Currently reading: Autocar confidential: Ford's emissions hopes for electric transit, PSA's china struggles and more

Our reporters empty their notebooks to round up a week in gossip from across the automotive industry

In this week's round-up of automotive gossip, we talk electric van benfits with Ford, business plans with Gordon Murray, the Chinese car market with PSA and more. 

Transit could help us breathe easier

Ford claims that if every Transit van sold last year was a fully electric E-Transit, there would be 30 million fewer metric tonnes of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. That’s a striking figure, although it doesn’t take into account any CO2 emitted during the electricity generation process.

No chasing volume for Gordon Murray

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Gordon Murray is adamant that his nascent supercar brand will buck wider industry trends by not targeting expansion. “Whatever we do, we will not chase volume,” he insisted. “We will not do what other supercar manufacturers do. We’re going to be the ‘100-car company’.” Drawing inspiration from his experience launching the McLaren F1 in 1992, Murray added: “Once you chase volume, you have a risk that you’ll lose the close connection and the journey with the customer.”

PSA's China problem

10 Es8 all aluminum production line

China was once the PSA Group’s largest market and it sold more than 700,000 vehicles there in 2014. But in 2019, the group shifted about 119,000 cars in the country, and this year it is likely to be fewer than 50,000. Sales for 2020 through to September were 31,239, 64% lower than the same period in 2019.

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Dacia success not just down to price

99 Dacia sandero 2021 uk official images front

Renault budget brand Dacia has achieved remarkable growth by offering some of the cheapest new cars in the market, but Groupe Renault sales boss Denis le Vot said its success is down to more than just low prices. “The secret sauce of Dacia is the right specifi cation,” he said. “We bring exactly what people need – no more, no less.”

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New Dacia Sandero is UK's cheapest car at £7995

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xxxx 8 December 2020

Whats the point of ford telling us what effect an electric transit would have had last year when they dont even sell one this year, or next year for that matter.

Bob Cat Brian 8 December 2020
‘That’s a striking figure, although it doesn’t take into account any CO2 emitted during the electricity generation process’

That is true, although equally emissions of ICE models don’t take into account that emitted during the mining, refining or transporting processes, which are huge, oil refineries are always located next to large (sometimes dedicated) power stations.

Please don’t be disingenuous with your comments Autocar.

Christian Galea 8 December 2020
Bob Cat Brian wrote:

‘That’s a striking figure, although it doesn’t take into account any CO2 emitted during the electricity generation process’ That is true, although equally emissions of ICE models don’t take into account that emitted during the mining, refining or transporting processes, which are huge

True, but at the moment, most countries still utilise a relatively low amount of renewable energy sources, so the CO2 per kWh is still nowhere near 0g. Plus, it's generally well-known that EVs tend to consume more resources/emit more emissions during the production process than ICE models. 

xxxx 8 December 2020
Christian Galea wrote:

Bob Cat Brian wrote:

‘That’s a striking figure, although it doesn’t take into account any CO2 emitted during the electricity generation process’ That is true, although equally emissions of ICE models don’t take into account that emitted during the mining, refining or transporting processes, which are huge

True, but at the moment, most countries still utilise a relatively low amount of renewable energy sources, so the CO2 per kWh is still nowhere near 0g. ... 

Is near enough 0g in Norway, and decreasing in just about every country in the world