My Week In Cars: New Steve Cropley/Matt Prior podcast (ep.148)
This week finds Steve Cropley talking about Dacia Dusters old and new, Matt Prior finds himself confused by the appearance of some new cars, while the pair discuss a Fiat Panda Twinair, the new Ferrari Amalfi, the refinement of a Genesis G80 and much more, including your correspondence.
Make sure you never miss an Autocar podcast. Subscribe to our podcasts via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts or via your preferred podcast platform. And if you subscribe, rate and review the pod, we'd really appreciate that too.
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Telegraph
22 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Driving examiners given mental health support to cope with furious learners
Driving examiners are being offered mental health support to cope with angry learners forced to wait months for a test. One hundred 'mental health first aiders' have been trained to help relieve the 'pressures' on staff grappling with the issues in Britain's driving test system, which has seen waiting times reach a record high. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said the initiative was a 'particularly important' resource for staff during ' this challenging period '. However, the revelations prompted backlash from campaigners, who said the taxpayer-funded agency should focus on lowering waiting times first. The TaxPayers' Alliance called for the Government to abolish the quango and contract driving tests out to the private sector. Loveday Ryder, the chief executive of the DVSA, praised the mental health project as an 'important' resource for staff under pressure. In her introduction to the DVSA's annual report, she said: 'Our commitment to colleague wellbeing was reflected in the launch of our comprehensive mental health strategy, which included training over 100 mental health first aiders across the organisation. 'This initiative has been particularly important given the pressures our colleagues have faced while working to reduce waiting times and meet customer expectations.' Nick Bitel, the DVSA's non-executive chairman, also hailed the agency's environmental achievements, pointing out that it reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent since 2017-18. However, the report went on to confirm that the DVSA had missed its 'key target' to slash waiting times for practical tests, blaming a lack of examiners and rise in demand. The average wait time stood at around 22 weeks in March, up from 16 the previous year. The report said: 'We acknowledge, with regret, that these prolonged waiting times are negatively impacting our customers. 'This area of work is our number one priority.' 'The DVSA are a disgrace' As of February, only 14 centres had waiting times at or below seven weeks, which is the DVSA's nationwide target for the end of the year. Elliot Keck, the head of campaigns at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'The DVSA are a disgrace and bring shame to the whole of the public sector. 'They are completely unable to deliver their core objective, yet still have the gall to boast about their achievements on reducing emissions and improving staff access to mental health services. 'Labour needs to be radical with this failing quango and at minimum should be completely clearing out senior management. Ideally they would be abolishing the body entirely and instead contracting out driving tests to the private sector.'
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Renault to stop using leather interiors after talks with PETA
A major French car maker has committed to eliminating the use of animal leather interiors across its entire range by the end of the year in a move that will make vegans very happy indeed. While the decision, confirmed by PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), will see Renault ditch animal leather options from its global car line-up in a few months' time, it has already stopped offering leather seats and steering wheels to UK customers. 'True luxury is free from cruelty – and Renault understands that. By refusing to work with leather, Renault is helping save animal lives, reduce its environmental impact, and prove that compassion and innovation go hand in hand,' PETA's vice president of corporate projects, Yvonne Taylor, said. The international animal rights organisation estimates the global leather trade is responsible for the death of one billion animals every year. It adds that three cow or bull hides are used per car cabin. But not every car manufacturer is taking this vegan-friendly direction. A PETA study carried out last year listed the brands that currently use leather-alternative materials but also highlighted those sticking with traditional hides. Find out which brands aren't appeasing the vegans below... The animal rights group has taken aim at the motor industry's continued use of leather, claiming it is a highly polluting part of the manufacturing process. While it suggests three cow hides are used for a typically medium-size family car, bigger luxury models can require up to 15 animal skins in total. 'Due to the thicker hides used, non-vegan car interiors tend to have an even worse environmental impact than fashion items made from animal skins,' PETA says. 'Transforming animal hides into leather requires up to 170 chemicals (including cyanide, chromium, and coal-tar derivatives), which are toxic to human tannery workers and poison waterways. One report also linked leather car interiors to illegal land clearing and biodiversity loss,' it added. The organisation noted a range of new Renault models have already axed leather. The Renault 5 E-Tech Electric , Symbioz and Rafale all feature seats made from eco-friendly fabrics made with recycled plastic waste from landfill and other recycled textiles. However, vegans in the UK will be pleased to hear that Renault has been selling new cars with sustainable alternative upholsteries for years with a selection of organic and recyclable materials coming as standard. It's only in foreign markets that the French firm still offers animal leather cabins. And Renault isn't the only brand to offer vegan-friendly cabins. Abarth, BYD, Citroen, Dacia, Fiat, Jeep, Mini, Peugeot, Polestar, Smart, Vauxhall and Volvo largely offer leather-alternative interiors across the majority of their ranges, according to PETA's European Vegan Car Interior Survey last year. Tesla failed to respond to the group's request for information, but This is Money can confirm it uses synthetic, high-quality vegan leather across its vehicle line-up. Some BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz passenger cars also have non-animal leather as standard, despite being luxury brands consumers would typically associate with the premium material. That said, no new models are entirely animal product free... For instance, tyres and other interior materials typically contain tallow - rendered animal fat, traditionally from beef or mutton suet, that has been processed to remove impurities and moisture. Other lubricants used in all cars also include animal fat as an ingredient. And some brands utilise obscure animal products in ways you likely wouldn't imagine. For instance, during the painting process of Minis, each car is feather-dusted using female ostrich feathers. Mini says it only uses those that have been shed naturally (which occurs once a year) and they are a 'sustainable tool' to remove traces of dust right before the colour paint layer is applied to guarantee a perfect finish. But some brands are still sticking with leather interiors, including premium marques such as Audi, Bentley and Rolls-Royce. Bentley Motors last year became the first automotive member of Leather Naturally - a non-government organisation dedicated to promoting the use of certified, properly-sourced leather as a natural by-product of a responsible circular economy. The move will see Bentley use leathers made from hides that are a by-product of the food industry, therefore supporting a responsible, circular economy. Such materials would otherwise be turned into waste. Marc Stang, Bentley's in-house leather expert, said: 'Leather is a timeless, luxury material that has always epitomised the elegance, durability and quality of a hand-crafted Bentley interior. 'It has a rich history that dates back decades in our cars and has always stood the test of time.' Here's a list of brands that told PETA they don't offer vegan-friendly animal leather alternatives in the new models... yet.
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Soitec posts Q1 sales in line with expectations
July 22 (Reuters) - French semiconductor materials supplier Soitec ( opens new tab reported a 16% drop at constant exchange rates in its first-quarter sales, due to high customer inventory and a weak automotive market. The company posted quarterly revenue of 92 million euros($108 million), down from 121 million euros a year earlier but in line with analysts' average forecast of 93 million euros, according to a company-provided poll, opens new tab. "The correction of... inventories among our direct customers, and the ongoing weakness in the automotive market continued to impact our revenue," CEO Pierre Barnabe said in a statement. The group, whose customers include sector majors such as TSMC ( opens new tab, UMC ( opens new tab, Sony (6758.T), opens new tab, Global Foundries (GFS.O), opens new tab and STMicroelectronics ( opens new tab, expects second-quarter revenue to grow around 50% organically from the previous quarter. ($1 = 0.8519 euros)
