Holiday motorists are expected to clock up 3.2bn Christmas miles to see family and friends, according to a poll of 2,500 drivers conducted by the RAC. With weather forecasts pointing to the possibility of strong winds, rain, sleet and even snow for some in time for the 25th, the fears of bad Christmas driving conditions shared by 59% of drivers might turn out to be true. Most car buyers fail to … [Read more...]
Turnaround in new car sales led by EVs raises issues
New car sales rose 1.7% year on year in November, ending four consecutive months of decline. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reported 115,706 new cars were registered last month, up from 113,781 in the same period last year. The trade body noted this small uptick "must be viewed in the context of a weak 2020, when lockdowns impacted registrations". With the … [Read more...]
Petrol and diesel price cut must come this week
Retailers must cut the price of petrol and diesel this week or risk losing all credibility with drivers, warn the RAC. RAC Fuel Watch data shows the price of oil fell by $10 a barrel to $73.18 last Friday on top of already lower wholesale prices meaning petrol is now around 12p a litre too expensive while diesel is 10p too high. Unleaded is currently at an average of 147.64p a litre and … [Read more...]
£80 fill-up hits forecourts for first time
Fuel prices are soaring to new levels and it looks like a very expensive winter for drivers, says the RAC. RAC fuel spokesman Simon Williams said, “The price of petrol has continued to rise since it broke through the previous record high of 142.48p on 24 October, going up 3.5p in nearly three weeks. "This means filling up a 55-litre family car with unleaded has now topped £80 for the first … [Read more...]
Supermarkets roll-out charging points
Nearly 1,000 new electric vehicle charge points have been installed at supermarkets in the last 21 months, according to data analysed by Zap-Map and the RAC. This takes the total number of EV charger units on their sites to 2,059, up 85% from 1,112 in January 2020. This means nearly 8% of all the UK’s 26,000 publicly accessible charge points are located at supermarkets – up from 6.5% in early … [Read more...]
Newslines 25 October
The latest RAC Report on Motoring shows that 49% of drivers commuted five days a week before the pandemic but just 32% expect to in the future. In addition, three-in-10 drivers (30%) now expect to commute between one and four days a week with the average number of commuting days in future standing at three per week, down from four before Covid-19 hit. Petrol prices have hit 142.94p a … [Read more...]
Newslines 22 October
The arrival of the October half term will spark an ‘autumn rush’ on the roads with drivers taking an estimated 19.4m separate leisure trips between Friday and Sunday, according to RAC Breakdown. The survey of 1,400 drivers suggests that Saturday will be the most popular day on the roads with drivers planning an estimated 5.6m ‘getaway’ journeys, followed by Sunday (4.6m) and Friday (4.3m) with … [Read more...]
Newslines 28 September
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will tomorrow unveil its detailed plans for a pure electric model before the end of this decade. The company has already said what priorities it will use to launch the model when it is right for their customers and the recharging infrastructure exists to support the car, after showing a concept several months ago. Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Technology … [Read more...]
Legends align for memorial event
Two of the world’s greatest motoring institutions are uniting to honour the 125th anniversary of the famous Emancipation Run next month. It was on a wet Saturday 14 November 1896 that a group of intrepid early motorists set off from London to Brighton to celebrate the passing into law of the Locomotive on the Highway Act. This seminal government legislation increased the speed limit from … [Read more...]
Entries roll in for London to Brighton veteran car run
Close to 300 pioneering veteran cars dating back to the dawn of motoring have already entered this year’s very special staging of the Royal Automobile Club’s magical RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on Sunday 7 November. The historic pilgrimage from capital to coast commemorates the famous Emancipation Run of 1896 which celebrated the passing into law of the Locomotive on the … [Read more...]