Up-up but not away: Branson’s historic Virgin Orbit UK rocket launch ends in failure after anomaly forces return to earth January 10, 2023 An attempt to make British space history by launching a rocket into orbit from UK soil has ended in failure after suffering an “anomaly” during the flight. After taking off from Cornwall, the Virgin Orbit plane flew to 35,000ft over the Atlantic Ocean where it jettisoned the rocket containing nine small satellites towards space. Organisers [...]
Bentley posts record sales as luxury car market looks set to ride out cost-of-living crisis January 10, 2023 Bentley has broken another sales record, as it delivered over 15,000 vehicles for the first time in its 104-year history. Over the past 12 months the luxury car maker sold 15,174 vehicles – a 4 per cent up on the record levels of 2021. The significant growth was driven by the introduction of new models [...]
RAC demands VAT cut for EV chargers after 50 per cent jump in charging costs January 10, 2023 The RAC has called on the government to cut the VAT rate at public electric vehicle charging points following a 50 per cent increase in charging costs over the past eight months. Data published today by the motoring group show that it now costs 70.3p per kilowatt hour (kWh) to rapidly charge an electric vehicle [...]
Rail strikes: Huw Merriman praises ‘constructive’ meeting with unions January 9, 2023 A meeting between the biggest rail workers’ union, train operators and the government, aimed at resolving the bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions, has been described as “constructive”. Leaders of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) met employers and rail minister Huw Merriman following the latest industrial action, which crippled services last week. Merriman said: [...]
Jaguar Land Rover’s sales to retailers surge as semiconductor shortages ease January 9, 2023 Jaguar Land Rover today reported a surge in the number of sales to retailers, as the semiconductor shortages that have plagued the automotive industry for the past three years begin to ease. The luxury car maker produced 79,591 vehicles in the three months to 31 December, 15 per cent up on last year’s levels. Wholesale [...]
UK enters space race: where to watch the launch of Virgin Orbit’s Cosmic Girl January 9, 2023 Tonight sees the first launch of a space rocket via UK soil, with an expected launch window starting at 21:45pm tonight. The LauncherOne rocket be attached under the wing of a modified Boeing 747 owned by Virgin Orbit which will take off from Spaceport Cornwall at Newquay Airport. The mission, dubbed ‘Start Me Up’ mission is a collaborative effort [...]
China’s Covid wave fails to spook Rolls-Royce Motor Cars as carmaker dismisses future IPO January 9, 2023 Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has suggested that the recent spike in Covid cases in China is unlikely to impact demand for its luxury cars, despite a slight drop in sales in China last year. Chief executive Torsten Muller-Otvos told journalists today that the carmaker’s sales were slightly behind 2021 levels due to Beijing’s strict zero-Covid policy, [...]
Motoring: Rolls Royce breaks a more than century old sales record January 9, 2023 Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has exceeded its annual sales by more than 6,000 units for the first time ever. The luxury marque reported a “particularly strong year-on-year growth” over the past 12 months, as around 6,021 more cars were delivered across the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Europe. Bespoke commissions also went through the roof in 2022, [...]
Which? demands boost to aviation regulator’s powers as passengers fume at airlines January 9, 2023 Which? has called on the government to bolster the aviation watchdog’s powers as fresh data reveals that passengers are losing faith in airlines’ ability to provide good customer service. Data published today by the consumer champion found that 39 per cent of adults who flew between January and October 2022 didn’t trust that airlines would [...]
RMT accuses train operators of profiteering as rail strikes drag on January 7, 2023 Train companies at the heart of the long-running rail dispute have made hundreds of millions of pounds in profits since the government put them on new contracts when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, a union claims. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said while rail workers have had their pay frozen in the same period, [...]
