Chauvinistic Prat - 9 November 2021

Motoring Podcast - News Show

FOLLOW UP: ENVISION SCALES BACK OUTPUT PREDICTION

Envision, the Chinese company partnering with Renault on their battery factory, in Northern France, has lowered the predicted production output due to a change in the site’s layout. The wooded area, previously marked for demolition will now not be destroyed because it is a wildlife habitat and building there would be “complicated”. Output is now predicted to be 30 gigawatts per hour against 43 previously expected. To find out more, click the Today News Post here.

OCTOBER 2021 NEW CAR REGISTRATION FIGURES

Another month means more grim reading, with figures down 24.6% on last year, and that was hardly spectacular. Chip shortages are the main reason why. Electrified vehicles, though, helped reduce the pain. To find out more, click here for the SMMT article.

TESLA RECALLS ON BACK OF SOFTWARE GLITCH

A communication error, for nearly 12,000 cars sold in the US since 2017, could result in false forward collision warning and application of the automated emergency braking. The issue appears to be two chips not communicating once woken from sentry or summon standby modes. To read more, click The Guardian article here.

MERCEDES RECALLS EQC DUE TO WATER INGRESS DAMAGE

Mercedes-Benz has issued a recall for their EQC SUV, built between 11 December 2019 and 18 May 2020. The steering wiring harness may have been damaged during assembly, which could lead to water ingress. This model has been hit by a number of recalls. To find out more, click here for the Autocar article.

MERCEDES ACCUSED OF DEFEAT DEVICE USE

A German environmental group (DUH) has accused Mercedes-Benz of using eight ‘defeat devices’ in an engine tested on an E350d Bluetec. The German regulatory authority has stated it was aware of these devices and that they were permissible, to ensure a long life of the engine. DUH claim, these devices are not about longevity of life. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

JCB AWARDED DEWAR TROPHY BY RAC FOR HYDROGEN ENGINE

The RAC has awarded JCB their Dewar Trophy, for "an outstanding British technical achievement in the automotive field", thanks to the development of the ABH2 hydrogen engine which gives a similar performance to the diesel equivalent. Whilst it produces no CO2, it also produces less NOx than a diesel. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES ROAD COLLISION INVESTIGATION CONSULTATION

The Government has launched a new consultation about setting up a dedicated organisation to investigate road collisions. The idea is for lessons to be learned and shared after investigating road incidents, including those where automated and driver assistance technologies are involved. To find out more and give your opinions, click the link here.

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NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Toyota Aygo X

Is this the most Alan new car to have ever featured on the podcast? Only time will tell, but what we can say is this small SUV is very much a car for now. Due to it’s size it will not threaten other road uses, as do larger vehicles, but still give an elevated driving position. It will come with a 1.0 petrol engine, without any electrification, giving 71hp, 69lb ft of torque and 107g/km of CO2. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

Oh, one more thing, apparently, there could be a GR version too. Now THAT makes it the most Alan car. To see more about that, click the here for the Autocar article.

Ora Car EV

The Ora Cat is a Chinese offering, due to be on sale from December, with a starting price of £25,000. This supermini sized EV will have a range of 261 miles, via a 63 kWh battery pack, for the top of the range. The base model will have a 53 kWh pack capable of 209 miles. The company, a brand of Great Wall Motors, has high hopes for their range. To find out more, click the Autocar article here.

LUNCHTIME WATCH: BRINGING CAR HEAVEN TO MANCHESTER

The Late Brake Show was continuing their World Tour of stadiums (this may be a slight over exaggeration), this time in Manchester. Andrew actually went and interacted with real people and cars. You can get a glimpse of how much of a wonderful event it really was by watching their round up video, by clicking this link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: 1996’s BEST CARS NOW IN THE US

Thanks to the US’s odd import rules, our friends over the pond have to wait many years before they can get their hands on stuff we’ve had and discarded. Here is a list, from Motoring Research, of the best of what they could now get from 1996. As ever, don’t forget to tell the chaps your choice and if you agree with their selections.

AND FINALLY: SUNG KANG’S RALLY-SPEC DATSUN 240Z

Sung Kang, famous for The Fast and Furious franchise movies, has built his own tribute to the 50th anniversary of the East African Safari Rally winning car. And we want it. Like now, please. This is better than a tarted up Juke, that is for sure. To gaze on and lust, click the Top Gear link here.