Autocar confidential: Gridserve's Apple ambition, Rolls' lockdown commissions and more

Our reporters empty their notebooks to round up a week in gossip from across the automotive industry

In this week's round-up of automotive gossip, we hear how Gridserve is making EV ownership smoother, get the lowdown on Rolls-Royce's surprisingly pandemic commission boom and more.

*If Apple made forecourts...*

Gridserve CEO Toddington Harper said his firm’s new EV charging forecourts will play a part in taking the pressure out of EV ownership. “We’re trying to create an Apple-like vibe where you don’t feel like we’re trying to sell you something,” he said. Drivers using the on-site chargers can use exercise bikes, meeting rooms and shop while they wait.

*Rolls' lockdown commission boom* 

Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke Collective personalisation arm had “a robust increase” in commissions in 2020. Almost every model sold had some form of tailoring by the division, with boss Torsten Müller-Otvös claiming clients have “sought solace in creativity” during the pandemic.

*No Time to Die for Aston-Bond link*

Is James Bond still an asset to Aston Martin? “Most definitely,” said chairman Lawrence Stroll. “It’s so iconic with such great history. It gives us the right audience. We have five cars in the next film [No Time to Die, out in April] and it is aligned with our marketing efforts.”

*New Mokka to pave Crossland success*

Vauxhall Design boss Mark Adams claims repositioning the new Mokka as “more youthful, more expressive and more dynamic” gives the less outwardly desirable Crossland “clear air space” to succeed: “We’ve started to get the spacing [between the two models] right now.”

*READ MORE*

*What's it like at the UK's first bespoke electric car forecourt? *

*Hitachi partners with EV service station developer Gridserve *

*Government mulls tax hikes to fund electric vehicle transition*