Building statues - 13 May 2025

APRIL 2025 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

As expected, the new car registration figures for April 2025, were down following the jump in March prior to the tax changes. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) explained how there was a ten percent drop, year-on-year. However, BEV and PHEV registrations rose, but are not near the levels needed to comply with the ZEV mandate. Once again the SMMT called on the Government to assist the industry and buyers. Click this link to read more, from SMMT.

GOVERNMENT FUNDING FOR SUNDERLAND BATTERY FACTORY

The planned factory, by AESC, in Sunderland, which will make batteries for Nissan is to receive Government funding. £350 million has been allocated, with an expectation of a thousand well paid jobs, according to the chancellor Rachel Reeves. You can find out more, by clicking this Sunderland Echo article link, here.

NISSAN CANCELLING JAPANESE BATTERY FACTORY

Nissan is not going to build the planned battery factory in Kitakyushu, Japan. This will save the company $1.1 billion, it is reported. If you wish to read more, click this Yahoo Finance article link here.

UK - INDIA TRADE AGREEMENT ANNOUNCED

Details are a bit sketchy, but the UK and Indian Governments announced that they had reached a trade agreement. One beneficiary is the car industry or at least those who produce “high end cars”, whatever they are. Until more information is more forthcoming it is difficult to confirm if it is good or not. Click this Autocar article for more.

EU TWEAKS CO2 EMISSION RULES

The EU has made changes to the rules for car manufacturers about CO2 emissions. They will now allow brands to average their fleet output over three years rather than annually. If you wish to read more click this Yahoo Finance article link here.

FOXCONN AND MITSUBISHI AGREE PRODUCTION DEAL

Foxconn has announced the first deal to develop and produce a car for a brand. Mitsubishi has agreed to allow them to bring a car to the Australian and New Zealand markets in late 2026. To read more, click this electrive article link here.

CONFUSION OVER FRENCH ZEVS

The future of French Clean Air Zones is in doubt as the country’s parliament is voting on making daily life more simple. After hearing Alan explain some of the intricacies it is easy to see why people are suggesting it is not the most straightforward thing. Click this Connexion article to read more.

VOLTA TRUCKS GOES BANKRUPT AGAIN

In late 2023 the Swedish arm of Volta Trucks went into receivership, alas now the UK and Austrian elements have followed suit. This is a sad end to what looked like a promising venture that was let down by relying on technology from a company that themselves went bankrupt. To read more, click this article link here from electrive.

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS -

Jeep Compass

The latest variant of the Stellantis Medium Architecture platform is the jeep Compass, a mid sized SUV with extra off-road capability over sister cars such as the Citroën Aircross and Vauxhall Grandland. A mix of powertrain offerings is topped out by an EV with a maximum range up to 404 miles. Click this Autocar link to read more.

Volvo XC70

Volvo are brining back the XC70, in the form of a range extender with an EV-only maximum capacity of 124 miles. At the moment this is only for the Chinese market, but they are not saying it won’t be sold globally. Click this Autocar link here.

Mika Mino

Mika are a company that sell a funky electric beach buggy, but have now revealed images of the Mino, an all electric quadracycle with a top speed around 56 mph and a maximum range up to 160 miles. Friend of the show, Nir Kahn, is behind the design. Click this Wallpaper article to read more.

LUNCHTIME READ: MICRO MACHINES

Top Gear go to Japan, this time to find out more about the museum dedicated to the country’s micro machines. Smaller than kei cars these fabulous creations are discussed. Do click the link here, to read more and see the wonderful pictures.

LIST OF THE WEEK: TOP 1990S COUPÉ ICONS

Sticking with last week’s selection of the decade, the chaps move onto coupés and they do not agree with each other’s choices. At all. Click this Hagerty link here, to read more and see what is being suggested.

AND FINALLY: CAREFUL WHERE YOU PARK

Mark Lucas parked his electric van in a vehicle stacker car park on Rathbone Square, in London. Due to a fault in the mechanism he couldn’t get it back for over two years. Click this Autopian link to read more about this ridiculous situation.