Author: Robin Roberts

Five major international companies have expressed interest in taking over the whole of the Ford Bridgend Engine Plant site, it has been revealed. They are among 21 businesses who have expressed interest in the 1.2M sqft site when Ford end production there in September, said Welsh Economy Minister Ken Skates after meeting the Ford Bridgend Task Force. He confirmed £100,000 of public money will be invested in the local area and region to encourage enterprise among the 1,200 Ford workers who will lose their jobs but want to remain working, also boosting businesses in Bridgend town centre and assisting Porthcawl…

British registrations went up 12% to over 56,200 with the compact XC40 taking 15,445 and the XC60 recording 11,766 sales as the brand out performed some other premium rivals in 2019 and globally topped its 93-years history with over 700,000 sales. This year will see more PHEV and BEV models joining the ranges to maintain this momentum. The Volvo XC60 series is a truly huge range with seven basic trim levels, 2WD or 4WD, almost exclusively automatic transmission and for now diesel engines along with petrol units, but its is moving towards a pure-electric line up in a few years.…

The future of hundreds of jobs for people in North East Wales is uncertain after Vauxhall parent Opel this week announced details of a voluntary severance scheme in Russelsheim, Germany which shares Astra production with Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. It has been known since spring last year that 2,100 jobs would be going in Germany when Opel produce the next generation Astra and it raised concerns for Ellesmere Port, which also assembles Astra models. Now Opel has said it will offer enhanced redundancy packages and guarantee some jobs for five years in Germany after consultations with the plant’s works council. However,…

Size can make a world of a difference to buyers and that’s where the Ford Mondeo packs them in. It has consistently won awards for its internal dimensions, roominess and popularity with families and business users and it’s easy to see why. The trend towards compact cars has seen the Mondeo segment shrink in numbers if not individual dimensions, but if you really need or want space there is little to rival the big hatchback or estate behind the blue oval badge. It’s a truly massive range of hatchbacks and estates with wide selection of powertrains in petrol, diesel, hybrids,…

Workers are wasting over five days of their time a year due to commuting problems, according to a poll by the CBI and Porter Novelli/Opinium. A survey of 2,000 employees across the UK found that they lost, on average, 2.7 hours a week due to travel disruption or delays. This equates to 125 hours, or over 5 whole days, in the course of a working year. As part of a new 18-month campaign called The Future of Commuting, the UK’s largest business group is working with KPMG to highlight the need to improve transport infrastructure across the UK, and make commuting…

Some 3 million public charging points will be needed for 44 million electric vehicles in 2030 if the EU is to become climate neutral by 2050, new research by green campaign and research group Transport & Environment (T&E) shows.  That’s over 15 times the 185,000 public chargers currently available in the EU – which are enough for the current electric fleet but not to keep pace with the growing market beyond 2020.  To finance the necessary chargers, the analysis estimates Europe needs €20 billion over the next 11 years, or €1.8 billion a year on average, in private and targeted public investment.…

The SMMT said today that overall sales in 2019 were 2.4% below the previous year at 2.31M new models. Sales in Wales were down under 1% by comparison.  Consumer confidence, confusion over clean air legislation which is tightening each year and challenging car makers, and the Brexit debate with a general election, combined to suppress demand. A drop in buyers choosing diesel hit planning and sales while the electric models are in short supply and high prices put off some. December marked the 33rdmonth of sales decline for diesels and tax changes have impacted on Benefit in Kind payments and…

If proof was needed that sleeping giants are a threat, then the Vauxhall Astra proves it with the facelifted models now reaching showrooms. The model has been a staple of the Vauxhall brand for 40 years as the eighth-generation arrives and it’s arguably the best, and has benefitted from input by new owners Peugeot Citroen. A new or revised range of engines cascade into the enormous spread of models and with about 80% going to businesses and fleets the emphasis is squarely on lowering tax penalties for them while delivering a better driving experience for every user. They have succeeded…

Enthusiasts of the winged-wonder-cars thought Bentley was mad to add an SUV to its luxury saloon, convertible and coupe line up but, of course, this is no ordinary SUV. Top end rivals have gone down the performance route but Bentley has brought sophistication with speed, comfort with capability and created what can truly be described as a Grand Tourer. If you have the wherewithal, the Bentley Bentayga Speed could be filled with bags and fuel, pointed towards the Mediterranean sun and the miles would roll by without stress or strain. Following the 18th Century Grand Tour of Europe so beloved…

The Honda Civic made in Britain has been a cornerstone of the Japanese company, but times are changing. They will be exiting their Swindon factory in 2021 after 36-years as the company realigns its manufacturing and concentrates on fuller utilization of its home plants. But that decision does not dent the appeal of the latest Civic hatchback, arguably the best so far. Engineers have retuned the suspension to make it more agile and the designers have given it a facelift both inside and out while the technical team has now fitted it with their latest and improved Honda Sensing combined…