LDV is the big news of the day: the Russian-owned van maker is asking the government for urgent aid in keeping its Birmingham plant open - mind you, it asked for assistance last month too.

When the Unite union's joint general secretary Tony Woodley referred to a UK automotive plant being in imminent danger of closure, many (including me) assumed that he was talking about the Vauxhall plant at Ellesmere Port - but now it seems that he was talking about LDV in Birmingham. Odd, then, that Woodley did call it a 'car plant' (here's the video).

LDV's stated intention to become the first mainstream electric van manufacturer in the UK is admirable, but one can't help feeling that that will be a tall order - after all, Ford is collaborating with Smith Electric Vehicles to produce electric Transits and Transit Connects - and where exactly is LDV's electric product? According to this page on the LDV website, the firm has been seeking 'strategic partners' for its electric project - if you're one of them, you apparently have until the end of this week to declare your interest...

There's an intriguing technical development reported by Colin Barnett today: a US firm has developed an SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) emissions control system which does not require an AdBlue supply as its ammonia source - removing the main objection to SCR. The system has apparently been licensed by Eaton Corporation, which suggests that it is pretty credible.