Reopening of showrooms boosts new car sales in April May 5, 2021 The reopening of England’s car showrooms boosted sales of new vehicles in April, prompting the car industry to hail the “light at the end of the tunnel” after lockdown. In total, 141,583 new vehicles were registered last month, a thirty-fold jump on the same month a year ago, when the initial coronavirus lockdown all but [...]
UK PMIs: Manufacturing growth hits 27-year high in April May 4, 2021 The UK’s manufacturing growth gathered pace in April as production increased for the 11th consecutive month. The IHS Markit/CIPS UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 60.9 per cent last month, marking the highest reading since 1994. The reading also came in ahead of a flash estimate of 60.7. The growth was driven by a [...]
Car production rise for first time since 2019 after Covid collapse April 29, 2021 UK car production rose dramatically in March, a year after the coronavirus pandemic forced factories across the country to shut. Output rose 46.6 per cent against 12 months ago, with a total of 115,498 cars built, up from 78,767 in March 2020, new data from auto trade body the SMMT showed. However, the figure is [...]
Driverless cars set for UK roads by the end of the year April 28, 2021 Britain’s roads could see their first driverless cars by the end of the year after the Department for Transport gave an autonomous driving system the green light today. Officials said that the technology could improve road safety by reducing human error, which contributes to over 85 per cent of accidents. In a statement this morning, [...]
Lotus to invest £2bn in switch to electric and revamp of UK plant April 28, 2021 Sports car maker Lotus will build electric vehicles in the UK as part of a £2bn investment push aimed at massively increasing its production capacity. The Hethel-based firm yesterday announced that it would switch to selling only electric cars by 2028. Its last combustion engine car, the Emira, will launch this summer. As part of [...]
Manufacturing optimism at highest levels in nearly 50 years April 22, 2021 UK manufacturers’ hopes for an economic rebound rose to their highest levels in nearly half a century this month as Britain slowly began its exit from Covid-19 lockdowns. According to the latest CBI quarterly Industrial Trends survey, its quarterly business optimism gauge jumped to +38, its highest level since April 1973. In January, amid the [...]
Mercedes maker Daimler to cut hours of 18,500 workers due to chip shortage April 21, 2021 Mercedes maker Daimler today said it would cut the hours of some 18,500 workers at its factories in Germany due to the current shortage of semiconductor chips. The auto giant also said it would halt production at two plants for a temporary period of time. A spokesperson for the Stuttgart-headquartered firm said that it was [...]
World’s biggest semiconductor maker warns that shortage could continue into 2022 April 15, 2021 The world’s biggest semiconductor maker this morning warned that the current chip shortage could well last into 2022. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) said that it was doing everything it could to alleviate the drought of the processors, which are vital for a vast range of electric devices. Chief exec C. C. Wei told investors [...]
Ford to further cut car production due to global semiconductor chip shortage April 14, 2021 Ford to further cut car production due to global semiconductor chip shortage
Exclusive: Covid-19 drives Londoners behind the wheel sooner than planned April 14, 2021 London dwellers are now more likely to buy a car sooner than planned than in any other region of the UK as a result of Covid-19. New figures from Close Brothers Motor Finance, shared exclusively with Morning Wire, show that over a fifth of Londoners – 21 per cent – are now more likely to [...]