WE ARE LIVING IN A CHANGING WORLD

Commenting on the UK Government’s announcement that the sale of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned by 2040, Edward Grainger, a director at leading automotive castings business, Grainger & Worrall (GW), gives his view:

“We are living in a changing world and it is hard to find an argument against the need to reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality. Following this announcement from the Government, alongside France’s similar commitment, a clear aspiration for the automotive sector has been set – to find clean, effective mobility solutions for the planet’s growing population."

“I believe it’s important that any ‘ban’ on consumers purchasing petrol and diesel vehicles has to be carefully considered so we don’t want to run the risk of undermining the new car market. It’s also worth considering where the electricity to power EVs will come from, if, for example, we all start consuming more power forcing the power plants to generate more, is it really the perfect green solution? After all, it has recently been claimed by senior engineers in F1 that their hybrid technology could offer a more efficient future for the automotive industry, and history shows that technologies developed on the track can be rolled out to the mass market, so should not be ignored.

“Here at GW, we are no strangers to change and have been innovating alongside some of the biggest names in the automotive sector for the best part of a century – innovation is a part of our DNA. In this time, we have had to adapt and change to meet things such as environmental legislation, and match the drive for downsized engines by creating and utilising industry-leading processes, services and technology.

“Castings are very versatile, lightweight, support complex geometry, are durable and strong plus relatively low cost. All these qualities combined are of tremendous value to the automotive industry, no matter what direction it is moving in. GW is a market leader in complex, high value-added castings so we are in a good place to support the next wave of innovation for the auto industry.”