Finance News

Weekend roadtest: BYD Seal Design RWD

16 December 2023

Now here’s my prediction for 2024: the BYD Seal is going to make a splash in the sporting saloon sector. Up to now, Europe has been the leading provider and market for four-doors with something a little special in the family sector, but that is likely to change over the coming 12 months. China’s BYD (it stands for Build Your Dreams) launched its Atto 3 … [Read more...]

Time to replace ‘tired’ high mileage vans

13 December 2023

The extension to full expensing announced in last month’s Autumn Statement provides fleets with a perfect opportunity to replace “tired” vans that have been continually extended following the pandemic, says FleetCheck. Moves by the Chancellor mean fleets that outright purchase vans, either from cash or using hire purchase, could save substantially on their … [Read more...]

Gaps in EV sector need plugging for businesses

13 December 2023

Fleets are starting to enter a “tougher” period of electrification in 2024, the Association of Fleet Professionals is reporting. Paul Hollick, chair, said that a number of factors were combining to potentially slow the rate at which electric vehicles were being adopted by businesses and that fleet managers needed new strategies to maintain momentum. “When … [Read more...]

Insurance costs hitting used cars’ stock

12 December 2023

More than three out of four (77%) dealers say that rapidly rising insurance costs mean that some cars have become difficult to sell. Startline’s December Used Car Tracker also reports that half (50%) think that some cars have become effectively uninsurable, so are probably unsellable. The research also reports that 23% think that it has become well-known … [Read more...]

Newslines 11 December

11 December 2023

Podpoint has pulled the plug on putting in more rapid chargers at public locations. The subsidiary of French state-owned EDF power will instead concentrate on fitting more home and workplace chargers where income will be recooped sooner and for less outlay. Meanwhile, Zapmap, the UK’s leading charge point mapping service, confirmed that the country has … [Read more...]

BEV charge is running down

8 December 2023

The UK new car market grew by 9.5% in November to reach 156,525 units, according to the latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, but there's a slowdown in EV interest among private buyers. In the market’s best November for four years, registrations almost returned to pre-pandemic levels, down just 96 units (-0.1%) on … [Read more...]

Public transport is failing Cardiff, says expert

8 December 2023

Cardiff's very high levels of congestion is much more than an inconvenience for commuters – it is causing lasting harm to the city as a whole, according to Victoria Winckler, Director The Bevan Foundation. Commenting on a research paper by the Centre for Cities think tank, she said the underlying causes of traffic queues in Cardiff are different to other … [Read more...]

Call to prioritize road freight in Wales

5 December 2023

Road freight and the logistics industry play a crucial role in supporting the Welsh economy, but regretfully, successive Welsh Governments haven’t produced a specific road freight transport strategy since 2008, said Welsh Conservative Shadow Transport Minister, Natasha Asghar MS, ahead of a motion it has tabled in the Senedd tomorrow. “This has resulted in … [Read more...]

Newslines 4 December

4 December 2023

Welsh Government is giving another £6.8M to bus companies in Wales to offset losses and operating costs since the Covid restrictions ended. Operators say falling passenger numbers and rising costs are wiping out profits and making routes unviable and the extra money has been branded as inadquate by Welsh Conservatives Climate Change Minister and Shadow … [Read more...]

Young drivers skipping safety costs, says the RAC