Egregious - 22 March 2023

Motoring Podcast - News Show

FOLLOW UP: EMERGENCY EXPERTS CONCERNED WITH LOSS OF AM

In the US, emergency experts have called on car manufacturers to ensure that the AM frequency is available on the infotainment systems of electric cars as this is the only way some people can get vital information, particularly emergency info. The US, Canada and Australia have vast amounts of sparsely populated environments that do not get internet access and phone coverage, hence the vital nature of AM. Click the link here to read more from a Popular Science article.

FOLLOW UP: BAC BACKS OFF HYDROGEN powered DEVELOPMENT

Recently BAC, the makers of the single seater sports car the Mono, announced that they were developing a hydrogen combustion powered vehicle. However, the short term reduction in hydrogen filling stations, the Government’s stance on alternative fuels and the 2035 ICE ban caveats has allowed BAC to step back from this and concentrate on existing technology. To read more, click this Autocar link here.

UK SPRING BUDGET ANNOUNCEMENT

The Chancellor of the Exchequer gave the Spring Budget statement to Parliament, last week. Amongst the document there were some motoring related issues. The now 13-year long “freeze” in fuel duty was continued, the 5p-litre cut from last year has been carried over and more money being provided for repairing potholes. The first article we point you in order to learn more, is from AM Online, which you can read by clicking this link here. The second is from Influence emobility on LinkedIn, which can be read by clicking here.

VW HAS RUSSIAN ASSETS FROZEN

A court in Russia has frozen the assets of Volkswagen, in the country. They had shuttered their plant, at Kaluga, last year but were trying to find a buyer for it. At the same time a license partner, GAZ, is suing them for cancelling their contract last year. Click the Automotive News article link here to read more.

RECORD BENTLEY PROFITS

A third consecutive record profit year from Bentley, in 2022, helping to boost the Audi Group figures. Revenues jumped 19% with an operating profit of £280 million. By clicking this link to the AM Online article you can read more.

JAGUAR ANNOUNCE NEW MD AND RELAUNCH

Jaguar, after being so quiet for so long, has announced that they have appointed a new Managing Director, Rawdon Glover, replacing the interim boss Philip Koehn. Glover is an internal appointment, having been the MD of JLR since 2018. Additionally, we are told Jaguar will relaunch in 2025, but no details as to what that means for the brand or the direction they will go in. Click this Autocar Business article link, if you would like to learn more.

VOLTA TRUCKS GAINS EUROPEAN WHOLE VEHICLE TYPE APPROVAL

The Volta Zero has received the important European Whole Vehicle Type Approval. This means they are certified as meeting the standards required in the region. Click here for more information, thanks to the Volta Trucks press release.

DVLA DELAYS TO 3M PAPER APPLICATIONS

Whilst the DVLA swiftly dealt with 17 million online applications, since 2020, they have struggled with 3 million paper applications resulting in significant delays. On top of that they failed to answer 60 million phone calls in the same time period. The DVLA claim systems have been upgraded and delays are no longer an issue. You can learn more by clicking this BBC News article link here.

WAZE TO ADD EV CHARGE POINT INFORMATION TO MAPS

Waze, the crowdsource navigation app, will crowdsource EV charge point data and add that to their maps. This feels quite a late move but welcomed nonetheless. Click this Move Electric link for more information.

3G IS BEING TURNED OFF IN THE Uk

Vodafone has started to switch off the 3G band, in the UK, which will cause problems for connected devices that cannot access the 4 and 5G networks. This has implications for older vehicles that use 3G sim cards and the likes. Click this MoneySavingExpert article link for more.

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS:

Kia EV9 -

Kia has unveiled their range topping seven seater EV SUV, the EV9, which will have a max range of 337 miles. The looks are clean and crisp, with this being the first full design from Karim Habib. We do not think this will be coming to the UK and Europe due to the size of it. Prices are expected to start around £60,000 and move up to £80,000 as you climb the range and specification sheet. Click this Autocar article to learn more.

Ferrari Roma Spider -

Ferrari has revealed the Roma Spider, which maintains the performance of the coupe version, even though it is slightly heavier. Expectation is that it will cost more than the coupe which begins at £170,000. There is a twin-turbo V8, delivering just the 612bhp, that enables a 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds and it tops out at 199mph. You can learn more by clicking this Autocar link here.

Ford Bronco in Europe -

Ford has confirmed that, in very limited numbers, the Bronco will come to Europe, targeting extreme off-road usage. Using the existing 2.7litre V6 Ecoboost engine as in the States. To find out more, click the link here to read an Autocar article.

BMW XM Autocar Review -

We weren’t going to cover this, but the review from Autocar is so scathing and fantastically written we wanted to share it with you. As a contrast, Jalopnik really like the car. Click here to read the Autocar review.

BMW i5 Touring -

BMW announced that they will be bringing an all-electric i5 Touring version of the new 5-Series in 2024. Details are, well, nonexistent, but the car does look like a restrained BMW design, which will appeal to all of us who prefer something a bit more subtle. More can be found out by clicking here for an Autocar article on the news.

BMW axing most diesels -

BMW has confirmed that they are removing most of the diesel engine options from its range, in the UK. The drop in sales is behind the move and is understandable. Click here to read more, from Autocar, including which models are involved.

Citroën Berlingo petrol and diesel -

Citroën has announced that due to customer demand, they will be offering the petrol and diesel five-seat Berlingo once again. However, there will be a fixed bulkhead, therefore this is a commercial vehicle and the reason they can offer ICE engines once more. You can read more by clicking this Autocar link here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE AGE OF AVERAGE

We are recommending a tremendous piece to read about the homogeneity of our visual culture, whether that is architecture, retail, fashion, people, apps and obviously automotive. This is a really thought provoking piece that we hope you enjoy and makes you consider how samey so much of design has become. Click this link here to read what Alex Murrell has to say.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THESE ARE THE BUCKET LIST ROADS

Jalopnik has compiled a bucket list of roads it’s writers want to drive on. The all are tremendous, therefore it was a very tricky task for Alan to pick one. Don’t forget to tell us which you would make your number one after you click this link here to see the options.

AND FINALLY: HOW SOLID SNAKE ADVERTISED A FORD

Thanks to spotting a tweet from friend of the show, Alex Goy, we now know the incredible story behind the mashup between Metal Gear Solid and Ford, which resulted in Snake advertising the Ford Focus. Click this Twitter link to read more from David Hayter, the voice actor, on how it came to be.