Affordable Electric Car? Kia Soul EV ‘Special Edition’ Review. For – cute, high quality, terrific drive, impressive performance. Against – too expensive, inadequate motorway range. Highway cruising range – 133.2 miles *** £37,295 The Kia Soul EV is a fantastic little SUV, with Germanic interior and exterior quality, every known gizmo, and a huge battery […]
Toyota Might Be A Lone Victim Of Latest Brexit Talks Hurdle. “Nissan has lots of Renault options, but Toyota is the big issue. Quite a lot of content, mainly for its hybrids from Japan, do not have enough local content from the EU or the U.K. What will they do? Britain’s auto industry has become […]
Will Tighter European CO2 Rules Herald A New Electric Era, Or Bankruptcy? “Manufacturers will soon start dismissals because R&D will end. Banning ICE is denying the simplest, cheapest way to improve sustainability. It’s stupid, they want to ban hybrids too” The European Union (EU) is expected to tighten the already harsh 2030 limit on carbon […]
China’s Electric Car Assault On Europe Is Sputtering, But May Revive. “It will be hard for the Chinese. They won’t be much cheaper and I’m not sure they would have a unique selling point. After all the cost of the batteries is most important” If European carmakers are worried sick the long-expected onslaught from Chinese […]
Daimler Plan Impresses Investors But A Stumble Would Revive Takeover Talk. “3 options. A German-German, German-French-Japanese, or German-Swedish-Chinese” Investors seem happy after Mercedes parent Daimler announced new goals which included slashing costs, cementing profit targets, moving upmarket and building up its electric car portfolio to try and keep up with Tesla and Volkswagen. Any sign […]
Car, SUV Sales Growth Stalls In Europe, But Electric Sector Relieves The Pain. “the overall picture remains one of a heavy full year contraction” Western European sales of cars and SUVs stagnated in September, damaging hopes that the recovery from the coronavirus might represent a healthy looking “V” shape, but strong sales of electrified vehicles […]
EU, British Auto Makers Say Free Trade Deal Failure Will Cost $130 billion. “ONS data shows WTO might not be a disaster for U.K. Auto” The European Union (EU) and Britain must urgently seal a free-trade trade deal because failure would cost Europe’s automotive industry about €110 billion ($130 billion) in lost trade over five […]
Ferrari’s Portofino Has More Power, 8-speed Gearbox, Costs 4% More. “Ferrari has struggled from coronavirus, but not as badly as mainstream auto makers” Ferrari unveiled its new Portofino M, a convertible sports car which boasts a 612-hp turbo-charged 3.9 liter V8 motor, and an 8-speed gearbox. The previous Portofino made do with 592 hp and […]
Car Makers Need “Connectivity” Upgrade, Or Concede Big Profits. “Automakers must quickly capture their share, which will give them access to data they can monetize to reduce costs, optimize R&D, products and services, and limit emissions” New car buyers will be familiar with the wonders of modern “connectivity”. That’s the mesmerizingly impressive set of high-tech […]
Slide Of New Auto Sales Slows With Full Year Forecasts Looking Less Dire. “the serious risk of further outbreaks, and associated lockdowns is as present as ever,” New car and SUV sales in the European Union (EU) fell 18.9% in August compared with the same month last year, bringing the fall for the first 8 […]
