Fondue Withdrawal - 3 March 2020

FOLLOW UP: MORE PORSCHE RAIDS

Stuttgart public prosecutors have raided Porsche once more, connected with diesel emission manipulation, according to reports from Greg Kable. After four more members of staff were accused of being involved, this takes the total up to seven for Porsche.

FOLLOW UP: VW AND VZBZ AGREE TO SETTLEMENT

After being told to return to the negotiating table, by the courts, Volkswagen and the consumer group VZBZ has agreed on a payout of £698 million to German consumers. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

GENEVA MOTORSHOW CANCELLED

Following the Swiss Government’s announcement to ban major events, GIMS had no choice but to cancel the motor show. There has been quite a bit of hoo-ha over how this was handled and it does not appear exhibitors will be able to recoup their outlay. Alan reminds us all that motor shows are not just for the journalists. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

FRENCH CAR SHOWS RESCHEDULED

Due to Covid-19, major gatherings are being banned in France, which means some car shows are having to be rescheduled. To read more, click The Connecxion article here.

DEUTSCHE POST SCRAPS EV DELIVERY VAN

Deutsche Post will cease production of the electric delivery vehicle they were building in partnership with Ford, the reason given is the huge losses the project has cost the company. To read more, click the Bloomberg article here.

MOVE MOBILITY CONFERENCE

Alan wished he was able to attend events such as the MOVE Conference, that took place a couple of weeks ago, however, as he can’t we have to refer to other’s write-ups, this time Daniel Puddicombe is the lucky one who was at the mobility event. To read more, click the Company Car Today link here and go to page 9.

COVENTRY NOT INTRODUCING CLEAN AIR ZONE

Thanks to plans put to the Government, Coventry will not be implementing a Clean Air Zone (CAZ), as part of their efforts to tackle air quality issues. The council argued that introducing a CAZ would have worsened the air quality for many residential areas. There will be a ban, in certain areas, of polluting vehicles and HGVs but these are part of a wider set of initiatives which it is hoped will reduce pollution. To read more, click the Fleet News article here.

One of the more interesting trials is offering drivers of older and more polluting vehicles mobility credits, in exchange for scrapping their car. These credits will be usable in car share schemes, pay for public transport, taxis, bike share schemes and the likes. The idea is to encourage people to get around but not think the car is the first answer. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

SUPERMARKET EV CHARGE POINTS DOUBLE IN TWO YEARS

Thanks to partnership initiatives, between charge point companies and supermarkets, the number of charging points we can take advantage of whilst...

FOLLOW UP: MORE PORSCHE RAIDS

Stuttgart public prosecutors have raided Porsche once more, connected with diesel emission manipulation, according to reports from Greg Kable. After four more members of staff were accused of being involved, this takes the total up to seven for Porsche.

FOLLOW UP: VW AND VZBZ AGREE TO SETTLEMENT

After being told to return to the negotiating table, by the courts, Volkswagen and the consumer group VZBZ has agreed on a payout of £698 million to German consumers. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

GENEVA MOTORSHOW CANCELLED

Following the Swiss Government’s announcement to ban major events, GIMS had no choice but to cancel the motor show. There has been quite a bit of hoo-ha over how this was handled and it does not appear exhibitors will be able to recoup their outlay. Alan reminds us all that motor shows are not just for the journalists. To read more, click the Automotive News Europe article here.

FRENCH CAR SHOWS RESCHEDULED

Due to Covid-19, major gatherings are being banned in France, which means some car shows are having to be rescheduled. To read more, click The Connecxion article here.

DEUTSCHE POST SCRAPS EV DELIVERY VAN

Deutsche Post will cease production of the electric delivery vehicle they were building in partnership with Ford, the reason given is the huge losses the project has cost the company. To read more, click the Bloomberg article here.

MOVE MOBILITY CONFERENCE

Alan wished he was able to attend events such as the MOVE Conference, that took place a couple of weeks ago, however, as he can’t we have to refer to other’s write-ups, this time Daniel Puddicombe is the lucky one who was at the mobility event. To read more, click the Company Car Today link here and go to page 9.

COVENTRY NOT INTRODUCING CLEAN AIR ZONE

Thanks to plans put to the Government, Coventry will not be implementing a Clean Air Zone (CAZ), as part of their efforts to tackle air quality issues. The council argued that introducing a CAZ would have worsened the air quality for many residential areas. There will be a ban, in certain areas, of polluting vehicles and HGVs but these are part of a wider set of initiatives which it is hoped will reduce pollution. To read more, click the Fleet News article here.

One of the more interesting trials is offering drivers of older and more polluting vehicles mobility credits, in exchange for scrapping their car. These credits will be usable in car share schemes, pay for public transport, taxis, bike share schemes and the likes. The idea is to encourage people to get around but not think the car is the first answer. To read more, click the Motoring Research article here.

SUPERMARKET EV CHARGE POINTS DOUBLE IN TWO YEARS

Thanks to partnership initiatives, between charge point companies and supermarkets, the number of charging points we can take advantage of whilst shopping has doubled in the last two years. To read more, click the ZapMap article here.

20MPH SPEED LIMIT INTRODUCED TO LONDON STREETS

A 20mph speed limit has been introduced in London, by Transport for London (TfL), in a bid to reduce deaths and serious injuries. TfL manages about 5% of the roads in London, so the actual number affected is quite small and many are questioning how much difference the new speed limit will make. To read more and find out exactly which streets are covered by this move, click the Sky News article here.

COMPETITION TIME!

We are offering you the chance to win a copy of James Ruppert, he of Bangernomics fame, latest book Demotorized: The 200 Year War on the Motorist. Listen to the show to hear what the question is, then click through this link to send us your answer. Don’t forget to put COMPETITION in the subject line.

The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Tuesday 10 March 2020 episode. Good luck!

FORMULA E: MARRAKESH

Starting on pole, Antonio Felix da Costa was the eventual winner of the Marrakesh E-Prix, fending off Max Guenther and Jean-Eric Vergne. This was his first win for DS Techeetah, and the first-ever double podium for the team. This was the ninth different winner in the last nine races. To read more, click the e-racing365 article here. To watch the highlights video, click the link here.

BLOODHOUND SSC HAS ONE MONTH TO BE SAVED

The owner of Bloodhound, Ian Warhurst, who rescued the car and project from receivership in 2018, has made it clear that more money is needed if the project is to be completed. If no new investment can be found in the next month, the project will be wound up. To find out more, click the BBC News article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: IT’S TIME TO LET GO OF COMMUTER CULTURE

This Jalopnik article argues the point that when we think about commuting, we need to stop thinking the car is the number one solution. This isn’t an anti-car rant, more an anti-commute rant. Considering the current worries over the spread of Covid-19, how using public transport may impact the spread of the virus, this is an interesting argument. To read more, click the Jalopnik article here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: GIMS2020

Our List of the Week is in fact, a montage of the week. Radical Mag has put together a behind the scenes montage of the Geneva Motor Show, letting us see how chaotic setting up and then taking down a trade show is. To see the photos, click the link here. To watch the video Alan mentioned, click the YouTube link here.

AND FINALLY: HENRY CATCHPOLE DRIVES A SINGER

Join us, in becoming green-eyed with jealousy as we watch Henry Catchpole drive a wonderful Singer Porsche on a stunning bit of US road. There are times you can dislike someone who you admire, this is one of those times thanks to the Green-Eyed Monster! To watch this brilliant video, click the link here.