Volvo's award-winning XC60 mid-size SUV is now available with a full range of electrified powertrains. The former World Car of the Year is offered purely with hybrid power, from mild-hybrid petrols and diesels to petrol-electric plug-in hybrids. Every mild-hybrid powertrain in the XC60 range combines a powerful 2.0-litre engine with a 48-volt battery and a KERS kinetic energy recovery system to … [Read more...]
Industry
Newslines 7 December
Fuel prices remained almost unchanged in November despite a barrel of oil shooting up $10 to $46 – a 27% monthly rise, shows data from RAC Fuel Watch. The average price of a litre of unleaded across the UK at the end of November was 114.33p – having fallen very slightly (0.19p) from 114.52p at the start of the month, while diesel dropped by a similar amount from 117.85p to 117.63p … [Read more...]
UK car sales plunge nearly 30% in November
New car registrations slumped by 27.4% in November in Britain, according to the Society of Motor Manufactuers and Traders, as English showrooms were closed in the latest lockdown. Click and collect helped sals achieve 113,781 and “With a vaccine now approved, the business and consumer confidence on which this sector depends can only improve, giving the industry more optimism for the turn of the … [Read more...]
Probe begins into questionable EV claims
Aston Martin is probing how it became implicated in a report with inaccurate comparisons of the climate harm caused by cars powered by batteries and combustion engines and widely reported by media over the last week. One claim in the report said it took about 48,000 miles for EVs to be less polluting than conventional cars but the figure is more like 16,000 miles, according to Auke Hoekstra, a … [Read more...]
Newslines 4 December
Travel between Wales and T1 or T2 areas in England is permitted from 6pm tonight. But the Welsh Government ban remains for T3 areas, which include Bristol and Birmingham, while London and Liverpool are in the lower tiers. The Cupra Formentor range of engines is expanding this month. The entry-level 150ps comes in at £27,395 from the New Year , the PHEV version is due Spring 2021 while the … [Read more...]
Frozen White Christmas from Wales
Finished exclusively in Frozen White, the new MS-RT R120 is a Limited Edition of the Welsh company’s QVM-Approved MS-RT Transit Connect. The company, which uses styling and technology pioneered by Ford’s works rally team, is producing a limited run of 30 R120s in the mainland UK and 6 in Northern Ireland, with the model designed and built at its factory in Pontypool, South Wales. Priced from … [Read more...]
Too much data defeats delivery
Businesses are suffering from an information overload. A five point list aimed at helping fleets gain maximum insight from their data has been issued by FleetCheck as businesses seek to identify new levels of efficiency as they head into 2021. The fleet software specialist says that the continuing economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis has prompted many to look again at their … [Read more...]
UK car maker may need bailout
Despite Coronavirus, the plug-in market in Europe grew by well over 100% this year and it will happen again in 2021. BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) will grow by more than 100% and surpass the growth of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). In 2019, the UK sold 38,000 BEVs and the UK is currently on track for between 98,000 and 101,000 BEV sales by the end of 2020. Those in the industry are predicting that … [Read more...]
Tradelines 2 December
Prepare for the great Christmas breakdown. That’s the message from Green Flag recovery which says after weeks of little use, cars will be under strain when the UK Christmas easement is made between 23 and 27 December, so its vital to make basic checks and get a service if planning a longer trip to friends and relatives. Low rolling resistance to increase autonomy, decreased road noise for … [Read more...]
Sustainable fuels moving up green agenda
Sustainable renewable fuels must be included in future EU mobility legislation, say car makers and components industry. Nearly 40 businesses across Europe have signed a joint letter to the EU calling on it to not be blinded by electric vehicle lights on future uses. The signatories of this joint letter represent a crucial part of the automotive, fuel, energy industry and civil society in Europe, … [Read more...]