Harley-Davidson has halted production of its first electric motorbike after finding a glitch in its charging system. The company began shipping the £28,995 105-horsepower LiveWire bikes to dealers in the US last month. It says existing bikes are safe but must be charged at dealerships, which will take an hour, rather than using the lower-voltage… Continue reading Harley-Davidson puts the brakes on electric bike
Author: BBC News
GM strike: ‘We’ve got to fight for what’s right’
Workers with picket signs mark every entrance to the General Motors plant in Flint, Michigan. With them is all the paraphernalia of a long stay – tables piled with snacks and water bottles, wood and steel bins to make fires during the night, and dozens of signs bearing the slogan “UAW on strike”. It’s the… Continue reading GM strike: ‘We’ve got to fight for what’s right’
Renault ousts chief executive in ‘coup’
French car manufacturer Renault has dismissed its chief executive, Thierry Bolloré, with immediate effect. The current finance director, Clotilde Delbos, has been appointed to run the business on an interim basis. Renault’s move comes close on the heels of the decision by its industrial partner Nissan to appoint a new chief executive earlier this week.… Continue reading Renault ousts chief executive in ‘coup’
Dyson scraps plans for electric car
Dyson, the technology company best known for its vacuum cleaners, has scrapped a project to build electric cars. The firm, headed by British inventor Sir James Dyson, said its engineers had developed a “fantastic electric car” but that it would not hit the roads because it was not “commercially viable”. In an email sent to… Continue reading Dyson scraps plans for electric car
No-deal Brexit ‘to jeopardise’ Nissan Europe arm
Japanese carmaker Nissan has warned that a no-deal Brexit would make its European business model unsustainable. The firm’s chairman, Gianluca de Ficchy, said if a 10% export tariff was introduced after the UK left the EU it would put its operations in “jeopardy”. This would be case if the UK moved to World Trade Organization… Continue reading No-deal Brexit ‘to jeopardise’ Nissan Europe arm
‘Paltry’ UK car sales deepen industry gloom
Hopes of a big rise in UK car sales in September have been dashed, spreading more gloom about the sector’s health. Sales in what is the industry’s second most important month rose 1.3% from a year earlier, well below the double-digit growth hoped for. In the first nine months of the year, car sales fell… Continue reading ‘Paltry’ UK car sales deepen industry gloom
Volkswagen: Germany’s first mass lawsuit begins
Germany’s first mass lawsuit begins as 450,000 owners of diesel Volkswagen cars take on the company. They argue they are owed compensation for being sold cars based on misleading emissions data. The scandal has already cost VW €30bn (£26.6bn). It has faced class action claims in the US and Australia, but this is the first… Continue reading Volkswagen: Germany’s first mass lawsuit begins
Ineos set to choose Bridgend to build new 4×4
Ineos Automotive has chosen Bridgend for the production of its new 4×4 vehicle, according to industry reports. Ford will close its plant in the town in 2020 with the loss of 1,700 jobs, but it is understood 500 new jobs could be created through Ineos. The firm has been looking at Bridgend and an unknown… Continue reading Ineos set to choose Bridgend to build new 4×4
‘Price of UK-made cars may rise’ in no-deal Brexit
BMW’s finance chief Nicolas Peter has warned that the price of cars made in the UK could rise if the country leaves the European Union without a deal on 31 October.. Mr Peter said that if WTO tariffs are imposed from 1 November then it is highly likely that the price of cars made in… Continue reading ‘Price of UK-made cars may rise’ in no-deal Brexit
Mini plant could cut shifts in event of no-deal
Media playback is unsupported on your device Workers at the Mini plant in Oxford could see their shifts cut in the event of a no-deal Brexit, BMW’s finance chief has told the BBC. Nicolas Peter said production was likely to fall at the Cowley factory, affecting jobs. But he said BMW, which also makes Minis… Continue reading Mini plant could cut shifts in event of no-deal