The Independent Garage Association is calling upon the automotive industry to provide their insights on apprenticeship opportunities within the sector. The feedback gathered will be important in lobbying for increased support and resources from government agencies to promote apprentice recruitment and training within the Automotive sector. A skilled workforce is undeniably the lifeblood of any … [Read more...]
Finance News
Tradelines 2 August
New electric tram trains that will revolutionise transport across the South Wales valleys were unveiled this week at their new £100 million depot at Taff’s Well. As part of the South Wales Metro project by Transport for Wales, they are capable of operating on both electric lines and battery power up to 62mph and carry 252 passengers. Commuter scooters led by Yamaha and Honda are the most … [Read more...]
Beware holiday hire car insurance rip-offs
Avoid getting burned on a foreign holiday with a hire car, says Chris Adams, Operations Director at the Brindley Group. “Feeling burned – and not because of the sun – isn’t exactly the ideal start to your summer holiday. On the road to hiring a holiday car, there can be rip offs aplenty, so you should know what to watch out for," he said. Going with a name brand like Hertz or Europcar can seem … [Read more...]
Gridserve’s massive ev charger investment
Gridserve has announced the largest debt raise to-date globally for a privately-owned charge point operator, demonstrating the market’s confidence in both the transition to electric mobility and its mission to help deliver net zero transport at speed and scale. Comprising £326 million in committed loan facilities, with a further £200 million uncommitted accordion facility for future assets – a … [Read more...]
Swansea investment stalls
Swansea Council built a car park and space for restaurants over a year ago yet they remain empty and have yet to complete a much needed hotel near Swansea Arena. Welsh Conservative Shadow Local Government Minister, Sam Rowlands MS said in response to the news, “This vital project will bring much needed economic growth to Swansea, but it sounds to me that their Labour-run council needs to get a … [Read more...]
Government damaging confusion over cleaner vehicles
This week’s government ambivalence over the longstanding 2030 EV sales deadline is potentially “damaging for fleets” who are committed to electrification, says FleetCheck. Peter Golding (below), managing director at the leading fleet software provider, said that prime minister Rishi Sunak’s equivocation when asked about the deadline by an interviewer had set alarm bells ringing across the … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: MG4 EV Trophy
If you believe pure electric cars are overpriced and underperforming, you haven’t tried the MG4 Trophy. Introduced last autumn as the top model in a new series, the Trophy builds on the success of the ZS suv and MG5 estate and delivers family friendly hatchback practicality wrapped in an eye-catching style. But its beauty is more than skin deep and the versatile Modular Scalable Platform it … [Read more...]
Flash cars reflect personal image, say owners
Britain cossets a nation of flashy drivers. One in three (34%) UK drivers say it is important to have a car under five years old, particularly for men (40% men and 28% women) and under 55s (42% under 54s and 25% over 55s). The survey of 2,000 UK drivers, commissioned by InsuretheGap.com also found that one in three (34%) describe their car as part of their “personal image” (39% men and 29% … [Read more...]
Tradelines 26 July
Just months after its announcement, there is now a two years waiting list for the first electrified Lamborghini Revuelto. Revuelto is the first V12 plug-in hybrid High Performance Electrified Vehicle supercar from the House of Sant’Agata and costs around £450,000. The all-new 2024 Land Cruiser makes its world debut 2 August. It is heavily based on the mechanicals and platform of the Lexus GX … [Read more...]
Younger buyers shun car showrooms
More than half of UK drivers (56%) bought their most recent car from a showroom in a face-to-face transaction says a new Opinium survey of 2000 UK drivers, commissioned by InsuretheGap.com, rising to 70% of over 55s, compared to less than half (44%) of under 55s. Women also have reservations about car showrooms. One in five (20%) find them intimidating and describe negotiating as “embarrassing” … [Read more...]