There are a few weeds to be taken care of as the motor industry, energy providers, related suppliers and authorities take us down the green road towards 2030 and onwards, writes Robin Roberts. The haste and race to have low emission cars and other vehicles on our roads is tripping over some serious issues, notably cost, and not just for vehicles and infrastructure but the expense of losing … [Read more...]
Newslines 5 March
With staycations booming this year, an invaluable new publication is the Caravan and Motorhome Club Buyers Guide 2021, which is full of information about the latest and most innovative motorhomes and campervans new to market. An independent, expert and knowledgeable panel carried out full technical specification, design, use of space and usability reviews of 106 new-to-market leisure vehicles … [Read more...]
Stellantis/ Vauxhall pressure rises on UK Government
Vauxhall parent Stellantis says its up to the UK Government to secure the future of the Ellesmere Port, Cheshire car plant. Any investment by Stellantis depends on support from the British government, CEO Carlos Tavares told a French paper this week. Stellantis is considering the site for electric mobility development but the high costs may not make business sense as the UK Government has … [Read more...]
Van drivers to get electric charging boost at home
Van drivers who have to take their vehicles home will get financial help fitting rapid charging points for the new generation of vehicles. Logistics UK has welcomed news the Department for Transport’s announcement of a £50 million boost for electric vehicle chargepoints for those in leasehold and rented accommodation, as well as the expansion of the Workplace Charging Scheme. Denise Beedell, … [Read more...]
Newslines 23 February
British Gas is going all-electric with its vehicle fleet after announcing it’s not buying another petrol or diesel engined vehicle. It has placed an order for 2,000 Vauxhall Vivaro-e vans in the largest commercial fleet order ever in the UK for BEVs and follows 1,000 ordered last summer. Volkswagen is struggling to obtain enough battery cells for its hybrid Golf models. The success of the car … [Read more...]
Newslines 19 February
Ford will sell only pure electric vehicles in Europe by 2030. In five years it will offer hybrid cars across its range as it transforms, two years after its vans, and it will use Volkswagen platforms but assemble models in Cologne. MG electric car owners can subscribe to a £6 monthly service plan if they do under 10,000 miles annually. Petrol models cost from £14 and selected used models can … [Read more...]
Range Rovers are tops with thieves
Analysis by Tracker reveals that Range Rovers and Land Rovers take six of the ten places in the 2020 list of Tracker’s most commonly stolen and recovered vehicles. The three top spots in the 2020 league table are all Range Rover models - the Sport, the Vogue and the Autobiography. The Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Defender also make the top ten. These six models alone … [Read more...]
Motor industry at cross-roads, suggests global survey
Car buyers around the world have different opinions on their next vehicle choice, according to an international survey by Arthur D Little researchers. The report entitled ‘The Future Of Automotive Mobility’ based on a survey of over 8,500 end customers in 13 countries shows that global automotive markets are currently at crossroads. While the study identifies that the internal combustion engine … [Read more...]
Radical shake up of MoTs suggested
The MoT test may need a radical shakeup to reflect the arrival of electric power and very sophisticated technology fitted to the latest vehicles. That’s the view of KwikFit, which test about a million vehicles annually and head of their service Eric Smith. He points out that currently hybrid models and battery electric vehicles are not tested for emissions and these and other cars have features … [Read more...]
Manufacturers call for more charging points
Europe needs a million public vehicle charging points inside three years and three million by 2029, car makers have told European governments. Latest figures suggest there are under 230,000 at the moment but car makers are pouring huge investments into evs and say the public network needs to grow and give confidence to buyers who have still to make the switch. ACEA, the car makers' body, said in … [Read more...]