Cheaper electric cars are urgently needed for motorists to accelerate their switch away from petrol and diesel models, says an industry financial expert. Fleets need to be able to buy electric vehicles now that used car buyers will want in four years’ time – but are being hampered by a lack of choice, FleetCheck is warning. Peter Golding, managing director at the fleet software company, said … [Read more...]
Bring back small cars, dealers tell makers
Britain's car dealers are calling on manufactuers to supply them with a new series of small cars. Dealers overwhelmingly back calls for a new class of small cars to be introduced across Europe that attract lower taxes, insurance and parking costs, new research shows. Paris this year moved towards making SUV drivers pay more to park in the French Capital as they take up more space and other cities … [Read more...]
Make your mark & understand what it means
In a week's time the new 24-plate will start appearing on vehicles, but over a third of people don’t even look at number plates when purchasing a car and 14% said they didn’t “have a clue” how many times a year UK registration plates are updated. Go.Compare has released a survey revealing mass confusion among drivers when it comes to a car’s number plates and their meanings. The research quizzed … [Read more...]
Driving up depreciation mile by mile
A new study by on-line marketplace Carwow has found how mileage severely impacts the value of used cars. The study reveals car valuations can drop by a staggering 27% once they tip over the 60,000-mile mark. As a result, owners looking to sell are now being advised to do so before their vehicle hits this 60k mileage milestone, typically when a new car's warranty expires and the first MoT is … [Read more...]
Toyota Prius returns as a PHEV
The Toyota Prius is back in the UK, an all-new plug-in hybrid electric model returning the famous nameplate to the market this spring. As might be expected of a car that has a distinguished history of pushing the boundaries of electrified performance, the latest, third generation Prius Plug-in delivers even greater fuel economy, emissions efficiency and EV driving capability, matched to sharp, … [Read more...]
Aston Martin Wales jobs boost coming down the line
Aston Martin is creating hundreds of new jobs in South Wales to build its DBX SUV and in the Midlands to assemble Vantage and DB12 high performance sports cars. The automaker cited the launch of the new Vantage and DB12, coupled with the introduction of further new models in 2024 and continued demand for the DBX707, for the need to increase its workforce. Simon Smith, Chief People Officer of … [Read more...]
Suzuki Swift hits 40 years
In the lead up to the introduction of the all-new Swift Hybrid this Spring, Suzuki has reflected over the last 40 years of evolution of its highly popular and important global model and provide an insight into its development since 1983. This evolution and development since it created the first city car to break out of the Japanese-only compact town car has provided the engineers at Suzuki Motor … [Read more...]
Government EV strategy needs rapid recharge warn Lords
The Government must do more to get people to adopt EVs, says a Lords Committee. "If it fails to heed our recommendations the UK won’t reap the significant benefits of better air quality and will lag in the slow lane for tackling climate change,” said Baroness Kate Parminter, Chair of the inquiry (below). The inquiry was launched in August 2023 to identify the main obstacles and barriers to a … [Read more...]
EV regs hit a million but petrol sales climbing too
Discounted business registrations meant Britain’s millionth battery electric car reached the road in January 2024, while the new car market grew 8.2% for the month, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The first month of the year saw 142,876 new cars registered led by the Kia Sportage (above), which repeated its success of January 2022, and an UK uplift of 10,882 units on … [Read more...]
British drivers love e-bay!
As one of the UK’s biggest online automotive marketplaces, eBay has revealed the most expensive parts and accessories of 2023, with performance engines, carbon fibre monocoques for high-end performance cars and exclusive number plates dominating the top 10. First and second places on the rundown of biggest buys for 2023 belonged to the performance car sector. Coming in first place was a BMW M5 … [Read more...]