The number of motorists ditching vehicles in Wales has increased by more than 200% in five years, as the region has become a scrapyard for abandoned cars. Details obtained by Confused.com through Freedom of Information requests to local authorities in Wales reveals 466 abandoned vehicles were removed by councils in 2017/18 – that’s one car per day on average, at a cost of £30,793. Delaying … [Read more...]
Industry
Newslines 25 March
Hyundai has announced UK pricing for NEXO, the company’s 2nd generation hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle which is available to order directly from Hyundai Motor UK. The £65,995 NEXO brings the very latest in hydrogen fuel cell and electric powertrain technology, with a range of up to 414 miles and it joins Kona Electric and IONIQ Electric as the latest electrified Hyundai model … [Read more...]
New cars still offering poor theft security, say experts
Half of new cars so far launched this year have been rated as offering poor security and one was said to be "unacceptable" by insurance test body Thatcham Research. The new ratings assess whether measures to specifically address the keyless entry/start vulnerability, have been adopted. Six of the 11 vehicles launched this year have been given a ‘Poor’ rating as the keyless entry/start system … [Read more...]
New car tax changes and how they affect you
The Government’s Spring Statement 2019 has outlined how April 2019 changes to vehicle-related taxes will hit fleets and drivers. Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond’s second Spring Statement was an update on the health of the UK economy and the state of the Government’s finances, rather than laying out any major new tax or spending announcements. The fleet industry had hoped that the … [Read more...]
Autonomous driving interest accelerates
Three in ten drivers (31%) now favour self-driving cars, up from one in ten (10%) a year ago, they told pollsters for the Britain Under the Bonnet report from Close Brothers Motor Finance. At a time when Government has recently announced plans for driverless cars to be on UK roads as early as 2021, the latest figures show how perceptions are changing and trends are beginning to … [Read more...]
Picture perfect health check repairs
Supermarket CarShop is taking an innovative approach to vehicle servicing by offering customers a free, interactive vehicle health check. CarShop’s new Vehicle Health Check Tool allows customers to see the checks that are being done on their car and provides visual insight into the repairs that are being suggested. Once a customer brings their vehicle in for servicing, they will receive their … [Read more...]
Tradelines 20 March
More than half of van drivers admitted to making calls behind the wheel without using a hands-free device, according to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. Van drivers spend an average of 35 minutes on the phone each day in their vehicles, making an average of seven calls a day and one in 10 spend two hours on the phone while driving. Mercedes-Benz is relanching its prestige Maybach … [Read more...]
Metro plan risks hitting Brexit buffer
The South Wales Metro multi-million-pound project faces being derailed if the UK leaves the European Union without a deal, warn the Welsh Government. Economy Secretary Ken Skates said Welsh Government officials are seeking clarity on what happens to necessary land transfers being managed by UK Government as part of the process. South Wales Metro project will see a revitalised rail and bus … [Read more...]
Ford Bridgend Engine plant shortlisted for new vehicle
Ford Bridgend Engine plant has been shortlisted to assemble the planned Ineos successor to the famed LR Defender. The Welsh location is lining up against a plant in Portugal, the CEO of Ineos Automotive Dirk Heilmann has confirmed after bosses of the UK chemical company visited South Wales and looked around the Ford plant along with Welsh Government representatives. Ineos plan to … [Read more...]
Now 225ps Fiesta ST upgrade
The new Ford Fiesta ST is the target of mountune’s latest upgrade. The m225 package for the Mk 8 Fiesta ST provides significant increases to both power and torque, without compromising the vehicle’s safety or reliability. The new upgrade is being launched alongside the innovative mTune SMARTflash app, which allows users to install and update vehicle calibrations in minutes from … [Read more...]