• Volkswagen (VW) is adopting 48-volt mild hybrid to help fuel efficiency as diesel faces a consumer backlash because of its nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. Other companies, such as Renault, are following suit in their latest models. The first VW model to adopt the new technology will be a Golf-size vehicle and other models are likely to follow. VW Group is looking for alternatives to diesels as several cities plan to ban the power train to reduce the level of smog-causing NOx in the air. The backlash against diesel has intensified since VW admitted in 2015 that it has exceeded global emissions testing and sold cars that produced NOx that violated government standards in several countries. VW Group has had to recall more than 11 million vehicles worldwide to fix the problem.
•Price, the cost of insurance and whether a car is cheap to run are the top three selling points when young drivers buy their first car — way ahead of safety considerations. But road safety experts warned parents buying their child their first second-hand car as a rite of passage toward independent mobility: “Do not buy the oldest or cheapest car you can find.” It is particularly important as younger drivers are most likely to have an accident in the first few months rather than years after passing their driving test, it said. Instead, young drivers and their parents should look for used cars fitted as standard with “life-saver” Electronic Stability Control (ESC) which can reduce fatalities by up to 40 percent, and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) which can reduce crashes by a quarter.
• McLaren Automotive has accelerated to its fourth consecutive year of profitability boosted by record global sales. The UK-based car maker spun out of the legendary racing marque sold a record 3,286 cars last year, almost double the number it sold in 2015. Pre-tax profits at McLaren moved up a few gears to £9.2 million ($11.88 million) in 2016 — 41 percent higher than the £5.4million reported the previous year. Profits were still behind the record £14.9 million announced in 2014. However, McLaren, which is investing heavily in new cars and technology, posted record revenues of £649.8 million, a 30 percent increase from £450.6 million. This pushed operating profit to a record £65.8 million — a near trebling of the £23.5 million recorded in 2015.
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