Honda halts Swindon car production for second time in a month due to supply chain disruption January 5, 2021 Honda this afternoon said that it would halt production at its plant in Swindon due to supply chain disruption – the second time it has done so in a month. In a statement, the carmaker said that production would stop today and tomorrow, with a view to starting again on Thursday. It said that the [...]
Stars in their eyes: PSA and Fiat shareholders approve mega-merger January 4, 2021 Shareholders in Peugeot-owner PSA and Fiat Chrysler (FCA) have today approved the mega-merger of the two firms, a deal which will create the world’s fourth-largest auto firm. The new entity, called Stellantis, will comprise 14 different brands, including FCA’s Fiat, Maserati and US-focused Jeep, Dodge and Ram to PSA’s Peugeot, Citroen, Opel and DS. Stellantis [...]
UK PMIs: Manufacturing beats forecasts again on Brexit stockpiling boom January 4, 2021 UK manufacturing activity increased for the seventh straight month in December as factories brushed off the impact of the second national lockdown. The IHS Markit/Cips manufacturing purchasing managers (PMI) index stood at 57.5 in December, with any score above the 50 mark indicating growth. The figure, a 37-month high, beat economists’ forecasts of a reading of 57.3 [...]
McLaren considering listing in bid to raise £500m – report December 10, 2020 British supercar firm McLaren is mulling a public listing in a bid to raise cash in order to shore up its finances after taking a battering from the coronavirus pandemic. The carmaker is looking to raise up to £500m over the next 12 months, and is considering going public via a deal with a special [...]
Manufacturers set for £24bn boost from surge in direct-to-consumer sales December 10, 2020 Manufacturers could see a £24bn boost in direct-to-consumer sales over the next three years as shoppers increasingly look to bypass traditional sales channels. According to new data from Barclays Corporate Banking, the direct-to-consumer segment could grow in value to £120bn, up from £96bn this year. The growth is down to more and more customers opting [...]
Boeing lost 63 more 737 Max orders in November as dire year goes on December 8, 2020 Boeing lost 63 orders for the 737 Max last month, even though the plane was finally cleared to fly again by regulators. In yet another dire month for the US planemaker, orders of all its different models fell by 28 planes in total. A number of airlines, including Virgin Australia and Air Canada, scrapped or [...]
UK PMIs: Manufacturing beats forecasts to rise for sixth month in a row December 1, 2020 UK manufacturing activity increased for the sixth straight month in November as factories brushed off the impact of the second national lockdown. The IHS Markit/Cips manufacturing purchasing managers (PMI) index stood at 55.6 in November, with any score above the 50 mark indicating growth. The score came in ahead of flash estimates of 55.2, as [...]
Car production falls again as nightmare year stretches on November 26, 2020 Car production fell once again in October as the sector’s nightmare year showed no sign of ending. Just 110,179 cars were built last month, down almost a fifth on the same month last year, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. For the year as a whole, production has dropped [...]
Sign Brexit deal to ‘give us our future’, pleads car industry November 24, 2020 The car industry has pleaded with the government to sign a post-Brexit free trade agreement by Christmas, saying that the failure to do so could cost the sector £55bn by 2025. Speaking at a Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) summit, chief executive Mike Hawes said that a new partnership with the EU “could [...]
Plug-in hybrid cars emit far more carbon dioxide than advertised November 23, 2020 Plug-in hybrid cars emit far more carbon dioxide than advertised, new research published today shows, just days after the government decided to allow sales of such vehicles to continue to 2035. According to a study done by European body Transport & Environment, three of the most popular hybrids all emitted more carbon dioxide than advertised [...]