REE Automotive, an Israeli electric vehicle technology start-up, will open an engineering centre in the UK to support its plans for mass production.
The facility will be based at the MIRA Technology Park in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, and will create 200 high-skill new jobs over the next few years.
REE is working on both entire electric vehicle platforms, plus a new technology called REEcorner that packages all steering, braking, suspension, powertrain and control tech into the car’s wheelarch.
The firm claims the technology will offer more room for passengers, cargo and batteries, in a manner ‘unprecedented in the industry’.
The UK base will ‘spearhead engineering design, validation, verification and testing, as well as product homologation’.
REE will also use MIRA’s test facilities and proving ground to validate REEcorner and the EV platform.
The aim is to offer the technology both to car manufacturers and other companies who want to develop their own EVs.
The UK base will be one of 15 integration centres globally, with the first one set to open in the US later in 2021.
Co-founder and CEO Daniel Barel (pictured above) said: “I am excited to announce another major milestone for REE towards bringing our technology and products to the market as we expand our global footprint.”
The UK government considers the investment plans a major success.
Lord Grimstone from the Department for International Trade said: “The government’s multi-million ‘Driving the Electric Revolution’ program, which drives forward new solutions in automotive power electronics, motors and drives, has played a major role in bringing this exciting investment to the UK.”
Mike Charlton, REE COO, concurred: “A key driver in our decision to establish our presence in the UK is the government’s forward-thinking vision and zero-emissions policy that perfectly aligns with REE’s goal of heralding a more sustainable, greener future.”
Now, ever-greater numbers of those luxury vehicles are going to be electric, as the company commits to a sustainable journey that will ultimately see it become fully carbon-neutral by 2039.
We’ll see the first pure electric Land Rover in 2024. Jaguar will become an entirely electric brand – just like Tesla – in 2025. The last diesel-engined JLR car will be produced by 2026.
The strategy, called Reimagine and presented by new CEO Thierry Bollore, is a landmark in the evolution of the luxury car firm. And one perfectly in line with the UK government’s ambitions.
Given its volumes, JLR’s announcement today is the biggest strategic development in support of that goal to date.
UK EV – and hydrogen
Even though ‘only’ six in 10 Land Rovers will be pure electric by 2030, that still leaves another half-decade to develop the solution for the rest. Mr Bollore predicts the firm will be almost zero-ICE by 2036.
And here too, JLR is saying things the country’s leaders will like: the development of fuel cell technology, with prototypes beginning testing on UK roads within the next year.
So, even if battery technology isn’t quite suitable for big, heavy Range Rovers by then, fuel cell tech might be. And in post-Brexit Britain, it’s potentially another homegrown tech good news story.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, welcomed the news as an injection of confidence into the wider sector.
“Its roadmap to a future that is built around sustainability, with electrified and hydrogen models as well as investment in connected and digital technologies, aligns with government ambition and increasing consumer expectations.
He did, however, caution that the UK needs to improve its competitiveness.
“The UK automotive industry is essentially strong, innovative and agile, but the global competition is fierce.
Government must ensure advanced manufacturing has its full support, with a policy framework and plan for growth that reduces costs, accelerates domestic battery production and electrified supply chains, and incentivises R&D and skills development.
“Every effort must be made to create the conditions that will enable the entire sector to flourish.”
In other words, Jaguar Land Rover is doing its bit to drive your strategy, ministers. Time to repay this vote of confidence with all the support JLR, and UK automotive, needs to succeed.
Around a half (51.9 percent) of learner drivers fail the driving test at the first attempt. At £75 for an evening, weekend or bank holiday test, this means they’re out of pocket to the tune of £150, before taking into account any extra lessons.
New research suggests that failed driving tests are just as harmful to the planet as they are to a learner’s wallet. An energy company has used Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) data to uncover how much carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted from failed tests.
From April 2019 to July 2020, the CO2 emitted from failed driving tests in the UK reached 2,222,257kg. That’s the equivalent of 449 return flights from London to Melbourne, according to SaveOnEnergy.com.
The number of male test failures in the past two years (428,261) is the equivalent of 126,193,249 smartphone charges.
A significant number of driving tests were cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. From April to June 2019, a total of 210,856 tests were failed in the UK. Comparing this to the same period in 2020, there were only 2,816 unsuccessful tests.
This led to an 86.4 percent reduction in the total CO2 emissions from failed driving tests.
Predictably, London has a high concentration of failed driving tests and CO2 emissions. The Goodmayes test centre produced 44,722kg CO2 emissions between April 2019 and July 2020. Other figures came from Pinner (23,306kg CO2), Morden (22,041kg CO2) and Isleworth (21,770kg CO2)
Looking at individual test centres outside of London, Norris Green in Liverpool was responsible for the highest CO2 emissions. Around 8,800 drivers failed their test between April 2019 and July 2020, producing CO2 emissions of 20,328kg. That’s the equivalent of catching the train from London to Edinburgh 1,013 times.
Just behind is Garretts Green in Birmingham (19,451kg CO2), Kingstanding in Birmingham (19,339kg CO2), West Didsbury in Manchester (19,295kg CO2) and Wigston in Leicester (17,606kg CO2).
Driving tests are suspended due to the current lockdown restrictions in place across the country. Around 57,500 people have signed a petition calling for driving instructors to be able to pass learners unable to book a test.
In response, the Government said: “There is no provision within legislation that allows an approved driving instructor (ADI) to conduct a driving test for a learner driver. The Government has no plans to lay legislation to amend this.”
CEO Thierry Bollore told Motoring Research his personal car is currently a Jaguar I-Pace. “It is a great car… we have plenty of ideas to make it even better.”
Mr Bollore would not yet be drawn on what these plans are.
The new range of Jaguars will have a “best of the best” electric platform. Mr Bollore said it is too early to talk about what form this will take – because he wants the design team to have as much flexibility as possible in creating the new cars.
“Proportions are important: we will pair the shapes with the plaform once they have been designed.
“The designs are not far from being ready,” he added. More is “coming soon”.
‘Unique place’
The Jaguar EV plan builds on the firm’s unique place in the global automotive industry, explained Mr Bollore (pictured above).
There will be an entire range of “emotionally engaging designs and pioneering next-generation technologies.
“Jaguar will exist to make live extraordinary by creating dramatically beautiful automotive experience that leave its customers feeling unique and rewarded.”
The new Jaguars will be built at Solihull, on a new advanced electric battery electric vehicle (BEV) architecture exclusive to Jaguar.
In a significant change from an earlier planned strategy, however, a planned all-electric Jaguar XJ will not form part of the line-up. Cancelling the project “was a tough decision, for sure,” said Mr Bollore.
The nameplate “may be retained,” says the firm.
Many activities at the traditional Jaguar engineering base in Whitley, Coventry will move to Gaydon, as all non-manufacturing infrastructure is focused at ‘the heart of the brand’.
Jaguar has already opened an all-new design centre at the giant Midlands facility.
Current Jaguars will continue to be assembled at Castle Bromwich for the remainder of their life – and the facility will remain open even after production ceases.
The facility will be repurposed into a site that amalgamates numerous Jaguar Land Rover facilities scattered across the Midlands.
The sum is part of wider funding from the DfT for road maintenance which totals £1.1bn in the current financial year.
Government figures suggest the average pothole costs £50 to repair, which is how it arrived at the 10 million total.
“Potholes are more than just a nuisance,” said transport minister Baroness Vere.
“They can be dangerous to drivers and cyclists alike, and cause damage to thousands of vehicles every year.
“The funding allocated today will help councils ensure roads in their areas are kept up to standard, and that the potholes that blight road users can be dealt with promptly.”
AA head of roads policy Jack Cousens welcomed the announcement but said that despite lockdown-related falls in traffic levels, repairs were still desperately needed.
“Last month, just 15 percent of our members told us that residential roads were in a good condition, with drivers in the North West, South East and East Midlands giving their streets the lowest ratings.
“Patching up roads may seem like a quick fix, but in reality, it is just a sticking plaster. In order for roads to remain safe and smooth, they need completely resurfacing.”
Mr Cousens added that residential roads in England get resurfaced on average every 119 years, according to studies.
“If you’re street is lucky enough to be chosen, we’d recommend a socially distanced celebration, as it will probably be a once in a lifetime event!”
Your occupation is one of the things an insurance company will consider when calculating the cost of your car insurance. Research in 2020 found the difference between the cheapest and most expensive policy could be as much as £200.
Professional drivers, chefs, hairdressers, bar staff and fitness instructors were found to pay the most for car insurance. Meanwhile, mechanics, administrators, designers, design engineers and account executives pay the least.
Does an unemployed person pay more for car insurance? Daniel Hutson of Comparethemarket, said: “Unfair as it might seem, the answer is often ‘yes’. Without a job, you may be considered a higher risk by insurance providers. This can hike up costs, come renewal time.”
MoneySuperMarket advises policyholders to avoid telling insurance companies they are unemployed. According to a report in the Guardian, students and retired people who mistakenly describe themselves as ‘unemployed’ could lose up to £700 a year.
Similarly, stay-at-home parents stand to lose out if they tick the ‘unemployed’ box rather than choosing ‘housewife’ or ‘home keeper’.
‘Choose the most accurate answer’
Kevin Pratt, consumer affairs expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: “To get the best cover, at the best price, you have to choose the most accurate answer at every stage. That can mean trying alternatives to find the one that best matches your situation, instead of plumping for whatever seems most obvious. It’s worth taking your time.”
The Association of British Insurers (ABI) says unemployed people may travel more because they’re doing more things during the day. There’s also the chance that they’ll spend less money on servicing and maintenance, which could increase the chance of an incident.
This doesn’t mean that you should avoid telling your insurance provider if you lose your job. On the contrary, if you fail to notify your insurer of a change in employment, your policy could be invalidated. An insurance company is within its rights to refuse a claim or offer a reduced settlement figure.
Speaking to Express.co.uk, Greg Wilson, founder of Quote Zone, said: “A driver’s occupation is one of the variables many insurance providers use in their premium calculations. Insurance claims data indicates that people in certain professions have a higher risk of making a claim than others.
“If you’re made redundant you might not be keen to shout about it, but with car insurance for unemployed people costing 30 percent more, on average, if you fail to disclose your redundancy to your insurer there’s a risk that could be viewed as an attempt to mislead.”
Don’t lie, as this could be considered fraud, but consider the options when notifying your insurance company about a change in personal circumstances.
When combined with a 58kWh battery, this takes the starting price for an entry-level ID.3 Life Pro down to £28,670, once the Plug-in Car Grant is deducted.
The speedier ID.3 Life Pro Performance costs from £29,990 – meaning those happy with less power will save £1,320.
Both versions have a pure electric driving range of 263 miles.
The 145hp Pro version uses the same single-speed gearbox as the 204hp Pro Performance. Zero to 62mph takes 9.6 seconds instead of 7.3 seconds.
It’s still able to use 100 kW CCS rapid chargers, supplying 80 percent charge in 35 minutes.
Volkswagen adds affordability of the ID.3 EV, a finalist for 2021’s European Car of the Year, will be further enhanced later in 2021, with the introduction of an even smaller 45 kWh battery in the upcoming Pure versions.
“The ID.3 range aims to offer plenty of choice for the customer – and that includes powertrain options,” said product manager Joe Laurence.
“Making ‘the electric people’s car’ accessible to an even wider back of the EV-buying public is a direct and welcome result of this.”
Citroen has given the C3 Aircross small SUV a bold new front end as part of comprehensive mid-life facelift. The new model is expected at dealers from June 2021.
Drawing on the design of the new C4, the distinctive overhaul aims to keep one of Citroen’s most popular models fresh, three years after it was launched.
Giving the high-riding C3 Aircross a more rugged look are front and rear skid plates, lower body and wheelarch mouldings, roof bars and big wheels.
It’s not all just for show either: the C3 Aircross’ good ground clearance can be combined with 4×4-style Grip Control featuring hill descent control for better off-road ability.
It must be louvre
The new front end features LED lights and Citroen offers three new body colours, plus four colour packs and three roof colours. These give a total of 70 customisation options.
The C3 Aircross’ distinctive coloured rear window louvres are enhanced with new finishes and colours.
Inside, there are three more colour combinations: standard grey, Metropolitan Graphite or Hype Grey, which features green-grey leather.
New ‘Citroen Advanced Comfort’ seats are fitted, with more padding of differing densities to provide plenty of comfort on long journeys. The seats are similar to those fitted to the larger C5 Aircross.
Citroen has also installed a larger 9.0-inch touchscreen and the centre console has been revised so there’s more stowage space. Wireless smartphone charging is available.
‘Unmatched roominess’
Impressively, three in four C3 Aircross sales are of high-end versions, and Citroen has sought to improve things further with new tech such as a colour head-up display and ‘top view’ reversing camera.
Citroen CEO Vincent Cobee said the C3 Aircross already boasted a beefy SUV stance and “unmatched roominess and modularity: we wanted to capitalise on these strong points.
“Its face changes radically, with a much more angular and assertive front end, and new seats reinforce the wellbeing inside.”
With 330,000 sold since launch in late 2017, Mr Cobee says the revised model “has all the assets to continue its commercial success”.
Prices will be confirmed closer to the revised C3 Aircross’ on-sale date this summer.
Bring a Trailer has announced a new shipping service as part of its online collector car auctions.
Bidders will be able to see exactly how much shipping a car to them will cost, with the option to use the service should they be successful.
The auction company also promises no hidden costs, and a range of transportation options available to buyers.
Fully integrated shipping service
Whilst some auction websites advertise third-party transport agents, Bring a Trailer aims to integrate shipping directly into the buying process.
Real-time quotes for transporting an advertised car can be generated at any point when the auction is live. Bidders simply need to enter their own zip code for a quote.
Should a bidder win, the cost of shipping can be added directly to the purchase price of the vehicle.
Bidders have the choice between enclosed car transporters, or open carriers, depending on their budget. Bring a Trailer will organize door-to-door collection and delivery of the vehicle, with real-time GPS tracking during transit.
From Sea to Shining Sea
The company promises bidders will not be hit with extra charges, and that there is no negotiation necessary. Making use of Bring a Trailer Shipping also sees cars protected by an “umbrella” insurance during transportation.
Parts can also be shipped with vehicles, providing that they are stored securely in the trunk.
At present, the shipping service is available for vehicles listed on Bring a Trailer that are located in the 48 contiguous United States. Quotes can already be generated on listings that support Bring a Trailer shipping now.
“We are excited to launch BaT Shipping to make transporting cars quicker and easier,” said Randy Nonnenberg, Bring a Trailer co-founder and President.
“BaT Shipping is yet another innovation from our team that will make transacting smoother and easier for users of the platform.”
Nobody talks to their neighbours in London, right? Wrong. They do if you park a Citroen DS outside your house. This classic did more for community cohesion than a communal NHS clap.
The important word here is ‘park’, because the Citroen didn’t move. Back in 2016, it silently taunted me for two days, then was removed on a low-loader.
Stuck in Covid lockdown (again), those feelings have flooded back. I’m at home, gazing wistfully through my window at a static car. Granted, my Golf GTI is no DS – the neighbours have so far declined to comment on it – but I’m still revved up with nowhere to go.
Show me some ID
A bit of background first. The 1961 DS you see here is actually an ID 19: a cheaper, less powerful and (slightly) less complicated version of the DS 19. Used for ‘press and publicity purposes’ when new by Citroen UK, it has since returned to the company’s care as part of the heritage fleet.
As the most iconic and beautiful French car ever (no arguments, please), the DS seemed ideal for the Retro Road Test: the weekly classic car review we used to publish every Thursday.
With everything crossed, I called the ever-helpful Citroen press team and, just a few weeks later, the DS was delivered.
Street art in suburbia
“Lovely, just lovely,” said the man from the corner house who’d asked me to sign a petition about bin collections. “That’s my kind of car,” cooed the lady who runs the pub across the road. “Looks like it’s been lowered,” mumbled the 16-year-old lad from next door.
In recent memory, the only car that comes close for sheer street spectacle was a purple Lamborghini Aventador SVJ I tested earlier this year. But while the Lambo got envious looks and grudging remarks about “winning the lottery”, the DS drew nods, smiles and genuine affection.
Wildly futuristic yet timelessly elegant, it literally stopped traffic as drivers slowed to stare and take photos. It was probably trending on social media, for all I know. One can only marvel at how this car, with its spaceship styling, must have looked in 1955.
Feeling a bit flat
The DS arrived late on a Monday afternoon, but I resisted the urge to jump straight in and cruise the streets of Croydon. I’d set my alarm early for a long, cross-country jaunt the next morning.
With 67hp and 0-62mph in 22.1 seconds, progress would be as relaxed – and as pleasurable – as a Beaujolais-fuelled Sunday lunch.
Tuesday dawned bright and fresh, the DS draped in morning dew. I sank into the soft leather seat, grasped the Bakelite wheel and twisted the key… silence. I tried again: the dials on the (UK-specific) English walnut dashboard sprang to life and I heard the faint click of a solenoid, but nothing more.
I called Craig, expecting – hoping – there was some Gallic quirk of the starting process that I’d overlooked. “No, just put her in neutral and turn the key.” Hmm.
The battery voltage gauge showed a full charge, but I decided to attempt a jump-start using my old Ford Focus. Still nothing. Admitting defeat, I telephoned Craig again to request a recovery truck. The dream was over.
Doing the plank
The nightmare, however, was just beginning. As any student of old Citroens knows, hydropneumatic suspension only pressurises and rises up when the car’s engine starts. Without power, the DS is effectively ‘slammed’. This would prove problematic.
Danny arrived with his low-loader on Wednesday lunchtime. He was sceptical about our chances: with no towing eye on the front, the DS would need to be winched up the ramp backwards. And the downturned tips of its exhaust were virtually kissing the tarmac.
Inching the DS back, it quickly became clear this stubborn lady wasn’t for towing. So, in a further boost to neighbourly relations, I knocked on the door of John the roofer, returning a few minutes later with some scaffolding planks.
Danny and I wedged them under the wheels, reducing the angle of approach. And slowly, steadily, with millimetres to spare, it edged up the ramp and onto the truck. We’d done it.
In the presence of Goddess
The DS had been sent to Coventry (literally, not figuratively – that’s where Citroen UK is based) and it hadn’t even turned a wheel. But as I watched this magnificent car being carried away, a princess in a sedan chair, I felt surprisingly buoyant.
A few awkward moments with planks aside, my two days with the DS had been an absolute pleasure. I’d gazed longingly at it from my bedroom window – and met friendly, enthusiastic people every time I went outside and, well, tried to start it.
In 16 years of writing about cars, this was the only one I’ve returned one without driving it. C’est la vie.
As the current crisis has taught us, you need to find pleasure and positivity where you can. And sometimes beauty is its own reward.
Nobody talks to their neighbours in London, right? Wrong. They do if you park a 
