Tag Archives: Innovation

Reasons to be cheerful

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2024 has been another tough year for the UK Automotive industry but let’s remind ourselves of some of the positive developments:-
1. Tata’s £4 Billion Investment in a UK Battery Factory: Tata Group announced plans to build a significant electric vehicle (EV) battery factory in Somerset, marking one of Europe’s largest such facilities. This investment is set to supply Jaguar Land Rover’s future electric models, including Range Rover, Defender, Discovery, and Jaguar brands, with production expected to commence in 2026.
2. Record High EV Registrations: The UK’s zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) policy proved effective, with over 25% of new car registrations in November being electric—the highest on record. This surge reflects growing consumer confidence in EVs, bolstered by expanding charging infrastructure and the increasing affordability of used electric cars.
3. Clarification on Hybrid Vehicle Sales: The UK government clarified that new hybrid cars would remain on the market until 2035, despite the planned ban on new petrol and diesel cars from 2030. This decision provides the automotive industry with a clearer transition path towards full electrification, allowing manufacturers and consumers to adapt accordingly.
4. Jaguar ran a highly successful marketing campaign & revealed their astonishing concept EV at the Miami art show polarising opinions & generating more discussion about Jaguar than the last 30 years.
5. Bentey launched their Fourth-Generation Continental GT Speed: Bentley introduced the 2025 Continental GT Speed, its most powerful model to date. This fourth-generation vehicle features a twin-turbo Ultra Performance Hybrid V8 engine, producing 771 horsepower and accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds. The design incorporates elements from the Mulliner Bacalar and Batur concept cars, including a new single-headlight setup, marking a first for Bentley since 1959.
6. Strategic Electric Vehicle (EV) Plans: Bentley announced plans to launch its first electric vehicle, a luxury SUV, in 2026. Additionally, the company will continue offering plug-in hybrid models until 2035, adjusting its electrification strategy to meet global demand and varying regional adoption rates.

2025 will see more major challenges & many significant developments & innovations. Bring it on.

chris@amberhill.biz

www.amberhillassociates.com

Jag you are…..

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If you’re reading this I guess your one of the 300 million who have seen this Ad & are aware of the absolute furore it has created amongst the Automotive community & beyond, particularly those who consider themselves loyal Jaguar customers & lovers of the brand.

Indeed Jaguar has a long proud history of auto design & manufacture producing such icons such as the e-type & xj series amongst others.

Many have reacted quite strongly with accusations of ‘wokeness’, one even accused the ad of being ‘feminine’ as if that was the greatest slur.

Most of this vitriol seems to come from middle aged men who are, as many studies show, the main demographic of Jaguar owners.

Indeed Jaguar’s sales figures reflect this with steadily declining sales mirroring the demise of said demographic.

Now before you hurl abuse at me I admit I am part of that demographic & I have some stake in Jaguar, I have done much work with JLR over the years & am proud of that. I have also owned 2 jags & loved those cars.

However with the advent of electric vehicles they face a huge dilemma- reinvent themselves or die.

In order to do this they need a radical redesign & a new market.

The guy in charge of the design (who has barely got a mention in all of this ) is Gerry McGovern – if you’re not familiar with his work do your own research.

Copy Nothing

chris@amberhill.biz

#DevSecOps for kids

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Hey there, kids! Have you ever heard of something called “DevSecOps”? It might sound like a strange and complicated word, but don’t worry, we’re here to explain it in a way you can understand.

Imagine you have a special secret box where you keep all your toys, and you want to make sure it stays safe. DevSecOps is like taking care of that secret box, but for computer programs and apps.

Let’s break it down into three parts: “Dev,” “Sec,” and “Ops.”

1. Dev (Development):
When people create computer programs and apps, they are like toy builders. They design, create, and build these digital toys. In the world of DevSecOps, this is where everything starts.

2. Sec (Security):
Just like you want to keep your toys safe in your secret box, computer programs need to be safe too. This part of DevSecOps is all about making sure the digital toys are protected from bad things, like hackers. Think of it as putting locks on your secret box or having guards to watch over your toys.

3. Ops (Operations):
Now, after building and securing the digital toys, we need to make sure they work smoothly. This is like making sure your toys are ready to play with whenever you want. It’s all about taking care of your toys and keeping them in good shape.

DevSecOps is like a team of grown-ups working together to create, secure, and take care of these digital toys. They build them, make sure they’re safe, and keep them running well. This way, people can use these digital toys without worrying about any problems.

So, in simple words, DevSecOps is about creating, protecting, and taking care of computer programs and apps, just like you do with your toys. It’s a way to make sure everything works well and stays safe in the digital world.

Now you know what DevSecOps is, and you can think of it as a big group of helpers making sure your digital toys are awesome, secure, and ready to play with!

chris@amberhill.biz

www.amberhill.biz

The power of #AI

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The world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly important in our lives. AI is a form of technology that enables machines to think and act like humans, and it has the potential to revolutionize the way we live and work.

AI is already being used in a variety of ways, from self-driving cars to virtual assistants. AI can be used to automate mundane tasks, such as scheduling appointments or managing customer service inquiries. It can also be used to analyze large amounts of data and make predictions about the future.

AI is also being used to create more personalized experiences for customers. For example, AI can be used to analyze customer data and create personalized recommendations for products and services. AI can also be used to create more efficient and accurate customer service experiences.

It is also being used to create more efficient and accurate medical diagnoses. AI can be used to analyze medical images and detect diseases and conditions more quickly and accurately than humans. AI can also be used to analyze patient data and create personalized treatment plans.

Artificial Intelligence is also being used to create more efficient and accurate financial services. AI can be used to analyze financial data and make predictions about the stock market or other investments. AI can also be used to create more efficient and accurate banking services.

AI is also being used to create more efficient and accurate manufacturing processes. AI can be used to analyze manufacturing data and create more efficient and accurate production processes. AI can also be used to create more efficient and accurate supply chain management.

AI is also being used to create more efficient and accurate security systems. AI can be used to analyze security data and create more efficient and accurate security systems. AI can also be used to create more efficient and accurate facial recognition systems.

AI is an incredibly powerful technology that has the potential to revolutionize the way we live and work. As AI continues to evolve, it will become increasingly important in our lives.

chris@amberhill.biz

Digital data transforms #carbon reduction strategies

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The implementation of IIOT (Industrial Internet of Things) is transforming industry in many ways & one of the most interesting is in enabling companies to manage carbon reduction strategies & in doing so to make processes more efficient in terms of cost,  quality & most importantly energy usage.

By utilising sensors, connecting them to networks & analysing the data produced using artificial intelligence it is possible to control processes to minimise energy use & to drive down carbon emissions.

Post COP26 only businesses which embrace carbon reduction & have a defined process & strategy to achieve this will survive – ultimately. That really is the bottom line.

If you need help with this feel free to contact us at www.amberhill-asociates.com

chris@amberhill.biz

Digital Revolution

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We have discussed many times about the Internet of Things & the potential impact on society. The Digital Revolution is happening now in the UK Aerospace Industry where major players are collaborating on Digital Transformation projects. These involve connecting manufacturing equipment & robots via digital networks to revolutionise the manufacturing process by enabling real time data analysis & process control. This is not easy & requires intensive effort to create a robust network capable of handling terabytes of data.

Collaboration is enabling rapid product development & the sharing of information is creating uniformity in processes & standards.

As the revolution continues these developing technologies will flow into other sectors bringing with them new ways of doing things we can only imagine.

chris@amberhill.biz

www.amberhill.biz

Countdown to zero……………..#EV

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The U.K Governments decision to ban the sale of new petrol & diesel cars by 2030 presents some real challenges for the UK Automotive industry. A development lifecycle of 5-7 years is not unusual for a brand new model & when we are looking at a whole different powertrain & chassis with the consequent implications for production assembly then we are talking major developments.

JLR spent over $1 Billion developing its 2014 Engine Plant for Diesel & Petrol Engines, this gives some indication of the huge resource requirements for Battery powered vehicles.

There is a lot of debate as to whether Electric Vehicles actually produce less CO2 than their ICE (Internal Combustion Engine)  counterparts but this report from ICCT organisation clearly debunks this.

There is some parallel with the elimination of leaded petrol, responsible for the death of over 5000 adults per year & countless examples of brain damage to children; it took over 12 years from unleaded petrol being available to a European Directive in 2000 before it was eventually banned.

Interestingly the Government announcement makes no mention of exporting ICE vehicles; only sales in the U.K. As we currently export 80% of all UK manufactured cars (admittedly 55% to the Eu) there is a little bit of wriggle room for Manufacturers to continue making ICE cars in lower volumes beyond 2030. There are many part of the World where Electric Vehicles will not prevail for many years to come but in urban conurbations in the ‘developed’ world their ascendancy is without doubt.

This will result in huge engineering & change management opportunities in the ever evolving automotive sector.

There will be much debate over the coming decade about the pro’s & cons of electric cars but there is no doubt about it, after a century of production the Internal Combustion Engine is heading for the breakers yard.

chris@amberhill.biz

www.amberhill-associates.com

 

Where we’re headed in #2021

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Wow!! – 2020 – you couldn’t make it up; so where are we headed in 2021?

  • Working from home is now a cultural norm; whatever happens to Coronavirus this is one trend which will not be reversed. Workers who are savvy enough & technologically enabled to work remotely will continue to seek out opportunities which offer this option making its reversal impossible. Declining revenue from City Real Estate will instigate a decline in Inner City Property prices & a mass migration to the suburbs. The London property bubble is well and truly ‘popped’
  • eCommerce market share will continue to increase; if the High Street is not dead it’s on its last legs & is wobbling badly. This will drive eCommerce logistics where same day delivery becomes the norm.
  • ReCommerce sustainability will drive a mass market of re-use & hiring of products for the short term rather than as a one off purchase.This will also impact the automotive market.
  • Cloud storage of data will continue & there will be an even greater emphasis on the customer.
  • In Automotive, the current trends of increasing electrification & automation will drive a decrease in car ownership in the Western  world of around 25%. As new Generation-Z drivers familiar with the cultural trends of shared ownership & reduced carbon footprint migrate away from individual ownership where cars currently spend 95% of their time sat in a parking lot. China will continue to grow driving local manufacturing capacity.
  • Brexit will give UK Auto companies the excuse they are looking for to slash car lines, reduce factory real estate & reduce headcount.

Chris Robinson BSc

www.amberhillassociates.com

 

Automakers on limp mode………#automotive, #manufacturing, #uk, #Covid-19

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As the automotive industry limps back to work post Covid-19 the world is a very different place & will stay that way for a long time. The future success of these companies is very dependent on having an adequate electric vehicle proposition as we head towards the next hurdle which is coming up fast – #Brexit & further ahead the abolition of fossil fuels cars in 2035 or even sooner. So what are the implications for manufacturers based in the U.K.

Aston Martin.

Recently announced redundancy for 25% of its workforce & the replacement of CEO Andy Palmer – the future of Aston depends on the success of its DBX SUV model which is built in South Wales. No electric models on the horizon.

Benley.

VW owned Bentley has now returned to work at Crewe but is struggling to maintain capacity & is rumoured to be running at @ 50% following the introduction of social distancing measures – consequently Bentley has announced redundancy plans affecting 25% of the workforce. Bentley doesn’t have a fully electric car but intends to develop one by 2025.

Jaguar Land Rover

JLR has returned to work at Solihull & more recently at Halewood. They have announced today that Castle Bromwich will not re-open until 10th August.  JLR has one electric vehicle at he moment, the award winning I-Pace but this is built at the Magna plan in Austria. Plans are in place to extend the range & to build these cars at Castle Bromwich. JLR has not announced any post covid redundancies having gone through an extensive restructuring exercise in 2018/19 but no one would be too surprised if further cutbacks were announced given the company has lost 3 months production & was recently granted a 500 million loan from 3 Chinese banks.

Nissan

Nissan recently returned to work at it’s Sunderland Plant following an announcement about a post Covid worldwide restructuring which will see the closure of its Barcelona Plant & commitment to Sunderland as a manufacturing centre for Quashqai & Juke SUV’s & could also produce their Renault counterparts the Kadjar & Capture.

This was further quantified by a statement a week later that this all depends on their being frictionless trade with Brussels. Given recent developments failure to achieve this by the EEC & the UK government would be tantamount to a suicide pact.

The other bonus for Nissan is that Sunderland produces 15k of the incredibly successful electric Leafs per year.

Toyota.

There have been no major announcements from Toyota but they have returned to work in Derbyshire producing a range of hybrid vehicles. Toyota’s strategy is to reduce overall carbon emissions by producing hybrid vehicles rather than full electric vehicles due to the current constraints around battery technology.

Mini

Have returned to work at Oxford having remodelled processes around social distancing & are producing some Electric Minis as part of the range.

Lotus 

— Geely group has invested in Lotus heavily & the company has a tight well targeted product range including the fantastic new all electric hypercar the Evija. The company has also benefited from picking up a number of talented & experienced engineers from JLR.

Whatever the next few years brings we will be looking at a tighter, leaner UK Automotive industry with some losers & some big winners depending on their ability to meet the challenges of post Covid, Brexit & Electrification.

chris@amberhill.biz

www.amberhill.biz

 

 

 

6 million dollar man………………………..#computerbrain #innovation #technology

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A tetraplegic man has demonstrated direct mind control of a supporting exoskeleton as a direct result of a fascinating project by biomedical research centre Clinatec & the University of Grenoble.

The technology was designed by lead researcher Prof Alim-Lois Benabid who was previously involved in research to develop deep brain stimulation techniques to treat the rigidity & tremors caused by Parkinsons disease. Bernabid & colleagues published their research in the Lancet Neurology.

It involved the direct implant of implants onto the surface of the brain in the area which controls movement. The brain activity was then read & transmitted to a computer which turned the brainwaves into instructions for controlling the exoskeleton.

As technology continues to accelerate, hardware shrinks & software becomes more sophisticated we head towards a future where physical disability will be a thing of the past.

chris@amberhill.biz

www.amberhill-associates.com