The UK car industry came to the end of its Covid induced click and collect period last week with healthy March new registration plate month sales, writes David Miles. Registrations were up by 11.5% over March last year when Covid first closed showrooms. However the March 2021 total of new cars sold 283,964 units is 37% below the 10-year March average. Peugeot is one of the brands doing well with … [Read more...]
News
EV sales soar and so do drivers’ travel plans
Sales of new electric vehicles hit new records in March as Tesla tops with 31% market share and Kia, Nissan and Hyundai battle it out for second place, revealed New AutoMotive’s Electric Car Count tracker. The independent research organisation will publish the tracker each month and it looks at the top ten EV manufacturers and their market share as well as new EV sales. If there’s anything extra … [Read more...]
Older drivers love to use their cars
Uswitch insurance comparison site says a quarter of us would give up our cars to help the environment. The results also reveal how age and location have huge impacts on how we feel about making sacrifices to help the environment. Meanwhile, the RAC Foundation has backed a report from the New Weather Institute think tank suggesting large 4x4 SUVs should not be bought and used in major … [Read more...]
End of the road for lockdown safety travel, says NFU
Based on claims trends following previous UK lockdowns, insurer NFU Mutual is expecting a sharp increase in accidents from next week when England lifts travel restrictions.This is when self-contained holiday accommodation lets, non-essential retail, personal care, outdoor hospitality and indoor leisure venues are scheduled to open to the public on Monday 12 April. Wales opened for … [Read more...]
BREAKING NEWS: Driving lessons restart monday
Driving lessons in Wales can restart on monday 12 April.Transport secretary Grant Shapps said driving tests will resume 10 days later on 22 April and to help clear the backlog of candidates, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency will offer more tests and examiners, including at weekends and on bank holidays. Driving tests for motorcycles, lorries and cars with trailers can also take … [Read more...]
Governments must invest to reach zero target
Car makers have called on Governments to invest in electric vehicle charging points and hydrogen stations to ensure zero emission targets are met over coming decades. The EU automobile industry is open to higher CO2 reduction targets for cars in 2030, provided that they are directly linked to binding commitments from member states to roll out the required charging points and hydrogen … [Read more...]
Tradelines 7 April
While the pandemic has taken a toll on many people’s finances, others are emerging with a nest egg after months of lockdown living and this could ensure the car industry, along with the wider economy, bounces back quicker than originally anticipated, said James Fairclough, CEO of AA Cars. He was speaking after the SMMT released March car sales figures showing a dramatic rise compared to the last … [Read more...]
Electric car sales surge, but Wales sees big loss
Electric car sales are charging ahead on British roads. Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders show ev registrations hit a record and hybrid sales last month were higher than September 2020, the previous best for the dual fuel vehicles. It's also the first month that the Tesla Model 3 EV, pictured above, has been officially recognised in the figures after Tesla withdrew … [Read more...]
A quarter of new cars will be hybrids, say buyers
One in four UK drivers plan to opt for a hybrid car as their next vehicle purchase, according to research conducted for Close Brothers Motor Finance’s upcoming Britain Under the Bonnet Report. The fifth iteration of the report reveals that the desire to purchase a hybrid vehicle has accelerated to 26% from 21% in 2020. And this is largely stable across age groups, but highest at 28% for those … [Read more...]
Over £12M fines for Welsh speeders last year
More than 121,000 motorists were caught speeding in Wales last year, despite the ‘stay at home’ order. That’s according to new Freedom of Information data obtained by Confused.com, which suggests drivers in the region collectively paid out at least £12 million in fines for speeding last year, based on the minimum fine a driver must being £100. According to the data, police forces in Wales … [Read more...]
