Captain Delusional - 1 November 2022

Motoring Podcast - News Show

FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT IN RISK OF RECEIVERSHIP

Things are moving quickly at Britishvolt. A week or so ago we were talking about them seeking funding, as of Monday’s news, they could well have been in receivership by the time you listen to this episode. They had sought to draw some of their funding from the Government early but have been rebuffed as they decide not to risk more public money. However, it appears they do have some short and medium term funding secured, but we don’t know from where. To get an idea of what has gone spactacularly wrong, click this Twitter thread link from Peter Campbell. To learn how they have found some funding click this BBC News article link.

EU BANS NEW ICE CARS FROM 2035

The 27 countries of the EU have agreed to ban all new internal combustion engined cars, powered by fossil fuels, from 2035. There is also an increase in the reduction of CO2 emissions from 2030, up to 55% reduction on 2021 engines, where previously it was 37.5%. There are some exemptions though, for smaller production numbers. Those registering between 1,000 and 10,000 will be exempt until the end of 2035, whilst those registering less than 1,000 cars do not need to comply. Autocar has more information, which you can get to via their link here.

FORD AND MERCEDES THE LATEST TO LEAVE RUSSIA

Both Ford and Mercedes have sold their Russian facilities to in-country partners as there is no end in sight to the current geo-political instability, thanks to the invasion of Ukraine. Ford have paid a “nominal” fee and have a nice year buy-back clause agreed. We know very little of the details of Mercedes’s deal. Click here to access the Reuters article about the Ford story. For more on the Mercedes news, click this Reuters link.

FORD AND VW PULLING THE PLUG ON ARGO AI

Argo AI is an autonomous vehicle technology company founded in 2017. Ford and Volkswagen were their major investors but are now pulling their funding meaning that the company is closing. Argo AI were the only AV company who produced a safety case for their work, unlike all others in the industry. However, statements by Ford CEO has made it clear this would never succeed as board members still have no real understanding of what is and is not autonomous and automated tech. You can find out more by clicking this TechCrunch article link.

GEORGE HOLTZ QUITTING COMMA AI

George Holtz, who rose to fame claiming he could write autonomous vehicle software until the US Government told him to stop experimenting on public roads, is leaving his company Comma AI. Recently he pivoted the business to target driver assistance technology and started to call those still attempting to create AVs as con artists. He stated that he is not the right person to now lead the company as it needs to be led, to ensure it is successful. More can be learnt about this, by clicking this The Verge link here.

TESLA FACING CRIMINAL PROBE OVER SELF-DRIVING CLAIMS

The US Government is considering criminal charges for Tesla due to their marketing information that may lead customers to believe they have bought a self driving car. There are apparent contradictions on their website that could cause confusion. Click this Reuters link to learn more.

JLR STAYS IN TESLA CO2 EMISSION CREDIT POOL

To avoid eye watering fines from the EU, Jaguar Land Rover is remaining in the CO2 credit pool that is run by Tesla. To find out more about this, click the Autocar article link here.

LEVC CUTS JOBS TO SAVE COSTS

London Electric Vehicle Company, who make the new London hybrid taxis, is shedding 120 jobs in order to save costs as the reduction in sales hits. This is partially due to being based on Volvo technology and that they are also struggling to get parts to build their own vehicles. On top of this, the ongoing effects of lockdowns, which affects taxis as well as for Chinese suppliers, has impacted their customers and the company. Click here to read more in the Autocar article.

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OLD CAR NEWS

Ford ends Fiesta production

The rumours started just before last week’s show, that Ford were going to end the production of the Fiesta and these have been borne out. The Galaxy and S-Max will also not be made anymore. Andrew and Alan go into the possible why’s and wherefores over this move, which is unsurprising when you look at how manufacturers have prioritised SUVs, generally. Profits, platform restrictions and small market all play a part. But we do consider the dangers of going all in on SUVs, especially as the anti-SUV narrative is growing. To read more, click the Autocar article link here.

Volvo “pauses” S60 sales

Volvo has announced that it is pausing the sale of their mid sized saloon, the S60. A significant fall in sales has prompted the move. There is no clear indication that this may resume though. As with the LECV story, Volvo has struggled to get the parts it needs to build the cars it wants to satisfy customer demand. As with the Fiesta, we wonder if the success of their SUVs, particularly the XC-40, has impacted on the saloon’s sales. You can learn more by clicking this Autocar link.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE TORSUS PRAETORIAN VS MOUNT ETNA

Ridiculous vehicle, check. Inhospitable environment to travel over, check. Lunatic that will attempt it, check. Tom Ford takes the extreme environment bus, the Torsus Praetorian, to Mount Etna to see how it copes. Click the Top Gear link here to find out exactly what this special vehicle is like and revel in Dean Smith’s amazing photography.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 TIMES FORD HAD FUN WITH THE FIESTA

In a rare attempt at linking to stories earlier in the show, we link you to the Hagerty list about 10 fun Fiestas. Have a click here to see the list and then tell the chaps if you agree with their, as it turns out, choice.

AND FINALLY: HOW TO MAKE YOUR EV GO WITHOUT PLUGGING IT IN

Jalopnik brings us this week’s nuts And Finally, where the YouTube Warped Perception finds out how far you can run a Tesla Model S, without plugging it in, if you fit a one-cylinder engine to charge the battery. There are a couple of drawbacks with the whole thing which you can find out about by clicking the article link here.