British car production fell by 9 percent last year - the most since the recession ten years ago. Analysis by the SMMT suggests investment slumped by nearly half due to fears about Brexit, said the SMMT. Volumes have also been hit by a crackdown on diesel, tougher emissions rules disrupting new vehicle supply and a slowdown in China, the world’s no. 1 autos market. Last year saw the fall … [Read more...]
EVs hire scheme to drive change
The InclusivEV Demonstrator project, a €3.8million pan-European project which aims to widen access to electric vehicles through an affordable car sharing scheme, successfully launched its first demonstration site in Solihull, West Midlands in December. InclusivEV addresses the issues facing city neighbourhoods by increasing accessibility to EVs. Through urban car sharing schemes it aims to … [Read more...]
Tradelines 30 January
Suzuki GB PLC has been ranked as the best car brand in the Institute of Customer Service’s UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) for January 2019. A national measure of sentiment across the country, the research asks 45,000 consumers to rate their experiences of dealing with nearly 260 different companies across 13 sectors, including those in the motor industry. Nissan is the target of a … [Read more...]
Keyless crime is challenge for popular cars
Some of the UK's most popular cars are increasingly becoming susceptible to keyless theft, says the consumer group Which? It looked at a German engineering report which identified the Fiesta, Golf, Qashqai and Focus were at risk from thieves using over the counter electronic devices to highjack key codes, enter a vehicle and sometimes drive it away. The German equivalent of the RAC and AA … [Read more...]
Task force for Welsh workers losing jobs
A Welsh Government task force working with Llanelli council and DWP has been created to assist job hunting and training for the 220 Schaeffler employees after the German company confirmed it will close its 52 year old Bynea plant by the end of this year. The closure was announced in November and blamed on the fall in diesel engine sales and overcapacity of parts manufacturing, not on the … [Read more...]
Driving choices are changing
More than 15 million Brits are planning to take measures to be more environmentally conscious in the year ahead with a shift in driving habits expected as the most popular move, according to an analysis by AA Cars. Around half of Brits are expected to take steps to be more eco-friendly in 2019, with many making changes to how they own and run cars; one in five (17%) plan to use their car more … [Read more...]
Diesel shortages beginning to show, prices rising
New diesel car sales are falling so quickly that there could be shortages of them on the used market in the near future, says the Vehicle Remarketing Association. The organisation – which represent companies that handle, sell, inspect, transport or manage more than 1.5 million used vehicles every year – says that while new car diesel demand has plummeted, corresponding used demand has stayed … [Read more...]
Stretching the imagination to the real range of EVs
A persistent belief that pure electric vehicles are only suitable for low annual mileage needs to be overturned, says Arval. The vehicle leasing company says that the applications for which EVs are appropriate depend much more on the daily driving profile of each driver. Shaun Sadlier, Head of Consulting, said, “This is a myth that we hear regularly – that if you cover more than a few … [Read more...]
Wales’ Motokiki comparison site expands services
Following launch in November, Motokiki – the UK’s newest independent and truly impartial tyre comparison website based in Port Talbot – announced eight additional products available to customers. The additional products that customers can compare and buy include Alloy Wheel Repair, Vehicle Breakdown Cover, Extended Warranty Cover, Car Hire, Learn to Drive, Car Prizes and other products including … [Read more...]
Newslines 22 January
Flintshire council is among the quickest response times in Britain for filling serious potholes, new research has revealed. Figures released by motoring charity the RAC Foundation show the authority aims to make road repairs "immediately" but the longest response time in Wales was in Vale of Glamorgan, which promises to investigate the following working day. World War One hero soldier who … [Read more...]