Nissan puts £400m into Sunderland factory despite Brexit tariff fears March 6, 2020 Nissan will invest £400m into its Sunderland plant in a much needed boost for the facility, the future of which has been in doubt due to fears over possible tariffs post Brexit. The investment comes as Nissan ramps up its preparations for its new Qashqai model, including a £52m new press line, which was unveiled [...]
Car industry calls for electric vehicle tax break as new sales decline March 5, 2020 The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has called for a tax break on all new battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric and hydrogen fuel cell electric cars in order to encourage the take up of more environmentally friendly models in the UK. According to the SMMT, cutting VAT on such models would reduce the [...]
Chinese passenger car sales fall 80 per cent in February March 4, 2020 Sales of passenger cars in China fell 80 per cent in February due to the coronavirus impact, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). The industry body did not give an exact sales figure, but earlier this month had reported that for the first 16 days of February only 4,909 units were sold, down [...]
UK car production falls for the fifth consecutive month in January February 27, 2020 British car production declined for a fifth consecutive month in January, but an increase in overseas orders gave the struggling sector some cause for cheer after a challenging 2019. According to new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), output fell 2.1 per cent on a month-by in the first month of [...]
Global car sales set to fall in 2020 as coronavirus fears grip February 26, 2020 Moody’s has lowered its forecast for global car sales for 2020 as the continued coronavirus outbreak reduces demand and disrupts automotive supply chains around the world. The ratings agency expects global automobile unit sales to decline 2.5 per cent in 2020, narrowing from a 4.6 per cent drop in 2019, but worsening from the 0.9 [...]
Car dealers confident for coming year as Brexit fears dwindle February 25, 2020 An overwhelming majority of UK car dealerships are confident about the outlook for their business, despite a challenging 2019 for the motor industry. A new survey by Close Brothers Motor Finance shows that 98 per cent of dealers were optimistic about the future, with almost two-thirds (63 per cent) describing themselves as “very confident”. The [...]
Alstom confirms Bombardier merger talks February 17, 2020 French train manufacturer Alstom has confirmed talks to purchase the rail division of Canadian firm Bombardier are ongoing. The proposed deal could be worth $7bn on an enterprise value basis, Reuters has reported. Reports of the merger came last week, quoting a French TV station, that Alstom’s board was set to make an offer. “Alstom [...]
How can Elon Musk keep Tesla on the straight and narrow? February 11, 2020 After a rough start to the year, Tesla ended 2019 by delivering on a promise to Wall Street. The pledge made in the summer of 2019 by Tesla chief executive Elon Musk was to return to profit after months of losses, a string of negative headlines — including his forced resignation as chairman in 2018 [...]
UK new car sales fall in January as industry condemns 2035 ban February 5, 2020 The number of UK new car sales fell 7.3 per cent at the start of 2020, according to industry figures released today. Sales of new diesel cars plummeted 36 per cent year on year in January, their worst performance in 20 years, statistics released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed. And [...]
Coronavirus could hit Bosch automotive supply chain in China, warns chief executive January 29, 2020 The biggest automotive supplier in the world has warned the coronavirus outbreak could hit its global supply chain. The chief executive of Bosh, Volkmar Denner, said that although there has been no disruption yet, “we are naturally concerned”. Bosch relies heavily on China as a global manufacturing base for exporting electric motors, transmissions and power [...]