Semantic boy - 9 April 2024

FOLLOW UP: RENAULT AND VOLVO GROUP PRESENT EV VAN JV

Flexis is the name of the joint-venture between Renault, the Volvo Group and transportation company CMA CGM, that will develop EV vans aimed at urban and last mile deliveries. This will fill the gap in both Renault and Volvo’s offerings to the commercial vehicle industry. For more information, click this Autocar link here.

TOYOTA UPDATES ON CAR THEFTS

Toyota GB has issues a statement regarding thefts of certain models and a fix that will be fitted by dealerships to affected vehicles. To read more on that, click this link here.

Friends of the show Ken Tindell and Ian Tabor found the vulnerability over a year ago. Ken has written a post on LinkedIn that we recommend you read. Particularly the last sentence, which we echo and hope the car industry improves communication with security researchers. Click here to read that piece.

MARCH 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has issued the registration figures for March 2024. They are up on 2023 but still significantly down on 2019. Fleet is propping up what growth there is as Private is down again. On top of that, the BEV registrations grew in number but market share dropped causing SMMT to call, once again, on Government assistance for Private buyers. Click here to read the information from SMMT.

Also, the chaps want to thank the SMMT for changing the top ten model chart title to Best Models from Best Sellers, which they always grumbled about.

INVESTIGATION INTO HEADLIGHT BRIGHTNESS

The RAC has been calling on the Government to do something about the number of complaints regarding dazzling headlights. The response, following a petition to Parliament, is that the Government will seek to investigate the issue and then be in a better position to propose a reaction if it is required. You can read more about this, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE SOFTWARE IS HARD

Developers in Australia has admitted defeat in trying to create software that would help vehicles avoid kangaroos. They state that the animals are too irrational to be able to do the job. If you wish to read more, click this Ars Technica article link here.

Meanwhile, Bentley, sounding like they are actually trying to be safety first, announce they will not be pursuing Level 3 automation. They will, instead, release a Level 2 ++ system. The chaps get quite cross about this. Click here to read the Carscoops article.

Andrew commented on this issue on LinkedIn, you can read that by clicking this link here.

TIME RUNNING OUT ON EV CHARGER GRANTS

An excellent article from EV Powered by

FOLLOW UP: RENAULT AND VOLVO GROUP PRESENT EV VAN JV

Flexis is the name of the joint-venture between Renault, the Volvo Group and transportation company CMA CGM, that will develop EV vans aimed at urban and last mile deliveries. This will fill the gap in both Renault and Volvo’s offerings to the commercial vehicle industry. For more information, click this Autocar link here.

TOYOTA UPDATES ON CAR THEFTS

Toyota GB has issues a statement regarding thefts of certain models and a fix that will be fitted by dealerships to affected vehicles. To read more on that, click this link here.

Friends of the show Ken Tindell and Ian Tabor found the vulnerability over a year ago. Ken has written a post on LinkedIn that we recommend you read. Particularly the last sentence, which we echo and hope the car industry improves communication with security researchers. Click here to read that piece.

MARCH 2024 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has issued the registration figures for March 2024. They are up on 2023 but still significantly down on 2019. Fleet is propping up what growth there is as Private is down again. On top of that, the BEV registrations grew in number but market share dropped causing SMMT to call, once again, on Government assistance for Private buyers. Click here to read the information from SMMT.

Also, the chaps want to thank the SMMT for changing the top ten model chart title to Best Models from Best Sellers, which they always grumbled about.

INVESTIGATION INTO HEADLIGHT BRIGHTNESS

The RAC has been calling on the Government to do something about the number of complaints regarding dazzling headlights. The response, following a petition to Parliament, is that the Government will seek to investigate the issue and then be in a better position to propose a reaction if it is required. You can read more about this, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE SOFTWARE IS HARD

Developers in Australia has admitted defeat in trying to create software that would help vehicles avoid kangaroos. They state that the animals are too irrational to be able to do the job. If you wish to read more, click this Ars Technica article link here.

Meanwhile, Bentley, sounding like they are actually trying to be safety first, announce they will not be pursuing Level 3 automation. They will, instead, release a Level 2 ++ system. The chaps get quite cross about this. Click here to read the Carscoops article.

Andrew commented on this issue on LinkedIn, you can read that by clicking this link here.

TIME RUNNING OUT ON EV CHARGER GRANTS

An excellent article from EV Powered by Matt Allen breaks down all of the available grants for those looking to add EV chargers to their house, street, business or school. Included are links to the various Government pages to find out more and apply. Has to be noted that the funding ends in April 2025 so we need to move quickly to take advantage. Click this link to read more.

RIMAC ENERGY ARE CREATING MORE JOBS IN UK

Rimac Energy, who are part of the Rimac Technology group, have expanded their UK operations and will be adding 70 more jobs to their Oxfordshire site. They focus on static batteries that provide energy storage. This is a great way to reduce the pull on the grid and reduce the pressure on the entire system. If you wish to read more, click this link to an EV Powered article.

OSPREY CHARGING HITS NEW RECORD

The EV charging company Osprey Charging has announced they have installed their 1000th rapid charger. This is great news and hopefully the speed at which they have been working continues. Click this EV Powered article link here, to read more.

ARONLINE FINDS NEW HOME

AROnline, the home of information on the British motor industry including historical, has found a new home with the Great British Car Journey museum. They will be handling the backend and administration side of things, allowing founder and editor Keith Adams, to focus on the content. To ream more on this story, click this link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Renault Captur

Renault have revamped the Captur, giving it the new corporate face as well as tweak the rear. The company claims this will be more driver focused and nicer to drive. There will be a mix of hybrid and petrol powertrains. Prices start at £22,000 for the ICE version and £29,000 for the hybrid variant. Click this Autocar link to read more.

Vauxhall Mokka Electric Griffin

Vauxhall have removed £7,000 of cost to the entry price of the Mokka range with the special edition Griffin. However, like with the Corsa, they have not skimped on the specifications. Only the battery appears to be a bit compromised, with an estimated range of 205 miles. If you wish to learn more, click this Top Gear link here.

Last Smart Four-Two Made

The last Smart Fourtwo has come off the production line at the Hambach factory, with Geely taking over all Smart vehicle builds. The company is looking for a partner to help develop the next generation platform for the Fourtwo. To learn more about this, click the link here to an electrive article.

What Tesla needed to do if it really wanted to make the Model 2

Chris Miller, on Twitter, has a thread outlining the challenges for Tesla with the plans for the Model 2 and why they ended up coming to naught. Fascinating read, do click here to run through it yourself.

LUNCHTIME READ: MOTORING ART - ERICH STRENGER

Erich Strenger produced some truly fascinating posters for Porsche motorsport events between the 50s and 80s, which you can see and read about by clicking this link here thanks to Classic & Sports Car.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST AND WORST ECLIPSES

The chaps really struggled to find a List of the Week for the show and the best they could do was something related to the solar eclipse, the best and worst Mitsubishi Eclipses. Click here to run through the options that Jalopnik provide. If you spot any good lists, do send them Alan and Andrew’s way!

AND FINALLY: THE MUPPETS MOST WANTED

Yes the tiny car in Muppets Most Wanted actually worked. The Autopian explains its history, how they squeezed two adults and a huge bird puppet in it and more. Click here to see the insanity and silliness for yourself.