TEN I N TEN

02 / LAW COMMISSION URGES REMOTE DRIVING LEGISLATION

The Law Commission has proposed reforms to existing legislation in order to facilitate remote driving. Following a consultation last year, key ideas include a blanket ban on remote driving controlled from abroad (until international agreements are made) and a law stipulating that operators need a Vehicle Special Order to run remotely driven vehicles without a safety driver. Primary legislation is likely to be required in the long run.

01 / EV WINTER RANGE

In tests conducted by What Car? and picked up by a gleeful national media, electric vehicles were shown to fall considerably short of their claimed ranges during the colder winter months. With new entrant the Ora Funky Cat coming to a stop around 33% sooner than it should, headlines rang out with claims that cold weather shortened EV ranges by a third, though the difference was less drastic in other models. Thankfully the weather should start to improve, along with the ranges.

04 / MAGNA TO CLOSE ITS MERSEYSIDE PLANT

Around 300 jobs are at risk in Halewood following Magna’s announcement that it plans to close the Merplas parts factory. Citing future business and market demands, Canadian giant Magna said it has informed employees that the site will be closing in the next 12-15 months.

03 / A WOMAN’S TOUCH

A Devon-based car leasing firm called Carparison is offering a female-only team for customers who would rather speak to a woman about their new car. Whether this is enough to convince more women into dealerships remains to be seen – less than a quarter of all car finance deals are signed by women.

05 / LATVIAN DRINK-DRIVERS CONTRIBUTE TO UKRAINIAN DEFENCE

Under measures designed to curb drink-driving in the Baltic state of Latvia, government officials can now impound cars if their drivers are more than three times over the limit, and send the vehicles to war-torn Ukraine. The first batch of cars, which included a Volvo, a Volkswagen and a Toyota, are being delivered to Ukrainian forces by Agendum, a Riga-based organisation supplying donated vehicles to the war effort.

06 / EV TARGETS ‘UNACHIEVABLE WITHIN REGULATORY TIMEFRAME’...

A survey of industry leaders undertaken by ABB Robotics and Automotive Manufacturing Solutions suggests that the transition to electric vehicles is unfeasible within the anticipated legislative timelines. Some 59% of respondents said that the shift to pure EV production is unattainable by government deadlines, with just 11% feeling that present targets were realistic.

07 / …WHILE GERMANY THINKS E-FUEL IS THE ANSWER

In an attempt to stave off the approaching ban, Germany (along with Italy and Bulgaria) is aggressively lobbying the European Commission to include synthetic carbon-based fuels in its environmental agenda. Proponents say that these fuels are a vital and carbon-neutral component of the green transition, while critics say it’s an ecological red herring. There are enough countries who agree with Germany to block final sign-off of the 2035 deadline.

09 / GOVERNMENT DELAYS ROADBUILDING PROJECTS AND HS2 – AGAIN

Major road projects previously expected to begin next year have been pushed back to at least 2025, as soaring inflation makes infrastructure projects too expensive. The Lower Thames Crossing, set to cost at least £9bn, is expected to be pushed back even further, while HS2, one of the country’s largest ever transport projects, is likely to be delayed by another few years.

08 / ULEZ CAMERA VANDALISM

The growing network of cameras installed to enforce London’s expanding ULEZ zone is being sabotaged by unknown vandals amid widespread controversy surrounding the scheme. Some are being obscured with paint, while others –including four in Abbey Wood – have been physically damaged. Four Tory-controlled boroughs are launching legal action against the ULEZ expansion.

10 / AUDI LAUNCHES E-BIKE

In a welcome departure from its increasingly hefty SUVs, Audi has launched an electric mountain bike. Boasting a 36V, 90Nm motor powered by an integrated 720Wh Fantic battery, the £8,499 bike is inspired by the Audi RS Q e-tron E2 rally car. Its official name? The Audi electric mountain bike powered by Fantic – catchy.