Andy (Andrew) Dickens

Great news for potential Puma Gen-E / Tourneo Courier customers in the UK, as they are the ONLY vehicles that qualifies for the full £3750 UK Government EV Grant. This is due to the overall sustainability, not just of the vehicles' EV performance but also the sustainability of the vehicles' manufacture. This is a core part of Ford's values that I saw first hand when running Dunton, with the strong focus on sustainability in all that we did. The other benefit of the grant, is that it now makes the Puma Gen-E cheaper than it's petrol counterpart 💰. Coupled with the Ford Power Promise (Free Home Charger, Free Home Charging Credit, 5 years service and roadside assistance and 8 year battery warranty) and other EV capabilities such as Dynamic Charging, Pre-conditioning and charge monitoring through FordPass, there is no better time to switch to EV⚡. Oh and the cars is also fanstatsic to drive, has a gigantic boot and is super efficient! #EV #UKEVGrant #FordPuma #FordPowerPromise https://lnkd.in/eJhmBDp2

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Recent signals, the EU softening its 2035 ban, Ford's major strategy reassessment, and cooling consumer demand, suggest Western carmakers and regulators are hitting the brakes on the electric transition. This recalibration responds to real challenges: high costs, infrastructure gaps, and mixed consumer signals. However, this "strategic pause" comes with significant considerations. While it may protect short-term profits from petrol and hybrid models, it also risks ceding momentum in technology, supply chains, and market position to global competitors who remain fully committed to electrification. The core challenge isn't choosing between "full speed ahead" or "full stop," but navigating a dual transition: sustaining today's business while making disciplined investments in tomorrow's. How the industry manages this balancing act could define its competitiveness for the next decade. #ElectricVehicles #AutomotiveIndustry #BusinessStrategy #FutureOfMobility #Sustainability https://lnkd.in/gP7NEjck

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🚗 Big move by Volvo: they’re removing LiDAR from their 2026 models, including the EX90 & ES90, and ending their supplier deal with Luminar Technologies. 🔍 The cited reason? Supply-chain risk plus alleged contract failures by Luminar. 📉 Luminar has been in rough shape — defaults, layoffs, SEC probe — making them a shaky partner. 📡 With LiDAR gone, Volvo will lean more heavily on camera & radar systems for driver assistance. 🎯 For automotive-tech professionals (and SDV / zonal-EE architects) this signals a shift: premium automakers may de-prioritize LiDAR in favour of more mature sensors. 🔧 From a product-management lens: this is a textbook case of strategic pivot due to supplier risk and system-architecture trade-offs. 💡 If you’re working on e-cockpit, ADAS or zonal EE systems: the criteria around sensor fusion and perception stacks may be changing fast. 📌 #AutonomousVehicles #ADAS #SensorFusion #LiDAR #Volvo #AutomotiveTech #ProductManagement #ZonalEE 👥 What does this mean for the broader mobility ecosystem? Are we witnessing LiDAR’s premium moment fading, or just a strategic pause for Volvo?

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Recently, we've seen European OEMs asking the EU Commission to revisit the ICE ban calendar. It was one of the many topics we discussed with Andrew Hart, the CEO of SBD Automotive, in an incredibly enlightening episode of "Under the Hood: Automotive Storytelling". "It's really tricky", he said. The question, indeed, isn't just about meeting targets. It's about what happens when you remove the pressure. Andrew's observation: "Pausing the EU targets might buy a little bit of time, but it might also lead to complacency and a slowdown of programs that actually right now should probably be accelerated." It's a complex decision for the EU Commission too: regulatory relief might help OEMs in the short term, but does it align with the long-term environmental vision? In addition, constraints can become a source for innovation. "Necessity drives innovation", famously said Aravind Srinivas, the CEO of Perplexity. Remove the necessity, and you often get complacency instead. The European automotive industry's challenge isn't really about 2035 deadlines. It's about building organizations capable of competing in a software-defined, experience-driven, rapidly iterating automotive world. 🎙️ Listen to the full conversation with Andrew Hart where we explore the 4S Mobility Initiative and the four major disruptions reshaping automotive, available in 2 parts on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and many more platforms: https://lnkd.in/eG2qgacv https://lnkd.in/e4_Z9YwZ #AutomotiveTransformation #SoftwareDefinedVehicles #EuropeanAutomotive #InnovationStrategy #MobilityFuture

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