Active aero elements such as moving louvres and wings are now common-place in many motorsports and even hypercars. The purpose is always relating to aerodynamic drag. The aim is either to reduce it for greater top speed or increase it for better grip. Ford has filed a patent for an “Active spoiler system and method”,…
This episode discusses Ford’s investment in Rivian and the dynamics of such a partnership. Ford Motor Company invested $500m in Rivian this week, presenting an opportunity for the market leader in pickup trucks to collaborate with the first compelling electric pickup truck. Ford joined Amazon, who invested $700m back in February 2019, and Rivian has…
Car nameplates have , but they play a huge role in the identity of cars. These names dispense with the need to mention the brand – Golf, Cortina, Prius, F-150, Camry, Civic, Camaro, Viper. They become part of the emotional bond car owners develop with their cars. So why do car companies play fast and…
In this episode, I discuss the widespread downsizing and collaboration announced by the likes of VW, Daimler and BMW in the wake of their financial results. The podcast is now available on: Anchor.fm Apple Podcasts Breaker Pocket Casts I hope to be available on more platforms in the near future. Have a listen, give some…
Tailgating is a national pastime in the US, as in the have a barbeque and sit in the back of a truck and not the “following too closely” way us English would see it. Pickup trucks are still a thing that hasn’t found the following that has them dominating vehicle sales across the Atlantic. Just…
Peugeot have been going gangbusters under the leadership of Carlos Tavares, and after a huge year, have announced that they will return to the US market in 2026, with mobility and software solutions preceding the reintroduction of cars. But unlike others, they don’t have trucks – their brand portfolio is built on small cars and…
McLaren Automotive recently extended their deal with Ricardo Ltd for their V8 engines to continue to be built as they have since the MP4-12C. So, in case you didn’t already know, that much-lauded engine has been made and engineered by someone else. That’s the reality of the automotive industry. McLaren draft in assistance for many…
Engineers have pored over every detail, literally spending YEARS developing it, squeezed every penny out to make it more profitable for the company and more affordable to the customer, quality improvements and performance improvements have been made everywhere and… You buy the brand you have always bought, your parents bought, or which anecdotally “you can’t…
Ford has been granted a patent for “fuel drip retention”, which in simplistic terms is a system that generates a vacuum within the fuel filler pipe on the car to draw out the last drips from the fuel nozzle at the petrol station, saving the pain of watching diesel or petrol drip down the side…
Back in April 2015, then-CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) stated that the future of the automotive industry depended upon the consolidation of OEMs. At the time, the likes of GM dismissed this as an attempt to find a merger partner for FCA. Nearly 4 years later, after his tragic passing in 2018, what I…
