Research by Birmingham City University academics shows that proposals to open the UK’s largest electric vehicle battery production facility will expose a ‘marked gap’ in the national supply chain.

The report, based on research funded by the British Academy and produced and led by economist and regional automotive industries expert Professor Alex de Ruyter with colleagues from across the UK and Australia, assesses the capacity of supplier firms and perspectives of automotive workers in transitioning to manufacturing for Electric Vehicles (EV). The research team received input from the late Jack Dromey, MP for Birmingham Erdington, who passed away in early January 2022.

Searches for saving on car insurance have spiked by 92% in the last month and it’s no surprise as fuel prices are going through the roof.  Drivers will still continue to battle high prices, with the petrol averaging 167.3p per litre, even after fuel duty being cut by 5p. Tradesure Insurance Services have selected some tips and tricks to help those that are looking to save some money:

New research1 from breakdown provider, Green Flag, reveals 1.1 million UK motorists have either been given penalty points or involved in an accident due to illegal tyres.

A reported 16.5 million drivers have lost control on the road due to issues with their tyres. Drivers with worn tyres are the most vulnerable in cold and wet weather, with 7.6 million drivers (18 per cent) finding it hard to gain traction on icy or snowy roads, 4.7 million (11 per cent) losing grip on wet roads and 3.5 million aquaplaning (eight per cent).

Coventry University’s collaboration with independent luxury car group Aston Martin to provide higher and tailored degree programmes to the company’s staff has delivered six new degree apprenticeship graduates, with 11 more in the pipeline.

The seven Aston Martin employees who were studying with Coventry University as chartered manager degree apprentices (CMDA) have graduated with BA (Hons) Management and Leadership at Work degrees.

A pair of driving enthusiasts from Coventry are again joining real life Wacky Racers from across the UK on this summer's Monte Carlo or Bust Rally and are encouraging like-minded thrill seekers to join them at the start line. Mark Clements and Georgina Peters will be burning rubber in a car worth less than £500 for over 1000 miles to Monte Carlo via France, Switzerland and Italy in a Top Gear-style challenge.

The current prices at the filling station can bring tears to a driver’s eyes. There’s nothing we can do to change the prices per se, but there are a number of simple ways to reduce the running costs of a car. “It's not just fuel consumption – there are the hidden costs, too” explains David Kaiser, Head of Research and Development with oil and additive specialist LIQUI MOLY.