Global leading Welsh automotive engineer Prof Richard Parry-Jones CBE has died following an accident at his home on Friday morning. The current chairman of the Welsh Automotive Forum was born in 1951 in Bangor and rose to become Group Vice-President-Global Product Development, Chief Technical Officer and Head of Global R&D Operations at Ford Motor Company with 30,000 engineers and technical … [Read more...]
Features
Dacia Sandero slammed over safety risks
In the latest round of new vehicle assessments, Euro NCAP tests highlighted some major safety flaws with the Dacia Sandero after it only scored a two-star Euro NCAP Safety Rating. Euro NCAP's fully-transparent testing protocols were overhauled in 2020 and are the toughest and the most exacting ever, ensuring European vehicles remain the safest in the world. The Sandero was let … [Read more...]
Covid-19 polarises buyers around the nation
Covid-19 has polarised the world, and the nation – including car buyers. According to research from episode one of the annual Britain Under the Bonnet report, from Close Brothers Motor Finance, some 38% of drivers are more likely to delay buying a car due to the economic uncertainty caused by Covid-19 and Brexit, while 12% have brought forward their plans. The fifth edition of the report, which … [Read more...]
Van supply is harming attempts to meet CAZ limits
Poor availability of new vans is hampering some fleets in their efforts to become compliant with new Clean Air Zones, reports FleetCheck. With the Bath CAZ already in place and Birmingham and Bristol to follow, as well as the upgraded London Low Emissions Zone (LEZ) now in effect, the fleet software specialist says that some businesses are only now starting to realise that they need to ensure … [Read more...]
EV expansion trips over kerbs
The lack of an effective national strategy for creating kerbside charging infrastructure is emerging as the biggest barrier to adoption of electric vehicles by businesses, says the Association of Fleet Operators. The current government approach to installation of kerbside charging means that 75% of the cost is met by a national fund and 25% paid by local authorities. However, explained AFP chair … [Read more...]
Tradelines 14 April
Marmalade Insurance says the successive lockdowns have created an eight month backlog of driving tests. It calculates about 1.16M provisional licence holders are waiting for test dates and it’s been made worse by instructors numbers going down. Peugeot's introducing a reduction in Advance Payments across the range of up to £1,250, in comparison with Q1, through the Motability scheme. For the … [Read more...]
Routes to 1000 Mile Battery Vehicles are varied
It is easy to make 1000-mile battery-electric vehicles, and the effect on market uptake will be profound, reports IDTechEx For example, a typical city-dweller might charge only once every two months and holiday where chargers are rare. With solar bodywork having done some of the job, even feeble existing chargers will cause little delay. Indeed, solar bodywork is a get-you-home feature capable … [Read more...]
Government statements slowing car sales recovery
Continuing confusion over Net Zero targets is slowing the recovery of motor sales. Seán Kemple, Managing Director of Close Brothers Motor Finance, said, “March marks a year since the first UK national lockdown, and the industry has evolved remarkably during this time. “New car sales are going ahead through click and collect, or click and deliver, services, and dealers continue to adopt new ways … [Read more...]
EV sales soar and so do drivers’ travel plans
Sales of new electric vehicles hit new records in March as Tesla tops with 31% market share and Kia, Nissan and Hyundai battle it out for second place, revealed New AutoMotive’s Electric Car Count tracker. The independent research organisation will publish the tracker each month and it looks at the top ten EV manufacturers and their market share as well as new EV sales. If there’s anything extra … [Read more...]
Older drivers love to use their cars
Uswitch insurance comparison site says a quarter of us would give up our cars to help the environment. The results also reveal how age and location have huge impacts on how we feel about making sacrifices to help the environment. Meanwhile, the RAC Foundation has backed a report from the New Weather Institute think tank suggesting large 4x4 SUVs should not be bought and used in major … [Read more...]