The automotive industry is currently a hotbed of innovation. This year’s CES offered a number of highlights in the automotive arena where the ongoing electrification of leading product lines continued: General Motors announced an electric version of its Chevy Silverado pick-up truck, BMW unveiled a concept car which is capable of changing colour between black and white by activating electronic ink in a wraparound shell.
The automotive industry is currently a hotbed of innovation. Nowhere was this more apparent than at the Consumer Electronics Show (“CES”) in Las Vegas held between 5 - 8 January 2022.
This year’s CES offered a number of highlights in the automotive arena where the ongoing electrification of leading product lines continued:
Perhaps the pick of the bunch, however, was Mercedes-Benz’s concept electric car with a range of roughly 620 miles – more than that of the Toyota Prius or Ford Focus, and almost twice the range of a Tesla Model S.
Interestingly, Apple has also been working on a self-driving electric car and according to one report released in November, the vehicle might be launched as soon as 2025.
Great strides have been taken towards an electric future in the automotive sector, with technology clearly driving the momentum, but it is still not without its challenges.
Whilst the likes of Mercedes demonstrate innovative ways of tackling limitations with the existing infrastructure, mass market EVs still demand the need for a greater charging network. On that note, we can expect to see the launch of the Local EV Infrastructure Fund by Summer 2022, which is set to support the roll-out of larger on-street charging schemes and rapid charging hubs across England.
The ongoing global chip shortage is affecting production volume and is causing delayed deliveries as the demand for EVs increases. As tech giants enter the market, there is more competition to produce cars with impressive features. New technologies, like those revealed at CES, are set to introduce colour changing cars and infotainment systems that boast theatre screens. This in turn will increase demand for semiconductors in vehicles, which will potentially be frustrated by the shortage issue. It begs the question as to whether electrification is practically sustainable as the market competes to produce high-tech EVs packed with features.
As chip supply restores, lithium battery supply is expected to pose a greater obstacle for the automotive industry. There is currently a disconnect between capacity and demand, threatening vehicle production. New technology may well combat supply issues; the development of a solid-state battery is said to offer increased cycle life and can be manufactured faster. Whilst this is an exciting breakthrough, it is some years before we can expect to see solid-state EV batteries on the mass market with automotive giant, Toyota just announcing that its first vehicle to use solid-state batteries will go on sale by 2025.
Notwithstanding the obstacles faced by the transition to electric, encouragingly EV registrations continue to rise and new players enter the market. Technology is at the forefront of that progress and the pace of change is only likely to increase.
Recent announcements like those at CES demonstrate the resilience and ongoing innovation which currently characterise the automotive industry’s transition to electrification.
The increased range offered by Mercedes’ new concept (which, they say, will be commercially available by 2024) is of particular note. One of the widely held concerns about EVs is their limited range, and the availability of charging infrastructure. Mercedes may have eased some of those worries, however the development of the necessary charging infrastructure will need to continue at an equal pace in order to fully support the EV roll-out.
The prospect of Apple and Sony entering the EV market is also one to watch. The prospect of autonomous vehicles being a place for the consumption of entertainment content is likely to be a key part in the development of EVs, which speaks to a future in which the function of the vehicle is entirely re-written.
These recent announcements showcase the future of the automotive industry. Innovation is rapid, electrification and automation continue to be prized areas of development, and companies continue to show an ability to tackle radical shifts in the needs of consumers.
In this session, we examined the legal framework around grant funded collaborations and discussed the key risks to be aware of, including IP ownership and compliance with grant terms.
Logistics company Eddie Stobart has been fined £133,000, after a series of failures which took place whilst excavation work was carried out, exposing its staff to asbestos.
The Chancellor’s recent mini-budget provided a significant announcement for business as it was confirmed that the off-payroll working rules (known as “IR35”) put in place for public and private sector businesses from 2017 and 2021 will be scrapped from April 2023.
It was reported in May 2022 that the BMW-owned manufacturer had been forced to put a temporary stop on the production of all manual transmission vehicles due to the global semi-conductor shortage and the war in Ukraine. Mini stated that the move was made in order to "ensure production stability".
Rolls-Royce has shortlisted six locations for its first factory for small nuclear power stations. We look at the impact on regions & local businesses
As of 21 July, two separate pieces of legislation came into force which seeks to mitigate against strike action. It should come as no surprise that this is a direct response to the rail strikes, which have dominated the news in the last couple of months.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has released a report setting out the impact of new and changing regulations arising from the pandemic on small businesses across the UK.
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As has been widely reported this week, some 3,000 UK workers are taking part in a six month trial to assess the viability of a four-day working week without any reduction in their normal pay.
Amongst the measures being introduced are new rules on online reviews, price reduction promotions, enhanced rights for free digital consumers, GDPR-style fines and information requirements on online markets.
A lawyer and a HR business partner from law firm Browne Jacobson have been announced as winners of the WeAreTheCity’s Rising Stars Awards 2022.
Browne Jacobson’s corporate dealmakers have advised the shareholders on the sale of UK market leading automotive glass specialists, Charles Pugh Holdings to Swedish listed company, Cary Group for an undisclosed sum.
National law firm Browne Jacobson has launched an electric vehicle (EV) scheme as part of its employee benefits package. The benefit will be available to all of the firm’s employees across its five offices, including Birmingham, Exeter, London, Manchester, and Nottingham.
In anticipation of the adoption of the Building Safety Bill, our specialist compliance and regulatory team will give an overview of the measures proposed in the Bill.
There are a number of factors which have contributed to the crisis including the huge increase in wholesale natural gas prices, which have risen some 250% since the start of 2021. Since the start of last year, over 30 energy firms have gone bust in the UK alone.
With a view to tackling this increasing threat to climate change, the Department of Transport has published the UK Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Strategy, setting out the UK Government’s vision to implement a vast number of public chargepoints across the UK.
From 6 April 2022, right to work checks on all migrant or settled prospective employees must be online and checks on British or Irish nationals will be manual (free) or digital (charged for).
The Presidents of the Employment Tribunals England and Wales and Scotland have issued a new road map for 2022-23, providing an update on the resourcing challenges faced by employment tribunals and the steps put in place to address these.
Devolution & reorganisation are key themes, but will it empower local governments to have a real say in the future of their communities?
In Nissan v Passi, the High Court recently considered the issue of an employee retaining confidential documents belonging to his former employer in the context of the employer’s application for an injunction seeking the return of such documents from the employee.
As a developing area, key stakeholders in this space such as insurers, and technology and software developers looking to become ASDEs or NUIC operators, should keep a keen eye on whether the Government proceeds with introducing new legislation in line with the report’s recommendations.
The Highway Code has had its first major revision since 2007. Amongst several changes, a new hierarchy has been created, with road users who are most likely to cause harm having the greatest responsibility to reduce the threat they may pose to other road users (rule 204 of the Code).
The automotive industry is currently a hotbed of innovation. This year’s CES offered a number of highlights in the automotive arena where the ongoing electrification of leading product lines continued: General Motors announced an electric version of its Chevy Silverado pick-up truck, BMW unveiled a concept car which is capable of changing colour between black and white by activating electronic ink in a wraparound shell.
From 1st January, new import rules come into effect, with potential for significant delay, disruption and cost for importers and exporters.
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Augustine v Data Cars Ltd the Employment Appeal Tribunal highlights importance of ensuring pay for National Minimum Wage purposes is carefully calculated.
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Our Automotive Sector group hosted a fantastic event – “Future Opportunities with the Electric Vehicle Revolution” - in conjunction with London Tech Week. The firm’s first hybrid event took place in the London office on 23 September 2021.
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Join Browne Jacobson’s legal experts Selina Hinchliffe and Sam Sharp, along with Hampleton Partners technology M&A expert, Jonathan Simnett, in this exclusive webinar to learn from their experience with Autotech M&A transactions.
One year ago, the Department for Transport targeted 2021 for having connected and automated vehicles on UK roads.
Issues about prescriptive rights of way and drainage arose on the redevelopment of dominant land.
Parallel importers seek to exploit price differentials for goods sold in different countries. The EU principle of exhaustion of rights prevents businesses from enforcing their IP rights to restrict this secondary trade within the EU if the goods were first marketed in the EU with their consent, other than in limited circumstances.
Despite all of the media attention around Brexit, very little is being said about the effect of Brexit on the accounting and financial reporting requirements for businesses operating cross-border.
Back in 2017 we wrote about the case of London Borough of Southwark and the City of London v Transport for London [2017] EWCA CIV 1220 that had just been heard in the Court of Appeal.
Browne Jacobson has advised international specialist software developer Graitec on its acquisition of document management solutions company Opentree Ltd.
