Vauxhall opens Europe's biggest Emergency Services production facility at Luton, specialising in Police, Fire and Ambulance models,

• Largest Police car factory in Europe opens in Luton, Bedfordshire
• 2,500 vehicles per year converted for Police, Fire and Ambulance
• 50 new jobs in Luton after production moved in-house
• UK supplier firms benefit with 90 per cent material sourced locally

Vauxhall has officially opened its Police car factory, the largest of its kind in Europe, at its manufacturing plant in Luton, Bedfordshire.

The factory will convert 2,500 vehicles per year, including cars and vans, for use by Police forces, and Fire and Ambulance services nationwide.

Bringing 50 new jobs to Luton, the new facility has been created after moving production in-house from its previous location in Millbrook, Bedfordshire.

Supplier firms around the country also benefit with 90 per cent of blue-light content, the materials used to convert a standard car in to a Police car, sourced locally from UK suppliers. Local firms include Border Engineering in Luton who make brackets and AV Engineering in Royston who make fascia mouldings.

An array of Vauxhalls will be converted for use by the emergency services at the Luton facility with cars including Corsa, Astra, Insignia and Mokka, and CVs, such as Combo, Movano and the Luton-built Vivaro vans.

Vauxhall is the only manufacturer to offer a one-stop shop for blue-light vehicles. Everything is done in-house from testing to converting and even remarketing of decommissioned vehicles.

Policing has changed dramatically in recent years with new types of crimes and the increased terror threat. With technology like 4G Wi-Fi and rugged Toughbook tablets, Vauxhall can offer the emergency services everything they need to stay connected on the move.

“Through our flexible production facility, Vauxhall is able to offer a one-stop shop purchasing experience to UK emergency services,” said Dick Ellam, Vauxhall’s Manager, Special Vehicles.

“We can deliver a wide choice of car and van models, specifically designed and rigorously-tested to meet the stringent demands of our emergency services. We can also supply turn-key vehicle solutions that enable rapid turnaround of replacement vehicles, plus we can now offer a unique in-house de-commissioning and re-marketing service.”

Vauxhall is the number one supplier to Police fleets with a 70 per cent market share of competitive segments.

Hyundai gets OK to continue supplying cars for Emergency Services.

• Hyundai retains its position on the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Vehicle Purchase Framework
• CCS Framework now also includes ‘blue light’ lot , meaning more Hyundai vehicles are set for emergency service and high profile police use
• New arrangement follows successful four-year period in which Hyundai supply has grown rapidly to more than 1200 vehicles a year to the public sector

Hyundai Motor UK has been awarded a place on the Crown Commercial Services (CSS) Vehicle Purchase Framework enabling continued supply to the 'blue light' sector – the emergency services – and to a whole range of public bodies. The remit follows a successful four-year tenure for Hyundai as a supplier to the previous CCS and the National Association of Police Fleet Managers (NAPFM) Framework.

Under new arrangements, Hyundai has continued access to the blue light market, as well as the broader public sector: everything from central government to local authorities, health, education, defence, and not-for-profit organisations.

Martin Wilson, Fleet Director, Hyundai Motor UK said: "The emergency services are discerning and demanding customers, and rightly so, when lives may depend on vehicle reliability and flexibility. With these high-profile customers using our vehicles, it acts as a powerful recommendation to potential buyers.

"Hyundai started sales to police forces in 2010, with a modest total of 41; within a year that soared to more than 350, and now tops 600 a year. We have supplied some 2,250 cars to blue light customers during the past four years and this new agreement should see that figure rise again.”

The police forces supplied by Hyundai are spread widely across England and Wales, with the biggest customer boasting more than 600 vehicles, including 500 i30s. Hyundai’s major customers are responsible for policing a total land mass of over 8,000 square miles and a population of nearly 20 million people.

Commenting on recent success, Denis Watling, Public Sector Assistant Manager, Hyundai Motor UK, said: "We're confident that our well-known five-year/unlimited mileage warranty, dedicated fleet and aftersales teams and award winning lineup of products will continue to prove as popular with police forces and other public bodies in 2015 and beyond."

Bidders were also judged on more specific capabilities such as the ability to supply priority parts and bespoke training to emergency service workshops. Hyundai has invested heavily in a specific aftersales programme for its Emergency Service operator customers over the past 12-18 months, including the provision of training at Hyundai’s purpose-built Training Academy just off the M40.

Porsche sees solution 'shortly' for 911 GT3 engine fires

Porsche said it's close to fixing a fault that has caused two engine fires in 911 GT3 sports cars.

''We know the reason and the problem-solving measures,'' CEO Matthias Mueller said today. ''We're testing them.''

Porsche plans to announce the technical solution ''shortly'' and will first inform customers, he said.

Porsche recalled all 785 of the GT3 version of the 911 from the current model year in February after the vehicles caught fire following engine failures. The carmaker took the rare step of requesting that owners stop driving the 137,300 euro car pending repairs. No accidents or injuries were tied to the incidents, it said at the time.

REPORT HERE

Jaguar F-Type burns to nothing - scary.

Jaguar F-Type Just Completely Melts in Belgian Fire


Jaguar did an awful lot of things very, very right with the new Jaguar F-Type. It looks fantastic, it sounds like the devil's own V8-powered…

Well, now we know what the "F" in Jaguar F-Type stands for: flambé. As if pretending to be an Italian exotic, one of Jaaaaaag's new sports cars burned spectacularly overnight in Belgium.P

Gazet Van Antwerpen reports that the fire happened last night in the city of Herentals. Details are scarce, but the newspaper says that the driver pulled off the highway when he noticed "a defect in the vehicle." When he exited the car, it caught fire and melted to the ground. It's not so pretty anymore. P

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze, which the newspaper said "was ended without major consequences" because no one was injured. No consequences, except the loss of one of the most beautiful sports cars to come along in decades.

The exact cause of the fire was not reported. Let's hope this doesn't become a thing with F-Types, yeah?