Hear the Sparrows Farting - 23 November 2021

Motoring Podcast - News Show

FOLLOW UP: VW SHOULD’VE PUBLISHED ENGINE PLAN

In a test case brought by investors in Germany, Volkswagen is accused of failing to disclose the problem from back in 2008. The judge has stated that it is on the investors to prove VW or any of their staff withheld information, but it is up to VW to prove the board not telling investors from 2012 was not grossly negligent nor deliberate. To read more, click here for the Reuters article.

FOLLOW UP: CONTINENTAL EX-CEO AND EX-CFO INVESTIGATED

The ex-CEO, Dagenhart, and just sacked CFO, Wolfgang Schaefer, who held their roles for Continental, are being investigated by German prosecutors over their involvement in dieselgate, specifically regarding the 1.6 litre diesel engines. To read more on this story, click the Yahoo News article here.

HAND HELD DEVICES TO BE ILLEGAL BEHIND THE WHEEL

The Highway Code will be updated with changes to interacting with your mobile phone, whilst driving. The loopholes that allow playing games, filming or scrolling through playlists whilst holding the phone, will be illegal. However, if the device is in a cradle it can still be prodded as though it was a touchscreen infotainment system fitted to the car. To find out more, click here for the BBC News article.

NATIONAL PARKS NOT CONSIDERING BANNING CARS

Stories started circulating that some National Parks were considering banning cars from some roads at certain times of the year, this is not the case. However, they are all looking at what they can do to reduce congestion and the effect so many visitors have travelling to these beauty spots. To read more, click the Autocar article here.

PORTSMOUTH CAZ OPENS 29 NOVEMBER

Portsmouth will be starting their Clean Air Zone (CAZ) initiative on 29 November. This will only affect HGVs, buses, vans, taxis and private hire vehicles as it is designated as a Class B CAZ, therefore private car drivers are not going to be saddled with extra costs to enter the city. To find out more, click here for the YesAuto article.

VOLTA TRUCKS STARTS PRODUCTION IN COVENTRY

Volta Trucks has started building their prototype all-electric Zero lorry, in Coventry. The vehicles comes with a range of 95-125 miles. 25 prototypes will be built in Coventry and once Volta are ready for full production they will be built in their Austrian factory. To find out more, click the Autocar Professional article here.

MORGAN APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF EVS

Morgan has made it clear that electrification is very much in their future, with the appointment of Matthew Hole as Chief Technical Officer, with Graham Chapman who moves up to Chief Operations Officer. To read more, click here for the Autocar article.

MOTORWAY SERVICES EV CHARGING MONOPOLY LOOSENS

Gridserve, who now own Ecotricity, has informed the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that they will not enforce the exclusivity clauses in their contracts with MOTO, Extra or Roadchef, after 2026, over EV charging stations. This will allow other operators to install their equipment and give consumers a choice on charging providers. To find out more, click the Electrifying article here.

SMMT PUBLISHES MARKETING GUIDELINES FOR AUTOMATED TECHNOLOGY

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), has worked with industry organisations, the Advertising Standards Agency, Thatcham Research and Government departments to come up with principles for advertising automated vehicle technology. To find out more, click here for the SMMT article.

PRIVATE E-SCOOTERS NEED MORE RESEARCH BEFORE LEGALISATION

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety has advised that more information is required before private e-scooters can be legalised as there appears to be a difference in behaviour between rental and privately ridden scooters. They wish to gather more data so that recommendation that allow for safe approval of the idea or rejection can be fully considered. To read more, click the Autocar article here. ——————————————————————————-

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WRC: RALLY MONZA

Sebastien Ogier rounded off his last full time season with a win, which meant he captured his eighth championship. He was pushed all the way by teammate Elfyn Evans and Dani Sordo, for Hyundai, rounded off the podium. Ogier will take part in only a small number of events next season. To find out more about what happened at Monza, click here for the DirtFish article. To read the What We Learned article, click the link here.

To watch the DirtFish video showing Ogier’s final full-time season, click the link here.

To watch the chat the Team Principles have with each other, click the DirtFish video here.

NEW NEW CAR NEWS

Hyundai Heritage Series Gandeur

In recognition of the importance of the Grandeur, Hyundai have created a retro-modern reinterpretation of their flagship model which they originally released 35 years ago. Similar to the recent Pony concept car, there are some lovely modern touches but a retention of the original, recognisable, shape. To read more, click the YesAuto article here.

Genesis G70 Shooting Brake

Whilst marketing calls this a shooting brake, it is an attractive estate with five doors. They will be fitting this European only car with the same V6 from the Stinger, plus letting the Germany development centre make sure the ride, handling and everything else is how we expect them to be in this market. PRices start at £35, 250. To find out more and look at the rather attractive shape, click the EVO article here.

LUNCHTIME READ: THE CORBY ORBITAL NORTHERN ROAD

This article explains why the Corby Orbital Northern Road took £10 million public funding but has never been completed and possibly who is now the owner of it. Intrigue, multiple owners at the same Channel Island address and more can be found in this excellent example of why local reporting is so very important. To read the article, click the Northamptonshire Telegraph link here.

LIST OF THE WEEK: GORDON MURRAY’S TOP 10 CARS

You can watch a fascinating video from Goodwood Road&Racing where they propose the Top 10 cars designed by Gordon Murray. Don’t forget to let Alan know if you agree with his choice and if not which you would pick as the number one car. To view the video, click the YouTube link here.

AND FINALLY: TINY ENGINE THAT IS A WORK OF ART

A creator called Maker B has spent 1,000 hours creating a miniscule 4-stroke engine and condensed the process into a 15 minute video show ing the skill and artistry involved in making the engine and getting it running. To see this click the Hagerty link here.