Allegro Fantasies - 13 June 2023

FOLLOW UP: COURT APPROVES MORE AREAS OF ULEZ CONTENTIONThe High Court has approved a further two grounds for contesting the expansion of the London ULEZ, following initial legal efforts in February where only two of five grounds were accepted. There are five councils fighting the expansion which is due to be reviewed on 4 July. To learn more, click here to read the Enfield Dispatch article. ‘NO MOW MAY’ RAISES CONCERNS‘No Mow May’ is a campaign that allows verges to grow, thus enabling plant life to flourish. However, some concerns have been raised as this has led to reduced visibility. PlantLife have helped 300 local authorities to adopt this. Click this Autocar link to learn more. EV SHOULD PAY-PER-MILE SAYS THINK TANKThe Centre for Policy Studies, an organisation with strong links to the Conservatives, has recommended to the Government, that all EVs are charged per mile, to help replace the lost vehicle excise duty venue. They go on to recommend a set amount of free mileage per year, with those in more remote locations allocated more. The rates would also tie into the weight of the vehicle. You can learn more, by clicking the AMOnline article link here. STELLANTIS PROMOTING KEEPING CARS ON THE ROAD LONGERThe average age of cars on the road is twelve years, but Stellantis is suggesting fifteen is easily possible with remanufacturing. This is where cars that have reached the end of life are harvested for parts that can be refurbished and used by others. All of this will help reduce CO2, as a consequence. Click this Autocar Business article to learn more. To watch The Late Brake Show about ‘deproduction’, click this YouTube link. To read the Autocar Business article on ‘deproduction’, click the link here. MERCEDES GETS LEVEL 3 APPROVAL IN CALIFORNIAMercedes-Benz US has gain approval for their Level 3 automated driving system, in California. Called ‘Drive Pilot’ and once engaged, will allow the driver to take their hands from the steering wheel and look away from the road. The driver needs to keep their face to the in-car monitoring camera but can do other things, like play with their phone. All of this will only occur when up to 40mph and when the car is in heavy traffic. Click The Verge article link to learn more. For context as to Andrew’s anger at this being deployed, and the change in tune from Mercedes from only a few months ago when it comes to responsibility, click this LinkedIn post. For even more context, a piece from The Autopian, explaining why Level 3 is a bad idea and inherently flawed,