Automotive Industry News – 14th January 2021

Performance Communications | January 14, 2022

This briefing document provides a fortnightly overview of the main automotive industry stories making the news and key product announcements. It also includes some of the interesting stories and campaigns that have made the news from outside the automotive sector over the past two weeks.

Automotive News

Key industry stories from the last two weeks:

EV, Environment & Autonomous

Industry

Driving

Motorsport

Product Launches / Unveils

Key industry product launches or unveils:

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Non-automotive winners:

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Non-automotive losers:

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Research and insights:

New poll shows high satisfaction among EV drivers

A new poll has revealed that the vast majority of drivers who bought an electric car would never go back to owning a petrol or diesel model. The research from Zap-Map showed 91% of owners are ‘extremely happy’ with their zero-emission vehicles with just 1% hoping to return to fossil fuels.

Improved range and better-charging infrastructure have made a big difference in consumer customers when it comes to choosing an EV over a traditionally fuelled car.

The research, one of the largest surveys of electric car owners so far, showed that once drivers take the leap to EVs they don’t wish to turn back.

More than 48% said that their current vehicle was their first EV
28% of those made the purchase in 2020

The poll asked 3,306 EV drivers how they would rate ownership of a Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) or Petrol Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) out of a maximum 100.

The average of the two categories was 91
Petrol and diesel owners scored 74

The research also highlighted increased confidence in long journeys; most respondents (53%) said they have driven more than 200 miles in their EV in a single trip.

And almost a quarter of respondents (24%) said they had driven more than 300 miles in one trip.

UK drivers rage against ban on private car ownership in cities ‘First step to communism!’

Transport Minister Trudy Harrison has called for a move away from private car ownership and towards increased use of shared transport. But a new poll has revealed a huge resistance to her transport plans.

In a poll of 3,276 people, a staggering 91% said private car ownership should not be banned in cities.

Ms Harrison, MP for Copeland, said the country needs to abandon “20th century thinking centred around private vehicle ownership” and said it was “staggering” that nearly two-thirds of car trips are taken by lone drivers. She stressed the importance for British roads to introduce “greater flexibility, with personal choice and low carbon shared transport” such as bike-share schemes, car clubs, e-scooters, and digital demand responsive transport services like Uber.

Richard Dilks, chief executive of shared transport campaigners CoMoUK, welcomed Harrison’s comments, which he said demonstrates that shared transport is on the Government’s agenda.

In October, London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone tax was extended from a 21 square km area of central London to cover London outskirts, affecting a 225 square km zone. The move aims to encourage city dwellers away from private car ownership and towards using public transport to decrease toxic air pollution.

Since the introduction of ULEZ in 2019, there are now 44,100 fewer polluting cars driving in the zone every day, and toxic NO2 concentrations have been reduced by 44%.

Do e-axles hold the key to the EV transition? Why EV powertrains are going all-in-one

While battery technology typically takes the role of frontman in the rock band that is the EV transition, Matthew Kirtley looks at another member of the group that could be about to take centre stage… According to a recent report from Automotive IQ, the total value of EV powertrains produced worldwide is projected to more than […]

The law of unintended consequences: The new per-mile EV tax in detail

It has been more than a week since the later-than-usual Autumn Budget, and we think the new proposals could have an unintended consequence that will bring an age-old challenge for the auto industry back in the spotlight. The 2025 Autumn Budget has introduced a new per-mile road tax for battery EVs and plug-in hybrid EVs. […]

5 key takeaways from the IAA Mobility show

We were on the ground at the IAA Mobility show earlier this week, and what a show it was. The European motorshow is back with a bang. Here are my five key take-aways: Rise of the small EV: Favourable market conditions and demand for low-cost EVs, lead to an abundance of great-looking all-electric hatchbacks. VW’s […]

Nuclear’s Role in the EV transition

It’s no secret that mass adoption of BEVs and PHEVs depends on access to reliable charging infrastructure, but an under-appreciated aspect of the EV revolution is how much it depends on affordable electricity. Here, Performance Communications’ own Matthew Kirtley explores how nuclear might be the missing piece of the jigsaw. Rolls-Royce has recently claimed that […]

Mod revival: Is customisation due a comeback?

Car modification: once upon a time, it was a petrolhead’s rite of passage. If you’ve ever fitted aftermarket alloys to a Vauxhall Astra, or swapped the speaker system in a Citroën Saxo, you’ll know what we’re getting at. Today’s modified car scene is far from dead and buried, but we’re a long way from the […]

Cars and Coffee is Keeping UK Car Culture Caffeinated

At one point, in the not-so-distant past, car culture in the UK was crying out for something new. The options for car enthusiasts looking to meet up and share their passion were limited to dodgy late-night supermarket car parks with a live soundtrack of rev limiters and handbrake hooplas, or ultra-posh concours events where you’d […]

The Clock is Ticking For Internal Combustion, But Rolex Shows That Old Tech Can Still Prosper

Cars and watches. Watches and cars. If you’re speaking to a car enthusiast, I’d wager there’s a very good chance they’ll also appreciate the merits of a mechanical watch. Listening to the brilliant Acquired podcast charting the history of Rolex, got me thinking. At various points, the excellent hosts Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal, liken […]

Formula 1 can’t rely on off-track drama to maintain its stellar rise

When Liberty Media bought F1 in 2017, it promised to grow the sport, enhance the racing experience and add new dimensions. So how has it gone? Well, the 24-race calendar last year was a record, as was the 6.5m live attendees at these races. Drive To Survive, the sport’s behind-the-scenes Netflix docuseries, has become a […]