Uber fares rise to fund electric cars

Uber fares in London have gone up to help drivers buy electric cars, the company said. A clean air fee of 15p per mile will be added to every trip taken in the capital from Wednesday. The ride-hailing firm expects the scheme to raise more than £200m in the coming years, which will be used… Continue reading Uber fares rise to fund electric cars

Toyota urges support for PM’s Brexit deal

Toyota’s Europe boss has reiterated his support for the Prime Minister’s Brexit deal ahead of Tuesday’s key Commons vote. Dr Johan van Zyl said the deal was vital to protecting the UK car industry and would stop a damaging no deal exit. His intervention comes days after Jaguar Land Rover and Ford announced thousands of… Continue reading Toyota urges support for PM’s Brexit deal

Alexa and Google Assistant carve up CES

At CES, there’s no shortage of gadgets to talk to. Smart TVs, cars, pianos – and even a toilet – these are just some examples of devices that come with voice-activated helpers. No matter who makes the hardware, the virtual aide linked to or packaged inside is likely to be one of two: either Amazon’s… Continue reading Alexa and Google Assistant carve up CES

Ford to cut thousands of jobs in shake-up

Carmaker Ford has announced plans for a major shake-up of its operations in the UK and mainland Europe. It is expected to lead to thousands of job losses across Europe, including the UK, although cuts at its UK factories are not thought to be imminent. But Ford Europe boss Steven Armstrong said should the UK… Continue reading Ford to cut thousands of jobs in shake-up

Are the days of the private car really over?

A couple of months ago I wrote a wildly optimistic piece about how we’ve all probably bought our last cars. It drew on analysis that suggests that the convergence of electric cars and Uber-style ride hailing networks, together with autonomous driving technology, could completely reshape the car market. These new “robo-taxis” would be so cheap… Continue reading Are the days of the private car really over?

China car sales see first drop for 20 years

Car sales in China, the world’s biggest vehicle market, have seen their first annual fall in twenty years. Sales fell 6% to 22.7 million units in 2018, according to the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). The deceleration comes amid a slowdown in China’s economy which has hit performance at car manufacturers around the world. The… Continue reading China car sales see first drop for 20 years

Tesla adds Larry Ellison to its board

Tesla has appointed Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and Walgreens Boots Alliance executive Kathleen Wilson-Thompson to its board. The move further strengthens the board as pledged by founder Elon Musk to the Securities and Exchanges Commission. The SEC fined Mr Musk over misleading tweets that he had funding to take Tesla private. Investors greeted the news… Continue reading Tesla adds Larry Ellison to its board