UK car production fell -20.1% to 68,790 units last month, said the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. It was the weakest January since 2009 and output was down 17,262 units against the same month last year, which itself was one of the worst Januarys on record when volumes were impacted by friction in the new post-Brexit trading arrangements, extended shutdowns and the … [Read more...]
Features
Newslines 25 February
The number of fatalities in road accidents where the driver was over the drink drive limit slightly decreased in 2020 to 220 - down from 230 the previous year, said AlcoSense. Provisional from the Department for Transport estimate a total of 6,480 people were killed or injured in drink drive accidents, compared with 7,800 the year before and one in 20 of all reported crashes involved a drunk … [Read more...]
Bigger spenders returned to forecourts last year
Figures from the Finance & Leasing Association show that the consumer car finance market reported new business volumes up in December 2021 by 2% compared with the same month in 2020. In 2021 as a whole, new business volumes grew by 9% compared with 2020 to almost 2.1 million cars financed, but remained 14% lower than in 2019. The consumer new car finance market reported new business up 11% … [Read more...]
Bentley £3M boost for 3D printed components
Bentley has made a £3 million investment to double its Additive Manufacturing capacity at the company’s headquarters in Crewe. A state-of-the-art AM facility has been applied to a wide range of uses, producing more than 15,000 components in 2021 alone. This expansion will also enable Bentley to utilise advanced technology to create 3D printed vehicle components and even greater personalisation … [Read more...]
Living with augmented reality in your car
Augmented reality applications have been taken on board by the BMW Group. Basemark, a leading software enterprise specializing in automotive software, implemented AR over-video application in a pioneering world first one of these and is now available in some of the latest BMW models. The work has resulted in cutting-edge AR applications for new electric BMW iX vehicles that use … [Read more...]
Welsh trains oldest in UK, say Conservatives
Welsh Conservatives say Labour’s rhetoric on tackling climate change is hollow and empty as Wales commuters suffer from old rolling stock. Data obtained by the Welsh Conservatives found that the average age of trains in Wales is 30 compared to an average age of 17 in Great Britain, but the Welsh Government said it's replacement train fleet is being tested before introduction and an extensive … [Read more...]
Car buyers researching rights more easily
The Motor Ombudsman’s Knowledge Base online resource designed to make it quicker and easier for motorists to resolve their query or complaint in relation to buying and owning a car prior to submitting a dispute, has achieved the milestone of one million views since launching in January 2019. Accessed via the ‘Find an answer’ button at the top of every page of TheMotorOmbudsman.org website, the … [Read more...]
Dealing with road kill and injured animals
Scrap price comparison service has worked with the RSPCA to reveal when you’re most likely to be involved in an accident involving an animal - as well as the animals which are most commonly harmed in these accidents. The research is based on data from calls to the RSPCA concerning incidents related to animals involved in road traffic collisions (RTCs). The RSPCA has also shared advice on what to … [Read more...]
Motorway safety and speeders in Wales
New research reveals that an increasing number of drivers are taking their own precautionary measures when using smart stretches that are already in operation. It comes after the government last month announced a five year pause in the introduction of new smart motorways to assess their safety. A new study for Kwik Fit, the UK’s largest automotive servicing and repair company, has found that 73% … [Read more...]
Aston Martin St Athan want 100 people
Aston Martin will create more than 100 additional jobs at its St Athan site in Wales, following the launch of its new DBX707 super SUV model. DBX707 will enter full production later this quarter at the ultra-luxury manufacturer’s plant in South Wales, with more than 100 new skilled automotive technicians required to support it. Last week, the company announced a handful of apprenticeships will be … [Read more...]