New car registrations in Wales shot up 23.8% despite the atrocious July weather, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. It was the same rise as in Northern Ireland but slightly trailed the growth in England of 29.5% and was ahead of Scotland’s 21.6%. New car sales in Wales reached 4,955 registrations last month and the UK totalled 143,561. So far this year, Welsh dealers … [Read more...]
EV News
Rethink needed to boost ev take-up, says study
A new study from Juniper Research, has found that lack of public infrastructure is severely limiting EV adoption in urban environments. In particular, as flat and apartment owners typically cannot have home chargers fitted, the lack of public infrastructure is a stumbling block. While EV charging points in service will grow from 14.2 million in 2023, to 45 million in 2027 globally, the analysis … [Read more...]
EV toll-tax opposed to encourage greener motoring
More than half of motorists are against a new proposal to make electric vehicle drivers pay six pence per mile to counter a tax shortfall compared to petrol and diesel cars. July’s Startline Used Car Tracker shows 55% believe such a move would not be fair while 40% say that EV tax should be kept low by the government in order to encourage take-up. Also, 22% don’t like the idea of road pricing for … [Read more...]
Welsh Government pump another £1M into green vehicles
The Welsh Government will co-fund a third round of investment in greener and cleaner innovation through the Ford Low Carbon Vehicle Transformation Fund as part of its response to the climate emergency, Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, announced today. Set up by the Ford Motor Company in 2020 after it closed the Bridgend Engine Plant, the Welsh Government-administered fund addresses strategic … [Read more...]
Fleet costs expected to rise, says expert
Van fleet operators expect major cost increases in every area of fleet operations, according to new findings from Arval Mobility Observatory. During the next 12 months, 79% believe there will be rises in service and maintenance, 71% in insurance premiums, 69% in vehicle lease rates, 67% in EV charging, 63% in tyres, and 61% in petrol and diesel prices. Shaun Sadlier, Head of Arval Mobility … [Read more...]
Tradelines 2 August
New electric tram trains that will revolutionise transport across the South Wales valleys were unveiled this week at their new £100 million depot at Taff’s Well. As part of the South Wales Metro project by Transport for Wales, they are capable of operating on both electric lines and battery power up to 62mph and carry 252 passengers. Commuter scooters led by Yamaha and Honda are the most … [Read more...]
Gridserve’s massive ev charger investment
Gridserve has announced the largest debt raise to-date globally for a privately-owned charge point operator, demonstrating the market’s confidence in both the transition to electric mobility and its mission to help deliver net zero transport at speed and scale. Comprising £326 million in committed loan facilities, with a further £200 million uncommitted accordion facility for future assets – a … [Read more...]
Toyota C-HR offers summer getaway inside
The new Toyota C-HR is making its UK debut on a Summer Escapade tour of four popular festivals, providing a public preview of the distinctive coupe-styled SUV, which goes on sale later this year. The Toyota C-HR Summer Escapade is an immersive experience inspired by different holiday destinations. The tour opens this week at Camp Bestival at Lulworth Castle in Dorset from 28 – 30 July, then … [Read more...]
Government damaging confusion over cleaner vehicles
This week’s government ambivalence over the longstanding 2030 EV sales deadline is potentially “damaging for fleets” who are committed to electrification, says FleetCheck. Peter Golding (below), managing director at the leading fleet software provider, said that prime minister Rishi Sunak’s equivocation when asked about the deadline by an interviewer had set alarm bells ringing across the … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: MG4 EV Trophy
If you believe pure electric cars are overpriced and underperforming, you haven’t tried the MG4 Trophy. Introduced last autumn as the top model in a new series, the Trophy builds on the success of the ZS suv and MG5 estate and delivers family friendly hatchback practicality wrapped in an eye-catching style. But its beauty is more than skin deep and the versatile Modular Scalable Platform it … [Read more...]