S&P Global Ratings calculates it will be two years before the global car market picks up and blames weakening demand despite supply chain issues easing. The credit rating agency said worldwide car sales were likely to be flat this year, with Europe performing the worst of all regions and it’ll be late 2024 at the earliest before sales even get near 2019’s level of 90m. Volkswagen is holding … [Read more...]
Features
The updated Highway Code & fines
The Highway Code was updated in January 2022 and with it there have been several changes to pre-existing rules that motorists are to abide by or risk being fined. However, a survey by AA Accident Assist found that only 39% of British drivers have read these new rules, and a subsequent survey conducted by Nextbase found that 70% of respondents don’t understand the new rules. The new rules being … [Read more...]
The party’s over for the Ford Fiesta
It's the end of the road for the Ford Fiesta, the car maker announced this week. The highly popular baby Ford created in the wake of the early 1970s oil crisis to get Britons moving again will roll off the Cologne, Germany productions line for the last time next June, after 46 years of sales. But before then, the axe will also fall on the sibling Ford S-Max and Galaxy SUV and MPV models in … [Read more...]
Hydrogen hub proposed for Anglesey
Plans for a public Hydrogen Hub on Anglesey have been approved, paving the way for the first development of its kind in North Wales. The project at Parc Cybi, Holyhead means Green hydrogen will be produced for zero emission hydrogen-powered vehicles, and has received £660k from Welsh Government through the Local Transport Fund while the UK Government has also allocated £4.8 million to the … [Read more...]
“Brittle” Menai Bridge needs urgent repairs
Parts of the Menai Bridge are in a brittle state and have deteriorated in the last three years, Senydd members were told this week. Deputy Minister, Lee Waters delivered an Oral Statement providing the latest updates on the Menai Bridge in which he said the structure was the responsibility of a private company, UK Highways A55 Ltd, under agreemenets for maintenance of the A55 Trunk Road across … [Read more...]
Grey fleets are showing up as the colour of money
A worrying trend is accelerating with companies and employees' cars. New HMRC data shows a marked fall in company car numbers of up to 80,000 cars and it means that grey fleets are growing quite rapidly and suggests more drivers decided to take a cash option during the pandemic, said Fleet Check managing director Peter Golding (below). If they are now using their own cars for business purposes … [Read more...]
Used parts cut costs and boost green targets
The head of one of Europe’s biggest insurers wants repaired and refurbished used parts replacing new equipment on electric vehicles as part of a wide ranging reform of ‘green’ working practices. Sustainable car insurance was the focus of the 10th Allianz Motor Day, an international event hosted by Allianz centred on electric mobility as a key lever for decarbonisation, as well as green claims … [Read more...]
Welsh firm helping Aston Martin F1 project
Cardiff-based aluminium fabricator Dudley’s Aluminium will assist in the construction of Aston Martin’s new Formula 1 facility at Silverstone. Dudley’s Aluminium will be working with SDC Builders Ltd on the project and install Kawneer doors and capped curtain walling. The 400,000 square foot facility will house the Aston Martin team’s design, manufacturing and marketing resource, as well as … [Read more...]
Young Driver takes to the electric road
Did 1930’s safety experts have the right idea when it came to helping youngsters to be better drivers? One company certainly thinks so and it’s even designed and produced the first all-British electric vehicle – which so happens to be for children – to prove it. Back in 1938, the Atco SafetyFirst Trainer was created as part of a Government-backed initiative to reduce road deaths … [Read more...]
Oasis Roller was wrecked, research suggests
Flying Spares, the world’s largest independent supplier of Rolls-Royce and Bentley parts, has uncovered new evidence suggesting that the 1972 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow from the Oasis album cover ended up being banger raced and was destroyed. Neil Arman, Director of Flying Spares, said, “Supplying the car in the swimming pool for Be Here Now is part of Flying Spares folklore, and people often … [Read more...]