Rising inflation and cost of living will put the brakes on car sales, particularly electric models, says Close Brothers Motor Finance. It will also slow down the UK Government’s drive towards greener policies for other products and services, according to Lisa Watson, Director of Sales at Close Brothers. The cost-of-living crisis is having a hugely damaging impact on people’s lives, and … [Read more...]
Government unveil £100M plan for autonomous cars
UK roads could see self-driving vehicles rolled out by 2025 under Government plans backed by £100 million spending which prioritise safety through new laws and create thousands of new jobs in the industry. Some vehicles, including cars, coaches and lorries, with self-driving features could be operating on motorways in the next year, and today’s (August 19) plans set out new legislation which … [Read more...]
Tradelines 17 August
Van insurance has increased 13.6% in the first half of 2022 for new business customers – with the more recent price jumps attributed to spiralling inflation. In the UK, the average quoted cost of van insurance is now £1,156 and all age groups have recorded double-digit increases to their motor insurance policies since the start of the year. A warning has gone out over a caller pretending to be … [Read more...]
Newslines 2 August
Cardiff is a hot spot for car thieves. The Welsh capital has generated some of the highest tweets from owners asking for users to look out for their car and it’s in the UK top ten at fifth, according to the analysis by Scrap Car Comparison, and ranking just behind Athens but is worse than Rome and London. Online used car disruptor Carzam was more than £2.4m in debt when it called in … [Read more...]
Hydrogen lorries are a must for businesses
The H2Accelerate collaboration has published a new white paper in support of the use of hydrogen in long-haul trucking, based on focus group discussions with truck end-users and logistics providers. The paper sets out the conclusions of a series of focus groups with companies such as Amazon, Nestle Waters, DB Schenker, and Kuehne-Nagel, who have the potential to drive significant market demand … [Read more...]
Yasa expand with jobs boost in Mid-Wales
A flagship research and development centre has opened in Welshpool after a £1.98m investment by the Welsh Government, Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has announced this morning. Automotive manufacturer YASA Ltd will significantly expand its operations from the new centre, based at Offa’s Dyke Business Park, creating up to 40 new jobs. YASA, a leading manufacturer of advanced electric motors … [Read more...]
Welsh firms jointly working on new type of electric motor
A consortium including industry and academia, led by Caerphilly-based advanced research and development firm Deregallera, will begin work on an alternative motor for electric vehicles that’s less harmful to the global environment, thanks to support from the £1.8m Ford Low Carbon Vehicle Transformation Fund. Administered by the Welsh Government as part of Ford’s legacy in Wales, the Low Carbon … [Read more...]
Newslines 22 July
With new multi-million pound backers from the Middle East, Aston Martin is giving its marque a new marketing strategy and reworking of its iconic winged badge. Designer Peter Saville has restyled the badge which is still produced in the Birmingham jewellery quarter. Channel Tunnel traffic has soared and pushed its operator’s income 206% over the previous 12 months when pandemic restrictions … [Read more...]
Reducing risk of plunging fleet values
The vast majority of fleets purchase vehicles outright and then dispose of the assets privately once they have no more uses vehicles, a study has revealed. According to RAM Tracking’s Vehicle Buying Survey 2022, just 41% of fleets said they defy fleet conventions and purchase vehicles outright. The second most popular method of funding vehicles is via a leasing company and the third most popular … [Read more...]
Tolls to replace lost fuel duties and taxes
Road tolls are back on the Government's agenda. The fleet sector needs to start having a constructive discussion about the likelihood of road charging being introduced in the future and the kind of scheme it would like to see, says FleetCheck. Peter Golding, managing director at the fleet software specialist, said that the rapid growth in electric vehicles expected over the next few years – and … [Read more...]