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Number made fell to 780,000, the lowest for seven decades barring the pandemic, as carmakers battle weak demand and EV transition British car production fell in 2024 to its lowest level in seven decades – barring the coronavirus pandemic – as the industry struggles with weak demand and prepares to shift away from fossil fuels to electric vehicles. The number of cars made in the UK fell to 780,000 during the year, the lowest since 1954, except for during the pandemic when first factories were forced to close and then supply chain problems caused shortages of computer chips , according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), a lobby group. Continue reading...

The president has signed orders to pardon January 6 rioters, scrap DEI policies and end ‘gender radicalism’ in military Donald Trump has signed dozens of executive orders in his first weeks back in office, including ending birthright citizenship, pardons for January 6 rioters, and withdrawing from the Paris climate accord. He’s also signed actions eliminating DEI and “ gender radicalism ” from the US military. Trump promised in his inaugural speech that these orders would amount to a “complete restoration of America”. Continue reading...

American Axle and Manufacturing’s acquisition of Dowlais follows exodus of London-listed companies in 2024 The British car parts maker Dowlais has agreed to a £1.2bn takeover by its US rival American Axle & Manufacturing, in the latest departure from the London stock market. The main operation of Dowlais, which has been listed on the FTSE 250 index since 2023 , is GKN Automotive, which formed part of the GKN engineering business that was bought by the private equity group Melrose in an acrimonious £8bn takeover battle in 2018. Continue reading...

Ministers in talks with vehicle finance sector about making more low-interest or interest-free loans available The UK government is reportedly considering subsidising purchases of electric vehicles by guaranteeing consumer loans, as it looks at ways to boost sales that are failing to reach official targets. Ministers have started talks with the car finance sector on how to make more low-interest or interest-free loans available to help consumers buy more EVs, according to the Financial Times. Continue reading...

Levies threaten exporters to US market, while scrapping of subsidies will hit EV sales – and Tesla could gain The internal combustion engine appears to hold a special place in Donald Trump’s psyche. During his inauguration speech last week, he made a “sacred pledge” to raise US car production to “a rate that nobody could have dreamt possible just a few years ago”. Car making and the oil industry – not AI, computer chips, or even cryptocurrencies – were the only two industries the new US president highlighted as he promised to make America a “manufacturing nation once again”. Continue reading...

Elon Musk’s company still imports large number of cars into Europe from its Shanghai factory Tesla has filed a complaint against the European Commission after the imposition of tariffs by the bloc on its Chinese-made electric vehicles. The EU announced its decision to impose tariffs on all imports of Chinese electric cars in June, alleging that the Chinese government had provided unfair state subsidies to manufacturers in order to win a dominant position in the emerging industry. EU leaders approved the tariffs in October . Continue reading...

The high cost and low availability of charging for those without driveways is hindering the UK’s EV economy Britain’s car owners are split into two tribes: the have-drives and the have-nots. If you have private off-street parking there are very few reasons not to buy an electric car (if you can afford to). The challenge, and one putting a brake on the transition away from polluting fossil fuels, is for motorists who jostle with neighbours to park on the street and access to public EV chargers. Continue reading...