Latest news with #Munich
Auto Car
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Renault confirms new Clio will be revealed imminently
New supermini will introduce radical new look and is set to offer hybrid power exclusively Open gallery New car is recognisable as a Clio but introduces several new design cues… …including a diamond-pattern grille Twin-decked lip spoilers hint at importance of aerodynamic performance Close Renault has confirmed that the new sixth-generation Renault Clio will be revealed imminently, with September's Munich motor show a likely venue for the supermini's debut. Currently the best selling car in Europe in its facelifted fifth-generation form, the next Clio is set to go on sale early next year with one of its biggest overhauls in generations. Renault has not confirmed a precise reveal date, but has announced details of a 'pre-show' unveiling for the new supermini, which would suggest it will be the the French firm's headline unveiling in Munich on 8 September. Renault has revealed an important new model at every European motor show since the pandemic, including the Renault 5, 4, Twingo, Turbo 3E, Scenic and Mégane E-Tech. While it will also bring a host of new design cues, such as a more prominent nose and twin-decked lip rear spoilers, the sixth–generation Clio is set to ditch pure-petrol engines and go hybrid-only. Autocar understands that, under the skin, the next Clio is an all-new car rather than a development of the current model, which was introduced in 2019. However, it is likely to use an upgraded version of that car's CMF-B platform aimed at improving efficiency and reducing costs. The new Clio will be powered by an evolution of the existing E-Tech hybrid powertrain , in which an atmospheric four-cylinder engine and two electric motors put out a combined 143bhp and 151lb ft. This is set to become the sole powertrain option, in part because of stringent fleet emissions targets being rolled out across the European Union. From next year, car manufacturers in the EU will be required to hit an average of 93.6g/km of CO2, down from 95g/km this year. This incentivises manufacturers to drop powertrains that do not feature electrical assistance, such as the current Clio's TCe 90 turbocharged three-pot, due to their higher carbon emissions. For reference, the TCe 90 puts out 120g/km, whereas the E-Tech is rated at 96g/km, a reduction of 20%. Axing the pure-petrol engine would therefore provide a significant cut to Renault's fleet average – crucial, given the EU's fleet emissions targets will only become stricter in the coming years, hitting 49.5g/km in 2030. Autocar understands that Renault has now decided not to offer the new Clio with a battery-electric powertrain, however. It is therefore possible that it may not be offered in the UK, due to the new Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. This requires brands to sell an increasing proportion of electric cars, starting at 24% of total sales this year and ramping up to 80% in 2030. Limiting the number of combustion-engined cars that manufacturers can sell means they will prioritise their most profitable models. Renault will most likely limit – and could even end – Clio sales in the UK because the closely related Captur crossover makes more money from an equivalent number of sales. Complicating the matter is the cachet that the Clio name holds with buyers in the UK. 'Clio is a brand in itself,' Renault product performance chief Bruno Vanel told Autocar earlier this year. 'In the UK, it is probably as well known as Renault – or even more.' A decision is unlikely to be made until 2025, given the car is at least a year away from hitting showrooms in Europe. A spokesperson for Renault declined to comment. As well as its environmental impact, cost is a key consideration in the development of the new Clio. Vanel said maintaining the current car's positioning is crucial as the brand introduces a range of new – and more expensive – electric cars to ensure it does not abandon a significant proportion of its customer base. 'We are not moving directly towards 100% electric,' said Vanel. 'We are doing it step by step, to have this transition with hybrid cars so that we remain an affordable brand.' Renault will lean on monthly payment schemes – such as leasing or PCP finance – to ensure the car is affordable, rather than reducing the overall list price of the car. 'We will try to keep the affordability of the monthly rentals,' Vanel said. 'If you compare the rentals in 2018/2019 to last year [2022], with the improvement of residual values and even with some price increases, I think we experienced quite a good performance there, which kept the affordability safe. ' Join our WhatsApp community and be the first to read about the latest news and reviews wowing the car world. Our community is the best, easiest and most direct place to tap into the minds of Autocar, and if you join you'll also be treated to unique WhatsApp content. You can leave at any time after joining - check our full privacy policy here. Next Prev In partnership with
Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Migrant deportation terminal to be built at German airport
A 'deportations terminal' is to be built at Munich Airport to speed up the removal of illegal migrants from Germany. According to planning documents seen by the Die Welt newspaper, a new 60x66m zone will be added to the airport to deal solely with checking in and deporting migrants. The terminal, which is set to be completed in 2028, would process up to 50 flights per day in what is Germany's second largest airport. Germany's new government is striving to get tougher on mass migration in response to a series of deadly terror attacks committed by Syrian and Afghan asylum seekers. At the height of the 2015 refugee crisis, Munich received tens of thousands of asylum seekers arriving via eastern Europe, after then-chancellor Angela Merkel threw open the country's borders. Friedrich Merz, the current chancellor, has warned that Germany has been overwhelmed by the influx of asylum seekers since 2015 and says Mrs Merkel's decision was a historic error. 'We clearly did not cope with it,' Mr Merz said last week, referring to his predecessor's open borders slogan, 'wir schaffen das,' or 'we can manage it'. Since being sworn in last May, Mr Merz has instructed border guards to turn away asylum seekers from Germany's land borders and has pledged to speed up the process of deporting those who have lost their right to remain in the country. Last week, the German government deported dozens of Afghan citizens, including sex offenders and violent criminals, back to Kabul as part of an indirect deal with the Taliban. The 81 Afghans were put on a Qatar Airways jet at Leipzig airport as Alexander Dobrindt, the German interior minister, warned that 'serious criminal offenders have no right to reside in our country'. A similar deportation flight to Afghanistan was arranged by the previous government, led by centre-Left Social Democrats leader Olaf Scholz, in 2024. The public mood on mass migration has soured in Germany since 2015, and the Right-wing Alternative for Germany party coming second place in last February's federal elections. However, official statistics have shown a significant drop in the number of migrants and refugees coming to Germany, with a decrease of 30 per cent recorded in 2024.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Mom, 21, charged with drug trafficking after 'being caught smuggling cannabis from Thailand'
A British mother has been charged with trafficking drugs into Germany after being caught allegedly smuggling cannabis from Thailand. Cameron Bradford, 21, from Hertfordshire, was arrested at Munich Airport on April 22 when she attempted to collect her luggage. Authorities had become suspicious after she allegedly changed her flight at the last minute, having originally been due to fly to London Heathrow via Singapore. Her family had filed a missing person report after raising concerns when she did not return home as expected, but then learned the next day she was in Germany. Bradford was arrested and held in custody - and has been charged with attempted transit of cannabis and abetting the international trafficking of cannabis. The mother, who has a young son, is set to make an appearance at a hearing in Munich District Court on August 6 as authorities continue to investigate. A Foreign Office spokesman said today: 'We are supporting a British woman who is detained in Germany and are in contact with her family and the local authorities.' Bradford's arrest is one of a series of cases involving suspected young British female drug mules stopped by police at airports in countries around the world. Following her arrest, Munich chief prosecutor Anne Leiding said: 'We can confirm that we are conducting proceedings in this matter. The defendant is still in custody.' Germany legalized cannabis for recreational use by adults in February 2024, but this did not extend to tourists - and the unauthorized import of the drug is illegal. Thailand decriminalized cannabis in 2022, but last month brought in new rules which restrict the sale of the drug to those with a doctor's prescription. A UK Border Force and Thai customs agreement called Operation Chaophraya which aims to reduce attempted cannabis smuggling was launched in July last year. The British Home Office said in April that the scheme was working after cannabis arrivals by post from Thailand dropped by 90 per cent in the first three months of 2025. Parcels from Thailand must now be checked before they are shipped - and over 50 British nationals have been arrested in Thailand for attempted cannabis smuggling since the operation began. MailOnline contacted the Munich Public Prosecutor's Office and the UK's Foreign Office for comment today. A series of other cases in recent months have seen Brits arrested abroad for alleged drug smuggling. One of the most high profile involves 18-year-old Bella Culley, from Billingham in County Durham, who was arrested in Georgia in May after allegedly carrying 12kg of cannabis and 2kg of hashish into the country from Thailand, where she had been on vacation. She could face up to 20 years in jail if convicted, and her next hearing is scheduled for tomorrow.
Reuters
a day ago
- Automotive
- Reuters
MTU Aero Engines operating profit up 40% in second quarter, beating expectations
July 24 (Reuters) - German engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines ( opens new tab reported a 41% rise in second quarter operating profit on Thursday, beating market estimates, driven by strong sales in its spare parts and commercial maintenance businesses. The Airbus ( opens new tab and Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab supplier said its adjusted earnings before interest and taxes were 357 million euros ($420.22 million) in the quarter, above last year's 252 million euros and exceeding analysts' forecasts of 300 million euros in a company-provided consensus. "A profitable revenue mix in series production with a high proportion of spare and lease engines bolstered earnings, as did high spare parts sales,' CFO Katja Garcia Vila said in a statement. In June, MTU said delays in aircraft deliveries from Airbus and Boeing resulted in older engines staying in service longer, benefiting its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business. Fewer aircraft deliveries reflect positively on the German engine manufacturer, as new engine models are loss making. The Germany-based company had an order backlog of 25 billion euros as of June 30, down 13% compared to December of last year. However, $1.75 billion in Paris Air Show orders were not yet reflected in the backlog, the company said in a statement. ($1 = 0.8495 euros)
Gizmodo
2 days ago
- Science
- Gizmodo
Lightning Kills Way More Trees Than Anyone Thought, New Research Suggests
We've all seen dramatic footage of lightning striking a mighty tree, its branches going up in flames. But how often does this actually happen? Researchers didn't know how much lightning impacted forests—until now. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed a computer model to provide what they claim to be the first estimate of lightning's impact on forest ecosystems around the world. According to their study, lightning affects forests more than previously thought. Specifically, they suggest that around 320 million trees die each year from lightning strikes, not including the trees that die in lightning-induced wildfires. 'Lightning is an important yet often overlooked disturbance agent in forest ecosystems,' the researchers explained in the study, published last month in the journal Global Change Biology. To make their estimate, they integrated observational data and global lightning patterns into a well-known global vegetation simulation. The computer model indicates that trees killed by lightning represent 2.1% to 2.9% of all plant biomass loss annually. While plants and trees absorb CO2 through photosynthesis during their lifetimes, they release a significant amount of it back into the atmosphere when they die and decay. As such, these figures are crucial to better understanding Earth's carbon cycling. With the combined model, 'we're now able not only to estimate how many trees die from lightning strikes annually, but also to identify the regions most affected and assess the implications for global carbon storage and forest structure,' Andreas Krause, lead author of the study and researcher at the Chair of Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, explained in a TUM statement. The biomass decay caused by the lightning-killed trees is estimated to emit between 770 million and 1.09 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually. According to the researchers, this is surprisingly high. For comparison, living plants burned in wildfires release around 1.26 billion tons of CO2 every year. Both of these figures, however, are dwarfed by the total wildfires CO2 emissions (including the combustion of deadwood and soil material), which is approximately 5.85 billion tons per year. 'Most climate models project an increase in lightning frequency in the coming decades, so it's worth paying closer attention to this largely overlooked disturbance,' said Krause. 'Currently, lightning-induced tree mortality is highest in tropical regions. However, models suggest that lightning frequency will increase primarily in middle- and high-latitude regions, meaning that lightning mortality could also become more relevant in temperate and boreal forests.' The researchers argue that ecosystem models need to account for lightning mortality in order to better predict vegetation dynamics. Interestingly, though, not all trees die after getting struck by lightning—in fact, some kinda like it.
