Paul Edwards

MAJOR CAR BRAND PAUSES PRODUCTION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE Government Minsters aren't the best people to advise on technology change Those who specialise in product design have to look at all of the factors involved in product acceptability including usability and acceptability in the market place Despite repeated warnings that the BEV is not a universally acceptable replace for the ICE power train, governments press ahead Vehicle manufacturers and product specialists are being ignored so Europe and the UK dig an ever deeper hole for ourselves. This will cost us dearly There's a say that goes like this: - 'When in a hole, stop digging' #BEV #Cars #Energy #Fuels #environment #ICE #hydrogen #EFuels

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The UK automotive industry is already complaining about the penalties for not selling enough EVs to reluctant consumers, but I wonder whether the forthcoming HGV mandate will risk further damaging the UK Automotive Industry. The forthcoming mandate for Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) to transition to zero-emission technologies presents significant challenges and risks for the UK automotive industry, echoing the issues currently faced by the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). Stellantis has already raised concerns about the impact of the UK's regulatory approach on its EV production plans. Without adequate government support and incentives, Stellantis has warned that it may halt EV production in the UK, which could lead to job losses and reduced consumer choices. This situation is compounded by post-Brexit trade rules, which require a high percentage of EV components to originate from the UK or EU, making UK-based production uncompetitive. The Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate, which requires 70% of Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs) to be zero-emission by 2030, and all new cars and vans to be zero-emission by 2035, is ambitious. Currently, only 6% of new LGVs sold are zero-emission, highlighting the scale of the challenge. The same ambitious targets are set for HGVs, with a ban on new diesel HGVs by 2040. However, as of now, only 5% of new HGVs sold are zero-emission, predominantly battery-electric. The automotive industry, including major players like Ford and Stellantis, supports the government's zero-emission goals but stresses the need for more robust infrastructure and regulatory clarity. The transition for HGVs is particularly complex due to the varied use cases and the lack of a dominant zero-emission technology. The government's recent initiatives, such as the £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund and the development of new charging infrastructure, are steps in the right direction. However, industry leaders argue that without substantial incentives and support, the mandated targets may lead to significant disruptions. A balanced approach that combines regulation with strong incentives is crucial to ensuring the industry's sustainability and growth. The UK government must provide the necessary support to keep the automotive and HGV sectors competitive and thriving in the face of global competition and the shift towards electrification. https://lnkd.in/eNPhwPh7 #AutomotiveIndustry #ZeroEmissionVehicles #HGVs #UKGovernment #Stellantis #EVMandate #SustainableGrowth

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🚗⚡️🔋 The #electricvehicle revolution is accelerating, and the UK is gearing up for a greener future! A seminal report by RECHARGE UK sheds light on the vast #skillsopportunity within the EV sector, outlining practical recommendations for action. 🛠️ What's the current scene? Skilled roles abound as stakeholders from manufacturers to local authorities ramp up their game. The question is, do we have the necessary skills? 🚀 The future looks electric! With an estimated need for thousands of skilled workers in the next few years, it's a race to train the workforce of tomorrow. #EVIndustry growth won't wait, so neither can our efforts to upskill! 🌱 RECHARGE UK's insights call for: ✨ Outreach programmes to ignite Net Zero passion. ✨ Centres of Excellence to battle local skills gaps. ✨ Upskilling avenues to bolster the current workforce. ✨ Reskilling initiatives to aid transition from other sectors. 🙌 Industry and government must join hands to ensure the #EVsector thrives, offering robust training and educational platforms. It's about time we turned the tide towards a #NetZero economy, with a workforce ready to propel us there. 🤝 From policy-makers to educators, all are summoned to a collective push for skills. It's a clarion call for action - let's gear up for an electrifying future! 📢 To the stakeholders already making strides, keep charging ahead! Want to be part of the change? Reach out, engage and help shape the workforce that will drive the #GreenRevolution forward. #EVCharging #GreenJobs #NetZeroFuture

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The accelerating transition to EVs in the UK is driven by the need to reduce fossil fuel consumption and meet emissions targets. Despite concerns like range anxiety and infrastructure limitations, the benefits of EV adoption, including lower emissions and tax incentives, are highlighted. However, challenges remain in expanding the EV charging infrastructure to accommodate further adoption, emphasising the need for collaboration and investment to support a successful transition to a greener transport system. Find out more in this article: https://bit.ly/3xp0skR #FleetPoint #EVs #ElectricVehicles #ZeroEmissions

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This week's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Transport News Brief lead comment, Plans for growth Today, SMMT has published the latest UK commercial vehicle (CV) manufacturing figures for August – showing that year on year, production is down -10.0% with 6,044 units rolling out of UK factories. Context, however, is important. August is a low output month due to the traditional ‘summer shutdown’, meanwhile percentage changes are amplified – and the decline was equivalent to just 673 fewer units. Year to date, volumes are still 8.8% up on 2019’s pre-pandemic output. Exports continued to dominate output with more than half of output (59.3%) produced for overseas markets, with the EU receiving the lion’s share (97.2%). With vehicle production so important to the UK economy, it’s no surprise that the new government is committing to boosting the jewel in the crown of UK manufacturing base, the automotive industry – as outlined in Labour’s plan for the Automotive Sector, with key aspects like building an electric vehicle (EV) workforce and accelerating domestic battery manufacturing. They also recognise that while it’s important to focus on finished vehicle and battery production, there is a wealth of further opportunity for supply of other essential EV components such as powertrains, fuel cells and power electronics. Making sure the nation benefits from the technology the sector provides is also crucial. Last week, the government announced £88 million of funding for 46 projects aimed at boosting development and use of zero emission vehicle tech. Projects include deploying zero emission trucks delivering our post, and cleaner, greener bus journeys. In short, the funding will back projects that will lower emissions across the country, while also supporting skilled jobs. The Faraday Institution also published a report that predicts by 2030, the UK will need battery capacity of around 110 GWh per annum, the equivalent of six gigafactories. Recent gigafactory announcements in the UK by AESC and Tata Group have built excitement about the potential to create a new, dynamic and highly skilled battery industry in the UK. With huge investment needed for the other four gigafactories, we look forward to the government’s mission is to create a strong, stable and pro-business economy, with the UK remaining an attractive destination for investment for the automotive industry. Finally, the Government have also suggested six things to fix the NHS, one being mobile lung cancer screening trucks for testing people at supermarkets, sports centres and football grounds. Last year I visited the facility that builds these screening trailers in Leicestershire and saw firsthand the workmanship that goes into building these by hand from the skilled workforce. The UK can be proud of our commercial vehicle manufacturing from small electric vehicles, large trucks and medical trailers – and with a clear strategy, it will continue to thrive.

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Automotive sector can be driver behind turbocharged UK industrial and economic growth, says SMMT chief The Chief Executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) has said the automotive sector can be the driver behind turbocharged UK industrial and economic growth. In his latest CEO update on Friday, Mike Hawes said: This week’s long-awaited announcement of an industrial strategy, with government’s Invest 2035 green paper, presents a fresh opportunity to turbocharge UK industrial and economic growth. Automotive can be the driver of this and, as SMMT set out in our Vision 2035 report, with the right conditions has the potential to deliver an economic boost worth more than £50bn during the next decade. https://lnkd.in/ecE__aPF

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It's time for delivery 🚚📨⚡ Following on from last weeks post to continue to explain the EV ecosystem, this week it's about getting the power to the vehicle. So now we've generated the power, how do we get it to the vehicles? 🤔 Putting aside the obvious answer of via a charge point, there are different ways to distribute the power, via your home, a public charger, from a battery storage facility, a micro grid and so on. 🔋🏠🔌 But also the vehicle can contribute back too if necessary, via bi-directional charging, this is referred to as V2G (Vehicle to Grid). Here's an image below that explains it a bit better 👇 #eMobility #electricvehiclecharging #power #v2g #g2v

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September saw plugin EVs take 29.4% share of the #UK auto market, up from 23.4% year on year. Both BEVs and PHEVs grew volume YoY, by 24% and 32% respectively. Overall auto volume was 275,239 units, up 1% YoY, but still far below pre-2020 seasonal norms (350,000+). #Tesla was the leading BEV brand in September. September’s sales tally saw combined plugin EVs take 29.4% share of the UK auto market, with full electrics (BEVs) taking 20.5%, and plugin hybrids (PHEVs) taking 8.9%. These compare with YoY shares of 23.4% combined, 16.6% #BEV and 6.8% #PHEV. Against broader auto volumes which were barely flat YoY, both BEVs and PHEVs grew volume at a healthy clip. BEVs grew 24.4% to a new record high of 56,387 units, whilst PHEVs grew 32.1% to 24,468 units. Meanwhile, HEVs were essentially flat YoY, diesels saw a 7% volume decline, and petrol-only vehicles lost substantial volume of 9.3%, dropping share from 55.7% to 50.1% YoY. Best Selling BEV Brands Tesla was yet again the best selling BEV brand in September, with the Model Y leading with 5,799 units, enough to put it in joint 4th place in the overall auto market. Year to date, the Model Y is the 9th best selling automobile overall (and by far the best selling BEV), with 23,485 units registered. #Volkswagen took a surprise 2nd place in the September BEV rankings, a much stronger performance than typical (the brand is only in the 6th spot year to date). #BMW, conversely, slipped back to the 12th spot, despite being 2nd in the year-to-date rankings. In both cases, these volume swings are likely more to do with irregular shipments of right–hand-drive units arriving in the UK than fundamental changes in demand. #Mercedes took the third spot in September, unchanged from its position in August. We don’t have enough resolution in UK BEV model sales data to definitively identify every newly launching model, but can identify a few. The most significant debuts in volume terms are the new #Polestar 3 and Polestar 4, which registered 93 units and 744 units in September, respectively. Polestar looks like it may have a big hit on its hands with the 4. These are remarkable launch volumes for a vehicle which starts from £59,995. Let’s see what the sustainable volume is going forwards. The new #Porsche Macan sold its first ~113 units into the UK in September, and will surely grow from here, with the UK market having outsized weighting for the Porsche brand (the Taycan sold 288 UK units in September). The #MG Cyberster Roadster made its first UK customer deliveries in September, with a healthy 70 units registered — very strong for a vehicle like this, in not-the-most-practical segment. The new MG is the only open-top BEV two-seat sports car on the market. 

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This week's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Transport News Brief lead comment, UK commercial vehicle manufacturing in September bounceback Today, SMMT has published the UK’s latest commercial vehicle manufacturing figures with 14,643 units leaving production lines in September – year on year growth of more than a quarter (25.9%), driven by exports as more than six in 10 (63.3%) British-built CVs headed abroad. It’s great news which comes with fresh trade data analysis from SMMT, showing the automotive sector remains the UK’s largest exporter of manufactured products in the first half of 2024, thanks to high demand for British-built vehicles. Indeed, so far this year we have seen the biggest volume of CV production since 2008, driven by overseas demand. Also within the last seven days, government announced its latest green paper, Invest 2035: UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, aiming to deliver certainty and stability for business investment in high growth sectors, such as advanced manufacturing, where the commercial vehicle sector has a huge role to play. There continues to be big global investment in new CV models with electric and hydrogen vans, pickups, taxis, buses and trucks, and even more of these can be made in the UK, but we must ensure we grow UK competitiveness, to ensure we attract the investment on offer. I was also very pleased that bus manufacturing has been a recent focus for government, with the announcement of the new UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. In addition to the UK’s eight minibus, bus and coach manufacturers, we have many businesses in the wider supply chain which provides thousands of jobs. A holistic plan can bring the growth to the bus sector which government wants, and which has long been needed. The UK already has the strength of being the biggest market in Europe for new zero emission bus registrations, which is crucial because vehicle manufacturers often prefer to locate near to their largest markets. We can’t rely on that alone though, so we need to increase manufacturing competitiveness here by supplying more affordable energy for our factories, by upskilling our country to become a futureproofed workforce, and by having strong trade relationships, such as with the EU where so many of our commercial vehicles are exported. Finally, SMMT has partnered with Autocar to launch a new event, Drivers of Change, which will celebrate the automotive sector as a place that welcomes everybody. People from across the industry can enter nine categories – including PR, marketing, manufacturing, operations, purchasing, retail, sales, and vehicle development – and the deadline for entries has been extended to Friday 1 November. So, get writing your submission now to be one of the winners announced at the awards celebration, being held at SMMT on 6 February next year. More info here: https://lnkd.in/erXmzPg4

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With electrification plans in full flow, what a wonderful milestone this is to stop and reflect. JLR have now trained more than 20,000 colleagues and partners in electrification and digital skills as part of its Future Skills Programme! This is around: ☑ 2,400 manufacturing employees in EV skills across UK production facilities. ☑ 95% of JLR’s retail partner technicians. ☑ 3,000 engineers trained in electrification.  ☑ 2,500 in data and digital. ☑ 4,200 JLR and retail partner apprentices and Early Careers employees currently in training. This is SO important to ensure teams across our entire ecosystem are ready. It goes hand in hand with the work we’re doing to transform our facilities for EV production - training is currently underway for 11,000 JLR manufacturing colleagues to build BEVs. As part of the programme, another 15,000 colleagues across manufacturing, engineering and workshops will be trained. Our people are vital to our shared success and programmes like these help to support and empower them with new skills needed for an electric industry 👏 #OneTeam #Electrification #FutureSkills #Talent #Transformation #Culture #IndustrialOperations #Manufacturing

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🚗 Automotive suppliers view net zero as short-term threat for long-term gain, survey finds More than two thirds of UK automotive component makers (68%) see the transition to net zero as a short-term threat, but almost all (93%) recognise that meeting the challenge of decarbonisation will be vital for their long-term business prospects. The findings come from a BDO poll of C-suite executives at 100 UK automotive component manufacturing companies with turnovers of more than £10m. Faced with the dual challenge of supporting the global transition to low-carbon modes of transport while also having to meet their own net zero targets, component manufacturers do appear to be taking their responsibilities seriously. https://lnkd.in/enTmCcRC

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WHAT THE DEALER DIDN'T TELL YOU ABOUT YOUR NEW ELECTRIC CAR - AN ANALYSIS BY NEIL WINTON An observation. More details in the forthcoming main report but market feedback broadly supports this report If you can accommodate the real world range within you usage profile you will probably be OK. But don't forget the fall away in battery capacity with time If you sell your car after 2 to 3 years not a problem but if you are buying second hand you will need to take this into account #BEV #TRANSPORTATION #EVs #Environment

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Automotive Council zero-emission vehicle roadmaps revealed The industry trends and innovations required to deliver plans for zero-emissions vehicles have been revealed at the launch of the Automotive Council UK roadmaps 2024. Produced by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) on behalf of the Automotive Council UK, the roadmaps draw on the expertise of 230 organisations from vehicle manufacturers and technology suppliers to consultants, academics, and government. APC pinpointed four cross-cutting themes or macro-level drivers that influence all aspects of its technology roadmaps. It said the themes interact with each other and with the technology roadmaps, and includes policy and regulation – examining the influence of legislative frameworks on technological progress; energy and infrastructure – assessing the role of energy availability and infrastructural support for innovation; manufacturing – understanding capabilities and constraints on technology development; and digitialisation. Read the full story on the Transport + Energy website: https://lnkd.in/d6FCNyjN Advanced Propulsion Centre UK , Automotive Council UK , Hadi Moztarzadeh , Julian Hetherington #transport #energy #electricvehicles

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Brilliant British design and automotive innovation or simply bonkers? A load of weird materials and form over function? Destined to be the final nail in the Jaguar coffin or another example of Jaguar brilliance, saving it from obscurity once again? We'll only know once they start trying to sell it but ngl, it's starting to grow on me.... #branding #advertising #creativity #marketing #design https://lnkd.in/gntFFhNi

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This week's Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Transport News Brief lead comment, Data shows robust UK commercial vehicle output at half year point New data on commercial vehicle production in the first six months of 2024 show some normalisation following UK manufacturers’ rapid post-pandemic recovery last year, with more than 11,500 vans, trucks, taxis, buses and coaches leaving Britain’s factories since January. With volumes just -2.9% below a really strong performance during the same period in 2023, the sector is in good health. Indeed, 2024 to date is a third above the sector’s pre-pandemic five-year output average. This positive position has been forged thanks to long-term OEM investment in and global demand for the high quality products being made here. More than two thirds of all UK-built products have been exported so far this year and, given plants are set to ramp up zero emission vehicle output in 2025 amid rising demand in our major markets, our industry is futureproofing for greener growth. The latest independent industry outlook brings cause for us to be optimistic, with light CV production expected to grow to 110,000 units this year and then above 130,000 in 2030 given the right economic and trading conditions. Positively, just as manufacturers are investing in decarbonisation, new political leaders are providing bus operators in particular with encouragement to place orders. Hot on the heels of the UK’s proposed Better Buses Bill, Scottish First Minister John Swinney announced government backing for an innovative bus and coach consortium, along with nationwide charging network – not just for buses and coaches but heavy goods vehicles too. The investment comes under the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund but underlines the potential for shared infrastructure solutions involving all heavy vehicles, given their power and size requirements are not too dissimilar. As SMMT’s two recent papers on bus and truck decarbonisation show, growing green uptake requires joined-up, long-term plans for a national electric charging and hydrogen fuelling network, supporting all heavy vehicles at en-route locations, depots and shared hubs. When political support is suitably ambitious, the commercial vehicle industry is ready to deliver. Bus decarbonisation paper: https://lnkd.in/g9-Ydcbx HGV Decarbonisation paper: https://lnkd.in/eYQbKwyX

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🚗🔌 What’s Going On with London's Congestion Charge? 🔋❗ I was surprised but I wasn't at the same time to hear the recent announcement that London will extend the £15-a-day congestion charge (£15 a Day!!! Come on) to all zero-emission vehicles, including electric vehicles (EVs), starting from Christmas Day 2025. This decision has brought a lot criticism and got me thinking – are we taking away all incentives for people to go electric while simultaneously pushing for an EV transition? (I mean yes there are loads of reason to go EV but for some people they need a little extra push). For years, the shift towards EVs has been encouraged as a key strategy to combat air pollution and reduce carbon emissions. Incentives, such as exemptions from congestion charges, have played a significant role in making this transition attractive for many Londoners. However, this new policy seems to contradict the goal of promoting greener transportation. Am I missing something here? (Happy to be wrong but its getting silly) Is there a deeper strategy behind this move that justifies the removal of these incentives? Or is this a step backward in our efforts to encourage sustainable travel? I'm genuinely interested in hearing different perspectives on this. Let's discuss! Are we heading in the right direction with this new policy? 🤔💬 #EVs #SustainableTransport #LondonCongestionCharge #CleanAir #EnvironmentalPolicy #ElectricVehicles #SadiqKhan

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Lots of diverse topics covered this week, as its a quiet one on the news front. Main takeaway for me, is the unintended consequences I can see from the new autonomous vehicle legislation in the UK. As companies will be held 100% responsible for any incidents whilst in autonomous mode, they won't deploy their tech - this is a good thing. Unfortunately it will cause an explosion in Level 2+ or Level 2++ named systems, which means us drivers will be held responsible for the poorly made system and its failures (some are in the actual concept of system, let alone the actual competence of it). Some are already abdicating responsibility by deploying such technology on our roads and the naming is pure marketing as there is no such thing as Level 2+ or ++.

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