The Motor Ombudsman has seen the highest volume of service and repair cases brought by consumers in a single quarter so far this year. Between 01st July and 30 September, the Ombudsman for the automotive sector accepted a total of 1,348 new submissions from motorists, up 10% from 1,226 in the second quarter, and equating to a 13% increase versus the volume seen during the opening three months of … [Read more...]
Retail News
Motorists expect higher costs in 2024
Motorists expect the cost of running their car to continue to rise across all major areas of spending in 2024, new research shows. October’s new Startline Used Car Tracker shows that 70% think congestion zone charges will rise and the same percentage expect service and maintenance to increase. Other costs expected to go up include motor insurance (67%), tyres (65%) and petrol (55%). Paul … [Read more...]
Newslines 13 October
The West Midlands Gigafactory joint venture has confirmed that it is in advanced discussions with several leading Asian battery manufacturers about future investment at the Coventry site. The West Midlands Gigafactory’s Coventry location is the only available site in the UK with planning permission in place for a large-scale battery production facility with capacity for up to 60GWh per annum – … [Read more...]
Race Across Britain for BEN
Following the huge success of BBC TV series 'Race Across the World', Ben is recruiting teams to take on a new UK-based fundraising challenge for the automotive industry, called Race Across Britain. This event will raise vital funds to support people who are struggling or in crisis and is proudly supported by LKQ Euro Car Parts. Ben is challenging automotive industry people to pair up with … [Read more...]
KIA is king but Stellantis is hopeless, say traders
Kia is the best and Stellantis the worst brands to be selling, say car dealers. The NFDA Dealer Attitude Survey was conducted last month and asked franchised dealers questions about the on-going business relationship with their respective manufacturers. It brought 2,531 responses from 32 franchised networks, equating to a joint record response rate of 68%. The 2023 Summer Survey showed a general … [Read more...]
Real time web-app for fleets
ATS Euromaster has launched a web app for drivers to book mobile tyre work on their fleet vehicles in real time. According to ATS Euromaster it is the first publicly available app that provides this service and follows nine months of research and live trialling. The tyre and maintenance provider already offers mobile tyre fitting to its customers but says the new app will enhance the customer … [Read more...]
17,086 motorists still paying tax on stolen vehicles
About 17,086 UK motorists are still paying tax on vehicles listed as stolen. The figures were revealed under a A Freedom of Information request to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency by the UK’s oldest specialist motor insurance loss adjuster, Claims Management & Adjusting. According to DVLA data for September 2023, of 54,804 vehicles recorded as stolen, almost a third (31.18%) are … [Read more...]
Getting more out of your electric car
There are over 810,000 fully electric cars now on UK roads, and many more will come this year. Some electric SUVs can go over 300 miles on a single charge, and now experts at Kia, who offer the Niro EV, as well as the EV9 due in 2024, have shared their tips to increase the range of an electric SUV. Here are five ways you can get even more energy efficiency from your electric SUV: Pre-heat … [Read more...]
Newslines 10 October
Welsh Government has told councils they will be less obstructive to lifting the controversial 20mph if the local authority feels a higher limit is more suitable for a road. The new law brought in on 17 September with a default 20mph has attracted a petition calling for its repeal and signed by almost 500,000 people. Spider mating season is upon us, and new research from John Clark Motor Group … [Read more...]
Families turn backs on electric cars
The UK new car market grew 21.0% in September with 272,610 registrations in the month, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The 14th consecutive month of growth was also the second busiest of the year after March, with the new number plate delivering its traditional market surge despite a challenging economic backdrop. Growth continued to be driven by large fleets, which … [Read more...]