Inflated Dolphins - 6 December 2022

NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES FOR NOVEMBER 2022The SMMT has revealed the new car registration figures for November 2022 and there is reason to be more optimistic as the rise is genuinely impressive, if not up to pre-pandemic standards. Supply has allowed for 142,889 cars to be registered, with BEVs and to a certain degree PHEVs being a major factor in the push. Click here to read more, from SMMT.FORD INVESTING IN HALEWOOD PLANTFord Motor Company is investing in the Merseyside Halewood plant, to enable the production of electric drivetrains. The aim is for the site to produce 70% of the drivetrains required for Europe, by 2026. To read more, click this link to The Guardian article. RIMAC EXPANDING UK R&D CENTRERimac is beginning a recruitment drive for their UK Technology R&D Centre, where they will add to the control systems, battery and electrical systems teams. Click here to learn more from TheBusinessDesk article. GOVERNMENT FUNDING TOYOTA HYDROGEN RESEARCHThe UK Government is allocating £11 million to a project run by Toyota, researching hydrogen use for zero emission vehicles in isolated areas of the UK. There are plenty of places, in the UK, that it is not practical to set up an EV charging station, particularly in industrial settings, therefore investigating if this is viable is important. Click this Autocar link for more. SIRIUSXM VULNERABILITY EXPOSES CARS TO HACKINGIn the US SiriusXM is known, on the consumer side of things, as a streaming/radio platform. However, they also provide connected car services to many major car brands. Ethical hacker Sam Curry found a vulnerability tied into the VIN numbers of cars which then allowed him to access certain vehicles, unlocking doors, activating the horn, starting engines and the likes. All due to basic protection being non existent. SiriusXM claim they have fixed the issue. To learn more, click the AutoEvolutions article link here. To see exactly what Sam did, click his Twitter thread here. EUROPEAN AUTOMOTIVE CYBER SECURITY HUB FORMEDEurope’s first automotive cyber security hub has been formed in Sweden, where the Research Institute of Sweden will join forces with telecom experts and ethical hackers. For more on this story, click the AMOnline article link here. BORGWARD FINALLY DECLARED OFFICIALLY BANKRUPTIn a Chinese court, Borgward has been declared as officially bankrupt, closing the door on what was once a much hyped EV company that only seemed to sell anything in Luxembourg. Click this Autocar link to find out more. NOTTINGHAM EXTENDING ESCOOTER TRIALWhere many other trials are coming to an end and some places are even considering banning escooters altogether, Nottingham is extending theirs in line with the UK Government’s new time limit of March 2024. Move Electric have more on this, which you can read by clicking this link here. NORTHERN RAIL BANS ESCOOTERS FROM THEIR SERVICENorthern, the rail operator that occasionally decides to run trains in the North of England, has announced that it is banning escooters from their trains and platforms. Whilst they point out they are not legal in public places, they claim that the “horror stories” of battery fires are the reason for this move. Click this Move Electric link to find out 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 PODCASTDESIGNERS MOOD BOARD: SALAR MOVES TO MOBILIZEJean-Philippe Salar, the ex-Renault and Dacia designer, is heading up the design team at Renault’s new mobility division, Mobilize. He will have an important and, what looks like from the outside, fun job in helping to create the future for individual and non mass transport mobility ideas. Click here to read more, thanks to Autocar. LUNCHTIME READ: SAVING AND RESTORING A PEUGEOT 406 COUPÉ PUSHED ME TO MY LIMITSFriend of the show, Gavin Braithwaite-Smith, tells us all about his decision to save and then restore a 406 coupé. In case you need inspiration for something to do over the long winter months. Click here to read this honest account, on Hagerty. LIST OF THE WEEK: 10 1990s CONCEPTS THAT LET DESIGNERS RUN WILDThis list, from Hagerty, shows some of the experimentation that took place in the 1990s and is superb for it. Run through these options and then let the chaps know if you agree with Alan’s choice. Click here to pick your favourite. AND FINALLY: #AUTOADVENT2022 IS NOW LIVEJon Male, once again, delights and frustrates us with his wonderful #AutoAdvent2022. Click this link to take you to Day 1 where you will learn the rules and how to play along. Don’t forget to dust off your Scrabble board! And best of luck.