Wales’s Economy and Transport Secretary Ken Skates has told Assembly Members that plans for a £100 Million world-leading rail-testing complex have taken a huge step forward. Following the June 2018 announcement that the Strategic Outline Case for a Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) in Wales was approved, together with funding for next stage project … [Read more...]
Newslines 21 May
Toyota Yaris is the UK’s most reliable second-hand purchase, with BMW 1 Series the least reliable, reports What Car? More than 18,000 owners rated their vehicles, aged between four and 10 years and Japanese models dominated reliability rankings although a third of all owners experienced a fault, usually suspension issues. The UK’s four big supermarkets … [Read more...]
On-line sales rise as showrooms are shunned
Motorists are now less likely to visit a car showroom this weekend and spend their time looking on-line. The number of drivers buying cars which they haven’t set eyes on in person now stands at a one in 10 (11%) as more people place their faith in online portals giving them access to dealers across the country. This is underlining the fact that consumers … [Read more...]
New to used gap widens and choices expand
As used car sales surge, the gap between demand for used and new vehicles gets ever starker, said Seán Kemple, Director of Sales at Close Brothers Motor Finance. Consumers shifting to cheaper cars due to the economic uncertainty caused by Brexit and the global slowdown is certainly a factor. But, so too is the challenge in supplying customers the … [Read more...]
Newslines 17 May
About 42% of Cardiff commuters admit to being stressed by their journeys and the Welsh capital ranks eighth in the list of the UK’s top ten worst cities. The poll for property company Good Move put York and London at the top of the stress list with 51% of drivers affected. New info-tainment systems are proving a headache for owners of the latest cars with … [Read more...]
More are plugging into thoughts of EVs
Two in five drivers (39%) are considering an electric vehicle as their next purchase, an increase of 7.5m drivers in the past two years, according to the new Britain Under the Bonnet report from Close Brothers Motor Finance. While sales figures remain in the low thousands each month, data from dealers, drivers, and online trends suggest a surge in … [Read more...]
Rich & poor divide appears in EV sales
A rich and poor divide is splitting sales of electric cars. The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) has published new data highlighting the correlation between the affordability of electric cars and their market uptake. This ACEA analysis compares national data on the sales of electrically-chargeable vehicles (ECVs) with GDP per … [Read more...]
70% drivers are not “driving” but distracted
According to the AA many drivers are watching the clock, thinking about work and looking ahead to the future all whilst being behind the wheel. A third (30%) of drivers said they only think about driving and navigation when they are behind the wheel and over a quarter of Welsh drivers told pollsters they are “future planning “ when behind the … [Read more...]
£30M boost for Welsh transport links and travel
Wales’s Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport Lee Waters has announced grant funding for local authorities of over £30m to improve access to active travel, deliver safer routes and improved road safety to communities across Wales. £12.7m of the new Active Travel Fund have been allocated to ambitious active travel schemes that have the potential to … [Read more...]
Tradelines 8 May
Following its unveiling at the Geneva International Motor Show in March, the upgraded four-model Kia Niro series is now on sale in the UK from £24,590 for the petrol hybrid to £31,945 for the plug-in hybrid ev version. Enhanced for 2019 with a new exterior design, a more upscale, high-quality interior and enhanced connectivity, the Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid … [Read more...]
