FOLLOW UP: BIG PUSH TO PROTECT UK AUTOMOTIVE RELEVANCE

The campaign to push both the UK Government and EU into a favourable deal connected to the ‘Made in Europe’ regulation is gaining momentum from within the industry. The SMMT has produced a report to claims the UK industry contributes €24 billion in ‘economic activity’ across the continent. This is to try and show that be excluding the UK would actually hurt the EU. Click this article link from Motor Trader, to read more.

The EU, for its part, has some demands of the UK, if they are to be considered to be covered. First and foremost is to impose extra tariffs on Chinese imports. This comes off the back of the suggestion it should join the EU’s customs union, as that means aligning with the economic policies of the bloc. Click this EV Powered article link for more.

Meanwhile, the ACEA (European equivalent to the SMMT), has called on a delay for the stricter rules of origin for the batteries of electric vehicles, between the UK and the EU. By pushing it back until 2029 that will save billions in extra costs. Click this electrive article link here, to learn more.

MERCEDES IS THE LATEST TO TRY AND CUT WORKER COSTS

Mercedes-Benz is the latest company to be trying to reduce costs by cutting worker expenses in Germany. Reports state options being considered include asking employees to work longer without extra pay, changing holiday and Christmas bonuses as well as eliminating special payments. These options have been gift-wrapped in the not-at-all threatening statement that two German plants are at risk otherwise. If you want to read more, click this Reuters article link here.

CONSUMERS AND FLEETS ENCOURAGED TO CLAIM FROM SHIIPING CARTEL

In 2016 the EU found that several vehicle carriers had created a cartel to keep prices favourable to them at the cost to the buyers of those vehicles. In the UK the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) has announced the compensation due to those who bought or leased a new vehicle between 18 October 2006 and 6 September 2015. For the first effected vehicle it is expected that the person will receive £25, for multiple vehicle claims the second to sixth should get £5 per vehicle and those over six are presumed to be getting £2.50 per vehicle. Which seems pittance and won’t affect the companies who have been found guilty of breaking the law. Again. For more on this, including the link to sign up for potential compensation, click this FleetWorld article link here.

MOTOR INDUSTRY WANTS HELP TO TRANSITION TO DEFENCE

Elements of the UK motor manufacturing industry have asked the UK Government for help in transitioning to serve the defence sector as geopolitical tensions rise and local car industry is under increased pressure. This follows moves in Europe where they are doing this. To find out more, click this Sky News article link here.

MAJOR CHANGES FOR NIO AS IT CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE

Nio has closed their hubs in Cologne and Weiterstadt, which is near Frankfurt at the end of this month, September 2026. The one at Munich will remain and is their last in Germany. Lots of corporate language was used, but essentially they’re in trouble and their European adventure seems almost over. Click this electrive article to read more.

Meanwhile, Geely has announced that it will be integrating with the technology of Nio to enable battery swapping in it’s vehicles in the future and working closely with them to integrate their networks. The deal is quite complicated with each company owning shares in each other’s subsidiaries. If you want to find out more, click this electrive article link here.

TWO-THIRDS OF UK DRIVERS CONFIRM THEY CAN’T DRIVE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

We came across an interesting article on Motoring Research, which discussed a ‘survey’ by an insurance company. The headline from the research is two-thirds of UK drivers want a lower speed limit on country roads. The wonderfully deadpan way this was written exposes the nature and silliness of these ‘surveys’, which are generated for publicity. In reality it was demonstrating so many feel incompetent behind the wheel as well as then bringing in irrelevant stats about the number who exceed the national speed limit, like that would change with a reduction. Click this article link if you wish to see how daft so much of what goes for ‘safety discourse’ is today and how well that was laid out.

BBC TO SHOW THE WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP FROM NEXT YEAR

Great news, for those who love the World Rally Championship (WRC) and are based in the UK, as it has been announced that the BBC have a three year deal to show the championship on their platforms. For more, click this Motoring Research article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Renault Scenic

Renault is updating the Scenic with a new long range battery, giving a WLTP maximum range of 399 miles. There will also be an upgrade to the ADAS tech with the driver monitoring system being able to spot the difference between drivers, it is claimed. From this info the preferred settings of each driver will be enabled. No confirmation as to when the car will be coming to the UK yet from Renault. Click this Autocar article link here, to read more.

Mazda CX-6e

Mazda are planning to bring their electric family-sized SUV to the UK, in the coming months. As with the 6e, their electric car, this is the result of collaborating with the Chinese company, Changang. Prices are to start from £42,990 and will come with a 78kW battery producing a maximum range of around 300 miles. Click this EV Powered article link here, for more.

Mitsubishi Pajero

Mitsubishi are bringing back the Pajero/Shogun. Starting with the Thailand and then Australian markets, there is no clear indication that it will come to the UK. This is a proper off-roader, with a body-on-frame construction, with good ground clearance and a 2.4 litre diesel engine. The interior, on the press photos, looks quite luxurious and time will tell if the touch matches the vision. Click this Autocar article link here, for more.

LUNCHTIME WATCHES: RUSTIVAL 5

This week we are recommending several videos brining Rustival 5, which took place last weekend, alive to us who could not make the wonderful event. We have tried to spread the love a bit this time, with some channels that may not be as well known, we hope you give them some support.

For IDriveAClassic and Steph’s coverage, click this YouTube link.

To watch THT motoring’s view of the show, click this link here.

Old Cars New Van has a nearly 51 minute long video which you can enjoy by clicking this link here.

For PeugeotCitroën’s takeaways, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE CARS WITH THE LARGEST ENGINES EVER MADE

As we hurtle towards fuel shortages, thanks to geopolitical idiocy, we thought now was the perfect time to check out some of the largest engined cars of all time. Do you agree with the choices made? Click this Autocar article link here, to view your options.

AND FINALLY: FUNKY US MOTOR MUSEUM’S CASTOFFS SOLD

With the risk that they fill this slot like Bryan Adams topped the charts in the UK for what felt like a year, The Autopian bring another lovely article, this time about cars sold by the Lane Motor Museum very recently. Check out what has left this eclectic collection by clicking this article link here.

SKODA LOSE A CEO AND VOLVO GAIN ONE

Klaus Zellmer is leaving Skoda to head up Volvo. Håkan Samuelsson will hand over the reigns of the Swedish company no later than 1 October 2027 as per his contract. Zellmer had been in charge of Skoda since 2022 and with the VW Group for almost 30 years. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

Not content with appointing a new CEO, Volvo have plans to launch 13 new models by 2030. Additionally, they will be developing model variant specifically for different regions. Reading between the lines of the announcement, there is hope that saloons or even estates may be making a comeback, as well as the expected SUVs. For more on this, click this link here, to an EV Powered article.

EU ASKS CHINA WILL PINKY PROMISE ON EXPORTS

Ahead of the October deadline for the trade discussions between China and the EU, there have been calls for a self-imposed limit to exporting hybrid vehicles into Europe. Currently, special tariffs only apply to pure electric vehicles and the rate is calculated on a brand by brand basis. Chinese hybrid sales in Europe have jumped in recent months as they look to off-load their oversupply due to the Government edict on annual production numbers. China has rejected these calls. Click this electrive article to read more.

MCLAREN OUTLINE THEIR FUTURE PLANS

McLaren has announced the outline of their plans for the next decade. This will include a second production facility, more models including a SUV line and the creation of thousands of jobs. All of this is thanks to a £500 million investment from their new owners, Abu Dhabi government’s L’imad investment entity. They are being tasked with increasing volume too. To read more on this, click this Autocar article link here.

PORSCHE CAYENNE CAN USE WIRELESS CHARGING

Porsche has confirmed that the Cayenne Electric can now come with inductive, or wireless, charging. Maximum power is 11kW, but that is the same as many home, wall charging outputs that use AC. If the driver uses the assisted parking system of the car it will make sure the vehicle is perfectly aligned, apparently. But this will not be a cheap option, as the car mounted pad itself is €1,844.50, with the floor pad being €5,116,69, according to German configurator version. If you wish to learn more, click this electrive article link here.

CROSS-PAVEMENT CHARGING MADE EASIER

The UK Government, via the Department for Transport, has announced that it is going to give permitted development rights for cross-pavement charging in England. Planning permission will not be required for homes who can only have on-street charging. Permission from the local highway authority will still be required, though. Click this electrive article link here, for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Lepas L6

Chery is bringing their Fulwin T7 to the UK, using the Lepas badge. Utilising the same underpinnings as the Jaecoo 7 and Omoda 5, we get another cut and paste SUV from China, emphasising how they make vehicles so much cheaper than traditional manufacturers. Due to sharing platforms, there should be a maximum range of 279 miles, and a charge from 30-80% in 22 minutes at 120kW. Prices and full specifications are yet to be announced but the Omoda twins cost from £33,065. Click this Autocar article link, for more.

Mercedes-Benz VLE

Once again we have an electric luxury MPV to discuss, this time the Mercedes option. A completely new platform, with a maximum WLTP range of 435 miles, dependent on battery and powertrain selected. Also 30-80% charging can add 226 miles in 25 minutes, if all conditions are perfect. The interior is vast and mind-bogglingly configurable, with a variety of seat types and positions. As with all Mercs these days you can get more screens than a multiplex cinema, if you so desire. Full UK specs and prices are yet to be announced. Click this Top Gear article link, for more.

Genesis GV90

Genesis has revealed their largest model to date, the GV90, a luxury electric SUV. Using the same platform as the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 9, it is even longer at nearly 5.3 meters. There will be options for either seven seats or four, with the front two swivelling around. Additionally it will come with ‘barn doors’ enabling easier in and egress. There is a 123.5kW battery pack, enabling a maximum range around 311 miles. Due to 800v architecture 10-80% charging can take from as little as 22 minutes. There has been no confirmation of exactly when it is coming to the UK and prices are expected to be well above £100,000.

LUNCHTIME READ: A BOXER, A JUMPER AND A FIST FULL OF COINS

Once again Driven to Write has a fascinating and fun couple of articles about the Stellantis light commercial vehicle range (sorry for any flashbacks, Phil). The first, linked here, is all about the older brands within the group and how to pick the van or even car you want when they take rebadging to an extreme. The second, which is linked here, takes a look at the new stable members.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 20 VERY ANGRY-LOOKING CARS

To match the general mood of waves arms around dramatically we have a list of angry looking cars, from Autocar and Aysar Ghassan. Do you agree with Andrew’s choice? Click this link here to see your options.

AND FINALLY: ALWAYS CHECK THE CAR PARK

The Autopian for the second week running rounds out the show, thanks to Annie Keller and how she stumbled across a one of two Bose suspension prototype Lexus. You’ll learn why this was a cool attempt at ‘doing suspension’ and how it ended up in the car park of a garage in the US. Click this link here for a fascinating story.

FOLLOW UP: SALE OF BUGATTI COMPLETED

Porsche has completed the sale of its shares in Bugatti Rimac and the Rimac Group. This has netted them around €1 billion, destinations for portions of this have already been decided with €250 million going to the pension fund. The rest helps makes the company more financially stable. If you want to learn more, click this Autonext article link here.

XPENG TAKES UK DESTINY INTO OWN HANDS

Xpeng has decided to open its own UK operations, instead of just relying on International Motors. They will begin this by opening a sales company, which will control the “strategic commercial development of the brand”, whilst Internation Motors will supply the “operational services”. This is all happening ahead of the launch of their new model, the L03 SUV. To read more, click this Auotcar article link here.

LIDL INVESTS IN EV CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE

Lidl has cut the price of its rapid EV chargers, if customers use their Plus app. Additionally they are investing £10 million in the charging network. Prices drop from £0.62 to £0.59p per kWh when you use the Lidl Plus app. The £10 million investment will expand their charging network across the UK, as well as trying to install rapid chargers at all new sites. For more on this story, click this electrive article link here.

UK BATTERY RECYCLING PATENT FOR ALTILIUM

Altilium has been awarded their first patent for recycling batteries. This is tartgeting lithium-ion batteries. Most recycling produces intermediate materials that need to be shipped abroad to be processed further to end up with suitably high quality material that can be used in battery manufacture. Altilium hope to circumvent this step with the process in the patent. If you wish to find out more, click this electrive article link here.

FORD IMPORTS CHINESE BUILT ELECTRIC VANS TO EUROPE

Ford has partnered with Jiangling Motors to built electric vans for them at a lower cost than the American company can manage. The Transit City will first be seen in Europe at the IAA Transportation event in Hannover. The Chinese built van will undercut the one made in Turkey by roughly £15,000. You can read more, by clicking this Autonext article link here.

DRIVER MONITORING SYSTEMS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Driver Monitoring Systems have been painted as the cure all for driver inattention. However, as with all ADAS, the reality of what sounds like a great idea on paper compared to the execution is very different. Lexus is the latest to come under scrutiny, as claims online point out in-built flaws because their system uses eye-aspect-ratio and at least one Asian person has claimed it gives false positive warnings because of the shape of their eyes and eyelids. As this podcast has warned many, many times over the years, this leaves the industry open to potential lawsuits for racism. Additionally, these systems will never be able to get this right because they do not have a picture of everyone’s face, their head position when driving, how their eyelids are shaped and so much more. Click this Gadget Review article link here, to read more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Mazda MX-5

Mazda is ditching the range-topping 2.0 litre MX-5 from sale in the UK. But as we all wipe tears of sadness from our eyes, they also confirm that there will be some upgrades to the 1.5 litre version remaining. Power is ever so slightly upped to 134bhp and 114lb ft of the torques. New prices are yet to be announced and the car will be available from January 2027. Click this link from Autocar, for more.

Range Rover Electric

The Range Rover Electric details and pricing has been revealed, ahead of being in customer hands in 2027. Starting at £154,070 the car will come with an 120kWh battery pack and a WLTP range of 372 miles, which according to JLR is 330 miles in the real world. The car will weigh in at 2885kgs, therefore drivers either best not have many passengers and luggage or get an HGV license. Click this Autocar link, to find out more.

Zeekr 9X Super Hybrid

Zeekr has announced that the 9X Super Hybrid, their large premium SUV, will be coming to Europe, although there is no news on the UK yet. It has a 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, with single electric motors up front and at the back linked to a 55.1 kWh battery pack all on 900V architecture. Full range is quoted as 458 miles with electric only being 111 miles. Weight is very similar to the above Range Rover at 2.9 tonnes. Click this Top Gear article link, for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: WELCOME TO BINGO SPORTS JAPAN

Let Top Gear introduce you to possibly your new favourite dealer, BINGO Sports Japan. They work with buyers to find rare and specific cars that once found lead everyone involved to shout BINGO! This is a lovely article that tells all and has some fabulous pictures showing the sort of thing they find. Click here to read more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE MAZDAS THAT MISSED OUT

Classic and Sports Car bring this week’s list, all about Mazdas that didn’t make the cut and ended up not being made into production models for sale. Do you agree with the choices made? Click this link here to check out your options!

AND FINALLY: DO CROCODILES DREAM OF TOYOTA LAND CRUISERS

The Autopian rounds out the show with the story of the safari tourist Land Cruiser, in Tanzania, which ended up in crocodile infested river following an error by the driver. No one was reported injured. Click this link to find out what happened.

FOLLOW UP: VW COST CUTTING MEASURES CONFIRMED

The board of the Volkswagen Group has agreed to the restructuring plans that will include closing four plants, halving the number of models offered and an additional 50,000 roles to be culled. Additionally the Seat brand is to be retired in 2030. There is also a change in tactic with their Chinese operations, where they plan to build cars and export from the country to other markets. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

FOLLOW UP: JLR COST CUTTING MEASURES INCLUDE JOBS

Catching many by surprise, the cost-cutting measures will include around 4,000 roles going. The company hopes voluntary redundancy will do the trick. They are also leaning heavily on their suppliers to cut costs, but that is difficult for many to do. If you want to read more, click this Autocar article link here.

AUGUST 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

The SMMT has released the August 2026 new car registration figures. Astonishingly, this is the best August on their chart going back to 2010. BEVs increased their market share again, as did HEVs and PHEVs. Surprisingly, there was a jump in private registrations. Once again Mikes Hawes, SMMT’s Chief Executive, reminded the Government of how unsustainable the industry’s efforts to meet the ZEV mandate are. Click this link here, to read more.

STELLANTIS EUROPE MANAGEMENT CHANGES

Stellantis Europe, once again, is shuffling their senior management. This time starting with Olivier François ending his reign as the head of Fiat. He will be replaced by Arnaud Belloni who moves from the head of marketing for Renault. But Belloni will be also head up Abarth ad Lancia, as well as being the Chief Marketing Officer for Europe for Stellantis. Elsewhere, Xavier Chardon will lead DS Automobiles, as well as continue as CEO of Citroën. Xavier Peugeot will take the new role as Head of Jeep in Europe. There are many others too, which you can read all about by clicking this electrive article link here.

GEELY SHUTS A VOLVO OFFICE

Geely is shutting the satellite Volvo office in Stockholm, with the loss of an unspecified number of the 450 roles under that roof. The site was a key element of Volvo’s moves in software, AI and digital customer experiences. To read more, click this Auto Igloo article link here.

HONDA AND NISSAN DO SHAKE HANDS

Earlier in the year the news came out that Honda and Nissan were close to signing a partnership or even merger, however that fell apart after Honda’s valuation of their rival was significantly lower than was expected. But, both companies have now agreed to work together to standardise parts and software so they can share the economic benefits. The hope is that this can help them be more competitive with Chinese brands who are marching into their markets and taking an increasing share. Click this electrive article link here, for more.

Additionally, Honda is leaning on its suppliers to reduce costs. There are three key areas, electrical parts, parts for software-defined cars as well as pressed and forged parts. The company is aiming for $9.4 billion in savings with 30% coming from the three areas mentioned, which sounds like a lot. Click this yahoo!finance article link here for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Suzuki e-Sky

Suzuki are poised to bring their second EV to UK shores, in the kei car form of the e-Sky. This is a small city car, expected to be priced below £20,000 and in Japan it has a max range of 193 miles. The car is due to go on sale in early spring 2027. Click this Autocar article link for more information.

Hyundai Ioniq 3

Hyundai has opened their order books for the Ioniq 3, a B-segment hatch with a starting price of £22,245 for the 42.2kWh battery pack version, with a maximum expected range around 213 miles. A 61kWh battery pack option is available from £25,745, which is expected to enable a max range of 308 miles. The final specifications and test results are yet to be confirmed. There are further trim levels which you can read about by clicking this electrive article link here.

Mercedes GLA

The new GLA has been revealed, in electric guise, by Mercedes-Benz. Bigger than the previous model, it is now squarely aimed at the likes of the Audi Q4 and Volvo EX40. Whilst the electric model will be available from November, the hybrid will only arrive in 2027. There will be a variety of battery, including different chemical compositions, and motor options. This will translate to a variety of maximum ranges, with the longest being 408 miles. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: LE ZOB REVOLUTIONAIRE!

Driven to Write and Eóin Doyle are the originators of our recommendation for something longer form for your enjoyment. Eóin talks about how the Citroën AX came to be, what it replaced and how revolutionary this was for the company. To read more, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE SUPERCARS YOU (PROBABLY) FORGOT EVER EXISTED

Autocar and Richard Dredge provide the slideshow of supercars you might have forgotten ever existed in the first place, if you knew about them at all. Some wonderfully mad options which go some way to explaining why they did not register in the mind more firmly. Click this link to see what your choices are.

AND FINALLY: HOT WHEELS LEGENDS TOUR UK 2026 WINNER

During the CarFest event, at the end of August, the Hot Wheels Legends Tour UK final was held. Three judges, Dwayne Vance (Hot Wheels designer), Nicola Hume (presenter) and Richard Hammond (classic car restoration company owner) all voted for the winner, a heavily modified 1972 VW Beetle. You have to check out this Motoring Research article link here, to see how epically insane the car is.

Lotus buys Lotus

Lotus Tech has bought Lotus Advanced Technologies to become one singular Lotus once again. It’s all very complex, but thankfully there’s this story from Top Gear for reference.

Hyundai and Genesis aim for massive Range Expansion

Tha’s range of cars, not range of vehicles. The Korean manufacturing giant is planning 41 new cars in Europe by 2030 according to Autocar.

EVs and SUVs May Or May Not Be To Blame For Potholes, Say Experts

A report for the Institute of Civil Engineers says SUVs and EVs are being unfairly blamed for causing more wear and tear to Britain’s roads. Other experts disagree. This Autocar article looks at arguments from both sides.

New Volvos Can Talk To Each Other

A new software update allows Volvo EX60, EX90 and ES90 to share notifications of large animals and pedestrians on the road among themselves, so they can warn drivers before they can see them. Autocar explains the boundaries and how the system works.

Continental e-Cycles Tyres

Continental is developing a tyre that recycles used tyres into a fresh, low rolling resistance tyre. It’s still a concept, and there are hurdles. Electrive explains.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Vauxhall Corsa GSE

Vauxhall has launched an electric hot hatch, and despite the electric powertrain the reviews sound like it’s a very traditional fast Vauxhall - Quick point-to-point, but not as refined as its rivals. It costs from £32,995 and you can find all the detail in this Evo article.

Geely Monjaro

Geely is bringing a new, larger PHEV SUV to the UK. The Monjaro is bigger than the Starray and about the size of a Skoda Kidiaq or Peugeot 5008. It has a predicted “engine off” range of 81 miles and is predicted to cost int he low £40ks.

BYD Ti7

Prices have been announced for BYD’s Defender and Land Cruiser-alike. It’s an AWD PHEV with a combined range of 441 miles, 74 of which are “engine off”. There are 7 seats, it’s available in some attractive, if expensive, colours, and it will cost from £47,995 when orders open in November for January delivery.

LUNCHTIME READ: Petrospect

Andreas Petros’ excellent blog is always worth a read, and this week he’s written about the new iteration of The Grand Tour and previous iterations of Top Gear and how the essence of the latter will be very difficult to ever recapture.

LIST OF THE WEEK: Classic Cars With Memorable Graphics

It appeared in my feed just as Friend of The Show Jim Magill sent me a photo of a near-naked Yaris GRMN, so I couldn’t not include this Classic & Sports Car list of 25 classic cars with memorable graphics. There’s no shortage of awesomeness, and yet I think I may have chosen it…

AND FINALLY: Fisker Oceans of New York

The Fisker Ocean is dead, long live the Fisker Ocean. Listener Damien Scully (who’s behind the excellent Name That Car daily car identification game) sent us this story about the Fisker Ocean taxis in New York. I also mentioned the Ocenas of NYC website and BlueSky account trying to capture a sighting of every one.

FOLLOW UP: CHECK OUT THE AND FINALLY

We have, thanks to listener Farmer Jamie, both Follow Up and the And Finally all wrapped up into one. Wait till the end to find out more…..

GEELY LOSES THEIR BOSS

Li Shufu, the founder of Geely, has shocked many with his announcement that he is stepping down from his role as chairman of the automotive branch. An Conghui will take over the reigns of the company. Jerry Gan will become the new CEO, as the current, Gui Shengyue, is moving to vice chairman. If you want to read more, click this electrive article link here.

GM CAUTIOUS ON UK CADILLAC RELAUNCH

A year ago GM announced that they would relaunch the Cadillac brand in the UK. However, they have yet to reveal any details and are “actively reviewing our future Cadillac plans“. To find out more, click this Auotcar article link here.

GEELY TO BUILD THEIR CARS IN EUROPEAN VOLVO PLANTS

Geely will produce higher-priced cars in Volvo’s European plants. This would include models from the brands Zeekr and Lynk & Co. By being higher priced they can offset some of the disadvantages of building cars in Europe, ie. the costs. The plan is for this to start from 2028. Click this electrive article link here to read more.

HORSE BUILDS ENGINE TO RUN ON METHANOL

Whilst methanol is not a big fuel for road vehicles in the UK and Europe, it is in China. To tap into this market Horse, the joint-venture between Renault, Geely and Saudi Aramco, has built a 2.0 engine as part of a range extender system which will run on liquid methanol. Currently, methanol is not an e-fuel due to how it is produced but work is underway to try and make it so. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

JAECOO AND OMODA INCREASE WARRANTY COVERAGE

Following a backlash after Warrantywise CEO Lawrence Wittaker highlighted how the warranty for Jaecoo and Omoda models had the headline of seven years, much was only covered for three, the brands have improved the number of components that will move from a 3 year or 40,000 miles coverage to 7 years and 100,000. To learn what has changed, click this Motoring Research article link here.

DEFENDER EV DELAYED

JLR has delayed bringing out an electric version of the Defender, as the redesign of the model has been put back until 2030. Probable reason for this is the need to cut costs following the cyber security breach, tariffs and increased costs across supply chains. Money seems to be prioritised into the ‘baby Defender’ which is still expected on track and to be launched by the end of this year or early next. Click this electrive article link here, to read more.

CHINA ISSUES THEIR BIGGEST RECALL

China has issued their biggest ever recall for motor vehicles, covering 4.3 million cars, with hidden door handles. Of that 2.98 million Teslas are required to add warning stickers and amend software to ensure if power is lost to the car, the doors can easily be opened or occupants escape, in the event of an emergency. China has banned them on new cars from 2027. To read more, click this Carscoops article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Aion UT

Aion is bringing a supermini to the UK, in the form of the UT. Prices will start at £28,950 and the 60kWh battery will give a maximum range of 268 miles. The car has also, apparently, been engineered for our roads. Click this Motor Trader article link here, for more.

Denza Bao 5

Denza are brining a chunky looking hybrid SUV to the UK. The idea is to take on the likes of the Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser. Prices are not as affordable as we’ve come to expect from Chinese cars, with a starting price of £69,500 for Elegance trim, but if you plump for Ultimate that will cost from £78,880. There is a maximum electric only range of 62 miles. Click this Motor Trader article link, for more.

SSCC SC-01

The UK will get the SC-01 from the Small Sports Car Company (SSCC), which is ‘inspired’ by the Lancia Stratos and will be a ‘mid-engined’ EV sports car. Prices are expected to start at around £50,000. The car is already for sale in China. Click this Autocar article link, for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: LAMBORGHINI MIURA

EVO have an excellent article telling the story of how the Lamborghini Miura came to be and how it set the stage for future supercars. Click this article link here to read all about this fabulous car.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST CARS EVER MADE IN AUSTRIA

Al Suttie has compiled this week’s suggested slideshow from Autocar, all about the best cars made in Austria. There will be some surprises in here, for you to find. Do you agree with the choice? Click this link to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: WHERE THE LAMBORGHINI LM002 CAME FROM

Thank you to listener, Farmer Jamie, who sent us the link to this Classic Driver article explaining about the origin story of the Lamborghini LM002, which began as the Cheetah concept for the US military. Click this link here to read all about this fascinating story and the fate of the company. That time.

FOLLOW UP: TESLA SWEDISH STRIKE ENDS

We first mentioned how Swedish Tesla workers had gone on strike, back on 21 November 2023. The dispute has come to an end after Tesla paid off all the workers who remained on strike, with severance packages. That’s one way to ‘win’. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

UK GOVERNMENT BEGINS ZEV MANDATE CONSULTATION

Following months of lobbying, the UK Government has finally started to review the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. They have opened a consultation that will close on the 23 October 2026. This is a tricky matter for the Government because whilst the targets are only being hit by huge discounts, other parts of the ecosystem have made plans based on these same targets. If you wish to learn more, click this Motor Trader article link here.

PORSCHE LEAVES VW GROUP EU CO2 POOL

Porsche has left the Volkswagen Group’s CO2 pool, for the EU, and joined Xpeng’s in order to meet the annual requirements of 92g/km. The VW Group is currently sitting at 8% over the target set for it. Click this Autocar article link here to read more.

CHINA’S BATTERY HEALTH RULES COME INTO FORCE

In December 2025 China announced new rules for batteries, specifically the health of them as they age. A key component is the State of Available Energy (SOCE), which is judged against that when new. Part of this is also the minimum requirements of what a battery must be at after set ages, for example after five years there must be at least 82% available energy. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

WEVC TO BUILD EVS IN QATAR

Watt Electric Vehicle Company (WEVC), based in Cornwall, has reached an agreement with Qatar based investment company, to build EVs in the Middle East country. The first two models will be a passenger car and a medium sized van. The expectation is for production to begin in early 2028. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

FRANCE OFFERS FINANCIAL AID FOR USED EVS

The French Government will be introducing a grant for the purchase of used EVs from September 2026. The amount is quite low though, at €337, unless you are a health worker. Critics have complained that the amount is insufficient and needs to be increased. The money is coming from energy and fuel suppliers, thanks to ‘polluter-pays’ rules. Click this electrive article link here, to read more.

WORLD RECORD FOR JCB

JCB has smashed the world land speed record for a hydrogen powered vehicle as their vehicle, the Hydromax, averaged 406.320mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Andy Green was the driver, making that his third record. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

NATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM IN FIGHT WITH LANDLORD

The National Motor Museum, which is currently housed at Beaulieu, has stated that it is actively looking for a new home as its lease comes to an end. Beaulieu Enterprises Limited, who run the site, issued a statement to state even if the museum does move they will have their own motor museum on site to replace it. According to reports, there is no new lease on offer and the gate receipts for the site only give a small fraction of the entry fee to the museum. If you want to learn more, click this Autocar article link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Leapmotor B03

Leapmotor will be bringing the B03 to the UK in 2027. This car is aimed at the likes of the Renault 5 and is expected to cost somewhere in the low £20,000s. When launched the car will have a 53kWh battery which WLTP maximum range is expected to be 242 miles. Click this EV Powered article link, to read more.

Denza D9

Denza are the latest to bring a luxury MPV to the UK, following the likes of Xpeng and Lexus. Prices start at £75,000 which is nearly £23,000 less than the Lexus LM. Click this Autocar article link here, for more.

Audi Q9

Audi think the Q9 is now the range topping vehicle they make. It is large, very large at 5.3m long and 2.2m wide. Externally there are more than a few wiffs of the last generation Hyundai Santa Fe but inside they have followed the recent trend of making it look as cheap and tacky as possible. There are screens across the width of the dashboard, there is led lighting everywhere. Prices are yet to be announced but do expect them to be beyond £100,000 just for the ‘entry-level’ version. Click this Autocar article link here, to find out more.

LUNCHTIME READs: BERLINGO BERLINGO (I’M IN LOVE)

The Berlingo will hit 30 years old in October. Ahead of that Driven to Write has a lovely article which covers some of the history of the car plus bristowfuller’s path to owning one. Click this link here to enjoy this week’s read.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THESE ARE THE 50 GREATEST ITALIAN CARS OF ALL TIME

We bring you a Top Gear list, all about Italian cars which never gets old. Do you agree with the choices made? What would you pick? Click this link here to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: STATIONARY MUSEUM CAR GETS SPEEDING TICKET

The Volo Museum, near Chicago, received a speeding ticket and photographic evidence that the Pontiac Trans Am from the TV show Knight Rider was speeding in New York. Thing is, it hasn’t moved in years and quite how the police managed to track down the museum when they have not registered the car for the road, is another mystery. Click this Yahoo!News article link here to read more.

FOLLOW UP: QUESTION FROM LAST LIVESTREAM

With last week’s livestream round up of Recharging Round Britain, we missed one question out. We fix that now. To listen to the audio version of the livestream, click this link here.

To watch the livestream, click this YouTube link here.

FOLLOW UP: ASTON MARTIN IN FIGHT WITH CREDITORS

More details have come to light with the plans Aston Martin have to restructure their debt. Part of the deal would involve the company selling the non-automotive intellectual rights to Authentic Brands, which is part owned by HPS Investment Partners who are to provide the funding for the car company. Creditors are unhappy at this and have warned of legal action if this goes through. Click this Reuters article link here to read more.

JULY 2026 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

July 2026 was much better than last year, with 156,571 vehicles registered. BEVs continued to do well, with a monthly market share of 27.5%, yet year to date remains at 25.3%, some way off the 33% the mandate demands - although there are ways around that figure. Mike Hawes, SMMT’s Chief Executive, issues a very strong statement aimed at both the industry and the Government about the mandate levels and how some are choosing to tackle the requirements. You can read that and all the details by clicking this SMMT article link here.

RIVIAN Q2 FINANCIAL RESULTS

Rivian’s financial results from the second quarter of the year show a reduction in the loss made, thanks to VW’s custom. However, it should be noted they are the largest shareholder too and have serious financial issues themselves. The US EV company has upgraded expected deliveries for the year, despite their government’s u-turn on EVs. Click this electrive article link here to read more.

JLR ANNOUNCE NEW DISCOVERY BOSS

JLR have filled in the missing executive piece to their House of Brands, erm, brands. Adam Constable will head up the Discovery brand, as well as the newly formed Freelander brand that is in partnership with Chery. If you wish to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

BMW IN-CAR AD CREATES HUGE BACKLASH

There has been a huge backlash for BMW after it added an advert for the latest Spiderman movie, when it promised just a few years ago it would never do this due to the car being a “private place”. Anyone could have and should have known this was a really bad idea. To read more on this, click this electrive article link here.

CAR PARKING RULE ELICITS BIG REACTION

North Berwick is a lovely small town in Scotland that is the battlefield for a war between someone or may be some people and the council who have started new parking restrictions and rules following a consultation where they ignored the majority which was negative to the proposals. Since doing so parking meters have been routinely put out of action by the use of expanding spray foam and superglue. To read more, click this link to a Wall Street Journal article that might or might not work (sorry about that, its the best we could find).

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Renault Megane

Renault are in the process of updating their range with the latest battery and in-car technology they have. The Megane is the latest to be announced. Excepted to have a maximum range up to 310 miles and with the full UK subsidy, cost less than £30,000 it should attract buyers. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

BYD Ti7

BYD are coming for your large, boxy SUV of choice with the Ti7. Size wise it is larger than the Defender 110 but smaller than the 130. Technical specifications are impressive for the hybrid vehicle. Prices are to start from $47,995. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

Donkervort P24 RS

Donkervort’s latest sports car, the P24 RS, is coming to the UK and it will be in right-hand drive too. Costing from £302,400 this lightweight car packs a serious punch. Click this Autocar article link to read more.

DESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: MATT WEAVER IS THE NEW NISSAN DESIGN CHIEF

Matt Weaver, who is responsible for the Juke and Qashqai designs, will be leaving his post in Europe of senior design director, to take up the role of global head of design for the Japanese company. If you want to find out more, click this Autocar article link here.

LUNCHTIME READs: vamos a la playa parts 7 & 8

We are completionists here, and thus we bring you the final two parts to the Driven to Write series on beach cars. Part 7 is all about Japanese takes on the thorny problem of what’s the best way to get to the beach. Whilst Part 8 covers cars that didn’t make any other lists due to being the only option from countries. Click here for Part 7.

For Part 8, click this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: THE BEST CARS FROM COMPANIES THAT NO LONGER EXIST

Autocar has compiled a long list of the best cars from companies that we don’t have any more. Do you agree with the choices made? What would you pick? Click this link here to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: MOTORING ART - VELASOR

Classic & Sports Car provide the link this week to Ramón Cubiró and the astonishingly excellent team he has compiled at Velasor who make slot cars based around 1920s racing cars. The attention to detail and quality of the models needs to be seen to be believed. Click this link here to see more, including at the bottom of the article a link to the Velasor website.

We completed the Recharging Round Britain road-trip on the 18 July 2026, after six days trying to, sort of, replicate the EV trip we undertook a decade ago. This is the audio from our livestream where we summarised what we got up to this time.

Hear why we did this in the first place, the route, the charging, the car, the calculated costs and how we got on with our I-Spy book!

CHARGING SPONSOR

Thanks to our charging sponsor, GRIDSERVE, They have an EV charging network that spans almost the whole of the UK.

While you can just turn up and pay with a debit card or their app, you can also get 25% off charging rates at all 200 of their locations with GRIDSERVE Plus.

GRIDSERVE Plus costs just £7.99/month and can be cancelled at any time, much like many gym memberships, and as well as the discounted charging, there are many other seasonal membership benefits such as EV heathchecks while you charge, pet portraits, and similar.

Many people take out Gridserve Plus for a month at a time to cover a holiday or seasonal travel.

There's more information at gridserve.com/membership/

VEHICLE SPONSOR

Thank you to Hyundai, who once again have loaned us an electric vehicle enabling us to travel around as much of Britain as we can in six days. This time, we are using an Inster 02. To find out more on the Inster, you can listen to Alan’s time with one during the UK launch of the car, by clicking this link here.

To see more about the car, from Hyundai themselves, click this link here.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

FOLLOW UP: VW RESULTS FOR H1 OF 2026 ARE BAD

The headline figures for Volkswagen Group’s first half of 2026 financial results make for grim reading. There is a 11.6% drop in profits, despite revenue almost matching 2025. China was a big disappointment, but should not have been a surprise. Company claims cost savings are working already and the plans, which we are yet to know the full details, will accelerate the benefits to the company. Click this Autocar article link here, for more.

Part of the plans to reduce costs, that we have heard about, include shedding jobs. Anything between 100,000 and 140,000 has been rumoured, but they are only rumours to date. Additionally, a cull of their car line ups, plus reducing the model variants which will reduce the crossover, between brands, and complexity. Click this Autocar article link, to find out more.

However, the job cuts, in particular, are going to be a difficult thing to sell to workers. Already there have been protests at some plants, against any reduction in the workforce. To get an idea of what the management board are up against, click this electrive article link here.

To understand how big an issue, just the employee numbers side of things is, click this Carscoops article link here and begin to understand the scale of the problem.

PORSCHE APPEAR TO TURN AROUND FINANCIAL RESULTS IN H1

Considering where Porsche were last year, their financial results for the first half of 2026 are remarkably good. In explaining the turn around, a lot is made of how they have prioritised less volume but more profit per vehicle. The sales of 911s is held up as a very good thing. CEO Michael Leiters will unveil the full plan in October. You can read more, by clicking this Autocar article link here.

BMW SEEKS MORE JOB CUTS

BMW are another company that has announced their first half yearly results for 2026. Profits fell by 29.4%, with margins being squeezed down two percentage points to 6.5%. Reports suggest the company is seeking to cut the workforce by around 8,000, hopefully through severance packages. Most of the jobs will go in Germany and be office based roles. If you wish to find out more, click this electrive article link here.

STELLANTIS RESULTS IMPROVE BUT NOT IN EUROPE

Stellantis announced improved financial results, thanks to the US market that enabled a profit of £37.3bn. Europe, results were flat, which was part of the reason this was the only region to post a negative income margin of - 0.6%. For more on this, click this link here to read a Motor Trader article.

JLR UK GETS A NEW BOSS

JLR has announced that Cian O’Brien will become the managing director of JLR UK, as Patrick McGillycuddy will move to the head of the Defender brand. O’Brien is stepping up from the market and business operations director role he took on towards the beginning of the year. To read more, click this Autocar article link here.

MARIA GRAZIA DAVINO JOINS FORD EUROPE

Mario Grazio Davino, former managing director for BYD Europe, will be joining Ford Europe on 1 October 2026 to become vice president of sales. She will be responsible for all commercial operations, which includes retail, the dealer network and distribution. Click this Motor Trader article link here, for more.

If you like what we do, on this show, and think it is worth a £1.00, please consider supporting us via Patreon. Here is the link to that CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST

NEW NEW CAR NEWS -Bentley Torcal

Bentley has revealed some of the details about their first EV SUV, the Torcal, which will be shown off fully at the end of September. One of the issues their engineers have been tackling is how to match the emotion the sound of a V8 gives the driver and passengers, they think they have the solution. To find out more, click this Autocar article link here and find the video, plus more details about the car.

Xpeng X9

The X9 is a luxury MPV, aimed at moving the wealthy around in supreme comfort. Targeting the likes of the Lexus LM, the X9 undercuts the Japanese offering by twenty odd thousand pounds. To learn more, click this EV Powered article link here.

Amble One

From the pen of the designer who brought us the Audi R8 and the Apple Watch, Julian Hoenig in collaboration with Michael Tropper, the One is a quadracycle that will have a range of 62 miles and be capable of a top speed of 40 mph. The looks are similar but much improved on the Mini Moke and think of it doing a similar job but with off-road capability too. We like this a lot. Click this Autocar article link here for more.

LUNCHTIME READ: HIGH FIDELITY

Hagerty are the supplier of the recommended read this week, as Brendan McAleer tells us all about the fascinating history of Yamaha. How they came about and then moved from making musical instruments, to motorbikes and things such as the Lexus LFA engine. Click this link here to find out more.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 15 QUIRKY JAPANESE CARS OF THE 1990S

Classic & Sports Car provide the list we are running through, this week. All about interesting Japanese cars from the 90s. Do you agree with the choices made by Alan and Andrew? Click this link to see what your options are.

AND FINALLY: GO BACK TO THE FUTURE

We are pointing you towards a new Auto Diktak video, as this time he has the BMW i8 under the microscope. This podcast is a huge fan of the i8 and this video does not disappoint. Click this link to see the YouTube film and enjoy.