6:20 am, February 21, 2025
Former Siemens boss appointed Great British Energy interim chief executive
A former chief of energy giant Siemens has been appointed interim chief executive of the Government’s flagship Great British Energy company.
Dan McGrail, the current chief executive of trade association RenewableUK, will work for the new publicly-owned clean energy company from its Aberdeen headquarters. He will take up his post in March on an initial six-month contract.
McGrail, who was previously chief executive of Siemens Engines and managing director of Siemens Power Generation, will ‘draw on his wealth of experience in clean energy’ to help ‘rapidly scale up the new company so it can start delivering as quickly as possible’, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said.
Vodafone working on drones to restore mobile signal if masts go down
Drones equipped with special light beams could be used to reconnect mobile phone masts when the underground cable linking them is cut or damaged.
Mobile operator Vodafone has carried out a trial in Spain of concept technology from Google parent firm Alphabet’s X labs which uses light beams to carry connectivity, using it to create a temporary connection between two points over three kilometres apart.
The firm said it demonstrated how a temporary mobile connection could be recreated in the event that the underground cables linking phone masts are cut or damaged – whether it be accidentally through building work or as a result of a natural disaster, or through vandalism.
Audi adds new entry-level Q4 e-tron model to line-up
Audi has introduced a new entry-level version of its Q4 e-tron, bringing a lower starting price to the firm’s compact electric SUV range.
Called Q4 40 e-tron, the new car is priced at £46,600 and gets a claimed range of up to 258 miles from its 63kWh battery. A maximum charge rate of 165kW allows a 10 to 80% charge to be completed in 24 minutes when the car is connected to a suitably rapid charger, while Audi says that up to 93 miles of range can be added in 10 minutes.
A single-motor setup delivers 201bhp overall, allowing for a 0-60mph time of 7.9 seconds.
The markets
The FTSE 100 lost ground again on Thursday as consumer confidence in the UK fell to a new low, according to a survey. The blue-chip index fell 50 points to finish the day at 8,663, a 0.6% fall.
In Europe, France’s Cac 40 rose 0.2%, and in Frankfurt the Dax fell 0.4%. Stateside, the S&P 500 was 0.8% in the red while the Dow Jones had fallen 1.4% as UK markets were closing.
Sterling was up 0.5% against the dollar at 1.2641, while it was 0.04% behind the euro at 1.2070.
US-Ukraine rift deepens despite UK saying that Russia lacks ‘appetite’ for peace
Tensions between the US and Ukraine over ending the conflict with Russia have continued to grow, despite the UK’s foreign secretary saying that the Kremlin has no ‘appetite’ for peace.
After US president Donald Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky traded barbs earlier in the week, White House officials on Thursday accused Zelensky of ‘insulting’ his American counterpart, and a planned joint press conference in Kyiv was cancelled at the request of the US.
Speaking after a G20 foreign ministers meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday, UK foreign secretary David Lammy cast doubt on Moscow’s willingness to negotiate seriously. ‘I don’t see an appetite to really get to that peace,’ he said.
Musk wields chainsaw on stage at conservative conference
Elon Musk appeared at a conservative gathering outside Washington on Thursday waving a chainsaw in the air, showing openness to auditing the Federal Reserve and accusing Democrats of ‘treason’.
The Tesla chief executive, who has become perhaps president Donald Trump’s most influential adviser, spoke about his crusade to cut government spending and downsize the federal workforce with the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency.
The entrepreneur was announced earlier in the day as a speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference, drawing huge cheers from activists.
Thursday on Car Dealer
We must relaunch Vauxhall – the days of declining market share are FINISHED
Vauxhall is set for a major relaunch as Stellantis UK MD Eurig Druce aims to regain lost market share. Sales have fallen significantly, with Vauxhall dropping from a top seller to outside the top 10. Druce is determined to drive growth again, and was speaking ahead of his appearance at next month’s Car Dealer Live conference.
Lloyds ring-fences £1.2bn for handling car finance crisis as bank puts aside additional £700m
Lloyds has increased its car finance crisis provision to £1.2bn, up from £450m, amid growing uncertainty. The move follows a Court of Appeal ruling against Close Brothers. Despite declining profits, Lloyds remains heavily exposed through its Black Horse finance arm.
Opinion: Failed Nissan-Honda merger talks puts question mark over Nissan’s Sunderland plant
In a special column, academic economist at the Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham, Professor David Bailey, comments on the outcome of the break down in talks between Nissan and Honda, and ponders what it means for Nissan Sunderland.
Britain’s best new cars named in major UK Car of the Year 2025 awards
The UK Car of the Year 2025 category winners have been announced, with six models shortlisted for the overall award on March 6. Judged by 31 motoring journalists, the competition featured new brands and tight results, sponsored by Heycar.
New ‘Carwow Wallet’ service looks to make life easier for car dealers using online auctions
Carwow has launched Carwow Wallet, a secure digital payment solution for dealers in its online auctions. Developed with Airwallex, it streamlines stock purchases, enhances security, and simplifies transactions. The service is currently for enterprise dealers, with independent rollout planned.
Weather
Today, northern and western areas will see heavy rain, followed by blustery showers, while south-east England stays dry until evening, reports BBC Weather. It will be windy and very mild with temperatures topping 15 degrees.
Tonight, rain lingers in the south-east, with clear spells elsewhere and scattered heavy showers in the north-west. Winds will ease for most.
