It may be coming to the end of the road next year, but the Ford Fiesta is the most stolen model, according to research from a car leasing company. Rivervale Leasing submitted a Freedom of Information request to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to find the most stolen car in 2022 in the UK as well as the total number of vehicles stolen. The top 15 cars stolen in … [Read more...]
What is autonomous or not
Thatcham Research has revealed further insights from its Trust in Automation study - which polled 2,000 motorists in the US and 2,000 in the UK – and found a significant disconnect between attitudes and behaviours on either side of the Atlantic. American drivers are more likely to a see a benefit to self-driving or autonomous technology than British drivers: 81% versus 73% respectively. However, … [Read more...]
Become a hybrid hero, says Toyota
As the cost of living continues to increase with persistently high fuel prices, Toyota (GB) has put together some tips to help drivers get the most out of their hybrid electric cars, improving fuel consumption, so they can travel further for less. A new short film features TV presenter Grace Webb (above) explaining the Toyota Hybrid driving tips for best fuel economy. It’s not just hybrids … [Read more...]
Short-circuiting some charging myths on EVs
There are estimated to be over half a million battery-electric cars on the roads in the UK, which isn’t including the 405,000 plug-in hybrids that are also registered. And with plans from the British government to stop the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, it’s likely we’ll see the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road continue to climb. Petrol and diesel cars have been … [Read more...]
Weathering perfect economic storm
Automotive suppliers’ business sentiment reached an all-time low in the CLEPA McKinsey September 2022 Pulse Check. About 70% of suppliers saw their profitability drop to levels that could already start undermining their ability to invest in R&D, the workforce and new business activities. Three consecutive years of crisis have eroded the financial health of around one in two suppliers. … [Read more...]
Newslines 28 November
Government plans that could see novice drivers being allowed to automatically drive lorries have been condemned by the UK’s leading independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart. A recent government consultation suggested that drivers who possess a category B car licence should be instantly entitled to a category C1 licence, which allows motorists to drive vehicles weighing up to 7.5 tonnes … [Read more...]
‘Wrong’ lights motorists face £1,000 fine
Since 2011 all new cars in the UK are legally required to have ‘daytime running lights’, or DRLs, that come on automatically when the engine is started. These low-wattage lamps are designed to increase visibility and reduce vehicle accidents during the day but in many cases the DRL system does not automatically illuminate rear lights. If you’re relying on DRLs on winter roads with poor … [Read more...]
Newslines 25 November
The government’s decision to introduce VED on electric cars from April 2025 has ‘polarised’ car buyers considering an EV as their next purchase, reports CarDealer. eBay Motors Group quizzed 2,000 in-market car buyers and found that nearly half (45 per cent) were not put off by the move but 37 per cent said the announcement is either making them reconsider or drop their plans to go … [Read more...]
Tradelines 23 November
Heading towards the first Lamborghini super sports ‘all terrain’ unveiling at Art Basel in Miami Beach, Automobili Lamborghini celebrates the Huracán Sterrato that arrives on the market in 2023. Conceived, designed and engineered to explore any terrain, the Sterrato is the forerunner of Lamborghini’s ‘Driving Humans Beyond’ concept: visionary working towards new horizons and inspiring new … [Read more...]
Newslines 22 November
Chinese car makers have Europe in their sights with highly specified, lower priced cars which come with the highest safety ratings as well such as the NIO ET7. Matthew Avery, director at Thatcham Research, a British car research centre funded by insurers and a Euro NCAP board member said the latest testing regimes had given top awards to a handful of Chinese makers looking to enter Europe … [Read more...]