Author: Autocar Magazine UK

Kia to avoid ‘dangerous’ price cuts to protect residual values

Kia won’t rush to match Tesla’s heavy discounting of up to £8000, with UK president and CEO Paul Philpott warning that such a “blunt” action could have “dangerous” implications for residual values in the longer term. Tesla revealed a raft of reductions on list prices last week, citing reduced supplier costs as the reason it was… Continue reading Kia to avoid ‘dangerous’ price cuts to protect residual values

Britishvolt collapses with loss of nearly 300 jobs

Britishvolt today filed to appoint administrators and made the majority of its circa-300 staff redundant with immediate effect in a major blow to the future of UK manufacturing. The news was broken to staff in a company-wide meeting at 12pm today, following failed efforts to sell a majority stake and secure the firm’s long-term sustainability. The sale talks,… Continue reading Britishvolt collapses with loss of nearly 300 jobs

Ex-McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt named new BAC chairman

Mike Flewitt, former CEO of McLaren Automotive, has been named as chairman of the Briggs Automobile Company (BAC), promising to bring his experience of four decades at the top of the car industry to build what its founders said is their company’s “ambitious growth strategy and new model programme”.  Flewitt said he has known the Briggs brothers for… Continue reading Ex-McLaren CEO Mike Flewitt named new BAC chairman

Inside the industry: Should electric cars be taxed by efficiency?

As the Government ponders how to tax electric cars, I’m surprised by how little debate is being directed at rewarding efficiency – a glaring omission, considering the industry’s focus (driven in part by customer demand) on prioritising both bigger and higher-riding cars, which in both cases are typically more profitable but more consumptive. Why is… Continue reading Inside the industry: Should electric cars be taxed by efficiency?

Aehra hires ex-Ferrari and Lotus engineer to develop SUV and saloon

Italian-American EV start-up Aehra has taken a significant step towards launching its first car in 2025 with the appointment of ex-Ferrari and Lotus chassis maestro Franco Cimatti as its engineering boss. Cimatti is best known for his 32-year stint in Maranello, during which he progressed from testing engineer to manager of the road-testing department – overseeing… Continue reading Aehra hires ex-Ferrari and Lotus engineer to develop SUV and saloon

Polestar UK boss hails rapid growth ahead of key model launches

He said: “That’s one of the advantages of our relationship with Volvo: we have 110 service points around the UK, so it’s very easy for a customer to get their car serviced. We do home delivery of cars; people like that, and I think we might well broaden that so they can come and pick it… Continue reading Polestar UK boss hails rapid growth ahead of key model launches

Aehra SUV: £155k BMW iX rival to begin road testing in 2023

Italian-US EV start-up Aehra will launch its £155,430 SUV in early 2025, with on-road testing of development cars scheduled to get under way as soon as the end of this year.  The radically styled ‘SUV’ (its official name) is conceived as a performance-oriented and luxury-flavoured rival to top-rung SUVs like the Lotus Eletre and BMW iX,… Continue reading Aehra SUV: £155k BMW iX rival to begin road testing in 2023

Vanwall Vandervell is new electric hot hatch with 572bhp

German endurance-racing team Vanwall has launched a new electric road car with a design that pays homage to the Vanwall name’s English heritage.  Named the Vandervell, the limited-edition EV takes the form of a lightweight hot hatchback with four doors and an emphasis on aerodynamics. The S marks the entry point into the range, available with four-wheel drive and 315bhp,… Continue reading Vanwall Vandervell is new electric hot hatch with 572bhp

Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge get more range, power

Volvo has bolstered the line-ups of two of its electric SUVs for 2023, improving their range, efficiency and performance.  The headline change is the introduction of a new rear-wheel-drive powertrain for the Volvo XC40 Recharge and the Volvo C40 Recharge. Replacing the 228bhp front-wheel-drive powertrain, it has a 234bhp electric motor at the rear axle. As… Continue reading Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge get more range, power