Sick of everything - 21 November 2023

FOLLOW UP: BRITISHVOLT OWNER SERVED NOTICE ON UNPAID WAGESAn ex employee has served a legal notice on Recharge Industries, the “owner” of the failed battery manufacturer Britishvolt, for unpaid wages. If the money is not forthcoming, the firm could be pursued further with bankruptcy proceedings being an option. Click this link to read more from The Guardian. FOLLOW UP: CRUISE HALTS ALL OPERATIONS AND CEO RESIGNSCruise has now halted all ride-hailing operations, even those with human safety drivers. On top of that Kyle Vogt has resigned as CEO of the company. Also departing is fellow co-founder Daniel Kan. You can see more by clicking this link to an article from The Register, which shows a timeline of recent events including the astonishing creation of a chief safety officer ten years after the company was formed. TESLA HITTING A UNION WALL IN SWEDENTesla is refusing to allow a Swedish union to use a ‘collective bargaining agreement’, with the members of the IF Metall union in their repair centres. They have been trying to get the company to do this for five years. They are now on strike and as is the way in Sweden, other unions are showing their support by refusing to do work with or for Tesla. You can find out more, by clicking this link to an Associated Press article. UK GOVERNMENT PLEDGES CASH TO FIX SOME POTHOLESThe UK Government has made a big announcement at how they are allocating some of the money that would have been spent on HS2 to fixing some of the potholes on our roads, over the next eleven years. Unfortunately, as Paul Lomax makes clear, it is a drop in an ocean of underfunding, which you can read more by clicking this Twitter thread here, for context. To find out more on this story, click this Autocar link here. UK GOVERNMENT INVESTS IN EV AUTO INDUSTRY The UK Government also announced that it is assigning £2 billion to help the automotive industry transition to the new zero emission market. However, as the chaps and the Business and Trade Select Committee in Parliament point out, this is welcome but where is the strategy or this is just throwing money without a plan. If you wish to learn more, click this link from Autocar Professional. AMAZON US TO SELL CARS FOR HYUNDAI ONLINEAmazon and Hyundai announced that they will team up to sell cars online in the United States, from late 2024. Full details have yet to emerge, including how will full prices be declared. On top of that, Hyundai will be adding Alexa to their new cars from 2025. Click this BBC News article link for more. MERSEYSIDE POLICE USE CAMERAS TO CATCH TRAFFIC OFFENCE VIOLATIONSMerseyside police are using a camera system that spots if drivers are using a mobile phone with their hands or occupants do not have their seatbelts on. To clarify, it is not “AI” it is image recognition. More can be learned by clicking this BBC News article link here. M49 GHOST JUNCTION GIVE LEASE OF LIFEThe M49 has a junction on it that leads to no where as the access roads were not built in 2020. However, the UK Government has agreed to fund £7 million to help enable the works to be completed. Click this BBC News article 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 PODCAST NEW NEW CAR NEWS - Subaru ForesterAt the LA Motor Show the new Subaru Forester was revealed. Essentially a heavy facelift, but expected with a new hybrid powertrain when it comes to the UK. Whilst details are sparse, the price is expected to increase and be £40,000 or slightly more. Click this CAR article to read more. Polestar 5Also from LA, Polestar revealed their new range topping car, the 5. A large saloon, with oodles of power and space, that is being engineered in the UK. Details can be found by clicking this link here to an Autocar article. Porsche brings Google apps to their cars Porsche is u-turning on their previous decision not to allow Google apps in their cars, for privacy reasons, as the issues with Group in-house CARIAD software continues. To learn more, click this link from The Verge. Toyota steer-by-wire systemToyota will be bringing their steer-by-wire system to the bZ4X and Lexus RZ in 2024, meaning a yoke-style steering wheel can be used. The One Motion Grip (stop sniggering) as the system is named, with have a 200 degree ratio, which is a tweak on the 150 degree previously for a more natural feel. Click here to read more from an Autocar article. LUNCHTIME READ: THE ESCORT COSWORTH IS A LEGENDARY RALLY MACHINE THAT’S HIDING A BIG SECRETThe Autopian brings us the story of how the Escort Cosworth came to be, especially from such seemingly humble origins. Fantastic read that is well worth checking out, which you can do by clicking this link here. LIST OF THE WEEK: THE HERO CARS OF THE 1980SAutocar has compiled a list of, what it claims, are hero cars of the 1980s. They ask if we agree and we do not, in all instances. But there are a host to pick from, which you can check out by clicking this link here. Don’t forget to tell the chaps your choice. AND FINALLY: THE HOT WHEELS LEGENDS TOUR 2023 WINNER We, once more, bring you the Hot Wheels Legends Tour 2023, as they now announce the overall winner that will be made into a model for their range. Click this Top Gear link to read more and see some of the astonishing details of the car, making it a worthy winner.