After a decade of swiping and tapping, carmakers from Volkswagen to Porsche are rediscovering what my 1991 944 S2 never forgot — the joy of a proper button. For years, carmakers have been obsessed with turning dashboards into glowing glass slabs, a sort of Silicon Valley fever dream where every function, from heating to headlights, lives behind a touchscreen. It looked futuristic, yes. It photographed beautifully in…
From Tesla’s Model S in 2012 to today’s easing of planning rules, electric car adoption remains stubbornly slow. Infrastructure tweaks won’t change that overnight. There is no doubt that the government’s recent move to ease planning permission for pavement-charging and curbside EV bays, as reported in the article in The Times today, signals a desire to accelerate the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs). But we should pause…
England’s driving test system has become a digital endurance event - complete with 6 a.m. queues, thousands of hopefuls, and bots that beat you to the punch. Trying to book a driving test in England has become, quite frankly, an exercise in futility. I say this from experience: I’ve spent weeks trying to secure a test date for my daughter, and what should be a simple administrative…
It wasn’t long ago that Volvo announced that they were doing to discontinue making Estate cars. At the time, this was considered akin to the “Judas” moment when Bob Dylan performed live on an electric guitar rather than the more traditional acoustic. There’s very little need to delve into the legacy of the Volvo Estate. You don’t have to be that old to have at least one…
Elon Musk is, without question, one of the most consequential figures in modern technology and business. His leadership has propelled Tesla from a niche electric car startup into a global force that has reshaped the automotive industry. Yet questions loom whether Musk's erratic leadership style, controversial public behaviour, and divided focus are actually harming the company he helped build. Is Elon Musk ruining Tesla? The answer, like…
As we navigate finding a suitable insurance policy for my 17yr old daughter and her freshly acquired Driver’s Permit, we’re now confronted with the reality that for many young drivers in the UK passing the driving test is just the first hurdle. Finding affordable car insurance is the real challenge. So why is insurance so expensive for young drivers, and what can be done to make it…
The long-awaited April 12th re-start has finally arrived. In addition to restaurants, pubs, salons and other non-essential shops, we are super excited to see the re-opening of car dealerships. Not only does this mean that we can freely peruse the showrooms (with Covid-safety measures in place, of course) to check out the newest models that boast the latest and greatest features, we’re now able to carry out…
I thought this article from the BBC this morning was quite amusing, particularly as it’s come hot on the heels of the recent announcement that Ford was to discontinue making the Mondeo – a sedan that everyone is familiar with and can trace its roots back to the Cortina with a healthy dose of Sierra for good measure. So what’s a car buyer supposed to do these…
This is an interesting article from the Guardian in so much as it chips away at a thought that I’ve had for a while, namely is the push towards electrification happening too quickly and will national auto makers cope? Japan has clearly established themselves as a formidable automotive superpower with vehicles that boast exemplary build quality matched with good design and performance. By virtue of them being…
This story is interesting in so much as it addresses an elephant in the room – namely how does the UK car industry expect to survive in a post-Brexit world? The CEO of the newly formed Stellantis Group (a $50B merger between FiatChrysler and Peugeot – owners of Vauxhall) announced that he has reservations about the viability of Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port factory which currently manufactures petrol and…