Minissima - 31 May 2022

Super short this week as Andrew was plagued by microphone issues. As a result, there are many more stories here in the notes than were covered in the show.FOLLOW UP: VW SETTLE UK CONSUMER LITIGATIONVolkswagen has agreed to pay UK consumers £193 million in compensation for fitting defeat devices to their diesel cars. Around 70,000 people will benefit from this payment. To read more, click here for the Automotive Management article. FOLLOW UP: STELLANTIS REACH PLEA DEAL OVER EMISSIONS PROBEStellantis, via their FCA unit, has reached a plea deal with the US Justice Department over a probe into emissions from their vehicles. FCA has pleaded guilty and will pay in the region of $300 million. Three FCA employees are also to be charged. More on this story can be found by clicking this Reuters link here. JLR LOOKING ABROAD FOR EV PRODUCTIONJLR is in talks over building EV models abroad in Slovakia, which is a blow to UK production. This also raises the issue that there are not enough battery plants in the UK now nor, as some fear, probably in the future, so other manufacturers will look aboard too. To read more, click the Bloomberg link here. AUTOCAR AND WHATCAR? GET AUTOTRADER ADSAutotrader will power the used car adverts on Autocar and WhatCar? sites, in a deal announced last Tuesday. Autotrader will now get access to more consumers and Autocar will be able to show readers possible options for the cars they are researching at that moment. You can read more on this by clicking here for the Autocar link. WASHINGTON TO CHARGE CARS ON WEIGHTIn the first move, of what could be a new way for cities to control the vehicles on their roads, Washington DC is to charge an extra levy on vehicles over 6000lbs (2722 kgs) of $500 per year. There is an extra 1000lb waiver for EVs, apparently to prevent discouragement of adoption. For more, click the Green Car Reports article link here. REE TO BUILD EUROPEAN EV VANS IN MIDLANDSThe Israeli start up REE is using its base in Warwickshire to build EU electric vehicle units, for commercial, buses and recreational vehicles. The aim is to produce 10,000 vehicles, which equates to 40,000 units as their system is a moor at each wheel. To learn more about their plans, click this MoveElectric article link. BAC AND VIRITECH HYDROGEN FEASIBILITY STUDYBAC and Viritech are undertaking a feasibility study of a hydrogen powertrain for sports cars. They are establishing if it is possible to make a Mono with this alternative power source. One of the problems they need to overcome is the potential for extra weight, if it were an electric battery powered car. Viritech are working on lightweight fuel cell drivetrains. More can be found out by clicking this article from BAC. FIAT AXING ALL NON ELECTRIFIED MODELS FROM JULYFiat has announced that it will no longer sell any non electrified vehicles, in the UK, from July. Now that the Tipo and 500X have hybrid versions, Fiat can stop selling ICE only models. To read about this, click the Autocar link here. PUBLIC ULTRA-RAPID CHARGERS COSTS RISEThe cost to use a public ultra-rapid charging station has increased dramatically, over the last eight months. The 50% rise is still less than petrol price rise over the same time period, which stands at 88%. For more about this, click here for the Autocar link. To learn more about the RAC Charge Watch click here. JLR RELAUNCHES ONLINE BUYING SERVICESJaguarLandRover has relaunched their online buying, subscription and hiring services. Called “Own. Subscribe. Rent.” they have simplified their previous offering, making it easier and quicker for a potential customer to get to the point of actually parting with their cash. You can find out more, by clicking the Automotive Management article link here. ——————————————————————————-We are at the MOVE 2022 Conference at ExCel, London. Alan will be moderating a panel titled "All these EV targets, where's the charging infrastructure?" with Katie Black, head of the UK's Office for Zero-Emission Vehicles; Daniel Tibble, Director of Data Science and Analytics of the connected vehicle data company, Wejo; and Hui Zhang, the Vice President for Europe of EV company, NIO. More details on the conference can be found by clicking this link here. We have some complimentary tickets, which you can apply for, if you wish to attend the conference yourself. To do so, click this link here and fill out the details required. ——————————————————————————-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:Ora Funky Cat - Ora has renamed the Cat to help it take on rivals such as the ID.3 by now calling it the Ora Funky Cat, ready for an autumn launch in the UK. Prices will start at £30, 495 (including Government grant). The range will be 193 miles for entry level, 209 miles for mid range (when it becomes available) and 261 miles for the top of the range, again when available. To learn more, click the Autocar article here. Land Rover Defender 130 - Land Rover is launching an eight seater version of the Defender, titled 130, later this year. Prices start at £73, 895. The seating is a two, three, three layout, from the front to the rear. Land Rover claim three adults can travel in comfort in the back row, as well as access the seats simply, thanks to clever folding and sliding mechanism on the middle row. More can be found out by clicking this Autocar link here. LUNCHTIME READ: MATT FARAH HAS NEVER WORKED A DAY IN HIS LIFEMatt Farah, the host of The Smoking Tire, is the focus of this fascinating article. We learn about his past and how he really got started, the pivots along the way and the sense of responsibility he feels when he reviews vehicles. To read this excellent piece, click the link to the Avants article here. LIST OF THE WEEK: 11 CONCEPTS THAT DEFINED THE 1970SHagerty provides our List of the Week, with a selection of 11 concept cars they feel defined the 70s. After hearing what the chaps select, click this link here, then run through and let them know if you would pick...