The UK’s withdrawal from the European Union will have profound consequences on the automobile industry and technological innovation. Car manufacturers are concerned about what will come after Brexit.
It’s an earthquake that is shaking the European Union promising to revolutionise or at least deeply change the relationship between the Old Continent and the UK. Brexit, the referendum that resulted in the UK’s decision to leave the EU, will have strong consequences on every one of the country’s productive activities. Mostly on the automotive industry, which defined the potential victorious “leave” outcome as a “nightmare” in the days leading up to the referendum. Well, their nightmare has come true.
The most sold electric car in the world, Nissan Leaf, is produced in England, more precisely in Sunderland’s car manufacturing plant, in the county of Tyne and Wear. Moreover, the United Kingdom would have become the birthplace of the first models of electric Mini cars as well as the European launch pad of autonomous cars. And it’s already one of the top economic and political realities for alternative mobility, as it is demonstrated by the first “electric” highways that are fitted with a wireless electric car charging lane for vehicles that don’t have an endothermic engine, the substantial discounts on eco-friendly cars and tests on new types of fuelling systems. These strong points and activities can be questioned now and may slow down the country’s and EU’s green evolution. If on one hand people fear the reduction of public investments in technological innovation, on the other, the customs duties, taxations and industrial isolation are already threatening the United Kingdom, flooring foreign car companies that make vehicles in the UK.
The UK is (rather, was) the second most important market in the EU. 77% of the cars produced in the country, which were 1.6 million in 2015, are exported and according to former Prime Minister David Cameron, the automotive industry, which is supported by heavy state subsidies, employs over 700,000 workers. In particular, the General Motors Group employs 35,000 people, Ford 14,000, Bmw and Nissan 8,000, Toyota 3,500 and Mercedes-Benz 3,400. In addition, six car design studios and thirteen research and development centres are operational in the nation. In the days leading to the referendum all car manufacturers said they would vote to remain in the European Union. In particular, Ford and BMW asked their employees to consider the dramatic effects of leaving the EU. Aston Martin, Volkswagen and Vauxhall (belonging to the GM Group) were the only companies that stayed more neutral, but in any case didn’t support Brexit. Now a period of growing uncertainty.
Nobody can precisely predict what the impact of Brexit will be on the automotive industry, especially the environmental impact. However, Toyota warned its employees that it will raise the taxation on vehicles produced locally by 10%, while VDA, the German Association of the Automotive Industry, talked about the “risks” for the country’s one hundred production plants of German plants. The Jaguar Land Rover Group, subsidiary of the Indian automaker Tata Motors, is more concrete and estimates a potential 1.25 billion euros hit until 2020. Independently of these catastrophic previsions, car manufacturers mostly fear the financial storm hitting the Stock Market indexes of many countries across the world and its consequences in the short term on lending institutions, which most industrial groups have to do with every day, with steep losses in bond values in the car sector.
Basically, since the UK has left the EU, the goods it exports to Europe must be subject to export tax, cars included. Actually, this must be negotiated in the next two years, given that the English government and the European institutions will define the conditions to leave the EU. Inspite of these catastrophic previsions, the game is not over.
Siamo anche su WhatsApp. Segui il canale ufficiale LifeGate per restare aggiornata, aggiornato sulle ultime notizie e sulle nostre attività.
Quest'opera è distribuita con Licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Non opere derivate 4.0 Internazionale.
What happens now Nobody really knows yet, with the shape and the timeline of Britain’s exit yet to be outlined. However, Prime Minister David Cameron declared that he will resign after having campaigned strongly for the UK to remain in the EU, and uncertainty about what will happen next is gripping the country and much of the world.
Dopo 43 anni, la bandiera dell’Ue smetterà probabilmente di sventolare sul suolo del Regno Unito. Il “Brexit” dato vincente col 51,5% dei voti.
On the 23rd of June a referendum was held in the United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) to decide whether the nation should remain in or leave the European Union. The United Kingdom decided to leave the Union and Prime Minister David Cameron has already announced his resignation. The political, economic and social consequences of this
Milan has announced one of Europe’s most ambitious mobility schemes, known as Strade Aperte (open roads). Its goal is to reduce cars in phase 2 of the lockdown by increasing bike lanes and pedestrian areas.
Formula 1, the world’s most important auto racing championship, has decided to turn the page and aim for carbon neutrality with the support of its teams, drivers and the whole racing circus.
Toyota and LifeGate began telling the story of hybrid mobility back in 2006, now, on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, they’re still treading the path of sustainable mobility. Here are the main steps of the journey.
Germany’s first solar bicycle lane could be the prototype for the roads of the future. The photovoltaic tiles melt snow and ice, and are capable of absorbing noise.
The Vespa is back in an electric version. Production has just started and the first models can be reserved online starting from October.
The city of Utrecht, in the Netherlands, is home to a bridge for cycling and walking that stretches over roof garden of a Montessori school. This project enhances practicality and will allow families to bring children to school by bike, passing through green areas. Despite their functionality, bridges are often seen as an infrastructure that is
