Commuters face three weeks of travel chaos on Wales' rail network just weeks after it was taken over by Welsh Government's Transport for Wales. The effect of storms on ageing trains means an "unprecedented" third of the fleet of 127 are damaged, so many will not run or be replaced by buses and Transport for Wales said they are trying to "share the pain" by diverting trains from quieter to more … [Read more...]
Drivers in survey favour compulsory dash-cams
GoCompare Car Insurance says a quarter of UK drivers it polled would be happy to see dash cams in cars made compulsory. Dash cams – a small video camera attached to a car’s dashboard or windscreen, recording the road ahead - are now commonplace on UK roads. The footage they record can be used as evidence following an accident to help prove which party was at fault. Last year it was … [Read more...]
Tougher MoT gas-tests see failures soar
Tough new emission tests this year have doubled the failure rate for older cars, and vans have gone up over four times as much. The DVSA reports that since May when the lower limits were set there have been 744,592 failed cars which have been fixed or scrapped compared to 350,472 in the same time last year. This year, 238,971 diesel and 505,721 petrol models were recorded with this major … [Read more...]
Low carbon & high mobility
The Welsh Automotive Forum in conjunction with Industry Wales and Welsh Government are organising a conference on Low Carbon Intelligent Mobility at the Vale Hotel, Miskin on 29 November. The event hosted by Quentin Willson will provide an overview of how electric vehicles, supporting policies along with manufacturing supply chain opportunities and how they can both contribute to carbon … [Read more...]
Tradelines 21 November
Two new diesel engines have been added to the Mercedes-Benz A-Class range: the A 200 d Sport £28,805 and the A 220 d AMG Line £30,005. The clean and efficient OM654q engines have been tested to new RDE-2 standards, making Mercedes-Benz among the first to offer RDE-2-compliant diesel engines in the UK and they will also feature in the new B-Class. Volkswagen is underlining its commitment to … [Read more...]
Drivers get green-lights as jams mount
Traffic congestion is now the top concern among UK motorists, overtaking other drivers on mobile phones. However people checking social media on the move is still seen as the biggest risk to personal safety. These are the main findings of IAM RoadSmart’s eagerly awaited fourth annual Safety Culture Survey. Each year since 2015 IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s biggest road safety charity, surveys … [Read more...]
Secret Welsh off-road tests for new AM DBX
Secret tests in Wales have started for the Aston Martin DBX SUV which will go into production in the company's new St Athan factory next year, writes Robin Roberts. Today officially confirmed as being named DBX, the first development five-door prototype was put through its paces in the hands of the company’s Chief Engineer, Matt Becker, along a demanding Wales Rally GB stage near … [Read more...]
Newslines 13 November
The Welsh Government scheme to help young people’s mobility is being extended. MyTravelPass now runs to March 2020 and has its upper age limit lifted three years to 21-year-olds. Used motorbike sales are thriving while the new market is relying on dealer and manufacture incentives to shift stock, says the Motorcycle Industry Association. The only growth in new business is the rise in … [Read more...]
Europe leads autonomous driving mode
Europe is leading the world in self-driving innovation, a Brussels conference was told. Research and innovation in the field of automated driving was high on the agenda of the 2018 EUCAR Conference this week. A lively debate on the future of urban mobility, brought policy makers and authorities together with auto manufacturers, researchers and suppliers to discuss the opportunities and … [Read more...]
Low carbon models dominate in just a few cities
More than two in five of the world’s all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are registered in just 25 cities, says the International Council on Clean Transportation. ICCT’s report finds that these 25 metropolitan areas are home to nearly 1.4 million of the world’s 3.1 million battery-electric passenger vehicles that were in use at the end of 2017, according to the Advanced Mobility … [Read more...]