In what has, for obvious reasons, been dubbed a Covid-19 budget, new UK Chancellor the Exchequer (the Right Honorable Rishi Sunak MP) promised the highest levels of inward investment for 30 years including a number of initiatives that will help small and medium-sized business such as tyre retailers and garages.
The Lexus LF-30 Electrified concept first seen at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show was a highlight of the car maker’s streamed press conference during the cancelled Geneva International Motor Show 2020’s Virtual Press Day last Tuesday. The concept car, which celebrates the brand’s 30th anniversary and is designed to promise a dynamic driving experience like no other, sits on four bespoke Goodyear concept tyres.
February’s car registration figures were released as the SMMT calls on the Chancellor to use next week’s Budget to announce bold new measures to make new-tech zero emission-capable cars, including plug-in hybrids, more affordable for mass-market buyers. In 2020, manufacturers will bring more than 23 new battery-electric and ten plug-in hybrid electric cars to the UK to add to the more than 65 already on sale, but take-up of these new models depends on affordability and the provision of adequate charging infrastructure.
Earlier in the month, Boris Johnson announced the Government’s ambitious – or as some see it, overambitious – intention to bring forward the ban on new combustion-engine cars to 2035. Many have wondered how the country should go about developing an infrastructure of electric vehicle (EV) charging points within this timeframe. YourParkingSpace, the online parking marketplace, believes homeowners can play a role in keeping a growing EV fleet on the move.
The news that the sale of petrol and diesel cars could be banned in 15 years should propel the automotive industry into addressing the serious need for vehicle technicians to be skilled in electric and hybrid vehicle servicing. According to the IMI, who are actively lobbying Government to get the automotive industry’s workforce appropriately qualified, just 5 per cent of UK vehicle technicians have been trained in electric vehicle servicing. Critically, these untrained technicians could be putting themselves at risk, due to the high voltage nature of electric cars.
The motorsport calendar now includes an all-new event – the world’s first all-electric, multi-brand touring car championship. Pure ETCR vehicles will be equipped with a Williams Advanced Engineering battery unit and a 500kW Magelec Propulsion powertrain – the equivalent of a staggering 680bhp – that drives the rear wheels and enables 0 to 100km/h acceleration in just 3.2 seconds. This torquey power will be delivered to the racetrack via products supplied by one of Pure ETCR’s founder partners – Goodyear.
Logistics giant UPS has ordered 10,000 purpose-built electric vehicles from Arrival in an order worth “hundreds of millions of Euros” as part of its global project to transition to a zero emissions fleet. These vehicles will be rolled out in the UK, Europe and North America from 2020 to 2024 with the company having an option to purchase a further 10,000 models. UPS’s venture capital arm also announced an investment in Arrival of an undisclosed sum.
The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, has announced that Government funding for the installation of chargepoints on residential streets next year will be doubled to £10 million. According to the Government, “this could fund up to another 3,600 chargepoints across the country”.
Following the news that American electric truck startup Rivian Automotive (Rivian) has raised US$1.3bn in new funding; Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view on the start-up’s journey: “In an extremely capital intensive industry such as automotive manufacturing, companies are required to raise billions of dollars and Rivian so far has been successful in gaining traction among investors. The new funding was led by asset management firm T. Rowe Price with Amazon, Ford Motor Co and BlackRock also participating. This marks the fourth funding for Rivian in 2019 and earlier it has already raised more than US$1.5bn from Ford, Amazon and Cox Automotive.
The advent of e-mobility is often accompanied by uncertainty for workshops. How much maintenance does an electric motor need? What sort of repair volume can be expected? Which are the common models and voltage levels? And how can workshops obtain the information needed to ensure safe, efficient, and fast maintenance and repairs? This is where Mahle Aftermarket comes in, as a 360° solutions provider with OEM expertise.
