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China agrees to ‘halve’ hybrid car exports to EU in landmark deal

Brussels says Beijing’s shipments could fall by more than half over four years, cutting millions of vehicles amid fears for European jobs The EU said it has reached a landmark deal with China to “halve” its sales of hybrid cars in the bloc amid fears surging sales could kill off parts of the European car industry. Trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič said the deal was the first of its kind and the result of “intense” negotiations with China since June to curb a trade deficit of €1.18bn (£1bn) a day, which has caused mounting tensions between the two economic powers. Continue reading...

The Jaguar Type 01: a £150k gargantuan getaway vehicle utterly useless in the city

Too costly for most, too large for UK car parks, and wheels bigger than a warlord’s pickup truck. But it does come in ‘London red’ Jaguar targets young Americans with Type 01 EV The cutting-edge car du jour, even while very few will ever buy one, is a good index of what the world’s coming to. It’s a dress-for-the-job-you-want principle, on wheels: drive for the world you want to inhabit. That’s why when Tesla launched the Model X with a bioweapon defence mode (2016!), we should have been much more worried than we were, and it’s why the Jaguar Type 01 Grand Tourer EV has a lot to say. Continue reading...

Jaguar targets young Americans with Type 01 EV – but it’s too long for UK parking spaces

Latest model is launching in New York to target rich US buyers – and is more than 5.2 metres long and 2 metres wide It has no rear window, will not fit into a UK parking space and – starting at £130,000 – ($172,000) is aimed squarely at rich tech industry buyers driving the wide open roads of America. Jaguar’s electric car, the Type 01, was launched in New York on Tuesday night and marks the culmination of a two-year rebrand that has been one of the most scrutinised in automotive history. Continue reading...

UK car industry faces ‘difficult trade-off’ between Chinese and EU markets

Britain under pressure to put tariffs on cheap Chinese vehicle imports ahead of protectionist trade measures Britain’s car industry is grappling with a “difficult trade-off” between China and Europe, as manufacturers struggle to balance the benefits of both markets ahead of looming trade measures that could restrict UK exports to the EU. The UK is an outlier in choosing not to put import taxes on Chinese vehicles, even as the US has shut them out almost entirely , and the EU imposes duties of up to 45% . Continue reading...

Tech in cars can be used to snoop on you, Dutch spy chiefs warn

Hostile states could access cameras, microphones or GPS, says intelligence agency amid concerns over Chinese imports Drivers have been warned that the smart features built into modern cars such as microphones, cameras and GPS trackers could be used by hostile states to spy on them. The Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) called for “awareness of espionage risks around modern vehicles”, including microphones that can by switched on remotely to listen to conversations. Continue reading...

Trump administration to slash clean car rules aimed at cutting climate emissions

Environmentalists decry move that relaxes requirements on automakers to control pollution from gas-powered cars The Trump administration on Monday announced it was slashing clean car rules that had been aimed at reducing planet-heating emissions and boosting electric vehicles. The move, which was criticized by environmentalists, relaxes requirements on automakers to control pollution from gasoline-powered cars and light trucks for model years 2022 through 2031. Continue reading...