AUTOMOTIVE Concerns have been raised over the future of the Vauxhall car plant in Ellesmere Port after its owners announced the next version of the Astra will not be built there, but in Germany instead. The Rüsselsheim plant, which shares Astra production with Ellesmere Port, has been awarded the next variant of the model, which has traditionally been built at the Cheshire plant for sale in the UK and for export in the European markets badged as Opel. https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/2054054-fears-rise-for-car-plant-after-production-of-next-model-is-moved-to-germany?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NorthWest_20th_Jan_2020_Daily Triumph Motorcycles has formally launched a ... Read more

AUTOMOTIVE More electric cars were registered in the UK during 2019 than any other year to date, as diesel car registrations fell by more than one-fifth on a year-on-year basis.  That is according to new industry data released today (6 January) by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMTT). The data reveals that the number of new car registrations fell by 2.4% between 2018 and 2019 – a trend the SMTT attributes, in part, to environmental concerns and anticipation around incoming clean ... Read more

AUTOMOTIVE Luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz is to cut jobs with the aim of making more than €1bn (£840m) in savings by the end of 2022.  The cuts which reports say will lead to more than 1,000 jobs being lost come as the carmaker faces challenges from new, tougher emissions targets.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50416250 ____________________ Carmaker Audi is to cut 9,500 of its 61,000 jobs in Germany between now and 2025 to make more money available for electric vehicles and digital working.The cuts which aim to save €6bn (£5.1bn) ... Read more

AUTOMOTIVE The UK new light commercial vehicle (LCV) market declined -23.5% in September, according to the latest figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). 41,216 LCVs were registered in the month, down some 12,632 units on September 2018, as regulatory changes, coupled with economic and political uncertainty, impacted the market. https://www.smmt.co.uk/2019/10/uk-new-van-market-falls-23-5-in-september/ The UK new car market declined -2.5% in the first three quarters of the year, according to figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders ... Read more

Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will shut down production in all its UK plants, including Halewood on Merseyside, for a week, starting from November 4. The manufacturing giant blamed the uncertainty of Brexit and other external factors on the decision to cease production. https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/news/2048771-car-giant-to-close-factories-for-a-week-over-brexit-uncertainty?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=NorthWest_27th_Sep_2019_Daily Read more

AUTOMOTIVE Ineos Automotive has chosen Bridgend for the production of its new 4×4 vehicle, it has been announced. It is expected to initially create around 200 jobs to make the Grenadier, and up to 500 in the long-term.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-49733291 Read more

AUTOMOTIVE The government is pumping nearly £40m into improving the infrastructure for electric vehicles despite a sharp drop in hybrid car sales. The Department for Transport will invest in UK engineering to "transform" the network of electric charge points. Wireless charging and "pop-up" pavement technology are among the investments being made. Sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles slumped by 50.4% in June after the government scrapped a £2,500 grant. However, the DfT said it was "focusing on the cleanest, zero emission models". New UK car ... Read more

The Pininfarina Battista is reportedly the most powerful road-legal car ever to be built, with a 0-100 km/h in less than two seconds, and 0-300km/h in fewer than 12. More importantly though, it is electric. Designed and built in Italy, the Pininfarina Battista was unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show in Switzerland, which got underway in early March. Since its launch in 2005, the Bugatti Veyron has been regarded as the benchmark for the 21st century supercar. It had tough specifications to ... Read more

Aston Martin has achieved annual revenues of more than £1bn for the first time after it achieved a big jump in car sales. It sold 6,441 vehicles in 2018, 26% more than a year earlier, although average selling price was down slightly to £157,000. It is the car manufacturer’s first annual results since becoming a public company following its float in October. The Warwick-headquartered group has had a bumpy entry to the markets, with its shares down nearly 30% since going public. ... Read more

AUTOMOTIVE There is something unmistakably Aston Martin about the new Vantage. It retains the British marque’s characteristic blend of aggression and sophistication – like a cage fighter squeezed into a Savile Row suit. However, it is in other respects quite different to cars that have gone before it and the rest of the current range.  The previous Aston Martin line-up felt a bit like a set of Russian dolls but now there is a concerted effort now to give each new model ... Read more