Expectations among car buyers are almost always satisfied by dealers, but customers remain less happy with the quality of dealer staff, research has revealed. The finding comes from a unique deep dive into the experiences of car buyers just revealed by Autovia, Britain's leading publisher of automotive advice and information. Every aspect of the buying experience is examined in Autovia's 'Driver … [Read more...]
Industry
Tradelines 5 January
Toyota pushed General Motors off the top spot in America after 90 years domination of the market. Toyota sold 2.332 million vehicles in the United States in 2021, compared to 2.218 million for General Motors, as GM's US sales were down 13% and down 43% in the fourth quarter while Toyota was up 10% for the year. Former chief executive of the Welsh Automotive Forum, Tim Williams, was made an … [Read more...]
New Year roadtest: McLaren GT
The Covid test is familiar to everyone, but it’s also been a test for supercar makers such as McLaren. While individuals coped with invasive personal tests, the high performance car brand has, like the auto-industry as a whole, been counting on suppliers and customers to keep it out of trouble and solvent for the post-pandemic period. It’s not been a smooth journey over the last two years and … [Read more...]
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars offering record apprenticeships
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is offering a record number of places on its apprenticeship programme for 2022. Applications are now open for a total of 37 places, making this the largest intake since the scheme's inception in 2006. The number of places available is up by more than 15% on the previous record set in 2020, reflecting the company's strong business performance, new model launches, … [Read more...]
Clean air targets will not be achieved
Europe is expected to miss new clean air targets over the next few years. New T&E analysis finds that the emissions reduction trajectory proposed by the European Commission sets a far too generous emissions budget for 2021-2030. Weaknesses in the Regulation mean that, by 2030, emissions in the Effort Sharing Regulation sectors would not be cut by -40%, as envisaged by Fit for 55, but by a … [Read more...]
Saving money not environment is driving ev sales
Cheaper running costs rather than benefits to the environment topped the list of reasons for motorists considering an electric vehicle over the past two years, according to new research. The finding comes from a raft of unique insights into the car buying process and motorists’ choices just revealed by Autovia publication. Autovia's comprehensive 'Driver Power Shopper' study, drawn from the … [Read more...]
Government betrayal of ev buyers
The boss of one of Britain’s biggest car leasing businesses has criticised the government for slashing electric vehicle grants at the very time they’re making a crucial environmental and economic difference. Andy Alderson, founder and CEO of online leasing giant Vanarama, was left gobsmacked when the government announced yesterday that it would cut the Plug-In Car Grant (PiCG) by 60 … [Read more...]
Drivers’ bootcamp squares up to challenges
The Government's plans to boost training for HGV Driver candidates has been welcomed by Logistics UK’s Deputy Director Public Policy, Alex Veitch. He said, “The introduction of HGV Skills Bootcamps will help to attract new individuals into the workforce and are another welcome measure to tackle the driver shortage; Logistics UK is looking forward to working with government to help deliver some … [Read more...]
Train-safe campaign launches for Christmas season
British Transport Police and Transport for Wales has launched a joint operation this Christmas to keep passengers across Wales safe during the festive season. Operation Genesis will see extra officers and rail staff out across the network throughout the month to help anyone who needs it. With emphasis on Fridays and Saturdays during December, the operation will see an increase in … [Read more...]
Winter warning from road safety experts
In 2020, over 18,000 accidents were reported across the UK where rain, snow, fog, or high winds were a contributing factor. More severe road traffic accidents are happening in winter due to motorists being unprepared for driving in winter weather and ignoring weather warnings, and IAM RoadSmart believes now is the time to remind drivers how to drive safely when the temperature drops, and the … [Read more...]