. However, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said the figure showed a “marked improvement” on previous months as factories continued to reopen after lockdown. With [...]
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos to build new 4×4 in France August 26, 2020 UK car manufacturing suffered another blow today after it emerged that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos had made an official offer to buy a factory in France to build its new 4×4. The billionaire was understood to have been in talks with the Welsh government to build a new factory in Bridgend for the car, a [...]
European electric vehicle sales surpass China for first time since 2015 August 26, 2020 Sales of European passenger electric vehicles in the first half of 2020 exceeded those in China for the first time in five years. According to a report from Bloomberg, around 380,000 electric vehicles were sold over the 16 main European markets in the first six months of the year. Meanwhile, in China, which is widely [...]
Lookers warns of first-half loss and expands accounting probe August 20, 2020 Under-fire car dealership Lookers said today it has widened the scope of its audit into a £19m black hole in its 2019 financial results as it warned it will fall to a loss in the first half of 2020. Today Lookers’ board and auditor Deloitte expanded their investigations on the back of Grant Thornton’s probe [...]