Future growth in driverless vehicles and shared ownership spurs UK’s biggest carmaker
Britain’s biggest carmaker, Jaguar Land Rover, has emerged as a potential contender to buy the private hire firm Addison Lee.
The move would be the latest attempt by a traditional car manufacturer to position itself for a possible future of shared ownership and driverless cars.
It may be a niche interest, but there are few things more pleasurably weird than driving a car into the sea
Dutton Surf
Price £22,000
MPG 30
Top speed 85mph On sea 6mph (timdutton.com)
Is it a boat? Is it a car? Actually, it’s the best of both – an amphibious vehicle. It’s the ideal solution for anyone who fancies driving to the coast and then… well, motoring out to sea. For the past 50 years, Tim Dutton has been at the helm of his eponymous firm. He started out in 1969 and is justly proud of the fact Dutton is the oldest car company in the world still wholly owned by its founder. He is based in a workshop in the pretty village of Littlehampton where he has his own slipway into the River Arun. Visitors can take a Surf out for a test drive/cruise. You won’t be surprised to hear that owning a dinky Dutton is a niche interest – Tim sells about a dozen a year. Most drivers/captains just want to have fun – who wouldn’t in a vehicle that looks like a cross between a sports car and a rubber duck? – but there are more serious applications, too. Tim’s sold some to the military, and sailors love them as they can simply drive straight out to their yacht’s mooring. If you want to see one of these floating cars – and congratulate Tim on his half-century in the business – he’ll be at National Kit Car Show next weekend and at the Southampton Boat Show in September.
Carmaker becomes latest firm to face scrutiny by authorities over pollution tests
The US Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into Ford’s emissions certification process.
Ford said on Friday it was fully cooperating with government agencies, as it became the latest car manufacturer to be investigated over emissions.
Right-hand drive version of more affordable electric car will be available to order on 1 or 2 May
Tesla’s latest and more affordable electric car, the Model 3, will finally be available to order in the UK from early May, according to the firm’s chief executive Elon Musk.
More than 18 months since deliveries of the smaller electric saloon car began in the US, Musk announced that UK orders could be placed from next week, on 1 or 2 May. Those with reservations, which require a £1,000 deposit, will have first access.
Carmaker says man trespassed on factory in California and drove at security guard
Tesla has been granted a temporary restraining order to prevent an alleged harasser from approaching the carmaker’s California factory.
The electric carmaker claimed in its application for the order that the man had repeatedly harassed its employees. He allegedly controls a Twitter account which frequently claimsthat Tesla engages in fraud and which claims to be betting that Tesla shares will fall.
The all-new Cupra Ateca is a scorchingly fast SUV that will appeal to anyone who grew up loving performance cars
Cupra Ateca
Price £35,915
0-62mph 5.2 seconds
Top speed 154 mph
MPG 38
CO2 168g/km
The fastest-growing sector of the British population is people over 100 years old. It’s estimated there are now 15,000 centenarians in the UK. One of the youngest members of this group of “elite agers” is my Great Aunt Eve. She moved smoothly into triple figures last month. She’s remarkable. Laughing, chatting and even making a speech at her birthday party. She declined to tell us the secret of a long life, but it may have had something to do with the double whisky she was sipping. The celebration was in Eastbourne and we drove down in a car at the other end of the age spectrum: factory fresh and scorchingly fast, the Cupra Ateca is leading the charge in a new micro-category of sizzling-hot SUVs. “Whatever you do,” said Dad, “do not offer Eve a lift. It might finish her off…”
US firm received $1bn from consortium including Toyota and Saudi Arabia
Uber’s self-driving car unit has been valued at $7.3bn (£5.6bn), after receiving $1bn of investment by a consortium including Toyota and Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
With weeks to go until the loss-making San Francisco firm’s stock market float, expected to value the company at up to $100bn, Uber said it had secured new financial backing for its plans to develop autonomous vehicles.
Museum will feature 15 vehicles from the Ford Model T to the Patent-Motorwagen No 3
One is a rackety motorised horseless carriage with a top speed about the same as a fit human runner, the other purports to be a “self-driving, self-flying” taxi which some would like to believe will be the future of cars.
Both vehicles will be part of a major exhibition staged later this year telling the story of the automobile, the V&A has announced.
Hailed as the AirBnB for cars, BookAclassic gives you the chance to drive a beautiful car – if only for a day
MG TD
Hire £122 per hour, including insurance bookaclassic.co.uk
Last month, when Charles and Camilla visited Cuba, the couple were seen soaking up the sunshine in a beautifully restored 66-year-old MG TD, a rare sight on an island where many still prefer to drive rusting Cadillacs, Chevrolets and Dodges. Cuba is well known for its love of retro cars and the Prince has had a life-long love affair with racy roadsters, so it was no wonder he gave the chauffeur the day off and drove the MG himself. He told onlookers who gathered to watch the couple arrive that the car ‘has an incredibly powerful accelerator. It is close to the brake so you have to be careful you don’t press the wrong one.’
Transition to electric vehicles to cut carbon emissions has dominated climate policy debate in the Australian election campaign
One in two Australians would support shifting all sales of new cars to electric vehicles by 2025, according to polling by the Australia Institute.
The progressive thinktank surveyed a nationally representative sample 0f 1,536 Australians about their attitudes to electric vehicles. It found support was similar across all states and territories, including 52% in Victoria and Western Australia, 49% in Queensland and 48% in New South Wales.
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