Rant Down - 20 June 2023

FOLLOW UP: NHTSA TELLS CAR COMPANIES TO IGNORE RIGHT TO REPAIRIn a stunning move, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has told car companies in the USA to ignore the new Massachusetts right-to-repair law. The claims in the letter cover cyber security risks and malicious actions. Questions were also raised about the author of the letter and their involvement in the long battle by John Deere and the right to repair and how that could be seen as a conflict. Click this Reuters article link for more. For some context on the claims in the NHTAS letter and how they run a little hollow, click this link from Hot Hardware. VW ANNOUNCE ANOTHER NEW STRATEGYVolkswagen CEO, Thomas Schäfer, announced the latest strategy for the brand. They will be prioritising volumes, with sales, cutting some of their models as they focus on “core models”. There is also mention of more cross brand working. You can find out more by clicking this AM Online article link here. That is not the end of the announcements though, VW is dropping the manual gearbox if Euro 7 legislation is implemented as it is now. The claim is that it is needed for emission rules. Click this Autocar article link for more. Also announced, again by Schäfer, was the news that the interiors of Volkswagens will be improved and made simpler. Acknowledging the complaints about the touch-screen only approach, with a return to a more functional design and layout. Click this Autocar article for more. STELLANTIS ENDING ICE ONLY MODELS IN SOME US STATESStellantis are no longer selling ICE only cars in 14 states in the US, in order to meet stricter emission rules. All models are electrified to greater or lesser extent. They announced the move in April. Click this Autopian article link to find out more. TIGHT FINANCES CAUSE OWNERS TO SKIP SERVICINGIn news that should surprise no one, Volkswagen Financial Services surveyed over 2000 owners to find out a third are skipping essential servicing due to the cost of living crisis. This is the latest in a number of such results from many companies reporting the similar news. Click this Autocar article link to read more on this worrying trend. NEW MOTORING OFFENCES SENTENCING GUIDELINES PUBLISHED The Sentencing Council has listed the revised and new sentences for motoring offences, covering dangerous, disqualified, careless and uninsured driving amongst others. Click here to read the list and what the sentence recommendations are, from the Council. INCREASED PARKING CHARGES FOR POLLUTING CARSLambeth Council is introducing increased parking charges for the most polluting cars. There is also a surcharge if the car is a diesel vehicle. 59% of residents objected to the proposal but Lambeth introduced it anyway. Click this article link, from The Guardian, to read more. Islington is not to be outdone though, they are introducing parking rate bands for EVs, based on battery sizes in the vehicle. This will probably come as a shock to those who thought moving to a zero tail pipe emission vehicle was the right thing to do, as the council justifies the prices because there is “significant carbon imprint from the production and recycling of the battery, as well as the overall emissions.” Click this TransportXtra article link to read more. CORYTON LAUNCHES BIOFUEL FOR CLASSICSAiming at the classic car market, UK biofuel company, Coryton, has launched a range of fuels that will allow owners to continue to run their car with reduced emissions but without the worry of damage to the engine. You can learn more, including the different strengths, by clicking this Autocar article link here. NYOBOLT TO PRODUCE NEW BATTERYNyobolt, a UK based EV battery tech company, has confirmed that it hopes to be producing their new battery by 2026. The system will allow 100% charging in six minutes. They have targeted giving enough range coupled with a quick recharge time, rather than as much range as possible. To find out more, click this link here from Autocar. JLR SELECTS INDIAN FIRM FOR 420 MILE BATTERYJaguar Land Rover has selected Agratas, an Indian company who is part of the Tata empire, to supply their 420 mile battery packs for their next generation EVs. Confirmation is still waiting on if they will be supplying from the projected date the cars are due in customer’s hands. Click this Autocar article link, to learn more. WELSH GOVERNMENT INVESTING MORE IN EV CHARGINGThe Welsh Government is to invest a further £15 million, in order to help councils provide more charging points across the Principality. This is on top of the previous £26 million. Click here, on this ZapMap article link, to learn 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 - Software Republique H1st VisionRenault and a who’s who of French technology companies unveiled a concept car and “concrete, operations” technologies they believe will revolutionise mobility and car use. Systems such as utilising biometrics for opening and operating the vehicle, digital wallets tied to the car, driver monitoring that includes claims of facial expression and your mood recognition and more utter fantasy and ill-conceived ideas were paraded to the press. These all will unnecessarily expose the company to cyber security, privacy and legal issues that are silly and completely avoidable. Click this Autocar link to scoff at the suggestions. More real and actually interesting was the announcement about the Renault 5 EV being able to allow the battery to discharge back into the electricity grid. They go on to mention that is should save owners money. You can learn more by clicking this Autocar link here. NIO EL6 and ET5 NIO are bringing two new models to Europe and it is presumed the UK shortly after. The EL6 is a SUV which will be competing against the Audi Q8 E-tron and Mercedes ECQ. This will be a real test to see if buyers will go for premium products not produced by the Germans, as some believe they will not. Click this link to read more, thanks to Autocar. The ET5 is an estate EV, with its sights set firmly on the BMW i5 Touring. Slightly shorter in length but very similar otherwise, including power, range and performance. Again, it is yet to be seen if customers will eschew the German brands for this Chinese car. Learn more, by clicking this Autocar link here. Mercedes-Benz Vision One-ElevenLeaning heavily on the historic C111 from the 70s, Mercedes reveal their latest concept. This gorgeous low slung coupe, with gull-wing doors, as spectacular interior and a clean exterior design is wonderful poster material. On top of which the claimed technologies involved...