ASTON’S BOSS IS RIGHT: WE NEED CLARITY AND WE NEED IT NOW

ASTON MARTIN BOSS Andy Palmer has called the government’s Brexit strategy “laughable”, its electric vehicle policy “nonsensical” and the idea of full autonomy “absurd” among his articulate dismantling of current topics (p20).

It’s hard to argue with him. Whatever you think of Brexit, no one has been helped by the negotiation process dragging on for so long. If the UK really wanted to be a world leader in battery production, it would have pledged even more money. If all the pledged money has gone to EVS, what if hydrogen or another technology takes off? If it wants to improve air quality, it must do more to get old diesels off the road. If it wants to cut CO2, it must continue to support the sale of new diesels.

Within all that lie many contradictions and challenges - yet, above all else, opportunities. Car makers will jump however high they’re asked, more often in response to legislative demands than consumer ones. (Met anyone who really wants that autonomous car or can envisage a road network to support it?) In times of change, clarity of thought, strategy and messaging are needed to guide the development and ultimately sale of cars people really want and need. Yet from Palmer’s view from the coalface, perhaps that’s wishful thinking.