Autocar November 30, 2022

AH, EURO 7 regulations – the incoming rules intended to make internal combustion engines as clean as possible. They have hugely important ramifications for the industry and car buyers, as Julian Rendell reports (p12). Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares recently made his thoughts clear to Autocar when he told us: “Euro 7 will draw resources we should be spending on electrification… Why use scarce resources for something for a short period of time? It’s counterproductive.” Renault boss Luca de Meo echoed that: “It’s going to cost [Renault] more than a billion in development, it’s going to occupy 80% of the R&D capacity of powertrains for a year or more… and it doesn’t make sense, even from an ecological point of view.” In short, the car industry argues that complying with Euro 7 will redirect…

AH, EURO 7 regulations – the incoming rules intended to make internal combustion engines as clean as possible. They have hugely important ramifications for the industry and car buyers, as Julian Rendell reports (p12). Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares recently made his thoughts clear to Autocar when he told us: “Euro 7 will draw resources we should be spending on electrification… Why use scarce resources for something for a short period of time? It’s counterproductive.” Renault boss Luca de Meo echoed that: “It’s going to cost [Renault] more than a billion in development, it’s going to occupy 80% of the R&D capacity of powertrains for a year or more… and it doesn’t make sense, even from an ecological point of view.” In short, the car industry argues that complying with Euro…

“The new Astra EVs are powered by a 153bhp synchronous motor that produces 199lb ft” Vauxhall will launch EV versions of its Astra hatchback and Astra Sports Tourer next summer. Their arrival will bring its battery-electric passenger car range to six models and represent another big step towards its goal of offering only EVs by 2028. The new cars will notably increase the electric choice available to buyers in the UK family hatchback market, with the Sports Tourer in particular becoming one of only a handful of pure-battery estates on the market. Scheduled to be delivered from next June, the new models are built on Stellantis’s EMP2 platform – similar to Peugeot’s e-308, which is scheduled to hit the UK market at about the same time as the two Vauxhalls.…

“The new Astra EVs are powered by a 153bhp synchronous motor that produces 199lb ft” Vauxhall will launch EV versions of its Astra hatchback and Astra Sports Tourer next summer. Their arrival will bring its battery-electric passenger car range to six models and represent another big step towards its goal of offering only EVs by 2028. The new cars will notably increase the electric choice available to buyers in the UK family hatchback market, with the Sports Tourer in particular becoming one of only a handful of pure-battery estates on the market. Scheduled to be delivered from next June, the new models are built on Stellantis’s EMP2 platform – similar to Peugeot’s e-308, which is scheduled to hit the UK market at about the same time as the two Vauxhalls. Their prices are…

Vauxhall is not the fleet force it was, as owner Stellantis moves to boost profits by aiming more at private buyers. However, not all fleet sales are low margin and Vauxhall really needs this electric Astra to increase its appeal for business users. Almost 70% of electric cars registered in the UK in October went to fleets and businesses, according to Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The charm of electric for business drivers is, of course, the very low benefit-in-kind tax, now by far the biggest tax incentive for EV buyers. Vauxhall’s decision to also make an EV estate will play well with fleet buyers, who veer more towards estates than private buyers do. Right now, the best-selling estate in the UK is the Toyota Corolla hybrid, with the similar-sized MG 5…

Vauxhall is not the fleet force it was, as owner Stellantis moves to boost profits by aiming more at private buyers. However, not all fleet sales are low margin and Vauxhall really needs this electric Astra to increase its appeal for business users. Almost 70% of electric cars registered in the UK in October went to fleets and businesses, according to Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The charm of electric for business drivers is, of course, the very low benefit-in-kind tax, now by far the biggest tax incentive for EV buyers. Vauxhall’s decision to also make an EV estate will play well with fleet buyers, who veer more towards estates than private buyers do. Right now, the best-selling estate in the UK is the Toyota Corolla hybrid, with the…