Volkswagen’s Ambitious Electric Plans Invite Big Questions. “Until charging is nearly as easy, fast and readily ...
Keeping the Wheels on the Road. Bite-Sized Books. The UK car industry is in crisis. There can be no doubt about that. But the exact causes are a matter of intense debate. Is it a perfect storm of diesel phobia, electric adulation, urban congestion and millennial minimalism that has led to a sudden downturn in […]
Volkswagen’s Ambitious Electric Plans Invite Big Questions. “Until charging is nearly as easy, fast and readily available as filling up a petrol tank, mass-market penetration will be limited” In five or maybe 10 years, Volkswagen’s electric car plans could be hailed as brave, farsighted and innovative, maybe premature and self-destructive, or perhaps somewhere in between. […]
Poor Financials Underline Industry’s Vulnerability To Predators. “In the next 10 years, there will be further consolidation in the industry” The automotive industry is braced for a round of poor financial results that will spook shareholders and probably spur the long-postponed shakeout, where no-hopers finally succumb to reality under pressure from digital world interlopers. And […]
JLR Ratings Cut Again, But Profit Turnaround Expected. “We expect the EBIT margin to increase to 4% in financial 2022 as the effect of higher margin model launches is felt,” Financially troubled maker of luxury SUVs and sports cars Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has been boosted recently by its decision to accelerate electric car production, […]
Ford/VW Deal Wins Plaudits, But Be Wary Of Culture Clash. “Even more important is “cultural understanding”. The question remains how well Wolfsburg gets along with Dearborn. Challenges lie in the design of cooperation” Ford and Volkswagen’s ambitious plans to expand their alliance by jointly developing autonomous and electric vehicles were lauded by investors and academics, […]
BMW, Daimler Face Rocky Financial Reports, But Not VW. “An industry-wide shift towards electric vehicles threatens BMW’s (profitability) lead” Investors in big German carmakers are bracing themselves for financial results in the next weeks that will underline gloomy long-term profit prospects, except for Volkswagen that is. Mercedes Benz parent Daimler and BMW are both facing […]
Daimler Shares Dive After Another Profit Warning. “Unfortunately, Daimler has to write off 2019, a year that should have been an opportunity to generate cash and prepare for the severe challenges of EU CO2 compliance in 2020/21” Mercedes Benz parent Daimler’s shares plunged Friday after the luxury car, truck, van and bus manufacturer said it […]
Volkswagen e-Golf review. For – terrific performance, high quality, drive smug. Against – too expensive, inadequate range, no signs of virtue. Rating – not given (unfair on VW as soon to be replaced) Price £33,840 Competition – Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, Renault Zoe, Kia Soul, Kia e-Nero, Hyundai Kona electric, Jaguar I-Pace, Audi e-Tron, Tesla […]
Electric Car Charging Hassle Will Spur Buyer Resistance. “I asked him how many miles he had in the tank – 20 miles – and how far he needed to travel – 80 miles” Battery cars face many barriers to success, but the charging system is the biggest hurdle and this threatens to derail the whole […]
Will Flawed, Expensive, Batteries Beat Flexible Hybrids? “Mass hybrid adoption, rather than low volume full BEVs is the most effective solution to cutting CO2 now and also meeting 2030 targets” The European Union is trying to force its citizens into electric cars by demanding ever more unrealistic fuel economy from gasoline and diesel fuelled ones, […]
German Competition Will Rebound In Tesla’s Favor. “Consumers will ultimately discover Tesla’s technological and price – better value for money – leadership, as the advantage of Tesla over competitors is too significant to be ignored” Tesla investors are reeling as the share price dives, basic questions are being asked about the company’s long-term survival, and […]
JLR Ratings Cut By Moody’s, Citing China, Electrification. “Risks regarding a potential “no-deal Brexit” or U.S. tariffs also remain” Moody’s Investors Service downgraded some debt ratings of troubled maker of luxury SUVs and sports cars Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) because of its continuing troubles in China and worries about the huge amount of capital required […]
Another profit warning hits Daimler share price. “These warnings are terrible for auto valuations. They come at a time when the industry is facing its largest emission challenge in history” Daimler’s share price dived nearly 3% after the Mercedes Benz parent company cut its profit forecast to take account of its diesel transgressions. Daimler said […]
Computer Driven Cars Are Coming But Pace Slows To A Dawdle. “Significant challenges remain that may be overlooked by industry players so focused on developing the technology that they forget to ask whether anyone will use it” Like a mirage in the desert raises false hopes of imminent nirvana, claims that computer driven cars for […]
