Former Le Mans winner and Formula One racing driver Jos Verstappen will tackle the second round of the Probite British Rally Championship, the Rallynuts Severn Valley Stages on Saturday. Verstappen, father of F1 superstar, three-time F1 champion and Red Bull Racing driver Max, will make his debut in the BRC and the UK, tackling the world-famous Welsh gravel for the first time. He will drive a … [Read more...]
Van sales soar but drive must be with EVs
Following the best February performance in 26 years experienced by the new light commercial van market, it is positive to see that the market has continued this trend with another month of growth, said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association commenting on the latest SMMT’s new van registration figures. "March witnessed a significant surge in fleet renewal … [Read more...]
FRF Group & North Road are Toyota’s award winners
South Wales' FRF business has won the Toyota Best Retailer in Town Group award. Their Swansea dealership also collected the award for new vehicle sales in 2023. This is the 10th year of the Toyota BRIT awards which recognise the top-performing Toyota centres in the UK. FRF Group, winner of the Best Toyota Group award, is a family business that has operated in South Wales for more than 20 … [Read more...]
Agency dealers are giving poorer service
Adoption of the dealer agency model appears to be leading to poorer quality vehicle deliveries in at least some instances, says the Association of Fleet Professionals. Members of the organisation have complained of a fall in standards, with electric vehicles (EVs) being delivered with little charge and internal combustion cars with only a small amount of fuel. Paul Hollick, chair at the AFP, … [Read more...]
Newcomers from VW, Audi and Skoda
The latest version of the Volkswagen Golf is available to order in the UK on 11 April – 50 years after the original model began what is now one of the biggest automotive success stories. This latest chapter in the story of the Golf features Volkswagen’s newest infotainment system – complete with ChatGPT integration and an intuitive operating concept – plus a sharper design that incorporates, … [Read more...]
Newslines 9 April
The first electric Metro train ran north of Cardiff to Pontypridd during daylight hours on a test of the latest Stadler 756 model combination, which will be the backbone of the new Valleys services. Following the test run, further routes on the Core Valleys Network will see testing take place in the coming weeks before the start of an intensive train crew training programme and before entering … [Read more...]
Call for end to hybrid vehicles
Hybrid vehicles are an expensive farce rather than a stepping stone to electrified transportation, says the director of a charging point company. "Hybrid vehicles are undermining the important environment work to electrify the UK transport network," says Jack Parsler, Development Director of nationwide electric vehicle charge point installer Crystal EV. "Hybrid vehicles were heralded … [Read more...]
Golden anniversary of Mitsubishi in Britain
Mitsubishi Motors in the UK is celebrating its 50th year of trading in 2024 and is marking the anniversary with a calendar of events to honour the brand and its heritage. The 50th anniversary year kicked off in February at the annual Mitsubishi Motors in the UK Aftersales Conference. The event brought together all 110 Mitsubishi aftersales dealers across the UK, with special recognition going to … [Read more...]
Volvo evolving into EV future
Updated Volvo Cars model range is now on sale in the UK, including new long-range fully electric EC40 and EX40 versions. Volvo continues progress towards fully electric future with uniform naming introduced across its UK model range. Fully electric C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge align with other models to become the EC40 and EX40 respectively and both cars are available with new Single Motor … [Read more...]
More time needed for EV infrastructure network
In a sector under pressure to be at the forefront of the green transition, more time is what it’ll take to get us there, say drivers. Research by Close Brothers Motor Finance found that almost a third (30%) of British motorists feel that the delay to the new petrol and diesel vehicle ban will allow for more time for an expansion in electric vehicle infrastructure and improvement in … [Read more...]