The cost of cars is by far the top priority for car-buyers as the cost of living crisis bites, according to new findings from Close Brothers Motor Finance’s Dealer Satisfaction Survey. Almost three quarters of dealers (74%) put the cost of the car at the top of the list of customer priorities when looking to buy, followed by the mileage (26%). Other priorities included extras like the sound … [Read more...]
Newslines 12 July
The Honda Civic was launched 50 years ago today. It has sold 27.5m around the world and the 11thgeneration order books have opened today from £29,595 and deliveries commence in September. Ferry and motoring trips to Europe are expected to escalate this summer as airports and airlines slash flights. The cost of flying and queues with the possibility of last minute cancellations after airports … [Read more...]
EV interest growing, but there’s range anxiety
A quarter (26%) of car hirers would like to hire an electric car to test one out, and a fifth (20%) would like to ‘do their bit’ for the environment (17% men and 23% women). However the survey carried out by Opinium, on behalf of iCarhireinsurance.com, a leading provider of stand-alone car hire excess insurance, did find some barriers to hiring an electric car even when drivers said they … [Read more...]
Caring for and saving with an electric car
The cost of charging an electric car using a public charger has increased once again, as drivers will now need to fork out over £220 more per year on average. Just like looking after your smartphone, your electric vehicle’s battery also needs to be properly cared for if you’re going to get the best out of it in terms of range and longevity. And your charging and driving habits … [Read more...]
New car sales slowing quicker than expected
The brakes have gone on hard for sales in Britain's car showrooms. UK new car registrations fell -24.3% in June, according to the latest figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders with 140,958 new vehicles registered, the weakest June performance in 26 years. Volkswagen emerged top last month with 8.27% of share, Vauxhall reached 7.07% and just behind was Ford … [Read more...]
Energy costs crippling UK automotive sector
British automotive manufacturers are calling for urgent action on spiralling costs as new analysis from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reveals firms face a £90 million uplift in energy bills this year – equivalent to more than 2,500 automotive jobs – as costs surge by 50%. UK electricity prices are the most expensive of any European automotive manufacturing country and 59% higher … [Read more...]
New law on smart chargers eases strain on grid
New legislation requires all home and workplace electric vehicle chargers installed from this week to have smart charging capabilities. The new laws are aimed at helping to manage the strain on the national grid. They will encourage drivers to use smarter tariffs to avoid thousands of EVs charging at once during peak hours, which is usually during the day and evening. Charlie Cook, the founder … [Read more...]
British Motorsport Day Westminster presentation
Motorsport UK and the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Motorsport yesterday presented Our Eclectic Future at British Motorsport Day in the Palace of Westminster to showcase the vision of a world powered by a range of use-appropriate systems and fuels. Fossil-fuels will continue to power existing vehicles around the world for quite some time, and therefore solutions are needed to shift to … [Read more...]
Newslines 24 June
Ferrari has overhauled its new and used car programme, service and maintenance. Warranty is good for seven years and it’s been backdated for many models sold since 2015 while buyers can choose to extend it to 15 years on major components and that is transferable to new owners while a new approved used programme is on-line. Ford says it wants to build its new generation of electric cars in … [Read more...]
Van drivers’ role delivering zero-emissions
As the world starts to transition away from internal combustion engines and towards electric vehicles, couriers, delivery fleets and individual traders are itching to make the move to electric vans. Yet while electric van uptake has doubled in the past year, the market is still around two years behind that of cars, causing the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders to call for a ‘Van Plan’ by … [Read more...]