Around 51% of car dealers think that the arrival of new Chinese electric vehicle companies in the UK market will force some established manufacturers out of business. Startline’s June Used Car Tracker also shows that 31% believe some existing brands are already falling behind and 36% say that the next few years will see them fold thanks to tougher competition. In terms of who will be affected, … [Read more...]
Finance News
VW ID.Buzz launched as an electric camper-van
An Volkswagen ID Buzz has been converted into a fully functioning electric campervan for the first time - and it even has a pop up roof to create extra space. TC Conversions have adapted the vehicle to create the first fully developed camper on this platform. The company believes the camper will be a ‘gateway vehicle’ as people switch to electric camper-vanning. The conversion company based in … [Read more...]
Newslines 9 June
STELLANTIS is moving into the scrap business with its newest cars. The multi-brands company covers 14 marques including Vauxhall, Fiat, Alfa Romeo and PSA and now wants to extend average life of models from 12 to 15 years by making them last longer and then reusing components from scrapped models and putting into remaining cars to improve their ‘green’ credentials and avoid punitive … [Read more...]
EV chargers’ boost by Welsh Government
Welsh Government is topping up the vehicle charging network in Wales. The £15M funding confirmed by Deputy Climate Change Minister Lee Waters will be used to help local authorities increase the number of charging facilities ahead of fossil fuel vehicles being phased out in 2030. But it has already drawn criticism from opposition party who described it as inadequate to meet the real needs of ev … [Read more...]
EV discounts arriving to lift sales
Discounts are starting to appear on new electric vehicles for really the first time since they entered the mass market, delegates were told at the Association of Fleet Professionals 2023 Conference. Recent price cutting by Tesla and the arrival of new manufacturers from China were both helping to create a more competitive environment, alongside a gradual ramping up of production volumes … [Read more...]
Hydrogen trucks investment studies
The H2Accelerate collaboration has published the latest in a series of whitepapers in support of the use of hydrogen for long-haul trucking in Europe. This whitepaper follows the news that two of H2Accelerate’s primary initiatives, H2Accelerate TRUCKS and its Inaugural Station Deployment, have now secured funding via the Clean Hydrogen Partnership and Connecting Europe Facility-Transport … [Read more...]
Start Rescue warning over parking apps
Millions of mature drivers could be restricted from taking simple trips to their town because they won’t have the capacity to pay for parking, says Britain’s breakdown recovery provider Start Rescue. As local authorities increasingly move to ‘pay by app’ systems, pensioners who do not have a smartphone will find themselves high and dry at parking bays in the UK’s towns and cities. The move away … [Read more...]
EVs are too expensive, drivers tell Go.Compare
A new survey from Go.Compare Car Insurance found that cost is the main barrier stopping drivers from getting an electric vehicle. In light of the government’s 2030 and 2035 EV targets, the comparison site asked motorists whether they were planning on buying an EV in the next five years. Over half of the respondents (57.9%) stated they weren’t thinking of making the switch to electric any time … [Read more...]
Call for highter fuel duties at pumps
The founder of a public charging network for electric vehicles wants petrol and diesel fuel duties increased. Asif Ghafoor, a veteran of infrastructure delivery and the co-founder and CEO of national charging network Be.EV said the increase would encourage the switch to electric vehicles while covering the shortfall in public finance which has happened since more evs have been purchased. The … [Read more...]
UK new car sales rise most in Wales
New car registrations in Wales went up 20% in May, the most in any part of Britain. SMMT figures indicated a 19.8% increase in Northern Ireland, 17.4% in England and 10.6% in Scotland as fleets moved to build up stocks, possibly driven by makers' incentives to register models and encouragement from major lenders to dealers. In Wales the top ten were: Ford Puma, Vauxhall Mokka, MGHS, Ford Fiesta, … [Read more...]