Tag: Transportation

Volvo’s First Fully Electric Car Will Have A 350-Mile Range

Volvo’s COO Jonathan Goodman has finally spilled some of the beans about the company’s highly-anticipated first fully electric car.

Speaking to Autocar, the executive revealed that rather than use Volvo’s branding, the Tesla-rival will reportedly be called the Polestar 2 with a design that’s heavily based on the company’s stunning 40.2 concept.

It will reportedly boast an impressive 400bhp and feature a 350-mile range putting it ahead of the Model 3 and even Jaguar’s brand-new I-Pace SUV.

Despite these rather enviable figures Goodman says it will still only cost between £30,000-£50,000 placing it smack bang in the middle bracket of the current electric car lineup.

While £30,000 isn’t exactly budget, it does put the Polestar 2 in contention with the likes of Tesla’s Model 3 and even at a squeeze Nissan’s top-of-the-range Leaf.

The Swedish carmaker has been particularly bold in its plans to adopt electric vehicles, promising that starting next year it would only make and sell new cars that are either fully electric or feature a hybrid motor. No other established car brand has made that claim.

The Polestar 2 then will just be the first of what will be a new range of electrified vehicles from the Swedish car manufacturer.

Earlier this year Volvo unveiled the Polestar 1, a stunning hybrid interpretation of the classic American muscle car featuring a combined electric motor and petrol engine that will give it 600bhp.

This is no novelty hybrid engine either thanks to a large 34kWh battery that will give the Polestar 1 almost 93-miles of purely electric range should you want to go all-in on the eco-friendly driving.

London Black Cab Drivers Are Trying To Sue Uber For £1bn

London’s black cab drivers are planning to sue Uber for £1bn after the taxi app’s operating licence was renewed last month.Uber won a partial victory in an appeal to overturn the suspension of its licence to operate in London in …

Rolls Royce’s Flying Taxi Has A Thoughtful USP – It’s Designed To Be Quiet

Rolls Royce has finally joined the trend, it has revealed that it is developing its very own flying taxi.

Unlike the competition though, Rolls Royce’s flying taxi has a unique selling point (USP) that we can really get behind. It’s quiet.

With the expectation that in the future we’ll all have ditched our cars and be flying everywhere it’s interesting to note that very few of the companies developing these taxis have considered one unfortunate side effect: the noise.

As anyone who lives near an airport or heliport can attest, these aircraft aren’t quiet, and with hundreds of them flying all over the city it’s fair to assume that the world is probably going to get quite a bit louder.

This is where Rolls Royce steps in. Its Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (EVTOL) concept uses a gas turbine to power six electrically powered propulsors that have been specifically designed to create a low noise profile.

Much like a hybrid car or hydrogen car it uses the gas turbine to generate electricity which can then be fed either straight to the propellors or to a battery kept on board.

By using this hybrid system Rolls Royce claim that their concept could comfortably carry four or five passengers over a distance of 500-miles at a top speed of 250mph.

For comparison, most electric-only flying taxis currently being developed only have ranges of around 20-100 miles at most.

What’s really impressive though is how it actually flies.

When taking off, the EVTOL uses all six propulsors to lift it off the ground. Once it reaches cruising altitude the wings fold into a conventional horizontal position and the front four propellors then fold into the wing with only the rear two propellors needed to maintain the aircraft’s level of speed and altitude.

Once it has arrived at its destination the four propellors at the front reappear, engage and the wings slowly start to rotate into helicopter mode, allowing it to land vertically just like a helicopter would.

The good news here is that Rolls Royce are really really good at making engines, it’s pretty much their thing. The bad news is that they don’t usually then make the planes attached to the engines, so unless another company snaps up their engines and design we’re going to be waiting quite a while before we see them near-silently drifting past us overhead.

BP Will Install ‘Ultra-Fast’ Electric Charging Points In Its Petrol Stations

BP has announced that it is buying Chargemaster, the UK’s largest electric charging network. While big news, the more interesting revelation is that in doing so it will start rolling out new ‘ultra-fast’ charging points across its entire network of petrol stations.

Charging is perhaps the weakest link for electric cars so if you’ve been sat on the fence about whether to buy one or not, this might be the news that sways you.

Chargemaster already has a network of around 6,500 charging points located at motorway services, NCP car parks, supermarket car parks and more. Many of these however are just standard charging ports, which mean you’re probably going to be sat waiting for a while if you plan on going anywhere far.

As a solution, BP says it will start rolling out a new range of 150kW ultra-fast charging stations that will be able to give you 100 miles of range in just 10 minutes.

Over the next 12 months the company will start installing these at its 1,200 service stations dotted around the UK.

While Chargemaster is the name that owns the network, customers will actually use them by signing up to the POLAR network.

By paying a monthly fee, POLAR customers can then access the entire network which ranges from free charging stations to some that will charge you per kWh.

According to BP POLAR already has around 40,000 customers whoever that’s expected to rise dramatically over the next decade as it predicts that there will be around 12 million electric cars on UK roads by 2040.

BP aren’t the only company investing in rapid charging technologies either. Swiss firm ABB claims it has built the world’s fastest charging solution that can provide a whopping 200km in just eight minutes.

Of course one of the biggest problems is many early electric cars simply can’t support this. However with huge brands like BMW, VW and Audi all signed up to a common ultra-fast charging standard this could be about to change sooner rather than later.

Putney Pusher Investigation Closed By Police

Police have closed an investigation into a jogger who knocked a woman pedestrian into the path of a bus.The 33-year-old victim was lucky to escape serious injury after the bus driver swerved to avoid her on Putney Bridge in south-west London.The Metrop…

‘Hard Brexit’ Will Put 860,000 Jobs At Risk, UK Car Manufacturers Warn Theresa May

Britain’s car manufacturers have warned Theresa May that 860,00 skilled jobs are at risk unless she “rethinks” Brexit and protects customs and trade links with the EU.

The stark message, which follows similar pleas from industrial giants Airbus and Siemens, came as the Prime Minister prepared for a crunch summit with her Cabinet next week. 

Warning that there is “no Brexit dividend”, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said uncertainty over the Government’s plans was “thwarting” car firms’ decisions to put more money into UK factories.

Investment had plunged by half this year, it added. In the first six months of 2017, investment in new models and factory improvements stood at £647.4m. This year, the figure was just £347.3m.

Michael Hawes, chief executive of the SMMT, told its conference on Tuesday that ministers had to heed repeated warnings that the UK car industry needed “as a minimum” to remain in an EU customs union and get a deal that delivers “single market benefits”.

“There is no Brexit dividend for our industry,” he said. “The current position, with conflicting messages and red lines goes directly against the interests of the UK automotive sector which has thrived on single market and customs union membership. 

“Our message to government is that until it can demonstrate exactly how a new model for customs & trade with the EU can replicate the benefits we currently enjoy, don’t change it”, SMMT chief exec @MikeHawesSMMT opens our #SMMTSummithttps://t.co/C5TottRAFlpic.twitter.com/C2LbPEZD8s

— SMMT (@SMMT) June 26, 2018

“There is no credible ‘plan B’ for frictionless customs arrangements, nor is it realistic to expect that new trade deals can be agreed with the rest of the world that will replicate the immense value of trade with the EU. Government must rethink its position on the customs union.”

He also sent a clear signal that car firms including BMW, Honda and Nissan would have to move production elsewhere if the uncertainty around Brexit continued for much longer.

“With decisions on new vehicle models in the UK due soon, government must take steps to boost investor confidence and safeguard the thousands of jobs that depend on the sector,” it said ahead of a key conference for the automotive industry.

Car makers and their complex supply chains will all be at risk if there is any change to ‘frictionless’ trade, Hawes added.

In a bid to reassure companies, Theresa May told chief executives at a Times business summit on Wednesday: “A Conservative government will always listen to your voice and back you every step of the way”.

BMW's Mini assembly line at its factory in Cowley, Oxford

BMW has already warned it could be forced to close its production sites in the UK, putting 8,000 jobs at risk, if components for Mini and Rolls-Royce cars are hit by customs delays after the UK quits the EU.

Eloise Todd, of the pro-EU group Best for Britain, said the warnings were further evidence that “a car crash Brexit’” would hit jobs.

“This government are seriously harming British industry, and therefore British jobs, with their complete failure to provide direction and clarity on the deal they are negotiating,” she said.

“Time is running out. Yesterday we found out that 8000 jobs at BMW could be lost in the likely event there are post-Brexit customs delays. Only last week we heard 14,000 people at Airbus could be out of a job. These are ordinary people who are waking up to hear that their families’ future has been compromised.” 

Business Secretary Greg Clark

Business Secretary Greg Clark hit back on Monday at suggestions by Jeremy Hunt that firms were making ‘inappropriate’ comments on Brexit. Clark said firms should be ‘listened to with respect’.

When asked about the job loss warnings, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman told HuffPost UK it had already proved it was listening to business by securing a transition period until December 2020.

“There’s an absolutely consistency to the government’s message,” he said.

“Business, including the automative industry, set out as a priority that it wanted an implementation period and that is what we’ve secured.

“What everybody wants is to achieve a Brexit which is as frictionless as possible and as smooth as possible and we have made considerable steps towards providing for that.”

The spokesman later added: “Their voice is important- as are a number of other voices.”

May is hoping that Cabinet tensions over Brexit can be aired and resolved during a special ‘away day’ on the issue at Chequers next week, with key issues like customs partnerships and the Northern Ireland border set to be discussed.

A government spokesman insisted the UK was “confident” of securing a good deal with the EU because it would be  “mutually beneficial, and allows for the most free and frictionless trade with our European neighbours.

“The UK automotive industry remains one of our great success stories and a whole host of companies have recently committed to investing billions of pounds in the sector, including Nissan, Toyota, BMW and Vauxhall,” he added.

“Through our modern Industrial Strategy and landmark Automotive Sector Deal, we are working with the sector to put the UK at the forefront of new automotive technologies to ensure we remain the destination of choice for future investment.”

Chris Grayling Branded A ‘Chicken’ For Dropping Out Of Northern Rail Summit

Chris Grayling has been branded a “chicken” for pulling out of a railway conference addressing the travel chaos that has gripped the north in recent weeks.

The transport secretary had been due to speak to the Northern Transport Summit in Manchester on Monday, but he cancelled his appearance in order to be in London for the crunch vote on a third runway at Heathrow. 

“Chicken Grayling” located in Manchester this morning as @RMTunion Protest demands an end to the Northern franchise scandalhttps://t.co/jCEk4dmK40pic.twitter.com/fDXr8HsaZ6

— RMT (@RMTunion) June 25, 2018

Mick Cash, the general secretary of the RMT union, said Grayling was “running scared”. 

“He’s scared of the passengers he’s hung out to dry and he’s scared of the staff whose safety-critical jobs his franchise shambles have left facing the axe,” he said.

“Chris Grayling may have chickened out of meeting RMT members and their supporters today but I’ve got a message for him – you can run but you can’t hide.”

The union tweeted a photo of a man dressed as a chicken wearing a Grayling mask outside the event.

The RMT is embroiled in disputes with five train operators over the role of guards on trains, which have sparked a series of strikes over the past two years.

A Department for Transport spokesman said: “The secretary of state is not attending the summit as he is in London for the National Policy Statement in Parliament, a hugely significant vote that will benefit the whole country, including the North West.

“We recognise the importance of this event, which is why Transport Minister Baroness Sugg will therefore be attending.”

The transport summit runs from 8.30am until 16.30pm on Monday. The Commons vote on expanding Heathrow is not expected to take place until 10pm.

Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor of Manchester, also hit out at Grayling for ditching the summit. “When the government promised us a Northern Powerhouse, people took that as a clear sign that, at long last, the North was moving to the front of the queue for transport investment,” he said.

“But the government’s failure to stop the recent chaos on our railways, and the Transport Secretary’s disappointing decision to pull out of today’s Northern Transport Summit, suggests that their focus has drifted southwards once again.”

And Labour’s shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said the “rail mayhem” was caused by Grayling. 

“Passengers across the country are right to be angry at the way he has handled the latest in a long run of rail fiascos. Chris Grayling has lost all credibility and it’s time for him to go,” he said.

Grayling refused to deny suggestions he had considered resigning over the state of the railways when asked by BBC Radio 4′s Today programe.

But he denied he was responsible for the botched introduction of new railway timetables. “Actually no, I don’t run the railways,” he said.

Chaos Until Christmas: Rail Timetable Delays Could Go On For Months

Timetable changes in May led to thousands of commuters across the north and southeast being stranded - further timetable changes are due in December and May 2019

The unprecedented chaos on the railways that has left commuters despairing in recent months shows no sign of letting up, with delays and cancellations due to hit over Christmas too.

Timetable chaos in May, which left thousands of passengers across the north and south east of England stranded, could happen again in December and in May 2019, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said on Wednesday. 

Timetable changes are routinely made twice a year, but the most recent changes were the biggest in decades, with the next shake-up coming just in time for Christmas.

South Western, Great Western, Northern Rail, TransPennine Express, Govia Thameslink Railway and ScotRail are all expected to make significant changes to their service schedules in December.

But a Network Rail spokesman told HuffPost UK that the timetables due to be published in December may have to be revised in light of recent issues.

“While a large part of the base new timetable for December has already been completed, the industry is looking again at these plans in light of the experience of May,” he said.

“Our collective aim is to deliver a much better outcome for customers, with a high degree of confidence of a smooth introduction.”

According to The Times, the ORR is considering taking enforcement action against Network Rail over its handling of the process, which could lead to a fine being imposed on the state-funded company.

Transport secretary Chris Grayling

The ORR has already launched an investigation into the earlier disruption. 

Rail bosses, from Network Rail, Govia Thameslink Railway and Northern are due to be grilled by MPs on Monday over why the introduction of the new timetable caused such widespread disruption.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling survived a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons over the railway chaos on Tuesday, with Shadow Transport Secretary Andy McDonald claiming the “breach of faith and trust is so great that the Secretary of State’s credibility can never recover”.

Grayling said yesterday that rail season ticker holders impacted by timetable changes would be given the equivalent of a month’s compensation, with details of the offer expected next week.  

Meanwhile, passenger trains have returned on the Lakes Line, between Oxenholme and Windermere, after a heritage rail firm stepped in after Northern suspended services until July 2. 

In a campaign backed by Cumbrian MP Tim Farron, West Coast Railways (WCR) is to run trains on the line until Northern reinstates its services – suspended on June 4, when an emergency timetable was introduced to combat repeated delays and cancellations across the network.

The 925 to Windermere leaves Oxenholme on time! For the first time in more than 2 weeks, we have a timetabled train on the Lakes Line. Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. pic.twitter.com/fH7I9mHbDz

— Tim Farron (@timfarron) June 18, 2018

Farron, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats, said WCR’s intervention was not a “long-term solution” but “it demonstrates what you can do if you put your mind to it”.

The MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, told the BBC on Monday that a three-coach heritage train was “full” during a trial run the previous day. 

“Between us we managed to get a good rail service, not a complete one, but a rail service running over the next couple of weeks starting properly this morning, in a way that the Department for Transport and Northern Rail and have not managed to do,” he added.

“It’s a reminder that if we give the rail franchise for our area to somebody who actually cares about it, we might get a decent service.”

Uber Suspends Driver After Women Kicked Out Of Car Over Backseat Kiss

Uber has suspended the licence of one of its drivers after a lesbian couple were allegedly booted out of his car in New York City.

Alex Iovine, 26, and her girlfriend, Emma Pichl, 24, said they were told to get out of the vehicle for sharing a “peck” in the backseat on Saturday.

The driver has been identified as Ahmad El Boutari by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, WABC-TV reported.  The pair had ordered the taxi to take them from Brooklyn to Manhattan. 

As they were crossing the Manhattan bridge, Iovine said the couple leaned over to share a quick kiss. “We were sitting on opposite sides of the car,” Iovine told the New York Daily News. “We leaned in for a peck, and that’s what it was, a legit peck.”

Iovine said that the driver suddenly pulled over once they had crossed the bridge and they were told to get out of the car. Iovine said she then began filming the confrontation on her phone.

“It is illegal,” the driver is seen telling the couple in the cellphone video, obtained by WABC-TV. “It is disrespectful.”

“Kissing is not illegal,” the women protested. 

“I don’t want to argue with you,” the driver said. “Just get out of my car.”

Alex Iovine (left) and Emma Pichl were asked to get out of their vehicle by an Uber driver.

A spokesman for the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission said they were investigating the incident. “The blatantly discriminatory behaviour described by the complainant is repugnant,” said the spokesman.

Uber is also investigating the case and said it had suspended the driver’s access to its app, The Associated Press reports.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told the New York Post on Monday that drivers like El Boutari “don’t belong on Uber.”

“This is an open society and Uber is a platform that is available to anybody regardless of your background, your orientation, and that is sacred to us,” Khosrowshahi said. “It’s an unfortunate circumstance and we will do everything we can for that not to repeat.”

El Boutari, 35, told the Daily News that the couple had been acting “crudely” in his car before the kiss and said that one woman put her feet on his seat and played loud music on their phones. 

Iovine denied that the couple had “disrespected” El Boutari’s car, adding: “We always handle ourselves appropriately in public.”

The couple said they were deeply shaken by the incident, which occurred during Pride Month.

Queen’s Birthday Honours 2018 Sees Network Rail Boss Mark Carne Awarded CBE

Outgoing chief executive Mark Carne has been given a Queen's Birthday honour

Following unprecedented chaos on the railway networks this week, the news that outgoing boss of Network Rail, Mark Carne, is to receive a Queen’s birthday honour is not likely to sit well with commuters. 

Carne, who announced his departure as chief executive of Network Rail in February, has been made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

He joins around 1,350 people on the Queen’s honours list, many of them gaining MBEs, CBEs, OBEs, and knighthoods.

However, the announcement is likely to be met with intense criticism after commuters across the North faced weeks of rail chaos due to a change of timetable, with thousands left stranded after trains were cancelled or severely delayed.

The Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, blamed the service breakdown on Government-owned Network Rail for late-running engineering projects, however Govia Thameslink Railway and Northern trains were also running reduced services. 

On Monday, more than 100 trains were cancelled or severely delayed, affecting passengers in Manchester, Lancashire and the Lake District. Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern also introduced a reduced service.

The disruption led to 25 northern newspapers joining forces to send a front-page “enough is enough” to the Government and calls for Network Rail bosses to resign. 

25 northern newspapers campaigned against poor railway services this week amidst unprecedented delays and cancellations

Just met with Chief Exec Network Rail in the South, Chief Exec and Chief Operating Officer of GTR to complain in the strongest terms of the abysmal failings of their operations following Time Table changes urged vastly better comms and urgent need to predict services #appalling

— Nicholas Soames (@NSoames) June 6, 2018

I asked Chris Grayling whether the chairman of Network Rail should resign or be sacked for current trains debacle. He replied: “I don’t think he bears responsibility in this, I think others in Network Rail may do”.

— Robert Peston (@Peston) June 5, 2018

The disruptions show no signs of ending with staff at Northern Rail set to stage a series of fresh strikes over a long-running dispute over the role of guards on trains on June 19, 21 and 23, the Liverpool Echo reported.

Carne, a former Shell oil executive, joined Network Rail in 2014 and steered the company though its reclassification into the public sector.

The timing of his resignation means a new chief executive will be in place before Network Rail’s next five-year work programme begins in April 2019. 

Announcing Carne’s departure, Network Rail said he had led a “transformational change” at the company and had delivered “the biggest projects in the history of the company, such as the iconic London Bridge station, which opened on schedule last month, and Birmingham New Street station in 2015”.

Speaking on behalf of the Board, the chairman of Network Rail, Sir Peter Hendy CBE, said at the time: “Mark has done an outstanding job and I want to applaud him for what he has achieved in his time at Network Rail. His leadership steadied the ship during the challenging transition to a public sector organisation and he has been the architect behind the huge positive changes in the company, driving transformation, devolution and efficiency, with an emphasis on equality and diversity too.”

Grayling added that Carne had done an “excellent job” presiding over the “biggest modernisation of our rail infrastructure since Victorian times”. 

“He has provided very strong industry leadership on safety and digital rail, and Network Rail has significantly improved the railway for its customers under his direction,” he said in February.    

While Carne was recognised in the honours, those who responded to the Grenfell Tower blaze on June 14 last year are still yet to be honoured for their bravery. Seventy two people died in the tragedy. 

Questions were raised in December 2017 when Grenfell’s hero respondents were not recognised in the New Year’s Honours, but authorities reassured the public that it was due to the time it took to process nominations. 

In the wake of the latest omission, the Government has again reiterated that Grenfell respondents will be recognised “at the earliest opportunity”.

A public inquiry into the tragedy may well impact decisions with the Metropolitan Police saying this week that they are investigating the fire brigade’s ‘stay put’ directive issued to residents. 

The other honourees…

Meanwhile, Liverpool football great Kenny Dalglish is to be been knighted for his steadfast support for the Hillsborough families in their lengthy quest for justice following the 1989 disaster that claimed 96 lives.

Author Kazuo Ishiguro will also receive a knighthood, less than a year after winning the Nobel Prize for Literature. 

Ishiguro said he was “proud of Britain, its open, democratic traditions and literary culture”.

Leading actresses Emma Thompson and Keira Knightley have also been honoured.

Thompson, a stalwart of the big and small screen since the late 1980s, has been made a Dame for services to drama and Knightley will receive a OBE for services to drama and charity. 

Rapper Ms Dynamite will be recognised with an MBE for services to music and footballer Jermain Defoe is to receive a OBE for services to football and the Jermain Defoe Foundation.

In what might be the most heartwarming inclusion, Britain’s longest selling poppy seller, Rosemary Powell, is to receive an MBE. 

At 103, Powell, a former nurse in the Second World War, finally decided to stop selling poppies, Sky News reported earlier this month. She had done so for 97 years.

Powell began selling poppies at the age of six with her mother for the Royal British Legion’s first Poppy Appeal in 1921.