The Engineer
Automotive

  • Inspirational Journey for female engineers at Atkins

    25 May 2012

    Atkins has joined An Inspirational Journey, an initiative aimed at increasing the number of women working at the senior corporate level in Britain’s boardrooms.

  • New processes enable weight savings in BMW components

    24 May 2012

    Johnson Controls is using innovative production processes to make the door panels and seat structures for the new BMW 3 Series.

  • Research team sees water as a replacement form of lubricant

    24 May 2012

    Researchers in Germany believe that water can replace mineral oils as a form of lubrication.

  • Intelligent mobility – a systems view

    23 May 2012

    The flow and use of information are the key factors in developing ‘intelligent mobility’, but this will involve developing barriers to protect privacy as well as increasing communication between vehicles and infrastructure.

  • Polls suggest that UK policies aren't helping manufacturers

    23 May 2012

    A poll of industry and the public suggests that government policies aren’t helping manufacturers.

  • May CBI survey reveals weaker order books for manufacturers

    23 May 2012

    UK manufacturers reported weaker order books in May and the pace of expected output growth over the next three months has slowed, according to the CBI.

  • Mazda and Fiat sign MoU for Mazda, Alfa Romeo marques

    23 May 2012

    Mazda and Fiat have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding for the development and manufacturing of a new roadster for the Mazda and Alfa Romeo marques.

  • Survey says manufacturing SMEs are looking at growth

    22 May 2012

    Around 60 per cent of manufacturing SMEs expect further growth between now and the end of the year, according to survey conducted by the Manufacturing Advisory Service.

  • Torotrak signs agreement with Univance for automotive

    21 May 2012

    Torotrak has signed a co-operation and licence agreement with Univance, a developer and manufacturer of passenger and industrial vehicle transmission units, and other automotive parts headquartered in Japan.

  • Apprentice approval

    21 May 2012

    Schools must promote vocational courses and apprenticeships in engineering as well as the usual academic options, says Paul Davies

  • Company shows lightweight material for electric vehicles

    21 May 2012

    A Danish company has demonstrated that a new lightweight material can help electric vehicles increase their range.

  • Is the UK automotive industry on the road to revival?

    18 May 2012

    A strong engineering base, improved industrial relations and support from the government has seen the UK’s automotive industry enjoy something of a renaissance, but is continued growth in the sector sustainable?

  • Lola Cars International suffers from cashflow problems

    17 May 2012

    Lola Cars International has announced that the latest economic downturn and the decision of HMRC not to pay ongoing R&D tax credits has caused a serious cashflow problem for the businesses.

  • Vauxhall confirms Astra will be built at Ellesmere Port plant

    17 May 2012

    Vauxhall has confirmed it will build the new Astra at its Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire, safeguarding 2,100 jobs and creating a further 700.

  • Niche Vehicle R&D Programme invites bids for funding

    16 May 2012

    Niche vehicle manufacturers and suppliers in Britain are being invited to bid for funding under the Niche Vehicle R&D Programme.

  • e2v to sell non-core businesses to Baird for £14.7m

    16 May 2012

    e2v technologies has agreed the sale of its non-core businesses to Baird Capital Partners Europe for £14.7m.

  • Receivers could promote more widespread wireless recharging

    16 May 2012

    Wireless recharging of electrical devices could become more widespread thanks to an improvement in wireless power-transfer receivers.

  • Survey points to complexities of current Patent Box rules

    14 May 2012

    Patent Box rules are too complex and their implementation could mislead some businesses to expect more than they actually get, according to a survey from Withers & Rogers.

  • Supacat provides rescue remedy

    14 May 2012

    The design of an innovative lifeboat launcher presented a series of unusual challenges.

  • Antarctic oil, electric grids and the challenges of new nuclear

    14 May 2012

    Energy dominates this week’s set of events with oil exploration, nuclear new build and grid integrity open to discussion.

  • All together now

    14 May 2012

    Industry and government must co-operate to reinvigorate and grow the UK manufacturing industry.

  • Evoque demand prompts JLR to increase UK supplier spend

    11 May 2012

    Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is to spend an additional £1bn with UK suppliers over the next four years amid continued global demand for the Range Rover Evoque.

  • Zero Motorcycles announces record growth for Q1 2012

    9 May 2012

    Electric motorcycle manufacturer Zero Motorcycles has announced record growth for the first quarter of 2012 with year-over-year sales up 178 per cent in the number of motorcycles built and shipped.

  • BWI plant to support China premium vehicle demand

    3 May 2012

    BWI Group has opened a new plant in Fangshan, Beijing, to support demand in China for premium vehicles.

  • Challenge vehicle could travel 3,300 miles on gallon of fuel

    3 May 2012

    The University of Michigan’s Supermileage Team is designing a vehicle that can travel 3,300 miles with a gallon of fuel.

  • Manufacturers not expecting imminent economic recovery

    2 May 2012

    Around 68 per cent of the UK’s manufacturing businesses expect it to be two years or more before a full economic recovery, according to a new survey.

  • Student engineers contribute to Bloodhound SSC project

    2 May 2012

    Student engineers at Lancaster University have contributed to the construction of Bloodhound SSC, which is being built to break the land speed record.

  • More than half of graduates feel 'unprepared' for work

    2 May 2012

    Only 43 per cent of engineering graduates believe their university course provides them with the skills they need for work.

  • Cummins acquires Hilite emissions control business unit

    2 May 2012

    Cummins has signed an agreement to acquire the heavy-duty emissions control business of 3i-backed Hilite International for an undisclosed fee.

  • Reality check: immersive visualisation in design

    30 Apr 2012

    Immersive visualisation software is enabling designers to experience and make changes to creations in real time

  • Breeze bloc

    30 Apr 2012

    The pros and cons of renewable energy generation are up for discussion this week, while the low carbon car sector shows off its capabilities

  • Layers of manufacturing

    26 Apr 2012

    The Warwick Manufacturing Group is set to use a bespoke machine for investigating methods of creating lightweight components. Jason Ford reports

  • Glasgow firm set to produce wheels for Bloodhound SSC

    25 Apr 2012

    A high-precision engineering firm in Glasgow is to produce the wheels for Bloodhound SSC, the vehicle aiming to break the land-speed record.

  • UK manufacturing sector is bouncing back, says CBI

    25 Apr 2012

    The UK manufacturing sector is showing signs of bouncing back from the fragile conditions seen at the end of 2011 and start of 2012, and sentiment has improved for the first time in a year.

  • Research car will help develop technologies for older drivers

    24 Apr 2012

    Newcastle University has created a research car that can be used to help develop technologies for older drivers.

  • CERN and UK STFC launch Business Incubation Centre

    24 Apr 2012

    CERN and the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council have launched a new Business Incubation Centre.

  • Croatian start-up set to begin production of electric hypercar

    23 Apr 2012

    A Croatian-based automotive start-up is to begin manufacturing what is billed as the first production electric hypercar.

  • The Dreamliner has landed

    23 Apr 2012

    Aerospace and automotive dominate this week’s events, with the 787 Dreamliner touring Britain and engineers asking if cars can be green, fast and fun.

  • Engineers verify pedestrian detection systems in vehicles

    19 Apr 2012

    Engineers have devised a sophisticated test bed for the research and development of pedestrian detection systems in cars.

  • 'Streamliner' could achieve 400mph in 90 seconds

    19 Apr 2012

    A UK team is developing a 400mph motorcycle that could break the world land speed record for a two-wheeled vehicle.

  • Opportunities in the low carbon vehicle sector

    19 Apr 2012

    The advent of electric and hybrid vehicles has increased the need for engineers from a much wider range of disciplines

  • Steel relighting is a welcome beacon of good news

    18 Apr 2012

    The scale of the achievement in bringing the blast furnace of Redcar’s steelworks back to life is well worth celebrating. Were reports of the decline of British steelmaking premature?

  • This Week in 1875

    16 Apr 2012

    A device for cleaning train carriages is shown to be effective – easing the toils of manual labour

  • Gauging success in measurement and inspection

    16 Apr 2012

    The Equator tool from Renishaw is boosting product quality and repeatability in a number of sectors.

  • Management, machining and more

    16 Apr 2012

    MACH 2012, management skills, and snake-arm robots dominate this week’s proceedings.

  • Nissan to create 225 jobs with medium hatchback production

    10 Apr 2012

    Nissan is to build an all-new mid-sized model at its Sunderland plant from 2014, a decision that will see an additional 225 jobs created at the company.

  • Bob Joyce, chief engineer of Jaguar Land Rover

    10 Apr 2012

    People power: Jaguar Land Rover’s chief engineer explains how the company is helping to motivate future generations of engineers through technology.

  • Mathematical models help to lower radio interference in EVs

    5 Apr 2012

    Researchers in Germany are using mathematical models to reduce radio interference in electric vehicles, while making them cheaper at the same time.

  • Multi-fuel technology could reduce emissions from HGVs

    4 Apr 2012

    A multi-fuel technology that mixes diesel with other fuel sources could cut greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-goods vehicles.

  • March rounds off positive start to 2012 for UK manufacturing

    3 Apr 2012

    March rounded off a positive start to 2012 for UK manufacturing, with output and new orders expanding throughout the opening quarter.

  • Clive Hickman — chief executive of the MTC

    2 Apr 2012

    Clive Hickman explains how the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry is helping to shape the contours of the UK’s manufacturing roadmap

  • Express delivery: inside the Bloodhound supply chain

    2 Apr 2012

    Engineers and suppliers are uniting in the effort to make Bloodhound a reality.

  • Team has resource to estimate the impact of electric vehicles

    30 Mar 2012

    A new tool has been developed that will help policy makers predict and prepare for the increased use of electric cars and how they will affect the power network.

  • BMW and Toyota sign up for collaborative research

    30 Mar 2012

    BMW and Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) have signed an agreement on collaborative research in the field of next-generation lithium-ion battery cells.

  • Potential battery cable cover fault prompts BMW recall

    27 Mar 2012

    BMW has announced the recall of around 1.3 million BMW 5 and 6 Series models built between 2003 and 2010 due to a potential fault with the battery cable cover.

  • Robots to organise themselves like a swarm of insects

    26 Mar 2012

    Researchers in Germany are developing robotic vehicles for transporting goods around a warehouse that organise themselves like a swarm of insects.

  • Cleantech goes west

    26 Mar 2012

    British firms heading to California, electric-powered transport, apprenticeships and engineering in titanium are on the agenda this week

  • In for the long haul

    23 Mar 2012

    The budget contained some promising initiatives but the government needs to hold its nerve and follow through with a grander long-term vision for UK manufacturing.

  • Jaguar Land Rover and Chery agree joint venture in China

    22 Mar 2012

    Jaguar Land Rover and Chery Automobile Company have reached agreement on a proposed joint venture in China.??

  • Cosworth: from motorsport to UAV engines

    22 Mar 2012

    The Engineer paid a visit to Cosworth to see UK manufacturer’s engines designed for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the US military.

  • Chancellor announces research and development funding

    21 Mar 2012

    Chancellor George Osborne has announced a raft of measures aimed at supporting and reinforcing successful UK industries.

  • Report suggests employers will boost their workforces in 2012

    21 Mar 2012

    A new report suggests that engineering employers will increase their workforces in 2012 and will focus on employee retention to maintain their skills sets.

  • UK manufacturers have strong expectations for output growth

    20 Mar 2012

    UK manufacturers’ expectations for output growth are at their strongest for a year, but companies also expect to have to raise prices significantly, according to the CBI.

  • Europe's biggest wireless charging trial begins in London

    19 Mar 2012

    Technology for the wireless charging of electric vehicles is due to be trialled in East London’s ‘Tech City’.

  • GKN Aerospace set to become first UK user of AFP machine

    16 Mar 2012

    GKN Aerospace is to become the first UK-based user of a machine that can significantly speed up production of complex composite structures.

  • External airbag could protect pedestrians and cyclists

    14 Mar 2012

    Volvo has developed an external airbag that could protect pedestrians and cyclists in the event of a collision.

  • Jaguar Land Rover creates 1,000 new jobs at Halewood

    13 Mar 2012

    Up to 1,000 new jobs are to be created at Jaguar Land Rover’s Halewood facility to support work on the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Freelander 2.

  • Cars, kids and things

    12 Mar 2012

    This week’s events see experts discuss Britain’s automotive future, including the prospect of driverless cars, plus everyday technologies linked via the internet to improve our lives.

  • Car makers team up with SMEs to produce low-carbon vehicles

    9 Mar 2012

    Large vehicle manufacturers are mentoring smaller supply companies as part of a project to develop a low-carbon-vehicle supply chain in the UK.

  • Nissan plans to build new model in North East

    8 Mar 2012

    Nissan’s latest compact car, the Nissan Invitation, will be built in Sunderland from 2013 at an initial rate of 100,000 per year. But what does this mean for the area?

  • Prisk suggests UK's vision needs better communication

    7 Mar 2012

    A minister has suggested that the UK government may have failed to communicate some of its vision for the rebalancing of the economy.

  • Scientists develop new method of making hydrogen fuel cells

    7 Mar 2012

    Scientists in London believe their new hydrogen fuel-cell manufacturing approach can reduce costs and improve reliability.

  • Nissan's new model set to create 2,000 jobs in the UK

    6 Mar 2012

    Nissan is to build the new Invitation model at its Sunderland facility, a move that will create 2,000 jobs at the plant and across the supply chain.

  • Geneva Motor Show plays host to a knee-trembling debut

    5 Mar 2012

    Briefing may have an automotive theme but there’s still room for science and engineering outreach events, plus a conference that brings business leaders and top politicians under one roof.

  • Companies collaborate on hydrogen fuel-cell development

    1 Mar 2012

    Two UK companies are collaborating on the development of a hydrogen fuel cell that would be more efficient and cheaper to manufacture than conventional fuel cells.

  • GKN reports sales increases of £683m during 2011

    29 Feb 2012

    GKN has announced its results for 2011, with all four divisions contributing to an increase in sales of £683m to £6.1bn.

  • Birmingham University joins partnership for industry IP

    28 Feb 2012

    Birmingham University has recently become the first Midlands university to be part of the Easy Access Innovation Partnership, which promotes new ways of transferring intellectual property (IP) to industry.

  • Tracsis announces results

    28 Feb 2012

    Tracsis, a developer and aggregator of resource optimisation software, remote condition monitoring technology, and consultancy services to passenger transport industries has announced its interim results for the six months ended 31 January 2012.

  • Low carbon by road and sea

    27 Feb 2012

    Development of fuel cells, EV charging infrastructure and green ships are all under discussion in the UK this week, while the oil and gas sector focuses on collaborative projects in the Middle East

  • Researchers develop improved catalyst for car fuel cells

    24 Feb 2012

    Research from Berkeley University in the US could lead to the development of cheaper and more efficient catalysts for car fuel cells.

  • Palio launches debt-financing model for lower mid-market

    20 Feb 2012

    Palio is launching a debt-financing model in the UK for the lower mid-market where a significant credit supply gap has been created by the banks’ failure to lend to SMEs.

  • Joined-up thinking

    20 Feb 2012

    A laser-based technique could overtake resistance technology as a faster welding method for automotive and other applications.

  • McLaren Applied Technologies chief Geoff McGrath

    20 Feb 2012

    Race for the fittest: A small division of McLaren aims to apply the company’s strengths in motorsport to a range of other applications.

  • Surface charge: making electric cars lighter with body parts that double as batteries

    20 Feb 2012

    Materials that turn car body parts into batteries could help lighten the load on electric vehicles - and a host of other technologies.

  • GTL oils could help to improve petrol and engine lubricants

    17 Feb 2012

    Shell is manufacturing new gas-to-liquid (GTL) oils at its Qatar GTL plant that could be used to improve petrol and engine lubricants. 

  • An insight into driverless car technologies

    17 Feb 2012

    Many drivers might baulk at the idea of ’driverless’ cars, but in some conditions, they could both increase enjoyment of driving and ease congestion, argues Anthony Baxendale of MIRA in his first guest blog.

  • Quicker thinking

    15 Feb 2012

    Motorsport is a vital and unique part of the UK engineering sector, but it needs to be imaginative in the way it transfers its expertise

  • From illusion of design to finished product

    14 Feb 2012

    Excitement is mounting at Bloodhound headquarters as the final detail is filled in on the design of the car, and parts start to be delivered to the Bristol works where the car will be assembled.

  • UK announces schemes to boost apprenticeships

    13 Feb 2012

    Three schemes designed to boost the number of apprenticeships have been announced by UK prime minister David Cameron.

  • Getting there, going abroad and designing at home

    13 Feb 2012

    Electric vehicle infrastructure, the low-carbon transport challenge, showcases in Birmingham and Cambridge and the opportunity to relocate are all on the agenda this week.

  • Structural batteries could offer support to soldiers on front line

    13 Feb 2012

    Scientists at BAE Systems have demonstrated a method of storing electricity that could have initial applications on the battlefield.

  • And now for the good news about UK apprenticeships

    10 Feb 2012

    The news that Rolls Royce is planning to increase the number of apprentices it hires shows that the engineering sector still values traditional apprenticeships.

  • MTI launches Orion Fund for university spin-outs

    10 Feb 2012

    MTI has launched the Orion Fund, an investment vehicle dedicated to university spin-outs.

  • Manufacturing study highlights value of UK-based production

    9 Feb 2012

    A study on modern manufacturing systems has highlighted the value associated with keeping production activities in the UK.

  • Remote control car paves the way for autonomous vehicles

    9 Feb 2012

    The Engineer paid a visit to automotive test specialist MIRA to see a new vehicle designed to put autonomous driving systems through their paces.

  • Zeolite-based process could aid petrol-to-diesel conversion

    8 Feb 2012

    Petrol could be converted to diesel more energy efficiently using a novel zeolite-based process.

  • Mitsubishi will not allocate new model at Netherlands Car site

    6 Feb 2012

    Mitsubishi Motors will not allocate a new model at its subsidiary European production site, Netherlands Car (NedCar), for production from 2013.

  • Wireless system charges vehicles on the move

    6 Feb 2012

    Researchers have designed a system that could wirelessly charge electric vehicles whilst at cruising speed on the motorway.

  • Artificial vision system locates pedestrians in front of vehicles

    6 Feb 2012

    Researchers in Europe have developed a system that uses artificial vision to locate pedestrians in front of a vehicle.

  • Advanced bonding techniques for the automotive industry

    6 February 2012

    A catalysis technique created by a team from Glasgow University could greatly extend the applications of silicon carbide.

  • Complementary angle

    6 February 2012

    A nationwide hydrogen infrastructure to support low-carbon vehicles requires the involvement of niche markets

  • Under the bonnet of MIRA's network-assisted vehicle

    6 February 2012

    A semi-automated test vehicle is helping engineers fast-track intelligent transport systems.

  • Bladon Jets announces opening of Coventry engineering centre

    3 Feb 2012

    Bladon Jets has announced the opening of its Engineering Centre in Coventry. 

  • From the track to the air

    3 Feb 2012

    In a new series of guest blogs from motorsport and composites specialist Lola, commercial director Paul Jackson explains why multi-discipline adaptability is so important for SMEs, and how it is contributing to Lola’s performance.

  • Survey shows manufacturing beginning positively in 2012

    3 Feb 2012

    A joint survey by Markit and the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply has revealed UK manufacturing started 2012 on a positive footing.

  • Jaguar Land Rover seeks its apprenticeship intake for 2012

    2 Feb 2012

    Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is set to launch a search for its largest-ever intake of apprentices to join its 2012 training programme.

  • Project works on intelligent energy management for cars

    2 Feb 2012

    A European project is being designed to create intelligent energy-management systems for car makers in an effort to drive down factory emissions and costs.

  • Scientists demonstrate silicone rubber has self-healing ability

    30 Jan 2012

    Scientists have demonstrated that silicone rubber can repair itself through heat-activated reversible bonding.

  • Scotland's renewables ambition

    30 Jan 2012

    Aiming to be 100 per cent renewable powered by 2020, Scotland hosts a major offshore wind conference and exhibition this week

  • MOF materials could make hydrogen fuel more practical

    30 Jan 2012

    US researchers believe they can make hydrogen a more practical fuel for vehicles by synthesising novel materials with high hydrogen-adsorption capacities.

  • Powerwalls: engineering in virtual reality

    26 Jan 2012

    The Engineer paid a visit to Warwick University and Jaguar Land Rover to find out how virtual reality is changing the automotive design process.

  • Collision warning system works in tune with driver attention

    25 Jan 2012

    Researchers are developing a collision warning system that takes into account driver attention to give appropriate warnings.

  • Oil fears should spur low-carbon innovation

    25 Jan 2012

    As the UK’s Coryton oil refinery goes into administration, and uncertainty over key oil producing regions grows, the case for an electric vehicle industry is growing stronger by the week.

  • SMMT figures reveal increase in UK car manufacturing

    23 Jan 2012

    Figures released from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show that UK car manufacturing rose 5.8 per cent to 1.3 million in 2011 and ended the year with a 1.6 per cent rise in December.

  • Rethinking the ambulance

    23 Jan 2012

    An 18-month-long project has led to a full-scale mock-up of an ambulance fit for the 21st century.

  • The fast lane to success

    23 Jan 2012

    Cutting-edge invention and manufacture is key to getting the UK ahead of the competition and its economy on track, says McLaren’s Ron Dennis

  • Programme seeks to prepare UK for hydrogen vehicles

    20 Jan 2012

    Companies developing hydrogen vehicles and infrastructure are to collaborate with government and establish a UK roadmap for deploying the technology.

  • Organic LED technology makes car roofs transparent

    20 Jan 2012

    BASF and Philips have integrated their latest organic LED technology into car roofs to make them transparent.

  • Leading the charge

    20 Jan 2012

    Hopes are on the private sector to fund the roll-out of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the UK. But it may take more than commercial opportunities to be successful.

  • Company unveils UK's first EV rapid-charging station

    19 Jan 2012

    The UK’s first private electric-vehicle rapid-charging station was launched yesterday, highlighting the need for infrastructure to encourage the sale of EVs.

  • Long-life battery system stores electrical energy in liquid form

    19 Jan 2012

    An Irish company has developed a long-life battery that stores electrical energy in liquid form.

  • BMW recalls MINI models owing to water-pump fault

    18 Jan 2012

    Around 29,868 MINI Cooper S and MINI John Cooper Works cars are being recalled in Britain following the detection of a potential fault in an engine water pump.

  • Electric seat-less unicycle takes the floor at show

    17 Jan 2012

    Personal mobility took another twist at last week’s International Consumer Electronics Show with a demonstration of an electric, seat-less, unicycle dubbed Solowheel.

  • LED powerhood could help F1 teams cut their energy use

    17 Jan 2012

    Formula 1 pit teams could cut their energy usage with an LED system designed to be more reliable than traditional garage lighting.

  • A week of transport icons

    16 Jan 2012

    Transport dominates this week’s Briefing, with a lecture on the return of a London icon and a conference addressing barriers that stand in the way of electric vehicles.

  • Bloodhound needs components from UK manufacturers

    13 Jan 2012

    UK motorsport engineering companies are being invited take part in the Bloodhound land-speed record project following the launch of design and manufacture work packages.

  • Survey suggests that UK adults undervalue engineering

    12 Jan 2012

    A cross-sectional survey of UK adults has revealed that the impact of engineering on the economy is undervalued and that misconceptions about the industry persist.

  • Zooming in on the London Centre for Nanotechnology

    12 Jan 2012

    The Engineer paid a visit to the London Centre for Nanotechnology to uncover how tiny structures are making a big difference across a range of disciplines.

  • Lola-Drayson electric racing car unveiled

    12 Jan 2012

    A new electric race car prototype has been officially revealed by Lola Group and Drayson Racing Technologies.

  • ABB set to create electric vehicle charging network

    9 Jan 2012

    ABB has won a tender offer to build a network of 200 electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging stations throughout Estonia.

  • Talking transport

    9 Jan 2012

    With a decision due on a new high speed rail link, and a host of motor shows opening their doors, Transport is top of this week’s agenda

  • Advisory service available to all manufacturing businesses

    9 Jan 2012

    A national programme to help small and medium manufacturing businesses to grow has officially launched.

  • Electric vehicles: a numbers game

    6 Jan 2012

    The take-up of electric vehicles is slower than anticipated. Guest blogger Peter Young takes a look at why this might be.

  • Ford uses online software tool to simulate visual impairments

    5 Jan 2012

    Ford is hoping to make it easier for people with poor eyesight to drive by using a visual impairment simulator to redesign its instruments.

  • Plan means police may use 3D laser scanning at crash sites

    4 Jan 2012

    Plans to roll out 3D laser scanning technology on England’s motorways could shorten road closures due to crashes, according to the government.

  • SMMT reports on a strong year for the UK automotive industry

    22 Dec 2011

    Total vehicle and engine production in the UK is set to end the year five per cent above levels recorded in 2010, according to the SMMT.

  • Ghosts of Christmas Presents

    19 Dec 2011

    The world of conferences and events seems to have ground to a halt so instead The Engineer takes a look at gift ideas for youngsters.

  • Researchers set out to assess performance of pothole repairs

    15 Dec 2011

    A new project is to study the performance of pothole repairs on a simulated road in an effort to create best-practice maintenance guidelines.

  • Foresight will investigate future of UK's manufacturing to 2050

    14 Dec 2011

    Government advisory service Foresight has started a project to investigate the future of manufacturing up to 2050.

  • Caterpillar set to invest £50m in UK manufacturing facilities

    14 Dec 2011

    Caterpillar’s Building Construction Products Division is to invest £50m in its UK manufacturing facilities for new products and expanded production facilities in Leicestershire and Stoke-on-Tees.

  • Rolls-Royce invests in significant facilities expansion

    13 Dec 2011

    Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is investing in a significant expansion of its Assembly Hall and Surface Finish Centre.

  • PwC survey warns of mineral shortage's harmful effects

    12 Dec 2011

    A shortage of minerals and metals including beryllium, cobalt and flurospar could adversely impact supply chains and economies, according to a new survey.

  • Taking telematics on the road to improve automotive safety

    12 Dec 2011

    This week’s events look at automotive automation, the Make it in Great Britain campaign and an online quiz that tests participants’ knowledge of energy usage.

  • UK business secretary launches advanced manufacturing fund

    9 Dec 2011

    An initiative worth up to £125m is being established to improve the global competitiveness of UK advanced manufacturing supply chains.

  • UK innovation strategy means SMEs take centre stage

    8 Dec 2011

    High-tech small- and medium-sized businesses are at the focus of the government’s newly announced Innovation and Research Strategy for Growth.

  • Vehicle device feeds back real time driving data to motorists

    6 Dec 2011

    Engineers have developed a black box for road vehicles that integrates a host of driving data, including fuel efficiency.

  • Liquid-nitrogen engine could be an alternative to batteries

    6 Dec 2011

    A design for a liquid-nitrogen-powered vehicle engine could provide an alternative to batteries and fuel cells following a planned feasibility study.

  • EEF's Q4 outlook survey shows fall in manufacturing activity

    5 Dec 2011

    Manufacturing activity has fallen back in the last quarter in response to growing economic uncertainty in major markets.

  • Low Carbon homes, EVs and the case for a "supergrid"

    5 Dec 2011

    This week’s events consider the requirements of low-carbon homes, more debate on optimising electric vehicles and a look at the technical, economical and political challenges of wind projects.

  • Fund will help road freighters in UK to buy green vehicles

    30 Nov 2011

    The UK’s road-freight industry is being encouraged to buy and use low-emission medium- and heavy-goods vehicles with the help of capital funding worth £8m.

  • GM investigates Chevrolet Volt battery packs following fires

    29 Nov 2011

    GM has assigned a team to investigate Chevrolet Volt battery packs following a series of fires.

  • Mazda creates capacitor-based regenerative braking system

    28 Nov 2011

    Mazda has developed what is claimed to be the world’s first capacitor-based regenerative braking system.

  • Focus on the UK's energy mix

    28 Nov 2011

    This week sees several organisations host meetings about the parts that renewables and nuclear will play in the UK’s energy landscape in the coming decades.

  • Pure drive

    28 Nov 2011

    For the chief operating officer and executive chairman of battery firm Evida, all-electric cars are the only way to go.

  • UK graduates must upskill to compete globally, says report

    25 Nov 2011

    A new report has highlighted the skills graduates need to compete on an international stage and warned that UK graduates aren’t looking beyond the border.

  • Toyota set to create jobs at Derbyshire car plant

    25 Nov 2011

    Up to 1,500 jobs are to be created at Toyota’s Burnaston plant following a decision to build new generation C-segment family sized hatchback models at the plant.

  • Research foresees automated driving to avoid accidents

    23 Nov 2011

    Cars that can take over driving duties at points when accidents are most likely, then return control to the driver, could be on the market within five years.

  • Arrowsmith targets new orders for precision components

    23 Nov 2011

    A Coventry-based manufacturer is looking for £4m sales within three years through the supply of precision components for the aerospace industry, Formula One and the energy sector.

  • Scientists develop anchorless selective laser melting process

    23 Nov 2011

    Scientists at Sheffield University aim to eliminate the need for ‘anchors’ used in additive manufacturing.

  • Sevcon set to supply drivetrain controllers for UTVs and ATVs

    21 Nov 2011

    Sevcon has won a contract to supply drivetrain control technology for a range of utility and all-terrain vehicles being manufactured in China.

  • Engineless cars, driverless trains and Brits in space

    21 Nov 2011

    The effects of technology on transport are still causing controversy, while the IMechE honours the best of British manufacturing

  • Researchers find way to create cheap thermoelectric materials

    17 Nov 2011

    Researchers claim to have found a way of making cheap thermoelectric materials that could harvest waste heat from a range of scenarios.

  • Government launches prize to inspire young engineers

    17 Nov 2011

    An international engineering award has been launched today to celebrate the individuals whose work inspires and advances society. 

  • Composite performance boosts Bloodhound build

    16 Nov 2011

    With Bloodhound SSC now well into its build phase, the chassis is starting to come together, and some vital mechanical components are ready for assembly, says chief engineer Mark Chapman

  • Company has funds available for sustainable mobility

    16 Nov 2011

    An investment company dedicated to sustainable mobility has announced €30m in funds to develop young companies.

  • Trial for wireless charging of electric cars set for London

    15 Nov 2011

    The UK’s first electric vehicle wireless charging trial is to start in London next year.

  • Report highlights high road-pollution death rate in UK

    14 Nov 2011

    The UK government has today been accused of putting people’s lives at risk by not prioritising action to cut pollution on UK roads.

  • Tackling cable theft, and a nuclear update

    14 Nov 2011

    Tomorrow marks the introduction of a Bill to Parliament that aims to eradicate a crime that causes severe disruption to rail travellers and sometimes kills its perpetrators.

  • Government scheme will offer £95m in funding to UK SMEs

    11 Nov 2011

    Funding worth £95m is to be made available to Britain’s SMEs via a government scheme run by RBS, NatWest and HSBC.

  • Jaguar Land Rover set to recruit staff at Solihull plant

    11 Nov 2011

    Jaguar Land Rover is to recruit more than 1,000 staff at its advanced manufacturing plant in Solihull.

  • Report points to robotics as a major driver of job creation

    11 Nov 2011

    A report published in Japan suggests robotics will be a major driver for global job creation over the next five years.

  • ITM Power set to offer energy storage for EcoIsland project

    10 Nov 2011

    The Isle of Wight’s EcoIsland project has enlisted hydrogen specialist ITM Power to address issues of energy intermittency and storage.

  • European fund supports production of Nissan LEAF

    10 Nov 2011

    Nissan is to receive €220m in funding from the European Investment Bank to support production of the Nissan Leaf and electric vehicle batteries.

  • Researchers develop steering wheel with health sensors

    8 Nov 2011

    A Munich-based research team has developed a steering wheel embedded with sensors to monitor the health of drivers.

  • Kia Motors set to build third Chinese manufacturing plant

    7 Nov 2011

    Kia Motors has announced that it plans to build a third manufacturing plant in China, in order to meet dramatically increasing local demand and to maintain its positive sales momentum in the Chinese market.

  • Bentley secures £3m grant from regional growth fund

    7 Nov 2011

    Bentley has received confirmation of a conditional grant allocation of £3m from the Department for Business Regional Growth Fund.

  • Ricardo launches Hyboost efficient engine system

    3 Nov 2011

    The Engineer reports on Hyboost, a high-torque, supercharged but small engine developed by Ricardo, which could improve vehicle efficiency without sacrificing performance

  • Leicester University plans vibrometry research centre

    1 Nov 2011

    Leicester University is to establish a vibrometry research centre to support engineering and manufacturing in the automotive, aerospace and space sectors.

  • Team develops EV chargers using wood-plastic composite

    31 Oct 2011

    Researchers in Germany are developing electric vehicle charging points using a more environmentally friendly material made from wood and plastic.

  • Automotive engineer Gordon Murray

    31 Oct 2011

    Race to market: After a glittering career at the summit of motorsport, Gordon Murray is facing his toughest challenge yet.

  • Career opportunities in the automotive sector

    31 October 2011

    The automotive sector is offering significant opportunities as it pursues a long-term agenda of embracing new technology

  • Composites centre holds promise for automotive

    31 October 2011

    A new centre of excellence is seeking to enhance the UK’s composites expertise.

  • Ford of Europe chief executive Stephen Odell

    31 Oct 2011

    The European Commission’s future transport policy will make things more difficult for the automotive industry in the UK and Europe

  • Hyboost programme promises engine efficiency

    31 Oct 2011

    A downsized engine that packs a big punch could improve vehicle efficiency without comprising performance.

  • Lola shows the way in motorsport-to-defence

    31 October 2011

    The skills needed to win in the world of motorsport are ever more valued by the defence and aerospace sectors.

  • Motorsport ethos offers value to other sectors

    31 October 2011

    The UK’s unique strength in the motorsport sector could help many other industries to improve energy efficiency, introduce new materials and streamline their development processes

  • Conference discusses role of SMEs in Britain's economy

    27 Oct 2011

    A conference last week on the future of Britain’s economy saw influential figures discuss the role of SMEs in the economic recovery.

  • Campaign seeks to encourage young people into engineering

    27 Oct 2011

    Leading figures in industry and higher education have launched a campaign to encourage more talented young people to pursue careers in engineering.

  • German lessons don't sink in

    26 Oct 2011

    The German philosophy on investment in science and technology underpins the strength of its economy. Why does Britain consistently fail to follow suit?

  • Intelligent cars are set for demonstration in Frankfurt

    25 Oct 2011

    Intelligent cars that can alert their drivers — and each other — to hazards are set to be demonstrated in Frankfurt as part of a research project.

  • Control system could improve the agility of hybrid vehicles

    24 Oct 2011

    MIRA has developed an Electric Dynamic Control (EDC) system designed to enhance the driving dynamics of hybrid vehicles.

  • Make like a tree, make the most of the UK, and make your pitch

    24 Oct 2011

    Events taking place this week incorporate a demonstration of an artificial tree that captures CO2 and entrepreneurs pitching for funds that will see their innovations flourish.

  • BBA taskforce 'hasn't mended bank/small firm relationship'

    20 Oct 2011

    Following the launch of the British Bankers’ Associations’ (BBA’s) Business Finance Taskforce, research suggests that it has not yet achieved its aim of repairing the relationship between banks and small businesses.

  • Record producer Steve Levine talks about electric cars

    20 Oct 2011

    The Engineer visited Grammy-winning producer Steve Levine to talk about his work designing sound for electric vehicles

  • Pedestrian-detection system could reduce road fatalities

    19 Oct 2011

    A safety system from TRW Automotive Holdings has been designed to reduce the severity of impacts between cars and pedestrians.

  • IndyCar disaster puts safety focus on motorsport

    19 Oct 2011

    Changes will have to be made to IndyCar racing following the death of driver Dan Wheldon. Will the series learn lessons from Formula 1, and could this result in changes to F1 cars?

  • Robotic cars could use local traffic info to make decisions

    19 Oct 2011

    Robotic car technology from BAE Systems and Oxford University could help reduce congestion by using local traffic information to make decisions.

  • Wireless charger can restore vehicles' batteries on the move

    18 Oct 2011

    Wireless-charging technology could enable different electric vehicles to replenish their batteries using the same infrastructure while moving.

  • GM technologies 'will take over driving duties from motorists'

    18 Oct 2011

    Technologies being developed at GM are set to partially or completely take over driving duties from motorists.

  • Training the young will help fill skills gap

    17 October 2011

    More young people need to receive the right training to enter engineering careers if we are to fill skills gaps in the future, says Paul Jackson.

  • Service focuses on aiding growth for SME manufacturers

    14 Oct 2011

    A nationally operated Manufacturing Advisory Service will focus on helping small- and medium- sized (SME) manufacturers to grow, Mark Prisk, UK business minister, announced today.

  • Wireless bicycle brakes could be used in larger vehicles

    14 Oct 2011

    Scientists in Germany have developed a wireless bicycle brake that could lead to similar systems for larger vehicles such as trains and aeroplanes.

  • EcoDriver project aims to help drivers improve fuel efficiency

    13 Oct 2011

    Motorists could soon be provided with real-time interactive feedback about their fuel-efficiency performance.

  • Chevrolet works on all-electric version of Spark mini-car

    12 Oct 2011

    Chevrolet is to produce an all-electric version of the Chevrolet Spark mini-car.

  • Anti-corrosion techniques could double the life of steel

    12 Oct 2011

    New anti-corrosion techniques could double the life expectancy of steel.

  • UK manufacturing centre incorporates seven institutions

    11 Oct 2011

    A high-value manufacturing centre that incorporates seven leading institutions has been declared open for business by the Technology Strategy Board.

  • Project invents crash-safe battery housing for EVs

    6 Oct 2011

    A mass-producible, crash-safe housing for electric vehicle (EV) batteries has been developed using fibre-reinforced composite materials.

  • IMechE calls for plan to address UK skills shortages

    6 Oct 2011

    Large infrastructure projects could be undermined by a lack of engineers, according to a report launched by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.

  • LDC set to invest in specialist engineering and manufacturing

    6 Oct 2011

    Private equity provider LDC is to commit £200m of new investment to specialist engineering and manufacturing businesses over the next three years.

  • Forum urges government to cut taxes for private lenders

    5 Oct 2011

    The Forum of Private Business is urging the government to cut taxes for private lenders, as well as equity investors, in order to boost credit conditions for small businesses.

  • Airbag could cut fatalities from far-side impact collisions

    4 Oct 2011

    GM has developed an airbag in a bid to cut fatalities from far-side impact collisions.

  • Purchasing Managers' Index registers third-quarter growth

    3 Oct 2011

    The latest Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index indicates a return to growth for UK manufacturers.

  • Daimler and BASF unveil "smart" solution to range anxiety

    3 October 2011

    A concept EV developed by Daimler and BASF features a variety of efficiency-enhancing innovations.

  • Cars, lubricants and the global energy challenge

    30 Sep 2011

    Could a new approach to lubricants specifications and co-engineering help cars use less energy?

  • Analysis says electric vehicles sales not affected by incentives

    28 Sep 2011

    Analysis suggests government incentives are having little effect on the sales of electric vehicles.

  • Team Lotus and Renault Sport F1 extend engine deal

    27 Sep 2011

    Team Lotus and Renault Sport F1 have confirmed that their existing engine deal is to be extended for a further year to the end of 2013.

  • Project develops electric car battery with increased power

    26 Sep 2011

    A project has succeeded in developing an electric car battery with a 35 per cent greater range.

  • Composites take to the air, and the road

    26 Sep 2011

    Bad news from the UK’s defence sector is tempered by Boeing’s first delivery of the all-new composites-laden 787 Dreamliner to All Nippon Airlines.

  • Computers and sensors aid car in autonomous Berlin drive

    21 Sep 2011

    Computers have helped a VW Passat drive 80km around the streets of Berlin with complete autonomy.

  • UK's first hydrogen refuelling station unveiled at Honda plant

    20 Sep 2011

    The UK’s first public hydrogen-vehicle refuelling station opened today at Honda’s manufacturing plant in Swindon.

  • Funding given for project to replace rare earth magnets

    20 Sep 2011

    A project to replace expensive and environmentally damaging rare earth metals in electric vehicles with steel has received £518,000 to commercialise its technology.

  • Development of quick chargers for electric vehicles accelerated

    20 Sep 2011

    Nissan and leading European utility and electrical vehicle supply equipment companies are to speed the development of cheaper, smaller, quick chargers for electric vehicle batteries.

  • Jaguar Land Rover creates 700 jobs in Wolverhampton

    19 Sep 2011

    More than 700 jobs are to be created following Jaguar Land Rover’s decision to invest £355m in a new engine plant in Wolverhampton.

  • Building the world's "greenest" supercar engine

    19 September 2011

    A compact V8 engine designed and built by Ricardo is helping put McLaren Automotive firmly on the international supercar stage.

  • Pop producer Steve Levine

    19 September 2011

    Record producer Steve Levine is now using his musical know-how to engineer soundscapes for electric cars.

  • Time for electric cars to find their voice

    19 September 2011

    The near-silent operation of electric vehicles is a growing safety concern for pedestrians used to engine noise. But some intriguing solutions are at hand.

  • US adopts ‘first-inventor-to-file’ intellectual property rule

    16 Sep 2011

    US patent law is to show greater conformity with laws in the rest of the world with the passing today of the America Invents Act.

  • Bloodhound team scents success

    16 Sep 2011

    In the first of a new series of guest blogs, Mark Chapman, chief engineer on the Bloodhound SSC project, reflects on his team’s ongoing efforts to design the world’s first 1000mph car

  • Motor show concepts: style over substance?

    16 Sep 2011

    Bold technology claims seemed to be order of the day at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but I left none the wiser as to what stage much of the R&D was at.

  • Bentley 'is achieving flex-fuel targets' but demand is limited

    16 Sep 2011

    Bentley has said that is achieving its flex-fuel targets but that demand is being restricted by a poor infrastructure for E85 bio-ethanol.

  • Project aims to enhance electric vehicle development

    15 Sep 2011

    Five UK universities are to investigate how the UK automotive sector can improve the crucial technologies for low-carbon vehicles.

  • Electric smart car offers a 20 per cent increase in range

    15 Sep 2011

    A new electric smart car unveiled at the IAA motor show in Frankfurt achieves a 20 per cent increase in range simply through the selection of more efficient construction materials.

  • Land Rover unveils off-road successor to the Defender

    14 Sep 2011

    Land Rover has unveiled a new off-road vehicle as part of its plan to replace the Defender model by 2015.

  • Manufacturers are sceptical of politicians' ability, claims report

    14 Sep 2011

    UK manufacturers remain sceptical of the ability of politicians to reduce tax, red tape and the deficit, according to a new report.

  • Survey reveals confidence in the UK manufacturing sector

    12 Sep 2011

    UK manufacturing businesses are one of the more confident sectors regarding prospects over the next 12 months, with the vast majority of chief executive officers of small and medium-sized enterprises surveyed forecasting strong growth.

  • Automotive showcase

    12 Sep 2011

    An academic will this week assess the impact of the rise of the electric vehicles at a time when the world’s automotive industry gathers in Germany for the Frankfurt Motor Show.

  • Stuck in first gear

    9 Sep 2011

    The UK has an impressive array of companies that will serve it well as electric vehicles take off, but a step-change is needed if it wants to compete globally.

  • Research shows widespread satisfaction with EVs

    7 Sep 2011

    Electric vehicle drivers quickly overcome fears about running out of power but most still believe petrol cars perform better, new research suggests.

  • Low-carbon sector looks to skills of ex-armed forces

    5 Sep 2011

    Energy and employment dominate this week’s proceedings, with ex-service personnel being encouraged into the green vehicle industry and experts gathering in Geneva to discuss energy issues.

  • UK manufacturing continues to grow despite uncertain outlook

    5 Sep 2011

    Britain’s manufacturers are continuing to grow despite the uncertain economic outlook, according to a survey published today by EEF and BDO.

  • Enter the Wildcat

    5 Sep 2011

    An adapted motorsport off-roader could offer protection in combat operations thanks to its sheer agility.

  • £10m put forward to fund low-carbon vehicle R&D projects

    2 Sep 2011

    Sixteen collaborative research and development projects are to share £10m worth of government funding to develop new low-carbon vehicle technologies.

  • 'Iron veins' could be key to hydrogen storage in vehicles

    2 Sep 2011

    A new approach to storing hydrogen in future fuel-cell-powered cars has been developed in the US.

  • Manufacturing conditions in UK 'deteriorated further' in August

    1 Sep 2011

    Business conditions in the UK manufacturing sector deteriorated further in August, according to the latest seasonally adjusted Manufacturing PMI.

  • Siemens and Volvo announce plans to develop electric cars

    31 Aug 2011

    Siemens and Volvo Car Corporation are to develop electric cars.

  • All-electric car breaks through eight-minute barrier in test

    31 Aug 2011

    An all-electric car has broken the eight-minute barrier for a single lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife test circuit in Germany.

  • Electric cars and the energy gap

    30 Aug 2011

    This week’s Briefing kicks off in Germany with some good news about an all electric vehicle breaking a speed record.

  • IET urges school leavers to consider apprenticeships

    25 Aug 2011

    The Institution of Engineering and Technology is urging young people receiving their GCSE results today to consider apprenticeships as a way into engineering.

  • Research aims to deliver EV power-management systems

    25 Aug 2011

    New research into electric-vehicle charging systems could provide technology for electricity networks to use car batteries for storing excess power.

  • CBI report indicates economic boost to UK manufacturing

    25 Aug 2011

    UK manufacturers this week report that healthy order books and expectations for output growth are above their long-run average.

  • Car makers to develop hybrid system for pick-ups and SUVs

    24 Aug 2011

    Ford and Toyota are to collaborate on the development of an advanced new hybrid system for pick-ups (light trucks) and sport utility vehicles.

  • Flywheel claimed to be more efficient than geared drives

    23 Aug 2011

    A high-speed flywheel energy storage device has achieved greater efficiency than a conventional geared drive, claim its developers.

  • New research aims to optimise batteries for automotive use

    22 Aug 2011

    A cutting-edge lab at Cambridge University has been set up to perform detailed analysis of battery cycles in real time in an effort to solve problems and design better materials.

  • Fund could get particulate-mapping device on the road

    19 Aug 2011

    An engineer in the US has received a grant to develop a device that maps concentrations of particulate matter on the highways of Southern California in real time.

  • Engineers welcome rise in A-level students taking science

    18 Aug 2011

    Engineers have welcomed another rise in the proportion of students taking maths and science A levels.

  • Don't get carried away by the increase in science A-levels

    18 Aug 2011

    Young people might be more interested in science, but it doesn’t mean the public has changed its mind on engineering careers

  • Polymer research could lead to scratch-resistant coatings

    18 Aug 2011

    A new analytical method for determining the optimal composition of polymer surfaces could lead to lightweight windows and scratch-resistant coatings for cars and mobile phones.

  • Engineers work to develop electric sports car prototype

    17 Aug 2011

    Morgan Motor Company and a consortium of British technology specialists are working on a new, high-performance electric sports car prototype.

  • MAS South East offers access to free business reviews

    17 Aug 2011

    The Manufacturing Advisory Service South East is offering any business in the region involved in manufacturing production or assembly access to a free review with one of its industry specialists.

  • Solar-powered car heads to Australia for global race

    16 Aug 2011

    A team from Durham University are preparing their vehicle for the World Solar Challenge this October.

  • Traffic system calculates toll fees down to the minute

    15 Aug 2011

    Siemens has developed a traffic-management system that uses real-time information on speed and congestion to calculate toll fees down to the minute.

  • Beauty contest: Ferrari competition highlights greener technologies

    15 August 2011

    Design students have created future-friendly hypercars as Ferrari adds green technologies to its portfolio

  • Crash test dummies

    15 August 2011

    The Engineer visited the Transport Research Laboratory to find out about the research that goes into developing crash test dummies

  • Dummy run: Building the perfect crash-test dummy

    15 August 2011

    Despite the advances in safety analysis, research centre TRL says there is no substitute for crash-test dummies.

  • EU's top corporate investors 'will increase R&D spend'

    11 Aug 2011

    The European Union’s leading corporate investors are to increase investment in research and development, according to a new survey.

  • IET reveals difficulties in recruiting high-level staff

    10 Aug 2011

    Almost half of engineering companies are struggling to recruit senior-level engineers owing to competition for experienced staff, new research suggests.

  • Noise research could lead to better-designed motorcycles

    5 Aug 2011

    A team of engineers and psychologists is investigating the problem of noise levels experienced by motorcyclists, with a view to providing clearer advice and better-designed bikes and helmets.

  • Confidence, profit, and a 40-year-old rocket

    3 Aug 2011

    Imperial Innovations shows us that there’s money to be made from developing and launching companies from university research, but it’s vital that people know about it.

  • July's top 10 engineering wins

    2 Aug 2011

    Each month, The Engineer picks 10 of the most notable news stories from our Business Briefs archive.

  • Weakest rating since 2009 for Markit/CIPS Manufacturing PMI

    1 Aug 2011

    Deteriorating operating conditions and a decline in orders has led the Markit/CIPS UK Manufacturing PMI to post its weakest rating since June 2009.

  • Honda confirms Civic and CR-V to be built in Swindon

    1 Aug 2011

    Honda has confirmed that the new Civic hatchback for Europe and the next-generation CR-V will be built in Swindon.

  • Car park technology charges direct from drivers' banks

    1 Aug 2011

    Car parks could collect money directly from drivers’ bank accounts thanks to a new wireless payment system.

  • Drivers' brain signals could help reduce braking distances

    1 Aug 2011

    Using drivers’ brain signals to assist braking could result in quicker reaction times and reduced braking distances, according to German researchers.

  • Supacat turns 4x4 rally car into military vehicle

    29 Jul 2011

    The Engineer tests out a new high-mobility military vehicle based on the Wildcat rally 4x4.

  • Manufacturing report highlights lost confidence in economy

    28 Jul 2011

    UK manufacturers are losing confidence in the economic recovery after two years of growing optimism, a new report says.

  • Ecotricity to install EV charging posts at motorway services

    27 Jul 2011

    Ecotricity has announced a national network of electric-vehicle charging posts at motorway service stations.

  • Electric black cabs could make huge dent in London's pollution

    27 Jul 2011

    London’s iconic black cabs could save 4,000 tonnes of CO2 pollution every week if they were powered by electricity, according to a study by EcoVelocity.

  • Collaboration develops wireless charging system for race cars

    26 Jul 2011

    HaloIPT has teamed up with Drayson Racing Technology to develop its wireless charging technology for high-performance cars.

  • Justice for SMEs

    26 Jul 2011

    Court reforms have reduced the cost of enforcing intellectual property, argues Stewart Cameron.

  • Cameron announces fund to support higher apprenticeships

    22 Jul 2011

    Prime minister David Cameron today announced details of a £25m fund that will support up to 10,000 advanced and higher apprenticeships.

  • Nissan plans to hire 200 new staff for its Sunderland plant

    21 Jul 2011

    Nissan is to recruit 200 new staff to support production levels and vehicle development at its Sunderland plant.

  • Government sets out cap on immigrant engineers

    21 Jul 2011

    The number of non-European engineers granted top-level visas to seek work in Briain will effectively be limited to 200 under rules announced yesterday.

  • Scientists find way to stabilise nanometals for use in vehicles

    21 Jul 2011

    New research could pave the way for stronger, lighter car parts made from so-called nanometals.

  • Patent protection

    14 Jul 2011

    The Treasury’s latest consultation document on the Patent Box fills in a number of gaps in the original proposals, and also makes some significant changes says Dehns’ Jason Stevens.

  • Nissan's LEAF batteries could benefit renewables industry

    14 Jul 2011

    The first large-scale demonstration of renewable generation and battery storage using LEAF batteries has been built at Nissan’s global headquarters.

  • CABLED trial shows EVs satisfy requirements of urban drivers

    13 Jul 2011

    Data from the CABLED electric vehicle trial in the West Midlands indicates that electric vehicles are capable of satisfying transportation requirements of urban drivers.

  • Industry teams to help create electric drive vehicle batteries

    12 Jul 2011

    Three industry teams have been awarded $7m to develop design tools to help produce the next generation of electric drive vehicle batteries.

  • BDO's latest report indicates decline in business confidence

    11 Jul 2011

    Business confidence in the manufacturing sector has fallen to a two-year low, according to the latest Business Trends report from BDO.

  • Competition, carriers, and creativity

    11 Jul 2011

    This week marks the final call for entries in the The Engineer Technology & Innovation Awards whilst those wanting to boost exports are urged to attend a series of seminars.

  • The future of motoring?: self-driving car makes UK visit

    7 Jul 2011

    General Motors’ new concept car paid its first visit to the UK this week and The Engineer was on hand to try it out

  • Axeon receives share of EV battery-recycling research fund

    7 Jul 2011

    Axeon has been awarded funding to lead electric-vehicle battery-recycling research.

  • WTO says Chinese export restrictions are 'unjustified'

    7 Jul 2011

    The World Trade Organisation has ruled that China’s export restrictions of certain raw materials on environmental grounds are unjustified.

  • Project looks to develop emission-free fuel-cell autos

    6 Jul 2011

    ACAL Energy is partnering with Gordon Murray Design in a 12-month project to design a low-cost, durable fuel-cell vehicle.

  • ABB announces acquisition of EV charging specialist

    4 Jul 2011

    ABB has acquired Netherlands-based Epyon Power, a developer of direct current fast-charging electric vehicle stations and network charger software.

  • Engineering opportunities in the UK automotive sector

    4 Jul 2011

    The key players in the UK’s automotive industry are looking to safeguard and expand the sector for the coming decade

  • Schaeffler differential holds promise for OEMs

    4 July 2011

    A new reduced-weight spur differential could dramatically increase the fuel economy of passenger cars.

  • UK telematics test track opens for business

    4 July 2011

    The UK’s Innovits facility, one of the most advanced of its kind, will help take smart vehicle systems to the next level.

  • June's top 10 engineering wins

    1 Jul 2011

    Each month, The Engineer picks 10 of the most notable news stories from our Business Briefs archive. In June there was much movement in the transport sector, particularly in the UK, as well as several high-voltage contracts being signed across the various divisions of the energy industry.

  • Report encourages EV owners to charge at home

    30 Jun 2011

    Electric vehicle owners are being encouraged to charge their cars at home and during work rather than at public street points as part of the government’s ‘vision for electric vehicle infrastructure’.

  • LCIF invests in fuel-efficient automotive technologies

    30 Jun 2011

    The Low Carbon Innovation Fund has invested £400,000 in new automotive technologies designed to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions.

  • Toyota to conduct voluntary recall on 82,000 vehicles

    30 Jun 2011

    Motor company Toyota is to conduct a voluntary safety recall involving approximately 45,500 Highlander Hybrid and 36,700 Lexus RX 400h vehicles sold in the US.

  • Gordon Murray Design unveils ultra-compact electric city car

    29 Jun 2011

    Gordon Murray Design has today unveiled the T.27, the company’s latest ultra-compact city vehicle that is claimed to be the world’s most efficient electric car.

  • University initiative offers 'easy access' to IP portfolio

    29 Jun 2011

    A portfolio of innovations and intellectual property developed by Bristol University can now be accessed free of charge.

  • Inside view

    29 Jun 2011

    A new initiative to show teachers, careers advisors and students what the engineering sector has to offer begins today, but the industry needs to keep public engagement at the top of its agenda across all its sectors

  • Medical manufacturing, motoring and driving quickly up a hill backwards

    27 Jun 2011

    The UK’s burgeoning medical manufacturing industry and its resurgent automotive sector both feature prominently in an event-packed week ahead

  • Split-cycle combustion system could reduce vehicle emissions

    23 Jun 2011

    UK engineering company Ricardo is researching a split-cycle combustion system aimed at reducing the carbon emissions of heavy-duty vehicles.

  • Prime time manufacturing

    21 Jun 2011

    Following Alan Sugar’s now-infamous dig at engineers, the BBC was back on more industry-friendly ground this week with the first episode of “Made In Britain”, a documentary which attempted to debunk the notion that British manufacturing is dead.

  • Businesses urged to adopt hydrogen and fuel-cell systems

    17 Jun 2011

    The government is hoping to speed up the adoption of hydrogen and fuel-cell technologies to create viable end-to-end energy systems that can be readily scaled up.

  • New Patents County Court law set to benefit SMEs

    15 Jun 2011

    A new law comes into force this week that will give SMEs easier access to justice to protect their patent and design rights.

  • Electrolytic method could fulfil carbon nanotube potential

    14 Jun 2011

    A new method for producing carbon nanotubes quickly and cheaply could finally help deliver on the commercial promises of the material.

  • TSB funds study into disruptive low-carbon vehicle technology

    13 Jun 2011

    Fourteen UK companies have received funding to carry out studies into the development of disruptive low-carbon vehicle technology.

  • Banishing manufacturing stereotypes

    13 Jun 2011

    Assessing the impact of innovation, doing business with India and banishing outdated stereotypes of modern manufacturing form the backbone of this week’s Briefing.

  • A compelling glimpse of a complex future

    10 Jun 2011

    Often vague, sometimes noncommittal and frequently contradictory, auto industry crystal-ball gazing isn’t always particularly helpful. But this week in Germany Bosch Automotive set out a technology roadmap that was both comprehensive, compelling and complex.

  • Facility will help businesses to harness 3D printing technique

    10 Jun 2011

    Exeter University has taken delivery of a machine that will place its Centre for Additive Layer Manufacturing at the forefront of 3D printing.

  • Report stresses importance of vehicles' whole-life emissions

    9 Jun 2011

    A study has confirmed that electric and hybrid cars have a lower overall carbon footprint than standard vehicles but create more emissions during their production.

  • BMW to invest an extra £500m in its UK production network

    9 Jun 2011

    More than 5,000 manufacturing jobs are to be safeguarded following an announcement today from BMW that it will invest an extra £500m in its UK production network.

  • Aston Martin to move Rapide production to its Gaydon HQ

    8 Jun 2011

    Aston Martin is to move production of its four-door Rapide model to the company’s Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire in the second half of 2012.

  • Nissan's next Qashqai car to be manufactured in the UK

    8 Jun 2011

    Nissan has revealed that the next version of the company’s Qashqai will be designed, engineered and built in the UK, safeguarding 6,000 jobs.

  • Regrowing our economy is more than just a game

    8 Jun 2011

    Britain’s involvement in ground-breaking technology highlights the need to be more positive about our economic recovery.

  • MIRA and Creative Data set to collaborate on vehicle projects

    7 Jun 2011

    MIRA and Creative Data have signed a memorandum of understanding that will see the two engineering businesses collaborate on future vehicle projects for original equipment manufacturers and tier 1 suppliers with operations in Germany.

  • Students, lecturers give views on future of UK engineering

    7 Jun 2011

    A new report based on a major survey commissioned by GE of nearly 1,000 engineering students and lecturers details their views about the current state of the engineering technology sector.

  • Toyota to reduce emissions by installing large solar array

    7 Jun 2011

    Toyota Motor Manufacturing UK is to install a solar array at its plant in Derbyshire that will generate enough energy to build approximately 7,000 cars a year.

  • Transformable smart materials move closer to realisation

    6 Jun 2011

    The promise of smart materials whose mechanical properties can be changed on demand is a step closer to realisation, following work by German and Chinese scientists.

  • Survey points to underlying strength in UK manufacturing

    6 Jun 2011

    Manufacturing firms are driving overall economic growth in the UK with strong export orders leading to a sixth-successive quarter of growth for the sector.

  • Ireland charges ahead with electric vehicle infrastructure

    6 June 2011

    A new scheme is set to make Ireland the first country in Europe with a universally accessible charging network

  • Removing shock from the system with magnetic fluids

    6 June 2011

    Magnetically reactive fluids are offering smoother operation across a vast range of industries

  • EV experts to assess feasibility of wireless inductive charging

    2 Jun 2011

    Two electric vehicle technology specialists have joined forces to assess the feasibility of bringing wireless inductive charging to the mass market, as an optional extra for potential electric vehicle customers.

  • Pilot website allows the public to examine patent applications

    1 Jun 2011

    The UK Intellectual Property Office has today launched the nation’s first ‘Peer to Patent’ pilot website that will provide an online hub for members of the public to search and examine pending patent applications.

  • Ricardo to help Lifan develop fuel-efficient petrol engines

    1 Jun 2011

    Ricardo is to assist China’s Lifan Automobile Group in developing a range of petrol engines capable of meeting Chinese and international fuel economy and emissions regulations.

  • New award honours businesses selling UK products abroad

    1 Jun 2011

    Businesses that are helping to lead the economic recovery by selling UK products and services overseas are to be honoured with a new award.

  • CVT technology set for key role in Volvo flywheel evaluation

    1 Jun 2011

    Torotrak’s continuously variable transmission technology will form part of the Volvo Car Corporation’s evaluation of flywheel technology this autumn.

  • Awards scheme will encourage SMEs to work with universities

    31 May 2011

    Three UK universities have been awarded funds to create an awards scheme to support companies wishing to work with them for the first time.

  • Renewable optimism, emissions gloom

    31 May 2011

    Can Europe and North Africa be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050 and is the diesel engine relevant in this age of stringent emissions targets?

  • Car seat is able to monitor a driver's heartbeat

    27 May 2011

    Working with researchers at RWTH Aachen University, engineers at Ford’s European research centre have developed a car seat that can monitor a driver’s heartbeat.

  • London gets city-wide electric vehicle charging network

    27 May 2011

    Source London — a city-wide electric vehicle charging point network and membership scheme — was launched this week by London mayor Boris Johnson.

  • Energy events put spotlight on transport and nuclear industry

    23 May 2011

    Energy dominates this week’s events, with hydrogen and fuel cells for transportation plus the aftermath of Fukushima high on the agenda.

  • Range-extender engines

    23 May 2011

    Are range-extended vehicles a credible low-carbon alternative to pure-electric cars?

  • CBI survey shows healthy manufacturing order books

    19 May 2011

    A CBI survey published today shows that British manufacturers expect strong output growth in the coming quarter, backed by healthy order books.

  • Accident-prevention systems trialled at German intersection

    18 May 2011

    A range of accident-prevention technologies has been successfully demonstrated at a cordoned-off public road intersection in Wolfsburg, Germany.

  • Stretchy sensors can prevent passenger airbag injuries

    12 May 2011

    Researchers in Germany have developed sensors to prevent car passengers from being injured by airbags during a crash.

  • Former directors of MG Rover face management ban

    10 May 2011

    Following an investigation into the collapse of MG Rover, four of the company’s former directors have been banned from being involved in the management of any company for a number of years.

  • Jaguar Land Rover develops all-electric Defender vehicle

    9 May 2011

    Jaguar Land Rover in South Africa has produced an all-electric version of its Defender model for use in game parks.

  • Planetary defence and universal exploration

    9 May 2011

    Day-to-day worries like global warming and geo-political instability will all be rendered mute were an asteroid to slam into Earth.

  • Back on track: Electric motorcycles race for innovation

    9 May 2011

    The regulation-light world of electric motorbike racing is reaffirming the link between motorsport and innovation

  • Electric glimpse of motorsport's future

    9 May 2011

    Could electric motor-bike racing provide a blueprint for a more relevant motorsport industry?

  • Rapid prototyping technology keeps race team on track

    9 May 2011

    Fused deposition modelling technology has enabled Joe Gibbs Racing to rectify a car fault in a matter of days instead of weeks

  • The DeltaWing racer

    9 May 2011

    A new concept car combines speed with sustainability in a bid to revolutionise motor racing

  • Computerised scheduling for electric vehicle charging

    6 May 2011

    Computerised scheduling of charging for electric vehicles could ease the strain on the grids and still meet customer demands, according to researchers at Southampton University.

  • April's top 10 engineering wins

    6 May 2011

    Each month The Engineer picks 10 of the most notable contract news stories from our Business Briefs archive. In April there were plenty of companies going green, with large automotive companies investing in electric technology, a carbon-reducing finance scheme launched and further contracts signed in the renewable power sector. The UK in particular has seen much activity in the defence sector.

  • Jaguar moves C-X75 concept car towards production

    6 May 2011

    Jaguar announced today that it will put the C-X75 concept car into production in 2013.

  • Nissan chosen to design and supply taxis for New York

    6 May 2011

    Nissan has been selected to design and supply the next generation of taxis for New York — the city with the largest taxi fleet in the US.

  • Alliance to launch world's first race-prepared electric vehicle

    4 May 2011

    Oxford Yasa Motors, Westfield Sportscars and Potenza Technology have formed an alliance to develop and launch the world’s first fully race-prepared electric vehicle — the iRACER — and the new electric GTM sports car.

  • On track, in orbit, and all at sea.

    3 May 2011

    From McLaren’s latest GT racer to the UK’s burgeoning space sector there’s plenty on the post bank holiday engineering agenda

  • Team assesses environmental impact of vehicle batteries

    28 Apr 2011

    A team of researchers is embarking on a project to assess the environmental impact of electric vehicle batteries during their lifecycle.

  • Fundraising set to accelerate launch of fuel-cell systems

    28 Apr 2011

    Loughborough University spin-out Intelligent Energy has recently completed a fundraising round of approximately £7m from existing and new institutional shareholders.

  • Living with EVs

    28 Apr 2011

    Peter Young of Arup AT&R joins our guest bloggers, kicking off by telling us how he’s adjusted to driving an electric car as part of the CABLED trials, in which his company is involved.

  • Car suspension system offers greater safety and efficiency

    27 Apr 2011

    Scientists claim that a new electromagnetic suspension system could improve the comfort and safety of car journeys while reducing power consumption.

  • ONS reports 1.1 per cent growth in manufacturing sector

    27 Apr 2011

    Figures released today show that manufacturing increased by 1.1 per cent in the first quarter this year and that GDP is up by 0.5 per cent overall.

  • Out of the box: sustainable product design

    The Engineer - Sustainability Supplement

    Changing consumer habits and pressures to be green are driving a new approach to product design.

  • UK engineers confident of success at WorldSkills 2011

    25 April 2011

    An international competition to be held in the UK is helping to put engineering skills into sharp focus. David Fowler reports

  • Johnson Controls-Saft supplies electric vehicle battery system

    20 Apr 2011

    Johnson Controls-Saft is to supply the complete battery system for two electric vehicles set for launch in China by 2015.

  • Notes from a small island

    20 Apr 2011

    The Isle of Man economy is doing many of the things that the UK seems to be still only talking about, and we could do a lot worse than take a look.

  • CBI calls for action to get investment into the UK

    19 Apr 2011

    The CBI has called on the government to improve Britain’s attractiveness to investors, warning that without action, investment and jobs will be lost to other countries.

  • Project aims to reduce vehicle emissions by 10 per cent

    19 Apr 2011

    A UK consortium is to carry out research that aims to further reduce power consumption and CO2 emissions in hybrid diesel-electric buses.

  • Volvo Buses and SAIC Motors to form joint-venture company

    19 Apr 2011

    Volvo Buses and Chinese company SAIC Motors have agreed to form a joint-venture company to produce driveline systems for hybrid and electric buses.

  • Predictive maintenance tool to help drivers avoid congestion

    18 Apr 2011

    Researchers at IBM are collaborating with partners at the California Department of Transportation and California Center for Innovative Transportation to develop an intelligent system that will help commuters avoid congestion.

  • MG Motor UK begins full production of MG6 fastback

    15 Apr 2011

    Wednesday 13 April marked the start of full customer production of MG Motor UK’s new MG6.

  • Debugging platform for engine emission control systems

    14 Apr 2011

    UltraSoC Technologies has been awarded a grant to help it develop technology that cuts carbon emissions from cars and other vehicles.

  • Siemens and BMV unveil wireless EV charging station

    12 Apr 2011

    Siemens and BMW have entered the wireless electric vehicle charging market with their version of inductive technology.

  • Space celebrations

    11 Apr 2011

    Bittersweet space anniversaries dominate this week’s engineering events, while the effects of the Japanese earthquake are being felt in UK industry

  • Neil Patterson, McLaren Automotive chief engineer

    11 April 2011

    The McLaren MP4-12C, the first supercar from the country’s newest automotive company, has received rave reviews in the press and is about to be sent out to its first buyers. Neil Patterson, the car’s chief designer, talks about the project and how McLaren fits into the UK’s engineering sector

  • Hannover hangover

    8 Apr 2011

    As the newest member of The Engineer’s editorial team, I was faced with the rite-of-passage that is Hannover Messe – the world’s largest industrial manufacturing fair – which took place this week in Germany.

  • Fund will increase England's fleet of low-carbon buses

    8 Apr 2011

    Government funding of more than £46m will see 542 new low-carbon buses on roads across England by March 2012, according to transport minister Norman Baker.

  • NREL considers secondary uses for electric vehicle batteries

    6 Apr 2011

    The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory is working with industrial and academic partners to find ways of reusing batteries from electric vehicles.

  • Pinnacle claims engine will offer reduction in fuel usage

    6 Apr 2011

    Pinnacle Engines plans to commercialise a new engine that it claims will enable significant reductions in fuel consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions without increasing vehicle cost.

  • Surface-mount adhesives used in microchannel production

    4 Apr 2011

    Engineers in the US have devised a new method to use surface-mount adhesives in the production of low-temperature, microchannel heat exchangers.

  • Further technology 'is needed to make EVs more attractive'

    1 Apr 2011

    New research shows that while US consumer interest in fully battery-operated electric vehicles (EVs) is relatively positive, the current electric offerings do not meet most consumers’ requirements.

  • March's top 10 engineering wins

    1 Apr 2011

    Each month The Engineer picks 10 of the most notable contract news stories from our Business Briefs archive. March saw several contracts signed in the energy sector, including one, perhaps spurred by the Fukushima crisis in Japan, concerning the monitoring of nuclear plants. As the world watched Western military forces enter the Libyan conflict, major contracts were signed in the defence sector. ...

  • Tata Motors to expand Warwick technical centre

    29 Mar 2011

    Tata Motors has announced plans to expand its UK research centre to focus on low carbon technology.

  • Bloodhound gang: the team behind the UK's land speed record attempt

    28 March 2011

    No-nonsense aerospace experts, flamboyant rocketry specialists and an exuberant project leader epitomise the diverse team of engineers working on the UK’s latest land speed record contender

  • Vauxhall Vivaro to be made in Luton

    25 Mar 2011

    Vauxhall has confirmed the future of its Luton factory by announcing plans to build the new Vivaro van there.

  • F1 aims at overtaking in 2011

    25 Mar 2011

    The latest changes to the Formula 1 technology rules aim to make racing more exciting, but will make the drivers’ challenge even more difficult.

  • System uses piezoceramics to dampen vibrations in cars

    24 Mar 2011

    Engineers in Germany are hoping to reduce noisy vibrations in cars by using ‘smart materials’ that automatically change their shape.

  • TSB funding scheme for SMEs could stimulate economy

    22 Mar 2011

    A new scheme managed by the Technology Strategy Board will offer funding to small companies to enable them to research and develop new products, processes and services that could stimulate economic growth.

  • Sky high and down to Earth

    21 Mar 2011

    Sub-orbital flights present an exciting new dimension for tourists and the UK’s space industry alike but in the here-and-now George Osborne is charged with rebalancing the economy.

  • Average emissions of new cars decrease further in 2010

    16 Mar 2011

    A report from the SMMT shows that emissions from new cars fell 3.5 per cent in 2010 and more than 20 per cent since 2000.

  • IMechE chair calls on UK to support engineering students

    15 Mar 2011

    The chairman of the IMechE has warned the government that it must support engineering students if it is serious about rebalancing the economy.

  • Facility set to study effects of cosmic radiation on electronics

    14 Mar 2011

    Around £11m is to be invested in the first dedicated facility outside of the US that will investigate how microchips respond to cosmic radiation.

  • Talking about manufacturing

    14 Mar 2011

    Leading industry figures gather in Sheffield this week to discuss manufacturing’s contribution to the economy whilst a new report published today highlights opportunities from so-called ‘manu-services’.

  • Animal bone structure analysis aids materials development

    10 Mar 2011

    Detailed analysis of leg bones from 90 different animal species could aid in the design of tough, lightweight materials for aircraft and cars.

  • SMMT calls for government to bolster apprenticeships

    9 Mar 2011

    The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has set out its position on skills in a paper that outlines how government can work with industry to maximise investment in skills.

  • Study uncovers barriers to adoption of electric vehicles

    9 Mar 2011

    A new study from Deloitte has found that range, charging time, and purchase price are still barriers to the mass adoption of electric vehicles.

  • Government urged to support manufacturing in UK Budget

    7 Mar 2011

    The UK government needs to deliver on its promises of supporting manufacturing and upgrading infrastructure in the upcoming Budget, according to engineering bodies.

  • Low-carbon finance scheme set up to facilitate 'green growth'

    4 Mar 2011

    The Carbon Trust and Siemens are to provide finance worth up to £550m over the next three years for UK businesses wishing to invest in energy-efficiency equipment.

  • Jaguar awards £2bn of Range Rover component contracts

    3 Mar 2011

    Jaguar Land Rover has awarded more than 40 UK companies contracts worth £2bn to supply components for the Range Rover Evoque.

  • Geneva Motor show highlights battery and hybrid electric cars

    2 Mar 2011

    Luxury car manufacturers have unveiled a slew of high-end battery and hybrid electric vehicles at the Geneva Motor Show.

  • Building a better Britain?

    28 Feb 2011

    Manufacturing and the economy are top of this week’s agenda with stakeholders gathering in London to discuss rebuilding UK manufacturing.

  • Brompton managing director Will Butler-Adams

    28 February 2011

    Hinge benefits: Brompton’s ebullient MD is pedalling the maker of the iconic folding bike into the 21st century.

  • Cars and vices

    25 Feb 2011

    We don’t generally do obituaries in The Engineer, but the mind behind the Lotus Elan and the Black and Decker Workmate deserves to be commemorated.

  • Hybrid trucks can have similar fuel economy to diesels

    25 Feb 2011

    A comparative study between gasoline-hybrid and conventional diesel trucks has found that hybrids have a similar fuel economy to diesels under certain test scenarios.

  • TfL depots to trial inductive charging technology

    24 Feb 2011

    Transport for London is to install four wireless charging pads in two depots that will serve its private fleet of electric vehicles.

  • Vehicle exhaust system could reduce soot emissions

    23 Feb 2011

    Greenhouse-gas emissions from diesel-powered vehicles could fall thanks to a new exhaust-monitoring system co-developed by Volvo.

  • Jaguar Land Rover collaborates with Dassault Systèmes

    23 Feb 2011

    Automotive manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover and software developer Dassault Systèmes have today entered a strategic partnership that formalises future cooperation and collaboration between the two companies.

  • Experimental system for car control is all in the mind

    22 Feb 2011

    German computer scientists have developed a system making it possible to drive a car using thought control.

  • Networking system warns drivers of traffic jams

    21 Feb 2011

    Drivers may be warned of accidents and traffic jams before they see them using a networking system developed at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute.

  • Rolls-Royce 'Phantom' electric car moves to Geneva debut

    21 Feb 2011

    Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has confirmed development of its first fully electric-powered car.

  • Campaign aims to transform fortunes of UK SMEs

    17 Feb 2011

    A campaign aimed at transforming the fortunes of smaller firms across the UK has been launched by a leading business group.  

  • Brunel University launches manufacturing research centre

    16 Feb 2011

    Brunel University has launched a centre aimed at giving UK manufacturers a leading edge in the global marketplace.

  • Royal Society calls for reform of A-level system in England

    16 Feb 2011

    The Royal Society has called for a reform of the A-level system in England in order to encourage more students to continue with science and mathematics.

  • Second-generation biofuels could power private cars

    15 Feb 2011

    Aston University and Drayson Racing are to investigate second-generation biofuels in order to create high-performance cars with reduced CO2 emissions.

  • Nissan starts work on electric vehicle battery plant

    15 Feb 2011

    Nissan has begun construction of an advanced lithium-ion battery plant in Cacia, Portugal, to support the roll-out of electric vehicles from the Renault-Nissan Alliance in Europe.

  • Engineering bodies call for better careers advice

    15 Feb 2011

    Plans to change school careers advice could mean fewer young people consider a job in engineering, professional bodies have warned.

  • Partial hybrids offer emissions compromise

    14 Feb 2011

    Partial hybrid cars with low voltage engine boosters could provide advantages over full hybrids claim developers

  • Flying start: Flybrid develops flywheel hybrids

    14 February 2011

    Super fly: Derived from F1, flywheel systems will offer energy-efficiency benefits for road-ready hybrids. Stuart Nathan reports

  • Novel car bonnet could reduce pedestrian fatalities

    11 Feb 2011

    The number of deaths and serious injuries among pedestrians hit by cars could be reduced by a novel bonnet design that deforms strategically upon impact.

  • Forum of Private Business urges SMEs to challenge banks

    10 Feb 2011

    The head of the Forum of Private Business is urging SMEs to challenge the banks on their assertion that they are committed to lend more.

  • WMG officially opens hybrid powertrain testing facility

    10 Feb 2011

    Warwick Manufacturing Group hopes to become a key testing site for the automotive industry after officially opening its unique Vehicle Engine Facility this week.

  • Raising the profile of apprenticeships

    9 Feb 2011

    It’s National Apprenticeship Week 2011, although you could be forgiven for not knowing. It seems like our old adversary, public perception, is once again causing trouble.

  • Employers urged to set up apprenticeship schemes

    8 Feb 2011

    Employers are being urged to follow the example of BT and Jaguar Land Rover in creating a new generation of skilled workers through apprenticeship schemes.

  • CRESC report highlights UK manufacturing issues

    8 Feb 2011

    A third of UK manufacturing jobs are in foreign-owned subsidiaries that have ‘limited ambitions’, according to a report by the Centre for Socio-Cultural Change at Manchester University.

  • Next-gen batteries could bring electric cars closer to market

    7 Feb 2011

    Research chemists at BASF are developing next-generation lithium-ion batteries that will have significantly improved energy densities and lower material costs than existing products.

  • Project has surface perspective on engine performance

    7 Feb 2011

    Leeds University is taking part in a project to investigate how the use of advanced diamond-like carbon surfaces can help optimise engine performance.

  • Report says UK exports set to benefit from BRIC building

    7 Feb 2011

    In the next decade UK exports are predicted to enjoy a period of robust growth, driven by a weak pound and exports to BRIC countries.

  • Renewable grid connections, HS2, and the rise of the apprenticeship

    7 Feb 2011

    With wind filling the sails of Britain’s green energy revolution and the manufacturing sector performing well, Briefing looks at events that address grid connectivity and skills.

  • SMEs see improved production with larger cost pressures

    7 Feb 2011

    The CBI’s latest SME trends survey indicates that production improved in the last quarter for smaller manufacturers but cost pressures persist.

  • European firms predict double-digit profit growth in 2011

    4 Feb 2011

    A European study has revealed that managers want to grow profitably, start investing again in capacities and research and development, and press ahead with international expansion.

  • McLaren manufactures first sports car at Woking facility

    3 Feb 2011

    McLaren Automotive has announced the production of its first new high-performance sports car, the MP4-12C, at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking.

  • Ricardo develops range-extended electric vehicle

    3 Feb 2011

    Ricardo is leading a project to develop a range-extended electric vehicle for the C-D vehicle segment of the automotive market.

  • Commission proposes to tackle raw-material challenges

    2 Feb 2011

    The European Commission today presented what it described as an integrated strategic vision to tackle challenges in commodity markets and raw materials.

  • Joint venture to electrify BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroën cars

    2 Feb 2011

    BMW and PSA Peugeot Citroën have established an equal joint venture to develop standard hybrid components for the electrification of their vehicles.

  • Inflationary pressures threaten manufacturing sector

    1 Feb 2011

    Inflationary pressures still threaten manufacturing despite the sector showing a rise in production for the 20th consecutive month in January.

  • Nanobeads could store liquid hydrogen to fuel cars

    31 Jan 2011

    Plastic nanobeads that can store hydrogen at room temperature as a liquid are being commercialised for fuel applications.

  • Delivering on electric dreams

    31 Jan 2011

    Like them or not, electric vehicles are here to stay and new figures suggest they will be worth £7.2bn to the British motor industry by 2014

  • David Richards, chief executive at Prodrive

    31 January 2011

    Motor sport and mainstream automotive can learn much from each other, says Prodrive’s chief executive

  • Growth industries: the future for the UK's emerging technology sectors

    31 January 2011

    Emerging technologies could be key to Britain’s future as an engineering nation. Stuart Nathan reports

  • Inrekor unveils flat-pack production process

    31 January 2011

    UK-developed composite chassis technology could enable low-cost, high-volume production of lightweight cars.

  • Public survey says roads are priority for investment

    28 Jan 2011

    Roads and highways have topped the list of areas that need investment, according to the latest public service satisfaction survey, published by the Institution of Civil Engineers.

  • General Motors reveals Envia Systems investment

    27 Jan 2011

    US car giant General Motors’ Ventures arm has invested $7m in Newark, California-based Envia Systems to provide GM’s battery engineering team with access to its lithium-ion cathode technology.

  • Valeo Vision Systems expansion to create 100 jobs

    26 Jan 2011

    Automotive supplier Valeo is embarking on a major expansion at its Valeo Vision Systems (VVS) operation in Ireland with an investment of €17m and the creation of up to 100 new positions over the next three years.

  • Chrysler works with US EPA to develop hybrid technology

    26 Jan 2011

    A deal between US auto giant Chrysler and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will see the two work to develop and adapt hydraulic hybrid technology for the light-duty automobile market.

  • Hybrid concept car achieves record fuel economy

    26 Jan 2011

    Volkswagen has built a concept diesel-electric hybrid that achieves a fuel economy of 313 miles per gallon, a record for such vehicles.

  • Fuel system faults prompt Toyota recall

    26 Jan 2011

    Toyota is to recall a number of its Avensis and Lexus IS 250 models in the UK to carry out modifications to their fuel systems.

  • EEDA funds low-carbon research in east of England

    25 Jan 2011

    Businesses in the east of England could receive a major funding boost through the East of England Development Agency (EEDA)’s Grants for Research and Development programme.

  • Survey reveals growing acceptance of electric vehicles

    25 Jan 2011

    The number of people considering buying a plug-in hybrid or battery electric car has risen to 53 per cent, according to a survey of 397 motorists.

  • Save the planet, make a packet?

    24 Jan 2011

    With payday a week away and The Engineer’s lottery syndicate failing to hit the jackpot, Briefing asks: is there money to be made in saving the planet?

  • Manufacturing recovery on track despite inflation

    20 Jan 2011

    A strong rise in export orders in the past three months is driving sustained growth in the manufacturing sector, which looks set to continue into 2011.

  • Car production speeds up UK manufacturing recovery

    20 Jan 2011

    UK vehicle production is leading a recovery in the manufacturing sector with output in 2010 up 27.8 per cent, while demand in many countries in Europe has declined.

  • High-tech manufacturers positive about 2011 prospects

    19 Jan 2011

    A new survey of high-tech manufacturers highlights a UK business sector that is forging ahead and strongly confident about prospects in 2011.

  • Government fund aims to encourage public transport use

    19 Jan 2011

    Local authorities are to share £560m in funding aimed at developing sustainable transport projects.

  • Ford to build new vehicle at Kansas City plant

    19 Jan 2011

    US car giant Ford plans to build an as yet unnamed new vehicle at its Kansas City Assembly Plant in Missouri after production of the Ford Escape moves to its Louisville Assembly Plant.

  • Peugeot employs new staff and shifts to meet demand

    19 Jan 2011

    PSA Peugeot Citroën is to hire an additional 450 staff at its plant in Rennes as it ramps up production of the Peugeot 508.

  • Split-cycle engine simulations suggest fuel saving

    18 Jan 2011

    Engine-developer Scuderi has disclosed that results from vehicle simulations conducted on its split-cycle engine have shown that it could use between 25-36 per cent less fuel than a conventional engine.

  • Self-drive technology could cut risks in motorway journeys

    18 Jan 2011

    Vehicles that drive themselves along the motorway as part of large convoys are a step closer after the first successful test of the technology.

  • Cosworth and Storck partner up to improve electric bikes

    17 Jan 2011

    The Cosworth Group has formed a partnership with German bike manufacturer Storck Bicycle which will see both parties apply their engineering skills to develop electric bicycles.

  • Big ticket projects key to raising profile of engineers

    17 Jan 2011

    From the Bloodhound world land speed record car to Crossrail and HS2, high profile engineering projects are the key to inspiring the next generation of engineers

  • This week in 1903: Harry Parsons' snow chains

    17 January 2011

    With Britain in the middle of the coldest winter for 300 years, politicians and scientists have been scrabbling around to find low-cost and effective ways of coping with the weather.

  • Decline in government support for women in engineering

    14 Jan 2011

    The Institution of Engineering and Technology has voiced concern about falling government support for efforts to increase the number of women in engineering.

  • Motor racing and the cool wall conundrum

    14 Jan 2011

    Introducing new technology to motor racing is not increasing its appeal to the public. Could low-carbon technologies provide a boost to the sport and to a new generation of cars?

  • Training centres focus on advanced manufacturing

    13 Jan 2011

    The automotive and aerospace industries in the UK received a major boost today as universities and science minister David Willetts announced the launch of five new centres across the UK to train engineers of the future.

  • Organic battery system holds promise for Malaysian market

    12 Jan 2011

    A method of making electric vehicle battery components from organic material is set to provide jobs in Malaysia’s rural communities.

  • Sunswift vehicle breaks solar car speed record

    11 Jan 2011

    A solar car developed by students at the University of New South Wales in Australia has smashed a Guinness World Record to become the world’s fastest solar vehicle.

  • Manufacturing will lead UK's economic recovery, states EEF

    10 Jan 2011

    The UK’s manufacturing sector is set to lead the continuing economic recovery in 2011, according to a report published today.

  • The first sign of green shoots?

    10 Jan 2011

    The first Briefing of 2011 brings some good news – welcome for all those suffering back-to-work blues

  • Box trailer design reduces drag while retaining practicality

    10 Jan 2011

    An aerodynamic box trailer design reduces total drag by up to 30 per cent while retaining its practicality in operation.

  • Toyota fined $32m in relation to vehicle recalls

    21 Dec 2010

    Toyota is to pay a fine of $32m in the US in relation to recalls conducted by the company in 2005 and between 2007 and early 2010.

  • Survey spotlights expected rise in R&D spending

    21 Dec 2010

    R&D spend is set to increase in 2011, according to a survey of 61 professionals with responsibility for intellectual property (IP) management within UK businesses.

  • Science minister announces funding plans

    20 Dec 2010

    The government today published its funding plans for science and research from 2011/12 to 2014/15, with £4.6bn per annum ring-fenced during the period of the spending review.

  • The Engineer's Christmas Wish list

    17 Dec 2010

    With Christmas just around the corner and the high-street filled with frantic shoppers, The Engineer has rounded up its top 5 last-minute technology gift ideas.

  • TSB invests in low-carbon vehicle innovation

    15 Dec 2010

    The Technology Strategy Board is to invest £9m to support innovations in low-carbon vehicle technology and is inviting applications for funding of both new research and development projects, as well as feasibility studies.

  • Electric-vehicle project wins UK government support

    15 Dec 2010

    The East of England is set to lead the UK’s development and take-up of electric vehicles after a major funding bid was given the green light this week by Philip Hammond, the transport secretary.

  • Bladon Jets receives funding for micro gas turbines

    15 Dec 2010

    UK-based micro gas-turbine-engine developer Bladon Jets has raised £500,000 in a recent funding round from members of the Oxford Investment Opportunity Network (OION).

  • Consumer grants available for ultra-low-carbon vehicles

    14 Dec 2010

    Motorists wanting to switch to electric and ultra-low-carbon cars in 2011 now have a choice of nine vehicles that are eligible for grants of up to £5,000.

  • Rail life story

    13 Dec 2010

    Having a hugely cynical opinion of politicians of every hue, Briefing is keeping an eye on the political manoeuvrings surrounding HS2.

  • Non-polluting hydrogen buses coming soon to London

    10 Dec 2010

    The UK’s first hydrogen bus fleet will begin operating in London this month, refuelling at the country’s largest permanent hydrogen station.

  • Waze launches app for drivers to map traffic on smartphones

    9 Dec 2010

    A social mobile software app developed by Waze can give drivers a snapshot of what is happening on the roads ahead at any given moment to help them get to their destination faster.

  • Lotus reforms F1 partnership with Renault

    9 Dec 2010

    Group Lotus and Genii Capital have announced a partnership that will see the Renault Formula 1 Team renamed ‘Lotus Renault GP’ from the start of the 2011 racing season.

  • Competition seeks to engage small business innovation

    9 Dec 2010

    The Technology Strategy Board has launched a competition that will see small and micro businesses in the UK receive funding to identify potential areas where they might be able to develop innovative ideas and technologies.

  • University helps develop X-ray tomography facility

    9 Dec 2010

    Manchester University has entered into an agreement that will give it unique access to the X-ray Imaging and Coherence beamline (I13) at Diamond Light Source.

  • Manufacturers expect output to increase, reveals survey

    8 Dec 2010

    According to the CBI, manufacturers expect production to rise solidly in the next three months on the back of strengthening demand at home and abroad.

  • Ford supplies all-electric transit vans to US and UK

    8 Dec 2010

    Ford Motor Company and Azure Dynamics have begun shipping the first Ford Transit Connect Electrics to customers in North America and the UK.

  • GM to streamline production of fuel-cell systems

    7 Dec 2010

    General Motors hopes to slash the costs of its hydrogen fuel cells by 75 per cent as it targets a significant rise in alternative fuel vehicle sales by 2015.

  • £140m cash boost for Imperial Innovations

    7 Dec 2010

    Imperial Innovations Group today announced fundraising worth £140m that will help it continue investing in spin-out companies.

  • Innovation takes centre stage

    6 Dec 2010

    Innovation, which was celebrated at last week’s Engineer Technology and Innovation Awards, is key to our economic growth according to a new report from the CBI

  • Omnivore

    3 Dec 2010

    The fuel effiiency of the Omnivore two-stroke engine puts it streets ahead of the competition

  • Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

    3 Dec 2010

    As the UK and much of northern Europe is hit by heavy snowfalls, electric vehicle (EV) owners might be concerned about the amount of power their in-car heaters, lights and windscreen wipers are draining from the batteries.

  • Tax incentive for UK research activity

    2 Dec 2010

    Government plans to introduce a tax incentive for research and development activity in the UK from 2013 is encouraging news for British industry, according to patent and trademark attornies at Withers & Rogers.

  • UK manufacturing output rises for 18th month in a row

    1 Dec 2010

    Manufacturing output rose for the 18th successive month and at the fastest pace since May, according to a survey of 600 industrial companies.

  • Future LPG vehicles could run on algae-derived fuel

    30 Nov 2010

    Future liquefied propane gas (LPG) vehicles could run on fuel derived from algae, according to researchers involved in a four-year €3.7m EU-funded project.

  • EPO signs patent translation deal with Google

    30 Nov 2010

    The European Patent Office has signed a deal with Google that will see the EPO use Google’s machine translation technology to translate patents into the languages of the 38 countries that it serves.

  • Glasgow University offers free intellectual property

    30 Nov 2010

    Glasgow University is to offer the bulk of its intellectual property to businesses and entrepreneurs free of charge through a dedicated website called Easy Access IP.

  • UK's top 1,000 companies invest £25.3bn in R&D

    29 Nov 2010

    The top 1,000 UK companies invested more than £25.3bn on developing new products, services and productivity in 2009 - according to the R&D Scoreboard.

  • Cold comfort

    29 Nov 2010

    With temperatures predicted fall as low as minus 20 this week, Briefing is heartened to bring news of a slight thaw in manufacturers’ access to credit.

  • Alex Burns, Williams F1 chief executive

    29 November 2010

    Race to market: Williams F1’s chief executive is keen to exploit the wider commercial potential of motorsport advances. Stuart Nathan reports

  • Burning desire: The Ultra Boost project

    29 November 2010

    A new internal combustion engine is set to play its part in making the leap to zero-emissions vehicles

  • Uncertain road ahead for British car industry

    29 November 2010

    While electric cars may be the ultimat end-point for personal transportation, the internal combustion engines still have the potential for development, as UK-based engineers are discovering

  • Unplugged: inductive charging on the road

    29 November 2010

    Inductive charging could one day enable drivers to ’refuel’ electric cars while on the move. Stuart Nathan reports

  • Urban legend: Hybrid bus technology

    29 November 2010

    London’s iconic red buses are going green, but it is yet to be seen which technology will drive the change

  • Thermoelectric generator aims to reduce fuel consumption

    26 Nov 2010

    Funded with a $1.4m, three-year grant, researchers at Purdue University and General Motors are creating a system that harvests heat from an engine’s exhaust to generate electricity.

  • EEF report notes flaws in Britain's supply base

    22 Nov 2010

    Britain risks losing its supply base if the percentage of its large manufacturers continues to lag behind those of close competitors.

  • CBI survey shows rise in demand for UK goods

    18 Nov 2010

    The CBI’s latest Industrial Trends Survey shows that demand for UK-made goods improved in November and is on a par with levels experienced in the summer.

  • UK-Indian collaboration could encourage low-carbon growth

    15 Nov 2010

    British and Indian business leaders have called for closer ties to help develop technology that will encourage low-carbon economic growth.

  • NASA to reveal planetary mystery

    15 Nov 2010

    Astronomers and UFO bloggers alike have been waiting in anticipation for NASA’s press conference today on the discovery of ’an exceptional object in our cosmic neighborhood’.

  • Motor-car racing off to shaky start in Chicago

    15 November 2010

    The great horseless carriage race of 1895 set the stage for the introduction of the motor car in the US.

  • Red Bull charges on

    12 Nov 2010

    Red Bull Racing’s RB6 has led the engineering field in this year’s Formula 1 World Championship, giving veteran designer Adrian Newey another Constructors’ Championship win

  • Tools of the trade

    10 Nov 2010

    Problems with the public perception of engineers in the UK persist, despite the professions’ education efforts. Perhaps it’s time to define ourselves by what we do.

  • Nanoparticle study focuses on high-manganese steels

    9 Nov 2010

    Researchers at the Kelvin Nanocharacterisation Centre at Glasgow University are playing a central role in a €1.9m EU project to characterise the properties of steels with nanoparticle additives.

  • Toyota issues iQ recall

    5 Nov 2010

    Toyota is recalling a number of iQ models in the UK to carry out a modification to the software used to manage the vehicle’s Electric Power Steering system.

  • Supercharged engine to cut exhaust emissions

    3 Nov 2010

    A project to cut large car engine CO2 emissions by more than a third has received £2.2m from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB).

  • Wireless charging technology for electric cars unveiled

    2 Nov 2010

    Wireless charging for electric cars took a step forward last week when a new firm unveiled its technology in London.

  • New hi-tech engineering centre for Leicester University

    2 Nov 2010

    Leicester University has announced the launch of a £1m hi-tech engineering centre that will help industry develop new materials and processes.

  • October's top ten engineering contract wins

    2 Nov 2010

    Each month The Engineer picks 10 of the most notable contract news stories from our Business Briefs archive. This month’s selection includes news from the UK’s transport and energy sectors, and contract wins in the international defence and aerospace industries.

  • Government commits to helping SMEs with funding

    1 Nov 2010

    The government today announced measures aimed at helping the UK’s 4.8 million SMEs access finance and increase business with the public sector.

  • Warwick University unveils NMR facility

    29 Oct 2010

    Warwick University has formally launched a nuclear magnetic resonance facility that will give researchers unprecedented insight into materials and medicines.

  • LED technology detects driver fatigue

    28 Oct 2010

    New infrared light-emitting diode technology aims to keep motorists alert when they’re driving.

  • Tunnel vision

    25 Oct 2010

    Is Britain still an attractive place to invest? Do Siemens’ trains breach Channel tunnel safety rules and will London come to a standstill when the latest strike hits the Underground network?

  • Electric vehicle design focuses on cutting-edge technology

    25 Oct 2010

    Electric cars that meet the same design and performance standards expected by the ‘iPod generation’ will be the focus of a new vehicle development programme at MIRA.

  • VTT engineers co-develop fog warning system

    25 Oct 2010

    Engineers at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland are helping to develop a new type of fog warning system in the Venice region.

  • Lean, green, electric machine

    22 Oct 2010

    Muddy spinach, or electric sensation? The Engineer got its hands on a Tesla Roadster and went to see what it can do. Watch out, London.

  • Brunel air hybrid system could be on the buses in China

    21 Oct 2010

    Brunel University has announced it will sign a technology development and licensing deal with Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Company next week that could see its air hybrid system installed on buses throughout China.

  • Coalition 'signals desire' to support science research

    20 Oct 2010

    The government has frozen its science research budget for the next four years under the spending review announced today.

  • Chancellor reveals government spending targets

    20 Oct 2010

    Crossrail to proceed, £1bn for CCS and continuity of investment in science and research are some of the highlights from today’s Comprehensive Spending Review.

  • Government funding for low-carbon buses

    19 Oct 2010

    Transport minister Norman Baker has announced that the winners of the second round of the Green Bus Fund competition are to receive £15m of government funding.

  • IET pleads against reductions in university funding

    19 Oct 2010

    The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has issued a last-minute plea for the government to re-consider huge reductions to university funding.

  • Survey eyes more investment in manufacturing technologies

    18 Oct 2010

    Investment in manufacturing technologies has either stabilised or increased in the past six months, according to a recent Manufacturing Technologies Association survey.

  • Antarctic Crossing: Engineering the Moon-Regan Expedition

    18 October 2010

    Snow Patrol: engineering innovation is at the heart of a bold scientific expedition to the Antarctic. Stuart Nathan reports

  • Jet Power: Bladon's microjets enable Jaguar turbine hybrid

    18 October 2010

    Jaguar’s eyebrow-raising turbine electric hybrid might just provide a glimpse of our automotive future. Stuart Nathan reports

  • Roundtable debate: What is Advanced Manufacturing?

    18 October 2010

    The Engineer - in association with the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) - asked a cross-section of leading UK engineers for their views on industry’s latest buzz-phrase

  • Rover makes first moves into automotive world

    18 October 2010

    The Rover 8, designed by Edmund Lewis cost £200 when it was launched in December 1904

  • Technology and Innovation award winners revealed

    Awards 2010

    The Engineer is pleased to announce the winners of its fourth Technology & Innovation Awards.

  • RCUK report warns of university research cutbacks

    15 Oct 2010

    A £1bn cut to government funding for university research could lead to a 10 times reduction in the UK’s GDP.

  • EU registration of new cars falls for sixth month in a row

    15 Oct 2010

    September registrations of new cars decreased by 9.6 per cent compared to the same month of last year, marking the sixth consecutive month of decline in the EU this year.

  • On-board fuel reforming could enhance vehicle efficiency

    15 Oct 2010

    A technology that could allow vehicles to become more efficient and less polluting is being explored by engineers at the newly established catalysis institute at Cardiff University.

  • Wales invests heavily in manufacturing sector

    14 Oct 2010

    A £26m project to grow the manufacturing industry in Wales has been announced today by Welsh deputy first minister Ieuan Wyn Jones.

  • Mercedes-Benz issues recall of certain car models

    12 Oct 2010

    Mercedes-Benz is recalling certain models of its cars because the power steering in the vehicles may fail due to the loss of power steering fluid.

  • BIS exhibition will promote UK low-carbon products

    11 Oct 2010

    UK-manufactured low-carbon products that are exported worldwide are being showcased as part of an exhibition at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills.

  • SMMT reports monthly car registration figures

    8 Oct 2010

    Last month’s car registrations dropped 8.9 per cent compared to September 2009 but overall the market remains up at 7.8 per cent.

  • Axeon and Ricardo to provide battery pack for hybrid car

    7 Oct 2010

    Axeon and Ricardo are to supply and integrate an advanced, lightweight battery pack for a new plug-in hybrid vehicle from an unnamed automotive manufacturer.

  • Team looks at possibility of biodegradable cars

    5 Oct 2010

    Cars could one day become biodegradable using materials under development at Sheffield University.

  • Aston University assesses long-term electric vehicle use

    5 Oct 2010

    The UK’s largest study into long-term electric vehicle use reveals new data on the cost of ’refuelling’ and fresh information on charging trends.

  • Ford on track to deliver HEVs to US and Europe

    4 Oct 2010

    Ford is on schedule to deliver five electrified vehicles for launch in the US by 2012 and European markets by 2013.

  • General Motors urges European investment in EVs

    4 Oct 2010

    European governments and carmakers will have to get their act together quickly over electric vehicles or get over-run by the Chinese.

  • UK manufacturing exports hit 10-month low

    1 Oct 2010

    UK manufacturing continued to slow in September, with exports orders falling to a 10-month low for the first time in a year. 

  • Jetcars and Batmobiles

    1 Oct 2010

    You’d be forgiven for thinking that a car with jet engines would be a fuel-hungry cousin of the Batmobile rather than the latest development in electric vehicle technology.

  • Ireland launches innovation fund to support enterprise

    30 Sep 2010

    Ireland has launched a bid to attract investors to the country under a €500m fund to support enterprise.

  • PSA Peugeot Citroën and FNSEA to develop biofuels

    30 Sep 2010

    PSA Peugeot Citroën and the Fédération Nationale des Syndicats d’Exploitants Agricoles, France’s largest farmers’ union, are in discussions to develop biofuels.

  • Honda reveals Jazz Hybrid details ahead of Paris debut

    28 Sep 2010

    Japanese automaker Honda has revealed details about its soon-to-be-released Jazz Hybrid, which will make its debut at the Paris motor show in October.

  • SMMT reveals signs of growth for UK automobile sector

    24 Sep 2010

    Almost 78,000 cars were built in the UK this month, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturing and Traders (SMMT), indicating strong signs of growth for the nation’s automobile sector.

  • Nissan partners Endesa to create charging network

    24 Sep 2010

    Japanese car maker Nissan has joined forces with Endesa, Spain’s largest electricity supply company, to develop a quick-charging network for electric vehicles.

  • Noisy EV helps tackle pedestrian safety issues

    23 Sep 2010

    Researchers at Warwick University are using a green van called ELVIN as part of a research project aimed at tackling the safety issues linked to the lack of sound from electric vehicles.

  • Force Protection to supply Ocelot LPPVs to UK MoD

    22 Sep 2010

    Force Protection Europe has been chosen by the UK Ministry of Defence to supply an initial order of Ocelot light protected patrol vehicles.

  • CBI predicts 1.6 per cent growth in UK economy

    22 Sep 2010

    The CBI believes the economy will grow by 1.6 per cent in 2010 and is urging the government to focus resources on infrastructure and capital investment to sustain growth.

  • Report calls for defossilising of EVs' electricity sources

    22 Sep 2010

    A new report has suggested that electricity sources should be defossilised if electric vehicles are to play a key role in emissions reduction.

  • Three-speed gearbox could improve efficiency of EVs

    21 Sep 2010

    Antonov has unveiled a three-speed gearbox that could improve the efficiency of electric vehicles and give a smoother gear change.

  • Ford leads engine emissions reduction project

    21 Sep 2010

    A project is underway in Britain to redesign the internal combustion engine and exhaust system to minimise CO2 levels.

  • Here comes the sun

    20 Sep 2010

    This week’s Briefing feels as if it should be accompanied with the kind of voice-over normally associated with trailers for Hollywood disaster movies.

  • TSB grants £24m toward low-carbon vehicle development

    20 Sep 2010

    British-based car firms will receive £24m under government plans to develop the UK’s low-carbon vehicle industry through six technology research projects.

  • Spaceship noises and electric Jags

    17 Sep 2010

    Britain is fast becoming a world centre for electric car development, as a trip to the Low Carbon Vehicle Event at Millbrook Proving Ground showed.

  • ACEA reports decline in new car registrations

    17 Sep 2010

    Figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association show new car registrations in the European Union slipping in the second quarter of 2010.

  • Engineers showcase prototype flywheel hybrid for Jaguar XF

    16 Sep 2010

    A group of UK engineers has showcased the first prototype flywheel hybrid system to be included in a Jaguar XF as part of a Technology Strategy Board-funded project.

  • Network Rail raises concerns over British graduates

    16 Sep 2010

    Britain risks producing a generation of graduates largely unready for the rigours of the commercial world, according to Network Rail.

  • Electric car support scheme launched in north-east England

    16 Sep 2010

    The first customer support scheme that will help drivers of electric vehicles find and use charge points has been launched in north-east England.

  • Autonomous EV to drive GM into Asian markets

    15 Sep 2010

    General Motors (GM) is hoping an autonomous, two-wheeled electric car will help the manufacturer make serious inroads into the emerging Asian markets.

  • Rise in university fees could boost skills sector

    13 Sep 2010

    The anticipated rise in university fees to £7,000 a year may prompt a number of school leavers to seek vocational training rather than a university place.

  • Ilika extends contract to create new battery materials

    13 Sep 2010

    Ilika has renewed a contract with an existing customer for the development of novel battery materials.

  • GM and Itochu fund lithium-ion battery development

    10 Sep 2010

    An Ann Arbor, Michigan-based developer of lithium-ion batteries has received $4.2m in investment from General Motors Ventures and Itochu Technology Ventures.

  • Ferrari develops F10 virtual simulator for PCs

    10 Sep 2010

    A virtual simulator developed by engineers at Ferrari enables users to experience the sensations of driving an F10 virtually, competing with one another on the Fiorano circuit.

  • Hyundai launches electric car

    10 Sep 2010

    Hyundai has taken the wraps of its all-electric BlueOn vehicle, which boasts a maximum speed of 130kmh and can travel 140km on a single charge.

  • IET survey reveals low confidence in skills base

    9 Sep 2010

    Less than half of Britain’s businesses believe the UK has the skills base to create a low-carbon economy, according to a survey published today.

  • Bath University to set up business technology centre

    9 Sep 2010

    Bath University has been awarded a grant from the European Regional Development Fund, the South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) and industry to set up a business technology centre.

  • Cable announces 'rationing' of government research funding

    8 Sep 2010

    Government research funding is set to be ‘rationed’ to those projects deemed to be most excellent, the business secretary said today.

  • University teams set to race wind-powered cars

    8 Sep 2010

    The organisers of the Aeolus wind energy race have challenged student teams from across Europe to build a car that can be powered by the wind.

  • IET issues Faraday Challenge to businesses

    7 Sep 2010

    A new campaign aimed at closing the UK’s skills gap is calling for businesses to sponsor events encouraging young people into science and technology careers.

  • Britain signs copyright agreement with China

    7 Sep 2010

    Britain and China have signed an agreement on copyright that will see the two countries seek clarification and coordination on copyright issues.

  • Ford unveils temperature control system

    7 Sep 2010

    Engineers at Ford have revealed details about the system that will be used to regulate the temperature of the lithium-ion batteries in its Ford Focus Electric, which debuts in Europe in 2012.

  • Lotus to undertake lightweight vehicle study

    7 Sep 2010

    Lotus Engineering has been awarded $2m by the state of California to continue research into lightweight vehicles manufactured using lighter, stronger materials.

  • SMMT figures indicate fall in new car registrations

    6 Sep 2010

    New car registrations showed a year-on-year fall of 17.5 per cent in August, although volumes remain buoyant, according to the SMMT.

  • Biofuel on rails

    6 Sep 2010

    Planes, trains and automobiles are the focus of this week’s Briefing, although not necessarily in that order.

  • Clean slate: design and production of electric vehicles

    6 September 2010

    Car manufacturers are starting to capitalise on the design freedom offered by low-carbon electric vehicles .

  • Sound-system design on the new Jaguar XJ

    6 September 2010

    A collaboration between car designers and loudspeaker engineers led to an optimum in-car audio experience.

  • To imitate or innovate? The challenge facing electric car designers

    6 September 2010

    Not long ago battery-powered cars were seen as a bit of a joke. No coverage of the technology was complete without a gag about milk floats or a sniggered reference to the Sinclair C5. And the diminutive G-Wiz, the first all-electric car to appear in anything like significant numbers on UK roads, did little to dampen the derision.

  • World power

    6 September 2010

    Global automotive companies with a UK presence are looking to recruit engineers at all levels of their business

  • Innovative project applications double year-on-year

    3 Sep 2010

    Demand from UK businesses wishing to get new, innovative projects off the ground has almost doubled since last year, according to the Knowledge Transfer Partnerships programme.

  • Chinese car firm to recruit 200 UK engineers

    3 Sep 2010

    Chinese car giant ChangAn Auto has announced plans to recruit engineers for its UK technical centre in Nottingham.

  • Combustion engine doubles thermal efficiency

    2 Sep 2010

    A British firm claims to have designed an internal combustion engine with more than double the thermal efficiency of current high-performance models.

  • Engine problem prompts US Toyota Corolla recall

    27 Aug 2010

    Troubled Japanese car maker Toyota is to conduct a voluntary safety recall of approximately 1.13 million 2005-2008 Model Year Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles sold in the US.

  • Investment to support production of pick-up trucks

    27 Aug 2010

    Mazda and Ford’s joint venture is to invest $350m in its Thailand plant to support the production of Mazda and Ford’s next generation of pick-up trucks.

  • Project to raise awareness of goods transportation costs

    27 Aug 2010

    Part funded by the Technology Strategy Board, the Efficient and Reliable Transportation of Consignment project has been launched by GS1 UK, Ricardo, Unipart Logistics, IRIS Technology and Coventry University.

  • Nissan plans to create 75 advanced apprenticeships

    26 Aug 2010

    Nissan announced today that it is to create 75 advanced apprenticeships over the next five years and that it will also extend its educational outreach programme to 2014.

  • Land-speed record set for battery-electric vehicles

    26 Aug 2010

    A team of Ohio State University engineering students has set a world land-speed record for a battery-electric vehicle this week.

  • Not enough students take STEM A Levels, warns IET

    24 Aug 2010

    The increasing number of students taking science, technology and maths A Levels is not enough to address the UK’s skills shortage, leading engineers have warned.

  • Innovative businesses invited to compete for funding

    24 Aug 2010

    Businesses across the UK are being invited to compete for support to develop innovative technologies that could create new growth areas for the UK economy.

  • Survey shows manufacturing sales maintained in July

    23 Aug 2010

    July saw levels of orders and sales in the manufacturing technology sector broadly maintained, according to the latest survey from the Manufacturing Technologies Association.

  • CBI survey reveals increased demand for UK-made goods

    20 Aug 2010

    The CBI’s latest Industrial Trends Survey shows that demand for manufacturers’ goods continued to improve in August.

  • Bicycle race

    20 Aug 2010

    With the rise in popularity of urban cycling, engineers in the UK and US are promoting new bike concepts they say are better equipped for navigating city streets.

  • Manufacturing acquisitions improve in second quarter

    19 Aug 2010

    Merger and acquisition deals in the global industrial manufacturing industry showed a marked improvement in the second quarter of this year.

  • GM and SAIC to develop new petrol engines

    18 Aug 2010

    General Motors is to build on its existing partnership with Chinese automaker SAIC Motor to co-develop a new small-displacement petrol engine family and an advanced transmission.

  • Seamless gear change for electric vehicles

    16 Aug 2010

    Zeroshift has devised a clutchless multi-speed gearbox for electric vehicles that relies on a damper inside the gear hubs and electronic control of the motor to make ratio changes feel seamless.

  • China to consider alternative energy vehicle proposals

    12 Aug 2010

    Headlineauto has reported that China’s central government will consider proposals later this month that could make the country the world’s largest market for alternative energy vehicles by 2020.

  • Power play

    11 Aug 2010

    Leaving off the development of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles until low-carbon energy generation is available would be a poor use of resources and create many more problems than it solves

  • Octopus announces Bowman Power investment

    9 Aug 2010

    Octopus Ventures has invested £1.83m into Bowman Power, a Hants-based developer of power generation technology that increases the performance of standard diesel and petrol engines.

  • Human waste powers VW Beetle

    6 Aug 2010

    A Volkswagen Beetle that runs on methane produced from human waste in sewage sludge has been unveiled in Bristol.

  • SMMT reports new car registration decline

    6 Aug 2010

    Figures released by the SMMT show that new car registrations fell 13.2 per cent in July, following 12 successive monthly rises.

  • Hybrid fuel-cell taxi is taken for a spin

    6 Aug 2010

    I didn’t expect my debut drive around the Lotus race track to be in a 2.6-tonne Hackney Carriage, but with a man known as ‘the Norfolk Stig’ gripping the passenger-side hand rails, we put the latest contribution to the taxi scene through its paces.

  • Vehicle charging initiative in doubt following roll-out

    4 Aug 2010

    The UK’s £30m scheme to install an electric-vehicle charging network has begun rolling out in north east England, but the scheme’s initial proposals are already in doubt.

  • Hydrogen embrittlement could lead to failure of fuel-cell cars

    4 Aug 2010

    Fuel-cell cars may suffer from sudden failure of parts and components because of the little-known effect hydrogen can have on the metals used in vehicle engineering.

  • Report confirms strong UK manufacturing growth

    3 Aug 2010

    The UK manufacturing sector is on track to post the strongest growth in a sixth-month period since 1994, according to recently released statistics.

  • Manufacturing comes out top in Bibby index

    29 Jul 2010

    A report from Bibby Financial Services suggests that manufacturing is now the UK’s leading sector, with levels of output stabilising over the last quarter.

  • Nissan posts strong first-quarter results

    29 Jul 2010

    Nissan has announced net income of €910m for the first quarter of fiscal year 2010, compared with a net loss of €140m from the same period a year ago.

  • Alternative-fuel projects win BIS funding

    28 Jul 2010

    Six projects have received £660,000 to install infrastructure to support public- and private-sector fleets in trialing natural-gas, bio-gas and electric vehicles.

  • Motorists entitled to 'plug-in car grant'

    28 Jul 2010

    The government has confirmed that motorists will be entitled to a ‘plug-in car grant’ of up to £5,000 when buying an electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen fuel-cell car.

  • Researchers develop fuel-contaminant sensor

    28 Jul 2010

    Engineers in the US are developing new technologies to improve the detection of contaminants in diesel fuel and biodiesel-blended fuels.

  • Research shows access to finance is 'worsening'

    27 Jul 2010

    New research from the Forum of Private Business shows that the situation is worsening for small companies trying to access finance.

  • Swiss engineers unveil early electric vehicle

    26 July 2010

    The double electric Phaeton had a top speed of 12.5 mph

  • EIB loan to help PSA develop plug-in hydrids

    20 Jul 2010

    The European Investment Bank has loaned PSA Peugeot Citroën €200m to finance the carmaker’s programme to develop plug-in hybrid vehicles.

  • GM gives lithium-ion car eight-year warranty

    19 Jul 2010

    General Motors is touting the reliability of the lithium-ion batteries in its new Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle by providing its customers with an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty.

  • SSE partners Mitsubishi for low-carbon projects

    16 Jul 2010

    Mitsubishi and Scottish and Southern Energy have entered into an agreement to co-operate on low-carbon energy developments, a move that will initially lead to 100 new engineering jobs.

  • UK needs 'better engineering careers advice service'

    14 Jul 2010

    The UK needs a better careers advice service to tackle the widening engineering skills gap, according to delegates speaking at the Royal Academy of Engineering yesterday.

  • EcoMotors receives funding for opoc engine

    14 Jul 2010

    EcoMotors International has secured funding from Microsoft’s Bill Gates and Menlo Park, California-based Khosla Ventures in a move that that will allow the company to complete the engineering and testing of its opoc engine.

  • Informed decisions

    14 Jul 2010

    Presenting teenagers with better information about the possibilities of a career in engineering seems like a vital way to address the growing skills gap in the sector.

  • Toyota venture to produce Indian car engines

    13 Jul 2010

    Toyota’s joint venture in India is to produce engines and transmissions for a compact passenger car newly developed for the Indian market.

  • Fiat enters solar-panel development deal

    13 Jul 2010

    Fiat has entered into a partnership in Ireland to develop solar panels that can be incorporated into the surface of an automobile’s roof.

  • WHEB invests in recycled-plastics business

    12 Jul 2010

    WHEB Ventures has invested €10.8m into Germany’s Friedola Tech, a recycled-plastics processing and products business.

  • Business minister signs off Ford loan

    12 Jul 2010

    Paperwork for a government-backed loan to Ford was formally signed off today during a visit by business minister Mark Prisk to Ford’s technical centre at Dunton, Essex.

  • Willetts proposes new model for funding innovation

    9 Jul 2010

    The science minister has given his support to state investment in research while calling for a rethink in the spending and assessment model.

  • Expert Group on course for record year

    9 Jul 2010

    A Coventry engineering firm is to grow its workforce after landing a series of new contracts.

  • Soy oil stretches rubber's capabilities

    9 Jul 2010

    Ford Motor Company’s biomaterial researchers have engineered a patent-pending formula to use renewable soy oil to improve rubber car parts and make them more environmentally friendly.

  • Report shows steady growth in south east

    9 Jul 2010

    The latest South East Regional Intelligence Snapshot, prepared by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), has shown increased manufacturing orders in the last three months - the first time since early 2008.

  • MTL Group to create 50 new jobs

    9 Jul 2010

    Contract manufacturing specialist MTL Group, will create 50 jobs in new premises situated in Rotherham, South Yorkshire.

  • NESTA reports venture capital decline

    8 Jul 2010

    New research suggests that UK start-ups saw a 40 per cent decline in venture capital activity in the past two years.

  • Autonomous cars could let drivers check email

    7 Jul 2010

    Autonomous vehicle technology being developed by UK researchers could let car commuters check emails or watch TV during their journey into work.

  • Toyota issues luxury car recall

    5 Jul 2010

    Toyota recalled 90,000 Lexus and Toyota Crown models in Japan today in response to defects that could potentially stall the engine.

  • Where's my jetpack?

    2 Jul 2010

    The technological achievements over the last hundred years have created the modern, comfortable life we know, but many of us wonder what happened to the more exciting sci-fi future we were promised.  

  • Terrafugia flying car cleared for take-off

    1 Jul 2010

    It’s not quite George Jetson’s flying car, but a new roadworthy vehicle capable of deploying wings and taking off down the airport runway will bring to mind the familiar cartoon jingle. 

  • Car-making process cuts capital investment

    30 Jun 2010

    Formula One designer Gordon Murray has unveiled the first car to be built with a new manufacturing system he claims reduces capital investment by 80 per cent.

  • Ford Explorer to feature curve control technology

    30 Jun 2010

    Ford has revealed that its new curve control system – designed to help drivers maintain control of their vehicles when taking a curve too quickly – will debut as standard equipment on the 2011 Ford Explorer.

  • MMC and PSA launch powertrain feasibility study

    30 Jun 2010

    Mitsubishi Motors Corporation and PSA Peugeot Citroën have started a feasibility study for the development and supply of powertrains for electric vehicles.

  • Car manufacturers define charging infrastructure

    28 Jun 2010

    European automobile manufacturers have defined joint specifications to connect electrically chargeable vehicles to the electricity grid.

  • Toyota launches Auris Hybrid in Derbyshire

    28 Jun 2010

    Toyota has launched production of its first hybrid vehicle built in Europe at the carmaker’s Burnaston Plant in Derbyshire.

  • Dyson deadline

    28 Jun 2010

    The plea for goal line technology grew louder yesterday but events taking place this week highlight how technology and innovation can make a real difference to all our lives.

  • Taking charge: building Britain's electric car infrastructure

    28 June 2010

    As electric cars hit the UK’s roads in greater numbers, the development of infrastructure is a key consideration.

  • Ampera makes compelling case for electric family cars

    25 Jun 2010

    Pulling away in Vauxhall’s new extended-range electric car was pretty terrifying. Nothing to do with the car’s design, but because I was in control of a €1m, hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind prototype.

  • TSB backs converter development for hybrid cars

    24 Jun 2010

    The Technology Strategy Board is backing a three-year project to develop a single DC-to-DC converter for future hybrid vehicles.

  • Nissan begins 2.0-litre engine production

    24 Jun 2010

    Nissan’s Sunderland Plant has started production of an all-new 2.0 litre petrol engine, codenamed MR.

  • Lotus announces Range Extender Engine development

    23 Jun 2010

    Lotus Engineering and Fagor Ederlan are to develop the Lotus Range Extender Engine for series production.

  • Mitsubishi cars to be used in low-carbon trials

    23 Jun 2010

    Four councils in the north east of England have taken delivery of Mitsubishi i-MiEVs as part of low-carbon vehicle trials taking place in the region.

  • Budget welcomed by engineering bodies

    22 Jun 2010

    Lower business taxes and a focus on green and infrastructure investment were among the budget measures welcomed by engineering trade bodies today.

  • EEF urges reform of climate policy

    22 Jun 2010

    The EEF has released a report ahead of today’s budget announcement that argues for fundamental reform of climate-change policy.

  • EDF and Toyota conduct UK's first PHV road trial

    22 Jun 2010

    EDF Energy and Toyota are to road trial the first Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle (PHV) introduced by a car manufacturer to the UK.

  • Oxford University launches invention fund

    21 Jun 2010

    Oxford University has launched a £5m fund to help turn more research ideas into commercially viable technologies.

  • Will Osborne's budget please industry?

    21 Jun 2010

    All eyes will be on 11 Downing St tomorrow as the chancellor, George Osborne, leaves to deliver a budget likely to be more unpopular than England’s national football team.

  • SMMT reports rise in car production

    18 Jun 2010

    UK car production was up by 54 per cent in May and 62.6 per cent up over the year to date, according to new figures from the SMMT.

  • Process may enable hydrogen-powered cars

    18 Jun 2010

    A process for storing and generating hydrogen to run fuel cells in cars has been invented by chemical engineers at Purdue University.

  • Changan sets up R&D centre in Nottingham

    17 Jun 2010

    The Changan Automobile Company is establishing a research and development centre in Nottingham, creating up to 200 jobs over the next three years.

  • Aeristech secures turbocharger funding

    16 Jun 2010

    Aeristech, a developer of turbochargers that significantly enhance fuel efficiency while reducing emissions, has secured £500,000 with help from Oxford Investment Opportunity Network (OION).

  • Cennex reports findings of electric car trial

    16 Jun 2010

    Cenex has announced the results of a six-month trial of electric passenger cars it ran in the North East of England.

  • CBI predicts faster growth for UK economy

    15 Jun 2010

    The CBI’s latest economic forecast predicts slightly faster growth in 2010 after a strong pick-up in manufacturing activity, but cautioned that the recovery would be hampered by the budget deficit.

  • Possible safety issues lead Kia Motors to recall cars

    14 Jun 2010

    Kia Motors has announced that some Cee’d and Picanto models require remedial work on a small number of cars in order to avoid possible safety issues.

  • Hybrid engine produced in Wales

    14 Jun 2010

    Toyota has announced that it has manufactured the first hybrid vehicle engine outside Japan, at its Deeside facility in North Wales.

  • Birmingham charges up electric cars

    14 June 2010

    Birmingham’s first public charging points for electric cars have been unveiled at the city’s Bullring shopping centre.

  • Racing Green: electric dreams on America's longest highway

    14 June 2010

    Imperial college students are about to take to the world’s longest road in an all-electric version of the world’s fastest production vehicle.

  • Riversimple Hydrogen car to begin Leicester trials

    11 Jun 2010

    Hydrogen fuel-cell powered cars will appear on Britain’s roads for the first time by spring 2012 through a trial in Leicester.

  • Business survey reveals optimistic outlook

    11 Jun 2010

    KPMG’s latest Global Business Outlook survey suggests there is evidence of the recovery taking hold in many major economies around the world.

  • Engineers build 3D printer for making plastic parts

    10 Jun 2010

    Engineers at De Montfort University (DMU) in Leicester are building what is hoped to be the world’s fastest 3D printer for manufacturing high-performance plastic components. 

  • SMEs neglect export potential

    9 Jun 2010

    SMEs in the manufacturing sector are failing to take advantage of the current favourable export environment, according to a study released by GE Capital.

  • PM assures Nissan that Leaf grant is safe

    9 Jun 2010

    Prime minister David Cameron told parliament today that the grant to support production of electric cars at Nissan’s Sunderland plant would go ahead.

  • NESTA analyses how to rebalance economy

    9 Jun 2010

    A report released by NESTA suggests that a recovery based on high technology and innovation offers the best prospect for growth.

  • Hydrogen-fuelled London taxi unveiled

    8 Jun 2010

    Visitors to London’s 2012 Olympics may travel to the games in taxis powered by hydrogen following the unveiling of a new prototype fuel cell black cab at City Hall yesterday.

  • Manufacturing survey shows increase in UK output

    7 Jun 2010

    A new survey from the EEF shows a sharp increase in output and orders for British manufacturers but companies are still holding back investment.

  • Tecnalia unveils totally electric car

    1 Jun 2010

    A totally electric car that can reach a speed of 87mph in 10 seconds has been unveiled by a Spanish technology corporation.

  • World’s fastest air bearings

    1 Jun 2010

    Researchers in Belgium have developed the world’s fastest air bearings for applications ranging from the food industry to electric cars.

  • McLaren orders carbon monocoques

    28 May 2010

    McLaren Automotive has ordered what is claimed to be the world’s largest purchase of series-production carbon monocoques from Carbo Tech. The monocoques will be introduced on a range of McLaren’s high-performance sports cars from 2011.

  • Electric car completes M25 challenge

    28 May 2010

    A new kind of electric car has completed a record-breaking drive around the M25 twice on one charge.

  • Report identifies electric vehicle challenges

    27 May 2010

    A report published today by the Royal Academy of Engineering warns that the green credentials of electric vehicles could be undermined through a lack of low-carbon energy sources.

  • Guangqi Honda increases production

    27 May 2010

    Guangqi Honda Automobile, the Chinese Honda automobile-production and sales joint venture, plans to expand its annual production capacity from the current 360,000 units to 480,000 units.

  • £12m plan to support business

    27 May 2010

    Edinburgh Napier University has announced a £12m plan to support over 3,000 enterprises through the economic downturn.

  • Electric mobility in Portugal

    27 May 2010

    The Renault-Nissan Alliance and the Portuguese consortium MOBI.E Tech have partnered for the promotion of electric mobility in Portugal, one of the first countries to adopt a nationwide electric-vehicle policy.

  • Ford makes electric investment

    26 May 2010

    Car giant Ford announced this week that it is investing $135m to design, engineer and produce key components for its next-generation hybrid-electric vehicles.

  • University launches X-ray crystallography service

    26 May 2010

    A new national X-ray crystallography service is being set up at Southampton University to support and develop research excellence in the physical sciences as well as chemistry and biochemistry.

  • FPE receives ITT for MoD vehicles

    25 May 2010

    Force Protection Europe has been invited by the UK MoD to tender for the Light Protected Patrol Vehicle Programme – Demonstration, Production and Support Phases.

  • The rise of additive manufacturing

    24 May 2010

    Dream machines: Systems capable of printing functional components are poised to enter the manufacturing mainstream

  • Imperial innovation uses car body as battery

    24 May 2010

    A new material is under development that could allow parts of a car’s bodywork to double up as its battery.

  • Refrigerant used to cool cars

    21 May 2010

    Honeywell and Dupont have formed a joint venture to manufacture a new refrigerant for use in automotive air-conditioning systems.

  • Ford using avatar to improve ergonomics

    20 May 2010

    Engineers at Ford are assessing the performance of an avatar within a virtual factory to provide feedback on fatigue, speed and strength

  • Siemens tunnel-fire prevention system begins trials

    19 May 2010

    Advanced imaging technology that could help avert fatal road tunnel fires is being trialled by engineers at Siemens in Germany.

  • BMW team creates lightweight seats

    19 May 2010

    A design team from BMW has achieved weight savings of 15 per cent in the construction of rear seat backs for the BMW 5 Series.

  • Air compressor could help industry slash energy costs

    19 May 2010

    Clean-tech startup Lontra joins forces with Ford and Ricardo to demonstrate innovative compressor on downsized engine

  • Toyota posts more than £1bn profit

    11 May 2010

    Toyota announced today a more than £1bn annual profit for the business year that ended March 31 despite a global recession and a massive worldwide recall of vehicles due to ‘sticky’ pedals.

  • Call for consensus on deficit

    7 May 2010

    EEF and the Forum of Private Business are separately urging all political parties to quickly form a consensus that allows business and innovation to thrive.

  • Scooter has detachable battery

    6 May 2010

    The British company econogo has launched what it claims is the UK’s first electric scooter that uses a fully detachable and portable lithium battery.

  • CBI reports rising goods demand

    5 May 2010

    The CBI’s quarterly SME Trends Survey shows that demand for goods made by British SMEs is improving at home and abroad, and that production has stabilised also.

  • Increasing engine efficiency

    5 May 2010

    An active flow turbocharger being developed at Imperial College by Ricardo Martinez-Botas is designed to make better use of wasted exhaust-gas energy from an internal combustion engine.

  • PMI forecasts strong second quarter

    4 May 2010

    Figures from the CIPS/Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index for manufacturing suggest the sector has enjoyed a strong start to the second quarter, with export growth hitting a new peak.

  • McLaren Automotive launches MP4-12C, its first supercar

    4 May 2010

    Young pretender: built in its own production centre, McLaren’s MP4-12C is taking on the aristocrats of the supercar world

  • Kawasaki lawnmower sets new land speed record

    May 2010 Online

    Don Wales, the grandson of record-breaking motorist Malcolm Campbell, has continued a proud family tradition by setting a new land speed record.. on a lawnmower.

  • Loan supports plug-in car project

    30 Apr 2010

    The US Department of Energy has announced the closing of a $528.7m loan with Fisker Automotive for the development and production of two lines of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

  • BAE wins patrol-vehicle contract

    30 Apr 2010

    BAE Systems has won a contract to supply 16 RG32M mine-hardened patrol vehicles to the Finland Defence Force, in a deal worth more than $8.1m.

  • Ford reports soaring profits

    30 Apr 2010

    Car giant Ford has reported that its first-quarter net income this year was $2.1bn, a $3.5bn improvement from the same period last year.

  • EIB signs finance deal for light source launch

    30 Apr 2010

    The European Investment Bank has signed a €20m (£17.4m) finance contract with Italy’s Sincrotrone Trieste for the completion and launch of the FERMI@Elettra light source.

  • Survey to assess technology expectations

    28 Apr 2010

    Cambridge Consultants has launched a survey aimed at finding out peoples’ true attitudes towards past, present and future technological development.

  • Unlocking R&D tax relief

    28 Apr 2010

    Statistics from H M Revenue and Customs reveal that many eligible companies are not taking full advantage of research and development tax relief, which offers a super tax deduction on costs incurred by businesses that innovate.

  • France plays host to hybrid vehicle study

    27 Apr 2010

    Toyota, EDF, and the City and the Urban Community of Strasbourg have launched a large-scale Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle demonstration today in Strasbourg, France.

  • Vauxhall makes extended-range car

    26 Apr 2010

    Vauxhall has announced that its Ampera extended-range electric vehicle has passed an important milestone at GM’s Pre-Production Operations assembly line in Warren, Michigan.

  • Isis innovation investigates sand-powered fuel cells

    26 Apr 2010

    A new method that combines silicon and water to produce hydrogen could serve as a source of emergency gas for future fuel cell vehicles.

  • Rolling wheels for forklift trucks

    21 Apr 2010

    A steering design concept that allows wheels to roll forwards, backwards and sideways is being proposed for use on forklift trucks.

  • Semta report warns of engineering skills shortage

    20 Apr 2010

    An engineering skills council has warned growing UK industries like nuclear will lack a sufficient amount of technically capable workers to fill jobs in the future without urgent action.

  • Toyota recalls 7,500 cars in Europe

    20 Apr 2010

    Toyota Motor Europe has announced a voluntary recall of around 7,500 Toyota Land Cruiser 150 Prado and Lexus GX 460 models in Europe.

  • Hybrid materials for automotive safety

    19 April 2010

    Smart car panels that spring back to shape after being dented or stiffen up when an impact is imminent could be possible with a new plastic and metal hybrid material.

  • Mark Chapman - chief engineer, Bloodhound SSC

    19 April 2010

    Quick thinking: The chief engineer of the Bloodhound SSC faces the challenge of making a car travel at 1,000mph… safely.

  • SPE machine helps OEMs test fuel pumps

    19 April 2010

    A novel machine measures the key parameters of automotive diesel fuel pumps and injection systems.

  • Mechanical failure causes F1 wheel loss

    16 Apr 2010

    A spectacular mechanical failure during today’s Formula 1 practice session caused both wheels to fly off Sebastien Buemi’s Torro Rosso STR6.

  • Electric vehicle study

    13 Apr 2010

    The Renault-Nissan Alliance and EDF are carrying out an experimental electric vehicle project in Yvelines, France, with €6.5m of financial support from the French Environment and Energy Management Agency.

  • Scrappage scheme ends

    13 Apr 2010

    According to new data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), by the end of March this year, 372,401 new cars had been registered through the UK scrappage incentive scheme.

  • Peugeot Citroën invests in France for new engine

    12 Apr 2010

    PSA Peugeot Citroën plans to invest €175m (£154m) at its La Française de Mécanique plant in Douvrin, in the Pas-de-Calais department of northern France, to prepare for the production of a new three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine.

  • The election trail

    12 Apr 2010

    The General Election steps up a gear this week with Labour launching its manifesto on the day Parliament is dissolved ahead of the main event on 6 May.

  • Peugeot Citroën commits to French production

    12 Apr 2010

    PSA Peugeot Citroën plans to invest €175m at its La Française de Mécanique plant in Douvrin, northern France, to prepare for the production of a new three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine.

  • Manifesto boosts engineering in UK

    7 Apr 2010

    Eight of the UK’s leading engineering bodies have launched a manifesto aimed at maximising engineering’s contribution to solving Britain’s biggest challenges

  • Paul Drayson on Labour's science & innovation policy

    7 Apr 2010

    Securing the recovery and delivering strong economic growth is Labour’s number one priority.

  • SATIN project merges haptic and 3D modelling

    7 Apr 2010

    Industrial modelling could soon move from plastic prototypes to the digital world following the introduction of an augmented reality design system.

  • Patent box helps firms assess IP

    6 Apr 2010

    The chancellor’s ’patent box’ initiative is a good opportunity for engineering firms to take stock of whether they are getting the most out of their intellectual property.

  • Allison Transmission promotes automatic choice

    06 April 2010

    Software that optimises transmission and shift schedules could help industry strike a balance between fuel efficiency and performance

  • Making history

    06 April 2010

    A trawl of engineering’s pre-digital age could become a valuable part of the innovation process.

  • Ford to fit Hohm in electric cars

    1 Apr 2010

    Ford is to use new web-based software from Microsoft that it claims will make electric-vehicle ownership more affordable.

  • Purdue solar-powered car wins award

    1 Apr 2010

    A team of Purdue University students has won first place in the solar-power category of the Shell Eco-marathon Americas, an international contest for college and high-school students to design and build the most fuel-efficient vehicles.

  • Low-emission diesel engines

    31 Mar 2010

    The world’s largest independent designer and manufacturer of diesel engines is planning to develop the next generation of clean diesel engines for ultra-low emission commercial vehicles in the Tees Valley.

  • Ethanol-blend fuel cuts emissions

    31 Mar 2010

    US researchers claim that the use of E20 fuel, which blends 20 per cent ethanol with petrol, reduces the tail-pipe emissions of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide compared with traditional gasoline or E10 blends.

  • Funding for Diamond Light Source

    30 Mar 2010

    Business secretary Lord Mandelson has announced almost £100m in investment in Diamond Light Source’s Phase III development at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire.

  • Ford to sell Volvo Car Corporation

    29 Mar 2010

    Ford Motor Company has agreed to sell Volvo Car Corporation and related assets to China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group for $1.8bn.

  • Green shoots

    29 Mar 2010

    The Green Revolution is upon us with some valuing the global environmental marketplace at over £3.2tn. The government could, of course, be doing much more to reap the benefits.

  • Poll reveals discontent over Budget

    26 Mar 2010

    A survey from the Forum of Private Business shows that the majority of small businesses were left disappointed by this week’s Budget.

  • TSB aids innovation centre creation

    26 Mar 2010

    Lord Mandelson has asked the Technology Strategy Board to guide the development of a network of technology and innovation centres designed to help deliver the industries and jobs of the future.

  • Budget aims to boost innovation

    24 Mar 2010

    Alistair Darling has delivered a politically minded budget aimed at boosting start-up technology and innovation businesses and curbing earnings of the wealthy with targeted taxes.

  • Nothing new under the sun

    24 Mar 2010

    Could forgotten technologies provide the solutions to some of our most pressing contemporary problems?

  • Electric vehicles deliver the goods

    24 Mar 2010

    Renault Trucks and EDF are collaborating to develop the use of electric lorries and commercial vehicles for transportation of goods in urban areas, according to a co-operation agreement signed by the companies.

  • UK recovery 'will remain sluggish in 2010'

    22 Mar 2010

    The CBI has announced that the UK’s economic recovery is expected to remain sluggish in 2010 and will not quicken until mid-2011.

  • What's in the bag?

    22 Mar 2010

    What Alistair Darling carries in his red briefcase is on the minds of many in the engineering community as the chancellor prepares to deliver his Budget statement. 

  • Motorsport's flagship must embrace change

    22 Mar 2010

    It was tipped to be one of the most open and exciting races for years. But ’Boring Bahrain’, as it’s been dubbed, provided one of the most uninspiring F1 curtain raisers in a long time.

  • Fuel fable

    22 March 2010

    I write in regard to Robert Fryer’s letter, ’Pogue’s go-trick’ (The Engineer, 8 March).

  • IC-een it all before

    22 March 2010

    As a layman in this particular field, I was interested to read about the developments in engine-valve technology in your article ’Driving engine efficiency’, but surely cars with VVT (variable valve technology) have been available in the market for some time now.

  • Jaguar raises the roof

    22 March 2010

    A complex automated system has been used to crown the latest XJ saloon with a sleek reinforced-glass top

  • Mercedes F1 boss Nick Fry

    22 March 2010

    Mercedes F1 boss Nick Fry is adamant that motorsport can be sustainable as well as entertaining.

  • Electric vehicles under investigation

    19 Mar 2010

    Aberdeen University’s Centre for Transport Research has been awarded funding by the UK Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) to explore who will buy and use battery-powered or hybrid vehicles.

  • Nissan set to manufacture all-electric car in UK

    18 Mar 2010

    Around 2,250 jobs are likely to be maintained in the north east of England following an announcement from Nissan that it is to manufacture the all-electric Nissan LEAF at its Sunderland plant.

  • Government backs Ford plans

    18 Mar 2010

    The government has agreed to back Ford’s proposed five-year, £1.5bn investment to develop a new generation of environmentally friendly engines and vehicle technologies.

  • Study highlights impact of research on output

    17 Mar 2010

    A study from the Imperial College Business School suggests that £3.5bn a year currently spent on publicly funded research generates an additional annual output of £45bn in UK companies.

  • Honda set to recall certain vehicles

    17 Mar 2010

    Honda has announced that it will recall approximately 344,000 Odyssey and 68,000 Element vehicles from the 2007-2008 model years in the US to modify the Vehicle Stability Assist modulator.

  • Power for hybrid electric buses

    16 Mar 2010

    The first of the hybrid electric systems that will power 56 double-decker buses in Oxford and Manchester has been delivered by BAE Systems to bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited.

  • Loan guarantee for GME Europe

    15 Mar 2010

    Lord Mandelson has announced a €300m loan guarantee for GME Europe, designed to help secure the company’s operations in Britain and the rest of Europe.

  • Manufacturing ripe for investment

    15 Mar 2010

    Nearly one-third of private equity houses have ranked manufacturing as one of the top three sectors for investment activity, according to research from corporate finance advisers at BDO.

  • High fliers, high flying and fast driving

    15 Mar 2010

    A mixed bag of events this week might have some readers of The Engineer wondering if they are suffering from déjà vu.

  • Banks restrict SME growth

    12 Mar 2010

    Sir Ronald Halstead, president of the Engineering Industries Association (EIA), believes the UK’s economic recovery is being undermined by the behaviour of the banks.

  • Oxsensis raises development funds

    12 Mar 2010

    Oxsensis has raised £3m in a funding round in which Carbon Trust Investments has joined existing investors Albion Ventures, Seven Spires, Frog Capital and the Rainbow Seed Fund.

  • Honda beefs up motorcycle production in India

    11 Mar 2010

    Honda’s Indian motorcycle and scooter arm is to build a motorcycle production plant there to meet increasing demand for motorcycles in India.

  • UK must adapt to keep research lead

    11 Mar 2010

    Britain risks being eclipsed by China and India as a leader in science and innovation unless vital changes are made to PhD and masters programmes and research investment.

  • Liquids take heat off power systems

    11 Mar 2010

    The European Commission has invested £5.5m in UK-led research on nanoparticle-containing liquids that could improve the cooling capabilities of power systems without adding new components to existing system designs.

  • SMMT sees drop in new car CO2 emissions

    10 Mar 2010

    A report from the SMMT claims average new car CO2 emissions fell by their biggest ever margin last year with the recession and the scrappage scheme steering buyers towards fuel-efficient models.

  • UK risks losing advantage

    10 Mar 2010

    The UK will face decades of slow economic decline unless it invests heavily in research - one of the country’s few genuine areas of economic competitive advantage, according to a report by the Royal Society.

  • Firms neglect tax breaks

    10 Mar 2010

    Tax specialists Capitus believes companies involved in any type of R&D across a range of industries could be missing out on substantial tax relief.

  • Racing car gets Lycra makeover

    9 Mar 2010

    Westfield Sportscars has showcased its iRacer - an all-electric race car destined to take part in the world’s first ’one make electric race car series’ - at the Geneva motor show.

  • UK could be top high-tech exporter

    9 Mar 2010

    At the behest of the Conservative party, Sir James Dyson has produced a report setting out proposals to make Britain the leading high-tech exporter in Europe.

  • Onboard vehicle power system

    9 Mar 2010

    BAE Systems has received a contract to develop an onboard vehicle power management system for a US High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) that will be evaluated by the US Marine Corps in the summer.

  • Perception filter

    8 Mar 2010

    Ask a child to define ‘engineer’ and you’ll likely be told that an engineer is everything from the man who fixes the boiler to a bearded eccentric gesticulating wildly in a laboratory.

  • Plugging the gap

    8 Mar 2010

    Plans to address the issues around electric-vehicle charging could inspire more people to adopt their use. David Fowler reports

  • Bursting with energy

    8 March 2010

    The air-lift loop bioreactor produces micro-bubbles to reduce the energy usage in biochemical processes.

  • Driving engine efficiency

    8 March 2010

    Developed in collaboration with Fiat, Schaeffler’s variable hydraulic control system is said to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

  • Pogue’s go-trick

    8 March 2010

    In 1936 a Canadian man called Pogue achieved 200mpg in a five litre Pontiac. Surely with modern technologies this could be achieved or even surpassed, rather than the comparatively obscene fuel efficiencies currently displayed?

  • Strokes of genius

    8 March 2010

    The article ’Different strokes’ (The Engineer, 8 February) on the twostroke engine’s possible renaissance paid scant regard to the two-stroke motorbike.

  • Ford expands electric vehicles plan

    5 Mar 2010

    Ford is expanding its global electric vehicles plan to Europe, with five full-electric or hybrid vehicles across its C, CD and light commercial vehicle ranges being available by 2013.

  • Manufacturers 'confident' about future

    5 Mar 2010

    Manufacturers are more optimistic about their prospects for the next six months than other industries, despite tightening profits, according to the latest research from Santander Corporate Banking.

  • GM recalls 1.3 million compact cars

    2 Mar 2010

    General Motors is recalling 1.3 million cars following complaints about the loss of power-steering assist in models including the Chevrolet Cobalt and the Pontiac Pursuit.

  • GM triples Opel investment

    2 Mar 2010

    General Motors is to contribute €1.9bn to fund the restructuring of its European Opel and Vauxhall subsidiaries, more than tripling its previous investment pledge of €600m.

  • Cosworth to provide Lotus engines

    2 Mar 2010

    Group Lotus and Cosworth have announced a strategic partnership aimed at developing high-performance engines for Lotus road and race cars.

  • Cummins to pay $2.1m penalty

    26 Feb 2010

    Engine maker Cummins is to pay a $2.1m penalty and recall 405 engines to resolve alleged violations of the US Clean Air Act.

  • 'Plug-in Car' grants for UK drivers

    25 Feb 2010

    UK motorists will receive up to £5,000 to buy an ultra-low-carbon car, and the roll-out of supporting infrastructure will begin in selected regions, the government has announced.

  • UK investment concerns academics

    25 Feb 2010

    The government has announced £200m to support science and engineering businesses, amid criticism that its plans for cutting funds for pioneering academic research will stifle future UK innovation.

  • Exports behind manufacturers' hopes

    19 Feb 2010

    UK manufacturing is expected to pick up slightly over the next three months, according to the latest monthly Industrial Trends Survey from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

  • SMMT reports rise in car production

    19 Feb 2010

    Car production soared by 64.8 per cent in January, according to the latest figures by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

  • Toyota addresses throttle safety

    18 Feb 2010

    According to Toyota president Akio Toyoda, news reports in the US are spreading concern about the electronic throttle-control system in Toyota vehicles.

  • Text speak made simple

    17 Feb 2010

    Clemson University researchers have developed VoiceTEXT, a Bluetooth technology that is claimed to be a hands-free alternative to sending text messages while driving.

  • Intelligent traffic flow

    17 Feb 2010

    Academics from Leicester and De Montford Universities are working on a novel project to see if artificial intelligence and satellite data can help to manage traffic more effectively.

  • Safer helmets for motorcyclists

    15 Feb 2010

    A next-generation motorcycle helmet has been launched that is claimed to reduce rotational head injury impact by 50 per cent and the subsequent possibility of brain damage by 67.5 per cent.

  • Testing biofuels’ effect on engines

    15 Feb 2010

    Ricardo today announced the formation of a consortium that aims to evaluate the impact of biofuels on current and future light-duty engine technologies.

  • Low-carbon cars for Midlands

    15 Feb 2010

    Business secretary Lord Mandelson has announced the creation of a ‘Low Carbon Economic Area (LCEA) for Advanced Automotive Engineering in the Midlands’.

  • Survey reveals energy worries

    12 Feb 2010

    Concerns over rising energy prices and higher taxes outweigh those of complying with the latest energy legislation, according to the latest survey of British businesses by the Carbon Trust.

  • Patent filing declines

    12 Feb 2010

    Patent filings under WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty fell by 4.5 per cent in 2009 with sharper than average declines in some industrialised countries.

  • Porsche has flywheel generator

    11 Feb 2010

    A Porsche 911 that features a hybrid drive developed specifically for racing is to make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

  • Spyker shifts supercar assembly to UK

    10 Feb 2010

    Spyker Cars has moved the assembly of its new Aileron supercar from Zeewolde in Holland to a new plant at CPP (Manufacturing) Limited in Coventry.

  • Hybrid hopes dashed by Prius recall

    10 Feb 2010

    To say it’s been a disastrous couple of week’s for Toyota is an understatement.

  • All-electric transit van

    9 Feb 2010

    An all-electric version of the Ford Transit Connect will debut at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. The zero-emissions, electric vehicle (EV) version of the small van will be in fleet operators’ hands later this year.

  • Opel/Vauxhall invests in future

    9 Feb 2010

    European automotive giant Opel/Vauxhall is to invest €11bn over the next five years in order to keep the business viable and sustainable.

  • Green taxi releases zero emissions

    9 Feb 2010

    Eco City Vehicles has launched an all-electric prototype of the London-licensed Mercedes Vito taxi (Vito), which was co-developed and is distributed exclusively by the group.

  • Bath has fluid plans

    08 February 2010

    The amount of energy wasted in industries that heavily utilise hydraulic power could soon be reduced as a result of research taking place at Bath University.

  • Different strokes

    08 February 2010

    Two-stroke makeover offers a glimpse into a fuel-efficient future for car engines.

  • Revving up for change

    1 Feb 2010

    The 2010 Formula One test season begins today, with Mercedes, Toro Rosso and Williams giving fans their first glimpse of their car designs on the Valencia circuit.

  • CBI says small firms' orders rising

    1 Feb 2010

    Small and medium-sized manufacturers are starting to benefit from the relative weakness of Sterling, with overseas orders stabilising after seven quarters of decline

  • Team creates self-healing polymers

    29 Jan 2010

    Researchers at Warwick University have created self-healing polymers that could extend the lifetime of automotive oils.

  • Third shift creates 400 Nissan jobs

    29 Jan 2010

    Nissan is to launch a temporary third production shift at its manufacturing plant in Sunderland in response to high demand for the Qashqai.

  • Nissan wins electric-car loan

    29 Jan 2010

    The US Department of Energy has provided auto giant Nissan North America with a $1.4bn loan to help the company modify its Smyrna, Tennessee manufacturing plant to produce the Nissan LEAF.

  • SMEs deem tax system as 'unfair'

    28 Jan 2010

    A poll carried out by the Forum of Private Business has found that more than two thirds of owners of small and medium-sized enterprises believe the tax burden placed on them is unfair.

  • GM and Spyker reach Saab agreement

    27 Jan 2010

    General Motors and Spyker Cars have confirmed they have reached an agreement on the purchase of Saab Automobile for a total of $74m.

  • Millbrook replicates sun exposure

    27 Jan 2010

    Vehicle test and development facility, Millbrook, has invested in solar radiation simulation equipment to replicate the effects of the sun’s rays on vehicles.

  • TSB invests in electric vehicles

    26 Jan 2010

    A consortium led by micro gas turbine company Bladon Jets has secured investment from the Technology Strategy Board to develop an Ultra Lightweight Range Extender (ULRE) for next-generation electric vehicles.

  • Cleaner diesel engines

    26 Jan 2010

    Researchers from Purdue University and engine maker Cummins have developed an advanced closed-loop control system to prevent diesel engines from emitting greater amounts of smog-causing nitrogen oxides when running on biodiesel fuels.

  • EU funds extreme-weather study

    26 Jan 2010

    Researchers backed by European Union funding will study the effects of extreme weather events on the safety and reliability of traffic systems.

  • Protected species

    26 Jan 2010

    On January 10 The Engineer ran an online poll that asked ‘Would legal protection for the job title “engineer” help improve the status of the profession?’. Over 700 of you voted, with 82.9 per cent saying it would.

  • Navigation programming standard

    26 Jan 2010

    Thanks to a new ISO standard, incompatible navigation systems and databases that store important location information might soon be a thing of the past.

  • UK low-volume sector has high potential

    25 January 2010

    When Dutch ‘supercar’ maker Spyker revealed late last year that it was relocating its production to the UK, the news was jumped on by some as evidence of a long-hoped-for UK manufacturing renaissance.

  • SMMT reports on UK vehicle output

    22 Jan 2010

    Car production in the UK fell 30.9 per cent in 2009 compared to the previous year, according to a report released on 22 January by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

  • VW uses object recognition system

    21 Jan 2010

    Volkswagen’s Autoeuropa factory in Palmela, Portugal, is using the same technology as that used to dock spacecraft to control its automobile assembly line.

  • Exports support manufacturing growth

    21 Jan 2010

    Manufacturers have seen output rise for the first time in two years with exports helping to improve figures, according to business lobby group, the CBI.

  • GM to close Opel factory in Antwerp

    21 Jan 2010

    General Motors (GM) today announced plans to close its Opel auto production plant in Antwerp, Belgium with the loss of around 2,600 jobs.

  • University signs first V2G licence

    20 Jan 2010

    Delaware University has signed the first licence for its vehicle-to-grid technology with AutoPort, a vehicle processing and modification facility in New Castle, Delaware.

  • Crustaceans create smarter fabrics

    19 Jan 2010

    RMIT University researchers in Australia are using a natural biopolymer found in crustaceans to create odour-repellent fabrics for use in the automotive industry.

  • Study looks at feather structures

    14 Jan 2010

    Materials used in the construction, automotive and aircraft industries could be improved following research into previously unrecognised structures in birds’ feathers.

  • Report forecasts manufacturing growth

    14 Jan 2010

    A report published today predicts manufacturing to grow by 1.2 per cent this year before picking up to 3.4 per cent in 2011.

  • Global Focus

    13 Jan 2010

    From the Germanic efficiency of Volkswagen, the Gallic chic of Renault and the proudly conspicuous consumption of a North American SUV, the automotive industry has long been bound up with ideas of national identity.

  • TSB funds battery chemistry project

    12 Jan 2010

    Nexeon is part of a UK consortium awarded almost £1m to investigate new battery chemistry that delivers high-energy densities and to produce a prototype device for plug-in electric vehicles.

  • Forecast device drives road safety

    11 January 2010

    Cars may be able to determine weather conditions and adjust speed accordingly in the future, using a sensoring system developed by an EU consortium.

  • Hydrogen hopes for EHG technology

    11 January 2010

    Cars could increase their fuel efficiency by producing their own hydrogen and burning it with normal petrol or diesel.

  • Keeping a grip on the road

    8 Jan 2010

    Technology being developed in Finland could help keep drivers safe when faced with the dual challenges of snow and ice.

  • 2009 worst year for motor industry

    7 Jan 2010

    Last year was the worst year for the UK motor industry since 1995, according to latest figures by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

  • TSB funds low-carbon technologies

    7 Jan 2010

    The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) has announced two funding programmes for technology ranging from low-carbon road vehicles to nanotechnology.

  • Alternative energy storage

    6 Jan 2010

    Future hybrid cars may no longer need large batteries to store the kinetic energy created by braking with several new alternative technologies being developed in Britain.

  • Tough year expected for marketers

    5 Jan 2010

    Nearly half of marketers in the manufacturing and engineering sectors expect the economy and their own company’s business prospects to improve over the next year, despite a drop in anticipated sales figures.

  • Spyker renews offer for Saab

    21 Dec 2009

    Dutch luxury car maker, Spyker, has made a fresh offer to acquire Saab from General Motors (GM) after talks to save the company broke down last week.

  • GM to wind down Saab operations

    18 Dec 2009

    General Motors has announced that it is to wind down operations at Saab Automobile after talks with a potential buyer, Netherlands-based Spyker Cars, broke down.

  • Strathclyde NDE laboratory

    17 Dec 2009

    A new laboratory to support pioneering engineering research is to be created at Strathclyde University in Glasgow following a funding boost of £1.2m.

  • Mitsubishi i-MiEV begins trials

    16 Dec 2009

    The first zero-emissions fully electric city car to be used on the government-funded Technology Strategy Board (TSB) user trials has begun testing in the West Midlands.

  • Toyota test drives hybrid car

    15 Dec 2009

    Japanese car giant Toyota has introduced a plug-in version of its Prius petrol-electric hybrid vehicle. Approximately 600 units will be introduced in Japan, the US and Europe over the first half of 2010 for use by governments and businesses.

  • The Engineer Technology and Innovation Awards 2009

    8 Dec 2009

    The Engineer’s Technology and Innovation Awards returned to The Royal Society last week to celebrate this year’s most successful UK engineering projects.

  • Vehicle tracking is on the buses

    8 Dec 2009

    A vehicle-tracking technology developed at Sunderland University will be used by Arriva buses in Scotland to help regulate services.

  • Researchers use EMPT to cut steel

    7 Dec 2009

    Researchers in Germany have developed a new method for making holes in press-hardened steel bodywork using electromagnetic pulse technology (EMPT).

  • Engine is on the pulse

    7 December 2009

    The developers of an engine that relies on electrical pulses from a battery to produce mechanical potential energy claim that it could replace traditional internal-combustion engines (ICEs).

  • Reducing runway emissions

    7 December 2009

    Innovative automotive engineering could help aviation reduce its carbon footprint.

  • Team fuels diesel car efficiency

    7 December 2009

    Engineers from BP, Ford and Bath University have jointly developed hardware and lubricant technologies to achieve an eight per cent fuel-efficiency improvement in diesel cars.

  • Rise in number of car registrations

    4 Dec 2009

    The latest report by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders revealed that 158,082 cars were registered last month, up 57.6 per cent on November 2008 registrations.

  • Skills shortage concern

    1 Dec 2009

    A report published today says the engineering industry must recruit 587,000 skilled workers by 2017 to meet increased demand in areas such as green energy, aerospace and transport.

  • General Motors plans redundancies

    1 Dec 2009

    General Motors is to shed 354 positions at its Luton plant, where around 1,500 employees make light commercial vehicles, including the Vauxhall Vivaro van.

  • Composite materials investment

    26 Nov 2009

    Business Secretary Lord Mandelson today announced new investment totalling £22m to further advance the development of composite materials.

  • Adsorption in the hot seat

    24 Nov 2009

    Technology that could reduce home heating bills by almost a third and cut car emissions by five per cent has been developed by researchers at Warwick University.

  • Ricardo announces order intake

    19 Nov 2009

    Ricardo has noted an increasing level of sales interest in a number regions but said that trading conditions in its core markets had not significantly improved since the year end.

  • Charging is the real issue

    19 Nov 2009

    I disagree that the range of an electric vehicle is the most important factor when determining whether an electric vehicle will become a mass-market product. Reaching 150 miles simply means that more people will use the cars to travel away from home where their recharging can be done easily. How will these cars be charged and how long will it take? If you had a lot of people, for instance, visiting a hotel in electric vehicles would it have the charging facilities to allow them to take ...

  • Seven-speed transmission

    19 Nov 2009

    Automotive-engineering consultancy Ricardo has been contracted by Moscow-based Kate LLC to partner in the development of a seven-speed automatic transmission for use in Avtovaz cars.

  • Paul Newsome of Lotus Engineering

    18 Nov 2009

    Lotus is much more than a manufacturer of affordable supercars.

  • Where next for the IC engine?

    18 Nov 2009

    The internal combustion engine may still have a few surprises up its sleeve for the automotive industry.

  • Low-carbon strategy lacks focus

    17 Nov 2009

    Britain needs to increase its efforts to become a leading location for low-carbon industries if it is to take a share of a £4.5tn low-carbon business opportunity.

  • EIB loan funds low-CO2 Ford engine

    13 Nov 2009

    Ford Romania is to use a loan from the European Investment Bank to help finance the development of a low-CO2 engine and vehicle production at its Craiova plant in Romania.

  • KSS develops inflatable seatbelt

    11 Nov 2009

    Sterling Heights, Michigan-based Key Safety Systems (KSS) has developed what it claims is the first ever production-ready inflatable seatbelt.

  • National asset

    11 Nov 2009

    The phrase ‘decline of engineering in the UK’ has sadly become so well used that it has almost achieved parity with ‘it doesn’t snow like it used to’.

  • GM sells one million cars in China

    10 Nov 2009

    Troubled US car maker General Motors has announced the sale of over one million vehicles in China this year.

  • A sound idea for electric vehicles

    9 Nov 2009

    Advanced loudspeaker technology designed to alert pedestrians and road users to the approach of otherwise silent electric vehicles is to be launched on production vehicles for the first time next month.Jointly developed by engineers at Lotus and audio specialist Harman International, the system — which allows users to choose from a range of engine sounds — has already been demonstrated on a Toyota Prius and will be launched on a low production run of unspecified electric ...

  • A drive for efficiency

    9 November 2009

    Gordon Murray Design and Zytek Automotive Technology have embarked on a 16-month project to develop what they claim will be the world’s most efficient electric passenger car.

  • Buses converted to fuel cells

    6 Nov 2009

    Engineers from Britain and China are collaborating on a project in Sunderland to convert two buses to a fuel-cell, battery and capacitor combination.

  • GM to hold onto Opel and Vauxhall

    4 Nov 2009

    GM has announced that it is to hold onto European car divisions Opel and Vauxhall for the foreseeable future.

  • Collaboration with China is essential

    4 Nov 2009

    A report published this week should prompt the West to shake off any last shreds of complacency over China’s role in the global industrial landscape.

  • Cars and climate

    2 Nov 2009

    The car industry has been boosted by scrappage schemes which defied the doubters by proving successful, but if the recession really is coming to an end, this is where we’ll start to see the evidence.

  • Ford prefers Volvo bidder

    30 Oct 2009

    Ford has confirmed that a consortium led by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group is its preferred bidder in its discussions concerning the possible sale of Volvo.

  • Manufacturing confidence rises

    30 Oct 2009

    Confidence levels in the manufacturing sector jumped in the third quarter, according to research by BDO LLP that looked at confidence levels in the sector over the next six months.

  • Fisker opens hybrid factory

    28 Oct 2009

    Fisker Automotive is reopening a former General Motors factory in Wilmington, Delaware, to produce long-range, plug-in, electric-hybrid vehicles.

  • Racing uncertainty

    28 Oct 2009

    Increasing uncertainty over the future of the British Grand Prix is worrying for the UK-based motorsport industry. It reminds us that F1 is, above all, a business, and business has no time for romantics.

  • Self-driving technology on a roll

    28 Oct 2009

    A new EU-funded project envisions future vehicles having the ability to drive themselves in long convoys on motorways.The SARTRE (Safe Road Trains for the Environment) project, which will be led by engineering consultancy Ricardo UK, will develop technology that allows vehicles to control acceleration, braking and steering, and drive as part of a 'road train' of similarly controlled vehicles.Ricardo UK claims test cars could be equipped with this technology as early ...

  • SP AusNet road trials PHEVs

    27 Oct 2009

    Staff from Australian energy distributor SP AusNet are road trialling plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEVs) as part of a three-month scientific trial.

  • This week in 1957: The small car that made a big impression

    27 Oct 2009

    On a visit to the International Motor Show at Earls Court, The Engineer’s attention was grabbed by a diminutive vehicle that is perhaps second only to the Mini in the iconic small car stakes: the Fiat 500. The article reports that the Italian city car — attracting a ‘great deal of attention’ on its first appearance in the UK — ...

  • Innovators need support package

    27 Oct 2009

    Knowledge transfer is key to improving the success rate of British research projects, says Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya.

  • Looking for substance behind the soundbite

    26 Oct 2009

    Whatever you think of the government's record over the last 12 years, it would be hard to accuse Lord Mandelson of failing talk up the engineering and technology-based economy in 2009

  • UKTI event highlights opportunities

    26 Oct 2009

    As businesses begin to emerge from the recession, partnerships within high-growth economies are vital if UK engineering is to remain competitive.

  • SMMT revises registration forecast

    26 Oct 2009

    The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has revised its new car registration forecast for 2009 up by 100,000 units since the last quarterly revision in July 2009.

  • UK companies expect to grow

    22 Oct 2009

    The majority of UK businesses are planning for growth in the next few years, despite predicting that the effects of the downturn will last into 2011.

  • Test drives focus on electric cars

    22 Oct 2009

    As many as 20 households in the London Borough of Hillingdon are to test drive a new Ford Focus Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) prototype for three months.

  • Green dragon

    21 Oct 2009

    If their claims are accurate, Chinese engineers may well have cracked the biggest hurdle facing the mass rollout of electric cars.

  • Patrick Head on the future of F1

    17 Oct 2009

    Patrick Head, director of engineering and co-founder of Williams F1, speaks to The Engineer about eco-friendly racing, why budget restrictions could drive innovation and his hopes for the future of the sport.

  • Building big brother

    16 Oct 2009

    Futurescope’s vision of tomorrow is typically benign but as we all know - from nuclear fission to robotics - most major advances come with an unwelcome, and often destructive, flip side.

  • Brawn GP boss urges UK motorsport to think global

    16 Oct 2009

    Nick Fry, chief executive officer of Brawn GP speaks to The Engineer about his vision for the future of Formula 1 (F1) and how an international approach is critical to securing advanced engineering expertise in the UK.

  • Smart electric drives to improve

    15 Oct 2009

    Smart cars may offer improved electric drives in the future, following real-life trials being conducted for their manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz.

  • NESTA releases business report

    14 Oct 2009

    Only six per cent of UK businesses are responsible for the majority of job creation and prosperity, according the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts.

  • TSB funds technology development

    13 Oct 2009

    The Technology Strategy Board has announced a £39.5m investment to help UK businesses develop technologies that address global challenges over the next six months.

  • What chance for the green Grand Prix?

    12 Oct 2009

    Is there a green future for racing’s flagship event? Add your view at the opinion section of theengineer.co.uk

  • Whitehall should use spending power to back engineering

    12 Oct 2009

    The government must use its influence as a customer to help engineering innovation flourish in the UK, says Lord Browne.

  • Self-healing car

    12 Oct 2009

    A project is underway that will give cars the ability to self-heal electronic faults through intelligent embedded systems and wireless connections to remote support centres.

  • Green contenders are in the motorsport race

    12 Oct 2009

    The impact on motorsport of the wider automotive industry’s focus on environmentally benign technologies is likely to be profound.

  • Remote support system enables heals on wheels

    12 October 2009

    A project is underway that will give cars the ability to self-heal electronic faults through intelligent embedded systems and wireless connections to remote support centres.

  • Zincast receives ARP funding

    9 Oct 2009

    Zincast Foundry, a die-casting firm in the West Midlands, has secured a major contract after receiving funding from the Automotive Response Programme (ARP).

  • Peugeot announces green initiative

    9 Oct 2009

    PSA Peugeot Citroën has unveiled an action plan to limit the carbon footprint of its vehicles during their service life.

  • GM finalises Hummer deal

    9 Oct 2009

    China's Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co has entered into a definitive agreement with General Motors (GM) to acquire its all-terrain Hummer brand.

  • Honda brings Jazz to UK

    8 Oct 2009

    Honda UK has announced that volume production of the Jazz model has officially begun at the company's Swindon facility.

  • SMMT reports third rise in car sales

    7 Oct 2009

    New car sales in the UK rose by 11.4 per cent in September, their third consecutive rise, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

  • TU Müenchen develops steel ‘Velcro’

    6 Oct 2009

    Hook-and-loop fasteners made of spring steel have been developed at the Institute of Metal Forming and Casting at the Technische Universitäet Müenchen.

  • EEF survey reveals lack of support

    5 Oct 2009

    Manufacturers are failing to receive financial support from UK banks, according to the latest survey by the manufacturers’ organisation, EEF.

  • A little bit of politics

    5 Oct 2009

    We’ve heard from Labour and the Lib Dems, and now it’s the turn of the Conservatives who gather in Manchester this week for their annual conference.

  • Lord Drayson urges low carbon transport future

    5 Oct 2009

    Instead of merely building low-carbon cars, UK vehicle manufacturers should develop radical new transport concepts that suit the latest technologies, says Lord Drayson.

  • Survey reiterates credit-access issues

    2 Oct 2009

    A fifth of small manufacturers have begun to experience an increase in orders and sales, according to a recent survey by UK lobby group, the Forum of Private Business (FPB).

  • Force India technical director James Key

    1 Oct 2009

    Following our exclusive interview with driver Adrian Sutil last week, James Key, technical director at Formula 1 team Force India, gives Ellie Zolfagharifard the engineer’s side of the story.

  • Confidence Index indicates upturn

    1 Oct 2009

    The latest Santander Corporate Banking Business Confidence Index shows that manufacturing firms are confident of an upturn in business by the end of 2009.

  • April 1893. Daimler’s Petrol Motor

    October 2009 Online

    We illustrate a very ingenious and interesting form of oil engine, designed by Mr Daimler, for many years associated with the late Dr Otto. It is made in various forms for ordinary fixed motor purposes, for fire engines, for tramways, for light carriages

  • October 1904. The First Rover

    October 2009 Online

    In our reports of the trials of small motor cars recently held by the Automobile Club, reference was made to the vehicle which has been constructed by the Rover Cycle Company Limited, Coventry, from the designs of Mr E.W Lewis.

  • October 1955. British cars at the Motor Show

    October 2009 Online

    The International Motor Show, which opened on Wednesday October 19th, is again drawing crowds of interested visitors, among them a considerable number of foreign buyers, to the spacious exhibition hall at Earl’s Court, London.

  • Golden Gordon?

    30 Sep 2009

    Yesterday’s Labour Party conference speech by Gordon Brown contained more than its fair share of policy announcements, including a pledge to spend £1bn on establishing a national investment corporation

  • Government extends car scrappage

    28 Sep 2009

    The government has announced an extension to the vehicle scrappage scheme, with van and car owners receiving added incentives to upgrade their modes of transport.

  • EEF urges scrappage scheme extension

    28 Sep 2009

    The government must extend its scrappage scheme incentive to avoid the risk of undermining recovery in the UK's manufacturing industry, according to EEF, the manufacturers' organisation.

  • Feeling the heat

    28 Sep 2009

    A fringe meeting at this year’s Labour Party Conference asks ‘Picking winners: can engineering succeed where finance failed?’ Now there’s a question we’d all like to see answered.

  • SMMT reveals fall in vehicle production

    25 Sep 2009

    Latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) have revealed a 31.5 per cent decrease in car production for August.

  • Jaguar to close Midlands plant

    25 Sep 2009

    Jaguar Land Rover has issued details of its new business plan, which includes closing a plant in the West Midlands while creating 800 new jobs to develop a new fuel-efficient SUV in Halewood.

  • A race apart

    25 Sep 2009

    What is the future for Formula One? Will it continue to attract investment in tough economic times? Where does the shift towards green technologies leave its high-octane format?

  • Government doubts Magna/GM takeover

    24 Sep 2009

    The UK government has expressed doubt over the commercial viability of Canadian car-parts maker Magna’s plans to take over General Motors Europe.

  • Adrian Sutil on the life of an F1 driver

    24 Sep 2009

    In an exclusive interview with The Engineer’s Ellie Zolfagharifard, Force India F1 driver Adrian Sutil talks about fast-changing technology, his relationship with his engineers and why risk will always be a key part of the sport he loves.

  • Lotus engine makes debut

    24 Sep 2009

    The lightest and smallest automotive engine for series hybrid drivetrains was recently unveiled at the 63rd Frankfurt International Motor Show.Automotive engineering consultancy Lotus Engineering developed the 'Range Extender' engine for Jaguar's new XJ plug-in hybrid model through the UK Technology Strategy Board-funded Limo-Green project.With the Range Extender on board, the XJ has a range of 620 miles and a top speed of 110mph, said Matthew Reed, spokesman for Lotus ...

  • Low-carbon vehicle trials

    23 Sep 2009

    More than 100 ultra-low-carbon vehicles will begin year trials across the West Midlands in December 2009 after receiving a £2.5m regional development agency grant.

  • Wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen?

    23 Sep 2009

    With the spectre of Copenhagen looming ever closer, more and more engineers will find themselves with a new set of goals to reach for.

  • DRIVSCO learns driver behaviour

    22 Sep 2009

    A computer system that allows vehicles to learn from the behaviour of drivers at the wheel could help detect unusual behaviour and prevent accidents.

  • Lightweight electric motors

    22 Sep 2009

    The lightweight electric motors developed to power the wheels of the Morgan Motor Company’s concept fuel-cell car are now being prepared for mass-market commercialisation.The motors were devised by Oxford University researchers for the 2008 Morgan LIFEcar — a fuel-cell electric vehicle project being undertaken by Morgan Motor and start-up Riversimple.The concept car is equipped with four electric motors to power each wheel. The design is similar to the whispering ...

  • Call to extend scrappage scheme

    21 Sep 2009

    The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has urged the government to extend its car scrappage incentive scheme following increased consumer spending in the motor industry.

  • Transport innovations centre

    21 Sep 2009

    A new multi-million-pound centre for intelligent transport innovations under construction in Nuneaton, Warwickshire could help make future cars safer and more fuel efficient.

  • Party time

    21 Sep 2009

    Its conference season: that time of year when politicians swap places with holiday makers and flock to the seaside for a few days of drum banging, flag waving and mutual back-patting.  

  • Tata given £10m loan under AAP

    18 Sep 2009

    Tata Motors European Technical Centre has been given a £10m loan from the UK government under the Automotive Assistance Programme.

  • Scrappage boosts engine production

    18 Sep 2009

    Ford has boosted its UK engine production to meet the increased demand for new cars as a result of European scrappage programmes.

  • Prodrive cuts battery-pack weight

    18 Sep 2009

    A new approach to the configuration of DC-DC converters could help reduce the cost, weight and size of electric-vehicle battery packs.

  • Low-carbon opportunities

    17 Sep 2009

    EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, has launched a programme of events to help manufacturing companies capitalise on opportunities in a low-carbon economy.

  • Business in Bulgaria

    17 Sep 2009

    A new venture has been established to identify, commercialise and secure funding for the most promising technologies from Bulgaria.

  • GKN extends SAIC co-operation

    17 Sep 2009

    GKN Driveline, a global manufacturer of automotive driveline components, has extended its co-operation with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation for another 50 years.

  • FPB reveals bank charge increase

    16 Sep 2009

    Banks are imposing a range of charges, increasing interest rates and demanding personal guarantees for lending, according to research by the Forum of Private Business.

  • Decline in northeast export value

    16 Sep 2009

    Latest trade statistics have revealed a decline in the quarterly value of exports from the northeast of England.

  • Cut with care

    16 Sep 2009

    Now that Gordon Brown has used the word in his speech to the TUC, it’s official – cuts are the new investment.

  • Electric cars for German consumers

    15 Sep 2009

    Renault and RWE have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at establishing electric cars as a viable mode of transport for German consumers.

  • Lotus model drives up workforce

    15 Sep 2009

    Demand for the Lotus Evora has seen the Lotus Group increase its manufacturing workforce by 30 per cent over the last six months.

  • Show of strength

    14 Sep 2009

    It’s another big week for the automotive industry but this time the focus is on the cars rather than government subsidies, jobs or economic woes. The Frankfurt Motor Show, which begins tomorrow, is one of the sector’s major showcases for the fantastically imaginative on one hand and (it hopes) the next big things on the high street on the other.

  • Bike transmission is fully automatic

    11 Sep 2009

    Japanese automobile maker Honda Motor claims to have developed the world’s first fully automatic motorcycle dual-clutch transmission for large-displacement sport bikes.

  • MPs misled over MGRG activities

    11 Sep 2009

    A report into the collapse of the MG Rover Group (MGRG) has found that MPs were given inaccurate and misleading explanations about the group's activities by one of its directors.

  • The end is nigh

    11 Sep 2009

    To send the reader home for the weekend infused with the warm glow of righteousness, the gaze of the Futurescope is usually fixed on the wondrous future promised by a bold new area of innovation.

  • GM backs Magna consortium

    10 Sep 2009

    The General Motors board of directors is supporting a bid from a consortium of Magna International and Sberbank to buy a majority stake in its European Opel/Vauxhall operations.

  • Support for accident alarm

    10 Sep 2009

    Mobile telecoms companies have pledged to support the EU’s campaign to equip new cars with a device that would automatically call for help in the event of an accident.

  • Rolling road test system

    10 Sep 2009

    An advanced rolling road system is being built in Wales that will be capable of testing pure electric, hybrid electric as well as traditional internal combustion engine components.

  • Ford plant produces first model

    10 Sep 2009

    The first production Transit Connect light commercial vehicle came off the assembly line this week at the new Ford manufacturing plant in Craiova, Romania.

  • Aircraft fuel cell hits the road

    10 Sep 2009

    The Technology Strategy Board has invested £1.4m to help widen the use of the propulsion platform used in the first manned fuel-cell aircraft.Loughborough-based Intelligent Energy plans to use the funding to boost a three-year programme aimed at repurposing its fuel-cell stack technology for cars and light commercial vehicles.The group claims its design is more power-dense and compact than competitor systems, giving it the potential to be used commercially in the automotive ...

  • Europcar to offer electric car rental

    10 Sep 2009

    Car rental firm Europcar is to roll out a new fleet of Renault electric vehicles, as well as the infrastructure needed to recharge their batteries from 2011.

  • Cenex launches electric vehicle trial

    10 Sep 2009

    Hundreds of drivers in northeast England will have the chance to take part in a new electric vehicle trial announced by Cenex.

  • Biomethane-powered bus launched

    9 Sep 2009

    A consortium brought together by engineers at the University of East Anglia has launched the first bus in the UK to run on biomethane.

  • Race to be green

    9 Sep 2009

    Looking ahead to likely budget cuts in F1, McLaren boss Ron Dennis has decided that it will pay to expand outside motorsport, protecting profits and jobs.

  • National Grid fears skills shortage

    8 Sep 2009

    The negative perception of engineering careers could lead to a shortage of skilled workers capable of developing technology for future energy demands.

  • Clean Air Power's profit increases

    8 Sep 2009

    Clean Air Power, which develops Dual-Fuel combustion technology for heavy-duty diesel engines, has reported a 29 per cent increase in gross profit for the six months ending in June.

  • Industry set for further decline

    8 Sep 2009

    UK manufacturing is set to contract further despite manufacturers responding better than in previous recessions, according to a report by the Management Consultancies Association.

  • August rise in car registrations

    4 Sep 2009

    The number of UK car registrations rose by six per cent to 67,006 units in August 2009, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

  • Oxford plant to build new MINIs

    4 Sep 2009

    BMW has announced that two new MINI models, including a two-seater MINI Coupé Concept, will be built at MINI Plant Oxford.

  • Data shows manufacturing decline

    3 Sep 2009

    The latest Purchasing Managers Index from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply/Markit suggests that manufacturing has fallen back below the neutral 50 mark.

  • Low-carbon vehicle plans

    1 Sep 2009

    Regional development agency, One North East, is expected to unveil its low-carbon vehicle plans at the Cenex National Low Carbon Vehicle Event this month.

  • R&D spend to rise

    1 Sep 2009

    A survey by intellectual property firm Withers & Rogers suggests that a third of UK businesses are preparing to increase spend on research and development in the year ahead.

  • Manufacturers 'out of business'

    27 Aug 2009

    Around 2,460 manufacturers will go out of business by the end of the year, with output likely to remain below pre-recession levels, according to a recent Industry Watch report.

  • Steam car breaks land-speed record

    26 Aug 2009

    A team of British engineers has broken the 103-year-old world speed record for a steam-powered car in the Mojave Desert, California.

  • Technological innovation funding

    26 Aug 2009

    British businesses are being encouraged to bid for a total of £6m of investment in a drive to boost technological innovation across the UK.

  • Prototype military vehicle aims to cut casualties

    26 Aug 2009

    As roadside bombs cause an increase in UK casualties, a prototype vehicle aims to improve survivability. Jon Excell reports

  • Scrappage scheme eases decline

    21 Aug 2009

    Car production in July recorded the smallest monthly decline of the year so far following positive affects of the government’s scrappage scheme.

  • BAE to supply bus propulsion systems

    20 Aug 2009

    BAE Systems is to provide propulsion systems for up to 500 hybrid electric buses recently ordered by King County Metro Transit in Seattle.

  • Tomkins announces more job cuts

    19 Aug 2009

    Tomkins has announced that a further 1,600 jobs will be cut after it reported a loss after tax of £118.1m for the first half of the year.

  • Hampson predicts revenue increase

    19 Aug 2009

    Hampson Industries has forecast an increase in tooling revenue during the second half of the year but said that trading conditions were likely to remain difficult.

  • CBI predicts positive outlook

    19 Aug 2009

    Manufacturers have endured another difficult month but, following months of destocking, their outlook for production over the three months ahead is the least negative since June 2008, the CBI has revealed.

  • Saab sale

    18 Aug 2009

    General Motors has reached a stock purchase agreement to sell its loss-making Saab unit to Swedish luxury sports car manufacturer Koenigsegg Automotive.

  • Carbon boost

    18 Aug 2009

    Surface Transforms has increased its revenue by 34 per cent to £679,284 following a number of significant contract wins for its carbon fibre reinforced ceramic composite materials.

  • Reformed diesel

    18 Aug 2009

    A fuel-cell system that runs on hydrogen produced on board heavy-goods vehicles (HGVs) and fork-lift trucks promises to dramatically reduce carbon dioxide emissions.The technology has been developed by Volvo Technology, StatoilHydro, H2 Logic, Powercell Sweden and SINTEF.Powercell Sweden and its minority owner Volvo Technology were responsible for creating the method for reforming diesel fuel carried by the truck into hydrogen.The two companies were also responsible ...

  • Porsche deal

    14 Aug 2009

    Volkswagen has agreed to buy a 42 per cent stake in Porsche for a value of €3.3bn in advance of a potential merger in 2011.

  • Business boost

    10 Aug 2009

    The quarterly Manufacturing Institute survey of business challenges among manufacturers in north west England points toward improved confidence despite ongoing conditions remaining difficult.

  • Food for thought

    10 Aug 2009

    On this week’s menu is food, specifically how the UK will feed itself in the light of projected huge increases in global demand and the potential effects of climate change on agriculture.The government launches a consultation on the issue today and if anyone believes this is a matter for farmers with little relevance to engineering and technology, think again. As The Engineer highlighted in its feature Growth ...

  • LEAF launch

    7 Aug 2009

    Nissan has unveiled its all-electric LEAF, a medium-sized hatchback that can seat five adults.

  • Intelligent investment

    6 Aug 2009

    Loughborough University spin-out Intelligent Energy has raised $30m from both existing and new investors to accelerate the commercialisation of its fuel-cell power systems.

  • Better buses

    6 Aug 2009

    A PhD student from Monash University has received a scholarship from Australia's largest bus manufacturer to develop a better, more cost-effective way to mass-engineer buses.

  • Scrappage success

    6 Aug 2009

    UK new car registrations rose for the first time in 15 months as the effects of the scrappage scheme boosted July orders.

  • GKN cuts

    6 Aug 2009

    GKN has announced that it will cut a further 1,200 jobs over the next two years, following a loss of £16m for the first half of the year.

  • Billion dollar battery

    6 Aug 2009

    More than 40 advanced battery and electric-drive projects are to receive a total of $2.4bn in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

  • Fixer capsules

    4 Aug 2009

    German researchers have electroplated metal with nanometre-sized capsules that release fluid and repair the surface of the metal if it becomes damaged.

  • Slowing decline

    4 Aug 2009

    The CBI’s latest quarterly SME Trends Survey indicates that the rate of decline in orders and output among the UK’s SMEs is slowing.

  • Promising purchasing

    4 Aug 2009

    Figures from the CIPS/Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index for manufacturing suggest the sector has entered a period of growth for the first time since March 2008.

  • Greener manufacturing

    3 Aug 2009

    The UK car manufacturing sector risks missing out on vital investment in environmental production processes if government and consumers place too much emphasis on the green credentials of vehicles themselves, warned Volvo’s environmental advisor, Don Potts.

  • Lubrication consortium

    30 Jul 2009

    Ricardo has formed a consortium to perform research into lubricants, enabling engines of the future to emit less CO2 and become more fuel efficient.

  • Supply and demand

    30 Jul 2009

    Umeco has announced that it expects its operating profits to fall by at least £1.7m in the first half of the financial year as a result of lowering demand.

  • Riversimple aims to revolutionise city motoring

    29 Jul 2009

    Riversimple’s city car takes the idea of green motoring to new levels: it will only be available for hire, will be made in relatively tiny factories and its technology will be open to all. Stuart Nathan reports

  • Bearings sale

    29 Jul 2009

    Timken is to sell the assets of its needle roller bearings business to Japan's JTEKT Corporation for $330m in cash.

  • Keep on trucking

    29 Jul 2009

    Four major US corporations and two utility companies have taken delivery of the Smith Newton, a new road-going electric truck developed by north east England based Smith Electric Vehicles.

  • Engine assembly

    28 Jul 2009

    Nissan’s Sunderland plant has won a contract to assemble a new petrol engine from next year, securing future engine production on Wearside.

  • Green cars of recovery?

    28 Jul 2009

    When 1,200 workers were laid off at Nissan's Sunderland plant earlier this year it marked a new low in the economic downturn.

  • Atomic anniversary

    27 Jul 2009

    Energy is likely to be high in the headlines this week. It’s half-year results time for many major companies, but BP and Shell’s results are reliable indicators of the health of the petrochemicals sector. Is it bucking the recessionary trend, and will its executives be accused of profiteering? With petrol prices going up again, there is certain to be controversy.

  • Motorsport pedigree opens new doors for innovators

    27 Jul 2009

    Engine manufacturers with motorsport credentials are making noises both on and off the racing circuit. Stuart Nathan reports.

  • Driving down costs

    20 Jul 2009

    Major companies will need to pool technologies to make the electric car commercially viable in the near future, says Bosch’s Bernd Bohr

  • Money for materials

    20 Jul 2009

    The Transport Innovation Network (iNet) is releasing almost a quarter of a million pounds to fund research into new materials for use in the aerospace, marine and automotive industries.

  • Nissan powers up

    20 Jul 2009

    Nissan, acting within the Renault-Nissan Alliance, has announced plans to create hundreds of jobs following a £200m investment to manufacture batteries for electric cars in Sunderland.

  • Car trouble

    20 Jul 2009

    A report by the Business and Enterprise Committee has attacked the government for its failure to deliver adequate support to the UK’s troubled automotive industry.

  • Making motors

    17 Jul 2009

    Toyota Motor Europe has announced plans to manufacture a full hybrid version of its C-segment hatchback, Auris, at its plant in Burnaston, Derbyshire.

  • Car cuts

    16 Jul 2009

    Jaguar Land Rover is to cease production of its X-Type car and cut 300 jobs from its Halewood plant following weak sales in the auto industry.

  • Sit tight

    16 Jul 2009

    Researchers in Spain have developed a load limiter for child seatbelts that reduces by 50 per cent the forces felt by a child during a front impact.

  • 'Low-carbon transport plan

    16 Jul 2009

    The government has unveiled plans to reduce carbon emissions from domestic transport by up to 14 per cent by promoting cycling, low-emission cars and high-speed rail.

  • Engine of change

    16 Jul 2009

    A former British serviceman has used his expertise in military ballistic materials to develop an eco-friendly automotive engine.

  • Smart investment

    15 Jul 2009

    The European Commission is offering billions of euros to developers of new technologies in the manufacturing, construction and automotive sectors.

  • Car communication

    14 Jul 2009

    Two researchers have developed a set of algorithms that will enable cars to communicate with each other and avoid collisions.

  • Looking for guidance

    14 Jul 2009

    As a veteran oilman, Lord Browne knows more than most about national assets and how a combination of political will, private enterprise and engineering know-how can exploit them to their maximum potential.

  • Hydrogen production

    8 Jul 2009

    Engineers at Leeds University are developing an energy efficient, environmentally friendly hydrogen production system.

  • Four years, different age

    8 Jul 2009

    There is a depressing irony in the fact that MG Rover is back in the news at a time of unparalleled uncertainty for the automotive industry in the UK and around the globe.

  • Small change

    6 Jul 2009

    The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has reported new car registrations down by 15.7 per cent in June, the smallest decline since July 2008.

  • On the road and in the sky

    6 Jul 2009

    For those of us not transfixed by the engineering aspects of the Tour de France or the enticing prospect of the start of the Ashes series, there’s a number of intriguing items on this week’s agenda.

  • Transport trial

    3 Jul 2009

    London buses are trialling a new kind of hybrid propulsion system that promises to save fuel and lower emissions.

  • Compressed air con

    2 Jul 2009

    A French inventor claims to have found a way to reclaim the energy from shock absorbers as a vehicle travels down a bumpy road to provide air conditioning or transport refrigeration.

  • Bus money

    2 Jul 2009

    A £30m fund to encourage the purchase of low-carbon buses has been launched by the Department for Transport.

  • Driving progression

    2 Jul 2009

    The development of an electric vehicles infrastructure in the north east of England has been given a boost by an international collaboration between private sector companies.

  • Luxury commuter car

    30 Jun 2009

    Aston Martin is developing a luxury concept car based on the Toyota iQ, the world’s smallest four-seater vehicle.

  • Marine investment

    29 Jun 2009

    Rolls-Royce has announced its intention to purchase a 33 per cent stake in the Norwegian provider of marine handling systems, ODIM ASA, for up to £66m.

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The Engineer 14 May 2012

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