The number of MOTs set to be carried out in October and November will be 60 percent higher than normal volumes, according to the latest DVSA forecast. Motorists were no longer able to extend their MOT for six months from 1 August. It’s therefore important that the appropriate repair and maintenance is carried out before booking to avoid common MOT failures. Re-tests can be charged for … [Read more...]
News
Darker nights mean greater dangers
Now that summer is well and truly over and the clocks have reverted to GMT, the nights will be drawing in. Statistically we see more incidents involving pedestrians and vulnerable road users from October to March than we do throughout the rest of the year. Most incidents happen between 3pm and 7pm and we need to take special care to look out for pedestrians when it’s dark. IAM RoadSmart’s head … [Read more...]
Newslines 30 October
Electrified vehicles have outsold diesel-powered models across Europe, says JATO Dynamics. This turnaround comes as September registrations in the EU were up by 1% over 2019, marking a significant milestone in the low carbon drive and much of it was due to the arrival of the VW ID.3 . UK car production fell in September, with output down -5.0%, to register the worst performance for the month in … [Read more...]
“Frost Jacking” warning
With the average first day of frost striking as early as 11 November in some regions of the UK, Tracker warns motorists of the perils of ‘Frost Jacking’ and urges extra vigilance when de-icing vehicle windscreens. Over three and a half million pounds worth of stolen vehicles were recovered by Tracker between November 2019 and January 2020, the peak months for vehicle thefts and typically when … [Read more...]
Beware La Niña says weather forecaster
One of the UK’s leading winter maintenance company, Ice Watch has taken delivery of more than 3,000 tonnes of salt in preparation for the upcoming season, which it predicts will be the company’s busiest season yet. Part of the idverde Group, Ice Watch is the only gritting, snow clearance and winter maintenance services company in the UK with a full-time in-house meteorologist. By … [Read more...]
EU states largely unprepared for EV motoring
A new report by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association shows that despite strong growth, the available charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in the EU still falls far below what is needed, and remains unevenly distributed across member states. Its second edition of ‘Making the Transition to Zero-Emission Mobility’, is an annual study which tracks progress on the availability … [Read more...]
Aston Martin to get future Mercedes powertrains
Aston Martin's future electrified vehicles will have Mercedes-Benz powertrains when they go into production in St Athan in a few years. The technical deal is part of a massive investment by Daimler taking a 20% stake in the British luxury car-maker over the next three years. The two have been working together since 2013 when MB supplied petrol engines to the sports cars made in Gaydon and this … [Read more...]
Call for clarity on new BIK tax until 2030
New company car benefit-in-kind tax tables should be provided up to 2030 if the Government adopts this date as its new electrification target, says the Association of Fleet Professionals. The industry body said it had been widely reported that an announcement would be made during November to halt sales of internal combustion engined vehicles by the end of the decade, substantially bringing … [Read more...]
Tradelines 28 October
Car wash operators at supermarkets in Wales have asked for clarification over their "essential" services provision under the Firebreak lockdown. Controversial decisions have been taken to outlaw non-essential products and services in supermarkets and this has already led to a massive public petition calling on Welsh Government to end the widescale ban, but now the car wash providers say they help … [Read more...]
Dealers and charity working to help
The NFDA has launched a new HR survey asking franchised dealers a range of questions around employment and recruitment issues in the automotive retail sector. The apprenticeship levy, working from home, the gender pay gap as well as mental health represent some of the issues NFDA will examine through the survey. The findings will be shared with members and analysed in more detail via … [Read more...]