Brompton Bikes boss: long-term thinking is needed after coronavirus March 25, 2020 Coronavirus may have stopped everyday life in its tracks, but the boss of one of London’s manufacturing success stories says employers must adopt long-term strategies now for when the wheels start turning again. Will Butler-Adams, the boss of Brompton Bikes, says this applies to macro: the future of transport, as well as the micro: the [...]
Electric cars can transport Britain to a greener future March 25, 2020 As the UK lockdown begins, now is a chance to pause, to take a step back, and consider how our world moves forward when the Covid-19 crisis is over. Right now, we are all staying at home, but when we can travel once again, what does the future of transportation look like? Britain is still [...]
Jaguar Land Rover boss says Greta Thunberg’s criticism ‘not justified’ March 8, 2020 The boss of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has hit out at Greta Thunberg, saying that climate activists like the Swedish teenager and Extinction Rebellion make “no contribution” and have “no ideas”. Speaking to the Sunday Times, Ralf Speth, JLR’s outgoing boss, described Thunberg’s campaigning as “doing wrong in many areas” by raising issues but not [...]
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 [...]