“War on Motorists over” – Philip Hammond

Philip Hammond vows to end the War on Motorists Now there’s a damn fine start to Philip Hammond’s stint as Secretary of State for Transport - the end of the Government war on motorists. It’s also a good headline for the Tories, but what’s the meat? Actually, quite promising. Philip has announced that there will be an end to funding speed cameras.

Land Rover DC100 concept

Land Rover's new DC100 concept vehicle is due to make its debut at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show, with the manufacturer also confirming that a new Defender is anticipated for 2015. The DC100 concept will be building upon the existing characteristics of the car and it is hoped that the concept will act as a catalyst for debate concerning the future of Defender models. The design team is headed by Gerry McGovern, Land Rover's director of design, who says, "This isn't a production-ready concept but the beginning of a four-year journey to design a relevant Defender for the 21st century." John Edwards, global brand director at Land Rover, explains that the manufacturer wants to engage with existing customers to finalise the details of the new vehicle as part of their plans to direct the future of the Defender.

17,000 solar panels to power Toyota’s Derbyshire plant

Toyota’s manufacturing plant at Burnaston in Derbyshire, where the Auris and Avensis are built, will install the biggest solar panel system yet seen in a UK car plant.  British Gas, which will stump up the £10 million cost of installing the solar panels, and Toyota are working together to save 2000 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year. Once the solar panels are installed, they claim it will save enough energy to build approximately 7000 cars a year.