Euro NCAP kicks off the start of a new year of car safety testing by recognizing the top performers of last year and the winners of the 2021 Best in Class awards. Euro NCAP tested 33 new cars in 2021, of which 22 achieved the top 5-star rating with Skoda finishing holding two top awards, more than any other car maker. Among the successes, the Mercedes-EQ EQS emerged as best in the “Executive … [Read more...]
EV News
One-six-new UK cars will be electric in 2022
At least 330,000 new battery electric vehicles will be registered in the UK in 2022, according to figures from DriveElectric, one of the UK’s leading electric vehicle leasing companies. This figure is based on DriveElectric’s own forecasts, and it represents a significant increase from 183,000 - the number of battery electric vehicles (cars and light vans) expected to have been registered in the … [Read more...]
Welsh buyers shunned new cars last year
Wales was the only part of the UK to record a fall in total car registrations last year, says the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The car sales body reported 56,935 registrations in Wales in 2021, a drop of 4.46% from 2020 when they reached 59,594 but every other part of the country saw sales rise. Throughout the UK, total figures were 1,647,181 new cars registered in 2021 and that … [Read more...]
Clean air targets will not be achieved
Europe is expected to miss new clean air targets over the next few years. New T&E analysis finds that the emissions reduction trajectory proposed by the European Commission sets a far too generous emissions budget for 2021-2030. Weaknesses in the Regulation mean that, by 2030, emissions in the Effort Sharing Regulation sectors would not be cut by -40%, as envisaged by Fit for 55, but by a … [Read more...]
Saving money not environment is driving ev sales
Cheaper running costs rather than benefits to the environment topped the list of reasons for motorists considering an electric vehicle over the past two years, according to new research. The finding comes from a raft of unique insights into the car buying process and motorists’ choices just revealed by Autovia publication. Autovia's comprehensive 'Driver Power Shopper' study, drawn from the … [Read more...]
Government betrayal of ev buyers
The boss of one of Britain’s biggest car leasing businesses has criticised the government for slashing electric vehicle grants at the very time they’re making a crucial environmental and economic difference. Andy Alderson, founder and CEO of online leasing giant Vanarama, was left gobsmacked when the government announced yesterday that it would cut the Plug-In Car Grant (PiCG) by 60 … [Read more...]
Weekend roadtest: Ford Mustang Mach-E (extended range)
A famous name from the past will lead Ford’s fight for sales in the new all-electric age of our cars. The venerable Mustang name has been cloned from the muscle sports car launched in the mid-60s and now in its seventh generation as the brand’s longest-lived nameplate on a family SUV. The Mustang Mach-E is vitally important to Ford and in familiar style has arrived with a choice of … [Read more...]
Volkswagen Group forging new alliances for future EVs
The Volkswagen Group has entered into three more strategic partnerships, further strengthening its position in the field of batteries. The new partners are the leading materials technology group Umicore, the battery specialist 24M Technologies, and cleantech company Vulcan Energy Resources Ltd. Although these three partnerships are independent from each other, they share a common goal: … [Read more...]
Newslines 8 December
The all-new Nissan Qashqai has been awarded the top five-star safety rating by the independent European New Car Assessment Programme, a particularly notable achievement given the vehicle was assessed under the new, more stringent 2020-2022 protocol. It did particularly well in adult protection and highly scored in protecting pedestrians, but the Renault Zoe and Dacia have been slated for … [Read more...]
Turnaround in new car sales led by EVs raises issues
New car sales rose 1.7% year on year in November, ending four consecutive months of decline. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders reported 115,706 new cars were registered last month, up from 113,781 in the same period last year. The trade body noted this small uptick "must be viewed in the context of a weak 2020, when lockdowns impacted registrations". With the … [Read more...]