An electric bike firm in South Wales is powering to success in its first year, with support from the Development Bank of Wales. Gower Electric Bikes launched earlier this year, supported with a £17,000 loan from the Wales Micro Loan Fund. Gower became the UK’s first designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1956, and still regularly wins awards as one of the best places to visit in the … [Read more...]
Finance News
Councils cutting corners on carriageway care, reports RAC
Six-in-10 drivers (60%) believe the condition of local roads they use regularly is worse than a year ago, with a similar proportion (55%) complaining the standard of pothole repairs is – at best – ‘poor’, new RAC data* has found. What’s more, only 4% think the state of the local roads in their area has improved in the past 12 months, down from 6% for the last two years. The research conducted for … [Read more...]
Annual average car costs rise by £1,000
Annual average car costs have risen by almost £1,000 – an increase of around 20% – since the start of 2022. November’s Startline Used Car Tracker research suggests motorists' annual spending on fuel, insurance, servicing and car finance had risen by £80 a month. The biggest single increase was seen in fuel at £37 per month but insurance and motor car finance both rose by around £20 per … [Read more...]
Vehicle leasing costs rising & more to come
Higher Bank of England interest rates mean that company car and van lease costs are beginning to increase, reports the Association of Fleet Professionals. Denise Lane, board director at the industry body, explained that the increases were not uniform across the market but widely reported by AFP members and especially appeared to be affecting vehicles already on order. She said, “Businesses are … [Read more...]
Row erupts over Welsh Government 20mph limit in 2023
A new 20mph default speed limit in communities across Wales could save £100m as deaths and injuries are reduced, according to new research, but it will cost £4.5Billion to implement. New research showing a reduction in deaths and injuries as traffic slows down is being published yesterday longside new survey results showing continued public support for the national roll out of the lower … [Read more...]
Community ev charging scheme plugs into Zap-Map
JustCharge, the community electric vehicle (EV) charging network from JustPark, has gone live with a brand new partnership with leading charge point mapping service Zap-Map. The partnership offers Zap-Map users the ability to find and book JustCharge chargers directly through the Zap-Map app. The partnership goes live as new data from Zap-Map’s annual survey of more than 4,300 EV drivers has … [Read more...]
Welsh drivers trying to save money
More than a third of young drivers putting off car repairs in attempt to save money. Drivers of older vehicles, as well as those living in cities, also much more likely to delay repairs. More than a third of drivers aged 17 to 24 (37%) are putting off necessary repairs to their vehicles in an attempt to cut their outgoings as the cost-of-living crisis bites, research from the 2022 RAC Report … [Read more...]
New car sales lifting at last
There are signs that the components supply problems may be easing for car makers and getting more models to dealerships after a boost in October registrations. Registrations among Welsh dealers rose 24.25% to hit 4,903. "The increase in new vehicle sales in October demonstrates the resilience of franchised dealers and their ability to find the right deal for their customers and the … [Read more...]
Toll charging favoured to replace fuel duties
Campaign for Better Transport say that 60% of the British public agree that there is a need to reform the current system of vehicle taxation with significantly more people agreeing that a pay-as-you-drive system would be a good way ahead than those who oppose it. The report recognises that the system of taxation relating to motor vehicles will need to change as an increasing number of electric … [Read more...]
Diesel prices soaring again, warn RAC
The average price of diesel shot up by more than 10p a litre in October – the third biggest monthly increase on record – adding more than £5 to a tank, according to data from RAC Fuel Watch. A litre of diesel went from 180.37p to 190.51p making October’s rise second only to the ones seen earlier this year in March (22p – 155.23p to 177.29p) and June (16p – 183.43p to 199.05p) which gave rise to … [Read more...]