Transport for Wales’ ambitious plans to improve public transport move one step closer, with public consultation on designs for five new railway stations in South East Wales and new train services launched today. Members of the public are being invited to share their views as part of a 13-week consultation which runs from 16 October to 14 January. The consultation is available on: … [Read more...]
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...]
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...]
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...]
Weekend review: Old dogs & new tricks
More and more new names are appearing in the UK car market as it evolves into the electric age, but at the recent Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders annual southern test day for writers near Basingstoke it was two familiar names which caught my attention. The Nissan X-Trail has been a success in Britain for over 23 years while smart has been hanging around for even longer with a … [Read more...]
Newslines 6 October
Kia is bringing seamless Plug&Charge to its electric vehicles in Europe. Plug&Charge will be available with the EV9 upon launch and will gradually be rolled out to future Kia electrified models. This charging technology allows Kia customers to connect their EV with any Plug&Charge capable public charging station without additional identification or intermediate step needed to start … [Read more...]
Stinging verdict delivered on van drivers
Van drivers have been slated as the worst on UK roads. In a poll for Moneybarn they achieved an overall score of 0.56/10! Almost 19% of survey respondents said those in vans are the worst drivers, the least considerate and the rudest on the road (17.90%). White van drivers, in particular, have built up quite a reputation, with many tradespeople being branded with the ‘White Van Man’ name … [Read more...]
75% Cardiff drivers never check tyres
Bridgestone is embarking on a tyre safety drive with Cardiff motorists, after 75% admitted to never checking their tyres and only 11% described them as the most important safety feature on their cars. A survey amongst 200 drivers across the capital revealed that despite tyres being the only contact points between a vehicle and the road – and responsible for 159 deaths or serious injuries from … [Read more...]
Disabled drivers obstacles to evs and charging
Britain’s gradual move to more electric vehicles and charging will be a challenge for disabled drivers in particular, said one leading provider of mobility solutions. Andrew Miller (right), chief executive of Motability Operations, told members of the BVLRA at their annual meeting that his business had already moved more than 34,000 people into EVs and currently buys more than 7% of all … [Read more...]