Honda Brexting

I think there are already some electric cars on the market that will do well in excess of 80 miles per charge. I read a report of someone doing a long journey in such a car. The main problem was that there were not enough charging points and many were not working. They did have to call out the AA or equivalent at one point to be towed to an operational charger. Currently charging also takes to long, even on a 'turbo' charger - an hour or more.

The big transport challenge is heavy duty electric engines, for lorries and other commercial vehicles and car engines capable of covering reasonable distances when loaded up with a family and luggage going on holiday.

With our current political crisis, we haven't anything to offer. We'll be scraping the proverbial barrel for many years to come.

No person, wedded blindly to leaving the EU, is ever going to accept that all these businesses that are deciding to leave UK has anything to do with UK leaving Europe.
How could they? It was not going to happen, everything was going to be fine, big international businesses love the UK and our economy would thrive because we have so much to offer.

I wish I could believe their optimism.

There's an electric car charging point in town but I've never seen any car parked in it recharging, although someone who lives nearby has one - DH said - does that car ever go anywhere or is it always on charge?

It's a pity that Honda could not stay here and change to producing electric cars in the UK plus researching the future of electric cars - but perhaps another reason is that we just aren't producing enough engineers these days with the expertise required for these future innovations.

Exactly Jalima1108

One of the manufacturing forums I am a member of has raised this so many times I have lost count.

With a range of around 80 miles on a charge how can we be expected to run a business relying on travelling from one place to the next?

What about those of us (like me) who live in terraced homes? I have no garage and no off street parking. Are we all to trail cables across the pavements? or do we all share the 3 charging points in town?

Where is all this extra energy going to come from? On ships from Canada in the form of Biomass (as we are already doing) hardly environmentally friendly is is?

The list goes on and on........

One day they will crack the electric/battery car conundrum. The batteries will become more compact and the range will be excellent but until then I and most other businesses that need vehicles on the road are not convinced.

Yes we were sold down the Swanee by Gordon brown who positively encouraged us to buy diesels.

All this to push us into buying electric cars and vans with a range of around 80 miles per charge.
The cars are going to have to be hybrid or new ways of storing electricity will have to be found or else the roads will be one huge car park.

I know that diesel cars are highly pollutant but I feel sorry for anyone who bought one or for firms which bought fleets of vans etc on the advice of the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, who encouraged the use of diesels, probably due to misinformation.

Nanatoone your post is very interesting and yes, I believe there is always more to a story than is told to the public through the news media.
We can only take the facts from what we hear reported which has been told to the press by the management at Honda, Swindon.

I did not know Honda had expected to make electric cars at Swindon, but I did not know that either. However, perhaps Honda does see its future markets in North America and Asia and I understand is liaising with American car manufacturers about the future of electric cars.

Thanks for the insight.

We are being advised to stop buying diesels. We are seeing the price of diesel rise dramatically at the pumps. The resale value of diesel cars is dropping rapidly. There are threats to ban diesel vehicles from town/city centres. Company vehicle tax for diesels has risen, P11d values have risen etc.
Can they really be surprised that people are worried about investing in a new diesel vehicle (which is incidentally much cleaner than the older petrol models... but they won't tell you that).

All this to push us into buying electric cars and vans with a range of around 80 miles per charge.

I blame Brexit for the final nail in the coffin at Honda but also blame successive governments for panicking the public and businesses into stop investing in new diesel vehicles.

The other point made on today's news was that, of course, the Swindon plant produces diesel cars
North America and Asia are the main future markets for Honda's electric cars so location is of prime importance in strategic planning.

As reported on the local news.

production at Swindon had also been in decline for some time, with the plant currently running at about half its capacity.

Jalima1108 why is it so hard to stick to facts?
Are you a new poster counterpoint - if so welcome.

Actually, as I live in that region, I was just reporting exactly what I had heard about Honda on the local news, which was possibly even more extensive than that on the main news.

Yes, I do like the facts to be correct, thank you.

Obviously you know better but I do not like the tone of your post. I am not in the habit of fabricating lies.

of course we care M0nica

The knock on effect will indeed be devastating. Huge car plants such as Honda not only support their own workforce but they help prop up the whole economy of the area and beyond. The loss of 3500 jobs is the tip of the iceberg if you take into account all the tiered suppliers and their suppliers, not to mention as nanatoone has said the shops, restaurants and hotels. We are in the NE and have done a bit of work in Honda over the years so the effect will be far reaching.

Such a shame.

Jalima1108 why is it so hard to stick to facts? People have been spreading the story that Honda’s exit is down to diesel. But the fact is that Swindon makes around 90% petrol powered cars. As for North America being a major market for EVs, more have been sold in Europe than in the USA, and European countries have policies to move away totally from carbon based fuels, unlike the USA.

Nantoone I did not know Honda had expected to make electric cars at Swindon, but
^ Swindon is a devasted town at the moment, more than 10000 people will lose their employment here and that’s without the knock on to local enterprises (hotels, bars, shops etc), this includes places like Wales, the Midland and Sunderland where steel is purchased. It’s a grim situation.^

I said much as you have said, very early in this thread, but nobody seemed to care. They were all too busy arguing about whether the cause was Brexit or not.

Honda were promising that the new car would be built here and everything was in place. For those that believe all that they hear in the media and wish to believe that this is nothing to do with Brexit, I’m afraid it’s you who have got this wrong

I am so sorry to hear your daughter is one of those who will be losing her job when Honda closes in 2021 nanatoone.

Why did we not see it coming though?

From todays Guardian :

Claims that Brexit had nothing to do with Honda closing its only UK manufacturing plant are “fanciful”, according to a former British ambassador to Japan.

The Japanese government has become increasingly vocal in recent weeks about the damage a no-deal Brexit would cause, while a number of big Japanese corporations have announced restructures. The Japanese foreign minister, Taro Kono, said on Tuesday that it was “absolutely necessary” for the UK to avoid crashing out of the European Union without a deal

Nanatoone

I have to be careful not to appear as querying your post which I assure is not the reason for my question.

I like to know facts and I was interested to understand your point ' The Swindon plant was geared up to make the new Civic, yes the electric car.'.

I can't find anything on this can you give me the name to follow up my thoughts, maybe learn something, re the Honda closure.

Thank you.

We were made redundant because of the steel works closing the figures roughly the same as yours, the works were bought out (yay) only to be permamently closed three years later so we were redundant twice. I feel for the workers at Honda I would not wish this on anyone, many men here are still looking for work. Politics play a massive part in these things I think all MP's should be vetted and observed and accountable, we will never know the truth and I don't expect to the way things are, we can only pick up bits from the media (mmm) and that's corrupt.
Thoughts are with the workers at this time, I hope they get a good support system set up to help them, you have got to straighten your back and keep moving forward as hard as it is.
The steel workers looked out for each other I hope Honda do to.

My daughter works for Honda and I live in Swindon. The Swindon plant was geared up to make the new Civic, yes the electric car. The Japanese did not want to get involved in our politics but no business can deal with uncertainty on this scale. So yes Brexit has a role to play here. Our daughter and her many, many colleagues will now lose their jobs when Honda were promising that the new car would be built here and everything was in place. For those that believe all that they hear in the media and wish to believe that this is nothing to do with Brexit, I’m afraid it’s you who have got this wrong. There are other reasons yes, and the UK has been party the the EU/Japan free trade agreement since we are part of the EU. There is a global slowdown in car production and financial factors. Some people think that the work economy is moving towards a more protectionist position, I suspect that’s right. Please stop being rude about nearly 50% of voters and calling them remoaners, it’s divisive and really doesn’t help. Swindon is a devasted town at the moment, more than 10000 people will lose their employment here and that’s without the knock on to local enterprises (hotels, bars, shops etc), this includes places like Wales, the Midland and Sunderland where steel is purchased. It’s a grim situation.

The worldwide car market is ubdergoing a complete change. Politics has brought about changes that the markey cannot digest easily and the future is uncetain.

As for jobs there is still a lot of opportunity. We have high employment and employers cannot get enough workers in many industries. If Mrs May was not so pathetic she would already be up there talking about helping with the changes needed.

The other point made on today's news was that, of course, the Swindon plant produces diesel cars.
North America and Asia are the main future markets for Honda's electric cars so location is of prime importance in strategic planning.

However, like many Brexitiers on this forum POGS, your posts these days seem to lack conviction in what they state and resort to negative personal attacks.'

Oh dear POGS, that's at least twice now that Grandad has posted fake news about you!

Quizqueen the oft repeated Ford story is untrue. In 2012 Ford did receive a loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB), an EU institution, of around £150 million for a factory in Turkey. The loan was not to relocate, though it occurred around the same time as Ford chose to close its factory in Southampton. To put that in context, the EIB has made loans totalling many billions in the UK. Notably, the bank lent Ford £450 million in 2010 to develop a new generation of greener vehicles in the UK.

M0nica
Live or lived?
You don't reside in France?

When I was campaigning at the 2015 election, I could produce a list of 100 companies which had left the UK over the last few years. Many were sponsored by the EU to do so. e.g. Ford shut down their plant in Eastleigh and moved to Turkey courtesy of a 'nice' EU grant. My point is - being in or out of the EU is no protection against job losses. Why shouldn't Japan put Japan first anyway.

Grandad

' However, like many Brexitiers on this forum POGS, your posts these days seem to lack conviction in what they state and resort to negative personal attacks.'
----

You are at it again Grandad.

You are using the term Brexiteer as some sort of insult but I have told you on more than one occasion when you have ' 'tried this on ' I voted Remain !

Whether a poster voted Remain or Leave I would not, never have insulted their intelligence as that is not my place to do so.

If my posts on this thread which state ' factual evidence' or ask pertinent questions lacks conviction then as my dad would say ' My cocks a kipper '.

As for :-

' POGS it would seem that you cannot recognise a bit of sarcastic humour when you witness it.'

Believe me I can tell and I can tell when somebody is trying to use sarcasm to get there point over.

suddenly all the remainers turn into some sort of global mind reading predictors of the whole world and the economic universe, doom and gloom..

quite a talent I'd say