Electric vehicle charging is replacing maintenance as the most onerous day-to-day managerial task facing many fleet managers, says the Association of Fleet Professionals. Chair Paul Hollick explained that in terms of working to maximise operational efficiency and minimise costs, feedback from members showed that charging was taking up huge amounts of time. “In the last few years, maintenance has … [Read more...]
EU tariffs will slow EV adoption, say carmakers
The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association is calling for a three-year postponement to restrictive rules on EU-UK electric vehicle trade beginning in six months. Otherwise, tariffs could total €4.3 billion, potentially reducing electric vehicle production by some 480,000 units. Goods exported under EU free-trade agreements must comply with ‘rules of origin’ to obtain tariff … [Read more...]
4×4 AI vision of legendary Land Rover Defender
Artificial intelligence has predicted what a future Land Rover Defender might look like. Combining historical trends with advancements in automotive technology, Heritage Car Insurance have harnessed the power of Midjourney, an advanced image generation AI system, to reveal what a Land Rover Defender will look like 100 years from now and the results are shocking. Featuring a vast array of … [Read more...]
Logistics UK backs private CV testing
Britain's transport professionals are backing a move to privatise CV testing and licensing to speed up a historical struggling Government-run system. Logistics UK has supported the move to allow Earned Recognition (ER) operators to either carry out their own MOT testing on vehicles and trailers or delegate the responsibility to their third-party maintenance provider, subject to them meeting … [Read more...]
Alfa Romeo overstate safety of new Tonale, say experts
Alfa Romeo has overstated the driving safety systems in its new Tonale model, say experts. The latest set of Assisted Driving gradings have been released by Euro NCAP, based on assessments of three new vehicles, the Alfa Romeo Tonale (‘moderate’), Nissan Ariya (‘very good’) and Renault Austral (‘very good’). Thatcham Research, the automotive risk intelligence company and Euro NCAP partner, … [Read more...]
Fleets will drive European sales this decade
Europe’s vehicle components industry says fleet purchases will dominate future sales. Boston Consulting Group and parts makers CLEPA looked at the anticipated after market business by the end of the decade. Results show that fleet vehicles are capturing a significant and rising share of the European aftermarket. Five countries alone (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Poland) will … [Read more...]
Legend car makers facing end of the road
Around 51% of car dealers think that the arrival of new Chinese electric vehicle companies in the UK market will force some established manufacturers out of business. Startline’s June Used Car Tracker also shows that 31% believe some existing brands are already falling behind and 36% say that the next few years will see them fold thanks to tougher competition. In terms of who will be affected, … [Read more...]
VW ID.Buzz launched as an electric camper-van
An Volkswagen ID Buzz has been converted into a fully functioning electric campervan for the first time - and it even has a pop up roof to create extra space. TC Conversions have adapted the vehicle to create the first fully developed camper on this platform. The company believes the camper will be a ‘gateway vehicle’ as people switch to electric camper-vanning. The conversion company based in … [Read more...]
EV chargers’ boost by Welsh Government
Welsh Government is topping up the vehicle charging network in Wales. The £15M funding confirmed by Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters will be used to help local authorities increase the number of charging facilities ahead of fossil fuel vehicles being phased out in 2030. But it has already drawn criticism from opposition party who described it as inadequate to meet the real needs of ev … [Read more...]
Deeside college students plug into EV technology
Students powering through an innovative electric vehicle programme in Wales want others to plug-in and join them and meet growing demand for thousands of technicians nationwide. The Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Repair 2 and 3 qualifications at Coleg Cambria Deeside have been a huge success, with up to 100 learners completing courses in the past 18 months. And now the college has unveiled a new Level … [Read more...]