Welsh government is very unlikely to see £7.35m it spent on an ill-fated Circuit of Wales racetrack project, it has told the BBC. Officials say there is "little chance" of getting it back from the insolvent company behind the £433M Circuit of Wales after the project fell apart in 2017 when the Welsh government rejected a request to guarantee almost half its funding after it discovered there were … [Read more...]
Industry
New car sales slowly rising
The first quarter of 2023 has been positive for UK new vehicle sales, said Sue Robinson, Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association. “It is extremely encouraging to see sales figures starting to emulate pre-pandemic trends, particularly for the plate change month of march and consecutive months of optimism and growth,” she said, commenting on the latest SMMT’s new passenger … [Read more...]
KIA blazing a trail through Wales
The Kia Sportage is blazing a trail as the latest recruit to join Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service. Covering nearly 12,000 square kilometers - almost two-thirds of Wales it is served by 58 stations across six counties and MAWWFRS attends around 255 incidents weekly on average. The five Kia Sportage PHEV ‘GT-Line’ in eye-catching infra-red paint, were bought from business specialist … [Read more...]
Tradelines 5 April
Zero-emission, long-range hydrogen-powered commercial vehicle innovator, Hydrogen Vehicle Systems, has confirmed its state-of-the-art zero-emission hydrogen-electric Heavy Goods Vehicle will have a range of up to 370 miles depending on load and route coupled with an industry-leading refuelling time of just 15 – 20 minutes. The eagerly anticipated HGV will be revealed at the Commercial Vehicle … [Read more...]
Welsh green law is just another tax on business, claims body
Business group Logistics UK is querying the impact that the Welsh government’s new Environment Bill could have on air quality across the country. As Kate Jennings, the organisation’s Policy Director, explains, its members – which power the Welsh supply chain both nationally and internationally – are concerned that the planned rule changes could become a straight tax on hauliers, rather than the … [Read more...]
Call for urgent open-sourcing of vehicle data
Pressure is mounting to compel vehicle makers to put technical data into an open source. A unique and broad alliance of consumer groups, automotive suppliers, leasing and rental industries, aftermarket operators, vehicle dealers, authorised and independent workshops, data publishers, and insurers have joined forces to call on Commissioner Thierry Breton to urgently bring forward long-planned … [Read more...]
SsangYong extends Musso appeal
SsangYong Motor UK is selling a revised Musso range, with the addition of the Saracen+ variant. The multi award-winning Musso is available in four specifications - EX, Rebel and Saracen remain available in the standard bed length, and the new Saracen+ in a longer length bed. The Musso long bed Saracen+ uses the same chassis and platform as its regular double cab variants however the new-spec … [Read more...]
Volkswagen Touareg R-line Tech Plus arrives
Volkswagen's introduced the new Touareg R-line Tech Plus. It has additional features worth about £5,000 compared with the existing Touareg R-line Tech, but costs just £1,720 more and include: Stylish 21-inch Suzuka black alloy wheels, Air suspension, Panoramic sunroof, Electric tailgate, 30-colour ambient interior lighting, Black roof rails and Heated windscreen. Two 3.0 TDI engines are … [Read more...]
Newslines 3 April
The Gordon Murray Automotive T.33 Spider will make its global online debut tomorrow afternoon. The T.33 Spider global reveal can be viewed, along with full technical details, images and supporting films, on Tuesday 04 April from 17:00 by Gordonmurrayautomotive.com. Toyota’s trend-setting Yaris reaches global sales milestone in its 25th year of production. It joins Corolla, Camry, RAV4, Hilux … [Read more...]
Government likely to miss its zero carbon goal
The Government threatens to miss its own zero carbon targets for transport, say car makers. It set out obejectives it wants to attain in a new consultation document last week but critics say it is late, lacks choice, does not address costs and is confusing for vehicle makers. Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive said, “Automotive is on track to deliver zero emission motoring, so we welcome this … [Read more...]