SMMT News

1. England to test charge-as-you-drive ‘electric motorways’
2. Ian Constance appointed APC Chief Executive
3. SMMT Automotive Award for Innovation opens for entries
4. Blueprint for Northern Powerhouse published
5. Diesel prices hit five-year low
6. Week ahead

1. Industrial production down by 0.4% in euro area
2. Eurozone economy grows by 0.3%
3. Greece agrees bailout deal
4. EU close to sealing deal with United States on data-sharing
5. Week ahead

Ian Constance has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC). He is due to take over in September 2015, as Tony Pixton returns to the APC Board having guided the organisation safely through its start-up phase.

SMMT’s prestigious Automotive Award for Innovation, which recognises UK-developed concepts and technologies with the potential to transform the automotive industry, is now open for its sixth year of entries.

SMMT’s weekly round-up, including all the latest news from UK automotive and a message from SMMT’s Chief Executive.

Demand for exhibition space at the inaugural Automechanika Birmingham has proved to be so great that capacity has been increased by 40%, with 100 extra stands being made available. Taking place from 7 to 9 June 2016, Automechanika Birmingham is set to be one of the biggest events on the automotive calendar, bringing together representatives from all areas of the UK automotive supply chain and aftermarket.

1. EU and Vietnam reach agreement on free trade deal
2. European AFV registrations up 24.6% in first semester 2015
3. UKIP unveils campaign for Brexit
4. Calais migrant crisis – EU offers to help France and UK
5. Greece in ‘final stage’ of bail-out talks
6. Week ahead

1. SMMT – Steady growth for new car registrations in July
2. Launch of 16 rapid chargepoints across Cornwall
3. UK industrial output falls in June
4. Bank of England confirms interest rate hold
5. KPMG – Global Manufacturing Outlook
6. Week ahead

Alternative fuel vehicle registrations rose by 17.4% across Europe in the second quarter of 2015, according to ACEA. Demand for AFVs in the UK surged 62.4% – the biggest increase seen in any of the EU’s major markets over the period.

15.8% growth drives year-to-date bus and coach registrations past 5,000 milestone.